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NOV2013

Author

Cheon Woon-young

Jeonju, Where History and Food Meet

KOREA'S GARDENSThe Beauty of Natural Harmony

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V E R S T O R Y

PublisherWoo Jin-yung, Korean Culture and Information Serv

Executive ProducerSuh Jeong-sun

E-mail webmaster@korea.net

Magazine ProductionSeoul Selection

Editor-in-ChiefRobert Koehler

Producer Shin Yesol

Production SupervisorLee Jin-hyuk

Editorial AdvisorsJang Woojung, Im Hyeong Doo

Copy EditorsGregory C. Eaves, D. Peter Kim, Hwang Chi-young

Creative DirectorJung Hyun-young

Head DesignerKo Min-jeong

PhotographyRyu Seunghoo, Robert Koehler

PrintingLEEFFECT

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduceany form without permission from KOREAand the Korean Cultu

Information Service.

If you want to receive a free copy of KOREAor wish to cancel a

please e-mail us. A downloadable PDF file of KOREAand a map

with common Korean words appearing in our text are available

the thumbnail of KOREAon the homepage of www.korea.net.

11-1110073-000016-06

04

28

CONTENTSNOVEMBER2013VOL.9 NO.11

14 PEN & BRUSHAuthor Cheon Woon-young

18 PEOPLEDr. Kim Soon Kwon changes the world through corn

20 TRAVELJeonju

24 SPORTSKoreas rising gymnastic stars

26 ENTERTAINMENTJazz singer Nah Youn-sun moves European audiences

28 SPECIAL ISSUE

2013 Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale

30 CURRENT KOREAKorean reality shows go global

32 SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

President Park discusses innovation, openness and

investment during Southeast Asian trip

36 POLICY REVIEWRegulatory reform changes lives

38 CREATIVE TECHNOLOGYKorea takes to the seas for energy, minerals

40 GLOBAL KOREABuilding houses of home with HFHK

42 GREAT KOREANConfucian scholar Yi I

44 MY KOREATaking in the autumn colors

46 MULTICULTURAL KOREAThe hand of God

48 TALES FROM KOREAPak Hyeokgeose

50 FLAVORGimjang

Korean gardens form a perfect harmony between

nature and the manmade.

C O V E R S T O R Y04

KOREAS GARDENS

26

18

G a t e w a y t o K o r e a

Assisting events that introduce Korean culture to non-Koreans

Producing foreign-language publications and different types of

promotional materials on Korea

Operating the government homepage,www.korea.net

Assisting intenational academics, opinion leaders and foreign media

reporting on Korea

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KOREASGARDENS

V E R S T O R Y

Revealing the beauty of nature as it really is

Written byHong Kwang Pyo

Garden of Seongyojang villa, Gangneung Huwon Garden, Changdeokgung Palace, Seoul Buyongdong

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While relatively unknown overseas,

Korean gardens embody a unique

aesthetic beauty and philosophical

nderpinning that make them truly mesmerizing.

With a gardening heritage that dates back millennia,

Koreans have created spaces that reveal a natural

eauty with as little artifice as possible. Korean

ardens are the products o a people who love nature.

Korean Garden Philosophy

Korean traditional gardens embody a variety o

deologies and philosophies. Trough this we can seeKorea and Koreans through the spiritual world they

ave built over time.

ypically, the gardens embody the ollowing

hilosophies: hermitism, aoism, Yin and Yang

nd the Five Elements, eng shui, Buddhism and

Conucianism.

A philosophy that tangibly reflects Korean

raditional societys view o nature and lie, hermitism

is a major influence on Korean gardens. Te hermitage

garden, a type o Korean traditional garden, is based

on this philosophy o tossing aside worldly interests

and desires and returning to nature to remain aloo

rom the world.

aoism has also lef an impact. Tis philosophy

encourages you to pursue benefits in the here and now

with the objective o obtaining immortality. Tis was a

core value o those who maintained hermitage gardens

with the intent o making nature their riend.

Yin and Yang reers to theyinandyangin the

taegeuk, while the Five Elementswater, fire, wood,metal and earthcreate and transorm the cosmos.

Korean gardens sometimes make use o part o this

philosophy, which posits that the cosmos is round

while the earth is square. Tis is most requently seen

in the design o ponds, which are ofen square with

round islands.

Feng shui, meanwhile, seeks places where the energy

within the earth is the strongest. On a grand scale, the

1. Changdeokgung

Palaces Buyongji

Pond, a beautiful

example of

Korean palace

gardening. The

Huwon Garden, of

which the Buyongji

Pond is a part, is

a UNESCO World

Heritage Site.

2. Damyangs

Soswaewon

Garden, one

of Koreas best

loved hermitage

gardens.

application o eng shui is or the ounding o cities, but on a

micro scale, it involves things like digging ponds and planting

trees in your garden to control energy flow.

Te influence o Buddhism can best be seen, naturally

enough, in the gardens o Buddhist temples. Ponds are dug and

lotuses planted to recreate the Buddhist Pure Land paradise.

Te influence o Seon (Zen) is also apparent in the use o

nature as an object o contemplation. Conucian virtues, like

filial piety, are also physically expressed in the scenery o

Korean palaces, Conucian schools and homes.

Korean Garden Forms

Fundamentally, Korean gardens are composed o natural

elements like water, wood and stone. Where no natural

elements exist, an artificial ramework is created and naturemoved into it.

In the case o hermitage gardens, the natural environment

is lef relatively unchanged compared to other garden orms.

For instance, at Soswaewon Garden, a space was made in

the garden wall to not impede the flow o water, while at

Songgwangsa emple, the natural environment was retained so

that people could enjoy reflections on the gathering water.

Artificial gardens are ofen inside palaces and aristocratic

estates. Building such a garden requires a good deal o

groundbreaking and landscaping, which in turn requi

o money. So these kinds o gardens were rarely built b

or the non-wealthy. Anapji Pond in Gyeongju and the

gardens o Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung pala

examples o such gardens, with largely artificially dug

Composition of Korean Gardens

Korean gardens are a combination o architectural, sp

water and stone elements.

Architecturally, Korean gardens make requent use

pavilions. ypically, they employjeong(small pavilion

and nu(larger pavilions). Nuare prevalent in palaces

and government buildings, butjeongare typically use

in home and hermitage gardens. Examples o nuare

Gyeongbokgungs Gyeonghoeru, Changdeokgungs JuNamwons Gwanghallu, Byeongsan Seowons Mandae

Gukdamwons Pungyongnu. Te numerous examples

include Gyeongbokgungs Hyangwonjeong, Changde

Buyongjeong and Aeryeonjeong, Bogildos Seyeonjeo

Seongyojangs Hwallaejeogn, Andongs Gunjajeong, B

Cheongamjeong, Buam-dongs Seokpajeong and Bua

Hwasuns Imdaejeong and Yeongyangs Gyeongjeong.

Occasionally employed are dae, which are either a r

o earth or stone or a building built on it.

1

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in beautiul natural locations rather than in their ho

Most Korean gardens are located in naturally beaut

spots. In particular, hermitage gardens are built on

outstanding natural scenery and much care is taken

harm the aesthetic or ecological elements o the loc

garden was built so people could return to nature, b

the space or a bit and make riends with nature. T

Korean gardens apart rom Chinese, Japanese and

gardens.

Korean gardens are designed to highlight the pas

time. People can tell spring has come rom the soun

stream water flowing rom the melting ice and the

plum blossoms. Azaleas and peonies blossom, ollo

myrtles. Ten the rains come, signaling the arrival o

As maple turns red, ginkgoes go golden, and grassh

chirp, you can eel the deepening o autumn. Finall

wake up one morning and the garden is covered in

snowwinter is here. Te Korean garden is a stage

passage o the our seasons through the transorma

nature.

Korean gardens also reveal the beauty o emptin

rees are neither planted in intricate clusters nor s

out sparingly. Te garden makes use o empty spa

to a technique called chagyeong, or borrowed land

Trough chagyeong, the beauty o the surroundin

is borrowed, so to speak, and is used as part o th

garden itsel. Tis gardening technique creates be

emptiness and is hard to find in other countries. B

created by emptying ull spaces and filling empty

Korean gardens are also a total sensory experienc

use light, smell, sound, taste and touch. As the ligh

rom morning to dusk, lit spaces and shaded space

created and the scenery is transormed. Te scents

stop, as different flowers blossom with the change i

Humans and nature are in harmony through the b

music created rom water, wind, birds and the sway

bamboo. Te true taste o nature can be enjoyed by

a pavilion with a cup o tea. Feel the sofness o flow

your hair blowing in the wind, the coolness o the w

when dipping your eet in the pond and the passag

while gripping the weathered railing o an old pavil

Anapji Garden

Anapji is Koreas

oldest existing

traditional garden,

built in 674 during

the reign of King

Munmu of the Silla

Kingdom. Anapji is a

fully artificial garden

in that the pond was

ug, hills created, flowers planted and rare birds and animals

ntroduced. The water in Anapji comes from Gyeongjus Bukcheon

tream via a series of stone steps. The lakeside is modeled on

he shape of the seashore, and ornamental rocks have beenlaced there to lend beauty to the landscape. Also accentuating

he scene are flowering trees that bloom in accordance with the

easons. (Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do)

Gyeongbokgung Palaces Amisan Garden

misan Garden behind Gyeongbokgung Palaces Gyotaejeon Hall

as a four-story flower bed made of rectangular stone. In the

ower bed are ornamental rocks, stone basins and other stone

lements, as well as four and six-sided chimneys beautifully

uilt from brick. The chimneys are finely decorated with a variety

f motifs including arabesque, pine, bamboo, plums, peonies,

hrysanthemum, dragons, tigers, bats, haetaeand clouds.

lowering shrubs like dwarf almonds, yellow and red plums,

pricots, peonies, azaleas and cherries are planted alongside tall

rees such as those of pine, pear and apricot and Cornelian cherry,

roducing a beautiful vegetation landscape. (Seoul)

Changdeokgung Palaces Huwon Garden

Changdeokgung

Palaces famous

Huwon Garden

is divided into

several sections:

Buyongjeong,

Aeryeonjeong,

Jondeokjeong and

Ongnyucheon.

Located at the entrance of Huwon, the Buyongjeong area

tilizes scenic elements with different meanings, producing a

private space that is a cut above mere simple beauty. Sit above it,

and you feel almost as if youre on a ship.

Located on the way to Ongnyucheon Stream, the Aeryeonjeong

area is simple and rustic.

If you head up a bit from Aeryeongjeong, youll come to a

couple of pavilions such as Gwallamjeong and Jondeokjeong---

this is the Jondeokjeong area. The ponds and pavilions in this area

have been placed in a way that maintains the natural topography.

A nice walking path has been created, too.

In the deepest part of the garden is the Ongnyucheon area. The

heart of this section is a stream flowing from the eastern peak of

Mt. Bugaksan. The name Ongnyucheon comes from an inscription

written onto a rock by King Injo. On this rock, a channel has been

carved, taking the water to an artificial waterfall that produces awaterfall-like sound in a deep valley. (Seoul)

Soswaewon

Built in the 16th century by scholar Yang San-bo, Soswaewon is

one of Koreas best known hermitage gardens. As a hermitage

garden, its makers showed great restraint and produced a nature-

focused space. For instance, the garden wall was designed to

avoid impeding the flow of the stream at the heart of the garden.

Several pavilions are at vantage points throughout the garden. To

reach the garden, you must first pass through one of the countrys

most scenic bamboo forests.

Soswaewon is located in a village called Jigok; nearby are

many pavilions such as Hwangbyeokdang, Myeonangjeong and

Songgangjeong. (Damyang, Jeollanam-do)

Buyongdong Hermitage GardenLocated on the

southwestern

island of Bogildo,

Buyongdong

Hermitage Garden

was built in the 17thcentury by scholar Yun

Seon-do.

The garden can

be divided into several sections. The area around Seyeonjeong

Pavilion comprises a pavilion, pond and pool. The square-shaped

pond has a square island and draws water from a pool made by

blocking a stream with a stone dam. Built between the pond and

Koreas Representative Gardens

pool, Seyeongjeong Pavilion was built with an entirely open

structure to provide unobstructed views of the surroundings.

On a mountain slope a kilometer north of here is the

Dongcheon Seoksil section. The center of this section is

Dongcheon Seoksil, a small pavilion whose name means

house of a hermit. Yun spent quite a bit of time here,

reading books and enjoying the mountain scenery.

The last section of the garden is Yuns own living space, the

halls of Nakseojae and Goksudang. Both have a natural

beauty to them. Behind Nakseojae is a beautiful boulder,

while next to the Goksudang flows a stream. In the pond dug

in front of the Goksudang are three ornamental rocks that

represent the Three Gods Mountain. (Bogildo, Jeollanam-do)

Dongnakdang

Dongnakdang was the living room and study of Joseon

Dynasty scholar Yi Eon-jeok. Using the borrowed landscape

technique, the room allows visitors to enjoy the surrounding

natural beauty. From it, one gets fine views of the pine forest

beyond its walls. (Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do)

Seongyojang

Founded by Yi

Nae-beon in the

mid-1700s, the

ten-building

structure

Seongyojang

took several

eras to reach

completion.

Hwangnaejeong Pavilion was built in the early 19th century,

with a pond full of lotuses. The nearby myrtles fill the space

with beautiful flowers and scents in summer.

(Gangneung, Gangwon-do)

V E R S T O R Y

0

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BorrowBeautyLandscape architect sa garden is more thanwhats inside the wall

Interview byRobert Koehler

Gardens are made by people, but the

principle is to make it look as i it were

made by heaven.

Tis is the key to Korean gardens,

explains SeoAhn otal Landscape

President Jung Young-sun, one o

Koreas top landscape architects. In act,

she designed the venue or the interview,

the lovely Heewon Garden o the Ho-

Am Art Museum in Yongin, Gyeonggi-

do.

As we conducted the interview, she

took the writer on a tour o the gardens,

pointing out the beauty o the rough-cut

rocks, the view o the nearby lake, andthe terracing that gradually brought the

hilltop museum into view.

Jung quickly stresses that Korean

gardens are quite diverse. A very

important thing is that Korean

gardensbe it Huwon, Gyeongbokgung

Palace, Seoswaewon or Buyongdong

have similarities but are also quite

different, depending on the place

and the architecture, she says. Tis is

reflected in Heewon Garden, which

some call an encyclopedia o Korean

gardening. She adds, I analyzed how

our ancestors viewed nature and how

they reflected this in their living spaces,

their temples, their palaces. I also looked

at how they viewed the land.

Searching or the roots o these

attitudes, she ound them in the land

itsel. Because our land is different

rom Chinas and Japans, naturally our

view o nature is different, she says. In

particular, we have a lot o mountains,

and i we just adjust the land a bit, we

can see the surrounding scenery, to

borrow it.

Tis principle was put to work at

Heewon, where Jung first read the

landscape, taking note o the mountains

and the lovely reservoir, and then set

about finding ways to utilize it. She

says Heewon is not merely a Korean

traditional gardenits an evolution

o tradition. A lot o our history and

tradition was cut off by the Japanese

colonial period, the Korean War and

aferwards, she says. Especially with

gardening, there was no modernization

process. In that regard, this place is very

important.

rue to Korean gardening techniques,

Jung chose not to copy Koreas otheramous gardens. We couldnt just

imitate Huwon or Soswaewon or

Buyongdong, she says. We needed to

make something that fit this building

(the museum), this landscape and this

age.

o urther take advantage o the

landscape, she included a larger outer

garden with the lake and mountains so

that visitors rom the city could better

appreciate the beauty o the landscapes.

Te garden is also an exhibition space

throughout the landscape are stone

figures, Buddhist relies and other

artistic works o masonry. Even the

coffee shop, which has lovely views o

the garden, is designed to blend in with

the landscape and harkens back to a

time when scholars sat in their pavilions

with a cup o tea.

Jung laments that some o Koreas

more amous gardens are either

overtouristed or are not as well

maintained as they should be. Still, she

recommends Seouls Seongnagwon

Garden and Seokpajeong Villa as good

examples o Korean gardens.

2

Globalizing Korean Gardens

Over the last ew decades, diverse efforts have gone

nto building Korean gardens overseas. About 15 such

ardens have been made in Japan, China and Europe,

elping to promote Koreas unique culture abroad and

nstilling pride in ethnic Koreans living outside o the

motherland. A Korean garden has been built in the

Mongolian capital o Ulaanbaatar, and efforts to do the

ame in Los Angeles and Irvine, Caliornia, will also

romote Korean culture.

Most Korean gardens overseas have been built by

municipal and provincial governments, usually or

verseas expos or as part o sister city ties. None were

nitiated or paid or by private initiative, however,

artly because private entities have difficulty raising

he cash or the projects. Te main reason, however, is

ack o leadership rom the private sector.

Korea has become a world leader with a mature

conomy and political system. Still, ew abroad seem

o know that the country has 5,000 years o history and

nique culture. Te Park Geun-hye administrations

aunch o its Cultural Enrichment initiative seeks to

promote Korea as a culturally mature nation and instill

pride in its citizens as cultured people.

Building Korean gardens overseas to promote

Korean culture can help realize the initiatives goals.

Active participation rom central and regional

governments and the private sector is required.

Te Korean traditional garden is a symbolic icon

cultivated by Koreas unique environmental conditions

and the people raised under those conditions. From

Anapji Pond o the Silla Kingdom to the UNESCO-

registered Huwon Garden o Changdeokgung Palace,

such gardens have a scenic nature quite unlike those o

other nations. Palace gardens express the highest level

o decoration through the use o ponds, pavilions,

flower beds and stones. Hermitage gardens show the

beauty o nature as it is by employing as ew man-

made items as possible. Home gardens, meanwhile,

ocus on the backyard to produce a rustic atmosphere,

creating a hidden beauty. When building Korean

gardens overseas, this identity must not be damaged.

When this principle is adhered to, the Korean

character o traditional gardens can be preserved.

V E R S T O R Y

Lotus ponds of

Seonyudo Park, a

modern example of

Korean gardening.

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N & B R U S H

As a writer, as somebody who gives bir th to

something, it was like sel-reflection. And

personally, as a woman who is past 40 and not

a mother, it was like introspection. I still have much to say

about mothers, both in themselves and as symbols.

So says author Cheon Woon-young about her latest volume

o short stories,As You Know, oo, Mother(Moonji Publishing

Co., Ltd, 2013). Since the release o her first collection o short

stories, Te Needle(Changbi Publishers, 2001), Cheon has been

provoking audiences and shattering stereotypes about emale

authors with her vivid imagery and raw and almost primal

stories and depictions. WithAs You Know, oo, Mother, she

tackles a number o issues, including the cause o evil, but most

importantly, she examines the meaning o motherboth the

literal and symbolic meanings o the wordand the impact

that even bad mothers can have on this world.

Good Seed from Bad Mothers

Being a collection o short stories published over the last our

years,As You Know, oo, Motherdid not find its inspiration

rom one specific source. In the case o ull-length novels,

you write with one purpose rom start to finish, but in the case

o short stories, you immediately write the stories that touch

you when they do, says Cheon. So afer you collect the short

stories youve released, you also come to realize the theme you

wanted at the time.

Some o the stories began as explorations o the start o evil,

but manyincluding the title workdeal with mothe

mother-figures, be them physical or symbolic mother

as Cheon explains, a being that conceives and gives b

something, a being that eeds and raises something, a

that educates and influences something. In particular

wanted to see how even poor mothers can produce so

good. She says, Te mothers in the book might seem

mothers or mothers that had a bad influence, but I wa

try thinking about how, ultimately, we get good seeds

these mothers.

Talking to People. Watching Peopl

Cheon says she finds her inspiration rom lie, both he

and those o others. Teres nothing as vivid, complex

mysterious as real lie, she says. Shes always talking w

people, or at the very least observing them. When I w

novel, I shut mysel inside alone, but Im constantly w

until the time I begin writing, she says.

Likewise, when the words dont flow, she mixes wit

masses, watching what they do. I sit or a while in on

she says. I watch quietly. People. Tings. I just sit ther

nothing else I can do.

I Thought You Were a Man

Literary critics as well as the general public have prais

or breaking with the bourgeois sensibilities displayed

emale writers o the 1990s to launch a grittier literary

NOT JUST A WOMANWRITERCheon Woon-young breaks the mold with a literary world all her own

Written by Kim Hyung-eun and

Robert Koehler

4

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6

N & B R U S H

I wonder i perhaps I receive such reviews because existing

emale writers usually write womens stories or because they tell

heir own stories more subtly, and my novels are different rom

hat, says Cheon.

Saying many readers seem to have a prejudice toward emale

writers, she says shes never really thought o hersel as a emale

writer, let alone set out to create a whole new school o emale

terature. Ive never thought o mysel as a emale writer. Nor

id I set out to create a new emale aesthetic to erase the title o

woman, she says. All I did was find the right voice when I had

story I wanted to tell.

At any rate, Cheon is wary o public reviews. Tey become

risons, she says.

They Are All My Children

o ask Cheon which o her works she likes best is like asking

mother to choose her avorite child. Im attached to all my

works or different reasons, she says. Tey are all my kids, the

ad ones and the good ones.

Te Needle, or instance, is her eldest son, written in a white

eat. Farewell, Circus(Munhakdongne Publishing Corp.,

005), on the other hand, required quite a bit o work. Te

ovel, which deals with a Korean-Chinese person now living in

Korea, required Cheon to travel back and orth between Korea

nd China. It was tough, but she did pick up the unique Korean

dialect spoken in the ethnic Korean region o northeast China.

Now that I think o it again, I wonder how I did it, she says. It

wouldve been impossible without the stamina o youth.

She considers her most significant novel, however, to be

Ginger(Changbi Publishers, 2011). Tis daring work tells the

story o a torturerbased on a real and still very much alive

individualwho tortured dissidents during Koreas military

dictatorships o the 1970s and 80s. I had quite a hard time

because its still ongoing history, she says. Its not something I

could talk about rashly.

Gingeralso showed tension between what she wanted to say

and what the story wanted to say, as she puts it. Tere were

also times when she managed to righten hersel. Teres a

scene where the torturer, immersed in his work, is beautiully

romanticizing what hes doing, she says. As I wrote that, I saw

mysel enjoying the torture, too. I was rightened.

Te book took a while to finish, but once she completed it,

she said she elt as i she had passed through a sort o gate. Te

most important thing was that through the process, I could

realize what kind o person I was, she says. It also represented

the start o a new direction in her writing. A flow that had

begun with Te Needlehad slightly changed course with

Ginger, she says. I really like the change in direction. I plan to

go with the flow or the time being.

The Needle Ginger As You Know, Too, Mother

My older brother held out the limp paper

clown for the woman to take. After a

moments hesitation, she took it. This was the

woman my brother liked. He pretended to be

uninterested, but had been watching everything.

I started doubting again.All this woman is

looking for is a marriage certificate and plane

ticket to Korea. Behind those gentle features,

she is hatching a clever scheme, no doubt.

My brother spoke to me with his kind eyes.

Dont doubt her.

With his good-natured eyes, he told me that

he didnt have anything to lose anyway.

My brothers voice is a little . . . but other than

that, hes good hearted, and the restaurant hes

running right now is doing pretty well, too. Once

you get used to his voice, its not that bad. Its

not like he cant speak at all, you know . . . since

he hurt his throat in that accident . . .

I kept fumbling for words, like a child making

one excuse after the other or a soldier who lost

the will to fight. I stopped talking and looked

at my brother. He grinned even wider and kept

smiling like a fool. When he smiles, you can see

the wrinkles in his throat. It makes him look older.

I like this girl, my brother said in my ear.

Her name was Hae-hwa. Lim Hae-hwa. My

brother said her name was pretty. The woman

laughed for the first time, maybe hearing what

my brother said. He chuckled along with

her. While my brother was laughing, I stole a

glance at the womans eyes. The back of my

head itched as if I had something to hide. The

expression on her face didnt change at all. She

wasnt the kind of person who showed fear or

confusion easily. Her carefully composed faceactually frightened me for some reason.

My brother brought out the present he had

purchased. It was a set of Korean cosmetics

that we had been told was popular with Chinese

women. The marriage broker had the men on

the tour buy presents they would need if they

ended up with one of the women, gifts for the

bride and her parents. All of the men bought the

same cosmetics set at the airport. The woman

toyed with one corner of the packaging. My

brother looked at me and gestured with his chin.

Thats a present, so anyway, you can just

have it. No pressure at all.

When I was done talking, my brother nodded

his head in an exaggerated way and then

whispered something else in my ear.

My brother says that this is fine with him. . .

as long as its fine with you.

The woman didnt reply. Perhaps she didnt

like my brother? As my brothers smile kept

getting bigger and as her silence kept stretching

out longer, I gradually felt more and more uneasy.

Do you think it would be okay if . . . we had

the wedding before we go?

The woman spoke with her eyes facing down.

After she was done, she slowly lifted her head

and gazed at my brother. Her face looked like

she might start crying at any minute.

Im the only child in the family. My parents

arent happy with the idea of sending me off

without a wedding. Anyway, were supposed to

have an engagement ceremony before we go,

right? If we cant do the wedding, it should be

OK to take a picture of me in a floral veil, right?

If nothing else, I should

leave a picture behind

when I go. . .

The woman wasnt

speaking to me, but

to my brother. At last,

I relaxed a little. My

brother gave her abig smile instead of a

response.

Excerpt, Farewell, Circus, p1718.

In addition to the Korean

original, the novel is available in

French translation, too.

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8

Dr. Kim Soon Kwon was born

in 1945 to a amily that

armed and fished or a living.

Japanese occupation o Korea had just

ended and the country would soon see its

most tragic civil war. Growing up, Kim

and his riends would ofen roam the

countryside and hunt or rogs, pheasants

and even grasshoppers; not or kicks, but

or ood. When he ailed his high school

exam, he had no choice but to help his

dad work on the amily arm.

Kim eventually got into high school,

however, and went on to attend university

and graduate school, where he studied

agricultural science to ulfill his dream o

developing hybrid crops to make arming

more efficient and to provide better, saer

ood or more people in need. Following

his proessors advice, he applied or

the Ph.D program at Seoul National

University, but ailed that exam, too.

I was never the best student. It turns

out I dont even have that high o an IQ,

he said.

Eyes Opened

Nevertheless, Kim was apparently good

enough or the University o Hawaii,

where he studied thanks to a scholarship

and received his doctorate in only three

years. While there, he grew particularly

ascinated by one proessor who never

hesitated to wear overalls and sneakers and

jump into the field to conduct research.

I realized then that you cant become a

proper agricultural researcher i you dont

jump into the cornfield yoursel. I you

just sit around the laboratory all day in a suit and tie,

youll never get anywhere, he said.

One o his proessors then suggested that Kim go

with him to Arica and help develop corn or the

hungry. Kim, however, was intent on returning to

his homeland to help the starving people there. Afer

humbly reusing the offer and returning to Korea to

start his research, the good doctor soon ound that

ew were on his side.

Homegrown Success

Corn research was severely limited and most people

in the field reused to even conduct urther research

on developing it, saying it was useless or Korea. Kim

was not easily deterred, however. Convinced that aproper genetic hybrid o corn could be developed to

eed more Koreans, he stuck to his research. In 1976,

he developed Asias first hybrid breed o corn that

could produce three times the volume o ood corn

provided at the time.

News o Kims success reached agricultural experts

all across the world. Tis humble man rom the

Korean provinces had accomplished a world first in

his field, finding an effective and sae way to fight

mass hunger in underdeveloped nations.

Finding a Different Way

Tis time, the United Nations pleaded with

to Arica to do or the people there what he

Korea. Agriculturalists rom all over the glo

ailed in more than 30 years o research to p

proper hybrid that would flourish in the nat

largely due to the indigenous weed, striga, n

the devils plant, which made it impossible

corn to grow.

Kim, recognizing that complete resistance

was utile, developed a hybrid breed that wo

in harmony with striga. His predecessors ha

tried to wipe it out entirely, and ailed each

Striga is native to Nigerian soil. You cant

it to totally relinquish its home tur. You havcompromise a little. I made a corn that could

with striga instead o trying to rebel against i

Te good doctor had succeeded again. T

his work, thousands o people have been sav

mass starvation. Recommended by many o

Nobel Prize, Kim said his next dream is to d

corn to eed people in North Korea.

o me, corn isnt only ood, its hope. I be

can be a means to achieve world peace.

SEEDSOFHOPEDr. Kim Soon Kwonhelps feed the world

with his revolutionarycorn research.

Written by Felix Im

1. In 1976, Kim

developed corn

that produced three

times the amount of

food corn provided

at the time.

International Corn

Foundation

2.Kim trains

students at an

agricultural school

in Zimbabwe. International Corn

Foundation

E O P L E

1

2

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R A V E L

o appreciate Jeonjus charms, you must pre

get lost. And bring your appetite with you.

Jeonjuexemplified by the Jeonju Hanok

Villageis a heady mix o picturesque alleyways, ruKorean homes, old Conucian shrines, artisan work

historic gates and plenty o good ood. Its even mor

charming in autumn, when the leaves change color a

bathe the alleyways in wonderul hues o gold and c

0

Elegant Korean Hanok homes and quaint alleyways of Jeonju Hanok Village.

JeonjuWhere traditional Korean charm andculinary delights collide

Written byRober

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Jeonjus signiture dish, thebibimbap. KTO 2. Jeondong Catholic Cathedral, one of Koreas oldest and most beautiful Catholic churchesYellow ginkgo leaves form a golden blanket over Jeonju Hyanggyo, a historic Confucian school. Jeonju City

2

Where to Eat

Jeonjus best

knownbibimbap

house is Gogung (T. 063-

251-3211), a taxi ride from

Jeonjus Hanok Village.

Closer to the village is

Gajok Hoegwan (T. 063-284-0982), which is also hig

recommended. This writer recommends Seongmida

(T. 063-273-0029), a smaller place hidden in an alley

Gajok Hoegwan. Its friendly, held in high esteem by

and above all, does great food.

Where to Stay

Many of the

homes in Jeonju

Hanok Village double as

guesthouses. Youll find

some real gems here. Thenicest is Hakindang (T.

063-284-9929), a palatial

estate built in 1905 by high-ranking royal court offic

Nak-jung. The homes architecture incorporates asp

royal palace design. Korean independence activist

(18761949) slept in what is now the VIP room. Ano

great place is Dongnagwon (T. 063-287-2040), a H

estate in an alleyway off Eunhaeng-ro. In addition t

a lodging facility, it also serves as a memorial to Am

missionary William McCleery Junkin, who conducte

religious and educational activities in Jeonju after c

to Korea in 1892.

Getting There

The KTX express train connects Jeonju with Se

Yongsan Station (travel time: about 2 hrs, 10

MORE

Jejudo

1

Seoul

Jeonju

R A V E L

Catholic churches. Built by French missionaries in 1914, the mostly

Romanesque brick structure is crowned by three Byzantine spires.

Nobody will conuse it or the Hagia Sophia, but its spectacular

nonetheless. Te old brick rectory there is quite lovely, too.

Quiet place to think

One o Bukchons most charming spotsespecially in autumnis

the Jeonju Hyanggyo, the towns old Conucian school. Moved to its

current spot in 1603, the school is a collection o graceul wood halls

and centuries-old trees, perect or a relaxing stroll. In autumn, the

ginkgoes in the courtyard turn bright yellow; as the leaves all, they

create a beautiul golden carpet. As an added bonus, the school is

relatively tourist-ree, creating a tranquil space or contemplation.

Culinary capital of KoreaMany Korean oodies will tell you Koreas best cuisine can be had in

Jeonju. Te bread basket o Korea or centuries, the region produces

some o Koreas best quality rice and oodstuffs. Te ingredients are

liberally combined into dishes that bewitch the senses.

Jeonjus signature dish is Jeonju bibimbap, a bowl o rice mixed

with 30 seasoned vegetables and other ingredients, including

raw bee and tangy red pepper paste. A table ull o side dishes

accompanies each meal, the number and variety o which boggle the

mind. Another Jeonju avorite is kongnamul gukbap, a soup o bean

sprouts, anchovy broth and rice. Not only is it tasty, but makes or a

great hangover remedy.

3

Land of royalty

eonju is the ancestral home o the Jeonju Yi clan, the royal

amily o the Joseon Dynasty (13921910). Te kings o Joseon

uled Korea or 500 largely stable years, overseeing some o

he nations greatest cultural accomplishments including the

nvention o Hangeul, Koreas ingenious indigenous alphabet.

Gyeonggijeon Shrine, located in the heart o the city, was

ounded in 1410 to pay tribute to the ounder o the Joseon

Dynasty, King aejo. Most o the complex dates back to a 17th-

entury reconstruction. Te rustic halls and gnarled old trees

make or a wonderul stroll. Dont miss its small bamboo orest,

popular photo-taking place.

eonju Hanok Village

Te most popular tourist destination in Jeonju, however,

Jeonju Hanok Village, Koreas best known collection o

raditional Korean houses outside o Seouls Bukchon district.

ike those o Bukchon, Jeonjus traditional housesor

Hanokdate rom the early 20th century, when urbanization

purred new housing development. Unlike their country

ousins, Jeonjus Hanok are densely packed along narrow alleys.

Get a birds eye view o the village rom Omokdae Pavilionits

lmost like a sea o black tile roos.

Many Hanok here are still homes, but many others have

een transormed into restaurants, cas, galleries, workshops

and stores. Maps o the neighborhood are available at tourist

inormation booths, but to really get a eel or it, just put on a

pair o good walking shoes and explore.

Byzantine gem in southwest Korea

Not everything in Jeonjus Hanok Village is purely Korean,

though. Te villages easiest recognized landmarkindeed, its

one o the ew buildings here taller than one storyis Jeondong

Catholic Cathedral, one o Koreas oldest and most beautiul

2

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Yang Hak-seon is running out o competitors and

his coach is running out o superlatives.

In October, the 21-year-old Yang became the first

South Korean gymnast in 21 years to win back-to-back gold

medals at the world championships, dominating the vault

competition in Antwerp, Belgium. Tis made national team

coach Joo Young-sam wonder whether Yangs talent will hit a

ceiling.I was rooting or him on the sidelines, but really, he won

all by himsel and the enjoyment is all his, Joo told reporters.

He wasnt in ideal physical condition, and there was also

the pressure o everyone talking that a gold medal would

be inevitable. But he braved through it, practiced hard and

even prepared a new technique. He earned his medal and Im

proud o him.

In Antwerp, Yang was not close to top physical orm due

to back pain and having tweaked his neck in practice. Still,

even at less than 100 percent, he was comortably better than

everyone else in the building. Te outcome was made more

predictable by North Koreas Ri Se-gwang, who had been

considered Yangs closest rival but checked out early afer a

disappointing preliminary round.

Yang cruised through the preliminary and took care

o business in the final, pulling off his amous Yang-

1, a handspring triple twist named afer him, on his first

attempt. He then executed a Lopez, a one-and-a-hal back

somersault and three twists, on his second to score 15.553

points overall.

American Steven Legendre took the silver with 15.249

points and Britains Kristian Tomas the bronze with 15.233.

In praising Yang or his triumph in Belgium, the South

Korean media also expressed disappointment that he did not

showcase his new move, the Yang-2, or a sukahara triple

with an extra hal turn. He has pledged to make his next

namesake vault, and his competitors like Ri could bring out

the South Koreans best next time.

Yang wasnt in good condition and the other players didnt

get high scores, so there was no reason or him to attempt the

Yang-2 this time, said Kim Dae-won, vice president o the

Korea Gymnastics Association.

Perhaps Yang will need the Yang-2 in next years Asian

Games, where he could be competing against Ri.

Young Talent Emerges

Bringing home his countrys first Olympic gold in gymnastics

in London last year, Yang is widely considered the most

talented gymnast to come out o South Korea. He is

considered to have eclipsed Yoo Ok-ryul, who topped the vault

competitions in the 1991 and 1992 world championships.

Whether Yang is the countrys most dominant athlete in any

sport is debatable, as that argument would probably avor Kim

Yu-na, who reigns with authority in womens figure skating.

But unlike Kim, Yang gets routines named afer him.

Yang is the biggest name among a group o gifed South

Korean gymnasts who have inspired talk o a golden

generation in the countrys gymnastics. Kim Hee-hoo

the countrys next-best talent in the vault, while Park

19, showed his potential by finishing 22nd in the indiv

round in Antwerp in his first major international even

On the womens side, Sung Ji-hye, 17, who won silve

2012 Asian Championships all-round, is generating t

excitement. She finished 34th in the individual all-rou

Antwerp with 52.065 points, leading to speculation th

could emerge as a medal hopeul in the 2016 Olympi

given her talent and learning curve.

It was precisely 10 years ago when South Korea ann

itsel as a world gymnastics power, with Kim Dae-un

the silver medal and Yang ae-young the bronze in the

all-round at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Tat memory is bittersweet or South Korea, howev

should have been the mens all-around champion, but

judges would not correct a mistake they made and Am

Paul Hamm ended up with the gold.

Fortunately, the new vault king, Yang, gives himsel

margin o error, precluding any judging controversies

1. Yang Hak-seon won Koreas first gold in gymnastics at the 2012 London Olympics.

2.Yang performs his famous Yang-1 on the vault at the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia.

Written byKim Tong-hyung

A GOLDEN GENERATIONYoung Korean gymnasts leap into the big time

4

1

P O R T S

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6

Jazz singers usually do not make their audience sob afer

listening to their songs, unless they are at a jazz bar and

people in the seats have had one too many cocktails. Tis

ertainly does not occur at legendary venues like the Ttre

u Chtelet in Paris.

However, Nah Youn-sun brings a flood o tears to her

udiences eyes whenever she sings Arirang, a Korean

raditional olk song.

Its odd enough to make audiences sob in a jazz concert,

ut Nah, 43, sings what is considered Koreas second national

nthem in almost all o her concerts. Koreans grew amiliar

with the singer afer seeing her at President Park Geun-hyes

nauguration, where she sang Arirang Fantasy with veteran

inger Insooni, musical actress Choi Jung-won andpansori

master Ahn Sook-seon.

Nah, however, has a large ollowing in France and across

urope. She was named a Chevalier o the Order o Arts and

etters by the French government and ranks high on European

azz charts. She has perormed on more than 200 stages in

25 countries and despite being on oreign soil, Nah has won

ans on the continent with a jazzy version o her motherlands

classic tune , Arirang.

Youd be surprised to know that I didnt come up with the

idea o singing Arirang in our repertoire. My guitarist Ul

Wakenius told me one day that he knew a Korean song and

played it on his guitar. It was Arirang, and I was surprised that

he knew it, she said.

As Nah was looking or a Korean song to sing at her concerts,

she asked her guitarist i he could play the tune. He confidently

said yes, and then asked i she could sing the song, to which

she said, What do you mean i I can sing it? Nearly everyone

in Korea can.

Bringing audiences to tears

Nah and her band have since been perorming Arirang in

nearly all o their shows. Every time, she says she is surprised to

see audiences shedding tears while listening despite being unable

to understand the lyrics and the meaning behind the song.

JAZZING UP

ARIRANGVocalist Nah Youn-sun moves Europeanaudiences with Korean folk tune

Written byYim Seung-hye

When I tell my riends in Korea about this experience

[o oreign audiences getting teary-eyed while listening to

Arirang], they dont believe me. But they really cry. Tats the

charm o this traditional olk song, she said.

Being born to musical parentsNahs mother is one o

Koreas first generation o musical actresses and her ather

is a classic vocalistit seems natural or Nah to have gone

into music. She insists, however, that everything has been

coincidental.

Nah majored in French in college and her first job was

as a copywriter at a public relations company. But afer just

eight months, she lef her job and stayed home or months

wondering what to do with her lie. Ten a close riend

suggested she audition or a musical since she knew that Nah

enjoyed singing. But as Nah knew how difficult things are or a

musical actress by watching her mother, she was hesitant to set

oot in the industry.

But I thought its better to do something than nothing, so I

auditioned and got a part in the musical Subway Line No. 1,

said Nah. Afer perorming

on stage, she said she

wanted to study more and

decided on jazz afer a

riends suggestion.

Nah spoke a little

French and was a big an o

chansons, lyric-driven French

songs, so she boarded a plane

to Paris at the airly late age

o 26 to study a musical genre

that she said she knew nothing about.

Since leaving or France in 1995, Nah has studied a

Jazz School and the National Music Institute o Beauv

as the Nadia and Lili Boulanger Conservatory. In Mar

released her eighth album, Lento, which includes he

rendition o Arirang. In early October, the singer pe

at the Jarasum International Jazz Festival in Korea and

or Europe or a tour o Germany.

11.Jazz singer Nah Youn-suns performances of the Korean folk song Arirang have moved European audiences. Nah Youn-sun

2.Nah performs before a packed Thtre du Chtelet in Paris, France on March 25, 2013. Nah Youn-sun

ERTAINMENT

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8

First held in 2001, the Gyeonggi International Ceramic

Biennale (GICB) is one o the most prestigious events

in the world o ceramics, bringing together artists

and enthusiasts or a 51-day celebration o the ceramic arts.

Under the theme, Community: With Me, With You, With

Us, this years biennale eatures stimulating exhibits by top

ceramic artists rom both Korea and overseas. In particular,

the event presents an opportunity to discover transormations

in the ceramics community vis-a-vis art and in everyday lie.

Building a community

Since Hongik University proessor Lee I-chin took over

as director in 2012, the biennale, now in its seventh year,

has reocused on the concept o sharing. Namely, as an

internationally recognized event, it was now time or theKorean ceramics scene to give back. Te goal this year is to

share the biennale with as many people around the world as

possible, including young artists, ceramic educators, curators

and specialists. Event organizers will also reach out to groups

that have been ignored or discriminated against.

Te GICB 2013s main event, the International Invitational

Competition, eatures more than 50 works by 27 artists rom

18 nations. Te competition has just one award, the grand

prize, which comes with a sum o USD 20,000.

Te special exhibition o the GICB 2013, Hot Rookies, is an

omnibus exhibit eaturing works by 20 young artists, defined

as artists under the age o 40, rom eight nations. Te theme o

this exhibit is Paradoxical Aesthetics. All the works address

issues o todays materialistic neo-capitalist society, including

alienation and resistance.

In keeping with the biennales objective o sharing and

community-building, a special eature exhibit will comprise

works by Koreas disabled community. Te National Ceramic

Competition or the Disabled eatures 60 pieces by 50 artists.

Sharing knowledge

Te GICB 2013 has added Mentoring Camp and alks by

Artists programs to help spread inormation and knowledge

about the ceramic arts.

Te camp is a three-part workshop, beginning with a

short-term residency program and orum workshop, the

International Ceramic Camp, eaturing invited artists rom

1. Some of the works invited to the 2013 Gyeonggi

International Ceramic Biennale. KOCEF

2. Glass blowing at the 2013 Gyeonggi International

Ceramic Biennale. KOCEF

Written byRobert Koehler

One of the ceramic worlds biggest events, the 2013 Gyeongginternational Ceramic Biennale refocuses on sharing and community

REACHING OUTTHROUGH CERAMICS

the International Invitational Competition. Te secon

the Mentoring Camp, the raditional Korean Cerami

ocuses on the history and aesthetics o Korean ceramworkshop event is related to ood and ceramics ocuse

encouraging participants to abandon disposable ware

o those o ceramics.

Another hands-on program, Clay Workshop, Heal

Camp, seeks to help participants overcome their emo

scars through ceramic art. Tis amily event has exten

particular welcome to minorities and other neglected

society.

Te biennale also includes a series o academic even

including an International Ceramic Symposium (Sep

and Oct. 24), and discussions between artists and ar

including the alks by Artists program, a series o t

well-known artists aimed at the general public.

C I A L I S S U E

2

1

INVITED ARTISTS, INTERNATIONAL INVITATIONAL COMPE

Park Je-duck, Lee Hun-chung, Lee Hwa-jin, Hahn Ai-kyu an

Young-sil (Korea); Christ Antemann, Beth Lo, Albert Pfarr

Jeanne Quinn (United States); Li Xiaofeng and Huang Chu

(China); Takashi Hinoda and Toshio Oh (Japan); Lee Yong

(Taiwan); Vipoo Srivilasa (Australia/Thailand), Debashis P

(Bangladesh); Neil Forrest (Canada); Isabel Cisneros (Ven

Kukuli Velarde (Peru/United States); Keka Ruiz-Tagle (Chi

Twomey (United Kingdom); Johan Creten (Belgium); Milan

(Czech Republic); Isabel Ferrand (Portugal/Netherlands);

Yatom (Israel); Wilma Cruise (South Africa); and Moyo Ok

(Nigeria).

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In the first season, the elderly actors traveled to Europe, and

in the second they explored aiwan. Upon arrival in the island

country, where Korean dramas and stars are quite popular, the

grandpas unexpectedly ound hundreds o ans and dozens o

broadcasters waiting or them.

It was really surprising that the grandpas became a leading

orce in Hallyu, a CJ source said, reerring to the booming

popularity o Korean pop culture overseas, also known as the

Korean Wave.

Star producer

Among other Korean reality shows that have earned export

deals, Dad, Where Are You Going? will have its ormat

exported to Chinas Hunan Satellite V in April. 1 Night,

2 Days clinched a similar contract with Chinas Sichuan

Satellite V.

Both, Grandpas Over Flowers, and, 1 Night, 2 Days,

are the brainchildren o producer Na Young-seok. 1 Night,

2 Days aired on KBS, becoming one o the countrys most

popular shows in history. Grandpas Over Flowers was Nas

first show or CJ E&M, whither he moved afer leaving KBS last

year.

Na is now directing our veteran actressesYoon Yu-jeong,

Kim Ja-ok, Kim Hee-ae and Lee Mi-yeonon a trip. Afer

directing our actors on two trips or Grandpas over Flowers,

he has invited the our actresses to film a show tentatively

named, Actresses.

Social trends

Te explosive popularity o the three reality programs

directly related to social trends in the country.

Grandpas Over Flowers reflects Koreas rapidly ag

society. Statistics Korea projects that by 2030, a ourth

population will be aged 65 or older, and by 2050, the

will be among the worlds oldest societies, with 37 per

senior citizens.

Dad, Where Are You Going? shows the growing t

Korea or both the mother and the ather to share the

o childrearing as more women seek to continue their

afer marriage and having given birth.

1 Night, 2 Days has spurred interest in outdoor ac

Outdoor gear brands now take up the best spots at Ko

department stores and in newspaper ads.

Koreas entertainment industry also seems to have t

ull support o its government. Te Ministry o Scienc

and Future Planning and the Ministry o Culture, Spor

ourism announced in October that they plan to raise

exports rom USD 4.8 billion to 10 billion by 2017.

President Park Geun-hye said on Sept. 3, Broadcas

is the key to the ecosystem o a creative media industry

adding, I hope to see a virtuous circle in which comp

content gets its values recognized, investment is made

more competitive content is created. [] I pledge my

support to ease regulations and to develop the techno

0

1. Dad, Where Are You Going? MBC 2.Grandpas Over Flowers tvN 3.Vietnamese fans flock to see the recording of Running Man, a popular Korean reality sh

Gone are the days when Korean entertainment

shows were considered mere copies o ormats

rom abroad. Producers o hit reality shows in

Korea have nowadays inked export deals with many Asian

ountries, proving their competitiveness in the overseas

market.

Te cable channel vNs Grandpas Over Flowers eatures

Korean celebrities in their 70s backpacking around Europe

nd other countries. MBCs Dad, Where Are You Going? has

amous athers bonding with their children on trips, breaking

he stereotype o Korean mothers being the primary caregivers.

KBSs 1 Night, 2 Days, a long-running outdoor reality show,

s credited with starting a camping boom in Korea.

Deals inked

For starters, Grandpas Over Flowers, one o the biggest

surprise hits o the year, is finding plenty o interest around

Asia, with export deals signed with channels in aiwan and

Hong Kong.

A spokesperson at CJ E&Ms global content team said in

September, Te show has been sold to aiwans largest cable

channel EBC and Hong Kongs largest private broadcaster

VB, and this came afer only three episodes were aired,

adding, Its rare to sell a program beore it completes its run.

CJ E&M, a broadcast affiliate o CJ, one o Koreas largest

conglomerates, owns the channel that aired the show, vN, and

produced it.

Te Korean Wave scores yet another hit Written by Kim Hyung-eun

RENT KOREA

KOREANREALITY SHOWS

1 2

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President Park Geun-hye spent early October in

Southeast Asia. She attended: the Asia-Pacific

Economic Cooperation (APEC) Meeting in Bali,

ndonesia, Oct. 68; the Association o Southeast Asian

Nations (ASEAN) +3 Summit, the 16th Korea-ASEAN

ummit and the eighth East Asia Summit in Brunei, Oct. 810;

nd paid a state visit to Indonesia, Oct. 1012.

APEC Meetings

resident Park was on the Indonesian island o Bali to

ttend the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting rom Oct. 68.

he delivered a keynote address entitled, Te Business o

Innovation: Why Does It Matter? to the APEC CEO Summit

on Oct. 6. In it, she said she believes that a creative economy is

key to an innovative paradigm that can help bring economic

growth, not just to Korea, but to all nations, through mutual

opening and cooperation. o reach that goal, she stressed the

need to overcome the barriers o regulation, finance, education

and international borders.

Tis was the second time or the president to speak at a

global gathering about the importance o the creative economy.

Te first was at the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, in

September.

In the first session o the APEC Leaders Meeting, President

Park delivered a speech on APECs Role in Strengthening the

Multilateral rading System. She said, A ree trade policy

is the most efficient and has the lowest cost. It can help with

economic revitalization and job creation and can improve

consumer welare, all without having to shoulder a financial

burden.

President Park stressed the importance o harmonizing

macroeconomic and monetary policies to bring about a global

1. President Park delivers a keynote address during the APEC CEO Sum

2. President Park meets with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. 3. Participants at APEC Indonesia 2013 pose for a commem

INNOVATION, OPENNESS,INVESTMENTPresident Park stresses creative industries, reducing barriers at APEC

MIT DIPLOMACY

2

1

economic recovery. She added that the mutual openin

economies was important or recovery, citing Koreas

recovery rom two financial crises. o promote ree tr

emphasized a stronger multilateral trading system ba

World rade Organization (WO) agreements, a resp

protectionism and the coordination o regional integr

Warning against protectionism, she urged APEC m

move orward toward regional integration. All count

to make an effort so that discussions on regional integ

can move orward in a transparent manner within AP

said. Tis will help realize the goal o a multilateral r

area o the Asia Pacific (FAAP), one o the long-term

APEC.

In the meetings second session on Oct. 8, President

proposed boosting private inrastructure investment,

support or the Indonesia-sponsored APEC Framewo

Connectivity and the APEC Multi-year Plan on Inra

Development and Investment. Stressing the importan

inrastructure, she said, It takes large long-term inve

to build inrastructure. Tere is a limit to public finan

it is necessary to promote the private sectors involvem

inrastructure investment.

She asked multilateral development banks like the W

Bank and the Asia Development Bank to cooperate in

removing barriers aced by private investment.

2

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SOUTHEAST ASIANDIPLOMACYKorea boosts ties with Southeast Asia and Oceania during presidential visitsto Brunei, Indonesia

MIT DIPLOMACY

held by Korea and Tailand in May.

Also on Oct 10, President Park attended the

ASEAN+3 Summit, where she praised the progress

ASEAN has made in member cooperation,

including the launch o the Chiang Mai Initiative,

the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office and

the ASEAN+3 Emergency Rice Reserve. She also

welcomed the scheduled 2020 launch o the East

Asian Community. o boost physical, institutional

and people-to-people links within ASEAN,

she expressed interest in building an East Asia

single window trade acilitation system to create

communication channels between universities

across the region.

Participating leaders at the ASEAN+3 Summit,

meanwhile, welcomed President Parks NortheastAsian peace initiative.

Summit with IndonesianPresident Yudhoyono

Afer the ASEAN +3 Summit, President Park flew

to Indonesia or a state visit rom Oct. 1012,

highlighted by a bilateral summit with Indonesian

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in J

In their talks, the two leaders agreed to c

a comprehensive economic partnership ag

(CEPA), a orm o ree trade pact, by years

President Park said, A Korea-Indonesia

comprehensive economic partnership agre

will contribute to achieving the trade volum

boosting trade rom USD 30 billion last yea

100 billion by 2020] and institutionalize ec

cooperation between the two countries. W

to conclude negotiations by years end.

Bilateral trade has doubled since 2007 an

Indonesia is Koreas largest target or inves

Southeast Asia. In particular, both countri

grown closer through deense industry pro

both leaders agreed to expand this cooperPresident Yudhoyono and I agreed to c

closely to expand South Korean companie

participation in new deense industry proj

ensuring that existing deense cooperation

such as the export o Korean-made advanc

jets and submarines, move orward smoot

President Park said.

Upon the conclusion o the APEC

Leaders Meeting, President Park Geun-

hye traveled to Brunei to attend the

ASEAN +3 Summit, the 16th Korea-ASEAN

ummit and the eighth East Asia Summit. On Oct.

, she held bilateral summits with the leaders o

runei, Singapore, Australia and Myanmar and

iscussed matters o mutual interest.

At the East Asia Summit (EAS) on Oct. 10,

President Park discussed climate change, disaster

control, ood and energy security and cooperation

among East Asian countries. She backed the

Brunei-sponsored declaration o the 8th East Asia

Summit on Food Security, and emphasized the need

to jointly respond to natural disasters, especially

in the ace o climate change. As an example o

such efforts, she cited the ASEAN Regional Forum

Disaster Relie Exercise, a joint disaster rescue drill

1. President Park and

Indonesian President

Susilo Bambang

Yudhoyono hold extended

summit talks in Jakarta,

Oct. 12.

2. President Park meets

with Sultan Hassanal

Bolkiah of Brunei at Brunei

International Convention

Center, Oct. 9.

3. President Park shakes

hands with Australian

Prime Minister Tony

Abbott in Brunei on Oct. 9.

4

1

2 3

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welcomed by animators, especially at a time when animated

content is taking off within the Korean entertainment industry.

Likewise, regulations used to prevent actories rom building

temporary warehouses to store their raw materials. Companies

resorted to covering raw materials with canvas, meaning that

the materials requently got wet in the rain or snow. Many

others built structures with panel roos, ully knowing that it

was illegal. Now, actory owners can build warehouses with

walls and roos made o plastic and other synthetic resins.

Regulatory reorm has also impacted hiring. Prior to July

2013, Korean companies had to keep the percentage o oreign

staff to under 20 percent o their workorce, though high-

tech companies and certain blue-chip exporters were allowed

to hire up to hal. Tis proved burdensome or small and

medium-size exporters. A staff o 10 meant a company could

hire at most two oreigners. Tat limit no longer applies to

small and medium-size companies i they can show that they

need specialized oreign staff.

o see these regulations in action, consider the example o

Kim Dae-yeol, a medicinal herb and ruit grower in the East

Sea coastal town o Gangneung. Te Korea Forest Service

operates a program to help small-scale herbal producers

who lack a sales network. Te program also allows small-

scale producers to share inormation. Unortunately or Kim,

the rules said an applicant had to be under the age o 50 to

join. Earlier this year, however, the age limit was raised to

55, and Kim was allowed to join the program. In addition to

financial support, he also benefits rom cultivation know-how,

distribution inormation and even training programs

Regulatory reorm is also making Korea saer. Lee J

office worker in the southern Seoul suburb o Seongn

recently the victim o a phishing scam that resulted in

bill o about USD 250,000. Tis was because regulatio

not require that a user approve a cell phone payment b

it was made. In September, however, the government

regulations so that users first need to approve paymen

they are made.

Regulatory Control Tower Create

In September, the Joint Regulatory Reorm Bureau wa

as a regulatory control tower linking the government

Korea Chamber o Commerce and Industry and the K

Federation o Small and Medium Businesses. Te goa

bureau is to remove regulatory actors that cause inco

and hence resolve difficulties or investment expansio

creation.

Tis and the government promotion effort are part

larger campaign launched in May, to pull thorns rom

fingernails, to boost economic activity among small a

medium-size businesses. Te government says bad re

must be removed so that smaller businesses can grow

social underdogs can make it. So ar, 1,133 such thor

been identified; more than 200 have been corrected th

regulatory reorm. According to the Bank o Korea, i

percent o government regulations are relaxed, it wou

productivity by 0.3 percent.

I C Y R E V I E W

LESS THORNS, MORE TALKGovernment moves to ease regulations and promote communication

Written by Shin Yesol

6

he Prime Ministers Office o Korea is pushing

a series o measures to allow businesses and

individuals to more easily find and make use o

dministrative services through regulatory reorm.

Te actions are part o a larger effort to promote public

wareness o government efforts to reorm regulations and

mplement the Park Geun-hye administrations Government

.0 Paradigm.

As a start, Seoul has begun publishing a collection o

egulatory reorms to benefit the public, entitled, Regulatory

Reorm alk alk. Te first volume, Removing the Torns

nd Growing Hope, looks at 43 examples rom 23 government

ministries and departments. Divided into two parts, Economic

Revival and Public Happiness and Cultural Enrichment, the

book uses illustrations and storytelling so that companies and

individuals can make better use o it.

Rationalizing Regulations

Te regulatory reorm efforts cover a wide range o areas. In the

economic sector, many o the blind spots that had previously

plagued Koreas regulatory system have been corrected,

creating opportunities or previously overlooked groups.

For instance, cartoonists and animators had been lef out o

the governments investment recognition project or start-ups

as both investment amount and project returns in this sector

were low. As a result, animators had a tough time finding

investment regardless o whether or not they had a good

idea. Te inclusion o animation into the program has been

1.Gripin CEO Yun Jeong-jin.

Yuns one-man company

manufactures mobile phone

accessories. Recently reformed

regulations expanded

eligibility for benefits for one-

man creative companies from22 industries to 28, including

accessories. Gripin

2.Seo Jeong-cheol of office

furniture manufacturer KOAS.

Changes in Public Procurement

Service regulations now

exempt from separate quality

screenings companies with

certified internal quality

control systems such as KOAS.

Kim Hyeon-dong,

JoongAng Ilbo Sisa Media1 2

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ATIVE TECHNOLOGY

the wind turbine stands 70 meters above sea level and has three

blades with a rotor diameter o 72 meters.

Offshore wind power can make use o avorable wind

speeds, and unlike land-based wind arms, they ace little

opposition rom local residents.

Te institute will also build a 10-gigawatt floating offshore

wind turbine complex by 2030 in close collaboration with the

Korea Advanced Institute o Science and echnology. When

the complex is completed, wind power is expected to reduce

the emission o 380 tons o carbon dioxide annually.

Te JGRC has been ocusing on generating electricity

through the use o osmotic pressure produced between resh

water (with low salinity) and salt water (high salinity).

When researchers establish a thin layer o semi-permeable

material, the membrane, between resh water and salt water,

water (as a chemical solvent) moves rom the ormer to the

latter and naturally produces pressure tantamount to the power

o water alling directly rom a height o 240 meters.

Researchers say that because seawater is unlimited, the

potential to generate electricity rom it is enormous, adding

that it is eco-riendly and requires no ossil uels.

Te JGRC is ocusing on building a power plant that can

utilize differences in salinity as an effective energy-saving

system. I successul, this will be one o the most promising

next-generation methods o power generation or a power-

addicted nation. Korea suffered three blackouts last ye

low power reserves.

Deep-sea Mining Robot Tested

Te Ministry o Oceans and Fisheries has conducted

countrys first test o a deep-sea mining robot, which

say could enable the mining o resources in the Pacifi

worth billions o dollars.

In July this year, the Korean-built robot MineRo fin

a maneuverability test at a depth o 1,370 meters in w

130 kilometers off Pohang, a port city along the nation

southeastern coast. Te 25-ton MineRo, whose name

compound o mineral and robot, weighs just nine

when underwater.

With the test, the nation has obtained key domesti

technology or submarine navigation and or the expl

manganese ore in deep waters.

By 2015 the government will also develop cutting-e

technologies required or extracting and refining met

according to ministry officials.

In 2002, Korea acquired exclusive rights to explore

maritime zone in the Pacific Ocean some 2,000 kilom

southeast o Hawaii. Known as the Clarion-Clipperto

the area reportedly stores an estimated 560 million to

manganese ore deposits valued at US$370 billion.

Korea goes to the seas in search of energy andminerals

Expanding OffshoreWind Turbines

Written by Sohn Tae-soo

1. MineRo, a Korean-built deep sea mining robot, enters the water for a maneuverability test.2. Korean Institute of Ocean Science and Technology researchers pose for a photo after the successful testing of the MineRo. Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Techn

8

1 2

As part o the Korean governments plans to

promote cutting-edge technology to reap

economic gains, the nation is researching

power generation offshore and exploring deep-sea

resources.

Te state-run Korea Institute o Energy Research

(KIER) has expanded offshore wind power generation

off the coast o Jejudo. It has also begun operation o

a power-generating turbine by using osmotic pressure

rom salt water. Most recently, the government also

tested the maneuverability o its first deep-sea mining

robot afer decades o research.

Te national project o offshore wind power

generation has moved a step orward through the

construction o a 2-megawatt offshore wind turbine, the

first o its kind in the nation. Te Jeju Global Research

Center (JGRC), an affiliate o KIER, is in charge o the

project.

Approximately 1.5 kilometers rom the Jejudo shore,

Wind farm on southern island of Jejudo.

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raising consciousness about volunteer work, they are greatly

helping to spread a volunteer culture, and we're grateul to

them or that. It eels great each time I see students who wanted

to do volunteer work but didn't have the chance, building good

memories, broadening their experience, changing their ways o

thinking and developing new dreams or the uture, she says.

Corporate support

Steelmaker POSCO, one o Korea's largest conglomerates, has

run BeyondPOSCO Global Youth Volunteers since 2007.

Its overseas volunteer work in conjunction with the HFHK

has been conducted in countries generally considered strategic

partners by POSCO, such as Tailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Earlier this year, the company sent a team o around 100

student volunteers to the Indian village o Bawana, northwesto New Delhi, or a house-building project that marked its sixth

year. Te volunteers took part in all stages o construction,

rom preparing oundations to painting walls. Tis years 12-

day project was o significance because it was in Bawana that

Beyond volunteers built their first homes in 2008.

Kia Motors runs the Happy Move Global Youth Volunteer

Corps, another major youth volunteer program that sends

around 1,000 college students to developing countries during

university vacations. Previous projects have included rebuilding

a village in Chinas Sichuan Province afer the devastating 2008

earthquake and other projects in Brazil, the Czech Re

urkey and Malawi. Now in its 11th year, the program

teams to China, India, Malaysia and Indonesia this su

Building a new future

Tese projects are more than just about bricks and m

they have had a proound effect on the lives o those i

I theres one thing were even more proud o than th

weve built around the world, it's the change weve bro

about in people, says Shin. What makes us most pro

when we hear the stories o amilies whose parents fin

motivation in lie when they move into a newly built

and start harboring new hope or the uture as their c

start to perorm better at school and find emotional s

over the years, and the stories o volunteers who get tas they tell us that they started out wanting to help oth

ended up gaining more or themselves.

Te HFHK is looking to help more child-led house

senior citizens living alone, multicultural amilies and

parent households in Korea, as well as expand the cou

role in providing housing assistance to developing co

and areas hit by natural disasters. Shin says, Habitat i

building houses o hope that transorm the lives o all

involved.

1, 3. Volunteers with

POSCOs Beyond program

in India Habitat for

Humanity Korea

2.Kia MotorsHappy

Move Global Youth

Volunteer Corps in China

Habitat for Humanity

Korea

As the scope and variety o Koreas official

development assistance increase, the

country's nonprofit organizations and

rivate sector are also doing their part to share

heir resources and expertise abroad. Over the

ast 10 years, collaborations among NGOs, major

onglomerates and young volunteers have begunroducing results both at home and overseas.

Among the various programs, efforts to provide

ousing or those in need have been particularly

uccessul.

Multilateral partnerships

Habitat or Humanity Korea (HFHK) is at the

oreront o efforts to provide proper shelter to

amilies in Korea and abroad. Dedicated to making

adequate, affordable shelter as well as eliminating

substandard housing and homelessness, the

organization was incorporated in 1995 and has

provided essential help to more than 3,000 amilies

in Korea and 7,000 abroad with help rom sponsors

and volunteers.

We are supported by many organizations

including the Korea Housing Guarantee, POSCO,

Kookmin Bank and Binggrae, says Shin Ye-eun,

Public Relations and Communications Manager at

the HFHK.

Shin is particularly appreciative o corporations

sponsoring youth volunteer programs. By

providing large-scale support and systematically

BUILDING HOUSES OF HOPEHabitat for Human Korea teams up with corporate giants for global projects

Written by Ben Jackson

0

O B A L K O R E A

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E A T K O R E A N

1. Portrait of

2.Yis childh

Ojukheon in

Gangwon-do1

YI I

Written byFelix Im

Leading Confucian scholar and statesmanworked to modernize Confucian thought

2

Have you ever wondered about the

aces that grace Korean currency?

Youve probably peered at the ace

o Yi I on the KRW 5,000 bill several times

without realizing who he was or what he did.

Also known by his pen name o Yulgok,

Yi is ofen remembered as one o the most

prominent Conucian scholars o the Joseon

Dynasty, responsible or modernizing

traditional Conucian thought, turning it into

practical policies that streamlined the central

and provincial governments.

Born to Be a Scholar

Born to a government official ather and anaccomplished calligraphist mother, Yi was a

highly gifed scholar rom an early age. He

was known to have started writing poetry and

literary works at age 8, at which point he had

learned the basics o the Conucian classics.

He passed his first civil service exam at 13

with the intent o starting a career as a civil

administrator. With the sudden death o his

mother when he was 16, however, he secluded

himsel in the mountains next to her grave

or three years under a common practice o

the times called simyoto honor the death o a

parent. He studied Buddhism all the while.

At 20, afer composing a detailed work o

personal sel-reflection, he returned to normal

lie, continued his Conucian studies, and got

married at 22.

Clearly, Yis time spent away rom society had

no detrimental effect on his scholarly abilities,

which he proved by passing all o his civil

service exams (conducted in several stages)

with top honors nine consecutive times. Over

this period, he composed the highly praised

thesis, Cheondochaek , Book on the Way to

Heaven, on Conucian philosophys relation to

politics. Tis was eventually considered a great

literary work by later Conucian scholars.

Trusted by Royalty

Upon entering the government sector, Yi went to

work as an administrator checking and balancing

King Seonjos executive decisions. Afer serving as

a document official or Chinas Ming Dynasty, he

began to write and edit royal historical documents,

including the prominentMyeongjong Annals.

Yi eventually held many offices and continually

wrote treatises on royal policy and the application o

Conucian ideals to practical politics. He presented

these documents to the royal court as administrative

guides. One o his most widely known works is the

Dongho Mundap, which described Yis thoughts

on an ideal and righteous government. His wide

range o political experience gave him expertise in anumber o administrative areas and earned him the

trust o the king, whose court called on him several

times or his services.

Internal Disagreement

Te royal court, however, was a tumultuous arena

with a complex structure and unpredictable politics.

On numerous occasions, internal political conflict

prompted Yi to leave his official duties and flee to

the countryside and resume his scholarly interests.

During these times, he reflected on and developed

his personal philosophy while constantly writing.

Always thinking o the welare and wisdom o

uture generations, he also wrote works on the

education o his disciples and successors. Afer

an erratic period o leaving office and then being

recalled to duty by the royal court, he lef his final

post as coordinator o national security and military

operations in 1583. He died the ollowing year in

Seoul at age 48.

Part o the controversy that surrounded Yi and

his ideals stemmed rom his long-held conviction

o building a proper continental army to deend

against oreign invasion, something that many

officials considered unlikely at the time. Yi, however,

was convinced that the Japanese were an imminentthreat, and was vindictated when the Imjin War

erupted in 1592 soon afer his death.

Yi in Daily Life

In addition to his ace being on the KRW 5,000

note, Yi has also been commemorated in modern

times. Yulgok-ro is a street in central Seoul named

afer his pseudonym Yulgok. Te Yulgok Project,

which sought to modernize the South Korean

Military, was also named afer Yi due to his keen

sense o national security and deense.

2

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When the skies turn blue and the hillsides crimson, Korea is at its best

AUTUMN COLORS

Written byCurtis File

lustrated by Kim Yoon-Myong

Any expat that has lived in Korea

or more than a month has

undoubtedly been treated to one

or more short lectures on the countrys

our distinct seasons. Along with Korean

ood, the weather and seasons are avored

topics or taxi and water cooler small talk,

especially among the older generation.

Tough seemingly an odd point o pride

at first, it begins to make sense when

considering the degree to which Korean

culture revolves around the seasons.

Recreation, cuisine and holidays are all

related to seasonal change. While every time

o the year brings new activities to explore,there is perhaps no better time to see the

country than in all.

Te crisp autumn air is rereshment rom

the hellish humidity o the summer monsoon

months. I first arrived in Korea just as all was

beginning. In a matter o a ew weeks, I was

invited to my first real autumn experience

in Korea: a hike up Mt. Dobongsan on the

outskirts o northern Seoul or a day o

viewing danpung, or the changing o the

leaves. It was in that season that I ound my

love or Koreas natural beauty.

Tough I heard that Korea had a strong

hiking community and had imagined that

the mountain trails would attract a healthy

handul o outdoor enthusiasts, I wasnt quite

prepared or the crowds that flocked to the

tiny town that day. Hoards o people filled the

restaurant stalls at the base o the mountainserving every manner o Korean specialties,

rom salted fish to steamed silkworm larvae.

It wasnt just the crowds I wasnt prepared or

though.

Coming rom the Canadian countryside,

I am used to colorul alls and beautiul

scenery, but I still could not have imagined

the view on the hike up those rocks.

entire mountain ace was covered in

red, orange and yellow hues that rol

over the hills into the distance. From

peak, I could see where small arms

into valleys met the edge o the city.

among the most beautiul views o K

can remember.

Outdoor Community

Equally surprising was the spirit o t

outdoor community. Hiking may be

ages activity, but in Korea, the rule s

to be the older, the better. While I w

aced and gasping or air, more than

couple past their 70s flew by me wit

breaking a sweat. Te all spirit o lo

generosity was alive and well. One c

even pulled me aside to share