korea magazine [june 2011 vol. 7 no. 6]
TRANSCRIPT
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People & Culture
june 2011
IS
SN:2005-2162
www.korea
jindo islanda phenomenon of
land and sea
WHiTE collar bandsbecoming rock
stars by night
korEandancE
THE EvoluTion of TradiTional forms
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Contents june 2011 VOL.7 NO.06
02
24
38
publisher Seo Kang-soo,
Korean Culture and Information Service
editing HEM KOREA Co., Ltd
e-mail [email protected]
printingSamsung Moonhwa Printing C
All right reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced in
any form without permission from
KOrea and the Korean Culture and
Information Service.
The articles published in KOreado
not necessarily represent the views of
the publisher. The publisher is not liablefor errors or omissions.
If you want to receive a free copy of
KOreaor wish to cancel a subscription,
please e-mail us. A downloadable PDF
file of KOrea, and a map and glossary
with common Korean words appearing
in our text are available by clicking on the
thumbnail of KOreaon the homepage
ofwww.ko..
11-1110073-000016-06
02cover story
Korean traditional dance grows with the times.
12pen & brush
Artist Park Seo-bo is a pioneer of modernism.
16people
Professor Kym Hyo-gun ties logic with music.
20
great koreanHyechos epic travels took him to the Silk Road.
22seoul
Teheranno combines beauty and convenience.
24travel
Peek into the splendors of Jindo Islands nature.
28festival
The Ganghwa Mugwort Festival boosts health.
29flavor
Enjoy cool naengmyeon noodles in summer.
30now in korea
A movement of workers bands gains speed.
34special issue
Commemorate fallen allies of the Korean War.
36special issue
Hallyu finds new strength in Europe.
38summit diplomacy
President Lee Myung-bak visits Europe.
42global korea
More doctors volunteer for overseas posts.
46my korea
A look into the charms of Gosa ceremonies.
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over story
he deinition o Korean dance is being stretched to include not jutraditional dances rom the past, but new ballets depicting Koreandances that weave traditional motions into the modern and even tremarkably popular iterations o bboy crews eatured in tourismadvertisements. by CedarBough Saeji | photographs by Park Jeong-roh
Dancers perform in the National Dance Company of Korea
Y
on
hap
News
Agency
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4|korea| june 2011 www.k
solo violinist in a black suit and
dora walks across the stage, playing
haunting melody rom the classical
Western tradition as an overhead
potlight leaves his ace shadowed by
s hat brim. As the music changes,
he stage lights reveal ve women in
hite, shoulderbaring dresses, gliding
ramatically across the stage on their
es beore pausing in longlimbed
xtension. Although still perormed on
Western instruments, the music changes
the tune o a Korean olk song sped
p to double time to accompany the
ow violent and explosive movements
the dancers. Tis is the opening o
oul, Sunfower, a ulllength modern
ance concert borrowing elements
om Korean traditional dance. It is
so one o the major touring pieces in
he repertoire o the National Danceompany o Korea.
National dance companies tend to
ature the cultural heritage deemed
uthentic to their own locale, so it
not surprising that the company,
unded in 1962, originally ocused on
orean traditional dance. However,
gayageum (12string Korean zither) into
the piece Please, Catch Me.
KOREA sat down with Ahn in a
quiet cae in Itaewon to talk with her
about traditional dance, her most recent
work, Dancing or Grandmother, and
her upcoming presentation o her piece
Princess Bari at the Edinburgh Fringe
Festival in August 2011. Princess Bari is
the wellloved Korean story o a earless
and devoted daughter who ventures
to the underworld to bring back the
water o lie or her ailing ather. In this
perormance, Ahn incorporates our
traditionallytrained dancers, apansori
singer to belt out the tale and musicians
playing Korean traditional instruments
to use Korean tradition with modern
dance. Combining these traditional
elements with a more empowering re
interpretation o the tale, Ahn usestraditional and modern dance to create
a moving, awardwinning production,
which showcases the best o dance
in Korea. An MBC reporter closed
her news spot on the Princess Bari
series saying, Culture rom Korean
antiquity has been given new lie in this
unstoppably modern work, a sentiment
that properly encapsulates much o what
is happening in the modern dance world
in Korea today.
I am much interested in
incorporating traditional elements into
my choreography, Ahn says. People
usually believe that tradition has to be
presented in a certain specic way, but
I dont think so. radition continues
to change, and I also want to take my
roots, these Korean stories and Korean
consciousness, and create something
new. A similar motivation seems to
have even spread to the world o ballet.
Although ballet, a classic o the Western
dance canon, is unlikely to adopt the
use o Korean movement or dancers
trained in Korean traditional dance, the
Universal Ballet Company has added
the ballets Shim Chungand Te Loveo Chunhyangto their repertoire, and
the Korea National Ballet Company has
developed Prince Hodong. Te story o
Chunhyang is a true Korean classic (it
has been made into an awardwinning
movie by Im Kwontaek, a popular
Korean V drama and a modern dance
the companys works such as Soul,
Sunfowerhave increasingly used Korean
traditional movement vocabulary and
stories as elements in modern dance
works. Many regard the integration o
Western and Eastern elements as the
uture o dance in Korea.
INTEGRATION OF MODERNITY No
discussion o modern dance in Korea
would be complete without mentioning
the queen o modern Korean danceAhn Eunme. One o Koreas most
active and innovative choreographers,
Ahn has presented around the world
and requently works with nonKorean
dancers. Ahns choreography includes
traditional elements in some o the most
creative ways since she rst incorporated
piece by both the National Da
Company o Korea and Ahn E
me). Chunhyang is best know
epic narrative pansori song; it
Korean Romeo and Juliet. Te
version tells the story o Chun
the daughter o agisaeng(Kor
geisha), and Mongryong, the n
o a governor, who secretly ma
her. Tey are separated by ate
social obligations, and in Mon
absence, Chunhyangs great be
noted by a corrupt local politic
Tese new Korean ballets ha
touring extensively overseas, w
current schedule presenting T
o Chunhyang, Shim Chungan
Hodongin more than 40 cities
Naples, Italy; Singapore; aipe
Moscow; and Johannesburg b
2011 and 2013. In act, Koreangrown up quickly. With severa
ballerinas and ballerinos winn
international competitions in
ballet has become a hot trend,
with the new emphasis on Kor
stories which renders the art o
approachable to the Korean p
The
Na
tiona
lDance
Companyo
fKorea
(to
p);Interna
tiona
lMo
dern
Dance
Fest
iva
l(le
ft,
opposi
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low
)
Lee Jeong-yun, a longtime member of theNational Dance Company of Korea,performs in a modern work alongsidefellow company dancers (above).Dancers perform in the domesticproduction Model House at theInternational Modern Dance Festival(MODAFE) in late May (opposite below).A female lead strikes a stance during aperformance of Model House,choreographed by Park Hae-joon, whichexplores the many roles of family in life.
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6|korea| june 2011 www.ko
Some o these works have appeared
MODAFE, the International
Modern Dance Festival held
nnually in the late spring (May
8 to 29) which has become one o
oreas most exciting international
odern dance showcases. Each
ear the estival includes not only
selection o established and
merging Korean modern dance
ars, but also several overseas
ance companies. Since
MODAFE began in 1982,
erormers rom countries
ound the world including
rael, the Netherlands,
elgium, Australia,
e United States andrance have presented
heir choreography in
oldout halls. Aer
erormances, MODAFEs
rmat requently allows or dialogue
etween the choreographer and the
udience, an opportunity or insights
hat eager young dance students
lish.
Given the wide popular
upport and quick explosion o the
orean bboy sensation in recent years,
urism advertisements here are helping
pur the genre o the modern iteration
1980s break dancers as Korea is
urrently home to hal o the top
ompetitive bboy crews. Korean crews
e highly regarded overseas and have
ecome a xture on the international
rcuit, winning acclaim and awards at
vents such as Battle o the Year, Red
ull BC One and R16 Korea. R16 wasarted in Korea only a ew years ago,
ut it has already become one o the
ggest hiphop and bboying estivals
the world.
HE INFLUENCES OF HISTORY Te
novative appropriation o traditional
dance vocabulary into modern dance is
a natural step orward, both or modern
dancers and or Korean traditional
dancers. Surprisingly, the Korean
government - which once ocused
almost exclusively on the protection
o the traditional arts, particularly
during the Park Chunghee, Chun
Doohwan and Roh ae
woo administrations - is
now embracing the usion
o Korean dance and
contemporary dance rom
around the world.
In the past, Korean dance was
inseparable rom Korean society. Court
dances were needed in the era o a court
that received international envoys and
wanted to show some orm o sedate
and Conucian entertainment. Koreans
danced, sang and played musical
instruments as part o the daily lie in
cooperative agricultural communities,
lightening group work, building
community and enlivening important
annual estivals and village rites. In the
modern era, people no longer believe
in village tutelary guardians and they
use tractors to harvest their barley,
reducing or even erasing the relevance
o the traditional olk arts. Many o the
arts that remain strong in Korea arepart o the lineage o the proessional
entertainers called gisaeng, because only
the arts o the gisaeng were created or
an audience, allowing them to translate
well to the proscenium stage.
In Korean traditional dance, the
perormers are generally clad in
voluminous skirts o the hanbok, or
Korean traditional dress. In addition to
the ubiquitous hanbok, there are certain
key elements to be ound when staging
Korean traditional dance. For example,
Korean dance does not have intricate
placements or gestures with the ngers
and hands - the hands are oen relaxed
and move together with the wrist and
arm. Most o the typical gestures trace
interesting curving patterns in the air
and the shoulders are loose, relaxed and
even slightly hunched, particularly in
olk dance. Te basis o movement is
a duckooted stance and dancers step
heel to toe. But in the astest olk dances
the legs stay close to each other with the
eet close to the oor, although they li
to knee height in the most physicallydemanding olk dances.
Dance perormed by gisaeng
entertainers was on occasion suggestive,
but suggestive motions in Korean dance
do not isolate or eature the hip, backside
or chest. All o these traits can be seen in
the National Dance Company o Koreas
major touring work, Korean Fantasy, a
medley o 10 Korean traditional dances.
Tis dance concert contains all the
elements an audience expects in Korean
traditional dance, including dancers in
swirling pink, manipulating oversized
ans trimmed with eathers dyed uchsia
in Korean classic an dance.
However, many other dances are
credited with deeper ties to Korean
history; amongst the most ascinating
o Koreas staged perorming arts are
the mask dance dramas. Combining
elaborate masks, music, dance motions
and stories that reect a snapshot o
Joseon Dynasty (13921910) society, the
preserved mask dance dramas remain
crowdpleasing avorites. One o the
most captivating is Goseong Ogwangdae,rom the small town o Goseong on
the south coast near Busan, so ocused
on dance that little to no dialogue is
included.
Te dances within the traditional
drama are so widely loved that in the
modern era this deotbaegichum is
staged by unmasked dancers alongside
major classics o the dance can
such as Salpurichum (shaman
exorcism dance) and taepyeon
(great peace dance). Te distin
motions show the dancer casti
the undesired, even drawing a
sword to scare away unseen o
Yunseok, National Living re
or Goseong Ogwangdae, expla
raditionally this motion wa
banish ghosts or malevolent s
the modern world where man
belie in ghosts as a superstitio
think o this motion as casting
heartbreak or ailure and bani
rom our lives.
Dance in Korea, whether th
movements are modern Koreastory alone harkens back to an
past, is vibrant and well establ
with myriad institutions or tr
promotion and production. A
barriers between diferent orm
more permeable, we can expe
ever more creative works arisi
Korean stage.
(
From
le
fttorig
ht)Yon
hap
News
Agency;
Hanw
ha
Eag
les;
Lo
tte
Gian
ts(2)
(From left to right) The leaddancers in the Korea National
Ballet Companys modernizedpiece Prince Hodong embrace in asingular movement; Ballerinas
dance en pointe for theUniversal Ballet Companys
retelling of the classic ShimChung folk tale; Companymembers perform scenesin hanbok, Koreantraditional dress, for theNational DanceCompany of KoreasDance Chunhyang.
K
orea
Na
tiona
lBa
lle
tCompany
(le
ft);Un
iversa
lBa
lletC
ompany
(bo
ttom
);The
Na
tiona
lDance
Companyo
fKorea
(opposi
te)
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over story
o motions so dynamic they seem a blur.
Commenting on Lees comort level with
the photography, I nd he has made a
conscious efort to learn to be a natural
in ront o a lens.
He explains his rustrations with
popular reality V shows such as I Am a
Singer, where stars o the past are orced
to prove their chops all over again.Compared to such programs, Korean
dance has been relatively neglected,
so now Lee takes every opportunity
to publicize its traditions and the
new creative works which draw rom
traditional movements. A desire to
build a more avorable environment or
Korean dance, particularly to the benet
o the next generation o dancers, is a
recurring topic o conversation.
At one time he had been one o those
young hopeuls himsel, and with the
support o his parents and teachers
he made the decision to pursue dance
when he was 15 years old. Aer a
period o learning modern dance, hehappened to attend a perormance by
noted traditional dancer Kim Choong
han. Lee describes the concert as the
moment he was hit with the beauty o
Korean traditional dance. Just watching
was enough to convince young Lee that
he had to move to Seoul and become
Within a ew moments o meeting
ee Jeongyun o the National Dance
ompany o Korea, he is posed in ront
the photographer on the balcony
the National Teater o Korea. Lee,
4, is condent and not the slightest
t araid to strike a dramatic pose, but
s personality escapes between shots
a grin that extends to his eyes, theandaged wrist and part o a black
k tattoo peeking out rom above his
aistband.
Adjourning to a studio or an indoor
hot, he cant restrain himsel rom
aring into a astpaced beat on a set o
rums, his hands ying through a series
that they rarely even meet. When they
do, however, their dates might include
watching other dance perormances. On
occasion they have even met up while
both were touring shows overseas.
Lee obtained all o his dance training
in Korea. For his bachelors, he attended
Sungkyunkwan University, where he
spent hal o each day in classes devoted
to theory and the other hal practicing
dance. At that time, the Korea National
University o Arts (KArts) dance
program had only recently opened.
Trough riends, Lee learned that at
KArts, the students were ocusingon practice to the extent that no one
changed out o their dance clothes; a
shockingly radical but highly appealing
approach.
Lee entered KArts or his Masters
degree, where he excitedly rushed rom
class to class auditing a wide variety o
the perormers student. Kim was also
a student o Jeong Jaeman, a National
Living reasure or the Salpurichum
(shamanic ritual exorcism dance). Had
Lee learned it rom his teacher?
More than saying Ive learned
Salpurichum, I would like to say that
traditional dance takes a very long time
to master, he says, showing a respect or
tradition. Lees background is in more
than just Salpurichum. His traditional
dance training has extended through
most o the classics, including seungmu
(monks dance) and mask dance dramas
like Bongsan alchum, Hahoe Byeolsin
Gut allori and Goseong Ogwangdae.
Hahoe Byeolsin Gut allori, the mask
dance drama rom Hahoe Village nearAndong, Gyeongsangbukdo Province,
was incorporated into one o Lees
perormances in April. Te concert Lee
Jeong-yun and Etoile was the rst time
in the history o the National Dance
Company o Korea that a single dancer
was able to present a ulllength show on
the main stage.
Coinciding with Lees 10th year with
the company, the perormance showed
the depth o his training, creativity and
inuences. Lee passionately explains that
dance is dance, no matter i its ballet,
modern, creative or Korean. Hence, his
concert moved through the spectrum
o genres without regard or articial
boundaries, using Korean sentiment and
thought as its oundation. Lee chuckles,
his eyes twinkling, as he describes the
great pride and happiness he elt when
rehearsing and presenting the piece with
his riends.One o those riends was emale lead
Kim Joowon, the prima ballerina o
the Korea National Ballet Company
and Lees girlriend o the past several
years. Te two dancers are both so busy
with their rehearsals and perormances
all around the world, Lee explains,
8|korea| june 2011
undergraduate practices, while
out thesis research on nabichu
the Buddhist ritual buttery da
Following a period o postgra
independent study, Lee entere
National Dance Company o K
2002.
Lee explained that the comp
about displaying the best o Ko
dance, no matter what type. D
rehearse Korean dance rom 1
to noon everyday and receive
training rom leading tradition
such as Jeong Jaeman or Salp
Likewise, they are taught by va
experts in modern dance and b
as well as rehearse choreograp
bottom line, according to Lee,some people have a negative o
o Korean traditional dance. T
think its slow, boring and or
generation, and this is an attit
wants to change. He wants to
dynamism o traditional in pa
with modern dance, see the da
reed rom the antasy that tra
does not change, and allow a n
evolution o the traditional pe
arts.
Lees eyes glint with pride as
describes the staging oogomu
ve drum dance, comprised o
o 13 men powerully beating
instruments in perect synchr
When I ask him about memor
roles, he highlights the roman
lead in Dance Chunhyang. He
his realization o growth in his
ability brought about by peror
Mongryong in the story, 10 yehis rst perormance o the pa
joy in his own development sh
the passion that has made him
indispensible member o his c
Aer the interview winds dow
heads back inside, the empty p
rooms siren call echoing in his
The
Na
tiona
lDance
Companyo
fKorea
www.ko
National Dance Company of Korea member LeeJeong-yun poses in front of the National Theaterof Korea (above). Lee, who has studied bothtraditional and modern dance forms, extends hisbody gracefully in a piece for the company(opposite).
ee Jeongyun says his lie is ideal the way it is right now. A principalancer at the peak o his career, Lee has the respect o his colleagues andhe satisaction o loving his work.
An IdeAl lIfe
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over story
ducation is the key to the uture o the
ts. According to the latest government
atistics, there are 32 middle and high
hools or the perorming arts, ve o
hich ocus specically on traditional
ts. Tese programs or young,lented individuals allow students to
et the head start needed to develop a
olid oundation. Once they graduate,
hough, there is one university that
as increasingly become the preerred
estination: the School o Dance at the
orea National University o Arts.
in May called Princess Kongji. Tis
work, like many o their other pieces,
capitalizes on wellknown Korean
olktales that have been made into
Korean dramas (in this case, Lie to Me).
Te company is housed at the large
National Teater o Korea complex, a
warren o practice rooms and theaters
o various sizes, along with the National
Orchestra o Korea, the National Drama
Company o Korea and the National
Changgeuk Company o Korea. Te
company employs more than 50 dancers,
most o whom have a solid rooting in
Korean traditional dance. A typical day
at the theater complex runs rom 10am
to 5pm, with rehearsal supervised by
senior company members, and classesunder the artistic director. At present the
company has three major works: Korean
Fantasy, Dance Chunhyangand Soul,
Sunfower. In 2011, they will present
more than 40 ulllength dance concerts
in Korea and make seven ulllength
international appearances. Whether
Princess Kongji will join the regular
repertoire has yet to be decided.
In 2010, the Ministry o Culture,
Sports and ourism created a new state
Te KArts university dance
program, ounded in 1996, eatures
three departments: Dance Perormance,
Dance Teory and Choreography.
Students in the Dance Perormance
major are divided into our areas:ballet, Korean dance, modern dance
and creative dance. Te students are
taught under the guidance o aculty
members such as Kim Hyunja, the
ormer director o the National Dance
Company o Korea, and Jung Seung
hee, a master oseungmu (monks
dance). In addition, some dance
majors also attend the KArts School o
raditional Korean Arts, where one can
collaborate with students rom other
music or perormance elds. wo ull
time proessors in this entirely practicebased program are noted perormers o
taepyeongmu (great peace dance) and
hakchum (crane dance).
CORNUCOPIA OF COMPANIES Te
National Dance Company o Korea,
ounded in 1962, premiered a new work
A ballerina warms up for rehearsal at the Universal Ballet Company (below). Dancersperformsanjo chum, a composition that uses traditional dance vocabulary (opposite left).A character from the mask dance drama Dongnae Yayu performs (opposite right).
unded company specically to explore
the eld o contemporary dance. Te
Korea National Contemporary Dance
Company is based out o the Seoul
Arts Center and or the moment is
comprised o a 10person staf. Unlike
other nationally supported perorming
arts groups, the Korea National
Contemporary Dance Company
secures dancers or each individual
perormance through auditions, instead
o keeping a permanent company. Te
inaugural director, Hong Sungyop, was
a ballerino beore his 20year history as
a choreographer, and will remain in the
position or at least the rst three years
o the company.
Te Modern Dance Promotion oKorea is the powerhouse at the center
o the Korean modern dance world.
Teir major goals include providing
support or modern dance in Korea,
promoting the academic study o
and research on dance, nurturing
choreographers, creating opportunities
or international exchange and
ellowship and maintaining a database
o Korean modern dance works and
individuals. Some o the activities that
the association has engaged in
pursuing these goals include ru
the Seoul International Chore
Festival since 1992, hosting th
International Youth Dance Fe
1997, publishing the dance ma
Images o Dance since 1989 an
out awards to recognize the pr
o Korean modern dance since
DOMESTIC AND ABROAD ra
dance in Korea is protected un
the auspices o the Cultural He
Administration, a subsidiary o
the Ministry o Culture, Sport
and ourism. Te seven protec
dances are Salpurichum (sham
ritual exorcism dance), seungmtaepyeongmu,Cheoyongmu (d
the hero Cheoyong),Jinju geom
sword dance), seungjeonmu (v
dance) and hagyeonhwadae ha
(hakchum, that is, crane dance
Te online Keep Korean Ro
(www.koreanroc.com) is the g
or inormation on the bboy/b
scene rom a local perspective
organizers also oversee the qu
Korean competitive perorma
Rockin Sensation. For nonK
speakers, the website supplies
trove o videos and links to th
Korean bboy/bgirl crews, as
as international crews, dancer
websites or major competitio
Tere are several overseas
organizations that concentrate
maintaining Korean tradition
culture. Te Korean Dance Stu
Society o Canada can be ounoronto and the OngDance C
is located in the San Francisco
Te East Coast is overseen by
Korean raditional Perormin
Association, Inc in New York a
Halla Huhm Foundation cove
located in Hawaii.
|korea| june 2011 www.k
C
edarBoug
hTSae
ji
A large number o organizations associated with Korean dance in all its manynumerations are keeping Korean traditions alive. hese institutions help Koreanancers receive the support they need to excel in classical and contemporary dances ohe Western world, and to blaze new conceptual trails.
dAncIng for lIfe
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|korea| june 2011
en & brush
Master Pioneer ofContemporaryArt
Park Seo-bo
Hes been called a leader o contemporary Korean art, a master
o monochrome painting and the pioneer o Korean Avant-
garde. Park Seo-bo has led an illustrious career over thelast hal century, and its unlikely that he will put down his
paintbrush any time soon.
Ever since my 20s, Ive spent more than 14 hours a day
on average on painting, Park says. I never let mysel get
distracted and have walked on that single path. Sure, there
have been hard times, but Ive never been disappointed
or rustrated with mysel. Whenever I was aced with [a
problem], I drove mysel even harder and overcame adversity.
And I would always ask mysel, Have I b een right? Without
looking at yoursel in the mirror, theres no progress. When
you get tough on yoursel and try to think, act and express
your thoughts dierently than others, only then do you
produce good pieces o work.
Saying he couldnt ask or more because his job has been a
labor o love and received critical acclaim to b oot, Park looked
content when KOREA visited him in his studio.
From late last year to early this year, I held three exhibitions
at Kukje Gallery in Seoul, Johyun Gallery in Busan and the
Busan Museum o Art, almost simultaneously. More than 100
pieces were put on display, but the storage unit didnt seem
empty. Tat elt great, Park says with a laugh.
I dont usually put up my pieces or sale, Park continues.Money is a vice or artists. I youre tempted by money, then
youre bound to get lazy. I have no other interest than painting.
Unless its or my exhibitions, I dont even travel. But in my
heart, I am really happy. Looking at my storage unit ull o my
paintings, which are really extensions o mysel, and losing
mysel in painting in the quiet studio, I cant ask or anything
more. I dont think theres a rich man happier than I am.
ark Seo-bo is one o Koreas mostamous modernist painters. His workas been eatured in countless art airsnd galleries, and was on the cover ohe popular textbookArtundamentals: Theory and Practice,
ound in art schools around the world.hough now 80 years old, Park hasntowed down and spends an average 14 hours a day on his artwork, oten
wearing a black sweater permanentlytained with watercolors.
Choi Hye-jung | photographs by Kim Nam-heon
S-bs sd s a wld smpld ls.
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www.k
n AuSPiciouS BeginningPark Seo-bo was born in 1931
Yecheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. His childhood was
led with omens o his uture greatness.
My mother was a lot younger than my ather, Park recalls.My maternal grandather saw his daughters pass away one
y one, during labor, so he went to see a ortuneteller or my
other and was told that she should marry a man who had
st his wie. Tat way, she would live long and give birth to
reat sons. So my mother married my ather, and I am their
ird son.
Parks ather, who was a lawyer, adored the young Seo-bo.
|korea| june 2011
At one point, Parks ather had a vision that Seo-bo
would be very successul in law. When I showed
him my letter o admission to the art program,
o course he went berserk, Park says. At the
time, people who painted or a living were called
daubers. My ather didnt eat or two weeks, but
my mother accepted it and said it was my destiny.
Looking back, I am glad I didnt become a lawyer.
I dont have to worry about others and I dont have
to retire by a certain age.
Aer studying art at Hongik University, Park
led eorts to introduce expressionistic abstract
paintings in the late 1950s, when representational
paintings were popular in Korea. His Protoplasm
series, which was launched in 1957, revealed
the painul and devastating consequences o
the Korean War (1950-1953). Art critics praised
the series as the scream that broke the silenceollowing the war. In 1958, Park joined orces
with Kim schang-yeul and Ha In-du to ound
the Korea Association o Modern Artists, and
bring the Inormel Movement, which emphasized
spontaneous and unconscious painting, to Korea.
MASter of MonochroMe In the 1960s, Park
began to ocus on monochromatic painting. In his
Ecriture series in 1967, he applied light watercolors
on the canvas and drew lines over the paint beore
it dried. He would then paint more colors on top o
that and draw more lines.
As the late critic Lee Il said, By overcoming the
dualistic structure o the Western painting that
distinguished support and surace o the canvas,
[the series] realized the naturalization o Korean
modernism.
By reinterpreting Western style rom an Eastern
perspective, Park, in the words o art critic Yoo Jin-sang,
changed the idea that emphasized the essence o drawing,
which is the oundation o painting.
Aer the 1980s, Park attempted another transormation. Hebrought hanji, Korean traditional paper, to the Ecriture series.
He would dip pieces o hanji in water mixed with watercolors,
paste them onto the canvas, and would roll over them using
some tools that le marks on the canvas. Te process captured
the texture o hanji. In the 21 st century, Ecriture evolved once
again, as Park applied repeated brush strokes to the hanji-
covered canvas, producing vertical patterns. Park said that oneP
arkSeo-bo
Park Seo-bo, who led the monochromism movement wit
series in the 1960s, pioneered abstract painting in Korea.
his first exhibition abroad at the World House Gallery in N
Park has since displayed his work in the United States, Eur
Australia, Japan and China in a variety of exhibitions.
2010 Art Taipei 2010, Wellside Gallery (Booth No 43), Ta
2008 Empty the Mind, Gallery Arario New York, New Y
Wellside Gallery, Shanghai
CIGE 2008, Wellside Gallery, China World Trade Center, B
2007 Gallery Arario Beijing, Beijing
CIGE 2007, Gallery Samtuh, China World Trade Center, B
2006-2007 Cabinet des Dessins, Musee dArt Moderne d
Etienne Metropol, Saint-Etienne, France
2006 CIGE 2006, Gallery Samtuh, China World Trade Ce
2005 Shanghai Art Fair 2005, Gallery Samtuh (Booth No
Shanghai Mart Hall, Shanghai
CIGE 2005, Gallery Samtuh, China World Trade Center, B
2004 CIGE (China International Gallery Exposition) 2004,
Samtuh, China International Science and Technology Expo
2002 Ace Gallery Los AngelesMelbourne Art Fair 2002, Gallery Samtuh, Melbourne, Au
Remba Gallery, Los Angeles
2000 Tokyo Gallery, Tokyo
1997 Ace Gallery, Los Angeles
Remba Gallery, Los Angeles
1996 Basel Art Fair, Park Ryu Sook Gallery, Museen Basel
Switzerland
FIAC (International Contemporary Art Fair) 1996, Johyun
Espace Eiffel Branly, Paris
1994 Remba Gallery, Los Angeles
1993 ART LA 1993, The 8th International Contemporary
Angeles Convention Center, Gallery World
NICAF 1993, Sun Gallery, Yokohama, Japan
1989 ART LA 1989, The 4th International Contemporary
Angeles Convention Center, Jean Art Gallery
1985 Ina Gallery, Tokyo
1978 Tokyo Gallery, Tokyo
1973 Muramatsu Gallery, Tokyo
1957 World House Gallery, New York
overSeAS exhiBitionS By PArk Seo-Boo his goals with the series was to bring natural scenery and
colors into his artwork.
No orm o art is more beautiul than nature, Park says.
Once, I was riding in a taxi on Jejudo Island, and I saw the
sky, the sea and the island all become one, like they were
connected by a single line. It was just absolutely spectacular.
I started thinking, how could I turn this into a painting? Park
continues. You know my piece where a rectangular window
is put on the long, single-color line? Tat was what I saw on
Jejudo that day. Tat square is what I called a breathing space,
as in, the mind breathes through it. Nikos Papastergiadis, a
proessor at the University o Melbourne in Australia, called
it a window o the mind. Tey say theres that expression in
Greek philosophy.
Art AS therAPy For Park, painting isnt an egotistical
exercise to show o talent, but a therapeutic way to empty
himsel o the anxieties o modern lie.Te 20th century was an era o analogue, and at the time,
people thought they had to expose themselves, Park explains.
Art has to refect its time, and when the time changes, art has
to change with it. In the digital era, when the pace o change
picked up and a lot o people are greatly stressed out, paintings
that only show the artists personality and own greed are
mentally abusive. I just think its wrong. Tats why I chose to
empty mysel to go with the fow o the time, Park adds. Art
in the digital age has to be like blotting paper that absorbs all
worries and anxieties o its audience. In other words, it has to
be therapeutic.
I believe colors can heal peoples eelings, he says. Tats
why Ive moved rom achromatic colors such as black and gray
to monochromatic paintings with red, blue, green and other
colors with high saturation. In my paintings, fuorescent red
can convey calm eelings, something that doesnt come to the
surace but that gets saturated underneath. Foreigners noticed
this right away, too. Once, the head o the National Museum o
Monaco and his riend who came to my exhibition at Wellside
Gallery exulted, Tis is the art o therapy.
Parks unique use o the layering o colors has helped him
receive attention rom all corners o the world. Next year, Parkexpects to hold his rst solo exhibit in Brussels, an emerging
center o contemporary art.
Park is about to receive even more international attention
with the publication o several books on his artwork. Joan Kee,
an art history proessor at the University o Michigan at Ann
Arbor, plans to publish a book on monochromism in Korea
eaturing Park through the University o Caliornia Press.
A amous Swiss publisher is also releasing a book
Korean monochromism by Miki Wick Kim. Kate YK
Korean artist in Singapore, is working on an English
biography o Park. It looks like the amous art critic
C Morgans prediction that Park will be the worlds
within a ew years is coming true.At Parks 80th birthday party last November, he tol
guests, Ive still got long ways to go with my paintin
the sun is setting. Let it set then. Ill just use some ar
lighting. As art critics and historians begin to look b
Parks 60-year career, it is important to remember th
no great master o the past, but a living legend whos
work keeps expanding.
S-bs Ecriture No 090916was pad 2011.
riture No 090513 s Pas ws.
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eople
www.k
KymHy
o-gun
Proessor and songwriter Kym Hyogun manages to ind the sweetest balancebetween business and music. wenty years ater his debut as an unexpected
maestro in a contest, this multiaceted individual shares the secrets o his joy, cratand philosophy. by Lee Se-mi | photographs by Kim Nam-heon
Songs to Comfort
In 1981, a song called Snow won the top prize at the MBCUniversity Music Festival. With its beautiul lyrics and
catchy melody, the song quickly b ecame a contemporary
avorite. Interestingly enough, the man responsible or
writing the piece, Kym Hyogun, wasnt a music major. In
act, to the publics great surprise, he was studying business
administration.
Te person responsible or the knowledge cube theory,
K H-u perr er Ewh W
which attempts to explain knowledge as threedimecubes, Kym was also the rst person to introduce the
o knowledge management to Korea. A wellknow
whose theories have been adopted in many o Korea
companies, Kym is also a rstrate composer, and hi
background attracts as much attention today as it did
Kym was in his third year o studies at Seoul Natio
University when he wrote Snow, and was the only noKymHyo-gun
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|korea| june 2011 www.k
ajor to participate in the estival where he would win the
rand prize by a landslide. Aerward, the panel o judges was
uoted as saying, How could a student majoring in economics
rite a song like this, with poetic lyrics, real harmony and a
elody that works perectly?
Some write songs by rst coming up with the lyrics, while
hers start with the melody. With Snow, Kym worked on both
he lyrical and the harmonious elements at the same time, and
veals the inspiration or his debut piece in the very rst line:
n a little snow-covered path, I wish I could leave a trace of my
mall footprints forever. Kym says, I rst decided to try writing
ongs in January 1981. I went to a nearby stationary store to
uy some sheet music paper and then got working when I
turned home. It was snowing heavily outside and I wanted
capture that eeling.
Kyms love o music was initially sparked during his rst
ear in middle school. Te only student at an allboys school
ho could play the piano, he became the pianist or hishools chorus. As someone who elt an instant anity with
assical music aer listening to Chopin or the rst time, Kym
racticed the piano by himsel and used to listen to cassette
pes and read scores on his way home. His interests ranged
om choral music to orchestra.
Despite his talent, his amilys lack o money and his
arents opposition stopped Kym rom choosing a career in
usic. But Kym was also an excellent student and eventually
ained entrance into Koreas most prestigious college, Seoul
National University. Although he enrolled in the economics
department, he never gave up his creative passion, attending
courses in the music department to learn more about
composition.
However, aer winning the top prize at the MBC University
Music Festival, he decided to leave behind the media attention
and study in the United States, choosing again to pursue
business administration instead o music. When I went
to study overseas aer nishing school, I distanced mysel
rom music. For 15 years, until I returned to Korea in 1992,
I concentrated on my studies. It wasnt that I didnt want
to pursue music; I just knew I wouldnt be able to stop i I
ever started down the music path. It was only when I elt
my research was on track that I nally started playing music
again, Kym explains.
REtURn to tHE scEnE When he returned to Korea, two more
o Kyms songs would make it on air: Autumn Songand I MissYou. His real comeback wouldnt happen until 2007 though,
when he ortuitously met some o Koreas leading composers
at Our Poetry, Our Songs, a group o creative minds.
Kym began sharing new pieces with the group, which
held an annual concert to eature virgin works. o his
disappointment, the music scene was not the same as it once
was. Dismayed, Kym realized that his peers were much more
interested in pop than the traditional songs he sang.
Pop music in the 1980s eatured guitars and a kind o
pop group sound, explains
Kym. As a result, Korean
traditional songs sung by well
trained singers who had an
orchestra backing them up
could, relatively speaking,
easily attract the attention
o music ans. But music
witnessed a huge development
across all genres, rom pop
to jazz, ballads and rock.
Ten, with the rising trend
o atonalism and chancemusic, contemporary classical
music became dicult or
the public to appreciate.
Korean composers were also
inuenced by this trend and
wrote more complex songs.
But no matter how beautiul
they were, the public ound this type
o music too inaccessible.
Kym tried to overcome this
challenge by writing amiliar,
Korean traditional songs using
complex musical elements, but his
endeavors were not well received.
Many composers began to eel
pushed to create music that listeners
would like, oppressing their own
artistic expressions. Kym just wanted
to create an original sound that
incorporated elements that everyone
rom the ages o 20 to 40 would like,
in a way that melded diferent genres together.
A Tousand Winds (2010) was the outcome o his eforts.
Te album, categorized as a new type o Korean art/pop,
eatures eight classical songs, including a rendition oSnow.Proound messages are delivered through simple yet elegant
melodies and sung by Yang Junmo, who is more amiliar to
the public than most classical singers, which enabled Kym to
reach a wider audience.
My goal is to write songs that older people listen to
nostalgically, but younger music ans want to hear time and
again aer their rst listen, says Kym. Korean traditional
music is a genre that combines poetry and music. Once a
melody is added to a poem, it lasts a long, long time. Tere are
a number o excellent trad
numbers which can appea
audiences anywhere in the
even though the genre has
going back less than a cent
Te ne arts actor alone
required or classical musi
been able to appeal to the
the past 25 years. No kind
that doesnt have a certain
to it can last. Tats why I c
Korean art/pop, which I b
both artistic elements to it
popular appeal.
Kym believes music should be pleasant to sing an
to, the word pleasant reecting the eeling that one
when a song resonates with ones own emotions. As a
pleasant song should be sympathetic to, at least partsentiments such as joy, sorrow, love and longing. A k
that resonates throughout the album is love, be it p
love, romantic love or a mothers love or her child. F
love is about a search or eternity: Love, nature, Go
longing or something absolute and everlasting hasn
at all in the last 30 years. Tats my musical inspiratio
singing a mEssagE of tRUtH Kym has been wor
a new project or the past two months, translating 10
songs into our diferent languages: English, French
and Japanese. Kym plans to take the sage words o gr
philosophers, thinkers and writers rom throughout
and put them in his songs. His goal is to add a melod
message o our lives - rom birth and death to grow
and eeling desire - so that the message reverberate
ages. For example, the lyrics rom the title track,A T
Winds, were translated rom a Native American poe
clearly highlights their belies.
Te song reects their concept o love, Kym exp
Tey believe people dont actually die even when th
away. Instead, they remain with the living in the sur
nature. I tried to sufuse this belie into my own songput, my uture work will be creating songs rom the
Confucius, the Bible and Buddhist scriptures.
He described this project as a marriage between a
composition and my academic interests. For him, b
administration and music are just two genres with th
logical structure. Perhaps it is this ability to weave be
two worlds that makes Kym seem as ree as the wind
K H-u pek bu h de reer u pree Ewh W Uver, where he prer bue dr (ppe). Kpe h w rl pee (bve).
mul creer
- Snowwins the top prize at the
inaugural MBC University Music
Festival, 1981
- Performed The Song of Falland
I Miss You at KBS-FMs New
Traditional Music Concert, 1994
- Performed Wedding Song and
Ferryboatat the 1st New Traditional
Music Concert, 2007
- Performed Promise of a Thousand Years and Motherly Love at
the 2nd Korean Traditional Music Festival, 2008
- Released debut albumA Thousand Winds , 2010
ade creer
- BA (Economics), Seoul National University, 1983
- MBA, Seoul National University, 1986
- PhD (Business Administration), University of Pittsburgh, 1991
- Assistant Professor, University of Alberta, 1991-1992
- Director of Knowledge Innovation & Systems Science, Ewha
Womans University, 1998-present
- Professor of Business Administration, Ewha Womans
University, 2003-present
Kym Hyo-gUn (B.1960)
KymHyo-gun
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0|korea| june 2011 www.k
site, and shows traces o Indian Buddhism, Chinese aoism and Persian
Zoroastrianism. Te memoir was considered a valuable part o Pelliots
research on East and West trade history.
Te Wang Ocheonchukguk Jeon demonstrates Hyechos lyrical wordings
in various portions o the work. Many o the expressions depict his longing
or his homeland and his exhaustion rom traveling:
On a moonlit night I looked toward the homeward path,
Floating clouds return by the wind.
I wish this letter to go with this opportunity,
Te wind blows too fast; the clouds neither listen nor return.
Te memoir is considered one o the worlds best travelogues along with
the Great ang Records on the Western Regions by the Chinese Buddhist
monk Xuanzang and Il Milione by Marco Polo.
CROSSING INTERNATIONAL BORDERS Hyecho traveled to Guangzhou,
China, in 719, while studying Esoteric Buddhism (a subset o Mahayana
Buddhism ounded in India in the late 7th century) under the amous
Indian monk Vajrabodhi. Four years later, a 19yearold Hyecho embarkedon his pilgrimage, rst traveling to India by boat. Te young monk visited
each o the ve kingdoms o India, including Lumbini, the birthplace o
Buddha, and Sarnath, where Buddha rst taught the dharma. Aerwards,
Hyecho traveled through Gandhara, Persia, Arabia, the Pamir Plateau and
arrived in Changan (currently Xian).
Aer his return to China, Hyecho concentrated on studying Esoteric
Buddhism with Vajrabodhi. With the passing o his mentor, Hyecho later
became a student o Amoghavajra, and ocused on translating Esoteric
Buddhism texts into Chinese. Changan in the 8th century was a prosperous
international city in China. Merchants and
students rom around the world gathered
there, resulting in an amalgamation o
dierent cultures. Hyecho is also considered
to have greatly contributed to the
development and organization o Esoteric
Buddhism in the cultural hub o the time.
Hyecho passed away in China in 787,
having never set oot on Korean soil
again. Why did he never return to his
homeland, whilst longing to return? For
Hyecho, ending his lies journey in a
oreign country would only be tting, as aresearcher o Buddhism in oreign lands
where international
borders are rendered
meaningless. He was
Koreas rst man o
the world, 1,300 years
ago.
Last December, a landmark event set the Korean Buddhist community and
locals abuzz. Te Wang Ocheonchukguk Jeon (Memoir of the Pilgrimage
to the Five Kingdoms of India), a travelers journal written by Hyecho, was
returned to Korea or a short while aer nearly 1,300 years away rom its
native land - since the Buddhist monk rst embarked on his trip. Te
record, which chronicles the journey o the rst Korean to travel to Asia
and Europe via the Silk Road, came to a threemonth exhibition at the
National Museum o Korea beore being returned to France.
Te memoir was rst made known to the world in 1908. Paul Pelliot
discovered the records in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China, and it has
been in the possession o the La Bibliothque nationale de France to this
day. Te travel journal, considered the rst o its kind to come out o
Korea, had never beore le the museum. Te exhibit in Seoul marked
the return o Hyecho aer more than 1,000 years and also the works rst
public showing since it was unearthed a century ago. Accompanying the
literary work were relics rom the Silk Road, illuminating the extent o
cultural exchange during that era, and a replica o the Dunhuang Grottos.
Te Buddhist monk wrote the epic piece during his ouryear pilgrimage
o the ve kingdoms o India and surrounding countries. Te Wang
Ocheonchukguk Jeon contains rare inormation about India and Central
Asian countries during the 8th century, including political situations,
economy, culture, religion and customs. Only a ragment o the ullmemoir is currently intact, a portion which is measured at 358cm long,
and is composed o 227 lines and 5,893 letters.
Pelliot, who was knowledgeable in Oriental studies and fuent in
Chinese, instantly understood the importance and value o this work
when he discovered it in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottos, the gateway to
the Silk Road connecting China and Central Asia. Te grottos, where
Hyechos journal had rested or centuries, is a UNESCO World Heritage
reat korean
P
arkJin-ho(righttop);TheNationalMuseu
mo
fKorea
Koreas frst mano the world,Hyecho
An artists rendition ofHyecho as he wouldhave looked on histravels (right top). Abronze guard of honorfrom China is a SilkRoad relic (right).
A gold buckle fromPyeongyang circa the 1stcentury is a Silk Road find.
Around 1,300 years ago, a 15yearold boy rom Uniied Sillatraveled alone to China. Ater studying under a Buddhistmonk, he then continued his journey to India, embarking on a20,000km trip that led him to become the irst Korean to travelon the Silk Road. His name was Hyecho. by Seo Dong-chul
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|korea| june 2011 www.k
Choi Ahrum, manager o the wellknown upscal
Beautypia, has stood witness to the subtle, but rapid
on eheranno over the last seven years. Beautypia ha
seen more clients recently, as it was introduced in se
international publications as a popular beauty salon
celebrities. Tis area changes every year Tese d
even have customers who call rom Japan or Singapo
nd out where our salon is located, says Choi.
eheranno shows the dynamic adaptability o Kor
Combining the latest with the trendiest, the demand
visitors are met in a stylish and comortable setting. youre ready or a new look or hoping to spot a certa
its time to head to the mostbuzzed street in Seoul.
opened multilingual websites in order to communicate
directly with oreigners who are ans o Hallyu stars and those
who are interested in visiting Korea. Te nearby convenience
o shopping malls, designer boutiques, upscale spas and
salons along the avenue helped attract those who wanted to
experience a pampered lie, Seoulstyle, or a couple o days.
Just as all cities have two acets - the old and the new
- so does this capital with Myeongdong and eheranno.
While the ormer continues steadast in its appeal, the latter is
establishing itsel as the next big thing. Already equipped with
convenient transportation and concentrated oreign business
acilities, it became a natural step or the launching o new
tour programs or medical operations, Hallyu and more.
Te enterpriserich area appeals to more multinational
visitors than ever beore, with tourists rom the Middle East,
Europe and other countries making headway into the country
ormer Hermit Kingdom.
I searched or reliable plastic surgeons in Seoul on theInternet and I ound a medical care tour program that includes
a simple cosmetic procedure, says Sameshima Yuki, a 29year
old Japanese tourist who recently had plastic surgery in a clinic
near Gangnam Station. An allinone package allowed her to
enjoy both a practical and a leisurely visit. She adds, It was
pretty good, as I could get counseling in Japanese beore the
surgery and look around Gangnam aer.
Fivestar hotels joined the boom by
placing medical centers within their hotel
buildings and implementing aggressive
marketing strategies to attract oreign
visitors. Lotte Hotel World in Jamsil, which
opened a medical center in December 2007,
is a pioneer in this business. With a multi
care medical center that includes Oriental
medicine, dermatology, plastic surgery
and dental implantspecialists, Lotte Hotel
World now greets twice the number o
oreign guests it did beore. Particularly
or those seeking out Gangnam or
medical tourism, the idea o resting rom a
procedure in plush bedding surrounded byamenities is just the thing they need.
Intercare HPC, a general health
clinic opened in 2008 at the Grand
InterContinental Hotel, jointly developed
medical tour programs with other tourist
acilities such as the Seven Luck Casino,
which markets to oreign tourists.
eoul
riendly Seoul. Hotels in Myeongdong, one o the
mostproled and popular areas in the capital, were
unable to accommodate all the visitors, so many
turned their sights to Gangnam. Te urban beauty
belt haven called to those tourists who wanted to trysomething new, something better.
As visitors began to shi their destination a
ew kilometers south, the tourism inrastructure
o Gangnam quickly adapted to handle the inux
o visitors. Dermatologist and dentists that boast
celebrity clientele, such as Bae Yongjoon (Winter
Sonata) and Lee Youngae (Jewel in the Palace),
(Clockwise, from above) The ImperiaHotel offers package medical tours; products sold at a clinic; a tanning beclippings spotlight the recent beautyA birds eye view of Teheranno (oppo
I thought eheranno would have been ull o business
acilities but there are a lot o exclusive cosmetic
surgery centers, spas and hotels to make the place a
trendsetting spot, says one Japanese tour director,
who visited Korea to develop tour programs in the
Gangnamgu District, south o the Hangang River.
He said he was ascinated by the nightly scene in
eheranno, a uniquely Korean style associated with a
culture o auence. Every evening career women in
nice suits drive their imported cars here to just enjoy a
lie o beauty A lucky person might meet a Korean
celebrity in the store right next to his or her nail salon.
I didnt expect to see such a antastic world like this in
Seoul.
eheranno, which stretches rom the major
intersection by Gangnam Station to the Samseong
Bridge, is becoming the new ace o Seoul in terms
o tourism. Its where Koreas hightech industrymeets cosmetic treatment, satiated with a variety
o dynamic oods and b eguiling attractions such as
luxury shopping. Te area provides a diferent kind o
service rom the tourist attractions north o the river,
by combining beautication with tourism or a chance
to eel like a celebrity. Te act that many wellknown
Hallyu, Korean wave, aces requent the area doesnt
hurt either.
ours exploring the myriad oferings o eheranno
started becoming popular roughly two years ago. As
the Korean won lost its momentum, masses o tourists
rom nearby countries began to crowd to vacation
Are Myeongdong and the ancient palacesome o the major attractions in Seoul?
Yes, but theres one more contender or theop tourist spot in town. eheranno, orehran Boulevard, lures in visitors with itsnestop approach to shopping, luxurynd beauty. Some 20 upscale hotels, megahopping malls like COEX, chic salonsnd cosmetic surgery options line thetreet to orm the latest ace o Seoul.
Lim Ji-young | photographs by Choi Ji-young
Reinventing Beauty
Gangnam Bus Tour, which includes stops to Bongeunsa Temp
Kukkiwon, and the Kimchi Museum, makes the trip to Gangn
easier. The bus runs twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, fo
tourists. More information about the tour can be found in fou
different languages at http://tour.gangnam.go.kr.
Teheranno
Tip!
T
heImperialPalaceHotel(farright)
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ravel
n the past, Jindo was an island ew could visit due to its location. Fortunately,his preserved the archipelagos, and today the spot has become wellknown ors yearly, mysterious parting o the sea. by Chung Dong-muk | photographs by Choi Ji-young
KoreaTourismOrganization
Not many Koreans know exactly where
Jindo Island is. Te image that comes to
mind when most people think o Jindo
is the eponymous dog, known or its
loyalty and intelligence. Te Jindo dog
is able to nd its way back home even
when stranded hundreds o kilometers
away, and most learn o the legendary
characteristics o the animal as young
children in the classroom.
As I travel to my destination, I try to
remember all the distinctive traits o this
particular mans best riend. Te Jindo
dog never backs down rom an enemy
and has the courage to stand against,
even when acing a tiger. Koreans are
T sa ff t sutwst rr f t Kra Pisua parts a yar Ji Isa
Island of Mystique
very ond o the breed, believin
match those o the peoples -
mien o orerunning the inter
I industry rom a small corn
and orchestrating massive con
projects worldwide without e
doubt. Similar to the Jindo dog
enjoy nature rom time to tim
their sights are set, will concen
reaching their goal.
RemembeRIng The heRo Jin
is located on the southwestern
Korean Peninsula and is the th
island, behind Jejudo and Geo
When Koreans reer to tangk
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www.k6|korea| june 2011
the incoming eet did not know. Te
currents o Uldolmok, where the waters
o the Yellow Sea and the South Sea
meet, ow in the opposite direction
around noon, due to the changing tides.
Te Japanese eet rode the northwestern
currents towards the Korean eet,
which valiantly resisted, holding their
ground until the currents owed
backwards, determined not to waste this
opportunity. As a result, 31 Japanese
ships were sunk and the Japanese
general was decapitated; Yis insight on
the surrounding geography and natures
advantageous characteristics had led him
to victory. Te Battle o Myeongnyang is
considered one o the greatest historical
Naval battles in the world.Te currents at Uldolmok are still
as strong as the days o the great
Myeongnyang Battle. Te currents
are the astest in Korea, clocking in at
11.5knotsperhour. Beore the Jindo
Bridge was built in 1984, most people
did not dare to cross the strait. Te
Jindo Bridge was the countrys rst
cablestayed bridge and a second,
parallel bridge was added in 2005 to
accommodate the high trac. Across,
people can visit the Nokjin Observatory,
Maeul, or Lands End Village, they are
erring to the Haenam region, which
the southernmost tip o the country.
rom Haenam, Jindo can be reached by
ossing the Jindo Bridge, which is the
nly easily accessible land connection. A
X (Korea rain eXpress) train stops
nearby Mokpo, allowing visitors to
ccess the island within our hours rom
eoul.
As they cross the bridge, visitors can
xpect to meet the hero and symbol o
he Korean people, Admiral Yi Sunsin
5451598). Yis legacy can be ound
l across the southern coast, but many
onsider Jindo the best place to reect
n his spirit.
Yi was a commander o the Naval
rces, and is known or having used
nique tactics to end o orces during
he two Japanese invasions o Korea
5921598). In September 1597, a
panese naval eet consisting o 133
hips advanced toward Uldolmok
now known as Myeongnyang Strait).
Te Japanese eet had accumulated
ountless victories up to this point,oosting morale. Learning o the eets
dvance, Yi gathered and commanded
s last remaining 13 ships to guard the
ntrance o Uldolmok on the Yellow
ea. Te Japanese eet outnumbered the
orean orces by 10 to 1.
However, there was one thing that
A watr iy-strw patuats t iwisi Ui Saauss (a). A ti-wr is s isiSsaysa Tp, wiats ak t t 9ttury (ft). T Jibri is t stassi rut t tsutr isa (w).
with a view o both the bridge and Yis
statue. He stands as i yelling commands
to his eet 400 years ago.
SUnSeTS And SeA RoAdS Visitors can
reach the base o the guardian mountain
o Jindo, Cheomchalsan, by taking
National Road No 18 to downtown
Jindo, Local Road No 9 and then Local
Road No 15 to the east o Jindo. Te
beauty o the mountain captivates
visitors, hiding the Ullim Sanbang
Houses and Ssanggyesa emple within.
Tough not a particularly tall mountain,
being only 485m above sea level, its
skyline curves ow elegantly like the
shoulders o a woman.
At the oot o the mountain are theUllim Sanbang, Korean traditional
houses with a garden where Joseon
Dynasty painter Huh Ryun (1808
1893), renowned as a master oNamhwa
(Chinese painting o the Southern
School), resided in his later years. Te
garden in ront o the dwelling looks
spectacular paired with the pond, lotuses
oating on the water and grape myrtle
trees encircling the shore. Te beauty o
the scenery is enhanced when the trees
blossom in summer.
Next to the gardens is Ssanggyesa,
where Buddhist monks roast tea leaves.
Te small leaves are roasted nine times
a day in order to tease out the true taste.
Ssanggyesa was built in 857AD and gets
its name rom the Cheomchalsan creek
that divides and ows on each side o the
temple. Te creeks source is covered by
a thick pine orest, designated the 107 th
Natural Monument o Korea. Dierentspecies o tree grow in this area, rom
camellia and holly to bilberry, and each
individual tree is hundreds o years old.
Intertwined vines climb the trunks and
oer visitors a view o untainted nature.
Te mysterious sea road o Jindo can
be ound past Cheomchalsan. Te blue
o the ocean captivates all those resting
their eyes on its beauty afer climbing
the mountain. Amongst the deep blue
are the small islands o the archipelago
that decorate the ocean with each having
its own distinguishing gures.
Youre late, a lady rom Okcheon,
inorms me. Te sea parts in March
and April. Te woman manages a snack
cart at the entrance to the sea road in
Hoedongri, Gogunmyeon. With our
hopes o walking the sea road shattered,
we rest in the shade o the snack car,
enjoying a dish o sea squirts while
admiring the view. People rom all over
the world gather to witness the 3km
long, 40mwide road that app
parting o the sea, a phenome
occurs rom an exceptionally l
Another site that visitors shou
miss is Sebang Sunset, where v
enjoy a rstrate view o the si
into the deep ocean.
As I cast my eyes west to the
I am once again reminded o A
Yi Sunsin, eeling as he would
greeted by this spectacular sun
brave admiral is known to hav
poems and drawn up battle pl
ace o death, and I brace mys
or lie ahead, not to sacrice t
tomorrow.
KoreaTourismOrganization(leftbottom);
YonhapNewsAgency(oppositeleftandright);NakjoPension(oppositemiddle)
dIRecTIonSTaking the KTX to Mokpo Station is
convenient. The high-speed train departs twelve
times a day from Yongsan Station on weekdays.
Travel time is 3 hours 20 minutes.
From Mokpo Station, it is best to rent a car and
travel to Jindo. Travel time is 1 hour.
Mokpo KT Kumho Rent-a-Car
Domestic Call: 061 274 8000
International Call: +82 2 797 8000
FoodAs an island, the best of Jindo cuisine is
seafood. Chungho Bokjip (+82 61 544 6998), located downtown, is famous for its c
anglerfish soups that are light and not too spicy. For visitors in search of a dish other
seafood, Naju Gomtang (+82 61 542 7179) in the downtown area is a good option
gomtang (beef-bone soup) is boiled for a full day, keeping to the traditions of Naju,
do Province, the home of gomtang.
AccommodATIonSThere are no high-end hotels in the area, although numerous pensions with p
views of the archipelagos can be found. The Nakjo Pension (+82 11 308 4006) and t
Meomuneun Jip (House Where the Sunset Resides) (+82 11 9404 3234) are recomm
enjoy Sebang Sunset. Rooms cost from 50,000-80,000 won a night. The Prince Mo
542 2251) is a clean, affordable option downtown, and credit cards are accepted.
TRAvel InFoRmATIon
Ji hju iqur viw fr nakj Psi Ji
Su
Ji Isa
mkp
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While the idea oiyeol-chiyeol, or ightire with ire, is one o the most timeteways to beat the heat during summers Korea, a popular alternative is simply tcool down with an icy bowl o springynoodles. So i youre not ready to sweatout, slurp it up. by Ines Min
Mugwort might not be synonymous with mmm in the West,
ut the plant, called ssuk in Korean, carries within its verdant
aves a bounty o healthy vitamins. Te annual Ganghwa
Mugwort Festival (June 4 to 6) helps introduce those known
roperties to the rest o the world. Ganghwado Island, located
orthwest o Seoul, is amous or its medicinal mugwort,hich grows in the Yellow Seas salty winds.
Mugwort is most popularly known as a health o od across
orea, but Ganghwados variety carries a strong aroma and
tter taste that makes it well adapted or medicinal uses (in
010 alone, Ganghwagun produced 397 tons). It can b e drunk
the orm o tea to prevent ulcers, added to baths or a body
oothing experience and to increase circulation, or even dried
Right at the turn o summer, when cool breezes give way to
the suns heat, theres one particular thought that begins to
haunt all locals: a mouthwatering, rereshing bowl o ice
cold naengmyeon , or chilled noodles. Tough popular in
Seoul, the secrets o the delectable dish originate in North
Korea. Te two main varieties o naengmyeon arrived
south o the DMZ aer the Korean War (19501953), by
way o Pyeongyang and Hamheung, the second largest city
aer the northern capital.Pyeongyangstylemul-naengmyeonis characterized
by its broth, which oen includes chunks o crushed ice
oating neatly beside the noodles. Te broth, made rom
a bee or pheasant stock and dongchimi (radish water
kimchi), has a light and rereshing taste. Te buckwheat
noodles are topped with julienned cucumbers, Korean
pear, thinly sliced bee and hal o a hardboiled egg.
Contrasting avors o lightly sweet and subtle sour are
integrated with vinegar and mustard or a layered avor.
Noodles representative o Hamheung, on the peninsulas
northeast coast, are bibim-naengmyeon, a brothless
variation known or its zestygochujang, or red pepper
paste, sauce. Te noodles are oen made o a sweet potato
starch, as opposed to buckwheat, which lend it a darker
color and al dente chew. Similar to its sister dish, cucumber,
pear and egg are added, though avored with vinegar and
sugar, to balance out the
roaring spiciness o the
gochujang.
One wellknown trait
o naengmyeon is the
long strands o noodles.Symbolic o longevity, it
is traditional to leave the
noodles at their original
length, although most
people today will cut
the noodles or easier
consumption.
estival
G
anghwaMugwortFestival(oppositetop
);TopicImages(oppositebelow);HanSang-mooh(right)
Naengmyeo
The ManyUses ofMugwort
youre more amiliar with mugwort as annwanted weed peering rom roadsideracks, take the opportunity to becomeeacquainted with the edible green at the
Ganghwa Mugwort Festival. by Ines Min
and stufed into pillows and duvets in place o cotton.
Te Ganghwa Agricultural echnology Service Centerhosts the estival at the start o the main harvesting season, at
the 52,900sqm Armiae World - a complex centered around
mugwort that combines an educational space with a processing
plant. Tis will be Armiae Worlds third mugwort estival since
it opened in 2009, and a ull lineup o events will be ofered
to visitors. At the Agricultural Exhibition Hall, visitors can
explore what the lie o a armer was like in old times, and the
Mugwort Wellbeing Halls spa room is open or relaxation.
Perormances and events will be held during the opening
on June 4, so entertainment will be available or the whole
amily. Tose who are interested
in the orms mugwort takes
when placed on the dinner
table should peruse the oods
exhibition. Popular mugwort
dishes include colorul variations
otteok (rice cakes) and ssukguk
(mugwort soup), but it can also be used
in banchan (side dishes) and even juices.
Mugwort bee and naengmyeon (chilled
noodles) will also be available to those
hungry estivalgoers.
A fshing bowl of bibim-nangmyon is svd.
liv fomanc ons h 2010 Ganghwa Mugwo Fsival (abov lf). Hands-on, ducaional aciviis a availabl fo h family (middl, igh).
Woo La Oak A family-run
restaurant that has branched all the
way to the US and one of the oldest
naengmyeon establishments.
118 Jugyo-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
Phone: +82 2 2265 0151
Ohjangdong Hamhung
Nangmyon A popular stop for
spicy bibim-naengmyeon lovers and
well-known for its delectable
seafood variety.
90-10 Ojang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
Phone: +82 2 2267 9500
HOt SpOtS
Ganghwado Island is located northwest of
Seoul and can be reached by bus (under two
hours) from anywhere in the capital. For
detailed information on directions, visit
http://armiae.com/eng/about/map.asp.
HOW tO Get tHere
Finding CoRespitein
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ow in korea
apg Bad pacc a db). A l bad, cpd fdly b, pf ad cc (g). Cld Bad
ay a a a cc (fa g).
When ilms like he Happy Lie (2007) and BMy Lie (2005) were released, most people oustorylines o determined, amateur musiciansaretched. But contrary to what the skepticsthink, there are those who do put their ambitdreams to action. by Lim Ji-young | photographs by Kim Hong
YonhapNewsAgency(leftbottom);CloudBand
The Show
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aer 6pm. I am araid that my colleagues will nd o
I do aer I leave the oce. I dont think that theyll b
about it. And I dont want others to think that Im o
more on my music than my work, so I keep my band
even though Im proud to be doing it.
LivinG the DreAm As the workers band trend gro
have also come to love the music o the older, amate
Local estivals and events provide these groups with
while an increasing number o businesses have asked
participate in promotional events.
Tere are at least 10 national competitions or o
today, including KBS op Band, which holds auditio
nd the best group. We actually need to limit the n
o participants, because there are so many interested
participating in the contests, says Kim NeungSoo,
director.
While some bands work with original songs, manthe crowds by playing covers o past hits, catering to
o all ages. Because o their popular appeal and ami
repertoire, theyre able to gain greater audience part
rom diverse crowds.
Slowly, as the workers band gains wider recogniti
theyre also able to ocus more on their music or a li
represent their cra in concerts across the country. M
or simple nancial reasons though, they play music
emotional desire.
We eel a sense o catharsis when playing music. I
oce, we cant let out our stress because were just a
a bigger organization. But we can work o our energ
spirits throu
band. Its lik
closed o, da
and our mus
small windo
leads outside
Goo Jajung
Gapgeunse B
Oce wo
bands do nosolely on mu
instruments
hearts. Tey
their own ba
instincts wit
passionate, t
notes.
I thought about the KBS program Campus 7080, and that
show reminded me o my old singing days in school. I thought
about organizing a band again and, coincidentally, met my
middle school alumni, and we head into a band practice
room, Cho says. As they began to gain popularity through
media outlets, other workers began to show interest, heading
to the Web in order to meet and organize new bands. By the
mid2000s, the ever o oce groups had spread and a number
o Internet groups and sites began to appear.
Te Korea Arts and Culture Education Service decided to
provide support to the Mapo Art Centers Oce Workers
Band Promotion Project. We selected our teams, prepared
practice rooms or them and supported them with lessons
rom expert instructors or every musical instrument. Aer
six months o training, they were oered an opportunity to
perorm at Mapo Art Center, a center spokesperson says.
It is estimated that the current number o workers bands in
Korea is anywhere rom 2,000 to 3,000. Along with this rapid
growth, related perormance agencies and competitions were
created, and websites connecting sponsors (both private andgovernmental) and studios exploded in the Sinchon, Hongik
University, Konkuk University and Bangbaedong areas.
Most workers bands collect dues rom members in order
to rent a practice room, while the 7080 cae has its own space
in Yongsan. But the group has had diculties o its own, says
Cho, who speaks candidly o the nancial diculties he aced
in the beginning. We bought a monthly rental practice room
and had to take out a loan or the deposit. Later, we paid it
back with membership ees and income rom events. It is now
our own space, but even with all the teams rotating practices,
theres not always enough time or everyone, he says.
networks BuiLt on musiC In the early days o oce
workers bands, groups were ormed with close colleagues
and riends. Tese days, musicians can look or other possible
bandmates through online classieds and related sites. An
aehan, guitar player or riple A says, We ormed our
band through the helpwanted ads. We only began last
March, so were still recruiting members like a bass player and
keyboardist. Were waiting or applicants rom the ads.
As helpul as the Internet has been in creating new groups,
it is now as equally e asy to disband. Onlinebased groups seem
to be less cohesive than oinebased bands, and its common
to nd band members leaving one group or another that
better ts their taste in music. In some cases, some disbandsimply because its dicult to match schedules. Business trips,
overtime and unemployment can also aect stability, and
many bands see high turnover through the years.
Its dicult or some to integrate their musical lives with
their oce ones. Kang HyungSeok, a member o a new band,
conesses that his colleagues have no idea where he heads to
(Clc fg) GapgBad pf Yd pg;t 7080 offcw Bad playa cc 2010; Aaxp fGapg Badplay f c. Fl Badplay a l f acc a naal ta fka (pp).
urprisingly, there are a number o
mateur oce workers bands that
e as passionate as those eatured
recent lms. Te nonction book
fce Workers Bands Tat Start at
0 contains stories o exactly those
eople in Korea. Te main band
epicted in the novel, Oce Workers
and in its 40s, is especially eminent
mong the local scene. Te distinct
odgepodge o band members, rom
uthor o the book Jeon Miyoung -
ho was persuaded by the middle
ged engineers to become their
ynthesizer player - to drummer
ick Man who is the oldest member
nd Mr Synthe who commutes just
r band practice, relay enthusedories about their experiences. One
the most endearing dreams o the
and is to simply play a rocking rendition o Deep Purples
cult Highway Star, which they nally do with practice and
etermination. Te author, who initially doubted her own
usical skills, transorms the tale into one o realism and
umanism.
One actor in the recent resurgence o oce workers bands
the coming o age o musicians in two major 1970s music
ompetitions: the University Music Festival and the Riverside
ong Festival, both hosted by MBC. At that time, many student
ands were ormed just so they could compete in the estivals.
With most o the key members rom the thennumerous
ands now in their 40s or 50s, some were infuenced at least in
art by the band culture o their time.
he nostALGiC BAnD Boom One o the inaugural oce
orkers bands in Korea is the Gapgeunse Band, which ormed
1998. Gapguense, which means Grade A Income ax,
ecame the talk o oces across town or both its clever name
nd resh sound.
Cho YoungMin, a ormer vocalist in a university group andember o Jeongdeun Band, is now one o the managers o the
nline 7080 Oce Workers Band Cae. en complete bands,
cluding the ocial 7080 Oce Workers Band, Jeongdeun
and, riple A and Sunday Seoul, are members o the Internet
te that seeks to introduce and collaborate with peers.
stablished in 2004, the Internet group now has a membership
roughly 3,400. GapgeunseBand(top);7080OfficeWorke
rsBand(right);FeelBand(opposite)
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Tis year marks the 61st anniversary
o the Korean War (1950-1953) and
the 60th anniversary o the decisive
battles o Gapyeong and Imjin, where
more than 1,100 international soldiers
were lost. Te allies who ought are
commemorated each June in Korea
alongside domestic veterans, and this
year, the world continued to remember
the past heroism and suering o those
soldiers.
GREATS OF BATTLE RECALLED On
April 22, 1951, battalions rom Australia
and Canada helped deend the route to
Seoul rom the Chinese Communists
along the Gapyeonggang River or
three days. Te 3rd
Battalion (RoyalAustralian Regiment) and the 2nd
Battalion (Princess Patricias Canadian
Light Inantry), along with the UN
orces, ought valiantly to protect the
capital. Tough outnumbered by the
10,000-strong opposition, the orces
won a victory or the UN command.
On an ocial visit to South Korea,
Prime Minister o Australia Julia Gillard
visited the War Memorial o Korea,
becoming the rst in the Australian
government to commemorate the allen
heroes o Gapyeong in Korea. Joined by
22 Australian veterans, some o whom
were making their rst return to Korea
in six decades, Gillard recognized all the
lives that had been lost.
No one who ought, who suered,
who died during those 1,000 bloody
days, will ever be orgotten, Gillard said
at the event.
Other veterans paid tribute to theanniversary in a visit to Seoul National
Cemetery in late April, with more than
200 vets rom Canada, the UK, New
Zealand and Australia. Te Imjin Battle,
which took place at the same time as
Gapyeong, was won with the strength
o the British 29th Inantry Brigade.YonhapNewsAgency(left,farleft,opposite);TheDong-aIlbo(top)
Korean War Vets
pecial issue
he 60th anniversary o the Korean War last year reminded many o the long, diiculttruggles it took to reach the present day. International allies came to the aid o Korea, and
while it may be ca lled the Forgotten War, veterans were once more remembered across theworld with honor this year. by Ines Min
Shouldering the bulk o the battle, the
brigade was successul in stopping
Chinese orces rom reaching the capital
o Seoul.
PATRIOTIC HONORS In the United
States, President Barack Obama showed
appreciation or vets o the Korean War
by posthumously awarding the Medal
o Honor to two soldiers: Anthony
Kahoohanohano o Maui, Hawaii, and
Henry Svehla o Newark, NJ, earned the
US highest honor. Kahoohanohano was
a mere 19 years old, while Svehla was
no more than 21. Both o them died in
combat, reusing to retreat in ront otheir oes.
In the hearts o their amilies,
they remain orever young. oday, we
honor them with the highest military
decoration that our nation can bestow:
the Medal o Honor, Obama said in the
presentation ceremony.
(Clockwise, from opposite top) Some 230 Imjin and Gapyeong Battle veterans gather at theNational Cemetery on April 21. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard stands with vets in GaVets reunite at the Incheon International Airport; US Rep Charles Rangel is honored for his
AlliedEarn Recognition
GOING HOME In early May, th
o RAF Flight Lieutenant Desm
Hinton were returned to his n
ollowing a ceremony at the D
where British Ambassador to N
Korea Peter Hughes received t
remains. Hintons ate, whose p
been shot down in January 19
lost to his amily or 60 years.
Te remains o others have
been returned, such as those o
Carnabuci, which were fown
Connecticut last month. Last s
during battle, Carnabuci and 6
US soldiers have been listed M
1950. His older brother Domiout or news, and he nally re
earlier this year. Tough the w
be undone, Carnabuci is still g
have his sibling home. When
him in ground, Ill eel better,
he told a local paper. Ill know
is now.
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Over