korea magazine [july 2010 vol. 6 no. 7]

8/9/2019 KOREA magazine [July 2010 VOL. 6 NO. 7]

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July 2010 www.korea.net

People & CultureJULY

2010

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PRELUDE

The Beauty of KoreaYangdong Village, located 16kmnortheast of the city of Gyeongju in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province,

along the Hyeongsan River, is a traditional village that has hardly

changed since the Joseon Dynasty. Dating from the 15th century,

the village today retains its ancient folk customs and itsyangban

(aristocratic) traditions amid many excellently preserved Joseon-

era buildings. Yangdong Village was included on UNESCOs

Tentative List of World Heritage sites in January 2002.

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CONTENTSJULY 2010 VOL. 6 NO. 7

PUBLISHERSeo Kang-soo,Korean Culture and Information Service

EDITING HEM KOREA Co., Ltd

E-MAIL [email protected]

PRINTING Samsung Moonwha Printing Co.

Allrightsreserved.No partofthispublicationmaybereproducedinany formwithoutpermissionfromKOREAandtheKoreanCultureand InformationService.

Thearticles publishedin KOREAdonot necessarilyrepresenttheviewsofthe publisher.The publisherisnotliableforerrorsoromissions.

Lettersto theeditorshouldincludethewritersfullnameandaddress.Lettersmaybe editedfor clarityand/orspace restrictions.

Ifyou wanttoreceiveafreecopy ofKOREAorwishto cancela subscription,pleasee-mail us.AdownloadablePDFfileofKOREAandamapandglossarywithcommonKoreanwordsappearinginourtextareavailablebyclickingonthethumbnailofKOREAonthe homepageof www.korea.net.

: 11-1110073-000016-06

COVER STORY 04

Once reckoned to be no more than a fad,

hallyu, or the Korean Wave, is set to sweep

across the world once more with some of

its hottest shows and movies yet.

TRAVEL 24

Jeju Island is Koreas best-known tourist

destination, blessed with a plethora of

natural riches. Little wonder that Koreans

just cant get enough of their idyllic island

getaway.

MY KOREA 30

It was another memorable World Cup for

Korea this year, with red-clad fans resuming

their places on the city streets. And for one

foreign resident, the excitement and warmth

brought memories of 2002 flooding back.

GLOBAL KOREA 36

Having long been recipients of aid, many

Koreans are now discovering the joy of

voluntary work in places as far afield

as South Asia and South America. Come

and meet some of the special people who

found fulfillment in giving.

SUMMIT DIPLOMACY 40

At the ninth Asia Security Summit,

President Lee Myung-bak outlined his

vision for Asias global role, rallied support

for a resolute response to North Korea,

and still found time to talk trade and

security with the leaders of Singapore.

NOW IN KOREA 44

From out of nowhere, Korea has emerged

as a cosmetics titan in East Asia.

Encharming beauty maniac, Koreas

stores lure customers with good service

and quality at excellent prices.

PEN & BRUSH 16

In a cynical world, Shin Gyeong-suk stands

apart with a deep-rooted faith in the power

of humanity. Hearteningly, it has made her

one of Koreas most popular writers.

PEOPLE 20

Though born in Germany, Lee Charm, the

head of the Korea Tourism Organization,

is as Korean as they come right down

to the nationality on his passport.

www.korea.net

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THE KOREAN

WAVESPREADSTO THE

WORLD

COVER STORY

Victory

Pro

duc

tion

A still from the TV drama Personal Preference, which stars Lee Min-ho and Son Ye-jin.

In its home country, hallyu the Korean Waveof TV series, movies and popsingers that swept across Asia was once considered no more than a fad. While itsbiggest hits,such as Winter Sonata and Dae Jang Geum (aired in the U.S. asJewel inthe Palace), were sensations overseas, the resulting glut of hallyu-prefixed outputwas often of a vastly inferior quality, leading many to think that its days werenumbered.But recently, hallyu has emerged stronger than ever, with its hitssweeping through Asia and onto the world stage. by Jeong Deok-hyeon

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Turning on the television in his hotel room on a recent

business trip to Vietnam, K. from Korea was astonished.

Though he had certainly glimpsed the posters of Korean

celebrities adorning the shops en route from the airport, he

hadnt expected to see them all again on his TV in a seemingly

endless procession of Korean drama shows. Seeing the actors

dubbed in Vietnamese was also a source of amusement. On

one show, he could swear that one persons voice was dubbing

every single character. Later asking a guide, who confirmed his

suspicion, whether it wasnt offputting to have one actor do all

the voices, he was told no it wasnt, because the dramas are

just so addictive.

And situations like this arent limited to Vietnam. At 9pm,

the golden hour for viewing figures, Korean dramas are a

common sight on Hong Kongs TV stations. ATV, one of the

largest outlets, currently shows Korean programming from 8

to 10:30pm, Monday to Friday. Just a few years ago, Korean

dramas were a marginal concern, with only two or three aired

per year. ThenDae Jang Geum, a historical tale about a female

physician in the Joseon Dynasty, seized a massive 50 percent

audience share, taking Korean TV shows into the big time.

China has proved just as susceptible to the Korean wave.

Again, the catalyst for success wasDae Jang Geum, which

gained an audience share of at least 15 percent in 31 major

cities across the country, followed by other big hits such as

Full House and Stairway to Heaven. Such has been the success

of Korean stars in the country, some are now appearing in

homegrown Chinese productions. After gaining popularity in

Successful Story of a Bright Girl , about a country girl falling for a

big-city business type, Jang Na-ra co-starred in the Chinese

drama My Bratty Princess with Taiwanese actor Alec Su. Its

sequel,My Bratty Princess 2, featured another Korean actress,

Chae Rim, who hit it big inAll About Eve, in which two news

reporters vie for a top spot in the network they both work for.

Alongside Jang Hyuk, who gained popularity withIntroducing My

Girlfriend, Chae Rim is scheduled to star in the upcoming

Chinese remake ofAll About Eve.

From Hong Kong, hallyu has also spread throughout

Southeast Asia. Even Myanmar, a country not known for its

cultural openness, has fallen for the charms of Korean enter-

tainment, first with Winter Sonata and nowDae Jang Geum

and a comedy gangster flickMarrying the Mafia. In cracking

Southeast Asian markets, Hong Kong has proved a crucialconduit. Full House, to take one example, garnered a 52

percent rating in Hong Kong with 63 percent in Thailand,

42.3 percent in the Philippines and an astonishing 78 percent

rating in Indonesia.

Today, proving their remarkably adaptable appeal, hallyu

Kim Tae-hee, who starred in the hit showIris (opposite). Actors Lee Jun-ki,

heroine Nam Sang-mi and Jung Kyung-ho star in Time Between Dog andWolf(above, from left). Stills from the drama Iris (below left, right). A scene

from the drama Boys Over Flowers (bottom).

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Pan

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shows have started creeping into Central Asia, Africa and even

the Muslim world. Slushy hitWinter Sonata aired in Egypt in

2004, while Tunisia has developed a taste for Korean histori-

cal dramas such asJamyeonggo. In 2007, after joining the long

list of countries to fall for Dae Jang Geum, Iran became hooked

onJumong, which recorded a 60 percent audience share.

Uzbek viewers sawPainter of the Wind; Mongolians watched

Temptation of a Wife. And the recently finishedPersonal

Preference, in which a straight man pretends to be gay in order

to room with the female lead, is being exported to Central and

South America, Africa, and the Middle East.

THE INTERNATIONAL WAVE So how is the original market for

hallyu, Japan, faring now? Though many believe the Korean

wave petered out afterWinter Sonata and Dae Jang Geum, the

reality is that, though not on the phenomenal scale of those two

shows, a string of Korean shows continue to do well there

today. Having failed to lure audiences with dramas that mim-

icked the formula of the big hits, Korean TV producers are

finding that homegrown successes are continuing to pull in

Japanese viewers. Romantic comedyMy Lovely Sam Soon, a

huge success in Korea, took a 5.2 percent share in the highly

fragmented Japanese market (where even 6 percent is

rare), and historical dramasYi San and Dae Jo Yeongalso

struck a big chord with Japanese viewers.

At home, the number of Korean dramas is rising

steadily. From November 2008 to June 2009, the

number of such shows increased from 27 to 42,

with each channel raising its own quota of

dramas from two to six. And with greater volume

has come greater diversity. AfterWinter Sonata

inspired a cult-like following among women

throughout Asia, Korean producers saturated the

market with sentimental romances with increasing-

ly unfeasible plots. Now, however, subject matter

includes noir (Time Between Dog and Wolf), family

(Brilliant Legacy), history (Jumong) and even private

educational institutes (Boys Over Flowers). By diversify-

ing their output into fast-paced, more action-oriented

historical series, producers have managed to lure male

viewers into what was once an almost entirely female

preserve and now, viewers are getting younger, too.

Iris is a prime example of how hallyu dramas havechanged. On April 21, the espionage thriller was the first

Korean drama to be aired on Japanese TV in the 9pm

golden hour, with the first two episodes (broadcast

consecutively) receiving a 10.1 percent overall audience share,

a huge number by Japanese standards.

Protagonist Lee Seung-gi from Brilliant Legacy(above). Iriss stars Lee So-

yeon, Kim Tae-hee and TOP (below, right). A still from Boys Over Flowers(opposite top). A scene from Personal Preference (opposite bottom).

y



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boundaries within Asia, the next stepping stone for hallyu has

become the global market. Korean actors and actresses are

starring in Chinese and Japanese dramas, and Korean

directors and authors are working with Chinese and Japanese

actors and actresses. Capital is no longer limited by national

boundaries, and TV and movie moguls are searching for new

investments throughout the region.

As hallyu aims to consolidate its success in Asia, producers

recognize that they, too, have to change. Though not created

specifically with the international market in mind,Dae Jang

Geum is perhaps the best example of how Korean dramas can

succeed across borders: by identifying universal themes that

can appeal to viewers everywhere, and can be tweaked to

speak to their own lives.

TODAY EUROPE, TOMORROW HOLLYWOOD The international-

ization of Korean TV dramas is every bit as evident in movies.

In China, the list of Korean stars appearing in local productions

includes Song Hye-kyo in Wong Kar-waisThe Grand Master,

Jun Ji-hyun inSnow Flower and the Secret Fan, and Kim Hee-

sun in the historical movieCivil Wars. And while the focus for

hallyu in Southeast Asia undoubtedly remains TV dramas, in

other markets, notably Europe, it is the movies that are catch-

ing the critics eyes.

Among the films on show at this years Cannes Film Festival

was Im Sang-soosThe Housemaid, a remake of a cult Korean

classic from the 1960s. Meanwhile, Lee Chang-dongsPoetry

received great acclaim and went on to win the award for best

screenplay. Another Korean movie Hong Sang-soosHa Ha Ha

received the top prize in the Un Certain Regard category.

While Cannes itself was, because of Europes ongoing

economic problems, a somewhat dampened affair, Korean

films enjoyed their most successful showing yet. BesidesThe

Housemaids tally of 15 countries, Poetryand Lee Joon-iks

Blades of Blood (which was not officially on show) were sold to

four countries apiece. In addition, Kim Ji-woon, ofThe Good,

The Bad, The Weird fame, sold his latest work, I Saw the Devil,

to French distributor ARP. Though still unfinished, the movie is

receiving a lot of attention thanks to its stellar cast, which

includes Lee Byung-hun andOldboystar Choi Min-sik.

As seen at Cannes, Korean movies are slowly but surely

gaining ground in Europe. But what of the movie Holy Grail,

Hollywood? So far, hallyu has had considerably less successthere. Yet two top stars, Rain and Lee Byung-hun, were cast in

big-budget movies respectivelyNinja Assassin and G.I. Joe:

The Rise of Cobra and with the success hallyu continues to

enjoy elsewhere, who would bet against a Korean-directed

Hollywood film hitting it big in the next 10 years?Mirov

ision

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Nor were ratings the sole triumph forIris. With much of the

production and marketing duties shared with TBS,Iris starredLee Byung-hun, one of Koreas biggest stars, and TOP, a singer

with popular K-pop group Big Bang, and featured a soundtrack

by Shin Seung-hun, a fast-rising Korean star in Japan. By

bringing such big and varied stars on board,Iris aimed for,

and got, not just viewers in their 30s and older, but a younger

demographic as well.

As a joint production with Japan,Iris also symbolized hallyus

growing role as a truly pan-Asian phenomenon. From being

made entirely in Korea, and then viewed in Japan and China,

newer productions are often harnessing the strengths of all

three countries. Kim Hyoo-jong, dean of the Graduate School of

Arts Management at Chugye University for the Arts, defines the

first phase of hallyu as the made in era, the next phase as

the made by era (when the focus will be on the production

company), and the current phase as the made for era, where

the emphasis is on targeting groups that can receive the mostvalue and enjoyment.

Hallyu has become an industry where content is no longer

restricted by national boundaries. Chinas vast market, Japans

marketing skills and Koreas excellence in production are now

combined to produce a single product. Having expanded its

Jeon Do-yeon, who previously won the best female actress award at Cannes

Film Festival in 2007, recently starred the film The Housemaid(above). A

scene from The Housemaid(below).

A scene from the movie Ha Ha Ha,which starred Moon So-ri and Kim Sang-

gyeong the film received the top prize at this years Cannes Film Festival

(top). Director ofPoetryLee Chang-dong and The Housemaids director Im

Sang-soo (above, from left). Poetrys heroine Yoon Jeong-hee (below).



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These are heady days for Koreas historical

dramas. Now shown around the world, the

genres road to success began back in

2004 with the mega-hit Dae Jang Geum,

which told the story of a female physician in

a Joseon Dynasty. As of June 2010, the

show has been broadcast in 60 countries

worldwide, enjoying phenomenal success as

far afield as Japan, Taiwan and Iran. In

India, so taken was one prisoner with the

show that he penned an open letter to

Korea saying, I have found new hope in life

through watchingDae Jang Geum.

In bringing Korean culture into households

around the world,Dae Jang Geum has raised

Koreas profile enormously, while also bringing

tangible financial benefits to the country. The

shows heavy focus on food sparked a craze

for such dishes asbibimbap, with Korean

restaurants even in New York reporting a

spike in interest in the dish. In addition, the

show sparked a wave of spin-offs and

merchandising, in everything from tourism to

musicals to computer game characters.

More recently, the historical dramas

Jumong, Yi San, The Kingdom of the Winds

and Emperor of the Sea have raisedawareness of Koreas history and culture

while gripping viewers worldwide. Calling

them cultural ambassadors, one member

of the production staff at Korean TV network

MBC says: Although historical dramas need to be interesting,

they must also accurately depict Korean history. If our histori-

cal dramas are not accurate, they could show foreigners a

distorted picture of Korean history.

THE REAL PICTURE Ever since the success ofDae Jang Geum,

Korean pop culture has used the countrys history both to feed

the overseas demand for hallyu and to make domestic audiences

look at their past anew. One notable instance of this has been in

the changing depiction of women, of whom the determined

protagonist ofDae Jang Geum is only the most notable example.

While conventional wisdom has it that Korean women werealways and everywhere suppressed by dominant men, historical

dramas have shown a more nuanced picture, depicting the lives

of women who wielded genuine power in historical Korea.

Take, for example, MBC historical dramaQueen Seondeok.

Set in Koreas distant past, the show depicts the conspiracies

and feuds that eventually saw Seonduk

become Koreas first queen. A big success

in Korea, the series has also been exported

to 14 countries around the world.

In Dong Yi, also on MBC, Consort Choi,

though born to the lowest echelons of

Korean society, mothers the man who goes

on to become Joseon Dynasty monarch

Yeongjo. Dong Yiwas contracted for export

to Japan and Thailand for US$ 6 million

even before the drama was aired in Korea,

says a crew member working on the show.

Buyers are growing tired of male dominated

historical dramas, and are increasingly fasci-

nated by historical stories about women.

Some historical dramas also attempt to

cover aspects of Korean history that had previ-

ously been neglected.Kim Soo Ro delves into

largely forgotten Gaya civilization, whileDae Jo

Yeongserves as a source of information on

Koreas ancient Balhae civilization.

WHY SO POPULAR Just as we think of

pyramids and the Sphinx when Egypt is

mentioned, and Ancient Greece brings to

mind mythology, in like manner Korean

historical dramas are providing a compellinghistorical context for the country Korea is

today. These intriguing storylines and the

culture they convey are one of the most

precious gifts left to us by our forefathers,

and have a universal appeal that can be enjoyed by foreigners

as much as by Koreans.

And the benefits are more than just a higher profile for Korean

culture. According to the Study of the Economic Value of the

Korean Wave (Hallyu), published in 2005 by the International

Trade Research Center of the Korea International Trade

Association, in 2004, the yearDae Jang Geum was released,

hallyu generated income of US$ 1.87 billion overseas.

Clearly, a well-made depiction of Korean culture can bring

great economic benefits, too. But the intangible benefits are as

valuable, providing Korea with a chance to display the vibrancy

of its culture, lifestyle and history to the wider world. Koreacurrently may not make blockbuster movies likeTransformers

or Iron Man, a Korean cultural critic recently noted. But

Korea definately has a distinct culture that nobody else

possesses. This unique aspect is distilled and displayed in

Korean historical dramas.

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COVER STORY

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MBC

KBS

(top

);MBC

(bo

ttom

)

A still from the TVdrama Kim Soo Ro (oppo-

site). A scene from the drama The Kingdom

of the Winds, starred Song Il-gook (top). Kim

Soo Ros hero Ji Sung (above).

LEARNING FROM THE PASTAs Sex and the Cityfans would surely acknowledge, the shows setting and the lifestyle ofits main characters are as appealing as its plotlines. Indeed, rightly or wrongly, the show

is great insight into how New Yorkers live for many viewers. In much the same way,various hallyu productions are providing a window into the lives and culture of Koreans.And nowhere is this truer than with one of its most popular exports: historical dramas.

by Ahn Jin-yong



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COVER STORY

HALLYUS BIG BANGSome of hallyus biggest stars have a busy six months ahead. Having conquered

Southeast Asia and, in some cases, gone further afield, some of the biggest names inKorean entertainment including Rain, Song Seung-hun,Kwon Sang-woo and So Ji-sub are set to return to the big and small screens. In this big hallyu showdown, who

will be the last man (or woman) standing? by Ahn Jin-yong

After a long absence as he focused on becoming a global star,

Rain will be back on Korean TV screens in this years October

with a new miniseries,Fugitive. Five years have passed since

the Ninja Assassin stars last TV outing, so expectations among

his fans are reaching a fever pitch.

Making his small-screen debut in 2004sFull House, Rain

has consolidated his Asia-wide appeal in the years since with

a string of pop hits and, more recently, movie roles. In the new

series, Rain will be working with producer Kwak Jung-hwan and

writer Chun Sung-il, who teamed up to a successful effect in

last years drama Chuno. Fan boards are also aswirl with

rumors linking Lee Na-young, star of Korea-Japan co-production

Dream and hit drama Island, with the lead role opposite Rain.

As comebacks go, this one could be really special.

STARS, RIVALS, FRIENDS Song Seung-hun, famous for the

dramasAutumn in My Heart and Summer Scent, and Kwon

Sang-woo, the milky-skinned star ofStairway to Heaven, have a

fair bit in common. They are both 33. They are very close

friends. And in the second half of 2010, they are preparing to

battle it out for the affections of hallyu fans everywhere.

An award winner for his star turn in the drama seriesEast of

Eden, Song is set to appear inMy Princess, from the team at

Curtain Call Producers. Though neither the network nor the

director have yet been confirmed, Song will star opposite one

of Koreas hottest female stars, Kim Tae-hee, fresh from her

success in the smash hit thriller seriesIris. Kim Eun-sook,

who wrote Lovers in Paris and On Air, will write the script, says

a member of the production team. With Song Seung-hun and

Kim Tae-hee in this drama, were all expecting big things, both

inside and outside Korea.

Also set to make Korean TV screens sizzle is Kwon Sang-

woo, who will return inThe Substitute this October. Kwon willappear alongside Ko Hyun-jung, who starred as Mishil in last

years historical dramaQueen Seondeok, and Ko Hyun-jung,

who will play Koreas first female president.

Much is being made of the potential on-screen chemistry

between Kwon and Ko, whose star is on the rise after her

appearance inQueen Seondeok. Kwon also returned to the big

screen, with an appearance in Lee Jae-hans71-Into the Fire.

MADE OF KOREAN MATERIALS So Ji-sub, who last year went

to Japan to promote his hit seriesCain and Abel, is starring in

a new drama. To mark his return, So choseRoad Number One,

a drama series about the Korean War that air in the memory of

60th year of the Korean War, which is on the air nowadays.

A reference to National Highway No 1, the main artery

connecting North and South Korea during the war,Road

Number One looks at the loves and friendships that are forged

during the war. So Ji-sub plays Lee Jang-woo, a passionate

South Korean officer born to a poor farming family, who finally

overcomes enormous hardship and danger by sheer instinct

and force of will.

Starting broadcast on June 25,Road Number One also stars

Kim Ha-neul, Yoon Kye-sang, Choi Min-soo and Son Chang-min.

A member of the crew says: Road Number One is not only an

engrossing series, it is also an opportunity to reflect on the

Korean War. By casting So Ji-sub in the lead role, the show is

sure to convey the full emotional impact of the war to his

foreign fans too.

Meanwhile, Park Yong-ha, star ofWinter Sonata and On Air,

is to star in Love Song, a remake drama of the Chinese movie

ofSweet Sweet Love. Park is also a famous singer, especially

in Japan, where he has released 10 albums and even held a

concert at Nippon Budokan, one of the countrys most famousconcert halls. By remaking what was a worldwide hit when it

was released in 1997,Sweet Sweet Love, which originally

starred Leon Lai and Maggie Cheung, has the advantage of a

familiar and much-loved story. Parks Japanese fans and the

legions of Chinese viewers who so loved the original are sure

to make the new version,Love Song, a big hit.

Also set for the Korean remake treatment isIt Started With

a Kiss, a hit drama series from Taiwan that was itself based on

a bestselling Japanese comic book. Kim Hyeon-jung, from K-

pop idol group SS501, and Shim Chang-min, from rival group

TVQX, or Dong Bang Shin Gi, are rumored to be playing the

lead roles in the Korean version, which is scheduled to air in

the second half of 2010. With both Kim and Shim already big

pop stars in Korea and throughout Asia, producers are

confident that It Started With a Kiss will be a big hit with

their younger fans.With so many big names returning, the remaining half of

2010 is truly shaping up to be a war of the stars, says a

source at Korean TV network MBC. This will also become a

battle amongst the three main TV channels. The whole tide of

hallyu could change this year.DSPMe

dia(top

);MBC

Kim Hyeon-jung is rumored to be playing the lead roles in upcoming drama,

It Started With a Kiss (above). So Ji-sub (below) and Kim Ha-neul (bottom)

are currently starring in the showRoad Number One.

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Shin Gyeong-suk

I met Shin Gyeong-suk in early June,with her new novel,

A Phone Rings for Me Somewhere, was relishing its third

straight week on the top of the bestseller lists.It was her

second bestseller in a row following Take Care of My Mother,

which sold more than a million copies and was turned into a

successful play.I first thanked Shin for taking time off from

her busy schedule and asked her how she is handling her

countless obligations.In a hoarse whisper, Shin responded

that she was almost lost her voice following a book signing

last week.She also said, however,that she could really feel the

affection from her readers, and that no matter how busy shegot, she always felt content and happy.

For several reasons,A Phone Rings for Me Somewhere is a

significant work for Shin. For one thing,it was the first time

she had posted drafts of her work online,inviting readers to

comment as she progressed. For a conventional writer, I

remarked that exposing her work to the rough and tumble of

the Internet world must had been quite a risk. But Shin

recalled the experience as being more refreshing and fun

than Id expected.

Yes,the writing was continuing online,but I simply kept

meeting the deadline the way I always have, and so I wasnt in

any sort of rush,Shin said. And then there was the fun part

of seeing readerscomments to my writing in real time.It was

as if the monitor was alive.

Each part of Shins serial attracted 60 to 100 comments,mostly written by fans who had visited her website every day.

Reeling offsome of the more memorable user IDs she

encountered, she said that over the six months it had taken

her to write the whole book,h er readersfeedback were a

Shin Gyeong-suks novels are so delicate and welcoming,they invariably remindyou of the low hills curving the bends of a countryside road or of a gently flowingstream. The wind may blow, cold rain may pour, a wild storm may pass through,

but through it all, Shins books retain a touching faith in human nature. This isthe consistency that keeps Shins novels together. by Oh Kyong-yon | photographs by Park Jeong-roh

PEN & BRUSH

WRITINGWITHOUTBORDERS

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major source of encouragement and inspiration.

But not all parts of her story were so warmly received.Early

on, when she included some intense scenes about the deaths

of the main characters,some readers responded they were

shocked and heartbroken.Since the stories were posted at

10am,a relatively early hour,Shin said,I decided not to

reveal the more harrowing episodes,and put them directly

in the book.

Another reason whyA Phone Rings for Me Somewhere is so

special to Shin is that it gave her the chance to write about the

vagaries of youth.French novelist Le Clzio said the homeof the writer is the mother tongue,said Shin. As a Korean

writer,I d long harbored ambitions of writing a beautiful and

sophisticated Korean-language novel about youth.It finally

came true.Just as she had spent her youth reading Andr

Gide and Hermann Hesse,Shin said that she hoped her

works would become the same kind of coming-of-age works

that can inspire the Korean youth of today.

THE UNIVERSAL None of this means, however,that Shins

themes work only in Korean.The million-selling Take Care of

My Motherhas been sold to 19 countries throughout North

America, Europe and Asia,while other novels have been

translated into Chinese,French and Japanese.Shin said that

regarding Take Care of My Mother, the editor at her US

publisher had shocked her by expressing virtually the same

opinions on it as her Korean publisher had.Regardless of

nationality,people seem to share universal feelings and

existential values, Shin said.

[My] novels arent confined to certain cultural areas,

but deal with fundamental tales,she added, and that way,

anyone from any country can really relate to them.Because

of this,Shin said,foreign readers of her work had been ableto absorb the oddities of Korean culture,rather than just

viewing it as alien.We often categorize literature by the

country of the writers origin,such as Korean literature,

Japanese literature, or French literature,sh e said,but I

actually think theres no boundary to literature itself.

As a huge fan offoreign literature, Shin said she dearly

hoped that Korean novels,definitely including her own,

would gain more readership overseas.And in her work,

references to foreign culture abound: In one example,at the

end ofTake Care of My Mother, the Pieta (Jesus in the arms

of Mother Mary),in St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City,is

LA CHAMBRE SOLITAIRE(AN ISOLATED ROOM)> Language French

> Publisher Philippe Picquier (France, Paris)

> Published 2008

Shin Gyeong-suks autobiographical novel is

based on her own experiences from the age of

16 to 20. The protagonist moves to Seoul after

growing up on a farm, and attends night school after spending all

day at work. The book is about an aspiring writers interactions

with the people she meets while working. In calm prose, Shin

offers a sometimes unflinching account of painful memories, usingthe symbolic space that is an isolated room.

VERSAMMELTE LICHTER(GATHERED LIGHT)> Language German

> Publisher Pendragon (Bielefeld, Germany)

> Published 2002

Part of a collection of modern Korean short

stories, Versammelte Lichteris a story about

what happens after a novelist publishes in a newspaper a rather

uncomfortable incident between her father and her aunt. In an

offbeat, witty manner, Shin relates parts of the tale as if it were

a newspaper article.

(SOME DISAPPEARANCE)> Language Japanese

> Publisher Kinokuniya (Tokyo, Japan)> Published 1997

Actually a collection of Shins short stories, the

title work depicts the painful aftermath of a devas-

tated family. In it, a son dies mysteriously while

serving in his military duty, an event that sends his mother insane.

After she too dies, the father and the daughter must learn how to

come to terms with the loss and move on.

symbolically overlapped with the scene of the motherin the

arms of her own mother. In another,A Phone Rings for Me

Somewhere contains a significant reference to St.Christopher

from the Western myth.

LITTLE GUYS Saying she has never really felt attracted to

heroes, Shin characterized most ofher protagonists as little

guys, the ordinary, everyday people who live with the pain of

loss. Shins empathy with anti-heroescan be found in her

novel Leejin, a historical work about a real-life 19th-century

character named Yi Sim who moved from Korea to Paris.Yi Sim had been completely forgotten amid historical

events, such as the modernization at the end of the Joseon

Dynasty and the introduction offeudalism in modern

France,Shin said, adding that her passion for a character

who had faded into insignificance more than 100 years p revi-

ously had pushed her to try a new genre of writing.I had

personally become more introverted after experiencing some

of the difficulties ofmoving from the countryside to a big

city,so I could really relate to the identity crisis and loneliness

that Yi Sim must have faced.

This empathy and affection for her characters is a trait

found in much ofShins work. But back when she began her

literary career, aged just 22,Shin admited to having been a

very different writer.Early on, I paid more attention to

prose. I wanted the readers to know, no matter which page

they were reading, that this is a Shin Gyeong-suk novel,she said.But after two decades as a novelist,I feel liberated

from that obsession.My focus has definitely shifted to the

characters.

In coming up with ideas for her stories, Shin said she was

inspired by random words she reads somewhere, newspaper

articles, or just little things she comes across in her everyday

life. But nothing,she said, inspired her like people them-

selves, and the endless shades of opinion she had about the

many fascinating characters she met.

With Shin now twenty years into her career,what, I asked

her,d id the novel mean to her?

To me, a novel is the world, a way of communication,and

everything that I am.A ll of my novels start from within.The

characters words and anecdotes all come out through me,

and that really is the inevitable outcome.But, she added,

while she was the conduit for the characters, each of themended up weaving his or her own story as the book unfolded.

So when the book was complete, the people in it represented

no more than 10 percent of her.

She citedAn Isolated Room as an example.Th ough it was

considered one ofher most autobiographical works,Shin said

she was actually interested in the other characters,and not

the storyteller. I wanted to write about my own experience

from the 1980s,and as much as I could, I wanted to focus on

these other, forgotten characters who suffered just as much,

rather than on the narrator, who reflected me.I want people

to pay more attention to other characters than to my voice.

Her greatest wish was for her novels to be seen as guidinghands,Shin said: We forget that people are valuable in their

own way and that each one of us is as unique as a shining

star.I want to be able to help people, and sometimes,I

wanted to be helped by people.

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PEOPLE

A TRUEKOREAN

In what remains one of the mosthomogeneousmodern countries,

Lee Charm is a foreigner to everylocal he encounters. But talkingwith him even for a short whilereveals a depth of knowledgeabout Korea and its culture thatwould put a lot of locals toshame. Completely fluent inKorean, German-born LeeCharm is the first naturalizedKorean to hold a high officialpost in his case, the presiden-cy of the Korea TourismOrganization. And in keepingwith his passion for Koreantourist spots, KOREA met upwith him in the woods ofMagoksa Temple in Gongju,Chungcheongnam-do Province.by Oh Kyong-yon | photographs by Kim Nam-heon

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one of his favorite destinations is the hometown of the

Donguibogam (an ancient Korean medical tome): Sancheong in

Gyeongsangnam-do Province. Besides its medical connections,

Sancheong is also home to a royal palace that has two major

claims to fame: During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the

national seal was made there; and within its walls, it has a

turtle-shaped rock that is renowned for containing the

strongest gi in Korea legend has it that if you touch the

rock, something good will happen to you.

Lee defines Korea as a country of mystical energy, gi; of

emotional energy, jeong; and of cheerful energy, heung. To

Lee, the ineffable but ever-present gi was a key reason for

Koreas startling progress after the Korean War. Creating

such a fun atmosphere by getting along with each other, just

like the group cheering culture during the World Cup, is due to

Koreas unique energy, heung, he adds, warming to his

theme. In other countries, you often have to pay for water

when youre in restaurants, but in Korea, you experience a

warm human touch, by getting water and even side dishes for

free, which shows the jeong of Koreans. With his Caucasianappearance and his towering frame, Lee Charm may look every

inch the stranger in a foreign land. But with the deep affection

and knowledge he embodies toward his adopted home, it is

hard to imagine anyone more truly Korean.

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Lee Charm takes a walk with a monk and others (top). Magoksa Temple is a histori-

cal site, originally built in AD640 during the Shilla era (above left). Some colorful

Dasik(Korean traditional pressed sweets) is seen (above right).

Temple stay participants experience a time of Seon [Korean form of Zen] (top). Lee

enjoys taking pictures and updating his blog about travel (above).

Lee Charm starts his day early. Most mornings, he attends

meetings from 7 to 7:30am or gives academic lectures. At

around 9am he attends a board meeting to discuss major

issues affecting the various departments he is involved with.

The rest of the morning and the entire afternoon are a blizzard

of talks with government ministry personnel, tourism events

and business meetings. Much of his daily 24 hours, then, is

packedwith negotiations and businessdealings. But somehow,

the industrious president of the Korea Tourism Organization

(KTO) finds time to squeeze in domestic and overseas

business trips as well.

Since his appointment to the KTO in August 2009, Lee says

he has spent less than 10 days on entirely personal affairs

prompting not unreasonable claims that he is a workaholic.

But its something I enjoy doing, he says, so I dont really

feel like the work is exhausting. When I do have some spare

time, I go mountain climbing or take a walk with my purebred

Jindo dog. Something else he does in his precious spare time

is update his blog (http://blog.naver.com/charmlee21)

which, perhaps inevitably, contains news of his work and

travels, too. Even as we wander around Magoksa Temple,

where the interview takes place, Lee is constantly stopping to

take pictures that will make their way onto his blog. I would

really love to take better photos with a DSLR camera, he says

with a smile, but because of difficulties in carrying it, I have to

settle for a compact digital camera. Too bad!

DISCOVERING SEON Lees reason for traveling to Magoksa is

to participate in the G-20 Templestay Experience, one of a

series of events prepared for representatives of countries tak-

ing part in the G-20 Summit in Korea later this year. Asked why

he chose a templestay to represent Koreas tourist attractions,

which requires participants to stay in the Korean countryside

for two days, Lee says, Korean Buddhist culture is not only a

religious matter; its also of a general concept that includes

meditating, taking part in the tea ceremony and so on.

Buddhist temples are usually located within nature, in

mountains or near rivers. Meditating in these places can bring

you closer to nature and help you discover your true self.

From the aspect ofPungsu-jiri[Koreas geomancy or feng

shui], he continues, with all the assurance of a true master,

Magoksa has perfect form and shape. The location of the

temple is also stable, he adds, with the Magok stream running

in an S shape in the middle of the precincts of the temple.

Mentioning that this is his

third templestay, Lee looks

perfectly at ease as he takes

part in barugongyang (the

Buddhist meal ritual), cultural

activities, and even the pre-

dawn Buddhist service.

Arriving at the state ofSeon

through meditation without any

formalities is always a new,magical experience, Lee says,

referring to the Korean form of

Zen. Feeling that your mind

and body are at peace is not a

coincidence of any kind; its the result of harmony between the

mountains and the water. From 2011, he says, the KTO will

feature a templestay program that will heal the mind and body

by using the ancient Eastern life-force, known in Korean as gi.

ALWAYS DIFFERENT, ALWAYS THE SAME Born in Bad

Kreuznach in Germany, the 196cm-tall Lee became a natural-

ized Korean citizen at the relatively young age of 32. Working

variously as an educator, broadcaster, actor, writer and

entrepreneur in Korea, Lee became a truly public figure with

his ascent to the presidency of the KTO. Promoting a

naturalized citizen to the top spot in a public organization

the first time this had happened in Korea was widely hailed

as an innovative, even daring move, especially in a country

that still has such a small foreign population.

A lot of people helped me, so it wasnt that tough, Lee

says. I think, through this position, the Korean tourism

industry gave me a chance to really help develop this field in

this age of internationalization. I do feel a deep sense of

responsibility because I am the first non-Korean born person

to hold such a post, but I will do my very best so that there

will be more people like me in Korea.

In Korean food, the elements of Yin and Yang and the Five

Elements mentioned in Eastern philosophy exist, so you can

experience five different tastes: bitterness, spiciness, sweet-

ness, sourness and saltiness, Lee explains. To illustrate his

point, Lee talks about a promotional event that he attended

during a business trip to Germany earlier this year. To test

their level of gi, or chi, before and after eating Korean cuisine,

participants underwent what is known as the Bi-Digital O-Ring

Test (BDORT), in which someone forms an O shape with his or

her fingers and another person tries to pry them open. After

eating, all the participants fingers became considerably harder

to force open, a fact that proponents put down to increases in

gi prompted by Korean food.

Korean food creates energy, Lee says. Not only is it tasty,

it has a philosophy that can appeal to people all over the

world. Lees personal favorite is bibimbap, a concoction of

boiled rice and vegetables that Lee says can transform itself

endlessly by adding ingredients unique to different parts of

Korea, or even different parts of the world. Much like pizza,

bibimbap can thus be customized to local tastes, without ever

losing its basic identity. There are a lot of vegetables in

bibimbap, so youre eating a lot of fiber. When I eat it, it feelslike Im consuming natures energy.

HIGH ENERGY Even before becoming head of the KTO, Lee

was well known as a big fan of traveling around Korea. Today,

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TRAVEL

ONLY ON

JEJUJeju, off Koreas southern coast, is an island of peace,where welcoming people live surrounded byturquoise seas and turtle-shaped hills. On the path-ways connecting the outskirts of the island,hikerswander at leisure,stopping to see some of Jejusremarkable natural sights an oreum (parasiticvolcano), perhaps, or a beautiful waterfall. On Jeju,travelers discover all the bounty of nature, and allthe charms of Korean hospitality, too. by Chung Dong-muk

A beautiful birds eye view of Jeju I sland.

JejuSpecialSelf-GoverningProvince



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26

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A breathtaking view of oreum (parasitic volcano) is seen it is said that there are

around 360 oreum in Jeju Island.

Haenyeo, a female diver, is one of the symbols of Jeju (top). There is a great amount

of marine life thriving in Jejus ocean (middle). Yongcheongul is a limestone cave

that holds the Lake in a Thousand, one of UNESCO World Heritage sites (bottom).

With the day breaking and light starting to illuminate my small

room, I rise and prepare for a journey on the road. It is the

second day of what has been my longest walk for years. My

feet are swollen, my body fatigued, yet in my mind, I am ready

to conquer Everest Mountain.

The Olle trail that circles Jeju Island along the beach is now

the number one itinerary for visitors to the island. I must

confess to having been a little bit mystified by the appeal of

this renowned walkway it is, ultimately, only a path. But

when I actually started walking it, along with a group of youth

who happened to be going the same way, I started to realize

just what made it so special.

Appreciating the marvelous scenery of Jeju, at the leisurely

pace it warrants, is an experience that no amount of descrip-

tion will quite do justice to. It is, also, the perfect place torediscover the virtue of the good old-fashioned stroll. Today,

after all, people walk perhaps less than ever before. We sit in

offices, we sit in cars. We walk in a month a similar distance

to what our grandparents perhaps covered in a day. As a

result, we gain weight and suffer all sorts of niggly back pains

and sedentary diseases. In sum, much of our ill health these

days arises from not walking the walk.

But even for the most walking averse, Jejus Olle trail is the

perfect place to rediscover your inner hiker. While walking

around much of Seoul can be just as dull as jogging on a

treadmill, on Jejus Olle, you are surrounded by beaches on

one side and the quaint beauty of the islands oreum on the

other. The air is invigorating, the slopes gentle. You will pass

traditional little houses and horses grazing in fields. Every step

brings a new horizon and the time simply melts away.

I intend to make a new start in my life, bubbles 23-year-

old Jin Min-hee, who has come here from Incheon with some

friends. I am walking to clean up my past and formulate

plans for the future. Its been 11 days since I came to Jejuand Ive only completed six courses. I am going to walk until

Ive done them all.

As of June 2010, the Jeju Olle numbered 16 courses, all

starting from the east side of the island in Siheung-ri,

Seongsan-eup, and leading to the northwest point of

Gwangryeong-ri town office at Aewol-eup. Each course runs

about 15-20 kilometers and takes between five and seven

hours to complete.

A NATURAL ATTRACTION Despite falling levels of exercise,

there has been a growing trend toward these therapeutic trips,

in which earthly cares are extinguished through a long walk (or

some other physical activities) and plenty of sweat. Jeju is

tailor-made for this kind of vacation, offering both an astonish-

ing natural bounty and plenty of opportunity to relax, too.

Blessed with a temperate marine climate, Jeju also has an

abundance of flora never seen on the mainland. Rare species

such crinums and angraecums, and broadleaf trees like silver

magnolia, Korean fir, and Washington Palm create a wonderful

atmosphere, with few parallels anywhere in Northeast Asia.

The ocean that dances around Jejus coast is also a huge

draw for visitors. Formed by the eruption of an underwater

volcano some 1.2 million years ago, Jeju also has lovely

beaches, covered in silky sands and lined by turquoise

waters. To preserve this sublime beauty, the Korean govern-

ment has designated Jeju a Special Autonomous Province,

with the power to keep its nature pristine for the reams of

tourists who visit.

The wonders of Jeju continue over at Manjanggul, the

longest lava tube in Jeju. Measuring 7,416 meters, the cave

system came into being approximately 300,000 years ago

when lava overflowed from the crater of Mount Hallasan, now

Jejus biggest mountain, toward the sea. The insides are like

an underground palace. Here and there, stone pillars, stalac-

tites, flowstones and boulders create stunning geological

artworks. Of particular note is the Stone Turtle, an intriguing

rock that resembles both a turtle and Jeju Island itself.

Fascinating as it is, Manjanggul is in fact only one of a

series of lava tubes on Jeju, all of which have been collectively

designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. I have been to

several countries around the globe but I have never seen such

a grand cave, says Jose, a traveler from Spain who is visiting

with his family. To be honest I did not expect much when I

first came here but it is just amazing. It made me completely

rethink my opinion of Korea.

For a further glimpse of what makes Jeju unique, many visi-

tors head to the Hansupul Haenyeo School in Hallim-eup,

where the islands famed female deep-sea divers, haenyeo,learn their trade. Every year for the four months from May to

August, a program nurturing new haenyeo takes place here,

and even if you arent a full student you can take part in a one-

day program. Equip yourself for free with a diving suit, gogglesJejuSpecialSelf-Gov

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and tewak (styrofoam that keeps you afloat) but no oxygen

tanks or other modern scuba gear and you too will be ready

to see Jeju as its hardy diving fisherwomen do.

There is nothing quite like diving and plucking conch, sea

squirt and agar with your own hands. This is the way haenyeo

live, and have lived for generations, scouring the seabed for

fish and shellfish and making a living from their catch. As it is

such a dangerous trade, the haenyeo must be intimately famil-

iar with the climate, currents, wind and tides. It is knowledge

they gather through a lifetime of experience, and one that

keeps some of them diving as late as into their 60s.

Though you can see haenyeo at many of the villages dotting

Jejus coast, the best place to watch them in action is Udo

Island, just to Jejus east. To get to Udo, you can take a 10-

minute boat ride from Seongsanpo port at Seongsan-eup

whose Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone is also designated a

UNESCO World Heritage. Udo is also home to an Olle course,

and cycling it is a great way to see the island (buses are also

available for the foot sore).

In contrast to their sometimes prickly sisters on Jeju proper,

the haenyeo on Udo are usually more welcoming, as they still

dont meet too many people from beyond their island. Dressed

in black diving suits with tewak and mangsari (nets to hold

their catch) attached to their sides, several dozen village

ladies troop out to the ocean every day. This is something

you simply cant see anywhere else in the world.

If luck is with you, and you encounter them on the way back,

you might even get to sample some of their fresh abalones

and conch. While youre on Udo, be sure to also climb

Udobong peak and, for the more adventurous, ride a horse

through one of the fields. When youre done with all that

activity, there is another enticing way to while away an hour

or two besides sitting on a bench with a cup of tea, thats by

watching the majestic sight of Seongsan Ilchulbong and the

surrounding oceans.

AN ISLAND OF PEACE To appreciate nature on Jeju is to enjoy

an extraordinary peace of mind. By offering a retreat from the

drudgery of city life, Koreas biggest island invigorates all who

visit not least the world leaders who have come here during

the several summits that Korea has hosted on Jeju.

In recent years, Jeju has in fact become an increasingly

important venue for top events hosted by the Korean govern-

ment. Opened in March 2003 as the Jungmun Tourist ResortComplex, International Convention Center Jeju has hosted

major international events such as the 37th Annual Meeting of

the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank in

2004, the 58th Session of the World Health Organization

Regional Committee for the Western Pacific in 2007. Ensuring

the building is in tune with its surroundings, the grounds

include pillar-shaped waterfalls, grass fields planted with

indigenous Jeju plants and a walking path that leads to the

ocean. Last year, when the officials attending the Korea,

China and Japan trilateral summit or the Korea-ASEAN summit

wanted to take a break, they were able to do so amid the

wonderful scenery surrounding Jejus convention center.

Nor is such serenity restricted to Jejus daytimes. Unlike

Hong Kong, say, or Macao, where nights erupt with raucous

clubs and shows, Jeju remains rather relaxed and sedate, a

state of mind that even stretches to the islands few casinos.

Most of our guests are respectable gents, says Kim Dong-

yeon, a manager at the Grand Jeju Hotels Casino, with a glint

of pride. They want to spend a bit of quality time with friendsand family, so we make sure they can do so in peace.

If you arrive at Jeju after a long and tiring journey, instead of

heading for the sauna, why not try taking a rest on the dark

sand at Samyang Beach near the airport? Stretching for just 6

hectares, Samyang is nonetheless renowned for its dark sand

(the only such beach on Jeju), which is said to help remedy all

sorts of ailments. Submerging your body in the sand for a

while, it is claimed, will give relief from neuralgia, arthritis, skin

diseases and even diabetes.

While youre there, be sure to see at least a few of Jejus

famous tourism attraction oreum, or parasitic volcanoes. The

result of craters created next to crust formed from lava flow,

some 360 oreum basically small hillocks dot the Jeju

landscape today. Not too low but not too high either, oreum

provide the perfect setting for a leisurely stroll in good compa-

ny. Reach the top, and the ocean breeze will cool the sweat on

your forehead, a marvelously refreshing sensation that regular

visitors will be sure to experience every time they come.

Whenever I grow tired of life, I always come back to Jeju, atraveler tells me on the olle. There are mountains, the ocean,

the fields, as well as warm people here that make up the ideal

tonic for me to recharge myself. If it were up to me, I would

actually like to stay here forever.

28

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A view from Udo Beach (top). People enjoy a day of yachting (middle). Traditional

chogajip, or Korean traditional thatched-roof house, is located at the base of

Sanbangsan Mountain (above).

An exterior view of International Convention Center Jeju is seen.

29

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InternationalConven

tionCenterJeju

JejuSpecialSelf-Gov

erningProvince

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MY KOREA

Lastmonth, the people ofSeoul once

again turned their city into a sea ofred as

they rooted for thei

r team atthe FIFA

WorldCup i

n South Afr

ica. For one long-

termSeo

ul resid

ent,th

at awok

e mem

ories

of2002

and a

magic

al tim

e tha

t seale

d his

love f

orthe

coun

tryand its

people.

This June,as Korea celebrated victory against

Greece in its first World Cup match in South

Africa, the energy coursing through Seoul

brought back a flood of warm memories of

when I first arrived eight years ago,just a few

months shy ofWorld Cup 2002.Granted,

nothing compares to the energy of when the

country is hosting the event, but Koreas

relentless enthusiasm was on display now just

as it was then,with thousands tens of

thousands ofscreaming fans clad in red

shirts, united in spirit,filling the streets near

City Hall and sharing in the

excitement.It was an unforget-

table experience, and one that

served as a pleasant reminder

that, thanks to the nature of

sport,for a brief

moment in time

all the worlds

problems can be

put aside, leav-

ing just a throng

of passionatefans cheering on

their favorite

team. I cant

think of a more



18/28

33

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PROFILE

Canada-born GregoryCurley is a professional

photographer based inSeoul. His work has

appeared in The KoreaHerald, The Korea Times,

SEOUL, Elle, MTV, 10

Magazine, Morning Calm,CNNGo and CNN.He now works for LG Ad

as a copywriter, and forSEOUL and CNNGo as a

photographer and regularcontributer.

(and not a little relieved) to learn that everyone was just overjoyed at Koreas

place in the group standings.There wasnt the slightest bit of aggression or

hooliganism.Thats something I remember very distinctly. I would usually

take to the streets with several friends and without fail one or all of us would

get asked where we were from or how we were enjoying Korea. It was that

level of genuine warmth that cemented my good impression of Koreans,and

it has stayed with me to this d ay.

But I didnt only watch the games from inside bars or celebrate in the

streets. I had the good fortune of taking in three games in stadiums: Korea

versus Germany,Spain versus Ireland and Korea versus Portugal.The latter I

watched at Jamsil Stadium,in Seoul though the game was actually taking

place in Incheon.It was the deciding match of the group stages,and the

excitement had gotten to such a degree that many large venues threw their

doors open and let fans watch the action on vast screens.Supporters of all

ages flooded in through Jamsil Stadiums gates that day,raising noise levels to

deafening heights.In our group were some of the only foreigners in the stadi-

um on that particular day,and before we knew what was happening, we

were whisked to the VIP section to get better views.I dont think we were

told the reason behind our sudden four-star treatment,or if there even

was one.L ooking back,I think it was simply a case ofthe host

country wanting to share as much as possible with their foreign

guests. It was,to say the least,a humbling experience.

The biggest game that year was, of course, the semi-final,when Korea faced

Germany.Having made it so far,defeating both Italy and Spain,Korea stood

on the cusp of a place in the final and a place in soccer immortality.For the

life of me, I dont know how I managed to snag tickets,but there I sat, sur-

rounded by over 60,000 fans,rooting for the Taegeuk Warriors. Though,

sadly,Koreas glorious winning streak finally came to an end that night,with

the Germans winning 1-0,as I left the stadium afterward, I couldnt help but

be struck by just how orderly everything was, and how good-spirited all the

Korean fans were despite the loss.

At that stage, it was hard to remember that just a few weeks previously,with

demonstrations or other disturbances deemed a real possibility,the authori-

ties had ramped up security measures in the capital. During the event,there

was nothing of the sort. Not at the stadiums, nor in the streets. Plenty of

clean-up needed, but nothing worse than youd expect after a city-sized party.

I was really amazed by that that level of safety and genuine mutual respect.

It was Koreas chance to introduce itself to the world and it couldnt have

made a better impression.

At the time,when I related these stories to friends back home,many of

them couldnt even find Korea on a map. And while Korea remains less well

known than its neighbors, the World Cup definitely raised its profile in their

eyes, and gave them an idea that there was this distinct,fascinating culture in

a country on the far side ofthe world.

For me, though,being here at that time was simply incomparable,like

being a part of history.Its left impressions that have stayed with me ever

since. I will take a mental scrapbook of memories with me when I leave

Korea,but that year my first year and that experience will be near the

very top ofthe first page. It was,I am convinced,t he central reason why I have

remained in Korea until now.

As they say,first impressions are lasting impressions. And in this,I think I

couldnt have had a more apt introduction to the country I still call home. In

its fervor and friendliness, the 2002 World Cup was the best possible intro-

duction to Koreas embracing spirit and incredible passion.Though Seoul

changes as quickly as almost any city on Ear th, its reassuring to know that its

people remain anchored to their traditional roots of welcome and hospitality.

Korea holds a great deal of interest for veteran travelers and newcomers

alike. Many parts of the country are virtually untouched and just beckoning

to be explored. My reasons for coming here largely stemmed from a keen

desire to get out of a comfort zone and quiet my nagging wanderlust.I hadnt

counted on falling in love with the culture here,nor did I ever anticipate the

warm reception I would receive throughout my time here.I had initially

planned to stay for one year,but Im now well into my eighth. Though much

of the reason for this is the opportunity and creativity Ive found here,I

would definitely say that much ofit is also down to sheer luck at arr iving atsuch a pivotal time.

Korea was on the cusp of change in 2002, but still shows no signs of slowing

down. Now,as then, Im happy to be along for the ride. by Gregory B. Curley |

illustrations by Jo Seung-yeon| photographs by Kim Nam-heon and Kim Hong-jin

opportune time to have come here.

It was,though, quite a foreign experience

for me to witness this level of feverish excite-

ment. Football or soccer as it is referred to

in some parts of the world just isnt all

that big where I come from.Instead,

Canadians take their ice hockey very serious-

ly.Yet, as riled up as fans can get inside a

hockey arena,it pale s in comparison to the

sheer scope ofopen stadiums of Europe (and

now Asia) housing over 60,000 screaming

fans cheering on the home team.Add to that

the boisterous hordes parading through the

city waving banners and signs,and one gets a

much clearer picture of just how colossal an

influence soccer has over people.

In fact, I remember witnessing what

looked to be a riot in Gangnam crowds

of people stomping on top of buses

yet was pleasantly surprised



19/28

35

KOREA

JULY

201034

KOREA

JULY

2010

MY KOREA : PHOTOS

VARIOUS FACES OF STREET SUPPORTERS An upside

view from Han Rivers Banpo is s een it looks all red

because many citizens are wearing red-colored shirts,

so called cheering color (above). A man holds a

flag printed with KOREA (opposite, below left).

Some foreigners with painted faces joined the street

to cheer (opposite, below right). Famous Korean

comedian Kim Guk-jin (middle) joins the street

crowded with cheering citizens (top right).

Generations of all ages gathered together to cheerfor the 2010 World Cup games (right above). Tens of

thousands of people gathered at the Seoul Plaza, in

front of the Seoul City Hall, to support the national

team (right).

36-39 global korea 2010.7.2 10:20 AM 1 Mac-2 in TC M Y K


20/28

Korea, long a recipient of global aid, is now extending its help-ing hand to others. Reduced to rubble due to the Korean War,

the country has made a stirring comeback over the last sixdecades, culminating in its membership of the OECDsDevelopment Assistance Committee last year.Korea is nowrapidly increasing the size of its overseas aid,and its volunteersare in the front lines of these efforts. by Seo Dong-cheol

37

KOREAJULY

201036

KOREAJULY

2010

GLOBAL KOREA

Of the many reasons cited for Koreas

explosive economic growth, the famed

Korean work ethic is one that pops up

time and again. Without the propensity

for hard slog and eye-wateringly long

hours, it is said, Koreas ascent from

wartorn poverty to economic power-

house simply couldnt have taken

place. Yet even today, with the country

much better off, those workaholic

habits die hard. And more than just in

the manufacturing or corporate indus-

tries, those traits are showing up in,

for Korea, a much newer enterprise:

overseas voluntary work.

Kim Dong-cheol, 33, left Korea for

the remote Sri Lankan town of

Hettipola in 2004. Its only 140 kilo-

meters northeast of the capital

Colombo, but because of poor roads,

he had to drive for five hours to get

there. I wasnt affiliated with any

organization, and I had no idea what

to do when I was left alone in this

remote village, says Kim. For three

months, I rode around the town on a

bike just making friends and explain-

ing why I had come.

After winning over the hearts of the

townspeople, Kim got to work on the

main reason for his being there: con-

structing an education center.

Impressed with this foreigner working

so hard on their home turf, some

3,300 local residents joined Kim to

work on the building, using materials

largely supplied by the Korea

International Cooperation Agency, or

KOICA, which oversees the Korean

governments aid projects. Using little

or no machinery, Kim and the people

of Hettipola took around 18 months to

construct the building. Today, the cen-

ter has space for computers, English

and agricultural training, a library and

a kindergarten.

Even after returning from his two-

year stay, Kim simply couldnt forget

Sri Lanka. Leaving a steady job at a

research institute in Gangwon-do

Province, Kim became chairman of the

NGO EIF Sri Lanka, which promotes

development and the improvements in

education in Sri Lankas rural areas.

When in Korea, Kim delivers frequent

lectures on public administration and

international cooperation. But two or

three times a year, he returns to Sri

Lanka to work on development proj-

ects. Last January, Kim helped build

a library in Hettipola, and is now work-

ing to expand the education center.

I remember what the American

Peace Corps volunteers who served

in Korea 40 years ago had said

recently, Kim says. They said theyd

come to Korea to change and saveus, but instead Korea ended up

changing and saving them.

Volunteering overseas has changed

me and made me have entirely new

dreams and set new goals.

FROM RAGS TO RICHES...

AND GIVING BACK

Copions short volunteering people and students in

Kathmandu enjoy their holiday in Nepal (opposite).

Kim Dong-cheol, middle, hands a girl stationery in

Sri Lanka (above). A volunteer draws a face-paint-

ing with a child in Jakarta, Indonesia (below).

KimD

ong-c

heol/KOIC

A(top);JangWon-rok/KOICA(right)

Ch

JeongYeong-seob/KO

ICA

36-39 global korea 2010.7.2 10:20 AM 3 Mac-2 in TC M Y K


21/28

Some Peruvian Students are having a pottery-mak-

ing lesson from Korean volunteers (top). Jeong

Woo-hui, right, presides at the Korean-speaking

competition in Thailand (above).

39

KOREAJULY

201038

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2010

VOLUNTEERING CHANGED LIFE

Jeong Woo-hui, 35, quit a good job at

a foreign company and left to start

volunteering overseas in 2005. The

Korean literature major decided to

dedicate herself to teaching the

Korean language, and once her mind

was made up, no amount of coaxing

by her friends could change it. For

two years, Jeong taught Korean at

Burapha University in Bangsaen,

Thailand, building friendships with her

students that have transcended the

typical teacher-student relationship.

Her proudest moment, she says, was

coaching a student to the top prize in a

Korean-speaking competition organized

by the Korean Embassy in Thailand.

Like Kim, Jeong found her life com-pletely changed by her voluntary work.

Leaving behind eight years of experi-

ence as a brand manager in the mar-

keting department of a foreign firm,

she got a masters degree in Korean-

language education, and began teach-

ing Korean to foreigners at Yonsei

Universitys Korean Language

Institute.

Just as English-speaking volun-

teers came to Korea to teach English

40 years ago, I was blessed with the

chance to share my ability with people

from a different culture through the

Korean language, she says. Without

volunteering, I wouldnt have discov-

ered such joy.

Woo Ju-hee, a 29-year-old former

stationery designer, also became

enamored with volunteering overseas.

In 2006, following a series of chance

encounters and meetings, Woo found

herself in Colombo, Sri Lanka, doing

voluntary work as a teacher and alsodiscovering the joy of sharing.

I taught how to produce animation

and advertisements using Photoshop

and Illustrator at the University of the

Visual & Performing Arts, and I realized

that my talents could do so much

good, she says. I was very pleased to

be able to contribute to design educa-

tion, which is still at such an early stage

in Sri Lanka.

On top of working with college stu-

dents, Woo found time to teach mid-

dle and high school students for two

hours per day. After about six months

of class, Woo, in coordination with the

school, opened a design exhibition

and provided school supplies to the

top students. After two years of volun-

teering in Sri Lanka, Woo returned

home, got a teaching certificate and

became a teacher at a vocational

school. Currently, Woo is taking some

time off and mulling over her next

move. Through my volunteering

experience overseas, I developed an

interest in social welfare, she says.

I am considering going to grad school

and expanding my knowledge in

design, so that I can share it through

volunteering and other ways.

FROM ECONOMIC POWER TO

VOLUNTARY POWER There are many

other devoted Korean volunteers in

foreign nations. As of June 2010,

there are about 1,700 volunteers dis-

patched across the globe through

KOICA. Boasting expertise in every-

thing from childrens education, com-

puters and medicine, to electronics,

marine development and womens

rights, they are based in almost 50

countries, including Vietnam,

Indonesia, the Philippines, Mongolia,

Peru and Bangladesh.

From just 44 overseas volunteers in

1990, KOICAs force of overseas vol-

unteers swelled to 100 in 1995, 724

in 2004 and more than 1,000 last

year. The Korean government now

plans to send 4,000 volunteers per

year until 2013, along with college vol-

unteers sent by the the Ministry of

Education, Science and Technology;

Internet experts from the Ministry of

Public Administration and Security;

and taekwondo masters put together

by the Taekwondo Peace Corps.

Volunteers from Korean NGOs, such

as Global Civic Sharing, GoodNeighbors and Good People will only

add to the figure. Considering that

Korea received aid from across the

world as recently as the 1960s, this

caps a remarkable transformation.JeongKyeong-a

h(top)

/KOICA;SongYeong-i

l/KOICA(right)

Sixty-seven-year-old Sin Chan-su,

who returned last summer from a two-

year volunteering stint in Nepal, per-

sonifies the changes in his home

country. In the 1960s, Sin graduated

from an agricultural high school in

Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do Province, and

worked at an agricultural guide center.

Foreign volunteers helped with devel-

opment projects in the area for six

months, and it was then, Sin said,

that he started dreaming of going

abroad someday as a volunteer. Thirty-

eight years later, in 2001, Sin retired

from his post at the Rural

Development Administration and since

then he has been on three volunteer-

ing missions. Over a six-year period,

Sin shared everything he knew about

rural development with people in

developing countries. What he

received as a young man, he hasrepaid as an adult. Like Sin, Koreans

now understand this: having achieved

extraordinary economic growth thanks

in large part to foreign aid, its now

time for Korea to give back.

Children have a Taekwondo lesson in Bandung,

Indonesia (above). Girls are jumping ropes at a

school playground with KOICA volunteers in

Uzbekistan (below).

ParkEun-m

i/KOICA(t

op);JeongWoo-hui/KOICA(left)

40-43 summit diplomacy 2010.7.2 10:20 AM 1 Mac-2 in T C M Y K


22/28

build nuclear weapons is not going to

help them achieve their goal of

becoming a strong and prosperous

nation. Urging North Korea to aban-

don its nuclear ambitions, Lee called

on his northern neighbor to engage in

sincere dialogue with the South, and

to move out of international isolation

toward an era of common prosperity

on the Korean Peninsula.

Held annually since 2002, the Asia

Security Summit is a forum for coun-

tries from the Asia-Pacific region, co-

hosted by the Singaporean govern-

ment and International Institute for

Strategic Studies, a British research

institute. Involving decision-makers in

diplomacy and security from 28

nations across the Asia-Pacific and

including the US and China the

summit is better known as the

Shangri-La Dialogue.

After the plenary session, President

Lee met with Lee Kuan Yew, the first

Prime Minister and now Minister

Mentor of Singapore, and they

exchanged views on Northeast Asian

regional affairs, the G-20 Summit and

global economic trends. On June 5,

the Korean leader sat down with

Singaporean business leaders to pro-

mote investment opportunities in

major Korean development projects,

such as Saemangeum and free eco-

nomic zones, as well as green growth

industries. Lee then discussed the

Before a large congregation of mainly

Asian dignitaries at the ninth Asia

Security Summit, held in Singapore,

President Lee Myung-bak outlined his

vision for Asias global presence and

Koreas role within it. South Korea, he

said, will actively participate in region-

al and international responses to glob-

al security problems, adding that for

the sake of world peace and universal

prosperity, South Korea has been

steadily expanding its official devel-

opment assistance and peacekeeping

operations. And With the successful

hosting of the G-20 Summit this year

and the Nuclear Security Summit in

2012, President Lee said in his

keynote speech, the South Korea will

play an active role in resolving global

economic and security problems.

Addressing North Koreas ongoing

nuclear ambitions and its sinking of

the Cheonan, a South Korean warship,

President Lee said that since these

provocations present a great threat to

peace and stability on the Korean

Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, the

international community must cooper-

ate closely and respond firmly.The international community, Lee

continued, should make North Korea

acknowledge its wrongdoing regarding

the Cheonan sinking and must help

the North realize that buying time to

41

KOREAJULY

201040

KOREAJULY

2010

AT THE ASIA SECURITY SUMMIT,

PRESIDENT LEE DISCUSSES CHEONAN,

ECONOMIC TIES WITH SINGAPORE

Dominated by the Cheonan incident and its international repercussions,this years Asia Security Summit,or Shangr i-La Dialogue, also saw PresidentLee Myung-bak meet the Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong fora discussion on bilateral issues related to the economy,tr ade, security andgreen growth. The main event,which included Russia and Australia amongits 28 participants, wrapped up on June 6. by Kwon Kyeong-hui

SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

Cheongwadae

US-Korea defense posture with Robert

Gates, the US Secretary of Defense,

before having a meeting with

Singapores Prime Minister, Lee

Hsien Loong.

TAKING THE CHEONAN TO THE UN

During his keynote address, President

Lee Myung-bak announced that Seoul

had formally asked the UN Security

Council to discuss sanctions against

North Korea for its deadly attack on

the Cheonan. The request, submitted

to Mexico, the rotating chair of the

Security Council, came on the heels of

an announcement by South Koreas

ambassador to the UN, Park In-kook,

that a joint military-civilian investiga-

tive team had concluded that the

North Korea was clearly to blame for

the attack, and that such provocations

were endangering global security.

Along with the referral to the Security

Council, Lee said his government was

seeking coordinated support from the

international community.

North Koreas provocation against

the Cheonan isnt just a problem for

South Korea; its a serious matter

upon which the peace and stability of

President Lee Myung-bak gives a keynote speech

at the 2010 Shangri-La Dialogue (opposite).

President Lee has a chat with Lee Hsien Loong, the

Singaporean Prime Minister, on June 5 (above

left). Lee met with the former, first Prime Minister

Lee Kuan Yew on June 4 (below).

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KOREAJULY

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KOREAJULY

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Singapores Prime Minister, pledged

support for South Koreas efforts to

raise the Cheonan issue at the UN

Security Council. Among several

other bilateral issues, the men also

discussed the expansion of defense

cooperation following a ministerial

meeting between their two countries

late last year. The two leaders agreed

to maintain close coordination in

defense.

The President and Prime Minister

also signed a memorandum of under-

standing on medical exchange and

cooperation on joint developments in

developing countries. President Lee

then asked his counterpart for

Singapores support during the G-20

Summit held in Seoul this November,

and for Koreas Global Green Growth

Institute, which Seoul established to

support eco-friendly growth.

In other talks, the two leaders said

they would cooperate closely on

increased cultural exchanges, such as

the construction of a Korean Cultural

Center in Singapore. They further

vowed to strengthen economic ties

through the anticipated signing of the

Mutual Recognition Agreement for the

Authorized Economic Operator (AEO),

which was to be made official at the

Annual Session of the World Customs

Organization Council in Belgium, in

late June.

thats left us with are two North

Korean nuclear tests.

Whats important is not when the

six-party talks can resume, Lee con-

tinued, referring to international

efforts to end the Norths nuclear pro-

gram. But how we can resolve the

issue with a grand bargain.

KOREA AND SINGAPORE TALK

TRADE At the June 5 meeting

between the premiers of South Korea

and Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong,

Cheongwadae

President Lee Myung-bak had a meeting with

Singaporean economists on June 5 (above). Lee

also met Robert Gates, the US Secretary of Defense

in Singapore (below).

the entire Northeast Asia region

hinges, Lee said. If we once again

let such actions go unanswered, it will

be a threat to peace on the Korean

Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

Stressing the growing need for

regional cooperation in Asia, Lee cited

the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Pacific

Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the

Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Summit

as examples of effective multilateral

organizations. But though much of his

speech focused on the importance of

fraternity and universal cooperation,

Lees major aim, experts say, was to

gain the support of smaller Asian

countries in persuading China to

adopt a tougher stance with North

Korea. In this, Lees keynote speech

served as an extension of his earlier

ef

korea magazine [july 2010 vol. 6 no. 7]

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