korea magazine [november 2011 vol. 8 no. 11]

8/3/2019 KOREA magazine [NOVEMBER 2011 VOL. 8 NO. 11]

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Contentsnovember 2011 VOL.8 NO.11

2234

22

02

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 liable

for errors or omissions.

If you want to receive a free copy ofKOreaor 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..

11-1110073-000016-06The animated character on the cover is copyright ofMyung Films Odolttogi.

02cover story

Korean films are growing and globalizing.

12pen & brush

Hwang Sun-mis childrens stories captivate.

16people

Design guru Kim Young-se strives for the best.

18great korean

Inventor Jang Yeong-sil changed the nation.

20seoul

Gain history and culture at old Seoul Station.

22travel

Explore the beautiful past of Nonsan City.

26festival

Feast on the countrys best rice in Icheon.

27flavor

Chill out with dongchimikimchi for winter.

28now in korea

Virtual golf is causing a sensation across Korea.

32entertainment

All eyes are on celebrities in the military.

34sports

Sebastian Vettel wins the Korean Grand Prix.

36special issue

The four rivers restoration project is underway.

38summit diplomacy

Ties between Korea and the US strengthen.

42vision of korea

Saemangeum Seawall reclaims Korean land.

46my korea

Discovering the true soul of hanok houses.


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over story

Korea is the 10th largest movie market in the world and is endeavoring to meet globalstandards. Not only have veterans such as Im Kwon-taek, Kim Ki-duk and Hong Sang-soomade a name in arthouse ilms, but blockbuster hits are appearing rom Park Chan-wookBong Joon-ho and more. Korean ilms are becoming a global orce through internationalcollaboration, distribution and a higher quality o cinema. by Ra Je-gy

B

usanInternationalFilmF

estival;CJE&M


4/29

www.k4|korea| november 2011

m more interested in this, the

ollywood o the East, than the

ollywood o the West, said French

ctress Isabelle Huppert at the 16th

usan International Film Festival this

ear. Huppert has won major acting

wards at the Cannes Film Festival and

he Venice Film Festival among others.

peaking at an event at the same estival,

uc Besson (Leon, Te Fih Element)

dded, Dont just dream o Hollywood,

ut make lms based on stories o Korea

Korea, which is itsel a great country.

ollywood of tHe east As Huppert

nd Bessons words indicate, Koreas

m industry has turned heads in the

ast. According to the Korean Filmommission, Koreas lm market was

e worlds 10th largest in 2009, valued at

S$1.275 billion. Aer Japan and India,

s the third largest market in Asia, with

38 lms produced in Korea every year.

In terms o the domestic market

hare or its own movies, Korea is doing

uite well. In 2009, Korean lms made

Socially conscious directors who tried

to use their medium as a tool to change

society during the dictatorships o the

1980s became the oundation or a new

revival o Korean lm. Park Kwang-

su, Jang Sun-woo and Chung Ji-youngdid exactly this, and played a role in

connecting the turmoil o the 70s with

the surge o the 90s.

With the appearance o large-scale

multiplex chain theaters in the late

1990s, the number o moviegoers

exploded. At the same time, investment

and distribution agencies connected to

large companies entered the market,

such as CJ Entertainment (now the

lm division o CJ E&M), Show Box

and Lotte Entertainment, allowing or

more lms to be produced. Studio aer

studio merged as they became listed on

the stock market, and entertainment

groups ocusing on lm studios started

appearing as well.

When money started owing in rom

the stock market and big investment and

distribution agencies, lm studios in

Chungmuro started to make movies in a

bolder way. Tis combination o young

talent and big money brought about a

series o lms that would continuously

break ormer box oce records. In 2004,

Silmido attracted 10 million viewers, a

rst in the history o Korean movies.Tis was ollowed byaegukgi, the

second to break 10 million, then Te

King and the Clown in 2005 and Te

Hostin 2006.

As the industry grew, Korean

lms achieved more recognition at

international lm estivals. In 2002,

director Im Kwon-taeks Painted Fire

(also known as Chi-hwa-seon) won him

the Best Director Award at the Cannes

Film Festival, which set of years o

Korean directors and actors earning

the spotlight. Most recently, Kim Ki-

duksArirangwon the top prize in the

Un Certain Regard section o Cannes.

Beore the 2000s, there were only three

Korean lms which had won awards

at major international lm estivals

the rst was Te Coachman in 1961,

which won a Silver Bear at the Berlin

International Film Festival.

up 47% o the market share, the h

highest gure globally. Put into context,

France only stands at 36% and Italy at

24% even though theyre both countries

with traditionally strong lm industries.

Te Korean lm industry is almost a

century old, but it wasnt until the 1960s

that a number o talented actors and

directors emerged, ushering in Korean

lms rst renaissance. Back then,

Korean lms enjoyed great popularity

in Southeast Asia, and there was an

attempt to industrialize and centralize

Koreas lm industry. Long the home o

many production studios, Chungmuro,

which is located in the heart o Seoul,

remains a symbol o Korean movies.

However, the industry staggered underthe military dictatorships o the 1970s

and sufered a period o political and

economic turmoil until the mid-1990s.

Koreas second lm renaissance

arrived in the 1990s, in the wake o

democratization. As a new generation

o directors and producers emerged,

the lm industry was given a boost.

Many internationally known directors

emerged one aer another: Park

Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho, Kim Ji-

woon, Hong Sang-soo, Lim Sang-soo,

Ryu Seung-wan, Kim Ki-duk and Lee

Chang-dong. Film companies in othercountries, including the US and France,

are now busy making movies with the

aorementioned directors or investing in

their productions.

In addition, with rise o the Hallyu

(Korean wave) in recent years, exports

have been rapidly increasing to parts o

East and Southeast Asia. Korean lms

are especially popular in Japan, where

actors like Bae Yong-joon, Jang Dong-

gun, Lee Byung-hun and Kwon Sang-

woo are household names. In 2005, the

export o Korean lms reached its peak

at US$75.9 million.

In tandem with the growth o the

lm industry, international lm estivals

are taking root in Korea. Launched

in 1996, the Busan International Film

Festival (BIFF) is one o the worlds

most dynamic lm estivals. Less than

a decade aer its launch, BIFF was

th(pbcWahIfi(pcBetTomHenWil

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ward-wInnInG fIlmse status of Korean cinema has risen

ponentially since it first appeared on the world

age at the Berlin International Film Festival in the

rly 1960s. Since then, the country has won a

nge of awards from the three most prestigious

stivals in the world: Berlin Film Festival, Venice

m Festival and Cannes Film Festival.

recognized as more successul

okyo International Film Festi

had established itsel as one o

important lm estivals in Asia

Other leading Korean estiv

the Puchon International FantFestival, the Jeonju Internation

Festival and the Jecheon Inter

Music & Film Festival, each o

highlight diferent genres o

enterInG new marKets In

decade, Korean lms are ndi

way into overseas markets. Bey

simply exporting completed

to other countries, Koreans ar

looking to break into new mar

through joint productions. T

part spurred by the act that in

Korean lm studios aced a cri

because o a reduced screen qu

domestic Korean lms, which

advantage to oreign-produce

Te most common way loca

overseas markets is by actors a

directors appearing in oreign

Byung-hun, Jang Dong-gun an

The Coachman b Kg d-ji i h siv Bexi Ju Piz h Bi Ii fifiv, bcig h iK i j ig iv.

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usanInternationalFilmF

estival(topright);CJE&M

(below

left,oppositetopleft);MyungFilms(oppositetopright)


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www.ko6|korea| november 2011

ave appeared in Hollywood lms, while

ores o other actors are constantly

oking or chances to work in overseasarkets. In recent years, its become

ore and more commonplace to see

orean names in Asian productions.

Indeed, Hur Jin-ho (Dangerous

aisons) and Kwak Jae-yong (Yang

uiei) are planning to direct lms

roduced by Chinese companies. Kwak

as already proven his international

apabilities ollowing his work on the

panese lm Cyborg She. Domestic

pecial efects teams are also making

abroad, and the special efects team

om aegukgi worked on war scenes in

he Chinese blockbusterAssembly.

Korean directors are being snatched

p by Hollywood, too. Park Chan-wook

currently shooting Stoker, starring

icole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska.

ark, who won a Grand Prix and a

ury Prize at the C annes Film Festival,

considered the most appreciated

Korean director by Western audiences.

In 2009, Park produced Tirstalong

with a subsidiary o Universal Studios.Tis year, Kim Ji-woon is currently

lming Te Last Stand, starring Arnold

Schwarzenegger.

Production companies are also

actively involved in joint productions.

CJ E&Ms lm division is planning

to co-produce three lms with 1492

Pictures, a Hollywood studio ounded

by Chris Columbus, director oHome

Alone and Harry Potter and the Sorcerers

Stone. 1492 Pictures is trying to establish

a oothold in the Asian market through

its partnership with CJ E&M. Teir rst

project will be director Yoon Je-kyoons

emple Stay, which has a budget o 30

billion won (US$26.4 million). Yoon is

a local blockbuster lm director who

drew more than 10 million viewers or

his 2009 movie Haeundae.

CJ E&M is also producing a

Hollywood blockbuster called 1950,

the story o an American Marine Corps

unit during the Korean War. It will be

directed by Rob Cohen (Te Mummy:

omb o the Dragon Emperor) with a

budget o US$100 million, the biggest

project a Korean lm studio has ever

participated in.

Additionally, CJ E&Ms lm division

is exclusively working on importing

and distributing lms rom Paramount

Pictures, while also targeting the

Japanese market through a partnership

with Doei, one o three major movie

studios in Japan.

Te country itsel is proving to be

an asset in the industry, with directors

coming to Korea to shoot lms. Te

Kick, a movie about taekwondo directedby Tai lm director Prachya Pinkaew

(who is known or his Ong-Bak martial

arts lm series on Muay Tai) will be

shot in Korea. Te Kick stars Cho Jae-

hyun, Ye Ji-won and two other young

Korean actors and ormer taekwondo

athletes. Ten theres Isabelle Huppert,

who visited Korea this summer

to perorm in In Another Country

(unocial translated title), a new lm by

Hong Sang-soo.

Korea is continuing to spearhead

multinational projects, one o which

is Snow Piercer. For this sci- lm

based on a French comic o the same

title, several European countries are

participating in the production and

investment o it, including France.

Production is set at 30 billion won and

it will be directed by Bong Joon-ho (Te

Host, Mother), who served as president

o the Camera dOr jury at Cannes this

year.My Way, directed by Kang Je-gyu,

is another multinational project starring

Korean actor Jang Dong-gun, Japanese

actor Joe Odagiri and Chinese actress

Fan Bingbing.

Investment in Korean lms is

increasing. Last years Korean remake

o John WoosA Better omorrow and

Pain, released last September, were both

heavily nanced by Japanese investors.

Both movies starred Korean actors

popular in Japan.

Te overseas cinema business is also

part o the globalization o Korean lms.

wo o Koreas largest multiplexes, CGV

and Lotte Cinema, are opening branches

in China and Vietnam. CGV hasbeen particularly ast-moving in their

endeavors, and o the eight multiplexes

it opened in China, three were opened

in 2011. Another is scheduled to open

by the end o this year. In addition, CGV

built a multiplex theater in Los Angeles

and is planning to use it as a stepping

stone or Korean lms to gain a better

oothold in Hollywood.

dIVersIfyInG styles Recently, Korean

lms have become more diverse than

ever, as seen by the lms that ranked

high in box oce sales domestically this

year, continuing a trend o rising success

or homegrown productions.

Arrow: Te Ultimate Weapon, which

attracted the largest number o viewers

in Korea this year (7.42 million), added

vitality to the historical drama genre

that is oen considered old-ashioned. A

war set in the Joseon Dynasty, the lm

captured the attention o audiences by

describing the ordinary yet tragic stories

o people during that era, using action

scenes to accomplish this instead o

highlighting a specic historical gure.

Another historical drama that did

well was Detective K: Secret o Virtuous

Widow, which drew 4.79 million people.

Although set in the Joseon D ynasty,

a modern sense o humor and plot

pulled in viewers. Te lm deals with

a main character who is a detective, a

rare subject in Asian lms, and showedthat serious period pieces can still be

lighthearted with the right approach.

Te box oce success oSunny

(7.37 million viewers) also shed light

in the diversication o Korean lms.

Te act that a amily drama without

any major stars achieved such success

will open doors or more such lms in

the uture. Te Crucible (4.26 million

viewers), which criticizes sexual assaults

committed at a school or hearing

impaired children, reconrmed the

potential o lms regarding social

criticism a genre that the Korean lm

world has shied away rom or years.

Te box oce success o the

animationLeafe, a Hen into the

L

otteEntertainment;CJE&M

(opposite)

Wildalso represents a shi in

diversication o Korean lms

has long worked or US and Ja

animations, and while the abil

Korean animators is considere

the best in the world, Korean

hasnt succeeded commerciall

Robot aekwon Vin the 1970s

At most, just one eature an

lm is made every year in Kor

drew in 2.19 million people, ac

the highest box oce record o

Korean animation domestical

combined the exceptional abil

Myung Films to make realistic

with animation technology. Le

released in more than 3,000 Ch

theaters in September.Tese days, there has also b

push orward with independe

in Korea. Trough the develop

o digital technology, lmmak

become more and more access

new group o aspiring director

Old Partner, a documentary ab

old cow and an elderly armer

attracted 3 million viewers, inc

the popularity o indie lms.

Korean lms have also taken

home the VPRO iger Award

International Film Festival Ro

widely considered the worlds b

independent lm estival, or r

Breathless (2009) and Te Jour

Musan (2011).

Pk Ch-kThirsti h JuPiz h C fifiv.

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Hg sg- Hahaha ih Pix U Ci rg i h-cpiiv ci hC fi fiv. Poetrybl Chg-g i h Pixu ci h C fifiv.

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Jg dg-gu i My Way(). ac PkH-i h i h2011 iArrow:The UltimateWeapon(ppib ).

Arrow h bigg bxic hi(ppib igh).


6/29

Festivals Camera dOr section in May, hehas been working on his new lm which

is based on the French graphic novel Le

ransperceneige.

Te lm is about a group o people on a

train without a nal destination, struggling

to survive in a post-apocalyptic ice age.

Song Kang-ho is the only Korean actor

cast in the lm. Im ocusing on this new

challenge involving the English language,

a 30 billion won-plus budget and high

technology, Bong said during the 16th

Busan International Film Festival. Te

US$34 million sci- lm is set to go into

production in Prague in March.

Bae Doo-na, who had been part o

the main cast o Bongs Te Host, is also

making her way into inseltown. She

ollows in the ootsteps o pop star Rain

by taking part in the Wachowski brothers

latest project Cloud Atlas. Te actress, who

made her debut in the critically acclaimed

Japanese lmAir Doll, will co-star withom Hanks, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant

and Halle Barry. Te lm interweaves

various anecdotes, with Bae starring as a

clone in a plot set in Seoul in the year 2144.

Te US$140 million project is currently is

slated or a all 2012 release.

Meanwhile, I Saw the Devilhelmer Kim

08|korea| november 2011

over story

www.ko

Y

onhapNewsAgency

Ji-woon is making his US lm debut. Kimis also known or the so-called kimchi

Western Te Good, the Bad, the Weirdand

is expected to showcase more action in the

upcoming project Te Last Stand. Arnold

Schwarzenegger makes his big screen

comeback in the lm as the sherif o a

sleepy town. He runs up against an escaped

drug cartel leader (Spanish actor Eduardo

Noriega) heading or the Mexican border.

Rodrigo Santoro, Jaimie Alexander,

Peter Stormare and Zach Gilord co-star

in the lm, which is being produced by

Lorenzo di B onaventura. Lionsgate has

worldwide distribution rights on Te Last

Stand, which has started production in

New Mexico and is to hit theaters in 2013.

Lee Byung-hun will also be taking part

in an action-packed American lm. Te

actor made his Hollywood debut in G.I.

Joe: Te Rise o Cobra and will reprise his

role as the villainous Storm Shadow in the

second installment o the ranchise.Korean lmmakers are making their

way into China, the worlds astest growing

lm market. Kwak Jae-yong, best known

or directing the international hit romantic

comedyMy Sassy Girl, was approached

by China Film Group chairman Han

Sanping or Yang Guiei. Te upcoming

Korean cineastesexpanding theirhorizonsAs Korean cinema continues to enjoy growing attention in theinternational ilm estival circuit, local directors and actors areexpanding their horizons by partaking in various US and Chinese

productions and other cross-border collaborations. by Lee Hyo-won

Cult avorite Park Chan-wook made aname or himsel with Te Vengeance

rilogy and his international reputation

has led to his big Hollywood debut,

Stoker. Based on a screenplay byPrison

Break star Wentworth Miller, the lm made

headlines or its star-studded cast. Mia

Wasikowska (Jane Eyre) plays a teenage

girl who must deal with the sudden arrival

o her mysterious uncle (Matthew Goode)

while mourning the death o her ather.

Nicole Kidman appears as the emotionally

unstable mother in the psychological

thriller. Te lm, set or release next year,

is in production in Nashville, ennessee.

Meanwhile Parks Oldboy is being

remade into an English-lanugage version

by renowned American director Spike

Lee. Josh Brolin is set to play the lead

male role (originally played by Choi Min-

sik) opposite actress Rooney Mara (who

replaces Kang Hye-jung). In addition,

Park is producing Bong Joon-hos rstEnglish language lm, Snow Piercer.

Bong, who directed the highest

grossing Korean lm in historyTe

Host, urther rose to international

prominence with the 2009 crime

dramaMother. Aer serving as

head o jury or Cannes Film

lm is about the eponymous Chinese royalconsort known or her legendary beauty.

Te Korea-China-Japan co-production

stars the neighboring Asian countrys top

actress Fan Bingbing. It starts production

in Korea in November and will wrap in

February or a later 2012 release.

Fan has also been making headlines or

co-starring with Jang Dong-gun in a pan-

Asian lm project. Jang, who has debuted

in the US and China, is set to appear in the

Korea-China-Japan co-production piece

My Way. Te lm, directed byaegukgi

director Kang Je-gyu, is a World War II

drama that will be released next year in

Korea, Japan, China and the US.

Meanwhile, Jang will be working with

Cecilia Cheung or Hur Jin-hos Dangerous

Liaisons. Te Korea-China joint project

takes the 18th-century French novel to

1930s Shanghai, and the love triangle story

includes Chinese screen beauty Zhang

Ziyi. Te lm is slated to open in 2012.Meanwhile, actress Song Hye-kyo will

appear in a lm by Hong Kong arthouse

master director Wong Kar-wai. Te

Grandmasters is about Bruce Lees kung

u master and co-stars top Chinese actors

ony Leung Chiu Wai and Chang Chen. It

is also slated or a 2012 release.

f igh: B d- i pi Cloud Atlas; ic Bg J-hsg H-k i pp i wg Ki ; c l Bug-hu.

dic Ki Ji-uv icu I Sawthe Devil.


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screenplays.

Aer studying at an American university,

he recognized the need or Korean lms to

enter the global market earlier than most.

In 2007, he produced Virgin Snow with

a Japanese company, attempting to set a

precedent or a new production model.

Widely considered a major mover in the

Korean lm business, he recently became

an adviser at CJ E&M, as they thought he

was the right person to take charge o the

globalization o Korean lms, a key goal in

the Korean movie industry these days.

Tere have been many attempts or

joint productions in the Korean lm

community, Kim explains. Yet therehave been no signicant advancements.

Although many o us have learned all about

this concept, I havent been able to establish

any specic principles about it until now.

Simply investing in joint productions with

Korean lms is not the solution. Instead,

Kim suggests guidelines that are much

more concrete. Te production capability

o Korean lms should be able to grow

through these projects, or the joint project

should be shot in Korea, or it should deal

with Asian subject matter.

Kim goes on to emphasize, We cant

help taking diferent approaches in

pursuing joint productions by country.

China has a lot o money, so Korea needs

to combine unique subject matter with

their money. At the same time, the US is

interested in Asian subject matter, so we

need to work on how to mutually benet

rom that.

Kim showed an especially keen interestin the rapidly expanding Chinese market,

saying, China has a rigorous deliberation

system with lms, so horror movies havent

been developed there very much yet. I

think the Korean lm industry has the

capability to create horrors without being

over-the-top gory. Remaking successul

Korean lms could be a good approach,

too. Im condent that we can enter the

until now closed Chinese market i we

nd ways to please Chinese producers.

He adds, We need to strike a responsive

chord in each country. Korean audiences

like exciting scenes, so Korean lms have a

lot o dramatic eatures, but Japanese lms

are the opposite. We need to understand

cultural diferences like this.

He also says, In the end, joint

productions come down to people. Te

problem is that Korea has little manpower

with the accumulated production

knowhow overseas. I we ignore experience

because we have money, we will acesubstantial challenges in oreign countries.

We should oster this manpower. For

example, we can send some Korean Film

Council students in its lm academy to the

US or training. In the US they do a lot o

paperwork when producing lms, and we

need people who are accustomed to this so

that American production companies can

shoot their lms in Korea with ease.

|korea| november 2011 www.k

Veteran producer and CJ E&M consultant Jonathan Kim is discovering that the best way torevolutionize and expand the local ilm industry is through strategic collaboration andcultural understanding. by Ra Je-gy | photographs by Kim Hong-jin

an industry insiders insights

Foreign audiences need time to become

amiliar with Korean actors and directors,

says Jonathan Kim, an advisor to the lm

department o CJ E&M, Koreas biggest

media conglomerate. I Korean actors anddirectors can take part in joint productions

overseas, it will allow Korean lms to make

their mark there more easily. But i all we

do is export movies and depend on the

acting, the business wont last long.

Kim has some pretty rm ideas about

joint productions, insisting, Te Korean

lm market is in a depression, and the way

to x this is through joint productions.

Kim used to be a veteran producer in

Chungmuro, the central lmmaking area

in Seoul, and got his start in the businessby importing oreign lms. He played

an important role in taking Koreas lm

industry to the next level by producing hit

movies that include titles such as Silmido,

Ditto, and Sisily 2km. He also served a

term as the chairman o the Korean Film

Producers Association and has written

over story

2003-2006Chairman, Korean F

Producers Association

1997-2001CEO, Hanmaek Mov

1983 Graduated from Universit

Southern California

Puc

2007 Anna & Anna; Virgin Snow

2006 Monopoly; Fly, Daddy, Fly;

Detective Mr Gong

2005 Daddy-Long-Legs

2004 Sisily 2km

2003 Silmido; The Legend of

the Evil Lake

2002 First Amendment

2000 Ditto

1999 The Ring Virus

1996 Piano Man

1993 Hot Sea; The Man with Bre

1992 Love War

1990 Burning Sun

1988 Miri, Mari, Uri, Duri

JonatHan KIms Caree

Puc Jh Ki pp h i ic CJ e&m i su (ppi). (f bv igh) P Ki j bx ic uccSilmido, Virgin Snow Sisily 2km.

Jonathan Kim


8/29

|korea| november 2011

en & brush

Charms ofChildrens

Literature

Hwang Sun-mi

ust as the animated Korean cartoon Pororo the Little Penguin

rabbed the attention o kids across the world, one Korean

riter is set to take the literary world and the big screen with

er captivating childrens stories. Hwang Sun-mis Leafe, a

en into the Wildcelebrated selling 1 million copies in May

his year, just a ew months beore the theatrical release o

s lm adaptation. Te movie, which garnered more than

million viewers since its July release, is the rst Korean

nimated lm to have reached such success in the local market

echoing the success o its acclaimed text counterpart.

Te heartwarming tale is gaining recognition abroad, having

eadily gained popularity in Japan since its publication in the

eighboring country in 2003, and now has its eyes set on the

erman market, according to publisher Sakyejul. Te movie

daption is being distributed in countries such as China,

urkey and Indonesia, and most recently won the Best Family

lm Diploma at the Sitges Film Festival in October.

Originally written in 2000, the book is now considered one

the most popular childrens books in Korea and is oensted on elementary school curricula. Accordingly, Hwang is

ow considered one o the genres most well-known names,

ith an oeuvre that includes more than 54 works.

Tough the author assumed her readers would have gone to

he theaters or the lm version oLeafe, she didnt expect it

ould attract so many new ans who had never read her work

eore. Im glad the movie was accessible to moviegoers,

Hwang Sun-mi, one o the most renownedames in Korean childrens literature,eveals her philosophy on the genre and

where she inds the inspiration or herestselling books.Lee Sun-min | photographs by Kim Hong-jin

Hwang says, though its not the rst time her work has b een

adapted into a dierent medium. In 2008, the National Gugak

Center composed a changguek, Korean traditional opera,

based on her Leafe story, which was perormed in theaters

across the country.

Im surprised that the content I create is versatile enough to

appeal to a broad range o audiences, the writer says. Toughher prolic works now inspire a plethora o creative minds,

Hwang has endured her air share o struggles in pinpointing

what to write. In her 20s, she contemplated writing a novel,

but didnt eel condent that she could do the genre justice.

Writing a novel was like mimicking an adult lie that I had

yet to live. I elt I was being irresponsible or writing about

something that I didnt know well, she conesses. Hwang

didnt nd her niche in childrens books until she had her own

kids to read to, relishing in the balance o ction and reality

the tales represented.

Whether its death or a divorce, I dont expect children to

never learn what those things are, Hwang says. Childrens

books entail a debate o how abstained and roundabout

expressions a writer is going to use, rather than a debate

whether to portray reality or not.

Story trendS Te childrens book industry in Korea changes

roughly every 10 years, Hwang says. Rather than being

inuenced by literary trends, the eld depends mostly on

the political and social trends o e ach decade. Tis is largely

because childrens books are written by adults, who impose

their ideals and reection o children into their books, theauthor explains.

Te winding history o early 20th-century Korea played a key

role in childrens literature, Hwang expands. Aer the Japanese

colonization (1910-1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953),

adults typically depicted children in two extreme categories:

either very active and outspoken during social upheavals, or

naive and unable to cope with change.


9/29

www.k|korea| november 2011

However, a new image o children began to emerge by

the end o the 20 th century. Shrugging o the burdens o

occupation and war, children were depicted as and perhaps,

nally allowed to be children once more in the 1990s, and

continued to grow ever more rebellious against their parents.

But have the kids in Korea truly transormed so much over the

decades as they have in books?

Children are children, Hwang says. It is not that they

have drastically changed, but they are viewed dierently now.

Te children o books are conceptual beings that wear the

expectations that adults put on them.

Besides projected ideals, another actor aected the

childrens literature industry in Korea. Te local market was

reshaped in the 90s by a massive inux o translated airy

tales rom overseas that dominated the shelves. Te sudden

incoming o oreign literature was due in part to the demands

o parents, who had begun to place great emphasis on their

childrens educations a luxury they were unable to aordduring their own impoverished youth.

Tough eager as parents were in the 90s to expose their kids

to new literature, it also raised the question o whether or not

local children would be able to relate to the translated works.

But Hwang rejects this idea. Even i its a translated story by

oreign writers, a child can still learn some inherent lesson

that is rooted in universal human values, she says. Its better

or children to read as many books as possible, regardless o

origin, but I do hope, one day, that more Korean writers will

be able to write works that sympathize with children.

Not that its an easy task. As a veteran, Hwang understands

that childrens literature is no vacation or the novelist or even

the poet. She once had a colleague ippantly remark that he

would try writing a childrens book, as i in his spare time. I

elt so upset when he sounded as i its less o a challenge than

writing a novel, she says with condence.

A WriterS ProceSS For Hwang, the birth o a story can

take anywhere rom a ew months to several years. While

some saplings o a new tale can take root instantly, others

must patiently bide their time or maybe six years to get on the

page. Te writer waits or inspiration to hit her spontaneously,with each uture work an unknown mystery until she stumbles

upon it accidentally.

Recently, an idea or a new book came to her as she was

hiking in the mountains near her home. She had been thinking

o the notion that trees grow in the same direction as the wind

that brushes through them. Ten, she realized that the trees

were actually growing in the directions that each wished. Its

natural or each tree to strive to grow in a dierent direction,

in order to get more sun, Hwang says. Its very scientic, but

suddenly, to me, it looked as i the trees were cooperating and

yielding to each other. Itll be one o my uture subjects, and

will reer to a society based on a hidden sense o order.

Tough shes uncertain when that book will be published,

its nearly time or the writer to turn to her winter retreat. Te

spring and all seasons are typically when Hwang collects the

basic inspirations or her works by meeting people, teaching

classes and watching movies as oen as possible. But once

school vacations start in summer and winter, she secludes

hersel rom the rest o the world to concentrate going so

ar as to shut o her phone in order to complete the escape.

Te act o writing is very solitary, Hwang explains. I even

try to make my daily routine as minimalistic as possible when

I write, and I wont step outside unless I eel really suocated.

She even rerains rom reading other literary works during this

process. Im araid i I read a lot o works by others, I mightlose my own color that Ive acquired, she says.

Tere is, however, one occasion on which shell read

someone elses literature. Tis is when she reviews works by

emerging childrens book authors or an award sponsored by

her publisher. Indeed, some writers are discovered by the tip

o Hwangs own hands.

Its a responsibility that I never thought I would carry. I

actually wanted to win the award mysel, but Im only allowed

to review, she says with a laugh. Te history o Korean

childrens books is very

I eel lucky to have been

with the rst string o w

think much better work

published soon and will

record o selling a millio

Hwangs next book w

released in spring. Its a

elementary school stude

able to appreciate, the w

Tough it hasnt been of

titled yet, she has secretit,A oolish letter Hm

puppy love, she says wi

on her ace, as i thinkin

her own rst love.

LeAfie, A Hen into tHeWiLd (2000)Through the tale of a hen named Leafie,

this book teaches children to pursue

their dreams, freedom and love despite

the hardships that may find them. Leafie

dreams of the day she can leave the yard

and finally sit on her own eggs. After

being kicked out of the coop, Leafie

finally gets a chance to see the real

world. Though life outside the coop is

dangerous (Leafie narrowly escapes a

weasel attack), she manages to take in

the excitement and even make new

friends. With an odd otter and handsome duck by her side,

ventures on heroically.

tHe BAd Kid SticKerS(1999)This story is about how students crave

to be acknowledged and recognized by

their teachers, and how an authority

figure should act when students deviate

from the curriculum. For Geon-u, a third

grader, this proves to be difficult when

all his well-intentioned actions result in

him receiving yellow bad boy stickers,

the antithesis of the good job

stickers. As his sincere attempts to win

back the teachers favor fail, Geon-u starts to give his discipl

bad teacher stickers in his notebook. But what happens w

teacher discovers his secret?

rePreSentAtive WorK

M

yungFilms(bottom)

A s m h lm aapaLeafie, a Hen into the Wild.


10/29

|korea| november 2011

eople

www.k

I

NNODESIGN

Have you ever seen a sliding pressed

powder case? What about an iriver MP3

player? Both were designed by acclaimed

industry gure Kim Young-se, who

has earned international ame or his

product designs that include Samsung

cell phones and Fila shoes. A product

should always be beautiul, unctionally

convenient and easy to manuacture. Its

hard to impress consumers unless the

design moves them, Kim says.

From a gas stove inspired by the shape

o a lobster to the sliding powder case

designed or his wie (who complained

about the inconveniences o traditional

cases), Kims designs are always marked

by their ability to sensationalize with

simplicity.As a child, Kim was curious about the

world and showed a talent or painting,

but dreams o becoming a designer

didnt take root until he was 16. While

visiting a riends home, the teenage

Kim was drawn into the library, shelves

overwhelmed with design-related books.

Te vivid photos immediately caught his

eye, and turning to the b ooks spines, he

realized what he was seeing was called

industrial design.

Following the revelation, Kim made

up his mind to major in design at

university, where he realized that he

did, indeed, have an anity or the

eld. Im not sure i its a good or bad

thing, but when I start something that

Im interested in, I b ecome obsessed, he

laughs. Aer studying industrial design

at both Seoul National University and

the University o Illinois, Kim became

a proessor at the Chicago school in

1980. Just a ew short years later, he

moved west to open INNODESIGN in

a Silicon Valley oce in 1986. It was

the rst design company in the state o

Caliornia to be established by a Korean.

Kim describes that period as the

most dicult, yet exhilarating time o

his lie. I was hungry or something

imaginative and creative. I realized then

that its a limitless world and design is

innite. A simple idea rom my mind

can change you, change people, change

the way they live, he euses.

In the 25 years since INNODESIGNsounding, Kim has been recognized

across the world with such awards as

the prestigious IDEA (International

Design Excellence Award) sponsored by

BusinessWeekand the Red Dot Design

Award. But he reuses to slow down

since achieving success, instead believing

the whole world is a stage waiting or

innovation. Branches o INNODESIGN

can now be ound in Beijing and okyo.

He returned to Korea in 1999, where

he wanted to explore the possibilities

o local design. At the time, Koreas I

industry was in the beginning stages o

its heyday. Korea is a country whose

main characteristic is its consumers.

Te reason why Korea has been able to

continually produce I technology that

leads the world is because consumers

here are always expecting the next step

aster, and the younger generations are

always game to try something new.Kim grasped the rapidly changing

needs o the Korean I industry and its

consumers and immediately refected

them in his design. I he imagined

something intangible one day, the idea

would be materialized as a tangible

product the next. He oen could not

Innovation is his motto, design is his duty. Kim Young-se, an acclaimed localesigner, combined the two to ound the prestigious company INNODESIGN,place where the word impossible isnt acceptable. by Lim Ji-young | photograph by Park Jeong-roh

the iriver MP3 player, but also

Korea has an appetite or elect

second only to Japan.

Kim, who believes that desig

should create as i each produ

loved one, reveals that the insp

the irivers design came while

o his daughter. Te iriver N10

in 2004, and quickly became o

countrys bestselling items eve

more than 250,000 in six mon

MP3 player was even commen

Bill Gates.

Sometimes, I design a prod

specically or one person. I I

satisy this user perectly, I kno

his or her satisaction with my

will be shared with thousandso thousands o others one day

goal is to rst impress one use

fawless design.

Kim, who has written severa

on his eld o expertise, believ

only those who are passionate

their work can develop an idea

really change the world, and h

inspire more young minds. In

publication,Te Imaginer, he w

dreamy, orward-looking desi

also exchanges ideas and opin

ellow designers via his witte

@YoungSeKim.

Kim Young-se established INNODESIGN when hewas 36 years old (opposite). INNODESIGNsproducts include liquor from Kooksoondang(top), Samsung phones (a bove) and even acommunity bike rental system (below).

Design GuruKim Young-seBorn to Design the World

wait to see how manuacturers turned

his ideas into products.

Korean design is now part o the

global consumer tech scene, in part

because o Kims work on Samsung

smart phones, LG rerigerators and


11/29


reat korean

J

angYeong-silMemorialFoundation(opposite,

topright);YonhapNewsAgency

oday, the Korean government

cognizes innovative new technologies

eveloped by local companies and

chnical research centers. Sponsored byhe Ministry o Education, Science and

echnology and organized by the Korea

ndustrial echnology Association,

e IR 52 Jang Yeong-sil Award is

he most prestigious industrial

chnology award in the country

he 52 in the award title reers

the act that it is given to one

roduct a week throughout the year).

Jang Yeong-sils lie was ull o

rama. He began his career as a

rvant in civil service district courts,

ventually overcoming the strict

ass system o the time to become

high-ranking government ocial.

Tis was only made possible because o

s passion or science and his love o

eople. Jang wanted to help improve

ociety in practical, realistic ways, and

s scientic talents ully bloomed

hen he met King Sejong, the great

orean monarch who ruled rom418 to 1450.

According to the Annals o the Joseon

ynasty, Jang Yeong-sil was an eighth-

eneration descendant o someone

ho had originally come rom China.

owever, because his mother was a

wangi (a emale Korean entertainer

who served at civil service district

courts), Jang was born a servant around

the year 1390 (his exact birth and death

dates are not known).Lie changed or Jang at the turn

o the 15th century. A severe drought

devastated the countrys crops, and

the young man earned the respect

o many by suggesting armers

divert river water toward the elds.

Te regional country magistrate

complimented Jang personally, and

later recommended him to the royal

court during a recruitment period

or talented minds.

Jang rst worked as an engineer

at a type oundry and in 1421 went

to China to learn a wide variety o

technologies. Aer returning home,

King Sejong recognized his unique skills

in 1423. When King Sejong decided

to give Jang an ocial position in the

royal court, his retainers opposed the

promotion. Tey believed that Jang

shouldnt be employed as a government

ocial because he was the son oa gwangi and technically a servant

himsel. Yet, the king recognized Jangs

extraordinary abilities and employed

him, oen giving the scientist ree reign

to do as he pleased.

Aer Jang shed his servant status, he

went on to create countless inventions

that changed daily lie. Te cheugugi

rain gauge he created in 1441 is one

o his most well-known products. A

cylindrical instrument, it was 31cm

deep and had a diameter o 14cm. Jangs

rain gauge measured rainall and was so

successul that it was soon used across

the country. o put the invention into

historical perspective, Italy invented a

scientic rain gauge in 1639, France in

1658 and Britain in 1677.

Jangs rain gauge reduced the number

o mistakes made in measuring rain,

especially when the rain was at its

ercest, and was so scientically

advanced that it still passes the standards

o todays World Meteorological

Organization in terms o the range omeasurement error. Practically speaking,

the rain gauge helped armers and the

agriculture industry tremendously.

Another invention o Jangs was

Koreas rst water clock in 1434. Jang

accomplished this aer studying a

number o diferent reerence materials

on Chinese and Islamic water clocks.

It displayed time both visually and

audibly. Water would move iron balls,

which would drop and move a gurine

to hit a gong, drum or bell, announcing

the time to the community. Te water

clock was so complex that when it broke

down aer Jangs death, nobody was

able to x it. It was only a century aer

its invention that people were able to

reconstruct and restore the clock.

It is no exaggeration to say that Jang

had a hand in most o the technological

advancements made during King

Sejongs era, rom astronomicalobservation instruments and portable

sundials to ongnu (which combines

the unction o a water clock and an

astronomical observation instrument)

and supyo (which measures water levels

in rivers). He also worked hard on

ounding metal typeaces and completed

One of Jang Yeong-smost famous inventis thejagyeongnu, oself-striking water c(top). The angbu ilgsundial, was the firsits kind in Korea,though none survivthe Imjin Wars of thelate 1500s (above). Tcheugugiwater gauwere also a first (leftJang Yeong-sil

the Joseon Dynastys well-known

metal type (gabinja) as well as a

printing press or it.

oday, May 19 is designated

as Invention Day in Korea. Tat

particular date was chosen to

commemorate the day the Joseon

Dynasty ocially began using

the worlds rst rain gauge.

Te Korean government

encourages scientists and

technicians by giving

awards to inventors o

merit. Just as Jang brought

science and

technology

to new levels

in the past,

today, Koreans

continue tomake huge

strides in the

same eld, on

the constant

search or the

next rain gauge

or clock.

In Korea, the name Jang Yeong-sil is synonymous with irsts. His inventions rom the 15thcentury include the worlds irst rain gauge and Koreas irst water clock, which reed him

o his lowly social status during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Even now, hes stillseen as one o Koreas greatest scientists. by Seo Dong-chul

Joseons Great Inventor


12/29

www.k

Pyeongyang to Busan and in 1925, the

South Manchuria Railway Company

completed a mixed Renaissance and

Baroque-inspired building that eatureda Byzantine-style central dome. Records

suggest that the architect, sukamoto

Yasushi, was inuenced by the stations

Swiss and Dutch contemporaries.

For nearly eight decades, Seoul

Station served the city until 2004, when

a new acility was built to accommodate


t darts like thunder and lightning and

aps like wind and rain, wrote Kim Ki-

u in 1877, recounting his experience

n a Japanese train. Te Korean envoyarveled, Inside the car it doesnt move

bit, but outside scenes o mountains,

ouses and people ashed ast.

rain service came to Korea in 1899,

nking the port o Incheon to Seouls

oryangjin Station via the Gyeongin

il line. By 1905, tracks stretched rom

eoul

Ater eight decades as Seouls central train station, a majestic landmark is reborn as Culturetation Seoul 284, a dynamic cultural complex or the uture. by Matt Kelley | photographs by Choi Ji-young

Seoul Stations Second Act

From opposite above, clockwise: A view of therestored Seoul Station at night; Seoulites walkpast the station entrance; the interior of the80-year-old building; Korean contemporary artfills the space of the renovated station.

Koreas KX bullet train. In the ensuing

years, locals complained that the once

proud and bustling station had been

abandoned and elt like a neighborhood

ghost. Despite its protected status as

one o Seouls best examples o colonial

architecture, its uture was unclear.

In 2009, the Ministry o Culture,

Sports and ourism partnered with

the state-run Korea Cra and Design

Foundation to create Culture Station

o Crown Prince Euimin and P

Deokhye by Japanese ocials

millions o people who came t

rom the countryside during K

boom years. In the words o st

spokesman Oh Sae-won, the b

has borne silent witness to K

modern history o colonizatio

democratization and economi

While the buildings green

staircase and ornate wood pan

were restored, some damage w

tact as reminders o Koreas pa

example, parts o the wall abov

ticket windows bear stains ro

train schedules. More menacin

bullet holes rom the Korean W

1953) that pockmark the wall the main desk.

Whats more, the restoration

added new elements to the sta

campus. Te Central Halls sta

glass ceiling was replaced with

colorul moti by Father Jo Gw

inspired by a 5,000-year-old K

olk dance,ganggangsullae. Ou

an unconventional statue o a

wielding Kang U-gyu, who wa

aer a ailed attempt to assass

Japanese Governor-General o

a train station in 1919.

Seoul Stations restoration se

with Countdown artistic dir

Sung-wons vision to oer un

encounters and unique journe

through the past, present and

Glowing reviews o the station

mini reopening have ocials o

about the grand event next M

Despite the act that the statsecond act has yet to ormally

leaders are already considerin

Seoul Stations restoration le

unctions intact, in the event t

in South-North Korean tensio

connect Seoul with the rest o

Europe, this time by rail.

Seoul 284.

Te two-year,

21.3 billion

won (US$20

million) project

has restored

the building in

order to recast it

as a cultural space.

In the six months

leading up to the grand reopening in

March 2012, a multi-disciplinary project

Countdown eatures the work o

dozens o Korean contemporary artists.

Among them is Joohyun Kim, whoseWarping-Web installation harkens back

to the stations derelict years. From the

ceiling o a narrow, second oor corridor

hangs our illuminated, metal cobwebs.

A more optimistic note is struck in the

Central Hall, where Gim Hong-soks

Fountain No 7rises precipitously rom

the oor, reecting a relentless striving

toward the uture. Countdown also

eatures biweekly rock concerts and

design-ocused lectures.

Te temporary art exhibition is ftting

or a venue accustomed to eeting

moments. Over the decades, Seoul

Station witnessed countless emotional

moments, be it the orced departure

2

Culture Station

Seoul 284

Seoul Station,Subway Lines 1

and 4


13/29

|korea| november 2011 www.k

ravel

H

aeinsaTemple

Autumn creeps up on us with the changing colors o the riceaddies. Nonsan, a predominantly granary area, is covered in alanket o gold. his is where the oot o Geumgang River meets the

Yellow Sea . by Chung Dong-muk | photographs by Park Jeong-roh

Te blooms o the crepe myrtl

starting to ade. Te delicate

blossoms are nicknamed baeg

which means 100 days o red

Tese are the trees that rst gr

visitors to the Myeongjae rad

Estate in Nonsan, Chungcheo

do Province. Te soly owin

the crepe myrtles branches an

are unpredictable, portraying

essence o beauty.

ConsCientious Design Te

raditional Estate o Myeongja

Jeung (1629-1714) was built in

and has survived 300 years o

Many students and ollowers o

Joseon Dynasty scholar Yun Jewas also known as Myeongjae

united eort to build this estat

is reected in the unique desig

were implemented both inside

outside the house. However, M

decided to live in his original c

he believed himsel unworthy

in such a grand estate.

Te historical site does not h

wall surrounding the property

absence o walls expresses tha

visit the estate will not be turn

irrespective o their status or p

Te Yangban Society o the Jo

Dynasty was strict on the dist

between upper and lower clas

commoner to step oot into th

owned by ayangban (or aristo

rst needed to be granted perm

to enter. However, the Myeong

raditional Estate was dieren

rid the estate o walls so all whwould be granted access.

Ridding the estate o walls w

have its own inconveniences. V

to the estate would arrive whe

owner was greeting other gues

was considered a great discou

Myeongjae raditional Estate

A View of History


14/29

4|korea| november 2011 www.k

xposed sarangchae (a detached house

here the men o the estate reside)

ortion o the estate had a solution

this problem. Te sarangchae had

parate stone steps or the owner and

uests. I the owners shoes were on

he owners stone steps, this would

dicate that the owner was present. I

he owners shoes were not on the steps,

he owner was away. I the owners shoes

nd guests shoes were present at each

one step, this indicated that the owner

urrently had guests and the visitor

ould be asked to visit at a later time.

Beore stepping up on the toenmaru

narrow porch running along the

utside o a room) there is another

etail that should be noted, which is the

okgasan. Seokgasan is a man-made

ock mountain used in landscaping

ardens, and is usually ound in estates

uilt on relatively at land. Te ownerould have practiced asceticism on

his replica mountain, in lieu o the

al thing. Te Myeongjae raditional

states own seokgasan is made in the

mage o Mt Geumgangsan and can be

en rom all the rooms o the estate.

Another area o interest within the

How to get tHereC From

Seoul, take

the Seohae

Highway and get

off at the

Tancheon IC,

Seononsan IC or

Yeonmu IC. Exit at

Tancheon IC to

visit the

Myeongjae

Traditional Estate,

or at Yeonmu IC

to go to the

Ganggyeong Jeotgal Market. Visitors

Seononsan IC will arrive at downtown

t The KTX takes 90 minute

Yongsan Station in Seoul to Non

wHere to stayHk Koreanhanok(traditio

stays will leave the visitor with a

impression of not only the rooms them

also the surrounding natural atmosph

Myeongjae Traditional Estate (+82 41

www.myeongjae.com) provides room

accommodations. The price ranges fro

won to 150,000 won.

H The newly opened Sangs

Nonsan (+82 41 734 6980) cult

has 12 rooms, each accommodating u

people. Additionally, art exhibits and c

for all visitors. The Lakehill Hotel (+82

is located in downtown Nonsan next t

made lake Tabjeonghoban, and has a

view of the lake at dawn.

wHat to eatNonsan is located downstream of Geu

and is abundant in a variety of cuisines

regional products including Ganggyeo

Yeonsan jujube and Yangchon dried p

local specialties such as hwangboktan

prepared with river puffers caught fro

Geumgang. Dalbong Garden (+82 41

specializes in Jeotgal Baekban (Jeotga

of rice, soup and side dishes) priced at

travel information

s mdn c h

ej mgch

n

s

is situated 30cm above the oor, which

is just the right height or a person to

rest his arm on the sill.

Te sarangchae holds three rooms

or three generations: the grandather,

ather and grandson. Te window in the

grandsons room also has a great view o

a 400-year-old zelkova tree and Mount

Gyeryongsan in the distance. Right next

to the door is a meter-high chimney.

For most Korean traditional homes the

chimneys are built high above the roo

so the inhabitants avoid inhaling smoke.Yun Wan-sik, the eldest grandson o

Yun Jeung and caretaker o the estate,

states, the smoke rom the estates o

nobility caused disharmony among

the commoners. Most people would

be starving at that time, and the sight

o such smoke would upset them. Te

difcult technique to duplicate.

Besides the Myeongjae raditional

Estate, there are other tourist sites in the

Nonsan area. Te region is downstream

rom one o the our major rivers o

Korea, the Geumgang River, which is

covered with wide plains and amous

or its various cuisines. O all the oods

manuactured in the area, the most

amous is GanggyeongJeotgal. Jeotgal is

a traditional ermented ood where sh,

sh eggs or sh intestines are salted and

preserved. Although the predominant

taste is salty, many dierent, harmonious

avors are also present, making this dish

a delicacy with its sweet, spicy and sour

undertones.

Te Ganggyeong-eup neighborhoodin Nonsan provides more than hal o all

the shrimp Jeotgal consumed in Korea.

Although Ganggyeong is a small port

located on the banks o the Geumgang

River, all the shrimp rom the river

would gather in this area to bring

prosperity to the residents. An 8km

drive rom Nonsan will take the visitor

to Ganggyeong and all o its amous

Jeotgal stores. ry Jeotgal Sanghoe (+82

41 745 5464), popular or its premium

Jeotgal and Dalbong Garden (+82 41

745 5565) restaurant. Te store has over

20 dierent Jeotgal or sale, rom the

most expensive myeongnan jeot(salted

pollack roe) to the more conventional

toha jeot(salted shrimp). All visitors

ordering the 7,000 won Jeotgal Baekban

are given samples o all the dierent

Jeotgal above, a great way to try and

dierentiate the tastes between each one.

Nonsan was a part o Baekje duringthe period o the Tree Kingdoms in

Korea and has a rich history that is well

preserved. Visitors are recommended

to see the historical sites o General

Gyebaek, who ought and died

protecting Baekje rom the allied orces

o Silla and the ang Dynasty.

builders decided to lower the chimney

so the smoke would not be visible to

neighboring people.

tHe art of sCienCe Te main building

holds many eats o architectural science

while also taking into consideration the

people using the premises. Te Joseon

Dynasty was strict on the distinction

between the sexes, and the portion o

the estate where the women resided was

careully designed to meet their needs.

One example is an internal wall that

blocked an outside view o the homes

interior when the main gates were

opened. Te partition was set so that

all who entered needed to walk around

the partition to the right to enter. Tere

was a 30cm gap between the bottom o

the partition and the ground to show

the eet o the all people entering. Tis

was to identiy the rank o the person

entering by checking the persons shoes.

Straw shoes would mean the guest was

a commoner, while rubber shoes would

mean the guest was a child or woman.

Another area o interest is the

space between the main building and

gotganchae (a storage area or ood and

household items). Both buildings havea narrower south wall compared to a

wider north wall to orm a rhombus

shape, built to control the velocity

o alling rain and block the cold

northern winds, while also allowing the

cooler southern winds to enter at will.

Although it sounds airly simple, it is a

C p h mj td e(p). a Jeotgal(b). a Bkjm m xhb (b h). a d h (b). s p (pp).

sarangchae is the numaru (upper oor).

Numaru, by denition a oor as high as

the attic, is usually built as a protruding

oor supported by a pillar. Te

placement o the numaru higher than

the main oor symbolized authority and

was used or studying, banquets and to

greet guests. Te Myeongjae raditional

Estates numaru is special because o the

view it provides through the window.

When the shutter is olded and hung

out o the way, a spectacular view o the

baegilhong and the pond is presented.

Te proportion o the window is also

precisely 16 to 9: the exact proportion

o todays HD Vs was used by our

ancestors 300 years ago. Te windowsill


15/29


Its that time o year to gather amily membeand begin the process ogimjang, or makingkimchi or the winter season. Why not trysomething to match the snowy wonderlandby Ines Min

Te most popular genre o kimchi is typically

ery-red, well-ermented Napa cabbage. At the

start o winter, it is traditional or amily members

to work together to make an abundance o the

national dish to ration throughout the cold

months. Duringgimjang, its typical to create

several types o kimchi, including white varieties

that have less o a spicy kick.

One o the most popular o these is dongchimi,

which is a tartly-avored water kimchi. Dong

means winter, denoting the time o year this

dish is usually served. Its cool, crisp avorcomplements most dishes and, unlike other types

o kimchi, only needs to be ermented or a ew

days. Tough dongchimi is typically a dish made

at home, many restaurants will serve it as a side

dish during the cold months.

o make dongchimi, all you need is a large

storage container and a ew ingredients: daikon

radishes, mustard leaves, green and red peppers,

garlic, salt and water (Asian pear can be added as

an optional ingredient). Chop the medium-sized

white radishes into thin, bite-size pieces and mix

them with the coarse sea salt. Let the mixture sit

or about an hour.

In the meantime, cut the tops of o the green

and red peppers (extract

the seeds or an even

milder taste), thinly slice

the garlic cloves and

the Asian pear. Drain

and set aside the salty

mixture ormed rom the

radishes. Place all o thevegetables into the large

storage container and

pour in water. Stir, and

add the salty mixture rom the radishes to taste.

Close the container and let it sit or 2-3 days at

room temperature beore rerigerating and serving

chilled in bowls.

estival

Y

onhapNewsAgency;TopicImages(oppo

site)

Regal Rice

Te 14th Icheon Rice Festival will be held at

Seolbong Park rom Nov 3 to 6 to celebrate

the regions long history o rice cultivation.

Te our-day event will be marked with a

regular schedule o interactive games or

kids and a rotating schedule o perormances

and entertainment.

Daily events and activities will bring

estivalgoers together. On opening day, a

larger-than-lie, 600m tteok (glutinous rice cake) will be made. Te

traditionalMujigae rice cake, a variety o which is characterized by its

pastel rainbow colors, will be shared with all participants. In another

event, a massive version o the traditional Gamasot(a pot made o cast

iron) will be used to cook enough rice to eed 2,000 people or only 2,000

won (US$1.71) a head.

Entertainment will be held or amilies, such as a nonverbal Nanta

perormance, traditional mask dances and usion music concerts.

ourists are encouraged to try their hand at making songpyeon, a

traditional rice cake shaped by hand that is eaten in all.

Icheon, a small city o 200,000, is located southeast o Seoul in

Gyeonggi-do Province. Te region is amous or its pottery and rice,the latter o which is known to have been served to the king during the

Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). oday, rice rom the region is marketed

under the name Kings Brand.

Tough there are several varieties o Icheon rice, they are all typically

known or their lustrous sheen and rich nutrients. Te combination o

resh groundwater and ertile soil lend to rice that is low in calories and

high in thiamine, essential amino acids, vitamin and iron content. Dongchimikimchi ha a a a lihly u a.

2 daikon radishes

1 bunch of mustard leaves

2 green peppers

2 red peppers

10 cloves garlic

60 grams sea salt2 liters water

Asian pear (optional)

IngredIents

Buses to Icheon Terminal

depart every 20-30 minutes

from Seoul Express Bus

Terminal every day. Travel time

is 1 hour and 10 minutes. For

more information, visit

www.ricefestival.or.kr

(currently Korean only).

How to get tHere

WintersKimchi

ust as there is a wide range o breads,here is a rich culture o diverse rices well. Head to Icheon or some ohe best rice in Korea. by Ines Min

cal a xpa alik ji i fival aciviibv). A maiv i p i u mak uh icf 2,000 ppl (abv ih). Fival av

maki a 600m ic cak (bl).


16/29


17/29

simulated courses are replacing

karaoke as a go-to-place or oce

get-togethers, and screen gol

matches between proessionals

are televised on cable channels.

Predictably, there are purists

who sneeze at the screen gol

experience. For them, smacking

ball aer ball into a oppy screen

in a room with dim lighting will

never replace the eel o grass and

wind, the long walks between the

holes and watching the ball glide

graceully through the air.

Te rapid spread o screen

gol shops across the country in

recent years oers a reminder o

the late-1990s when PC bang, orcomputer gaming rooms, began

popping up on seemingly every

street corner. Both are uniquely

Korean venues built to thrive in

gloomy economic times. People

seek escapist entertainment when

bad news hits, and during the

dark days o the Asian fnancial

crisis, killing an hour or two

at a PC bang chasing terrorists

and slaying aliens qualifed as

cool. Screen gol appears to be

exploiting a ast-growing niche

created by the conict between

the publics love aair with gol

and their credit-crunched wallets.

Once merely a status symbol

or high-income earners, gols

popularity here has become transcendent over the past decade,

thanks in part to the emergence o world-class athletes like

Pak Se-ri and Choi Kyung-ju. However, the sport remains

criminally expensive or the average Korean, who will oenhave to stretch the limits o his social circle just to reserve a

course and eel insecure about all the Audis once getting there.

For a gol junkie like Choi, whose addiction to the game

greatly surpasses his ability to play it or pay or it, screen gol

requently is as good as it gets. Although prices dier rom

shop to shop, a round o screen gol will usually cost about

15,000 won (US$12.96) to 20,000 won per person.


O course, everybody loves the real game more. I was

hooked the moment I swung o the frst tee at a gol course

in Chuncheon two years ago. But I am also a salaryman who

barely brings home 3 million (US$2,592) won a month, Choi

says. A round at a real gol course will cost a minimum o

200,000 won, not to mention spending additionally on gas,

ood and blowing an entire Sunday aernoon stuck on a

highway on the way back. Gol is not something I could aord

to do as much as I would preer to, so its great that me and my

riends can get 18 holes o virtual gol anytime, anywhere, or

just 20,000 won.

Gol simulators arent a product o Korean ingenuity, as

they frst appeared in the US during the early 1970s. However,

it was the eorts o Korean entrepreneurs like Kim Young-

chan that enabled simulators to complete their transition rom

practice equipment to 21st century entertainment.

Te 65-year-old entrepreneur is the ounder and chie

executive o Golzon, a company that controls more than 80%o the simulators and game systems used at screen gol shops

around the country. Kim believes that Koreas screen gol

market has now grown into a 1.7 trillion won (about US$1.46

billion) industry, with the countrys 7,800 screen gol shops on

course or getting 50 million visitors in 2011 alone.

Golzon has sold nearly 20,000 gol simulators so ar in

Korea and is now looking to go global, with countries in North

America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East picked as the

targets. Our ultimate goal is to provide an all-in-one space

or gol lovers, where they could practice and train to improve

their game, play a virtual round or two, buy and try clubs

and other equipment. We want to make hundreds, thousands

o these spaces, all o them interconnected with interactive

networks and online content, providing golers here and

around the world a new experience, says Kim, a ormer

Samsung Electronics executive who now runs Golzon with

ol player will direct his shot

a picture projected onto the

reen. A set o sensors, cameras

nd a computer will measure the

peed and direction o the ball

n impact and calculate where it

ould land, creating an imaginary

ght on a virtual course.

Industry ocials estimate there

e nearly 8,000 screen gol shops

business across the country

at combine to get at least 200,000 customers a day. Te

umber o virtual players is approaching 1.5 million, they say,

verlapping with the larger part o the countrys 2 million-plus

ol population.

Te popularity o screen gol has reached a point where the

his son, Kim Won-il.

Golzon celebrated its 10th anniversary last year by

nearly 200 billion won (about US$178 million) in an

and made a smashing debut in the stock market in M

year. In its frst day o trading on KOSDAQ, Golzon

capitalization or a time exceeded 1 trillion won, the

initial public oering on the secondary stock index t

milestone in more than a decade.

Kim had dabbled in a variety o business ventures

leaving Samsung in the mid-1990s, but Golzon prov

the privilege o converting passion into proft. I had

loved gol I was eager to oer swing tips and advi

anyone willing to take them, and I took a lot o peop

frst rounds o gol, Kim says. I ound it interesting

newcomers would say the same thing aer their very

holes; that they had no idea how they just played. F

the eel o hitting a ball on a real course was entirely

rom hitting one rom a plastic tur.Ten it struck me that providing un and advanc

could bridge the gap between the experience at neig

practice ranges and the gol course, Kim says. He kn

the success o screen gol would depend on it being c

and un. So he took the conventional indoor practic

and transplanted it a video-gaming heart. Te end re

Nintendo Wii on steroids, an interactive game with

graphics and movement, while the use o real clubs a

meant that gols DNA as a tactile sport remained in

Golzon users can choose rom more than 60 venu

including over 40 Korean courses and some o the w

greatest destinations like Caliornias Pebble Beach a

Andrews in Scotland. Every Golzon simulator is con

a central online gaming network, which enables user

a season like theyre on a proessional tour or hold

unocial tournaments that can be played simultane

dierent venues.

Tere continues to be improvement in technical s

including a tighter web o sensors and high-speed ca

detect ball movement and speed and rotating turs to

the eel o hitting rom hills and bunkers.

Screen gol is just one o the ways people in gol-menjoy the sport without smearing sunblock on their c

A slew o online computer games like Shot Online (w

shotonline.co.kr), Pangya (www.pangya.gametree.co

Gol Star (www.golstar.co.kr) are garnering huge ol

And now the cable television drama, Birdie Buddy, b

popular gol-themed comic series, is generating buz

viewers as well.

From top, clockwise: Thepractice range at Gmax insouthern Seoul; a puttingrange; A man practices hisswing with virtual golf; Twovisitors check their shot beforehitting. A man takes a shot ona 18-hole range at a Golfzonoutlet (opposite).


18/29


s the one thing that pretty much every an o Hallyu (Korean

ave) dreads: the day their avorite singer or actor has to join

he military. Currently, all males holding Korean citizenship

e required to serve in the military or roughly two years. Te

rmy requires a minimum o 21 months, while the Navy andir Force dier only slightly. All males must serve, though

here are exemptions given to those with physical disabilities.

While serving in the military is inevitable, it is oen

omething that inspires a bit o trepidation. For celebrities

particular, with the rapidly changing trends in Korean

ntertainment, there is no guarantee that their an base or

opularity will survive the two years they are out o theY

onhapNewsAgency

ntertainment

public eye. Tis is why in the past, many put o their service

until they had established their careers as much as possible.

Celebrities are allowed to postpone entering the military until

they are 30, and it has been common to hold o on joining the

service until as late as possible.However, recent years have shown a change toward a more

positive attitude toward ullling military duties. Celebrities

are choosing to enter the military without all the toothpulling,

and select actors and singers are intentionally choosing the

toughest branches and most dangerous postings.

One example is actor Hyun Bin, who at the age o 28

enlisted in the military this March. Hyun chose to join

the Marine Corps, which is reputed as the most difcult

branch o the military to join. During his month-long basic

training, it was announced that the star would be stationed on

Baengnyeongdo Island, located in the Yellow Sea near the

disputed sea border with North Korea. Hyun received an

outpouring o support rom ans and is expected to

be discharged in December 2012.

Receiving just as much love rom the public are

entertainers with oreign residency or citizenship who

are exempt rom military service, yet choose to give up their

dual statuses in order to serve. Ok aecyeon o 2PM gave up

his American green card in 2008 and underwent a physical

examination a precursor to entering the military. Tough

he was assigned to civil service, he expressed his desire to

retest and applied or active duty. Other entertainers who

bypassed their exemptions are actor Cha In-pyo, pop star ony

An, rapper Crown J, Eric Mun rom Shinhwa, and Yun Jung-

hoon and Micky (Yoo chun) rom the popular pop group JYJ.In addition to this surge o national loyalty, another recent

trend among stars is to serve their duty at a younger age,

instead o waiting until the 30 deadline. Currently, two out o

Super Juniors 13 members are in military service. Kang-in,

26, entered in 2010 and Heechul began serving his duty this

year (although due to a severe car accident in 2006 that le

his bones ractured, his service was changed to that o a civil

servant). Super Junior rontman, 28-year-old Leeteu

announced plans to enter military service by early 2

Perhaps one o the most amous draees is supers

At 29, he entered his military service on Oct 11 with

send o by ans rom across Asia. He thanked his an

supporting him during his 10-year career beore ent

Army base in Uijeongbu. Days prior to entering, he

last concert in Seoul.

What happens to these stars aer two years relativ

the publics eye? In the ckle world o entertainment

could be a death sentence to any burgeoning career,

years have shown that it can be used to a celebritys a

oday, celebrities entering or being discharged rom

a plethora o press coverage.

Actor Jo In-sung (A Frozen Flower,What Happene

Bali) was discharged rom the military in May 2011

immediately began a series o an meetings in June.

then, he has started production on a lm and an eighcommercial series and is also rumored to be starring

V drama soon.

Actor Gong Yoo (Cofee Prince) got o to a strong

he nished his service in 2009. He jumped into lmi

the romantic comedyLooking or Mr Destiny (2010)

once again gaining acclaim or spear

the project or Te Crucible. Te lm

rom a novel based on true events, h

causing a stir in local media while

a turning point in Gongs care

Hyun Bin, center,with comrades(opposite). Gong Yoowas discharged in2009 (above). SuperJuniors Heechul,second from left,

joined in September

(left). Actor Jo In-sung in uniform(below). Hyun Bintrains for duty(below right).

he sense o honor held by male celebrities in Korea is the bane o most ans devotion.While mandatory military service could be seen as the end o a career, many stars

are transorming their duties into a springboard. by Emma Kalka


19/29

www.k

my ault; I le a bit o a gap but Id

already moved once, and I thought that

i I moved again I would probably be in

trouble. Aer that it was impossible to

get close enough to overtake him.

Te race represented a change in

ortune or Red Bull Racing in Korea

rom last year. Vettel had been leading

the race about three-quarters o the way

through when his engine exploded and

Webber ailed to nish.

Despite some lingering questions

about the nancial viability o the race,

the 2011 event was a success in many

ways, with ticket sales up rom last

year as Koreans continue to warm to

motor sports. In addition, the logistical

issues o 2010 were solved. A new15km road was built linking the West

Coast highway and Mokpo-Gwangyang

expressway, which prevented the trafc

jams and delays o last years race. Te

number o parking spaces and shuttle

buses were increased, as were hotel

accommodations or the more than

69,000 people in the area.

While the race itsel is run at a large

decit, over the course o the seven-

year contract with Formula One

Management, its hoped the event will

become the centerpiece or tourism

development in Jeollanam-do Province.

For the local government, Formula

1 watched by 600 million people

worldwide is a means by which to

introduce the region to the world.


espite starting the race in second place

n the grid, Sebastian Vettel snatched

he lead away rom pole sitter Le wis

amilton on the rst lap and neverlinquished it. Te German led rom

early start to nish to win the second

nnual Korean Grand Prix. Te victory

elped his Red Bull Racing team seal the

1 Constructors Championship or the

cond straight year.

Vettel had sewn up his second straight

ports

drivers title the week beore in Japan

but showed no signs o a championship

hangover, adding his 10th win o 2011 on

Oct 16 at the Korean circuit in Yeongam,Jeollanam-do Province.

More than 80,000 were in attendance

on race day and a total o about 160,000

overall or the weekend o the Grand

Prix. Tose who came to see the worlds

oremost auto racing circuit saw the

sports top driver at his best.

Vettel nished the 55-lap race in 1

hour, 38 minutes and 1.994 seconds,

more than 12 seconds ahead o

Hamilton and the third-place nisher,Red Bull teammate Mark Webber.

McLaren Mercedes driver Jenson Button

and Ferraris Fernando Alonso nished

ourth and h, respectively.

It was a great day or the

team, securing the Constructors

Championship, Vettel said. We have

so many people on the track and in the

actory working every day o the week

and every week o the year trying to

build two competitive race cars.

Vettel immediately challenged or the

lead rom the green light. My start was

not perect, he said. Lewis got away a

bit better but then on the long straight

with a big headwind I was able to close

the gap and ocus on the straight rom

urn 3 to urn 4. Very late I went or the

gap. I was right on the edge and nearly

went straight on. Lewis was very air.

During a campaign where Vettel has

given himsel a chance to claim the most

wins ever in a single season, it seems

that almost everything has gone his way.Hamilton, who won the pole position

during qualiying, knew he had very

little margin or error.

Losing that position to

Sebastian was really the end

o my opportunity to win,

Hamilton said. It was probably

Koreans got a taste o what Formula 1 ans all around theworld have been witnessing this year. Sebastian Vettel,he young German driver in the midst o aominating season, came roaring back rom secondlace as he claimed yet another victory at the 2011

Korean Grand Prix. by Matt Flemming

Sebastian Vettel is in the midst of

greatest Formula 1

seasons of all time. His

success in F1 has come at a

remarkably young age. In

2006, Vettel became the

youngest driver ever to race in

Formula, when he made his

debut at age 19. Since then, he

has gone on to set several other

youngest driver records. He

was the youngest to win a Grand

Prix at age 21, and at 23 years

and 133 days, he was the

youngest Drivers Champion in

2010.

Jensen Button, 33, was the Driver

in 2009 and after the K orean Gra

second in the drivers standings.

Button is among a group of top

drivers, along with McLaren-

Mercedes teammate Lewis

Hamilton, that Vettel out

distanced over the last year.

Button has three wins in 2011,

including the Japanese Grand Prix

on Oct 9 and the Canadian Grand

Prix, where he passed Vettel on th

final lap. He will remain one of

Vettels biggest challengers in

2012.

He is the greatest Formula 1 drive

all time, with 91 victories and seve

korea magazine [november 2011 vol. 8 no. 11]

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