may 2013 #135

www.gwangjunewsgic.com

On The Cover:The May 18 UprisingUnfolding the Past

Save GIC Day!How you can help!

Gwangju GunnersEnjoying the Biking Journey

May 2013Issue No. 135

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM

Gwangju News May 20132

Advertise with Gwangju NewsTarget Your Customers!

Please contact us for more details:062-226-2732~34

[email protected] or [email protected]

Gwangju News is the longest-running Englishmagazine in Korea and is the representative Englishmagazine in Gwangju and the Jeollanam-do area. Itsprint and online versions bring Gwangju to the world.

Does your business cater to the internationalcommunity? Target your customers by advertisingwith us.

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM

Gwangju News May 2013 3

THE EDITORIAL TEAM

Gwangju News is a monthly English magazine written and editedby volunteers. We welcome your contributions for proofreading,copy editing, administration, layout/design and distribution. Pleasewrite to [email protected] and tell us your area of interest.

Special thanks to the City of Gwangju andall of our sponsors.

Copyright by the Gwangju International Center.All rights reserved. No part of this publicationcovered by this copyright may be reproduced inany form or by any means - graphic, electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording orotherwise - without the written consent of thepublishers.

Gwangju News welcomes letters to the editor([email protected]) regarding articles andissues. Articles and submissions may be edited forreasons of clarity or space.

Publisher: Dr. Shin Gyonggu

GWANGJU NEWS PRINTEditor-in-Chief: Kathleen VilladiegoEditors: Kathleen Villadiego, Joey NunezSub-Editor: Shay MeineckeLayout Editor: Karina PranantoCoordinators: Karina Prananto, Kim MinsuPhoto Editors: Karina Prananto, Simon BondChief Proofreader: Bradley WeissCopy Editors: Vanessa Cisneros, Heather Douglas, Michael Moak,Joey Nunez, Jon Ozelton, Bradley WeissCreative Consultant: Warren ParsonsProofreaders: Don Gariepy, Heinrich Hattingh, Britton Inglehart,Kaley LaQuea, Daniel Lister, Jon Ozelton, Samantha Richter, PeteSchandall, Bradley WeissResearchers: Choi Junyong, Cheon Soyeon, Cho Haeri, Lee Jungmi,Park Kyungjin

GWANGJU NEWS ONLINEEditor: C. Adam VolleTechnical Manager: Carl HedingerAssistant Site Administrator: Nathan FulkersonOnline Administrator: Brittany Baker

Gwangju News is published by Gwangju International CenterAddress: Jeon-il Building 5F, Geumnam-no 1-1,

Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-758, South KoreaPhone: +82-62-226-2733~4 Fax: +82-62-226-2731Website: www.gwangjunewsgic.comE-mail: [email protected] No.: 광주광역시라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315)Registration Date: February 22, 2010Printed by Logos (Phone +82-62-444-8800)

Publication Date: April 26, 2013

May 2013

Cover Photo: HopePhotographer: Joe WabeThe image has been edited for layout purposes.

www.gwangjunewsgic.com ON THE COVER

This Month’s Features12 Remembering the May 18 Democratic

Uprising By C. Adam Volle

16 Save GIC Day: Saving Serving SpiritBy Joey Nunez

May 18 National CemeteryPhoto by Joey Nunez

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM

editorial

In February 2012 Seth Pevey and I became co-editors of GN. It wasa blissful collaboration, but six months later my partner in crimedecided to focus more on his writing and stepped down. It wastime to fly solo. My experiences as editor of GN in the past severalmonths have ranged from enjoyable to at times frustrating. On thewhole though, the role has been deeply rewarding, and thepeople I've worked with have made it all the more so.

We are volunteers. The editors, writers, copy editors, proofreaders,photographers, consultants, researchers and online administratorsare all volunteers. GN is fortunate to have so many contributorswhose dedication and talent allow us to have a publication wecan be proud of. I'm grateful to my fellow volunteers.

As I leave my post as editor, I know the magazine will be in Joey'svery capable hands. Our publication is growing and I'm excited tostill be part of GN as the new editor-in-chief.

To Karina Prananto, GN's layout editor, whose work goes wellbeyond her job description, thank you for keeping it all together. Toour readers, an immense thank you for your continual support.

There would be no Gwangju News without the GIC. I hope you canhelp us save both.

Joey Nunez (USA, Incoming Editor)

Greetings! My name is Joey, and I will be serving as the editor of theGwangju News, starting in June 2013. Since coming to Gwangju inlate August 2012, the one extra-curricular activity I definitely knew Iwanted to be a part of was helping with this publication in anycapacity. So, I am glad that not only am I now contributing to it,but I am now serving in this position.

Journalism is a passion of mine, as it was one of my majors duringmy undergraduate studies at Asbury University, in Wilmore,Kentucky, in the United States of America, and I have had priorexperience writing and editing for my alma mater's newspaper,yearbook and alumni magazine.

I am pleased with the direction Gwangju News is heading. I hopeyou are too. I am also truly appreciative of all those from the pastwho have created such a professional and successful publication,most recently under the leadership of Kathleen, our new editor-in-chief.

So wherever you may be reading Gwangju News today, may thereporting, the stories and the perspectives be ones that you enjoylearning from and hearing. Thank you for reading Gwangju News,and feel free to contact me ([email protected]) with anyof your feedback and suggestions. Enjoy this issue!

Kathleen Villadiego (Australia, Incoming Editor-in-Chief)


Kathleen, Joey & Karina

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM

5Gwangju News May 2013

Upcoming EventsGwangju World Human Rights Cities Forum/ Bradley Weiss

This Month in Gwangju/ Carl Hedinger

contentsevents

Community Board

818

7

Eating in a BPA World/ Kristal LeeThe Home Stretch: How I Learned to Love Yoga in Korea/ Colleen MayoFar Flung/Angie Hartley

313234

3542

health & fitness

Easy Riding Korea: The Gwangju Gunners/ Matt FurlaneGwangju – City of Peace/Jordan VanHartingsveldt

community2036

Celebrating Family/ Jenn TinocoAsia Culture Forum / Doug StuberKorean Dreaming/ Stephen RedekerBenefit All Mankind/ Won Hea Ran

culture19243840

Photo of the MonthTraining the Eye to Get the Photo/ Simon BondBuddha’s Birthday/ Simon Bond

262728

photography

Spring Poems II/ Translated by Song Chae-Pyong and Anne RashidCorean Postcards/ Jose-Luis Moctezuma

literature4447

Looking at English Growing and Maturing in Korea/ Dr. David ShafferLet’s Go on a Shopping Trip!/ Jannies LeLearn Korean Idiomatic Expression/ Talk to Me in Korean

language485051

food & drinkLounge aA/ Gabe WardMugwort Soup/ Cheon Soyeon

5253

54

Crossword/ Mike SchroederHere Comes the Summer Sun/ jjdp

27

34

GIC Culture Tour to Gurye and Hadong/ Warren ParsonsSuncheon Bay/ Moon Jiyeon

travel2241

Dear Korea/ Jen Lee30

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM

6 Gwangju News May 2013

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM


A brief roundup of news stories from in and around Gwangju

By Carl Hedinger

This Month in Gwangju

Taxi Fares Up!Some of you may have noticed something newwhen getting around the city. Mayor Kangannounced at the end of March through TV, radioand newspaper that regular taxi fares wouldincrease at midnight of March 29. Through anextensive advertising campaign, the City hungbanners at Gwangju Airport, U-Square Bus Terminal,Gwangju Station and Songjeong-ri Station – all taxihotspots. Taxi drivers also posted a notice insidetheir cars with a chart listing the new fares. The City'sdecision to raise the regular taxi basic fare (up to2km) from 2,200 won to 2,800 won was the firstincrease in over four years. New fares are now 100won per 145 meters/35 seconds for the distanceand time fare, as opposed to the previous 100 wonper 150 meters/36 seconds. Gwangju officials saidthis measure will improve the treatment oftransportation workers and, through raising wages,result in an upgrade in public services.

'I am a Shuttle!' The musical 'I am a Shuttle!' about school violenceprevention was recently on a provincial tour. Conductedby Honam University's Lalala School, 'I am a Shuttle!' is astory about a high school student in Daegu whocommitted suicide after being bullied by classmates.Producers wanted to tackle the problems in Korea ofschool violence, create a trial of situations and makeaudiences participate as jurors. The goal of this musical isfor people to realize the magnitude of this problem andseek a solution. Lalala has already performed atGwangju City Hall on April 3, 2013 as part of a“Conference of Love for Students.” More than 700 localcouncil members attended and graciously enjoyed theplay. While the tour may already have been completedby the time of reading, more information on the programcan be found by calling 062-380-8500.

Gwangju to Manage 'The Weather School' forFuture GenerationsThe City announced plans to administer “The VisitingWeather School” (VWS). Officials want futuregenerations to know the importance of climate changewhich will hopefully encourage youngsters towards agreener lifestyle. The school will conduct many programssuch as field and play education for local elementaryschool students and children in community child centers.Through play, the weather school wants people to learnthe meaning of climate change and how important thepractice of a green lifestyle is to the environment.Reservations for VWS will be made on a first-come first-serve basis until April 26 at the Corresponding to ClimateChange Center. City officials told news reporters: “Thevisiting weather school will help children practice greenlife. We are planning to revitalize the education bydeveloping various programs.”

Photo by Nguyen Thi Le Hoa

Foreign Seniors get a free Metro Ride!At a meeting late last year, Mayor Kang accepted aproposal to give “a free ride for overseas Chinesepeople” but has expanded this promotion. Since April,foreign seniors living in Gwangju who have been grantedpermanent residency can receive a reduced pricemetro rail ticket. Foreign senior citizens will be able to usethe metro rail system for free after confirming whetherthey have obtained permanent residency and will beissued a complimentary ticket. At the time of writing, 38people above 65 years old have been grantedpermanent residency and are eligible to receive thesebenefits. A city official noted that these price cutssymbolize Gwangju's desires to always move towardsdemocracy and human rights as a peaceful city.

2013 Gwangju Prize for HumanRights AwardedThe Committee of the 2013 Gwangju Prize forHuman Rights has announced that theArgentinian organization Hijos e Hijas por laIdentidad y la Justicia contra el Olvido y elSilencio (H.I.J.O.S) is the winner of the 2013Gwangju Prize for Human Rights. H.I.J.O.S iscomposed mainly of the sons and daughters ofthe people who disappeared, were executed,or imprisoned for political reasons or forced togo into exile during the repression of the militarydictatorship in Argentina from 1976 to 1983.

Members of H.I.J.O.S will give a talk at GIC onMay 18 at 2 p.m. All are welcome to attend.Read our exclusive interview in June’s issue.

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM


Upcoming Events May 2013

Monsieur Lazhar 라라자자르르 선선생생님님Genre: DramaDirector: Philippe FalardeauStarring: Mohamed Fellag, SophieNelisse, Emilien NeronLanguage: FrenchSynopsis: Lazhar who immigrated toCanada after losing his wife andtwo children, applies for a teachingposition in Montreal. Simon (EmilienNeron) and Alice (Sophie Nelisse)are a pair of grade-school students

who welcome the new teacher, Lazhar. But Lazharrealizes that they have suffered mental anguish of theirown. By teaching Simon, Alice and their classmates, hefinds that the experience helps him heal after strugglingwith a loss of his own. However, due to a crisis, heabruptly has to quit teaching.

The Angels' Share 엔엔젤젤스스 셰셰어어:: 천천사사를를 위위한한 위위스스키키Genre: Comedy, DramaDirector: Ken LoachStarring: Paul Brannigan, JohnHenshaw, Jasmin Riggins, RogerAllamLanguage: EnglishSynopsis: This movie is a story aboutan English hooligan who swears tolive a better life for his newborn sonafter narrowly escaping prison. He

and his friends visit a whisky distillery which will be his roadto becoming a better person.

Take Shelter 테테이이크크 쉘쉘터터Genre: DramaDirector: Jeff NicholsStarring: Michael Shannon, JessicaChastain, Tova StewartLanguage: EnglishSynopsis: Constantly being chasedby scary dreams, Curtis, who livesin Ohio with his wife and his deafdaughter, builds a storm shelter inhis backyard. He keeps building hisshelter which puts a strain on his

marriage and the people around him. This makes Curtismore fearful as he wonders whether he should protecthimself or his family from his visions.

To Rome with Love 로로마마 위위드드 러러브브Genre: ComedyDirector: Woody AllenStarring: Alec Baldwin, Ellen Page,Jesse Eisenberg, Penelope Cruz,Roberto Benigni, Woody AllenLanguages: English, Italian, SpanishSynopsis: This movie tells the storiesof four people in Rome: anAmerican man vacationing inRome, a retired opera director, anewlywed couple and an ordinaryman, and the romances

surrounding them and their adventures in one of theworld's most romantic cities.

Contributors: Choi Junyong, Cheon Soyeon, Cho Haeri, Lee Jungmi, Park Kyungjin (GIC Gwangju News Team)

Movie @ Gwangju TheaterAddress: Chungjang-no 5-ga (two blocks back behind Migliore)Phone: 062-224-5858Films change weekly to bi-weeklyFee: 8,000 won per person per filmCheck online for calendar and prices: (in Korean) http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju

SportsGwangju FC May Match Schedule

Date

13

Match Team

Anyang FC

Time

7 p.m.

Venue: Gwangju World Cup Stadium (광주월드컵경기장)Directions: Bus 6, 16, 20, 26, 47 or 74 to the World CupStadiumTicket Price: VIP 10,000 won, GOLD 5,000 won (10%discount for online ticket purchases)Website: www.gwangjufc.com

KIA Tigers Baseball TeamMay Match Schedule

Date

7 - 914 - 1621 - 23

2425 - 26

Match Team

LotteSK

HanhwaNC DinosNC Dinos

Time

6:30 p.m.6:30 p.m.6:30 p.m.6:30 p.m.

5 p.m.

Venue: Gwangju Mudeung Baseball Stadium (무등경기장)Directions: Bus 16, 38, 51, 53, 58, 89, 95, 98, or 151 toMudeung StadiumTicket Price: Adults 9,000 - 13,000 wonWebsite: www.tigers.co.kr

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM

What a wonderful time of the year. Spring at last ...

I visit the market each Saturday morning and thenew seasonal fruits and vegetables can be seen inabundance. We've just had a great strawberryseason as well. There is also fresh seafood allaround us. Gwangju is a wonderful place to bewhen it comes to produce.

To celebrate spring, we have decided on aunique, value-packed approach for lunch Mondaythrough Friday in Hourglass. ALL YOU CAN EAT FOR20,700 won. That's not a printing error. It's awhopping 30% discount for Lunch time MONDAYthrough FRIDAY. This offer is valid from May 1 untilJune 30, 2013.

Dinner in Hourglass also has a special offer, acomplimentary glass of wine for each personpaying our normal price of 41,500 won.

Kind regards,Michael Wilson (General Manager)

For more information, please visit:www.holidayinngwangju.com

This Month in Holiday Inn Gwangju

Hourglass Restaurant for Lunch

advertisement

Performances

K Concert – Jang Yoon-jung Final Duty Concert 장장윤윤정정 효효 콘콘서서트트Venue: The First Exhibition, Kim DaejungConvention CenterDate: May 11Time: 3 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. SaturdayAdmission: R Seat 88,000 won / S Seat 77,000 won /A Seat 66,000 wonPhone: 062-222-2362

Gwangju International Center May Concert 2013 광광주주국국제제교교류류센센터터 오오월월음음악악회회Venue : Recital Theater, Gwangju Cultural and ArtCenterDate: May 12Time: 5 p.m.Admission: All Seats 10,000 wonFor more information: 062-226-2733 or [email protected]

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM


Suncheon Bay Garden Expo 2013순순천천정정원원박박람람회회Date: April 20 - October 20Venue: Suncheon Bay, Suncheon,Jeollanam-doDirections: From Gwangju BusTerminal, take a bus to Suncheon(frequency: every 10-20 minutes;duration 1 hour and 10 minutes),then from Suncheon Bus Terminal,take bus no. 67 going toSuncheon Bay (frequency: every20-30 minutes). There is direct busfrom Gwangju to Suncheon Bayon weekends.For more information: 1577-2013http://eng.2013expo.or.kr/

Festivals

Damyang Bamboo Festival 담담양양대대나나무무축축제제Date: May 3 - 8Venue: Jungnogwon and Gwanbangje Forest,Damyang-eup, Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-doProgram: Experience the path through the forest,flower teas exhibition, bamboo fair, poetry readingcontest, floating bamboo rafts, traditional cultureand art performancesDirections: Take the 311 bus to Damyang fromGwangju Bus Terminal (Interval Time: 20 - 40minutes) to Jungnogwon.For more information: www.bamboofestival.co.kr

2013 Wando Changpogo Festival22001133 완완도도 장장보보고고 축축제제Date: May 3 - 5Venue: Wando Beach Park,Wando Memorial HallProgram: Sea firework show,singing contest, comic festival. Directions: Take the bus toWando from Gwangju busterminal (Interval Time: 30 minutes- 1 hour). From the Wando busterminal, take a bus going toNamchang (takes 20 minutes)then walk for 7 min. to WandoMemorial HallFor more information: 061-550-6933

Yeosu Turtle Ship Festival여여수수거거북북선선축축제제Date: May 3 - 6Venue: Admiral Yi Sun-shin square,Yeosu, Jeollanam-doProgram: A reenactment of thehistory of Admiral Yi Sun-shin,various experience events,performances by celebrities. Directions: Take the bus to Yeosufrom U-square (Interval Time: 20 - 30minutes). From the Yeosu terminal,take bus 82, 999 or 111 and get offat Jinnamgwan bus stop and walkfor about 20 minutes.For more information:http://ystour.kr/festival/geobuksun.jsp

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM


Exhibitions

Gwangju International Tea Fair201322001133 광광주주국국제제 차차문문화화 전전시시회회Venue: Kim Daejung ConventionCenterDate: May 30 - June 2Time: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.Admission Fee: Adults 3,000 won/Youth 3,000 wonPhone: 062-611-2212For more information:www.teaexpo.or.kr

The Southern culture IV – Suncheon남남도도문문화화전전ⅣⅣ--순순천천Venue: Gwangju NationalMuseum Date: May 7 - June 30Time: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.Admission Fee: FreePhone: 062-570-7000For more information:http://gwangju.museum.go.kr

A Day in the Life of Mr.OO OOOO씨씨의의 하하루루Venue: Gwangju Museum of ArtDate: April 13 - May 26Time: Tue-Sun 10 a.m. - 6 p.m./closed MondayAdmission Fee: Adults 500 won/Youth 300 won/ Children 200 wonPhone: 062-613-7100For more information:www.artmuse.gwangju.go.kr

Lee Cheolsu Exhibition “The children would be followed”이이철철수수 <<아아이이들들 뒤뒤따따라라 올올 텐텐데데>>Venue: Gwangju Museum of Art/Sangnok ExhibitionDate: April 5 - May 5Time: Tue-Sun 10 a.m. - 6 p.m./closed MondayAdmission Fee: FreePhone: 062-613-7100For more information:www.artmuse.gwangju.go.kr

The CanadianAmbassador to Korea

and his staffwill be in Gwangju to

deliver consularservice to Canadiancitizens in the area.

The service will include:passport, citizenship,

notary services(notary services include

the Affidavit of Eligibility ofMarriage, Statutory

Declaration for RCMPCriminal Record Check

Certificate, Driver’sLicense Certificate, etc.)

Keep this date free!

May 7, 2013(Tuesday)

9 a.m. - 12 p.m.Venue:

GwangjuInternational Center

To schedule anappointment,

please contact the Consular Section of

the Embassy at:02-3783-6000

ext. 3313 or 3321

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM


exas has the Battle of the Alamo. Israel has theSiege of Masada. Greece has the Battle ofThermopylae. And the people of Gwangju –

along with every Korean who identifies with them –have their memories of May 18-27, 1980. The shortversion of the story is: 33 years ago some universitystudents in Gwangju peacefully protested againsttheir government. A brigade of the Republic ofKorean (ROK) Army responded by breaking upthat protest with such violence that evenuninvolved passersby were killed. This cruelty soangered the population that seemingly everyonein the city fought back and made internationalnews by forcing the soldiers out of town. The Armyeventually did regain control, but the manycivilians who died in the fighting quickly becamemartyrs, and the event has served as an importantsymbol for the activists who eventually transformedSouth Korea into a democracy.

The longer version of the story is more difficult.During a press conference last May about his ownuprising-inspired exhibition, Seoul photographerNoh Sun-taek reminded his audience: “Theremembering [of an event] has always beenaccompanied with forgetting.” He meant thatsocieties' traumatic experiences turn into thosesocieties' stories, but stories have requirements thatreality does not. For instance, stories can never beas complicated, especially if you want a lot ofpeople to listen to them. So some details areemphasized, while others are ignored, dependingon the needs of the people who are speaking. Theprocess is much like the transformation of a novelinto a movie script, or multiple books andinterviews into a magazine article. With that inmind, here's the longer version.

BEFORE MAY 18The meltdown began on October 13, 1979, whenKim Young-sam lost his lawmaker's seat in theNational Assembly for saying what everyone inSouth Korea already knew – the National Assemblyitself was a fraud, since the country's constitutiongave all the power to the man who wrote it:President Park Chung-hee. Every otherrepresentative in Kim Young-sam's National

Democratic Party immediately quit in protest. Onuniversity campuses across the country, politically-minded students once again took up the chants“Down with the dictator!” and “Protect freedomof speech!” The night of the 15th, a thousandstudents from Busan National University held atorchlight demonstration Downtown. Theexperienced riot police dutifully began tear-gassing and beating them. This time, however,something was wrong: rather than dispersing, thecrowd just got larger. Within 24 hours over 50,000people surrounded City Hall. The ROK Armyeventually had to send specially-trainedparatroopers to restore order, but by then theprotests had spread to Masan and Changwon.Soon, activists promised, the whole country wouldrise up. It all deeply disturbed Kim Jae-kyu, theKorean CIA director, so he reported to his bossthat the protests were a serious threat. Accordingto Kim, however, President Park's responsedisturbed him even more. Park said he would givethe order for soldiers to break the rule againstshooting civilians. He also suggested Kim was notvery good at his job. Kim thought the Presidentwas not very good at his job either and advised hisboss to “govern with a broader outlook.” Then Kimshot him. In the man's own words: “'Bang! Bang!'Like that.” On that night of October 26, everythingchanged. A majority of South Koreans alreadywanted government reform, but now theyexpected it. After all , Park Chung-hee hadcreated the military regime; it only seemed naturalhis death would end it. Foreign journalists caughtthe spirit of the times and began to write about a“Seoul Spring” occurring in South Korea, a periodof transit ion soon to result in long-awaiteddemocracy.

But as every Korean knows, the arrival of spring isalways followed by a sudden chill. There's anexpression for it: “The winter is jealous of theflowers” (고슴귀 추위). According to General JohnA. Wickham Jr., commander of the peninsula's USforces, many high-ranking officers in the ROK Armyconsidered the end of their political influence tobe the end of the country. They believed militarymen believed in such lofty ideas as duty, honor

feature

T

Remembering the GwangjuDemocratic UprisingBy C. Adam VollePhotos by Matt Ehlers, Joey Nunez, and Mason Robinson

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM


and sacrifice, but civilians and the media onlypursued their own “selfish interests.” In particular,the generals could not imagine allowing apresident with no military experience to controltheir armies. These “polit icians in uniform”(Wickham's term) promised they would not stopdemocratization, but in private General Wickham'ssources told him differently: they planned to regainthe Blue House. Their new leader, General ChunDoo-hwan, chose a dramatic moment to make hismove: the same weekend in which everyonethought the nationwide Democratic Movementhad won. On Friday May 15, Korean citizensmarched all over the country, over 100,000 inSeoul, all demanding the National Assembly tofinish creating a new constitution and provide afixed date for the direct election of a newpresident. The Journalists’ Association of Koreatook the opportunity to announce that itsmembers would strike if the government did notfree the press from restrictive censorship laws.Prime Minister Shin Hyeon-hwak essentially agreedto these demands and President Choi returnedearly from traveling. Feeling confident, theMovement's leaders asked all their supporters totake the weekend off. If the Assembly did not getto work on Monday, they could demonstrateagain. All the protesters immediately obeyed,except for Gwangju's.

MAY 18In 1980, Dr. Dave Shaffer worked at ChosunUniversity, just as he still does today. “I got a phonecall from Chosun University authorities [saying] thatthe university was closed until further notice toeveryone – students, faculty and staff – and thatthe military had set up their base camp on thecampus's large athletic field.” As Shaffer and therest of Korea would later discover, a secretcabinet meeting occurred the previous night inwhich Chun Doo-hwan had extended martial lawthroughout the nation. To prevent new protests,the general ordered the arrests of activist leadersat night. He also ordered all political activities bebanned, reinforced restrictions on the media andsent paratroopers from the ROK Army's SpecialForces to close down the most troublesomeuniversit ies. At the main gate of ChonnamNational University, 30 paratroopers watched as acrowd of 300-500 students gradually amassed inthe street. The soldiers wore patches identifyingthemselves as members of the Army's 7th“Pegasus” Brigade, veterans of the Vietnam Warusually tasked with guarding the DMZ. They carriedunusual clubs. Fifty Chonnam students decided tosit down and start shouting, “End martial law!” and“Withdraw the order to close the universities!” Theydid not understand that these soldiers haddifferent intentions than in Busan; they had been

given new “chungjeong” (충정) training thatemphasized offense over defense, by alsowatching an American-made instruction videoshowing how to break demonstrators' collarbonesand to shoot anyone who ran. The paratroopersrushed the students. Some put aside their clubs infavor of their daggers, while others used their guns'bayonets. When the students ran, the soldiersfollowed, and while pursuing them the soldiers alsoattacked anyone else they happened to see. Thefirst person they killed was a deaf man oblivious totheir presence. Many more after him were killed inways that should not be described. The soldiersstripped those arrested naked and put them intrucks bound for prison camps. Multiple peoplelater reported sexual assault. Others were neverheard from again.

MAY 19 Despite the paratroopers' aggression, the samephenomenon began occurring in Gwangju thatscared Kim Jae-kyu in Busan. The crowds did notdisappear; they got larger, and they fought back.“They had only forks and spoons, only weaponsfound in the kitchen,” one sixth-grade student

Above: Chonnam National University Front GateTop: May 18 Liberty ParkPhotos by Matt Ehlers

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM


recently told Gwangju News. Kim Nam-ju writes of“the kitchen knives of the boys who rushed out ofrestaurants” in his poem “Don't Sing of May as aBlade of Grass that Withers in Wind.” The universitystudents' outraged friends and family did not limitthemselves to silverware. Any handy weaponserved a purpose for battle, from car tools to riverstones. Some got creative by attaching their knivesto the ends of bamboo poles. Others introducedKorea to the Molotov cocktail. At 11a.m. theparatroopers brought out new weapons of theirown: armored vehicles, tanks and flamethrowers.By 11 p.m. ordered reinforcements weresummoned; a multitude of students from Gwangju'smale high schools had joined the fight.

MAY 20 A German reporter named Jurgen Hinzpeterarrived to obtain footage. He later wrote: “Never inmy life, even in filming the Vietnam War, had I seenanything like this.” Panic had begun to spread. “Killthem or they'll kill us!” someone overheard oneblack beret shouting. Officers outside the city gavedifferent advice to the fresh soldiers going in: theyshould show restraint to avoid further angering thepopulation. On the Army's loudspeakers, demandsfor citizens to return to their homes began to soundmore like pleading. “Please return to your homes …Your famil ies are worried about you.”Reinforcements brought the military's strength tojust under 3,000 soldiers to the already 18,000 riotpolice fighting, but those 21,000 men now facedover 100,000 protesters – and the number just keptgrowing, as Gwangju residents drove theirloudspeaker trucks and buses through every

neighborhood, calling on everyable-bodied person they saw tojoin the struggle. The families of thedead pushed their neighbors intoaction by displaying the bodies oncarts out on the street. At MudeungStadium 200 taxi and bus driversmet to pledge their assistance,developing a strategy of drivingtheir vehicles side-by-side up theroads where police were blockingto create moving walls that no lineof riot shields could push through.By evening a sea-l ike mass ofdemonstrators had surrounded theArmy's headquarters in theJeollanam-do Provincial Hall at theend of Geumnam Street. From itswindows the Special Forcescommanders watched the city'sTax Office burn to the ground.

MAY 21“Citizens, let us save Gwangju!” Jeollanam-do'sgovernor shouted through his speaker, but veryfew people could hear his slogans over their owncheering and singing. It was 11 a .m., and belowthe governor's helicopter, the multitude's edgenow lay no farther than ten meters from theProvincial Office's defensive line. Despite theircloseness, violence between the two sides brokeout only in small bursts, because the people ofGwangju believed the Army were leaving.Tragically, they did not know more. Earlier thatmorning, the Army had replaced the Army's on-site commander with a new general whointended to make his name breaking the“Gwangju riot.” Shortly after 10 a.m., the newmanagement gave each soldier guarding theProvincial Hall a cartridge of real bullets and toldhim the secret signal on which to shoot into thecrowds. The signal came at 1 p.m. sharp – outsidethe Hall, the muggy air suddenly filled with arecording of the Aegukga (애국가 ), Korea'snational anthem. The crowd quieted. Somebegan to sing along. Hands rose to cover hearts.

MAY 22-26The soldiers' 10-minute shooting spree killed 54,wounded more than 500 and crossed the finalline; the community's response came within twohours of that same day. Stores of M-1 carbine riflesin Gwangju's police stations suddenlydisappeared – often with the blessings of thepolice – and by 3:20 p.m., the paratroopers tookfire from the new Citizens' Army of Gwangju. ByMay 22 at 5 p.m., the Army abandoned the

Left: Flame shown inside the May 18 National Cemetery ExhibitRight: The Gwangju Students’ Memorial stands tallPhotos by Joey Nunez

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM


Provincial Hall to escape heavy machine gun fire.By 8 p.m. every soldier had left the city.

“Liberated Gwangju” had become a community.To borrow the Bible's description in Acts 2:44 of thefirst church, “All the believers were together andhad everything in common.” During that time,Gwangju's overjoyed citizens are said to haveorganized food distribution, cleaned up, createdpolicing and completed any other tasks withoutany hierarchical management. To help decidebig questions that concerned the whole city, thepeople voted in meetings that attracted about100,000 people. Those meetings became verypassionate from the spontaneous nature of theUprising. Gwangju's residents emerged from all theexcitement to realize their city was still surroundedby tanks, they would eventually run out of foodand they did not know what to do next. A groupof prominent and respected elders in thecommunity stepped forward to form the Citizens'Settlement Committee (CSC), with the purpose ofnegotiating the city's surrender. They hoped toobtain from the Army an apology, payment forthe victims and a promise not to punish anyoneinvolved in the protests. As a gesture of goodwill,they began by collecting some of the guns takenby Gwangju's protestors and gave them back tothe Army in exchange for the freedom of arrestedactivists. To the activists and students who hadfought for ideological reasons, this course ofaction was crazy. If Gwangju gave up, what wasthe point of all the fighting? And how couldanyone trust the government not to take its usualrevenge on everyone involved? The only optionwas to continue the armed revolution Gwangjuhad already begun. To stop the “surrenderfaction” of the CSC, activists and students stageda sort of coup and formed their own Citizen-Student Struggle Committee (CSSC). Through amix of good argument and physical intimidation,they took away the CSC's power. A 29-year-oldnamed Yun Sang-won became their spokesman.“Yun Sang-won was maybe the only one who hada strategic view,” an activist later told reporterBradley Martin. “[He] wanted to complete therebellion, put the final touch on the rebellion.”That final touch would result in his death.

MAY 26-27 – The Massacre“We declare to the nation that 800,000 Gwangjucitizens will fight to the end!” read the CSSC'sresolution at the Democracy Square meeting onMay 26. When the end did come, in fact, Yundiscovered he had spoken for roughly 200. Ofthose, the CSSC sent home about 50 women, girlsand boys, leaving “80 people who hadcompleted military service, 60 youth and highschool students, and 10 women” (Katsiaficas in

“Asian Unknown Uprisings: South Korean SocialMovements in the 20th Century”). The remaining150 barricaded themselves inside the ProvincialHall and settled into their positions. The ROK Army'soperation began at roughly 2 a.m. Its tanks drewup to the Provincial Hall around 4:30 a.m. whileparatroopers attacked through the rear entrance.With many of the CCSC members having no morethan ten minutes of training in using their weapons,the battle did not last long. The government wouldlater declare that two soldiers and 17 CSSCmembers died in the fighting. Yoon Sang-won wasa casualty, shot in the kidney and then burned todeath by a fire.

However, the desired effect of his sacrifice soonbegan to materialize. “Chun Doo-hwan's positionseems less secure,” General Wickham reported toWashington DC soon after. “Chun Doo-hwan is amarked man,” the German newspaperSuddeutsche Zeitung declared more bluntly onMay 30. The new leaders of South Korea never fullyrecovered from Gwangju's ruining of their debut.They lost effective power seven years later.

May 18 Memorial ParkPhoto by Mason Robinson

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM


Save GIC Day:Saving Serving Spirit

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to enjoy pizza, cheeseburgers, onion rings, tacosand/or Key lime pies and to drink beer, wine and/orsoda at special prices. Save the GIC Night ticketsare now available at the GIC or online at the GICwebsite, and volunteers will be needed to help withthis special event.

On May 12, the GIC will also host its annual GICConcert to help with funding. Korean andinternational musicians will gather to perform songscommemorating the four seasons. Ticketreservations can be completed either at the GIC, bycontacting Lee Bo-ram, GIC Coordinator, or byvisiting the following web address:http://eng.gic.or.kr/portal/board.php

Warren Parsons, the GIC Culture Tour Guide, will alsoorganize two walking tours around Gwangju on May4 and May 11. Each tour will go to separatelocations around the city, including a walk toMudeung Mountain.

Other ways for Gwangju residents to bless the GICwith one-time giving are for non-members tobecome members, and for current members torenew their membership. Creating or renewing one'smembership can be simply completed by visitingthe GIC or visiting the GIC's website.

The current account for raising funds will still acceptdonations, up until the GIC's move on June 30. Thisaccount can be accessed by transferring won toKwangju Bank's Account Number 134-107-000980 orKEB's 040-22-02413-8. For both accounts, the Depositoris: (사 ) 광주국제교류센터 . For overseas transfers,GoFundMe at www.gofundme.com/gicmovingfund(credit card) will accept financial transfers.

All accounts will help GIC, an NPO, continue doingwhat it has been doing for 14 years: serving thecommunity.

Karina Prananto, GIC Coordinator, is originally fromIndonesia. Prananto first heard of the GIC whilesearching for an opportunity to take Korean classes.What she found was home. “The GIC is also thevoice of the community,” Prananto said, furthermentioning that the GIC has advocated for its

he future of the GIC is on the shoulders of itsmembers, so we, the members, have toserve the means of the community.” Dr. ShinGyonggu, Director of the Gwangju

International Center (GIC), desires us to jointogether and take action by continuing to help, asthe GIC now needs us.

On June 30, the GIC will be forced to relocate fromits current location in the Jeonil Building to a newhome to be determined. One of the oldest in thecity, the Jeonil Building will be demolished toprovide space for a new park in downtownGwangju. With this upcoming transition, thefinancial quota has been set for the GIC to raise 40million won, in order for this non-profit organizationto pay the deposit and moving charges.

So on May 4, the GIC will host “SAVE THE GIC!” at itscurrent location. Members, non-members andvolunteers are all invited to attend anytimebetween 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Hosted activities willinclude a flea market, Save the GIC Night, a GICTalk discussing the GIC with a special performanceafterwards, coffee, food, games and more.

The indoor flea market will be an opportunity forKorean and international residents to purchaseclothing, accessories, books, CDs and other items,with all takings funneled directly into the GICMoving Fund. Pies, cookies, muffins and other tastytreats will also be sold to GIC visitors that day at abake sale. Kim Jihyun, GIC Coordinator, stated thatthose who come will have the opportunity ofplaying such roles as “buyer,” “seller,” “performer”and “speaker.”

In addition to purchasing items, guests will enjoy tastytreats, refreshing drinks and relaxed conversations,while listening to instrumental music, hearing Dr. Shinand Maria Lisak, a GIC Board Member, lead the GICTalk, and watching a performance by artists. Theatmosphere will be lively and enjoyable.

After the day event at the GIC, fund raising willcontinue with a number of events, including theSave the GIC Night. From 5 p.m. to midnight on May4, participants will be able to visit The First Alleyway

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By Joey NunezPhotos courtesy of the GIC and Yvan Christian

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM


members’ inconveniences to City Hall. “That is partof our mission, to become a bridge for theinternational community and the Gwangju city.”

After all, as Kim also mentioned: “Everyone is acommunity member.” While serving at the GIC fornine years, Kim has been privileged to share theGIC's concept with outside organizations andcommunities in Korea. The response has constantlybeen one of impression, because of the largenetwork of dedicated volunteers and the widevariety of opportunities found at the GIC. Inaddition, Kim is able to share from the heart,because of what she personally witnesses while atwork. “Every day, I see people who want to sharetheir gifts, talents and energy within the community,and it's very nice to see that people are willing.”

So now, with the need to raise the support the GICneeds to continue, Kim stated that while the GIChelps the community, vice-versa applies. “We areall together. We all work together for thecommunity, so we don't need to divide.”

In addition to community members serving at theGIC, Dr. Shin desires the GIC to be a role model forwhat works and excels in Korean society. “Thevolunteering here is so rich. I work here as avolunteer.” Instrumental in creating the GIC from itsbeginning in 1999 and having been active since,Dr. Shin further explained that exhibitingtransparency, functioning autonomously andpromoting organizational democracy are keyfactors for how the GIC conducts its business. “Trustis the best method for any organization, and I want

to show that an organization can be moreprosperous by enjoying the trust of other people.That is how we want to be a model organization forother organizations in Gwangju, and in Korea aswell.”

Even with five years of service to the GIC, Pranantohas started to notice something new. “The GIC's rolein my life is getting bigger and deeper, and I want tobe one to make the GIC more known to people.”Prananto additionally mentioned that the GIC'spurpose is never for profit, always for service. So, asthe GIC continues to fund-raise, Pranantoencouraged residents to give “if the GIC meanssomething to you or we have helped you in thepast.” Like all other GIC staff members, Prananto isappreciative of every gift.

Dr. Shin stated that receiving something in life takesmore than thought to make it happen. “Withoutdedication, I don't think we can achieve anything.”And Dr. Shin knows he cannot be alone in preservingthe GIC. “We can make the most of the GIC for ourfuture, as I want it to be utilized by its members.”

The GIC will only be able to continue by having thesupport of its community.

So, please come to the GIC on May 4, and support theGIC thereafter for their upcoming move. Kim believesin the power of the singular act and individual. “I knowthat every effort, every volunteer, can change theGIC.” As Kim concludes, know that you are needed toSave GIC! “Everyone can help. Everyone can make adifference by attending this event.”

Jeonil Building May Concert

GIC Day

May 2013 2013.4.26 4:0 PM

Gwangju World HumanRights Cities ForumBy Bradley WeissPhotos courtesy of Gwangju World Human RightsCities Forum

he Kimdaejung Convention Center will behosting the 2013 World Human Rights CitiesForum (WHRCF) from May 15 through 18. This

year's theme is “Sustainable Human Rights City forAll: Guiding Principles for a Human Rights City.”According to the forum's website, WHRCF's goal is“to address the challenges in the process ofmaking a human rights city a reality, with a specialfocus on effective institution building andmechanisms.” The participants will exchange ideasfor creating future principles to these challenges,as identified by interested parties, such as policymakers, civil servants and academics.

The Metropolitan City of Gwangju has organizedthis forum, in cooperation with the May 18Memorial Foundation and the Korea Human RightsFoundation and with the support of other local,national and international organizations.

Close to 300 participants are expected to takepart, “composed of representatives from 'humanrights cities,' UN human rights experts, civic andhuman rights NGOs, local parliamentarians, as wellas academics both from Korea and abroad.” Twowell-known keynote speakers, current UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon and Nobel Peace Prizewinner Aung San Suu Kyi, will present at the Forum.

Three workshops will focus on human rights issuesfor invited participants, while the community isinvited to attend workshops on May 16 and 17.

Korean and English will be the official languages,and the opening ceremony, the main session andmany other sessions wil l be presented withsimultaneous interpretation in both languages.

Special events are included in the schedule. OnMay 15 the finalists for the 2nd Annual Global EssayContest for Human Rights will present their essaysbefore a panel of judges. The contest is intendedto “promote youth participation in building ahuman rights city by inviting them to share theirideas and experiences.”

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Participants are encouraged to attend the rally onthe eve of the May 18 People's Uprising. Thefollowing day they will likewise attend the 33rdCommemorative Ceremony of the May 18Democratic Uprising, held at the May 18 NationalCemetery, as well the presentation of the GwangjuPrize for Human Rights, an international awardgiven to a person “who has demonstratedoutstanding performance for the advancement ofhuman rights.”

From the website, the 2013 WHRCF is “a sign ofcontinued commitment of the people and themunicipal government of Gwangju, as well as aninvitation to all like-minded mayors and humanrights advocates, to the vision of a Human RightsCity for promoting solidarity and cooperationtowards a universal culture of human rights.” Thehistory of Gwangju shows its firm commitment to thisvision and marks it as a particularly suitable host forthis forum.


May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM


eliz Cinco De Mayo” everyone! Well, in a kimchistyle sort of way. Not to be confused with theMexican national holiday, May 5th calls for the

celebration of the Children of South Korea.

What better way to start off summer than withoutdoor festivities and celebrations? During themonth of May, not only do we commemorateChildren's Day, but Parent's Day as well. For those ofyou who are fresh off the plane, both holidays aregreat to witness and familiarize yourself with theculture, especially in the lovely city of Gwangju.

May 5th holds a special meaning for all children inKorea, just as much as Christmas and birthdays doto others around the world. Parents andgrandparents alike cook delicious food for their littleones, or partake in a great family outing to aspecial restaurant. Parents also give their childrengifts and money. It has been an ongoing traditionsince 1946, shortly after the JapaneseIndependence.

In a nation where respect is gained with age, ayoung writer named Chung-Hwan Pang thought itwas important to have one day out of the yearwhere Koreans can give recognition to children.Chung once said, “Children are the future of ournation. Let's show respect for children. Children whogrow up with ridicule and contempt from others willbecome people who disrespect others, whilechildren who grow up with respect from others willbecome people who respect others in turn.”Children's Day is different than other nationalholidays around the world for children, which weremainly established to keep them safe fromhazardous work environments, and to impose lesschild labor or to create a better education system.

In the days that follow, both Mom and Dad gettheir own recognition. Parent's Day wil l becelebrated on May 8th this year. Many of us are

“Faccustomed to a Western-style celebration: asingle Mother's Day, which usually falls on May 10thin the US, and then a separate Father's Day in themonth of July. Although it is not recognized as anational holiday, the tradition began in 1956originally as Mother's Day, but by 1973 it waschanged to Parent's Day.

Thus, there is no excuse to forget one or the other.Both parents get gifts such as cards, carnationflowers, and so forth. A handful of Latino nations,including Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador toname a few, specifically give their mothers carnationsas well. Nowadays, gifts to parents can vary once thekids are all grown up and they are able to affordmore expensive material goods. According toGwangju native, Park Cho Hee, a mother of three:“As [parents] get older, they might ask for a specialpresent such as cosmetic surgery for both motherand father.” This can range from Botox and face lifts,to permanent eyebrow or eyeliner tattoos for mothersor hair plugs for fathers. Park states that the meaningof Parent's Day has been hastily drained due tovarious companies marketing their material goods inthe past few decades.

But who can deny those cute flower and rosebouquets that are sprawled up on each streetcorner for the special date? Most of you know whatthese glittery, hot pink, purple to neon yellowbunches of sprayed scented petals look like. Thesebunches of flowers definitely aren't “cheap” as somerange from 35,000 to 100,000 won. Then again, thereshould be no price tag to express your love, right?

With an increase in holidays to recognize familymembers such as children, mothers and fathersalike, this is a special month in various placesaround the world. But in Korea, it is a momentoustime to bond with family, really take a break fromthe fast-paced lifestyle, and to welcome the sunny,warm days ahead.

culture

By Jenn Tinoco

Celebrating Family

image from Cafe24

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM


GN: Who can become a Gunner?Jonathan: Anyone can join, Koreans or foreigners.We've had members from Scotland, Australia,Russia, Canada, America and New Zealand. Wehave a relaxed philosophy about riding, soanyone who likes to unwind and enjoy Korea bybike can be a part of the group. We recommendthat a person's bike be 125cc or higher in order tokeep within the group on longer rides. Also,members should have the proper safetyequipment like gloves and a helmet and that theyhave their proper license, tags and titles for theirmotorcycle.

GN: How can a foreigner get a title, plates andlicense in Korea?Vanessa: The laws are changing and Korea isbecoming more strict about motorcycles beingproperly licensed. For a foreigner you should buy abike from a reputable dealer who speaks someEnglish. I went to Gwangju Nam Motors in Shinga-dong. After you fill out the proper paper work fortransfer of title and insurance, take your ARC cardand proof of insurance, with a Korean friend, andgo to the local licensing office to get plates. Jonathan: As far as I know, getting a motorcyclelicense depends on what size motorcycle youwant to ride (above or below 125cc). You have togo to Naju on a specific weekday (a Tuesday or aWednesday) and take both the written anddriving portions of the motorcycle exam. Somepeople have an international driver's license andcan skip this process possibly, while others whoonly want to ride a 125cc or smaller may fall underthe regular drivers/motorcycle license category.

GN: Do you ride much in the city?Vanessa: I don't ride in the city unless I have to.The stop and go is straining, and cars don't viewmotorcycles as equals and will push you off theroad. I mostly ride in the countryside. The riding inthis province is great and we're so close to theseaside cit ies, the beaches and the tea

n 2009 several foreigner motorcycle enthusiastsbanded together on Facebook to form a groupcalled the “Gwangju Gunners.” After four years

they still meet during the spring/summer seasonsand tour through many parts of Korea, visitingnational parks and historical sites. I sat down withtwo current members of the group: JonathanBrenner, who teaches at Chonnam NationalUniversity, and the group's co-founder, VanessaMcClellen, to talk about the “Gunners” andmotorcycling in Korea.

Gwangju News (GN):Who started the 'Gunners'? Vanessa: It was founded in 2009 by four people –me, Kirk Murray, Dustin Pfeffer and Philip Schrank.We all rode motorcycles and needed to plan trips,so we created a Facebook page to organize ridingtimes. The name 'Gunners' came after that and isfrom an English phrase meaning to acceleratequickly, like 'gunning the engine.' It's kind of a playon words.

GN: What do you ride?Jonathan: I ride a dual sport BMW GS-650. I havehad it for about six years.Vanessa: I ride a cruiser model Honda Shadow 750,and I bought it this year.

GN: Why bike in a group?Vanessa: It's fun and it's safer. Everyone will get anumber (rider 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) and we will ride in astaggered fashion for maneuverability and to keepcars from cutting in on us. The more experiencedriders will ride in front and in the back of the packwith new riders in the middle. This keeps us frommaking a wrong turn or from newer riders fallingbehind. Jonathan: And I'll usually lead because I have beenin Korea the longest and have traveled the most. Iknow the roads fairly well and have a good mentalmap of where things are. I know the good roadsand what roads to avoid. I want the trip to berelaxing for everyone.

Easy Riding Korea: The Gwangju Gunners

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By Matt FurlanePhotos courtesy the Gwangju Gunners

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:12 AM


plantations. Ten minutes from where I live, I canride out into the countryside. Jonathan: The city is very nerve-wracking. There istoo much going on visually, and a goodmotorcyclist tries to limit the amount of risk thatthey take. In Korean cities there's too much risk forme: people running red lights, buses turning intoyour lane or taxis on your rear end. I'll spend awhole week going on cross-country journeys to getaway from it and relax. I'll come back loving Koreaand feeling refreshed.

GN: Where do you ride?Jonathan: Korea is a beautiful place, I've been toevery province and Gwangju has a nice urbanrural spread. Within the group we will nominate ariding destination and go from there. Sometimes it'sone-day events. Other times it 's a weekendcamping trip. One of our favorite places to ride is ahistorical site near Jon Sang, about 30 km north ofGwangju, taking the back roads. There is a 19thcentury battlefield site to see and we have picnicsin the area. We usually open and close our ridingseason by going to this place in April, then inOctober. Also this year we might go to Gamagol,

1

1. L-R Vanessa McClellan (Black and Green) William Harris (Backpack) Andy Whyte (Yellow Gloves)Jonathan Brenner (Terrible hair) Phillip Schrank (Orange and Black). The Gunners were out for a Sundayride around Damyang for a few hours taking in the nice early spring scenery.2. Jonathan Brenner and his two bikes, the Red Devil (Hyosung RX 125) and the BMW GS 650 3. Vanessa McClellan and her luxury liner, Honda Shadow 750 pretty well customized4. Newcomers to the group William Harris (L) and Andy Whyte (R) enjoying the countryside

2 3 4

Namhae or Jin-do on more extended rides.

GN: What's a good motorcycle to begin with?Vanessa: I tried to teach one person on a 250ccand they almost got hurt. A 125cc is definitely agood starter bike because it's cheaper and there isless likelihood you will hurt yourself. Most peoplewhen they first start riding, they sometimes panicand you naturally grab the handle grips tighter andover-accelerate. With a 250cc or higher, you canjerk back, take off and do some serious damage.When I first started riding, I rode a 125cc for twoyears, then moved up to a bigger bike.

GN: What's the best thing about a motorcycle?Vanessa: To get out and go. In a car you're justgoing from point A to B, whereas with a motorcycle,it's an enjoyment.Jonathan: I've learned more about Korea by takingmotorcycle tours than anything else. Riding allowsme to experience by participating and getting outthere. It's the difference between the ideas of ajourney and a destination. In a car it's about gettingsomewhere, the destination. With a motorcycle it'smore about riding, the journey.

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:13 AM


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ay is all about the color green. The rollinggreen hillsides and aquamarine streams ofJirisan, alive with wildlife, the fragrance of

fresh picked tea and the austere teal of a templetucked into the woods are just a few of the thingsto experience in Gurye and Hadong.

First on this month's it inerary is the Jir isanEndangered Species Restoration Center. Thiscenter is the home of the Asiatic black bear, alsoknown as the “half-moon bear.” Although thespecies had become nearly extinct in Korea, since2002 the species has been gradually reintroducedinto Jirisan National Park. Currently there are 12bears in the rehabilitation center and nearly 30bears living wild within the park. Through educationand conservation, this center strives to protectexisting wildlife and also to successfully breed andrehabilitate other threatened species. Participantscan get close to the community of bears in aprotected forest and learn about the center'sefforts from one of the forestry guides.

After visiting the bears, the bus ride to Hwagaevillage follows the Seomjin River through some ofthe most scenic vistas in the country. At arestaurant high over the clear waters below, lunchis a nutritious mix of mountain vegetables and ricecooked in a stone pot, complemented by ashitake mushroom pancake. A short walk uphillfrom the restaurant leads to a field of wild teatrees. With the instruction of a local tea maker,participants can pick the best leaves and budswhich give the most flavorful cup of tea. After thefresh tea leaves are brought from the field, the nextsteps in the tea making process are withering,rolling and roasting, which are done in the village

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GIC CultureTour

[GIC Culture Tour]Gurye and Hadong

Words and photos by Warren Parsons

Jirisan Endangered Species Restoration Center

Date: April 25, 2013 (Sat.)Price: 50,000 won GIC members/ 60,000 won non-membersItinerary: Jirisan Endangered Species Restoration Center - Hwagae Village - Lunch - Tea Picking -

Tea Making Experience - Ssanggye TempleRegistration: Please sign up at the GIC website (www.gic.or.kr) by April 19 (Sun.)For more information: [email protected]

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:13 AM


center. Finally, while the tea leaves are left tofinish, participants can enjoy a cup of Hwagaetea, which, according to Korea's greatest teamaster Cho Eui, is the ethereal pinnacle of Koreantea making.

With hands scented green, the stroll through thewoods along the falling valley water to Ssanggyetemple is a magical way to end any day oftraveling. First established during the Silla dynasty,the temple later acquired its current namebecause of the streams converging below its

1, 4, 5. Ssangye Temple; 2. Jirisan Endangered Species Restoration Center; 3. Lunch

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4 5

entrance. Passing through three beautiful gates, thepath leads to a large temple compound withdozens of aged buildings and a well-curated galleryhousing many of the temples treasures. Participantsare free to wander the site, get lost in the nooks andcourtyards or have a drink of water at the ancientspring.

Please come out for a wildlife adventure, some hotcauldrons of tea and an atmospheric walk in theforest this May with the GIC Culture Tour!

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:13 AM


wangju's version of the U.S. city of Boston's“Big Dig,” the Asian Cultural Center (ACC),is due to open in 2014 after the building

and grounds are completed in December 2013.With that in mind, those involved in the “SavageGarden of Knowledge,” an internationalsymposium, have laid out both the real goals of theCenter and its potential uses. Curators, art directors,professors and performers gave a wide variety ofreasons why the ACC has the potential to be sucha success.

Lee Yongchul, the President of the Institute of AsianCultural Development (and an early curator of theGwangju Biennale) listed: archival contents, thecross-disciplinary approach, performances, themedexhibitions, planned programs, programs forchildren, multi-functional performance andexhibition halls, laboratories, a sound lab and evena Food Lab as part of a multi-layered center that is“meant to be used, so please, come here andexhibit and perform.”

None of the presenters ventured to guess how theACC would attract visitors from outside Gwangju, orinside Gwangju, so the positive economic impactcan not be estimated until it comes true. Theimpact for local artists, however, is slated to belarger than once thought imaginable, due to thecommitment to having regular performances, anda multitude of themed exhibits.

How can the ACC serve both as a showpiece

G venue for all of Asia and represent local creators?The key lies in how adaptable the building itself is.

Fram Kitiwaga, distinguished Japanese curator,gave the best reason to continue to foster art: “For500 years the process of globalization has been ledby missionaries, merchants and armies, andresulted in colonialism, imperialism and nationalism.Under such circumstances spaces becomehomogenized and controlled, information is madeconsistent, and life and labor are standardized.Under the recent crisis of global warming, thecollapse of financial capitalism, dissolution ofcommunity, decline of agriculture, proliferation ofinequalities and apathy in societies, we have lostthe feeling of physical embodiment and sensoryrichness, and have become nothing more thanmechanical pieces of a robot, without any face. Iam seeking out connections that engage themarginalized elements of society – the outsiders,the minority voices, the dead – for this is the veryessence of art.”

Brend Shere, representative of Berlin's House ofWorld Cultures, also gave his advice: “The newways of making ideas via research and art-makingare being segmented by specialists who useuntranslatable jargon and become detached fromsociety. The universal approach to academia nolonger works in the entire world, so when you arelaunching a multi-cultural Arts Center, you shouldallow each country to define itself via its creativity.”

Asia Cultural CenterConference

culture

Words and photos by Doug Stuber

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:13 AM


Shere further mentioned that though in Berlin, theHouse of World Cultures, in 1989 just before the BerlinWall came down, the art world was seen as First,Second and Third World, and the “museum” wasfocused on Africa, Asia and Latin America. “After 75years the house was 'purified' through the 'Walls andWindows' project so that it encompassed a largerworld view, as the old world view no longer madesense. Only the architecture, a 1957 gift from theU.S., was left behind.”

The new ACC building has a chance tointernationalize the entire cultural scene in Gwangju.Not just once a year at the Gwangju Biennale or theDesign Biennale, and not just via the Architectural

1. Brend Shere; 2. Lee Youngchul; 3. A dancer; 4. Gerfried Sotcker; 5. Ahn Eun-me; 6. Anthony Shelton

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Follies that are continually growing. The ACC willinternationalize through a living, working flexiblestructure that invites locals to collaborate not justwith living artists, but with digitally archived materialas well.

If enough international collaboration in performing,visual, audio, video, animation and conceptual artstake root, then the ACC will attract people from outof town. This is why it has been worth the investmentof time and money: not just as an economicgenerator, but for a chance for blue collar andwhite collar residents to mingle under the umbrellaand strike a chord to summon the creativity in all ofus.

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:13 AM


Photo of the Month

By Alex Kelvin Hong“The process of composing the photo was two-fold. One, I wanted the photo to capture the simultaneous emotions ofawe and serenity that I felt at the memorial; and Two, I also hoped to instill a sense of optimism within the viewer. Iset about doing this by taking a wide-angle shot to convey the awe-inspiring feeling of the expansive and limitless.Additionally, the array of poles grounds the scene with a natural air of reflective solemnity, while the skyward shotoffers a hopeful view of the future with the glint of blue skies.”

Photo taken at May 18 Memorial Park

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:13 AM

Training the eye to get the photoWords and photos by Simon Bond

photography

o paraphrase a famous ex-president of theU.S.A., “the most important thing that goes intogetting a great photograph is the

photographer.” It's important to find an interestingsubject, such as a temple, an ajumma street vendoror maybe a flower. However, once you have yoursubject, there are some simple ways to quicklyimprove the shot you will get. Here I'm going to lookat the three ways you can use, whether you areusing a smart phone or a DSLR camera.

Rule of thirdsOne of the simplest and most effective “rules” inphotography, this practice is about where youplace the horizon lines in a landscape, or where youplace a person in a portrait photo. In landscapephotos, in order to get a strong composition, it isgenerally best to place the horizon line, which iswhere land meets the sky, either in the bottom thirdof the photo or the top third. Then a main feature inthe photo, such as a tree, should be placed offcenter, either to the left or the right.

Portraits are similar, in that they also use thiscompositional rule. You should place a person's bodyor face off center and allow a little space to the sideof your subject to allow the photo to “breathe”.

Subject isolationPhotography is the art of subtraction, and with this inmind, the purest photographs would surely beminimalist. A street photographer with a story to tellin their photo might slightly disagree with thesentiment here, but they would also surely knowthat part of the game is to tell the story withoutdistracting the viewer with unnecessary elements.Now, when taking minimalism into account, youmight need to pause a little before hitting the

Simon Bond is a professional photographer living in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do. He has travelled throughout Asia, andhis work has been published in many publications.This article and others are available online at Simon's website:www.simonbondphotography.com

shutter button.o Think about whether a branch in the foreground ishelping the photo.o Looking at the background, how are the shapesthere affecting your main subject? o Do you have anyone “lurking” behind yoursubject in a portrait photo? Perhaps change yourangle or be patient and wait until the person in thebackground has gone.

Design elementsThese are some simple ideas that can make yourphoto look visually appealing, and they are oftenvery simple to apply. A few examples of designelements are framing, patterns, contrast, lines,shadows and harmony. If you are able to composeyour shot according to the rule of thirds, isolate yoursubject and by using a design element in thephoto, you are likely to have a good shot. Now letus take a brief look at where these design elementsmight be found.

Framing – The most obvious example is a frameof a doorway, but you might also find a gap insome tree branches that create a natural frame.

Lines – The world is full of lines, and they can beused to draw the eye to your main subject. A line oftrees, a foot path or horizon lines can be used.

Contrast – The most obvious form of contrast isblack and white. Color also contrasts, so,blue/yellow or red/green are common examples. Ina portrait, having your model dressed in red at thegreen tea fields of Boseong would create effectivecontrast.

In May's issue the subject will be “No, it's thecamera…. Einstein”, we will look at the ways thecamera you choose really can make a difference.


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The rule of thirds Contrast Subject isolation

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:13 AM

BBuuddddhhaa’’ss BBiirrtthhddaayyBy Simon Bond

photo essay


ost years since I have been in South Korea,Buddha's birthday meant going to Seoul toenjoy the Lotus Lantern Festival, something I

highly recommend to those who have yet to visit Seoulat this time. However, there are other events to markBuddha's birthday in Korea, and one such event is thecelebrations that happen in Suncheon. The magic of alantern festival is of course at night, and seeinghundreds of lanterns being floated down the main riverthat runs through Suncheon was truly enchanting. Myone lament was it took me until my fifth year in Koreato see this, though lack of information about this eventdid not help. Keep in mind some of the best photoopportunities can be right under your nose, so alwayskeep your eyes open and look around.

Simon Bond, Gwangju News’ new photo editor, is mostnoted for his work with crystal balls. He published his firstbook in September 2012 called Simple Scene, SensationalShot.

To learn more about Simon’s work, visit:www.simonbondphotography.com

Simon Bond will also be running workshops in Gwangju overthe coming years. For more online information, please visit:www.facebook.com/yoursceneyourshot

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May 2013 2013.4.26 11:13 AM


May 2013 2013.4.26 11:13 AM


f you have not been living in a dark cave ortucked away on some grassy Tibetan mountainhillside for the last seven years, you have heard

talk of how plastic food storage containers couldbe harmful to your health, and one chemicalcompound in particular has been the center ofattention – BPA. Despite how far and wide chain e-mails have spread in the “news,” most people arejust vaguely aware of BPA and, at best, are leftwondering if it is not just another Internet-fueledurban legend.

As can be expected from any chain letter healthhype, there is a bit of truth nestled amongst a lot ofmisinformation. With Korea being the land of 빨리빨리 (phonetically bbali bbali; meaning “rush rush”),residents get a lot of food on the go. Hot or cold,these noodle soups, porridges, honey peanutpancakes, seaweed wrapped rice logs and cuts offire-roasted pork belly are often boxed up andwrapped in plastic. I admit, I cringe at the sight ofhot soup being poured into plastic anything, but isit melodrama or is there reason for concern?

Let's demystify the basics of BPA and how it mayaffect your health.

What's the deal with BPA?BPA-free. Buy BPA-free. We have heard it but whatexactly is BPA and what is all the fuss about? BPAstands for bisphenol A, a widely used compoundfound in a lot of hard plastics and is often used infood and beverage storage containers, cannedfood and soda can lining, some plastic bags, andplastic and aluminum reusable water bottles. BPAis nothing new; in fact the chemical debuted in1981 and has been known to mimic estrogen in thebody since the 1930s. Since estrogen is a naturalhormone, it's nothing to fret over, right? Wrong.BPA can promote breast cancer growth, decreasesperm count and damage fetal and infant braindevelopment, as studies have shown harmfuleffects of the product on the reproductive,

neurological and endocrine systems.

However, and here comes the big but … studiesare still ongoing and researchers are still arguingnot only about the effects of plastic in our diet butalso whether results can be applied to humanconsumption and use.

How do I know if a product contains BPA?BPA is mostly found in polycarbonate plastics (hardplastics), which are marked with a recyclingnumber 7. The triangles encircling a number on thebottom of bottles indicate what kind of plastic it is.For example, 3 indicates PVC or V used for clingwrap, plastic squeeze bottles and cooking oil andpeanut butter containers; 4 indicates LDPE used forgrocery store and Ziplock bags; and 5 indicates PPused for Tupperware, straws and yogurt containers.Category 7 is a catch-all for all “other” plastics thatdo not fit into the other six categories so not all “7”plastics contain BPA. Can we get any moreconvoluted? It is no wonder why most peopleresign themselves on the issue!

Am I at risk?If you think you are not affected by BPA, you areprobably wrong. The U.S. Center for DiseaseControl (CDC) found traces of BPA in almost allurine samples collected (93% of subjects and evenmore so in children), so to say that the chemical isvery prevalent in our diet is an understatement.Children were found to have higher levels of BPAthan adolescents and adolescents were found tohave higher levels than adults. Baby bottles andinfant formula can absorb BPA, making babies verysusceptible to chemical ingestion. Also becauseBPA is linked to increased breast and prostatecancer, altered menstrual cycles and diabetes,unborn babies are also at an increased risk.

However, … and here comes the second big but 2… despite our constant exposure to the chemical,levels of BPA in our bodies are what is considered

health

Eating in a BPA WorldBy Kristal LeePhoto by Ahn Eunbyul

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tumblr.com

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:13 AM


food or drinks should not be heated in plasticcontainers that are not labeled as safe to do so(i.e. “microwave safe”).

The key is checking the label. Not all plastics areunsafe to use in general or at high temperatures.What the scare-mails do not mention is that theFDA recognizes the potential harm of plastics andtherefore requires that standards are met duringmanufacturing. If a product is safe to microwave, itwill say so. If a product is unsafe to contain hotproducts, it will say “do not microwave,” “do notdish wash,” “do not use with hot liquids,” etc.

Fast rules about plastic safety, as outlined byHarvard Medical School:

Most takeout containers, water bottles andplastic tubs or jars made to hold margarine, yogurt,whipped topping and foods such as creamcheese, mayonnaise and mustard are notmicrowave-safe.

Microwavable takeout dinner trays areformulated for one-time use only and will say so onthe package.

Do not microwave plastic storage bags orplastic bags from the grocery store.

Before microwaving food, be sure to vent thecontainer: leave the lid ajar or lift the edge of thecover.

Do not allow plastic wrap to touch food duringmicrowaving because it may melt. Wax paper,kitchen parchment paper or white paper towelsare alternatives.

If you are concerned about plastic wraps orcontainers in the microwave, transfer food to glass orceramic containers labeled for microwave oven use.

“safe” because our bodies metabolize BPA ratherquickly, breaking it down and excreting it within afew days. Counter-arguing the point, the U.S.National Institute of Environmental Health Sciencesstates the chemical does not have to remain inthe body to have adverse effects. Therefore as itstands, health experts are still split on the potentialhealth hazard, throwing the public into utterconfusion.

What do we know then?We know that more worrisome than using plasticto serve or contain food is when BPA-containingplastics are exposed to harsh use or hightemperatures, such as being placed in themicrowave or dishwasher, they leach chemicalsinto your food. This is where the real concerncomes in. When food is microwaved whilewrapped in plastic, covered in plastic or sitting in aplastic container, substances (plasticizers) canleak into the food, especially fatty foods such asmeats and cheeses. One study found whenplastic resin is exposed to hot liquids, they leachBPA 55 times faster than the normal rate. Therefore

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:34 AM


've never deemed myself a “Yoga girl.” Neitherlong-limbed nor flexible, I've always lacked thegrace necessary to don leggings, nasally

exhale and mount the perfect downward dog. Ienvied my yoga-going friends' sexy abs, yet feltbored (literally) stiff when I accompanied them toclasses. I was a “sporty girl,” therefore I liked …hitting things. A hearty sport follows three rules:competition, aggression and sweat. I wanted toexhaust myself and then feel justified inhaling ahamburger and a few beers afterwards.

After moving to Korea, my change in fitness routinecame over three phases and fifteen months.

Phase 1: Denial. I pretended I could enjoy the samesports in Korea as I did in Texas. This didn't work. Icouldn't find lacrosse or tennis partners. I do still run– at the risk of my personal safety. Sharing the roadwith taxis, delivery bikes and hoards of finger-pointing teenagers turns a casual jog into a sickgame of Grand Theft Auto. After some months offrustrating workouts, I turned indoors.

Phase 2: Acceptance. I joined a gym. Not fond ofimitating hamsters, I scorned the treadmills. Theweight-circuit was fine except for the Korean menwho l ifted half-as-much iron, consequentlycrowning me resident Waygook Strong-WomanWonder. Strike two.

Phase 3: Assimilation (Yoga). But I'm not a YogaGirl, I told myself again and again as I signed up forHotYoga (“HotYoga” is the studio's name), twomonths ago. Yet I was desperate for a fulfillingworkout. And the studio – located in Gwangju'sclassy Bongseon-dong district – looks so much morelegit than a lot of Korea's ajumma-pounding,sparkle-infested group exercise classes.

Legit it is. “Hot Yoga Academy” (핫요가 아카데미)offers two options: five classes per week for 120,000

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health & fitness

won a month (280,000 won for three months) orthree classes for 110,000 won (260,000 won forthree months). Towels, mats and a locker room areprovided. The locker room has showers. Read this:you will need a shower after these yoga classes.Whether you go to “Hot,” “Core,” “Balance” or“Ashtanga” yoga, you are guaranteed to leaveany after 60-minutes swimming in your own sweat.This is in part due to the room's constant 38-degreeCelsius (or 102 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatureregulation. But the majority of your sweat serves toemphasize my most recent realization: yoga iswork, y'all. Like, it hurts.

Some readers may have practiced Bikram Yoga,also known as “hot yoga,” in their home country.I've gone to a few Bikram classes back in America:they're held in 105 Fahrenheit rooms, 90 minuteslong and conducted solely by Bikram-certified

The Home Stretch: How I Learned to LoveYoga in KoreaBy Colleen MayoPhotos courtesy of Yeo Dong Goo (Tao & Hot Yoga Academy)

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:34 AM


instructors. Let's label “HotYoga Studio” as Bikram-Lite. The room isn't quite steamy enough and theposes aren't held long enough to induce the samenauseating exhaustion/euphoria as Bikram. But it'sa significantly more intense workout than thestereotypical, docile hippy-pant yoga I imagined.

From the moment I walk into the studio to themoment I leave, the vibe just feels professional.Classes are held in pure Korean so I try to makemaximal use of visual instruction. But it's surprisinglyeasy to follow (if difficult to imitate). A mix of fellownewbies and calendar-fit yoga enthusiastssurround me. It's a comfortable blend. I know I canfollow the hard-core girls if the instructor steps outof sight, but I feel secure knowing that I'm not theonly person struggling. Furthermore, our instructor isefficient and clear in her directions; shedemonstrates everything and isn't shy aboutcorrecting my posture, which I appreciate. I'vebeen the lone foreigner in a Korean exercise classbefore and felt extremely awkward for it. Perhaps itwas my own insecurities but I felt more spectaclethan part of the class, so much that I couldn't focuson my own workout. I've never suffered “AwkwardWaygook” Syndrome here. I chalk it up to thestudio's instructor and every member's ownseriousness towards the class. I always leave withsore muscles and a peaceful state of mind.

Tao & Hot Yoga Academy - Bongseon Branch타타오오앤앤핫핫요요가가아아카카데데미미 -- 봉봉선선점점Address: 138-2 Bongseon-dong No. 205, Nam-gu,Gwangju (across from E-mart, on the second floor ofYeongmu Plus Zone building)Phone: 062-351-1111Directions: Buses no. 27, 37, 48, 98 and get off at Nam-guCulture & Art Center (남구문화예술회관)Website: www.hotyogaacademy.co.kr

Now the truth all foreigners come to accept:Korea changes you. It's a comically obvious truth.We often think of “change” as a poignant yetnebulous shift in our interior beings; we forgetchange is most evident in the ways we conductl ife here that's different from back home.Expectations of what we once did easily – drink acraft beer, eat a dollar taco, go for a jog –evaporate in a new cultural landscape. Theabsence of these “normal” activities challengedmy initial happiness in Korea. But ultimately, theHotYoga Studio has disproved two of my morenarrow-minded notions: quality group exercise isavailable in Korea and yoga is awesome. What Ionce dismissed as a lackluster pseudo-sport, I nowembrace as a challenging and ultra-physicalconditioning that influence both body and mind.Truth: I've never craved a hamburger afterwards.But maybe that's for the best.

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know what you're thinking. A few hippies fromNew Hampshire are about to roll their headsback and skip around to monastic chants. I

know because I've seen it, too. You're preparingyourself for the alienation that is performance art.The words “I don't get it,” are already forming inyour mouth. Wait! Don't give up yet! MiguelGutierrez, a contemporary choreographeradvises, "When people don't understandsomething, there's often a jump right away todislike, or to 'this thing failed to sell itself to me.' Ithink, 'No, you maybe didn't give yourselfpermission to not understand it.'”

That is the art of dance. I'm not talking about theantiquated technique of Swan Lake, nor am Italking about stumbling through Bubble Bar on aSaturday night. I'm talking about the choruses thatsupported the Greek dramas for the audiences inthe nosebleeds of the coliseum. Dance is thepained flexing of Martha Graham's spandex dressthat brought a grieving mother to her knees. And,yeah, sometimes it's the driving force for skippingthrough a meadow with flowers braided into yourhair. Dance is how we are attempting to bridgetwo modern cultures with two of the world's mostdissimilar spoken languages in Gwangju this Spring.

“광범위한/Far Flung” will premiere on Saturday, May25, at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the theater in theGeumnam-no Park (금남로 공원). Three expats, CindiL'Abbe, Allison Relihan and I have been reunitedby the primal drive to communicate through artand to create through action. The program is anarray of solos, duets and one trio created andperformed by the choreographers. The threecontributing choreographers share more than anyold background in dance. Cindi, Allie and I all

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Allison Reihan rehearses her solo passionately

YtÜ YÄâÇzBy Angie Hartley

Photos by Adam Hogue

Cindi L’Abbe and the writer rehearse her duet

health & fitness

attended Keene State College, which bestows themission upon graduates to “go forth and serve.”Go forth we did, flinging ourselves about as far fromNew Hampshire as we could. Putting Englishteaching aside, now is our chance to truly servethe community in which we've been living for acollective five years. We're ready to speak up andwe're trying to give everyone a chance to listen.

When I moved to Korea, it was my first time to existoutside of a dance community. I had never felt soisolated. I thought I could make my own niche bystarting some dance classes, teaching others whatI thought dance was. What happened was thecommunity taught me instead. I learned that weall dance to communicate, but we don't all realizehow and why we do it. Just because you're tryingto get a guy to look at you in the club, doesn'tlessen the integrity of the art form. And justbecause I have a degree in dance doesn't meanhe'll dance with me first. So Gwangju, may wehave this dance?

For more information about our performance andupcoming workshops, visit www.gwangjutheatre.com/dance or search for the event page onFacebook.

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CROSSWORD

Across

Down

2. Most mature and ready to eat5. 1984 title role for Emilio Estevez8. It reveals the people's choice9. Vague response to 'When?'10. College student's home11. "Hot" winter drink12. __ that be: authorities14. Performances to raise money for charitable

causes16. It covered Pompeii17. Bachelor in personals, abr,18. Evade, as an issue

1. Minnesota's baseball team3. Quote in a book review4. 'Bye Bye Bye' band6. South American Republic7. Of the age of a long-lived British queen8. Huge, tremendous12. Harbor cities13. Areas for target practice15. Male heirs

By Mike Schroeder

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:34 AM


any know Gwangju for the horribleatrocities of 1980, but the cityscape hasdrastically changed since then. Many

nations of the world are represented throughvisiting English teachers. Newer generations arebecoming more accustomed to internationalcustoms and the apparent attitude of the city'speople has grown to be more tolerant. Gwangjuhas become one of the most welcoming cities in allof Korea. There's something for everyone to do, abonus considering that there are hundreds of ex-patriots living here. Some are dancers, some arecooks, and the list goes on and on. Each person isdifferent and has a completely unique approachto life in this foreign culture.

We will never completely understand where they'recoming from because we're not them. Luckily wehave these wonderful inventions called camerasthat give us a little insight on how they perceivethings. Is it a rusty lamppost? Maybe to you, butsomeone else could see a commentary on thedegradation of society. Gorgeous flower? It couldbe that, or possibly a reminder that beauty isfleeting. Every opinion is valid.

Instead of boring you with thousands of words,then, let us present our opinions through images.We are convinced we can tell a better storythrough photos.

community

The GIC wil l be hosting a collaborativephotography exhibit on the theme “Gwangju, Cityof Peace” with the hopes of presenting the gentleand tolerant nature of our city today. Each of thephotographers participating in this event aremembers of the Gwangju Photography Club.Some are amateurs, others are dedicatedhobbyists and still others are true professionals.

The club is for anyone interested in photographyand who wants to get out and practice. Clubmembers aim to organize an outing every monthto share ideas and put them to the test. As groupadministrators, Christina Green and Joe Wabehave shared this same idea for the PhotographyClub: “It is a fun way to expand photography skillsand see a bit more of Korea at the same time.”

[This Month on GIC Talk]

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Gwangju – City of PeaceByJordan VanHartingsveldtPhotos courtesy of Gwangju Photography Club

OverviewDate & Time: May 18 (Saturday) at 3 p.m. Venue: Gwangju International Center, Jeonil Building 5 FlSpeaker: Jordan VanHartingsveldt

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Time & Place: Every Saturday, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., GIC office (Jeon-il Bldg 5th Fl.) For more information visit www.gic.or.kr or contact [email protected] out pictures from previous GIC Talks at http://picasaweb.google.com/gictalkWatch highlight clips of previous GIC Talks at www.youtube.com/GICTALKThere is now an open discussion group following every talk in which the audience can talk about theday's topic with the speaker. GIC Talk welcomes your proposals for presentations on topics such as society, culture, politics, science,education or any topic of interest. If you would like to be a presenter, please contact us [email protected] / +82-(0)62-226-2734

[ GIC Talk ] Schedule for May

May 4Speakers: Dr. Shin Gyonggu & Professor Maria LisakTopic: Save GIC Dr. Shin Gyonggu has been the volunteer executivedirector of the Gwangju International Center (GIC) forthe past 14 years. Shin previously served as the Deanfor International Affairs at Chonnam National University(CNU) Gwangju until his retirement last February. Hecontinues to dedicate his time to the internationalcommunity and to saving the GIC, which will movelocations in June. Shin's speech will focus on the historyof the GIC as well as its present and future.

Maria Lisak is a professor in the Department of PublicAdministration and Social Welfare at Chosun University.A Gwangju resident of 10 years, Lisak is a local activistin the community and has been volunteering for theGIC since October 2003. She became a GIC boardmember in 2006. She will speak on her experience as aregular volunteer and volunteer leader for the GIC.

May 11Speaker: Choony KimTopic: Climate Justice “We are all Tuvaluans”This talk will attempt to explain climate justice with aspecific focus on the current issue in Tuvalu.Composed of nine islands, Tuvalu is the smallestcountry in the world. Rising sea levels caused byclimate change threaten to submerge the smallnation. Industrial and individual activities, such as themanufacturing of goods and usage of cars, contribute

to climate change. Tuvalu has few resources and itsinhabitants seldom contribute to climate change, yetthey are significantly impacted by the rising sea levels.On site, research shows their endangered culture andlife in addition to their local actions toward combatingclimate change.

May 18 A Talk and Gallery Opening

2 p.m. Speaker: H.I.J.O.S. (Winner of the 2013 Gwangju Prize forHuman Rights Award)Topic: Human Rights in Argentina

3 p.m. Speaker: Jordan VanHartingsveldt Topic: Gwangju – City of Peace Photos by Gwangju Photography Club (See preview on page 36)

May 25Speakers: Lee Hae-gyoung and Jeolla Safety Alliance(Maria Lisak, Nancy Harcar and Laura Sparley) Topic: Guide to getting along with Koreans in GwangjuThis talk will cover topics such as the number offoreigners living in Gwangju, statistics on crimescommitted by foreigners as well as against foreigners inthe city, how to report a crime here and the role of theforeign liaison officer. The talk will also introduce theJeolla Safety Alliance and how foreigners can be saferin Gwangju and surrounding areas.

Don't worry about misunderstanding a photograph or completely missing themessage behind it; the artists will be there to explain their intent.

All we ask is that you come and appreciate the beauty of Gwangju ascaptured through our eyes. Listen to our stories and you may learn somethingabout this city that you didn't know before. Art exhibits can be eye-openers inthat way. Case in point: I visited an exhibit including a photo of freshly groundcoffee beans. I didn't know it existed in Gwangju. After some prodding, Ifound the location and sampled some of the best java this side of the world.

Who knows, your experience may be the same.

We cordially invite you to the GIC on May 18 – the anniversary of theMassacre – to discover the Gwangju you didn't know existed.

Each of the photographers participating in this event is a member of theGwangju Photography Club. Some are professionals, others are dedicatedhobbyists and others are amateurs.

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:34 AM


By Stephen Redeker

Korean Dreaming

ow important was that wild dream you hadlast night? In western culture, dreams areseen as more of a novelty; an interesting (or

embarrassing) topic to bring up among friends.However, in Korea, dreams can mean much morethan that. In this country, dreams are seen asomens. Similarly in Chinese culture, dreams can beinterpreted to symbolize good or bad fortune andeven foretell the future of unborn babies.

Let's start with the good. Pigs are a symbol ofwealth in Korea. That's why you will find manystores sell ing plastic “piggy” banks. Whensomeone dreams of a pig, this can mean money iscoming their way. Even more so if there are manypigs, or the pigs interact with the dreaming person.Some other lucky animals include bears, tigers, fishand sometime even snakes. A dream of a dragonis considered super lucky, especially if it involvesflying high in the sky. A dream like this symbolizeshuge success in the dreamer's life. When someonedreams of themselves flying, it's also a successdream. A falling dream is just the opposite. Adream about cats or dogs may be called a “dogdream” (개꿈) and usually does not hold any majorsignificance.

Nature plays a part in fortunate dreams as well.You might think that a dream of a blazing infernoengulfing your home has a negative connotation.Actually, the reverse is true. The fire dream meansyour burdens and troubles in life are burning awayso you can start fresh again. Hopefully in yourdream you do not put out the fire. If this happens,the sight of ashes could mean the problems willreturn. What about a dream where a great floodwashes through your home and city? Fortunately,this means that bad luck is being washed awayand replaced by good luck. Only dreams with thecleanest of water are positive. A dream aboutmuddy water is considered unlucky. Other gooddreams include hiking mountains, swimming in thesea and clear skies. Things like blood, urine and

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culture

This series of articles will shed light on some Korean myths, folklore, traditions and superstitions. Every country has their own share of beliefs, fact orfiction, and many foreigners living in Korea are yet to hear or understand the basis of various Korean beliefs as they become apparent.

Behind the Myth: Exploring Korean Tradition

excrement surpris ingly are good omens. It isbelieved that all the toxins are flushed away fromthe body. The more the better!

Now onto some of the bad dreams. A nightmare isscary no matter where you are in the world, and itis never a good thing. When people have dreamsabout losing teeth, this can symbolize a few things:losing one tooth can mean someone close will besick or possibly die, losing a few teeth means theroad ahead will be rocky in the future, and losingall your teeth means everything will fall apart,leaving you with dire situations and decisions. Adream about your deceased ancestors is healthy,but a dream about a ghost, or even the grimreaper itself, is deadly. Dreaming about the angelof death means you will be taken to the afterlife.Some common themes of bad dreams are falling,running away, locked doors, mirrors breaking andanimated dolls. Dolls are usually cute, but whenthey are moving around in your dream, it is never agood thing. That is, unless you are the puppeteer ofa marionette-type doll. In that case, you have got

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:34 AM

everything under control in your life.

These dreams are not just passing subconsciousthoughts; they are premonitions that can bepassed on to others. A good dream can bebought or sold. For your dream to keep its goodfortune, it must be kept a secret. If you knowsomeone who is in need of your dream's omen,you can sell it for any amount of money or trade itin for something else. After the transaction iscomplete, you can explain the dream in hopes tospread the wealth with that person. The next timea friend has a good dream, find out what theselling price is.

Another important part of “dream culture” inKorea is known as tae-mong (태몽). These aredreams about a baby's conception. Often timesthe mother has her own dreams filled with symbolsrelating to her unborn baby, but close friends andfamily members can have these dreams as well.The gender can be foreseen according to variousobjects in the dream: certain fruit, flowers orjumping fish are symbols for a girl. If a motherdreams about certain vegetables, the night skyand stars or rainbows, then she may have a boy. Ababy's destiny can also be foreseen in a dream.Many of the above-mentioned examples of gooddreams, such as the flying dragon, can be relatedto the future of an unborn baby.

It is good advice to handle your dreams withcaution. Having dreams with negative omens arebest when forgotten quickly and given noafterthought. When the good fortune comes witha positive dream, keep it a secret and enjoy thesuccess it may bring. Buy a lottery ticket the nextmorning if you are so inclined. Armed with theknowledge of these dream interpretations, it is alsopossible to fill your pockets in another way: earn alot of money as a dream broker.

Find more information aboutliving in Gwangju at GwangjuGuidebook.Pick up a Gwangju Guidebooktoday. Available at the GIC for1,000 won donation or checkonline:www.gwangjuguide.or.kr

GWANGJU GUIDEBOOK

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:34 AM


By Won Hea Ran

Benefit All Mankind

ong-ik Ingan is currently the formal motto ofthe Republic of Korea (or Daehan Minguk).The word Hong (弘) means “widespread,” ik

(益) means “to benefit,” and ingan(人間) looselymeans mankind. (However, the literal translation ofingan is “between humans.”) Therefore, if we putall the letters together, it makes the meaning to“Benefit All Mankind.”

The origin of this quote goes back to 2333 BC,when Korea's first kingdom (Go-Joseon) was built.This quote is from a myth that is so familiar toKorean people, the Dangun Myth. Once upon atime, the son of god, Hwan-ung, descended fromthe heavens to rule mankind. He landed onTaebaek Mountain and took care of 360 thingsrelated to mankind, like punishment, disease andfood. One day, a tiger and a bear visit Hwan-ungand they plead with him to turn them into humans.Hwan-ung challenges them with difficult tasks,living in a cave for 100 days without sunlight ormeat but with only garlic and herbs. The tiger ranaway after a few days, but the bear waitedpatiently and became a beautiful woman. This isUngnyeo, “a bear woman” from literal Koreantranslation. After becoming a human, the bearwoman prays under the holy tree everyday toplead to the god to give her a child. Hwan-ung feltsome responsibility because he originally plannedto make the tiger marry the bear woman, but it didnot work out because the tiger ran away. Feelingher strong will, Hwan-ung decides to get married toher and give her a child. Ungnyeo gave birth to ason, Dangun. Dangun became the first king of Go-

culture

hong yik in gan

Korean SayingsThis series of articles will explore traditional Korean phrases and provide background information associated with these words. Every countrypossess terminology that uniquely shows the country’s identity, so these articles, written by a Korean, brings to light words from history.

Joseon. He then makes eight laws to govern thehuman society and additionally creates the mottoof Hong-ik ingan.

As if to support the motto, the Dangun myth is notviolent at all. There is no conflict between a godand a human, or between humans. Even the tigerand the bear do not fight against each otherinside the cave. The overall story is very peaceful,although mystical. In addition, all the characters ofmyth yearn to be with mankind. Although Hwan-ung is the son of god, he descends from the sky tobe with humans. The tiger and bear both yearn tobecome humans themselves. The quote also showsKoreans' hope for peace and harmony. From theancient days, the lesson has taught rulers to takecare of their people, sons and daughters to takecare of their parents, and subjects to serve the rulerfaithfully to make a better government. In otherwords, Hong-ik ingan carries multiple meanings likelove, caring and loyalty. This motto is the paradigmof the spirit of Korea.

Later, Hong-ik ingan became the key philosophy ofKorean education because although it was afounding principle of a nation, it still had a value ofdemocracy and Buddhism, which values mercy.This quote is quite interesting by the fact that it isnot alleging a national/racial superiority or nationalcompetition (just like what happened to be themotto of modern world capitalism) but instead, itemphasizes love and sharing for all mankind, in oroutside of Korea.

H

Dangun

May 2013 2013.4.26 3:19 PM


would like to introduce my healing place. This ismy little Korea, Suncheon Bay.

Suncheon Bay has a beautiful view of nature. Youcan see a reed forest there. When the reeds shakein the wind, they remind me of my indecisiveattitude. Sometimes it sounds like the chaos of mylife. So I can recall my past memories, then I havetime to organize my thoughts. Once I bring my pastto mind, I feel more comfortable.

Next, when you turn your head, you can see agrass plot and some cabins. Lie down and closeyour eyes, then you can feel nature. Fresh smellsand nature sounds may help you concentrate onyourself. There is nobody to bother you. There isonly you and your friend. Listen to yourself and feelrelaxed by escaping from your daily life. Actually, Ialso healed both my body and my mind here.

There is one more highlight, the mountain! It takes

I

My Korea is a new column which represents the voice of young Korean University students eager to share their stories and experiences.

My Korea

travel

Words and photos by Moon Jiyeon

Suncheon Bay

Suncheon Bay Ecological Park 순순천천만만자자연연생생태태공공원원Website: www.suncheonbay.go.krDirections: From Gwangju Bus Terminal, take a bus toSuncheon (frequency: every 10-20 minutes; duration 1 hourand 10 minutes), then from Suncheon Bus Terminal, takebus no. 67 going to Suncheon Bay (frequency: every 20-30minutes). There is direct bus from Gwangju to SuncheonBay on weekends.

about 90 minutes to hike the mountain. Of course itis hard but I get such a special feeling. The sunset isreally impressive. Red, yellow and orange colorsmake a beautiful red bay.

Suncheon Bay is totally a healing park. All beautifulthings make me feel relaxed. I can get energy anda healthy mind from nature. And the entrance feeis only 2,000 won. The market food prices are alsoreasonable. So whenever I need healing time, I goto Suncheon Bay. That is why I strongly recommendSuncheon Bay as a nice healing place! My Korea!

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:34 AM

elcome to May and the start of summer. Itis summer right? Well we hope it is. Are youready? Is that even a question? Well, the

cold snap late March caught everyone bysurprise, with some really chilly rains and winds.Sadly, everyone was expecting to view the cherryblossoms in the warm, warm sunshine. But as longas you got to see some, count yourself lucky! Nowit is t ime to forget all of that chil l iness andconcentrate on the great holidays coming up.

As the Fresh Prince sings, it's “summer, summer,summertime, time to sit back and unwind.” Andyou are super lucky because in Korea, becauseMay is generally a more relaxing month for most.With the first of the month being a holiday andthen Buddha's Birthday weekend to look forwardto, get yourself ready for some summertime. Whatare you going to do? Remember it will be gettingwarmer and there will be tons of options and mostwill be heading to the beach in Busan to get theirfirst glaze in the summer sun. Also, of course to geta peek at some of those amazing bodies on thebeach at Haeundae.

While thinking of adding some summer sun to yourskin, how about adding some brightness to yourwardrobe too! Well a great color addition for thetransition of seasons is yellow. Think any and allshades from neon green to the palest of butteryellows to ease you into the groove of the summermonths. While it is still a bit hot, you can still getaway with a bold and bright yellow, but as themonths go on, lighten your shades so you can feeland looked refreshed.

Don't be afraid. Go with it and it is part of the colorfallout from the mustard trend from last winter. Youwill see this bright shade everywhere, even in neonshades, which have been huge for the past twomonths. As always, when you are dressing withthat much color, you have to think about

FFaasshh--OOnn wwiitthh xxxxll jjjjddpp

Words and photos by jjdpShot on location at Everland

fashion

HHeerree ccoommeess tthhee ssuummmmeerr ssuunn

W


May 2013 2013.4.26 11:34 AM


balance. Is it too much? You might need to alterthe color saturation because if it's too much or youget the balance wrong, especially in the hottermonths, your look will come off forced and youmight end up looking like a Rubik's Cube (unlessyou want to). This month I have featured a goodpale pair of yellow jeans that work well for anyseason, but especially with the candy pop ofsummer, in conjunction with some other easyadditions of yellow to your wardrobe.

Start with a butter yellow pair of jeans and with it Ihave added a black T-shirt with gold print. Theblack and yellow contrast each other quite well,and if you are a bit chilly, a lighter shell jacket willkeep you warm. This one is not as padded as in lastmonth's edition and comes in acid blue forcontrast and don't forget it also doubles as araincoat for next month.

Another annual trend that will again be huge thisyear is stripes. I already own too many, but I still feelthe urge to buy more. It just gives you aneffortlessly clean and crisp look every time.Summer is usually great for sailor-inspired simplelooks and I changed it up a bit instead of thetraditional navy and white. I went for a moresubdued and interesting, less often seen yellow

white and grey combination. It really works welland increases the expectation for summer. Soinvest and dress simply but effectively.

Taking care of clothing in spring is pretty easy andwill probably be the best time for them to actuallydry quickly and naturally with the warm breezefloating through your window. Enjoy as this easybreezy period does not last very long as aroundthe end of May you wil l also notice that themoisture in the air increases as the monsoonapproaches, so make the most of it.

Enjoy the vacations and the sunshine before therain.

peace,xxl jjdp

WardrobeButter yellow jeans - Mr Street Gmarket. Black Tshirt - UniquloShell Jacket - 8 seconds Shoes - Camper.

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:34 AM


Winter. Snow. Tree. Forest by Ki Hyung-do

The snowpiles up here and there,without being able to get all the way out of the forest.“Is it you?Don't hurry.”Thump. He falls down,hit by a sharp blade.I return home,dragging the tree.As I trim off the twigs,I listen to the silence of the tree:“I am here.Death is unmasked life.Our lives, our winters are like that, too.”We kindle firetoward the painthat resembles ourselves.The night in the forest beyond the windowtosses its body for a deeper quiet.Till I confirm my clean deathI will be absent,keeping a beautiful distance from whoever sparks a flame,and warming my heart little by little.The morning rising in the late winteris what comes to make the most perfect nature.Afterward,against the direction the snow melts and flows

literature

SSpprriinngg PPooeemmss IIIITranslated by Song Chae-Pyong and Anne RashidPhotos by Matt Ehlers

겨겨울울 눈눈 ((雪雪)) 나나무무 숲숲//기기형형도도

눈은숲을 다 빠져나가지 못하고여기 저기 쌓여 있다.

“자네인가,서들지 말아.쿵, 그가 쓰러진다.날카로운 날을 받으며.

나는 나무를 끌고집으로 돌아온다.흘로 잔가지를 치며나무의 침묵을 듣는다.

“나는 여기 있다.죽음이란가면을 벗은 삶인 것.우리도, 우리의 겨울도 그와 같은 것.”

우리는서로 닮은 아픔을 향하여불을 지피었다.창 너머 숲 속의 밤은더욱 깊은 고요를 위하여 몸을 뒤채인다.

내 청결 한 죽음을 확인 할 때까지나는 부재할 것이다타오르는 그와 아름다운 거리를 두고그래, 심장을 조금씩 덥혀가면서.

늦겨울 태어나는 아침은가장 완벽한 자연을 만들기 위하여 오는 것.그 후에눈 녹아 흐르는 방향을 거슬러우리의 봄은 다가오고 있는 것이다.

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:34 AM


Sumjin River: Part Five by Kim Yong-taekIn this world,when we feelour living is parched,without any sign of subsiding,go to the riverside at dusk,gaze at the darkening riverthat brings this world inand takes it away,dip one end of the dry heartin the darkening river,be quenched, and let it go.After letting go of everything,without anything left to let go,only with our poor eyes,on the dusky river,will we become alive, little by little,with our eyes opening like starsthat, as the night deepens,shine more, alive with longing;like the few lamps of the heartthat have driven a short wickdeep into the river-a wick that has no oil leftno matter how much you squeeze–and have withstood like the dawnwithout letting any sparks fly,washing our eyesin the dawn riverthat brings this world inand takes it away,we should livewith eyes of longing,and stand as one good lifeindebted to this earth.

섬섬진진강강 55// 김김용용택택

이 세상우리 사는 일이저물 일 하나 없이팍팍할 때저무는 강변으로 가이 세상을 실어오고 실어가는저무는 강물을 바라보며팍팍한 마음 한끝을저무는 강물에 적셔풀어 보낼 일이다.버릴 것 다 버리고버릴 것 하나 없는가난한 눈빛 하나로어둑거리는 강물에가물가물 살아나밤 깊어질수록그리움만 남아 빛나는별빛같이 눈떠 있고,짜내도 짜내도기름기 하나 없는짧은 심지 하나강 깊은 데 박고날릴 불티 하나 없이새벽같이 버티는마을 등불 몇 등같이이 세상을 실어오고 실어가는새벽 강물에눈곱을 닦으며,우리 이렇게그리운 눈동자로 살아이 땅에 빚진착한 목숨 하나로우리 서 있을 일이다.

A Spring Day by Kim Yong-taek

If you are looking for me,and all you find is a hoe covered with soilin the kitchen garden,just know that I have goneto admire plum blossoms,following the spring water of the Sumjin River,holding a lovely woman's hand.

봄봄날날//김김용용택택

나 찾다가텃밭에흙 묻은 호미만 있거든예쁜 여자랑 손잡고섬진강 봄물을 따라서매화꽃 보러 간 줄 알그라.

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:34 AM


Today by Ku Sang

Today again I meet a day, a well of mystery.Like a drop of that river extends toa spring of a valley and then tothe faraway blue sea, for this daythe past, the future, and the present are one.So does my today extend to eternity,and right now I am living the eternity.So, starting from today, I should liveeternity, not after I die,and should live a life that deserves eternity.I should live the life of a poor heart.I should live the life of an empty heart.

The River of Saint Christopher: Part One by Ku Sang

Fogsits thicklyon the morning river.As though rowing across the nirvanaa ferry travelsthrough the grand-white empty air.Ashore, a magpieflies up squawkingfrom the poplar branch.The sand under waterbecomes as clearas a woman's skin.Schools of small fishswim idlyin natural delight.Breaking, the golden sunlightmakes a flower bed of dream.Here, in this place,I am not an animal who eats rice.

그그리리스스도도 폴폴의의 강강 11// 구구상상

아침 강에안개가자욱 끼어 있다.피안(彼岸)을 저어 가듯태백(太白)의 허공속을나룻배가 간다.기슭, 백양목(白楊木) 가지에까치가 한 마리요란을 떨며 날은다.물밑의 모래가여인네의 속살처럼맑아 온다.잔 고기떼들이생래(生來)의 즐거움으로노닌다.황금(黃金)의 햇발이 부서지며꿈결의 꽃밭을 이룬다.나도 이 속에선밥 먹는 짐승이 아니다.

오오늘늘// 구구상상

오늘도 신비의 샘인 하루를 맞는다.이 하루는 저 강물의 한 방울이어느 산골짝 옹달샘에 이어져 있고아득한 푸른 바다에 이어져 있듯과거와 미래와 현재가 하나다.이렇듯 나의 오늘은 원 속에 이어져바로 시방 나는 그 원을 살고 있다.그래서 나는 죽고 나서부터가 아니라오늘서부터 원을 살아야 하고원에 합당한 삶을 살아야 한다.

마음이 가난한 삶을 살아야 한다.마음을 비운 삶을 살아야 한다.

Chae-Pyong Song was an associate professor of English at Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan,where he taught since 2001. He published articles on modern fiction, as well as translations of Koreanpoetry and fiction. His translations of Korean literature have appeared in Gwangju News, list, TheKorea Times, New Writing from Korea, Illuminations, Metamorphoses: Journal of Literary Translation,and Azalea: Journal of Korean Literature and Culture. Along with Anne Rashid, he won the GrandPrize in the Poetry Category of the 40th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards for translatingKim Hyesoon's poems. His fields of interest included twentieth-century English literature, postcolonialliterature, translation studies, and globalization of culture.

Anne M. Rashid is an assistant professor of English at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.She and Chae-Pyong Song received the 40th Korean Literature Translation Award in PoetryTranslation given by The Korea Times. She and Song have published translations in New Writingfrom Korea, list, Gwangju News, Azalea: Journal of Korean Literature, Women's Studies Quarterlyand Illuminations.

Translators Brief Biography

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:34 AM


Corean PostcardsBy Jose-Luis Moctezuma

literature

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:53 AM


language teaching

By Dr. David ShafferPhoto courtesy of KOTESOL

Looking at English Growingand Maturing in Korea

he teaching and learning of English is muchdifferent in Korea today than it was in the past,and therefore English use is much different also. In

the last issue, we looked at changes in students,teachers, the classroom, and written English since the1970s. Here we take a glimpse back at spokenEnglish, and how English was taught and learnt, aswell as the biggest problems still facing Englisheducation in Korea and its prospects for the future.What we see in this comparison with 40 years ago is alot of growth and maturity.

Spoken EnglishThe lost English speaker in Korea in need of directionshas little difficulty today in finding help from a Korean.The English may not be polished, but communicationcan take place. The younger half of the populationwill likely be able to help more easily. This is becausethey began their formal public school English classeswhen they were in the third year of elementaryschool. Many attended private English classes, evenearlier and throughout their middle and high schoolyears in addition to university. Many of them probablyhad a native English-speaking instructor at some pointin their language learning years. Regardless,comprehensible input can be easily found: Englishmovies, English radio and TV stations, English TVprograms, even English language church services,and an Internet full of all kinds of spoken English.

On the 1970’s street, the same lost English speakerwould have had much more difficulty getting help inEnglish. Koreans were more inclined to avoid theEnglish-speaker for fear of embarrassment at not beingable to speak English adequately. At that time, Englishinstruction began in middle school, while onlyelementary school education was mandatory. Manycould not afford to go on to middle school, high school,and university. English language schools were few, andthose with native English-speaking teachers were rare.(The only one in Gwangju was the Seventh DayAdventist English Institute.) Other reasons for the lowerquality of spoken English among the Korean populacewere less availability of quality language learningmaterials, less effective teaching methods, less-well-trained instructors, few opportunities to practice Englishspeaking, and the inability to travel abroad.

Teaching MethodologyEnglish teaching in Korea is highly test-driven,particularly at the high school and tertiary levels withthe high-stakes college entrance exam and TOEICtest determining students' futures. Test-driveninstruction is typically teacher-centered andmemorization-heavy. Communicative and student-centered approaches take a back seat; however,they are not unheard of. Communicativeapproaches with student interaction are increasingwith younger, lower-level students and in programs atall levels with courses taught by NESTs. Manyclassrooms are now high-tech, with Internet accessand PowerPoint capabilities. Their easy accessibility toa wide range of instructional tools and materials isaffecting change in classroom EFL methodology. TheKorea of the 1970s was very much test-driven as well.Instruction was teacher-centered and students wereexpected to memorize huge amounts of grammarrules and lexical items. The grammar-translationmethod was quite healthy, but the audio-lingualmethod was also making inroads. High schools anduniversities were setting up expensive, well-equippedlistening labs stocked with cue-response drill tapes forthe students to practice. However, the high schoollabs became unused exhibits of the modernity of theschool's English program, being frequented more bythe visitor than by the student.

T

Lunchtime in a 1970s girls' high school: tin lunchboxes,coal briquette heater, school uniforms, and bobbedhair.

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:48 AM


Student LearningToday's student has a wide range of English learningopportunities available. Public school classes forEnglish begin in Grade 3 of elementary school(possibly Grade 1 very soon) and continue throughhigh school. There are after-school classes forelementary school students and supplementaryclasses for secondary school students. English is taughtin kindergarten and pre-school, and there arelanguage institute programs available for all levels.Television provides movies and series of all types, aswell as English learning programs, as does the Internet.And many families opt to send their children abroadfor some type of English schooling or training. The1970s' options were much more limited. English classesonly started in middle school, but the week was 5.5days long (a half day on Saturdays). There wereonce-a-week special activities clubs in elementaryschool, of which one was English, but very few otherlearning opportunities or materials were available.There were no TV programs in English or for Englishlearning, and there was no Internet. One could noteven use a short-wave (SW) radio to listen to BritishBroadcasting Corporation (BBC) or Voice of America(VOA) because SW radios were illegal to own – fornational security concerns. It was only the very luckystudent who had a tape recorder and English tapesto use with it.

Biggest ProblemsWhat has long been, and still remains, one of thebiggest obstacles to learning English for the Koreanlearner is the lack of confidence in using the language,due to the reliance on memorization rather than onpractice. Another problem is the student work ethic:many learners are unwilling to invest the time and effortthat is required to learn a foreign language and are inan eternal search for an easy way to learn English.Many students are not aware of effective learningstrategies or of how to be an effective autonomouslearner, relying on memorization rather that skillspractice. The biggest problems for the teaching ofEnglish in Korea include the college entranceexamination. As long as the English portion of this examfocuses on grammar and vocabulary, English skills willbe ignored in secondary school. Another seriousproblem is administrators and policymakers. Thepeople making the critical decisions concerning Englishlanguage planning are often individuals with little or nobackground in ELT, SLA, or applied linguistics. Theinfluence of parents on policymakers andadministrators is often stronger than that of languageteachers and specialists, and the private languageschool rather than the public school often seems to bethe primary source of English education.

ProspectsDespite the challenges that English educationcontinues to face, there has been a continuous

David E. Shaffer is the currentPresident of the Gwangju-JeonnamChapter of Korea TESOL (KOTESOL).On behalf of the Chapter, he invites youto participate in the teacherdevelopment workshops at theirmonthly meetings and special events.

Dr. Shaffer is a professor of English at Chosun University,where he has taught graduate, undergraduate, andpostgraduate courses for many years. He is a long-timemember of KOTESOL and holder of various positions. Heis also the recipient of the KOTESOL LifetimeAchievement Award.

Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL May Chapter Meeting

Mokpo Outreach WorkshopDate & Time: May 11 (Saturday) 1:30 pmPlace: Mokpo National UniversityFive ELT Presentations

Monthly Chapter MeetingDate & Time: May 18 (Saturday), 1:30 pmPlace: Chosun University, Main Building, Left WingFeatured Workshops- It's All in the Technique: Giving Instructions in the EFLClassroom (Catherine Peck: Chonnam Natl. University)- Ten Tech Tools Every Teacher Should Know About(Lindsay Herron: Gwangju Natl. University of Ed.)Swap-Shop: Share your teaching ideas and activities.Admission: No Charge

Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOLWebsite: http://koreatesol.org/gwangjuEmail: [email protected] Twitter: @GwangjuKOTESOL

increase in the need for English proficiency amongKoreans and a continuous increase in the Englishproficiency of the general populace. The variety andnumber of jobs requiring a high proficiency in Englishskills is also expected to increase. As long as the needfor English skills remains high, the trend of increasedproficiency is expected to continue. Theimprovements in instructors' language skills andteaching skills are expected to lead to increasedlevels in learner proficiency. As instructors'proficiencies increase, the need for NESTs in teachinglanguage learners is expected to gradually decrease,while the usefulness of qualified NESTs as teachertrainers will be realized.

What changes can we expect to take place in thenext 40 years? With the rapid advances intechnology, we can expect the next four decades towitness advances in English teaching, learning, anduse to occur at an accelerated rate. In addition toimproved teaching materials, technologicaladvances in delivery systems will greatly increase thespeed and efficiency with which English can and willbe acquired.

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:48 AM

language study

SSaalleess PPeerrssoonn:: 어어서서오오세세요요!!(Oseo-oseyo!)Welcome!

손손님님 무무엇엇을을 찾찾으으세세요요?? (Sonnim, mueoseul chajeuseyo? ) Customer, what are you looking for?

OORR

무무슨슨 색색으으로로 보보여여 드드릴릴까까요요?? (Museun saekeuro boyeo deurilkkayo?)What color are you looking for?

CCuussttoommeerr:: 까까만만색색 바바지지 있있어어요요?? (Kkamansaek baji isseoyo?) Do you have bbllaacckk lloonngg ppaannttss?

SSaalleess PPeerrssoonn:: 이이거거 어어떠떠세세요요?? (Igeo eotteoseyo?)How is this one?

CCuussttoommeerr:: 좋좋아아요요.. (Johayo.)It is good.

입입어어봐봐도도 돼돼요요?? (Ibeo bwado dwaeyo?)Can I try this on?

SSmmaallll 사사이이즈즈 주주세세요요.. (Small saijeu juseyo.)Size small please.

이이거거로로 주주세세요요.. (Igeoro juseyo.)I will take this one please.

얼얼마마예예요요?? (Eolmayeyo?)How much is it?

SSIIZZEESS

SSmmaallll 사사이이즈즈주주세세요요.. (Small saijeu juseyo.)Size small please.

**SSiizzeess aarree tthhee ssaammee aassEEnngglliisshh;; jjuusstt aadddd pplleeaassee aatttthhee eenndd:: SSmmaall ll ,, MMeeddiiuumm,,LLaarrggee,, EExxttrraa LLaarrggee

LLeettss GGoo OOnn aa SShhooppppiinngg TTrriipp!!!!Words and photo by Jannies Le

RREEFFUUNNDDSS aanndd EEXXCCHHAANNGGEESS

환환불불해해 주주세세요요.. (Hwanbulhae juseyo.)Can I return this please?

이이거거 바바꿔꿔 주주세세요요.. (Igeo bakkwo juseyo.)Can I exchange this please?

image from Cafe24

EExxcchhaannggee lloonngg ppaannttss ffoorr::

반반바바지지 (Ban baji) Shorts반반팔팔티티셔셔츠츠 (Banpal tisyeocheu) Short Sleeve T-Shirt스스웨웨터터 (Seuweteo) Sweater코코트트 (Koteu) Coat드드래래스스 (Deuraeseu) Dress치치마마 (Chima) Skirt구구두두 (Gudu) Dress Shoes부부츠츠 (Bucheu) Boots

EExxcchhaannggee bbllaacckk ffoorr::

빨빨간간색색 (Bbalgansaek) Red 파파란란색색 (Paransaek) Blue 베베이이지지색색 (Beijisaek) Beige 분분홍홍색색 (Bunhongsaek) Pink 노노란란색색 (Noransaek) Yellow 주주황황색색 (Juhwangsaek) Orange 갈갈색색 (Galsaek) Brown 녹녹색색 (Noksaek) Green 보보라라색색 (Borasaek) Purple 회회색색 (Hwoesaek) Grey 하하얀얀색색 (Hayansaek) White


May 2013 2013.4.26 11:48 AM

language study

마마음음 [ma-eum] means "mind" or "heart" and 굴굴뚝뚝 [gul-ttuk] means “chimney”. This literally translates tosaying that one's “mind” is like a “chimney”. However, no one actually refers to the literal translation. Thisis a fixed expression that describes a situation where someone really wants to do something, but can't doit because of other reasons, such as being occupied with something else, being incapable or beingphysically far away. The reason that the person's “mind” is compared to a chimney is becausetraditionally, like in many other countries, Korean households had to burn firewood to keep the housewarm and cook food. Therefore, the chimney represents the result of something. By saying that your mindis like a chimney, you imply that you would really like to see something done, but you can't.

Variations and examples 해외 여행을 가고 싶은 마음은 굴뚝 같은데, 시간이 없어요. [hae-oe yeo-haeng-eul ga-go si-peun ma-eu-meun gul-ttuk ga-teun-de, si-ga-ni eop-seo-yo.]= I'd really love to go overseas to travel, but I don't have time.

마음은 굴뚝 같지만, 아직 운동을 시작 못 했어요. [ma-eu-meun gul-ttuk gat-ji-man, a-jik un-dong-eul si-jak mot hae-sseo-yo.]= I'd love to, but I haven't been able to start exercising yet.

머머리리 [meo-ri] means "head" and 식식히히다다 [si-ki-da] means “to cool down” or “to make something cold”. Whenyou work too hard, you can almost feel like your head is overheating from all the thinking that you need todo. In that case, figuratively, you can say that you need to “cool down your head”, and it has the samemeaning as “resting” your head or even taking a short break. 머머리리를를 식식히히다다 is often associated with doingsomething entertaining, rather than just resting, such as going outside for a walk, meeting with friends,watching a movie, or even going on a short trip.

Variations and examples내일은 일하지 말고 머리 좀 식히세요. [nae-i-reun i-ra-ji mal-go meo-ri jom si-ki-se-yo.]= Tomorrow, take a rest and don't work.

밖에서 머리 좀 식히고 올게요.[ba-kke-seo meo-ri jom si-ki-go ol-ge-yo.]= I'll go take a break outside.

There are a lot of interesting idiomatic expressions that stem from cultural backgrounds and aredifficult to translate literally. Every month in collaboration with 「「Talk to Me in Korean」」, you can readabout some fun and useful Korean expressions.

마마음음은은 굴굴뚝뚝 같같다다 [ma-eu-meun gul-ttuk gat-da]

Literal translation: one's heart is like a chimney Actual usage: to want to do (something), but to be unable to do sobecause of other reasons

머머리리를를 식식히히다다 [meo-ri-reul si-ki-da]

Literal translation: to cool one's headActual usage: to take a break, to rest one's mind


May 2013 2013.4.26 11:48 AM

owntown near the river, there are now quitea few western-style restaurants andindependent cafes. One of them, which

opened up a few months ago, is Lounge aA. Itcaught my eye because of its large open-plandesign, which one can see into from the street asthey pass by.

The first time I went there was for a coffee late inthe morning one Saturday. I was the only onethere as they had just opened. I ordered anAmericano, and sat in the main dining area, whichwas very spacious thanks to the high ceiling. Therewere two waiters and one of them promptlybrought me my coffee while the other put onsome jazz, which I was happy with. I got lost in thebook I was reading and was given anotherAmericano as service. Getting free stuff is alwaysfun, and it must have worked on me somewhere inmy subconscious because I found myself back atLounge aA for dinner with a friend a week later.

It was a Friday night and there were already a fewother people dining there. The restaurant has apartition in the middle of it, with the entrance

leading into the counterand lounge area, while onthe other side of thepartition is the dining area.We were greeted and thenshown through to the diningarea. The waiter handed usmenus and we looked themover, not taking long todecide what we would get.There was pizza on themenu, but we both optedfor pasta. The waiter cameback after a couple ofminutes and I orderedspaghetti carbonara whilemy fr iend got spaghettibolognaise. We also got acaprese salad to share

between the two of us. Our salad was brought outshortly after ordering. I was rather impressed that itactually had real mozzarella, though sadly it didn'thave any basil in it. Still, it was a really good salad.Shortly after this our meals arrived, and at the sametime which was great. We both really enjoyed ourfood and I was happy with the portion sizes andthe sauce to pasta ratio. It was as good as anyother pasta I've eaten in restaurants downtown.

I would recommend trying Lounge aA if you'venever been there and are looking for somewherenew to dine with friends. Its open plan gives it a laidback feel which is a nice point of difference withmany of the other pasta/pizza places in downtownGwangju, which go for a bit more of an intimateambience.

My meal cost 13,000 won, and my friend's cost14,000 won. The caprese salad cost 13,000 won.

To find Lounge aA, start at the intersectiondowntown at the Ministop on the same street asSpeakeasy, with Superdry clothes store on your left.Walk towards the river and you will see Lounge aAon your right.

food and drink

Lounge aAAddress: 38-9 Bullo-dong, Dong-gu, GwangjuPhone: 062-232-8066 Directions: Buses no. 6, 7, 9, 12, 55, 59, 70, 80, 98, 150,151 and get off at Culture Complex (문화전당역) orChungjang Police Box (충파)

LLoouunnggee aaAA

D


Words and photos by Gabe Ward

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:48 AM

1. Wash the mugwort with cold water.2. Pour water into the pot.3. Add anchovies, onion, and kelp to pot.4. Boil water for 10 minutes.5. Remove all ingredients from water.6. Add doenjang and mugwort to water and boil for 10 minutes.7. Add perilla seed powder as desired and boil water for 2 minutes.

Things to prepare (serves 2 - 3 persons)

Cooking Method

8 anchovies , 1/2 an onion, 1 kelp (10 X 10 centimeters ), 1 tablespoon of doenjang (soy bean paste), 100 grams of mugwort,600 milliliters of water, 1 tablespoon of perilla seed powder

Mugwort Soup 쑥쑥국국Words and photos by Cheon Soyeon

food and drink


s spring draws near, we can see mugwort (herbal plant) everywhere. Usually, eating mugwort soupmeans “It's springtime.” My mother dug up lots of mugwort in the garden and vacuum-packed it inthe refrigerator to make mugwort rice cake, tea, salad, pancakes because all are very beneficial to

our health. Mugwort prevents adult diseases by purifying the blood and reducing cholesterol. It alsoprovides abundant minerals, is an alkaline food, and strengthens physiological function. Lastly, mugwort isexcellent for dieting as it helps your metabolism. I hope you enjoy springtime and can be healthy withmugwort soup.

A

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:48 AM


Community Board

Gwangju Ice Hockey Team Looking for men and women of all ages to joinus every Saturday night from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.at Yeomju Ice Rink near World Cup Stadium. Ifyou are interested, contact either AndrewDunne at [email protected] or Chris Wilsonat: [email protected]

Have something you want to share with the community?Gwangju News’ community board provides a space for the community to announce club’s activity, special events and so on. Please send us the information to [email protected].

Dance Workshop in GIC The dance workshop will be held every secondSunday from 4:30 p.m. by Angie Harley at the GIC. If you are interested in joining, please contact Angie at [email protected]. You will learn basic dance and create danceperformance with specific theme in this workshop.

Sung Bin Home for GirlsSung Bin Home for Girls is looking for creative/active/ energetic/ outgoing/ enthusiastic long-term volunteers to join in our regular Saturdayprogram. We would like you to give at least twoSaturdays per month. Meet every Saturday at1p.m. in front of downtown Starbucks. All arewelcome. For more volunteering informationplease contact Daniel Lister at:[email protected].

Help Gwangju News Delivery GIC needs volunteers to mail outGwangju News. Gwangju News is sentto nearly 2000 addresses each month.We will contact interested individualsone week before the delivery date.Works include labelling, packing,sending the magazines to the postoffice, direct delivery, etc. Volunteersare expected to spend around 2 - 3hours in this delivery day. If interested,please contact Karina [email protected]

The Gwangju Photography ClubThe Gwangju Photography Club is a place wheremany different people can meet, share advice,give ideas, and practice photography. Everymonth, the Photography Club goes on a photoouting to different places around the city andcountry to capture the moment and practice newtechniques. Anyone is welcome to join thephotography group and help share in theexperience. To join the group, search GwangjuPhotography Club on Facebook.

Gwangju Inter FCThe Gwangju international soccer team (Gwangju

Inter FC) plays regularly every weekend. If youare interested in playing, e-mail:

[email protected] orsearch ‘Gwangju Inter FC’ onFacebook.

Cats to haveThey are free, but you need to vacinate them.They are Korean short hairs. The cats are 14months old. Contact Lynne at 010-8692-9101 ore-mail [email protected]

Gwangju Meditation GroupGwangju Meditation Group meets everyMonday at the GIC between 7:30 and 9p.m. We begin with some gentle yogastretches and then introduce basic Buddhistmeditation techniques and read passagesfrom selected Buddhist teachers.

Email [email protected] or searchfor Gwangju Meditation Group on Facebookfor more information.

Have any questionsabout living in

Gwangju?Let us help you! Simply write us an e-mail with your detail inquiry to:

[email protected] andour volunteers will help you find ways to

solve your problems about anythingrelated to Gwangju (legal, medical,

accommodation, education, culture,and many others!)

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:48 AM


Midway between Kunsthalle and theGrand Hotel, across the main street atthe traffic lights from the Crown Bakery.On the 3rd floor of the T World building.

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:48 AM

May 2013 2013.4.26 11:48 AM

may 2013 #135

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