korea magazine [june 2011 vol. 7 no. 6]

8/6/2019 KOREA magazine [JUNE 2011 VOL. 7 NO. 6]

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People & Culture

june 2011

IS

SN:2005-2162

www.korea

jindo islanda phenomenon of

land and sea

WHiTE collar bandsbecoming rock

stars by night

korEandancE

THE EvoluTion of TradiTional forms


2/29

Contents june 2011 VOL.7 NO.06

02

24

38

publisher Seo Kang-soo,

Korean Culture and Information Service

editing HEM KOREA Co., Ltd

e-mail [email protected]

printingSamsung Moonhwa Printing C

All right reserved. No part of this

publication may be reproduced in

any form without permission from

KOrea and the Korean Culture and

Information Service.

The articles published in KOreado

not necessarily represent the views of

the publisher. The publisher is not liablefor errors or omissions.

If you want to receive a free copy of

KOreaor wish to cancel a subscription,

please e-mail us. A downloadable PDF

file of KOrea, and a map and glossary

with common Korean words appearing

in our text are available by clicking on the

thumbnail of KOreaon the homepage

ofwww.ko..

11-1110073-000016-06

02cover story

Korean traditional dance grows with the times.

12pen & brush

Artist Park Seo-bo is a pioneer of modernism.

16people

Professor Kym Hyo-gun ties logic with music.

20

great koreanHyechos epic travels took him to the Silk Road.

22seoul

Teheranno combines beauty and convenience.

24travel

Peek into the splendors of Jindo Islands nature.

28festival

The Ganghwa Mugwort Festival boosts health.

29flavor

Enjoy cool naengmyeon noodles in summer.

30now in korea

A movement of workers bands gains speed.

34special issue

Commemorate fallen allies of the Korean War.

36special issue

Hallyu finds new strength in Europe.

38summit diplomacy

President Lee Myung-bak visits Europe.

42global korea

More doctors volunteer for overseas posts.

46my korea

A look into the charms of Gosa ceremonies.


3/29

over story

he deinition o Korean dance is being stretched to include not jutraditional dances rom the past, but new ballets depicting Koreandances that weave traditional motions into the modern and even tremarkably popular iterations o bboy crews eatured in tourismadvertisements. by CedarBough Saeji | photographs by Park Jeong-roh

Dancers perform in the National Dance Company of Korea

Y

on

hap

News

Agency


4/29

4|korea| june 2011 www.k

solo violinist in a black suit and

dora walks across the stage, playing

haunting melody rom the classical

Western tradition as an overhead

potlight leaves his ace shadowed by

s hat brim. As the music changes,

he stage lights reveal ve women in

hite, shoulderbaring dresses, gliding

ramatically across the stage on their

es beore pausing in longlimbed

xtension. Although still perormed on

Western instruments, the music changes

the tune o a Korean olk song sped

p to double time to accompany the

ow violent and explosive movements

the dancers. Tis is the opening o

oul, Sunfower, a ulllength modern

ance concert borrowing elements

om Korean traditional dance. It is

so one o the major touring pieces in

he repertoire o the National Danceompany o Korea.

National dance companies tend to

ature the cultural heritage deemed

uthentic to their own locale, so it

not surprising that the company,

unded in 1962, originally ocused on

orean traditional dance. However,

gayageum (12string Korean zither) into

the piece Please, Catch Me.

KOREA sat down with Ahn in a

quiet cae in Itaewon to talk with her

about traditional dance, her most recent

work, Dancing or Grandmother, and

her upcoming presentation o her piece

Princess Bari at the Edinburgh Fringe

Festival in August 2011. Princess Bari is

the wellloved Korean story o a earless

and devoted daughter who ventures

to the underworld to bring back the

water o lie or her ailing ather. In this

perormance, Ahn incorporates our

traditionallytrained dancers, apansori

singer to belt out the tale and musicians

playing Korean traditional instruments

to use Korean tradition with modern

dance. Combining these traditional

elements with a more empowering re

interpretation o the tale, Ahn usestraditional and modern dance to create

a moving, awardwinning production,

which showcases the best o dance

in Korea. An MBC reporter closed

her news spot on the Princess Bari

series saying, Culture rom Korean

antiquity has been given new lie in this

unstoppably modern work, a sentiment

that properly encapsulates much o what

is happening in the modern dance world

in Korea today.

I am much interested in

incorporating traditional elements into

my choreography, Ahn says. People

usually believe that tradition has to be

presented in a certain specic way, but

I dont think so. radition continues

to change, and I also want to take my

roots, these Korean stories and Korean

consciousness, and create something

new. A similar motivation seems to

have even spread to the world o ballet.

Although ballet, a classic o the Western

dance canon, is unlikely to adopt the

use o Korean movement or dancers

trained in Korean traditional dance, the

Universal Ballet Company has added

the ballets Shim Chungand Te Loveo Chunhyangto their repertoire, and

the Korea National Ballet Company has

developed Prince Hodong. Te story o

Chunhyang is a true Korean classic (it

has been made into an awardwinning

movie by Im Kwontaek, a popular

Korean V drama and a modern dance

the companys works such as Soul,

Sunfowerhave increasingly used Korean

traditional movement vocabulary and

stories as elements in modern dance

works. Many regard the integration o

Western and Eastern elements as the

uture o dance in Korea.

INTEGRATION OF MODERNITY No

discussion o modern dance in Korea

would be complete without mentioning

the queen o modern Korean danceAhn Eunme. One o Koreas most

active and innovative choreographers,

Ahn has presented around the world

and requently works with nonKorean

dancers. Ahns choreography includes

traditional elements in some o the most

creative ways since she rst incorporated

piece by both the National Da

Company o Korea and Ahn E

me). Chunhyang is best know

epic narrative pansori song; it

Korean Romeo and Juliet. Te

version tells the story o Chun

the daughter o agisaeng(Kor

geisha), and Mongryong, the n

o a governor, who secretly ma

her. Tey are separated by ate

social obligations, and in Mon

absence, Chunhyangs great be

noted by a corrupt local politic

Tese new Korean ballets ha

touring extensively overseas, w

current schedule presenting T

o Chunhyang, Shim Chungan

Hodongin more than 40 cities

Naples, Italy; Singapore; aipe

Moscow; and Johannesburg b

2011 and 2013. In act, Koreangrown up quickly. With severa

ballerinas and ballerinos winn

international competitions in

ballet has become a hot trend,

with the new emphasis on Kor

stories which renders the art o

approachable to the Korean p

The

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Lee Jeong-yun, a longtime member of theNational Dance Company of Korea,performs in a modern work alongsidefellow company dancers (above).Dancers perform in the domesticproduction Model House at theInternational Modern Dance Festival(MODAFE) in late May (opposite below).A female lead strikes a stance during aperformance of Model House,choreographed by Park Hae-joon, whichexplores the many roles of family in life.


5/29

6|korea| june 2011 www.ko

Some o these works have appeared

MODAFE, the International

Modern Dance Festival held

nnually in the late spring (May

8 to 29) which has become one o

oreas most exciting international

odern dance showcases. Each

ear the estival includes not only

selection o established and

merging Korean modern dance

ars, but also several overseas

ance companies. Since

MODAFE began in 1982,

erormers rom countries

ound the world including

rael, the Netherlands,

elgium, Australia,

e United States andrance have presented

heir choreography in

oldout halls. Aer

erormances, MODAFEs

rmat requently allows or dialogue

etween the choreographer and the

udience, an opportunity or insights

hat eager young dance students

lish.

Given the wide popular

upport and quick explosion o the

orean bboy sensation in recent years,

urism advertisements here are helping

pur the genre o the modern iteration

1980s break dancers as Korea is

urrently home to hal o the top

ompetitive bboy crews. Korean crews

e highly regarded overseas and have

ecome a xture on the international

rcuit, winning acclaim and awards at

vents such as Battle o the Year, Red

ull BC One and R16 Korea. R16 wasarted in Korea only a ew years ago,

ut it has already become one o the

ggest hiphop and bboying estivals

the world.

HE INFLUENCES OF HISTORY Te

novative appropriation o traditional

dance vocabulary into modern dance is

a natural step orward, both or modern

dancers and or Korean traditional

dancers. Surprisingly, the Korean

government - which once ocused

almost exclusively on the protection

o the traditional arts, particularly

during the Park Chunghee, Chun

Doohwan and Roh ae

woo administrations - is

now embracing the usion

o Korean dance and

contemporary dance rom

around the world.

In the past, Korean dance was

inseparable rom Korean society. Court

dances were needed in the era o a court

that received international envoys and

wanted to show some orm o sedate

and Conucian entertainment. Koreans

danced, sang and played musical

instruments as part o the daily lie in

cooperative agricultural communities,

lightening group work, building

community and enlivening important

annual estivals and village rites. In the

modern era, people no longer believe

in village tutelary guardians and they

use tractors to harvest their barley,

reducing or even erasing the relevance

o the traditional olk arts. Many o the

arts that remain strong in Korea arepart o the lineage o the proessional

entertainers called gisaeng, because only

the arts o the gisaeng were created or

an audience, allowing them to translate

well to the proscenium stage.

In Korean traditional dance, the

perormers are generally clad in

voluminous skirts o the hanbok, or

Korean traditional dress. In addition to

the ubiquitous hanbok, there are certain

key elements to be ound when staging

Korean traditional dance. For example,

Korean dance does not have intricate

placements or gestures with the ngers

and hands - the hands are oen relaxed

and move together with the wrist and

arm. Most o the typical gestures trace

interesting curving patterns in the air

and the shoulders are loose, relaxed and

even slightly hunched, particularly in

olk dance. Te basis o movement is

a duckooted stance and dancers step

heel to toe. But in the astest olk dances

the legs stay close to each other with the

eet close to the oor, although they li

to knee height in the most physicallydemanding olk dances.

Dance perormed by gisaeng

entertainers was on occasion suggestive,

but suggestive motions in Korean dance

do not isolate or eature the hip, backside

or chest. All o these traits can be seen in

the National Dance Company o Koreas

major touring work, Korean Fantasy, a

medley o 10 Korean traditional dances.

Tis dance concert contains all the

elements an audience expects in Korean

traditional dance, including dancers in

swirling pink, manipulating oversized

ans trimmed with eathers dyed uchsia

in Korean classic an dance.

However, many other dances are

credited with deeper ties to Korean

history; amongst the most ascinating

o Koreas staged perorming arts are

the mask dance dramas. Combining

elaborate masks, music, dance motions

and stories that reect a snapshot o

Joseon Dynasty (13921910) society, the

preserved mask dance dramas remain

crowdpleasing avorites. One o the

most captivating is Goseong Ogwangdae,rom the small town o Goseong on

the south coast near Busan, so ocused

on dance that little to no dialogue is

included.

Te dances within the traditional

drama are so widely loved that in the

modern era this deotbaegichum is

staged by unmasked dancers alongside

major classics o the dance can

such as Salpurichum (shaman

exorcism dance) and taepyeon

(great peace dance). Te distin

motions show the dancer casti

the undesired, even drawing a

sword to scare away unseen o

Yunseok, National Living re

or Goseong Ogwangdae, expla

raditionally this motion wa

banish ghosts or malevolent s

the modern world where man

belie in ghosts as a superstitio

think o this motion as casting

heartbreak or ailure and bani

rom our lives.

Dance in Korea, whether th

movements are modern Koreastory alone harkens back to an

past, is vibrant and well establ

with myriad institutions or tr

promotion and production. A

barriers between diferent orm

more permeable, we can expe

ever more creative works arisi

Korean stage.

(

From

le

fttorig

ht)Yon

hap

News

Agency;

Hanw

ha

Eag

les;

Lo

tte

Gian

ts(2)

(From left to right) The leaddancers in the Korea National

Ballet Companys modernizedpiece Prince Hodong embrace in asingular movement; Ballerinas

dance en pointe for theUniversal Ballet Companys

retelling of the classic ShimChung folk tale; Companymembers perform scenesin hanbok, Koreantraditional dress, for theNational DanceCompany of KoreasDance Chunhyang.

K

orea

Na

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6/29

over story

o motions so dynamic they seem a blur.

Commenting on Lees comort level with

the photography, I nd he has made a

conscious efort to learn to be a natural

in ront o a lens.

He explains his rustrations with

popular reality V shows such as I Am a

Singer, where stars o the past are orced

to prove their chops all over again.Compared to such programs, Korean

dance has been relatively neglected,

so now Lee takes every opportunity

to publicize its traditions and the

new creative works which draw rom

traditional movements. A desire to

build a more avorable environment or

Korean dance, particularly to the benet

o the next generation o dancers, is a

recurring topic o conversation.

At one time he had been one o those

young hopeuls himsel, and with the

support o his parents and teachers

he made the decision to pursue dance

when he was 15 years old. Aer a

period o learning modern dance, hehappened to attend a perormance by

noted traditional dancer Kim Choong

han. Lee describes the concert as the

moment he was hit with the beauty o

Korean traditional dance. Just watching

was enough to convince young Lee that

he had to move to Seoul and become

Within a ew moments o meeting

ee Jeongyun o the National Dance

ompany o Korea, he is posed in ront

the photographer on the balcony

the National Teater o Korea. Lee,

4, is condent and not the slightest

t araid to strike a dramatic pose, but

s personality escapes between shots

a grin that extends to his eyes, theandaged wrist and part o a black

k tattoo peeking out rom above his

aistband.

Adjourning to a studio or an indoor

hot, he cant restrain himsel rom

aring into a astpaced beat on a set o

rums, his hands ying through a series

that they rarely even meet. When they

do, however, their dates might include

watching other dance perormances. On

occasion they have even met up while

both were touring shows overseas.

Lee obtained all o his dance training

in Korea. For his bachelors, he attended

Sungkyunkwan University, where he

spent hal o each day in classes devoted

to theory and the other hal practicing

dance. At that time, the Korea National

University o Arts (KArts) dance

program had only recently opened.

Trough riends, Lee learned that at

KArts, the students were ocusingon practice to the extent that no one

changed out o their dance clothes; a

shockingly radical but highly appealing

approach.

Lee entered KArts or his Masters

degree, where he excitedly rushed rom

class to class auditing a wide variety o

the perormers student. Kim was also

a student o Jeong Jaeman, a National

Living reasure or the Salpurichum

(shamanic ritual exorcism dance). Had

Lee learned it rom his teacher?

More than saying Ive learned

Salpurichum, I would like to say that

traditional dance takes a very long time

to master, he says, showing a respect or

tradition. Lees background is in more

than just Salpurichum. His traditional

dance training has extended through

most o the classics, including seungmu

(monks dance) and mask dance dramas

like Bongsan alchum, Hahoe Byeolsin

Gut allori and Goseong Ogwangdae.

Hahoe Byeolsin Gut allori, the mask

dance drama rom Hahoe Village nearAndong, Gyeongsangbukdo Province,

was incorporated into one o Lees

perormances in April. Te concert Lee

Jeong-yun and Etoile was the rst time

in the history o the National Dance

Company o Korea that a single dancer

was able to present a ulllength show on

the main stage.

Coinciding with Lees 10th year with

the company, the perormance showed

the depth o his training, creativity and

inuences. Lee passionately explains that

dance is dance, no matter i its ballet,

modern, creative or Korean. Hence, his

concert moved through the spectrum

o genres without regard or articial

boundaries, using Korean sentiment and

thought as its oundation. Lee chuckles,

his eyes twinkling, as he describes the

great pride and happiness he elt when

rehearsing and presenting the piece with

his riends.One o those riends was emale lead

Kim Joowon, the prima ballerina o

the Korea National Ballet Company

and Lees girlriend o the past several

years. Te two dancers are both so busy

with their rehearsals and perormances

all around the world, Lee explains,

8|korea| june 2011

undergraduate practices, while

out thesis research on nabichu

the Buddhist ritual buttery da

Following a period o postgra

independent study, Lee entere

National Dance Company o K

2002.

Lee explained that the comp

about displaying the best o Ko

dance, no matter what type. D

rehearse Korean dance rom 1

to noon everyday and receive

training rom leading tradition

such as Jeong Jaeman or Salp

Likewise, they are taught by va

experts in modern dance and b

as well as rehearse choreograp

bottom line, according to Lee,some people have a negative o

o Korean traditional dance. T

think its slow, boring and or

generation, and this is an attit

wants to change. He wants to

dynamism o traditional in pa

with modern dance, see the da

reed rom the antasy that tra

does not change, and allow a n

evolution o the traditional pe

arts.

Lees eyes glint with pride as

describes the staging oogomu

ve drum dance, comprised o

o 13 men powerully beating

instruments in perect synchr

When I ask him about memor

roles, he highlights the roman

lead in Dance Chunhyang. He

his realization o growth in his

ability brought about by peror

Mongryong in the story, 10 yehis rst perormance o the pa

joy in his own development sh

the passion that has made him

indispensible member o his c

Aer the interview winds dow

heads back inside, the empty p

rooms siren call echoing in his

The

Na

tiona

lDance

Companyo

fKorea

www.ko

National Dance Company of Korea member LeeJeong-yun poses in front of the National Theaterof Korea (above). Lee, who has studied bothtraditional and modern dance forms, extends hisbody gracefully in a piece for the company(opposite).

ee Jeongyun says his lie is ideal the way it is right now. A principalancer at the peak o his career, Lee has the respect o his colleagues andhe satisaction o loving his work.

An IdeAl lIfe


7/29

over story

ducation is the key to the uture o the

ts. According to the latest government

atistics, there are 32 middle and high

hools or the perorming arts, ve o

hich ocus specically on traditional

ts. Tese programs or young,lented individuals allow students to

et the head start needed to develop a

olid oundation. Once they graduate,

hough, there is one university that

as increasingly become the preerred

estination: the School o Dance at the

orea National University o Arts.

in May called Princess Kongji. Tis

work, like many o their other pieces,

capitalizes on wellknown Korean

olktales that have been made into

Korean dramas (in this case, Lie to Me).

Te company is housed at the large

National Teater o Korea complex, a

warren o practice rooms and theaters

o various sizes, along with the National

Orchestra o Korea, the National Drama

Company o Korea and the National

Changgeuk Company o Korea. Te

company employs more than 50 dancers,

most o whom have a solid rooting in

Korean traditional dance. A typical day

at the theater complex runs rom 10am

to 5pm, with rehearsal supervised by

senior company members, and classesunder the artistic director. At present the

company has three major works: Korean

Fantasy, Dance Chunhyangand Soul,

Sunfower. In 2011, they will present

more than 40 ulllength dance concerts

in Korea and make seven ulllength

international appearances. Whether

Princess Kongji will join the regular

repertoire has yet to be decided.

In 2010, the Ministry o Culture,

Sports and ourism created a new state

Te KArts university dance

program, ounded in 1996, eatures

three departments: Dance Perormance,

Dance Teory and Choreography.

Students in the Dance Perormance

major are divided into our areas:ballet, Korean dance, modern dance

and creative dance. Te students are

taught under the guidance o aculty

members such as Kim Hyunja, the

ormer director o the National Dance

Company o Korea, and Jung Seung

hee, a master oseungmu (monks

dance). In addition, some dance

majors also attend the KArts School o

raditional Korean Arts, where one can

collaborate with students rom other

music or perormance elds. wo ull

time proessors in this entirely practicebased program are noted perormers o

taepyeongmu (great peace dance) and

hakchum (crane dance).

CORNUCOPIA OF COMPANIES Te

National Dance Company o Korea,

ounded in 1962, premiered a new work

A ballerina warms up for rehearsal at the Universal Ballet Company (below). Dancersperformsanjo chum, a composition that uses traditional dance vocabulary (opposite left).A character from the mask dance drama Dongnae Yayu performs (opposite right).

unded company specically to explore

the eld o contemporary dance. Te

Korea National Contemporary Dance

Company is based out o the Seoul

Arts Center and or the moment is

comprised o a 10person staf. Unlike

other nationally supported perorming

arts groups, the Korea National

Contemporary Dance Company

secures dancers or each individual

perormance through auditions, instead

o keeping a permanent company. Te

inaugural director, Hong Sungyop, was

a ballerino beore his 20year history as

a choreographer, and will remain in the

position or at least the rst three years

o the company.

Te Modern Dance Promotion oKorea is the powerhouse at the center

o the Korean modern dance world.

Teir major goals include providing

support or modern dance in Korea,

promoting the academic study o

and research on dance, nurturing

choreographers, creating opportunities

or international exchange and

ellowship and maintaining a database

o Korean modern dance works and

individuals. Some o the activities that

the association has engaged in

pursuing these goals include ru

the Seoul International Chore

Festival since 1992, hosting th

International Youth Dance Fe

1997, publishing the dance ma

Images o Dance since 1989 an

out awards to recognize the pr

o Korean modern dance since

DOMESTIC AND ABROAD ra

dance in Korea is protected un

the auspices o the Cultural He

Administration, a subsidiary o

the Ministry o Culture, Sport

and ourism. Te seven protec

dances are Salpurichum (sham

ritual exorcism dance), seungmtaepyeongmu,Cheoyongmu (d

the hero Cheoyong),Jinju geom

sword dance), seungjeonmu (v

dance) and hagyeonhwadae ha

(hakchum, that is, crane dance

Te online Keep Korean Ro

(www.koreanroc.com) is the g

or inormation on the bboy/b

scene rom a local perspective

organizers also oversee the qu

Korean competitive perorma

Rockin Sensation. For nonK

speakers, the website supplies

trove o videos and links to th

Korean bboy/bgirl crews, as

as international crews, dancer

websites or major competitio

Tere are several overseas

organizations that concentrate

maintaining Korean tradition

culture. Te Korean Dance Stu

Society o Canada can be ounoronto and the OngDance C

is located in the San Francisco

Te East Coast is overseen by

Korean raditional Perormin

Association, Inc in New York a

Halla Huhm Foundation cove

located in Hawaii.

|korea| june 2011 www.k

C

edarBoug

hTSae

ji

A large number o organizations associated with Korean dance in all its manynumerations are keeping Korean traditions alive. hese institutions help Koreanancers receive the support they need to excel in classical and contemporary dances ohe Western world, and to blaze new conceptual trails.

dAncIng for lIfe


8/29

|korea| june 2011

en & brush

Master Pioneer ofContemporaryArt

Park Seo-bo

Hes been called a leader o contemporary Korean art, a master

o monochrome painting and the pioneer o Korean Avant-

garde. Park Seo-bo has led an illustrious career over thelast hal century, and its unlikely that he will put down his

paintbrush any time soon.

Ever since my 20s, Ive spent more than 14 hours a day

on average on painting, Park says. I never let mysel get

distracted and have walked on that single path. Sure, there

have been hard times, but Ive never been disappointed

or rustrated with mysel. Whenever I was aced with [a

problem], I drove mysel even harder and overcame adversity.

And I would always ask mysel, Have I b een right? Without

looking at yoursel in the mirror, theres no progress. When

you get tough on yoursel and try to think, act and express

your thoughts dierently than others, only then do you

produce good pieces o work.

Saying he couldnt ask or more because his job has been a

labor o love and received critical acclaim to b oot, Park looked

content when KOREA visited him in his studio.

From late last year to early this year, I held three exhibitions

at Kukje Gallery in Seoul, Johyun Gallery in Busan and the

Busan Museum o Art, almost simultaneously. More than 100

pieces were put on display, but the storage unit didnt seem

empty. Tat elt great, Park says with a laugh.

I dont usually put up my pieces or sale, Park continues.Money is a vice or artists. I youre tempted by money, then

youre bound to get lazy. I have no other interest than painting.

Unless its or my exhibitions, I dont even travel. But in my

heart, I am really happy. Looking at my storage unit ull o my

paintings, which are really extensions o mysel, and losing

mysel in painting in the quiet studio, I cant ask or anything

more. I dont think theres a rich man happier than I am.

ark Seo-bo is one o Koreas mostamous modernist painters. His workas been eatured in countless art airsnd galleries, and was on the cover ohe popular textbookArtundamentals: Theory and Practice,

ound in art schools around the world.hough now 80 years old, Park hasntowed down and spends an average 14 hours a day on his artwork, oten

wearing a black sweater permanentlytained with watercolors.

Choi Hye-jung | photographs by Kim Nam-heon

S-bs sd s a wld smpld ls.


9/29

www.k

n AuSPiciouS BeginningPark Seo-bo was born in 1931

Yecheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. His childhood was

led with omens o his uture greatness.

My mother was a lot younger than my ather, Park recalls.My maternal grandather saw his daughters pass away one

y one, during labor, so he went to see a ortuneteller or my

other and was told that she should marry a man who had

st his wie. Tat way, she would live long and give birth to

reat sons. So my mother married my ather, and I am their

ird son.

Parks ather, who was a lawyer, adored the young Seo-bo.

|korea| june 2011

At one point, Parks ather had a vision that Seo-bo

would be very successul in law. When I showed

him my letter o admission to the art program,

o course he went berserk, Park says. At the

time, people who painted or a living were called

daubers. My ather didnt eat or two weeks, but

my mother accepted it and said it was my destiny.

Looking back, I am glad I didnt become a lawyer.

I dont have to worry about others and I dont have

to retire by a certain age.

Aer studying art at Hongik University, Park

led eorts to introduce expressionistic abstract

paintings in the late 1950s, when representational

paintings were popular in Korea. His Protoplasm

series, which was launched in 1957, revealed

the painul and devastating consequences o

the Korean War (1950-1953). Art critics praised

the series as the scream that broke the silenceollowing the war. In 1958, Park joined orces

with Kim schang-yeul and Ha In-du to ound

the Korea Association o Modern Artists, and

bring the Inormel Movement, which emphasized

spontaneous and unconscious painting, to Korea.

MASter of MonochroMe In the 1960s, Park

began to ocus on monochromatic painting. In his

Ecriture series in 1967, he applied light watercolors

on the canvas and drew lines over the paint beore

it dried. He would then paint more colors on top o

that and draw more lines.

As the late critic Lee Il said, By overcoming the

dualistic structure o the Western painting that

distinguished support and surace o the canvas,

[the series] realized the naturalization o Korean

modernism.

By reinterpreting Western style rom an Eastern

perspective, Park, in the words o art critic Yoo Jin-sang,

changed the idea that emphasized the essence o drawing,

which is the oundation o painting.

Aer the 1980s, Park attempted another transormation. Hebrought hanji, Korean traditional paper, to the Ecriture series.

He would dip pieces o hanji in water mixed with watercolors,

paste them onto the canvas, and would roll over them using

some tools that le marks on the canvas. Te process captured

the texture o hanji. In the 21 st century, Ecriture evolved once

again, as Park applied repeated brush strokes to the hanji-

covered canvas, producing vertical patterns. Park said that oneP

arkSeo-bo

Park Seo-bo, who led the monochromism movement wit

series in the 1960s, pioneered abstract painting in Korea.

his first exhibition abroad at the World House Gallery in N

Park has since displayed his work in the United States, Eur

Australia, Japan and China in a variety of exhibitions.

2010 Art Taipei 2010, Wellside Gallery (Booth No 43), Ta

2008 Empty the Mind, Gallery Arario New York, New Y

Wellside Gallery, Shanghai

CIGE 2008, Wellside Gallery, China World Trade Center, B

2007 Gallery Arario Beijing, Beijing

CIGE 2007, Gallery Samtuh, China World Trade Center, B

2006-2007 Cabinet des Dessins, Musee dArt Moderne d

Etienne Metropol, Saint-Etienne, France

2006 CIGE 2006, Gallery Samtuh, China World Trade Ce

2005 Shanghai Art Fair 2005, Gallery Samtuh (Booth No

Shanghai Mart Hall, Shanghai

CIGE 2005, Gallery Samtuh, China World Trade Center, B

2004 CIGE (China International Gallery Exposition) 2004,

Samtuh, China International Science and Technology Expo

2002 Ace Gallery Los AngelesMelbourne Art Fair 2002, Gallery Samtuh, Melbourne, Au

Remba Gallery, Los Angeles

2000 Tokyo Gallery, Tokyo

1997 Ace Gallery, Los Angeles

Remba Gallery, Los Angeles

1996 Basel Art Fair, Park Ryu Sook Gallery, Museen Basel

Switzerland

FIAC (International Contemporary Art Fair) 1996, Johyun

Espace Eiffel Branly, Paris

1994 Remba Gallery, Los Angeles

1993 ART LA 1993, The 8th International Contemporary

Angeles Convention Center, Gallery World

NICAF 1993, Sun Gallery, Yokohama, Japan

1989 ART LA 1989, The 4th International Contemporary

Angeles Convention Center, Jean Art Gallery

1985 Ina Gallery, Tokyo

1978 Tokyo Gallery, Tokyo

1973 Muramatsu Gallery, Tokyo

1957 World House Gallery, New York

overSeAS exhiBitionS By PArk Seo-Boo his goals with the series was to bring natural scenery and

colors into his artwork.

No orm o art is more beautiul than nature, Park says.

Once, I was riding in a taxi on Jejudo Island, and I saw the

sky, the sea and the island all become one, like they were

connected by a single line. It was just absolutely spectacular.

I started thinking, how could I turn this into a painting? Park

continues. You know my piece where a rectangular window

is put on the long, single-color line? Tat was what I saw on

Jejudo that day. Tat square is what I called a breathing space,

as in, the mind breathes through it. Nikos Papastergiadis, a

proessor at the University o Melbourne in Australia, called

it a window o the mind. Tey say theres that expression in

Greek philosophy.

Art AS therAPy For Park, painting isnt an egotistical

exercise to show o talent, but a therapeutic way to empty

himsel o the anxieties o modern lie.Te 20th century was an era o analogue, and at the time,

people thought they had to expose themselves, Park explains.

Art has to refect its time, and when the time changes, art has

to change with it. In the digital era, when the pace o change

picked up and a lot o people are greatly stressed out, paintings

that only show the artists personality and own greed are

mentally abusive. I just think its wrong. Tats why I chose to

empty mysel to go with the fow o the time, Park adds. Art

in the digital age has to be like blotting paper that absorbs all

worries and anxieties o its audience. In other words, it has to

be therapeutic.

I believe colors can heal peoples eelings, he says. Tats

why Ive moved rom achromatic colors such as black and gray

to monochromatic paintings with red, blue, green and other

colors with high saturation. In my paintings, fuorescent red

can convey calm eelings, something that doesnt come to the

surace but that gets saturated underneath. Foreigners noticed

this right away, too. Once, the head o the National Museum o

Monaco and his riend who came to my exhibition at Wellside

Gallery exulted, Tis is the art o therapy.

Parks unique use o the layering o colors has helped him

receive attention rom all corners o the world. Next year, Parkexpects to hold his rst solo exhibit in Brussels, an emerging

center o contemporary art.

Park is about to receive even more international attention

with the publication o several books on his artwork. Joan Kee,

an art history proessor at the University o Michigan at Ann

Arbor, plans to publish a book on monochromism in Korea

eaturing Park through the University o Caliornia Press.

A amous Swiss publisher is also releasing a book

Korean monochromism by Miki Wick Kim. Kate YK

Korean artist in Singapore, is working on an English

biography o Park. It looks like the amous art critic

C Morgans prediction that Park will be the worlds

within a ew years is coming true.At Parks 80th birthday party last November, he tol

guests, Ive still got long ways to go with my paintin

the sun is setting. Let it set then. Ill just use some ar

lighting. As art critics and historians begin to look b

Parks 60-year career, it is important to remember th

no great master o the past, but a living legend whos

work keeps expanding.

S-bs Ecriture No 090916was pad 2011.

riture No 090513 s Pas ws.


10/29

eople

www.k

KymHy

o-gun

Proessor and songwriter Kym Hyogun manages to ind the sweetest balancebetween business and music. wenty years ater his debut as an unexpected

maestro in a contest, this multiaceted individual shares the secrets o his joy, cratand philosophy. by Lee Se-mi | photographs by Kim Nam-heon

Songs to Comfort

In 1981, a song called Snow won the top prize at the MBCUniversity Music Festival. With its beautiul lyrics and

catchy melody, the song quickly b ecame a contemporary

avorite. Interestingly enough, the man responsible or

writing the piece, Kym Hyogun, wasnt a music major. In

act, to the publics great surprise, he was studying business

administration.

Te person responsible or the knowledge cube theory,

K H-u perr er Ewh W

which attempts to explain knowledge as threedimecubes, Kym was also the rst person to introduce the

o knowledge management to Korea. A wellknow

whose theories have been adopted in many o Korea

companies, Kym is also a rstrate composer, and hi

background attracts as much attention today as it did

Kym was in his third year o studies at Seoul Natio

University when he wrote Snow, and was the only noKymHyo-gun


11/29


ajor to participate in the estival where he would win the

rand prize by a landslide. Aerward, the panel o judges was

uoted as saying, How could a student majoring in economics

rite a song like this, with poetic lyrics, real harmony and a

elody that works perectly?

Some write songs by rst coming up with the lyrics, while

hers start with the melody. With Snow, Kym worked on both

he lyrical and the harmonious elements at the same time, and

veals the inspiration or his debut piece in the very rst line:

n a little snow-covered path, I wish I could leave a trace of my

mall footprints forever. Kym says, I rst decided to try writing

ongs in January 1981. I went to a nearby stationary store to

uy some sheet music paper and then got working when I

turned home. It was snowing heavily outside and I wanted

capture that eeling.

Kyms love o music was initially sparked during his rst

ear in middle school. Te only student at an allboys school

ho could play the piano, he became the pianist or hishools chorus. As someone who elt an instant anity with

assical music aer listening to Chopin or the rst time, Kym

racticed the piano by himsel and used to listen to cassette

pes and read scores on his way home. His interests ranged

om choral music to orchestra.

Despite his talent, his amilys lack o money and his

arents opposition stopped Kym rom choosing a career in

usic. But Kym was also an excellent student and eventually

ained entrance into Koreas most prestigious college, Seoul

National University. Although he enrolled in the economics

department, he never gave up his creative passion, attending

courses in the music department to learn more about

composition.

However, aer winning the top prize at the MBC University

Music Festival, he decided to leave behind the media attention

and study in the United States, choosing again to pursue

business administration instead o music. When I went

to study overseas aer nishing school, I distanced mysel

rom music. For 15 years, until I returned to Korea in 1992,

I concentrated on my studies. It wasnt that I didnt want

to pursue music; I just knew I wouldnt be able to stop i I

ever started down the music path. It was only when I elt

my research was on track that I nally started playing music

again, Kym explains.

REtURn to tHE scEnE When he returned to Korea, two more

o Kyms songs would make it on air: Autumn Songand I MissYou. His real comeback wouldnt happen until 2007 though,

when he ortuitously met some o Koreas leading composers

at Our Poetry, Our Songs, a group o creative minds.

Kym began sharing new pieces with the group, which

held an annual concert to eature virgin works. o his

disappointment, the music scene was not the same as it once

was. Dismayed, Kym realized that his peers were much more

interested in pop than the traditional songs he sang.

Pop music in the 1980s eatured guitars and a kind o

pop group sound, explains

Kym. As a result, Korean

traditional songs sung by well

trained singers who had an

orchestra backing them up

could, relatively speaking,

easily attract the attention

o music ans. But music

witnessed a huge development

across all genres, rom pop

to jazz, ballads and rock.

Ten, with the rising trend

o atonalism and chancemusic, contemporary classical

music became dicult or

the public to appreciate.

Korean composers were also

inuenced by this trend and

wrote more complex songs.

But no matter how beautiul

they were, the public ound this type

o music too inaccessible.

Kym tried to overcome this

challenge by writing amiliar,

Korean traditional songs using

complex musical elements, but his

endeavors were not well received.

Many composers began to eel

pushed to create music that listeners

would like, oppressing their own

artistic expressions. Kym just wanted

to create an original sound that

incorporated elements that everyone

rom the ages o 20 to 40 would like,

in a way that melded diferent genres together.

A Tousand Winds (2010) was the outcome o his eforts.

Te album, categorized as a new type o Korean art/pop,

eatures eight classical songs, including a rendition oSnow.Proound messages are delivered through simple yet elegant

melodies and sung by Yang Junmo, who is more amiliar to

the public than most classical singers, which enabled Kym to

reach a wider audience.

My goal is to write songs that older people listen to

nostalgically, but younger music ans want to hear time and

again aer their rst listen, says Kym. Korean traditional

music is a genre that combines poetry and music. Once a

melody is added to a poem, it lasts a long, long time. Tere are

a number o excellent trad

numbers which can appea

audiences anywhere in the

even though the genre has

going back less than a cent

Te ne arts actor alone

required or classical musi

been able to appeal to the

the past 25 years. No kind

that doesnt have a certain

to it can last. Tats why I c

Korean art/pop, which I b

both artistic elements to it

popular appeal.

Kym believes music should be pleasant to sing an

to, the word pleasant reecting the eeling that one

when a song resonates with ones own emotions. As a

pleasant song should be sympathetic to, at least partsentiments such as joy, sorrow, love and longing. A k

that resonates throughout the album is love, be it p

love, romantic love or a mothers love or her child. F

love is about a search or eternity: Love, nature, Go

longing or something absolute and everlasting hasn

at all in the last 30 years. Tats my musical inspiratio

singing a mEssagE of tRUtH Kym has been wor

a new project or the past two months, translating 10

songs into our diferent languages: English, French

and Japanese. Kym plans to take the sage words o gr

philosophers, thinkers and writers rom throughout

and put them in his songs. His goal is to add a melod

message o our lives - rom birth and death to grow

and eeling desire - so that the message reverberate

ages. For example, the lyrics rom the title track,A T

Winds, were translated rom a Native American poe

clearly highlights their belies.

Te song reects their concept o love, Kym exp

Tey believe people dont actually die even when th

away. Instead, they remain with the living in the sur

nature. I tried to sufuse this belie into my own songput, my uture work will be creating songs rom the

Confucius, the Bible and Buddhist scriptures.

He described this project as a marriage between a

composition and my academic interests. For him, b

administration and music are just two genres with th

logical structure. Perhaps it is this ability to weave be

two worlds that makes Kym seem as ree as the wind

K H-u pek bu h de reer u pree Ewh W Uver, where he prer bue dr (ppe). Kpe h w rl pee (bve).

mul creer

- Snowwins the top prize at the

inaugural MBC University Music

Festival, 1981

- Performed The Song of Falland

I Miss You at KBS-FMs New

Traditional Music Concert, 1994

- Performed Wedding Song and

Ferryboatat the 1st New Traditional

Music Concert, 2007

- Performed Promise of a Thousand Years and Motherly Love at

the 2nd Korean Traditional Music Festival, 2008

- Released debut albumA Thousand Winds , 2010

ade creer

- BA (Economics), Seoul National University, 1983

- MBA, Seoul National University, 1986

- PhD (Business Administration), University of Pittsburgh, 1991

- Assistant Professor, University of Alberta, 1991-1992

- Director of Knowledge Innovation & Systems Science, Ewha

Womans University, 1998-present

- Professor of Business Administration, Ewha Womans

University, 2003-present

Kym Hyo-gUn (B.1960)

KymHyo-gun


12/29


site, and shows traces o Indian Buddhism, Chinese aoism and Persian

Zoroastrianism. Te memoir was considered a valuable part o Pelliots

research on East and West trade history.

Te Wang Ocheonchukguk Jeon demonstrates Hyechos lyrical wordings

in various portions o the work. Many o the expressions depict his longing

or his homeland and his exhaustion rom traveling:

On a moonlit night I looked toward the homeward path,

Floating clouds return by the wind.

I wish this letter to go with this opportunity,

Te wind blows too fast; the clouds neither listen nor return.

Te memoir is considered one o the worlds best travelogues along with

the Great ang Records on the Western Regions by the Chinese Buddhist

monk Xuanzang and Il Milione by Marco Polo.

CROSSING INTERNATIONAL BORDERS Hyecho traveled to Guangzhou,

China, in 719, while studying Esoteric Buddhism (a subset o Mahayana

Buddhism ounded in India in the late 7th century) under the amous

Indian monk Vajrabodhi. Four years later, a 19yearold Hyecho embarkedon his pilgrimage, rst traveling to India by boat. Te young monk visited

each o the ve kingdoms o India, including Lumbini, the birthplace o

Buddha, and Sarnath, where Buddha rst taught the dharma. Aerwards,

Hyecho traveled through Gandhara, Persia, Arabia, the Pamir Plateau and

arrived in Changan (currently Xian).

Aer his return to China, Hyecho concentrated on studying Esoteric

Buddhism with Vajrabodhi. With the passing o his mentor, Hyecho later

became a student o Amoghavajra, and ocused on translating Esoteric

Buddhism texts into Chinese. Changan in the 8th century was a prosperous

international city in China. Merchants and

students rom around the world gathered

there, resulting in an amalgamation o

dierent cultures. Hyecho is also considered

to have greatly contributed to the

development and organization o Esoteric

Buddhism in the cultural hub o the time.

Hyecho passed away in China in 787,

having never set oot on Korean soil

again. Why did he never return to his

homeland, whilst longing to return? For

Hyecho, ending his lies journey in a

oreign country would only be tting, as aresearcher o Buddhism in oreign lands

where international

borders are rendered

meaningless. He was

Koreas rst man o

the world, 1,300 years

ago.

Last December, a landmark event set the Korean Buddhist community and

locals abuzz. Te Wang Ocheonchukguk Jeon (Memoir of the Pilgrimage

to the Five Kingdoms of India), a travelers journal written by Hyecho, was

returned to Korea or a short while aer nearly 1,300 years away rom its

native land - since the Buddhist monk rst embarked on his trip. Te

record, which chronicles the journey o the rst Korean to travel to Asia

and Europe via the Silk Road, came to a threemonth exhibition at the

National Museum o Korea beore being returned to France.

Te memoir was rst made known to the world in 1908. Paul Pelliot

discovered the records in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China, and it has

been in the possession o the La Bibliothque nationale de France to this

day. Te travel journal, considered the rst o its kind to come out o

Korea, had never beore le the museum. Te exhibit in Seoul marked

the return o Hyecho aer more than 1,000 years and also the works rst

public showing since it was unearthed a century ago. Accompanying the

literary work were relics rom the Silk Road, illuminating the extent o

cultural exchange during that era, and a replica o the Dunhuang Grottos.

Te Buddhist monk wrote the epic piece during his ouryear pilgrimage

o the ve kingdoms o India and surrounding countries. Te Wang

Ocheonchukguk Jeon contains rare inormation about India and Central

Asian countries during the 8th century, including political situations,

economy, culture, religion and customs. Only a ragment o the ullmemoir is currently intact, a portion which is measured at 358cm long,

and is composed o 227 lines and 5,893 letters.

Pelliot, who was knowledgeable in Oriental studies and fuent in

Chinese, instantly understood the importance and value o this work

when he discovered it in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottos, the gateway to

the Silk Road connecting China and Central Asia. Te grottos, where

Hyechos journal had rested or centuries, is a UNESCO World Heritage

reat korean

P

arkJin-ho(righttop);TheNationalMuseu

mo

fKorea

Koreas frst mano the world,Hyecho

An artists rendition ofHyecho as he wouldhave looked on histravels (right top). Abronze guard of honorfrom China is a SilkRoad relic (right).

A gold buckle fromPyeongyang circa the 1stcentury is a Silk Road find.

Around 1,300 years ago, a 15yearold boy rom Uniied Sillatraveled alone to China. Ater studying under a Buddhistmonk, he then continued his journey to India, embarking on a20,000km trip that led him to become the irst Korean to travelon the Silk Road. His name was Hyecho. by Seo Dong-chul


13/29


Choi Ahrum, manager o the wellknown upscal

Beautypia, has stood witness to the subtle, but rapid

on eheranno over the last seven years. Beautypia ha

seen more clients recently, as it was introduced in se

international publications as a popular beauty salon

celebrities. Tis area changes every year Tese d

even have customers who call rom Japan or Singapo

nd out where our salon is located, says Choi.

eheranno shows the dynamic adaptability o Kor

Combining the latest with the trendiest, the demand

visitors are met in a stylish and comortable setting. youre ready or a new look or hoping to spot a certa

its time to head to the mostbuzzed street in Seoul.

opened multilingual websites in order to communicate

directly with oreigners who are ans o Hallyu stars and those

who are interested in visiting Korea. Te nearby convenience

o shopping malls, designer boutiques, upscale spas and

salons along the avenue helped attract those who wanted to

experience a pampered lie, Seoulstyle, or a couple o days.

Just as all cities have two acets - the old and the new

- so does this capital with Myeongdong and eheranno.

While the ormer continues steadast in its appeal, the latter is

establishing itsel as the next big thing. Already equipped with

convenient transportation and concentrated oreign business

acilities, it became a natural step or the launching o new

tour programs or medical operations, Hallyu and more.

Te enterpriserich area appeals to more multinational

visitors than ever beore, with tourists rom the Middle East,

Europe and other countries making headway into the country

ormer Hermit Kingdom.

I searched or reliable plastic surgeons in Seoul on theInternet and I ound a medical care tour program that includes

a simple cosmetic procedure, says Sameshima Yuki, a 29year

old Japanese tourist who recently had plastic surgery in a clinic

near Gangnam Station. An allinone package allowed her to

enjoy both a practical and a leisurely visit. She adds, It was

pretty good, as I could get counseling in Japanese beore the

surgery and look around Gangnam aer.

Fivestar hotels joined the boom by

placing medical centers within their hotel

buildings and implementing aggressive

marketing strategies to attract oreign

visitors. Lotte Hotel World in Jamsil, which

opened a medical center in December 2007,

is a pioneer in this business. With a multi

care medical center that includes Oriental

medicine, dermatology, plastic surgery

and dental implantspecialists, Lotte Hotel

World now greets twice the number o

oreign guests it did beore. Particularly

or those seeking out Gangnam or

medical tourism, the idea o resting rom a

procedure in plush bedding surrounded byamenities is just the thing they need.

Intercare HPC, a general health

clinic opened in 2008 at the Grand

InterContinental Hotel, jointly developed

medical tour programs with other tourist

acilities such as the Seven Luck Casino,

which markets to oreign tourists.

eoul

riendly Seoul. Hotels in Myeongdong, one o the

mostproled and popular areas in the capital, were

unable to accommodate all the visitors, so many

turned their sights to Gangnam. Te urban beauty

belt haven called to those tourists who wanted to trysomething new, something better.

As visitors began to shi their destination a

ew kilometers south, the tourism inrastructure

o Gangnam quickly adapted to handle the inux

o visitors. Dermatologist and dentists that boast

celebrity clientele, such as Bae Yongjoon (Winter

Sonata) and Lee Youngae (Jewel in the Palace),

(Clockwise, from above) The ImperiaHotel offers package medical tours; products sold at a clinic; a tanning beclippings spotlight the recent beautyA birds eye view of Teheranno (oppo

I thought eheranno would have been ull o business

acilities but there are a lot o exclusive cosmetic

surgery centers, spas and hotels to make the place a

trendsetting spot, says one Japanese tour director,

who visited Korea to develop tour programs in the

Gangnamgu District, south o the Hangang River.

He said he was ascinated by the nightly scene in

eheranno, a uniquely Korean style associated with a

culture o auence. Every evening career women in

nice suits drive their imported cars here to just enjoy a

lie o beauty A lucky person might meet a Korean

celebrity in the store right next to his or her nail salon.

I didnt expect to see such a antastic world like this in

Seoul.

eheranno, which stretches rom the major

intersection by Gangnam Station to the Samseong

Bridge, is becoming the new ace o Seoul in terms

o tourism. Its where Koreas hightech industrymeets cosmetic treatment, satiated with a variety

o dynamic oods and b eguiling attractions such as

luxury shopping. Te area provides a diferent kind o

service rom the tourist attractions north o the river,

by combining beautication with tourism or a chance

to eel like a celebrity. Te act that many wellknown

Hallyu, Korean wave, aces requent the area doesnt

hurt either.

ours exploring the myriad oferings o eheranno

started becoming popular roughly two years ago. As

the Korean won lost its momentum, masses o tourists

rom nearby countries began to crowd to vacation

Are Myeongdong and the ancient palacesome o the major attractions in Seoul?

Yes, but theres one more contender or theop tourist spot in town. eheranno, orehran Boulevard, lures in visitors with itsnestop approach to shopping, luxurynd beauty. Some 20 upscale hotels, megahopping malls like COEX, chic salonsnd cosmetic surgery options line thetreet to orm the latest ace o Seoul.

Lim Ji-young | photographs by Choi Ji-young

Reinventing Beauty

Gangnam Bus Tour, which includes stops to Bongeunsa Temp

Kukkiwon, and the Kimchi Museum, makes the trip to Gangn

easier. The bus runs twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, fo

tourists. More information about the tour can be found in fou

different languages at http://tour.gangnam.go.kr.

Teheranno

Tip!

T

heImperialPalaceHotel(farright)


14/29

ravel

n the past, Jindo was an island ew could visit due to its location. Fortunately,his preserved the archipelagos, and today the spot has become wellknown ors yearly, mysterious parting o the sea. by Chung Dong-muk | photographs by Choi Ji-young

KoreaTourismOrganization

Not many Koreans know exactly where

Jindo Island is. Te image that comes to

mind when most people think o Jindo

is the eponymous dog, known or its

loyalty and intelligence. Te Jindo dog

is able to nd its way back home even

when stranded hundreds o kilometers

away, and most learn o the legendary

characteristics o the animal as young

children in the classroom.

As I travel to my destination, I try to

remember all the distinctive traits o this

particular mans best riend. Te Jindo

dog never backs down rom an enemy

and has the courage to stand against,

even when acing a tiger. Koreans are

T sa ff t sutwst rr f t Kra Pisua parts a yar Ji Isa

Island of Mystique

very ond o the breed, believin

match those o the peoples -

mien o orerunning the inter

I industry rom a small corn

and orchestrating massive con

projects worldwide without e

doubt. Similar to the Jindo dog

enjoy nature rom time to tim

their sights are set, will concen

reaching their goal.

RemembeRIng The heRo Jin

is located on the southwestern

Korean Peninsula and is the th

island, behind Jejudo and Geo

When Koreans reer to tangk


15/29

www.k6|korea| june 2011

the incoming eet did not know. Te

currents o Uldolmok, where the waters

o the Yellow Sea and the South Sea

meet, ow in the opposite direction

around noon, due to the changing tides.

Te Japanese eet rode the northwestern

currents towards the Korean eet,

which valiantly resisted, holding their

ground until the currents owed

backwards, determined not to waste this

opportunity. As a result, 31 Japanese

ships were sunk and the Japanese

general was decapitated; Yis insight on

the surrounding geography and natures

advantageous characteristics had led him

to victory. Te Battle o Myeongnyang is

considered one o the greatest historical

Naval battles in the world.Te currents at Uldolmok are still

as strong as the days o the great

Myeongnyang Battle. Te currents

are the astest in Korea, clocking in at

11.5knotsperhour. Beore the Jindo

Bridge was built in 1984, most people

did not dare to cross the strait. Te

Jindo Bridge was the countrys rst

cablestayed bridge and a second,

parallel bridge was added in 2005 to

accommodate the high trac. Across,

people can visit the Nokjin Observatory,

Maeul, or Lands End Village, they are

erring to the Haenam region, which

the southernmost tip o the country.

rom Haenam, Jindo can be reached by

ossing the Jindo Bridge, which is the

nly easily accessible land connection. A

X (Korea rain eXpress) train stops

nearby Mokpo, allowing visitors to

ccess the island within our hours rom

eoul.

As they cross the bridge, visitors can

xpect to meet the hero and symbol o

he Korean people, Admiral Yi Sunsin

5451598). Yis legacy can be ound

l across the southern coast, but many

onsider Jindo the best place to reect

n his spirit.

Yi was a commander o the Naval

rces, and is known or having used

nique tactics to end o orces during

he two Japanese invasions o Korea

5921598). In September 1597, a

panese naval eet consisting o 133

hips advanced toward Uldolmok

now known as Myeongnyang Strait).

Te Japanese eet had accumulated

ountless victories up to this point,oosting morale. Learning o the eets

dvance, Yi gathered and commanded

s last remaining 13 ships to guard the

ntrance o Uldolmok on the Yellow

ea. Te Japanese eet outnumbered the

orean orces by 10 to 1.

However, there was one thing that

A watr iy-strw patuats t iwisi Ui Saauss (a). A ti-wr is s isiSsaysa Tp, wiats ak t t 9ttury (ft). T Jibri is t stassi rut t tsutr isa (w).

with a view o both the bridge and Yis

statue. He stands as i yelling commands

to his eet 400 years ago.

SUnSeTS And SeA RoAdS Visitors can

reach the base o the guardian mountain

o Jindo, Cheomchalsan, by taking

National Road No 18 to downtown

Jindo, Local Road No 9 and then Local

Road No 15 to the east o Jindo. Te

beauty o the mountain captivates

visitors, hiding the Ullim Sanbang

Houses and Ssanggyesa emple within.

Tough not a particularly tall mountain,

being only 485m above sea level, its

skyline curves ow elegantly like the

shoulders o a woman.

At the oot o the mountain are theUllim Sanbang, Korean traditional

houses with a garden where Joseon

Dynasty painter Huh Ryun (1808

1893), renowned as a master oNamhwa

(Chinese painting o the Southern

School), resided in his later years. Te

garden in ront o the dwelling looks

spectacular paired with the pond, lotuses

oating on the water and grape myrtle

trees encircling the shore. Te beauty o

the scenery is enhanced when the trees

blossom in summer.

Next to the gardens is Ssanggyesa,

where Buddhist monks roast tea leaves.

Te small leaves are roasted nine times

a day in order to tease out the true taste.

Ssanggyesa was built in 857AD and gets

its name rom the Cheomchalsan creek

that divides and ows on each side o the

temple. Te creeks source is covered by

a thick pine orest, designated the 107 th

Natural Monument o Korea. Dierentspecies o tree grow in this area, rom

camellia and holly to bilberry, and each

individual tree is hundreds o years old.

Intertwined vines climb the trunks and

oer visitors a view o untainted nature.

Te mysterious sea road o Jindo can

be ound past Cheomchalsan. Te blue

o the ocean captivates all those resting

their eyes on its beauty afer climbing

the mountain. Amongst the deep blue

are the small islands o the archipelago

that decorate the ocean with each having

its own distinguishing gures.

Youre late, a lady rom Okcheon,

inorms me. Te sea parts in March

and April. Te woman manages a snack

cart at the entrance to the sea road in

Hoedongri, Gogunmyeon. With our

hopes o walking the sea road shattered,

we rest in the shade o the snack car,

enjoying a dish o sea squirts while

admiring the view. People rom all over

the world gather to witness the 3km

long, 40mwide road that app

parting o the sea, a phenome

occurs rom an exceptionally l

Another site that visitors shou

miss is Sebang Sunset, where v

enjoy a rstrate view o the si

into the deep ocean.

As I cast my eyes west to the

I am once again reminded o A

Yi Sunsin, eeling as he would

greeted by this spectacular sun

brave admiral is known to hav

poems and drawn up battle pl

ace o death, and I brace mys

or lie ahead, not to sacrice t

tomorrow.

KoreaTourismOrganization(leftbottom);

YonhapNewsAgency(oppositeleftandright);NakjoPension(oppositemiddle)

dIRecTIonSTaking the KTX to Mokpo Station is

convenient. The high-speed train departs twelve

times a day from Yongsan Station on weekdays.

Travel time is 3 hours 20 minutes.

From Mokpo Station, it is best to rent a car and

travel to Jindo. Travel time is 1 hour.

Mokpo KT Kumho Rent-a-Car

Domestic Call: 061 274 8000

International Call: +82 2 797 8000

FoodAs an island, the best of Jindo cuisine is

seafood. Chungho Bokjip (+82 61 544 6998), located downtown, is famous for its c

anglerfish soups that are light and not too spicy. For visitors in search of a dish other

seafood, Naju Gomtang (+82 61 542 7179) in the downtown area is a good option

gomtang (beef-bone soup) is boiled for a full day, keeping to the traditions of Naju,

do Province, the home of gomtang.

AccommodATIonSThere are no high-end hotels in the area, although numerous pensions with p

views of the archipelagos can be found. The Nakjo Pension (+82 11 308 4006) and t

Meomuneun Jip (House Where the Sunset Resides) (+82 11 9404 3234) are recomm

enjoy Sebang Sunset. Rooms cost from 50,000-80,000 won a night. The Prince Mo

542 2251) is a clean, affordable option downtown, and credit cards are accepted.

TRAvel InFoRmATIon

Ji hju iqur viw fr nakj Psi Ji

Su

Ji Isa

mkp


16/29


While the idea oiyeol-chiyeol, or ightire with ire, is one o the most timeteways to beat the heat during summers Korea, a popular alternative is simply tcool down with an icy bowl o springynoodles. So i youre not ready to sweatout, slurp it up. by Ines Min

Mugwort might not be synonymous with mmm in the West,

ut the plant, called ssuk in Korean, carries within its verdant

aves a bounty o healthy vitamins. Te annual Ganghwa

Mugwort Festival (June 4 to 6) helps introduce those known

roperties to the rest o the world. Ganghwado Island, located

orthwest o Seoul, is amous or its medicinal mugwort,hich grows in the Yellow Seas salty winds.

Mugwort is most popularly known as a health o od across

orea, but Ganghwados variety carries a strong aroma and

tter taste that makes it well adapted or medicinal uses (in

010 alone, Ganghwagun produced 397 tons). It can b e drunk

the orm o tea to prevent ulcers, added to baths or a body

oothing experience and to increase circulation, or even dried

Right at the turn o summer, when cool breezes give way to

the suns heat, theres one particular thought that begins to

haunt all locals: a mouthwatering, rereshing bowl o ice

cold naengmyeon , or chilled noodles. Tough popular in

Seoul, the secrets o the delectable dish originate in North

Korea. Te two main varieties o naengmyeon arrived

south o the DMZ aer the Korean War (19501953), by

way o Pyeongyang and Hamheung, the second largest city

aer the northern capital.Pyeongyangstylemul-naengmyeonis characterized

by its broth, which oen includes chunks o crushed ice

oating neatly beside the noodles. Te broth, made rom

a bee or pheasant stock and dongchimi (radish water

kimchi), has a light and rereshing taste. Te buckwheat

noodles are topped with julienned cucumbers, Korean

pear, thinly sliced bee and hal o a hardboiled egg.

Contrasting avors o lightly sweet and subtle sour are

integrated with vinegar and mustard or a layered avor.

Noodles representative o Hamheung, on the peninsulas

northeast coast, are bibim-naengmyeon, a brothless

variation known or its zestygochujang, or red pepper

paste, sauce. Te noodles are oen made o a sweet potato

starch, as opposed to buckwheat, which lend it a darker

color and al dente chew. Similar to its sister dish, cucumber,

pear and egg are added, though avored with vinegar and

sugar, to balance out the

roaring spiciness o the

gochujang.

One wellknown trait

o naengmyeon is the

long strands o noodles.Symbolic o longevity, it

is traditional to leave the

noodles at their original

length, although most

people today will cut

the noodles or easier

consumption.

estival

G

anghwaMugwortFestival(oppositetop

);TopicImages(oppositebelow);HanSang-mooh(right)

Naengmyeo

The ManyUses ofMugwort

youre more amiliar with mugwort as annwanted weed peering rom roadsideracks, take the opportunity to becomeeacquainted with the edible green at the

Ganghwa Mugwort Festival. by Ines Min

and stufed into pillows and duvets in place o cotton.

Te Ganghwa Agricultural echnology Service Centerhosts the estival at the start o the main harvesting season, at

the 52,900sqm Armiae World - a complex centered around

mugwort that combines an educational space with a processing

plant. Tis will be Armiae Worlds third mugwort estival since

it opened in 2009, and a ull lineup o events will be ofered

to visitors. At the Agricultural Exhibition Hall, visitors can

explore what the lie o a armer was like in old times, and the

Mugwort Wellbeing Halls spa room is open or relaxation.

Perormances and events will be held during the opening

on June 4, so entertainment will be available or the whole

amily. Tose who are interested

in the orms mugwort takes

when placed on the dinner

table should peruse the oods

exhibition. Popular mugwort

dishes include colorul variations

otteok (rice cakes) and ssukguk

(mugwort soup), but it can also be used

in banchan (side dishes) and even juices.

Mugwort bee and naengmyeon (chilled

noodles) will also be available to those

hungry estivalgoers.

A fshing bowl of bibim-nangmyon is svd.

liv fomanc ons h 2010 Ganghwa Mugwo Fsival (abov lf). Hands-on, ducaional aciviis a availabl fo h family (middl, igh).

Woo La Oak A family-run

restaurant that has branched all the

way to the US and one of the oldest

naengmyeon establishments.

118 Jugyo-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul

Phone: +82 2 2265 0151

Ohjangdong Hamhung

Nangmyon A popular stop for

spicy bibim-naengmyeon lovers and

well-known for its delectable

seafood variety.

90-10 Ojang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul

Phone: +82 2 2267 9500

HOt SpOtS

Ganghwado Island is located northwest of

Seoul and can be reached by bus (under two

hours) from anywhere in the capital. For

detailed information on directions, visit

http://armiae.com/eng/about/map.asp.

HOW tO Get tHere

Finding CoRespitein


17/29


ow in korea

apg Bad pacc a db). A l bad, cpd fdly b, pf ad cc (g). Cld Bad

ay a a a cc (fa g).

When ilms like he Happy Lie (2007) and BMy Lie (2005) were released, most people oustorylines o determined, amateur musiciansaretched. But contrary to what the skepticsthink, there are those who do put their ambitdreams to action. by Lim Ji-young | photographs by Kim Hong

YonhapNewsAgency(leftbottom);CloudBand

The Show


18/29

www.k|korea| june 2011

aer 6pm. I am araid that my colleagues will nd o

I do aer I leave the oce. I dont think that theyll b

about it. And I dont want others to think that Im o

more on my music than my work, so I keep my band

even though Im proud to be doing it.

LivinG the DreAm As the workers band trend gro

have also come to love the music o the older, amate

Local estivals and events provide these groups with

while an increasing number o businesses have asked

participate in promotional events.

Tere are at least 10 national competitions or o

today, including KBS op Band, which holds auditio

nd the best group. We actually need to limit the n

o participants, because there are so many interested

participating in the contests, says Kim NeungSoo,

director.

While some bands work with original songs, manthe crowds by playing covers o past hits, catering to

o all ages. Because o their popular appeal and ami

repertoire, theyre able to gain greater audience part

rom diverse crowds.

Slowly, as the workers band gains wider recogniti

theyre also able to ocus more on their music or a li

represent their cra in concerts across the country. M

or simple nancial reasons though, they play music

emotional desire.

We eel a sense o catharsis when playing music. I

oce, we cant let out our stress because were just a

a bigger organization. But we can work o our energ

spirits throu

band. Its lik

closed o, da

and our mus

small windo

leads outside

Goo Jajung

Gapgeunse B

Oce wo

bands do nosolely on mu

instruments

hearts. Tey

their own ba

instincts wit

passionate, t

notes.

I thought about the KBS program Campus 7080, and that

show reminded me o my old singing days in school. I thought

about organizing a band again and, coincidentally, met my

middle school alumni, and we head into a band practice

room, Cho says. As they began to gain popularity through

media outlets, other workers began to show interest, heading

to the Web in order to meet and organize new bands. By the

mid2000s, the ever o oce groups had spread and a number

o Internet groups and sites began to appear.

Te Korea Arts and Culture Education Service decided to

provide support to the Mapo Art Centers Oce Workers

Band Promotion Project. We selected our teams, prepared

practice rooms or them and supported them with lessons

rom expert instructors or every musical instrument. Aer

six months o training, they were oered an opportunity to

perorm at Mapo Art Center, a center spokesperson says.

It is estimated that the current number o workers bands in

Korea is anywhere rom 2,000 to 3,000. Along with this rapid

growth, related perormance agencies and competitions were

created, and websites connecting sponsors (both private andgovernmental) and studios exploded in the Sinchon, Hongik

University, Konkuk University and Bangbaedong areas.

Most workers bands collect dues rom members in order

to rent a practice room, while the 7080 cae has its own space

in Yongsan. But the group has had diculties o its own, says

Cho, who speaks candidly o the nancial diculties he aced

in the beginning. We bought a monthly rental practice room

and had to take out a loan or the deposit. Later, we paid it

back with membership ees and income rom events. It is now

our own space, but even with all the teams rotating practices,

theres not always enough time or everyone, he says.

networks BuiLt on musiC In the early days o oce

workers bands, groups were ormed with close colleagues

and riends. Tese days, musicians can look or other possible

bandmates through online classieds and related sites. An

aehan, guitar player or riple A says, We ormed our

band through the helpwanted ads. We only began last

March, so were still recruiting members like a bass player and

keyboardist. Were waiting or applicants rom the ads.

As helpul as the Internet has been in creating new groups,

it is now as equally e asy to disband. Onlinebased groups seem

to be less cohesive than oinebased bands, and its common

to nd band members leaving one group or another that

better ts their taste in music. In some cases, some disbandsimply because its dicult to match schedules. Business trips,

overtime and unemployment can also aect stability, and

many bands see high turnover through the years.

Its dicult or some to integrate their musical lives with

their oce ones. Kang HyungSeok, a member o a new band,

conesses that his colleagues have no idea where he heads to

(Clc fg) GapgBad pf Yd pg;t 7080 offcw Bad playa cc 2010; Aaxp fGapg Badplay f c. Fl Badplay a l f acc a naal ta fka (pp).

urprisingly, there are a number o

mateur oce workers bands that

e as passionate as those eatured

recent lms. Te nonction book

fce Workers Bands Tat Start at

0 contains stories o exactly those

eople in Korea. Te main band

epicted in the novel, Oce Workers

and in its 40s, is especially eminent

mong the local scene. Te distinct

odgepodge o band members, rom

uthor o the book Jeon Miyoung -

ho was persuaded by the middle

ged engineers to become their

ynthesizer player - to drummer

ick Man who is the oldest member

nd Mr Synthe who commutes just

r band practice, relay enthusedories about their experiences. One

the most endearing dreams o the

and is to simply play a rocking rendition o Deep Purples

cult Highway Star, which they nally do with practice and

etermination. Te author, who initially doubted her own

usical skills, transorms the tale into one o realism and

umanism.

One actor in the recent resurgence o oce workers bands

the coming o age o musicians in two major 1970s music

ompetitions: the University Music Festival and the Riverside

ong Festival, both hosted by MBC. At that time, many student

ands were ormed just so they could compete in the estivals.

With most o the key members rom the thennumerous

ands now in their 40s or 50s, some were infuenced at least in

art by the band culture o their time.

he nostALGiC BAnD Boom One o the inaugural oce

orkers bands in Korea is the Gapgeunse Band, which ormed

1998. Gapguense, which means Grade A Income ax,

ecame the talk o oces across town or both its clever name

nd resh sound.

Cho YoungMin, a ormer vocalist in a university group andember o Jeongdeun Band, is now one o the managers o the

nline 7080 Oce Workers Band Cae. en complete bands,

cluding the ocial 7080 Oce Workers Band, Jeongdeun

and, riple A and Sunday Seoul, are members o the Internet

te that seeks to introduce and collaborate with peers.

stablished in 2004, the Internet group now has a membership

roughly 3,400. GapgeunseBand(top);7080OfficeWorke

rsBand(right);FeelBand(opposite)


19/29


Tis year marks the 61st anniversary

o the Korean War (1950-1953) and

the 60th anniversary o the decisive

battles o Gapyeong and Imjin, where

more than 1,100 international soldiers

were lost. Te allies who ought are

commemorated each June in Korea

alongside domestic veterans, and this

year, the world continued to remember

the past heroism and suering o those

soldiers.

GREATS OF BATTLE RECALLED On

April 22, 1951, battalions rom Australia

and Canada helped deend the route to

Seoul rom the Chinese Communists

along the Gapyeonggang River or

three days. Te 3rd

Battalion (RoyalAustralian Regiment) and the 2nd

Battalion (Princess Patricias Canadian

Light Inantry), along with the UN

orces, ought valiantly to protect the

capital. Tough outnumbered by the

10,000-strong opposition, the orces

won a victory or the UN command.

On an ocial visit to South Korea,

Prime Minister o Australia Julia Gillard

visited the War Memorial o Korea,

becoming the rst in the Australian

government to commemorate the allen

heroes o Gapyeong in Korea. Joined by

22 Australian veterans, some o whom

were making their rst return to Korea

in six decades, Gillard recognized all the

lives that had been lost.

No one who ought, who suered,

who died during those 1,000 bloody

days, will ever be orgotten, Gillard said

at the event.

Other veterans paid tribute to theanniversary in a visit to Seoul National

Cemetery in late April, with more than

200 vets rom Canada, the UK, New

Zealand and Australia. Te Imjin Battle,

which took place at the same time as

Gapyeong, was won with the strength

o the British 29th Inantry Brigade.YonhapNewsAgency(left,farleft,opposite);TheDong-aIlbo(top)

Korean War Vets

pecial issue

he 60th anniversary o the Korean War last year reminded many o the long, diiculttruggles it took to reach the present day. International allies came to the aid o Korea, and

while it may be ca lled the Forgotten War, veterans were once more remembered across theworld with honor this year. by Ines Min

Shouldering the bulk o the battle, the

brigade was successul in stopping

Chinese orces rom reaching the capital

o Seoul.

PATRIOTIC HONORS In the United

States, President Barack Obama showed

appreciation or vets o the Korean War

by posthumously awarding the Medal

o Honor to two soldiers: Anthony

Kahoohanohano o Maui, Hawaii, and

Henry Svehla o Newark, NJ, earned the

US highest honor. Kahoohanohano was

a mere 19 years old, while Svehla was

no more than 21. Both o them died in

combat, reusing to retreat in ront otheir oes.

In the hearts o their amilies,

they remain orever young. oday, we

honor them with the highest military

decoration that our nation can bestow:

the Medal o Honor, Obama said in the

presentation ceremony.

(Clockwise, from opposite top) Some 230 Imjin and Gapyeong Battle veterans gather at theNational Cemetery on April 21. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard stands with vets in GaVets reunite at the Incheon International Airport; US Rep Charles Rangel is honored for his

AlliedEarn Recognition

GOING HOME In early May, th

o RAF Flight Lieutenant Desm

Hinton were returned to his n

ollowing a ceremony at the D

where British Ambassador to N

Korea Peter Hughes received t

remains. Hintons ate, whose p

been shot down in January 19

lost to his amily or 60 years.

Te remains o others have

been returned, such as those o

Carnabuci, which were fown

Connecticut last month. Last s

during battle, Carnabuci and 6

US soldiers have been listed M

1950. His older brother Domiout or news, and he nally re

earlier this year. Tough the w

be undone, Carnabuci is still g

have his sibling home. When

him in ground, Ill eel better,

he told a local paper. Ill know

is now.


20/29


Over

korea magazine [june 2011 vol. 7 no. 6]

Documents