Opening a communicative space

between Korea and the world

Forest of Life
Korea Seeds Indonesia 2
february
ISSN: 2005-2162

2009

www.korea.net
CONTENTS  February 2009
 VOL. 6 / NO. 2

12 26 38 51 52
Publisher
Yoo Jin-hwan
Korean Culture and
Information Service
06 Cover Story
Forest of Life: Korea Seeds Indonesia 28 Korean Literature
Yi Mun-yol: Storyteller, Thinker, Heretic 52 Travel
• All Aboard for Luxury: ‘Sun Train’ is
Rolled Out
Chief Editor
Ko Hye-ryun 10 Diplomacy
• Forging New Friendships, Strengthening 32 Korea through the Lens
From Frozen Fish to Feathered Friends
• Seoul: Asia’s No. 1 Destination

58
Old Alliances
Editing & Printing Fashion
JoongAng Daily

E-mail
• Lee, Aso Focus on Finance
38 Business & Technology
• Incheon’s Bridge to Tomorrow
Trend Tips for ‘09: The Seoul Collection

14 62
Cover Photo
Mangrove trees give webmaster@korea.net Global Korea • TV Goes High Tech People
hope to Tsunami-
Design • IT Systems: Korea’s Next Big Export Hit? • TV Goes on Diet • Kim Hong-bin: High Peaks, Iron Will
damaged Indonesia.
Provided by KOICA JoongAng Daily • ‘Contact Korea’ Hunting Foreign Talent for • World Content Comes Online • Shin Young-soo: Doctor to 1.8 Billion
Local Firms • Lee Seung-kyu: Record-breaking Surgeon
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be • Suntech: Clear View Behind
reproduced in any form without permission from Korea • Volunteers Helping Migrants Settle into

66
and the Korean Culture and Information Service.
their New Homes
The articles published in Korea do not necessarily rep-
44 Series: New Growth Engine Industries Foreign Viewpoints
Les Edwards: Endorsing Expatriate Lifestyle

23
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liable for errors or omissions. Culture
• A River Runs Through it

50
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4 korea February 2009 February 2009 korea 5

 Cover Story

A
natural disaster takes away everything -
beloved objects, homes, lives.
Around 8 a.m. on Dec. 26, 2004, a
massive earthquake rocked the ocean
floor off Sumatra, western Indonesia,
triggering a deadly tsunami. Killer waves spread across
Southeast Asia, hitting Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia,
Burma (Myanmar) and Sri Lanka. About five million
lost homes, and the death toll reached 170,000 in Indo-
nesia alone.
In the aftermath of the disaster, rescue forces and
relief goods were mobilized from around the world.
About $4 billion of international relief funds were pro-
vided to the United Nations by February 2005. The
world slowly forgot the tragedy. Reconstruction was
left in the hands of the victims.
Korea, however, took a different approach. The
country has decided to plant seeds in the mangrove
forests in tsunami-damaged Aceh in northern Suma-
tra, a location close to the epicenter of the disaster.
At the request of Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry
and the National Development Planning Agency, the
Korea Forest Service carried out rehabilitation of the
mangrove forest for two years and six months from
May 2006 to October 2008, using Korea’s forestation
technology. The Korea International Cooperation
Agency (KOICA) funded the $1.8 million project; as a
result, 550 hectares of mangrove forest were success-
fully restored.
Mangroves are trees and shrubs that grow in saline
coastal habitats. Mangrove forests are an important
source of income for locals: They can be used as fish
farms because they are natural habitats and spawning
areas for aquatic animals. With its diverse uses, the
mangrove is an important forestry resource in Indone-
sia, often nicknamed, “the tree of life.”
Through this project, Korea was able to help Indo-
nesia create “green jobs,” by not only rebuilding nature
in the aftermath of the disaster but also easing unem-
ployment.

Forest of Life
Korea’s international reputation in green circles
Provided by The Korea Forest Service

has improved, as environmental groups have paid

close attention to the success of the mangrove forest
rehabilitation project; it has become a symbol of tsu-
nami recovery.
International organizations including the United
Nations Forum on Forests, the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations and the Interna-
6 korea February 2009 February 2009 korea 7
 Cover Story
Provided by The Korea Forest Service
Locals planting mangrove
trees in Aceh, Indonesia, as
part of the Korean Forest
Service’s project to rebuild
the forest devastated by the
2004 tsunami.
8 korea February 2009
tional Tropical Timber Council all
strongly recommend that mangrove
forests be restored to rehabilitate the
tsunami-stricken regions as a fast way of
recovery.
In Indonesia, the Korea Forest Ser-
vice has moved beyond a simple foresta-
tion program. The building used as a
project office during the recovery works
was transformed into the Mangrove
Information Center to promote Korean
forestation technology and to educate
locals.
The information center was com-
pleted in April 2008. Indonesia’s Minis-
ter of Forestry, Malam Sambat Kaban
and Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf
attended the opening ceremony, recon-
firming the friendship between Korea
and Indonesia. Minister Kaban spoke
about his deep appreciation for Korea’s
efforts to aid recovery in the aftermath
of the unprecedented natural disaster.
The mangrove forest project is
expected to be a stepping stone to fur-
ther develop the two countries’ rela-
tions.
“The two countries agreed to coop-
erate on various subjects of common
interest, including Korea’s investment in
Indonesia’s forestation projects, coun-
termeasures for climate change, joint
research on tropical forests and preser-
vation efforts,” said Ha Young-je, then-
minister of the Korea Forest Ser-
vice, who attended the Korea-
Indonesia Forest Forum in
June 2008.
Korean companies were
able to secure a bridgehead to
expand their forestation busi-
nesses into overseas markets. As of
now, 13 companies including the
National Forestry Coopera-
tives Federation and
Korindo Group are plan-
ning overseas projects
focused on industrial
reforestation and fores-
tation programs linked Ha Young-je
to bio-energy and Cer- Minister of the Korea Forest Service
tified Emission Reduc-
Cover Story
tions.
“As a country which implemented successful for-
estation projects in the 20th century, it was a symbolic
project to promote Korea’s forestation technology to
the world,” said Ha, referring to Indonesia’s mangrove
forest program.
According to Ha, Korea’s technology and success
in forestation programs are well known in the interna-
tional community. “In 1982, the FAO already praised
Korea as a rare case of success in greening after World
War II,” Ha said. “In that report, the UN-led organiza-
tion called Korea a model.”
Noting that 64 percent of Korea is forested, Ha said
his organization will also focus on domestic projects.
Citing President Lee Myung-bak’s Liberation Day
address on Aug. 15 of 2008, focusing on “low-carbon,
green growth,” the Korea Forest Service plans to
increase employment in forestation projects in order
to foster healthy forests and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
As of now, 34,500 people are employed in the for-
estry industry, but the service plans to raise the num-
‘Forests do not ber of jobs to 136,700 by 2013.
Ha said one planned project is “a carbon neutral
only belong to village” using wood pellet boilers and recycling energy
through combined heat and power generation. “By
the current doing this, carbon will be recycled as energy, instead
generation... of being emitted into the air,” Ha said. “This is the
easiest and quickest method to apply an environmen-
we have to tally friendly way of life to our real lives.”
Ha said the Korea Forest Service is also planning
preserve to launch an international organization.
them.’ “Korea has played a major role in rebuilding dam-
aged forests in Asia,” Ha said. “The mangrove forest
recovery in Indonesia is an example. We are currently
building a 3,000-hecatar green belt in Mongolia.
“We also plan to push forward a project to prevent
expanding desertification in China’s Inner Mongolia
in cooperation with SK Group, Korean Airlines and
volunteers,” he said. “That region is the origin of yellow
dust storms, so it is a very meaningful program.”
Korea plans to utilize its network and skills by
building an international organization, tentatively
titled AFoCO, or Asia Forestry Cooperation Organi-
zation. The Foreign Ministry and the Blue House are
actively supporting the plan, Ha said.
“Forests do not only belong to the contemporary
generation,” Ha said. “We have to use them well, but at
the same time, we have to preserve them for the next
generation.”
He added, “Forests are something for which every-
one’s effort is crucial.”
February 2009 korea 9
Diplomacy
S
eoul is poised to expand its diplomatic
reach to a far wider range of foreign
countries than has been customary,
both to cement its standing in the
international community and to fuel its export-
reliant economy.
President Lee Myung-bak embodied his
determination to achieve these goals through-
out 2009 by flying to continents and countries
rarely visited by South Korean leaders to meet
with national leaders. South Korea’s Foreign
Ministry is also expected to join the efforts by
signing more free trade agreements with coun-
tries including Australia, Peru, New Zealand,
Turkey and Colombia to provide new momen-
tum for the ailing economy.
“The Republic of Korea is not the marginal
state it was in the latter part of the 19th century
when it suffered the whims of international
currents; nor is it the flickering candle that it
was during the foreign exchange crisis,” Lee
said in his New Year policy address on Jan.2.
“The country is emerging as a responsible,
leading nation, helping to create a new interna-
tional order.”
This does not mean turning away from key
partners. South Korea’s diplomacy has long
centered on the so-called “four superpowers,”
- the United States, Japan, China and Russia -
and Lee, throughout the first year of his term,
consistently reiterated the importance of main-
taining close ties with them. This is particu-
larly so of the United States and Japan, as rela-
tions with the two allies soured under the previ-
[JoongAng Ilbo]
ous administration.
“For some time, Korea-U.S. relations were
less than desirable. Since my administration
took over, however, the two countries have
Forging New Friendships,
Hitting the Road: President made agreements on the Visa Waiver Program
Lee Myung-bak has made as well as currency swap lines. Bilateral ties are
clear his determination to being reborn as strategic alliances based on
expand Korea’s diplomatic ever-more solid trust,” Lee said in the speech.
Strengthening Old Alliances outreach He also stressed he would continue efforts to
cement ties among Northeast Asia’s three play-
ers - China, Korea and Japan - after he success-
fully held the first leadership summit of the
President Lee Myung-bak has prioritized diplomacy, and is pulling out all three countries in December. Also, relations
the stops to expand South Korea’s profile on the international stage. with Russia, relatively inert, have received a
boost.
“The Republic has concluded an agreement
with Russia providing for the installation of
railways and gas pipelines running through
10 korea February 2009
South Korea, North Korea and Russia,” he said.
“A grand, historic project linking the Korean
peninsula and the vast Siberian region is pan-
ning out.”
A Blue House official said Lee is upgrading
presidential diplomacy; his itinerary this year
may include a trip to energy-rich Central
Asia.
“In 2008, Lee went abroad eight times,
including seven trips concentrating on the four
superpowers,” the official said. But this year, he
will spend “more time visiting regions such as
Europe, Southeast Asia and Central Asia,” in
line with multilateral talks taking place in those
areas, the official added. The most likely desti-
nations under discussion are Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan in the first half of this year, followed
by more trips to Thailand in February to attend
the “ASEAN + Three” forum (Association of
Southeast Asia Nations, plus China, Japan and
South Korea) and to Singapore in November to
attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
summit. Europe is also part of Lee’s plans. In
April, Lee is scheduled to attend the G-20
financial summit in the United Kingdom and
the G-8 summit in Italy in July. A series of bilat-
eral summits is planned on the sidelines of
these talks.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry
recently unveiled a plan to sign new free trade
agreements with ever more countries to bolster
the nation’s trade-reliant economy: Korea’s
exports account for over 40 percent of GDP.
The Foreign Ministry said in January that it
would start FTA negotiations with Peru, Aus-
tralia and New Zealand in the first half of 2009
and talks with Turkey and Colombia in the lat-
ter half. The ministry also said it would look
into starting much-anticipated FTA negotia-
tions with China, Japan and Russia.
Seoul still faces the daunting task of getting
congressional ratification of the contentious
Korea-U.S. FTA bill and wrapping up Korea-
EU FTA negotiations. The ministry’s goal this
year is tackling these as soon as possible to
open more passages for exporters.
“We will complete FTA negotiations with
the EU within the first quarter so that it can
take effect on Jan. 1, 2010, and we will try to
make an FTA with India ...to take effect by the
end of 2009,” the Foreign Ministry said in a
statement in January.
February 2009 korea 11
Diplomacy

S
idestepping politically volatile
issues, President Lee Myung-
bak of South Korea and Prime
Minister Taro Aso of Japan
agreed on Jan. 12 on economic coopera-
tion measures, including a plan to
encourage Japanese business invest-
ment in Korean industry.
At a press conference after the meet-
ing, Lee said Korea’s trade deficit with
Japan was about $30 billion last year,
pointing out that most of the amount is
due to imports of parts and materials.
“Now, the two countries have devel-
oped specific cooperation plans,” Lee
said. “Four industrial complexes in
Korea have been designated to special-

ize in the parts and materials industries,
and about 20 Japanese companies sent
letters of intent to invest in them by the
end of last year. This project has momen-
tum.”
It is not the first time that Lee has
emphasized the importance of Korea’s
advancement in the two industries.
When he addressed scientists and tech-
nical experts on Jan. 8 for the New Year,
Lee pointed out the gap between Korea
and Japan in the field, encouraging fur-
ther development.
In this summit, tailor-made for eco-
nomic cooperation, Lee and Aso also
agreed to collaborate before the G-20
Japanese Prime Minister Taro financial summit in April to reform the
Aso, left, talks with Presi- financial world order.
dent Lee Myung-bak after In addition to the promise to work
[JoongAng Ilbo]
[YONHAP]
Korean President Lee Myung-bak, third from left, and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, third
from right, walk while talking with business leaders on Jan. 11 in the Blue House, Seoul. From
left: Tadashi Okamura, chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Fujio
Miterai, chairman of the Japan Business Federation; President Lee; Prime Minister Aso; Cho
Suk-rai, chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries; and Sohn Kyung-shik, chairman of
the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
and to continue expanding exchanges cultural assistance and vocational edu-
between the two countries. cation in Afghanistan,” Blue House
The leaders further agreed that a spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said.
CEO forum for small and midsize com- Conspicuously missing from the
panies from the two countries will be press conference was any talk about the
held this summer in Tokyo. The CEOs volatile territorial issue of Dokdo and
will build a network and exchange mar- political issues related to the two nations’
ket and advanced technology informa- intertwined history, particularly left-
tion. Japanese business executives who over controversies from the Second
accompanied Aso agreed on the project World War.

their joint press conference together to overcome the ongoing finan- with Korea’s business community on Asked why the contentious issues
on Jan. 12 in Seoul. cial crisis and sagging real economy, Jan. 11. were not addressed, the spokesman
Japan agreed to support Korea’s partici- Moving on to political issues, Lee said, “There is no imperative pending
pation in the Financial Stability Forum, and Aso also reaffirmed their commit- issue right now, so there is no need to

Lee, Aso Focus on Finance

an international organization consisting
of major national financial authorities
of the G7 countries and five additional
advanced economies. Japan, Hong Kong
In their January summit in Seoul, the leaders of Japan and South Korea and Singapore are the forum’s Asian
members.
put aside historical disputes, instead prioritizing economic issues. Lee and Aso also agreed to resume
negotiations for a free trade agreement
12 korea February 2009
ment to denuclearize the Korean penin-
sula within the framework of the six-
party talks.
Joint participation in programs to
rebuild Afghanistan was also discussed.
“This was a project proposed by Prime
Minister Aso, and the two countries will
cooperate in programs to provide agri-
mention it,” he said.“There is no need to
stir things up all the time.”
“When a really unpleasant incident
arises, we should sincerely share our
thoughts and ideas.,” he added. “Noth-
ing is impossible to resolve.”
The Seoul summit was Lee and Aso’s
fifth.
February 2009 korea 13
Global Korea

The Kyrgyz
Republic

IT Systems:
Kazakhstan
Mongolia
Azerbaijan Newest export item: Korea’s IT solution systems
Kazakhstan: ITS postal service system — $40.4 million
Uzbekistan China Azerbaijan: Intelligent Transport System — $76.5 million
Mongolia: ITS system — $12 million
Indonesia: National Crime Information Center — $25 million
Thailand China: Automated Fare Collection system — $438.5 million
India
China: ITS Automatic Fare Collection system — $26 million

Korea’s
Brunei India: Automatic Fare Collection system — $20 million

Countries with MOUs with Korea Post

Indonesia for cooperation in postal services
Thailand, Brunei, Mongolia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan

Next Big Semiconductors, automo-

biles, ships and mobile
phones are currently the
backbone of Korea’s export
“If governmental organizations roll
up their sleeves to help local companies
win orders, it is easy to win trust in for-
eign countries and sign contracts,” said
The central government has inject-
ed a total of 1.25 trillion won to update
the postal service system from 1985,
fusing it with IT technologies.

Export Hit?
Be they postal systems, ticketing machines or traffic
management solutions, government and industry are
teaming up and promoting the country’s
best-of-breed IT systems and infrastructures
as global export items.
14 korea February 2009
sector, but IT systems could be the next
boom.
Leading IT solution providers such
as SK C&C, Samsung SDS and LG CNS
reported substantial exports in 2008.
SK C&C said in a release in Decem-
ber that its IT system exports increased
by a staggering 1,694 percent last year
over the previous year, winning the
company $159 million worth of orders.
Samsung SDS also achieved $150
million of orders, while LG CNS esti-
mates it earned $169.2 million worth of
orders in 2008.
And although many believe that the
Internet is killing mail, Korea’s postal IT
service system was one of the best-sell-
ing items.
SK C&C succeeded in winning a
project to revamp Kazakhstan’s postal
service in May 13, 2008. The project is
worth about 55 billion won ($44 mil-
lion).
“With the aid of Korea Post, we won
the project by persuading Kazakhstan
that the country is in desperate need of
beefing up its worn-out postal facilities,”
said Joo Jeong-soo, vice president of SK
C&C, in a press release.
Lee Jun-ho, another official of SK
C&C.
Korea Post was behind SK C&C’s
expansion into Kazakhstan. Korea Post
invites ministers and related officials of
foreign postal institutions to Korea on a
regular basis and shows them Korea’s
well-developed IT technologies in the
postal service areas.
“When they visit Korea and see
Korea’s postal service system, they keep
saying ‘wonderful’ because every single
letter and parcel is tracked across the
nation through our IT system,” said
Kim Sun-kang, an official of Korea Post.
“In addition, we also communicate with
mail delivery trucks on a real-time basis.
By teaming up with Korea Expressway
Corporation, we inform the trucks
which expressway is crowded. We also
let them know less crowded routes for
faster delivery.”
“People are also able to send their
mails and parcels using their home
computers,” Kim added.
Korea Post started to support local
IT solution providers win orders over-
seas in 2007, when it started organizing
IT solution fairs and exhibitions.
More than 15,000 personal digital
assistants were given to mailmen so that
they could report who received mails
and parcels on a real-time basis to Korea
Post’s headquarters. Since parcels and
mail are automatically tracked, based on
global positioning and bar code sys-
tems, citizens who sent mails and par-
cels can check whether their mail and
parcels were delivered on time - or not
- via the Internet. In addition, people
can check where their parcels and mail
are, and where they are heading.
“Using automatic systems, 6,000
tons of parcels, 25,000 express letters
and 30,000 ordinary letters are pro-
cessed per hour at the Eastern Seoul
Mail Center alone,” said Paik Sung-kab,
an official at the mail center.
Korea Post even launched an Inter-
net service which enables citizens to
find the locations of mail boxes. Since
Korea has witnessed a decreasing num-
ber of letters due to the advent of e-mail,
many mailboxes were removed. That’s
why Korea Post stepped in with online
help.
In order to promote Korea’s cutting-
edge postal service system, Korea Post
February 2009 korea 15
 Global Korea

How Korea’s cutting-edge postal service system works

Posting Classification Shipping Delivery

Send parcels or mail at
local post offices
Each parcel and mail is
classified using barcodes
which contain sender
information as well as
destination information
at mail centers
Parcels and mail head to
their recipients and their
location is automatically
tracked over the Internet
on a real-time basis
If parcels and mails are
delivered, the sender
can check who received
them, when and where,
via the Internet

established an Asia-Pacific Postal Col-
lege in Bangkok, Thailand, in Novem-
ber 2007, where people from develop-
ing countries could be educated about
IT technologies used in postal services.
By providing related vocal training
and hands-on experience, Korea Post
managed to impress other countries.
Through these promotional efforts,
Korea Post has signed memoranda of
understanding with many countries
such as Thailand, Brunei, Mongolia, the
Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan to
cooperate in the development of postal
services.
Korea Post is in talks with more than
20 countries - including Britain, India,
Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Alge-
ria, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Guate-
mala and Cambodia - to export its
postal service system.
Korea Post also conducts feasibility
studies for free for developing countries.
The feasibility study is a kind of consult-
Korea established an
Asian Postal College
in Bangkok.
ing service to let the countries know
which part of their postal services
should be updated.
From March to June 2007, Korea
Post conducted a feasibility study for
Indonesia, investing 90 million won. It
ran three-month studies for Vietnam
and Mongolia from September to
November 2007, spending 190 million
been invited to Korea over the past three
years to learn Korea’s IT postal service
technologies, while Korean employees
of Korea Post were also dispatched over-
seas to share their expertise.
For the first half of this year, Korea
Post plans to use about 60 percent of its
budget to boost the nation’s IT system
exports.
Meanwhile, SK C&C signed a con-
tract with Baku, the capital of Azerbai-
jan, to export an Intelligent Transport
System worth $76.5 million in May
2008.
“We won the project due to the sup-
port of the Ministry of Land, Transport
and Maritime Affairs and Korea’s excel-
lent IT skills,” said Lee Kwang-yeop, an
official of SK C&C.
A group of officials from the land
ministry visited Azerbaijan in January
2007 to support Korean companies bid-
ding for the project.
For the ITS project, SK C&C will
install the latest IT system
for the main roads of the
capital city as well as roads
between the city and its
international airport. Using
these systems, the license
plates of passing cars can be
recognized, allowing for the
analysis of traffic volume and traffic
congestion patterns.
Variable message signs - like huge,
electronic billboards - will be erected in
highly populated places to inform citi-
zens of traffic-related information,
including which roads are jammed and
news flashes about accidents.
Bus management and bus informa-
phones.
In December last year, SK C&C also
won a $12 million project to export its
ITS system to Ulan Bator, the capital city
of Mongolia.
“We expect to win projects from
nearby countries other than Azerbaijan
and Mongolia,” Lee added.
LG CNS wants to increase IT exports
this year from 10 percent to 40 percent
of its total output.
“If we want to achieve sustainable
growth, we should go overseas because
the nation’s IT market accounts for only
1 or 2 percent out of the global IT mar-
ket,” Shin Chae-chol, CEO of LG CNS
told reporters at a press conference last
year.
According to Gartner, the U.S.-
based IT research firm, the nation’s IT
market is estimated to be worth around
17 trillion won as of this year; the world’s
IT market is valued at around 708 tril-
lion won.
For this reason, local IT solution
companies are desperate to export their
IT solutions to survive the upcoming
recession.
In 2006, LG CNS signed a contract
with the Indonesian National Police
Agency for a project to build a National
Crime Information Center, worth about
$25 million.
Last year, the company also won a
project to build up Automated Fare Col-
lection systems throughout three Chi-
nese subway lines. The AFC is similar to
a system installed throughout Korean Based on barcodes, express mail is au-
subway lines which improves passen- tomatically sorted out at the Eastern
gers’ convenience by automating all Seoul Mail Center, located in Jayang-
ticketing and payment processes. dong, Gwangjin District. Between

won.
A total of 74 foreign employees of
overseas postal service institutions have
16 korea February 2009
tion systems will be introduced; these
sytems will deliver arrival times of bus-
ses through monitors and users’ mobile
LG CNS also aims to export its
Intrusion Detection and e-government
systems to Southeast Asian nations, and
[JoongAng Ilbo]
24,000 and 25,000 pieces of express
mails are handled per hour.
February 2009 korea 17

The world’s IT market is
worth 708 trillion won.
is preparing to export other IT systems
that automate patent processes. The
patent system is the world’s first Inter-
net-based patent processing system.
By teaming up with Korea Post, LG
CNS also plans to export PostNet, an
Internet service provided by Korea Post.
Through PostNet, Koreans are able to
send mail and parcels with a few clicks
at home.
Given that about 70 percent of Post-
Net software is made by Korean small
and mid-sized software companies, if
PostNet is exported, LG CNS expects
the nation’s overall IT scene to be lifted
by big export wins.
LG CNS currently has seven over-
seas affiliates, including in the United
States, Europe and China. It also has
development centers in Beijing, China
and Bangalore, India. Another develop-
ment center in Qinyang, China, is
scheduled to be completed by the first
half of this year.
Samsung SDS has signed contracts
to export its Automatic Fare Collection
system to Chinese cities such as Guang-
zhou, Tianjin, Wuhan, and also signed
a $26 million contract with Beijing in
March 2008. The Automatic Fare Col-
lection system is similar to the LG CNS
system. In China, Samsung SDS has an
approximately 46 percent share in the
Automatic Fare Collection system mar-
ket, and is installed in major subway
lines in Beijing.
Samsung SDS competed with the
France-based Thales Group, the Japan-
based Nippon Signal and 12 other
world-famous IT solution companies to
win the project.
According to Samsung SDS, China’s
market for Automatic Fare Collection
systems is estimated at around $500
million over the next four years because
it is hosting large-scale events such as
the World Expo 2010, in Shanghai, and
the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.
18 korea February 2009
Global Korea
‘Contact Korea’ Hunting
Foreign Talent for Local Firms
Provided by Samsung SDS
Based on its strong
performance in China,
Samsung SDS wants to
export its IT systems to Trade agency seeking professionals worldwide for SMEs.
other parts of the world
including Thailand, Chinese citizens use an Automatic Fare Collection System
Indonesia,Malaysia,India built up by Samsung SDS in Beijing, China last summer.
and Turkey.
In April 2008, Sam-
sung SDS also won an order from Delhi, tries.
India to establish an Automatic Fare E-government refers to online gov-
K
Collection system - a project worth ernment service systems which enable umsung Engineering and Construction (E & C), come the launch of the agency; the portal addresses
approximately $20 million. citizens to get access to diverse services an eco-friendly hydraulic energy development their personnel recruitment issues without the expenses
India’s Automatic Fare Collection and information provided by govern- company in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Prov- demanded by a headhunting agency.
system market has been dominated by ments using the Internet. ince, has a new hire: Oleg Meshkov, an energy specialist According to KOTRA, the program will be able to
French company Thales Group, but SK C&C, LG CNS, Samsung SDS from Russia. recruit many qualified professionals from overseas due
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. con- and other small and midsized IT com- The company had been facing problems finding to the closure of financial firms on Wall Street and ongo-
tacted Samsung SDS after some officials panies Pos Data, Hyundai Information local experts to fill his role. Enter “Contact Korea” an ing restructuring at Japanese automakers - develop-
of DMRC took a field trip to Guang- Technology and Ssangyong Informa- online human resources pro- ments that are driving a wave
zhou, China and experienced the sys- tion and Communication Corp. are also gram (www.contactkorea. of qualified manpower onto
tem established by Samsung SDS. eyeing overseas markets to export their go.kr) run by the Korea Trade- the job market.
“We’ll also bid for additional Auto- IT technologies in e-government. Investment Promotion Agen- “When firms face crises,
matic Fare Collection system projects in Korea’s technologies in the digital cy (KOTRA). KOTRA human resources are the saf-
Indian cities such as Mumbai, Banga- forensic area are also surfacing as the branches in Moscow, Kiev est and most guaranteed
lore, Hyderabad and Kolkata to win the next big thing in IT system exports. and Prague, where hydraulic investment,” said KOTRA
projects,” said Yoon Suk-ho, vice presi- Since many people use digital devic- power turbine technology is President Cho Hwan-eik.
dent of Samsung SDS. es such as mobile phones, laptops, per- advanced, scoured local man- “Therefore, KOTRA aims to
Korea’s e-government systems are sonal computers, USB sticks, digital power pools with the help of strengthen the nation’s com-
winning rave reviews from other coun- cameras and MP3 players, digital gad- research institutes and com- petitiveness and secure eco-
tries, and brisk e-government-related gets are becoming increasingly used in panies, eventually tracking nomic growth engine by
exports are expected. crimes, new challenges are being met by down 14 prospective techni- attracting professionals from
According to the Ministry of Public a new breed of law enforcer. cians to offer them a job inter- overseas.”
Administration and Security, a total of For instance, a man raped the wife view for Kumsung E & C. Meshkov was the successful Small firms interested in securing competent foreign
173 officials from 16 countries includ- of his co-worker in September last year. candidate. professionals can search a real-time online database of
ing Guatemala, Egypt, Japan, India, After raping the woman, he took pic- “Contact Korea,” launched in October 2008, has 30 overseas personnel by registering on the portal. If a suit-
Mexico, Morocco, Congo, China and tures of her with his mobile phone but Korea Business Centers in 26 countries, tasked with able professional is not available, an online request can
Afghanistan visited Korea to observe deleted all the pictures after realizing he attracting and supporting professional human resourc- be made. Once the online request is submitted, the
and experience Korea’s e-government was a key suspect. A team of digital es. KOTRA said that it would play an active role in seek- Korea Business Centers help in seeking qualified per-
systems. forensic experts at the National Police’s ing global talent for Korean firms to improve their com- sonnel. However, the program does not offer non-
“The U.S.-based Brookings Institu- Cyber Terror Response Center restored petitiveness. More than a thousand foreign profession- skilled jobs. Membership registration, database search
tion said Korea topped the list across the all the deleted pictures; on this evidence, als in 12 areas such as architecture, manufacturing and and on-line search requests are offered for free during
world when it comes to e-government the rapist was arrested. the medical sector have registered. the pilot operations of the site.
for three consecutive years from 2006 to Digital forensic teams will be set up Small and Medium Enterprises in Korea (SMEs), Inquiries: Hong Yoo-jeong, Assistant Manager of Contact
2008,” said Seo Nam-gyo, an official of in police agencies nationwide by the end who face difficulties in hiring local technicians, wel- Korea, KOTRA (Tel:3497-1965)
the public administration ministry. of this year.
Korea was also ranked second in the Like other IT systems, digital foren-
2008 UN Global E-Government Survey. sic systems could become popular
The survey was conducted in 189 coun- export items, industry experts say.
February 2009 KOREA 19
Global Korea
Volunteers Helping Migrants
Settle into their New Homes
‘I was really touched by the
volunteers’ hospitality and
their pure hearts,’ said Soon
Ri, a Chinese migrant. ‘It is a
great pleasure to meet nice
Koreans and their culture.’
20 korea February 2009
F
or centuries, Korea was a nation of a single
ethnicity, but today there are over 1 million
foreign nationals living in Korea - one for every
50 Koreans. The age of homogeneity, it seems,
is coming to an end.
Korean culture is rapidly changing due to the influx
of foreign manpower, increasing numbers of migrants
and a soaring birth rate of bi-racial children. In the
midst of this cultural and ethnic shift, Korean volun-
teers are helping foreigners to adapt to this country
and the government is also running a range of sup-
portive programs for multi-cultural families. Two of
these groups stand out.
“Korea is my second homeland. I want to improve
my Korean language skills to do my work, including
helping orphans and the handicapped.” Paul Mooney
from Ireland is a student of the Korean language
advanced class run by the KFVN(Korea Foundation
Volunteer Network). The KFVN is organized by peo-
ple in their 20s-50s from various walks of life. Mooney,
who is married to a Korean, is a priest in the Anglican
church. At the end of the year, he visited needy chil-
dren to give presents in his Santa costume.
KFVN is on the frontier of “civil diplomacy.” It
operates 11 Korean classes for 200 foreigners, with 41
Korean volunteer teachers and aides. Thus far, they
have taught over 1000 foreigners from 120 nations;
their students include migrants, expatriates and even
ambassadors.
“I was really touched by the volunteers’ hospitality
and their pure hearts.” said Soon Ri, a Chinese migrant,
who attends KFNV ‘Experience Korean Culture’ class,
which focuses on such things as Korean cuisine, tae-
kwondo, traditional wedding ceremonies and archery.
“It is a great pleasure to meet nice Koreans and their
culture.”
The classes were so popular that over 600 foreign-
ers participated in 2008.
It’s not easy to become a Korean member of this
volunteer group. Prospective members must wait to
join and must also take a related training course. There
are various courses to upgrade the volunteers’ skills.
“Volunteering requires a time commitment,” said
Chun Sung-ok, the group’s chairwoman, adding that
February 2009 korea 21
Global Korea
Kim In-ae, left, a member of Dajeong,
an Ewha Women’s University group that
helps female migrants learn Korean,
with Pham Thi Thu Thuy,
one of her Vietnamese students.
volunteers are often busy in their
everyday lives. “Serving other people
is serving ourselves.”
Vietnamese national, Pham Thi
Thu Thuy (24) has a Korean friend
whom she looks forward to seeing
every week. That friend is Kim In-ae,
a member of “Dajeong” (“Close
Friendship”) an Ewha Women’s Uni-
versity volunteer group which helps
women migrants.
This week, she learned how to ask
a Korean home appliance service cen-
ter to fix her broken washing
machine.
Pham Thi came to live in Korea in
2005 when she married a Korean
through an international match-
maker. However, she didn’t have much
chance to learn Korean as she had a
baby soon after the marriage.
Pham Thi’s Korean husband, Park
Kyung-min, 46, is also most apprecia-
tive of the volunteers.
“As my wife has improved her
Korean, she has become more cheer-
ful than before in her everyday life,” he
22 korea February 2009
said.
The volunteer group was estab-
lished in 2005 by eight Ewha students
who shared a common interest: want-
ing to help people in need.
The group, led by Kang Ji-hyun, a
27-year-old graduate student, agreed
to focus help on those women who
have been left unattended by other
volunteer groups, specifically female
migrants and multicultural families.
Kang’s own personal experience
during a stay in the United States five
years ago for language training also
influenced her choice.
“I experienced some inhospitality
there toward Asians like me who
speak poor English,” said Kang. “That
experience made me sympathize with
migrants living in Korea.”
Dajeong started with eight mem-
bers and has now grown to nearly 60
volunteers. They currently teach
Korean to 18 women migrants and
their children from 12 international
families living in the Seoul metropoli-
tan area.
Culture
Provided by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs
Before and After - The Geum River, as it
By Kim Do-hun
is (below right) and an artists impression
of how it will look
The group conducts not only
Korean lessons, but also monthly out-
door activities.
In May, Dajeong members orga-
nized a flea market on the Ewha cam-
pus for female migrants.
In recognition of their positive
contributions to society, Dajeong has A River Runs
Through it
been praised by various institutions,
including the Seoul Metropolitan
K
Government, the Korean University
Council for Social Service, KT&G orea’s four major rivers - the Han, Nakdong,
Welfare, and SK Telecom. A new national initiative will Geum and Yeongsan - will flow anew over
Dajeong members have now rejuvenate Korea’s waterways. the next four years, thanks to eco-friendly
forged close friendships with their projects announced by the government late
students. last year.
Besides language studies, they go The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism offi-
shopping together and share each cially announced on Dec. 27 its plans to transform
other’s ups and downs. each of the rivers into a culturally rich area that will
However, it’s not all one-way; help boost regional economies as well as upgrade their
there are also benefits for the student abilities to prevent natural disasters such as floods and
volunteers. droughts. Some specific plans of the four-river refur-
“I really enjoy teaching them bishment project include constructing bicycle paths,
Korean,” said Kim. “It seems to me promoting tourism packages, renovating river banks
that helping others is not about ‘ser- and reservoirs, and building dams.
vice’ but understanding and learning The ministry expects the 14 trillion won ($10 bil-
from each other.” lion) project to enhance the quality of river water, reha-
February 2009 korea 23
Culture
bilitate the environment, bring eco-
nomic development and boost regional
tourism. A pleasant new environment
along riversides will create more leisure
and cultural activities and attract more
tourists.
“Along with the river projects, we
plan to create an environmentally
friendly tourist infrastructure, includ-
ing sections where visitors can view
nature and cycle along bicycle paths,”
said Culture Minister Yu In-chon, last
year. The ministry is promulgating a
policy slogan, “Korea: Full of life through
culture.”
The four-river project is one mea-
sure to bring to vigorous life culture and
history, and forms part of the ministry’s
“Green Culture Renaissance.”
The government plans to publish
traditional maps, re-discover cultural
and historical resources and cooperate
with universities to hold lectures on
local environments and cultures.
There are currently some 351 cul-
tural assets along the four riversides,
according to the Culture Ministry; the
project will leverage these. By doing so,
the government hopes to create jobs for
those living in rural areas. In total, the
project will create at least 18,000 jobs
related to culture, sports and tourism.
The government aims to maximize
the project’s effects by linking it with
regional festivals and such national-
level projects as the 2011 World Athlet-
ics Championship in Daegu and the city
renovation in Naju, Jeolla Province.
Since the plans will be implemented
24 korea February 2009
L
ooking back at last year’s
Korean musical scene,
early indications are dis-
appointing. Since 2001,
the industry has grown about 20
percent every year, but while
detailed figures have yet to
appear for ‘08, many experts
believe the Korean musical sec-
tor either shrank or struggled to
maintain the same level of pro-
ductions as the previous year, at
best.
A number of foreign hit
musicals failed to lure audiences,
and while so-called “movicals,”
or musicals based on film scripts,
succeeded in drumming up
Top: Artists impression of Daehangno’s new some interest, they couldn’t off-
dedicated musical theatre. set losses.
Below: The new Woori Financial Art Hall. Good news, though, may be
ahead. Korea’s musicals look set
to benefit from major changes in
infrastructure this year, as a
series of exclusive theaters are set
to open, adding to existing ven-
Before and After #2 - The Yeongsan
River as it is (left) and an artist’s Musicals ues such as Charlotte Theater
and Chungmu Art Hall.
Get New
impression of how it will look. An exclusive theater for
musicals will open in Daehang-
no, or ‘University Street’ in
nationwide, the Culture Ministry promises balanced development.
The four-river project will take place in seven regions through which the
four rivers pass: Chungju (Han River); Daegu, Busan and Andong (Nakdong
Homes northeastern Seoul. This setting
seems like a sound choice as
Daehangno’s entertainment
River); Yeongi (Geum River); and Naju and Hampyeong (Yeongsan River).
In scenic Andong, the government is investing 38.6 billion won to rede-
velop regions along the Nakdong. The project includes constructing new
in 2009 quarter has long been a favored
destination for play-goers.
The four-story building will
walkways and bicycle trails along the banks. In Naju, some 36.4 billion won consist of three auditoriums of
is being spent towards strengthening rainwater reservoirs to prevent floods, different sizes: a 950-seat grand
along with additional initiatives to protect the nearby ecosystem. theater; a 480-seat theater; and a
The redevelopment project for the remaining five regions will start soon, 280-seat theater. Slated to open
including building the Yangpyeong Sonagi Town on the Han River, the in November, the new venue
Daecheong Lake Resort on the Geum River, a historical heritage complex marks the advent of multiplexes
beside the Yeongsan River and a cultural bikeway next to the Nakdong Riv- for musicals, which have a posi-
er. tive precedent. The emergence
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the four-river redevelopment projects of multiplexes, or multiple-
were held near the Nakdong in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, and screen cinemas in Korea about a
Naju, South Jeolla Province, late last year. decade ago reshaped the movie
Speaking at the groundbreaking, Prime Minister Han Seung-soo said industry.
that the development plan is necessary to overcome the current economic The first show to open in the
slowdown and to initiate an era of green growth. new Daehangno theater will be
“High School Musical,” based on
the Emmy Award-winning Dis-
ney musical film, that has gained
tremendous popularity in the
United States since the release of
its first installment in 2006.
Thanks to its explosive Ameri-
can success, it has been staged
outside the United States in Brit-
ain, Spain and Japan.
Often described by critics as
reminiscent of “Grease” or
“Romeo & Juliet,” the feel-good
hit tells the story of high school
juniors plotting to win parts in
their school musical.
Another exclusive theater for
musicals will be built in COEX
Mall, the giant underground
shopping mall in southern Seoul.
Dubbed COEX Artium, the 800-
seat theater will open in May.
This venue’s biggest strength is
COEX’s high-volume foot traf-
fic. On average, about 140,000
people pass through daily; on the
weekends, some 250,000 visit. Its
proximity to transport links -
notably Samseong Station (Line
2) - is another merit.
PMC, the production com-
pany that staged “Nanta,” the hit
non-verbal drumming perfor-
mance, will operate the theater. It
plans to introduce the musical
“Brothers Were Brave” from May
to July, the art circus “Rain” in
July, “March of Youth” between
August and October, and “Legal-
ly Blonde” in November.
Yet another theater set to
open this year is Woori Financial
Art Hall. For the construction of
the hall, the Weightlifting Gym-
nasium in Seoul’s Olympic Park
will be transformed into a 1,260-
seat auditorium. With an orches-
tra pit, the hall will be suitable for
multiple performing arts pur-
poses. The makeover will be
completed in February and after
a two-month trial run, the hall
will officially open in May.
February 2009 korea 25
Culture
Provided by the organizer
Triumph in Trieste
Seoul Metropolitan Opera
performed “La Traviata” at
the Teatro Lirico Giuseppe
Verdi in Triste, Italy in De-
cember to strong reviews.
It was sung in Korean, but that didn’t stop Seoul Metropolitan’s
‘La Traviata’ from winning a rave reception in Verdi’s home theater.
26 korea February 2009
T
he reviews, it seems, lived up to the hype: At the performance
of “La Traviata” in Trieste, there were 10 curtain calls plus a
five-minute standing ovation.
The performers, however, were not Italian. In fact, they
did not even sing in Italian.
“We were about to leave, thinking that the round of applause
would die down soon, but the theater manager came running to us
and asked us to make another appearance,” said Park Se-won, direc-
tor of Seoul Metropolitan Opera.
The Seoul Metropolitan performed Verdi’s “La Traviata” at the
Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi, the opera house in Trieste, Italy, that is
named after the famed composer, on Dec 19 and 20. The opera was
just as the troupe had performed it at the Seoul Arts Center in April,
marking the first time that an all-Korean version of the opera - with
Korean performers, directors and stage setting - had toured over-
seas.
The show sold out both nights. It was only the second time a show
has been fully booked at the 1300-seat opera house in 2008, after a
youth opera program organized and presented by the opera house
that summer.
“Some Korean residents in Italy who came to buy tickets on the
day of the performance had to return home because it was sold out,”
Park said. “I think the fact that an Asian troupe was presenting its
own version of a major Italian opera in Italy got people talking.”
What is the secret behind the unexpected success?
Of late, directors have transported the opera, which was written
in the mid-19th century, into a 21st-century setting, switching the
nobility and their retainers into pop and sports stars, for instance.
The Seoul Metropolitan’s version, however, paid full homage to
tradition: Park’s stage setting, music and costumes all scream classical
Verdi.
Giorgio Zanfagnin, director at the Italian opera theater, said the
troupe’s classical interpretation plus the performers’ bel canto-style
singing led to the explosive reception.
“Opera singers in jeans riding motorcycles aren’t new anymore,”
added Jeong Jun-ho, a music columnist. “The timing is perfect for
the Seoul Met’s classical interpretations to shine in Europe.”
The Seoul Metropolitan has been presenting Verdi’s works since
2007, while seeking audience feedback by distributing surveys after
every performance to find out what patrons really want from opera
today.
“We will continue to research and reflect the voices of the audi-
ences at home and abroad, and we hope to export more of our piec-
es abroad,” a spokesman for the opera company said.
February 2009 korea 27
Korean Literature second series
Yi Mun-yol:
Storyteller, Thinker, Heretic
Yi Mun-yol is Korea’s most famed living novelist. He has
not achieved his reputation by dealing with easy issues.
A
storyteller of exceptional wit and
range, Yi Mun-yol is South Korea’s
best-known living novelist.
Born in Seoul in 1948, Yi grew
up in Yeongyang, North Gyeongsang Prov-
ince, where the family was forced to settle after
his father defected to North Korea. Entering
Seoul National University as a Korean Litera-
ture student, Lee joined a private college liter-
ary association where he began to nurture the
dream of becoming a writer. He published his
first novella, “Saehagok,” in 1979. From 1994
to 1997, Lee taught Korean Language and Lit-
erature at Sejong University; since 1999, he has
served as the head of Buak Literary Center.
Yi is, first and foremost, a consummate sto-
ryteller of tremendous talent and intellectual
depth who can both entertain and enlighten
his readers. In works such as “Hail to the
Emperor,” “Until We Become Happy,” and
28 korea February 2009
“Our Twisted Hero,” Lee re-imagines the real- Major works
ity of social injustice using elements of fable “Son of Man” (Saram-ui
and allegory, tracing the ways in which people adeul, 1979); “Winter
are shaped and governed by the dominant ide- That Year” (Geuhae gyeo-
ology. ul, 1980); “Hail to the
In another category of works, represented Emperor” (Hwangjereul
by “A Portrait of Youthful Days” and “You Will wihayeo, 1982); “Geumsijo”
Never Return to Your Homeland,” Lee focuses (Geumsijo, 1983); “The
on the internal or psychological landscape of Age of Heroes” (Yeongung
characters who must cope with existential sidae, 1984); “Our Twisted
angst, loss of identity and collapse of commu- Hero” (Urideurui ilgeureojin
nity in post-war Korean society. Utilizing yeongung, 1986), “Poet”
autobiographical materials, these works (Si-in, 1991); “The Night
embrace ideological contemplation as well as Before, Or the Last Night of
romantic visions of childhood and youth. This Era” (Jeonya hogeun si-
Yi Mun-yol has been honored with numer- daeui majimak bam, 1998);
ous literary prizes including the 1982 Dongin “Change “ (Byeongyeong,
Literarary Prize, the 1983 Korean Literature 1999).
Award, the 1984 Central Literature Award Source: Korea Literature
Grand Prize and the1999 Hoam Arts Prize. Translation Institute
[JoongAng Ilbo]
February 2009 korea 29
Korean Literature second series

Our Twisted This brilliantly conceived

novel allegorizes the develop-
Hero ment and eventual downfall of
an authoritarian state. The
novel has particular resonance
in the context of political tur-
bulence throughout modern
Korean history.
Han Byeong-tae is a ten-
year old boy whose family
moves to the countryside fol-
lowing his father’s demotion.
Entering a local elementary
school, he quickly realizes that
his class is in fact “ruled” by a
bully named Eom Seok-dae
who wields more power than
the weak-willed and indiffer-
ent teacher. The boys in the
class take turns doing Han’s
homework; they willingly give
up their lunch money and help
him to cheat on his exams.
Although Han makes an
attempt to defy the systematic
corruption instituted by Eom,
he soon realizes his own lim-
its. Constantly harassed and
ostracized by his classmates,
Han finally gives up and joins
Eom’s followers.
Eom’s dictatorship is chal-
lenged by a new teacher who
not only takes sincere interest
in his students but also shows
little tolerance for Eom’s bully-
ing. Assisted by Han, the new
teacher puts an end to Eom’s
reign. Years later, Han sees
Eom in handcuffs being taken
away by police. Although he
had been the only student who
made any attempt to challenge
Eom, Han cannot but feel
ashamed for the helplessness
he felt in the face of authori-
tarianism. Han’s shame
embodies the helplessness and
guilt that plagued intellectuals
in the 1980’s as they failed to
condemn authoritarian rule.
Son of Man
This novel was the first
work to bring Lee Mun-yeol
critical recognition.
An investigation into the
question of god from an
existentialist point of view,
the novel won a wide reader-
ship among the younger
generation.
Yi received the 3rd Con-
temporary Artist Award for
this novel which originally
appeared as a novella in
1979 and expanded to a full-
length novel in 1987.
Nam, a police detective,
is put in charge of a murder
case. His investigation
reveals that the murdered
man, Min Yo-seop, was a
seminary student who grew
skeptical of the idea of a
Christian God.
Becoming a heretic, Min
denounces Jesus Christ as a
“false son of man,” and
instead creates a new God,
the “true son of man” resem-
bling Nietzsche’s anti-
Christ.
When he tries to return
to Christianity, he is mur-
dered by Jo Dong-pal, his
fanatic follower.
Min’s dilemma, which is
the central focus of the nov-
el, is the conflict between
heaven and earth, or between
the eternal afterlife attained
through morality and the
life freed from moral restric-
tions and dictated by human
wisdom. Through his spiri-
tual suffering and intellec-
tual inquiry, the novel pro-
vides a unique insight into
the nature of salvation and
human existence.

The Poet
Extract at the age of nineteen. That way the but it seemed that sometimes words Inevitably, as the evening wore

Based on the life of the legendary Korean poet Kim Pyong-yon, this
novel charts the development of his artistic sensibility, the transformation
of his desire for status and the will to acquire power in a society that has
forced upon him the burden of his grandfather’s guilt.
Yi traces the course of his hero’s destiny, filled with pain and marked by
numerous deviations, from early childhood, through the various stages of
his poetic career, until he finally walks out into the night leaving his son
gazing after him.
For most of his adult life, the poet’s head is covered with a sakkat: A large
conical wicker hat that in earlier times Koreans wore to protect themselves
from the sun and rain, but was also worn in mourning. It is that hat which
gains him his nickname: Kim Sakkat. For him, the hat is more than a sign
of mourning; it is a symbol of a self-imposed withdrawal from the light of
the sun, a recognition that through
no particular fault of his own he
must forever bear the burden of an
inherited guilt, an original sin.
The life portrayed in this novel is
not that of a mere fictitious charac-
ter. The poet, Kim Pyong-yon, was
born in Seoul in 1807; his family
belonged to one of the most power-
ful branches of the Kim clan, the
Kims of Changdong. Yet he lived as
an outcast on the margins of society.
When he died in 1863, he left behind
a host of poems and legends that
were for a long time transmitted
orally. He was long remembered
with affection as “the poet” even by
people who knew no poems except
his.
30 korea February 2009
P
erhaps we ought to begin this
investigation into the devia-
tions of his life by evoking the
problem of memory. In his lat-
er years, summing up the whole course
of his existence in a long lyric, he wrote
the following lines:
As my hair grew longer,
my fortunes travelled a rough road:
The family line in ruins,
the blue sea a mulberry grove.
Later readers have not usually con-
sidered those lines to be the transposi-
tion into poetry of any actual experi-
ence. At most they have assumed that
they were inspired by some childhood
event he learned about in his adult
years, a pseudo-memory as it were, an
analogy fabricated to harmonize with
the presumed course of his life’s his-
tory.
Such theories may satisfy those
who prefer an entertaining folk-tale
to the actual details of a man’s life. For
them, it is unthinkable that he might
have retained any actual memories of
his family or origins before that fateful
moment, so often chronicled, when he
won first prize in a rural poetry contest
legend could be given a dramatic and
really effective starting-point.
Unfortunately, the realities of life
rarely if ever correspond to the de-
mands of such fabulations. Generally
received opinion notwithstanding,
his memory actually stretched much
further back into the past than is nor-
mally the case.
In particular, even when his life
was almost done, at the end when he
was weary and alone, he could recall
the events of a certain evening late in
the year in which he turned four as
vividly as if they were just then hap-
pening before his eyes: that fateful
night when his life was fundamentally
transformed, as if the blue sea had
indeed suddenly been turned into a
mulberry grove.
He was only a child, of course, but
during the last few days he had become
vaguely aware of an extraordinary at-
mosphere brooding over the house.
The servants who had until then
filled their house with a constant pres-
ence seemed visibly to have dimin-
ished in number, while those who
remained no longer worked but stood
in corners endlessly whispering to-
gether.
It was only an uncertain memory,
like “rebellion” and “his Lordship”
could be heard emerging from the
whispers. Among those days’ strange
memories was one of his father, who
normally remained in his quarters, ly-
ing down more often than sitting up,
busily going about on visits solemnly
dressed in formal attire.
That day too his father listened
to a message that a steward, rushing
in from somewhere, had whispered,
and then gone out without bothering
to adjust his dress, walking with quick
steps down the already darkening
street. More than anything else, the
sight of his father’s retreating figure
made the atmosphere he sensed about
the house seem darker and heavier, as
if there was about to be a shattering
explosion.
That was why, although night had
fallen, he did not go across to the
room he shared with his elder brother
in the outer quarters, but lingered on
in the women’s rooms. No supper was
brought in, but he stayed there beside
his mother who was shivering slight-
ly as she hugged and rocked his tiny
newborn brother.
He might have been rather more
sensitive than other children but still
he was only four.
on, despite the ominous trembling
he could feel through the hem of his
mother’s skirts that he was grasping,
he began to doze.
It was almost as if he had invited
sleep to come in an attempt to escape
from the suffocating stillness that
reigned in the house and the incom-
prehensible suspense, but that must
have been an idea he introduced when
he was older.
His father returned just as he was
about to give up the fight against sleep
and stretch out with his head pillowed
on his mother’s knees.
A wave of cold air from outside
clinging to his robes came billow-
ing round the room, as his father ad-
dressed him curtly:
“Go over to your room now, Py-
oung-yon.”
Translated by Chong-wha Chung and
Brother Anthony of Taizé
“The Poet” in foreign languages
-Chinese: 诗人 (2005, 人民文学出版社)
-Dutch: De dichter (1996, Meulenhoff)
-English: The Poet (1986, Harvill Press)
-French: Le poète (1996, Actes Sud)
-Italian: Il poeta (1992, Giunti)
-Spanish: El poeta (2000, Ediciones B)
-Swedish: Poeten (2005, Tranan)
February 2009 korea 31
 Korea through the Lens

[YONHAP]
[JoongAng Ilbo]

February’s Flavor — Farmers busy drying

meju, or lumps of fermented beancurd, in
Click the winter sun. Fermented and matured in a
room built of yellow earth, meju is a basic in-
Korea gredient of bean paste (doenjang), soy sauce
(gangjang) and red pepper paste (gochujang)
- the key flavours of Korean cuisine. Farmers
sell the meju in February to customers who
have pre-ordered. (Above)

Ear Guard — Amid sub-zero tempera-

tures, honor guards in traditional Korean
costumes cover their ears with their hands in
the middle of a performance rehearsal at the
training ground of the Defense Ministry in
Yongsan, Seoul. (Right, above)

Ondol for Lions — This One’s for Grandpa — Staff in tradi-

Lions warm themselves tional attire demonstrate ancestral food offer-
on outdoor floor heaters - ings during a Lunar New Year ritual on Jan.
Provided by the Seoul Grand Park

similar in concept to Korea’s 12 at the Namsan Hanok Village in Seoul.

traditional ondol heated (Right)
floors - at the Seoul Grand
Park Zoo. Park officials also
set up several floor heat-
ers inside cages, allowing

[NEWSIS]
lower-ranked lions to get
cosy. (Right)
 Korea through the Lens
Flying Koreans — A South Korean martial
art squad gives a taekwondo demonstra-
tion in front of India’s historic “Gateway
of India” monument in Mumbai Jan.
6. Members of the “K-Tigers,” a South
Korean taekwondo performance team, held
the demonstration to promote the martial
art in India.
[YONHAP]

No Business Like Snow Business — Culture Minister Yu In-chon, in red goggles, talks with
officials of the International Ski Federation on Jan. 17 on a ski slope at Hyundai Sungwoo Resort
in Gangwon Province, where the 2009 Snowboard World Championships were held from Jan.
14-24.

Feathered Friends — Diplomats from African countries are introduced to birds from the
continent at the opening of an exhibition hall for African animals on Jan. 7 in Everland, Gyeo-
nggi Province. From left: Hoida Bashir, the wife of the Sudanese ambassador to Seoul; Ahmed
Bourzaim, Moroccan ambassador to Seoul; Mohamed Abbas, Sudanese ambassador to Seoul;

[REUTERS]
Helen R. M. Kagwanja, a management officer at the Kenyan Embassy; and Kouassi Amena
Caterine, a secretary at the Cote d’Ivoire Embassy.

[YONHAP]
[JoongAng Ilbo]

From Latvia with Love — Ivars Godmanis, the prime minister of Latvia, cen-
ter, tours the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan, central Seoul, on Jan. 18.
Godmanis made a four-day visit to expand economic ties with South Korea.
 Korea through the Lens

Frozen Fish — More than 130,000 tourists thronged to the 7th Sancheoneo (Mountain Trout) Ice Festival held in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province.
On Jan. 11, when the temperature marked minus 6.3 degrees Celsius (20.6 Fahrenheit), visitors drilled holes in a frozen stream to fish for mountain
trout. Some brave souls even jumped into the icy flow to catch the fish bare-handed.

A Break from the Mundane — In early January, some 60 student monks - taking one bow after every three steps - proceed up the trail through a
fir tree forest that leads from the front gate of Woljeong Temple to its main compound. They are all students in a class for short-term monks run by
[JoongAng Ilbo]

[JoongAng Ilbo]

Woljeong Temple in Mount Odae, Gangwon Province. All had decided to begin the New Year by cultivating their minds at a Buddhist temple far re-
moved from urban life. This year saw many more applicants for the class. The Venerable Dongan, in charge of the teachings, said, “Due to economic
hardships, many people seem to need comfort.”
Business & Technology
Incheon’s Bridge to Tomorrow
With the world’s sixth-longest bridge soon to open on the Yellow Sea,
the nation’s Asian hub ambitions are taking their final shape.
T
he ongoing global economic
slowdown is torturing the con-
struction sector in Korea, with
many companies in the growth-
geared industry being examined as
restructuring targets.
However, there is one location that
is immunizing local building contrac-
tors against such distress.
In Incheon, the port city on the Yel-
low Sea that is also home to one of the
world’s largest international airports,
the cacophony of construction con-
stantly reverberates. The city is trans-
forming itself into an Asian hub with
major infrastructure and other con-
struction projects well underway.
Chief among them is the Incheon
Bridge. This project holds the potential
to give this western coastal city - and
eventually the entire Yellow Sea coast
- a major boost.
At 21.3 kilometers, it will be the
world’s sixth-longest bridge, and the
fifth-longest cable-stayed bridge. Hav-
ing started construction in 2005, the
bridge is already 88 percent complete,
according to the consortium of seven
local builders formed for this project,
led by Samsung Engineering and Con-
struction.
The bridge is scheduled to open for
use in October, or maybe earlier, if the
current construction pace is main-
38 korea February 2009
tained, the Samsung joint venture
said.
Last December, the 800-meter
(0.5-mile) segment between the
bridge’s two main towers was craned
into place, completing a 12.3 kilometer
maritime section. The bridge, includ-
ing the on-land sections, is aimed at
improving the logistics of the nation by
shortening the transportation distance
between the airport, Korea’s main
gateway to the world, and local cities.
It will link Incheon International
Airport on Yeongjong Island and New
Songdo City, a looming international
business district. The 2nd Gyeongin
Expressway and the planned 3rd Gyeo-
ngin Expressway as well as the West
Coast Expressway will also be con-
nected with the bridge.
The bridge is central to the nation’s
plan to use the Incheon Free Econom-
ic Zone, comprised of the Songdo, Yeo-
ngjong and Cheongna districts, as a
main pillar of its Northeast Asian
logistics hub ambitions.
The resources devoted to the bridge
are tremendous. The total cost is 2.09
trillion won ($1.53 billion). According
to Samsung JV, more than 200,000
people have been mobilized for the
project each year since construction
began. The number of pieces of heavy
machinery used on the site on a daily
basis has reached 100,000, including
27,500 large cranes and 52,000 tug-
boats. The total length of steel rebar
used is 127,000 meters, enough for
[JoongAng Ilbo]
7,500 apartment units.
Technical breakthroughs and cut-
ting-edge construction techniques are
putting the bridge at the center of
attention.
Each of the two main towers of the
bridge is 238.5 meters high - equivelent
to the height of the landmark 63-story
building in Yeouido, Seoul - and are far
higher than any other sea bridges in
Korea.
The whole bridge is designed to
resist natural disasters, including
72-meter-per-second typhoons and
earthquakes measuring seven on the
Richter scale.
Intrigued by the huge project,
media, both at home and abroad, have
scrambled to cover the bridge.
EBS, a state-sponsored education
broadcaster, filmed a documentary of
the project and aired it on the first day
of the New Year. The BBC and Nation-
al Geographic are among the foreign
media who have covered the construc-
tion.
Koreans hope the project will
brighten their future. Whether that
hope matches reality will be discovered
after the bridge opens in the fall.
February 2009 korea 39
 Business & Technology

TV Goes
High Tech
Provided by the KT

IPTV is set to change

Korea’s viewing habits.
Users learn how to order video-on-demand services
at KT’s IPTV center in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul.

R
emember when the television
set was referred to as the “idiot
box?” Things are about to
change.
Television in Korea has come a long
way since the launch of black-and-white
through IPTV operators.
Starting from this month however,
SK Broadband and LG Dacom joined
KT in providing full IPTV services. Last
December, the two also finalized deals
with the three networks to retransmit
channels and programs, the viewer can
buy the background music of certain
shows.
One sector that government and
IPTV providers expect will make huge
strides through the new system is edu-

services in 1956. With IPTV (Internet
protocol television) service starting this
year, residents will be able to come home
any time of day and watch TV shows
they missed with just a few clicks on
their remote control.
Watching television will now be like
watching a movie on DVD, in which
viewers can fast forward or rewind to
whichever part of the show they are
watching. These functions are all pos-
their programs.
Broadcasters had originally refused
to provide contents to IPTV providers
as they see IPTV as a threat to advertis-
ing revenues: With the new system,
viewers can skip ads. However, the gov-
ernment, one of the biggest supporters
of IPTV, prodded the networks to share
their content with the operators.
To further develop IPTV in Korea,
the government has announced that it
[JoongAng Ilbo]
cation. All three IPTV operators pro-
vide a variety of educational content, Samsung’s LED TV: slimmer than a cellphone.
including live, interactive lectures from
instructors.
This means that, for example, a teen-
ager who wants to listen to a lecture by
a popular English lecturer in Seoul’s
Gangnam district can do so just by turn-
ing on the TV. Interactive features, such
as microphones through which students
can pose questions to lecturers, are also
TV Goes on Diet

sible with IPTV’s VOD, or Video-on-
demand, service.
IPTV is a system in which TV and
high-speed Internet services converge
via a set-top box. Thus, instead of the
contents being delivered through broad-
cast or cable, the viewer receives pro-
grams through a broadband connec-
tion. In short, IPTV functions both as
TV and Internet.
The first company to offer full IPTV
services (including VOD) was KT, the
biggest landline operator in Korea, in
November last year. KT was the first to
strike deals with the country’s three
major broadcasting stations - KBS,
MBC and SBS - granting the company
permission to retransmit TV programs
40 korea February 2009
plans to invest 12.2 billion won ($8.8
million) over the next three years. Seoul
estimates this new business will create
36,000 jobs as well as profits of up to 8.9
trillion won by the end of 2013.
The key advantage of IPTV is its
interactivity. Besides being able to watch
TV programs they’ve missed through
VOD services, subscribers can shop on
home shopping channels by clicking
their remotes instead of calling.
And shopping doesn’t stop on home
shopping channels. If a viewer sees cer-
tain items worn by actors and actresses
in TV dramas or shows, they can - on
select channels - purchase the items or
see information about the products,
including price and size. Also for some
enabled.
The service is expected to be espe-
cially beneficial for children who reside
in remote regions, and so don’t have
easy access to high-quality private edu-
cation.
The Korea Communications Com-
mission reported to the central govern-
ment that it plans to spend 15 billion
won this year to upgrade high-speed
Internet infrastructures at around 3,000
schools nationwide in order for the
schools to be able to access educational
content through IPTV.
It also said that an additional 4 bil-
lion won will be invested to develop fur-
ther educational content with high-
quality instructors.
W
hen the world’s thinnest LED television was
unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show
(CES), North America’s largest technology
tradeshow, held last month in Las Vegas, it
proved that Korean companies have moved ahead of the com-
petition in the sector: The 6.5 millimeter thin screen was
developed by Samsung Electronics.
Samsung’s latest triumph overturns the Korean tech com-
pany’s previous record of an 8.9 millimeter thin set, show-
cased at the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA), one of the
world’s oldest consumer electronics tradeshows, in Berlin last
August.
In less than six months, Samsung Electronics managed to
shave more than 2 millimeters off its LED television.
The result? A Samsung TV is slimmer than the average
mobile phone, which is around 10 millimeters thick.
The breakthrough has not only increased the level of tech-
nology and the joy of entertainment, but also makes for better
decor than previous bulky apparatuses.
Noh Seung-man, with Samsung Electronics’ public rela-
tions team, said that with the development of the ultra-thin
LED television, Korea now has the advantage over Japanese
electronics manufacturer Sony, whose LED televisions are 9.9
millimeters thick.
Samsung’s new LED television adopts the Auto Motion
Plus 240Hz technology that delivers smoother images. Wide
Color ControlPro, provides diverse and rich colors, while
intelligent power-saving devices reduce energy spending.
In addition to the Plasma Display Panel (PDP) and the
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) markets, fierce competition
among global manufacturers of LED television sets is now
expected to increase in intensity.
Samsung now plans to increase the range of ultra slim
LED television models its offers.
February 2009 korea 41
 Business & Technology
[YONHAP]
World Content
Comes Online
In May, Korea’s new National
Digital Library opens.
42 korea February 2009
Hidden
Champions
Suntech:
Clear View Behind
A
midsize enterprise like Sun-
tech may not be a front-of-
mind brand, but the Korean
firm is the world’s leading
manufacturer of side mirror electronic
heaters. In December, the largely
unknown company won an export award
Inside the new National Digital Library given by the Korea International Trade
Association.
Six out of ten new cars in the world are
K
equipped with Suntech’s side mirror elec-
orea’s National Digital Library, which was com- tronic heaters, which get rid of winter
pleted in late December, will open to the public frost and dew on the mirror surface.
in May. Some of the world’s leading car brands,
The 38,014 square-meter building, with including Mercedes Benz, BMW, Volk-
three stories above ground and five below, is located in swagen, Hyundai, Kia, Volvo, Fiat,
the complex of the National Library of Korea in Seocho- Porsche, GM and Toyota mount the com-
dong, southern Seoul. It started test services in January. pany’s mirror heaters on their vehicles,
The National Digital Library goes beyond existing according to Suntech.
electronic libraries, which provide certain documents Suntech, founded in 1993, was the first
and data online. The new library aims to be a kind of
“digital hub,” which searches and links all documents and
data on the World Wide Web and enables library users to
Korean firm to develop side mirror heat-
ers and to compete with foreign manu-
facturers.
access them.
Its portal (address: www.dibrary.net) will be connect-
In 1998, Suntech started aiming overseas
and gradually increased its global market
ed with the world’s major libraries, such as the Library of share with its price competitive products.
Congress in the United States, and major Web databases Side Mirror Heater Suntech’s competitors in Britain and the
for arts, science and business to provide 100 million con- 60 percent of new cars world-
tents. The digital library also aims to collect 2.7 million wide carry a pair.
United States could not compete and
closed their side mirror heater business-
additional documents per year. es.
The documents and data will include government Suntech’s domestic market share is 80
policy documents and statistics scattered in various Web percent while its global market share is 60
sites, so that those who are interested in such information percent as of 2008, the company said. It
can access the data in one place - the National Digital exported $37.1 million worth of products
Library’s portal - instead of searching throughout cyber- between July 2007 and June 2008, which
space. is a 28 percent rise from a year earlier.
Moreover, the National Digital Library will provide a The company also developed hydrophilic
[JoongAng Daily]
User-Generated Content Studio, where people can shoot side mirrors, which are designed to pre-
and edit digital movies, a Digital Meeting Room with a vent water drops from being formed on
high-tech conference system, and a showroom of three- the mirror surface.
dimensional electronic books and others.
It uses “nano-coating technology” for
the mirror so that water drops spread
thinly instead of lumping together. Sales
Manager Kang Hong-shik said Suntech is
the third company in the world, behind
firms in Japan and Germany, to develop
hydrophilic side mirrors.
Local automakers had been using import-
ed hydrophilic side mirrors until two years
ago, but now Suntech holds 100 percent
of the Korean hydrophilic side mirror
market.
“We are about to sign export contracts
with foreign auto manufacturers and
may start exporting hydrophilic side mir-
rors this year,” Kang said.
The company aims to expand its market
in an effort to overcome the current eco-
nomic downturn. The fact that existing
markets in developed nations are shrink-
ing was also factored into Suntech’s deci-
sion to make inroads into new markets.
“We will start exporting to India, Russia
and Thailand this year, where markets
have been growing rapidly,” said Kang.
The company is close to signing a con-
tract with Indian customers, he added.
Suntech has been gradually expanding its
overseas presence.
It opened a factory on the outskirts of
Shanghai in 2002 and established anoth-
er Chinese factory in Jiangin City in south-
west China in 2004. It has an overseas
subsidiary in the United States.
“We had to deal with the specific needs
of U.S. customers in a timely manner,”
Kang said. “So we decided to establish a
U.S. subsidiary because of the time differ-
ence between Korea and the United
States.”
February 2009 korea 43
 Limitless Power:
The Sun is the Source
Energy and the environment are
important not only to us in the 21st
century but also to future genera-
tions.
Special
Series
The current energy problem
arose following the emergence of
03 fast-developing nations, such as the
BRICs after 2002, coinciding with
New Growth Engine Industries
the surge in the world’s demand for
natural resources and energy, result-
ing in soaring prices for materials
and energy resources. At current
rates, the world’s energy consump-
tion is projected to increase by more
than 60 percent by 2030.
The world’s economic growth in
the past century was fueled by cheap
energy sources such as petroleum,
coal and natural gas. However, these
resources are running out. Petro-
leum is estimated to run out in 46
years, while the time until depletion
of coal and natural gas is estimated at
174 years and 54 years, respectively.
Even if newly discovered reserves are
taken into account, such fuels can-
not meet demand, and sustainable
economic growth based on fossil
fuels is considered unlikely.
Furthermore, the increase in fos-
sil fuel consumption brought on by
economic growth has caused global
warming, climate change and other
environmental problems that have
deteriorated to such levels as to have
a direct impact on our everyday
lives.
In order to address such prob-
lems, enforcing limits on carbon
dioxide and other greenhouse gas
emissions is becoming mandatory
around the world.
After the United Nations Frame-
44 korea February 2009
work Convention on Climate Change
was established in 1992, the 1997
Kyoto Protocol and the 2007 Bali
Road Map and other international
measures have been introduced to
control greenhouse gas emissions.
Moves are being made to make it
compulsory for both developed and
developing nations to reduce green-
house gas emissions starting in
2013.
Using 225 million tons of oil
equivalent per year, Korea’s energy
consumption is about the 10th larg-
est in the world, and in 2007 the
value of the country’s energy imports
came in at $94.5 billion, equivalent
to 10 percent of its GDP. The country
is dependent on imported sources
for 97 percent of its energy require-
ments, and petroleum accounts for
45 percent of the country’s primary
energy source.
Early Stages
By contrast, the measures aimed
at solving the energy problem, such
as developing overseas resources,
improving energy efficiency and
developing alternative energy sourc-
es remain in their early stages. As of
2007, self-developed energy sources
only accounted for 4.2 percent of the
total, while energy produced from
renewable sources accounted for a
mere 2.3 percent of the total in 2006.
As such, Korea has a high consump-
tion energy structure dependent on
imported fossil fuels. This makes it
difficult for the country to react to
changes in the energy market, and
leaves it vulnerable to the social and
industrial impact of changes in inter-
Clean energy is no longer a dream - it is a
national oil prices.
Korea emits 590 million tons of
necessity. Today, nations including Korea are
greenhouse gases, equivalent to 3.3
percent of the amount produced by
seeking to harness the power of the sun.
the 38 nations with obligations to
reduce emissions. The country’s
greenhouse gas emissions are grow-
ing at the world’s fastest rate and its
amount produced is the 10th largest
in the world.
Under such circumstances,
depletion of energy resources and
climate changes are becoming prob-
lems that need addressing and
important factors that will decide the
future of the nation’s economy. Also,
as the world’s energy- and environ-
ment-related markets rapidly grow,
it is time for the country to develop
new engines for economic growth.
Renewable energy sources are at the
center of such trends, with particular
attention being directed towards
solar power as a core technology.
The sun is a limitless and clean
source of power. The energy the
earth’s surface receives from the sun
in one hour is equivalent to the
world’s annual energy consumption
and almost none of the greenhouse
gas associated with fossil fuels is pro-
duced from solar power.
Solar power generation is the
technique of obtaining electricity
directly from sunlight, at the core of
which lie solar cells, which convert
sunlight directly into electricity.
Early solar cells were used to
generate power on spacecraft and
their application to regular power
generation began to receive atten-
tion after the oil shocks of the
[YONHAP]
1970s.
February 2009 korea 45
 Pros and cons of various solar cells ‘Solar cells not only represent the means to
secure a renewable source of energy ... but
Solar cell Conversion Production cost Production cost Advantages Disadvantages
type efficiency ($/W) ($/W)
at present (%) (2007) (2010)

also new industries that fit green growth.’

Silicon wafer Module: 15-20 2.77 1.60 Technology well Heavy, high production
mass producible, developed, cost: high,
Stable material Inflexible, material shortage
Silicon thin film Module: 6-10 2.34 1.00 Active research into Low efficiency compared
commercialization, to crystalline silicon,
Relatively cheap,
flexible and light
CIGS Thin film Module: 11 1.00 High efficiency, stable Materials are scarce and
(Cell: 19.5) material, light and relatively little experience
flexible in the field compared to a-Si
Dye-sensitized Module: 7 0.60 Low cost, and Materials are unstable,
Special (Cell: 11) *(2015) flexibility allows large commercialization
Series range of uses technology
is underdeveloped
03
New Growth Engine Industries

As energy and environmental
issues become global problems, solar
cells have come to be considered as
one of the most viable renewable
energy technologies and countries
including Germany, Japan and the
United States have been at the fore of
solar power R&D and commercial-
ization efforts.
On Sept. 22, the new administra-
tion published the plans to develop
new growth industries that will pow-
er the country’s economy in five to
10 years in the future. The plans
include the visions and strategies for
22 industries in six areas, including
energy and environment, conver-
gent industries and knowledge-
based services. Solar cells are includ-
ed in the energy and environment
category.
Solar cell production has
increased by more than 40 percent
each year for the past five years and
in 2007 more than 4 gigawatts worth
were produced and production is
projected to reach 20 gigawatts worth
in 2010. In terms of value, solar cell
modules worth $15 billion were pro-
duced in 2007 which is expected to
rise to $50 billion in 2010. If the cur-
rent growth rate is maintained, the
scale of the solar cell market is pro-
jected to overtake that of memory
chips by 2015. According to the
report “Solar Generation IV-2007”
published by Greenpeace and the
European Photovoltaic Industry
Association, by 2030, electricity
from photovoltaics (PV) will be able
to supply 10 percent of the world’s
total electricity needs. The report
says the total power of installed pho-
tovoltaic power systems will have
risen to 1,272 gigawatts and the
global market will have grown to
$300 billion.
Growing Competition
Therefore, solar cells and PV
power generation not only represent
the means to secure a renewable
source of energy and respond to cli-
matic changes, but also new indus-
tries that fit into the government’s
green growth strategies.
As more people realize the
importance of the markets for solar
cells and PV power, the competition
between countries and corporations
is intensifying. China, Taiwan and
other nations that did not have strong
backgrounds in the area, as Germa-
ny and Japan did, have made inten-
sive investments and achieved sig-
nificant growth.
At present, first generation solar
cells - those made from crystalline
silicon - account for about 90 per-
cent of the market. However, prob-
lems with silicon supplies and con-
version efficiency and the high pro-
duction cost have prevented solar
cells from being economically com-
petitive and hampered the growth of
the solar power industry.
With the current technology, PV
power generation is between three to
10 times more expensive than con-
ventional power generation using
fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natu-
ral gas.
So, in order to overcome the
limitations of the first generation
solar cells and produce them more
cheaply, research organizations and
companies all over the world are try-
ing to develop next-generation solar
cells through technologies like thin
film, dye-sensitization, quantum
dots and nanotechnology.
Thin film solar cells are produced
from silicon or compound semicon-
ductors. Since they are much thinner
than crystalline silicon wafers - thin
films are between 2 and 3 microme-
ters, compared to crystalline silicon
wafers’ 250 to 300 micrometers -
they can be produced using only
about 1 percent of the materials
required for crystalline silicon wafer
production. The production process
is also more advantageous for mass
production as the process allows
large area solar cell modules to be
produced. As such, the production
cost is expected to be dramatically
lower with thin film solar cells.
At present, the production cost
of crystalline silicon solar cells is
about $3.50 to $4 per watt but that of
thin film solar cells is expected to
drop as low as $0.75 per watt.
In addition, because thin film
solar cell production is very similar
to that of semiconductors and dis-
plays, thin film solar cell production
is well-suited to Korea, which has
very strong capabilities in those
areas. In 2007, 400 megawatts of thin
film solar cells were produced, more
than double the 181 megawatts pro-
duced in 2006, and accounted for 12
percent of the market; the market
share in 2006 was 7 percent.
Once the problem of being less
efficient than crystalline silicon solar
cells is solved, the market share is
expected to rise further, topping 20
percent in 2012.
At present, thin film solar cells
are mainly being developed using
silicon and copper indium gallium
selenide compounds.
Silicon thin film solar cells were
first produced in single-layer form
using amophorous silicon and main-
ly developed to power small prod-
ucts like radios, toys and watches
instead of large scale power genera-
tion. Lately, however, silicon thin
film solar cells produced in multi-
junction or hybrid forms for
increased stability and efficiency
have been used in power genera-
tion.
The CIGS thin film solar cells
have also gained attention for their
use in space and for power genera-
tion, as they are a near match to crys-
talline silicon solar cells in terms of
efficiency, 19.9 percent in conver-
sion efficiency, and display a high
resistance to high-energy particles in
space.
In addition to developing thin
film solar cells to overcome the price
problem of crystalline silicon solar
cells, R&D activities for third-gener-
ation solar cells that can further
reduce production costs and dra-
matically increase the conversion
efficiency are also underway.
Since the early 1990s, dye-sensi-
tized solar cells produced from
organic materials using the princi-
ples of photosynthesis have been
developed. Since then research
aimed at commercializing the tech-
nology and improving their conver-
sion efficiency have been under way.
Because dye-sensitized solar cells
can be made transparent, it is expect-
ed that they can be used to produce
windows that double as power gen-
erating mechanisms.
Research institutions have been
leading studies into producing solar
cells with dramatically improved
conversion efficiency using quan-
tum dots and nanotechnology.
National Projects
In Japan, Europe, and the United
States, research to replace crystalline
silicon and develop solar cells that
are competitive with power genera-
tion through fossil fuels is underway
as a national project, and long-term
national R&D plans ending in 2030
have been set out.
The United States aims to reduce
the cost of PV power generation to
match that of conventional methods
by 2015 through the Solar America
Initiative program. To this end, the
United States has been making
extensive investments to develop
low cost, high efficiency solar cells.
Europe and Japan are carrying
out research to achieve predeter-
mined target efficiencies for differ-
ent solar cell materials. Europe and
Japan’s research efforts are also
focused on reducing the production
cost and improving the efficiency of
solar cells. Reducing costs by scaling
up the production facilities is also a
key element in the research.
In Korea, thin film solar cell

46 korea February 2009 February 2009 korea 47

 Changes in solar cell module production
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,256
1,000
750
560
401
202 287
Special 0 0
‘99 ‘00 ‘01 ‘02 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07
Series
Source: Ministry of Knowledge Economy
03
New Growth Engine Industries
research has mainly been led by aca-
demia and research institutes, and
commercialization of this technolo-
gy is being carried out or considered
by some private companies. How-
ever, Korea’s capabilities in the core
areas of technology are only at 70
percent to 80 percent of those of
other advanced countries. In partic-
ular, the country is far behind devel-
oped countries in terms of equip-
ment and manufacturing processes.
However, as those countries also
need to carry out much further
research, and Korea has strong capa-
bilities in the semiconductor and
display businesses, it is possible for
the country to quickly catch up with
them if efficient use of its human,
technological and industrial resourc-
es can be coupled with focused
investment. As the thin film solar
cell market is growing and the tech-
nological barrier is very high, thin
film solar cells could develop into an
industry that matches the semicon-
ductor and display industries, pro-
vided that Korea can use its techno-
logical capabilities to secure an
advantageous market position
quickly.
With the exception of dye-sensi-
tized solar cells, almost no research
into third generation solar cells is
being carried out in Korea.
48 korea February 2009
(Unit: megawatts)
Projections for crystalline silicon
solar cell and thin film solar cell production
40
4,279 35
30
25
2,536
20
1,815
15
10
1.1
5
0.5
0.2
2.4 3.8 6.3
‘06 ‘07 ‘08
With solar cell R&D expected to
pick up momentum in the future,
and research into solar cells with
ultra-high conversion efficiency
produced with quantum dots or
nanotechnology remaining in its
early stages even overseas, steady
investment in the area to secure core
technologies should be made.
Making it Possible
Once thin film solar cells and
third-generation solar cells make it
possible to increase conversion effi-
ciency and lower costs, solar power
generation will become possible,
which in turn will make it possible to
dramatically lower the cost of gener-
ating electricity.
In recent times, large scale solar
power plants have been constructed
around the world and PV power
plants with larger than 10 megawatt
capacities are also being installed in
Korea. For solar power generation to
really take off, PV plants’ capacities
need to go beyond megawatts into
the gigawatt range. However, for
countries like Korea that are small
and receive a relatively low intensity
of sunlight, it is difficult to secure
sufficient land to build gigawatt-
capacity PV power plants.
For such reasons, feasibility stud-
ies for constructing large-scale PV
(Unit: gigawatt)
3.4
2.6
2.0
1.5
12.6 21.3 28.0 33.6
‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12
Source: Photon international
power plants in deserts have been
underway for several years. Deserts
account for one-third of the earth’s
land surface and due to their large
area and the high amount of solar
radiation they receive, deserts are
considered ideal landscapes for solar
power plants.
According to some reports, cov-
ering the Gobi Desert’s 1.3 million
square kilometers with a 15 percent
conversion rate, solar cell modules
will generate 412 X 10 to the power
of 18 (412 quintillion) joules of ener-
gy on an annual basis, which is
equivalent to the energy contained
in the primary energy sources sup-
plied to the world in 2002. Con-
structing large scale PV power plants
in deserts will not only produce
energy but also help power agricul-
ture in the area to produce food and
support efforts to stop the desertifi-
cation of surrounding areas and the
reforestation of the desert itself.
Although such a project would
require the cooperation of China,
Mongolia and other nations, such
projects demand sustained attention
as a potential consumer of locally
produced solar cells and to increase
the use of renewable energy sources
in Korea.
The government has set three
tasks in its plans to develop thin film
‘With solar cell R&D expected to pick up in
the future ... steady investment to secure
core technologies should be made.’
solar cells and third-generation solar
cells into a new economic growth
engine. The first is to establish mass
production facilities for solar cells;
the second task is to develop the fun-
damental and commercial technolo-
gies; and the third task is to develop
practical technologies by construct-
ing and operating large scale PV
power plants.
The task of establishing a mass-
production systems for thin film
solar cells aims to increase the effi-
ciency of the cells and develop mate-
rials, processes and related equip-
ment with local technologies to lower
the costs in industry-academia-re-
search collaboration and to support
the private sector in establishing
mass production systems for thin
film solar cells. For third-generation
solar cells, state-run research institu-
tions and university research institu-
tions will work together, while
research and corporate organizations
will collaborate to commercialize the
technology and establish cooperative
relations with advanced research
bodies from overseas.
Feasibility studies for large scale
solar power plants will be carried out
and candidate regions will be select-
ed, with aims to develop facilities and
operating technologies suited for
Korea.
Also, ways to increase interna-
tional cooperation with China and
Mongolia will be sought.
By developing next-generation
solar cells that can overcome the
price and production cost problems
of crystalline silicon solar cells and
create a new growth engine industry,
it is hoped that $26 billion in exports,
$7.4 billion added value and 300,000
new jobs will be created by 2018.
In addition, carbon dioxide emis-
sions will be reduced by 14.3 million
tons and secure 4.5 million TOE of
energy.
The PV power business, includ-
ing solar cells, is a wide ranging sec-
tor that spans from materials and Song Jin-soo
modules to system construction. The Korea Institute of Energy Research
industry will also have a great effect
on energy-industry-environment by Song Jin-soo is a principal researcher at
reducing imports through the devel- the Korea Institute of Energy Research
opment of materials, modules, equip- and the president of the Korea Society
ment and power plant construction, for New & Renewable Energy. Song re-
while increasing exports and creating ceived his Ph.D. in electrical engineering
new industries. at Korea University and worked at the
Therefore, the solar cell industry Argonne National Lab and at the Univer-
should be nurtured as the new growth sity of Minnesota, United States.
engine that can replace the semicon-
ductor and display industries, as it fits He is a member of IEEE, ISES, New York
into the government’s vision of green Academy of Sciences, WEC Solar Power
growth that can contribute to achiev- Committee, IEA/PVPS Executive Com-
ing the vision of $40,000-GDP per mittee, and IEC TC82.
capita. 
By Song Jin-soo E-mail: jsong@kier.re.kr
February 2009 korea 49
Sports

Shin Swings Park Aims

into LPGA at FA Cup
P
Korea’s latest female golf sensation ark Ji-sung, the Korean midfielder who plays for Man U’s Korean weapon
reigning British Premier League champions
is taking fame ‘one step at a time.’ Manchester United, is a goal-oriented athlete. It’s
hunts more goals in 2009.
no surprise, then, that his goals for 2009 include,
well, scoring more goals.
“I’m quite happy with my performance but I need to
score more goals,” he told U.K. sports channel Setanta in
January. “I haven’t scored enough this season. One goal is
not enough.
“I can’t get 20, but maybe 10 goals would be good,”
Park added.
Even so, Park has been a valuable play maker on the
pitch and has found himself in United’s regular starting
lineup on a consistent basis. Last year, Man U won the
Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, and most
recently, grabbed the FIFA Club World Cup trophy.
In early January, Park was recognized for his deeds in
2008. He was named “Asian Player of the Year” at the
inaugural Super Awards, presented by Abu Dhabi-based
Super Magazine, and sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Sports
Council.
“I am honored to win it,” Park said in a video message.
“I hope to continue to do my best to help Asian football

[JoongAng Ilbo]
and footballers to progress.”
There is more good news on the horizon for Park. His
contract with United runs until June 2010 and the team
coach Alex Ferguson recently told BBC that Park “will be
offered a contract.” Ferguson also said, “Ji [Ji-sung] has

L
PGA Tour, beware: Here comes Shin Ji-yai. The
20-year-old Korean phenom will become a full-
fledged LPGA Tour member in the 2009 season. But
unlike those who must pass through the grueling
qualifying tournaments, Shin took a much shorter route:
She won LPGA tournaments in 2008 to get her playing
card.
Last year, Shin became the first non-LPGA member to
notch three tour victories in a season. Those three victories
came in three different countries, the United States, Japan and
the United Kingdom, where she became the youngest-ever
champion of the Women’s British Open.
Overall, Shin won 11 times worldwide last year, including
seven victories on the Korea LPGA Tour. KLPGA players will
the youngster’s challenge.
The timing of Shin’s emergence could hardly be better.
The LPGA Tour lost a legend in Annika Sorenstam, who
retired to start a family and focus on business ventures, but,
as The New York Times reported, may be gaining a new star
in Shin.
While her English is not on the level of her game, Shin
hasn’t shied away from giving interviews in English and has
proven she can blend in with the crowd. After her Women’s
British Open victory, one reporter gushed, “I think you are
very charming, and your smile is very beautiful.”
Entering her LPGA rookie season, Shin has already set a
goal. “I’d like to win the Rookie of the Year honors,” she said.
“A lot of people want me to become the best in the world
been fantastic for us and is one of our most consistent
players.”
Park is aiming his boot at one particular goal this year.
For all the championships and trophies he’s won with
Man U, one thing is missing: The FA Cup, or the Football
Association Cup, which is open to hundreds of clubs in
England and Wales under the auspices of the sport’s gov-
erning body in England.
Park has won the equivalent of the FA Cup with teams
in Japan and the Netherlands. “We’ve never won the FA
Cup since I’ve been here,” Park said. Man U has the won
more FA Cups (11) than any other English team, but its
last one was in 2004, the year before Park joined the
team.
“To win one in England, and at Wembley [England’s

[YONHAP]
likely be glad to see Shin plying her trade full-time Stateside, right away but I think it’s still early. I will it take one step at national football stadium] no less, would really be some-
meaning it will be U.S.-based golfers who will have to fend off a time.” thing” he said.
50 korea February 2009 February 2009 korea 51
Travel Travel

Provided by Korail
All Aboard for Luxury: ‘Sun Train’ is Rolled Out
52 korea February 2009 February 2009 korea 53
Travel
Above: A restaurant car inside Haerang
Left: En-suite sleeper.
Below: A train attendant in the lounge.
D
[JoongAng Ilbo]
ONGHAE – Soft
music wafts out of a
loudspeaker in the
corner of my room
as the train chugs into Chuam
Station.
I open the curtain, half
awake. It’s a quarter past six, and
it’s still dark outside. After a wake
up call, our group gathers in the
lounge in the center of the train
for a quick coffee. We’re heading
to see the sunrise, a ritual that
many Koreans cherish as a sign
of hope.
The trip to Chuam is part of
a three-day package deal orga-
Tour Information nized by “Haerang,” an upscale
Haerang offers four package tours. “Haeoreum” is a two- sleeper train launched by the
day route which stops at Jikjisa Temple, Gyeongju, and Korea Railroad in November.
Chuam. “Simile,” also a two-day trip, heads to Mokpo Haerang, meaning “Sun Train,”
for a ferry ride, stops at Suncheon for sightseeing then harks back to the days of the Ori-
proceeds to Namwon, the home of Chunhyang, heroine ent Express, and promises trav-
of a popular folk tale. “Channuri,” a three-day tour, takes ellers “a rail cruise.”
in Gwangju, Busan, Gyeongju and Chuam for a sunrise. The idea of the trip works
“Aura,” also a three-day tour, stops at Mokpo, Gyeongju exactly like a sea cruise. The train
and Chuam. All routes leave and return to Seoul Station. stops at major stations across the
A package deal with a family room, which comes with a country. You tour the stop dur-
bunk bed and a private shower, is 797,000 won ($580) per ing the day, hop back aboard the
person. A suite with a sofa and a tea table is 1,160,000 train and move on to the next
won per person. Free drinks, fruit and light snacks are destination.
available in the lounge, and the trip often includes live The family room where I am
music performances. staying is furnished with a bunk
Information: Tel: (042) 609-4905; Web: www.korail.com bed next to a private shower
54 korea February 2009
Travel
(with luxurious amenities and a
blow dryer), TV and a humidi-
fier. The berths get plusher as
you move further toward the
back of the train. A suite comes
complete with a sofa and a tea
table facing the window, next to
a king-sized bed.
In a lounge next to the cor-
ridor of a sleeper section, guests
munch on complimentary bis-
cuits and fruits from the counter
as they play with laptops, watch
TV or enjoy the scenery blur by.
At night, restaurants serve com-
plimentary drinks and snacks,
and live bands are invited on
board to sing along with the
guests.
Haerang offers four package
tours. “Aura,” the route I joined,
leaves Seoul, stops at Mokpo for
a ferry ride, heads to Gyeongju
for a night tour, on to Chuam
and then back to Seoul after a
three-day tour.
After a ferry ride in Mokpo
and some brief sightseeing in
Tongyeong, we head to Gyeo-
ngju, the highlight of the tour.
The day tour is fully guided when
you sign up for a package at
Haerang. After getting off the
train, the guests are escorted to
February 2009 korea 55
 Travel
Sun rises over ‘Candle Rock’
in Chuam, on the peninsula’s
eastern coast.
different sites by bus.
‘It’s certainly a new and The train arrives at Gyeo-
ngju, the capital of the Silla King-
convenient way to travel
the country.’
dom (57 B.C. to 935 A.D),
around early evening. The his-
toric sites around Gyeongju are
beautifully illuminated after
sunset.
After a traditional meal, we’re
taken on “a moonlit tour,” which
includes a trip to Cheomseong-
dae, Korea’s oldest observatory,
the royal tombs and Anapji
Pond, part of Silla’s palatial com-
plex.
The path along the Anapji
Pond is a tranquil walk. A range
[JoongAng Ilbo]
of ancient royal vessels and arti-
cles, accidentally dropped into
the water during banquets held
A visit to Cheomseongdae, a famous granite observatory in in the outdoor pavilions sur-
Gyeongju, South Gyeongsang, proved one of the tour high- rounding the pond, have been
lights. discovered here.
56 korea February 2009
Moving on, Cheomseongdae
is the oldest observatory in Asia.
It was built in 632 during the
reign of Queen Seondeok, the
first of three female rulers of the
kingdom. It’s made of granite
with a window in its tower.
The train leaves Gyeongju
around 9:30 p.m. In the lounge,
a live folk singer is joined by a
group of middle-aged women
who seem more interested in
belting out their own favorite
songs than listening to other
people’s music.
“Originally we planned on
going to Myanmar, but we came
here instead,” says Gong Gyeo-
ng-ok, a passenger from Seoul
who was joined by three friends
who met through their hus-
bands’ jobs. “It’s certainly a new
and very convenient way to trav-
el the country.”
Next morning we arrive at
our key destination: The train
pulls into a station overlooking
the sandy beach of Chuam. The
sunrise here became a major
tourist attraction after featuring
in the short film marking the end
of daily television programing, in
which the national anthem plays
and scenic clips around the pen-
insula are shown.
After watching the sunrise,
we head to a nearby hot spring
for a morning bath. On the way
back to Seoul, the train makes a
brief stop for a photo session at
Chujeon Station, the highest in
Korea, at 855 meters above sea
level.
By the time the train reaches
the outskirts of Seoul, dusk is
falling.
Seoul: Asia’s No. 1 Destination
P eople in China, Japan and Thai-
land identified Seoul as the city
they most wanted to visit among the
world’s major capitals this year.
In a survey by Nielson Korea,
released recently as part of Seoul Met-
ropolitan Government’s strategy on
overseas marketing, about 13.9 per-
cent of Chinese said Seoul was the city
they wanted to visit the most.
The result marked a clear differ-
ence from the same survey done in
May, when Seoul was fourth (7.3 per-
cent) in the rankings of preference
among the world’s major cities. Paris,
Tokyo and Sydney were the favorite
cities according to Chinese who
responded to the last survey. Thais
voted Seoul their favorite in both sur-
Travel
veys. Japanese, who picked Honolulu
as their most preferred location in
May, voted Seoul this time.
The change in Seoul’s global image
is down to the city government’s
expanded investment in overseas mar-
keting, to the tune of around 4 billion
won (S2.9 million) on TV, Internet,
newspaper and bus ads last year
“More people outside of Korea are
expressing their interest to visit Seoul
and we have seen positive results in the
rate of increase,” said Kang Cheol-won
an official at Seoul government’s PR
department. “The city will continue
investing in overseas marketing in the
next three to four years to show sig-
nificant results in the world tourism
market.”
February 2009 korea 57
 Fashion

Trend Tips for ‘09:

The Seoul
Collection
Provided by the Seoul Fashion Center

Lee Moon-hee
The S/S Seoul Collection fashion show, held annually, sets
the tone for women’s fashion for the upcoming year. The
latest event featured 41 of the very best domestic designers
and their trendy threads. If you want to strut ahead of the
crowd and lead the fashionista pack in 2009, take note of
the following tips.

1. Out with mini skirts, in with volume skirts:

For the spring months, if you want to accentuate your fem-
inine side, add a little volume to your outfit. Several design-
ers including An Yoon-jung, Vack Yuun-zung and Lee
Moon-hee showed protruding shoulder lines, puff sleeves
and volume skirts.

An Yoon-jung
Tip: A glamorous silhouette can give off a lively, animated
and feminine look but it’s tricky in that, if not pulled off right,
it can also look heavy. Stick to toned-down colors such as
white, black, blue and green.

58 korea February 2009 February 2009 korea 59

 Fashion

3. Zig-zag stripes:
Stripes are back in this year - but
not the regular stripes we’re used
to seeing. Kim Young-joo show-
cased stripes adding a little glitter
to the fabric. Shin Young-jae, on
the other hand, added geometric
and disco-inspired striped pat-
terns to black and white fabrics.
Tip: Stripes can get boring in a
hurry, so try to add a little shine
and glitter to the stripes, or wear
uneven striped patterns.

Shin Young-jae

Gee Choon-hee
Ha Sang-beg
Park Herin
Cho Sung-kyung
4. Black and white polka dots:
For those who prefer black, grey, char-
coal or other dark tones, designers are
recommending polka-dot prints. Lee 6. Make full use of Versatile plaid for low-key or attention-grab-
Moon-hee presented a white polka- bing looks:
dot pattern on black, while Cho Sung- Plaid will be at the center of 2009 trends and was prominently featured
gyung showed off a beige colored one- at the latest S/S fashion show. While it was popular last year, the differ-
Provided by the Seoul Fashion Center

piece with black chiffon fabric with ence this year seems to be in the subtle plaid on silk or shiny fabric.
polka-dot patterns. Tip: If you decide to choose a shiny plaid top, match it with a dark-toned
Tip: An entire outfit with polka dots is skirt.
Vack Yuun-zung

Kim See-yang
a bit extreme; it’s better to add some
polka dots to your wardrobe with 7. Eco fashion and natural colors:
accessories such as scarves and belts. A number of designers including Lee Young-hee used fabrics such as
hemp along with natural dye colors.
Tip: You don’t have to coordinate an entire outfit with traditionally dyed
fabrics. Instead, try to match it with a simple white tee shirt or jeans.
Lee Bomi

8. The bold, ethnic look:

2. Show some skin with “skin color” fabric: It’s the revival of the 60s and 70s trend as the retro, ethnic one-piece look
It’s not a bold prediction but an obvious one. Within two is making a comeback.
years, chiffon and lace as well as skin black and skin pink Tip: Look for big patterns as they can make you look slimmer. You can
colors will be commonly seen. Vack Yuun-zung’s line fea- also try colorful patterned mini dresses.
tured light, see-through fabrics and An Yoon-jung’s work 5. Add a little shine for a futur-
featured soft lines through polyester and silk-washed lin- istic style: 9. Accessorizing with flowers is all the rage:
en. Maybe it’s a reaction to the retro That’s right, flower patterns were prominent last year as well, but what’s
Tip: Although you can’t go wrong with chiffon, it might be trend, but many designers different this year is flowers are being used as accessories in corsages or
better to focus on color. Thin fabrics and laces along with showed off futuristic lacy outfits headbands.
black, pink and green see-throughs can enhance the soft at 2009 S/S. The difference is in Tip: Try to match the color of the outfit with the flower accessory.
silhouette feel. the fabrics, which are shiny or
sparkly. 10. Choose loose, one-piece dresses for masculine lines:
Tip: If the thought of wearing a Loose clothing which gives off a unisex image will continue to be popu-
shiny outfit does not do it for you, lar this year. While loose tee shirts were in last year, this year’s variations

Lee Young-hee
try on some beads or a simple will include suits and one-piece dresses.
white tee shirt with a shiny col- Tip: If not done right, loose shirts can make you look overweight. Add a
ored skirt. loose belt as a styling tool to overcome this.

60 korea February 2009 February 2009 korea 61

People
K
im Hong-bin, a 44-year-old
Korean mountaineer, became
the first handicapped person
in the world to conquer the
highest peaks on all seven continents
after climbing Vinson Massif, the high-
est mountain in Antarctica at 4,897
meters (16,066 feet), on Jan. 2.
Kim was a confident climber in his
mid-twenties when he reached the
Kim Hong–bin Himalayan summits of Mount Everest
in 1989 and Mount Nanga Parbat in
1990.
Then, in a 1991 attempt on Mount
McKinley, disaster struck. He fell asleep
from fatigue and was rescued 16 hours
later. Frostbite claimed all of his fingers,
leaving Kim with stumps.
Kim returned to Korea after three
months of treatment at a hospital in
Alaska. The former athlete found
it impossible to lead an everyday
life without help from others.
“I couldn’t even eat by myself,”
Kim said. “I was tempted to take
my own life several times.”
However, with encourage-
ment from his colleagues, Kim’s
iron will reasserted itself: He got
back on his feet and began train-
ing more rigorously than ever.
“Since I cannot take advan-
tage of climbing equipment such
as ropes, sticks and ice axes, I
have to build up my physical
62 korea February 2009
High Peaks, Iron Will
A terrible accident that robbed him of his hands
has only heightened his determination to climb.
strength,” he said.
Kim made a successful comeback as
a mountaineer on Mount Elbrus, the
highest peak in Europe (5,642 meters),
in July 1997. Two months later, he added
Mount McKinley, which had once dis-
abled him, to his conquests.
“I declared that I would conquer the
highest peaks on all seven continents.
People cheered me in my presence, but
I know most were skeptical about my
plan,” Kim said.
Due to his handicap, Kim always
needs help from fellow climbers or
accompanying porters - even for such
basic activities as putting on his socks,
lacing up his hiking boots or unzipping
his pants to relieve himself.
Despite the extraordinary challeng-
es he faced, however, Kim finally suc-
People
ceeded in conquering the highest moun-
tains on all seven continents, including
Mount McKinley (6,194 meters), Mount
Kilimanjaro in Africa (5,895 meters),
Mount Aconcagua in South America
(6,959 meters), Mount McKinley in
North America (6,194 meters), Mount
Kosciuzsko in Oceania (2,228 meters),
Mount Everest in Asia (8,848 meters)
and most recently, Vinson Massif in
Antartica.
all.
It took him 11 years to accomplish it
“If the accident at Mount McKinley
hadn’t happened, I would have remained
an ordinary climber.” he said. “The
hardship made me challenge the seem-
ingly impossible. I overcame the handi-
cap a mountain gave me by climbing
mountains.”
Kim has now set a new goal:
conquering the world’s 14
8,000-meter peaks.
He has already accomplished
four - the second peak of Mount
Gasherbrum in the Himalayas
(8,053 meters), Mount Shisha
Pangma’s South Wall (8,027
meters), Mount Everest (8,848
meters) and Mount Makalu
(8,463 meters).
“Even if I encounter difficul-
ties in the course of advancing on
my new goal, I will never give
up!” he said.
February 2009 korea 63
People People

[JoongAng Ilbo]
Record-breaking Surgeon
D
r. Lee Seung-kyu, a 60-year-
old surgeon at Seoul’s Asan
Medical Center and a world-
renowned specialist in liver
transplantation, has established a new
world record: 326 liver transplants in
cent.
U.S. broadcaster ABC News report-
ed on Dec. 23, 2008 that the new world
record set by Lee’s team was made pos-
sible because of strong and dedicated
teamwork centering around Lee.
planting livers from two people to one
person, for the first time in the world in
2000.
While a liver transplant with living
donors takes far more time and work
than a transplant from a deceased donor,

Shin Young-soo
Seoul National University Professor Shin
Young-soo, takes over the regional director
positionship of the World Health Organiza-
tion’s Western Pacific Area in February.
2008.
Lee and his surgical team, who
pulled off 100 liver transplant surgeries
in 1999, broke the 200 mark in 2004 and
reached 320 cases in 2007. Last year,
they surpassed their own record by per-
forming 326 liver transplant operations.
Their success rate is as high as 96 per-
With an unusually strong family-
type bond, they are known as “Lee’s
Dream Tream.”
Lee earned fame when he succeeded
in Korea’s first living donor liver trans-
plantation, or LDLT, on a child in 1994;
LDLT on adults three years later; and a
dual graft LDLT, which involves trans-
most liver transplants in Korea are still
conducted with live donors due to a
dearth of donated organs.
A graduate of Seoul National Uni-
versity College of Medicine, the top-
ranking medical school in Korea, Lee
has served at Asan Medical Center since
1989.

Doctor to 1.8 Billion

A
t the age of 66, Shin Young-
soo is about to open a new
chapter of his life as he
becomes doctor to 1.8 billion
people. In February, this seasoned med-
ical professor at Seoul National Univer-
sity is to start his term as the regional
director of the Western Pacific area of
the World Health Organization. After a
formal confirmation at the organiza-
tion’s board later this month, Shin is set
to move to Manila, Philippines, where
he is to lead a 1,000-member staff. As a
regional director, Shin will handle 30
member countries, including China,
office at Seoul National University,
Korea’s top school where he earned his
first degree in medical science, Shin
went on to explain the importance of his
new job. “Experts share a concern that,
within 10 years, a number of epidemics
will rage across the world. Something
has to be done.”
Shin is all set to do that something.
Prior to the election for the position last
year in September, Shin was an active,
hands-on campaigner, visiting as many
countries as he could, including small
island nations such as Tuvalu. His mind
is now brimming with plans for a guard-
money and lack of hospitals, I made up
my mind to devote myself to the needy,”
he said. That decision changed the
course of his life; he went on to Yale Uni-
versity, where he became the first Kore-
an expert in the area of medical man-
agement.
After returning to Korea, he was
appointed professor at Seoul National
University in his 20s, where he led a
reformist wave. He built Korea’s medical
insurance system and started medical
management classes at his alma mater.
Such were his contributions that he is
often called the “godfather” of the med-

Japan, Australia and of course Korea.
The total population of this area reaches
1.8 billion.
“The Western Pacific region has
about one third of the world’s popula-
tion, and it is home to a variety of dis-
ian system that will cope with epidemics
and global warming issues.
A management expert, Shin first
entered the medical field with the dream
of becoming a doctor. At Seoul Nation-
al University Medical School, however,
Lee Seung-kyu
ical scene of Korea.
Meanwhile, he kept close ties with
the World Health Organization as his
best friend, the late Lee Jong-wook, was
the first Korean to head the agency. Is he
pursuing the same path as his friend?

[JoongAng Ilbo]
eases such as SARS and Avian Influen- he changed his mind, after volunteering “I just do my best wherever and Dr. Lee Seung-kyu of Seoul’s Asan Medical
za,” Shin noted. “It is a huge responsibil- in rural villages that lacked hospitals. whenever.,” he said with a smile. “That’s Center set a world record in 2008 for 326
ity to take care of the area.” From his “Watching people who suffer for lack of my job.” liver transplants.

64 korea February 2009 February 2009 korea 65

Foreign Viewpoints
Endorsing
Expatriate
Lifestyle
Having lived in Korea in two
different periods, Les Edwards
finds expatriate life today far
more convenient than it once
was.
Les Edwards is a New Zealander and
advertizing executive who has spent fifteen
years living in Korea while working for DDB
Worldwide in Seoul over two periods, most
recently since 1999 as Vice President at
Lee & DDB Inc.. In 2006 Les was conferred
Honorary Citizenship of Seoul by the Mayor
and the Seoul Metropolitan Government for
service to the international business com-
munity and the city of Seoul.
He is Chairman of the NZ Chamber of Com-
merce in Korea and has actively served on a
number of advisory groups counseling the
central and local governments on foreign
direct investment and lifestyle issues.
66 korea February 2009
B
ing a long-term foreign resi-
dent , my opinion of Korea has
evolved over time from one of
ambivalence to one of a real
fan of the nation, the people and the
lifestyle offered.
As a relatively young middle manag-
er in the advertising business in Austra-
lia, South Korea was far from my mind
as midnight tolled in the new year 1991.
My impressions of Korea were defined
by the familiar theme music for the
hit TV series, M.A.S.H. and then-fresh
memories of Seoul successfully host-
ing the XXIV Olympiad just three years
previously, despite worldwide concerns
about democracy (or lack of it), lan-
guage and pollution.
Out of the blue, an opportunity arose
to live and work in Korea; an opportu-
nity that lasted for the next five years.
Life as an expatriate in those days was
quite difficult as we were few and far
between, Korea was fiercely proud of its
homogeneity, and there were enormous
differences in working and social habits,
coupled with a distinct lack of Western
foods and other home comforts.
It could be said that our opinion of
Korea at that time reflected the coun-
try’s ethos and the usually polluted sky
above - introspective and grey.
Leaving Korea in 1996 it was abun-
dantly clear that the highly leveraged foi-
bles of chaebol economics cast a heavy
cloud over the country. That cloud burst
in what is now commonly referred to as
the “IMF financial crisis” of 1997. We
gave it little thought; we never expected
to return. But in light of changes Korea
brought about by resolving the crisis,
including looking outward to the world
for finance and business partnerships,
my company had restructured its busi-
ness in Seoul and advised that things
“had greatly changed for the better.”
The change in the energy and attitude
of the people and the vibe of the city
and country was indeed immediately
apparent. Before, there had been an
introspective approach to business and
life; now there was an openness and ac-
ceptance by many of new and different
ways of the world. We decided we liked
this “new Korea.” Exactly three years
after leaving in 1999, we returned. And
ten years later we are still here.
Survival for foreigners in Korea, from
the point of view of finding the com-
forts of “home,” is so much easier these
days. The numbers of Koreans who have
studied and lived abroad, and who have
now returned to work and live here,
is large and growing every day. Many
of these “returned Koreans” miss the
foods, fashions and lifestyles enjoyed in
London, New York and Sydney as much
as we do, and the entrepreneurs among
them are creating import businesses,
shops and restaurants that bring more
and more of our home comforts to Ko-
rea.
The prevalent cuisine is of course
Korean, which is delicious and a must
to try. There is growing experimentation
among Korean chefs, creating a fusion
of Korean and Western foods and tastes
that is terrifically appealing.
For anyone heading for a new desti-
nation, a major concern is personal safe-
ty. There is a strong consensus among
friends of many different nationalities
that Korea has to be one of the safest
places on the planet. Koreans are kind
and honest, and their inherent honesty
ans respect for others’ property, coupled
with an improving caliber of interna-
tional schools, makes Korea particularly
enjoyable for us as parents with young
children.
Korea is constantly being rejuve-
nated with wonderful projects like the
Cheonggye Stream and Seoul Forest de-
velopments, the ongoing renaissance of
the Han River, and the high speed rail
system that makes the majestic country-
side and other cities easily accessible.
Our opinion of Korea these days re-
flects the country’s ethos and the usual-
ly clear skies above - vibrant and bright.
We love living in Korea, enjoying all it
has to offer. There is so much more to
this country than is, perhaps, perceived
from afar.