KOREA magazine [May 2011 VOL. 7 NO. 5]

8/6/2019 KOREA magazine [May 2011 VOL. 7 NO. 5]

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People & Culture

may 2011

IS

SN:2005-2162

www.korea

jejudo islanda natural wonder

seoul flea marketssaving money and the

environment

koreas fans go wild for the stars of the diamond

[:]

baseball


2/29

Contentsmay 2011 VOL.7 NO.05

02

22

34

publisher Seo Kang-soo,

Korean Culture and Information Service

editing HEM KOREA Co., Ltd

e-mail [email protected]

printingSamsung Moonhwa Printing C

All right reserved. No part of this

publication may be reproduced in

any form without permission from

KOrea and the Korean Culture and

Information Service.

The articles published in KOreado

not necessarily represent the views of

the publisher. The publisher is not liablefor errors or omissions.

If you want to receive a free copy of

KOreaor wish to cancel a subscription,

please e-mail us. A downloadable PDF

file of KOrea, and a map and glossary

with common Korean words appearing

in our text are available by clicking on the

thumbnail of KOreaon the homepage

ofwww.ko..

11-1110073-000016-06

02cover story

Professional baseball, one of Koreans favorite

pastimes, celebrates 30 years in Korea.

12pen & brush

Novelist Shin Kyung-sooks English-translated

Please Look After Mom finds world-wide fame.

16people

Korean scientist Ryoo Ryong builds a

reputation for his achievements in chemistry.

19great korean

Meet Syngman Rhee or Yi Seung-man, the first

president of South Korea.

22seoul

Sarangchae at Cheong Wa Dae is one of Seouls

most unforgettable tourist destinations.

24travel

Jejudo Island is an ecological treasure.

28festival

Hampyeong hosts the Butterfly Festival in May.

30now in korea

Seouls got some thrifty flea markets in town.

34special issue

Dokdo: A peek at Koreas easternmost point.

38summit diplomacy

Malaysias Prime Minister visits Korea.

42global korea

Universities abroad feature Korean studies.

46my korea

Temple Stay: A peaceful slice of Korean culture.


3/29

over story

Jas Stad as a ackd s A 9 t Dsa Bas s Ka

KOREASFAVORITE GAME

Proessional baseball in Korea began with a slam a grand slam, that is.Lee Jongdos grand slam on the opening day o the irst proessional basebaseason in 1982 proved to be a good omen, as pro baseball would grow into tnations most popular sport. oday, ans turn out in droves to see the titans

Korea play ball. by Park Kwang-min | photograph by Kim Hong-jin


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4|korea| may 2011 www.k

all started on March 27 in 1982

hat was the day proessional baseball

egan in Korea. Tis year, Korean

roessional baseball celebrates its 30th

ear, and it has only become more

opular with time.

In its inaugural year, there were

nly six teams with 141 players in the

roessional league, compared to the

urrent eight teams with three times

he number o players. Tis year, a

nth team, NCso, is set to make its

ebut. Tere are also rumors o urther

xpansion that could see the start o a

wodivision proessional league within

he next ew years.

Last October, Steven C Rockeeller

, a world amous oil baron and a h

eneration member o the Rockeeller

mily, visited Seouls Jamsil Stadium

watch Game Four o the playo

ries between the Samsung Lions andhe Doosan Bears. Rockeeller ully

mmersed himsel with the Korean style

cheering, smiling at ans screaming

om the top o their lungs, and never

king his eyes o every play on the

eld. When the Doosan shortstop Son

heon came to the plate, Rockeeller

DooSAn BeArSBasement City : SeoulEstablished Year: 1982

KiA TigerSGwangju

1982

SK wyvernSIncheon

2000

nexen heroeSSeoul2008

loTTe giAnTSBusan1982

SAmSung lionSDaegu1982

hAnwhA eAgleSDaejeon

1986

Te proessional league was launched

in 1982, and now in its 30th season,

baseball is the nations most popular

sport. It has captured the imaginations

o not just Koreans but also oreigners

living in Korea.

Marking its 30th season, the Korea

Baseball Organization decided to

expand with a ninth club, and looks to

make it a 10team, twodivision league

by 2014. Tis year, the league hopes to

draw more than six million ans a season

or the rst time, and the players have

worked hard themselves to keep people

in their seats.

Te 2011 season kicked o on April

2, with all eight teams in action. Fans

who had been dying or some baseball

over the long winter ocked to the our

ballparks in Jamsil o S eoul, Gwangju,

Busan and Incheon. Each team will play

133 regular season games, and the topour teams will reach the postseason,

with the champion determined in

October. Te opening day was as wild as

had been expected, with all our games

sold out or the thirdstraight season.

Pro baseball here was ounded with

six original clubs: Samsung Lions,

igers have won 10 championships,

more than any other ranchise, and

theyre the Korean equivalent o the New

York Yankees.

In 1986, the Binggrae Eagles joined

the league as the seventh team and

became the Hanwha Eagles in 1994.

In 1991, the Ssang Bang Wool Raiders

became the eighth team, and in 2000,

SK bought out the team to turn it into

the SK Wyverns.

Korea has steadily developed into

a world baseball power. Starting with

the bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney

Olympics, Korea nished third at the

inaugural World Baseball Classic (WBC)

in 2006, second at the 2009 WBC, and

won gold medals at the 2008 Beijing

Olympics and the 2010 Guangzhou

Asian Games, going undeeated in nine

and ve games, respectively.

Haitai igers, Lotte Giants, Sammi

Superstars, MBC Blue Dragons and OB

Bears. Over the ensuing three decades,

the Superstars ranchise went through

ownership changes, with the Chungbo

Pintos (19851987), the Pacic Dolphins

(19881995) and the Hyundai Unicorns

(19962007) beore being reborn as the

Woori Heroes in 2008.

Te MBC team was sold to become

the LG wins in 1990, while Haitai

became the Kia igers in 2001. Te

clapped to the beat o his socalled ght

song, and took pictures o the home

ans along the rst base. When the

Bears clawed back with ve runs in the

seventh aer trailing 72, Rockeeller

gave a standing ovation and highved

people around him.

Calling himsel an avid New York

Yankees an, Rockeeller says he was

deeply impressed with the way Korean

ans kept cheering on their avorite

teams or the entire game. I dont know

much about Korean baseball but Ive just

started to learn, and I want to nd out

more, he says. And the culture o ans

o a team all becoming one is surprising.

Its ull o energy. Its passionate.

I want to take this culture to the Yankee

Stadium in New York.

hiSTory of BASeBAll in KoreA

Philip Gillett, an American missionary,was dispatched to Korea in 1901 and

ounded the Young Mens Christian

Association (YMCA) two years later.

In 1905, he started teaching baseball,

then a Western ball game, to members

o the YMCA, and that was the birth o

baseball in Korea.

Since its inception, proess

baseball has been beloved by p

all over the nation, says You Y

koo, commissioner o the KBO

Baseball Organization). We h

some down periods in the 199

the oreign reserve crisis, but t

to the passion o the teams an

were experiencing a renaissan

Entering our 30th year, pro bas

Korea is at a crossroads, You a

will work even harder or ans

our game.

Te KBO is trying to look b

its 30 years, holding a special p

exhibition in commemoration

anniversary. At the reception t

the start o the 30th season, the

out ve major objectives: to in

a twodivision league with 12

the year 2020; to draw 10 milli

KoreAS profeSSionAl BASeBAll TeAmS (2011 SeASon)

YonhapNewsAgency

(f st t t t) Katadta a dac acb t a Kasst basba a 1982; Thata Ts cbats ts tct, tss t cac t t a 1996; l S- s cdat s 56t , Asas bstcd, 2003; A ct tcat t 30t sas Kas ssa basba a mac 28, 2011.


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6|korea| may 2011 www.ko

ballparks; to start turning prots; to

structure the minor league system and

support youth baseball; and to open a

aseball museum and hall o ame.

In addition to Gwangju, the KBO

edged to build new ballparks in

aegu and Daejeon - currently home

downtrodden stadiums - that can

old at least 30,000 people, and to have

ven stadiums with at least 25,000 seats

ationwide by 2017. Te KBO turned

40 billion won (US$3.6 million) at

e gate last year, and wants to raise

he revenue to 90 billion won by 2020.

With improved inrastructure, the

BO predicted its total revenue, rom

he gate, marketing and other sources,

ould reach 300 billion won by 2020.

o help meet its goals, the KBO willtablish KBO.com in 2015 and open its

wn broadcasting channel to generate

venue online and oine. Modeled

er MLB.com in the majors, the new

hannel could also help push up the

venue o KBOP, a marketing afliate

the KBO, to 100 billion won by 2020.

Te KBO will also reorganize its

minor leagues, the main source o

young talent, and support independent

leagues, while helping youth clubs set up

across the nation. Lastly, the KBO will

determine sites or the baseball museum

and hall o ame in 2011, with plans o

opening doors in 2012.

STArS of KoreAn BASeBAll Korea

has seen its share o stars over the past

three decades o pro baseball. Amongthe best, Sun Dongyeol, ormer

Samsung manager, is by ar the greatest

pitcher. He made a splash as a super

rookie with the Haitai igers in 1985.

His arsenal included a ourseam astball

reaching 155km/h and a slider.

Unlike normal sliders, which oen

break away rom the righthanded

batter, Suns slider broke down vertically,

almost like orkball. Sun had such an

aura about him that he could scare his

opponents just by warming up in the

bullpen. Splitting his time as a starter

and a closer in 11 seasons in Korea, Sun

helped his igers to six championships,

putting up 146 wins, 40 losses and 132

saves with a 1.20 earned run average.

Sun also pitched or the Chunichi

Dragons in Japan and earned the

nickname Sun o Nagoya. Ten in

2005, Sun won the Korean Series in his

rst year as manager and deended the

title in 2006. Aer 417 wins, 340 losses

and 13 ties in six seasons, Sun resigned,

months aer nishing runnerup in

2010.Te Korean league last year saw

two world records. On the mound,

Ryu Hyunjin o the Hanwha Eagles,

nicknamed the Monster, put together

29 straight quality starts (at least six

innings and three earned runs or ewer

allowed) dating back to 2009. In the

majors, Chris Carpenter o the St L ouis

Cardinals pitched 22 quality starts in a

row rom May 13 to Sept 9 in 2005. B ob

Gibson, also o the C ardinals, had 22

consecutive quality starts in 1968. Ryu

has been the ace or Korea at the WBC

and the Beijing Olympics.

At the plate, Lee Daeho, slugger or

Lotte Giants, homered in a record nine

games in a row. He began his streak

on Aug 4 against Doosan and set the

record against Kia on Aug 14. In the

majors, Ken Griey Jr and two other

players have hit home runs in eight

straight games, but Lee topped them

all. Last year, Lee also led the KBO

in an unprecedented seven oensive

categories. He has been in the heart o

the order, the cleanup trio, or Korea ininternational tournaments like Olympic

Games and WBC.

Te league has more impressive

stars. Ley Kim Kwanghyun o the SK

Wyverns and righthander Yoon Suk

min o the Kia igers are both xtures

in the national team rotation. Choi

Heeseop, Big Choi ormerly with

the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles

Dodgers, has returned home, along with

ormer New York Mets and Los Angeles

Dodgers pitcher Seo Jaeweong (Kia),

and exWashington Nationals pitcher

Kim Sunwoo (Doosan), much to the

delight o Korean ans.

whAT To looK for in 2011 Aside

rom these Korean stars, oreign players

with Major League experience have

joined the KBO.

Radhames Liz, a starter or the LG

wins, wowed the crowd with his

160km/h astballs. Dustin Nippert,

pitcher or Doosan Bears, has been

ring astballs rom his 203cm rame.

Korean baseball is very ast and

dynamic, Liz says. Hitters havegreat techniques and theres not much

dierence rom the major leagues.

Nippert was also impressed, saying,

Ive not so much experienced Asian

baseball beore, but baseball players here

have tremendous passion and talent.

I am having an unusual experience in

Korean baseball.

Fans have been packing stad

rom early on, hoping to get th

glimpse o stars such as Ryu H

and Lee Daeho.

Group cheering is one o the

eatures o Korean baseball. Ry

Sadowski, who resigned with

Giants, says, I think the Ma!

cheering word catered to the L

team] cheer or Lotte is un. I

in Korea or the ans passiona

ravis Blackley, a new starte

Kia igers, mentions, Tis is

season in Korea and the an su

awesome. I am experiencing t

Ive never had beore.

All eight teams have travelincheering squads or road game

TunderStix and amps blastin

music re up the ans.

With baseballs surging pop

Little League baseball has also

exponentially. Kids who woul

around soccer balls on playgro

now picking up gloves and bas

breaking a ew windows here a

And amateur club baseball ha

in recent years.

Tere are 200 ofcially regis

leagues with about 10 teams ea

counting unofcial clubs, ther

around 5,000 teams around th

Tough pro baseball is just 3

years old, the league has usher

a renaissance with eight teams

catering to their local ans. For

KBO has set up an executive c

to handle development o the

implement necessary policies.Players are improving by the

quality oreign players are com

the Korean league to add new

And with the support o enthu

ans, the Korean league has alr

transcended Asia to become a

top competitors in the world.

(f t t t) o t bstKa stas S D- tcs at aKS (Ka Ss) a 1995;haas r h-j s -k s cka mst, bcas sct tc; A dac sc Bsa Sajk Basba Stad, t ltt gats; S l Da- ts 200t A 11, 2011.

(

Fromlefttoright)YonhapNewsAgency;HanwhaEagles;LotteGiants(2)


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over story

Lim Changyong, a 34yearold pitcheror the okyo Yakult Swallows.

Park is a pioneer among Koreans

playing ball abroad. He became the rst

Korean in the majors in January 1994,

signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers

or US$1.2 million. On April 7, 1996,

he picked up his rst Major League

victory against the Chicago Cubs atWrigley Field. During his heyday with

the Dodgers, Park regularly clocked in

at 99mph (159km/h) on his astball and

ooled hitters with breaking balls.

Park was a key member o the

bullpen or the World Series runnersup

Philadelphia Phillies in 2009. In 2010,

While slugger Lee Daeho and reballeryu Hyunjin capture the hearts o ans

Korea, baseball ambassadors have

rved Korea well in the US and Japan.

eading envoys have been Park Chan

o, a 37yearold pitcher or the Orix

ualoes, Choo Shinsoo, a 28yearold

utelder or the Cleveland Indians and

(Ccks st) C Std bas at tt a aBst rd S A 6, 2011; l tcs at Jaas A-Sta ga2010; pak Ca- cds s 124 t oct 2, 2010, t tpttsb pats.

From ormer Major League AllStar Park Chanho to the ChooChoorain Choo Shinsoo in Cleveland, Korean baseball players are making a

name or themselves abroad. hese men are promoting Korean athletics asbaseball ambassadors and picking up hety paychecks along the way.

Koreas Baseball Ambassadors

In the Global Spotlight

enjoyed the best season o his career.In the majors, only two other players

- Carlos Gonzalez o the Colorado

Rockies and Hanley Ramirez o the

Florida Marlins - had a .300 batting

average with at least 20 home runs and

20 steals. In 110 years o history o the

Cleveland ranchise, Choo is the very

rst player to put up backtoback

seasons o .300 average plus 20 homers

and 20 steals.

Aer the Major League season,

Choo donned the Korean national

uniorm to represent the country at the

2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, and led

Korea to the gold medal. Choo had been

exhausted aer playing

in 144 games in the

majors in 2010. But he

came to Korea right

aer the season ended

and started getting

ready or the AsianGames. People couldnt

help but love the man

who gave everything

he had or the national

team.

Coming o the most

productive season

he joined the New York Yankees, but

was traded midseason to the Pittsburgh

Pirates aer an injuryplagued rst hal.

In 17 major league seasons, Park pitched

or seven clubs, throwing 1,993 innings

in 476 games. He posted a record o

124 wins, 98 losses with an earned run

average (ERA) o 4.36, 1,872 hits and

1,715 strikeouts. Parks 124 wins are the

most by an Asian pitcher in the majors,

one more than Nomo Hideo o Japan.

Aer mulling over another season

in the majors or joining the Korean

league, Park decided to go to Japan to

experience a new country and league.

Tough he ailed to win a World Series,

Park, the Korean Express, le a huge

mark in the majors.Choo Shinsoo signed with the Seattle

Mariners or US$1.3 million in 2001.

A prototypical vetool player, Choo

made his major league debut on April

21, 2005. But despite all his talent, Choo

rarely got to play in Seattle and was

traded to the Cleveland Indians in 2006.

In Cleveland, Choo began to live up

to his expectations and has developed

into the teams oensive leader. Last year,

Choo batted .300 with 22 home runs, 90

runs batted in and 22 stolen bases. He

also put up a .401 onbase percentage

or a new career high. Despite a thumb

injury suered during the season, Choo

8|korea| may 2011

o his career, plus the military

service exemption in the osea

Choo just hit a jackpot at the s

negotiating table this time. He

a oneyear deal worth US$3.9

dollars, a nineold increase ro

previous salary.

Tis season, Choo is back in

o the teams oense. During th

spring training in Arizona last

Choo said, I am eeling great

have high expectations or the

since we have a lot o good pro

I am proud o b eing a Korean

baseball in the majors. Choo

will gun or a season o at leas

home runs and 30 steals this yMy goal is to get better and

better every year, Choo says.

I want to put up better

numbers this year than the

last, and I also want to

play in the postseason

too.MultibitsImage(above);YonhapNewsAgency(opposite)

www.ko


7/29

over story

n the history o Korean baseball, only

ne manager has ever walked on a red

arpet all the way rom the ballpark to

he parking lot aer every home game.

s Jerry Royster, a ormer manager o

he Lotte Giants and the rst oreign

anager in Korean proessional

aseball.He became the manager o the

erennial underachievers in 2008 and

d them to the postseason or three

raight years. A ormer Major League

anager, Royster ran his club on

xcellent strategies and communicated

penly with his players. Currently

was a monumental moment o my lie. I

am really, really grateul.

When asked why he thought ans

had remained supportive, Royster says,

While managing Lotte, I stayed in close

contact with ans. I exchanged emails

with them and sometimes invited them

to games. Its important to instill in kids

hopes and dreams.

Aer the Korean postseason last all,

Royster reects on his experience: Just

as the three years in Korea went by

quickly, the past six months in the US

have been very hectic too. I am nally

spending some great time with my

amily, he adds. I love being around

my two daughters. Teyre both aspiring

actresses and theyre going to be inlms soon. Royster later quips, I made

my lm debut beore my daughters

in the Korean lm Haeundae or Tidal

Wave [where a Lotte baseball game was

included in an early scene].

Royster said his three seasons in

Korea were unorgettable, and that he

would like to manage again in Korea i

an opportunity arises. Royster has been

mentioned as a uture potential manager

or an expansion Korean team, owned

by game company NCso. Royster can

oer a lot to a new club. He is a trusted

man among Korean ans and has already

proven his leadership by guiding Lotte,

ormerly a doormat, to three postseasons

in a row. He is a players manager who

reaches out to his charge and has a wide

network in baseball that includes major

league coaches.

As an expansion team, NCso will

be able to acquire our oreign playersand place three on the active roster, one

more than existing teams. And when

scouting overseas talent, perhaps itd be

better or the team to rely on Royster

and his network than to employ Korean

scouts to do the work. Lottes pitcher

Ryan Sadowski, who joined the team

working as an analyst or Major League

games, Royster would like to return to

Korea to manage again.

He won over players by running

efcient practice regimens that gave

players some leeway, rather than

indiscriminately grueling routines. As

bet a ormer major leaguer, Roysterpursued a daring brand o baseball and

asked his charge to never ear anything.

Under his watch, Lotte became the most

aggressive team in the eightteam league.

Hitters started swinging at the rst pitch,

and they became more aggressive on

base paths, putting ear into opposing

batteries.

Tough hed been a position player,

Royster also stressed aggressiveness

to his pitchers. He preerred guys who

could throw inside, and he came downhard on those who got away rom

the inside part o the plate. Royster

ultimately emphasized condence.

Asking pitchers to go inside was

designed to help them develop more

condence on the mound. And pitchers

and position players alike all bought

into his No Fear baseball. As a result,

Lotte reached three straight playos and

got stronger each season. Over three

seasons under Royster, the Giants put

up 204 wins, 185 losses and three draws

or a winning percentage o .520. On top

o that, the Giants had more un playing

baseball than any other team.

But the lack o playo success

ultimately did in Royster. Tough the

Giants made three playos in a row, they

also lost in the rst round in all those

three years. Following the latest deeat,

Royster returned to the United States.

When rumors suraced late lastseason that Lotte would not resign

Royster, Giants ans started putting

up signs to support their manager and

even paid out o their own pockets to

run newspaper ads. Royster thanked

his ans, saying, You cant imagine this

kind o support even in the majors. Tis

(Ccks st) J rst at ss lA; rst cs s ta asd a a 2009; ltt gats as d a ba scbd t w wat J.

last year, says he signed with the Giants

because o Royster.

Looking back on those three seasons,

Royster says, When I rst took over,

the team was not that strong. But I tried

to nd out more about each individual

player and tried to customize lessons

or each player rather than teaching

all o them the same thing. More than

anything, I stressed that they had to have

the right attitude as baseball players.

By having Royster, NCso could

sign some bigname oreign stars to

draw ans early and quickly establish its

identity. Royster would have an edge in

that respect over all other managers in

Korea. And he still loves the country,

saying, I still miss my time in Korea.Royster adds, I think I can demonstrate

my talent on an expansion tea

Interestingly, the rst genera

or NCso is Lee Sanggoo, a

Lotte general manager who br

in Royster in 2008. Tat conne

has ueled rumors that Royste

be the teams inaugural manag

Royster says he had a

good relationship

with Lee while

with the Giants.

We know each

other well and

I think he is a

capable general

manager,

Royster says.

But I haventheard anything

American baseball manager Jerry Royster is a great leader. Ater taking over the LotteGiants in 2008, he guided the team to three straight postseasons. oday, hes back in theUnited States, providing commentary or Major League ballgames. But he says hed like tomanage again in Korea someday. Is there a place or Royster in uture Korean ball teams?

Jerry Royster

Koreas First Foreign Manager

rom their camp. Id like to bec

a manager i I receive an oer.

NCso, then Id like to manag

Korean team.

On Korean baseball, RoysteKorea was the runnerup at t

World Baseball Classic in 2009

every game it played to win th

medal at the 2008 B eijing Oly

beating the US, Cuba, Japan a

in the process. Korea has trans

Asia and its world class in bas

|korea| may 2011 www.k

ParkKwang-min;YonhapNewsAgency(o

pposite)


8/29

|korea| may 2011

en & brush

The Soul BehindPlease Look After Mom

Shin Kyung-soo

Please Look Aer Mom, a novel by Shin Kyung-sook, has been

a steady seller since hitting Korean bookstores in 2008. In early

April, the novel became the rst book by Shin to b e translated

into English. Te book was a hit, with 100,000 rst edition copies

selling out in the United States. Moreover, the books publication

rights have sold in 24 countries all over the world.

Please Look Aer Mom received rave reviews in US newspapers,including an unusual two glowing reviews in Te New York

imes. Te newspapers March 30 review headlined, A Mothers

Devotion, a Familys earul Regrets, noted, Penitence is, aer

all, this books whole point. Characters eyes begin watering,

pooling with tears, brimming over, etc., as each one has the

chance to realize that Mom was a treasure. A second piece in

Te imes on April 1 added that the book wasnt simply a story

about a missing mother. In this raw tribute to the mysteries o

motherhood, only Mom knows, wrote the reviewer.

Geraldine Brooks, an Australian journalist and author who won

the Pulitzer Prize or Fiction or her novelMarch in 2006, gave an

impressive review that is cited on the English edition o the book.

Here is a wonderul, original new voice, by turns plangent and

piquant. Please Look Aer Mom takes us on a dual journey, to

the unamiliar corners o a oreign culture and into the shadowy

recesses o the heart. Shin penetrates the very essence o what it

means to be a amily, and a human being.

A UniversAl story So what is it about this novel that has

overcome ethnic and cultural divides and touched readers in

dierent parts o the world? While the book takes place in Korea

and involves distinctly Korean cultural practices, the books themeo a mothers sacrice is universal. Te powerul love the amily in

the novel eels toward their mother can be easily understood by

anyone who has a kind and giving woman in their lie.

Its been one week since mom went missing,the book begins.

In our chapters and an epilogue, Please Look Aer Mom ollows

the tragedy o a amily whose 70-something ailing mother is lost

in the middle o Seoul. Shin examines the near indescribable grie

lease Look Ater Mom is capturing theearts o readers all over the world.

Author Shin Kyung-sooks novel is aribute to mothers and the many waysn which they sacriice themselves or

heir amilies. With the release o theooks English edition in April, aeneration o Westerners is gettingheir irst taste o Korean literature.

Oh Kyong-yon | photographs by Park Jeong-roh

S

hinKyung-sook


9/29

www.k

elt by each member o the amily, including the mother hersel,

and how each person deals with the situation. In her trademark

restrained prose, Shin shows how the amily misses the mother

when shes not around and how their eelings change with the

passing o time. Readers will easily get sucked into the emotional

roller-coaster o the amilys regrets and disappointments over

losing their mom and their anxiety over whether they will get a

chance to make up or their past mistakes.

In order to writeMom, Shin says she thought about her own

relationship with her mother. In an interview with the literary

magazine Te Quarterly Changbi (Creation and Criticism) , Shin

says that early on in writing the book, she switched rom the

ormal mother to the riendly mom, so that

she could better relate to the amily in the book.

She also projected hersel into Chi-hon, the

eldest daughter in the novel. Readers will grasp

that extra level o intimacy as they strive to

understand each characters actions.Shin mentions the ourth chapter,

Another Woman, in which the novels

missing mom soliloquies at her own

mothers knee in a fashback, Does she

know that I have also needed my mom my

entire lie?Te exchange fows with a

natural, maternal cry o grace and the

author says that upon completing the

scene she thought to hersel: Tats it.

Tats just enough or the novel.

Its like my Mom wrote the book

with me, Shin says.

Ultimately, Shin has painted a

tribute to mothers in Please Look

Aer Mom that reminds readers

o the many ways in which our

mothers infuence our lives,

whether they are with us or not.

Shin has said that her book

contains all the love, passion

and sacrice that everyday

moms give their children.Shins writing style is

moving. In one part o the

book, the younger sister in

the amily writes a letter to

her older sister to say how

much she misses their

mother. Te desperation

PleAse look After MoM

LanguageEnglish

Published2011

PublisherAlfred A Knopf, US

An elderly couple takes a trip

from their countryside home to

Seoul to see their son and

daughter-in-law, but the

husband loses his wife in a

crowded subway station. The

family members make leaflets to

try to find the wife and mother,

who is ailing and illiterate, as

they realize how important shed

been to their lives. The oldest

daughter, a novelist, is upset with

herself that she hadnt taken

care of her sick mother. The

oldest son, an office worker,

hates himself for not living up tohis mothers expectations. The

husband also looks back on his past to when hed faile

her. After nine months, unable to locate her mom, the

travels to the Vatican and purchases the rosaries her m

wanted. She prays before the Pieta, by Michelangelo,

to please take care of her mom. The essence of the no

intricately complex. At first, the writer describes the m

itself and then moves to other, tangential emotions lik

sacrifice, regret and more. The family is ultimately una

their mother or even determine if shes alive or not. W

seem a sad ending for the novel, it allows readers to ca

message that its never late to realize maternal love.

bookand regret she eels is palpable.

Sister, Do you think well be able to be with her again, even i its

just or one day? Do you think Ill be given the time to understand

Mom and hear her stories and console her or her old dreams that

are buried somewhere in the pages o time? I Im given even a ew

hours, Im going to tell her that I love all the things she did, that

I love Mom, who was able to do all o that, that I love Moms lie,

which nobody remembers. Tat I respect her ... Sister, please dont

give up on Mom, Please fnd Mom .- rom Please Look Aer Mom

sorrow Driving her to write Shin is a 27-year veteran, who

has published seven ull-length novels and seven collections o

short stories. Her style is eclectic and her works cover a broad

range o genres.A Lone Room is at once a coming-o-age tale and

labor novel. Yi Jin is a historical piece o work based on a real

person rom the 19th century, taking place in the Joseon Dynasty

and in France. From Somewhere Aar the Phone Keeps Ringing or

Me, her most recent work, is a novel that ollows a group o youthsin the 1980s. Shin has also contributed to various anthologies and

continues to expand her horizons as a writer.

Shin says that while her novels appear to dier greatly in

subject matter, each book has part o hersel in them. Interviewers

note that Shin speaks as she writes, a tad slow at times but with

an innocent trust in the world shes living in. She also says that

she writes to heal the sad. Why do you ever need to read novels

when you are perectly happy in your own, real lie? I really hope

my books can help people move through their eelings.

She once dened the novel as a tool o communication

Perhaps this is why readers cant wait or the next novel by the

writer with a delicate soul they so adore.

Readers around the world now have the opportunity to experience Korean

literature. The Korea Literature Translation Institute (KLTI), which supports

programs to translate and publish Korean literature, has helped translate 463

Korean literary works into 27 different languages as of December 2010. Last

year, a total of 111 translations were introduced in 14 different languages,

while in the first quarter of 2011, 30 literary works were translated and

published in 11 different languages.

Many Korean writers are also starting to promote their poems and novels

abroad. The controversial novel Please Look After Mom and Jo Kyung-rans

novel Tongue were published in eight countries including the United States and

Netherlands in 2008 and 2009. Critics abroad are taking note of the influx of

Korean literary works. In 2002 Han Sung-wons novel Father and Son was

selected as one of Kiriyama Pacific Rim Notable Books and in 2003, Oh Jung-

hees novel The Birdwas awarded the LiBeratur Literary Prize in Germany. Shin

Kyung-sook, the author of Please Look After Mom, was awarded the Prix de

lInaperu in France for her novel A Lone Room. Korean poets are also getting

recognition, with Ko Un, Shin Kyong-rim and Moon Chung-hee receiving the

Cikada Prize in Sweden in 2006, 2007 and 2010, respectively.

koreAn literAtUre exPAnDing worlDwiDe

Mainstream media outlets from all over the world are also paying a

Korean writers. Hwang Sok-yongs novel Shim Chong was chosen

literary work to take on summer vacation by Le Monde in 2010

Young-ha was introduced as an Asian author to take note of in 20

Wall Street Journalfor his novel Your Republic is Calling You.

Recognizing that Korean books have to compete with a wide varie

literature abroad, the KLTI intends to improve the quality of transla

works by maintaining the vivid essence of each Korean literary wo

has set its sights on English-language translations in particular.

The focus on English speaking regions is not because of the lang

universality of English, explains Yoon Bu-han, the head of the pla

department at the KLTI. He added that the institutes intent is to f

translations, publishing and exchange on English speaking region

shortcut for Korean literature to expand internationally.

Readers can easily obtain information on Korean literature throug

Internet. Both the Korean Books Publishing Project website (www

koreanbooks.or.kr) and the KLTI website (www.klti.or.kr) provide a

information on Korean publishing companies and Korean literatur

|korea| may 2011


10/29

|korea| may 2011

eople

www.k

From an early age, Ryoo Ryong was ascinated with the naturworld. He studied birds in his ree time and dreamed o becomscientist. he onetime country boy is now one o Koreas moeminent chemists and has been recognized or his work byUNESCO and the IUPAC. by Seo Dong-chul | photographs by Park Jeong-roh

From Country Boy t

Ryoo Ryong has come home. Aer beginning his career as

a student at the Korea Advanced Institute o Science and

echnology (KAIS), he now directs the institutes Center or

Functional Nanomaterials and is a distinguished proessor

o chemistry there. His research at KAIS has been in nano

microporous materials, that is, materials with tiny holes

through which molecules can pass.

Nano microporous materials play a key role in chemical

processes. Zeolite, or example, is a type o mineral that is

microporous and it is used as a catalyst in gasoline production.

Ryoos team discovered a method o directing the growth o

zeolite, and they were able to grow ultrathin zeolite sheets

that were only twonanometers thick. A nanometer is one

billionth o a meter.

My research is to synthesize materials packed with tiny

nanometerlevel holes, Ryoo explains. Nano microporous

materials are used as an absorbent to separate certain materials

- as gases preer sticking to suraces ying in the air - or

as a catalyst to promote chemical reactions. He adds, Even

though people have used such nano microporous materialsbeore, my job is to make holes dense and systematic.

Te thinness o the zeolite sheets Ryoo has created allows

reactant molecules to easily enter the tiny holes in the mineral

and allows product molecules to get out quickly. Tis increases

the eciency o microporous materials and increases their

liespan. Ryoos creation has been hailed as environmentally

riendly and cost saving or the petrochemical industry.r R R h b.

Tis year, both UNESCO and the International Un

Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) honored Ryo

his work. Tey selected him as one o the worlds 100

chemists in a rigorous evaluation o research theses p

by chemists over the last decade. Only one other Ko

scientist - Hyun aekhwan, proessor o biochemic

engineering at Seoul National University - was sele

the honor.

I ound out that I was selected as one o the top 1

chemists while reading a newspaper, Ryoo says. My

theses amount to about 200 and I have been quoted

13,000 times. I eel proud about that because I think

contributed to enhancing the status o the Korean sc

world as my research results were quoted in countri

the world, and I was invited to deliver lectures at che

academic meetings. But I dont have a big interest in

calling is to study, research and teach students.

In addition to the UNESCO/IUPAC award, Ryoo

Research o Future Award at the American Chemica

Symposium on Nanotechnology in Catalysis in 2001Academic Award rom the Korean Chemical Society

and the op Scientist Award rom the Korean govern

in 2005. In 2007, the Korean government designated

as a national honor scientist. Last year, Ryoo became

rst Korean to win the Breck Award administered by

International Zeolite Association, or his contributio

zeolite research.

Ryoo Ryong


11/29


chemistry and biology, most top students at the time went to

law school, to be a lawyer. His amily pushed or him to study

engineering, not science, so that he could get a good job aer

graduating. And in the end, he decided to go to an engineering

college to ollow his amilys wish.

I entered Seoul National University in 1973, the best

university with the smartest students in Korea at that time,

Ryoo says. But I did not imagine becoming a scientist in the

uture. As my amily was poor, the rst thing was to make

money aer graduation. I did not even think about going

to graduate school. At that time, graduate students had a lot

o trouble paying or their tuition and even buying research

materials. Now graduate schools receive a lot o nancial

support, but at that time, it was hard or students to study at

graduate schools unless their amilies were rich.

But opportunity had knocked. In 1971, the Korean

government ounded KAIS to develop highquality

scientic and technological human resources to supportindustrialization while implementing its economic

development plan.

KAIS was a dream come true or Ryoo as students o

KAIS did not need to pay tuition, could receive stipends

every month and were exempt rom military service. Aer

graduation, Ryoo entered KAIS without hesitation.

Ryoo obtained a masters degree in chemistry, a eld he had

always wanted to study. He went on to get a PhD at Stanord

University in the United States, and then returned to Korea in

1986 to teach at his ormer graduate school.

It was in 1977 that I entered KAIS. I KAIS had not

been ounded at that time, I would be an ordinary salaried

employee today, Ryoo says. I think that the establishment o

KAIS was quite a signicant part o the governments science

and technology promotion policies during Koreas economic

development. As the nation spared no eforts to support, truly

excellent scientists could be born in Korea.

77 BS degree from Seoul National University

79 MS degree from KAIST85 PhD degree from Department of Chemistry at Stanford University

86 KAIST Professor of the Department of Chemistry

01 KAIST Head of the Functional Nano Material Research Team /

search of Future Award at ACS Symposium on Nanotechnology in Catalysis

02 Academic Award from Korean Chemical Society

05 Top Scientist Award by Korean government

07 National Honor Scientist by Ministry of Education, Science and

chnology, Korea

10 Breck Award from the International Zeolite Association

11 Selected as one of the Worlds 100 Best Chemists by UNESCO / IUPAC

BRief PeRsonal HistoRy

Few men have played a larger role in modernKorean history than Syngman Rhee. Born atthe end o the Joseon Dynasty, Rhee wasraised during the tumultuous era o the

Japanese occupation and played a role in theindependence movement both in Korea andabroad. Ater World War II, Rhee became theirst president o the newly democratic nation.And while his presidency was ar romperect, Rhee will always be remembered orhis patriotism. by Seo Dong-chul | photographs by Kim Nam-heon

great

Syngman Rhee was born on March 26, 1875 in Pyeongsan,

Hwanghaedo Province, in what is now North Korea. He grew

up in the waning years o the Joseon Dynasty, when Emperor

Gojong ruled the peninsula and Japan was beginning to ex its

muscles in the region. As a toddler he moved to Seoul, where

he eventually studied the Chinese classics.

Rhee began attending Pai Chai Hakdang, Koreas rst

modern secondary education school, in 1894. He earned

money to pay or his tuition by teaching the Korean language

to Americans, and he later worked as an English instructor at

Pai Chai Hakdang. But his career as an English instructor wasshortlived, as he became swept up with his nations uture.

In 1895, the country was shaken by the assassination o

Empress Myeongseong, the rst ocial wie o Emperor

Gojong. Japanese assassins killed the empress because she

was an obstacle to Japans colonization o Korea. Rhee was

outraged by the incident and began protesting the Japanese

government and those who supported it. He became involved

Syngman RheeBuilding aNation

umBle Beginnings Ryoo grew up in Maebongmyeon,

waseong, Gyeonggido Province. While the town is part o

he Seoul metropolitan area today, it was quite rural when

yoo was a child. Te poor electric supply there meant thatyoo studied by candlelight. But he didnt let that stand in the

ay o his learning. Ryoo craed high perormance lanterns

sing steel bottle caps, pipes and wicks so he could study long

to the night.

When I was young, I liked to make things and tease my

rain, Ryoo recalls. As I lived in a rural town with almost

othing, I had to make everything. I made toys such as a

ingshot and even a chair and a desk or mysel. One o my

obbies was to observe nature and, in particular, I liked birds.

y the age o 5, I knew what birds ate, where they built nests,

ow many eggs birds laid and how long it would take or the

ggs to hatch. Even now, I can tell the species o a bird just by

eing it y.

Ryoo was an outstanding student and won honor prizes in

ementary and high school. When it came to go to college,

hough, he was torn on what to study.

While he was interested in the natural sciences like

in the independence movement through the All Peo

Congress and the Independence Club that Philip Jai

noted champion or Koreas independence, had oun

also worked as the editor o the Hyeopseonghoebo an

sinmun newspapers, inspiring readers to protest aga

indePendence tHRougH diPlomacy In 1897, R

imprisoned along with the other leaders o the Indep

Club or trying to overthrow the government. Upon

seven years later, Emperor Gojong sent Rhee to the U

States to appeal to Washington or help in warding oRhee met with US President Teodore Roosevelt an

Emperor Gojongs message, but Roosevelt reused to

Korea in its ght.

As it became clear that Japan would colonize Kore

Rhee decided to stay in the United States and suppo

independence movement rom abroad. He continue

education in the US, earning a BA rom George Was

Prr Rr h w Kaist, h

r(b). R w h r h w b b ().

N

ewdaily


12/29


Te peninsula remained divided at the 38 th paralle

the two parts were quickly growing distinct in their

and economic worldviews. While President Rhee o

on establishing a ree democracy and market econom

the South, Communism was the governments domi

philosophy in the North.

On June 25, 1950, these diferences came to a head

start o the Korean War. As UN orces and the Comm

Chinese army joined the ghting, the battles seemed

on with no end in sight. Aer three long years, an ar

was signed that allowed or the coexistence o South

Korea. Rhee strongly opposed the agreement and in

a unied Korea. In deance o the United Nations an

US militarys wishes, he released 27,000 North Korea

Communist prisoners o war who reused to return

Korea. Only when the US agreed to sign a mutual de

with South Korea did Rhee relent and agree to the tr

a tainted PResidency Syngman Rhees 12year pr

aer the establishment o S outh Korea was controve

and historians have criticized him or his oendicta

methods. While Rhee was elected to his ourth term

president in 1960 with 90% o the vote, he was orce

down only one month later when protests erupted ac

country. Rhee and his amily ed to Hawaii and he d

only a ew years later.

oday, historians preer to ocus on Rhees involve

in the independence movement rather than his taint

terms as president. Yet, his achievements at the helm

nation should not be orgotten. As South Koreas rst

he helped establish an independent country based on

principles o seldetermination and democracy. A

Korean War, he also arranged or the ROKUS Mutu

Agreement to be signed, an agreement that strength

national security.

President Rhee soothed the sorrows o the Korea

people when they had no country and exerted his ef

in establishing a ree democratic country at a time o

tribulation, says Lee Gisoo, president o the Syngm

Memorial Foundation.Rhees adopted son, Rhee Insoo, also sees eviden

athers legacy throughout todays Korea.

Dr Syngman Rhee regained the country that had

taken away rom us, and established a country accor

rules o the oundation o modern states, Rhee expla

did not simply establish a nation, he deended ree d

and established the structure or economic developm

niversity in 1907, an MA rom Harvard University in 1908

nd a PhD rom Princeton University in 1910.

While Rhee was studying, the situation in Korea was getting

orse. Japan won the RussoJapanese War in 1905 and set

s sights on the Korean Peninsula. In August 1910, Japan

oerced the Joseon government into agreeing to annexation.

hee returned to Korea in September o that year and

ecame involved in the Korea YMCAs proindependence

outh education activities, but was arrested by Japanese

cials shortly thereaer. With the help o some American

issionaries, Rhee was released and he decided to return to

e United States.

From the US, Rhee b egan his diplomatic lobbying or

orean independence. In the Korean Pacifc magazine, which

e ounded in Hawaii in 1914, Rhee argued that in order or

he peninsula to gain independence, Korean communities

verseas must use diplomacy to gain the support o Western

owers, including that o the United States. In 1917, he sentrepresentative along with Ahn Changho, an independence

ovement leader, to the World Conerence on Small Nations

New York, campaigning or the independence o Korea.

On the other side o the world, Koreans began to rise against

heir Japanese occupiers. Te March 1st Movement in 1919

served as a rallying call against discrimination by the Japanese

and led to more than 1,000 demonstrations.

Tat same year, the major proindependence actions came

together to orm the Provisional Government o the Republic

o Korea. Rhee was elected its president and he established

a US and European oce in Washington, DC. While some

members o the provisional government avored violent

rebellion, Rhee insisted that the government support the

independence movement through peaceul diplomacy.

estaBlisHing a democRatic goveRnment On August 15,

1945, World War II came to an end with the surrender o the

Japanese, and Korea greeted a new era. Tough Korea broke

ree rom Japanese rule, it still had to establish an independent

government. Rhee recognized the importance o unity in the

postcolonial years. At a ceremony celebrating his return to

Korea on October 16, Rhee warned his ellow countrymen,

United we live, divided we die.Yet, the peninsula was divided by the United States and the

Soviet Union at the 38th parallel, close to todays DMZ, shortly

aer the end o World War II.

In December 1945, world powers convened in Moscow

and decided to arrange a veyear trusteeship administration.

Many Koreans, including Rhee, opposed the trusteeship and

demanded true political independence.

With the details o the trusteeship still in question, the

United Nations decided to step in. On November 14, 1947, the

UN passed a resolution declaring that ree elections should

be held on the peninsula and that a new UN commission or

Korea should be established.

However, Cold War tensions made a unied, democratically

elected Korean government uneasible. In February 1948,

the UN passed a resolution saying that an independent

government could be established in regions where elections

could be held, paving the way or a general election in South

Korea. Tat summer, the National Assembly elected Rhee as

South Koreas rst president, and on August 15 Rhee took over

power o the country rom the US military.

Koreans celebrated the establishment o the rst democratic

government on the peninsula, a eat so many independence

activists, including Rhee, had spent years ghting or. Yet, thegreatest challenge or Rhee and his new government still lay

ahead. Independence was simply the beginning.

ehwj, h Kr r h h w h r s fr dr Rh, xhb r p b h h b (pp, bw). ehwj pr pr xrr (b).


13/29


eoul

Te G20 Lounge, meanwhile, recreates last years

Summit in Seoul. You can sit on a chair at the G20 Su

roundtable in the hall and imagine that you are a hea

state having an ocial meeting with the likes o US P

Barack Obama or German Chancellor Angela Merk

Aer you are done looking at the second-oor exh

head back down to the frst-oor lobby to experienc

Koreas traditional culture. Events include the trans

o the lobby into a tearoom, where women in hanbo

Korean traditional clothing, serve ermented green t

wooden oor. Its a great place to rest beore heading

Samcheong-dong neighborhood, Gyeongbokgung P

Gwanghwamun Square and other nearby attraction

The Pesetl Hll, whch ves y lpse t the telfe pesets, shws the hsty f eccy Ke (bc k the t t Sche wth the cetve st

Do you have questions about Seoul or the history o Korea

that arent answered in tourist brochures? Ten your next

trip should be to Sarangchae at Cheong Wa Dae, or the Blue

House, presidential oce. Located in a corner o the Cheong

Wa Dae garden, Sarangchae is a center that shares with visitors

Koreas history, modern attractions, traditional customs and

the presidents vision or the uture o the country.

Te exhibition area o Sarangchae extends or 2,386.85sqm

and includes two above-ground oors and one basement

level. On the frst oor are the Korea Hall and Hi Seoul

Hall, in addition to a ca, souvenir shop and traditional

demonstration space. On the second oor are the Presidential

Hall, Green Growth Hall and G20 Lounge.

Korea Hall, on the frst oor, is the very perect starting

point or a tour o Sarangchae. Te hall welcomes you with

a screen o colorul images that capture the beauty o the

country. In this spacious hall, you can learn more about the

history o Korea, UNESCO World Heritage sites located on theKorean Peninsula, the Korean language, ood and traditional

architecture.

Hi Seoul Hall, on the opposite side, is a place where you

can view all o the attractions in Seoul at once. I you havent

decided where you want to travel in Seoul yet, the exhibit on

the citys top 100 best-loved destinations may help you reach

a decision. Visitors can see a panoramic night view o Seouls

skyline, as well as the natural splendor o Mt Namsan and the

Hangang River. You can also learn about Hallyu, or the Korean

wave, which has spread Korean V dramas and pop c ulture

across the world in recent years.

Also on the second oor, an exhibit on traditional crawork

is not to be missed. In the lobby, a total o 38 cras that were

awarded either the best crawork prize or presidential prize

are on display. Tese unique pieces are something you cant see

even on Insa-dongs art and antique street.

Te Presidential Hall, on the second oor, will help you

better understand the history and development o democracy

in Korea. Exhibits outline the achievements o the countrys

ormer presidents and depict a timeline o major democratic

and industrial events.

Are you more o a hands-on learner?Te Presidential Experience Hall, next to the Presidential

Hall, eatures a mock presidential oce where you can take

souvenir portraits. In the blue screen photo studio nearby, you

can take a photo with the Korean president and the frst lady

in a background o your choice. Te photo o yoursel with the

countrys leader will make an unorgettable memento o your

visit to Sarangchae.

arangchae at Cheong Wa Dae is morehan just a history center. From touring a

mock presidential oice to learning about

he Korean wave, or Hallyu, Sarangchaeers visitors a chance to increase theirnowledge about Seoul. Its location in thearden o the presidential oice makes ithe perect place to spend a brightternoon.by Lim Ji-young | photographs by Choi Ji-young

In the Shadow ofPresidents

Sarangchae at Cheong Wa Dae

Ts le by cltl hete expet e vlble thee

English, Japanese and Chinese. Reservations are required. The tou

between 40 minutes to an hour.

Elsh/Chese ts 10:30am, 12pm Jpese ts 2pm, 4

ForEign LanguagE guidES

ass fee Free

ope hs 09:00-18:0

Mondays)

gett thee The center is

walk from Gyeongbokgung

3, exit No 4.

ift +82 2 723 030

cwdsarangchae.kr/eng/mai

Tour inFormaT


14/29

ravel

itting at the southern edge o the Korean Peninsula, Jejudo Island is the premier touristestination in the country. From its picturesque peaks to winding coastal roads, the volcanicland oers visitors awe-inspiring sights that they are unlikely to orget. by Chung Dong-muk K

oreaTourismO

rganization

Jejudo Island was ormed rom ve

separate volcanic eruptions, and

evidence o its explosive past can be

observed throughout the island. In 2007,

UNESCO named the volcanic island

and its lava tubes as World Heritage

sites, calling Jejudos lava tube system o

caves some o the nest in the world.

Jejudo is nicknamed Samdado,

meaning an island abundant with three

things. According to olklore, these three

things are wind, rocks and women.

Jejudos strong winds originate rom

ar across the East China Sea. Te winds

help blossom the elds o yellow rape

owers, but also prevent the owers

rom growing very high. Likewise,

Jejudos gusts are said to li the spirits oall they come in contact with, be it trees

or humans.

Seopji Koji is a cape that extends

2km of the e astern shores o Jejudo

Island. Te word seopji comes rom the

Korean word hyeopji , meaning narrow

way, while koji is the local word or

cape. Just past the windy hills o S eopji

A us assa a Ssa Iub, f t st faus

Earth, Wind and Fire

Koji, the ocean awaits you. An

white lighthouse stands agains

waters, and you can see the Se

Ilchulbong Peak in the backgr

peak was ormed by volcanic a

during the Great Ice Age and

a large crater at its summit and

clifs on three sides. Although

the peak stands 182m above se

and requires a decent hike to r

However, the panoramic scene

Jejudo and its surrounding wa

sunrise are well worth the trip

TAkIng In The VIew Jejudos

past has given the island dozen

rock ormations, including sev

mountains. In addition to Seocape and Seongsan Ilchulbong

eastern coastline, the island ha

Sanbangsan on the southern c

and Manjanggul Cave and Mt

inland. Mt Hallasan is the talle

mountain in South Korea and

designated as a national park.

the dormant volcanos summit


15/29

www.k6|korea| may 2011

TrAnSporTATIonAia Korean Air (+82 1588 2001) has an

average of 20 flights daily from Gimpo Intl

Airport in Seoul to Jejudo Isla nd starting from 6:30am

to 9:30pm. Asiana (+82 1588 8000) has an average

of 25 flights daily to Jejudo. Passengers can also

access Jeju directly from Japan, China and Taiwan.

BatGenerally, visitors will take the KTX to

Mokpo and then a ferry from the Mokpo Ferry

Terminal to Jejuhang Port. Seaworld Express Ferry

(+82 061 243 1927, www.seaferry.co.kr) has three

ferries daily at 9am, 2pm and 2:30pm. A new sea

route to Seongsanhang Port in Jejudo Island from Noryeokhang Port in Jangheung,

do Province, was recently opened. There are two ferries daily at 8:30am and 3:30pm

ferry ride taking an hour and 50 minutes. The Noryeokhang route is popular becaus

also transport their cars on the ferry.

FoodThe most traditional cuisines in Jeju are made fromgalchi(hairtail fish). The P

Restaurant (+82 064 739 2988) located in Beophwanpogu on Olle Course No

galchi-jorim (broiled hairtail) andgalchi-gui(grilled hairtail), but is famous for i tsgal

(hairtail soup). Galchi-guk is a traditional Jejudo dish that is spicy and clean while als

colorful, with the silver-colored galchi mixed with yellow pumpkin, red peppers a nd

lettuce. Sammu-Guksu (+82 064 711 5656) in Yeon-dong, Jeju serves special nood

should not be missed. Thegogi-guksu (meat noodles) broth is made from boiling th

of Jeju pigs and porkpyeonyuk(slices of boiled meat) is added on top of the noodle

popular for not having the typical smell of fat that is associated with many pork dish

noodles are made-to-order and always fresh. The owners handmade Jeju bingtteok

radish wrapped in a buckwheat dough) is also highly recommended as a snack.

AccommodATIonSDowntown Seogwipo offers convenient and fun hotels such as the Shilla Hot

064 738 4466, www.shilla.net/jeju/) and Lotte Hotel Jeju (+82 064 731 1000

lottehotel.com). There are also many beach side condos with good facilities. The Eur

064 739 2522, www.eurohouse.co.kr) on the southeastern coast is recommended

owners great hospitality and the marvelous views of Beomseom Island in the distan

Phoenix Island Resort (+82 064 731 7000, www.phoenixisland.co.kr) located in Seo

another good resort for visitors in search of relaxation.

kilometer o the cave is open to tourists

due to saety concerns, visitors can

easily eel the overwhelming scale o

this underground palace. Stalagmites

and stalactites decorate the walls at

every turn like natural works o art, and

i youre lucky you may even r un into

some o the caves residents: bats.

roAd TrIp One o the best ways to see

all that Jejudo has to ofer is by traveling

down some o the islands coastal

roads. Car rental is available at Jeju

International Airport, and the islands

simple layout makes getting around easy.

Springtime is especially beautiul

on Jejudo, and drivers can enjoy the

jade-colored ocean on one side andendless elds o yellow rape owers,

violet cherry blossoms and red camellia

owers on the other. Te many ports

and beach-side restaurants of the

coastal roads ofer some o the islands

traditional cuisine such as galchi-

jorim (broiled hairtail sh),galchi-gui

(grilled hairtail sh),jeonbok mulhoe

(raw abalone water salad) and obunjak

ttukbaegi (baby abalone soup served in

an earthenware pot).

I youre not a an o driving, another

popular way o touring the island is

on some o the Olle oot trails. Olle is

TrAVel InFormATIon

he 3km-circumerence B aengnokdam

ater lake is highly recommended.

rom the summit, you can see the

ntirety o Jejudo Island.

Secondary volcanoes, called oreum

the local dialect, can also be ound

hroughout the island. Ranging rom

00m to 1300m high, there are around

70 oreum tourists can choose to climb.

Te most popular oreum are located

n the eastern side o the island. One

the more challenging oreum to hike

Wollangbong, which peaks at 382mbove sea level and has a circumerence

3,300m. While the trail is steep,

trepid trekkers are rewarded with

eautiul views o the islands rolling

lls at the volcanos summit.

Visitors to Jejudo should not miss the

4km-long Manjanggul Cave, a natural

lava tunnel located in Gimnyeong-

ri, Gujwa-eup. Te cave was ormed

between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago

when lava rom Mt Hallasan owed

toward the ocean. While only the rst

Galchi-jorim(bi aitai)

Sia ht Jju Jju St

Su

Jju Isa

m

Baa, a vaat at t t

f mt haasa (abv).majau cav is fUneScos w natuahita sits i JjuIsa (ft). Jusa Jiciff as f ava f f tva, a aa i t sa (b).

a local word meaning a road between

the main gate o a house and a towns

main roads. Tere are 18 diferent Olle

courses in Jejudo, including one that

connects Siheung on the eastern side o

the island with Gwangchigi and another

that connects Dongmun Rotary in

Jejudo with Samyang.

Each course takes ve hours to trek

and ofers visitors a chance to take in the

lovely scenery at a natural pace. rekkers

who buy the Jejudo Olle passport

will receive stamps or each trail they

complete and receive discounts at many

hotels and restaurants. I you need a

break rom nature, Jejudo ofers a variety

o museums, botanical gardens and

theme parks. Te Haenyeo Museum,in particular, is well worth the trip. Te

museum explores the history o the

islands amous haenyeo, or local emale

divers, who explore the ocean to gather

shellsh without using any underwater

diving equipment.

new SeVen wonderS Jejudo Island

is in the running to be named as one

o the New Seven Wonders o Nature

in a competition organized by the

New7Wonders Foundation. Te island

has been recognized by the oundation

or its well-preserved natural habitats

and unique volcanic ormations.

Jejudo Island is the only place

on earth with three environmental

designations by the UNESCO Natural

Science Center [as a biosphere reserve in

2002, UNESCO World Natural Heritage

site in 2007 and geopark status in 2009],

a wetland added to the Ramsar L ist oWetlands o International Importance

and will host the WCC [World

Conservation Congress] in 2012, Jeju

Governor Woo Keun-min said. I

Jejudo Island is named as one o the

New7Wonders o Nature, Jejudo Island

will become the center o the global

environment.

Among the 452 applicants or the New

Seven Wonders o Nature competition,

Jejudo Island was the only Northeast

Asian location to be selected as a nalist

candidate. Te nal round o v

is open until November 10, 20

voting can be done by phone (

7715) or through the Internet

new7wonders.com).K

oreaTourismO

rganization(middle,

left)

T

opicPhoto(right);KoreaTourismO

rganiz

ation(middle,

farright)


16/29


pring is in the air and estivals acrosshe country are celebrating the beauty ohe season. I you want to experience theull bounties o spring, head south to

Hampyeong in Jeollanamdo Province.

During the regions Butterly Festival,Hampyeong will dazzle with vibrant

elds o yellow rape blossoms andolorul butterlies that lutter righteore your eyes. by Lim Ji-young

Te season o blossoms and butteries is upon us. But how

oen do city dwellers get to enjoy a stroll through a eld o

owers or the ight o a buttery in a concrete jungle?

Not to worry. Just our hours south o Seoul, the county

o Hampyeong, Jeollanamdo Province, holds an annual

Buttery Festival where you can see countless winged beauties

embroidered across the spring sky. Hampyeong ButteryFestival is one o the most popular events in Korea, with nearly

13 million people visiting the county or the estival alone over

the years.

Te estival has transormed Hampyeong rom a small town

with less than 50,000 residents in 1998, to a county recognized

across the country or its excellent tourist activities. In the late

1990s, Hampyeong residents decided to promote the regions

estival

Teres a Korean saying that goes, A loa o bread

than the song o many birds. Well, in Hampyeong, y

enjoy both bird songs and mouthwatering cuisine m

resh, healthy ingredients. Visitors should be sure to

local specialties - Hampyeong Cheonji Hanu bee,

herbs and mudat octopus.

Te highlight o the estival this year is the Fly a B

outdoor event, which gives visitors a chance to touch

butteries. Te event will be held in the traditional

garden within the Hampyeong Riverside Park i wea

permits. Be sure to check the schedule once you hav

to nd out more inormation.

Tis year, the Hampyeong Buttery Festival will b

or 12 days rom April 29 to May 10. Festival organiz

issuing more discount cou

than ever or visiting ami

making this years estival

aordable. Te price o a g

adult ticket is 7,000 won (

For children, a general ad

ticket costs 3,000 won.

diverse buttery population as a way o bringing tourists to

the area. With the advent o industrialization, it was becoming

more and more difcult to see even a single buttery in cities

such as Seoul. Since the rst Buttery Festival opened May 5,

1999, Hampyeong has dazzled city dwellers with the beauty

o butteries every spring. Te estival has expanded and

improved upon its events every year, and was picked by the

Ministry o Culture, Sports and ourism as the best regional

estival in Korea or our consecutive years.

o accommodate all o the estivalgoers, the KX train will

make special stops at Hampyeong Station during the event.

Te elds carpeted by blossoms greet tourists as they step o

the train. Te estival spread out across Hampyeong Expo

Park, Natural Ecology Park and Hampyeongcheon riverside

eatures dozens o species o butteries and owers.

Beyond the designated estival spots, visitors can also enjoy

the Hampyeong Living Relics Exhibition Center that depicts

ancient lie in the region; Yongcheonsa emple nestled in

a quiet mountainside; and the irresistible Dolmeori (Stone

Head) Beach. Wherever you head, spring blossoms, butteries

and the blue sky will ollow you.

Th Hampyog Buttrfly Fstival offrsmay family-fridly ativitis (opposit).Th foutai plaza is a mai attratiowith its ool jts of watr (abov). Avarity of buttrfly spis a b foudi Hampyog (blow, right).

H

ampyeongCounty

A Butterfly ParadiseHampyeong

Oli Ticket Link

(www.ticketlink.co.kr)

I prso Purchase at the

Festival Management Office

or get a 10 percent discount

with advance reservations.

TIckeT InFO


17/29


ow in korea

Seoul Flea MarkeSaving Mone

and thEnvironmen

I you think ea markets are chaotic places that have

damaged or dirty goods, think again. From chic vint

to uniquely designed handicras and international d

wares, ea markets boast stylish goods at aordable

People on a budget love these local bazaars, where th

stretches arther and can even be made by selling ite

now, many ea markets provide entertainment or th

amily with music and dance perormances.

Seoul hosts ve major ea markets, including tuk

Market that supports those in need; the Seocho Satu

Market, the oldest market in Seoul; the Hongdae Fre

and the Mapo Huimang Flea Market, which eature

artists works; and the Dongmyo Market that oers e

rom shoes to electronics.

SeoulS oldeSt and largeSt flea market T

Saturday Flea Market was established in 1998. It is n

the oldest, but also one o the largest ea markets in

with sellers mats spread out or a kilometer along th

Sadangcheon Stream.

Te market is a popular place or second-hand me

and sellers must endure a long waiting list in order to f m s z h s h ws.

Between the luxury stores o Gangnam the wholesale markets o Dongdaemunoers some o the best shopping in Asiathe citys latest shopping trend has morewith rugality than big-name retailers. Fmarkets have become economical shopmeccas that help people recycle, reuse areduce. by Lim Ji-young | photographs by Kim Nam-heon


18/29

www.k|korea| may 2011

In modern society, we are accustomed to throwing

away whenever a newer version o a product makes

People run out to stores to buy the latest cell phones

or other gadgets, even when there is nothing wrong current ones. While older brothers and sisters used t

down clothing to their younger siblings, today we th

almost anything that is out o style.

Flea markets oer us a chance to reclaim some o

nostalgic items abandoned by our modern, consume

society. And in that way, they oer new lie, new opp

to our used possessions.

to meet and interact with people, says 30-year-old vendor

Moon Min-jeong, who is manning a table with her Save the

Children colleagues. In ront o their table, a group o women

have gathered to buy -shirts and blouses or only 1,000

won (US$0.9) each. We oer them good items at a pretty

reasonable price and I can see that that makes them happy.

Te ea market has become more oreigner-riendly this

year, oering a special booth reserved or oreigners who want

to sell their items at the market as a vendor. o apply or the

booth, visit the Seocho-gu Ofce website between Monday

and Wednesday o the week you would like to participate.

Seocho Saturday Flea Market opens and closes earlier than

the others in Seoul, so be sure to set your alarm clocks so you

dont miss out on the markets bargains.

SHopping to do Some good tukseom Market is an event

hosted by the philanthropic Beautiul Store. At this market,

vendors can sell the goods cluttering their stores or homeswhile supporting charity, as 10% o all sales go to Koreans in

need.

Competition to sell is erce and would-be vendors oen

orm long lines ahead o the markets noon opening. However,

savvy sellers can reserve a spot at the market through the

Beautiul Stores online reservation system. Unlike other

markets, smaller vendors with less than 40 items are welcome.

But be sure to prepare your vendor stand early, because the

market is only open or our hours.

SeoulS art-friendly market Along with the HongdaeFree Market, Mapo-gu Ofce oers the Mapo Huimang Flea

Market. In this market you can purchase second-hand items

including household goods and aordable artwork. On the

rst and ourth Saturdays o each month, art workshops are

held or children that eature recycled goods. Meanwhile, on

the second and third Saturdays o each month, young artists

hold perormances or the community.

I you want to participate in the market as a seller, you can

apply through the markets online message board.

everytHing but tHe kitcHen Sink Dongmyo Market is

the result o the combination o the indoor Pungmul Market

and outdoor vendors that gathered around Dongmyo Station.

oday, elderly crowds gather at the three-way intersection

between the subway station and Pungmul Market every

weekend to buy and sell almost anything you can think o. Te

markets older clientele has earned it the nickname o Hongdae

or Middle-aged People.

Te market oen eels like a national recycling center. One

mans useless item is reborn as a valuable good at Dongmyo.

Need a pair o shoes? I you wade through the trucks u ll o

second-hand shoes and can nd a matching pair, you will paybetween just 2,000 won and 5,000 won per pair.

Dongmyo Market is like a living history museum, and many

amilies transorm a simple visit to the market into an enriched

educational experience. Parents describe to their children the

purpose o old items like antiquated record players or outdated

lanterns, while at the same time explaining the importance o

taking care o your possessions.

heir goods. Here, you can nd everything rom ashion items

ke apparel, shoes and bags to antiques, imported goods and

ome decorative items.

Experienced shoppers, like 32-year-old An Won-kyung,

y that the key to any ea market is nding the hidden gems

the heaps o goods. With that goal in mind, An came to

eocho to buy designer brand clothing.

I used to get lost in the enormous piles o items, An says.

But not anymore. Aer some mistakes, now the things I am

oking or seem to pop out rom the stacks. So shopping at

ea markets became easier and more enjoyable. Since I ound

ut about this place, I dont like shopping elsewhere.

Part o the allure o ea markets is the chance to save money.

rices are oen negotiable, with vendors willing to give a 10%

20% discount on any given item.

Te Seocho Saturday Flea Market is un and a great place

Sh S f m

l Sadangcheon-ro Road, Isu S

4, exit No 5 or No 6; or Sadang Station

Line 4, exit No 11

o hs 10am-3pm on Satur

c +82 2 2155 6692

Ws www.seocho.go.kr

d m

l Dongmyo-gil Road, Dongm

Line 1 or Line 6, exit No 3

o hs 10am-5pm on Sat / S

ts m

l Ttukseom Resort Station, Li

o hs 12pm-4pm on Satur

c +82 2 732 9998

Ws www.flea1004.com

m H f m

l Mapo Artcenter Plaza, EwhUniversity Station, Line 2, exit No 5; o

Station on Line 6, exit No 2

o hs 12pm-4pm on Satur

March to November

c +82 2 325 8553

Ws http://mapomarket.cafe24

market informatio

1

2

3

4

itS not flea but free!

While Hongdae Free Markets catchphrase is Free Market is not a flea

market, the market does offer some of the fun of Seouls other

unique bazaars. The market sells original items that are often one-of-

a-kind, handcrafted pieces.

Every Saturday, the cozy playground outside of Hongik University is

packed with people looking for colorful clay jewelry, finger puppets,

magnets and original self-portraits.

Lee Seul, a 29-year-old clay designer, says that people come to the Free

Market for things they cannot purchase elsewhere.Most visitors are young people, Lee says. And despite the relatively

higher price range, people do not hesitate to buy unique craft items.

Vendors must be pre-approved artists, but dont let that deter you

from checking out the market. Each Saturday, there are musical

performances and plenty of wares to choose from.

l Playground in front of Hongik University. Hongik University

Station, Line 2, exit No 9

o hs 1pm-6pm on Saturdays from March to November

c +82 2 325 8553, 8251

Ws www.freemarket.or.kr

Hongdae free market

ws h) s--sws hs s

f m; qs w s h S f; s m f ms h m- o.

Sh S fm s h s S(). m s s shs. fx s sh - sh(w).


19/29


Dokdo Island lies approximately 90km southeast o Ulleungdo

Island in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. With a total area o

187,554sqm, Dokdo is composed o Dongdo, Seodo and 89other islets, and is surrounded by Candle Rock, Elephant Rock

and Cheonjang Cave, among others.

Being a windy island with an annual average temperature

o 12C, most o the islands vegetation are well adjusted to

harsh sea winds. Plants ound on Dokdo include the common

mugwort and purslane, but also more rare plants like seomsiho

and keundurikkot, which are protected by the Ministry o

Environment.

Te black-tailed gull is the main resident o Dokd

addition, the island plays home to birds like the stor

osprey and dusky thrush. Te wood pigeon, ycatch

gray-tailed tattler spend time on the island while mi

down the coast. Te government has protected the b

places o these birds since November 1982 when the

designated as Natural Monument No 336.

Warm and cold currents meet in the ocean waters

surrounding Dokdo, resulting in rich populations o

and ertile shing grounds. Squid, cod, trout, macke

salmon provide shermen with their main source o

while the areas abalone, turban shell and crab are ex

protable in the markets. Dokdos main purpose tod

serve as a shelter or these shermen and their ships

Te government has built various acilities on the

to support the shing and tourism industries. Dongd

southeastern islet with an area o 73,297sqm, has a dcan accommodate 500-ton ships. Te islet serves as a

area or tourists, and each day up to 1,880 visitors pu

rst steps on the island here.

Dokdo is equipped with a desalination acility tha

and ocean water to produce 1,500 liter o drinking w

day. Te island also eatures accommodation or the

Guards, a heliport, lighthouse, weather observatory,

and more. Te lighthouse was rst built as an unma

acility in 1954 or the ships passing by Dokdo, but t

boasts three beacon managers rom Pohang Local M

Aairs oce. Te islands guard post is occupied by o

six platoons o Ulleung Garrison that take shifs gua

island every two months.

Meanwhile on Seodo, located northwest with an a

88,740sqm, there is lodging or shermen, which ca

as a shelter in case o emergencies. Te building was

a house or Dokdo residents, but was remodeled in 1

a shermens lodge that could accommodate up to 2

In recent decades, several Korean civilians have ca

Dokdo their home. Te rst person to register as a D

resident was Choi Jong-deok. He came to the island

and lived there until he passed away in 1987. While island has had seven permanent residents in its histo

the moment, 71-year-old Kim Seong-do and his wie

Shin-yeol are the only ocial residents. Te couple c

to Dokdo in the mid 1960s with the nancial suppo

Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, and they made their li

catching sh with the 1.58-ton ship Dokdoho, bough

nationally-raised und money.U

lleungGun

The Eastern End of theKorean Peninsula,Dokdo

pecial issue

ocated at 131 degrees east longitude, 37 degrees north latitude, Dokdo is the easternmostoint o South Korea. his small, yet beautiul island is a precious shelter or rare speciesnd migrant birds, a rich source o marine resources and a strategic military base. by Lee Se-mi

R lwr, h bl r, r ull bl Dd.


20/29


In addition to providing a home or wildlie and shermen,

okdo is a strategic military post. Te Korean government has

t up a high perormance air deense raider post on Dokdo,

hat observes the movement o Russias Pacic eet as well as

e navy and air orces o Japan and North Korea. In this way,

he island is providing the government with the key military

telligence necessary to maintain the security o the Korean

eninsula as well as Northeast Asia.

istoRy of DokDo Te people o Ulleungdo Island have

ng considered Dokdo as part o their territory. Dokdo is rst

entioned in Korean historic records in 512. Samguksagi , an

cial chronicle o the Tree Kingdoms era written during the

oryeo Dynasty (918-1392), states that, In June o the 13th

ear o Silla King Jijeungs rule, Usan-guk located at Ulleungdo

as conquered by General Kim Isabu o Sillas Haseullaju to

ecome Sillas territory and it was decided that Usan-guk will

er tribute every year. Usan-guk was an ancient tribal state

omposed o Ulleungdo, Dokdo and other small islets around

lleungdo.

Dokdo has had many names throughout Korean history.

uring the early the Joseon era, Dokdo was called Usando,

or Sambongdo, and was considered part o Uljin-hyeon in

Gangwon-do Province.

An excerpt o the Sejong Sillok Jiriji rom 1454 reads, Tere

are two islands called Dokdo and Mureungdo [Ulleungdo]

located in the center o Uljin-hyeons eastern sea. Tese two

islands are not very ar apart and when standing on one it is

possible to observe the other on clear days. In act, rom the

Seonginbong Peak on Ulleungdo you can see as ar as 149km.

Seongjong Sillok, a record book rom Seongjongs reign

(1469-1494), also provides concrete evidence o the existence

o Dokdo as a Korean island separate rom Ulleungdo.

During that time period, Dokdo was called Sambongdo and

was visited by no one. But according to Seongjong Sillok,

in the seventh year o Seongjongs reign in December o 1476,

Kim Ja-ju and 11 men arrived at Sambongdo [Dokdo] afer

10 days o journeying, but as doll-like creatures stood along

the island in between rocks we could not get on the island out

o ear but instead returned afer examining the shape o the

island rom aar.

Te shape o Sambongdo described in this record matches

that o Dokdo. Te doll-like creatures that scared the men are

believed to be sea lions.

A 1531 entry about Uljin-hyeon in Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam

reads, Usando [Dokdo] and Ulleungdo ... are on the ocean

due east o the preecture. Te books appendix includes the

oldest national map printed in Korea, known as Paldochongdo,

which shows Usando as

KOREA magazine [May 2011 VOL. 7 NO. 5]

Documents

Transcript of KOREA magazine [May 2011 VOL. 7 NO. 5]