People & Culture

APRIL 2010
April 2010 www.korea.net

KOREA’S
YOUNG SPORTS
HEROES
www.korea.net

ISSN: 2005-2162
 PRELUDE

Korea’s Beauty The Iksan Historic

Areas, located on a flatland in Korea’s south-
west, feature a series of remains from the days
of the ancient Baekje Kingdom (c. 18 BC —
AD 660). Currently under restoration, the
Stone pagoda of the Mireuksa Temple Site
(pictured on this page), is Korea’s national
treasure No. 11, and echoes an ancient town
where a highly advanced culture once flour-
ished. The Iksan Historic Areas, including
Mireuksa Temple Site, Wanggung-ri and
Ipjeom-ri, were included on UNESCO’s
Tentative List of World Heritage sites in
January 2010.
ⓒ Topic Photo

COVER STORY 04
Korea caused quite an upset at the recent
Vancouver Winter Olympics by taking fifth
place in the medals table. Thrillingly, the
future looks even more promising.
CONTENTS
APRIL 2010 VOL. 6 NO. 4
PEN & BRUSH 16
With a string of challenging, highly original
works stretching back 15 years, Kim
Young-ha is one of Korea’s most popular
novelists with his extraordinary ideas.
PRESIDENTIAL ACTIVITIES 20
For much of President Lee Myung-bak’s
first two years in office, Cheongwadae
Press Corps followed him on his trips
around the country.
TRAVEL 26
Spring is in the air in Yeosu, so when bet-
ter to take in the maritime scenery, natu-
ral splendor and rousing military history of
this southern coastal city?
MY KOREA 32
Looking for a place to take a relaxing
bath, indulge in snacks or take a nap?
Korea’s jjimjilbang is the ultimate setting
for a soothing night in.
INTERNATIONAL 36
CONFERENCE
Next month, Seoul plays host to the sec-
ond UNESCO World Conference on Arts
Education. With delegates from around
the world, the conference will disuss arts
education, a field with a crucial role to
play in promoting intercultural exchange
and understanding.
GLOBAL KOREA 40
Renewable energy is booming, and the
brightest lights of clean energy will be on
show at this month’s Daegu Green Energy
Expo event.
www.korea.net
NOW IN KOREA 44
With each passing year, Korea’s young
artists grow more daring and inventive.
You can see some of the best on the
streets of Hongdae and Daehangno.
PUBLISHER Seo Kang-soo,
Korean Culture and Information Service
EDITING HEM KOREA Co., Ltd
E-MAIL webmaster@korea.net
PRINTING Samsung Moonwha Printing Co.
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COVER STORY

In the world of sports, Korea is no longer an underdog.

Already renowned for its remarkable economic growth in the
aftermath of the Korean War (1950-53), Korea has increas-
ingly proven itself as a sporting power, too. In South Africa
this year, the small peninsula nation will be competing in its
seventh consecutive World Cup and, around a year ago, took
second place in the World Baseball Classic. At the most recent
Vancouver Winter Olympics, Korea took gold medals in
speed skating and figure skating to achieve an impressive
fifth-place overall finish. In addition, Korean athletes consis-
tently score big wins in both men’s and women’s golf. Here,
KOREA meets some of the country’s most talented sports
stars, whose success has swept through the nation on a wave
of adulation. by Jeong Se-yeong

ⓒ Yonhapnews Agency

Kim Yu-na, 2010 Winter Olympic champion in ladies singles figure skating
ⓒ Yonhapnews Agency
Gold medalist Mo Tae-bum competes at the Vancouver Winter Olympics
(opposite). Kim Yu-na, gold medalist in ladies’ singles figure skating,
reacts to the crowd (above left). Team Korea poses with their medals
(above right). Gold medalist Lee Seung-hoon is lifted onto the shoulders
of his fellow athletes at an awards ceremony (below).
At this year’s Vancouver Winter Olympics, Korea
claimed six gold, six silver and two bronze
medals to accomplish its best ever finish. As
Korea’s athletes repeatedly prevailed against
sporting powerhouses from Europe and North
America, the international media hailed a remark-
able achievement by a country that had tradition-
ally been a winter sports minnow.
As much as these results triggered pride in a
jubilant home nation, the success will be felt in
more lasting ways. According to the Korea Sports
Promotion Foundation, the economic ripple effect
of the Olympics is approximately 6.5 trillion won
(US$57 billion), while the Samsung Economic
Research Institute (SERI) predicts that the 2010
Vancouver Winter Olympics will generate about
20.2 trillion won (US$17.8 billion) worth of pro-
motional benefits for Korea.

VICTORY IN VANCOUVER Though Korea had tast-

ed gold at previous Winter Olympic events, prior
to the 2006 Turin Games they all came via short
track, which earned the country the rather unflat-
tering epithet of “The Short Track Republic.”
Desperate to shed their reputation as a winter
sports one-trick pony, Koreans all over the coun-
try were willing their team to bring back medals in
other events this time around.
Their prayers were answered. Right at the
beginning of the Vancouver Games, 22-year-old
Lee Seung-hoon won silver in the men’s 5,000m
speed skating event. As well as being a delight
for his fans, Lee’s victory was also a considerable

KOREA
APRIL
2010 07
 surprise: in a sport traditionally dominated by the
European racers, Lee’s medal was the first won
by any Asian in speed skating events of 5,000m
or longer.
But Lee had more surprises up his sleeve. On
February 24, in an event he had competed in just
twice before at the international level, Lee
stunned the skating world by winning gold in the
10,000m speed skating event, after all-time
favorite Sven Kramer was disqualified for a lane
violation. The silver and bronze medalists who
ⓒ Yonhapnews Agency
shared the podium with Lee Seung-hoon celebrat-
ed the arrival of a new champion by hoisting Lee
on their shoulders.
As hoped, Korea continued its winning streak in
its traditional stronghold, short track. In the
500m women’s and men’s speed skating events,
Lee Sang-hwa and Mo Tae-bum won respective
golds, marking the first time in the history of the
sport that skaters from the same country were
victorious in both events.
On top of being gold medal winners, Lee
Seung-hoon, Mo Tae-bum and Lee Sang-hwa
share deeper bonds. All hail from Korea National
Sport University and are close friends. All three
are recognized at the top level of skating despite
coming from very modest backgrounds. After fail-
ing to make the short track team last year, Lee
Seung-hoon was so short of money that he had to
borrow skates to practice speed skating. Mo, a
picture of happiness at the ceremony, had been
the archetypal bad boy in his teenage years,
choosing to ride his motorbike rather than study
or even train sports.
LIFE CHANGING MOMENTS As for Lee Sang-hwa,
the hardships she had overcome made her a sym-
bol of hope for many back in Korea. With so little
money in her family, Lee’s brother had been
forced to forgo his own dreams of skating glory so
that Lee herself could continue with her training.
Lee’s parents, too, made tremendous sacrifices
for the success of their daughter, and Lee never
forgot the debt of gratitude she owed them. Aged
12, she wrote her parents a letter saying, “If I
become a successful skater, I’ll buy you every-
thing from a washing machine and a gas stove to
a fridge.” Later on, Lee demonstrated her burning
KOREA
APRIL
08 2010
Speed skater Lee Sang-hwa carries the Korean flag at the Vancouver
Winter Olympics (opposite). Cha Bum-kun was the first footballer to
advance overseas (above left). Footballer Park Chu-young plays for AS
Monaco (above right). Park Ji-sung, who plays for Manchester United, is
the captain of the South Korean national team (below).
ambition with an entry in her diary that read, “I
want to be famous. I want to be in the news. I
want to make the national team.” And, as her big
day approached, Lee marked it on her calendar
with the simple words “Life-Changing Moment.”
Nevertheless, Korea’s greatest triumph came
with the girl the Korean press were to dub “Queen
Yu-na.” In two near-perfect rounds of jumps,
pirouettes and ornate hand gestures, Kim Yu-na
blew away her closest rival with a record-breaking
score of 228.56. Hillary Clinton, the U.S.
Secretary of State, said she stayed up well into
the night to watch Kim’s performance, which she
described as “extraordinary.”
Indeed, Korea’s overall performance stunned
the sports world. “I’m sure I could sense a hint of
envy when overseas journalists asked me how
such a small country could have done so well,”
said Park Sung-in, the Korean team’s captain.
“But as well as being a great measure of pride,
Korea’s excellent performance in Vancouver has
greatly boosted our chances of hosting the 2018
Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.”
THE PARK JI-SUNG EFFECT But as much as
Korea’s recent success may have appeared to
have come out of nowhere, it is in many ways a
culmination of ever-increasing sports prowess
stretching back several decades. The story largely
began in 1978, when Cha Bum-kun, the first
Korean athlete to make it big overseas, began his
career in the Bundesliga, the top league in
German soccer. Scoring 98 goals in 308 appear-
KOREA
APRIL
2010 09

The South Korean national football team pose before the test game
against CÔte d’lvoire (above left). Chu Shin-soo finished the 2009 sea-
son with a record batting average (above right). Pitcher Park Chan-ho is
the first Korean player in major leagues (below).
ances with Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer 04
Leverkusen, and 55 in 121 games for the Korean
national team (still a record), Cha was later
named “Asia’s Player of the Century” by the
International Federation of Football History and
Statistics (IFFHS).
Though several Korean football players since
Cha have plied their trade overseas, none came
close to repeating his success until Park Ji-sung.
A star of the national team that stormed all the
way to the semi-finals during the 2002 Korea-
Japan World Cup, Park followed then national
team manager Guus Hiddink to the Netherlands,
where the pair worked together at PSV Eindhoven.
Thriving in his new environment, Park was an inte-
gral part of a team that reached the semi-finals of
the 2004-2005 UEFA Champions League. It was
this run that brought Park to the attention of his
next club, and one of the biggest teams in the
world, Manchester United.
Today, players such as Park Chu-young, Lee
Chung-yong and Ki Sung-yong — who play, respec-
tively, for AS Monaco in France, Bolton Wanderers
in England and Celtic in Scotland — are making
their mark in some of Europe’s top leagues. And
they are, in large part, beneficiaries of the “Park
Ji-sung Effect.” “In a way,” said a Korean sports
agent working in Europe, “the fact that Park Ji-
Sung is playing for Manchester United is more
ⓒ Yonhapnews Agency
influential in opening up Korean sports to the rest
of the world than the 2002 World Cup was.”
On the other side of the Atlantic, Park Chan-ho,
now a pitcher with the New York Yankees, has
played a major role in boosting the image of
Korean sports since joining the Los Angeles
Dodgers back in 1994. As of 2009, he had 120
wins (95 losses) and a 4.35 ERA. He needs only
four more wins to become the Asian pitcher with
the most wins in history.
With news of his victories streaming in from the
United States, Park helped provide the Korean
public with hope and courage amid one of its
darkest hours in the modern era, the Asian
Financial Crisis of 1997-1998. Since then, sever-
al Korean baseball players have since followed
Yang Yong-eun is the first Asian golfer who won PGA championshop
Park into the Majors, such as, Choo Shin-soo (27,
(above). Pak Se-ri is one of the most famous and successful Korean
Cleveland Indians) who is now a member of the golfer who actively plays in both of Korea and the US, who has won 30
events in total (below).
20-20 club (20 homers, 20 steals), and who fin-
ished the 2009 season with a .300 batting aver-
age, the first Asian baseball player to accomplish
this feat in the Majors.
THE SE-RI KIDS In the world of gold, Pak Se-ri
has had similar success on the fairways. Since
turning pro in 1996, she has won 30 events,
including the Korean LPGA Tour, as well as victo-
ries in majors, the McDonald’s LPGA Champion-
ship and the U.S. Women’s Open. In November
2007, at the very young age of 29, she was
inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Her outstanding performances over the years
has inspired a new generation of Korean golfers.
Affectionately dubbed “Se-ri Kids,” these golfing
proteges are now growing to dominate the LPGA.
As of 2009, Korean women have won 88 tourna-
ments on the LPGA. On the men’s side, Yang
Yong-eun wrote himself into the record books in
2009 when chasing down Tiger Woods to become
the first Asian to win the PGA Championship.
In fact, the most encouraging part of Korea’s
growing sport’s prowess is that the generation of
athletes inspired by the likes of Park Ji-sung and
Pak Se-ri, who are only 29 and 32, respectively.
The new, young wave of Korean sports stars
exude a confidence and fearlessness often
absent in their trailblazing predecessors. Dubbed
the G-generation (due to their being born in the
“global era”), these youngsters point to a bright
future — a future where Korea becomes acknowl-
edged, not for its sporting upsets, but for a con-
sistent, exhilarating run of success.
COVER STORY
THE UPS
AND DOWNS
OF A FIVE-
TIME
SKATING
HERO
Lee Kyou-hyuk, 32, is a legend
in Korean speed skating. Over
the past decade and a half, he
competed in five consecutive
Winter Olympics, making his
name synonymous with the
sport. Yet, despite a string of
great achievements in world
championships, Lee never
managed to land an Olympic
medal. A streak that, sadly, he
was unable to break at the
Vancouver Olympics this year.
But his passion and refusal to
give up have inspired and
moved sports fans throughout
the country. Today, KOREA
salutes Lee Kyou-hyuk.
by Jin Jung-eon
KOREA
APRIL
12 2010
“I’m dying for a sleep,” says Lee Kyou-hyuk, as our interview
commences. Given his punishing schedule since returning from
Vancouver — a seemingly endless procession of TV shows,
receptions and interviews — it is a testament to his dedication
and good nature that he has managed to show at all.
Though team Korea excelled in Vancouver, Lee, one of
Korea’s greatest ever speed skaters, failed to break his medal
duck. At his fifth consecutive Olympics — a series that began
in 1994 at Lillehammer — Lee came 15th in the 500m and
ninth in the 1,000m events. Given his success in other compe-
titions, sports fans throughout Korea were aching for him to
win a medal that his dedication surely warranted. But it wasn’t
to be. At a press conference in Vancouver, Lee said simply,
“It’s sad to compete for something that is unattainable.”
“Although I was disappointed that I failed to win a medal, it
was uplifting to receive such tremendous support,” says Lee.
“It felt good to have my entire career as an athlete recog-
nized.” Indeed, such was the attention he received, he says he
now feels a little guilty for deflecting the limelight from some of
his younger teammates who had actually won medals.
Before the Olympics, Lee had scored a second place finish
in the 500m and a third in the 1,000m events during the
International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup season.
Expectations grew further when he won the World Sprint
Championships in Japan in January. So why couldn’t he repro-
duce this form at the Olympics? “I anticipated the pressure of
the Olympics in advance and never stopped preparing for it,”
he says. “However, when it came to the races, I couldn’t per-
form at the same level I’d been practicing at. I think I was over-
whelmed by the notion that this was my last chance.”
As a result, so nervous was Lee before the 500m race, he
says he would have preferred just to run away. “I never felt I
was actually outskated in the races by the younger athletes,”
he says. “But in Vancouver I think I lacked the tenacity to over-
come the huge amount of stress I was facing and to fully con-
centrate on the task at hand.”
During the Olympics, Lee envied his younger teammates,
who were clearly enjoying their time at the Games. “Even
though this was my fifth Olympics, I’ve never been able to
enjoy the experience. I don’t think I know how to enjoy them,” be no more Olympics, though. “I wish I was four years younger
Lee says. “I always thought that you couldn’t win a medal if and had one more shot. But I know I’ll be too old for the
you stopped and relaxed. I believed that I had to compete in Olympics four years from now. Perhaps I can compete in my
the Olympics with total intensity. I guess that approach got in own mind.”
ⓒ Yonhapnews Agency
the way of my ability to perform.” “Whatever I do,” Lee says, “I would like to be with my fellow
Asked about the future, Lee says he isn’t ready to quit just athletes at the next Olympic Games. I don’t know when it will
yet. “To be honest, I’d like to skate a little longer, not because happen exactly, but I’m confident my last Olympics will be as a
of my desire to win a medal, but because I want to end my coach.” For Lee Kyou-hyuk, Vancouver was definitely not the
career as a professional skater on my own terms.” There will end of his Olympic journey.
KOREA
APRIL
2010 13
COVER STORY
REACHING FOR THE STARS: KOREA’S
NEW WAVE OF SPORTS HOPEFULS
From skating, soccer and golf, to baseball, archery and
swimming, potential young Korean athletes are display-
ing their skills like never before. With dazzling perform-
ances in pro sports around the world, Korea’s interna-
tional sports stars are bright beacons for the country’s
children, filling them with equal hopes of making it big
one day. Here, we meet some of the youngsters who
dream of becoming the next Kim Yu-na or Park Ji-sung.
by Seo Dong-cheol | photographs by Kim Hong-jin
KOREA
APRIL
14 2010
As of late, Korea has spawned a generation of dreamers.
Inspired by Korea’s success at the soccer World Cup, the
Olympics and assorted world championships, an army of chil-
dren has swarmed to parks, pitches and rinks in an attempt to
emulate their heroes and eventually claim sporting glory for
their country. Though still very young, these kids boast a pas-
sion and dedication that would put most adults to shame.
Yet for all the new waves of interest now, Korea’s recent
success was the result of already having a sizeable pool of tal-
ent, assiduously developed from early childhood. Lee Seung-
hoon, who at the Vancouver Olympics became the first Asian to
win the men’s 10,000m speed skating, learned his skills at
Lila Elementary School, which is renowned for its skating class-
es. Lee Sang-hwa and Mo Tae-bum, who won respective golds
in the 500m women’s and men’s speed skating events, are
graduates of Eunseok Elementary School, which runs trial skat-
ing classes for all its students. From this nurtured beginning,
promising youngsters are chosen, groomed, and turned into
tomorrow’s champions.
However, with the recent success of Kim Yu-na, who
chalked up world record scores while enroute to figure skating
gold this year, skating’s popularity has gone into overdrive.
Jeon Hyo-jeong, who teaches at Kim’s occasional practice rink
at Korea University in Seoul, says they have been getting three
times as many calls asking about skating classes since the
Vancouver Olympics.
“We now teach around 20 kids, which is more than double
the number we had before the Olympics,” Jeon says. “Some of
them are accompanied by their parents, but there are also
a lot of middle school students who come on their own.”
International success has bred enormous interest in
soccer, too. Beginning with Korea’s sterling run at the
2002 FIFA World Cup, Korean players have
enjoyed a much higher profile in world soc-
cer in recent years. Today, a slew of local
boys ply their trade at some of the world’s
most famous clubs, including Park Ji-sung
at English titans, Manchester United, and
Ki Sung-yong at Scotland’s Celtic.
Hong Myung-bo, captain of Korea’s
national team during the 2002 World Cup,
runs two soccer schools: one in Seocho-
gu, Seoul, the other in Suwon in Gyeonggi-
do Province. Hong oversees the tuition of
some 450 students at his academies, including,
with an undoubted touch of family pride, his
own sons.
Hong’s schools pride themselves on their
MINI
INTERVIEW
Interview with Ju Eun-seo, Korea University Arena / Grade 2
student at Donam Elementary School
“I WANT TO FLY ON ICE!”
When asked why she likes figure skating, 8-year-old Eun-
seo doesn’t hesitate. “The ice feels just like the sky,” she
says. “If I could skate across the sky, it would definitely be
like flying.”
Eun-seo stepped into ice skates for the
first time at the age of six, during a win-
ter visit to an arena at a hotel in down-
town Seoul. She may scarcely have
been able to skate upright that day,
but she couldn’t have enjoyed it more.
Harboring dreams ever since of becom-
ing a figure skater, the recent success of
Kim Yu-na has made little Eun-seo even
more determined than ever.
She has already made tremendous
progress, as her skating teacher would
attest. After just eight weeks of train-
ing, Eun-seo passed the basic level of fig-
ure skating, an achievement that usually
takes most students upward of six months.
“The axels are the toughest,” she says, “but I
want to try hard and do triple axels and skate
beautifully like Kim Yu-na.”
Not yet 9-years-old, Eun-seo is like a tiny
bird learning to fly on skates — in a sky
made of ice.
non-elitist approach, and focus on creating an atmosphere
where kids can enjoy learning soccer skills free from other
pressures. And those who take their soccer more
seriously are very welcome here too.
“We have a special advanced class for kids
who want to become professionals,” says Park
Seung-hyeon, who manages one of the acad-
emies. “Today, we have 55 kids who are all
training hard to become the next Park Ji-
sung, Ki Sung-yong or Hong Myung-bo.”
While facilities and opportunities have
improved tremendously, the final arbiter
of success is the work, sweat and occa-
ⓒ Hong Myung-bo Soccor Academy
sional tears of the aspiring athletes
themselves. And whatever their level,
and whatever their game, these future
sports stars — thanks to Korea’s ava-
lanche of sporting success — are more
inspired than ever before.
KOREA
APRIL
2010 15
PEN & BRUSH

A NOVEL
DEVOTION
Kim Young-ha is a master storyteller. From a gloomy portrait of suicide to Korean immi-
grants sold to Mexican farms to a North Korean spy sent South on a mission, Kim has spun
tales concerning a vast range of subject matter with unfailing gusto and conviction. Since his
first publication in 1995, Kim has won Korea’s top literary awards and become perhaps the
country’s best-known contemporary novelist. In a detached, postmodern age, Kim’s work is
truly wielding the power of good storytelling.
by Choi Hye-jeong | photographs by Park Jeong-roh

In 1995, Kim Young-ha burst onto the Korean literary scene

seemingly from out of nowhere. In a series of novels includ-
ing I Have the Right to Destroy Myself (1996), Page (1997) and
What Happened to the Man Stuck in the Elevator (1999), Kim
chose a dry, objective tone to voice the sensitivities of urban
youth. His singular, utterly compelling style of storytelling
captured the attention of a generation of readers, and herald-
ed the birth of a new age in Korean literature.
Now in 2010, Kim is firmly established as one of the coun-
try’s finest literary talents. Having won a string of Korean liter-
ary awards — including the Dongin Literary Award and the
Hyeondae Literary Award — Kim’s books are now making the
journey overseas, with translations being released in the United
States, France, Germany and Japan, among many other coun-
tries. Scheduled for release on September 28, Your Republic is
Calling You, the English version of his novel The Empire of Light,

16
is now on pre-sale on Amazon.com.

KOREA
APRIL
2010
Kim Young-ha

Here in Korea, Kim’s publisher has recently released the
“Kim Young-ha Collection Set,” a collection of four of his most
popular works. As Kim himself is the first to acknowledge,
having a compendium of his books released just 15 years
after his debut is an enormous honor, and one with a rather
important meaning.
“The set is something like an interim report, a public state-
ment indicating that I will write what I want and work in a
completely independent way. It is also a resolution that by
dictating my own path so far as an author, I can take stock of
where I am and move on to new things.”
THE INFINITE STORY Kim says that as a child, such was his
love of stories that he would introduce himself as “a person
who likes words and telling stories.”
“I used to tell stories to my friends during school bus rides,
and the response was immense,” says Kim. “I loved having my
friends listening to me, their eyes glinting with curiosity. To
KOREA
APRIL
18 2010
some degree, I guess I was born with this talent.”
Despite his prodigious ability, however, when the time
came to go to university, Kim surprised everyone by opting
for business over literature. “Because I chose not to major in
creative writing or traditional literary training, I was
denounced as a ‘monster’ by some of my more zealous peers.
But I didn’t mind those remarks so much. I believed then, as I
believe now, that literary work is independent and has a life
of its own. If it’s good, people will read it and tell others.
That’s the true power of the novel.”
Like the author himself, Kim’s novels were individual and
recalcitrant. He openly defied Korean literary circles and the
overwhelming tendency, at the time, to write psychological
novels that placed a huge emphasis on style.
Yet Kim’s motives for becoming a novelist were much more
simple. “A while ago I did something called the Proust ques-
tionnaire,” he says. “It was an interesting format in which you
had to answer all the questions in the simplest terms. One
question asked, ‘in what state are you most happy?’ So I
answered, ‘a state where I get orders from no one, where I do I HAVE THE RIGHT TO DESTROY MYSELF
what I want.’ That is why I became a novelist. It seemed if I > Language English
> Publisher Harcourt Books (America)
became one, I could do what I want, without having to obey
> Published 2007
other people’s orders. If it didn’t go well, the failure would be
entirely my own.” Kim Young-ha’s first novel, published in
1996. Taking its cues from beautiful
While declaring he became a novelist just to remain a free
but dark paintings such as The Death of
spirit, Kim in fact takes enormous pride in the field of writ- Marat by Jacques-Louis David and
ing. He is quoted as calling the novel “the greatest creative Judith 1 by Gustav Klimt, I Have the
Right to Destroy Myself is a meditation
outlet mankind has ever achieved,” and “the finest genre of
on the isolation and emptiness that
literature.” As such, he is bullish about its prospects even in resides in us all, and the sometimes
the age of high technology. suicidal impulses of modern man. With
a “suicide guide” — who helps desper-
“For a while, people wondered whether literature would
ate people kill themselves — as its
survive the digital age,” he says. “But literature is in fact a very main character, the book was highly
digital-friendly medium. Digital means infinite reproduction, controversial at the time of its release.
right? Whether it’s text messages, e-books or paper books, all
written things can be reproduced infinitely.” PHOTO SHOP MURDER
“Of course the time may come when electronic books > Language English
> Publisher Jimoondang Publishing
become more popular than paper books. Even if they do,
Company (Seoul, Korea)
however, people will still like to read stories with meaningful > Published 2003
and beautiful prose. This is why literature is at heart an infi-
An exquisitely written novel that
nite medium.”
explores human psychology, Photo
Shop Murder chronicles a complicated
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE With his boundless appetite for the relationship of passion that arises dur-
ing the course of a murder investiga-
written word, Kim is always writing, always looking for the next
tion. The book was a source of inspira-
great story. His most recent collection of short stories, complet- tion for the film The Scarlet Letter that
ed while he was working on other novels, will be released this went on to become a hit in Korea.
summer. For Kim, novels are a source of great joy, and one for
which his enthusiasm remains entirely undiminished. KIM YOUNG-HA’S WHAT HAPPENED TO
“Writing novels is a pleasure for me,” he says. “In a way, it’s SHORT STORIES THE MAN STUCK IN
like sending a message in a bottle from a desert island. Your (WAMPIR I INNE THE ELEVATOR (CHE
OPOWIADANIA) COSA CI FA UN MORTO
hope, of course, is that the letter will reach somewhere some > Language Polish NELL’ASCENSORE)
day, and then someone will read it. But for the moment, you’re > Publisher Wydawnictwo > Language Italian
Kwiaty Orientu (Kielce, Poland) > Publisher ObarraO Edizioni
writing it purely for your own pleasure.”
> Published 2009 (Milan, Italy)
For one so full of passion, Kim is actually cool in person, > Published 2008
with a somewhat philosophical assessment of his success. Kim’s uniquely pithy and
clever prose is perhaps
“I’m actually rather lucky. I was born in an age that suited my
best illuminated in his
style, and as a result, a lot of people like what I write. The short stories, of which
thing I still really want to do, however, is to create my own, many have now been pub-
lished overseas. One of
undeniable masterpiece, something in the stature of Anna
his short stories, What
Karenina or Madam Bovary. That’s the life task that still Happened to the Man
awaits me.” Stuck in the Elevator, has
enjoyed particular success
With his unique ability to control narratives and compli-
in Europe, with transla-
cated slices of life with simple, beautifully constructed prose, tions being released in
few would bet against Kim producing that masterpiece before Sweden, Spain and Italy.
long. As Kim himself says, “I like writing even more now. I
am only getting better.”
KOREA
APRIL
2010 19
PRESIDENTIAL ACTIVITIES

BEYOND THE
BLUE HOUSE
On February 25, President Lee Myung-bak celebrated his second
anniversary in office. With an exhibition of previously unreleased
photos of Lee, photojournalists covering the Blue House, or Cheong
Wa Dae, take us through those two breathless years. by Nam Gung-uk

ⓒ Cheongwadae Press Corps

President Lee Myung-bak sports sunglasses dur-

ing his trip to the Davos Forum in Switzerland.

“Good Morning, Mr. President. It’s 7:30am.” Over the past two
years, President Lee Myung-bak has led a busy life. According
to recent data from the Presidential Office of State Affairs
Planning, the President has attended 1,394 events in Korea
alone since his inauguration, covering a distance equivalent to
100 diagonal crossings of South Korea. Overseas, he has visit-
ed 28 nations and held 93 summit meetings, flying 316,828
kilometers — about eight circumnavigations of the globe — in
the process.
Not one to waste time, President Lee usually arrives at his
office around 7:30am. Even this was a compromise, after his
wife, Kim Yoon-ok, persuaded him that coming in any earlier
would be unfair to his already overworked staff.
One part of the presidential residence that has been particu-
ⓒ Cheongwadae Press Corps
larly affected by this early bird president is the Blue House
(Cheong Wa Dae) cafeteria. Often holding meetings with his
officials there, the President is renowned for his early morning
appetite. Sometimes, rumor has it, he eats twice the serving
of fish as allotted to everyone else.
President Lee plays with children during celebrations for Children’s Day, May 5,
2009, at the Blue House in Seoul (top). First lady Kim Yoon-ok greets a Maori, New
Zealand aborigine, according to their traditions (above).
KOREA
APRIL
22 2010
Since stressing “pragmatic centrism” and “people-friendly
policies” as the guiding ideas of his administration, President
Lee has frequented traditional markets and other places where
he could meet average Koreans. And, eager not to be seen as
just a point-scoring opportunist, the President makes sure to
buy from vendors whenever he visits. On one of these excur-
sions, on June 25, 2009, he went to a back alley market in
Imun-dong, Seoul, entered a mom-and-pop store and picked up
a bag of rice poppers.
“I can never just walk past these things,” said the President.
“I made them on the streets and sold them when I was young.
How much is a bag?”
“800 won (US$0.7),” came the reply.
President Lee picked up two bags and handed 2,000 won to
the shopkeeper. When given his change, he smiled and said
simply, “No, I can’t accept that.”
While touring around an old market once, the President
stocked up on figs, green chili peppers and honey-spiral court
cake. The figs were served a few days later as refreshments
during a meeting with the Advisors on Foreign Affairs and
National Security, the honey cake designated a delectable
snack for his study. The green chili peppers were delivered to
the Blue House cafeteria, to be marinated in soy sauce.
PRESIDENT AND GRANDFATHER When President Lee visited
Namdaemun market in September 2009, he stopped by a
shop selling hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) and set his
eye on a dress for a small girl. The President gauged the size,
and decided it was just what he’d been looking for. Paying
40,000 won (US$35.18) for the hanbok, he later gave it to his
granddaughter Seung-yeon — the second daughter of his sec-
ond daughter — during the Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day).
Like any grandfather, he dotes on his grandchildren and reg-
ularly showers them with gifts. With one son and three married
daughters, the president and the first lady now have two grand-
sons and four granddaughters. Unless otherwise detained by
urgent tasks, he spends time every weekend with his grandchil-
dren, and says that riding bicycles with them is one of his
greatest joys. On occasion, the first lady will join them, too —
though she only learned to ride after he became president and,
according to a recent interview, still uses training wheels.
Every so often, the time the first couple spends with their
grandchildren makes a direct impact on government policy. In
November 2009, the government announced plans to lower the
age at which children start school to 5-years-old from 6-years-
old. Lee reached this decision, as government officials say, and
concluding that today’s kids were far more mature than when
the President himself had been young.
President Lee enjoys an old-fashioned ice cream, which reminds him of his youth
(top). The President spends time with his granddaughter during a holiday (above).
KOREA
APRIL
2010 23
 THE PRESIDENT MEANS BUSINESS During the first two years
of Lee Myung-bak administration, his diplomatic achievements
in particular, have stood out. On his watch, Korea won the bid
to host the G-20 summit this November, and signed a 47 tril-
lion won (US$41.3 billion) deal to build and operate nuclear
power plants in the United Arab Emirates. President Lee invest-
ed a great deal of personal and political capital into the nuclear
deal, calling the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, General Sheikh
Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, no fewer than six times to
persuade him to choose Korea’s offer.
In wooing the UAE government, Blue House officials say,
President Lee drew on his own experience from the 1970s
when, as CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction, he did
a lot in the Middle East. Visiting the UAE in December last year
to sign the deal, he charmed his host, President Khalifa bin
Zayed Al Nahyan, by mentioning that he was a big fan of camel
meat. Delighted to hear of President Lee’s taste for local cui-
sine, the UAE president jokingly upbraided his assistants for
not preparing some camel dishes for his Korean counterpart.
President Lee’s diplomatic success stems largely from his
extensive international experience, but also from a disarmingly
bluff and personable demeanor. During an official visit to
Australia early in Lee’s administration, Australian Prime
Minister Kevin Rudd invited President Lee for an impromptu
beer, an offer the Korean premier gratefully accepted. In this
unscripted encounter, the two men sat and chatted for three

hours about topics including Korea’s economic rise and how it

overcame its severe financial crisis in the late 1990s. The
Prime Minister later supported Korea’s bid to host the G-20
summit. Elsewhere, President Lee went to a sauna last May
with Kazak President Nursultan Nazarbayev wearing nothing but virtues of Korea’s athletic heroes. On the day Kim Yu-na gave
a towel — taking the notion of close ties to a new level. her gold-winning performance in figure skating, he gushed,
“Skaters from other countries are wonderful, but Kim isn’t just
A GOOD SPORT Though a famously hard worker, in the past he skating out there — she may as well be performing ballet.”
still found the time to be president of the Korea Swimming When hosting a Blue House luncheon for the medal-winning
Federation for 12 years during his time in the corporate world. athletes, President Lee recalled some of the most nerve-
This love of sports has stayed with him into the national presi- jangling moments. He said he wished he could have given the
dency, during which time he has seen Team Korea compete in country’s speed skaters a little push to take them past the

ⓒ Yonhapnews Agency
two Olympic Games and a World Baseball Classic (WBC). Like other racers. When Kim Yu-na was in mid-leap, he said he sim-
the rest of his countrymen, President Lee was hanging on every ply couldn’t bear to watch, and shut his eyes. Since the ath-
ⓒ Cheongwadae Press Corps

single race, shoot and strike as Team Korea excelled in all three letes had been out the country for so long, the President had
competitions. considered serving spicy instant ramyeon noodles at the offi-
But it was the recent Vancouver Winter Olympics that left the cial luncheon. Ultimately, though, he decided against it. “I kept
strongest mark. Throughout the games, and even after they’d ramyeon off the menu,” he later joked, “because I didn’t want
finished, the President spent much of his time extolling the any rumors to emerge about the Blue House being cheap.”

President Lee has an informal chat with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd during President Lee fishes during his summer vacation (top). The president strikes a skat-
the 2009 G-20 summit in the US (top). The president takes a video of a rail trip after ing pose during a luncheon with the national Winter Olympics team after their return
the Davos Forum in Switzerland (above). to Seoul (above).
KOREA KOREA
APRIL APRIL
24 2010 2010 25
TRAVEL

YEOSU, Head south from Seoul and push on toward the ocean, and
you will eventually reach Namhae, a jagged piece of coast

City of the Ocean ⓒ Kim Tae-su / Yeosu City

surrounded by countless islands. There are several charm-
ing towns along the shore of Namhae, but I chose to visit
Yeosu, a city gearing up to host the Expo 2012. Here, the

City of the Expo heroic tales of Admiral Yi Sun-sin remain part of the fabric
of local life, and the gorgeous scenery of Dadohae Haesang
National Park greets you at every turn. by Seo Dong-cheol

A landscape of Dolsan Bridge and New Yeosu Port


Namhae, Korea’s southern coast, is an area largely defined by
two beautiful national parks: Hallyeo Marine National Park in
Gyeongsangnam-do Province and Dadohae Haesang National
Park in Jeollanam-do Province. Falling within Jeollanam-do, the
city of Yeosu begins from the easternmost point of Dadohae
Haesang National Park, which also includes Yeosu’s assorted
islands within its borders. From the center of Yeosu, follow the
salty scent to the nearby ocean and you will soon see the hori-
zon emerging from afar, and the vast sea embroidered with
KOREA
APRIL
28 2010
SEDUCED BY THE OCEAN On reaching Odongdo proper, you’re
greeted by a fountain whose jets of water dance in time to the
strains of classical music. From here, head uphill toward the
inland and you’ll approach some thick woods, where many of
Odongdo’s 194 different plant and tree species reside. Though
spanning just 127,000sqm, Odongdo boasts impressive floral
diversity, and as you wander along the island’s trails you’ll
encounter swathes of dense bamboo, ocean pine trees and sil-
ver magnolias that thrive despite the strong ocean winds.
Most famous, though, are the camellia trees. With their
gleaming, dark green leaves and scarlet flowers, camellias are
the symbol of this small island and a source of pride for the
locals. To get a superb view of the wildlife, and the rest of the
island’s natural beauty, an excellent vantage point is the obser-
vation deck at the lighthouse on the hills of Odongdo. Immense
windows offer a nearly 360-degree view of Dadohae Haesang
National Park, while Dolsan Island, Dolsan Bridge, New Yeosu
Port and the exhibition hall for the upcoming Expo 2012 can all
be seen from here as well.
Once back on the mainland, head over to the Dolsan Bridge
and cross into Dolsan Park. Sunset is an especially recom-
mended time to visit as the port is lit with bright lights.
numerous islands, small and large.
Among them, Odongdo island is indisputably Yeosu’s No. 1
attraction. Just 10 minutes from downtown Yeosu, Odongdo is
connected to the mainland by a seawall, making it easily
accessible on foot. Named one of the “100 most beautiful
roads in Korea,” the seawall is an experience in itself, with the
lapping ocean on either side almost convincing you that you
ⓒ Yeosu City
could be walking on the water. It is certainly something special
to include while visiting.
Jinnamgwan, a wooden building, reminds of Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s
memories (above). Camellia flower is one of the symbol of Odongdo
island, which can be seen in spring season (right).
KOREA
APRIL
2010 29

TRAVEL TIPS
BEFORE THE 2012 YEOSU EXPO
While the Expo itself is still two years off, visitors can still get
a taste of the forthcoming extravaganza from the event’s
information center at the entrance to Odongdo. Here, you can
find out about the major themes of Expo 2012 Yeosu, which
will run for three months from May 12, 2012, as well as learn
about the history and significance of the International
Exposition. And though they are still under construction, the
Expo’s main venues, including the Ocean Exhibition Hall and
Ocean Tower, have detailed displays at their building sites.
2010 YEOSU TURTLE SHIP FESTIVAL
The 2010 Yeosu Turtle Ship Festival will be held from May
5- 8 this year at Yeosu New Port and various places in
town. Celebrating life from Jinnamjae in 1967, the festival
commemorates the exploits of Admiral Yi Sun-sin while
also appreciating oceanic culture and the surrounding
natural beauty. This is perhaps Korea’s oldest festival of
patriotism and this year the addition of the Yeosu World
Fireworks Contest will make it a more enjoyable spectacle.
KOREA
APRIL
30 2010
Hyangiram, located at the southeastern tip of Dolsan Island,
is another source of magnificent scenery in Dadohae Haesang HOW TO GET TO YEOSU
> By Air There are nine flights a day from Seoul’s Gimpo
National Park. Hyangiram, which means “hermitage facing the
Airport to Yeosu. They run from 7:30am to 6pm, and the
sun,” is a wonderful place from which to watch the sunrise, flight takes 55 minutes.
though, contrary to its name, it is often crowded with people. > By Car Gyeongbu Expressway - Cheonan-Nonsan
Tragically, the golden Daeungjeon pavilion and bell tower were Expressway - Honam Expressway - Suncheon IC - National
Highway 17 - Yeosu / Jungbu Expressway - Daejeon-
recently destroyed in a fire, but the small temple endures in its Tongyeong Expressway - Jinju JC - Namhae Expressway -
dignified serenity. Suncheon IC - National Highway 17 - Yeosu (5 hours)
From the parking lot, climb the steep mountain road for 20 > By Bus/Train 19 Buses bound for Yeosu from the
Express Bus Terminal run daily from 6am to 11:20pm.
minutes and the horizon will once again emerge. As you
Departing from Yongsan station, there are 11 trains to
ⓒ Korea Tourism Organization
squeeze along the narrow road that wiggles its way through the Yeosu daily from 6:50am to 10:50pm (5 hours 30 min-
rocks, the view continues to unfurl until you reach utes)
Daeungjeon’s front yard. Climb just a little bit further over the
YEOSU CITY TOUR
rocks behind Daeungjeon and finally you will come to A day-long city bus tour taking in Yeosu’s major tourist
Gwaneumjeon, another fabulous setting from which to admire sites runs daily from Yeosu station.
> Course Yeosu Station (10:30am) - Odongdo - Expo 2010
the sunrise. There are seven caves and seven rocky passes
Yeosu Information Center - Jinnamgwan - Marine Science
around Hyangiram, and if you can get through all of them it is Center - Hyangiram - Yeosu Fish Market - Yeosu Station
said one wish will be granted. But while admiring the divine (6:10pm)
sunset from the crest of the ridge, you may well feel that you > Fee Adults 3,000 won (US$2.6); disabled, servicemen,
senior citizens 2,000 won (US$1.8); students 1,000 won
have nothing more to wish for. (US$0.9)
> Inquiries +82-(0)61-666-1201 / 1202/ 1203,
KOREAN HERO, YI SUN-SIN If you have ever been to Seoul and http://eng.yeosu.go.kr
walked around Gwanghwamun Plaza, you could not have <INFO>
missed the large statue of a warrior holding a sword over Jinnamgwan
passersby. This is Korea’s greatest military hero, Admiral Yi 472 Gunja-dong, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do Province
Tel +82-(0)61-690-2222
Sun-sin, who, in repelling the invading naval forces of Toyotomi
Hyangiram
Hideyoshi in 1592, helped ultimately turn the war in Korea’s 70 Yullim-ri, Dolsan-eup, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do Province
favor and secured one of the most astonishing victories in the Fee Adult 2,000 won (US$1.8), Youth 1,500 won (US$1.3),
Children 1,000 won (US$0.9)
history of naval conflict.
Tel +82-(0)61-644-4742
Traces of Yi can be found all along the southern coast, as his Expo 2012 Yeosu Information Center
ties with Yeosu run deep. Located between downtown Yeosu and 335-1 Sujeong-dong, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do Province
Odongdo, Jinnamgwan is a vast wooden structure spanning Tel +82-(0)61-690-8290
Yeosu Fish Market
55sqm with 68 massive circular pillars and large, natural rock 680 Gyo-dong, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do Province
cornerstones. Though serving as a lodging for guests in more Tel +82-(0)61-662-7268
recent centuries, Jinnamgwan occupies the land where Admiral Marine Science Center (Jusulmok)
1271-3 Pyeongsa-ri, Dolsan-eup, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do
Yi’s regional headquarters — a building called Jinhaeru — once Province
stood. Jusulmok, an area of ocean by the beach, is another place Fee Adult 2,000 won (US$1.8), Youth 1,000 won (US$0.9)
where Yi’s outstanding bravery and military acumen were evi- Tel +82-(0)61-644-4136 Website http://eng.yeosu.go.kr
denced. More than 60 Japanese ships were defeated here,
though today, the scene is one of enchanting peace and beauty.
ⓒ The Organizing Committee for Expo 2012
Another must-see is the replica of one of Yi’s famous “turtle
ships,” whose fully covered deck and array of cannons made
them a formidable vessel. Sealed from above with plating
many believe to have been made from metal, the turtle ships
were practically impregnable. Inside the replica is a diorama of
Yeosu Korea
the naval warriors rowing their ship, as well of scenes of can-
ⓒ Yeosu City
nons firing and a medical area, giving a real taste of how hard
conditions must have been at the time.
Tongjeyeong Street Ceremony is one of the main attraction of Yeosu Turtle Ship The city celebrates Yeosu Turtle Ship Festival in May every year (top). Hyangiram is
Festival (above). famous for its peaceful atmosphere and breathtaking ocean view (above). A scenery
of 2012 Yeosu Expo’s building (right).
KOREA
APRIL
2010 31
MY KOREA
EY INTO
RN S
It’s late Friday night,
U
almost Saturday, and the
sauna my friends and I’ve come to
A JO
in Apgujeong-dong is quiet and peace-
ful, a sharp contrast to the frenetic dance
clubs and bars on nearby Rodeo Drive or
down the street in Garosugil’s chic wine bars
and sake houses. Those are wonderful distrac-
tions for the average weekend, but some-
times you want something a little more
relaxing, something to soak away the
gritty workday and soothe bones
weary from Seoul’s fast-paced life.
There are many saunas, spas,
and jjimjilbang scattered through-
out the city. We’ve come to my
friend’s favorite one, an upscale facility
hidden in a dark glass skyrise. The man at
the counter gives us three plastic bands with numbers
on them. Mine is 110. We pass through a curtain and
down a small hallway to reach the changing room.
The little number on our bracelets is the key to our
lockers. I somehow manage to lock mine a couple of
KOREA
APRIL
32 2010
TE
AM
times before getting the trick down.
As we are stashing our clothes, my
friends and I are the only ones in the
locker room. Soon, we are as naked as the
day we were born; we head to the shower room.
The room to shower and bathe is sparsely populat-
ed; a handful of weary salarymen are boiling in the
hottest of the three baths. Another man is showering
along one of the walls. Typically, one showers first
before slipping into the large stone baths found in
nearly all saunas in Korea. One of the things that
makes this particular sauna better than most is the
showers themselves: Unlike at the majority of baths,
these stay on until you turn them off. Nearly every-
where else, they turn off every minute. Here, you can
luxuriate under a torrent of perfectly heated water.
Soap, shampoo and even conditioner are provided,
though the germophobe will want to bring his own.
Some saunas sell amenities such as disposable razors.
Luxuriate is the operative word here. After the
shower, I opt for the merely scalding bath; there is no
temperature reading as there are at many saunas, but
it’s probably around 40C. There are two other baths
here: an even hotter bath with an herb infusion, and
a cold bath. Some spas will have others as well. Often
the herbal bath — jasmine is common — will be a
reasonable temperature, in the upper 30s. A few
saunas have individual baths in addition to the ubiq-
uitous large basins, which can fit 10 to 30 people.
For several minutes, my comrades and I sit
and soak in silence, our thoughts drifting
away with the plumes of steam. My friends
had just come from the basketball court,
weary and sore from the exertion. The
bath is a perfect end to their rigorous day.
Others are now arriving in the shower
room, more salarymen fresh from hoesik:
the mandatory, fun Korean business din-
ners that demand both drinking and
noraebang (Korean karaoke). Like us, they
are quiet; the sauna feels like a sacred
place, a temple where the repentant come
to scour away their sins and be reborn in
the searing waters.
Eventually though, we do start convers-
ing. One of my companions is a Japanese
executive who visits Seoul regularly.
Surprisingly, he’d never come to a Korean
sauna or jjimjilbang before, though he had
been to public baths and spas abroad.
“In Russia, after sitting in the hot bath,
everyone gets out and dives into the snow,” he
tells us.
“Dives in naked?”
“Yes!”
This sauna has no snowbanks, but it does have an
icy-cold bath. Well, perhaps icy is a little strong, but it is
certainly cold. Only one of us has the fortitude to get in.
“It’s good for circulation,” he insists. I’m fine stay-
ing in the warmth, thank you very much.
One of the main attractions of this sauna is the
outdoor bath. Adjacent to the shower room is a par-
tially enclosed patio. A sharp wind, kisses from
Siberia, strikes us as we make our way to this bath.
Unlike the ones indoors, it is enclosed in wood.
Copses of bamboo grow around the bath, muffling
the nightscape sounds of the city. We quickly climb
into the bath and resume our luxuriating and conver-
sation. The icy wind now feels invigorating as we sit
half submerged in the water. The appropriate Korean
word for this sensation is siwonhaeyo (refreshing).
After awhile, our skin wrinkly as a pug’s, we decide to
check out the rest of the facility. In fact, the floor we are
KOREA
APRIL
2010 33

on is the sauna proper; below us is the jjimjilbang. A
jjimjilbang is something like a spa, community center,
recreation center and cheap hotel wrapped together.
First though, we put on the uniforms provided. Such
facilities always offer uniforms, often a t-shirt or
robe/shirt and shorts — in coed jjimjilbang, the men’s
and women’s uniforms are different colors.
Dressed in the earthy beige of the sauna’s threads,
we head downstairs. There are more people here than
there were in the baths, but it’s still reverentially
quiet. A few older men are playing janggi (the Korean
equivalent of chess), a couple of guys are laying on
the floor in front of a large television with the vol-
ume on low. Others are sitting at the bar of the tiny
coffee shop or in the little restaurant next to it.
KOREA
APRIL
34 2010
Our first destination, though, is the oven. The oven,
as we call it, is a large room constructed like a tradi-
tional stone and thatch building, the walls convex and
ending in a conical point at the top. It is stupefyingly
hot inside. We have to climb in through a hobbit-sized
door. A large hourglass sits on the mats in the middle
of the room. We flip it over and settle in. Our Japanese
friend has never experienced this.
“The air’s heavy; it’s a little hard to breathe,” he
tells us when we ask what he thinks of it.
“Yeah, that’s normal the first time,” we assure him.
We are conversing, quietly, in English; another man
comes, sits for a moment, and then leaves.
The last of the sand slipps away in the hourglass.
We scamper out of the oven and towel away the
sweat. It felt good to sweat in there, expelling untold
levels of toxins, as some say.
“What’s next?”
“The ice room.”
Just to the left of the oven is a walk-in freezer that
would not be out of place in any number of restau-
rants. The air is still and crisp, but despite the frost-
caked coils lining the walls, it doesn’t feel cold exactly.
Again, we need the Korean word: siwonhaeyo!
After a while, 10 minutes maybe — time seems like
such an alien concept in this palace of relaxation —
we do begin to feel the room’s deep chill working its
way into our flesh. We adjourn to the next room, the
charcoal room. It’s another dry sauna room, not as
hot as the oven but still quite warm, with the heavy
scent of aromatic wood and charcoal permeating the
air. And a TV. A couple of younger men sit watching
the news. We stay long enough to get the general idea
and then retire to the coffee bar.
The menu is fairly extensive, with a variety of
juices, teas, coffees, and other beverages. Our
Japanese friend orders tomato juice, a lassi for me,
and simple green tea for my other friend. The toma-
to juice and lassi are made from scratch.
People leave their belongings upstairs in their lock-
ers, so the sauna charges our electronic bracelets.
We aren’t hungry but we do take a look at the little
restaurant’s offerings. Basic Korean food —
bibimbap, seolleongtang, doenjang-jjigae — are, of
course, the specialties of the house.
We’ve been in the sauna and jjimjilbang for quite a
while now. More men have come in and are sleeping on
the mat by the large TV. At this jjimjilbang, the provid-
ed pillows are small firm rectangles. Other places often
use pillows — and I use this word generously — made
from beaded bamboo strands or even wooden blocks.
For those that need a darker and quieter space, a room
off the main area is set aside for sleeping.
If this were a coed jjimjilbang, the central space
would be shared by both men and women. While our
jjimjilbang is more luxurious, and thus more expen-
sive than most, it is still considerably cheaper than a
hotel. Thus, jjimjilbang are popular for many workers
and travelers. Should a business dinner run quite late,
it is often better to crash at the nearest spa than to try
catching a taxi to the suburbs or driving drunk.
Whole families can also be found at night in many
jjimjilbang, especially the large and famous ones in
the far reaches of the peninsula.
Our drinks finished and our energy wavering, we
decide to make our way back upstairs. Another quick
shower and a few minutes in the bath to wash away the
dry, sauna-induced sweat finish us up. Just out of the
shower room are all the basics needed to make our-
selves presentable: hair dryers, gels and mousses, and
the like. Some jjimjilbang have barbers available during
the day. Professional masseuses are often on staff as
well. Coed jjimjilbang usually have nail technicians,
play rooms for kids, PC rooms and a host of other
amenities. It is entirely possible for a family to spend a
whole day in a jjimjilbang and never get bored.
The only thing we missed in our visit, I realize as
we’re dressing, is the salt room. Salt rooms vary from
sauna to sauna. In some, the room — a hot, dry sauna
— is liberally coated in coarse salt. In this one, howev-
er, there is a large bowl of salt outside the room. It is the
patron’s responsibility for gathering his own and then
scouring his body with the white pillars. This is sup-
posed to help exfoliate the skin, draw out excess water
and toxins, and improve your skin’s health overall.
“Whenever I go to the sauna, I sleep like a baby
afterwards,” my friend explains to our Japanese com-
panion as we’re getting into the car. I take a look
back. From the outside of the jjimjilbang’s building,
you’d never know it was there. Even the outdoor
bath’s enclosure is completely hidden from the out-
side. I wonder how many other wonders the city
hides within its glass and concrete facades. by Chris
Sanders | illustrations by Jo Seung-yeon | photograph by Kim
Nam-heon
PROFILE
Chris Sanders is an American
expatriate who has lived in
Seoul for several years, and
works as a university instructor
and freelance writer. In 2007,
he co-founded the Seoul
Writers Workshop, a communi-
ty of writers that holds regular
critique sessions, publishes
the yearly anthology “Every
Second Sunday,” and supports
worthwhile charities. More of
his writing can be read on
Seoulstyle.com.
He can be reached at
crfsanders@gmail.com.
KOREA
APRIL
2010 35
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

THE UNESCO
WORLD
CONFERENCE
ON ARTS
EDUCATION
ALL ABOUT
THE FUTURE OF
THE ARTS
Arts and culture are connecting threads
that weave into a global fabric. In over-
coming racial, religious or linguistic
differences, culture can be the ultimate
peacemaker, and combining culture
and art with education allows that
power to be passed down through gen-
erations. In Seoul from May 25 to 28,
the UNESCO World Conference on
Arts Education will gather professionals
and activists to weave a stronger fabric.
by Oh Kyong-yon | photograph by Kim Nam-heon

A panorama of COEX, which the UNESCO World Conference on Arts

Education is about to hold in this convention center.

KOREA
APRIL
2010 37
 The UNESCO World Conference on Arts Education was launched
to raise awareness of the value of arts education and to
strengthen the values it espouses. As we head further into the
st
21 century, those values are as important as they’ve ever
been. Ahead of the Seoul event this year, Françoise Rivière,
assistant director-general for culture at UNESCO, says,
“Through Seoul’s hosting of this conference, we expect that
government agencies and regional authorities, as well as teach-
ers, artists, related agencies and NGOs, will cooperate with
each other to strengthen arts education, and will come up with
new strategies and research methodology to benefit us all.”
Moreover, she mentions that, “They should, however, be
accompanied by balanced arts education in schools and in
society as a whole.”
Held for the first time four years ago in Lisbon, Portugal, the
UNESCO World Conference on Arts Education aims to provide a
global forum on culture and arts education and to further the
cause of international cooperation. At the inaugural event, the
UNESCO Road Map for Arts Education dominated the agenda,
and discussions were mostly about the importance and value
of arts education. At the Seoul meeting, while continuing with
KOREA
APRIL
38 2010
those talks, delegates will assess the progress they have
made in implementing the Road Map and look at ways to
ensure it remains on track.
DEVELOPING ARTS EDUCATION So why is Korea hosting this
year’s event? By running the global conference, the Korean gov-
ernment aims to raise awareness of the importance and effects
of arts education in Korea, and to enhance the quality and
quantity of arts education through expanded partnerships. At
the same time, by building on the accomplishments of the
Lisbon conference, Korea aims to establish a cooperative net-
work in Asia through which it can share knowledge and experi-
ence in implementing arts education programs. And by acting as
ⓒ Korea Arts & Culture Education Service
the flagbearer of arts education for the duration of this global
conference, Korea hopes to further nurture its image as a
regional center of culture.
After introducing a law in 2005 supporting arts education,
Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is working with
the Ministry of Education to provide various support programs
for students looking to pursue the arts, both in and out of
school. It is such endeavors that the Korean government is
looking to draw on as it builds a network of government agen-
cies and education civic groups throughout Asia.
ⓒ Organizing Committee for the 2nd World Conference on Arts Education / Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Republic of Korea
RAISING THE STANDARDS A main goal of this year’s UNESCO
World Conference on Arts Education is to encourage the impor-
tance of cultural diversity, as well as emphasize the socio-cul-
tural impact of arts education.
UNESCO expects up to 2,000 arts education officials from
Korea and around the world to take part. The conference will
include a plenary session, an international advisory committee
meeting, workshops, an NGO forum and tours of arts education
facilities. At the main conference session, experts from around
the world will discuss the contribution and the role of the arts
in the UN’s International Year of Cultural Reconciliation in
2009. A youth forum will also look at dreams inspired by the
arts and the life-changing experiences that have arisen from
EVENT AT A GLANCE
the creative outlets. Accompanying the events will be a series
of performances and numerous art exhibitions. > Title The Second UNESCO World Conference on Arts
The conference’s declaration, tentatively named “Develop- Education
ment Goals,” will be presented during the closing ceremony on > Venue COEX, Seoul, Korea
> Dates May 25 to 28, 2010
May 28 and hopes to become a lasting legacy. Taking its cues > Participants Approximately 2,000 experts from
from the UNESCO Road Map for Arts Education formulated in Korea and around the globe
Lisbon, the declaration will lay out goals and a doctrine for the > Key Events Opening ceremony, plenary session,
workshops, special session, announcement of
promotion of international arts education. It looks to encourage
Development Goals (tentatively named), arts education
the kind of innovative development only achieved through the exhibition and performances, on-site tours of arts edu-
progress of the arts. cation sites in Korea, tour programs
The 1st UNESCO World Conference on Arts Education was held in Lisbon, Portugal (above).
Korean students take traditional music lessons during a culture class at Korea Arts & Culture
Education Service (opposite top). Organizing Committee for the 2nd World Conference on Arts
Education held a pre-meeting in Seoul, December 2009 (opposite above). KOREA
APRIL
2010 39
GLOBAL KOREA
In early April, the world’s leading
renewable energy firms will descend
on Daegu for what will be the largest
Green Energy Expo so far. Last April’s
exhibition drew more than 32,500 visi-
tors, surpassing the expected atten-
dance of 30,000. This year, 350 com-
panies from 25 nations will set up
1,000 booths, making it not just the
biggest renewable energy exhibition in
Korea, but one of the largest in Asia.
The lineup this year will include the
traditional European renewable energy
powerhouses, while the United States,
Japan and Korea will have beefed-up
presences as well. Two of the biggest
new stars in renewable energy, China’s
Suntech Power and LDK Solar, will also
be taking part. Representing the United
States will be DuPont, one of the
world’s top chemical firms, and solar
battery manufacturer SunPower, which
has developed the most energy effi-
cient solar battery technology. From
Japan, Napson and Tyco Electronics
will be in attendance, while the arrival
of Taiwanese firms such as Wonten
Technology and Sunrise Global is gen-
erating a lot of interest too.
On the home front, corporate giants
such as Samsung SDI, LG Electronics
and Hyundai Heavy Industries will be
joined by smaller firms such as
Shinsung Holdings, Symphony Energy
and D-Solar Tech. All in all, there will
be 30% more Korean participants
An exterior view of the Daegu Exhibition compared to last year.
Convention Center (EXCO), which will On the Expo’s sidelines, a three-day
WHERE RENEWABLE ENERGY host the Daegu Green Energy Expo, is
seen (above). Foreign participants of the
Daegu Green Energy Expo chat during the
FIRMS CROSS PATHS event in 2009 (right).
ⓒ Daegu Exhibition Convention Center (EXCO)
At last year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen,
Denmark, plans to build a global green growth research center and host the 18th
post-Kyoto climate change conference in 2012 were unveiled by President Lee.
Korea’s low-carbon, green growth strategies have since gained worldwide atten-
tion and, at the center of it all, is the renewable energy industry. At EXCO
Daegu, for the 7th Daegu Green Energy Expo from April 7 to 9, visitors will be
able to see the future of “Green Korea” for themselves. by Kwon Kyeong-hui
KOREA
APRIL
40 2010
International Green Energy
Conference, one of Korea’s top inter-
national events, will host seminars on
solar energy, wind power, hydrogen
fuel energy, subterranean heat and
bioenergy. Organizers expect up to
40,000 visitors, including 1,500 from
overseas.
THE FUTURE’S GREEN Now in its sev-
enth year, the Green Energy Expo has
grown by 40-50% each year since
2006. Photon International, a maga-
zine specializing in renewable energy,
ranked Daegu 24th this year among
300 renewable energy fairs for the
second straight year, consolidating its
place in the top tier of international
renewable energy expos.
With 200 companies from overseas,
almost double from a year ago, Daegu
will be a truly global stage for the lat-
est green products and technologies.
But EXCO, the host, is already looking
ahead. Plans are underway to expand
the exhibition center in 2011 and host
the World Energy Council (the world’s
most prestigious energy event). EXCO
aims to make the Green Energy Expo
the biggest such event in Asia.
“Displaying core energy-related tech-
nologies at an internationally recog-
nized exhibition is in line with the
Korean government’s ‘green growth’
policy,” said an official of the
Knowledge Economy Ministry.
Joung Hyoung-chan, head of SJ Inno
Tech, which made the world’s first
KOREA
APRIL
2010 41

The Daegu Green Energy Expo ranks high among screen printer and SPI-related solar
the international renewable energy expos (top,
energy equipment, adds, “I listened to
above). Daegwallyeong has one of the most well-
known wind-power producing facilities in Korea advice from the industry and conclud-
(opposite). ed that the Daegu event will be the
most appropriate place to evaluate
our equipment that we have worked
so hard to develop.”
WHERE WE ARE NOW Already shap-
ing up to be one of the world’s biggest
growth industries, renewable
resources are at the heart of energy
policies of governments worldwide. In
everything from policy and technology
to business projects and exports, coun-
tries are pushing hard to establish
leadership and set the global stan-
dards. Hearteningly, this competition is
also pushing many players toward
greater cooperation. Late last year,
KOREA
APRIL
42 2010
Germany, with the help of Denmark, tary budget, 863.7 billion won, or as green cars, homes and industry. businesses, and 500 million euros
Spain and other European nations, about 3%, went into R&D for new More importantly, it pledged to double were alloted to helping develop auto
founded the International Renewable growth engines and a science “New the R&D funding for federal clean energy technologies for hybrid cars and other
Energy Agency, or IRENA. The US and Deal.” In order to increase private from $6 billion to $12 billion. related fields. In China, the stimulus
Japan are among 143 nations that R&D investment, the government also Japan introduced its own measures package ran to 4 trillion yuan (US$586
have signed the agency’s statute and increased tax deductions on invest- to fend off the economic crisis last billion), of which 9.3%, or 370 billion
12 have ratified it. Requiring the ratifi- ments in new growth engines and origi- April. Of 14.7 trillion yen (US$163 bil- yuan, went into R&D of IT(Information
cation of 25 nations to take effect, a nal technology to the highest level lion) in the stimulus package, 1.34 Technology), BT(Biology Technology),
target the body is hoping to achieve by among OECD member nations. The trillion yen, or 9.2%, was slated for NT(Nano Technology) and energy.
the end of this year, IRENA will promote Korean government finalized nine key science and technology. And for its These nations are ratcheting up
technology transfers and recommend projects for a Green New Deal, includ- 2009 science and technology budget, their investments because they
funding to maximize the use of energy. ing the four-river restoration project Japan expanded its environment and believe the low-carbon economic revo-
As the leader in renewable energy and a green traffic network, which energy sectors by 16%, raising their lution centered on renewable energy
supply and a founding country of includes green cars and clean energy. combined budget to US$164 billion will make or break their future.
IRENA, Germany is very well placed to In their stimulus package unveiled in from US$140.8 billion. “Experts believe that after Alvin
succeed in the international markets. February last year, the US allocated To revitalize its member countries’ Toffler’s ‘third wave,’ the information
In 2007, Germany accounted for 47% $21.5 billion, or 2.7%, of its $787 bil- economies, the EU spent 200 billion revolution, the fourth wave will be the
of the global solar energy industry and lion stimulus budget to R&D and sci- euros (US$270 billion), or 1.5% of the ‘green revolution,’ with the renewable
27% of the wind turbine market. Under ence and technology. This breaks down combined GDP, over 2009 and 2010, energy industry at its core,” said an offi-
the Obama administration, the US has into $18 billion for R&D and $3.5 billion with 6% devoted to the development of cial at the Samsung Economic Research
made green energy a centerpiece of for facilities and capital equipment. A clean technology. Germany allotted 1.4 Institute. “Just as IT took the late
its push to revive the economy. It is month earlier, the US had announced billion euros (US$1.9 billion), or 2.8%, 1990s by storm, renewable energy will
working on extending tax breaks, its own Green New Deal policy, whereby of its 50 billion euro stimulus budget do the same in the years to come.”
securing further finances for invest- it would provide $150 billion over 10 into R&D. Another 900 million euros The upcoming Expo in Daegu will cer-
ments in renewable energy, and set- years to develop clean energy, as well went into helping small and medium tainly be the place to go green.
ting a mandatory target of 25% of all
energy being renewable by 2025. In
July 2009, American Council On
Renewable Energy and Electric Power
Research Institute, two non-profit
organizations, drafted a list of techni-
cal areas and fields where energy,
human resources and nature can best
be harnessed to meet the internation-
al standards.
ENERGY COMPETITION HEATS UP
ⓒ Daegu Exhibition Convention Center (EXCO); Yonhapnews Agency (right)
Amid increasingly fierce competition
surrounding sustainable resources,
there has been a great deal invested
in environmentally friendly growth.
According to a paper on global science
technology policies for 2009 and
2010, published by the Ministry of
Education in Korea, many G-20
nations spent an average of 15% of
their stimulus budget on green growth.
Korea ranked the highest by dedicat-
ing 80% of its budget, while the
European Union spent 58.7%, China
34.3% and the US 11.5%.
Of the 28.9 trillion won (US$25.4
billion) in Korea’s revised supplemen-
KOREA
APRIL
2010 43
NOW IN KOREA

Away from the typical scenes of galleries,

museums and performance halls, the
younger generations of Korea are taking their
creativity in another direction: to the streets.
With outdoor settings as their backdrop,
these artists are making an active effort to
expand the country’s cultural scenes and
infuse it with a fresh, new sense of freedom
and realism. by Ines Min | photographs by Park Jeong-roh

VIBRANT INNOVATIVE
SEOUL’S
44
KOREA
APRIL
2010
Asirang, a wood engraver, works busily at the Hongdae Free
Market on a bright Saturday afternoon.
STREET KOREA
APRIL
2010 45
 retail. “For us, because we’re communication-oriented, it’s better
to directly meet and talk with people rather than just sell things
online,” says Yang Jeong-wook, one-half of the team. “And when
we talk to people, they’ll tell us what they like, what they don’t
like, what they think is pretty, and what’s not. This setting is a
descriptive and moving environment, so it’s helpful to us in terms
of approach and development.”
That same principle is why artist In Jee-hea sits coolly next to
one of her latest, darkest installments. An open dollhouse painted
in matte black showcases mini hand-sewn, eerily macabre dolls.
In front, a glass case guards a hollowed-out book filled with paint-
ed matchboxes, which open to reveal scrolls of tiny writing.
Instead of selling merchandise, she has transformed her space
into a small exhibition for visitors to contemplate.
“Rather than making a piece of art by first calculating what
people’s reactions might be... I do it because I figure, ‘It’s better
to share these concepts than keep them all to myself.’ I don’t
bring out my works with a plan for people to feel a specific emo-
tion or even like it. It’s because I enjoy doing it.”
FROM SPECTATOR TO PARTICIPANT Beyond simply conversa-
tions with the artists, the Free Market offers a variety of activi-
ties, workshops and exhibitions put together with the help of
everyone involved. Sewing lessons by a fellow artist were avail-
able during this year’s opening event, and participants were
able to take home their finished embroidery.
A small group of caricaturists line a brick-laid bench, proffering
their services for free or a small donation of 10 won. There is an
artist who will a draw portrait only if the subject can dare to keep
a straight face during the entire process, and another young man
who will capture a person’s likeness in 10 seconds. With the
drawing “complete,” the model will stand up from the hot seat to
fits of laughter, showing off their portrait to friends.
Past the artists is a small gazebo, where local bands grace
the level stage. Soloists and groups entertain the audiences with
acoustic guitars or more electronic sounds and, while some per-
formers seem nervous, others manage to bask in the experience.
But whatever the circumstance, both musician and audience
appreciate the melodic harmonies in the afternoon sun.

It’s 12:34 on a Saturday afternoon, and the streets surrounding

Hongik University still echo from the escapades of Friday night.
Nearing the playground — a popular hangout near the school’s
main entrance — a crowd begins to emerge from the bleariness
of the weekend morning. A lively scene of stirs beyond the slide
and swing set, as artisans set up their tables arranged in weaving
lines inside the park. This is Hongdae’s Free Market, back from
its cold weather hiatus for barely a month. The 8-year-old open-air
bazaar has become one of the best sources of handmade wares,
where creators, consumers and spectators mingle to discover and
explore the cornucopia around them.
The market soon flutters with activity and a stroll of the
premises fills the eyes with hand-dyed stockings, drawings of
women with waves of falling hair, a plethora of carefully-
designed jewelry and leather-bound journals.
Asirang, a wood engraver who personalizes designs onto acces-
sories, sits busily as a crowd surrounds her station. She draws
heads from nearby artists, who are interested in seeing her work.
“There’s a certain charm to markets, as they’re the kind of place
where people can casually meet,” Asirang says. “I think street
markets are vital because, when it comes down to it... they’re
diverse, and the people who come out are the ones who are there
because they believe it is important work.”
Across the way is YangBanKim, a quirky partnership between a
a kinetic-sculpture artist and a painter. They use a variety of out-
lets to disseminate their artwork, such as street stalls and online

A caricaturist draws a portrait of a girl in 10 seconds (top left). A Kim Chul-min and Yoon Hyo-sang perform to a crowd at their usual spot in
mini-exhibit is seen inside the market (top right). Rings, handcarved Marronnier Park.
and handpainted, are among the many waves of the artists (above).
KOREA KOREA
APRIL APRIL
46 2010 2010 47
 STREET CHARACTERS The independent art culture is an ever-
growing prominent feature in Seoul, and the performance sec-
tor has helped pave the way for years. Daehangno is famous
for its intimate theaters and, though there are several venues
in which to see musicals, comedies and plays, the boldest
artists can be found right on the walkways of Marronnier Park.
One of the easier acts to catch are local legends Kim Chul-
min and Yoon Hyo-sang, a comedic and musical pair that have
been delighting crowds on weekend afternoons for the past two
decades. Their greatest charm is in their improvisational skills,
and ability to pick people from the vast crowds to integrate into
their act. More than a mere performance, both Kim and Yoon
actively seek to tear down the fourth wall and engage viewers
with relevant political issues and relatable daily topics.
“When I first started coming out here years ago, there were
a lot of demonstrations going on,” Kim says, referring to the
political protests rampant during the 1980s. “I wanted to light-
en the crowd, make people laugh again.” The desire remained
and now, years later, Kim can be seen giving encore perform-
ances to the masses while donning his signature pair of white-
framed glasses and strumming his bandaged guitar.
Kim has seen the culture of street art morph throughout his
years at Marronnier Park, with many heading toward the direc-
tion of elaborate outdoor sets and stages. He feels this is the
opposite of what street art is about, however, and urges the
support of a more modest perspective. “Why spend so much
money on a large structure,” Kim queries, “when you can play
in the beautiful, existing surroundings?”

MORE FESTIVAL INFORMATION:

Cheonggyecheon Stream is best known for its aesthetic transformation, but it also
serves as a popular venue for a growing number of performers. The Seoul Street Artist
ⓒ Cheonggyecheon Museum

program offers artists a chance to audition and be selected to perform along the
stream throughout the year. Auditions are held twice a year in April and September,
and are hosted by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture. The event welcomes a
range of performances. The Hi Seoul Festival also takes place here from May 2 to 10,
in a program sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the foundation.
More exhibits, information and history can be found at the Cheonggyecheon Museum,
located near the Dumul Bridge at the stream’s center.

> Hongdae Free Market
Time March to November, Saturdays from
1pm to 6pm (music from 2pm to 5pm)
Contact +82-(0)2-325-8553, www.freemar
ket.or.kr (Korean, limited English)
Getting there Subway Line No. 2 to Hongik
University, Exit 5. Walk in the direction of the
university and make a right at the front
entrance gate. The park will be on the right.
> Daehangno Marronnier Park
Time Most street performances are unsched-
uled during the daytime and early evenings,
but Kim Chul-min and Yoon Hyo-sang can be
seen on most weekend afternoons.
Contact +82-(0)2-731-0585
Getting there Subway Line No. 4 to Hyehwa,
Exit 2. Walk straight and the park will be on
the left.
> Cheonggyecheon Stream
Time See online schedule
Contact http://cafe.naver.com/seoulstreet
artist (Korean only)
Getting there Subway Line No. 5 to
Gwanghwamun, Exit 5. Walk straight and the
stream will be to your left.
Festivals Hi Seoul Festival (May 2-10), Seoul
Street Artist

Posters for musicals and cultural performances can be seen out-

side a subway exist in Daehangno.
KOREA
APRIL
48 2010
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