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MULTICULTURAL KOREA
COVER STORY
SUNGNYEMUN GATE
REOPENS
Written by Cho In-Souk (ISCARSAH, ICOMOS Korea)
Restoration of historic gate an opportunity to promote preservation of heritage and national unity
COVER STORY
ungnyemun GateNational Treasure No. 1was finally reopened after a long and highly anticipated restoration process that followed the arson attack of February 10, 2008. Signifying a new era, the May 4, 2013 ceremony to mark the restoration attended by President Park Geun-hye herselfwas a place of public reconciliation. After sending the misfortunes of the past to the heavens and informing the heavens of the completion of the restoration, participants opened the newly restored gate as both a marker of a new beginning and a space of communication. After Park opened the gate, a procession of about 500 participants accompanied to Sungnyemun Plaza a Joseon Dynasty palanquin laden with a box of hope containing messages of hope written by Koreas citizenry. On the same day at Gwanghwamun Square, a ceremony was held to pray that all would be well following Sungnyemuns restoration; included in the ceremony was a shamanist dance, a binari that symbolized the themes of the dayhealing and mutual benefit. After the performance, performers and citizens gathered together to sing the four major variants of the Korean folk song Arirang, which was registered on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list on December 6, 2012. Also present at the completion ceremony were those who participated in the actual restoration, alongside volunteers, donors, event officials, and many citizens, including multicultural families, North Korean defectors and their families, and children and teens from disadvantaged families. The international press took great interest in the restoration effort, too, with about 20 major news services including AP, Reuters, AFP, Xinhua and the Mainichi Shimbun running big stories on the restoration. The international press highlighted the significance of the restoration, citing President Park in her address as she stressed the pride of the people and opening the door to new hope and a new age. They noted not only that the gate was restored using traditional materials and techniques, but also that the restoration proved an opportunity to strengthen disaster prevention systems.
2005
A traffic island since 1907, Sungnyemun is reunited with the public when it is surrounded by a new plaza
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Public allowed to pass through the gates arched entrance
2008 2010
2013
Restoration work complete
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COVER STORY
History of Sungnyemun
Hanyang Fortress, the city wall that surrounded the royal capital of Seoul throughout the Joseon Dynasty (13921910), was 18.7 km long and integrated into the citys topography. Entry gates were built at major sections of the wall to the east, west, south, and north. Geographically speaking, Sungnyemun was not exactly due south, but it was nonetheless the gate that symbolized the southerly direction. Since Sungnyemun was the southern entrance to the royal capital, it is sometimes called Namdaemun, or the Great South Gate. Judging from historical records, it seems the term Namdaemun may have come into common usage by at least the late 14th century. In 1933, the Japanese colonial authority designated the gate a national treasure under the name Namdaemun rather than Sungnyemun; this does not mean the Japanese changed the name, but rather that people used the terms interchangeably. Sungnyemun was built with an arch entrance in the center of the stonework base, and above that was built a multistory pavilion. The wooden pavilion is five kan wide and two kan deep (a kan is the distance between two columns) and covered by a hipped roof. The pillar arrangement makes it so that the lower and upper floors of the pavilion are essentially one structure. Prior to the 2008 fire, it was the oldest wooden structure in the city of Seoul. The name of the gate came from the word ye (Chinese:
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li), meaning etiquette, one of the five virtues of neoConfucianismthe political, academic, and ethical basis of the Joseon Dynasty. Ye corresponds to the south, and according to the Five Elements that form the basis of Eastern philosophy, it also corresponds with fire. The Joseon Dynasty espoused a healthy society through the keeping of good manners, or ye, in accordance with neo-Confucianism. The signboard of the gate is also written vertically, unlike the signboards of other gates. There are several theories behind this. One is that since, according to feng shui theory, Mt. Gwanaksan physically resembles fire, Sungnyemunif written vertically could protect the gate and the royal capital from the mountains fire energy by fighting fire with fire. Another theory holds that it was written vertically thanks to a line in the Analects of Confucius that reads that a person stands up through etiquette (ye).
the end of the monsoon rains or, in the case of drought, for the coming of rains. It was also used as a place to announce major government policies. Criminals were executed here, too, with the king directly adjudicating. It was also a bastion that protected Seoul in times of war. Sungnyemun was first completed in 1398; it was repaired in the middle of the 15th century, and in 1860 its pavilion was repaired. Its role as Seoul's main gate came to an end in 1907, when parts of its surrounding wall were demolished to allow trams and cars to pass. In 1952, it underwent repairs to fix damage from the Korean War, and in 19611963, it underwent a full-scale disassembly and restoration. During the restoration, it was named National Treasure No. 1 as the oldest wooden structure in Seoul. On Feb 10, 2008, not even two years after the gate was opened to the general public, it fell victim to an arson attack90% of the top floor of the pavilion and 10% of the lower floor were destroyed. Despite the damage, experts felt that the gate should maintain its No. 1 status since the masonry was fine, the first floor was still 90% intact and the repairs would require just fixing the damage, not rebuilding something that had been completely lost. The ridgebeam raising ceremony was held on Mar 8, 2012, and the restoration was completed on Apr 30, 2013about five months behind schedule. The gate was finally unveiled to the general public on May 4, 2013.
Restoration Preparation
Primary and secondary excavations were undertaken. The
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COVER STORY
excavations revealed the spots of late-Joseon Dynasty stone roads to the front and rear of Sungnyemun, the location of buildings from several eras, and the foundation of the fortress walls that flanked the gate to the east and west. Much effort went into finding the wood for the reconstruction. Trees from the thick forests of Jungyeong Tomb in Samcheok were felled for the taskthe forests of
the tomb, that of an ancestor of the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, were also used in the 19th-century reconstruction of Gyeongbokgung Palace. The pines were flown by helicopter to Seoul, where they were stored at Gyeongbokgung Palace. Preparatory construction was undertaken, and research and preservation measures were taken on the damaged sections of the gate. Plans to restore the gate and rebuild the fortress wall were completed, then historical research and studies on ironworking, painting, and disaster prevention were carried out. All the preparations were video recorded.
Restoration Construction
Firstly, the remaining pavilion was disassembled and minute research conducted. Meanwhile, on the southeast part of the restoration site, a traditional forge was set up so experiments could be made with the traditional metalworking process. Masons laid the granite mined from the mountains using traditional tools to repair the gates stone foundation and rebuild the flanking walls. Woodcutters used traditional tools to process the wood for restoring the wooden pavilion. Roof tiles crafted by traditional craftsmen and baked in a traditional kiln were put in place using traditional tools. Traditional paints and traditional glues were used, and parts were given a protective coating of tung oil to ward off moisture. Fire and disaster prevention systems were installed and the surrounding area was prepared.
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1. The signboard of Sungnyemun is written vertically. 2. Painting on ceiling of portal 3. Figure on roof of gate, used to ward off evil spirits 4. CCTV 5. Colorful roof eaves
jun, roofer Lee Geun-bok, blacksmith Sin In-yeong, and woodcutters Mun Gi-hyeon and Sin Jae-sun, as well as their apprentices, put forth all their effort during the renovation. Master woodcutter Shin Eung-su, who was in charge of restoring the gate's wooden superstructure, said, I gave my all during the restoration of Sungnyemun Gate. It would be good if the public used the restoration of Sungnyemun Gate, which met with a disastrous fire, as an opportunity to pour interest and love into our cultural heritage with a sense of ownership. Shin insisted on using as much of the existing wood as possible; for the remainder, he found locally produced pine over 100 years of age, fashioning it by hand using traditional methods. He considers strong red pine the best material; for the main pillars of the superstructure, he used pine over 300 years old. Where it would not present any safety problems, he left wood scorched from the fire as a reminder. On the pillars on the upper floor, he mixed the existing wood with new wood. Shin also participated in the 1962 repair of the gate, learning
under some of the greatest masters of the age. Now, he is the master teaching a new generation of woodcutters. Mason Lee Ui-sang said he felt it rewarding to contribute to the restoration using traditional methods. I was at a loss when they first said theyd restore Sungnyemun with traditional methods, he said, because the traditional tools used by masons all disappeared in the mid-1970s. I had no choice but to travel the country to purchase old tools to do the work. He said he felt better about the restoration of the gate than hes felt about anything in his 55 years as a mason. Fellow mason Lee Jae-sun noted that because they used stone mined from the ground rather than exposed stone, it would last longer. He also appreciated the chance to learn the wisdom of the craftsmen of old when the gate was taken apart for the restoration.
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1. Woodcutter Shin Eung-su 2. Producing metalwork the traditional way 3. Workers place roof tiles on Sungnyemun Gate
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COVER STORY
oversaw everything directly. It maintained several basic principles: that original materials be used as much as possible; that the gate section be restored to how it appeared prior to the fire; and that the city walls that flanked the gate prior to their destruction in the early 20th century be rebuilt as much as possible. Advanced 3D laser scan technology was employed during the restoration; in fact, since there was 3D scan dating from 2002, it could be 1 referenced along with the manual blueprints. The 1,916 days of the restoration were video recorded and turned into an archive to be stored as national records. This is a modern take on the documentary drawings of the Joseon Dynasty, during which all major events overseen by the royal court were drawn, recorded, and archived.
minutiae of the gate. Accordingly, the restoration of Sungnyemun signifies communication with the public and, more than the restoration of a piece of architectural heritage, an opportunity to restore pride in Koreas cultural heritage. This can be seen from the fact that about 20,000 people visited the gate within a day of its opening to the public. To reward the publics wishes, the gate is open to the public 9am to 6pm, Tuesday to Sunday; on 1 Saturday and Sunday, the wood pavilion is open for viewing three times a day for the first 20 visitors.
1. 3D data used to determine Sungnyemuns structural soundness 2. Opening ceremony of Sungnyemun Gate, attended by President Park Geun-hye 3. President Park and citizens at the gates opening ceremony
japsang statues on the roof were reduced from eight to seven. Japsang are statues of animals and people placed on the roof of a palace building or gate to ward off bad spirits. Worth noting is that all the roof tiles were replaced with ones baked by hand. Efforts were made to restore the painting on the ceiling of the arch entrance to how it was in the early Joseon Dynasty. The most important new additions to the gate post-restoration are its disaster prevention facilities. To prevent man-made disasters, intrusion detection sensors, fire alerts, and a direct hotline to the fire department were added. To deal with fires, an internal sprinkler system has been installed, and fire hydrants and hoses have been added outside the gate. Heat and flame sensors and 18 CCTV cameras have also been installed to allow respondents to cope with disasters early. Fire-resistant material has been added to the roof construction so that it can resist temperatures of over 1,000 degrees Celsius for more than 10 minutes. Lightning rods and conductors have also been installed at critical junctures, and a disaster prevention office was built. Lighting facilities have also been strengthened. About 90 landscape lights have been added around the gate and its surrounding wall, while 75 LED lights brighten the wooden pavilion, archway and upper parts of the wall. With the Cultural Heritage Administration taking charge of the gate, guards are now posted full-time.
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number of cameras for somebody who is not a professional photographer. Kim himself sits at a low table pouring hwangcha (partially fermented yellow tea). I started drawing as a young kid, he says. I forged banknotesI would give them to the local shopkeeper and he would accept them. Then Id say, Take another look. So hed look closer and see what Id done. Hed say, Wow, youre great. But when my father found out, the first thing he did was whack me. He told me what a bad thing forgery was and how much trouble I could get into for it. In middle school, I wanted to be an architect. I would draw plans for buildings. How many middle school kids do that kind of thing? I think its a sign that Heaven wanted me to draw.
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mbarking on a new career at the age of almost 50 is not a venture for the faint of heartmany people already have retirement in their sights by this point. For designer Kim Young-taek, however, middle age was an opportunity to take up a pen and draw a new chapter in Korean art. It was at the Louvre, in Paris, in 1994, says Kim. I noticed that the museum shop was selling lots of merchandise with images of Paris and its various monuments. It struck me that there was a lot of potential for using this technique to represent Koreas own cultural heritage. Nineteen years later, Kim has single-handedly pioneered a pen drawing technique that fuses elements of Korean artistic tradition with the Western pen drawing style used so prolifically until the advent of cheap photograph printing technology.
Master Forger
Kims studio, located just meters from Jogyesa Temple in central Seoul, is full of pens, ink, drawings, books, traditional objects collected over the years, a ticking wall clock, and an improbablyobsessivelylarge
1. Kim Young-taek at work 2. Kim Young-taek at his desk
Kim initially pursued a career as a graphic designer. He designed the SF-250, one of Samsungs first digital cameras. But design is part of marketing. Its not art, he says. Thus it was that Kim began devoting himself to pen drawings, gradually developing a distinctive technique that eventually saw his work serialized in a succession of increasingly well-known publications. This culminated in a 10-year project with the JoongAng Ilbo, during which Kim turned out some 250 drawings of various iconic Korean andfor the last three yearsinternational heritage sites. Instantly recognizable for their elaborate use of fine black lines to depict a variety of buildings in natural and manmade surroundings, Kims pictures have been chosen by a variety of individuals and organizations to represent Korean culture. Large images of his works are featured in the Korean Air arrivals lounge at Incheon International Airport to greet those entering the country, and he has also been invited to spend time at two major Buddhist temples in 2 order to produce 12 calendar drawings for each.
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Technique is only part of being an artist, muses Kim. To be one of the very best, you need to have qi. Im not an expert on it, but people who specialize in qi say that you can feel it in my pictures in features such as rocks and mountains. In fact, Im 100% vegetarian. I deliberately keep my body in a state of purity in order to allow the qi of my subjects to flow properly into my works. The qi that flows through Kim and into his works appears not to be confined to this life, however. Kim believes he was led to his current position because of a previous incarnation as the Venerable Yuseong, one of the 18th-century monks who painted the large and highly elaborate palsangtaeng Buddhist painting in Yeongsanjeon Hall at Tongdosa Temple. This belief is based on an observation by a monk at Tongdosa, where Kim stayed for a year and a half in 200203 while completing pictures for a calendar. Perhaps some of my worldly ambition in this life comes from the lack of a chance to fulfill it in my previous life as a monk, he laughs.
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1. Muryangsujeon Hall and Anyangnu Pavilion, Buseoksa Temple 2. Dabotap Pagoda of Bulguksa Temple
orea is well-known for its world-leading telecommunications infrastructure and lightningfast Internet speeds. But the countrys software industry has failed to gain the same reputationsome liken the situation to a network of wonderfully maintained, stateof-the-art highways plied by horse-drawn carts. Until now. Multiple award-winning software company Teruten is far from horse-drawn. In fact, the brains behind the operation in the 20th-floor office in southwestern Seouls Guro-dong belong to wife-and-husband team Lee Young and Yun Seok-gu, both of whom graduated from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Established in 2000, Teruten is growing a very sound reputation for its expertise in digital rights management (DRM), data loss prevention (DLP), and secure content delivery and management.
Intelligent Targets
A few years ago, the PC was just about the only intelligent device connected to the Internet, says Lee. But now there are many connected smart devices, even things such as portable credit card payment devices. All of these require protection, as they constantly transmit and receive confidential data. Terutens strength lies in creating software to prevent hackers from getting hold of this information: one of its specialties, in particular, is the blocking of illicit screen capture programs that secretly capture data. The company name is originally a Tibetan word that refers to mythical future beings who will come and save humanity. Lees background is in cryptography. She was the first woman to complete a PhD in the subject at KAIST. Yun, meanwhile, majored in software engineering. Their forward thinking has meant that Teruten, in its early days, was somewhat ahead of the times. We had a really fast network when I was at KAIST, says Lee. I thought this kind of thing would be widely available in various countries in just a few years time. But its taken longer than that.
of WebCube, designed to prevent the illegal copying of text, images, video, and other content from PC-based web browsers. WebCube won a prestigious national multimedia technology award in 2008. Teruten found a suitable market for it in the form of educational software companies. WebCube was followed by CaptureWall, a piece of DLP software for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs that can disable screen capture keys, block remote control and screen capture applications installed secretly by hackers, detect OS rooting and jailbreaks, and prevent the establishment of illegal connections through USB and other channels. CaptureWall won the same national multimedia award in 2012 that WebCube scooped up in 2008. MAM (mobile application management), meanwhile, is an integrated application security solution that combines the functions of CaptureWall with T-Keeper, software that prevents illegal alteration and reverse analysis of applications, and T-Monitor, which allows remote deleting of SD memory data, remote wipeout, remote locking, the creation of device user logs, and other functions. MAM has the potential to be used in mobile office systems, mobile finance, mobile entertainment, and mobile e-learning. The company's product lineup also includes a variety of other data security solutions.
Government Security
Teruten has also worked with the Korean government to provide cybersecurity, for example in the form of handsets issued to agents arranging the movements of VIPs between hotels and conference venues at international summits. We included a special function to allow remote wipeout of the agents handsets if lost or stolen, says Lee. The existing data can be totally destroyed using rewriting technology. Terutens strength lies in the fact that its software operates at a deep level within computer systems. The deeper you go, the more potential there is to create software that is compatible with every application, says Lee. You need two things to get this right: very high stability and very skilled engineers to design the software, because if something goes wrong at that level it messes up the whole system rather than just the application in use at the time.
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Lee Young of digital rights protection company Teruten is helping make cyberspace a safer place
Award-Winning Portfolio
Terutens first major software release came in the form
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BUSAN
Written by Robert Koehler
With one foot in the past and the other in the future, Koreas city by the sea pulsates with energy
uilt around a deep natural harbor at the very southeast corner of the Korean Peninsula, Busan is not only Koreas second biggest city but also one of its most picturesque. Little more than a fishing village at the start of the 20th century, Busans fine natural harbor has turned the city into an international trading hubit is Koreas busiest port, and the fifth busiest in the world. Like the other Pacific ports of San Francisco and Vladivostok, its a city of emerald sea and verdant hills. The portand the traffic it bringshas given the city of 3.6 million people a distinctly international vibe that contrasts with a still-readily-apparent provincial charm. In summer, the sailors and traders are joined by hordes of vacationers from Seoul and elsewhere who come to enjoy the citys famous beaches and exciting nightlife.
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Old Busan
Most visitors begin their exploration of the city in Nampodong, the historic waterfront area. Here youll find busy markets, old colonial-era offices and warehouses, colorful alleyways, scenic parks, and a distinctive urban cacophony that contrasts with Seouls more ordered streets. Busans answer to Seouls Namsan Park, Yongdusan Park offers great views of the city when the weather is good. The best panoramas can be enjoyed from the observatory of the 129 m Busan Tower, one of the citys best-known landmarks. To the south of Yongdusan Park and right on the waterfront is Jagalchi Market, Koreas most famous fish market. Responsible for up to 50% of Koreas seafood distribution, Jagalchi bustles from the predawn hours to late at night. Youll find tons of raw fish restaurants on the second floor. To the west of Yongdusan Park is Gukje (International) Market. Founded by Korean War refugees in 1950, the market is now one of Koreas largest outdoor markets. Its not only a good place to purchase a wide range of items on the cheap but also a good place to score good Korean street food like gimbap and noodles. Another popular street food in Busan is eomuk, or boiled fish cakes. This snack is found at stalls throughout
Korea, but Busans is by far the most famous. Also near Gukje Market is BIFF Square, a tribute to the citys signature Busan International Film Festival. Look for the star handprints in the asphalt. Just north of Gukje Market is Bosudong Used Book Alley. As the name would suggest, its an alleyway lined with used bookshops; youll find Korean and foreign language titles here, including plenty of hidden gems. More recently, quaint coffee shops have been setting up in the alley, adding to its romantic allure.
Dining & Nightlife Busan is rightfully famous for its seafood the best place to score it is the sprawling Jagalchi Market. Another popular dish is dwaeji gukbap, a hearty soup made with rice and chunks of pork. A very popular place for this is Ssangdungi Dwaeji Gukbap (T. 051-628-7020) near Daeyeon Station. Busan has a thriving nightlife scene. Gwangalli and Haeundae have more bars and clubs than anyone can count. The Seomyeon Station area is also quite lively at night, while the area around Pukyong National University and Kyungsung University draws a younger crowd.
Busans Santorini
On the hills west of the old downtown is the historic neighborhood of Gamcheon Culture Village, a shantytown founded during the Korean War by refugees fleeing the fighting. Thanks to its topography and picturesque cityscape, the neighborhood is often likened to Santorini and Machu Picchu; a much more apt comparison would be Rio de Janeiros favelas. Photographers have been descending on the place for years (a phenomenon not entirely welcomed by the residents), and several years back, professional artists joined hands with local residents to beautify the already pretty community with public art. Some of the empty houses were turned into galleries, coffee
Accommodations Busan has the best selection of hotels anywhere outside of Seoul. Most of the high-end places, including the Westin Chosun Busan Hotel, Park Hyatt Busan, and Paradise Hotel Busan, can be found in the Haeundae area. Cheaper accommodations can be found around Busan Station and Busans major bus terminals. Getting Around The KTX gets you to Busan from Seoul Station in less than three hours. If you prefer flying, flights to Busans Gimhae International Airport depart from Seouls Gimpo International Airport. Busan has five subway lines, including a light rail connecting the city with Gimhae International Airport. The city has an extensive bus system as well.
shops, and other cultural facilities, too. You could spend a whole day wandering about Gamcheon Culture Village; many in fact do. Pick up a map/guide at the Gamnae Community Center, an old public bathhouse renovated for use as an info center, gallery, and classroom (tip: some of the best views of the village can be enjoyed from its roof).
1. Busans famous eomuk 2. Chungnam Bookshops Nam Myeong-seop searches the stacks in Bosu-dong Used Book Alley 3. Dongbaekseom Island's Nurimaru APEC House, the venue of the 2005 APEC summit 4. The futuristic skyline of Marine City seen from Dongbaekseom Island
Seoul
Busan
Jejudo
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on Yeon-jae may or may not ever become a bona fide world-beater in rhythmic gymnastics, a highly competitive sport that usually ends with the Russians dominating the podium. But the 19-year-old has already accomplished something her more celebrated peers might never manage to doturn a national television station into her personal cellphone cam. MBC, Koreas second-largest broadcaster, pulled a primetime weekend show on May 19 for live coverage of Sons performance at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup Series in Minsk, Belarus. Son rose to the occasion by winning two silver medals in hoops and clubs, becoming the first Korean ever to win multiple medals at a World Cup competition, which was good enough for an overall fourth-place finish. A performance that mixes balls, hoops, ribbons, and juggling clubs, rhythmic gymnastics requires a high level of athleticism and artistic expression from competitors. It was the third time in less than a month that MBC yanked or rescheduled that showa popular late-night sketch comedy to follow Son as she competed in World Cup events in Pesaro, Italy, and Sofia, Bulgaria, before Minsk. And the decisions were justified by audience records, which proved that Son was indeed the better show. I think my program is solid and my execution is better. The goal is obviously to play into peak form by the World Championships, Son told Korean reporters after finishing her performance in Minsk.
High Hopes
Sons latest performance was inspiring, but she is aiming higher. Russian gymnasts Yana Kudryavtseva and Darya Svatkovskaya and Bulgarias Sylvia Miteva finished ahead of Son in Minsk, and this list doesnt include the two athletes considered arguably the sports top talentsRussians Margarita Mamun and Alexandra Merkulova. Sons goal is to outperform enough of these top athletes for a top-three World Championships finish. I have been competing in more international competitions than before, and I think that the quality of my performance is becoming more consistent with the weight of experience, Son told reporters before the Minsk event. The Asian Championships will be a preview of the Asian Games competition next year in Incheon, so I am certainly looking to show my best there. Korea has never won a gold medal in rhythmic gymnastics in the Asian Games, and my goal is to deliver the first one.
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E N T E R TA I N M E N T
BACK ON TOP
Korean rock legend Cho Yong-pil returns in a big way
Written by Ko Yeon-kyung
Cho, on the other hand, had been one of Koreas best-loved stars and the very face of Korean pop music for most of the 1980s. So influential he was that hes sometimes called the Michael Jackson of Korea. Inspired by Ray Charles as a child, Cho followed a path traveled by many of Koreas pop music pioneershe started with a band that performed at clubs catering to the US military, and later moved to other groups playing Western covers and original rock music. His real success began in 1975, when he released his first single, Come Back to Busan Port, which became a hit in not only Korea but also Japan where a Japanese-language version was released. He produced hit album after hit album throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. In an era defined by trot music, Cho instead mastered a wide range of musical genres, including trot, ballad, and even traditional Korean music. His main focus, however, was rock, and this set him apart. By 1994, hed sold 10 million records, a first in Korean music. Music trends and tastes began to change in the 1990s, however, and Chos star began to fade. Avoiding TVa bold move in a country where TV drives music salesCho focused on concerts. Performing tirelessly, he continued to prove a popular live artist, even as his album sales lagged behind.
Focus on Singing
Chos first album in over a decade, Hello debuted at No. 1 in the Korean charts, knocking off Psys recently released Gentleman. Just as important, Cho was back on TV, introducing himself to legions of younger fans. Always the experimenter, Cho adapted his sound to the newer musical environment, teaming up for the first time with overseas sound engineers like Tony Maserati and Ian Cooper. While the domestic success of Chos latest album is clear Hello sold 180,000 copies within just 20 days of its releaseit has yet to be seen whether Cho will match Psy internationally. Cho thinks K-pop has a great future ahead of it . . . as long as singers concentrate on singing. Speaking to the Chosun Ilbo, Cho said, K-Pop has a rosy future with so many talented singers in the genre. But they should beware of relying too much on extraneous things like elaborate dance moves rather than singing, because that can diminish the value of their music.
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n April 28, US music magazine Billboard reported that veteran Korean crooner Cho Yong-pil had knocked the ubiquitous Psy from his No. 1 position atop Billboards K-pop Hot 100 chart with Bounce from his 19th studio album Hello. For the 63-yearold singer, it marked a remarkable comeback after about two decades of relative commercial inactivity. And like Psy, he demonstrates that theres much more to the K-Pop craze than flashily dressed girl and boy bands producing manufactured pop for the barely pubescent crowd.
A Legend Awakes
According to a Gallup Korea poll in early May, 74% of respondents said theyd listened to Psys
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latest single Gentleman while 64% said theyd heard songs from Chos Hello. When asked whod they rather see in concert, however, 53% chose Cho while only 38% said Psy. Perhaps this shouldnt come as a surprise. Through most of his career, Psy has relished in being a dark horsewhile not quite underground, hes nevertheless had several run-ins with the authorities over inappropriate content and questions over his military service. His rise to become the undisputed international king of K-pop was as unexpected as it was inspiring.
SPECIAL ISSUE
THE NATIONAL
HAPPINESS FUND
Program seeks to build healthy consumer base by lowering household debt
Written by Violet Kim
Hankyoreh reported that the average debt of the 94,036 applicants was KRW 13.5 million; about half (47.4%) had debts of less than KRW 10 million. In other words, many of the debtors had low incomes and relatively low debts. These numbers seem to suggest that the fund isnt going to attract high-income con men. Its an expensive program, costing about KRW 1.5 trillion in financing for the next five years. But on a micro level, the hope is that the National Happiness Fund will have a real impact on the livelihoods of individual households. The program is still young and untested. But the expectation is that about 20 million will apply and receive the help they so desperately need. Household debt is not the problem of a few scattered familiesits a national problem, in both scale and the effect it has on the economy. Surely there must be a reason that the fund is called the National Happiness Fund, and a reason for why the government frequently invokes the word hope when discussing it. Its a somewhat unintuitive juxtaposition: hope and debt. But if this initiative succeeds, it will make sense. At the moment, it all seems more like a national effort towards the happiness of select households. But when those households are finally happy and debt-free, hopefully the reverse will also be true: the debt-free households will create a happy and economically prosperous nation.
veryone knows that one of the most important elements of a thriving capitalist society is a reliable population of consumers. Consumers are the oil that greases the gears of a capitalist economy, but Koreas economy hasnt been moving as quickly as some would like. The Korean government recently cut its growth forecast this year to 2.3%a 0.7% slash from 2012. Part of this stagnation can be attributed to the debilitating levels of household debt. Government estimations put the number of people in need of credit recovery at 3.45 million. Another estimation places the number of those with overdue debts to loan companies or banks at about 1.4 million. The National Happiness Fund arose as a solution to this problem. As one of President Park Geun-hyes key campaign pledges, the aim of this government debt relief initiative is to relieve households of their debt burden. The fund officially debuted a few months ago, on March 29, and began receiving its first applications on April 22. In terms of the sheer number of applicants, the fund was an immediate success; in the first week alone, 94,036 preliminary applicants signed up. What assistance essentially means in this context is that the government, through a state-run company, will buy off overdue debts that add up to less than KRW 100 million. Up to half of the debt will be written off, depending on how able and willing the applicant is. If the applicant has a lower income, then he can have up to 70% of the debt written off. Whats left is for the debtor to pay off, but he has the next 10 years to do so. The fund also has another program that cuts high interest rates to a more manageable level. The National Happiness Fund is not without its critics, who charge that it doesnt make sense that households are taxed to relieve the debts of other households. On a more practical level, critics worry that the initiative would simply be seen as a handout rather than a hand up, leading to a moral hazard. But recent media reports put some of these anxieties to rest. Local daily the
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CURRENT KOREA
n Korea, the number of women who live alone has continued to increase as more young women leave their parents home to go to university or work in a different city. The percentage of women in Seoul between the ages of 29 and 39 who remain unmarried has tripled over the last two decades to nearly 50 percent. Many of them feel unsafe and vulnerable to crime because there is no one nearby to help. According to a survey carried out in Seoul in 2010, the level of anxiety a woman experiences when walking at night in Seoul is twice the average for OECD countries. Many women in Seoul are especially worried about sexual harassment or assault when commuting at night. Even when they are at home, their worries do not stop.
return scout. This service operates from 10pm to 1am; the user must book the service ten minutes before she arrives at her home bus stop or subway station. Two security guards will then meet her there and guide her safely home by car or on foot. Five hundred guards will be hired for the new service, which began this May. It is expected to be very helpful for women who finish work late at night and for female students who come home late from school. They will no longer have to be anxious when walking home at night.
Single-Women-Only Accommodations
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has also taken steps to provide apartments for women living by themselves. For example, the upper floors of certain government buildings have been opened up for women to rent at a reduced price. The government has also made apartments available for female university students near universities such as Duksung Womens University and Dongduk Womens University and for female office workers in Banghwa-dong.
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SUMMIT DIPLOMACY
PRESIDENT PARKS VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES GREATLY BOLSTERS BILATERAL TIES
Written by Bae Ji-sook
resident Park Geun-hye had two grave missions on her shoulders when she embarked on her May 511 state visit to the USto strengthen the alliance between the two countries and to boost investment and trade amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula and a sluggish global economy. The first state visit of a president is perceived as one of the most important events in his or her five-year tenure, since it suggests the future direction of foreign relations and the external economic policies of the new government. And it seems Park has managed to succeed in both areas. Traveling roughly 25,000 kilometers in six daysfrom New York to Washington and then to Los AngelesPark held between three and five meetings every day with people with different agendas. Through this, the president reaffirmed the bilateral relations of the two countries, attracted US business investment, and emphasized her own trustpolitik policy of reengaging the North and deterring its military threat to promote peace between the two Koreas.
relations in ensuring peace in the Asia-Pacific region. Expressing concern toward North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile programs and its repeated provocations, the two leaders decided to stay stern but at the same time save room for future negotiation through six-party talks and the international community. Seoul and Washington will work jointly to encourage North Korea to make the right choice throughout multifaceted efforts, including the implementation of the Korean Peninsula trust process, Park said at a press briefing held after the talks. Her announcement was greeted by Obama as exactly the right approach. Park stood against the constant threat of North Korea and the agreement has apparently gained international approval, a political commentator said. The affirmation of Korea-US ties is expected to dampen the international communitys anxiety, which is assumed to have influenced investment into the Korean and other markets.
Securing Interests
The president also broached several critical issues for Korea. She brought up the peaceful use of nuclear energy, demanding a revision of the Agreement for Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Government of the United States of America Concerning Civil Use of Atomic Energy. The revision could permit South Korea to enrich uranium for self-sufficiency in nuclear fuel and to reprocess spent fuel as it faces an imminent storage overflow. While the US has been cautious out of concern that it may work against its nonproliferation efforts, Parks public mentioning of the issue is perceived as a big step forward to
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SUMMIT DIPLOMACY
resolve one of the most urgent issues affecting Koreas energy supply. Park met UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss security tension between the two Koreas and to encourage Korean staff there. She also met Jim Yong Kim, head of the World Bank, and discussed current events. At her meeting with Korean community members in New York and LA, Park mentioned that she would work on issuing a type of registration card for Korean-Americans as a way to encourage visits and ease anxieties.
QUOTES FROM PRESIDENT PARKS ADDRESS TO THE JOINT SESSION OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
On the history of the Korea-US alliance
Let me expresson behalf of the people of the Republic of Koreaour profound gratitude to America's veterans. Their blood, sweat, and tears helped safeguard freedom and democracy.
Doing Business
In an effort to give a sense of security to foreign investors and to promote her creative economy drive, the president took along the heads of the countrys largest conglomerates as well as representatives of small and medium-sized businesses. Among the 52-member business delegation were Federation of Korean Industries head Huh Chang-soo; Sohn Kyung-shik of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee; Chung Mong-koo of Hyundai Motor Group; Koo Bon-moo of LG Group; Kim Chang-geun of SK SUPEX Council; and Shin Dong-bin of Lotte Group. Small and medium-sized company leaders including Kang Ho-kap of the Association of High Potential Enterprises of Korea and Nam Min-woo of the Korea Venture Business Association, among others, also joined the group. The presence of these business moguls showed that Korea has a healthy business environment despite North Korea and other issues that external observers may presuppose as risk factors, critics said. While Park praised the big moves by the heads of the nations biggest companies, they responded by promising more aggressive and socially responsible investments, such as those that lead to job creation. The president also met with big names in the US business market, promoted the Korean market, and induced some notable investment. We will deal boldly with needless red tape and breathe fresh energy into all facets of economic activity. Taken together, these efforts will make Korea a destination of choice both for American investors and other foreign businesses, Park told 170 business leaders and potential investors at a luncheon hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce on May 8. The presidential office later announced that Parks visit attracted foreign direct investment worth $380 million from seven US enterprises, including Boeing, Almost Heroes, and Curtiss-Wright. The six-day schedule, going from the East to West Coast and ranging from business to politics, has proven that the new government has a vision for a new society, economy, and world, a political critic said.
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On denuclearization
A world without nuclear weaponsPresident Obama's visionmust start on the Korean Peninsula. For the peninsula is home to the only divided nation-state and directly faces the threat of nuclear weapons. It is an ideal test bed for a future free of nuclear arms. If we can pull it off on the Korean Peninsula, then we can pull it off anywhere else.
On North Korea
The Republic of Korea will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea. Pyongyang's provocations will be met decisively. At the same time, I will not link humanitarian aid provided to the North Korean people, such as to infants and young children, to the political situation. And with the trust that gradually builds up, through exchange, through cooperation, we will cement the grounds for durable peace andeventuallypeaceful reunification.
On Northeast Asia
We cannot afford to put off a multilateral dialogue process in Northeast Asia. Together, the United States and other Northeast Asian partners could start with softer issues. These include environmental issues and disaster relief. They include nuclear safety and counterterrorism. Trust will be built through this process. And that trust will propel us to expand the horizons of our cooperation. The initiative will serve the cause of peace and development in the region. But it will be firmly rooted in the Korea-US alliance. In this sense, it could reinforce President Obama's strategy of rebalancing towards the Asia-Pacific.
35
POLICY REVIEW
n step with President Park Geun-hyes creative economy initiative, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance on May 15 announced a set of incentives for investors and venture firms, following the firstgeneration boom in the late 1990s. The project, comprising of tax breaks and support programs for investors and entrepreneurs, is expected to open new avenues for creativity and imagination to become the new drivers of the nations economy. The package is the key policy among some 200 issues raised by 29 governmental departments and will be rendered as comprehensive measures to boost investment in start-ups as an alternative to hoarding money. We need a paradigm shift. We will focus on creating our own footing and go from chasing other economies to being a leader, eventually realizing the development of a creative economy, said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hyun Oh-seok at a press briefing that day.
establish business start-ups here. With a venture-friendly environment, the administration expects the venture industry to attract KRW 10.6 trillion worth of investment in the next five years, which will help reinvestment in technology and also the recruitment of highly skilled manpower, which the industry has lacked due to budget problems. The government will team up with the private sector to create a KRW 500 billion Future Planning Fund, which will invest KRW 200 billion in fledgling firms established within three years and the rest in nonnewcomer SMEs with potential. While the majority of start-ups in the US start their business with investment funds, about 99 percent of SMEs in Korea are burdened with bank loans from the very beginning, the government said.
A New Paradigm
Ever since the president proclaimed her vision of a creative economy, a heated debate on the exact meaning of the term and its feasible execution has been going on. Coined by British economist John Howkins, the term normally refers to the advertising, architecture, art, crafts, design, fashion, film, music, performing arts, publishing, R&D, software, toy and game, TV and radio, and video games industries. It is also reported that Korea has sought to model itself after the US, Israel, and Germany, where business start-ups and SMEs are believed to be the solution for tackling sluggish economies and youth employment. The president later explained, The creative economy is a slew of economic activities concerned with the generation or exploitation of knowledge and information. It is not limited to science but could be adapted to all activities involved in the paradigm shift of existing ones, she said on March 22 at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs report to the president. In March, Minister Hyun said that the Ministry of Strategy and Finances role is to become the designer of the creative economy paradigm, which will be executed by other ministries and the private sector.
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Concrete Measures
Part of the package is a plan to allow investors and entrepreneurs to postpone their capital gains tax payments should they reinvest the money in another start-up. An income tax deduction of up to 50 percent will be extended if they offer capital, as angel investors, to start-ups. As a means of supporting mergers and acquisitions, the government will reduce corporate taxes for buyers and ease listing regulations for small firms seeking to make an initial public offering on the KOSDAQ or the KONEX, a new Korean exchange designed for young firms. Investors will be able to exit the exchange exclusive of their investment in venture firms when retrieving their money. The authorities will also support the creation of online funding platforms for small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) in order to attract small-scale investors, commonly referred to as crowd funding. Foreign residents who have earned a bachelors degree or higher in science technology and have a patent in a related field in Korea will be issued a special visa to
36
CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY
oreas traditional underfloor heating system, ondol, is expected to be newly promoted in the United States. Korean business conglomerate Booyoung Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Seoul National University and George Washington University for a joint study of ondol. Booyoung Group Chairman Lee Joong-keun, Seoul National University President Oh Yeon-Cheon, and George Washington University President Steven Knapp held a ceremony on April 23 in Washington DC for the donation of USD 1 million to the American university. Booyoung Group and George Washington University also signed an agreement to build a dormitory with ondol-heated rooms. The donated funds will be used for the exchange of professors and students between the two universities and for supporting research on and other related activities connected to ondol. Having been used by our Korean forefathers for thousands of years, ondol is a scientifically proven way of providing energy-efficient, environmentally friendly housing that promotes health and hygiene, Chairman Lee said in a speech during the ceremony. I hope that this newly built dormitory equipped with the Korean ondol system will be a catalyst for ondol research in the United States, thus paving the way for it to spread to other houses. Officials at Booyoung said that the construction project will lay a cornerstone for the long-term goal of promoting the traditional Korean architectural heating system of ondol, which is suitable for the life and climate of the northeastern region of the United States. To be established on a lot provided by George Washington University, the dormitory will be built according to the BOT (build-operate-transfer) framework, a contractual relationship in which a private entity is in charge of funding, design, and construction and then transfers the building to the ordering organization free of charge after the construction is completed. Ondol is an underfloor hearing system in traditional Korean architecture that uses direct heat transfer from wood smoke to the underside of a floor. In contemporary times, it refers to any type of underfloor heating. Ondol has been widely referred to as one of Koreas three top inventions, along with Hangeul (the Korean alphabet) and metal movable type printing.
1. Fireplace used to heat ondol in older home 2. Ondol-heated study in an old Korean home 3. Enjoying tea on the ondol floor of Dahmsojung Guest House, Seoul
he LED Plant Factory, capable of mass-producing environmentally friendly agricultural goods, has opened at the LED Agri-bio Fusion Technology Research Center located at the Iksan campus of Chonbuk National University in Jeollabuk-do. As many as 200 dignitaries and political and regional representatives participated in a May 2 event to celebrate the completion of construction of the next-generation factory in Iksan. The participants toured the LED Plant Factory and held a seminar to promote business strategies for the project. The LED Plant Factory is expected to use state-of-the-art agricultural technology, advanced techniques compared with the time-honored style of producing agricultural items on the bare ground outdoors and in vinyl or glass greenhouses. By making use of artificial illumination supplied by LED (light-emitting diode) and a nutrient supply system instead of the sun and soil, the factory will be able to enhance the productivity of cultivating agricultural products. LEDs are diodes that emit visible light when electricity is applied, much like a light bulb. A total of KRW 22.7 billion will be invested by March 2016 into the LED Plant Factory project, which is equipped with 3,500 lighting lamps on a 330 sq meter lot. The LED Plant Factory plans to develop agri-bio items and industrial technologies as well as cultivate the special manpower dedicated to the agri-bio industry sector. The LED Plant Factory is expected to produce 15 tons of lettuce and 33 tons of bok choy annually. Officials at the LED Agri-bio Fusion Technology Research Center expect to attract as many as 80 related businesses and create up to 1,000 jobs. As well as cultivating eco-friendly agricultural products, the center is fully dedicated to establishing a mass supply system of high value-added, high-safety, high-functional foods in close connection with the Food Cluster being pushed for by the city of Iksan and the Seed Valley project of Gimje in Jeollabuk-do. By producing a synergy effect through the combination of the agri-bio industry and agricultural products, the project is expected to create a new industry based on ecosystems by integrating related industries including the maritime and automobile sectors as well as LEDs.
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39
GLOBAL KOREA
This year, Caritas Koreas theme for its overseas development is water. According to Caritas Korea Executive Director Fr. Simeon Lee, the organization has discovered over its years of relief work that the most important thing is water. In Kenya, for instance, theres been little rain over the last two to three years, even during the monsoon season, with even reservoirs running dry. Focusing on two nations in particularKenya and EthiopiaCaritas Korea plans to conduct a wide range of agricultural development and self-support programs based on water supply projects. For instance, in drought-hit Boset in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia, Caritas Korea plans to build a reservoir that would immediately resolve the towns drinking water shortages and over the long term provide the water needed for agriculture and livestock cultivation. In Kenya, meanwhile, the organization plans to build 290 water tanks in the countrys worst droughthit regions.
counterparts in North Korea and in cooperation with other Caritas Internationalis organizations. In fact, Caritas Koreas efforts in North Korea go back to 1993, when unofficial contact began. In 1995, the organization officially commenced its North Korea aid program in the aftermath of disastrous floods in the North. Prior to 2006, the organizations efforts were conducted through Caritas Hong Kong out of consideration for Koreas unique political situation. Caritas Internationalis DPRK Program provides humanitarian assistance through long-term development cooperation. It is based on cooperation between the various groups and organizations conducting aid programs to the North; to boost effectiveness and transparency, international standards are adhered to in administration and budget execution. Caritas North Korea projects can be broadly divided into four sectors. Firstly, there is emergency relief aid provided after major disasters such as North Koreas recurrent flooding. Secondly, Caritas provides assistance to strengthen medical services at select North Korean medical facilities in order to improve the health of North Koreas most vulnerable. Thirdly, it provides food aid and agricultural development support to improve the dietary situation there. Finally, it provides special assistance to North Korean infants, the group most at risk in North Korea.
he Latin word for charity is caritas, so perhaps its only fitting that the worlds largest Catholic relief and development confederation should be called Caritas Internationalis. Founded in Europe in 1897, Caritas now operates in over 200 nations worldwide in a wide range of relief and development work, stretching from peace-building to dealing with climate change. Founded in 1975, Caritas Korea began its overseas relief and development assistance program in 1993; this year marks the 20th anniversary of its overseas aid program. Over the last two decades, Caritas Korea has provided about KRW 30 billion in support to 655 programs, leading the way for Korean Catholic
40
humanitarian efforts overseas. In recent years, Caritas Korea has helped in promoting development and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula as well, playing an active role in providing humanitarian assistance to North Korea.
Focusing on Water
This year, Caritas Korea plans to provide some KRW 44.5 billion in overseas assistance. At a press conference marking the 20th anniversary of the organizations overseas aid programs, Caritas Korea President Bishop Lucas Kim Woon-hoe said, Theres great pride that our nation, which was receiving aid just 2030 years ago, now provides aid. Im astonished at how much things have changed.
41
G R E AT K O R E A N
n 1388 General Yi Seong-gye usurped the tottering Goryeo Dynasty and ascended the throne as King Taejo, establishing the Joseon Dynasty. Jeong Do-jeon, the new kings closest advisor and prime minister, was given extraordinary powers to create the bureaucratic, social, and religious structures of Koreas longest-ruling dynasty at its nascence. Indeed, as a scholar and leader of early Joseon, Jeong Do-jeon left an indelible mark on the new dynasty, changing the form of government and infusing it with his populist, proto-democratic, neo-Confucian ideology. Jeong Do-jeons background influenced his radical reform agenda. He was born into an impoverished, genteel family around 1340. Jeong was an intelligent student and passed the civil service examinations in 1362 but found advancement difficult because of his familys lack of prestige and Goryeos low social mobility. Eventually, Jeong was exiled for his pro-Ming and anti-Buddhist positions (Goryeo was both Buddhist and pro-Yuan Dynasty). Rejection by the system reinforced his determination to create a more just society. In reaction to ossified and corrupt Goryeo rule, Jeong increasingly believed in the neo-Confucian idea that a governments legitimacy lay in its service to the will and good of the people. For this reason, he argued that through its misrule and intermingling with the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, the Goryeo Dynasty had abdicated its right to rule. Indeed, in exile, he befriended General Yi Seong-gye and encouraged him to revolt.
served as the basis for the new regimes legal code, constitution, and organization of government. Most importantly, to ensure the monarch served the people and to limit his caprice and power, Jeong replaced Goryeos feudal system with a centralized bureaucracy. He envisioned the prime minister working in consultation with the king yet having more de facto power. Indeed, he paid special attention to the posts of censor and inspector general, charged with remonstrating with the king and weeding out corruption, respectively. In Jeongs Joseon, the king was to rule not over but through and in consultation with his chief ministers. In service of the people, Jeong issued a number of significant reforms. He reorganized the military to better defend the country, chose a new capital, and instituted educational reform to increase social mobility and guarantee able scholar-bureaucrats. He created a public primary school system and reformed the civil service examinations. In addition to his efforts to create an effective and Confucian political structure, Jeong attempted to make a neo-Confucian society. Jeong regarded Goryeos state religion, Buddhism, as corrupt, nihilistic, and introverted, and thus detrimental to society. His critiques were penetrating and never sufficiently answered; neo-Confucian ethics slowly became the undisputed governing principle. Jeongs influence was cut short by political intrigue in 1398. Yi Bang-won, the fifth son of King Taejo, murdered Jeong Dojeon for supporting Taejos appointment of his eighth son as heir apparent. Jeong wanted scholar-bureaucrats to rule rather than a strong kingand Yi Bang-won was ambitious and ruthless. While Yi Bang-won became king, he left Jeong Dojeons reforms largely intact. Ironically, though, as an enemy of the new king, Jeong Do-jeon was vilified for much of Joseons history, although his ideas did much to define the dynasty.
43
JEONG DO-JEONS
JOSEON
Written by Charles Luskin
42
M Y
K O R E A
MOVING TO K-POP
Written by April Jackson Illustrated by Kim Yoon-Myong
hy so serious? Or more like, why so difficult? These were my thoughts as I sweated profusely trying to figure out which foot to land on while learning the choreography to SHINees new song Why So Serious? Every Tuesday and Thursday, my friend and I trot over to Def Dance Skool to attend our K-pop dance class, taught by an energetic and charismatic young Korean guy. Now, I knew beforehand that dancing would be challenging, but what I wasnt expecting was getting caught off guard by my emotions. Who knew I could get so bashful dancing in front of others! It really takes a lot of confidence to express yourself through music in front of people. When we see a K-pop group like Infinite dancing on TV, it looks so smooth and effortless, but what we dont see are the many strenuous hours put into it. I now genuinely understand why Korean companies make their artists train for so many years. It would take quite some time to memorize an album full of dance moves and sing on key while consistently giving fan service to screaming fan girls. With that in mind, I knew I had a long way to go. As day two started, I claimed my spot in the back of our group so as to not be seen by our teacher or anyone else. As we warmed up, our teacher quickly spun around and pointed to me, saying, You, here. I looked around bewildered, wondering why hed want me in the front. Apparently he wanted to make sure I could get the dance moves. As noble as his gesture was, I was very uncomfortable with being in front of everyone. As the hours went by, though, I could see that many others seemed to be at about my level. There were a few naturals in the class, but most of us were still counting 1, 2, 3 in our heads. I came to the realization that you either have it or you dont. Dancers such as Big Bangs Taeyang or SHINees Taemin move flawlessly across the floor, and my dance teacher is definitely a natural. In class, we stand there anxiously, waiting to try out the next move he showed us and hoping to replicate it as amazingly as he did. But somehow, it never comes close, at least for me. It probably doesn't help that my teacher knows very little English, but nevertheless, my friend and I are still able to understand whats going on. Music surpasses language barriers, and K-pop is a testament to that. Its spread across the world despite being in a different language shows the ambulatory nature of Korean pop music. Fortunately, as the class came to a close, I started to really get into the song. I could finally feel the emotion of the song as I tried to picture the kind of energy Key or Jonghyun of SHINee would give to it. I still have another month to go, and despite not being the best dancer, I will continue to learn K-pop dance, as it is a fun experience and a great way to be a part of the powerhouse that is Hallyu, the Korean Wave.
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MULTICULTURAL KOREA
ustralias ambassador once stated that Sam Hammington is the most famous Australian in Korea. An entertainer and comic as well as a businessman, Hammington is famed for stints on primetime programs such as Gag Concertwhere he got his big breakalong with various other TV and radio shows. The practically fluent Korean speaker has been in Korea for over 10 years. He went from not knowing anything about KoreaI didnt even know where it wasto having a successful career in the country. His path on the peninsula would never have begun, however, had he not chosen Korean Studies as one of two majors at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne.
from when I first got here till now, my perspective on Korea was completely different. Hammington recently displayed a deeper investment in Korea by taking an interest in the recent presidential elections, using his profile to encourage others to vote even though he himself cannot. He elucidates, For me, its really exciting for what could be potentially happening in the next five years. It might take ten or fifteen years in another country, but you can see it happening here within a fiveyear period.
he swallow has been a friend of humankind since the dawn of our species. Theyve eaten unwanted insects, inspired inventors and engineers, and moved the hearts of writers and poets. Given their close relationship with humankind, its unsurprising that theyve found
themselves the frequent subject of folktales and lore. In the West, their migratory patterns have made them a symbol of the changing seasons and, in particular, the coming of spring. Their breeding grounds can be found in northern latitudes, but come winter, they migrate to warmer, more southerly climes before returning to their breeding grounds the following spring. Western literature is replete with references to the ubiquitous birdAristotle, T.S. Eliot, Virgil, and even William Shakespeare have made mention of the feathered creature. Perhaps the most touching eulogy to the swallow is The Happy Prince by Irish writer and poet Oscar Wilde. In The Happy Prince, a swallow forms a very special friendship with a grand, gold-
covered statue of a happy prince, which in fact contains the soul of the original prince. The prince, both saddened and inspired by the human misery he is forced to watch over, convinces the swallow to abandon his annual flight to the south to help him perform acts of kindness for the citys needy. After many acts of self-sacrifice, the swallow finally dies from the cold, and the heartbroken statue stripped of his gold and jewelsis torn down. But, thanks to their altruism, the two live on forever in Heaven. The swallow is depicted anthropomorphically; indeed, it may be the most human character in the entire tale. The Korean folktale of Heungbu and Nolbu also features a swallow, and like the one in The Happy Prince, the swallow is very much a gift-giver, but a very different kind of one. Heungbu and Nolbu were two brothers; after their father died, the greedy older brother, Nolbu, kicked his younger brother Heungbu out of their house, forcing Heungbu and his family to live in poverty. One day, Heungbu rescued an injured swallow and mended its broken leg. The next spring, the swallows family returned from the south, giving Heungbu a pumpkin seed as a token of gratitude. Heungbu planted the seed, which grew into a giant gourd. When Heungbu cut the gourd in half, out poured jewels and other riches. The kind but poor Heungbu was now a very wealthy man. Seeing this, greedy Nolbu decided hed try the same thing. To help the situation along, however, he broke a swallows leg himself. Like Heungbu, Nolbu received a gourd seed from the swallow, which he dutifully planted. The seed grew into a gourd, but this gourd contained a nasty surprise. When Nolbu cut it open, out popped thieves who stole all of his property. Now a pauper, Nolbu begged his now wealthy younger brother to forgive him and take him in. Nolbu, ever the kind-hearted lug, agreed and the family lived happily ever after.
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49
C OL F V EA R S VTO RR Y
, , ?
jeo, sillyejiman, baekwajeomi eodie isseoyo?
iljeonbyeong is a seasonal summer food thats as simple as it is delicious. Jeongbyeong is a thin, pan-fried flour cake. Zucchini, chives, green chili, or spring onions are often added to the batter, but the appearance and composition are still stubbornly plain. These small moon cakes are sometimes served with an array of
. ?
yeogieseo meoreoyo? gireul geonneoseo oreunjjogeuro gaseyo.
julienned meats and vegetables. The meats and vegetables are rolled into the cake to make a bite-sized wrap. This food is traditionally associated with summer holidays, such as Yudu (the full moon of the sixth month of the lunar
year) and Chilseok (July 7 on the lunar calendar). It makes sense, because wheat is traditionally harvested in the summer. Back when Korea was a largely agrarian society, farmers would snack on these tasty little treats during work breaks. Miljeonbyeong is mild. The subtle flavor sets this humble snack apart from many other popular Korean foods, which veer towards the extremely salty or spicy and come slathered in a distinctive and pungent marinade or condiment. Miljeonbyeong just come with soy sauce, and a modest dip at that. It's hard to pinpoint the appeal, but somehow this cake of flour, wheat, and salt remains beloved despite its simplicity.
cinema
. . , .
ne, gamsahamnida. aniyo. gakkawoyo.
department store
hospital
-//
-// indicate that the action in the following clause happens after, but in connection with the action of the preceding clause. It is usually used with action verbs, and the subject of the first and second clause should be the same. What makes this form different from - is that the two actions are closely related.
-()
-() indicates the direction of movement and is translated as to or toward in English. If the previous noun ends in a consonant, - follows. If the previous noun ends in a vowel, - follows.
baekwajeom
department store
oreunjjok
right
Lets practice!
Ask a friend for directions following the conversation above.
byeongwon
hospital
oenjjok
left
yeonghwagwan
cinema
ap
front
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NE PAS AFFRANCHIR
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2013 JUNE