CONTENTSDECEMBER 2014 | KOREA VOL.10 NO.12

14 PEOPLE Printing expert Park Han-su Track athlete Jeon Min-jae

18 TRAVEL Haenam

22 SPORTS Korea’s LPGA one-two punch

24 ENTERTAINMENT Ambassadors of understanding

26 SPECIAL ISSUE The new Daehan Empire History Museum

04 COVER STORY Royal spaces

Korea’s palaces are at one with nature and humanity

28 CURRENT KOREA Korea gets tough on smoking

30 SUMMIT DIPLOMACY President Park attends APEC, ASEAN+3 and G20

34 POLICY REVIEW Immigrat ion Contact Center Creative Economy Town

38 CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY Connecting the world

40 GLOBAL KOREA Helping Korea’s neighbors

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Publisher Kim Jae-won, Korean Culture and Information Service | Executive Producer Han Seong-rae | E-mail webmaster@korea.net | Magazine Production Seoul Selection | Editor-in-Chief Robert Koehler | Staff Writer Felix Im | Producer Shin Yesol | Production Supervisor Lee Jin-hyuk | Editorial Advisor Choi Byong-Gook | Copy Editors Gregory C. Eaves, Jaime Stief, Hwang Chi-young | Creative Director Jung Hyun-young | Head Designer Lee Bok-hyun | Photography Ryu Seunghoo, Robert Koehler, RAUM Studio | Printing Pyung Hwa Dang Printing Co., Ltd. | 발간등록번호 11-1110073-000016-06

42 GREAT KOREAN Seo Jae-pil

44 MY KOREA The bell of Bosingak

46 MULTICULTURAL KOREA Richard Pennington

48 TALES FROM KOREA The naughty frog

50 FLAVOR Roasted winter snacks

The copyright to all the content that appears in KOREA, as protected copyrighted material, belongs to the Korean Culture and Information Service unless specified otherwise. Modification of the content beyond simple error corrections and the unauthorized copying or distribution of the content is forbidden. Content may be used for non-profit purposes only and with the source credited. Violators may be punished under applicable copyright laws.

Content in KOREA may differ from the opinions of the Korean government. This magazine is a monthly publication that is distributed for free in order to quickly and easily promote an understanding of Korean culture and of the Korean government’s policies. If you would like to get a free print subscription or download the PDF, please visit www.korea.net. Electronic versions are available at major e-book outlets, starting with the June 2014 issue. For more information, please visit www.korea.net.

COVER STORYCOVER STORY

Korea's palaces are at one with nature and humanity

Written by Robert Koehler

Royal spaces

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The National Gugak Center performs in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace’s Geunjeongjeon to celebrate the 615th birthday of King Sejong the Great on May 13, 2012. © Yonhap News

Every day, hundreds of tourists gather in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace’s Heungnyemun Gate to watch the regular reenactments of the sumunjang, the changing of the royal guard, as it was performed in the days of the

Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). A soldier strikes a large leather drum, and the commanders salute one another as a new detachment of sentries prepares to relieve the one on duty. It's a splendid scene of tightly organized soldiers dressed brightly in red, blue and yellow with beautiful military standards f luttering beneath a blue sky as the gate of the ancient palace looms in the background. This ceremony offers onlookers a glimpse of formal palace rituals, a testament to the history modern Koreans strive to preserve.

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The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary defines a palace as “the official residence of a chief of state (as a monarch or a president).” Yet Korea’s palaces, while no longer functioning as royal or even presidential residences, are so much more than that. At one time cities unto themselves, these sprawling complexes of administrative, residential and leisure spaces are worldly embodiments of Korean philosophy and the epitome of Joseon art and architecture. While sharing much in common with the royal palaces of neighboring countries, including China and Japan, Korean palaces are nonetheless uniquely adapted to the country’s geographic and cultural landscape, resulting in works of astounding beauty and natural harmony.

Spaces where people meet

A palace is, simply put, an exceptionally large home, particularly for a national leader or some other similarly high-ranking figure. The word comes from

the Latin name Palatium, from Palatine Hill, the hill on which Roman emperors built their imperial residences. Nowadays, palaces most often refer to the homes of monarchs and presidents. Cheong Wa Dae, the home and office of the president of the Republic of Korea, is a presidential palace. Quite tellingly, it sits right behind Gyeongbokgung Palace, former home of Joseon kings, signifying a continuous, six centuries-old line of authority.

For most people, the idea of a palace brings forth images of closed, exclusive spaces that ordinary people cannot enter. The primary palace of China’s Ming and Qing Dynasty incorporates this image into its name: the Forbidden City. In Korea, however, this was never the case in the past, nor is it that way in the present. In previous eras, the palaces were a place where people gathered and met, even if palace access was monitored and controlled, a trait that continues today. Now, the palace is the site where the sovereign interacts with his or her

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government and people. It is where the leader enacts laws, where a president greets foreign envoys and where aggrieved subjects and citizens petition their leaders.

Korean palaces, best exemplified by the five grand royal palaces of the Joseon Dynasty located in modern-day Seoul, include both public and private spaces. Joseon palaces typically consisted of outer areas, or oejeon, where the king would meet his retainers for official business; inner courtyards, or naejeon, a more exclusive space where the king and queen resided, and garden spaces, where the king could relax among natural splendor. The further you went inside, the more private and exclusive the space.

Characteristics of Korean palaces

Not all palaces are equal

As explained above, Seoul has five former royal palaces, or gunggwol. The palaces were not afforded equal status, however. One palace would serve as the legal palace, or beopgung, where major official business was conducted and events, such as royal weddings and the coronations of kings and crown princes, were held. The other palaces served as

secondary palaces where the king would reside, relax or handle the day-to-day affairs of government. Gyeongbokgung Palace was the first beopgung in the country and served this role until it was destroyed during the Japanese invasion of 1592. After the war, the rebuilt Changdeokgung Palace assumed the role of beopgung, and Deoksugung Palace served as the beopgung during the short-lived Daehan Empire (1897-1910).

Harmony with nature

China, with its massive plains, tended to found its capitals on f lat land, placing its palaces in the center of square-shaped city. This was not an option for Korea, a largely mountainous country with few large plains. Korean royal palaces, and the cities in which they reside, ref lect this rugged topography. Like Korean architecture overall, Korean builders took great pains to erect structures that were at harmony with their natural surroundings, making graceful use of elevations, streams and rivers, rocks and trees and even distant mountain peaks.

Even though Gyeongbokgung, the largest of the five palaces, was the first palace founded by Joseon

1. Gyeongbokgung Palace, with the blue-tile roof of the presidential palace of Cheong Wa Dae seen in the distance

2. A family clad in Hanbok visit Gyeongbokgung Palace on the Lunar New Year. © Yonhap News

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kings and served as its beopgung for over two centuries, it is perhaps not the best example of this reverence for nature. Probably the best example of a strictly Korean palace is Changdeokgung, which freely follows the contours of the surrounding landscape.

Wind and water

Even though Korean design techniques eventually took over, no discussion of Korean palace architecture, or Korean city planning, would be complete without a discussion of feng shui, or pungsu as it is called in Korean. Translated as “wind and water,” feng shui is an originally Chinese philosophy of geomancy that imbues the natural environment with an energy of sorts. Depending on the location and orientation of natural features such as rivers, ponds, hills, rocks and mountains, auspicious and inauspicious locations can be identified. During Joseon times, consideration of feng shui was a sine qua non when building any structure, but doubly so for structures of national importance such as palaces and royal tombs. In accordance with the feng shui concept of “mountain to the back and water to the

front,” or baesanimsu, Seoul’s royal palaces face south with mountains to the north, and all have stone bridges over small streams to cross before entering their main courtyards. The exception to this is Changgyeonggung, which uniquely faces east; some scholars believe this is due to the particular topographic conditions of the palace site. Of course, one needn’t adhere to the metaphysics of feng shui to appreciate the wisdom of its recommendations. In northern latitudes, houses that face south receive more sunlight, and positioning a mountain to the rear can block the cold northerly winds. Moreover, in countries such as Korea that have suffered repeated foreign invasions, placing a palace at the foot of a mountain would allow the king and his court to seek shelter in stout mountaintop fortifications in case of emergency.

Seoul’s five royal palaces

Gyeongbokgung

Gyeongbokgung Palace was completed in 1395, just three years after Yi Seong-gye founded Joseon in 1392. The first beopgung of the new kingdom, it

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adheres rather closely to Chinese palace design, with the rectangular complex’s courtyards aligned along a north-south axis. Also in accordance with Chinese urban planning concepts, the royal ancestral shrine, the Jongmyo Shrine, was located to the east of the palace, while the altars to the soil and grain gods, the Sajikdan Altars, were located to the west.

Even before its demolition in the 1590s, however, the former beopgung had ceased to be the primary residence of the kings, its legal status notwithstanding, in favor of Changdeokgung Palace. After the invasion, Changdeokgung and

Changgyeonggung palaces were rebuilt, but Gyeongbokgung was left in ruins. In 1867, however, the prince regent Heungseon Daewongun had the palace completely rebuilt as a massive, 500-building complex that was a city unto itself. Under the regent’s son, King Gojong, the palace once again attained beopgung status.

In 1895, however, the Japanese assassinated King Gojong’s powerful queen on palace grounds, and the king, fearful for his life, f led Gyeongbokgung for the safety of the Russian legation. The Korean royal family never returned to this palace.

Under Japanese colonial rule, Gyeongbokgung was almost completely dismantled. Some restoration work was undertaken after Korea’s liberation in 1945, but full-scale restoration efforts didn’t begin until 1989, when the government began a 40-year project to return the palace to its condition before colonization. Currently, about half of the original structures have been restored.

Due to its grandeur and central location, Gyeongbokgung is today one of the top tourist attractions in Korea. Its front gate, Gwanghwamun, is one of Seoul’s most iconic sites and hosts regular changing of the guard reenactments. Its massive main throne hall and banquet pavilion, Geunjeongjeon and Gyeonghoeru, respectively, are both national treasures. The latter, surrounded by a ref lecting pond, is even featured on the back of the KRW 10,000 banknote. Finally, in the rear garden, is the Hyangwonji Pond and Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, a picturesque royal leisure space that is in perfect harmony with its backdrop, the peak of Mt. Bugaksan.

1. Gyeongbokgung Palace’s Gyeonghoeru Pavilion in spring

2. A mythical fi re-eating beast, the haechi protected the palace from disaster © Yonhap News

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Changdeokgung

Widely regarded as the crown jewel of Korean palace architecture, Changdeokgung is the most “Korean” of Seoul’s five palaces. In 1997, UNESCO added the palace to its World Heritage list, declaring, “The palace compound is an outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture and garden design, exceptional for the way in which the buildings are integrated into and harmonized with the natural setting, adapting to the topography and retaining indigenous tree cover.”

Construction of Changdeokgung began in 1404 at the behest of King Taejong (r. 1400-1418), who considered Gyeongbokgung’s site inauspicious. Although originally a secondary palace, it was the preferred residence of many of Joseon’s early kings, especially from the time of King Seongjong (r. 1469-1494). Like Gyeongbokgung, it was burned down in the Japanese invasion of 1592, but rebuilt soon after in 1609, this time to serve as the dynasty’s beopgung.

Although it would temporarily lose this status at the end of the 19th century in favor of Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung, it would regain it in 1907 and serve as the primary palace until the dynasty’s end in 1910. Indeed, Korea’s last crown princess, Japanese-born Yi Bangja, lived in a corner of the palace until 1989.

The real gem of the palace, however, is its rear garden. The gardens here are lauded as the finest Korean gardens anywhere. Rather than construct a whole new landscape, its builders sought to leave the landscape in its original form. Structures such as ponds and pavilions were added to simply accentuate the natural beauty of the land. The garden is composed of several zones, although the most famous is the one around Buyongji Pond. The square-shaped pond, with a spherical island in its middle, is an architectural representation of the Korean traditional view of the cosmos, where the Earth is square and the heavens are round.

Changgyeonggung

Located just next to Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung was built in 1483 as a secondary palace. Although originally designed to be the home of a retiring king, it often served as a residence for dowager queens and concubines. Unlike Seoul’s other palaces, it faces east rather than south. There are several theories as to why this was done, one being that the feng shui of the surrounding landscape required a radical change in orientation.

Despite being rebuilt after the 1592 invasion, the Japanese colonial era brought on the indignity of being demoted from a palace to a public park, complete with a zoo. In 1983, the zoo was removed

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1. Dragon relief on the roof of Gyeongbokgung Palace’s Geunjeongjeon Hall © Yonhap News

2. Changgyeonggung Palace

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Palaces outside of Seoul

Hwaseong Haenggung Palace

Haenggung were small, detached palaces built to accommodate the king when he travelled or at times of war. During the Joseon Dynasty, such palaces were often found near royal tombs and in major mountain fortresses. The walled city of Suwon was home to Korea’s largest haenggung, Hwaseong Haenggung, built by King Jeongjo in 1789 for him to use when visiting the nearby tomb of his father. At its height, the palace had over 20 buildings, but most were torn down during the Japanese colonial era. Work to restore it began in 1996 and was completed in 2003.

Goryeo Palace Site

The Goryeo Palace Site, or Goryeo Gungji, is the remains of a temporary palace built by the court of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) on the Yellow Sea island of Ganghwado after the royal family took refuge there during the Mongolian invasions of the 13th century. After the king sued for peace, the court moved back to the royal capital of Gaeseong on the mainland and the palace was destroyed. During the Joseon Dynasty, however, the government built another temporary palace on the site of the old Goryeo palace and placed a royal archive there. The palace was looted and burned, however, during a French naval raid in 1866. Some of the palace buildings were restored in the 1970s.

Banwolseong

Located in the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935) capital of Gyeongju, this old fortress site used to contain the palace of Silla kings. While little remains save for an old ice storage freezer, the shape of the fortress, whose name translates as “Crescent Moon Fortress,” indicates that the kingdom’s rulers built their palaces in the flowing Korean fashion rather than the rigid, rectangular form preferred by the Chinese.

Sabigung Palace

The splendid palaces of the Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C.-A.D. 660) have long since vanished, but you can still experience the grandeur of Baekje palace architecture at Baekje Culture Land’s Sabigung Palace, a reconstruction of the main courtyard of the royal palace of Sabi, the last capital of Baekje and today’s town of Buyeo. The main attraction is the Junggungjeon, the two-story main hall where the king led major national events and met foreign envoys.

While Seoul’s grand Joseon Dynasty palaces might be the best known of Korea’s royal residences, we can find palaces, and remains of palaces, throughout Korea.

1. Silla’s Banwolseong Fortress in Gyeongju © Yonhap News

2. Goryeo Palace Site, Ganghwado © KTO

3. Hwaseong Haenggung © KTO

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and the palace was restored.The main throne hall, the Myeongjeongjeon,

is the oldest existing throne hall in Korea, dating from a 1616 reconstruction. The rear garden of the palace is extensive and features, among other things, a Japanese-built pleasure pond and a Victorian-style glasshouse from 1907.

Deoksugung

A relative latecomer, Deoksugung was a princely residence that, owing to its less-than-palace status, was not burned down during the Japanese invasion of 1592. Consequently, King Seonjo (r. 1567-1608) used it as a temporary palace after the recapture of Seoul from the Japanese in 1593. In 1608, the regent Gwanghaegun (r. 1608-1623) was crowned in Deoksugung, which he elevated to full palatial status in 1611.

For about 270 years, Deoksugung served as a secondary palace. In 1897, following the assassination of his wife and Deoksugung’s elevation to a primary palace, King Gojong declared the founding of the Daehan Empire, with himself as its first emperor. In 1907, however, Gojong was forced by the Japanese to abdicate his throne, and his son, the new emperor, moved the court to Changdeokgung. Gojong continued to live at Deoksugung until his death in 1919.

Deoksugung saw some very dramatic and traumatic times in Korean history, when the nation was beset on all sides by imperial powers intent on control. To combat this threat, the Daehan Empire launched a belated effort to modernize, and Deoksugung’s architecture ref lects this. On the east side of the palace grounds there is a traditional palace with typical courtyards and gardens. On the west side, however, you’ll find a collection of Western-style buildings, most notably the grand Seokjojeon Hall, a neoclassical work designed by a British architect and completed in 1910. It currently serves as a museum for artifacts of the Daehan Empire.

Gyeonghuigung

Gyeonghuigung was a secondary palace that was completed in 1623 by the regent Gwanghaegun. Despite its secondary status, it was a favored residence

for about 10 kings, particularly King Yeongjo (r. 1724-1776), who spent about half his reign there. At its height, the palace had about 100 buildings.

When the regent and power behind the throne Heungseon Daewongun got to work rebuilding Gyeongbokgung, however, he had many of Gyeonghuigung’s buildings disassembled and moved to Gyeongbokgung. The real loss followed when Japanese colonial authorities completely demolished the palace to build a Japanese middle school. Yet not everything was destroyed. The palace’s main entrance was moved to Mt. Namsan, where it was used as the entrance to a Japanese shrine that later became the site of the Shilla Hotel. The main throne hall, meanwhile, was moved to a space in what is now Dongguk University, where it is used as a Buddhist prayer hall.

In 1987, the middle school was removed from the palace’s original site, and the government began to rebuild the lost palace. While the main gate was returned to its original location from the Shilla Hotel, the original throne hall was deemed too old and altered to move. Instead, a new main hall was built in its place. The restored palace was opened to the public in 2002. The Seoul Museum of History can be found on palace grounds, too.

Traditional and Western architecture coexist at Deoksugung Palace. © KTO

A professor of traditional architecture at Korea National University of Cultural Heritage, Kim Sang-tae explains that, compared to the palaces of neighboring countries

like China and Japan, Korean palaces have an identity that makes them distinct. “In China, square-shaped cities were built on plains, with the palace placed right in the middle from the time of the Tang Dynasty,” says Kim, an expert on Korean royal palaces. “The palaces were square-shaped with gates placed at regular positions, the working space in front and the living quarters in back.” The layout of Korean palaces, too, was highly infl uenced by the Chinese form at fi rst, but after the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo (37 B.C.-668 A.D.) moved its capital from Manchuria to Pyongyang in the sixth century, Korea had developed a palace layout of its own.

“The topography (in Pyongyang) was too complex to build a square-shaped palace, although no excavations have been carried out to confi rm this,” Kim says. “If we look at Silla's Banwolseong Fortress, too, it would have been diffi cult to place a Chinese-style square palace inside it (because of its crescent shape). The Baekje Kingdom palaces at Pungnaptoseong Fortress (in Seoul), Gongju and Buyeo were in hilly areas, too.”

The placement of the palaces was also different. “In China, the palaces were placed in the middle of the city or in the central north part of town,” Kim explains. “Korean palaces, oddly, are placed to the left of a big mountain. Perhaps there's a topographical or feng shui reason for this.” The Korean preference for placing palaces on mountains also played a defensive role. “If there is a mountain behind the palace, the king can always seek shelter there (in war),” he says. “In China, if the emperor had to run for hills, he'd have to run a long way. Once the palace fell, the war was over, but in Korea, the king could fl ee into the mountains and go somewhere else.”

Changdeokgung above allWith this in mind, when Kim brings visiting foreigners to one of Seoul's palaces, he doesn't bring them to Gyeongbokgung fi rst, but rather to Changdeokgung. “Changdeokgung was built because people were complaining about Gyeongbokgung,” he says. “If you look at Changdeokgung, the main gate is in the west, the main throne hall is off to the side, the work area is further off to the side and the sleeping quarters are still further. It adopts the structure of a Korean traditional house.” This was not so in Gyeongbokgung, which was built using the square-shaped Chinese layout, forcing occupants to walk long distances to get in and out and giving the premises very little privacy with its long, straight sight lines.

Besides, says Kim, Changdeokgung is classically Korean. “If you go to China, be it Beijing or Nanjing, you can see palaces just like Gyeongbokgung,” he says. “But Changdeokgung is a completely Korean-style palace, so I bring foreigners to Changdeokgung fi rst.”

Traditional architecture expert Kim Sang-tae describes the uniqueness of Korean palaces

Interview by Robert Koehler

An identity all their own

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PEOPLE

No school like the old school

Typographer and printing expert Park Han-su sees a good future for the old ways

Written by Felix Im Photographed by Shin Guk-beom

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Most people who have been raised in the digital era have probably never seen a traditional printing press, which uses movable metal typefaces that are

individually selected and arranged for each page of the book. The majority of books are no longer made this way, with digital printing having rendered the technology obsolete. One must question, however, whether such technology is really no longer relevant. Although few young people are familiar with old-school metal typefaces, typographer and printing professional Park Han-su works with them every day; in fact, he operates the nation’s only printing press that stays true to the old ways.

“People think this type of printing is no longer utilized,” says Park, “but this technology is still alive and treasured in Europe, particularly in places like France and Germany, where they print many literary classics this way.”

Set in ink

As a student of typography, Park first became interested in metal typefaces and traditional printing methods while writing his dissertation about the importance and influence of typography. He realized the value of the printed word, the significance of a well-written sentence, phrase or book. If something is worth printing, he thought, it’s worth publishing with the utmost care possible.

“Reading a book in digital form and then reading the same title as a printed book, one made in the traditional way, is a different experience,” says Park. “It’s an aesthetic pleasure that’s hard to describe.”

Park’s printing studio is filled with aisles upon aisles of different metal typefaces. He works with five craftspeople who are masters at old printing methods, using machinery that is the fruit of over 10 years of investigative discovery, careful collection and patient refurbishing. Everything is really old, but it all still works. In our era of quick consumption and even quicker disposal, it’s hard to imagine a time when things were truly meant to last a lifetime – and longer.

“I started collecting these machines around 1998, tracking them down around the country,” Park recollects. “After I recovered them it took an additional three to four years to get

them working again.” In addition to collecting machinery, Park also tracked

down and recruited veterans from the old printing industry. After setting up shop in 2007 in Paju Bookcity, a collective of publishers based out of the Gyeonggi-do community, he and his team got to work on producing books the old-fashioned way. Each book is made with Hanji, or traditional paper, which is thicker and more durable than standard paper. Since the old ways unavoidably involve more time and are less profitable than mass production methods, Park decided to

create a limited number of copies of each book, thus increasing both the monetary and aesthetic value of each individual copy. Park’s company, Siwol Publishing, produced its first book, a poetry collection, in 2008. Slowly but steadily, one book at a time, he has diligently worked towards his goal of publishing 100 poetry collections, having finished 40 thus far. Although he started out making 1,000 copies of each book, he has now cut back to 500.

Quality over quantity

“We actually have a surprising number of regular customers,” says Park. “Each book is numbered, so when you see the number of the

book you get, you can get a true feel for how precious it is, something that can’t be made again. It’s your copy, and yours alone.”

Furthermore, to prevent too many copies going to one person, Park doesn’t sell a large quantity of his books to any single customer, stressing the importance of widespread distribution. Doing things the old way hasn’t always been easy, but Park believes that people are steadily starting to see the value of traditional methods. He plans to eventually open a typeface museum that also functions as an educational space for children to learn about typography and traditional printing technology.

“When Korea was undergoing rapid modernization, anything that seemed old was immediately discarded, and we ended up losing a lot,” he says. “These days, however, I think people are starting to reflect more, to see the value of looking into the past when deciding on our future.”

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PEOPLE

Running strongTrack athlete Jeon Min-jae doesn’t make excuses

Written by Max Kim Photographed by Shin Guk-beom

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Running strongTrack athlete Jeon Min-jae doesn’t make excuses

Written by Max Kim Photographed by Shin Guk-beom

She’s been called a “smiling angel” by local media, but this title says nothing of Jeon Min-jae’s athletic achievements as a track runner. With a stunning

resume (medals from the London 2012 Paralympics, 2013 IPC Athletics World Championship and Incheon 2014 Asian Para Games, to name just a few), Jeon has been hailed as a star athlete and exemplar of athletic willpower by Korean media. Having recently made headlines for her 11th consecutive victory in the 100-meter dash at the Incheon 2014 Asian Para Games in October, Jeon says that her journey to the top, however, came with a number of exceptional challenges.

Overcoming obstacles

As a result of having been stricken with encephalitis when she was 5, Jeon is a cerebral palsy patient – a fi rst-degree disability according to the Korean government’s standards. With a speech impediment, as well as a lack of mobility in her upper body, Jeon has spoken to local media about the diffi culties she encountered with her handicap as a teenager, recalling that she used to wish aloud that she would “only live until the age of 20.” That is, until she found inspiration in running.

“I have diffi culty moving my hands and legs, as well as with speaking,” says Jeon. “So there wasn’t much I could do before getting into track and fi eld.”

Despite her current status as a reigning champion, Jeon’s success now as a world-class athlete was something she had hardly expected when she fi rst started.

Calling her beginnings in track and fi eld “very much coincidental,” Jeon credits her physical education teacher from her student days as her initial motivator.

“I started track and fi eld at my gym teacher’s recommendation,” recalls Jeon. “At the time I didn’t take it too seriously, but after keeping at it for a while, I began to realize I wasn’t too bad at it.”

With the support of her friends, family and PE teacher, Jeon says that she steadily gained confi dence in her running abilities over time, consistently beating her classmates’ sprinting times. After proving her skill on the domestic stage – snatching several consecutive gold medals at the National Sports Festival in Korea – Jeon went international, this time as a sprinter for the national team.

Today, even with two recent big wins behind her – the Incheon 2014 Asian Para Games and the National Sports Festival – Jeon doesn’t skip out on training or let herself slack off . With a coach appointed to her by the Jeolla Sports Council, and following a strict regimen of weight training

and running, Jeon’s sights are currently set on the 2016 Brazil Rio de Janeiro Paralympics. The achievement may be her last, however, as Jeon has expressed a wish to retire from sports following a successful run in Rio.

Looking ahead

Even as her running career is nearing its end, Jeon says that she has several wishes she would like to see fulfi lled for the sake of the next generation of disabled athletes.

“Because there is still little to no interest in athletes with disabilities in Korea, every bit of support and interest can make a big diff erence” says Jeon. “Currently, there aren’t any semiprofessional or professional sports teams for athletes with disabilities in Korea, and that is something I would like to see changed soon.”

For Jeon, the problem stems not from any active prejudice against disabled athletes but about widespread indiff erence.

“Disabled athletes fall outside the realm of social concern,” says Jeon. “That’s why every little bit of interest and attention in our sport gives us the motivation to keep going.”

As far as more tangible eff orts go, Jeon says that she would like to see a greater number of handicap-accessible sports facilities in Korea.

Jeon competes in the 100 m event at the Incheon 2014 Asian Para Games held in Incheon Asiad Main Stadium. © Yonhap News

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Land’s endHaenam might be the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, but don't think the fun ends there

Written by Robert Koehler

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If you’re looking to escape the urban jungle of Seoul for a weekend, it would be hard to fi nd a spot further away than Haenam. Jutting out into the southern seas at the very southwest tip of the Korean

Peninsula, not only is Haenam far away geographically, but in terms of ambiance, the bucolic landscape of mountains, fi elds and coastlines is worlds away from the rat race. The hills are home to some of the country’s most spectacular Buddhist temples, while the region’s islands are treasure troves of scenic beauty and cultural enrichment. Mix in some of Korea’s best regional cuisine, and you have all the makings of a great weekend away from the city.

The view of the sunset over Ttangkkeut Maeul from Mt. Dalmasan © NAMUNARU, BAHK JIWON

Gosan historical relics

Just outside of Haenam’s very provincial downtown is the village of Yeondong-ri, a collection of historic Korean houses that was the home of famed 17th-century poet and scholar “Gosan” Yun Seon-do. Here you’ll fi nd a museum with examples of works by Gosan and his descendants, a number of shrines, and the ancestral home of the Haenam Yun clan.

Daeheungsa Temple

Hidden deep within the ancient forests of Mt. Duryunsan is the important Buddhist monastery of Daeheungsa Temple. The temple was founded in either the fi fth or sixth century, and has been rebuilt numerous times since then. During the Japanese invasion of 1592, the renowned warrior monk Seosan used the temple as the headquarters for his monk army as they fought against the

TRAVEL

Daeheungsa Temple

Hidden deep within the ancient forests of Mt. Duryunsan is the important Buddhist monastery of Daeheungsa Temple. The temple was founded in either the fi fth or sixth century, and has been rebuilt numerous times since then. During the Japanese invasion of 1592, the renowned warrior monk Seosan used the temple as the headquarters for his monk army as they fought against the

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invaders. The temple has also produced a good many famous monks, including the Zen master Choui, who led the revival of the Korean tea ceremony in the late Joseon era.

The monastery itself is quite large and can be reached via a very nice walk or shuttle bus ride through some of Korea’s oldest forests. The temple is home to many historic buildings, including the beautiful main hall with its fantastically crooked wooden pillars. The main courtyard is off to the left, separated from the rest of the complex by a beautiful stream. There is also a Confucian shrine dedicated to Seosan behind the temple.

Mihwangsa TempleAbout 30 minutes south of Daeheungsa on the road to Ttangkkeut Maeul is another Buddhist temple, Mihwangsa. Mihwangsa isn’t a big temple, but it makes up for its size with a stunning backdrop, the craggy peaks of Mt. Dalmasan. Named for Bodhidharma, an Indian monk who transmitted the Zen tradition to East Asia, the mountain beautifi es the temple like a silk folding screen.

The temple off ers views of the sea from its higher points. The main prayer hall has been designated National Treasure No. 947, and is noted for its intricate interior artwork.

Mt. Dalmasan is a recommended climb, but be warned: It is a rugged peak and is not an easy hike. The Buddhist hermitage of Dosoram, perched on a cliff , off ers awe-inspiring views of the surrounding summits.

1. Old homes at Yeondong-ri © Haenam County Hall

2. A thousand Buddhas at Daeheungsa Temple © Haenam County Hall

3. Dosoram Hermitage, Mt. Dalmasan © Haenam County Hall

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Haenam is in the heart of Namdo, the southwestern region famous for having the best cuisine in Korea. Stop by Cheonil Sikdang (T. 061-535-1001) in downtown Haenam and order the tteokgalbi jeongsik, a full-course meal with grilled meat patties. You’ll be presented with a table topped with dozens of tasty vegetable and seafood dishes.

Hidden just in front of Daeheungsa Temple, the historic Hanok inn Yuseon Yeogwan (T. 061-534-3692) is Korea’s oldest inn, founded in 1915 and built by the same woodcutter who built the main hall of nearby Baegyangsa Temple. Seated just next to a mountain stream, it’s a beautiful place in and of itself and offers an unrivaled old-school experience.

To get to Haenam, take the KTX from Seoul’s Yongsan Station to Mokpo. From Mokpo, Haenam is an hour away by bus.

Jejudo

Seoul

Haenam

Ttangkkeut Maeul

Once a small backwater fi shing village, Ttangkkeut Maeul (Land’s End Village) has in recent years become a major tourist destination owing to its location at the very southwestern-most point of the Korean Peninsula. Here, you’ll fi nd a number of motels, seafood restaurants and shops selling the village’s famous seaweed, as well as the ferry to the scenic island of Bogildo.

The best views can be had from the observation platform atop a hill overlooking the harbor. Be sure to take in the sunset. There’s a monorail to the observatory if you don’t want to hike it.

Bogildo Island

Part of Dadohae Maritime National Park, Bogildo has its natural charms, including the beautiful Yesong-ri Beach, a 1-kilometer crescent of blue-pebble beach wedged between a mountain and the sea.

A must-see in Bogildo is the Yun Seon-do Historical Site, one of the most beautiful examples of Korean traditional gardening in the country. In 1637, after King Injo (r. 1623-1649) surrendered to the invading Manchus, Yun fl ed to Jejudo Island out of despair. Along the way, his boat ran into a typhoon, so he stopped at Bogildo Island to let the storm pass. He liked what he saw, however, and rather than continue on to Jejudo, he decided to stay. He built a home and a garden and put pen to paper, penning his greatest poetry.

The Seyeonjeong Garden, the best-known part of the historical site, exemplifi es the beauty of the Korean garden. The landscape is left as natural-looking as possible, with enhancements here and there for greater visual impact. It is as enchanting today as it was in Yun’s time.

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4. Land’s end at Ttangkkeut Maeul © Haenam County Hall

5. Seyeonjeong Garden on Bogildo Island © KTO5

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Baek Kyu-jung, Kim Hyo-joo drive Korean ladies’ golf forward

Written by Lee Kyehyun

Korea’s LPGA one-two punch

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Joining her fi rst LPGA Tour this year, 19-year-old golfer Baek Kyu-jung has made her debut a memorable one by winning the KEB-HanaBank

Championship in a three-way sudden death playoff . She defeated fellow Korean Chun In-gee and fi ve-time LPGA winner Brittany Lincicome at the Sky 72 Golf Course in Incheon, Korea, on Oct. 19. After fi nishing the week with a fi nal-round score of 67 to fi nish 10 strokes under par, including fi ve consecutive birdies during the back nine holes, she birdied the par-5 18th hole to take the tournament championship. “Going into the fi nal nine, my goal was to come into the top 5, and so I really concentrated on every hole and I started making birdies,” Baek told AP. “It all started to kind of work for me from then on.”

SPORTS

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With the victory, Baek soared to No. 13 in the LPGA’s world rankings, currently topped by fellow Korean golfer Park Inbee. She’s not the only 19-year-old Korean making waves on the LPGA tour, however. Big-hitting teen Kim Hyo-joo became the third-youngest major winner at 19 years, and 2 months when she beat Australian legend Karrie Webb in the Evian Championship at the Evian Resort Golf Club in Évian-les-Bains, France, on Sept. 14. Kim also set a major record with a fi rst-round 61, the lowest round in a major championship by a male or female. The two newcomers will give Korea a potent new one-two punch on the LPGA tour when they join next season.

Keeping Korean success alive

Baek was already a rising star on the KLPGA tour, with three Korean tour victories in

her rookie season, even prior to her victory at the KEB-

HanaBank Championship. She fi rst came to prominence in her early teens as a member of the Korean National Team with Kim Hyo-joo and the golfer she beat on

Oct. 19, Chun In-gee. In 2012, Baek teamed up with Kim and Kim Min-sun to give Korea its third victory in the Espirito Santo Trophy, one of amateur golf ’s top tournaments.

Kim Hyo-joo, now No. 10 in the world ranking and the 10th Korean to win a major championship, has also been a golf phenom since the age of 14 when she put on surprisingly good performances in two KLPGA major championships, the Hite Cup and KB Star Tour Grand Finale. She also helped lead Korea to victory in the 2010 Amateur Ladies Asia-Pacifi c Invitational Golf Team Championship, also known as the Queen Sirikit Cup.

The appearance of these two stars on the Korean golf scene is especially welcome at a time when some are expressing concern that Korea’s impressive legacy of female golf talent, beginning with Korean golf pioneer Pak Se-ri and continuing on to present stars like Park Inbee, might be coming to an end. The success of a new generation of Korean golfers, however, has proven these fears unfounded. Baek’s victory in Incheon marked the seventh win by a Korean golfer in the last nine LPGA events, with the average age of the Korean winners being just 22.5. This trend continues with Lee Mi-rim who, at 23 years old and still in her rookie season, already has two LPGA victories this year.

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1. Baek Kyu-jung swings on the second hole during the third round of the LPGA KEB-HanaBank Championship at Sky72 Golf Club in Incheon on Oct. 18. © Yonhap News 2. Baek Kyu-jung holds her winning trophy at the KEB-HanaBank Championship in Incheon on Oct. 19. © Yonhap News 3. Kim Hyo-joo receives her championship cup after winning the LPGA Evian Championship in Évian, France, on Sept. 15. © Yonhap News

Korea a potent new one-two punch on the LPGA tour when they join next season.

Keeping Korean success alive

Baek was already a rising star on the KLPGA tour, with three Korean tour victories in

her rookie season, even prior to her victory at the KEB-

HanaBank Championship.

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ENTERTAINMENT

On Oct. 19, Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul was packed with people trying to get a glimpse of 11 men on stage. The men in question were not members of a popular boy band – although all fi t the attractive,

polished profi le – yet people crowded around, eager to see and hear them talk. The men on stage were the cast of the popular talk show “Non-Summit,” which has captured the attention of many viewers, Koreans and non-Koreans alike.

Airing on the network JTBC since July 2014, “Non-Summit” is a talk show wherein a panel of Korean-speaking foreigners participate in comprehensive discussions and debates on a variety of topics in a fun, light-hearted way.

Growing presence of international faces on Korean TV

Back in the early 2000s, there were three main foreigners who had visibility on Korean television, all of whom are naturalized Korean citizens: Lee Charm, born Bernhard Quandt, a native German who starred in multiple fi lms and dramas, including the widely popular “Stairway to Heaven” (2003-2004); Seo Hye-na, born Ida Daussy, a French broadcast personality who became a household name across the country; and Ha Il, born Robert Holley, an American lawyer and broadcast personality known for his Busan accent.

The presence of foreigners on Korean television has increased over the years as the country has begun to open up to globalization. Several half-Korean actors, such

Written by Paola Belle Ebora

Ambassadors of understandingNew talk show makes an international splash

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as Daniel Henney, Dennis Oh and Julien Kang, helped Korean viewers become more accustomed to seeing non-Asian faces on screen. This led to more exposure for foreign actors, such as Hwang Chan-bin, also known as the French-born Pierre Deporte, who landed a leading role in the drama “Tamra the Island” (2009); Australian Sam Hammington, a regular on several variety and talk programs such as “Real Men” (2013-), “Witch Hunt” (2013-) and “Island Village Teacher” (2004); and Japanese actress Mina Fujii, who has appeared on the sitcom “Potato Star 2013QR3” (2013-2014) and the variety show “We Got Married: Global Edition” (2013-2014).

Globalized programming

In 2006, the KBS program “Global Talk Show” (2006-2010) began to contribute to the globalization of Korean programming by gathering a panel of foreign women to talk about various issues from their perspective. Despite its popularity, the show ended its run following criticism of a remark made by one of the panelists.

Fast forward to 2014, when a similar program was conceptualized, this time gathering Korea-based men from countries such as Canada, Italy, China, Turkey, Germany, Belgium, the U.S., France, Ghana and Japan.

With a format that takes after a summit meeting, “Non-Summit” features a panel with 11 representatives from diff erent countries who, together with singer Sung Si-kyung and MC Jeon Hyun-moo as co-chairmen and comedian Yoo Se-yoon as secretary-general, tackle such varied topics as premarital cohabitation, sex education in the school system, rigid job applications and many more. Each panelist gets to share his opinion based on personal experiences as a non-Korean living in Korea.

The panelists, who all speak very fl uent Korean, engage in friendly banter as they discuss subjects that allow for diff erent opinions. Celebrity guest representatives are also brought in to add spice to the discussion.

Contrary to “Global Talk Show,” “Non-Summit” aims

to not just foster cultural exchange but off er a forum where all participants can come to an agreement on a certain topic, as well as decide which opinion is more sensible.

The show has garnered popularity nationwide, with ratings as high as 6.8 percent, very good for a cable program. The popularity of its panelists has also led to appearances on other television shows. Turkey’s Enes Kaya appeared on the talk show “Magic Eye” (2014) and the comedy show “Saturday Night Live Korea” (2011-); Belgium’s Julian Quintart appeared on “Hidden Singer” (2012-); and the United States’ Tyler Rasch appeared on the talk show “Arguments” (2013). The other panelists, such as Ghana’s Sam Okyere, France’s Fabien Yoon and Japan's Terada Takuya, have appeared in various advertisements and fashion spreads for magazines.

The presence of international personalities on television programs such as “Non-Summit” has helped both Korean and non-Korean viewers learn more about Korea. With every issue discussed, audiences can get a a better understanding of the Korean perspective of the world, learning about nuances that would otherwise go unnoticed.

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otherwise go unnoticed.

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SPECIAL ISSUE

Despite lasting just 13 years, the Daehan Empire (1897-1910) was one of the most dramatic periods of Korean history. At

a time when the Great Powers, including a rising Japan, were knocking on Korea’s door in search of riches and territorial aggrandizement, the Korean authorities took great pains to strengthen their nation through modernization and enlightenment. It was ultimately a futile effort, as Japan would eventually

forcefully annex Korea into its empire in 1910. The accomplishments made during the traumatic time, however, continue to influence Korea to this day.

Because of its association with an unpleasant period of Korea’s past, the history of the Daehan Empire has been both underappreciated and underpromoted – but no longer. The opening of the Daehan Empire History Museum on the grounds of Deoksugung Palace has given the epoch the exhibit space it so

Imperial memoriesThe newly opened Daehan Empire History Museum sheds light on a dramatic but underappreciated era

Written by Robert Koehler

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ardently deserves. This is a good place to learn about Korea at the turn of the 20th century and take in the fascinating meeting of civilizations that took place as the formerly closed country opened itself up to the world.

The stone hall comes alive

The Daehan Empire History Museum is housed in Deoksugung Palace’s grand Seokjojeon Hall, which translates as “Stone Hall.” The large neoclassical building was designed by John Reginald Harding (1858-1921), a British engineer based in China who was also the brother-in-law of one of the founders of Rolls Royce, while the Adam-style interior was designed by another British subject by the name of Lovell. Construction on the building, which was initially intended as an imperial residence and reception hall, began in 1900, but was not completed until 1910, the year Korea lost its independence to Imperial Japan. It was never used as an imperial

residence due to Emperor Gojong (r. 1863-1907) preferring to stay at Deoksugung Palace’s Hamnyeongjeon Hall, a Korean-style building.

Under the Japanese, the hall was used as an art gallery. After Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, it was used as the venue for the Joint American-Soviet Commission in 1945 and was then turned into a national museum by the Korean government in 1955.

In 2009, the Cultural Heritage Administration began work on restoring the old hall to its original condition. The effort was greatly aided by a wide range of plans, photographs and newspaper articles. Most of the original furniture was supplied by Maple and Co., a now-defunct British furniture maker that was once the largest furniture retailer in the world. Much of it was in storage at Changdeokgung or on display at the National Palace Museum of Korea, but pieces that were lost were replaced by ones purchased at British antique shops or reproduced based on an old company catalogue.

Exploring an empire

Its restoration complete, Seokjojeon Hall reopened to the public on Oct. 13 this year as the Daehan Empire History Museum. Oct. 13 was also the date on which the Daehan Empire was proclaimed in 1897. To help preserve the new space and prevent crowding, tours are limited to 20 people per session, with spaces that can be reserved online (www.deoksugung.go.kr).

The museum is composed of three floors. The basement contains exhibits on the history of the Daehan Empire, its modernizing reforms and the introduction of Western culture into Korea. The first floor has information on the construction of Seokjojeon Hall, exhibits on the proclamation of the Daehan Empire and a restored audience chamber and grand dining room. The second floor, meanwhile, is home to the imperial library and the emperor’s and empress’ bedrooms, as well as a photo exhibit of the imperial house of Korea.

1. A reporter listens to a museum official’s brief explanation at Seokjojeon Hall. © Yonhap News

2. The front of Seokjojeon Hall © Yonhap News

3. Reporters view Seokjojeon’s main hall. © Yonhap News

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CURRENT KOREA

“A man puffi ng a cigarette without worries later relies on tubes and oxygen to survive from lung

cancer. Look at his wrinkles and all his lifeless facial expressions. I guess he never thought about that before ....”

This sounds like a line from a horror fi lm, but is in fact a scene from a government-funded anti-smoking public service announcement that focuses on the harms of the habit. Its message is intended to warn smokers of cigarettes’ potential to cause lung cancer. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare data from 2013, about 87 percent of males diagnosed with lung cancer are smokers.

Cracking down on lighting up

Authorities are taking aggressive action against smoking, strongly believed to be one of the

Korea strengthens measures against smoking

Written by Bae Ji-sook

Kicking the habit

1. Customers lounge in the smoking area of a local coffee shop.

© Yonhap News

2. An ad campaign launched by the Ministry of Health and Welfare designed to shock smokers with impactful images © Ministry of Health & Welfare

3. Sales of products such as electronic cigarettes are on the rise. © Yonhap News

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major culprits behind rising cancer rates and other serious diseases.

Moreover, smoking is also taking a heavy toll on the state coffer. According to a big data analysis done in 2013 by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as well as one by the National Health Insurance Service, people who smoke two packs of cigarettes a day for 20 years spend 2.7 times more on medical fees than those who consume one pack of cigarettes every day for 10 years. “This means that they are consuming more national health insurance fees, too,” a NHIS spokesperson said.

Looking at the results of a state survey from last year, Korea’s adult male smoking rate stands at 42.1 percent, the second highest among OECD member states. About one out of every two 30-something males, or 54.5 percent, regularly smoke, the study showed.

In a desperate effort to curb the country’s smoking habit, the government announced a slew of measures on Sept. 12. “We are hoping that the guideline will drop the adult male smoking rate to 29 percent by 2020,” Health Minister Moon Hyung-pyo told reporters at a related press conference.

Making them pay

The most-discussed issue in the package is the price increase of cigarettes, with the cost rising from KRW 2,500 per pack to KRW 4,500 starting Jan. 1 next year, an 80 percent jump. The increase includes hikes in the tobacco consumption tax, local education tax, health promotion payments and waste payments, and authorities will impose an individual consumption tax on cigarettes next year. Some 18.6 percent of the taxes will go to the National Health Promotion Fund, which will help finance public campaigns and training programs for smokers.

“This is the first price hike in 10 years. At the time (of the last increase), the average price went up from KRW 2,000 to KRW 2,500. Then we saw tobacco sales total KRW 82.3 billion won

in 2005, only a year after 2004, when tobacco companies made more than KRW 100 billion on cigarettes,” said Lee Gyeong-eun, a health official. Those who welcome the change claim that Korea has the cheapest cigarettes among the 34 OECD member countries, with prices being only a third of what other countries charge.

The cigarette price hike is the centerpiece of the many anti-smoking measures the government has adopted in recent years.

Additional backup

Some of the most noticeable measures include a smoking ban at Internet cafés, large restaurants and bars. Establishments are required to install special smoking sections to protect non-smokers from cigarette fumes and toxins.

State-run healthcare centers have been providing counseling and training services to help out people who want to quit puffing.

Additionally, in April, the National Health Insurance Service sued the local units of Philip Morris and British American Tobacco, as well as a local tobacco company, seeking an initial KRW 53.7 billion to offset treatment costs for diseases linked to smoking.

“We believe the NHIS brought this lawsuit because it is responsible for the health of the public and oversees the insurance budget, meaning it has a natural duty to bring this tobacco lawsuit,” An Sun-young, a lawyer at the public corporation, told reporters.

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SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

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Trips to China, Myanmar and Australia yield two critical free trade agreements

Written by Yoon Sojung of KOREA.net and Cheong Wa Dae

President Park attends APEC, ASEAN+3 and G20

President Park Geun-hye had a very busy diplomatic schedule in November with a four-day trip to Beijing to attend the

APEC summit, a two-day visit to Naypyidaw, Myanmar, to attend the ASEAN+3 summit and a three-day trip to Brisbane, Australia, to attend the G20 Summit.

Korea, China sign FTA

President Park arrived in Beijing on Nov. 9 to attend the APEC summit on Nov. 11. Before that, however, President Park and Chinese President Xi Jinping struck the Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Nov. 10. The two leaders held summit talks in the Great Hall of the People in the Chinese capital and announced the FTA afterward. Trade ministers from both countries held a signing ceremony for the free trade pact, with the two leaders standing by. President Park said, “Striking the Korea-China FTA will be good news for the world economy, which suff ers from a sluggish recovery and low growth. I hope both countries can maintain such cooperation and further develop their strategic cooperation and partnership.”

In a previously recorded interview with President Park that aired on Chinese television on Nov. 9, the Korean leader said that signing the FTA will add more weight to the discussion about integrating economies across the Asia-Pacifi c.

The talk show was hosted by Yang Lan, chairperson of the Sun Media Group. In the interview, President Park emphasized President Xi Jinping’s visit to Korea this past July, saying that

his visit “sailed a boat before the wind between the two countries.”

Free trade in the Asia-Pacifi c

President Park emphasized the need to promote free trade across the Asia-Pacifi c region during the fi rst session of the 22nd Asia-Pacifi c Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Beijing on Nov. 11.

The fi rst session covered progress being made on the integration of regional economies. In her lead-off speech, President Park highly valued APEC’s ongoing contributions to the economy of the Asia-Pacifi c region, ever since its establishment in 1989. She proposed the creation of a high-level, comprehensive Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacifi c (FTAAP) and urged that in the future APEC needs to work toward speeding up the liberalization of trade and investment.

In order to narrow the gap of free trade negotiation capability among APEC member states, Park proposed carrying out a second-stage project starting next year, the Capability Building Needs Initiative (CBNI). Led by Korea in 2012 and 2014, the CBNI is designed to upgrade a country’s ability to negotiate free trade agreements by sharing other APEC members’ experiences and information across various sectors.

In order to overcome uncertainties and the low growth rate of the world economy, the president urged the world to push forward with the liberalization of trade and investment by continuing with the Doha Development Agenda negotiations and the development of a multilateral

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President Park Geun-hye shakes hands with President Xi Jinping of China at this year’s APEC summit in Beijing on Nov. 10. © Yonhap News

SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

trade structure, both being led by the World Trade Organization.

At the second session, President Park introduced the Korean government’s three-year plan for economic innovation, which could serve as a model for sustainable growth in the Asia-Pacifi c region. It was an opportunity for her to express her intent to actively pursue economic structural reform and innovation to the participating APEC leaders.

On the sidelines of the APEC summit, President Park met with U.S. President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot to discuss measures to boost cooperation and issues involving the Korean Peninsula.

The 17th ASEAN+3 Summit

After Beijing, it was off to Naypyidaw, Myanmar, on Nov. 12 to attend the 17th ASEAN+3 Summit the following day.

At the summit President Park and other participating leaders exchanged their views on key regional and international issues, including disaster control, protection of the environment and wildlife, prevention of the spread of Ebola and counterterrorism. They also discussed the direction of development for the East Asia Summit (EAS).

At this year’s summit, the participating leaders from 18 countries noted that the EAS, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year, has served as a strategic forum contributing to regional peace and prosperity. They also took

note of the fact that the EAS has helped achieve substantive cooperation in the six priority areas of the environment and energy, fi nance, education, healthcare, disaster management and ASEAN connectivity.

President Park said she looked forward to the EAS growing into an evolving consultative forum that could cope with new challenges eff ectively and actively based on what it had achieved thus far. Notably, the president said it was time for the EAS, as a strategic forum bringing together the heads of state, to deepen cooperation in the aforementioned six priority areas and, at the same time, pay greater attention to global issues and respond to them more proactively.

On the day prior to the ASEAN+3 Summit, President Park held a bilateral summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India at the Myanmar International Convention Center. During their summit, they discussed ways to strengthen the bilateral strategic partnership under the new Indian administration and promote economic cooperation. On the day of the summit, President Park held a sideline summit with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha of Thailand, where they discussed the current state of aff airs in the two countries, as well as ways to enhance cooperation in the regional and international arenas.

G20 Summit and FTA with New Zealand

The last stop of President Park’s trip was Brisbane, Australia, to attend the G20 summit on Nov. 15.

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President Park and the leaders of participant countries in the East Asia Summit (EAS) and ASEAN+3 forums hold hands in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, on Nov. 12. © Yonhap News

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At the summit, however, President Park and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced the completion of a bilateral FTA. “The Korea-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement will provide a foundation to further expand and develop bilateral investment and trade, and it also includes various cooperation plans that will develop our bilateral relations,” said President Park at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Key. “This FTA has been signed with one of New Zealand’s biggest trading partners. Korea is New Zealand’s sixth largest export destination for goods and services. Korea is New Zealand’s eighth largest source of imports. Two-way trade between the two countries was worth USD 4 billion in the year ending June 2014. This free trade agreement will put New Zealand exporters back on a level playing fi eld with competitors from Korea’s other FTA partners, such as the U.S., Chile and the EU,” said Prime Minister Key.

After initialing the FTA, Korea and New Zealand intend to offi cially sign the deal early next year. It will go into eff ect as soon as the legislatures of the two nations ratify the deal.

New Zealand will lift tariff s on 92 percent of imports from Korea, in terms of their value, and it will further eliminate duties on 7,288 Korean products over the following seven years. Korea will immediately abolish all tariff s on 48.3 percent

of the products it imports from New Zealand in terms of value, out of a total of 11,881 products it imports from New Zealand, and phase out tariff s on more than 96.4 percent of the items over the subsequent 15 years.

Promoting economic strength

At the G20 summit, President Park discussed with the participating leaders how to enhance the resilience of the global economy. She pointed out that advanced countries had recently implemented monetary policies leading in all diff erent directions, contributing to an increase in the volatility of international fi nancial markets. She also stressed the necessity of keeping in mind that a herding eff ect in determining currency values of key advanced countries would impose burdens on some emerging economies.

The president also expressed concern over the possibility that the advanced nations’ economic and currency policies that are drafted based only on domestic conditions could have a spillover eff ect on emerging nations, which could in turn have adverse eff ects on advanced economies.

President Park emphatically said that each nation’s currency policy had to be fi ne-tuned with caution and communicated unequivocally as leaders at the last G20 Summit agreed. She also stressed that the G20 had to play a pivotal role in policy coordination among member nations.

President Park also highlighted the importance of raising funds for the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Emphasizing how hard the Korean Government was working to give impetus to the new energy industry, President Park urged the G20 to join such endeavors.

The day after the summit, President Park met with Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Crown Prince Salman is the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia on behalf of his aged brother, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who is 92; he concurrently serves as defense minister. During their summit, the two leaders discussed ways to establish new strategic and forward-looking cooperative ties between the two countries.

President Park joins world leaders at the G20 Summit at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Nov. 15. © Yonhap News

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POLICY REVIEW

On a Friday evening, Lee Yu-ri, a counselor at the justice ministry-run Immigration Contact Center received a call from an

Uzbek woman. Lee, an Uzbekistan native who has acquired a Korean name since arriving in the country, spoke to her compatriot, who was not happy in Korea. The woman’s husband, whom she met through a matchmaking agency, was constantly between jobs, and her mother-in-law chided her for not speaking Korean. The caller wanted to return to her home country.

The next time they spoke, however, the new

resident said that she had decided to settle in Korea, and would become a mother in five months. Following Lee’s advice, the Uzbek bride studied Korean through a government-run social integration program and now works at an electronics assembly plant. “She said a call from a person who speaks the same language was a big help in such difficult times,” Lee said.

Beyond small talk

Lee doesn’t just take calls from desperate immigrants like the Uzbek woman; she also seeks these people

Just a call awayImmigration Contact Center helps foreign-born residents adapt to life in Korea

Written by Daye Kim

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out proactively. In the outreach program at the immigration contact center, multilingual counselors make calls to eligible immigrants to advise them on settling and living in Korea. In the past, this service was only offered to the foreign spouses whose stay in Korea was less than six months. On Oct. 7, this outreach program became available to a wider group of people: the spouses of Koreans who come from seven designated countries and students from four countries who have been here under two years.

Through the outreach program, eligible spouses

from China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Russia, Mongolia and Nepal can obtain information on extending the length of their stay, finding a job, acquiring permanent residency or citizenship and inviting family members to Korea. They can also talk about the difficulties they face while living here. Students from China, Vietnam, Mongolia and Japan can inquire about extending the length of their stay, finding part-time jobs and applying for a work visa after graduation.

The Immigration Contact Center, which can be reached at the simple phone number of 1345, was established in March 2008 under the Act on the Treatment of Foreigners in Korea. More than 90 counselors, including 25 foreign-born members from more than a dozen countries, provide services in 20 different languages between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays. Between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., counseling services are offered in Korean, English and Mandarin. The foreign-born counselors at the center are either immigrants married to Koreans themselves or those

who studied at Korean universities. “Callers are highly satisfied, as the counselors advise them based on their own experiences and knowledge in immigration,” the justice ministry said.

Rising figures

The counselors are the first to take inquiries, and if they cannot resolve them on their own, they connect the callers to relevant institutions like the Korea Immigration Service. They also work as interpreters for the callers if it is necessary. In 2013, the center

dealt with some 1.36 million enquiries, up from 1.25 million in 2012.

In addition to offering conventional counseling services, the Immigration Contact Center’s outreach program was launched in May of last year. As of June 2014, a total of 6,614 immigrants – 4,487 in 2013 and 2,127 this year – have benefited from the program. According to the justice ministry, 3,521 people, or 66 percent, were satisfied with the calls, and 19.2 percent wanted another counseling session.

The number of beneficiaries is expected to increase steeply with the expansion of the program. The justice ministry said that more than 44,200 students, including 36,887 from China, 2,774 from Vietnam, 2,631 from Mongolia and 1,925 from Japan, are eligible for support.

International marriages are also on the rise. The number of immigrants married to Koreans climbed to 150,865 in 2013 from 148,798 in 2012. More than 41 percent of them are mainland Chinese, while 26.4 percent are Vietnamese and 8.1 percent are Japanese.

1. Callers assist international residents at the Immigration Contact Center. © Ministry of Justice 2. International residents can receive help both online and offline, such as at the Incheon Support Center for Foreign Workers. © Yonhap News

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POLICY REVIEW

Creative solutionsSupport for innovation expected to boost the local economy

Written by Daye Kim

Hwang Jae-il, a pharmacist from Bupyeong, Incheon, found a common problem among patients who have to take medicine over a long period of time: They often forget to take their

medication. Hwang decided to develop a container that would help patients take

their medication on time, but, being a pharmacist, he knew little about the process of creating commercial products. In October last year, Hwang registered his idea at Creative Economy Town (www.creativekorea.or.kr), a government-run idea-gathering website, and met with multiple mentors who helped him create a prototype and market it online.

In a few months, the SmartMediCap was born. The container, which looks like a giant capsule, displays the day of the week on the cap, changing to the next day when users rotate the cap to open the container. The SmartMediCap won a gold medal in the packaging category at Germany’s iF DESIGN awards in February 2014 and began generating revenue in May.

Giving good ideas a push

The story of the SmartMediCap is part of the growing portfolio of ideas submitted to Creative Economy Town that turn into actual products or businesses. The website is a platform where individuals or companies can pitch ideas they want to commercialize, as well as an online community where users can find mentors and get connected to government-supported programs that assist start-ups.

In her administrative policy speech for the 2015 budget at the National Assembly on Oct. 29, President Park Geun-hye pledged to inject an additional KRW 10 billion into a more comprehensive support system for Creative Economy Town and other similar platforms.

The premise of the site is rather simple. Inventors, would-be entrepreneurs or anyone with good ideas can register on the website and submit a proposal. A committee of experts meets every month and picks a group of submissions for potential commercialization, usually around 10 percent.

When ideas are selected by the committee, the program will support the commercialization process with help from a network of 3,300

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mentors, including business owners, investors and legal experts. Mentors are involved in various stages of the process, such as obtaining intellectual property rights, setting up a company, creating prototypes and raising money. When ideas are not chosen by the experts’ committee, a person can still get advice from his or her mentors up to three times a month to polish and improve the proposal, which can then be resubmitted.

Launched on Sept. 30, 2013, Creative Economy Town attracts 86,000 visits a month, has accumulated around 3,300 new members and has received an average of 1,000 fresh proposals per month during that time. Among the 13,792 ideas gathered as of Sept. 21, 2014, approximately 1,180 of them received the platform’s support. Eighty-five of them reached the prototype development stage, and intellectual property rights either have been confirmed or are in the process of being secured on 484 of the projects.

One of the most successful examples is Ear Talk, a set of earphones built with a tiny, ultrasensitive microphone that catches sound not from the mouth but from inside the ear, removing noises other than the user’s voice. Its inventor, Shin Doo-sik, met a mentor from a venture capital firm through Creative Economy Town, and has secured KRW 1.25 billion of funding from various investors.

Going offl ine

Given that Creative Economy Town is still mainly an online platform, the government wants to expand the initiative by taking it off line and boosting its network with other start-up support organizations. The ideas chosen for potential commercialization will now be shared and supported by 19 public and private entities, including the science ministry-affiliated organization known as Dream Enter and SK Planet’s Open Innovation Center. Working in conjunction with Creative Economy Town, these organizations have arranged off line events where people with creative business plans can with meet mentors in person and accelerate the commercialization of their ideas. For example, on Oct. 31, a company-matching day was held for those with selected proposals in the software sector, and was joined by experts from KT, LG Uplus and SK Planet.

“Creative economy policies have so far focused on preparing the soil for a creative economy by creating the right ecosystem and fostering a creative mindset in the public,” said Choi Yang-hee, minister of science, ICT and future planning. “The government will now concentrate on the role of helping to draw investment from the private sector, so that these sprouts of the creative economy grow into trees.”

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1. A product designed to effectively and sanitarily catch housefl ies

© Creative Economy Town

2. The SmartMediCap helps patients remember when to take their pills by automatically displaying the day when opened. © Creative Economy Town

3. Attendants listen to a lecture by futurist Thomas Frey at the Daegu Creative Economy Innovation Center. © Daegu Technopark

4. A proud innovator presents his new cupholder. © Creative Economy Town

5. Shared facilities at the Daegu Creative Economy Innovation Center © Daegu Technopark

Infographic elements

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

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In what will be remembered as a trailblazing project to use submarine cables to manage superfast cross-border Internet traffi c, KT, the nation’s leading integrated wired

and wireless telecommunications service provider, will soon also operate the world’s largest international submarine

communications network from the southern port city of Busan.

On Oct. 21 this year – the second day of the 2014 World IT Show (WIS) – KT (formerly Korea Telecom) celebrated the opening of its Asia Pacifi c Gateway Network Operations

KT manages the world’s largest underwater telecommunications network

Written by Sohn Tae-soo

Connecting the world

Infographic elements

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Center (APG NOC), an integrated control center for the submarine communications network. The APG NOC will take on the role of being an APG control tower, managing the establishment, operation and risk management of the submarine cable network from the KT Busan International Center.

Cables without borders

When fully established, the submarine optical cable network will extend a total of 11,000 kilometers – with 6,000 meters laid underwater – and connect Korea with eight other Asian territories: China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The APG is scheduled to be completed in 2015.

At the opening ceremony for the center, KT Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu said, “Through the effective management of the state-of-the-art integrated international submarine communications network, we are fully determined to promote South Korea’s position from being a communications hub for Northeast Asia to being a global hub for ICT (Information Communications Technology).”

Hwang’s remarks were echoed by Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning Choi Yang-hee, who congratulated the nation’s leading mobile telecom carrier for taking charge of an international submarine communications network, saying, “I hope KT will advance beyond the walls of Asia to the United States and the European nations.”

KT established and leads the consortium of 13 companies – 10 overseas communications carriers and three investors, including Facebook – that decided to participate in the project for the APG’s implementation.

The data transmission speed of the APG is 40 Gbps (gigabytes per second) per wavelength, more than two times faster than existing submarine cables. The network has a transmission capacity of 38.4 Tbps (terabytes per second), the largest of around 280 underwater cables across the world, according to KT officials.

“Having been recognized for its technological expertise at stably operating six submarine cables, last year KT was able to obtain ISO 22301 certification, a standard course of action for such networks,” said Oh Seong-mok, director of KT’s Network Division, to Yonhap News.

Exercising control

Analysts say that this project will help Korea to both control and initiate support for an international submarine

communications network, as users in the nine countries will be able to exchange massive amounts of content at a much faster speed. They argue that it will also help promote the overseas advancement of domestic Internet service industries, while expanding the distribution of Korean mass media overseas.

In addition, KT predicts that the operation of the APG NOC will help attract Internet data centers and the R&D branches of global ICT businesses to Korea.

KT forecasts that it will likely receive more than KRW 1.1 billion annually from the APG consortium. Sales will eventually reach KRW 11.5 billion per year for maintenance services through the operation of the APG NOC.

Management of the integrated international submarine communications network is meaningful because KT has a preferential right in network control, meaning it retains a certain amount of leadership in the network, experts say.

Meanwhile, KT has also formulated a plan to make its submarine communications network enter the Pacific region. The same day, KT signed an agreement with a global common carrier for the construction of a 14,000 km submarine cable, the New Cross Pacific (NCP) to directly connect Korea, China, Japan and Taiwan. The NCP will be opened and commercialized by the end of 2017.

KT’s submarine optical cable network will connect nine Asian territories. © KT

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GLOBAL KOREA

Honed over the past fi ve decades, Korea’s lightening-speed industrial growth is often presented as a beacon of modern

development. The strategy behind this rapid ascension from a struggling, primarily rural economy to an urbanized powerhouse is rooted in the Saemaul Movement, literally meaning the “New Community” movement. A political initiative undertaken in the 1970s that sought to transform rural communities into competitive

modern economies, the Saemaul Movement preached modernity and evolution in an eff ort to slingshot Korea into the future. Now that the world is looking back on Saemaul, what was once a single nation’s strategy is being heralded by some as a new standard for global development.

Global Saemaul Leadership Forum

Around 270 delegates and leaders from developing nations visited Korea in October to attend the

Helping Korea’s neighborsThe global Saemaul Movement leads by example

Written by Max Kim

Prime Minister Jung Hong-won greets leaders of the Saemaul Movement from around the globe at the Saemaul Training Center © Yonhap News

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first Global Saemaul Leadership Forum, held from Oct. 21 to 22 in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do. Longtime partners of the Gyeonggi-do local Saemaul initiative – Mongolia, the Philippines and Laos – were all represented at the forum, countries that Lee Do-hyeong, the council chair of the Gyeonggi-do Saemaul Movement, feels embody the guiding principles of the program: a push for self-sufficiency and a community-driven work ethic, arguably the antithesis of one-sided financial aid. The three countries’ local Saemaul Movements have reported significant success, with increasingly modernized agricultural and social infrastructure (electric wells, improved greenhouse technology and renovated schools), as well as lively local industries that are beginning to take shape.

Those who are pushing to make the Saemaul Movement Korea’s next big export say that the program offers sustainable foreign aid that can contribute to the eradication of world poverty. This comes in light of the United Nations’ recent revisiting of its Millennium Development Goals, which include halving extreme poverty rates and advancing an “ambitious post-2015 development agenda.” U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently declared at the opening of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization Forum, “Advancing inclusive and sustainable industrial development, both on its own and as part of a broader campaign to protect the planet and all people in the future, is the moral and political responsibility of all governments.”

Showcasing success stories

One of the attending countries at this year’s forum, Uganda has been singled out by some as one of the most promising new adopters of the Saemaul initiative – a hopeful success story in

upcoming years. As a primarily rural nation where well over half the population live in farming communities, Uganda suffers from chronic poverty despite having large tracts of fertile land. In 2009, two villages implemented Saemaul development strategies, a number that has since risen to 10.

In an Oct. 21 interview with Korean media, Ugandan representative and Minister for Local Government Adolf Mwesige said, “Although Uganda’s farming conditions are among the best in Africa, rural attitudes towards development have been slowing progress … but the Saemaul Movement principles of diligence, self-help and cooperation have shown people that working hard improves one’s life.”

Sharing Korea’s historical heritage

The original Saemaul Undong was launched in 1970 by then-president Park Chung-hee. The effort aimed to modernize the Korean countryside based on traditions of communalism and cooperation. The movement proved quite successful, greatly reducing poverty and improving living standards in rural villages. Between 1970 and 2011, some 53,000 public officials and village leaders from 129 nations visited Korea to learn about the movement.

In 2013, the archives of the Saemaul Undong were registered

with UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. They included presidential speeches, government papers, village documents, letters, manuals, photographs and video clips related to the movement conducted from 1970 to 1979. “The movement laid the foundation for Korea to grow into a major economy from one of the world's poorest countries,” wrote UNESCO in the inscription. “Saemaul Undong marked the first step in this remarkable journey.”

1. Former Prime Minister Goh Kun gives a lecture at the Global Saemaul Leadership Forum. © Yonhap News

2. Saemaul leaders learn about transport methods for the local food movement © Korea Saemaulundong Center

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4242

Political thinker, journalist, activist and medical doctor dedicated his entire life to Korea's sovereignty

Written by Felix Im

Seo Jae-pil

GREAT KOREAN

Seo Jae-pil (1864-1951) was an independence activist who realized that true change could only be enacted through political awareness, education

and intellectual enlightenment. Also known by his American name, Philip Jaisohn, Seo was a true political visionary. In a time that had Korea torn between staunch conservatism, progressive reformists and encroaching foreign powers, he fought for Joseon’s democratic transformation under its own terms as an independent nation. In addition to being one of the most infl uential thinkers of his time, he was a journalist, an educator, a diplomat and a medical doctor. He was also the fi rst Korean to be naturalized as a U.S. citizen.

A born revolutionary

Although born in Jeollanam-do, Seo was adopted by a relative in Seoul when he was 7 years old. One of the greatest infl uences on his upbringing in Seoul was the presence of progressive thinker Kim Ok-gyun, a friend of his adoptive father who spent a lot of time at Seo’s home. By his teens, Seo had already formulated a progressive mindset of his own, precociously aware of the outdated frailty of Joseon’s feudal system. Possessing a sharp intellect, he passed the civil service examination in 1882 at only 18 years old, going on to serve in the royal printing department. He was sent to study in Japan the following year, and became versed in the liberal, Western-infl uenced modernism that circulated during the Meiji Restoration. After returning to Korea in 1884, he and his like-minded peers convinced King Gojong (r. 1863-1907) to approve the establishment of Korea’s own military academy. Unfortunately, Joseon’s conservative nobility, backed by Qing Dynasty China (1616-1911), not only wielded great political power but also fi ercely opposed most modern reforms, and the school was blocked.

Calling for the breakdown of the traditional monarchy, Seo and other progressives attempted to overturn the old government in December 1884, an event known as the Gapsin Coup. The rebellion was suppressed in three days, however, largely by troops sent from China. Seo and his family were branded as traitors, leading to the execution of his younger brother, as well as the suicide of his parents, older brother and wife. His 2-year-old son starved to death. After Japan rejected

4343

their appeal for asylum, Seo and his comrades fl ed to the U.S., where Seo settled down and studied in Pennsylvania.

Life in America

Seo graduated from Harry Hillman Academy in 1889, thanks to philanthropic assistance, and acquired U.S. citizenship soon afterwards. He went on to study medicine at what is now known as George Washington University, working by day and completing coursework by night. In 1893, he became the fi rst Korean to obtain a U.S. medical degree, and taught briefl y before opening his own practice. He married Muriel Armstrong, niece of former President James Buchanan, in 1894. Meanwhile, politics had shifted in Joseon, and charges against Gapsin Coup participants were dropped. Seo returned to Korea in 1896 at the age of 32.

Seo started the fi rst newspaper printed exclusively in Hangeul, The Independent, focusing on educating the public in democratic principles. After sharing his views through numerous speeches and lectures and establishing the Independence Club, a debate forum, Seo was exiled again by the conservatives in 1898, who had since retaken power. He went back to the U.S., where he worked for the University of Pennsylvania and created an English newspaper dedicated to educating locals and Korean-Americans about the importance of Korean democracy and sovereignty.

One last push

When Seo heard of the March 1st Independence Movement in 1919, he devoted himself once again to his country, which had since become a Japanese colony. Off ering his life savings as sponsorship, he formed the League of Friends of Korea in 26 U.S. cities, and pleaded with President Harding to support Korea’s independence. He published a political journal, The Korea Review, to inform the American public of Korea’s dire situation. In 1925, at the Pan-Pacifi c Conference in Honolulu, he tried to persuade world leaders of the urgency of Korea’s political freedom. Eventually, Seo became broke, and returned to working in medical research. When Korea fi nally achieved independence in 1945, the U.S. Military Government asked Seo to serve as chief advisor before Korean elections could be held. Although Seo was later selected as a candidate for the presidency, he declined. Disillusioned with politics and disheartened at seeing Korea divided, he returned once again to the U.S. in 1948. He died of a heart attack three years later.

1. A copy of The Independent, a newspaper founded by Seo and the fi rst paper to print exclusively in Hangeul © Yonhap News

2. Seo organized a donation campaign to raise funds for the construction of Independence Gate, which was completed in 1898.

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MY KOREA

The bell of Bosingak Witnessing the start of the New Year at Jongno’s historic pavilion

Written by Melissa WatkinsIllustrated by Kim Yoon-myong

44

Just when I thought I had gotten used to the crowds in Seoul, I went to Bosingak, the great bell pavilion in the Jongno neighborhood of the

capital. New York City has Times Square, London has Big Ben and Seoul has the Bosingak bell, a massive bronze instrument standing in a Joseon-era belfry that is rung 33 times at midnight on Jan. 1 to mark the beginning of the New Year. Massive crowds come out to hear it, so much so that the nearby subway station is closed and crowds start amassing at the next nearest stations. This is where I found myself with a million other people one New Year’s Eve last December, slowly ascending from the underground station and out onto the street in search of fresh air. From there it was a party parade, following the crowd at an inchworm’s pace through a route helpfully marked by lines of neon-coated police offi cers blocking off the quieter

areas of the neighborhood and a few brave street vendors selling snacks.

An age-old tradition

Bosingak is located in the Jongno neighborhood, or “Bell Street,” which gives an idea of how signifi cant the belfry and surrounding pavilion are to the city’s history. Like most Korean traditional architecture in Seoul, stumbling onto it is a bit of a shock amid the modern skyscrapers and bright lights that now make up the city. Still, the historic area is a fi tting home for the massive relic, which was used to tell time in

45

the Joseon era, much like a clock tower. The original bronze bell, made in 1468, now

resides in the National Museum of Korea, having sustained a fair amount of damage over the centuries. The new bell, cast in 1985, is worth a look due to its intricate decorative work, but you’ll never get near it on New Year’s Eve. Save that for a day trip to Seoul at some other point in the year. I didn’t even try to get into the belfry, which on this specifi c night was cordoned off behind a sparkling stage hosting a lineup of pop stars and celebrity personalities to entertain the crowds over the course of the evening. If you arrive early enough, you may fi nd the perfect place to stand and see your favorite divas. Even though I got there at 10:30 p.m., I quickly realized that the crowd was too thick to get within the sightlines of the pavilion. I was initially disappointed, but I decided to relax, listen to the fun over the speakers and people-watch instead.

Joining the crowd

I bought a packet of roasted chestnuts from a cheerful street vendor at the beginning of the long, police-lined walk to the pavilion and had already made

an early stop at a nearby Hi-Mart for a bottle of champagne. As much as I thought I wanted to see the live show and be close to the bell for the main event, I found that I had a great time wandering through the crowd, snapping pictures and sharing champagne with other revelers. As I shared paper cups of champagne with a young newlywed couple and took silly selfi es with young college students eager to say “Happy New Year” in English to anyone they could, I realized that I found the Bosingak partiers far friendlier than New Yorkers or Londoners. Looking back, I can certainly say that it was well worth it. I may not have seen the dancing K-pop stars and struggled to comprehend a comedian’s best crowd-pleasing jokes broadcast over the speakers, but I made friends and acquaintances and have a slew of wonderful picture memories.

Finally, midnight arrived, and with it came the ringing of the bell – 33 times, as promised. The fi rst fi ve times stunned the crowd into a temporary silence, but rings six through 31 were met with mini-cheers and the omnipresent chatter of a million people standing in one place. Ring number 33 drew huge cheers all around and, of course, shouts of “Happy New Year!”

46

MULTICULTURAL KOREA

A long way from homeTexas-born Richard Pennington fights for the return of a lost Korean treasure

Written by Felix ImPhotographed by Lee Hyang-ah

47

Texas-born Richard Pennington currently works in Seoul as an editor for a law firm. “Korea isn’t heaven, but I have a great life here,” he says. What’s gotten

his name into the Korean press, however, is his campaign to have a Korean cultural property returned to the peninsula. Before getting into what that property is, a brief history of the printing press is in order.

The invention of the printing press is often accredited to Johannes Gutenberg, a German blacksmith who was a printer and publisher in the 15th century. In addition to these occupations, many history books will also cite Gutenberg as the inventor of movable metal type. There is, however, another story in the narrative of printing, one that has largely been ignored.

Reprinting history

Gutenberg is believed to have started experimenting with metal typefaces around 1438, completing his printing press in 1440. The first book he printed using such technology, now known as the Gutenberg Bible, was completed around 1455, and is often referred to as the first book printed using movable metal type. A much lesser-known document, a Buddhist work commonly known as “Jikji,” was also printed using movable metal type – but was completed in 1377, nearly 80 years before Gutenberg’s text. “Jikji” was printed by a monk named Baegun at Heungdeoksa Temple in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, and made UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register in 2001. UNESCO confirms the origins of “Jikji” on its website by calling it “the world’s oldest movable metal type printing evidence available,” adding that it “signifies an important technical change in the print history of humanity.”

Being a history buff, Pennington is knowledgeable about Korean history. He has traveled extensively around the country, and has even written a book detailing his travels, “Travels of an American-Korean” (2013). When he first read about “Jikji,” however, he didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t until he visited the Early Printing Museum in Cheongju

last year that he realized its importance. While satisfying his curiosity at the museum, he was taken aback upon discovering that “Jikji” is currently not in Cheongju. In fact, it’s not in Korea at all, but in the National Library of France.

“Apparently,” Pennington says skeptically, “a French diplomat and collector named Victor Collin de Plancy bought ‘Jikji’ in 1887 before taking it back to France. After he died it fell into the hands of another collector and eventually found its way into the National Library archives.”

Although many people claim that the French collector obtained “Jikji” in a legitimate transaction, Pennington argues that there’s no evidence to substantiate such claims. “There’s no proof he actually bought it, meaning there’s no

way of knowing whether or not it was taken out of Korea through legitimate means,” he says.

Putting words into action

Although he didn’t have a history of activism, Pennington became inspired to organize a movement to motivate the governments of both France and Korea to negotiate the return of “Jikji” to Korea. He founded an NGO called Committee to Bring “Jikji” Back to Korea, and has gathered over 3,700 signatures thus far on his petition. In addition, he has spent several hours on some of Seoul’s busiest streets explaining to passersby of the significance of “Jikji” and why it needs to return

to Korea. “To be honest, I’ve been disappointed by the people who

don’t seem to really care about something so important,” Pennington confesses. He explains that he’s been repeatedly confronted with a defeatist attitude, the idea that there’s nothing that can be done to bring “Jikji” back.

“The French government isn’t going to just give it up. We have to put pressure on them,” he explains, “and hopefully I can convince enough people to do just that.”

48

TALES FROM KOREA

The naughty frog For once, a mischievous frog actually does as he is told with tragic results

Written by Felix ImIllustrated by Shim Soo-keun

There once was a green tree frog that never did what he was told. When his mother told him to jump, he would plant himself

fi rmly into the mud, refusing to budge. When his mother told him to stay still, he would repeatedly jump as high as he could. This behavior continued all throughout the little frog’s childhood and on into his adolescent years, frustrating his poor mother, who eventually gave up on trying to tame her troublesome son.

A stubborn son

Her son’s misbehavior worried mother frog constantly, for she was well into old age and he still hadn’t cleaned up his act. Even when she was clearly exhausted and upset, her son would go north upon being told to go south and sleep upon being told to stay awake. “For just once, I wish he’d listen to me!” she would cry when alone.

Such mischief particularly saddened her as she neared her fi nal days, for you would think a son would, at the very least, listen to his mother during her last years of life. Surely enough, however, her son’s playful defi ance persisted until her dying moments. It wasn’t that he was a bad frog; he simply liked mischief and found pleasure in doing the exact opposite of what he was supposed to do. As the naughty frog watched his mother pass away, however, he felt a sudden pang of guilt at an entire lifetime of disobedience.

Before passing away into the frog afterlife, mother frog used her last breath to ask her son to bury her near the riverbank, although she actually wanted to be buried in the mountains. She reasoned that because her son always did the exact opposite of what he was told, it’d be best to tell

him to do the exact opposite of what she actually wanted. Unfortunately for her, the naughty frog had a change of heart upon hearing his mother’s last words, and decided that it was fi nally time to start behaving like a grown frog.

Under the impression that he was being a good son, the naughty little frog buried his mother near the riverbank, although he thought it was a foolish idea to bury her in a place where she could get washed up by overfl owing currents when it rains. As he was laying her down in her fi nal resting place, he thought, “I don’t understand why she didn’t ask to be buried in the mountains, but it’s her dying wish, and the least I can do is obey that.” Yet after he buried her, the naughty little frog lived in constant fear that his mother would be swept away by strong currents every time it rained. Consequently, whenever he sensed rain the naughty little frog would start crying, praying that the currents wouldn’t take his mother away.

Frogs and rain

This is a folktale that off ers an entertaining explanation as to why frogs croak when it rains. The real reason, however, is that frogs and toads love moisture, and the humid conditions provided by rainfall off er them the perfect reason to come out and celebrate – or mate. Although the story has origins in China, it has become one of Korea’s most well-known tales, often told to children to discourage misbehavior and emphasize the importance of fi lial piety. In fact, misbehaving Korean children are often called tree frogs, something to keep in mind the next time you encounter a disobedient child.

49

FLAVOR

Written by Shin YesolPhotographed by Shin Guk-beom

Roasted winter snacks

You know it’s wintertime when you see the street stalls selling baked sweet potatoes and roasted chestnuts.

Street-baked sweet potatoes are typically prepared in a large metal drum. The drum is f illed with firewood, giving the sweet potatoes a delightfully woody and caramel f lavor. Raw sweet potatoes are placed in small drawers inside the cavity. For many older Koreans, this classic winter comfort food brings back memories of a simpler, more rustic time.

Another popular winter snack is chestnuts, peeled and roasted over coals and sold by the bag or in pouches of recycled paper. You can fi nd these stalls everywhere, but they are most common in market areas. If roasted for an appropriately long time, the nuts yield a wonderfully rich, sweet fl avor, and their aroma is simply enchanting.

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