KOREA Magazine (NOVEMBER 2011 VOL. 8 NO. 11)

People & Culture
november 2011
A Visit to the DistAnt PAst VirtuAl Golf tees uP
NoNsaN
Golf Galore
ma Cine ean Kor

bAl oes Glo yG inDustr lm locAl fi
ISSN: 2005-2162
www.korea.net
Contents
november 2011 VOL.8 NO.11
02
cover story
Korean films are growing and globalizing.
12
pen & brush
Hwang Sun-mis childrens stories captivate.
16
people
Design guru Kim Young-se strives for the best.
18
great korean
Inventor Jang Yeong-sil changed the nation.
20
seoul
Gain history and culture at old Seoul Station.
22
travel
Explore the beautiful past of Nonsan City.
26
02 22
publisher Seo Kang-soo, Korean Culture and Information Service editing HEM KOREA Co., Ltd e-mail webmaster@korea.net printing Samsung Moonhwa Printing Co. All right reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission from KOrea and the Korean Culture and Information Service. The articles published in KOrea do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. The publisher is not liable for errors or omissions. If you want to receive a free copy of KOrea or wish to cancel a subscription, please e-mail us. A downloadable PDF file of KOrea, and a map and glossary with common Korean words appearing in our text are available by clicking on the thumbnail of KOrea on the homepage of www.korea.net. 11-1110073-000016-06
The animated character on the cover is copyright of Myung Films Odolttogi.
festival
Feast on the countrys best rice in Icheon.
27
flavor
Chill out with dongchimi kimchi for winter.
28
now in korea
Virtual golf is causing a sensation across Korea.
32
entertainment
All eyes are on celebrities in the military.
34
sports
Sebastian Vettel wins the Korean Grand Prix.
36
special issue
The four rivers restoration project is underway.
34 22
38
summit diplomacy
Ties between Korea and the US strengthen.
42
vision of korea
Saemangeum Seawall reclaims Korean land.
46
my korea
Discovering the true soul of hanok houses.
cover story
The GlobalizaTion of Korean film

Korea is the 10th largest movie market in the world and is endeavoring to meet global standards. Not only have veterans such as Im Kwon-taek, Kim Ki-duk and Hong Sang-soo made a name in arthouse films, but blockbuster hits are appearing from Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho and more. Korean films are becoming a global force through international collaboration, distribution and a higher quality of cinema. by Ra Je-gy
Busan International Film Festival; CJ E&M
Im more interested in this, the Hollywood of the East, than the Hollywood of the West, said French actress Isabelle Huppert at the 16th Busan International Film Festival this year. Huppert has won major acting awards at the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival among others. Speaking at an event at the same festival, Luc Besson (Leon, The Fifth Element) added, Dont just dream of Hollywood, but make films based on stories of Korea in Korea, which is itself a great country.
Hollywood of tHe east As Huppert
and Bessons words indicate, Koreas film industry has turned heads in the past. According to the Korean Film Commission, Koreas film market was the worlds 10th largest in 2009, valued at US$1.275 billion. After Japan and India, its the third largest market in Asia, with 138 films produced in Korea every year. In terms of the domestic market share for its own movies, Korea is doing quite well. In 2009, Korean films made
up 47% of the market share, the fifth highest figure globally. Put into context, France only stands at 36% and Italy at 24% even though theyre both countries with traditionally strong film industries. The Korean film industry is almost a century old, but it wasnt until the 1960s that a number of talented actors and directors emerged, ushering in Korean films first renaissance. Back then, Korean films enjoyed great popularity in Southeast Asia, and there was an attempt to industrialize and centralize Koreas film industry. Long the home of many production studios, Chungmuro, which is located in the heart of Seoul, remains a symbol of Korean movies. However, the industry staggered under the military dictatorships of the 1970s and suffered a period of political and economic turmoil until the mid-1990s. Koreas second film renaissance arrived in the 1990s, in the wake of democratization. As a new generation of directors and producers emerged, the film industry was given a boost.
the female leads of Sunny (opposite below). the actors of My Way speak at the 16th Busan International film festival (opposite). a scene from A Better Tomorrow (far left). a scene from Leafie, a Hen into the Wild (left).
award-wInnInG fIlms
The status of Korean cinema has risen exponentially since it first appeared on the world stage at the Berlin International Film Festival in the early 1960s. Since then, the country has won a range of awards from the three most prestigious festivals in the world: Berlin Film Festival, Venice Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival.
1961
The Coachman by Kang daejin wins the silver Bear extraordinary Jury Prize at the Berlin International film festival, becoming the first Korean film to earn an award at a major foreign festival.
1987
Kang soo-yeon wins the Volpi Cup Best actress award for her role in Im Kwon-taeks The Surrogate Woman at the Venice film festival.
1994
Busan International Film Festival (top right); CJ E&M (below left, opposite top left); Myung Films (opposite top right)
Socially conscious directors who tried to use their medium as a tool to change society during the dictatorships of the 1980s became the foundation for a new revival of Korean film. Park Kwangsu, Jang Sun-woo and Chung Ji-young did exactly this, and played a role in connecting the turmoil of the 70s with the surge of the 90s. With the appearance of large-scale multiplex chain theaters in the late 1990s, the number of moviegoers exploded. At the same time, investment and distribution agencies connected to large companies entered the market, such as CJ Entertainment (now the film division of CJ E&M), Show Box and Lotte Entertainment, allowing for more films to be produced. Studio after studio merged as they became listed on the stock market, and entertainment groups focusing on film studios started appearing as well. When money started flowing in from the stock market and big investment and distribution agencies, film studios in Chungmuro started to make movies in a
bolder way. This combination of young talent and big money brought about a series of films that would continuously break former box office records. In 2004, Silmido attracted 10 million viewers, a first in the history of Korean movies. This was followed by Taegukgi, the second to break 10 million, then The King and the Clown in 2005 and The Host in 2006. As the industry grew, Korean films achieved more recognition at international film festivals. In 2002, director Im Kwon-taeks Painted Fire (also known as Chi-hwa-seon) won him the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival, which set off years of Korean directors and actors earning the spotlight. Most recently, Kim Kiduks Arirang won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes. Before the 2000s, there were only three Korean films which had won awards at major international film festivals the first was The Coachman in 1961, which won a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.
2002 2004
Many internationally known directors emerged one after another: Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho, Kim Jiwoon, Hong Sang-soo, Lim Sang-soo, Ryu Seung-wan, Kim Ki-duk and Lee Chang-dong. Film companies in other countries, including the US and France, are now busy making movies with the aforementioned directors or investing in their productions. In addition, with rise of the Hallyu (Korean wave) in recent years, exports have been rapidly increasing to parts of East and Southeast Asia. Korean films are especially popular in Japan, where actors like Bae Yong-joon, Jang Donggun, Lee Byung-hun and Kwon Sangwoo are household names. In 2005, the export of Korean films reached its peak at US$75.9 million. In tandem with the growth of the film industry, international film festivals are taking root in Korea. Launched in 1996, the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is one of the worlds most dynamic film festivals. Less than a decade after its launch, BIFF was
2005
recognized as more successful than the Tokyo International Film Festival, and had established itself as one of the most important film festivals in Asia. Other leading Korean festivals include the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival, the Jeonju International Film Festival and the Jecheon International Music & Film Festival, each of which highlight different genres of film.
enterInG new marKets In this
decade, Korean films are finding their way into overseas markets. Beyond simply exporting completed films to other countries, Koreans are now looking to break into new markets through joint productions. This was in part spurred by the fact that in 2006, Korean film studios faced a crisis because of a reduced screen quota for domestic Korean films, which gave an advantage to foreign-produced movies. The most common way locals enter overseas markets is by actors and directors appearing in foreign films. Lee Byung-hun, Jang Dong-gun and Rain
2007
Hwa-Om-Kyung by Jang sun-woo wins the alfred Bauer award at the Berlin International film festival.
Im Kwon-taek wins the Best director award for Painted Fire (Chi-hwa-seon) at the Cannes film festival. lee Chang-dong wins the special directors award for Oasis at the 2003 Venice film festival.
Park Chan-wooks Oldboy wins the Grand Prix at Cannes film festival. Kim Ki-duk wins the Best director award for Samaria at the Berlin film festival and the Best director award at Venice for 3-Iron.
Im Kwon-taek wins the Honorary Golden Bear award for lifetime achievement at the Berlin International film festival.
Jeon do-yeon wins Best actress at the Cannes film festival for her role in Secret Sunshine.
04 | korea | november 2011
www.korea.net | 05
Jang dong-gun starrs in My Way (left). actor Park Hae-il shoots an arrow in the 2011 film Arrow: The Ultimate Weapon (opposite bottom left). Arrow was one of the years biggest box office hits (opposite bottom right).
have appeared in Hollywood films, while scores of other actors are constantly looking for chances to work in overseas markets. In recent years, its become more and more commonplace to see Korean names in Asian productions. Indeed, Hur Jin-ho (Dangerous Liaisons) and Kwak Jae-yong (Yang Guifei) are planning to direct films produced by Chinese companies. Kwak has already proven his international capabilities following his work on the Japanese film Cyborg She. Domestic special effects teams are also making it abroad, and the special effects team from Taegukgi worked on war scenes in the Chinese blockbuster Assembly. Korean directors are being snatched up by Hollywood, too. Park Chan-wook is currently shooting Stoker, starring Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska. Park, who won a Grand Prix and a Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, is considered the most appreciated
2009 2010
Korean director by Western audiences. In 2009, Park produced Thirst along with a subsidiary of Universal Studios. This year, Kim Ji-woon is currently filming The Last Stand, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Production companies are also actively involved in joint productions. CJ E&Ms film division is planning to co-produce three films with 1492 Pictures, a Hollywood studio founded by Chris Columbus, director of Home Alone and Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. 1492 Pictures is trying to establish a foothold in the Asian market through its partnership with CJ E&M. Their first project will be director Yoon Je-kyoons Temple Stay, which has a budget of 30 billion won (US$26.4 million). Yoon is a local blockbuster film director who drew more than 10 million viewers for his 2009 movie Haeundae. CJ E&M is also producing a Hollywood blockbuster called 1950,
2011
the story of an American Marine Corps unit during the Korean War. It will be directed by Rob Cohen (The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor) with a budget of US$100 million, the biggest project a Korean film studio has ever participated in. Additionally, CJ E&Ms film division is exclusively working on importing and distributing films from Paramount Pictures, while also targeting the Japanese market through a partnership with Doei, one of three major movie studios in Japan. The country itself is proving to be an asset in the industry, with directors coming to Korea to shoot films. The Kick, a movie about taekwondo directed by Thai film director Prachya Pinkaew (who is known for his Ong-Bak martial arts film series on Muay Thai) will be shot in Korea. The Kick stars Cho Jaehyun, Ye Ji-won and two other young Korean actors and former taekwondo athletes. Then theres Isabelle Huppert, who visited Korea this summer to perform in In Another Country (unofficial translated title), a new film by Hong Sang-soo. Korea is continuing to spearhead multinational projects, one of which is Snow Piercer. For this sci-fi film based on a French comic of the same title, several European countries are participating in the production and investment of it, including France. Production is set at 30 billion won and it will be directed by Bong Joon-ho (The Host, Mother), who served as president
Lotte Entertainment; CJ E&M (opposite)
of the Camera dOr jury at Cannes this year. My Way, directed by Kang Je-gyu, is another multinational project starring Korean actor Jang Dong-gun, Japanese actor Joe Odagiri and Chinese actress Fan Bingbing. Investment in Korean films is increasing. Last years Korean remake of John Woos A Better Tomorrow and Pain, released last September, were both heavily financed by Japanese investors. Both movies starred Korean actors popular in Japan. The overseas cinema business is also part of the globalization of Korean films. Two of Koreas largest multiplexes, CGV and Lotte Cinema, are opening branches in China and Vietnam. CGV has been particularly fast-moving in their endeavors, and of the eight multiplexes it opened in China, three were opened in 2011. Another is scheduled to open by the end of this year. In addition, CGV built a multiplex theater in Los Angeles and is planning to use it as a stepping stone for Korean films to gain a better foothold in Hollywood.
dIVersIfyInG styles Recently, Korean
films have become more diverse than ever, as seen by the films that ranked high in box office sales domestically this year, continuing a trend of rising success for homegrown productions. Arrow: The Ultimate Weapon, which
attracted the largest number of viewers in Korea this year (7.42 million), added vitality to the historical drama genre that is often considered old-fashioned. A war set in the Joseon Dynasty, the film captured the attention of audiences by describing the ordinary yet tragic stories of people during that era, using action scenes to accomplish this instead of highlighting a specific historical figure. Another historical drama that did well was Detective K: Secret of Virtuous Widow, which drew 4.79 million people. Although set in the Joseon Dynasty, a modern sense of humor and plot pulled in viewers. The film deals with a main character who is a detective, a rare subject in Asian films, and showed that serious period pieces can still be lighthearted with the right approach. The box office success of Sunny (7.37 million viewers) also shed light in the diversification of Korean films. The fact that a family drama without any major stars achieved such success will open doors for more such films in the future. The Crucible (4.26 million viewers), which criticizes sexual assaults committed at a school for hearing impaired children, reconfirmed the potential of films regarding social criticism a genre that the Korean film world has shied away from for years. The box office success of the animation Leafie, a Hen into the
Wild also represents a shift in the diversification of Korean films. Korea has long worked for US and Japanese animations, and while the ability of Korean animators is considered among the best in the world, Korean animation hasnt succeeded commercially since Robot Taekwon V in the 1970s. At most, just one feature animation film is made every year in Korea. Leafie drew in 2.19 million people, achieving the highest box office record for a Korean animation domestically and combined the exceptional ability of Myung Films to make realistic films with animation technology. Leafie was released in more than 3,000 Chinese theaters in September. These days, there has also been a big push forward with independent films in Korea. Through the development of digital technology, filmmaking has become more and more accessible to a new group of aspiring directors. In 2008, Old Partner, a documentary about an old cow and an elderly farmer couple, attracted 3 million viewers, increasing the popularity of indie films. Korean films have also taken home the VPRO Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, widely considered the worlds biggest independent film festival, for recent hits Breathless (2009) and The Journals of Musan (2011).
Park Chan-wooks Thirst wins the Jury Prize at the Cannes film festival.
Hong sang-soos Hahaha wins the Prix Un Certain regard in the non-competitive section of the Cannes film festival. Poetry by lee Chang-dong wins the Prix du scnario at the Cannes film festival.
Kim Ki-duks Arirang wins the Prix Un Certain regard at the Cannes film festival. Night Fishing by brothers Park Chan-wook and Chan-kyong win the Golden Bear for Best short film at the Berlin film festival. Broken Night by yang Hyo-joo wins the silver Bear Jury Prize for short film at the Berlin film festival.
www.korea.net | 07
cover story
Korean cineastes expanding their horizons

As Korean cinema continues to enjoy growing attention in the international film festival circuit, local directors and actors are expanding their horizons by partaking in various US and Chinese productions and other cross-border collaborations. by Lee Hyo-won
from left to right: Bae doo-na will appear in Cloud Atlas; director Bong Joon-ho; song Hye-kyo will appear in wong Karwais latest; actor lee Byung-hun.
director Kim Ji-woons ouevre includes I Saw the Devil.
Cult favorite Park Chan-wook made a name for himself with The Vengeance Trilogy and his international reputation has led to his big Hollywood debut, Stoker. Based on a screenplay by Prison Break star Wentworth Miller, the film made headlines for its star-studded cast. Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre) plays a teenage girl who must deal with the sudden arrival of her mysterious uncle (Matthew Goode) while mourning the death of her father. Nicole Kidman appears as the emotionally unstable mother in the psychological thriller. The film, set for release next year, is in production in Nashville, Tennessee. Meanwhile Parks Oldboy is being remade into an English-lanugage version by renowned American director Spike Lee. Josh Brolin is set to play the lead male role (originally played by Choi Minsik) opposite actress Rooney Mara (who replaces Kang Hye-jung). In addition, Park is producing Bong Joon-hos first English language film, Snow Piercer. Bong, who directed the highest grossing Korean film in history The Host, further rose to international prominence with the 2009 crime drama Mother. After serving as head of jury for Cannes Film
Festivals Camera dOr section in May, he has been working on his new film which is based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige. The film is about a group of people on a train without a final destination, struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic ice age. Song Kang-ho is the only Korean actor cast in the film. Im focusing on this new challenge involving the English language, a 30 billion won-plus budget and high technology, Bong said during the 16th Busan International Film Festival. The US$34 million sci-fi film is set to go into production in Prague in March. Bae Doo-na, who had been part of the main cast of Bongs The Host, is also making her way into Tinseltown. She follows in the footsteps of pop star Rain by taking part in the Wachowski brothers latest project Cloud Atlas. The actress, who made her debut in the critically acclaimed Japanese film Air Doll, will co-star with Tom Hanks, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant and Halle Barry. The film interweaves various anecdotes, with Bae starring as a clone in a plot set in Seoul in the year 2144. The US$140 million project is currently is slated for a fall 2012 release. Meanwhile, I Saw the Devil helmer Kim
Ji-woon is making his US film debut. Kim is also known for the so-called kimchi Western The Good, the Bad, the Weird and is expected to showcase more action in the upcoming project The Last Stand. Arnold Schwarzenegger makes his big screen comeback in the film as the sheriff of a sleepy town. He runs up against an escaped drug cartel leader (Spanish actor Eduardo Noriega) heading for the Mexican border. Rodrigo Santoro, Jaimie Alexander, Peter Stormare and Zach Gilford co-star in the film, which is being produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura. Lionsgate has worldwide distribution rights on The Last Stand, which has started production in New Mexico and is to hit theaters in 2013. Lee Byung-hun will also be taking part in an action-packed American film. The actor made his Hollywood debut in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and will reprise his role as the villainous Storm Shadow in the second installment of the franchise. Korean filmmakers are making their way into China, the worlds fastest growing film market. Kwak Jae-yong, best known for directing the international hit romantic comedy My Sassy Girl, was approached by China Film Group chairman Han Sanping for Yang Guifei. The upcoming
film is about the eponymous Chinese royal consort known for her legendary beauty. The Korea-China-Japan co-production stars the neighboring Asian countrys top actress Fan Bingbing. It starts production in Korea in November and will wrap in February for a later 2012 release. Fan has also been making headlines for co-starring with Jang Dong-gun in a panAsian film project. Jang, who has debuted in the US and China, is set to appear in the Korea-China-Japan co-production piece My Way. The film, directed by Taegukgi director Kang Je-gyu, is a World War II drama that will be released next year in Korea, Japan, China and the US. Meanwhile, Jang will be working with Cecilia Cheung for Hur Jin-hos Dangerous Liaisons. The Korea-China joint project takes the 18th-century French novel to 1930s Shanghai, and the love triangle story includes Chinese screen beauty Zhang Ziyi. The film is slated to open in 2012. Meanwhile, actress Song Hye-kyo will appear in a film by Hong Kong arthouse master director Wong Kar-wai. The Grandmasters is about Bruce Lees kung fu master and co-stars top Chinese actors Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Chang Chen. It is also slated for a 2012 release.
Yonhap News Agency
www.korea.net | 09
cover story
Jonathan Kim
an industry insiders insights

Veteran producer and CJ E&M consultant Jonathan Kim is discovering that the best way to revolutionize and expand the local film industry is through strategic collaboration and cultural understanding. by Ra Je-gy | photographs by Kim Hong-jin
Foreign audiences need time to become familiar with Korean actors and directors, says Jonathan Kim, an advisor to the film department of CJ E&M, Koreas biggest media conglomerate. If Korean actors and directors can take part in joint productions overseas, it will allow Korean films to make their mark there more easily. But if all we do is export movies and depend on the acting, the business wont last long. Kim has some pretty firm ideas about joint productions, insisting, The Korean film market is in a depression, and the way to fix this is through joint productions. Kim used to be a veteran producer in Chungmuro, the central filmmaking area in Seoul, and got his start in the business by importing foreign films. He played an important role in taking Koreas film industry to the next level by producing hit movies that include titles such as Silmido, Ditto, and Sisily 2km. He also served a term as the chairman of the Korean Film Producers Association and has written
screenplays. After studying at an American university, he recognized the need for Korean films to enter the global market earlier than most. In 2007, he produced Virgin Snow with a Japanese company, attempting to set a precedent for a new production model. Widely considered a major mover in the Korean film business, he recently became an adviser at CJ E&M, as they thought he was the right person to take charge of the globalization of Korean films, a key goal in the Korean movie industry these days. There have been many attempts for joint productions in the Korean film community, Kim explains. Yet there have been no significant advancements. Although many of us have learned all about this concept, I havent been able to establish any specific principles about it until now. Simply investing in joint productions with Korean films is not the solution. Instead, Kim suggests guidelines that are much more concrete. The production capability of Korean films should be able to grow through these projects, or the joint project should be shot in Korea, or it should deal with Asian subject matter. Kim goes on to emphasize, We cant help taking different approaches in pursuing joint productions by country. China has a lot of money, so Korea needs to combine unique subject matter with their money. At the same time, the US is interested in Asian subject matter, so we need to work on how to mutually benefit from that. Kim showed an especially keen interest in the rapidly expanding Chinese market, saying, China has a rigorous deliberation system with films, so horror movies havent been developed there very much yet. I think the Korean film industry has the capability to create horrors without being over-the-top gory. Remaking successful
Korean films could be a good approach, too. Im confident that we can enter the until now closed Chinese market if we find ways to please Chinese producers. He adds, We need to strike a responsive chord in each country. Korean audiences like exciting scenes, so Korean films have a lot of dramatic features, but Japanese films are the opposite. We need to understand cultural differences like this. He also says, In the end, joint productions come down to people. The problem is that Korea has little manpower with the accumulated production knowhow overseas. If we ignore experience because we have money, we will face substantial challenges in foreign countries. We should foster this manpower. For example, we can send some Korean Film Council students in its film academy to the US for training. In the US they do a lot of paperwork when producing films, and we need people who are accustomed to this so that American production companies can shoot their films in Korea with ease.
JonatHan KIms Career 2003-2006 Chairman, Korean Film Producers Association 1997-2001 CEO, Hanmaek Movies 1983 Graduated from University of Southern California Producer 2007 Anna & Anna; Virgin Snow 2006 Monopoly; Fly, Daddy, Fly; Detective Mr Gong 2005 Daddy-Long-Legs 2004 Sisily 2km 2003 Silmido; The Legend of the Evil Lake 2002 First Amendment 2000 Ditto 1999 The Ring Virus 1996 Piano Man 1993 Hot Sea; The Man with Breasts 1992 Love War 1990 Burning Sun 1988 Miri, Mari, Uri, Duri
Producer Jonathan Kim appears at the main office of CJ e&m in seoul (opposite). (from above left to right) Posters for Kims major box office successes Silmido, Virgin Snow and Sisily 2km.
www.korea.net | 11
pen & brush
Charms of Childrens Literature

Hwang Sun-mi, one of the most renowned names in Korean childrens literature, reveals her philosophy on the genre and where she finds the inspiration for her bestselling books.
by Lee Sun-min | photographs by Kim Hong-jin
Just as the animated Korean cartoon Pororo the Little Penguin grabbed the attention of kids across the world, one Korean writer is set to take the literary world and the big screen with her captivating childrens stories. Hwang Sun-mis Leafie, a Hen into the Wild celebrated selling 1 million copies in May this year, just a few months before the theatrical release of its film adaptation. The movie, which garnered more than 2 million viewers since its July release, is the first Korean animated film to have reached such success in the local market echoing the success of its acclaimed text counterpart. The heartwarming tale is gaining recognition abroad, having steadily gained popularity in Japan since its publication in the neighboring country in 2003, and now has its eyes set on the German market, according to publisher Sakyejul. The movie adaption is being distributed in countries such as China, Turkey and Indonesia, and most recently won the Best Family Film Diploma at the Sitges Film Festival in October. Originally written in 2000, the book is now considered one of the most popular childrens books in Korea and is often listed on elementary school curricula. Accordingly, Hwang is now considered one of the genres most well-known names, with an oeuvre that includes more than 54 works. Though the author assumed her readers would have gone to the theaters for the film version of Leafie, she didnt expect it would attract so many new fans who had never read her work before. Im glad the movie was accessible to moviegoers,
Hwang says, though its not the first time her work has been adapted into a different medium. In 2008, the National Gugak Center composed a changguek, Korean traditional opera, based on her Leafie story, which was performed in theaters across the country. Im surprised that the content I create is versatile enough to appeal to a broad range of audiences, the writer says. Though her prolific works now inspire a plethora of creative minds, Hwang has endured her fair share of struggles in pinpointing what to write. In her 20s, she contemplated writing a novel, but didnt feel confident that she could do the genre justice. Writing a novel was like mimicking an adult life that I had yet to live. I felt I was being irresponsible for writing about something that I didnt know well, she confesses. Hwang didnt find her niche in childrens books until she had her own kids to read to, relishing in the balance of fiction and reality the tales represented. Whether its death or a divorce, I dont expect children to never learn what those things are, Hwang says. Childrens books entail a debate of how abstained and roundabout expressions a writer is going to use, rather than a debate whether to portray reality or not.
Story trendS The childrens book industry in Korea changes
roughly every 10 years, Hwang says. Rather than being influenced by literary trends, the field depends mostly on the political and social trends of each decade. This is largely because childrens books are written by adults, who impose their ideals and reflection of children into their books, the author explains. The winding history of early 20th-century Korea played a key role in childrens literature, Hwang expands. After the Japanese colonization (1910-1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953), adults typically depicted children in two extreme categories: either very active and outspoken during social upheavals, or naive and unable to cope with change.
Hwang Sun-mi
However, a new image of children began to emerge by the end of the 20th century. Shrugging off the burdens of occupation and war, children were depicted as and perhaps, finally allowed to be children once more in the 1990s, and continued to grow ever more rebellious against their parents. But have the kids in Korea truly transformed so much over the decades as they have in books? Children are children, Hwang says. It is not that they have drastically changed, but they are viewed differently now. The children of books are conceptual beings that wear the expectations that adults put on them. Besides projected ideals, another factor affected the childrens literature industry in Korea. The local market was reshaped in the 90s by a massive influx of translated fairy tales from overseas that dominated the shelves. The sudden incoming of foreign literature was due in part to the demands of parents, who had begun to place great emphasis on their childrens educations a luxury they were unable to afford during their own impoverished youth. Though eager as parents were in the 90s to expose their kids to new literature, it also raised the question of whether or not local children would be able to relate to the translated works. But Hwang rejects this idea. Even if its a translated story by foreign writers, a child can still learn some inherent lesson that is rooted in universal human values, she says. Its better for children to read as many books as possible, regardless of origin, but I do hope, one day, that more Korean writers will be able to write works that sympathize with children. Not that its an easy task. As a veteran, Hwang understands that childrens literature is no vacation for the novelist or even the poet. She once had a colleague flippantly remark that he would try writing a childrens book, as if in his spare time. I felt so upset when he sounded as if its less of a challenge than writing a novel, she says with confidence.
A WriterS ProceSS For Hwang, the birth of a story can
natural for each tree to strive to grow in a different direction, in order to get more sun, Hwang says. Its very scientific, but suddenly, to me, it looked as if the trees were cooperating and yielding to each other. Itll be one of my future subjects, and will refer to a society based on a hidden sense of order. Though shes uncertain when that book will be published, its nearly time for the writer to turn to her winter retreat. The spring and fall seasons are typically when Hwang collects the basic inspirations for her works by meeting people, teaching classes and watching movies as often as possible. But once school vacations start in summer and winter, she secludes herself from the rest of the world to concentrate going so far as to shut off her phone in order to complete the escape. The act of writing is very solitary, Hwang explains. I even try to make my daily routine as minimalistic as possible when I write, and I wont step outside unless I feel really suffocated. She even refrains from reading other literary works during this process. Im afraid if I read a lot of works by others, I might lose my own color that Ive acquired, she says. There is, however, one occasion on which shell read someone elses literature. This is when she reviews works by emerging childrens book authors for an award sponsored by her publisher. Indeed, some writers are discovered by the tip of Hwangs own hands. Its a responsibility that I never thought I would carry. I actually wanted to win the award myself, but Im only allowed to review, she says with a laugh. The history of Korean
rePreSentAtive WorK
LeAfie, A Hen into tHe WiLd (2000)

Through the tale of a hen named Leafie, this book teaches children to pursue their dreams, freedom and love despite the hardships that may find them. Leafie dreams of the day she can leave the yard and finally sit on her own eggs. After being kicked out of the coop, Leafie finally gets a chance to see the real world. Though life outside the coop is dangerous (Leafie narrowly escapes a weasel attack), she manages to take in the excitement and even make new friends. With an odd otter and handsome duck by her side, Leafie ventures on heroically.
tHe BAd Kid SticKerS (1999)

This story is about how students crave to be acknowledged and recognized by their teachers, and how an authority figure should act when students deviate from the curriculum. For Geon-u, a third grader, this proves to be difficult when all his well-intentioned actions result in him receiving yellow bad boy stickers, the antithesis of the good job stickers. As his sincere attempts to win back the teachers favor fail, Geon-u starts to give his discipliner his own bad teacher stickers in his notebook. But what happens when the teacher discovers his secret?
take anywhere from a few months to several years. While some saplings of a new tale can take root instantly, others must patiently bide their time for maybe six years to get on the page. The writer waits for inspiration to hit her spontaneously, with each future work an unknown mystery until she stumbles upon it accidentally. Recently, an idea for a new book came to her as she was hiking in the mountains near her home. She had been thinking of the notion that trees grow in the same direction as the wind that brushes through them. Then, she realized that the trees were actually growing in the directions that each wished. Its
Myung Films (bottom)
childrens books is very short, and I feel lucky to have been running with the first string of writers. I think much better works will be published soon and will beat my record of selling a million copies. Hwangs next book will be released in spring. Its a love story elementary school students will be able to appreciate, the writer says. Though it hasnt been officially titled yet, she has secretly named it, A foolish letter Hmm! Its puppy love, she says with a smile on her face, as if thinking about her own first love.
A scene from the film adaptation of Leafie, a Hen into the Wild.
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people
Have you ever seen a sliding pressed powder case? What about an iriver MP3 player? Both were designed by acclaimed industry figure Kim Young-se, who has earned international fame for his product designs that include Samsung cell phones and Fila shoes. A product should always be beautiful, functionally convenient and easy to manufacture. Its hard to impress consumers unless the design moves them, Kim says. From a gas stove inspired by the shape of a lobster to the sliding powder case designed for his wife (who complained about the inconveniences of traditional cases), Kims designs are always marked by their ability to sensationalize with simplicity. As a child, Kim was curious about the world and showed a talent for painting, but dreams of becoming a designer didnt take root until he was 16. While visiting a friends home, the teenage Kim was drawn into the library, shelves overwhelmed with design-related books. The vivid photos immediately caught his eye, and turning to the books spines, he realized what he was seeing was called industrial design. Following the revelation, Kim made up his mind to major in design at university, where he realized that he did, indeed, have an affinity for the field. Im not sure if its a good or bad thing, but when I start something that Im interested in, I become obsessed, he laughs. After studying industrial design at both Seoul National University and the University of Illinois, Kim became a professor at the Chicago school in 1980. Just a few short years later, he moved west to open INNODESIGN in a Silicon Valley office in 1986. It was the first design company in the state of California to be established by a Korean. Kim describes that period as the most difficult, yet exhilarating time of his life. I was hungry for something imaginative and creative. I realized then that its a limitless world and design is infinite. A simple idea from my mind can change you, change people, change the way they live, he effuses. In the 25 years since INNODESIGNs founding, Kim has been recognized across the world with such awards as the prestigious IDEA (International Design Excellence Award) sponsored by BusinessWeek and the Red Dot Design Award. But he refuses to slow down since achieving success, instead believing the whole world is a stage waiting for innovation. Branches of INNODESIGN can now be found in Beijing and Tokyo. He returned to Korea in 1999, where he wanted to explore the possibilities of local design. At the time, Koreas IT industry was in the beginning stages of its heyday. Korea is a country whose main characteristic is its consumers. The reason why Korea has been able to continually produce IT technology that leads the world is because consumers here are always expecting the next step faster, and the younger generations are always game to try something new. Kim grasped the rapidly changing needs of the Korean IT industry and its consumers and immediately reflected them in his design. If he imagined something intangible one day, the idea would be materialized as a tangible product the next. He often could not wait to see how manufacturers turned his ideas into products. Korean design is now part of the global consumer tech scene, in part because of Kims work on Samsung smart phones, LG refrigerators and the iriver MP3 player, but also because Korea has an appetite for electronics second only to Japan. Kim, who believes that designers should create as if each product is for a loved one, reveals that the inspiration for the irivers design came while thinking of his daughter. The iriver N10 launched in 2004, and quickly became one of the countrys bestselling items ever, selling more than 250,000 in six months. The MP3 player was even commended by Bill Gates. Sometimes, I design a product specifically for one person. If I can satisfy this user perfectly, I know that his or her satisfaction with my design will be shared with thousands, or tens of thousands of others one day. But the goal is to first impress one user with a flawless design. Kim, who has written several books on his field of expertise, believes that only those who are passionate about their work can develop an idea to really change the world, and hopes to inspire more young minds. In his latest publication, The Imaginer, he writes of dreamy, forward-looking designers. He also exchanges ideas and opinions with fellow designers via his Twitter account @YoungSeKim.
Kim Young-se established INNODESIGN when he was 36 years old (opposite). INNODESIGNs products include liquor from Kooksoondang (top), Samsung phones (above) and even a community bike rental system (below).
Design Guru Kim Young-se
Born to Design the World

INNODESIGN
Innovation is his motto, design is his duty. Kim Young-se, an acclaimed local designer, combined the two to found the prestigious company INNODESIGN, a place where the word impossible isnt acceptable. by Lim Ji-young | photograph by Park Jeong-roh
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great korean
Joseons Great Inventor

In Korea, the name Jang Yeong-sil is synonymous with firsts. His inventions from the 15th century include the worlds first rain gauge and Koreas first water clock, which freed him of his lowly social status during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Even now, hes still seen as one of Koreas greatest scientists. by Seo Dong-chul
Today, the Korean government recognizes innovative new technologies developed by local companies and technical research centers. Sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and organized by the Korea Industrial Technology Association, the IR 52 Jang Yeong-sil Award is the most prestigious industrial technology award in the country (the 52 in the award title refers to the fact that it is given to one product a week throughout the year). Jang Yeong-sils life was full of drama. He began his career as a servant in civil service district courts, eventually overcoming the strict class system of the time to become a high-ranking government official. This was only made possible because of his passion for science and his love of people. Jang wanted to help improve society in practical, realistic ways, and his scientific talents fully bloomed when he met King Sejong, the great Korean monarch who ruled from 1418 to 1450. According to the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, Jang Yeong-sil was an eighthgeneration descendant of someone who had originally come from China. However, because his mother was a gwangi (a female Korean entertainer
Jang Yeong-sil
who served at civil service district courts), Jang was born a servant around the year 1390 (his exact birth and death dates are not known). Life changed for Jang at the turn of the 15th century. A severe drought devastated the countrys crops, and the young man earned the respect of many by suggesting farmers divert river water toward the fields. The regional country magistrate complimented Jang personally, and later recommended him to the royal court during a recruitment period for talented minds. Jang first worked as an engineer at a type foundry and in 1421 went to China to learn a wide variety of technologies. After returning home, King Sejong recognized his unique skills in 1423. When King Sejong decided to give Jang an official position in the royal court, his retainers opposed the promotion. They believed that Jang shouldnt be employed as a government official because he was the son of a gwangi and technically a servant himself. Yet, the king recognized Jangs extraordinary abilities and employed him, often giving the scientist free reign to do as he pleased. After Jang shed his servant status, he went on to create countless inventions
that changed daily life. The cheugugi rain gauge he created in 1441 is one of his most well-known products. A cylindrical instrument, it was 31cm deep and had a diameter of 14cm. Jangs rain gauge measured rainfall and was so successful that it was soon used across the country. To put the invention into historical perspective, Italy invented a scientific rain gauge in 1639, France in 1658 and Britain in 1677. Jangs rain gauge reduced the number of mistakes made in measuring rain, especially when the rain was at its fiercest, and was so scientifically advanced that it still passes the standards of todays World Meteorological Organization in terms of the range of measurement error. Practically speaking, the rain gauge helped farmers and the agriculture industry tremendously. Another invention of Jangs was Koreas first water clock in 1434. Jang accomplished this after studying a number of different reference materials on Chinese and Islamic water clocks. It displayed time both visually and audibly. Water would move iron balls, which would drop and move a figurine to hit a gong, drum or bell, announcing the time to the community. The water clock was so complex that when it broke down after Jangs death, nobody was able to fix it. It was only a century after its invention that people were able to reconstruct and restore the clock. It is no exaggeration to say that Jang had a hand in most of the technological advancements made during King Sejongs era, from astronomical observation instruments and portable sundials to ongnu (which combines the function of a water clock and an astronomical observation instrument) and supyo (which measures water levels in rivers). He also worked hard on founding metal typefaces and completed
the Joseon Dynastys well-known metal type (gabinja) as well as a printing press for it. Today, May 19 is designated as Invention Day in Korea. That particular date was chosen to commemorate the day the Joseon Dynasty officially began using the worlds first rain gauge. The Korean government encourages scientists and technicians by giving awards to inventors of merit. Just as Jang brought science and technology to new levels in the past, today, Koreans continue to make huge strides in the same field, on the constant search for the next rain gauge or clock.
Jang Yeong-sil Memorial Foundation (opposite, top right); Yonhap News Agency
One of Jang Yeong-sils most famous inventions is the jagyeongnu, or a self-striking water clock (top). The angbu ilgu, or sundial, was the first of its kind in Korea, though none survived the Imjin Wars of the late 1500s (above). The cheugugi water gauges were also a first (left).
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seoul
Seoul Stations Second Act

After eight decades as Seouls central train station, a majestic landmark is reborn as Culture Station Seoul 284, a dynamic cultural complex for the future. by Matt Kelley | photographs by Choi Ji-young
Koreas KTX bullet train. In the ensuing years, locals complained that the once proud and bustling station had been abandoned and felt like a neighborhood ghost. Despite its protected status as one of Seouls best examples of colonial architecture, its future was unclear. In 2009, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism partnered with the state-run Korea Craft and Design Foundation to create Culture Station
Seoul Station, Subway Lines 1 and 4
2
Culture Station Seoul 284
From opposite above, clockwise: A view of the restored Seoul Station at night; Seoulites walk past the station entrance; the interior of the 80-year-old building; Korean contemporary art fills the space of the renovated station.
Seoul 284. The two-year, 21.3 billion won (US$20 million) project has restored the building in order to recast it as a cultural space. In the six months leading up to the grand reopening in March 2012, a multi-disciplinary project Countdown features the work of dozens of Korean contemporary artists. Among them is Joohyun Kim, whose Warping-Web installation harkens back to the stations derelict years. From the ceiling of a narrow, second floor corridor hangs four illuminated, metal cobwebs. A more optimistic note is struck in the Central Hall, where Gim Hong-soks Fountain No 7 rises precipitously from the floor, reflecting a relentless striving toward the future. Countdown also features biweekly rock concerts and design-focused lectures. The temporary art exhibition is fitting for a venue accustomed to fleeting moments. Over the decades, Seoul Station witnessed countless emotional moments, be it the forced departure
It darts like thunder and lightning and leaps like wind and rain, wrote Kim Kisu in 1877, recounting his experience on a Japanese train. The Korean envoy marveled, Inside the car it doesnt move a bit, but outside scenes of mountains, houses and people flashed fast. Train service came to Korea in 1899, linking the port of Incheon to Seouls Noryangjin Station via the Gyeongin rail line. By 1905, tracks stretched from
Pyeongyang to Busan and in 1925, the South Manchuria Railway Company completed a mixed Renaissance and Baroque-inspired building that featured a Byzantine-style central dome. Records suggest that the architect, Tsukamoto Yasushi, was influenced by the stations Swiss and Dutch contemporaries. For nearly eight decades, Seoul Station served the city until 2004, when a new facility was built to accommodate
of Crown Prince Euimin and Princess Deokhye by Japanese officials or the millions of people who came to Seoul from the countryside during Koreas boom years. In the words of station spokesman Oh Sae-won, the building has borne silent witness to Koreas modern history of colonization, war, democratization and economic growth. While the buildings green Terrazzo staircase and ornate wood paneling were restored, some damage was left intact as reminders of Koreas past. For example, parts of the wall above the ticket windows bear stains from old train schedules. More menacing are the bullet holes from the Korean War (19501953) that pockmark the wall behind the main desk. Whats more, the restoration effort added new elements to the station campus. The Central Halls stained glass ceiling was replaced with a colorful motif by Father Jo Gwan-ho inspired by a 5,000-year-old Korean folk dance, ganggangsullae. Outside is an unconventional statue of a grenadewielding Kang U-gyu, who was hanged after a failed attempt to assassinate the Japanese Governor-General of Korea at a train station in 1919. Seoul Stations restoration seems to fit with Countdown artistic director Kim Sung-wons vision to offer unpredictable encounters and unique journeys through the past, present and future. Glowing reviews of the station during its mini reopening have officials optimistic about the grand event next March. Despite the fact that the stations second act has yet to formally begin, city leaders are already considering a third. Seoul Stations restoration left its original functions intact, in the event that a thaw in South-North Korean tensions could connect Seoul with the rest of Asia and Europe, this time by rail.
www.korea.net | 21
travel
The blooms of the crepe myrtles are starting to fade. The delicate flower blossoms are nicknamed baegilhong, which means 100 days of red blossoms. These are the trees that first greet visitors to the Myeongjae Traditional Estate in Nonsan, Chungcheongnamdo Province. The softly flowing bend of the crepe myrtles branches and trunk are unpredictable, portraying the citys essence of beauty.
ConsCientious Design The
A View of History
Autumn creeps up on us with the changing colors of the rice paddies. Nonsan, a predominantly granary area, is covered in a blanket of gold. This is where the foot of Geumgang River meets the Yellow Sea. by Chung Dong-muk | photographs by Park Jeong-roh
Traditional Estate of Myeongjae Yun Jeung (1629-1714) was built in 1709, and has survived 300 years of history. Many students and followers of the Joseon Dynasty scholar Yun Jeung (who was also known as Myeongjae), made a united effort to build this estate, which is reflected in the unique designs that were implemented both inside and outside the house. However, Myeongjae decided to live in his original cottage as he believed himself unworthy of living in such a grand estate. The historical site does not have a wall surrounding the property. The absence of walls expresses that all who visit the estate will not be turned away, irrespective of their status or position. The Yangban Society of the Joseon Dynasty was strict on the distinction between upper and lower classes. For a commoner to step foot into the estate owned by a yangban (or aristocrat), they first needed to be granted permission to enter. However, the Myeongjae Traditional Estate was different. They rid the estate of walls so all who visited would be granted access. Ridding the estate of walls would have its own inconveniences. Visitors to the estate would arrive when the owner was greeting other guests, which was considered a great discourtesy. The Myeongjae Traditional Estate and the
Haeinsa Temple
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sarangchae is the numaru (upper floor). Numaru, by definition a floor as high as the attic, is usually built as a protruding floor supported by a pillar. The placement of the numaru higher than the main floor symbolized authority and was used for studying, banquets and to greet guests. The Myeongjae Traditional Estates numaru is special because of the view it provides through the window. When the shutter is folded and hung out of the way, a spectacular view of the baegilhong and the pond is presented. The proportion of the window is also precisely 16 to 9: the exact proportion of todays HD TVs was used by our ancestors 300 years ago. The windowsill exposed sarangchae (a detached house where the men of the estate reside) portion of the estate had a solution to this problem. The sarangchae had separate stone steps for the owner and guests. If the owners shoes were on the owners stone steps, this would indicate that the owner was present. If the owners shoes were not on the steps, the owner was away. If the owners shoes and guests shoes were present at each stone step, this indicated that the owner currently had guests and the visitor would be asked to visit at a later time. Before stepping up on the toenmaru (narrow porch running along the outside of a room) there is another detail that should be noted, which is the seokgasan. Seokgasan is a man-made rock mountain used in landscaping gardens, and is usually found in estates built on relatively flat land. The owner would have practiced asceticism on this replica mountain, in lieu of the real thing. The Myeongjae Traditional Estates own seokgasan is made in the image of Mt Geumgangsan and can be seen from all the rooms of the estate. Another area of interest within the
builders decided to lower the chimney so the smoke would not be visible to neighboring people.
tHe art of sCienCe The main building
holds many feats of architectural science while also taking into consideration the people using the premises. The Joseon Dynasty was strict on the distinction between the sexes, and the portion of the estate where the women resided was carefully designed to meet their needs. One example is an internal wall that blocked an outside view of the homes interior when the main gates were opened. The partition was set so that all who entered needed to walk around
Clay pots in the myeongjae traditional estate (top). a variety of Jeotgal (above). a Baekje military museum exhibit (above right). a view inside the estate (below). stone steps (opposite).
is situated 30cm above the floor, which is just the right height for a person to rest his arm on the sill. The sarangchae holds three rooms for three generations: the grandfather, father and grandson. The window in the grandsons room also has a great view of a 400-year-old zelkova tree and Mount Gyeryongsan in the distance. Right next to the door is a meter-high chimney. For most Korean traditional homes the chimneys are built high above the roof so the inhabitants avoid inhaling smoke. Yun Wan-sik, the eldest grandson of Yun Jeung and caretaker of the estate, states, the smoke from the estates of nobility caused disharmony among the commoners. Most people would be starving at that time, and the sight of such smoke would upset them. The
the partition to the right to enter. There was a 30cm gap between the bottom of the partition and the ground to show the feet of the all people entering. This was to identify the rank of the person entering by checking the persons shoes. Straw shoes would mean the guest was a commoner, while rubber shoes would mean the guest was a child or woman. Another area of interest is the space between the main building and gotganchae (a storage area for food and household items). Both buildings have a narrower south wall compared to a wider north wall to form a rhombus shape, built to control the velocity of falling rain and block the cold northern winds, while also allowing the cooler southern winds to enter at will. Although it sounds fairly simple, it is a
difficult technique to duplicate. Besides the Myeongjae Traditional Estate, there are other tourist sites in the Nonsan area. The region is downstream from one of the four major rivers of Korea, the Geumgang River, which is covered with wide plains and famous for its various cuisines. Of all the foods manufactured in the area, the most famous is Ganggyeong Jeotgal. Jeotgal is a traditional fermented food where fish, fish eggs or fish intestines are salted and preserved. Although the predominant taste is salty, many different, harmonious flavors are also present, making this dish a delicacy with its sweet, spicy and sour undertones. The Ganggyeong-eup neighborhood in Nonsan provides more than half of all the shrimp Jeotgal consumed in Korea. Although Ganggyeong is a small port located on the banks of the Geumgang River, all the shrimp from the river would gather in this area to bring prosperity to the residents. An 8km drive from Nonsan will take the visitor to Ganggyeong and all of its famous Jeotgal stores. Try Jeotgal Sanghoe (+82 41 745 5464), popular for its premium Jeotgal and Dalbong Garden (+82 41 745 5565) restaurant. The store has over 20 different Jeotgal for sale, from the most expensive myeongnan jeot (salted pollack roe) to the more conventional toha jeot (salted shrimp). All visitors ordering the 7,000 won Jeotgal Baekban are given samples of all the different Jeotgal above, a great way to try and differentiate the tastes between each one. Nonsan was a part of Baekje during the period of the Three Kingdoms in Korea and has a rich history that is well preserved. Visitors are recommended to see the historical sites of General Gyebaek, who fought and died protecting Baekje from the allied forces of Silla and the Tang Dynasty.
travel information
How to get tHere
Car From Seoul, take the Seohae seoul Highway and get off at the Tancheon IC, Seononsan IC or nonsan Yeonmu IC. Exit at Tancheon IC to visit the Myeongjae Traditional Estate, or at Yeonmu IC to go to the Ganggyeong Jeotgal Market. Visitors exiting at Seononsan IC will arrive at downtown Nonsan. train The KTX takes 90 minutes from Yongsan Station in Seoul to Nonsan Station.
wHere to stay
Hanok Korean hanok (traditional house) stays will leave the visitor with an everlasting impression of not only the rooms themselves but also the surrounding natural atmosphere. The Myeongjae Traditional Estate (+82 41 735 1215, www.myeongjae.com) provides rooms for accommodations. The price ranges from 80,000 won to 150,000 won. Hotel The newly opened Sangsang Madang Nonsan (+82 41 734 6980) culture complex has 12 rooms, each accommodating up to 6 people. Additionally, art exhibits and cafes are open for all visitors. The Lakehill Hotel (+82 41 742 7744) is located in downtown Nonsan next to the manmade lake Tabjeonghoban, and has a picturesque view of the lake at dawn.
wHat to eat
Nonsan is located downstream of Geumgang River and is abundant in a variety of cuisines. From local regional products including Ganggyeong Jeotgal, Yeonsan jujube and Yangchon dried persimmon, to local specialties such as hwangboktang, a soup prepared with river puffers caught from the Geumgang. Dalbong Garden (+82 41 745 5565) specializes in Jeotgal Baekban (Jeotgal with a bowl of rice, soup and side dishes) priced at 7,000 won.
sangsang madang nonsan culture hall
eunjin mireuk statue in gwanchoksa temple
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festival
flavor
Winters Kimchi
The most popular genre of kimchi is typically fiery-red, well-fermented Napa cabbage. At the start of winter, it is traditional for family members to work together to make an abundance of the national dish to ration throughout the cold months. During gimjang, its typical to create several types of kimchi, including white varieties that have less of a spicy kick. One of the most popular of these is dongchimi, which is a tartly-flavored water kimchi. Dong means winter, denoting the time of year this dish is usually served. Its cool, crisp flavor complements most dishes and, unlike other types of kimchi, only needs to be fermented for a few days. Though dongchimi is typically a dish made at home, many restaurants will serve it as a side dish during the cold months. To make dongchimi, all you need is a large storage container and a few ingredients: daikon radishes, mustard leaves, green and red peppers, garlic, salt and water (Asian pear can be added as an optional ingredient). Chop the medium-sized white radishes into thin, bite-size pieces and mix them with the coarse sea salt. Let the mixture sit for about an hour. In the meantime, cut the tops off of the green and red peppers (extract the seeds for an even IngredIents milder taste), thinly slice the garlic cloves and 2 daikon radishes 1 bunch of mustard leaves the Asian pear. Drain 2 green peppers and set aside the salty 2 red peppers mixture formed from the 10 cloves garlic 60 grams sea salt radishes. Place all of the 2 liters water vegetables into the large Asian pear (optional) storage container and pour in water. Stir, and add the salty mixture from the radishes to taste. Close the container and let it sit for 2-3 days at room temperature before refrigerating and serving chilled in bowls.
Its that time of year to gather family members and begin the process of gimjang, or making kimchi for the winter season. Why not try something to match the snowy wonderland?
by Ines Min
Locals and expats alike join in on festival activities (above). A massive iron pot is used to make enough rice to feed 2,000 people (above right). Festivalgoers wave after making a 600m rice cake (below).
Regal Rice
Just as there is a wide range of breads, there is a rich culture of diverse rice as well. Head to Icheon for some of the best rice in Korea. by Ines Min
The 14th Icheon Rice Festival will be held at Seolbong Park from Nov 3 to 6 to celebrate Buses to Icheon Terminal the regions long history of rice cultivation. depart every 20-30 minutes The four-day event will be marked with a from Seoul Express Bus regular schedule of interactive games for Terminal every day. Travel time is 1 hour and 10 minutes. For kids and a rotating schedule of performances more information, visit and entertainment. www.ricefestival.or.kr Daily events and activities will bring (currently Korean only). festivalgoers together. On opening day, a larger-than-life, 600m tteok (glutinous rice cake) will be made. The traditional Mujigae rice cake, a variety of which is characterized by its pastel rainbow colors, will be shared with all participants. In another event, a massive version of the traditional Gamasot (a pot made of cast iron) will be used to cook enough rice to feed 2,000 people for only 2,000 won (US$1.71) a head. Entertainment will be held for families, such as a nonverbal Nanta performance, traditional mask dances and fusion music concerts. Tourists are encouraged to try their hand at making songpyeon, a traditional rice cake shaped by hand that is eaten in fall. Icheon, a small city of 200,000, is located southeast of Seoul in Gyeonggi-do Province. The region is famous for its pottery and rice, the latter of which is known to have been served to the king during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Today, rice from the region is marketed under the name Kings Brand. Though there are several varieties of Icheon rice, they are all typically known for their lustrous sheen and rich nutrients. The combination of fresh groundwater and fertile soil lend to rice that is low in calories and high in thiamine, essential amino acids, vitamin and iron content.
How to get tHere
Yonhap News Agency; Topic Images (opposite)
Dongchimi kimchi has a tart and lightly sour taste.
www.korea.net | 27
now in korea
Choi Jun-hyuk strolls onto the tee and slowly swings his club like a sledgehammer a few times, before unloading with a violent burst. Thwack! The ball soars, tails off to the right and misses the fairway on the majestic 8th hole at Pebble Beach. Choi grunts and turns away. He shows no gratitude for playing at what could be the planets most beautiful sporting venue. Lets pick a different place next time, moans Choi, whose sloppy performance in the previous seven holes included a double par and a triple bogey. Just stick to Korean courses, they just feel better. While Choi can obviously gripe like a worldclass athlete, its certain he will never play or even look like one. Not when he is spending 10 hours a day in cubicles and his swing looks more like Charles Barkleys than Tiger Woods. The consolation for Choi, a 35-year-old tire company employee, is that he could play at Pebble Beach and other hard-to-reserve golf courses at any time of the week with a swipe of his credit card. Choi is just one of the millions of Koreans gripped by the fever that is screen golf, a virtual version of the sport that involves real clubs and balls, but replaces the grass, hills and holes with simulated images beamed onto a hitting screen. Instead of aiming for a real hole, a screen
An Obsession with golf

A man tees off in a netted practice range.
Topic Images
Golf has grown into the most popular pastime in Korea. From virtual screens to practice ranges, theres nowhere better to be than on a green.
by Kim Tong-hyung | photographs by Kim Nam-heon
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golf player will direct his shot at a picture projected onto the screen. A set of sensors, cameras and a computer will measure the speed and direction of the ball on impact and calculate where it would land, creating an imaginary flight on a virtual course. Industry officials estimate there are nearly 8,000 screen golf shops in business across the country that combine to get at least 200,000 customers a day. The number of virtual players is approaching 1.5 million, they say, overlapping with the larger part of the countrys 2 million-plus golf population. The popularity of screen golf has reached a point where the
simulated courses are replacing karaoke as a go-to-place for office get-togethers, and screen golf matches between professionals are televised on cable channels. Predictably, there are purists who sneeze at the screen golf experience. For them, smacking ball after ball into a floppy screen in a room with dim lighting will never replace the feel of grass and wind, the long walks between the holes and watching the ball glide gracefully through the air. The rapid spread of screen golf shops across the country in recent years offers a reminder of the late-1990s when PC bang, or computer gaming rooms, began popping up on seemingly every street corner. Both are uniquely Korean venues built to thrive in gloomy economic times. People seek escapist entertainment when bad news hits, and during the dark days of the Asian financial crisis, killing an hour or two at a PC bang chasing terrorists and slaying aliens qualified as cool. Screen golf appears to be From top, clockwise: The practice range at Gmax in exploiting a fast-growing niche southern Seoul; a putting created by the conflict between range; A man practices his swing with virtual golf; Two the publics love affair with golf visitors check their shot before hitting. A man takes a shot on and their credit-crunched wallets. a 18-hole range at a Golfzon Once merely a status symbol outlet (opposite). for high-income earners, golf s popularity here has become transcendent over the past decade, thanks in part to the emergence of world-class athletes like Pak Se-ri and Choi Kyung-ju. However, the sport remains criminally expensive for the average Korean, who will often have to stretch the limits of his social circle just to reserve a course and feel insecure about all the Audis once getting there. For a golf junkie like Choi, whose addiction to the game greatly surpasses his ability to play it or pay for it, screen golf frequently is as good as it gets. Although prices differ from shop to shop, a round of screen golf will usually cost about 15,000 won (US$12.96) to 20,000 won per person.
Of course, everybody loves the real game more. I was hooked the moment I swung off the first tee at a golf course in Chuncheon two years ago. But I am also a salaryman who barely brings home 3 million (US$2,592) won a month, Choi says. A round at a real golf course will cost a minimum of 200,000 won, not to mention spending additionally on gas, food and blowing an entire Sunday afternoon stuck on a highway on the way back. Golf is not something I could afford to do as much as I would prefer to, so its great that me and my friends can get 18 holes of virtual golf anytime, anywhere, for just 20,000 won. Golf simulators arent a product of Korean ingenuity, as they first appeared in the US during the early 1970s. However, it was the efforts of Korean entrepreneurs like Kim Youngchan that enabled simulators to complete their transition from practice equipment to 21st century entertainment. The 65-year-old entrepreneur is the founder and chief executive of Golfzon, a company that controls more than 80% of the simulators and game systems used at screen golf shops around the country. Kim believes that Koreas screen golf market has now grown into a 1.7 trillion won (about US$1.46 billion) industry, with the countrys 7,800 screen golf shops on course for getting 50 million visitors in 2011 alone. Golfzon has sold nearly 20,000 golf simulators so far in Korea and is now looking to go global, with countries in North America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East picked as the targets. Our ultimate goal is to provide an all-in-one space for golf lovers, where they could practice and train to improve their game, play a virtual round or two, buy and try clubs and other equipment. We want to make hundreds, thousands of these spaces, all of them interconnected with interactive networks and online content, providing golfers here and around the world a new experience, says Kim, a former Samsung Electronics executive who now runs Golfzon with
his son, Kim Won-il. Golfzon celebrated its 10th anniversary last year by posting nearly 200 billion won (about US$178 million) in annual sales and made a smashing debut in the stock market in May this year. In its first day of trading on KOSDAQ, Golfzons market capitalization for a time exceeded 1 trillion won, the first initial public offering on the secondary stock index to hit that milestone in more than a decade. Kim had dabbled in a variety of business ventures since leaving Samsung in the mid-1990s, but Golfzon provided him the privilege of converting passion into profit. I had always loved golf I was eager to offer swing tips and advices to anyone willing to take them, and I took a lot of people to their first rounds of golf, Kim says. I found it interesting that most newcomers would say the same thing after their very first 18 holes; that they had no idea how they just played. For them, the feel of hitting a ball on a real course was entirely different from hitting one from a plastic turf. Then it struck me that providing fun and advanced devices could bridge the gap between the experience at neighborhood practice ranges and the golf course, Kim says. He knew that the success of screen golf would depend on it being cheap, easy and fun. So he took the conventional indoor practice machine and transplanted it a video-gaming heart. The end result was Nintendo Wii on steroids, an interactive game with stunning graphics and movement, while the use of real clubs and balls meant that golf s DNA as a tactile sport remained intact. Golfzon users can choose from more than 60 venues, including over 40 Korean courses and some of the worlds greatest destinations like Californias Pebble Beach and St Andrews in Scotland. Every Golfzon simulator is connected to a central online gaming network, which enables users to have a season like theyre on a professional tour or hold their own unofficial tournaments that can be played simultaneously at different venues. There continues to be improvement in technical systems, including a tighter web of sensors and high-speed cameras to detect ball movement and speed and rotating turfs to recreate the feel of hitting from hills and bunkers. Screen golf is just one of the ways people in golf-mad Korea enjoy the sport without smearing sunblock on their cheeks. A slew of online computer games like Shot Online (www. shotonline.co.kr), Pangya (www.pangya.gametree.co.kr) and Golf Star (www.golfstar.co.kr) are garnering huge followings. And now the cable television drama, Birdie Buddy, based on a popular golf-themed comic series, is generating buzz among viewers as well.
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entertainment
servant). Super Junior frontman, 28-year-old Leeteuk, has announced plans to enter military service by early 2012. Perhaps one of the most famous draftees is superstar Rain. At 29, he entered his military service on Oct 11 with a tearful send off by fans from across Asia. He thanked his fans for supporting him during his 10-year career before entering an Army base in Uijeongbu. Days prior to entering, he held one last concert in Seoul. What happens to these stars after two years relatively out of the publics eye? In the fickle world of entertainment, two years could be a death sentence to any burgeoning career, but recent years have shown that it can be used to a celebritys advantage. Today, celebrities entering or being discharged from duty earn a plethora of press coverage. Actor Jo In-sung (A Frozen Flower, What Happened in Bali) was discharged from the military in May 2011 and immediately began a series of fan meetings in June. Since then, he has started production on a film and an eight-part commercial series and is also rumored to be starring in a new TV drama soon. Actor Gong Yoo (Coffee Prince) got off to a strong start after he finished his service in 2009. He jumped into filming for the romantic comedy Looking for Mr Destiny (2010) and is once again gaining acclaim for spearheading the project for The Crucible. The film, adapted from a novel based on true events, has been causing a stir in local media while marking a turning point in Gongs career.
Hyun Bin, center, with comrades (opposite). Gong Yoo was discharged in 2009 (above). Super Juniors Heechul, second from left, joined in September (left). Actor Jo Insung in uniform (below). Hyun Bin trains for duty (below right).
The sense of honor held by male celebrities in Korea is the bane of most fans devotion. While mandatory military service could be seen as the end of a career, many stars are transforming their duties into a springboard. by Emma Kalka
Its the one thing that pretty much every fan of Hallyu (Korean wave) dreads: the day their favorite singer or actor has to join the military. Currently, all males holding Korean citizenship are required to serve in the military for roughly two years. The Army requires a minimum of 21 months, while the Navy and Air Force differ only slightly. All males must serve, though there are exemptions given to those with physical disabilities. While serving in the military is inevitable, it is often something that inspires a bit of trepidation. For celebrities in particular, with the rapidly changing trends in Korean entertainment, there is no guarantee that their fan base or popularity will survive the two years they are out of the public eye. This is why in the past, many put off their service until they had established their careers as much as possible. Celebrities are allowed to postpone entering the military until they are 30, and it has been common to hold off on joining the service until as late as possible. However, recent years have shown a change toward a more positive attitude toward fulfilling military duties. Celebrities are choosing to enter the military without all the toothpulling, and select actors and singers are intentionally choosing the toughest branches and most dangerous postings. One example is actor Hyun Bin, who at the age of 28 enlisted in the military this March. Hyun chose to join
Yonhap News Agency
the Marine Corps, which is reputed as the most difficult branch of the military to join. During his month-long basic training, it was announced that the star would be stationed on Baengnyeongdo Island, located in the Yellow Sea near the disputed sea border with North Korea. Hyun received an outpouring of support from fans and is expected to be discharged in December 2012. Receiving just as much love from the public are entertainers with foreign residency or citizenship who are exempt from military service, yet choose to give up their dual statuses in order to serve. Ok Taecyeon of 2PM gave up his American green card in 2008 and underwent a physical examination a precursor to entering the military. Though he was assigned to civil service, he expressed his desire to retest and applied for active duty. Other entertainers who bypassed their exemptions are actor Cha In-pyo, pop star Tony An, rapper Crown J, Eric Mun from Shinhwa, and Yun Junghoon and Micky (Yoo chun) from the popular pop group JYJ. In addition to this surge of national loyalty, another recent trend among stars is to serve their duty at a younger age, instead of waiting until the 30 deadline. Currently, two out of Super Juniors 13 members are in military service. Kang-in, 26, entered in 2010 and Heechul began serving his duty this year (although due to a severe car accident in 2006 that left his bones fractured, his service was changed to that of a civil
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sports
my fault; I left a bit of a gap but Id already moved once, and I thought that if I moved again I would probably be in trouble. After that it was impossible to get close enough to overtake him. The race represented a change in fortune for Red Bull Racing in Korea from last year. Vettel had been leading the race about three-quarters of the way through when his engine exploded and Webber failed to finish. Despite some lingering questions about the financial viability of the race, the 2011 event was a success in many ways, with ticket sales up from last year as Koreans continue to warm to motor sports. In addition, the logistical issues of 2010 were solved. A new 15km road was built linking the West Coast highway and Mokpo-Gwangyang expressway, which prevented the traffic jams and delays of last years race. The number of parking spaces and shuttle buses were increased, as were hotel accommodations for the more than 69,000 people in the area. While the race itself is run at a large deficit, over the course of the sevenyear contract with Formula One Management, its hoped the event will become the centerpiece for tourism development in Jeollanam-do Province. For the local government, Formula 1 watched by 600 million people worldwide is a means by which to introduce the region to the world.
SeBaStian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel is in the midst of one of the greatest Formula 1 seasons of all time. His success in F1 has come at a remarkably young age. In 2006, Vettel became the youngest driver ever to race in Formula, when he made his debut at age 19. Since then, he has gone on to set several other youngest driver records. He was the youngest to win a Grand Prix at age 21, and at 23 years and 133 days, he was the youngest Drivers Champion in 2010.
JenSen Button
Jensen Button, 33, was the Drivers Champion in 2009 and after the Korean Grand Prix was second in the drivers standings. Button is among a group of top drivers, along with McLarenMercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, that Vettel out distanced over the last year. Button has three wins in 2011, including the Japanese Grand Prix on Oct 9 and the Canadian Grand Prix, where he passed Vettel on the final lap. He will remain one of Vettels biggest challengers in 2012.
Blazing Through Korea

Koreans got a taste of what Formula 1 fans all around the world have been witnessing this year. Sebastian Vettel, the young German driver in the midst of a dominating season, came roaring back from second place as he claimed yet another victory at the 2011 Korean Grand Prix. by Matt Flemming
Despite starting the race in second place on the grid, Sebastian Vettel snatched the lead away from pole sitter Lewis Hamilton on the first lap and never relinquished it. The German led from nearly start to finish to win the second annual Korean Grand Prix. The victory helped his Red Bull Racing team seal the F1 Constructors Championship for the second straight year. Vettel had sewn up his second straight drivers title the week before in Japan but showed no signs of a championship hangover, adding his 10th win of 2011 on Oct 16 at the Korean circuit in Yeongam, Jeollanam-do Province. More than 80,000 were in attendance on race day and a total of about 160,000 overall for the weekend of the Grand Prix. Those who came to see the worlds foremost auto racing circuit saw the sports top driver at his best. Vettel finished the 55-lap race in 1 hour, 38 minutes and 1.994 seconds, more than 12 seconds ahead of Hamilton and the third-place finisher, Red Bull teammate Mark Webber. McLaren Mercedes driver Jenson Button and Ferraris Fernando Alonso finished fourth and fifth, respectively. It was a great day for the team, securing the Constructors Championship, Vettel said. We have
F1 Korean Grand Prix; Yonhap News Agency (opposite right column)
so many people on the track and in the factory working every day of the week and every week of the year trying to build two competitive race cars. Vettel immediately challenged for the lead from the green light. My start was not perfect, he said. Lewis got away a bit better but then on the long straight with a big headwind I was able to close the gap and focus on the straight from Turn 3 to Turn 4. Very late I went for the gap. I was right on the edge and nearly went straight on. Lewis was very fair. During a campaign where Vettel has given himself a chance to claim the most wins ever in a single season, it seems that almost everything has gone his way. Hamilton, who won the pole position during qualifying, knew he had very little margin for error. Losing that position to Sebastian was really the end of my opportunity to win, Hamilton said. It was probably
Michael SchuMacher
He is the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time, with 91 victories and seven championships to his name. After three years away from the sport, Schumacher came out of retirement to join Mercedes GP Petronas in 2010 and has performed respectably at the age of 42. This season he has three top-5 finishes and is eighth in the drivers standings, despite crashing out at the Korean Grand Prix.
Drivers start off the F1 race in Yeongam on oct 16 (opposite top). Drivers speak at a press conference before the event (top). Sebastian Vettel signs autographs (above). Vettels red Bull-sponsored car (below).
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special issue
Revitalizing Rivers
The governments Four Major Rivers Restoration Project is currently underway, a 22.2 trillion won plan that hopes to revitalize the area connecting the Hangang, Nakdonggang, Geumgang and Yeongsangang rivers. The initiative aims to boost the economy with local development, protect against severe drought and restore the countrys four main rivers. by Lim Ji-Young
Korean people to adjust to climate changes and keep the million), with recovery expenses at 4.2 trillion won. rivers safe even from tremendous floods. The surrounding The Lee Myung-bak administration also hopes to environment will be improved through the restoration strengthen the management of pollutants to improve water of ecological rivers and development of waterside belts. quality. This will enable improvements needed in existing riverside pools and other culture-related areas. The four-river Farmlands readjustment will also improve the ecological environment along riversides by reducing pollution. plan hopes to restore the area in the most comprehensive When the project is way possible, meeting the completed, local residents diverse needs of each body will enjoy cultural activities, of water (environmentally relaxation and sports in the friendly, efficient development refurbished waterfronts and and leisure commodities). ride bicycles on the newly built The government announced bike lanes. As a part of the that the ambitious project will Green New Deal, the rivers cost 22.2 trillion won (US$19.6 restoration project will be billion) to complete the utilized as a growth engine. restoration by 2012. The project The economy is also consists of three components: expected to be vitalized by construction on the four stimulating domestic demand major rivers, work on the 14 and creating new jobs. The tributaries of each river, and benefits from the project refurbishment on the smaller on the four rivers areas will streams stemming from the contribute to regional growth, rivers. Since construction which will be accelerated began two years ago, more through the rivers-oriented than 929km of streams have development. Overall, the already been restored, with project has been expected another 10,000km of local to create about 340,000 jobs streams along the way. In and generate an estimated 40 addition, 35 wetlands will also trillion won (US$35.3 billion) be revitalized. of economic effects, including The nearly 1.3 billion cubic A view of the four major rivers in the restoration project (opposite). development of clean-IT meters of water secured Families kayak on Geumgang River (top). Bikers explore a path on the southern Hangang River (above). sensors to manage the river by the project will help the environment, a digital tour governments efficiency and system for the four rivers, unmanned underwater robots for capability in responding to droughts, and a higher flood environmental management and installment of photovoltaic control capacity of 920 million cubic meters will help keep and small hydro-electric power plants. rivers safe even during massive downpours. The banks and To sum up, the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project land surrounding the rivers will be improved with just the is a project that aims to resolve water-related problems restoration of the ecological rivers alone. and renew Korean territory centering on water. It is a The estimated 1.3 billion cubic meters of water secured comprehensive pan-government project that consists of by the project will strengthen Koreas capacity to respond various plans set up by diverse ministries with enormous to future water shortage and droughts, and flood control investment over a short-term period. capacity increased by 920 million cubic meters will enable
In January 2009, the government announced the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project as a part of a Green New Deal policy. It was regarded as a rare opportunity for the country to position itself as a powerhouse in water resources in the international community. The main goal of the project was clear: the government estimated that the country is currently suffering a water shortage of 800 million cubic meters, which will be exacerbated to 1 billion
cubic meters by 2016. The restoration of the rivers vitality will help prepare for future water scarcity, while better controlling the rivers. Currently, floods left unchecked have been amounting to an excessive budget spent on recovering water-related damage that could have been avoided through strategic disaster prevention. Currently, the average annual investment of flood prevention is 1.1 trillion won (US$962.5
Yonhap News Agency (top); Four Major Rivers Restoration Project
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summit diplomacy
Korea-US TieS STrengThen

The 58-year alliance between Korea and the United States has long focused on military and security, as it was the key for the mutual defense of the South against the Norths aggressions. In October, during Korean President Lee Myung-baks state visit to the US, the two countries celebrated the next step of the alliance, as the US Congress approved a milestone Free Trade Agreement (FTA), a symbol of widened economic ties. The two countries also confirmed their commitment to end the Norths nuclear arms programs and agreed to cooperate on other global issues. by Ser Myo-ja
President Lee Myung-baks state visit to the US in October was marked by the evolution of a longstanding military alliance to that of a multifaceted partnership. FREE TRADE PACT At the invitation of US President Barack Obama, Lee, first lady Kim Yoon-ok and the presidential delegation left for Washington on Oct 11 for a five-day trip. On the eve of the Korea-US Summit, Congress approved the long-pending Korea-US free trade agreement. It took only nine days or five working days in Congress to ratify after Obama submitted it. The free trade agreement, the biggest US trade pact since the NAFTA that took effect in 1994, was first concluded in 2007 and renegotiated late last year. The congressional ratification also came on the eve of Lees speech at a joint session of Congress. According to Cheong Wa Dae (or the Blue House) spokesman
Park Jeong-ha, the ratification came as Lee and Obama were dining at a Korean restaurant in Washington. On Oct 13, a series of events marked the Korean presidents state visit to Washington, including the two countries official summit at the White House. After the presidential meeting, the leaders issued a seven-point press statement and hailed the progress of
Cheong Wa Dae (bottom); Yonhap News Agency
President Lee Myung-bak and US President Barack Obama meet casually (opposite). The US and Korean heads of state meet with their wives at the White House (above). Lee and Obama speak in front of the White House (below).
the 58-year-old alliance. The two leaders reconfirmed that the alliance is the first axis of security for Korea and the lynchpin for security in the Pacific region for the United States. They also agreed to strengthen the Pacific Partnership for Peace and Prosperity, according to a Cheong Wa Dae press statement. At a joint news conference following the summit, Lee and Obama celebrated the FTA. I am confident that the Korea National Assembly will soon ratify this very important agreement in the near future, Lee said. The Korea-US Free Trade Agreement is a historic achievement that will become a significant milestone in our relationship. It is a win-win agreement that will benefit both of our countries in countless ways. This agreement will create more jobs, generate more trade and stimulate our economies. Obama also hailed the FTA as a win for both countries. He urged
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the Korean legislature to follow suit and approve it as soon as possible. President Lee assures me that the FTA will pass through the National Assembly, he said. Following the summit, Lee had a rare opportunity to give a speech at a joint session of the US Congress. In his 45-minute address, the Korean president once again hailed the strong alliance between the two countries and US support for Koreas rise from the Korean War era to become a leading member of the global community. In his speech, Lee expressed appreciation for the speedy bipartisan congressional approval of the FTA. The Korea-US Free Trade Agreement was ratified by this Congress here last night, Lee said. Here, where the Mutual Defense Treaty was signed by Korea and the United States in 1953, a new chapter in our relationship has opened. Lee was the first Korean leader to
the importance of Koreas unification. The two Koreas share the same language, history and customs. We are one people, he said. In both Koreas, there are families who have never spoken to their loved ones for more than half a century. My hope is that these people and all 70 million Koreans will enjoy real happiness, real peace. STRONG FRIENDSHIP The state visit also displayed the strong friendship between the two presidents, and Lee was provided with a full itinerary, which included a rare briefing at the Pentagon in Virginia. Lee is the first Korean president to visit the Pentagon, where he was briefed on North Korea by top US military leaders in the unprecedented event. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey and other top American military commanders joined the briefing held in the Tank Room. According to Cheong Wa Dae, Lee was the first foreign leader ever to receive a security briefing in the room, considered the heart of the Pentagon. During his visit to Washington, Lee also had two dinners with Obama one private dinner at a Korean restaurant and an official state dinner at the White House. For the state dinner, first lady Michelle Obama wore an elegant purple, one-shouldered gown by Korean-American designer Doo-Ri Chung, while Korean first lady Kim Yoon-ok wore a pink traditional hanbok (traditional dress). According to the White House, the menu also highlighted the best of local produce combined with Korean flavors and traditions.
address the joint session of Congress in 13 years since President Kim Daejung in 1998. The speech received an enthusiastic response and was interrupted by applause 45 times, including five standing ovations. Another effort to promote the FTA
came the next day, when Lee and Obama visited Detroit, the heart of the American automobile industry, together. On Oct 15, the two leaders visited General Motors Co's Orion assembly plant. "Some of you may think that the FTA will cost you your jobs. But that is not the case," Lee said as he addressed hundreds of workers. "President Obama and I can promise you here that the FTA will protect your jobs and create even more work for others. Obama also promoted the trade deal with Korea. Our trade is basically balanced between the United States and Korea, he said. They buy as much stuff from us as they sell to us and that's how fair and free trade is supposed to be. It's not a onesided proposition. That's how trade is supposed to be. COORDINATED POLICY Another key issue addressed during Lees state visit was North Korea. During their summit,
Cheong Wa Dae
the leaders of the two countries stressed their firm commitment to end Pyeongyangs nuclear arms programs. In a joint news conference following the summit on Oct 13, Obama said Seoul and Washington are entirely united on their policies to deal with North Korea. So the choice is clear for North Korea: If Pyeongyang continues to ignore its international obligations, it will invite even more pressure and isolation, Obama said. If the North abandons its quest for nuclear weapons and moves toward denuclearization, it will enjoy greater security and opportunity for its people. That's the choice that North Korea faces. Referring to the pro-democracy movement in the Middle East, the US president also said North Korea would eventually see similar developments. What we've seen also is that human spirit eventually will defeat repressive governments," he said. Lee urged the North to give up its
nuclear aspirations and join the path of peace and prosperity. Our principled approach will remain steadfast, he said. We agreed that North Korea's continued pursuit of nuclear weapons poses a serious threat to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the world. We will continue to work toward denuclearization of the peninsula. In the address, Lee stressed strongly
From top, clockwise: Kim Yoon-ok, left, speaks with Michelle Obama; President Lee Myung-bak greets wounded soldiers in the US; Lee pays his respects to Korean War veterans; Lee shakes the hand of a GM factory worker.
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vision of korea
saemangeum: a new global City

The map of Korea is rapidly changing, and at the center of this change is Saemangeum. When Saemangeum Seawall, located in the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula, was completed last year, it paved the way for a new economic hub city for Northeast Asia that will emphasize ecology, industry, tourism and culture. by Seo Dong-chul
Saemangeum Project Office
Saemangeum Seawall, the first phase of the Saemangeum reclamation project, was completed on April 27, 2010. Connecting Buan and Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do Province, the Saemangeum Seawall is the longest seawall in the world at 33.9km. After visiting Saemangeum Seawall, former American Ambassador to Korea Kathleen Stephens said, While China has the Great Wall, Korea now has a Great Wall on the sea. Since construction on Saemangeum Seawall began in November 1991, it has been halted several times because of environmental problems. When all was said and done, the seawall cost 2.9 trillion won (US$2.4 billion), with 6,700 people a day mobilized for the project (2.47 million people annually). In addition, 910,000 pieces of equipment, from dump trucks to dredging vessels, were used, while 123 million square meters of soil and stone were used for construction. Of particular pride to the nation is the fact that only Korean civil engineering technology was employed for this project in the deep sea, where the average depth of water is 34m. The worlds civil engineering community also marveled at how engineers in Saemangeum overcame a massive obstacle: the high speed of the current, which stood at seven meters per second. To counteract the rushing water, engineers placed three tons of stone into gabions, tied them together into groups of four, then dropped the bundles in the water.
Eco-friendly construction methods were employed during the reclamation project. By using sea sand to pile up soil for the seawall, environmental damage caused by using soil from the land was minimized, and saved money at the same time. The average width of Saemangeum Seawall is 290m (it is 535m at its widest), and the average height is 36m (54m at its highest). At the top of the seawall is a four-lane road, along with parking lots, rest areas, a green zone and observatory decks. In the 15 months since its completion, Saemangeum Seawall has been visited by 10 million tourists. An average of 10,000 people a day visit the seawall on weekdays, and 30,000 to 40,000 tourists a day on weekends. Saemangeum Seawall is not a simple seawall but an economic expressway for Korea to advance beyond Northeast Asia. This is an unprecedented project that will change the map of Korea. We now need to move forward by building a new civilization on this vast sea before us, said President Lee Myung-bak. He emphasized that the completion of Saemangeum Seawall is the starting point of building a new future for Korea. An Economic Hub in EAst AsiA The total area developed by connecting the two cities in Jeollabuk-do Province with the 33.9-km seawall is 401sqkm in total (reclaimed land of 282.9sqkm and a lake of 118.1sqkm) and two-thirds the size of Seoul. Thats five times bigger than Manhattan, four times larger than Paris and three times bigger than Barcelona. Korea, as a country, actually
A birds eye view of saemangeum seawall in southern Korea depicts how large an area has been reclaimed by human resources.
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grew by 0.4%, from 100,140sqm to 100,541sqm, in the process. Saemangeum will be renamed Ariul, ari meaning water and ul meaning fence or base. The name, which translates to city of water, reflects the will to build a city that brings a bright future to Korea. The Saemangeum area has been important in Korea for years because the Honam and Gimje plains are the most fertile in the country. It has also been a marine route that connects China and Japan. Saemangeum is now poised to play an important role in the 21st century. Saemangeum aims at becoming an environmentally friendly city, combining economy, industry, tourism, leisure, international affairs, environment and culture. The five basic keywords in establishing the city are global, green, water, mankind
and culture. Global refers to a place where the worlds manpower, money, and technology gather, while green is a core base for low-carbon, green growth, somewhere that nature and people coexist. The term water refers to a city of water that uses clean seawater and river water, while mankind refers to a place where people from around the world can live together. Lastly, culture is a city where culture, ideas and the arts from the East and West come together. For the next stage of development, the Korean government is planning to divide Saemangeum into different areas: a masterpiece and multifunctional city, industrial area, a seawall and multifunctional site, a farming area, an ecological/ environmental area, a scientific/ research area, and a new renewable
energy area. The first phase of the project will be carried out by 2020, and the second phase starts in 2021, with 72.7% (205.8sqkm) of the total area developed in the first phase. The development of the city is a project that will cover 23.8% of the total Saemangeum area, and the city will be divided into northern and southern parts. The northern half will be developed as an industrial city for cutting-edge industries, environmental industries, commerce and residence, while the southern half will focus on tourism, with facilities like a Korean culture theme park, marine sports facilities and resorts. As for the new renewable energy area, Samsung will establish a green energy industrial
A view of the saemangeum sea dyke at dusk (bottom). saemangeum Development committee member Kang Hyun-wook (opposite top). Kang on site at saemangeum (opposite bottom).
complex. The Samsung Group plans to concentrate its investments in industries that deal with wind power generators, solar batteries, bio-energy and energy storage systems through the three-stage project that will last from 2021 to 2040. The city will also be a mega-resort where people can fully enjoy nature, connecting Simsido and Yamido islands in the middle of Saemangeum Seawall. A hotel, commercial facility, convention center, medical center and water park will also be built. As part of its efforts to support this project, the Korean government is offering benefits that include reduced taxes, reduced rent for various national/ public assets and land, subsidies for employment, education and training, and support for investment companies. Furthermore, an international business and finance center is planned to be built to host multinational companies. In addition, by establishing a logistics network that covers areas along the Yellow Sea border, the Korean government is enabling the city to handle internationally transported goods in association with the new port of Saemangeum. Also, the government will work hard to make life easy for foreigners by: issuing public documents in foreign languages; offering translation and interpretation services; establishing a foreign educational institute; opening medical institutions and pharmacies specialized for foreigners; retransmitting foreign broadcasts; specializing facilities for the care of foreign families children; and launching the curricula of foreign universitys.
ExclusivE
sAEmAngEum will cHAngE tHE fAcE of tHE worlDs mAp

The Saemangeum development project represents a huge project for Korea and follows in the footsteps of the Miracle on the Hangang River. After the government organized the Saemangeum Development Committee directly under the supervision of the prime minister, they named Kang Hyun-wook, an expert on Saemangeum, chairman of the committee. Kang is a former governor of Jeollabuk-do Province and national lawmaker, and the former minister of the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as well as the Ministry of the Environment. Now, as head of the Saemangeum taskforce, which used to be under the Special Council on National Competitiveness in the Presidential Transition Committee, he is playing a pivotal role in the Saemangeum reclamation project. The Saemangeum project is being supported by various departments in the Korean government, Kang explains. This includes the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs and the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. In order to support each department and ensure the smooth establishment of policies, the development will move ahead under the Saemangeum Development Committee, which consists of governmental and private members, and the Executive Office of Saemangeum Development Planning, which reports to the prime minister. The government has earmarked 10.9 trillion won (US$9.5 billion) for the project, roughly half of the total 22.2 trillion won price tag announced through the Saemangeum Development Plan. In March 2011, the Korean government announced its official Saemangeum Development Plan upon taking into consideration new international standards that arose after the original plan was announced in 1989. In order to solve some of the biggest environmental problems facing the reclamation project, the government is planning to invest 2.89 trillion won. It will also adopt an environmentally friendly system that enables a healthy circulation of resources, including water and waste, to meet higher standards in an age of low-carbon, green growth. Kang is also emphasizing the regions competitiveness as an international city. To this end, the committee is going to develop an 18-berth port by taking advantage of its coastal location, while using nearby Gunsan Airport as an international airport. Saemangeum is set to become a business hub in Northeast Asia, and is a mere two-hour flight from major cities in Japan and China. People can also get there by car in three hours from major cities in Korea such as Seoul and Busan. When completed, Saemangeum will become a new base for global business beyond Northeast Asia, and Kang is confident that this vision will be realized before long. Although built by Korea, Saemangeum is a global investment, he says. With the worlds longest seawall, a vast tract of land has been reclaimed as a wonderful natural landscape. The Korean government will develop Saemangeum as a truly unique city, one which will change the face of the worlds business map and become a promised land of opportunities as the Korean government has long maintained.
Saemangeum Project Office
www.korea.net | 45
my korea
Today, for many Koreans, it seems exotic, surprising or even eccentric that someone might choose to live in a hanok (Korean traditional house). Yet, little over a generation ago these were the homes for most people. Even in the 1960s, photographs of Seoul showed large areas populated with hanok, a style of building that evolved over many centuries in the agricultural society that preceded the modern Korea we know today. Simply put, a hanok is created from a framework of interlocking wooden beams supported by wooden pillars resting on blocks of stone. A slow growing red pine, native to Korea, provided wood of enormous strength. Typically, a hanok was built by a master carpenter and his team who would cut the beams to size in situ and fit them together. Lesser beams would support the pitched roof, which was insulated with rice straw and clay, and finally covered with a dense covering of thatch until ceramic tiles became easily affordable. Overhanging eaves added protection from the rain and wind. Stone floors were heated from below by channeling hot air from the kitchen or an outside furnace. This is the ondol, which literally means warm stone and serves as heating. You can easily see the warmest spots because the oiled paper that is typically used to cover the stone floor gradually turns darker tones of brown. The rich colors of the wood contrast with plain white walls. Before paint came in cans, Korean artisans would boil corn stalks with seaweed. The filtered broth was mixed with lime to create a white warmer than most modern pigments provide. Interiors are also a soft shade of warm white, since walls and windows are covered with handmade mulberry paper. All the materials, wood, straw, clay, stone and paper were readily available and easy to work with using simple tools. Being entirely hand-made by craftsmen, each hanok is so rich in textures that it acquires its own personality as time goes by. My own hanok adventure began innocently enough in 1988, when I visited Seoul as a journalist to conduct interviews with business leaders. My wife who is Korean suggested I should see something other than corporate offices and hotels, and took me to Insa-dong. Wandering in the historic neighborhood, I suddenly saw a tiled roofline peering over an old wall with a heavy wooden door. Our conversation developed... Whats that? What is what? That building. Thats a hanok. What is a hanok? It is an ordinary Korean house. I want to live in one. Ask that lady [who was just coming out of the doorway] how much she wants for her hanok. The ladys house was not for sale, but she knew where there were some available, and the following day took us to Gahoe-dong. There we visited a handful of other hanok but when we came to Gahoe-dong 31-79, the moment I entered the courtyard, I said to my wife: This is it. Impulsive, intuitive, but that is how my own journey of discovery began. Our first challenge came a few days later when we tried to find the hanok again in a maze of unnamed, unmapped tiny streets. Luckily, my sense of direction and the position of the sun rose to the occasion. Our hanok was built in about 1929 on part of a large plot of land once owned by the royal family. The former owner had spent much of his life there and made very few alterations. However, some changes were inevitable. We installed a modern kitchen, bathroom and toilet. Electricity was re-wired. We added a gas boiler for hot water and to serve as the underfloor heating, replacing the smoldering coal briquettes that once fulfilled that role. Later came the Internet and satellite TV. We drew drinking water from a nearby mountain spring until the citys sanitation checks proved tap water was a healthier choice. Before town gas arrived, we needed cylinders of LPG for cooking and the boiler. With the modern world comfortably installed within our hanok, I added dragon head tiles to the roof to protect us from evil spirits. The curves and decorations of a hanok have an instant aesthetic appeal that differentiates them from the traditional wood frame buildings of Europe. More fundamentally, hanok are designed to harmonize with the natural landscape, taking account of the way the winds blow, rain falls and water flows. These geomantic ideas also governed the way villages, towns and Seoul itself were originally designed. After the weather, Confucius had the most lingering impact on Korean social life and the home. He laid down ethical codes which decreed that male and female shall not sit close after the age of seven. Traditionally, a home was divided into
The hearT of a
hanok
A chance encounter leads an Englishman to discover the joys of living in a traditional hanok, the buildings that were homes for Koreans in the centuries before modern times. by David Kilburn | illustrations by Jo Seung-yeon
www.korea.net | 47
two sections, the sarangchae for men and the anchae for women. In larger homes, these would be different buildings, separated by walls and gates. The anchae was where wives and elder daughters spent their time, where children grew up, where fabrics were stitched and food prepared. Kitchens, store rooms and the main room which doubled as the master bedroom were in the anchae. The sarangchae housed the masters den or library, a shrine to the ancestors, and some additional bedrooms. Guests were received here and personalized to the owner. For the hospitable, a tea set; for the intellectual, books, scrolls and writing brushes. Our own home houses both anchae and sarangchae. While we no longer observe strict Confucian proprieties, we do enjoy the separation of spaces. My mother-in-law came to live with us and opened a new world of experience. Not only did she make her own kimchi in the courtyard, she also made her own red pepper paste and soy sauce, which added new dimensions to the enjoyment of food. She had a keen eye for wild plants and would often come home with an armful of sannamul mountain vegetables she had picked on the way back from one of the temples where she liked to meditate. For me, her piece de resistance was always a carefully aged odiju, or mulberry liqueur. When I began to consider what trees to plant in the garden, she was a ready source of advice. Never plant a peach tree near the home. It drives away ghosts and spirits. It will even prevent the spirits of our ancestors returning to bless us. A sandalwood tree is good to plant near the well. Its leaves never fall into the water, its wood protects from insects, and the roots keep the earth clean. Do not plant a large tree in the middle of the courtyard. It blocks the light and warmth of the sun we need for our very existence. Its roots can undermine the foundations of a building. It can only bring trouble." I eventually planted maple and cherry to signal the passage of seasons, and lilac because my own ancestors had always planted this in the grounds of their own homes. Not the classical choices, but home is a personal space. Friends from many countries have come to visit. All have enjoyed our home, especially the children who find giant kimchi pots and crawl spaces under the balcony ideal for hide
and seek. Sometimes I discover that visitors have been given complex briefings about hanok life from well-meaning Korean friends. One was instructed to remove his shoes the moment the front door was opened and so trudged through the thick snow of courtyard in his socks. All of them soon discover that a hanok, unlike a lunar module, is warm, comfortable and enjoyable without an instruction manual. As a wooden structure, a hanok resonates; each room has a different timbre. The movement of the breeze, the fall of feet create a conciliatory language that intercedes between man and nature. I particularly enjoy listening to the wind in the leaves of our maple tree, the tinkling of the wind chimes in the garden, the patter of rain on the roof, the sight and sound of the magpie that flies down from the roof to drink from the fish tank. I like stepping directly out of my study to prune the roses and trim the vines. In the evening, I enjoy the shadows fading into twilight while the candles in the garden come to life. The constant interplay of light and shadow on the woodwork and paper windows is an endless source of fascination. The wooden beams glow with warmth. There are few perfectly straight lines or flat surfaces, a quality that makes the hanok individual, personal and welcoming. The proximity to a natural world and the surrounding of natural materials, mainly wood and paper, bring a sense of peace that concrete cannot create. One day, the son of our hanoks former owner came to visit, bringing his own son to see where his grandfather had lived. The father was happy to see he could still recognize his former home. For his son, who had never entered a hanok before, it was an afternoon of mysterious enchantment. One day, I wondered, would the grown child PROFILE take his own children to visit the apartment David Kilburn is a British complex where he journalist who has made a was born, or would he home in Seoul since 1988, living in a traditional recount memories of hanok. He is actively a family hanok long involved in issues about ago? hanok preservation.
An Hyeong-jun
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Sunflowers are called haebaragi in Korean.
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korean heritage
Goindol Dolmens, Goindol in Korean, are manifestations of the megalithic culture that figured in Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures across the world during the 2nd and 1st millennia BC. Prehistoric cemeteries in Korea contain many hundreds of examples of dolmen, making the peninsula the most concentrated site for the ancient relics. Dolmen sites in Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa were included on UNESCOs World Heritage List in 2000.
Seo Heun-kang

KOREA Magazine (NOVEMBER 2011 VOL. 8 NO. 11)

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People & Culture

A Visit to the DistAnt PAst VirtuAl Golf tees uP

ma Cine ean Kor

The GlobalizaTion of Korean film

Busan International Film Festival; CJ E&M

04 | korea | november 2011

06 | korea | november 2011

Korean cineastes expanding their horizons

director Kim Ji-woons ouevre includes I Saw the Devil.

08 | korea | november 2011

Yonhap News Agency

an industry insiders insights

10 | korea | november 2011

pen & brush

Charms of Childrens Literature

12 | korea | november 2011

LeAfie, A Hen into tHe WiLd (2000)

tHe BAd Kid SticKerS (1999)

Myung Films (bottom)

14 | korea | november 2011

Design Guru Kim Young-se

Born to Design the World

Joseons Great Inventor

18 | korea | november 2011

Seoul Stations Second Act

Seoul Station, Subway Lines 1 and 4

20 | korea | november 2011

22 | korea | november 2011

How to get tHere

sangsang madang nonsan culture hall

eunjin mireuk statue in gwanchoksa temple

24 | korea | november 2011

Yonhap News Agency; Topic Images (opposite)

Dongchimi kimchi has a tart and lightly sour taste.

An Obsession with golf

28 | korea | november 2011

30 | korea | november 2011

32 | korea | november 2011

Yonhap News Agency

Blazing Through Korea

34 | korea | november 2011

36 | korea | november 2011

Yonhap News Agency (top); Four Major Rivers Restoration Project

Korea-US TieS STrengThen

38 | korea | november 2011

Cheong Wa Dae (bottom); Yonhap News Agency

40 | korea | november 2011

saemangeum: a new global City

Saemangeum Project Office

42 | korea | november 2011

sAEmAngEum will cHAngE tHE fAcE of tHE worlDs mAp

44 | korea | november 2011

Saemangeum Project Office

46 | korea | november 2011

48 | korea | november 2011

Priority / Priorilaire By airmail / Par avion

reply paid / rponse paye korea (seoul)

Sunflowers are called haebaragi in Korean.

Your ideas will be reflected in making forthcoming issues of korea.

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