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14 2008 Beijing Olympics 54 People

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4 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 5

NATIONAL

Yonhap
A Korean flag decoration at Independence Hall

Fireworks over the Hangang River

The area in front of Gwanghwamun, under restoration, is crowded with citizens celebrating the 60th founding anniversary on Aug. 15 A traditional dance performance in Gyeongbokgung

6 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 7

NATIONAL
S
outh Korea celebrated the 60th
anniversary of its foundation and
63 years since its liberation from
Japan’s colonial rule on Aug. 15, with
President Lee Myung-bak’s call for a
new and hopeful start to the next 60
years at a ceremony in central Seoul.
The Government of South Korea,
formally called the Republic of Korea,
was founded on Aug. 15, 1948 — ex-
actly three years after Korea was liber-
ated from 36 years of colonial rule.
The nation’s first parliament was
convened the same year, along with
the promulgation of its constitution
and the creation of its armed forces.
In Korea, a person’s 60th birthday
— known as the “hwangab” — symbol-
izes the completion of a full cycle and
the beginning of another.
The anniversary ceremony in Seoul
featured music and dance perfor-
mances representative of Korea’s mod-
ern history. In a separate event, hun-
dreds of officials and citizens gathered
at the nation’s easternmost island of
Dokdo, a recent diplomatic flashpoint
between South Korea and Japan, in a
celebration of Korea’s liberation.
Concerts, musicals and other public
performances were staged in celebra-
A large Korean flag across the Cheonggyecheon Stream in central Seoul to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Korea’s founding
tion of the anniversary in Seoul and
major provincial cities nationwide,
while a large-scale celebratory concert
was held aboard the Navy’s amphibi-
ous assault ship — named “Dokdo” af-
ter the islets — on Aug. 15 in Donghae,
a port on the eastern coast.
In his speech celebrating the
Liberation Day and the national found-
ing anniversaries, President Lee said
the Government will vigorously push
to link the trans-Korean railroad with
Russian and Chinese transcontinental
rail lines in preparation for the emer-
gence of a unified Korea as the world’s
logistics hub linking Eurasia and the
Pacific Rim in the next 60 years.
The President also urged North
Korea to immediately abandon its nu-
clear weapons and embrace inter-
Korean dialogue and economic coop-
eration to create a unified economic
zone on the Korean Peninsula.
“A unified Korea promises to be
the main gateway for prosperity link-
ing the Eurasian continent to the
Pacific Ocean by land, air and sea. A
train leaving Busan with cargo will be
able to travel the trans-continental
railway all the way to Central Asia and
Western Europe...A unified Korea will
leap toward the center of the global
community,” Lee said in the address.
“I want to share this dream with all
the 80 million Koreans. I am not going
to give up the dream of both Koreas
living well together...First and fore-
most for that to happen, permanent
peace must be brought about. The nu-
clear weapons program, which is the
source of distrust and conflict, has to
be eliminated completely,” the
President said, proposing the resump-
tion of across-the-board dialogue with
North Korea.
The two Koreas, divided shortly af-
ter the 1945 liberation, are still techni-
cally at war, with no peace treaty
signed at the end of the 1950-53
Korean War.
During the ceremonial speech giv-
en in front of about 20,000 dignitaries
and citizens, the President also de-
clared that his administration has se-
lected “low carbon, green growth” as A celebration takes place at Dokdo, the nation’s easternmost islets, on Aug. 15
the nation’s new vision going into the
next 60 years.
“If the last six decades since the
nation’s founding have been spent Only then will the founding of the a three-year war which involved U.S., on the Han River” in the 1970s.
achieving fundamental freedoms, the Republic of Korea be completed,” said Chinese and other foreign forces. The Subsequently, Seoul successfully host-
next 60 years should be dedicated to the President. entire Peninsula was devastated by the ed the 24th Olympics in 1988, and
realizing freedom with responsibility. Data released by the Statistical conflict. A cease-fire was signed in South Korea co-hosted the 2002 FIFA
Office show that South Korea’s popula- July 1953. World Cup soccer finals with Japan.
tion increased 2.4-fold to 48.45 million Rhee was forced out of office on After the year 2000, relations be-
in 2007 from 20.19 million in 1953. In April 26, 1960 in the aftermath of the tween South and North Korea remark-
the same period of time, its gross do- April 19 Movement, a student-led up- ably improved, paving the way for
mestic product surged 746-fold to rising. Park Chung-hee, who rose to initiating the peace process on the
$969.9 billion from $1.3 billion. power in a bloodless military coup on Korean Peninsula. In June, 2000, then
As a result, the per-capita gross May 16, 1961, and became the na- South Korean President Kim Dae-jung
national income soared from $67 in tion’s new president, is largely credit- and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il
1953 to $20,045 last year. The nation’s ed with South Korea’s rapid industrial- held the first inter-Korean summit, a
trade volume increased 3,167-fold in ization through export-led growth. landmark event in Korea’s modern
the past 60 years. During Park’s tenure, per-capita history.
In the 1950s, South Korea ranked income increased 20-fold, and South Following the Kim Dae-jung gov-
among the poorest countries. Today, it Korea’s rural, undeveloped economy ernment, liberal President Roh Moo-
is the world’s 13th largest economy. was transformed into an industrial hyun governed the nation for five
Syngman Rhee was elected the powerhouse. years from February 2003. The Korean
first president of the Republic of Korea South Korea’s growth-oriented, people selected businessman-turned-
in 1948. On June 25, 1950, North export-led economic development politician Lee Myung-bak, an advo-
Korea launched an unprovoked full- since the 1960s was so remarkable cate of pragmatism, as their new pres-
scale invasion of the South, triggering that it earned the phrase “the Miracle ident in December 2007. ■
Yonhap
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 9
DIPLOMACY
Yonhap
Yonhap
Presidents Lee and Bush at a joint news conference at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Aug. 6
Summit with U.S. President Bush
President Lee
T
he leaders of South Korea and the United States urged
Meets North Korea to improve its human rights conditions
and immediately complete its denuclearization as a
prerequisite for normalizing its relations with them.
Bush, Hu and Other A joint statement released after the summit between
President Lee Myung-bak and U.S. President George W.
World Leaders Bush at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul said that the South Korean
and U.S. leaders reaffirmed their commitment to improving
the human rights situation in North Korea.
As expected, Lee and Bush allotted a significant portion of
their joint statement to North Korea’s denuclearization, urging
the communist North to promptly complete its commitments
in the second phase of the denuclearization process and,
through third-phase actions, to implement full abandonment
of all its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs.
In addition, the joint statement broadly covered issues
of bilateral alliance, ways to gain legislative approval for
the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement and policy coop-
eration on international issues.
The two presidents agreed to actively promote close co-
10 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
A welcoming ceremony for Chinese President Hu Jintao (left) at Cheong Wa Dae on Aug. 25
operation in the fields of civil space exploration and space
Yonhap
science and in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. They al-
so agreed to provide an opportunity for Korean university
students to study English, work and enrich their knowledge
and experience in the United States.
Summit with Chinese President Hu
President Lee and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao issued
a joint summit statement vowing to significantly deepen bi-
lateral political, economic, cultural and personnel ex-
changes to follow up on the two countries’ strategic coop-
erative partnership agreed on in May.
Hu flew into Korea on Aug. 25 for a two-day state vis-
it, his second to the country while in office. His first visit to
Korea as president was in November 2005.
Lee and Hu have already met twice since the South
Korean leader took office in February. During their first sum-
mit in Beijing in late May, Lee and Hu agreed to upgrade
Seoul-Beijing relations from a “comprehensive cooperative
partnership” to a “strategic cooperative partnership.” The two
leaders met again in Beijing, after Lee attended the opening
ceremony of the 29th Summer Olympics there.
The joint statement also focused significantly on boost-
ing bilateral economic and commercial cooperation, as Lee
and Hu agreed to increase the annual volume of two-way
trade to $200 billion by 2010, two years ahead of the pre-
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd pays tribute to Australian
vious target year. troops who died in the Korean War, during his stop at a war
Notably, Lee and Hu agreed to consider launching a cemetery in Busan on Aug. 10
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 11
 DIPLOMACY

1 2
3 4

President Lee held separate talks with Turkmen President Berdimuhamedov (1), Algerian President Bouteflika (2), Kazakhstan’s President Nazarbayev (3) and
Uzbekistan’s President Karimov (4) during his visit to Beijing from Aug. 8 to 9

government-level review of a bilateral free trade agreement
on the basis of private-sector joint studies and research,
while deepening bilateral cooperation in the fields of envi-
ronmental protection, energy, communications, financial
services and logistics.
As part of efforts to promote private sector exchanges,
the two leaders also agreed to designate 2010 and 2012 as
“Visit China Year” and “Visit Korea Year,” respectively.
Talks with Australian leader Rudd
mate change, arms control, nonproliferation and other in-
ternational issues. Australia is Korea’s biggest trading and
investment partner in the mineral resource sector.
Lee’s diplomacy during Beijing Olympics
With an eye to energy diplomacy, President Lee met with
leaders of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and
Algeria on Aug. 8 and 9 in Beijing, where he was visiting to
‘The FTA Ratification
attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

President Lee and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd

agreed on Aug. 11 to launch preliminary talks for a bilater-
al free trade agreement and to widen their cooperation in
energy, trade and regional security.
President Lee and Turkmen President Gurbanguly
Berdimuhamedov agreed to fully support the participation
of Korean companies in an energy resources development
Will Benefit Korea, U.S.’
project in the Caspian Sea region. They also agreed to en-
courage Korean firms to take part in infrastructure-building

P
“They welcomed the conclusion of a bilateral FTA study in Turkmenistan. resident Lee Myung-bak was ed with a non-American leader. view was conducted on Aug. 14. at
group that a two-way free trade deal would be beneficial to In his meeting with Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the president confident that whoever became President Lee also expressed confi- Cheong Wa Dae.
both countries’ economic growth and trade expansion,” a of Algeria, Lee also proposed an expansion of energy devel- the next U.S. president would dence that inter-Korean relations The 66-year-old President also
Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said. The two countries con- opment projects between the two countries. Lee asked the support the free trade agreement and would improve in the near future de- said he believed that the two Koreas
cluded a joint private-level assessment of an FTA early this Algerian government to favorably consider Korean compa- an upgraded alliance between the two spite recent tension stemming from would reunite during his lifetime.
year. An FTA is estimated to increase Korea’s gross domes- nies that plan to bid for petroleum and gas exploration and counties. the shooting death of a South Korean “Reunification can come any day -
tic product by up to $29.6 billon over 10 years and development programs scheduled for later this year. “The FTA not only benefits South tourist in North Korea. and suddenly - so, we must always be
Australia’s by $22.7 billion, according to a study. Korea’s Lee also sought the cooperation of the Algerian govern- Korea but also has huge potential ben- He told that he would continue prepared for that,” he added.
exports to Australia will increase by up to $4.3 billion and ment in assisting Korean companies to participate in urban efits for the U.S. economy and con- with flexible and sincere policies to On domestic issues, he said the
Australia’s shipments by $7.5 billion. Two-way trade is es- construction projects. sumers. Whoever becomes the next bring Pyongyang to the dialogue table economy was unlikely to turn around
timated at 17.9 billion last year. Australia is Korea’s eighth He also separately met with Kazakhstan’s President U.S. president will look at the hard facts and promote “mutual benefit and co- until the end of next year, appealing to
largest trading partner. Nursultan Nazarbayev and Uzbekistan’s President Islam and make the right decision in the in- existence on the Peninsula.” the nation to unite to weather the
They also agreed that the two countries would forge a Karimov to discuss issues of mutual concerns. terest of the U.S. people,” he said in an “The ties between two Koreas are tough conditions.
comprehensive partnership, expanding ties currently fo- Lee encountered North Korea’s nominal head of state interview with world-famous Internet tense for now. But the relations will He also reiterated his commitment
cused on economy and trade into other areas. They also Kim Yong-nam at the luncheon hosted by Chinese President portal Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com). recover soon as we work on policies to push economic reforms including
pledged to strengthen diplomatic cooperation in the Asia- Hu Jintao. A Cheong Wa Dae official said the two Korean This was the first such interview with sincerity and genuine concern overhauling the public sector and eas-
Pacific region and the global arena to work together on cli- leaders shook hands but no official dialogue took place. ■ the Internet powerhouse has conduct- about North Korea,” he said. The inter- ing regulations. ■

12 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 13

2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS
Best Olympic Run Ever for Korea
Nation’s Leading Athletes
Reach Another Level
K
orean Olympians made their
BY JEONG HYEON-JI country proud at the Beijing
STAFF WRITER
Olympic Games, notching a se-
ries of sensational victories to con-
solidate its presence as a regional
sports powerhouse.
Korea captured 13 gold medals in
Beijing, a record for the country in
the Olympics. It also earned 10 silver
and eight bronze medals.
Korea witnessed better perfor-
mances in events such as fencing,
swimming, shooting and baseball,
which traditionally have been domi-
nated by Western countries.
On Aug. 10, 19-year-old swim-
mer Park Tae-hwan won the men’s
200-meter freestyle, giving Korea its
14 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
first-ever gold medal in Olympic
swimming.
Nam Hyun-hee became the first
Korean woman to medal in fencing
on Aug. 12. The 28-year-old won a
silver in women’s foil. She narrowly
lost to world champion Valentina
Vezzali of Italy, missing out on the
gold medal by one point. Her silver,
however, was a great accomplish-
ment, as she was the only Asian in
an Italian-dominated semifinal.
Korean shooter Jin Jong-oh won
the gold in the 50-meter pistol on
Aug. 12. He also earned a silver in the
10-meter air pistol. The victory by
Jin, a silver medalist in Athens, marks
the nation’s first gold in shooting in
The Korea Herald
Moon Dae-sung
Elected to Athletes’
Commission
Former Korean taekwondo champion
Moon Dae-sung was elected to the ath-
lete’s commission of the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) on Aug. 21.
Korea’s pull in the international
sports arena is expected to get stronger
with his election. Former Samsung
Group chairman Lee Kun-hee joins
Moon as the only non-athlete Korean
member on the IOC.
Moon won gold medals at the 2004
Athens Olympics and the 2002 Busan
Asian Olympics. Since stepping down
from the national team, he has been lec-
turing at a university in Korea.
Moon beat out 29 contenders for the
election at the Olympic Village during
the Beijing Games. The 32-year-old,
who was named on 3,220 of the 7,216
ballots cast, is the first Asian athlete to
be elected to the commission, which
was founded in 1981 to serve as a link
between Olympic athletes and the IOC.
Representatives of the 19-member
commission are allowed to take part in
meetings of other IOC commissions to
voice their opinions on various mat-
ters, including doping and Olympic
preparation.
“I have rammed home the message
that my leadership is going to be pure,
powerful and peaceful,” Moon told re-
porters. “The world of sports is revolv-
ing around Europe and the United
States, but I will work hard to give voice
to Asian athletes.” ■
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 15
 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS

The Korea Herald

The Korea Herald

16 years. Korea notched two golds at
the 1992 Barcelona Games.
Following a brief gold-medal
drought after Sa Jae-hyouk won the
men’s 77-kilogram weightlifting title,
Jang Mi-ran shattered three world
records to win the women’s over-75-
kilogram event. A favorite to win the
competition, the 25-year-old world
champion beat her closest rival by 50
kilograms.
During the final stretch of the
Games, four taekwondo athletes won
Weightlifter Lee Bae-young Shows True Sportsmanship
gold medals in the sport. The four, in-
cluding two-time world champion
Hwang Kyung-seon, who braved a
knee injury to win the women’s under-
67-kg category on Aug. 22, demon-
strated Korea’s stranglehold on the na-
tional sport.
The taekwondo sweep was fol-
lowed by an improbable gold-medal
victory over Cuba in baseball. The
game between Cuba and Korea came
down to the wire. Leading by one with
the bases loaded and one out, Korean
reliever Chong Tae-hyon successfully
induced a game-ending double play.
Korea won the bronze medal in
baseball at the 2000 Sydney Olympics,
while Cuba has claimed three golds
since the sport was introduced to the
Games in 1992. ■ Korean Swimming Sensation
Park Tae-hwan
Lee went for 184kg. He, however, fell with a
badly sprained left leg, dropping the barbell
on the ground. After receiving emergency performances and began to win all of Australia in the men’s 400-meter

Weightlifter Lee Bae-young failed to garner
a medal but his sportsmanship touched the
hearts of many people during the 2008
Beijing Olympics.
Lee, a silver-medalist at the 2004 Athens
Olympics, was disqualified in the first round
of the clean and jerk in the men’s 69kg
weightlifting competition on Aug. 12 due to
a sudden cramp in his leg. He lifted 155kg in
the snatch, breaking the Korean record of
154kg, set by himself in April 2008.
In the first round of the clean and jerk,
D
uring the 2008 Beijing Olympics,
treatment from his coaches, he went on for Korea’s eyes and ears were on
the second round, adding 2 more kilograms Park Tae-hwan, a 19-year-old
to his previous challenge. But a cramp end- swimming prodigy who garnered the
ed his chances to medal. nation’s first gold medal of this year’s
Even though it was evident that he would Games.
get disqualified, Lee showed up again on
Park grabbed Korea’s first Olympic
the stage, receiving a huge applause from
swimming gold by winning the men’s
Chinese fans.
400-meter freestyle on Aug. 10. He
Lee, struck by muscle cramps, failed in
then won the silver medal in the men’s
his last attempt. But he couldn’t let go of the
200-meter freestyle on Aug. 12, fin-
barbell until the end. His firmly clenched fist
ishing second behind America’s
around the bar touched many people.
Michael Phelps.
After four years of training, the 29-year-
Born September 1989 in Seoul,
old weightlifter said he couldn’t give up in
the second and third rounds. “I still Park first learned to swim when he
would’ve done it even though it meant tak- was 5 years old, to treat his asthma.
ing my life,” he said. ■ Before long, he stood out with brilliant
the major swimming competitions in
the country.
However, he had many ups and
downs since 2004, when he officially
debuted in the international swim-
ming arena. At the 2004 Athens
Olympics, Park, then a middle-
schooler, was disqualified for a false
start in the men’s 400m freestyle, af-
ter which the despondent swimmer
locked himself in the changing room
for two hours.
But he quickly recovered by set-
ting two Asian records at the 2006
Doha Asian Games. He also defeated
Olympic medalist Grant Hackett of
freestyle at the 2007 World
Championship.
After that performance, he got his
famous nicknames of “Marine Boy”
and “The nation’s little brother.” He
stepped up from a swimming prodigy
to a teen idol.
“I feel great. I’ve been training
with the world record in mind in the
400m freestyle,” Park told reporters
after arriving in Beijing on Aug. 9.
His success can be attributed to his
ceaseless training. He also receives
much support from his coaching staff,
which has applied the disciplines of
sports science in his training. ■

Park Tae-hwan celebrates after winning the men’s 400-meter freestyle on Aug. 10

16 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 17

SCIENCE
Korea Vies to Become
Medical Tourism Hub
BY JEONG HYEON-JI
STAFF WRITER
M
any people think vacations
are all about relaxation,
sightseeing and playing
leisure sports. But this idea is quickly
changing because of the booming
medical tourism industry.
During a weeklong holiday, people
can now easily fix their bad eyes or
sore backs. Korea, equipped with state-
of-the-art medical skills, has stepped
into the global medical tourism scene
by recently launching several medical
tour programs.
In late July, a group of 29 Ameri-
cans visited Korea on a two-week med-
ical tour program, organized by the
Korea Tourism Organization and the
nation’s major medical organizations.
The program featured a full medical
check-up and sightseeing around
18 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
An American patient receives a full check-up at the Inha University Medical Center in Incheon
Korea’s major tourist attractions.
The medical service, which included
both physical examinations and cos-
metic treatments, received a very posi-
tive response from the participants.
According to the Korea Health
Industry Development Institute (KHI-
DI) data, the global medical tourism
market is estimated to be $60 billion a
year — and it is expected to reach $100
billion by 2012.
In line with the growth of the glob-
al market, Korea’s medical tourism sec-
tor is aiming to attract 100,000 tourists
by 2012, topping $37 billion.
The number of patients visiting
Korea’s major hospitals jumped to
16,000 in 2007, up from 760 in 2005,
according to the Welfare Ministry.
The growth of medical tourism in
Yonhap
Korea has been spurred by top-notch
local doctors and, recently, by the
Korean Wave. The nation’s oriental
medical clinics and acupuncturists, in
particular, have constantly been re-
ceiving foreign patients, who are keen
to keep fit by using natural means.
By the turn of the millennium,
Korea saw an increasing number of
Asian tourists visiting the nation,
mainly for cosmetic surgery. This was
bolstered by the positive image of
Korea’s pop culture.
The nation’s top-notch hospitals
have helped fuel the growth. Wooridul
Spine Hospital, which runs five hospi-
tal chains across the country, has op-
erated an international patients’ center
since 2005.
The hospital, which purely focuses
on spinal treatment, has seen over
2,500 patients from 47 countries. The
number is increasing by 30 percent
every year. The hospital not only pro-
vides medical procedures and tours but
also helps the patients get visas, insur-
ance and other matters related to treat-
ment. The hospital already is interna-
tionally well known for its expertise.
Jaseng Hospital of Oriental
Medicine in Seoul, which also special-
izes in spinal treatment, has operated
an international clinic since 2006. The
number of overseas patients jumped to
390 in 2007 from 185 of 2006. About
60 percent of the patients are
Japanese, according to the hospital.
“Most of the foreign patients visit-
ing our hospital are amazed that their
problems can get better by non-surgi-
cal procedures such as acupuncture
and oriental medicine,” said Yoon Je-
pil, head of the hospital’s international
clinic.
Both Jaseng and Wooridul have
multilingual doctors and medical co-
ordinators who are ready to accom-
modate foreign patients in their own
languages. They are also members of
the Council for Korea Medicine
Overseas Promotion, an organization
that promotes medical tourism to
Korea and structures programs for it.
American Medical
Tourists in Korea
Give a Thumbs up
Yonhap
Currently, there are 33 hospitals
enrolled in the council. They hold sem-
inars and promotion campaigns with
travel agencies to develop this new in-
dustry. The member hospitals have
signed contracts with international in-
surance companies to guarantee the
quality of medical services as well.
Among them are Seoul’s Severance
Hospital and Hanyang University
Medical Center, which have been
looking into medical tourism for a few
years, and are working with travel
agencies in the U.S., Japan and China
to create diverse tour packages.
Jeju-do is also looking to make
headway into medical tourism, taking
advantage of its beautiful scenery and
well-developed infrastructure. Along
with specialized treatments, Jeju’s pro-
grams also include health options like
obesity care.
The Ministry of Welfare, Health
and Family Affairs, to help foster the
Denise Snyder, a yoga instructor from
California, and 28 fellow Americans visited
Korea on a two-week journey in July. But
their trip was not like any other vacation.
Upon their arrival, they were taken to
Inha University Medical Center in Incheon,
a 30-minute bus ride from the airport. They
received a full-scale check-up, which in-
cludes a blood test, an electrocardiogram,
a gastrointestinal endoscopy, an eye exam
and a medical consultation. This was all
done for $400.
“All this would cost 10 times higher in the
U.S.,” Snyder said.
Kristi Knudsen and her daughter,
Natalie, were also among the group of pa-
tients. She said she receives annual med-
ical exams but this is the first time she’s
getting an endoscopy and an ultrasonog-
raphy.
“There are so many people without a
proper insurance scheme in the United
States. And getting such a full-scale exam
nation’s medical tourism industry, has
been working to fix administrative
flaws and revise legal procedures.
As a result, the revised law now al-
lows families or guardians of patients
to be given long-term visas. And the
process has become much simpler. The
Government is also looking to im-
prove medical laws to enable active
overseas promotion and mediation.
The Welfare Ministry is also ex-
panding its education programs to in-
crease human resource development.
The Ministry is planning to open the
International Medical Service
Academy in a bid to provide education
on world-class medical services.
Foreign-language education will
also be expanded, as language skills are
heavily weighed when hiring new staff.
More information on Korea’s med-
ical tourism can be found at www.ko-
reahealthtour.co.kr and www.visitko-
rea.or.kr. ■
would cost thousands of dollars,” she said.
Knudsen said she would like to take her
mother to get her spinal cord checked in
Korea next time.
The next day, they went to a dermatolo-
gist in Seoul to get cosmetic treatments,
such as magic lift, botox, oxygen treatment
and crystal peeling.
“I’ve been to Thailand many times for
medical treatments. I’m thinking of coming
back to Korea for further treatments in the
future,” Snyder said.
The group spent the rest of their jour-
ney traveling around Korea’s major tourist
spots, including the Demilitarized Zone
(DMZ) and Gyeongju.
The program was well received by the
participants. According to a survey con-
ducted at the end of their itinerary, all said
that they were highly satisfied with the
medical services provided. But communi-
cating with the medical staff in English
could use some improvement. ■
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 19
SCIENCE
Global Market Leaders
Made in Korea
BY HAN ARAN
KOREA.NET STAFF WRITER
K
orea was one of the poorest
countries in the world in 1960,
with a gross national income per
capita of a mere $79 and a trade
deficit of $300 million.
But less than fifty years later, glob-
al investment bank Goldman Sachs
predicted in 2007 that Korea’s per-
capita gross domestic product will
reach $81,000 by 2050.
Such an increase would make the
nation the world’s second-richest
economy after the United States.
According to research by the
Ministry of Knowledge Economy,
there are 120 Korean products that
have clinched the number one spot in
their respective fields as of 2006. And
that number is still growing.
The list includes not only hi-tech
items such as semiconductor products
but also small everyday items.
Semiconductor products
Until as recently as the 1990’s,
Samsung was thought to be just a
cheap microwave brand, but the brand
is now recognized as an upscale, premi-
um name in many product categories
including mobile phones and LCD TVs.
20 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
It all began in 1992 when the com-
pany made its name in the interna-
tional market by becoming the world’s
number one producer of D-RAM, or
dynamic random access memory,
chips, outpacing Japan. This marked
the beginning of Samsung’s conquest
in the semiconductor market.
In 1995, the company clinched the
number one spot in the S-RAM, or sta-
tic random access memory, field. In
2002, Samsung gained the number
one spot in terms of the TFT-LCD, or
thin-film transistor liquid crystal dis-
play, market.
When it comes to the non-memo-
ry sector, Samsung also stands strong.
It is the number one producer of
Display Driver IC and System on a
Chip, among others.
Ships
Shipbuilding is one of Korea’s leading
heavy industries, and it has greatly
contributed to making the country an
economic powerhouse.
Korea is home to seven of the
world’s top 10 shipbuilders, with
Hyundai Heavy, Samsung Heavy
Industries Co. and Daewoo Shipbuilding
and Marine Engineering Co., forming
the club of the world’s top three ship-
builders.
The Korean shipbuilding industry
caught the world’s attention yet again
last year by attaining a fifth consecu-
tive “triple crown.”
They swept the world market in the
three main indicators, namely new or-
der volume, construction volume and
order backlogs in 2007, setting records
for the fifth straight year since 2003.
The industry takes up about 40
percent of the global market and one
out of every three new vessels in the
world last year was made in Korea.
Other noteworthy products
Did you know that half of the world’s
population uses Korean-made nail
clippers?
Founded in 1975, the Three Seven
Corporation of Korea makes about 80
million nail clippers per year and ex-
ports them to 92 countries around the
world under its in-house 777 brand,
which is famous for its sophisticated
designs and high quality.
The brand name is registered in
many countries and is synonymous
The Korea Herald
with nail clipper quality.
The world-famous safes known as
Eagle Safes are made in Korea as well.
Sunil Safe, also known as Sun
Safe, exports a variety of safes to 70
countries around the world.
The company made the world’s
first fire-resilient safes. It also made
the world’s first safes with digital
locks.
Not everyone uses tooth sterilizers,
but among those who do, there is a
high chance that they use sterilizers
made by Esencia. The Korean compa-
ny takes up more than 40 percent of
the world market in the field.
Paseco, a heating equipment mak-
er, has maintained the number one
spot in terms of kerosene stoves.
Its Kerona brand sells in 35 coun-
tries including Germany, Iraq and the
United States among others. The
medium-sized company takes up half
of its market.
Neopharm is another medium-sized
company that is making inroads abroad
with its product Atopalm, which is
good for healing skin affected by
Korea makes internationally premier
eczema. The product has been granted a products such as (from top) heating
patent in China, Japan, the United equipment, fire-resilient safes and top-
States and Taiwan as well as Korea. ■ quality nail clippers
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 21
GLOBAL KOREA
Korean NGO Offers Help to
Swazi Children
BY JEONG HYEON-JI
STAFF WRITER
I
n the Kapunga region of Swaziland,
five Koreans are busy working with
children and teaching local women
about sewing. Future for African
Children, a Seoul-based non-govern-
mental organization, has been run-
ning a kindergarten and a job-training
center here since 2000.
Dr. Kim Jung-hee, the chairperson
of the organization’s Swazi branch,
22 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
Swazi children take classes at the Future for African Children’s kindergarten in the Kapunga region
first visited the country in 1995 to
provide Mbabane Government
Hospital with emergency medical aid.
After five years, the NGO established
its first kindergarten in Mbabane with
the help of the royal court. Now the
NGO runs an AIDS shelter and a job-
training center in the Kapunga re-
gion.
She still remembers the first day of
ter that provide free medical services.
The clinic, which was opened in 2001,
concentrates on fighting unhygienic
living conditions and providing pesti-
cides. Every year, the organization
provides 50 schools in the nation with
vermicides and education on hygiene.
With the support of the Korea
International Cooperation Agency, the
Sun Shine AIDS Shelter since 2005 has
provided local citizens with education,
diagnosis, counseling and medicine.
“Over 60 percent of Swazi men are
carrying the AIDS virus, so it is essen-
tial to provide students and young
adults with correct information on
HIV and AIDS,” Dr. Kim said.
The organization is also working
closely with Korean volunteers who
are interested in Africa. During sum-
mer and winter vacations, the organi-
zation receives students from all over
Korea, and sometimes, ethnic Koreans
kindergarten in which the local chil-
dren cried in shock after seeing the
moving toys and education materials
from Korea.
“They had never seen a piano or
toys for rehabilitation before, and
some of them ran away to the other
side of the room,” she said.
Over the years, the organization
established a clinic and an AIDS shel-
from overseas. Last year alone, they
received some 10 volunteers.
Kim Young-hee, a KOICA-regis-
tered nurse, worked in a Kapunga
clinic with fellow volunteers for a
year from April 2007.
“Honestly, I was scared to go to
Africa at first because there was
nowhere I could get information about
the country,” Kim said.
She not only worked in the clinic
but also went on daily house calls.
“I was devastated with how bad
their living conditions were. But I also
found out that they had the most
beautiful and happiest souls. All of the
diseases and poverty couldn’t bring
them down,” she said.
Her duties included distributing
medicine, giving injections and pro-
viding items like underwear and clean
towels.
Kim, who quit her job as a full-
Volunteers at the Future for African Children with residents of the Kapunga region
time nurse to participate in this pro-
gram, said she has learned many life
lessons.
“I’ve come to realize that it’s not
the material things that make us hap-
py. They have shown us unconditional
love and respect. Having showers next
to frogs or the lack of clean drinking
water and electricity were trivial things
for these people,” she said.
Since 2003, the Future for African
Children also operates education and
job-training programs with the help of
KOICA. Classes on engineering, elec-
tricity control, farming, computation
and crafts are providing Swazi youth
and housewives with essential skills to
get jobs. The recently built Women’s
Center, in particular, is expected to
help boost women’s rights and help
develop career skills. ■
(Photos courtesy of
Future for African Children)
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 23
GLOBAL KOREA

Quiz Show Brings

Vietnam and Korea Closer Together
BY JEONG HYEON-JI
STAFF WRITER

A
22-year-old Vietnamese student

KBS
won $3,000 on a Korean-pro-
duced quiz show — and she did
it all in Korean.
The public broadcaster KBS-pro-
duced quiz show “Golden Bell” ran a
special episode featuring Vietnamese

The Korea Herald

students majoring in Korean studies
on Aug. 3. The show was recorded on
Korean B-boy teams perform in Vientiane , Laos
July 11 at Van Thanh Resort in Ho Chi
Minh City, Vietnam, under the Korea
Foundation’s support.
Golden Bell has been airing since
late 1998 and is popular among stu- Korea’s B-boy Performers Thrill Audiences in Laos
dents and young adults in Korea. The
show revolves around participants who
try to ring a golden bell after getting the
right answer to a given question. The
Korean Wave Makes a Big Splash
BY BANG KYUNG-MIN
show became so popular that a local Nguyen Thi Thu Trang (center) receives a scholarship after winning the quiz show CULTURE AND ARTS DEPARTMENT, KOREA FOUNDATION
Vietnamese TV station, V-TV, imported
and produced its own show in 2006. tional Vietnamese dances, such as
A total of 100 Vietnamese students Mua Sap.

from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and
Dalat took part in the show. The top
prize went to Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, a
senior Korean studies major at Hanoi
University. She received a $3,000
scholarship and a trip to Seoul. She
said she would like to spend the schol-
arship money on studying design.
The questions, all given in Korean,
touched on issues such as Korean his-
tory, culture, economy and Vietnamese
society. During the show, the students
showed off their talents in singing
Korean songs, taekwondo and tradi-
K
The Korean ambassador to Vietnam, orea’s B-boy performers, who ter of Southeast Asia, which is best
Lim Hong-jae, said that these students have become an internationally known for its Golden Temple and
are the foundation of Vietnam’s future. recognized cultural brand, had Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World
“They are very talented and hard- the rare chance to strut their stuff for Heritage Site.
working. They will play an important audiences in Vientiane, Laos. In this
role in connecting the two countries way, the Korean Wave made its way to ‘Flying Higher — Korea’s
since they’re very interested in Korea. this little-known country in Southeast B-boys’
In fact, they know a lot about Korea,” Asia, much to the delight of the locals.
he said during the show. Korea’s hip-hop culture, in the Under the joint sponsorship of the
This was the seventh overseas Lao National Culture Hall in Vientiane form of B-boy performances, was suc- Korea Foundation, the Korean
episode for Golden Bell. The show has cessfully introduced to audiences in Embassy in Laos and the Lao Ministry
also been recorded in three Chinese Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on June of Information and Culture, the per-
cities, Los Angeles, Uzbekistan and 4-5. Rather unfamiliar to many formances were staged at the Lao
Japan. ■ Koreans, Laos is a country in the cen- National Culture Hall in Vientiane,

24 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 25

 GLOBAL KOREA
Korea foundation
Korean B-boys present the Chansavanh Secondary School in Vientiane with scholarships and school supplies
under a title of “Flying Higher —
Korea’s B-boys.” It featured one of
Korea’s premier B-boy teams, Gambler
Crew, along with a Poppin’ team
Animation Crew, Girls Hip Hop Duo
and a female singer. In this way, the
so-called Korean Wave made its way
to Laos, whose people are considerably
less exposed to Korea’s popular cul-
ture, in comparison to nearby coun-
tries like Vietnam and China.
In Laos, there is a serious lack of
cultural content for the people to en-
joy. There are two state-run TV sta-
tions, but they offer little in the way
of cultural programs, so most house-
holds tune into broadcasts from
Thailand. Moreover, since the devel-
opment of the local performing arts
culture is limited, people have a keen
interest in cultural/entertainment
events that are arranged by foreign
embassies. According to the Korean
Embassy in Laos, the performances of
“Jump” and “Break Out,” which had
previously been hosted by the em-
bassy, were well received by local res-
idents, thereby raising expectations of
26 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
Korea-related performances. As a re-
sult, the Lao National Culture Hall was
crammed with people hoping to watch
the B-boy performers. Even heavy
rain could not dampen the audience’s
excitement.
In line with the “Flying Higher”
theme, the Korean B-boys deftly exe-
cuted their high-flying maneuvers
that seemed to somehow defy gravity.
The dynamic break-dance move-
ments, combining acrobatic and gym-
nastic agility, elicited gasps of amaze-
ment and appreciation from the audi-
ence. Animation Crew’s poppin’ per-
formance, a kind of mime slapstick,
easily had everyone laughing aloud.
In addition, the Girls Hip Hop Duo
and the female singer further ener-
gized the frenzied atmosphere with
their choreographed dances and en-
chanting singing. The first perfor-
mance attracted the attendance of
prominent local figures, including
government and diplomatic officials,
such as the Minister of Information
and Culture, who presented a bouquet
of flowers to the performers as an ex-
THE BEAUTY OF KOREA-15
pression of the Laotian people’s ap-
preciation of Korea.
Cultural diplomacy
During the morning after the second
performance, the performers visited
Chansavanh Secondary School in
Vientiane to present scholarships and
Pensive
school supplies to the students. Along
with enthusiastically welcoming the
performers, the students presented
Bodhisattva
them with a handmade embroidery National Treasure No. 78
work, with a message of friendship be-
tween Korea and Laos. The embroi-
This sixth-century gilt piece represents the
dered message, in Lao, Korean and
popular style of Buddhist statues during
English, in addition to being carefully
the Three Kingdoms era (57 B.C.-A.D.668).
crafted, was a heartfelt symbol of the
The statue, in a pensive pose, is claimed to
warmth of the Lao students. After an
have originated from Buddha’s posture
impromptu presentation for the stu-
that contemplates a human being’s life.
dents, it was time to depart for the air-
Its enigmatic smile, natural pose, clothing
port, winding up the five-day visit. and harmony among body parts
During the flight home, people shared distinguish itself from National Treasure
photos and stories about their memo- No. 83, another masterpiece that has the
rable experiences in Laos. same posture.
For the otherwise reserved Lao The piece has a tall crown decorated with
people, the B-boy performance was a shapes of the sun and moon, which
special occasion for them to thorough- scholars believe were influenced by
ly enjoy this new form of entertain- contemporary Persian culture.
ment. The universal appeal of Korea’s Because of its focus on harmony,
hip-hop culture was readily evident historians believe that it originated from
and well received. the Baekje Dynasty (18 B.C.-A.D.660). ■
Of note, with the people in Laos Photo courtesy of the National Museum of Korea
having a favorable perception of
Korea, due to the promotional efforts
by the Korean Government and busi-
ness concerns, it seems natural for the
Korean Wave to gain considerable
popularity there, similar to the situa-
tion in Vietnam. Starting from popular
culture, and then introducing the re-
fined content of Korea’s culture and
arts through exchanges, it could be
possible to enrich the lives of the Lao
people and develop more cooperative
relations between the two countries. In
this way, our cultural diplomacy ef-
forts could contribute to tangible and
practical results. ■
(Source: Korea Foundation Newsletter)
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 27
CHUSEOK

Time for
Celebration and
Sharing BY JEONG HYEON-JI
STAFF WRITER

E
A family in their hometown for Chuseok
very autumn, the nation wit- Korean children dressed in hanbok on Chuseok
nesses an exodus of people leav-
ing Seoul to celebrate the most
important holiday of the year,
Chuseok. Largely known as “Korean
Thanksgiving Day,” this year’s holi-
day falls on Sept. 14.
Chuseok is not only a time to cel-
ebrate the harvest and remember one’s
ancestors, but it is also a time to re-
member where one comes from and to
share good times with family mem-
bers and neighbors. Koreans, there-
fore, prepare a lot of good food to
treat their family, neighbors and visit-
ing friends.
The holiday is thought to have
originated from the practice of “gabe”
during the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.-A.D.
935). On gabe, which was Aug. 15 by
the lunar calendar, two teams of court
ladies participated in a looming com-
petition, and the losing team would
have to throw a celebratory party for
the winning team with food, drink,
dancing and music. From this practice
“hangawi” was born, a name which
also refers to Chuseok.
Traditionally, families hold
The Korea Herald

“charye” in the morning of Chuseok, a

memorial service for deceased family
members and ancestors with newly

28 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 29

 CHUSEOK
A family visits the grave of a relative

The Korea Herald

Expats Join
Chuseok
The exodus of people from Seoul to regional
provinces (top). A family on a train heading to
their hometown
Celebration
The Korea Herald

harvested food and fruit. After charye,
they visit their ancestors’ graves, a
practice called “seongmyo.”
Along with these two key tradi-
tions, traditional games are also popu-
lar, such as tug-of-war and “ssireum,”
which is Korean-style wrestling. In the
dishes, “songpyeon” best represents
the holiday. Songpyeon are crescent-
shaped rice cakes made with honey,
walnuts, sesame, beans and pine nee-
dles. On the eve of Chuseok, families
make songpyeon together. It is be-
lieved that those who make pretty
orea is home to some 1 million migrant workers. Foreign communities will

southern province of Jeolla-do, young
women play “ganggang suweollae,” a
whirling dance around a campfire un-
der the full moon.
On the night of Chuseok, people
gather under the full moon, which is
usually the biggest of the year, and
wish for good luck and happiness for
family and friends.
Among the many special Chuseok
songpyeon will have a pretty daughter.
These days, many people prefer
staying in the big city and spending
the holiday catching up with their
friends or relaxing at home. And some
take this opportunity to go overseas
for an extended summer vacation.
Whether it is a trip to one’s hometown
or abroad, booking a ticket well in ad-
vance is very important. ■
K
also join the Chuseok celebration and take this opportunity to learn more
about Korean culture and traditions.
Many migrant workers hold their own parties and celebrations with delicacies
from their own country and specially prepared Korean food. They also participate
in many events, such as the immigrants’ singing competition and talent shows
(Continued on Page 32)
Expats play a traditional Korean game called “yut”

30 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 31

The Korea Herald
CHUSEOK

Children of expats make

songpyeon for Chuseok
Culinary Tradition
Hangwa
BY MOON YOUNG-DOO
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Beautifully packaged baskets or boxes

H
angwa is the term for tradition-
al Korean sweets and cookies,
appreciated for their decorative
colors, patterns and pleasing taste. The
common ingredients in hangwa are
grain flour, honey, sugar, fruit or edi-
ble roots.
It is often served with traditional
beverages as an elegant dessert.
of hangwa make excellent gifts, espe-
cially appropriate for the elderly. One
can find these confections at tradi-
tional cake and sweets shops, or in
special sections of department stores.
There are different kinds of hang-
wa: gangjeong, yugwa, yakgwa and
dashik.

Expats make rice cakes in

the old-fashioned way in
central Seoul

that are nationally broadcast.

Many outdoor activities are also held at museums and folk villages for the
most important holiday of the year. At Namsan Folk Village in Seoul, they can
participate in archery, javelin and shuttlecock kicking. They can also make rice
cakes the old-fashioned way. ■

32 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 33

 Yonhap
CULTURE

Korean Dramas
Carve a Niche
in Japan
BY KATHLEEN MORIKAWA

Korean Wave star Ryu Shi-won during a concert in Tokyo on Aug. 19 to 21

T
he full force of the Korean Wave Korean TV dramas are especially popu- watching them in the vernacular with
hit Japan in 2004. Four years lar, signs of the Hallyu presence are subtitles. That would have been utter-
later, the phenomenon known everywhere. Ladies gently shepherd ly unimaginable even a few years ago
here as “Hallyu” has succeeded in cre- each other out of the way to get at the — an indication of the amazing effect
ating a comfortable niche for itself in wide array of Hallyu magazines at the the Hallyu boom has had. Add in the
the Japanese TV and music world. local bookstore, and TV commercials re- plethora of dramas offered on Japan’s
In November, 2004, the initial mind us that the new “Winter Sonata II” dozens of satellite TV channels, and
frenzy clogged Narita Airport, as thou- and “Spring Waltz” pachinko (pinball) those of us who have never been to
sands of Bae Yong-joon fans flocked machines will be out soon. At the local Korea could easily spend every day
to welcome him to Japan, and ten peo- music store, a large box containing a 30- there vicariously, if we liked.
ple were injured as the crowd outside centimeter Kwon Sang-woo doll decked Nor is the exchange all one way.
his Tokyo hotel scrambled to get a out in the priestly robes he wore in the While Japanese TV tourists flock to
peek at him. Today, the Hallyu boom movie “Love So Divine” is propped up Seoul, several Korean dramas have fea-
has evolved into a calmer, sustained against shelves full of Korean drama tured Hokkaido locales. This February
Gangjeong: Light and Yugwa: Glutinous rice Yakgwa: Soft cookie made Dashik: A tea snack. It is and widespread interest in Korean pop theme music collectors’ boxes and DVDs and March, director Kim Jin-min was
fluffy, made from gluti- cookie made by frying and from wheat flour dough made by kneading rice culture that has increased the Japanese from John-Hoon and Rain. in the port town of Otaru filming a new
nous rice and honey. Deep- kneading. mixed with honey, rice flour, honey and various public’s desire to better understand the In Hokkaido, five to six Korean TV TV drama starring Lee Dong-wook and
fried and coated with wine and sesame oil. The types of flour from nuts, customs, lifestyle and cuisine of their series are shown each week on terres- Oh Yeon-su that has aired on MBC
popped rice, cinnamon, dough is cut into a flower herbs, sesame or jujube. closest neighbor. trial (free-to-air) TV, mostly on week- from May. Otaru is hoping it will be
sesame seeds, etc. pattern, then fried and The dough is pounded and Of course, not everyone has rushed day mornings and mostly without good for local tourism, too.
marinated in honey before cut with various pattern to ride the Korean Wave, but it has suc- Japanese dubbing. Not only have The big question, of course, is just
serving. molds. ceeded in widening the perceptions and many Japanese TV viewers discovered why has the Hallyu boom been so suc-
perspectives of many. Here on the they love Korean dramas, but they cessful? Mutual profit, timing and
Photos by Moon Young-doo northern island of Hokkaido, where have found that they are just as happy quality seem to be the answers. The en-

34 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 35


tertainment industries in both coun-
tries quickly recognized the lucrative
potential of the pop culture exchanges,
and have actively promoted them. It
would be difficult to even try to esti-
mate the reverberating economic im-
pact of all the Hallyu spin-off indus-
tries, from publications and tourism to
language study and licensing.
The cross-cultural entertainment
world influences are now so great, it’s
hard to imagine that this all took off
just four years ago with one memo-
rable TV drama — “Winter Sonata,”
starring Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-
woo. NHK, the national public broad-
caster, decided to try it Saturdays at
11:10 p.m. in a time slot usually re-
served for U.S. and British fare. Like all
the Korean dramas shown on NHK
since, it was broadcast with Japanese
voiceovers. Japanese TV viewers, espe-
cially middle-aged women, quickly
were carried away by the sensitive love
story. Soon, glasses and wool scarves
were fashion statements. Yonsama, as
36 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
he affectionately became known, was
being carved in ice at the Sapporo
Snow Festival, and tours to the filming
locations became all the rage. NHK
quickly followed up with “Beautiful
Days,” “All In,” “Spring Waltz,” and
the historical dramas “Damo” and the
very popular “Daejanggum,” which
NHK also later ran in animated form
for the kids. Asian dramas have occu-
pied the Saturday 11 p.m. time slot
ever since. Those desperate for “Des-
perate Housewives” or “ER” now have
to wait until 1 a.m. As an added bonus
for those who stay up even later,
“Himawari” with Lee Byung-hun airs
at 1:50 a.m.
A Hallyu Cinema Festival featuring
14 films, mostly starring actors who are
familiar to Japanese TV fans, is running
again this year in Tokyo and Osaka
from March to May. The spring 2008
travel brochures advertising Korean
destinations are offering tickets to the
popular musicals “Nanta (Cooking)”
and “Jump,” besides promoting all-in
sights Jeju, “Daejanggum” locales and
dining experiences and, for the die-
hard Bae Yong-joon fans, a Yonsama
“mo ichido” (once again) tour that
even includes his college campus. JTB
also sponsored special tours to the
open sets used in “Jumong” in
February and March. And the list of
Korean actors and musicians coming
to Japan for concert tours, fan meet-
ings, dinner shows or to release al-
bums here grows longer by the day.
March promises Big Bang concerts
and the release of the first “SG Wanna
Be + Japan” album.
With all the dramas and informa-
tion now available, Japanese Hallyu
enthusiasts are becoming increasingly
knowledgeable. The latest directory of
Korean stars includes the profiles of
780 actors, directors and scriptwriters.
Truly dedicated Hallyu fans can even
test themselves on how much trivia
they have amassed.
“Kentei” (proficiency tests) in all
sorts of subjects, from languages to lo-
cal history, are popular in Japan, and
the first introductory-level “Hallyu
kentei” (a project done in conjunction
with JTB) is currently underway.
Those who pay for and successfully
complete the test on-line will receive
certificates of proficiency and be eligi-
ble for special TV tours to Korea.
Those who think they have watched
enough Korean dramas to qualify may
want to try the mini-test at
http://www.k-x.jp.
Few fans take their fascination to
this level, but even occasional and ca-
sual TV viewers will recognize the
names of the stars of those first few
NHK series — Bae Yong-joon, Choi Ji-
woo, Lee Byung-hun, Ryu Shi-won and
Lee Young-ae — and their works —
“Winter Sonata,” “Daejanggum,”
“Stairway to Heaven,” “Beautiful
Days,” and “Hotelier” — which top a list
of the most popular Korean dramas in
Japan, according to a survey done in
2007 by the TV Asahi program
SMAStation of 1,600 Japanese, mainly
women in their 30s.
Even Japanese TV scripts have be-
gun to recognize the Hallyu presence as
a part of the modern 21st century
Japanese lifestyle. In the recent
Japanese TV series “Hatachi no
Koibito,” the heroine’s colleague is a
devoted Lee Byung-hun fan who reads
Hallyu magazines on her breaks, and
rushes off from work to attend his fan
meetings.
This brings us to the second impor-
tant aspect of the Hallyu success: the
timing was right. Had the Korean
Wave arrived five or 10 years sooner,
when Japan’s own TV dramas were at
their peak and bringing in average rat-
ings of over 30 percent, the Hallyu
boom might have faced a more diffi-
cult challenge. But, for the last few
years, Japanese dramas have been
weathering a considerable slump. Only
dramas starring SMAP’s Takuya
Kimura have been consistently capable
of climbing up over the 30 percent
mark in the new century. Irritating or
inconclusive endings, predictable dia-
logue and a trend away from serious
romances have discouraged viewers,
and created a vacuum that the quality
Korean products have very conve-
niently filled. Serious drama fans have
taken refuge in the parallel Hallyu
world with its overall high quality,
straightforward and sincere style, freer
expression of emotions and romantic
leading men.
Hallyu dramas might even be able
to help enliven the Japanese prime time
lineup, now heavy with variety shows
and trivia quizzes, if given a chance,
but foreign TV series have been unable
to significantly break through into the
8-11 p.m. market. Since 1990, I can re-
call only one foreign drama that was
able to crack that barrier to be wel-
comed into the Japanese prime time
schedule — “The X Files” in 1995.
Still, the Hallyu phenomenon has
become secure enough in its niche that
it has been able to make some dents in
the barrier in two ways: Japanese re-
makes of Korean hits, and appearances
by Korean stars in Japanese dramas. In
2006, Tokyo’s Tomoya Nagase starred
in a successful remake of “My Boss,
My Hero,” a Korean comedy about a
gangster who goes back to high school
which was among the top ten-rated
Japanese TV dramas that year. A
Japanese remake of “Hotelier” was less
successful, even though it featured a
cameo guest appearance by Bae Yong-
joon. SMAP’s Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and
actress Reina Tanaka will appear in
“Ryokiteki na Kanojo,” a remake of the
2001 hit Korean movie “My Sassy
Girl” beginning in April, 2008.
While Hallyu fans in Japan might
idolize the Korean stars, and rush to their
fan club meetings, what they are really
buying is the whole Korean drama pack-
age — the excellent camera work, the
passion, the direction, the perkier dia-
logue and plots, the detail regarding
fashion, and the beautiful background
music that make them a distinctly
Korean commodity. Thus, Korean stars
might want to think twice before accept-
ing roles in Japanese series.
Korean actors who want to try
their hand at Japanese dramas may
find it educational, but it is also a ca-
reer choice fraught with peril.
Although Ryu Shi-won’s week-long
guest appearance on the 2007 NHK
(From top) Japanese housewives make kimchi at the Korean Cultural Center in Tokyo. People learn how to
play a Korean wooden flute, danso, in Tokyo
morning serial “DonDon Hare” signifi-
cantly helped spike ratings for that se-
ries, just look at what he faced in one
romantic scene with Yukie Nakama in
“Joshi Deka:” In the scene where she is
so distraught that she hasn’t eaten all
day, what does the script call for — a
kiss, a hug, empathy, sympathy? Not
even some concerned and caring
Korean drama-style wrist yanking
(which makes one wonder if repetitive
strain injury is an occupational hazard
for Korean actresses who have to re-
hearse scenes like that all day).
No, Ryu Shi-won has to tell her to
close her eyes. Then he leans over and
pinches her nose while shoving a
morsel of food into her mouth.
Ridiculously unromantic and a waste of
his talents. And the Japanese networks
wonder why their drama ratings are
plummeting, while the public craves se-
rious romances. As long as Korean dra-
mas continue to fill this void, the
Hallyu boom should continue to be a
lucrative niche industry in Japan.
For now, it looks like the Hallyu
TV boom is here to stay and will con-
tinue to bring the peninsula and the
archipelago closer together through
couch-potato diplomacy. ■
(Photos courtesy of
Korean Cultural Center in Tokyo)
Kathleen Morikawa, author of “The Couch
Potato’s Guide to Japan: Inside the World of
Japanese TV,” is a columnist for the Daily
Yomiuri. – Ed.
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 37
CULTURE

HSBC Korea
Foreign Firms Turn to Korean Culture
BY JEONG HYEON-JI
STAFF WRITER

GM Daewoo CEO Michael Grimaldi shows off his skills on the gayageum, a traditional Korean musical instrument on New Year’s Day 2008

I
n May, the Seoul Metropolitan
Government hosted the 2008 Seoul

GM Daewoo
Traditional Artist Awards. Not many
people, however, are aware that the
sponsors of this event are from foreign
lands. Whether it is in traditional mu-
sic or art, foreign firms are now active
followers of Korean culture.
The project was initiated in 2007,
in a bid to preserve and develop intan-
gible cultural assets, which are in dan-
ger of extinction because of the domi-
nance of pop culture, according to the
Europe-Korea Foundation (EKF), an
umbrella organization of the European
Union Chamber of Commerce in
Korea. Along with EKF, HSBC Korea
and Maxxium Korea are the main
sponsors of this event.
This year, HSBC Korea supported
six intangible cultural assets. And oth-
er EKF members, Boehringer-
Ingelheim, a German pharmaceutical “I hope this event can bring Last year HSBC set up a Christmas tree
company, and Maxxium Korea, the Korea’s traditional culture closer to adorned with beoseon, traditional
Korean sock
distributor of Macallan whisky, sup- more firms and the public,” said
ported one artist each. Simon Cooper, CEO of HSBC Korea.
This year, a straw artist, a cabinet- The bank said this will not only
maker, a pansori singer, a royal chef, a help realize the bank’s motto, “the
folk painter and a performer won world’s local bank,” but will also en-
awards. HSBC Korea presented the able the bank to assimilate with the lo-
winners 5 million won ($5,000) each cal community.
to support their activities and encour- “We knew that Korea’s traditional
age the promotion of their artwork. art circle was lacking in budget and
Following the awards, their works sponsorships, and supporting it was a
were exhibited in the bank’s gallery good way of showing what we stand
and lobby for a month. for and what we believe in,” said Jung

38 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 39

CULTURE
Toyota Motor Korea President & CEO Taizo Chigira performs a traditional Korean ceremony to wish for the success of his firm
Im-hyun, the bank’s assistant vice
president.
The bank celebrated last Christmas
with a Christmas tree featuring Korea’s
traditional sock, beoseon, instead of
western socks. The bank’s culture-
friendly strategy received warm re-
sponses from employers as well as
customers.
“Our employers are proud that the
foreign bank cares about Korea’s cul-
ture. We think we have set an example
for other foreign firms and banks to
follow suit,” Jung said.
Korea’s traditional music is anoth-
er area in which foreign firms are ac-
tively engaged.
Renault Samsung Motors Co., the
French automaker Renault SA’s
Korean joint venture, holds an annual
music contest dedicated to traditional
Korean music in collaboration with
the National Theater.
The 4th Korean Song Contest, held
40 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
in August 2007, was attended by more
than 1,500 people and 11 participating
groups. The participants were encour-
aged to show off their musical skills,
which combine Korea’s traditional
music and various western genres
ranging from rock to hip-hop.
The winning team won 10 million
won ($10,000). A total of 20 million
won were at stake in this competition.
Cho Young-don, Renault Samsung’s
vice president, said the contest is laying
the groundwork in developing and
preserving Korea’s traditional music.
“We think what’s most Korean is
what’s most global. I think this annual
festival provides a place to celebrate
and enjoy our own music,” he said.
This year’s contest is scheduled for
Nov. 4 at the National Theater.
The company is also keen on cele-
brating the nation’s traditional holi-
days. Every February, Renault
Samsung hosts a festival celebrating
Toyota Motor Korea
GM Daewoo
Children from poor take a traditional pottery class with GM Daewoo officials
“Daeboreum,” the first full moon of Ricard, is the sponsor of Kukak Arts. The two organizations hold an- said Yoo Seung-hwan, a spokesperson
the lunar year. National Middle and High School. It is nual performances in the suburban ar- of the company.
Held for the fifth time, this year’s a school that focuses on fostering the eas of Jeollanam-do, which is consid- GM Daewoo also operates an on-
event took place in Busan and Seoul’s Korean traditional music of “Gukak.” ered to be the home of traditional line website called “Passion of the
main cultural venues. During the event, The “Imperial Scholarship,” Korean music. Musical” dedicated to Korea’s creative
the company also donated scholarships launched in 2002, supports students Meantime, companies like GM musical.
to underprivileged children. with exceptional talent in traditional Daewoo have sponsored Korea’s con- GM Daewoo CEO Michael Grimaldi
Renault Samsung’s focus on Korean music. Along with the scholar- temporary art scene. GM Daewoo, has shown much interest toward
Korean culture has paid off. It is now ships, which amount to some 200 mil- General Motors Corp.’s Korean unit, Korean culture since he was appointed
the nation’s fourth-largest automaker lion won ($200,000) a year, 12 stu- has supported the Korea Musical to the current position in 2006. This
and one of the most favored auto dents last year were given a chance to Awards and the University Musical year, he wore a “hanbok” to spread the
brands among Koreans. go on a music tour to the Czech Awards. season’s greetings and showed off his
Korean culture is a good medium Republic, Germany and Austria. These awards acknowledge the skills on the “gayageum,” a Korean
for managers to communicate and “It is important that the students musicals composed and performed by stringed instrument.
mingle with employers, who are most- experience different music and get a Koreans. The company has also spon- “He (Grimaldi) shows a lot of af-
ly Korean. chance to compare and learn about it. sored theaters and productions of cre- fection toward Korean culture and tra-
“We sponsor these cultural activi- We believe these programs stimulate ative musicals, which often lack prop- dition, and I think that’s how the com-
ties and give back to the local commu- and motivate the students,” said Yoo er funding. pany, even though most of the man-
nity. By doing so, we have become a Ho-sung, the company’s public rela- “Supporting creative musicals is in agers are from overseas, can grow into
company that workers like to work at tions manager. line with our corporate image of inno- being a major automotive company
and local citizens are proud of,” the The company also sponsors the vation. And we have limited the spon- here. I think the employees also appre-
vice president said. National Center for Korean Folk sorships to only Korean productions, ciate that the managerial team tries to
Jinro Ballantines, the Korean Performing Arts and the National so that the necessary funding can be learn and understand our culture,” GM
branch of French-based Pernod Center for Korean Namdo Performing used to raise Korea’s culture industry,” Daewoo’s Yoo said. ■
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 41
CULTURE
Korea’s UNESCO Heritage Sites (7)
Gyeongju Historic Areas
BY JEONG HYEON-JI
STAFF WRITER
The tombstone of King Taejong Mooyeol
The brick pagoda at Bunhwangsa Temple
42 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
G
yeongju is one of the places that
best preserves the traditional
side of modern Korea. The
Gyeongju Historic Areas encompass
ruins and cultural artifacts of royal
families and Buddhist culture during
the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.-A.D. 935).
Because of their historical significance,
they were designated as a World
Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000.
The areas can largely be divided
into five parts, depending on the na-
ture of the clustered ruins. The Mount
Namsan Belt presents artifacts related
to the prehistoric and Silla’s Buddhist
eras. Buddhism was introduced in
Korea during the fourth century and
during the sixth century in Silla. Over
120 temples and 60 pagodas are found
in Mount Namsan. The various images
carved into the rocks show the
progress and maturation of Silla’s
Buddhism and its artistry.
The Tumuli Park Belt has three
groups of royal tombs, most of which
are shaped like mounds or domes. The
Wolseong Belt has preserved the ruins
of the royal house during the Silla
Dynasty. Walking through Gyerim
forest, the pavilions in Anapji Pond,
Banwolseong Fortress and Cheom-
seongdae Observatory bring the
1,000-year-old capital back to life.
The Hwangnyongsa Belt has the ru-
Chilburam Buddhist relics on Mt. Namsan
ins of the once great Hwangnyongsa How to get there
Temple. Hwangnyongsa was the largest
temple in Korea and covered an area of
72,500m2. However, it was burned to
the ground during the Mongolian inva-
sion in 1238. About 40,000 historical
Gyeongju is located in
Gyeongsangnam-do province.
It can be reached via KTX,
the Saemaeul train and the
express bus from Seoul and
artifacts have been discovered at the
other major cities.
site, providing precious information
If driving, take Gyeongbu
about Silla’s culture.
(Seoul-Busan) Expressway and
Also found in the area is
exit on the Gyeongju interchange
Bunhwangsa Temple, which was once
after passing Daegu.
one of the most important temples in
the history of Silla’s Buddhism. After
several foreign invasions, all that is
left is now a three-story stone pagoda,
stone statues and a temple.
The Sanseong Belt occupies
Myeonghwal Fortress, which is be-
lieved to have been built in the fifth
century. The fortress shows Silla’s ad-
vanced skills in architecture, which
later influenced the Japanese.
More information can be found at
Gyeongju City Hall’s multilingual
website www.gyeongju.go.kr. ■
(Photos courtesy of Gyeongju City Hall)
Cheomseongdae, the oldest observatory in east Asia
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 43

CULTURE
H
anji, often translated as Korean
traditional paper, is more than
just something to scribble on.
Made from “dagnamu” or paper mul-
berry bark, it was not only for holding
the written word. It was also an indis-
pensable part of everyday life in Korea
used for making household items,
kitchen utensils and decorations for
festivals. Such decorations can still be
seen in the form of artificial flowers
and paper lanterns at Buddhist festi-
vals.
Hanji is made in three practical
forms. The multi-layered form is stur-
dy enough to be made into
wardrobes, cabinets, trunks and nee-
dle boxes; the paper clay form made
of scraps of paper soaked in water
and crushed and mixed with glue is
used for making lids for bowls and
scooping bowls; and paper cords are
woven to make baskets, mesh bags,
jars, trays and mats. Another surpris-
ing usage of hanji could be found in
its facilitation as an inner-armor for
protection from the cold and the
piercing of swords and arrows.
Back in 1985 the Korea Promotion
Industry Agency concluded that well-
preserved hanji paper could last for
700 years. Also in the same year the
Venerable Yeongdam of Unmunsa
Buddhist Temple succeeded in reviv-
ing seven or eight kinds of traditional
hanji whose techniques of manufac-
ture were considered lost.
The Ven. Yeongdam came to revive
the mulberry paper in Wonju of the
same quality as that used in the making
of “The Record of a Journey to the Five
Indian Kingdoms,” written in A.D.727,
and “The Essentials of a Buddhist
Sermon” in 1377, two books currently
kept by the National Library of France.
Wonju Hanji House was founded in
2002 and is run by the Hanji
Development Institute in the National
Park of Chiaksan. It is one of the major
preservers of hanji craft in Korea, dis-
44 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
Wonju Hanji Festival
Korean playing over 150 kinds of everyday
products made of hanji materials from
writing tools, neckties, wallets, socks,
handkerchiefs and other various forms
Traditional Paper of paper craft. Some 15 percent of the
buyers are from overseas.
“Hanji is soft in texture, flexible,
Relives sturdy and allows air circulation. As a
paper it absorbs ink fast, as a covering
material, it blocks out sounds and vi-
Its Glory Days bration and maintains room tempera-
ture. It definitely has potential to make
it abroad,” said Kim Jin-hee, executive
BY KIM HEE-SUNG officer of the institute.
KOREA.NET STAFF WRITER
Hanji House also offers learning
programs for both locals and tourists
in various age groups. People will be
able to test their skills in making a
fruit tray, teacup holder, pencil box
and pendant out of hanji. Lately it has
opened additional classes for migrant
women who wish to learn more than
just how to speak Korean.
How do you make clothes out of
Hanji hanbok Hanji lanterns A hanji master demonstrates how paper? Basically you cut hanji into
Korean traditional paper is made thin pieces to make a thread to weave
it into a cloth. Hanji textile to be made
into a suit is composed of 35 percent
hanji, 35 percent wool and the rest
silk. Undergarments would be com-
posed of 50 percent hanji and 50 per-
cent cotton. Socks require 70 percent
hanji and 30 percent polyester.
It was in 2005 that hanji cloth first
gained attention with a man’s jacket
and necktie by P&S Korea Co. Ltd.
Hanji jeans appeared the following
year at the 2007 Hanji Festival.
Despite comments that it is less soft in
texture than average cloth and jeans
are somewhat vulnerable to damage
Jeans made of hanji textile
through washing, people also recog-
nized its potential for its high anti-
germ and quick drying properties. The
company, renaming itself papytex,
expanded their products from there.
Meanwhile, the Hanji Development
Institute has chosen “MULBERRY” as
its brand name for international patents
and plans to develop over 300 hanji
textile products covering a wide range
of products, including doctors’ gowns
and diapers starting from this year.
In 2005 and 2006 the Hanji
Development Institute held a grand
show in Paris — a Hanji Cultural
Festival that stressed the superior
quality of hanji from Wonju made
through delicate efforts of manual la-
bor. The institute is also receiving calls
from Germany and other countries in
Europe after its successful debut in
France. Hanji is also invited to an up-
coming paper festival in Japan this
coming October and 12 of its artifacts
are also on permanent display at
Korea House in Bangkok, Thailand.
With the growing popularity of
hanji, other provinces are also on the
move to revive the traditional indus-
try. Lately, Gyeongsangbuk-do, which
grows the most number of mulberry
trees in Korea and has a history of
producing hanji since Silla Kingdoms,
announced it would join the produc-
tion of hanji. Another famous area to
rival Wonju is Jeonju, also a leading
site of hanji production, with its own
annual festival every spring.
In the meantime the institute is
looking forward to the construction of
the nation’s first hanji theme park,
currently under construction. The
theme park will be a two-story build-
ing with a basement equipped with
display room, experience room, work-
room, cafeteria, outdoor stage and
square, and is expected to be complet-
ed by June 2009. The park will provide
a full overview of the making of hanji
from cultivation to processing.
To better experience Wonju hanji,
visit the Hanji House or even better,
join the Wonju Hanji Festival — the
biggest festival of its kind — which will
celebrate its 10th year this year with
paper dolls, flowers and wedding dress-
es from Sept. 24 to 28. For more infor-
mation, visit the festival’s official web-
site at www.wjhanji.co.kr/festival/. ■
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 45

CULTURE
‘Kimchi Western’ Debuts to
Great Interest
BY HAN ARAN
KOREA.NET STAFF WRITER
T
he much-awaited Korean movie
“The Good, The Bad, The Weird”
based on a spaghetti Western
and nicknamed a “Kimchi Western”
after the nation’s signature spicy na-
tional dish, has become the hottest
pick of local theatergoers here but
viewers overseas seem to want to get a
taste of it as well.
The film was directed by Kim Jee-
woon and inspired by Sergio Leone’s
spaghetti Western “The Good, The
Bad, The Ugly,” the classic 1966 film
starring Clint Eastwood.
The story line follows three Korean
46 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
men and their entanglement with the
Japanese army, Chinese and Russian
bandits, accompanied by many excit-
ing action scenes set in Manchuria in
the 1930s.
The movie was screened in the gala
section at the Cannes film festival this
year and it is reported to have received
a standing ovation.
Derek Elley, a writer for the enter-
tainment news magazine Variety, said
in a review: “A Kimchi Western that
draws shamelessly on its spaghetti
forebears (Italo-Western) but remains
utterly, bracingly Korean.”
The poster for “The Good, The Bad, The Weird”
And as if reflecting the good re-
views, the movie has been garnering
interest from foreign countries even
before hitting local theaters.
The distributor of the film, CJ
Entertainment, announced a deal with
the New York-based Independent Film
Channel on July 15 to distribute “The
Good, The Bad, The Weird” in five ma-
jor U.S. cities including New York, Los
Angeles and Chicago next year.
The release is slated for the first half
of 2009 and will start off with the five
biggest markets for a total of between
fifty and a hundred screens nationwide.
(From top) Jung Woo-sung, Lee Byung-hun, Song
Kang-ho in scenes from the movie
The United States is not the only
country that will show the film. “The
Good, The Bad, The Weird” is also be-
ing exported to 11 other countries
such as the United Kingdom, France,
China, Singapore and more.
The movie stars three of Korea’s
most endearing actors: Jung Woo-
sung, Song Kang-ho and Lee Byung-
hun, and has broken all domestic
records in terms of budget and num-
ber of takes for shoots.
Set in the 1930s when Korea was
under Japanese colonial rule (1910-45)
and a network of independence fight-
ers were stationed outside of the coun-
try, the movie tells a story of three
“good, bad and weird” guys on a wild-
ly exhilarating cross-desert chase,
while local Manchurian tribesmen and
Japanese soldiers complicate things. ■
Visual Stylist
Director Kim Jee-woon
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
The ticket sales of “The Good, The
Bad, The Weird” surpassed the 6-mil-
lion mark at the domestic box office
on Aug. 10, emerging as the most
successful Korean film in the first
quarter of this year.
Director Kim Jee-woon is behind
the strong performance from the star-
studded cast and $17 million budget.
Born in 1964, Kim studied dramat-
ics at the Seoul Institute of the Art. But
he quit the school early and learned
theater acting, following his older sis-
ter Kim Jee-sook, a veteran actress.
He appeared on stage and also di-
rected some plays, experiencing the
real theatrical world.
In 1998 he made his debut as a film-
maker after his scenario for the film
“The Quiet Family” won a prize. In the
same year, the black comedy about a
strange family involved in serial killings
was invited to three leading interna-
tional fantastic film festivals including
Portugal’s Fantasporto, Spain’s Sitges
Film Festival and Brussels International
Fantastic Festival.
Then he directed “The Foul King
(1999),” a drama featuring a salary
man dreaming to be a professional
wrestler, and participated in a Korea-
Hong Kong-Thailand joint project pro-
Yonhap
ducing an omnibus film titled
“Memories” in 2002.
In 2003 he succeeded in satisfying
both moviegoers and critics with the
horror movie “A Tale of Two Sisters.”
The movie sold over 3 million tickets
at the domestic box office. The
Hollywood remake of the movie,
whose English title is “The Uninvited
— A Tale of Two Sisters,” is sched-
uled to be released in the United
States next year.
In 2005, the Cannes Film Festival fi-
nally invited him and his film “The
Bittersweet Life,” which is considered
to be the greatest honor given to a tal-
ented filmmaker.
For actor Song Kang-ho, who is
well-known for his roles in Park Chan-
wook’s “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance”
and Bong June-ho’s “Memories of
Murder,” this is the third time to work
with director Kim after “The Quiet
Family” and “The Foul King.”
“Director Kim has a unique art
world. He makes his own version in
whatever genres he takes. Because
he always makes me expect some-
thing different, I have wanted to work
with him again,” Song said at a news
conference for the latest “The Good,
The Bad, The Weird.” ■
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 47
TRAVEL
Korean Air
Enjoy Korean Cuisine
above the Clouds
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
Korean Air’s bibimbab meal
T
ourists point out Korea’s tasty local food is one
Korean Air
of the main reasons why they choose to visit
here. To meet passengers’ expectations, domes-
tic and international air carriers are offering healthy
Korean food in the air.
Knowing that passengers fly in a small space for
a long period of time, in-flight meals consist of in-
gredients low in calories that are easy to digest. Well-
known for its healthy ingredients, Korean cuisine sat-
isfies both taste and nutrition.
First introduced in 1997 by Korean Air, bibimbab,
or rice with assorted vegetables, has become the most
widely provided Korean dish as an in-flight meal.
Various vegetables included in bibimbab help diges-
tion and provide vitamins.
A first-class passenger is served Korean meal
Korean Air’s spicy Korean noodles, called
“bibimguksoo” in Korean, are also favored for con-
48 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
taining only 450 calories. A special process, which is
Asiana Airlines
developed by the company’s own research laboratory
for air catering, keeps the noodles from swelling de-
spite the long flight. Korean Air has been recognized
twice by the prestigious Mercury Award for the usage
of bibimguksoo and bibimbab.
Another major Korean air carrier Asiana Airlines
offers an opportunity for passengers to experience
the royal cuisine, also well-known to foreign visitors
through the Korean Wave drama “Daejanggeum,” or
“Jewel in the Palace.”
In cooperation with Han Bok-ryeo, the president
of the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine, a four-
course meal, which is said to be consumed by ancient
Korean kings, is served for first class passengers.
Among the more than nine side dishes are grilled
fish, grilled beef and seafood stew with abalone, scal-
lop, sea cucumber roll. Of course, prior reservation is
required.
Business and economy class passengers can also
enjoy various royal cuisine menu items such as tteok-
galbi (grilled short rib meat patties) and agwijjim
(spicy monkfish with soybean sprouts). Especially fa-
vored is the 2007 Mercury Award-winning ssambap,
a Korean dish in which leaf vegetables are offered to
wrap a piece of meat and boiled rice. Ssamjang, a
special soybean paste, is accompanied, adding taste.
In another effort to introduce Korean cuisine to
foreign travelers, Asiana Airlines services traditional
holiday foods each season. For New Year’s Day,
tteokguk, a soup boiled with several thinly sliced rice
cakes, is offered with traditional cookies and drinks,
and for Chuseok, or Korean Thanksgiving Day, half-
moon-shaped rice cakes, called “songpyeon” in
Korean, is provided as a dessert.
Also, international air carriers prepare Korean
food as an in-flight meal, aimed at both attracting lo-
cal passengers and introducing Korean culture to for-
eign travelers.
With the opening of the Seoul-Helsinki direct
route in June, Finland’s flag carrier Finnair services
more typical Korean food such as doenjangguk (soy-
bean-paste soup) and miyeokguk (brown seaweed
soup) along with bibimbab and kimchi. The company
has employed Korean chefs residing in Helsinki for
the development of the Korean menu.
German airline Lufthansa introduces Korean cui-
sine such as galbi (grilled beef) and jeonbyeong
(Korean pancakes enjoyed with various vegetables) (From top) Asiana Airlines’ nutritious juk, or Korean-style porridge, tradition-
and instant cup noodles are also popular. ■ al snacks and the ssambab set
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 49
TRAVEL

A Trip to Namdo
Jeollanam-do is an ideal place to travel during autumn, where nature’s beauty and
culture are intertwined. If you wish to discover the beauty of Korea while savoring
Travel Course You can tour this entire area within two days. If you leave Seoul early in the morning, you can ar-
rive at Naganeupseong Fortress by lunch time and enjoy a festival in the afternoon. If you have made a reservation for a
temple stay in advance, head to Songgwangsa Temple or stay in one of the traditional houses at Naganeupseong. On the
next day, you can go to Boseong Tea Field, which is about an hour away, and if you leave by 2:00 p.m., you’ll be in Seoul
in time for dinner.

Korean cuisine, we suggest taking a trip to the following destinations.

Day Two 7:30 Songgwangsa Temple

Day One 11:20 Namdo Food Festival

Day Two 11:50 Boseong Tea Field

Day One 16:10 Naganeupseong Fortress Folk Village

Songgwangsa Temple is one of three major temples that

Every autumn, the celebration of southern cuisine takes
place in Naganeupseong Fortress Folk Village in Suncheon,
Jeollanam-do. People from 22 cities and counties of
Jeollanam-do prepare their finest dishes and participate in
competitions, making this festival a special event. The fes-
tival also provides wonderful opportunities for visitors to
try foods from different regions in a single area. There are
other traditional cultural events at the festival, such as
making straw handicrafts, ceramics, and dyeing cloths.
www.namdofood.or.kr
About 100 straw-thatched roof houses rest in a scenic field
of Suncheon, Jeollanam-do. Residents here thatch their
roofs in an old-fashioned way, allowing you to view the ar-
chitectural features of a traditional Korean village.
www.nagan.or.kr
represent the gems of Korean Buddhism — Buddha, Dharma
and Sangha. The temple has produced many prominent
monks and houses the greatest number of cultural proper-
ties among all temples in Korea. You can see these magnif-
icent cultural properties in the temple’s museum. The tem-
ple food is also renowned for its beautiful pre-dawn cere-
monial services, in which 200 monks begin bowing and
chanting at 4:00 a.m. A temple stay program is also avail-
able for interested visitors.
www.songgwangsa.org
Boseong Tea Field is reputed as the most beautiful tea field
in Korea. Lines of tea bushes cover the mountain side.
Interestingly, the tea leaves do not lose their green hues
even during winter. You can take walks between the bush-
es and enjoy green tea at a cafe nearby.
www.boseong.go.kr
(Source: Korea Tourism Organization)

Korean Food Festivals

Traditional Korean Drink and
Rice Cake Festival
This festival takes place between late March and
early April in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do. All sorts of
Korean rice cakes and wines can be viewed and sampled. You
can also learn how to make these delicious Korean rice cakes.
www.sulddeok.gyeongju.go.kr
Hadong Mountain Dew Tea Cultural Festival
Around mid-May, Hadong hosts a festival for wild-grown
tea. Hadong, which is located in Gyeongsangnam-do, is the
largest wild-tea growing region in Korea. Special events include
picking wild tealeaves, making and sampling high-quality teas.
http://tour.hadong.go.kr
Sunchang Gochujang Festival
Sunchang in Jeollabuk-do is famous for its gochujang (red pepper
paste) and holds an annual festival in early November to appreciate
the essence of the ingredients of gochujang. Here, you can participate
in making gochujang as well as other pastes, such as doenjang (soy-
bean paste).
www.sunchang.go.kr
Geumsan Insam Festival
The Geumsan Insam Festival takes place in
Geumsan, Chungcheongnam-do around September.
Geumsan is the largest producer of insam, or “Korean
ginseng,” in Korea. Events include digging for insam,
making insam dishes, and cutting up herbs.
http://tour.geumsan.go.kr

50 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 51

FOOD
Ceramic Pots — Natural Preservers
1 Traditional soy sauce pots in Korea are
usually very wide in the middle. The
wider the pot is, the better it will retain
the proper temperature inside the pot.
2 Gochujang, or red pepper paste, is
made annually and preserved in
medium-sized pots. The medium-sized
pots are placed in the front row or in
the corner for convenient access.
1
3 The taste of doenjang, or soybean
paste, is enhanced by sunlight. In
addition, sunlight also prevents
doenjang from going moldy. Therefore,
Koreans typically open the lid of the
jar on sunny days.
4 Hangari, or ceramic pots, are used to
preserve kimchi, gochujang, and
doenjang, which are made in
accordance with the four seasons. The
condiments used to make kimchi, such
as salt and red pepper powder, are also
stored in hangari.
5 Since rice is a major staple of the
Korean diet, these large-sized ceramic
pots (sometimes called ssaldok, or rice
pots) are used to store this essential
grain. The pots prevent rice from
decaying and being spoiled by insects.
52 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
P
eople visiting Korea’s countryside might be surprised to discover rows
upon rows of large and small, brown earthenware pots situated on plat-
forms. Spices and seasonings used to make Korean food are pickled and
preserved in these pots, which include hangari and onggi (pots typically small-
er than hangari).
One factor that helps preserve the food or ingredients contained within is
that the pots, despite the fluctuating temperatures of the seasons, tend to retain
a constant temperature on the inside. This allows for the flavor of the season-
ings, sauces and pickled foods to be retained for several years.
While Korean housewives may add the devotion needed to make a dish
complete, it would not be a stretch to say that these pots give birth to the very
aromas and flavors found on Korean tables.
5
3
Pot Arrangement
and Functions
Korean earthenware pots are typi-
cally lined up (with larger pots
placed behind smaller ones for
convenience) in two or three rows
2 in well-ventilated areas with plenty
of sunlight. This allows air and
moisture to slowly seep through
4
the walls of pots, which enhances
the flavor of the food that is con-
tained within.
Over time, these pots have been
known to help filter away toxins
that are hazardous to humans.
Having foods ferment inside pots
for a long time ensures that the pot
will retain the fresh quality of the
food.
Source: Korea Tourism Organization
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 53
PEOPLE
Prima Ballerina
Kang Sue-jin
K
ang Sue-jin, a principal dancer
of Germany’s Stuttgart Ballet, is
probably the best-known
Korean ballerina on the international
dance scene. Kang has significantly
contributed to raising the profile of the
nation’s dance community globally.
Born in 1967 in Seoul, Kang start-
ed to attend ballet classes at the age of
13. She was considered too old for
learning ballet when compared to oth-
er students who started learning ballet
no older than eight.
“I woke up at 4 a.m. and did my
stretching and practiced ballet before
going to school. I usually came back
home late at night. It was really diffi-
cult for a 13-year-old girl who was al-
ready behind other girls who started
ballet a few years earlier than me. But
my daily practice nearly became my
54 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
habit, which later made me overcome
all those difficulties,” Kang said during
a news conference, which was held last
year to celebrate her 20th anniversary
as a professional ballet dancer.
Kang studied with Marika
Besobrasova at the Academie de
Danse classique in Monaco. In 1985,
she became the first Asian to win the
top prize in the Prix de Lausanne, and
joined Stuttgart Ballet a year later.
Appointed soloist in 1994 and then
principal dancer in 1997, Kang was
the first Korean dancer to achieve such
high merits in the international ballet
scene. As a member of the company,
Kang made her debut as Juliet in 1993,
a role that she still loves to play.
Last year she also became the first
Asian to be honored as “Kammertanz-
erin” (chamber dancer) by the German
Yonhap
Kang teaches junior ballerinas
in a special class during her
recent visit to Busan in August
Ballerina Kang Sue-jin
state government of Baden-
Wurttemberg, a great honor often
compared to being dubbed a knight in
Britain. The title officially credits
dancers and musicians, and is given
annually in Germany and Austria on-
ly when there is a recipient worthy of
the title.
So far “youngest” and “first” have
always been used to describe her and
her ballet career. But, now at 41, the
ballet star is considered the oldest bal-
let dancer still active in the interna-
tional ballet scene and people don’t
hesitate to ask her when she will retire
from dancing.
“I feel these days that my body and
head have become one. I don’t want to
be young again and start it all over
again,” Kang said. “I feel more confi-
Yonhap
dent than ever.” ■
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 55
 PEOPLE
A Veteran Artist’s Love of Dokdo
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
Yonhap
Lee Jong-sang
L S
ee Jong-sang is a veteran artist
dedicated to painting Korean is-
lands and seashores, especially
Dokdo in the East Sea, which is at the
center of a diplomatic dispute with
Japan.
Recently he had submitted his
Dokdo paintings to an art fair to be
held in Tokyo. But pressured by
Japanese right-wingers, the organiz-
ing committee asked him to send his
other works and he turned down the
exhibition proposal.
“I didn’t think they would consider
my paintings in relation to politics,”
he said.
“History is my important artistic
inspiration. I couldn’t accept their re-
quest and decided not to participate in
the event.”
Then the art fair was cancelled en-
tirely.
Born in 1938, Lee studied paint-
ings at the College of Arts of Seoul
National University. Even though his
56 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
major was western painting, he
changed to oriental painting because
he was more interested in traditional
art and paintings.
Lee admires Jeong Seon, a well-
known painter in the Joseon era
(1392-1910) who created a Korean-
style landscape painting technique,
which was very different from tradi-
tional Chinese styles. Sensing that the
great artist who used to travel all over
the country had never captured islands
or seashores, Lee decided to draw is-
lands with Dokdo as the central theme.
Yonhap
His first exhibition of Dokdo paint-
ings was held in Insa-dong, central
Seoul, in 1977. In the same year, he al-
so organized a group consisting of fel-
low artists to attract more attention to
the rocky island. The group regularly
visits the islets and holds artistic per-
formances.
For the 70-year-old artist, Dokdo is
still inspirational.
“Every time I visit Dokdo, I find a
new aspect,” said Lee, who has visit-
ed Dokdo 36 times over the last 30
years. ■
Lee’s 1982 painting titled “The Spirit of Dokdo II”
Korea’s
‘Culture President’
Comes Back
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
eo Tai-ji’s latest album “Moai”
has sold 150,000 copies in less
than 20 days since it came out
on July 29.
The long awaited album consisting
of four songs is the first single of his
eighth regular album, titled “Seotaiji
8th Atomos Part Moai,” which is
scheduled to be released at the end of
this year.
Seo has experimented with various
music genres such as alternative rock,
heavy metal and hardcore music
through his previous albums. The lat-
est record transcends all the genres,
according to Seo’s agent Seotaiji
Company.
Born in 1972, he started his profes-
sional music career playing bass guitar
for the legendary rock band Sinawe
when he was 18.
Along with two other members, he
formed the band Seo Tai-ji & Boys in
1991. Even though the music and
dance moves based on American hip-
Singer-producer Seo Tai-ji
hop were harshly criticized by experts,
Yonhap
young people liked the way they chal-
lenged existing music styles and social
values. He reshaped the K-pop scene
of the 1990s. The singer-producer is
considered one of the biggest cultural
icons in Korea and sometimes referred
to as “Culture President.”
Seo Tai-ji announced his retirement
with the band’s dismantlement in 1996.
But he came back as a solo artist and
every record he has released has gone
platinum. The strong performance of
his latest album is expected to stimulate
the struggling K-pop market.
A record shop in downtown Seoul is crowded
Marking the release of his new al- with Seo Tai-ji fans buying his latest album on
bum, he hosted a rock festival ETP Fest July 29
2008 (Eerie Taiji People Festival) at
Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on Aug.
14 and 15. Rock stars from in and out
of the country, including American
hard rocker Marilyn Manson and
Japanese hip-hop band Dragon Ash,
were invited, attracting interest from
music fans and the media. ■
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 57
PEOPLE
J
ay Greenberg, a symphony-writ-
ing teen musical prodigy who is
often dubbed the “next Mozart,”
premiered his chamber piece based on
Korean folk tales, during this year’s
International Great Mountains Music
Festival & School.
According to the festival’s Artistic
Director Kang Hyo, the festival’s orga-
nizing committee had commissioned
the 16-year-old composer to write the
15-minute piece for string quartet en-
titled “Four Scenes.” It was performed
by musicians of Sejong, a top-notch
conductor-less string orchestra based
in New York City, at YongPyong
Resort in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do,
on Aug. 15.
“I was drawn to the subtle but pre-
sent differences between Korean and
better-known European fairy tales,”
wrote Greenberg in the festival’s pro-
gram guide. “Most importantly, nu-
merous such tales have not been soft-
ened up or prettified for more upper-
class readers, as is common in Western
literature, and thus end in violent,
tragic, or unexpected ways and/or fea-
ture content that would have been
considered unacceptable in Europe
during the same period.”
Born in 1991 in New Haven,
Connecticut, Greenberg began playing
the cello when he was three years old,
and he later taught himself how to
play the piano. His first formal lessons
in theory and composition began
when he was seven, and, from then, it
took him only three years until he en-
rolled in a special program of New
York’s Juilliard School of Music, as a
scholarship student.
So far, he has already composed
more than 100 musical works, includ-
ing five symphonies, 17 piano sonatas
58 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
Yonhap
‘Next
Mozart’
Premieres
in Korea
BY LEE YONG-SUNG
KOREA HERALD STAFF WRITER
and three piano concertos. Among
them, his Overture to 9/11 received first
prize in the composition competition at
the Juilliard pre-college division in
2003, and he won ASCAP Foundation
Morton Gould Young Composers
awards in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
The Sony BMG Masterworks label
released his first CD in 2006, which in-
cludes his Symphony no. 5 and String
Quintet performed by the London
Symphony Orchestra under the baton
of Jose Serebrier, as well as by the
Juilliard String Quartet with cellist
Darrett Adkins.
“‘Four Scenes’ is different to diffi-
cult contemporary scores, in that it is
based on classical harmonies with
highly melodic tunes,” said Kang Hyo,
a celebrated violinist who has been on
Yonhap
Jay Greenberg
the faculty of the Juilliard School since
1978, and is a visiting professor at Yale
School of Music.
Now in its fifth year, GMMFS is the
first major music festival of its kind
here, modeled after the famous sum-
mer festival in Aspen, Colorado. Like
the Aspen Music Festival, the festival
not only presents a month-long sea-
son of concerts but is also a summer
music school that plays home to some
of the most talented young musicians
from around the world.
In addition to the Sejong Soloists,
the festival featured several interna-
tionally acclaimed performers, includ-
ing pianists Paul Salerni and Plamena
Mangova; violinists Chee-Yun and
Frank Hwang; cellists Aldo Parisot
and Jian Wang. ■
Jecheon International Music & Film Festival
The fourth Jecheon International Music & Film
Festival was held on Aug. 14 for six days, in-
troducing 82 flicks from 30 countries plus a
variety of music performances.
JIMFF, started in 2005, is Asia’s first music-
oriented film event where moviegoers and mu-
sic lovers can share opportunities to enjoy
both. This year it has established a new com-
petition section titled World Music Film Today,
where 10 films from nine countries compete to
win awards and a cash prize worth $15,000, in
a bid to solidify its position as a film festival.
Jecheon, a city of 140,000 in Chung-
cheongbuk-do, is known for its serene land-
scape and clean environment, and the festi-
val’s rapid rise to public recognition is its
unique combination of music and film, while
inviting tourists to join related events, espe-
cially outdoor concerts featuring well-known
musicians.
The Jecheon festival opened with
“Young@Heart,” an intriguing British docu-
(From left) The opening film “Young@Heart” and the closing film “The Visitor”
mentary about a rock choir. What’s special
about this energetic and powerful group was
that the average age of its members is 81. In
the film directed by Stephen Walker, the se-
nior citizens, ages 75 to 93, defy conventions
and prejudices in a refreshing style that cele-
brates music and also plays a fine opener for
the festival.
The closing film, “The Visitor” by Tom
McCarthy, was equally music-oriented. In the
film, a widowed college professor living in
Connecticut travels to New York City to at-
tend a conference and finds a young couple
living in his apartment. The professor finds
new meaning in life when the couple teaches
him to play an African drum.
The Cine Symphony section this year fea-
tured 12 music-oriented films including
Esteban Sapir’s “La Antena,” Ahmed El
Maanouni’s “Burned Hearts,” Craig Zobel’s
“Great World of Sound.” This section at the
heart of the festival offered the latest movies
EVENTS
that make music a central theme.
The Music in Sight section featured 12 mu-
sic documentaries that illustrated the colorful
life of talented musicians. The Korean Music
Film Now section revisited six Korean films
that use plenty of music, including director
Lee Jun-ik’s “The Happy Life” and Ha Ki-ho’s
“Radio Dayz.”
The Theme and Variations section brought
audiences to the golden days of musical films,
featuring seven well-known pieces such as
“The Broadway Melody,” “42nd Street” and
“The Jazz Singer.”
Other popular events included a series of
outdoor concerts entitled “One Summer
Night,” introducing local and international mu-
sicians. Korean music groups such as DJ
DOC, Jaurim and Crying Nut performed with
foreign guests such as Chelsia Chan and
MAU Project.
For further information, visit the festival’s
official website at www.jimff.or.kr. ■
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 59
EVENTS

National Palace Museum of

Korea’s Special Exhibition

Box containing Royal Edict for Honorary

King Jangjo upon his Appointment as
Crown Prince/Joseon, 1872/
The National Palace Museum
Chest for Scrolls and Albums of Manuscripts and Illustrations of the Daoist “Yellow Court Scripture”
Chinese emperor Qianlong’s (Huangting-jing)/Qianlong Reign (1736-95), Qing Dynasty/The Palace
Calligraphy and Paintings/Qianlong Museum in Beijing
Reign (1736-95), Qiang Dynasty/
The Palace Museum in Beijing

Portrait of King Taejo (Treasure No. 931)/Joseon, 1872/Jeonju City

T
he National Palace Museum of Korea begins an exhibition showcasing
antiquities that were used for decorating and preserving paintings and
calligraphic works, starting Sept. 5 and running through Nov. 2.
Documents of the So Family of Tsushima (Important
In ancient times Korean scholars used to communicate by exchanging Cultural Property)/Edo Period, 18th century/Kyushu
writings and paintings. An interesting fact is that they cared about the deco- National Museum
ration of their work of pictorial art and calligraphy as much as the contents.
Colorful silk fabrics and papers were used for hanging scrolls, and wood
sculptures and traditional knotting pieces added brilliant beauty to the storage
boxes and frames.
For the exhibition, the remains from China and Japan will be shown along
with the masterpieces of Korean art during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
Invented in China, the decoration art was spread to neighboring Korea and
Japan and has become a precious tradition shared by the three countries.
For more information, visit the museum’s official website at
www.gogung.go.kr/eng. ■

60 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008 SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 61

EVENTS
An Onggi master demonstrates the process of making traditional earthenware
Onggi Expo Ulsan Korea
“Onggi” is traditional earthenware which
has been widely used as tableware in
Korean people’s daily lives. Compared
to ordinary porcelain ware, onggi has a
microporous structure helping the stor-
age of fermented foods such as gochu-
jang, doenjang and soy sauce.
The city of Ulsan is stepping up its ef-
forts to promote the scientific superiority
of onggi by hosting the first international
onggi exposition next year. In Ulsan, lo-
cated 70 kilometers north of Busan,
there is the nation’s largest onggi pro-
ducing village where many makers and
vendors live together. The city has host-
ed its own onggi festival since 2001.
62 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
Onggi Expo Ulsan Korea
Seoul Food Festival
Yonhap
Under the theme of “Taste of Seoul,” a food
festival showcasing various Korean foods
was held at five popular spots in Seoul from
Aug. 22-31.
Emerging as a new tourist spot,
Cheonggye Plaza attracted people with
healthy foods such as bulgogi and bibimbab.
Famous Korean chefs gave a cooking
demonstration and traditional music perfor-
mances are shown during the festival.
At the Gyeonghuigung Palace, the royal
cuisine of the Joseon Dynasty was revived
for ordinary citizens to experience the culi-
nary culture of ancient kings. The tea and
snack ceremony event was held at the Seoul
Museum of History. Also many citizens par-
ticipated in the Seoul Food Fighter
Competition during the festival, challenging
Guinness world records.
For more information, visit http://foodfesti-
val.seoul.go.kr. ■
Tea and snack ceremony event
Under the slogan of “Onggi, Earthen-
ware of Life,” the event will provide a King’s dinner table is recreated at the Gyeonghuigung Palace in Seoul
good opportunity for visitors to appreci-
ate both traditional onggi and various
earthenware from 40 countries. Along
with onggi-related cultural and academ-
ic events, a variety of traditional ferment- The World Congress of Korean Studies
ed food events will attract visitors in and
out of the country. Also prepared is a The 4th World Congress of Korean Studies opens in Seoul from Sept. 22 to 24. The annual event
special program to experience making is the largest conference on Korean studies in the world.
Korean red pepper and soybean paste. Under the slogan “Korean Studies Interfacing with the World,” this year’s event will be fo-
Onggi Expo Ulsan Korea 2009 will be cused on sharing the latest achievements in Korean studies and forming an academic network
held on Oct. 9 to Nov. 8 in 2009 for 31 of researchers around the world.
days throughout the city of Ulsan. For Along with academic conferences and meetings, cultural performances will be presented for
more information, visit the event’s official visiting participants to better understand Korea and its culture.
website at www.onggiexpo.com. ■ For more information, visit www.aks.ac.kr/congress/. ■
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 63
BOOKS
Political Change in Korea
Edited by The Korea Herald and The Korean Political Science Association
Publisher: Jimoondang
Pages: 340
Price: 20,000 won
The Korea Herald has published “Political
Change in Korea,” the third book in the
“Insight into Korea” series. The volume has
35 essays analyzing contemporary Korean
politics. Written by top Korean political sci-
entists, the in-depth analyses were all pub-
lished in the paper between December
2007 and May 2008.
“Political Change in Korea” is intended
to help readers better understand the
tremendous changes that have reshaped
the Korean political landscape since June
1987. The civilian uprising that took place
21 years ago set in motion a democratiza-
tion process that has transformed Korea
from authoritarianism to a liberal democ-
racy.
Korea’s transition to a vibrant democra-
cy has been hailed by many foreign ana-
lysts. They regard Korea as a model, for it
Panmunjom:
Facts about the Korean DMZ
Author: Wayne A. Kirkbride
Publisher: Hollym
Page: 80
Price: 8,000 won
Panmunjeom is a village on the border be-
tween South and North Korea, where the
armistice that halted the Korean War
(1950-1953) was signed in 1953. For over
50 years, the site has served as a sad re-
minder of the division of Korea. But recent-
ly, with the economic and cultural ex-
changes between the two Koreas increas-
ing, it has also become a symbol for the
peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Even though Panmunjeom is frequently
cited when important issues happen con-
cerning the border village, not many things
64 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
Contemporary Korean Architecture
Author: Kim Sung-hong and Peter Cachola Schmal
Publisher: JOVIS
has achieved the twin goals of democratic Page: 263
development and rapid economic growth.
Price: 50,000 won
But many analysts also note that
Korea’s political development lags behind
The first overseas exposition showcasing contemporary
its economic development. Some de-
Korean architecture was held last year in Frankfurt, Germany,
scribe Korea as a country with a First
drawing a positive response from local visitors.
World economy and Third World politics. A
Published by the well-known German publishing house
Korean business tycoon once rated Korea
JOVIS, this book features a total of 32 projects by 16 Korean
as second-class in economic prowess,
participating architects shown during the event.
third-class in government efficiency, and
Along with the photographs of buildings and city land-
fourth-class in political performance.
scapes captured by photographer Ahn Se-kwon, the book al-
“Most authors in this book discuss
so contains articles and columns on contemporary Korean ar-
Korean politics from a critical perspec-
chitecture written by experts and journalists in and out of the
tive,” said Yu Kun-ha, managing editor of
country. ■
The Korea Herald, who oversaw the book
project. “While acknowledging the
progress Korea has made in democratiza-
tion, at the same time, they point out the
long road ahead in attaining full-fledged
liberal democracy.” ■
about the area are known to the public, es-
pecially people living overseas. This handy
guide book will be helpful for future visitors
and historians to know what Korea was
like, when it was divided as a nation, and
that peaceful reunification might happen
anytime.
The author, who retired from the U.S.
Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, has written
books on Panmunjeom and North Korea
including “North Korea’s Undeclared War:
1953-” and “DMZ: A Story of the
Panmunjeom Axe Murder.” ■
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 65
FOREIGN VIEWPOINTS
South Korea Continues to Change Dynamically
I
t was in 1979 when I visited Korea
for the very first time. I found that
Seoul was more or less a modern
city with its own attractions, such as
parks, monuments, palaces and tem-
ples — all with their own beautiful
characteristics.
The only thing I knew about Korea
was that it had previously had a war
some 25 years ago in 1950 and that
Koreans spoke Korean, a very hard lan-
guage to learn and understand. But I
came to like the country and its people.
From 1979 to 1999, I traveled fre-
quently to Korea and learned about its
history, culture, language, customs,
food and the way they lived — and I
got to like Korea even more.
During the past 30 years, I have
seen the changes in this dynamic na-
tion and learned about the efforts
Koreans have made to develop their
country, which is now the 13th largest
economy in the world.
Yet, Koreans aren’t complacent.
They continue with their efforts to
grow and grow more every day,
emerging with great success to comply
with the global standards of a devel-
oped country.
Despite the political problems of
the past and the financial crisis in
1997, Koreans have found more ways
to continue with their efforts to make
their country better. With the develop-
ments in the IT, communications, au-
tomotive, electronics and shipping
sectors, Korea has found a fertile soil
to speed up their growth.
66 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
BY RENÉ FRANCISCO UMAÑA
HONDURAS AMBASSADOR TO KOREA
The establishment of the first inter-
net system, SDN, has contributed to all
parts of society, speeding up the devel-
opment of Korea. The internet, used by
almost 95 percent of the population, is
capable of providing information to 45
million people instantly, influencing
the development of new technologies.
The development of these tech-
nologies has made industries like
Hyundai, Samsung, LG, KT, STX and
SK leaders in the world. They land bil-
lions of dollars worth of orders every
year and make Korea stronger eco-
nomically.
The success of these companies is
due to the new technologies, but it
couldn’t have been possible without
the people’s open mind, discipline, re-
sponsibility and spirit.
Just 50 years ago, Korea was a
very poor country, with only water as
a natural resource. However, in a short
time, Korea was able to construct what
we know as “The Miracle on the Han
River.” It was not a miracle. It was
clearly a vision that tried to overcome
every possible obstacle, and to prepare
the road for a better way of living.
Korea is now sparkling in the
world with its own light. It is now the
model for some developing countries.
Korea is offering help to these needy
countries economically and techno-
logically. These countries are follow-
ing Korea’s steps to achieve sustain-
able development.
Through the Government’s new
policies, development has been ex-
tended to the provinces. Even though
almost half of the population is con-
centrated in Seoul metropolitan area
and Gyeonggi-do, we can now see
how the other eight provinces are
emerging via the establishment of the
three major Economic Free Zones in
Busan, Incheon and Gwangyang.
The economy is very important, of
course. But we have to understand
that the Government isn’t only inter-
ested in raising the GDP per capita to
$40,000. The Government has taken
care of every aspect of society: educa-
tion, agriculture, science, language,
culture, environment, etc. The reunifi-
cation of Korea has played a very im-
portant role as well.
Korea is becoming one of the world’s
most important nations. It only needs to
be advertised a little more, to let others
know what this country is capable of.
This way, many will stop thinking about
the Korea of 60 years ago. ■