www.korea.

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ISSN: 2005-2162

CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2013 VOL.9 NO.2

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COVER STORY Information technology revolutionizes cultural exchange in the digital age

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KStyle Goes Global

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PEN & BRUSH

The Jack
PEOPLE

Korean Folk Singer Lee Chun-hee

TRAVEL

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Taebaek
SEOUL

Seoul Jungang Market

FESTIVALS

The Jeju Deulbul Festival

SPORTS

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Special Olympics World Winter Games

ENTERTAINMENT

Get Your Weekend Going in Gangnam Style

SPECIAL ISSUE

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National Museum of Korean Contemporary History

CURRENT KOREA

Koreas Growing Pet Culture

SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

Korea & Canada Celebrate 50 Years of Ties Boosting Koreas Diplomatic Horizons in Asia Korea Joins Security Council as Non-Permanent Member
GLOBAL KOREA

Smart Be a

ayer! do Pl kwon Tae

Global Taekwondo smart phone application New global application launched for 100 million Taekwondo fans around the world. Available in Korean, English, Chinese, Spanish, Japanese and French.
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Bringing Peace to a Languished Land

MY KOREA
Cover Rak-Ko-Jae (T. 02-742-3410, www.rkj.co.kr) is a boutique hotel in a historic Korean Hanok home that offers guests a piece of old Korean charm. Publisher Woo Jin-Yung, Korean Culture and Information Service Editing Seoul Selection E-mail webmaster@korea.net Printing LEEFFECT All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission from KOREA and the Korean Culture and Information Service. If you want to receive a free copy of KOREA or wish to cancel a subscription, please e-mail us. A downloadable PDF file of KOREA and a map and glossary with common Korean words appearing in our text are available by clicking on the thumbnail of KOREA on the homepage of www.korea.net. 11-1110073-000016-06

New Years Days of Years Past

MULTICULTURAL KOREA

Prof. Robert Fouser

TALES FROM KOREA

Kongjwi and Patjwi

GREAT KOREAN

Danwon Kim Hong-do

FLAVOR

Gotgamssam & Sujeonggwa

Scan QR code for free download.

COVER STORY

KStyle

Goes Global

Information technology revolutionizes cultural exchange in the digital age

Written by Wi Tack-whan and Robert Koehler

COVER STORY

he music video of Korean pop singer Psys hit Gangnam Style surpassed one billion views on Dec 22, 2012. Not only was it the first single video to record one billion views since the launch of YouTube in 2005, but it also managed to achieve this record in just

161 days. TIMEusually the preserve of politicians and other well-known figuresgave Psy the same amount of coverage as Pope Benedict XVI, despite the fact that he hadnt held even a single overseas concert. Cadets at the US Naval Academy and Army Academy did their own versions of Gangnam Style to introduce their schools, and pop star Britney Spears posted to her Twitter feed, I am LOVING this video, so fun! Thinking that I should possibly learn the choreography. Anybody wanna teach me? Even Tom Cruise followed Psys Twitter feed, generating a great deal of discussion. Meanwhile, a teenage boy in the small town of Cheongwon in Chungcheongbuk-do by the name of Jung Sung-ha has garnered about 600 million views on YouTube for his classical guitar, while 23-year-old Lim Jeong-hyun has gotten tens of millions of views and a mention in the New York Times for his electric guitar version of Canon Rock. Both have become overnight stars despite having no previous mass media exposure. We have witnessed a revolution in communications we couldnt even imagine in the analog age. The rapid proliferation of this culture is based on the IT revolution that took place in the
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second half of the 20th century. The very paradigm of cultural exchange has shifted with the birth of the digital road, which transcends time and place. The IT revolution is changing the paradigm of communication, bringing global neighbors closer together. Korean pop music, or K-pop, and Korean dramas are distributed worldwide in real time. Alongside this we are witnessing the spread of K-Style (Korean Style), which includes things such as the Korean language, Korean food, and Korean system operations. In Southeast Asia, Tous Les Jours shopsa Korean brand bakeryare popping up everywhere, while the Korean retailer Lotte Mart is enjoying great popularity. A growing number of countries are expressing interest in Koreas e-Government system. There are even countries benchmarking Koreas health insurance system. These phenomena are not only unprecedented in Korea, but also virtually unprecedented worldwide, too. One can make the comparison to the Silk Road, which has connected East and West for nearly the past 2,000 years. The Silk Road was maintained by analog means of communication such as foot traffic, railroads, and ships, all of which are limited by time and place. The digital revolution, on the other hand, has opened a new path of exchange and communication between the nations of the world that transcends the visible path. We now live in the Age of the Digital Road, which expresses itself through digital media.
1. A Lotte Mart in Vietnam 2. Tous Les Jours in Indonesia

space are no longer a factor. The rapid development of information and communication technologies has, for all intents and purposes, broken down the distinction between you and I. Through the Internet and social media, people in South and Central America watch Korean dramas in real time. Now Korean culture is expanding its international scope, moving from pop culture to the pure arts, food, and social management systems.

K-Classics
Korean performers move their bows across their violins as if they grew up listening to this music. How can they so precisely understand the songs theyve been given? Why have so many Koreans entered the musical field and distinguished themselves so suddenly? On May 19, 25, and 27 of 2012, Belgian state broadcaster RTBF ran a three-part documentary entitled Le mystre musical Coren (The mystery of Korean music). The documentary noted that a total of 16 Koreans had entered the first round of the finals of that years Queen Elisabeth Music Competition. As recently as 1995, Korea had failed to produce any musicians who could make it to the finals of any prestigious musical competitions. Some 51 Koreans made it to the finals of various international music competitions in 2012, with vocal music a particular strong suit. The Belgian documentary noted that one of the reasons for Koreans rise to prominence was their endless training, a habit displayed in fields outside of music, too.

Global Expansion of K-Style

There existed barriers of time and place in the age of the Silk Road. Significant restrictions to the spread of culture from one region to another were placed by limits in transportation and communications. For instance, it took no fewer than 1,800 years for Euclids Elements to come to Korea by way of a 1607 Chinese translation by the Italian-born Jesuit Matteo Ricci and Ming Dynasty official Xu Guangqi. In the Age of the Digital Road, however, time and

Korean Food
Brazil is considered a fruit paradise. Thanks to its tropical climate, it has an abundance of just about every kind of fruit. These days, everyone in Brazil
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COVER STORY

Major Exports of Korean E-Systems

COUNTRY
China/India Vietnam/Mongolia/ Costa Rica Mongolia Bahrain Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Brazil Kazakhstan Vietnam Mongolia Philippines Vietnam

DETAILS
Construction of subway automated fare collection (AFC) systems Construction of an e-procurement system Modernization of intellectual property system Construction of business license information system (BLIS) Construction of an address registration information system Construction of an intelligent transportation system (ITS) Construction of platform screen doors (PSD) Constructed the electronic information system for the 2011 Asian Winter Games Construction of e-government system for city of Da Nang Advancement of national tax service system Construction of Filipino stock market monitoring system Project to strengthen administration of anti-drug controls

E-Procurement System (KONEPS) has been exported to Tunisia, Vietnam, Costa Rica, and Mongolia. Some major export successes of 2011 include a USD 100 million project to build Vietnams Government Information Data Center, a USD 25 million project to build a digitized disaster management system for Mozambique, a USD 25 million project to develop an immigration management system for the Dominican Republic, a USD 15.82 million project to develop Ecuador's Single Window system, a USD 40 million project to build a wireless communication network for Indonesia, and a USD 2 million bid to provide consulting for the Mexican government on information security.

the same, Belgium 118 years, and Japan 36 years. The National Health Insurance Services Training Course on Social Health Insurance is drawing more and more participants for an ever growing number of countries each year. Nine courses have been held since 2004 when the Ministry of Health signed memoranda of understanding regarding the training program with the National Health Insurance Service, WHO Western Pacific Region, and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Some 52 health care experts from 27 nations in the Asia-Pacific region, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe participated in the June 2012 course. It was the largest participation ever, with first-time participants including Russia, Uzbekistan, Gambia, Swaziland, and So Tom and Prncipe.

Health Insurance
It took just 12 years for Korea to adopt universal health coverageit adopted its first health care system in 1977 for laborers at workplaces of 500 employees or more, and extended this to universal coverage in 1987. It took Germany 127 years to do

Communicating Directly with the World

Psy
Psy has become a legend in YouTubes illustrious history. On November 22, 2012, the Gangnam

is reaching for Melona Ice Cream, a melon-flavored creamsicle that uses not one drop of melon juice. The freezers of neighborhood grocery stores in So Paulo, Brazils largest city, are full of ice cream products by Korean brand Binggrae. Korean coffee franchise Caffe Bene opened up its first Times Square branch in New York City the heart of the global economyon Feb 1, 2012. At 660 square meters, its four times the size of the nearby Starbucks branch. Caffe Benne has taken coffeeas good a symbol of Western tastes as anyand reexported it to its cultural homeland. At Jungfraujoch Railway Station (elevation: 3,454 m) in Switzerland, you can enjoy a bowl of Shin Ramyeon, a Korean instant noodle brand. Nongshimthe Korean manufacturer of the noodleshas sold a total of 21 billion packets of the brand through 2011, enough to stretch around the world 96 times. As of 2011, Nongshim was earning 200 billion won from Shin Ramyeon, which was being sold in about 80 countries worldwide.

The ubiquitous Choco Pie, too, has become a global Korean food. Some two billion of these little pieces of culinary heavenjust 7 cm wide, 2.3 cm high, and weighing 35 gwere on sale in 60 countries as of 2011. If you were to line up all these Chocopies one after another, they would stretch around the world three times.

Participants in the Training Course on Social Health Insurance

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Electronic Government
Since 2002, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) has been conducting biannual evaluations of the digital governments of about 190 member states in order to promote global cooperation in governance and boost national competitiveness. Korea has placed first in the last two evaluations, an objective reflection of the continuous investment and efforts made by Korea in the fields of digital infrastructure and smart e-governance. Korea has also been exporting e-governance systems and solutions. The Korea On-line

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Source: Health Insurance Policy Research Institute (June 2012)

COVER STORY

Jung Sung-ha
In September 2008, Yoko Ono, the widow of John Lennon, said about 12-year-old guitarist Jung Sungha, I just witnessed your performance of ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE! Thank you for a beautiful performance. John Lennon would have been happy that you performed his song so well. Jung didnt notice the comment at the timehe was so young, he didnt even know who Yoko Ono was, and only came to realize its significance when his fans told him. As of January 21, 2013, nearly 619 million people had viewed his YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/jwcfree). Hes now a global star. His legendary rise began in September 2006, when he was just a 10-year-old third grader. His rendition of Kotaro Oshios Splash left netizens dumbstruck. Since 2008, he has performed with some of the worlds top guitarists, including Michel Haumont, Trace Bundy, Tommy Emmanuel, Kotaro Oshio, and the American band Mr. Big. Hes also toured in Germany, Thailand, the United States, and Finland. So what does YouTube mean to Jung? Im meeting the people of the world in a small village (Ochang, Cheongwon County, Chungcheongbuk-do). I think thats pretty surprising. And Im grateful. If it werent for YouTube, would I be able to meet millions of people like this? (Kyunghyang Shinmun, Sept 1, 2012).

MORE THAN JUST K-POP

Korea expert Emanuel Pastreich discusses the development of the Korean wave
Written by Robert Koehler
Emanuel Pastreich is a critic of literature, technology policy, and international relations and currently a professor at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Korea

Style music video reached 803,760,000 views, surpassing what was then the most-viewed music video, Justin Biebers Baby. It achieved this just 133 days after being uploaded onto YouTube on July 15. It took Biebers video 33 months to reach No. 1; Psy did it in just under four. Gangnam Style took off globally despite the fact that Psy was never promoted overseas. It proved that through YouTube and social media, you can make it even without artificial marketing and promotion. It succeeded by directly communicating with consumers, without going through major media or giant management companies, demonstrating the complex strength of social media such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Nowadays, the consumer is an active one that doubles as a producer. In the case of Gangnam Style, fan writing and parody videos helped take the song and its countless transformations to all corners to the globe. It also demonstrated that Korean lyrics can communicate with the world. This stands in contrast with how previous K-pop hits have spread by way of Asia.
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What do you think is driving the growing popularity of Korean culture?

The trend is clear, but I think its not just one factor. I think its a complex set of factors. One is that Korea has an EastWest combination. The culture is more Westernized, in a way, than most stuff in Asia and therefore has a sort of novelty for other Asian viewers. But for non-Asians, its got an Asian twist to it. It's appealing on both sides. And then it's the combination of developed and developing worlds. Part of it is developing-world Lets all go dance in the streets and praising living well and having big houses, but its mixed with developed-world formal complexity and irony and aesthetic playfulness. Gangnam Style is the perfect example of this.

1. Psy at the 2012 MTV Music Awards 2. Teenage guitar phenom Jung Sung-ha

Do you think there are elements of Korean culture getting noticed overseas that are getting less publicity?
There are signs. Shin Kyung-sooks

Please Look After Mom was the most ballyhooed, but I have seen in the New York Times that there are more and more feature articles on Korean cuisine and architecture and movies and books. Even just three or four years ago, there was almost nothing on Korea, but now its getting up there in terms of feature articles. MOMA has an exhibition of Korean artists; there have been several major exhibitions in the United States related to Korea. There are more books being translated. Korean Buddhism was completely unknown even ten years ago, and now people are writing about Korean perspectives on Buddhism. Art in America has a large number of Korean artists who are featured in it. What I think is still missing is that there are some important Korean intellectuals who write interesting books in Korean and they dont get translated into English at all.

What future do you see for Koreas place on the global cultural stage?
Ill start out with what it should be.

Korea is frenetictheyre always making stuff and creating things, and theyre getting better and better at it. So theyre certainly in a position to play a major role in creating culture. I went to Japan in 1987 and Tokyo ruled the world and Tokyo was the coolest place you could possibly be. And it's clear now that culture is produced in Seoul. Global culture is produced somewhere between Apgujeong-dong and Sinsadong. What I would like is for it to have more content. To be about making a better world for ourselves. There are a lot of great, healthy things about Korea. There a tradition of scholarship, loyalty to great ideals, frugality, a sense of family and community. And aestheticsunderstated but very sophisticated sensibility in architecture and city planning and traditional furniture and artwork. It doesnt strike you immediately how sophisticated it is. Thats a wonderful tradition, and I'd love to have more of that in the mainstream of what we consider the Korean wave.

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PEN & BRUSH

CONNECTING WITH THE DISCONNECTED

Interview with Korean pop artist The Jack
Written by Monica Suk Photographed by RAUM Studio

t was in 2005, when interest in pop art was picking up in Korea, that Korean artist The Jack let a smiley, lovable big-eyed rabbit out into the world. Named after the artist, The Jack is a rabbit-headed character with a human body, which happens to overlap with the creator himself. The Jack is often seen striking his signature pose by pointing one arm to the top of his head to make an n shape. I like being mischievous. I like playing mischievous pranks on people with my work, said the artist, who declined to reveal his real name and age, during an interview held at a Hongdae gallery caf on January 17. Some of his photo works feature him wearing The Jack Head and scratching his head among beautiful ladies or cleaning up cafs and restaurants like regular people. He proclaims his style of art throbs with color, mocking humor, and gloomy innuendo. I mean, its like black comedy, you know. You can always go with a black-and-white theme if you want to exaggerate your sadness or despair. But by using pastel colors or more bold ones, youre expressing anxiety and sadness in art with a bigger impact, he said, pointing at his black leather jacket printed with colorful patterns. Comedy and sadness make a wonderful pair, of course. But to make the audience understand his works and associate with them were no easy tasks. I try to be nice in my artwork. When people look at my paintings or photos, I try my best to let people instantly find hidden meanings, whether it is a historical lesson or social issues. Artists should be well equipped with the latest trends of how people in that society feel. And that should be expressed in simple yet fancy ways, through art.

MORE INFO www.facebook.com/thejack www.twitter.com/thejack9

1. Globalism The Jack 2. The Jack Head

Birth Secrets of The Jack

The artist doesnt represent The Jack as a kind of accidental pop art character. It was carefully planned and plotted to build a global audience. The Jack was made to target fandoms across a wide array of cultures and races. To build a firm basis for international fandom, Ive created whole secrets and mysteries behind The Jacks birth, he noted. I was sure having this absurd and funny background story would appeal to people abroad. On the artists blog there are comic strips, photos, and illustrations of The Jack that date back to 2005. While sorting through this massive

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PEN & BRUSH

amount of data, you can find two short stories about how the big-eyed rabbit came to life. The Jack was born to a trilobite and Eve at a barn. He later carries the cross, like Jesus Christ, and gets reincarnated as a beggar, but due to a power struggle, a master who had saved The Jack from hunger murdered him. Then The Jack went through his second reincarnation. While the half-rabbit-half-human was coming down to earth to live his third life, a group of spaghetti aliens abducted him and performed medical experiment on his body. After getting released he met his drunken cousin, BEER. Together they found where the aliens were hiding, and the pair fought the spaghetti aliens boss. I hope The Jacks popularity expands into other regions, the artist said. In order to do so, collaboration is important. Ive been working with graffiti artists, video artists, and comic book writers to capitalize upon this brand.
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The artist has done countless collaborative projects with cosmetics, social media, and apparel brands, but he looked especially excited about his new collaboration with Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo coming in a few months. Uniqlos new collaboration with me, featuring The Jack, is hitting stores in March. Im really looking forward to that one.

1. Give Me Chocolate 2. We are Best Friends 3. Salute to the Colors 4. Bus Trip of The Jack Family

Hit the Road, The Jack

Though the anonymous artist has overwhelming affection for the whimsical rabbit character, he had even given up The Jack to familiarize the audience with his art style. I want people to enjoy and have fun with my art works and performances without any pressure. I didnt want my paintings to be felt too light, too heavy, or too far, so I brought Disney and other familiar cartoon characters into the mix. His insight into being an artist and studying

peoples reactions to his works didnt come for free. Before 2005, I had so many other careers, including playing in a band, which I will soon begin again as a side job, he said. Till then I had a firm belief, for some reason, that I should have big career transitions in life periodically. But when I found The Jack in 2005, it was never boring to play with this one character and see its variations. So I thought this was going to be my last, lifelong career. Over the course of eight years, like many other artists and musicians, he also had some chaotic and dark moments. But the artist knew that with pop art, everyday life could become a subject of art. In 2011, he got back on his feet from traumatic experiences and opened the March exhibition to help heal others who also suffered from pain. Id like to try a collaboration with Louis Vuitton someday. That should be one of my ultimate goals, the artist said in stern voice, dreaming one day he

will hit the road for world exhibitions. No one knows whether his strategy to stretch abroad with The Jackfrom birth secrets to a series of collaborations with global firmswill succeed. But half the success of an artist is to have tried endlessly to make people open their eyes to pop art. Connect with the disconnected. My job is to put invisible computer chips in pop art to stay connected with people.

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A VEHICLE FOR HUMAN CREATIVITY

Singer Lee Chun-hee on how iconic Korean folk song Arirang won the hearts of UNESCO
Written by Ben Jackson Photograph courtesy of Lee Chun-hee

ate on a December night last year in Paris, Lee Chun-hee stood in front of a gathering of international officials at the headquarters of UNESCO, filling the unprepared conference room with the sounds of a folk song whose variations have echoed through the valleys of the Korean Peninsula for centuries. Shortly before, Arirang had been inscribed as a new element on UNESCOs Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, bringing international recognition for yet another part of Koreas extensive cultural heritage. Arirang was approved at the 2012 meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Theres a Korean saying: If you dig a well in one place for long enough, youll strike water, says Lee, now back in Seoul at the headquarters of the Korean Traditional Folk Song Association, of which she is director. A native of the South Korean capital, Lee has spent decades on what has, at times, been a lonely musical journey. When she first made the decision to embrace the art of folk singing, it was hard to even find a place to learn. I had heard folk songs on the radio, and they sounded so good, she says. Finding a place to learn was not easy, but in 1967, Lee became a pupil of master singer Lee Chang-bae. At first I thought too lightly of learning folk singing, but then I realized that it gets harder the longer you do it. The technique is very difficult, Lee says, referring in part to the unique vibrato that characterizes much traditional Korean singing. In the years since she found her first teacher, Lee has made numerous media appearances in Korea. In 1989, she was designated the main possessor of Gyeonggi-do folk songs and named one of Koreas Important Intangible Cultural Properties. She has won numerous awards, performed around the world, taken part in NorthSouth Korean artistic collaborations, and served as artistic director of the National Gugak Center. The going has not always been easy, Lee admits, especially earlier in her career when appreciation for traditional musical genres was

low. I often asked myself, Why am I doing this? she says. But the moment I started actually singing, it felt great.

Koreas Unoffical national anthem?

When forced into conformity with the semitones and time signatures of a Western manuscript, Arirang is a simple melody of six notes, ranging over a single octave and sung in 3/4 time. It provides a platform, however, for wide-ranging reinterpretations. But nothing, arguably, conveys the essence of Arirang as powerfully as a human voice. This is a highly personal song, sung not for the sake of the audience but the singer. Each note can be dwelt upon as long as necessary. There is, in fact, no fixed melody. What all regional variations of Arirang have in common is their lyrics, says Lee. The melodies are different.

Obscure roots
Reach back far enough into history and the roots of any art are wont to fade into obscurity. Arirang is no exception: though Korea now has several broad, usually region-based categories of the song, no one is certain whence it originated. Some people think Arirang started off as a boatmans song, says Lee. This would fit with the widely held belief that the earliest echoes of the song could be heard in the valleys of Gangwon-do, Koreas mountainous eastern province, from which many goods were brought down to Seoul on long raft journeys. Perhaps the secret of Arirang's endurance lies in its seemingly boundless adaptability. Lee names Jeongseon, Jindo, and Miryang as regions of Korea with identifiable versions of the song, but this is just the stump of a huge tree of variations that has as many as 3,600 branches. The official UNESCO description calls the song the outcome of collective contributions made by ordinary Koreans throughout generations; there is every sign that this remarkable evolution will continue for generations to come.
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A spectacular tapestry of sacred peaks and glistening snow
Written and photographed by Robert Koehler

ne of the most inspiring sunrises in Korea can be enjoyed from the peak of Mt. Taebaeksan, the Great White Mountain Koreans have regarded as sacred for centuries. As the sun comes up over the East Sea, the horizon turns a spectacular crimson, illuminating the purple ridges that seemingly extend forever in all directions. Against this backdrop of reds and blues stand the silhouettes of the fantastically gnarled yew trees that have guarded the peak for a thousand years. On the peak itself, some hikers offer prayers at the ancient Cheonjedan Shrine; others simply stand in awe of the brilliant vista before them. Surrounded by the high mountains that dominate the rugged province of Gangwon-do, the town of Taebaek is blessed with a landscape so beautiful it's as if it was shaped by the gods themselves. In decades past, the rich veins of coal buried in the mountains turned Taebaek into a boomtown as young men flocked there to mine the black gold that fueled the Korean economic miracle. The mines have long since closed, but thousands still flock to the town every winteronly this time to appreciate the snow-covered scenery.

Ancient yew trees and endless mountain ridges, Mt. Taebaeksan

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mountain that is home to, among other things, the Taebaek Coal Museum. The highlight of the festival is the giant snow and ice sculptures, but theres plenty else to see and do, too, including nighttime light displays, snow sledding, trekking, and cultural performances.

Strolling into the past

For many Koreans, Taebaek instantly brings to mind images of coal miners. In the 1960s and 1970s, Taebaeks rich supply of coal fired the plants and factories that drove Koreas phenomenal post-war economic growth. The boom in the local mining industry brought unprecedented prosperity to the regionrail and road links were expanded, and thousands of young men and their families arrived to work the mines and seize their piece of the economic pie. The spike in populationand moneyproved a boon to many other local industries, too. In 1987, however, the mines began to close. This hit the town hard, and the population nearly halved.

Sacred vistas
The town of Taebaek takes its name from the Taebaeksan Mountain Range, the high, rugged peaks that form the spine of the Korean Peninsula. A short ride outside of town, Mt. Taebaeksan (1,567 m) is the principle peak of the range. Endowed with great scenic beauty, the mountain now forms the centerpiece of Taebaeksan Provincial Park. Mt. Taebaeksan is a place of tremendous spiritual power. The mountain is home to several Buddhist temples and shamanist shrines, the best known being the Cheonjedan, a set of three ancient altars that have crowned Mt. Taebaeksans peak since the Three Kingdoms Period. Every year on October 3Koreas National Foundation Daysacred rites are conducted to pay tribute to Dangun, the mythical founder of the Korean nation. According to legend, Mt. Taebaeksan is where Dangun's father, Hwanungthe son of heavencame to earth to teach humankind the art of civilization.
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Of particular note are the extensive groves of ancient yew trees on the higher reaches of the mountain. Like the Celts of Europe, Korean shamans regard the yews as sacred. As if to reinforce this point, many of the yews are twisted into surreal shapes and cut a mysterious, almost unsettling profile against the horizon.

1. Hikers pay their respects at peak of Mt. Taebaeksan 2. Sacred altar at peak of Mt. Taebaeksan 3. Wall mural, Sangjangdong Nambu Village

To ease the blow, the government has promoted the regions tourist potential, opening ski resorts, golf courses, and, most notably, Koreas only casino in which Koreans are allowed to gamble. Still, evidence of the towns coal-mining days is not hard to find. The neighborhood of Nambu Village in the Sangjang-dong district is one of Taebaeks most typical old mining communities. At one time a prosperous town of 4,000, the ramshackle village of humble houses and narrow alleyways is now home to just 400 hardy souls. To pay tribute to the towns past, local artist Heo Gangil has adorned many of the homes with murals depicting images from the towns past. Black-faced miners are ubiquitous, of course, but so are other characters: young mothers and children, old men selling coal briquettes, and even dogs with KRW 10,000 bills in their mouthsthe last motif taken from a local saying that during the boom years, even village dogs ran around with money in their mouths.

MORE INFO

What to eat Not far from Sangjang-dongs mural village, the restaurant Neowajip is so named because it is a 120-year-old neowajip, a shingle-roofed home of the type lived in by the slash-and-burn farmers who once predominated in this mountainous region of Korea. Neowajip specializes in jeongsik, or Korean banquet cuisine (KRW 19,00028,000). This includes a local specialty, memil jeonbyeong buckwheat crepes stuffed with kimchi and other ingredients. T. 033-553-4669 Where to stay If youre looking to experience a bit of Korean culture, the Taebaeksan Hanok Pension offers traditional Korean accommodations not far from Mt. Taebaeksan. Rooms go for KRW 100,000200,000 a night. T. 033-554-4732 http://hanoak.kr Getting there BUS: There are frequent buses to Taebaek from Seouls Dong Seoul Terminal (3 hours, 10 minutes). TRAIN: Trains to Taebaek depart from Seoul's Cheongnyangni Station (3 hours, 30 minutes)

Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival

The highlight of Taebaeks year is the annual Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival (January 25 February 3), a celebration of one of this regions most abundant resourcessnow. Taebaek is in the heart of Koreas snow country, and Mt. Taebaeksan in particular is famous for its beautiful snow flowerswhen ice and snow encrust the branches of alpine trees, creating fantastically shaped sculptures of white. The festival is held in Taebaeksan Provincial Park at Danggol Square, a tourist village at the foot of the

Seoul

Taebaek

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Jeju-do

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ts an average Saturday afternoon at Seoul Jungang Market, which means its a veritable madhouse. Merchants hawking their wares, shoppers running to and fro, deliverymen on their mopeds weaving their way in and out of the crowdsits a heady mix of humanity, made all the more overpowering by the cacophony of sounds. Near the entrance of the market, Mun Ok-sun fries up her famous hotteok, a Chinesestyle pancake of glutinous rice filled with brown sugar and honey. It used to be even busier in the old days, she says, and shed knowMuns been selling her hotteok here for 40 years. While it doesnt get the same tourist attention received by its two bigger cousins, the sprawling Namdaemun and Dongdaemun markets, Jungang Market is an incredibly vibrant place in its own right. In a sense, its something of a throwback, an authentically Korean experience. Not all is as its always been, thoughunderneath the market, in stalls left empty by vacating merchants, local craftsmen ply their trade in one of Seouls most innovative efforts to promote the arts.

Art in the market

Below ground, disused stalls have converted into artist workshops collectively known as Seoul Art Space Sindang, part of a larger system of disused public buildings being transformed into art studios by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture. About 40 artists call the underground market home as part of the three-year-old project. In addition to the shops themselves, the artists have worked to beautify the public spaces, toothe underground arcade sports a number of colorful works, and even the entrance to Jungang Market itself is adorned with colorful paper lanterns crafted in the subterranean workshops. The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture provides artists-in-residence space virtually for free on one-year contracts. Youll find a variety of genres down here, although crafts and design account for many of the workshops. Glass artist E Yoon-cheol has been in residence for three years. He likes the community and opportunities for collaboration the space brings. There are people working in different genres here, so its good for collaboration, he says. If I dont know about a particular genre, I can easily find somebody who does. The atmosphere below ground is a sharp contrast to the aboveground marketits almost dead silent, with very little foot traffic. One might think this would put the artisans off, but quite the opposite, according to Cho Ye-in, who handles planning at Seoul Art Space Sindang. The artists like the quiet because it allows them to work, she says. The space sometimes holds special hands-on craft programs for the general public.4

1. The entrance of Seoul Jungang Market 2. Shoppers make their way through Jungang Marktet 3. Boribap at Sigoljangteo 4. Poster for public art program, Seoul Art Space Sindang

A market returns
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SEOUL JUNGANG MARKET

Historic market pulsates with life and art
Written by Robert Koehler Photographed by Ryu Seunghoo and Robert Koehler

Jungang Market took off right after the Korean War. At one point, it was Seouls third largest marketin the 1970s, over 80 percent of the citys grain was sold here. It was so influential, in fact, that it was said the market set the prices for all other markets around Korea. The rise of supermarkets and department stores hurt business for a time, but a 2004 modernization brought it back to life. The market now has roughly 600 shops and constitutes the heart of a larger shopping complex that includes specialized markets for furniture and kitchen supplies, too.

MORE INFO Getting there

Sights, sounds, and aromas of Korea

Its easy to suffer sensory overload at Jungang

Sindang Station (Line 2, 6), Exit 1 or 2

Market. The covered market tends to specialize in foodstuffs, namely rice, fruits, vegetables, and seafood. At the many food stalls, youll find a dizzying array of delectables in all shapes and colors, all attended with their own unique aromas. Then there are the soundsbelly up to a food stand and eavesdrop on Korean grandfathers arguing politics, or stroll about and listen as merchants trumpet their goods to all who will listen. The vital energy is infectious. Narrow alleyways branch off from the main drag. Some of these alleys specialize in particular products. One, for instance, is lined entirely by meat and poultry shops. Another is lined with humble restaurants serving boribap, a healthy and hearty rural dish of rice and barley mixed with assorted vegetables.

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F E S T I V A L

Since 2000, the festival has taken place in the world-famous Saebyeol Oreum, a volcanic cone located almost 520 meters above sea level. A popular tourist destination, the oreumthe local name for the countless parasitic volcanic cones that dot the Jeju landscapeis renowned for its majestic curves and connecting ridges, not to mention the breathtaking scenery of fields decorated with waves of eulalia. The overlook provides a panoramic view of the beautiful surrounding landscape. Throughout the festival, a wide array

stunning extravaganza of lasers and fireworks lights up the night sky. The next day features Jeju-themed events and includes a Jeju dialect competition, followed by nyeokdungbegi (a traditional game from Jeju that is similar to the Korean yut), and even a dressage competition where tourists get to see the famous Jeju horse firsthand. The final day starts out with deumdol-deulgi (stone lifting), an event based on Jejus unique coming-of-age ceremony. The events only become more climactic as the day draws to a close. During the Volcanic Eruption Show, a series of fireworks go off from the top of the oreum to simulate a volcanic eruption. Then comes the highlight of the three-day festival: setting fire to Saebyeol Oreum. As the participants simultaneously set fire to an area of 30 hectares, they are in fact ridding themselves of any bad luck from the previous year. With the magnificent sight of Saebyeol Oreum fully ablaze, everyone joins hands in singing and bids one another farewell until next year.
MORE INFO What to eat Jeju Island is most famous for its seafood dishes. Dining options include Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Western restaurants. Most restaurants are located in the proximity of shopping streets, malls, and places of interest. Last year, the festival featured an abundance of places to eat such as theme-oriented sampling areas and a folk market. Where to stay Visitors have a variety of accommodations to choose from when staying on Jeju. Luxury hotels start at KRW 200,000 a night and a reservation is recommended. The more affordable motels charge around KRW 30,000 a night and a reservation is not usually required. In case of private lodging and guesthouses, the facilities and amenities may differ from one establishment to another and a reservation is required. Getting there Dozens of flights depart from Seouls Gimpo International Airport for Jeju City daily. The one hour flight costs between KRW 167,000 and KRW 244,000 on major Korean carriers and around KRW 108,000 on budget carriers like Jeju Air. Once on Jeju Island, Saebyeol Oreum is a 25-minute drive from the airport. Last year, Jeju City offered free shuttle bus services to/from major connecting areas.

The Jeju Deulbul Festival (March 810)

Scenic islands signature celebration recalls regions pastoral past
Written by Kang Juwon Photographs courtesy of Jeju City

of colorful attractions will present the customs of Jeju Island in a modern and entertaining way. Beginning with a prayer ritual for a good harvest year, the opening day features a variety of events that include a group tug-of-war, a folk music instrument parade, and a daljip (moon house)-making competition. At sunset, tourists take part in the Torchlight March, where they light one anothers torch and made a wish to the daljip, a pile of hay and twigs burned to ward off misfortune. When the moon houses are later set on fire, a spectacular and

he Jeju Deulbul Festival will be held at Saebyeol Oreum on Jeju Island for three days from March 8 to March 10, 2013. First held in 1997, this annual festival marks its 16th anniversary in 2013 with a new look. The festival previously known as the Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festivalhas not only been renamed the Jeju Deulbul (Field Fire) Festival; the event will also be taking place in the month of March for the first time. Attracting tens of thousands of domestic and international tourists, the festival has quickly grown into one of the most anticipated public events of Jeju Island, one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
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The festival has its roots in the cattle-breeding culture of Jeju. For generations, local farmer families in Jeju bred cattle as a source of food and labor. Because livestock played an important role in providing traction to cultivate fields, it was vital for farmers to maintain high-quality pastures for cattle grazing. This was by no means was an easy task, and most villages opted to set fire to the fields sometime between late winter and early spring. They saw it as the most efficient way of removing old grass and killing any harmful insects in the fields. This was called deulbul-noki (setting fire to a field) and is the highlight and central motif of the festival.

1. Fireworks on last day of festival 2. Lighting fire to the fields 3. Saebyeol Oreum alight 4. Jeju horse demonstration

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Displaying the True Olympic Spirit

Pyeongchangs Special Olympics World Winter Games are an exhibition of human courage
Written by Kim Tong-hyung Photographs courtesy of Special Olympics World Winter Games PyeongChang 2013

here were no world records broken and no athletes securing lavish endorsement deals after completing mind-altering feats like theyre Usain Bolt or Kim Yu-na. But if greatness is to be defined by the determination and passion to overcome obstacles and push the limits of personal excellence, it could be said the recent Special Olympics World Winter Games PyeongChang 2013 displayed sports at its finest. Pyeongchang, the sleepy Gangwon-do ski resort area, will of course be the location of the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which remain at the center stage of public and media attention. As the third member of the Olympic movement, the Special Olympics, which are for people with intellectual disabilities, had been almost unknown to the average Korean. So the most difficult challenge for organizers was to generate a respectable level of awareness and interest. They were also adamant about the gathering of Special Olympians being more than just a warm-up for
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the main event still five years away, as it was also a stage for progress in the discussions between countries on improving the lives of citizens with disabilities. The participating nations in Pyeongchang found time to back a joint declaration on combating the high levels of social marginalization and poverty frequently found among people with intellectual disabilities. The announcement was produced at a forum that featured high-profile leaders such as Myanmar pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu

Kyi, Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller, Malawian President Joyce Banda, and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Also on the sidelines were Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent and retired NBA greats Dikembe Mutombo of the Congo and Yao Ming of China, who have been dedicating a significant part of their post-basketball lives expanding the reach of sports and helping underprivileged athletes. More than 3,000 athletes from 111 countries participated in the eight-day competition, which was held at venues

in Pyeongchang and nearby Gangneung from January 29 to February 5. The next Special Olympics Winter Games will be held in Schladming, Austria, in 2017, bridged by a Summer Games in Los Angeles, California, in 2015. Na Kyung-won, a veteran politician and chairwoman of the organizing committee for the 2013 Special Olympics, said the event has a critical role in battling against damaging prejudices and misunderstandings. The Special Olympics slogan Together We Can represents our hope that hosting the Special Olympics will not only help empower those with intellectual disabilities and advance their social status, but also make Korea a better country overall, said the 50-yearold former lawmaker in the weeks before the opening ceremony. Korea has been a highly competitive society where people were trained to identify with first-place finishers and accept one right way of doing things. We need to be exposed to a more diverse set of values and beliefs, and allowing people with intellectual disabilities more opportunities to fulfill their potential will go a long way. For Special Olympians, of course, just taking part is a major achievement, and their stories in Pyeongchang will be inspiring for everyone. The event will also provide a glimpse into the state-of-the-art sporting facilities and transportation systems that have been built for the 2018 Games, Na said. The Special Olympics received a promotional boost from some of the most transcendent personalities in sports and culture. Figure skating megastar
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MORE INFO Special Olympics World Winter Games PyeongChang 2013 Jan 29Feb 5 Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do www.2013sopoc.org Getting there From Dongseoul Bus Terminal, take a bus to Hoenggye. From there, take a taxi to Apensia Resort or Yongpyong Resort.

Kim Yu-na, football icons Hong Myung-bo and Guus Hiddink, and pop group Wonder Girls were among those who dedicated their time in the midst of packed schedules to help as ambassadors of the event. The interest from the corporate sector was also significant, with donations from local companies reaching KRW 15.4 billion (about USD 14.5 million). The Special Olympics was formed in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of late former US President John F. Kennedy, and is the largest sporting organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. It is not to be confused with the Paralympics, where the focus remains on elite sports. The Pyeongchang event was the tenth Special Olympics Winter Games and the third Asian event following previous events held in China and Japan. Athletes participated in 55 competitions, including traditional sports like alpine and cross-country skiing, speed, short track, and figure skating, and snowboarding, as well as quirkier disciplines like snowshoeing and floor ball, an indoor variant of hockey played three-on-three. Its safe to bet that the Special Olympians who competed at Pyeongchang will never be featured in Nike commercials. That doesnt make the story of their lives and the difficulties they had to overcome to compete on a world stage any less dramatic. There was 19-year-old floor hockey player Choi Gyeong-jae, who had cerebral palsy and an inexorable habit of beating the odds. He was a month away from turning two years old when an infection forced doctors to surgically remove half of his brain, which permanently damaged his eyesight and hearing. Doctors then said he had only four to five years to live. Choi has proved them wrong, and representing the host country in Pyeongchang was not a bad way to brag about it. Floor hockey brought my sons smile back. He was always under the threat of death, but his love for hockey was relentless. His life is beyond any explanation provided by modern medicine, nothing short of a miracle, said his mother, Kim Yeong-sook. The story of 22-year-old Park Moses, who sang Koreas national anthem at the opening ceremonies, is just as inspiring. His mother, Jo Yeong-ae, says that Park was born with every disability possible to a newborn. He was unable to breathe without help and his senses of sight, hearing, and touch weren't working. Just three days after his birth, Park underwent an operation where about 90 percent of his brain was removed. And this was before four more surgeries to improve the flow of cerebrospinal fluid were

1. Aung San Suu Kyi, figure skater Kim Yu-na and Special Olympics International Global Messenger Ariel Ary of Costa Rica at the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Winter Games PyeongChang 2013 2. Organizing committee chairwoman Na Kyung-won at the opening ceremony 3. Mexican athlete carries the torch for Special Olympics World Winter Games. 4. Special Olympians at the opening ceremony

conducted. Jo was forced to move her baby to different hospitals frequently because the previous ones kept giving up on him. Her dedication paid off Park began speaking and singing with the church choir at the age of seven. Every athlete at the Special Olympics has an inspiring story to tell, said Lee Jung-hyun, a public relations official for the PyeongChang Special Olympics. The Special Olympics provides a more supportive environment for athletes to learn the basics of their sport and share their experiences with other competitors with different disabilities. Of course, the event is much more about helping people travel around the world and make friends, considering the heady challenges facing intellectually disabled people around the world. As the Paralympics experience could attest, those with learning disabilities are often isolated, even within the social and cultural domain of disabled people. Disability organizations are campaigning feverishly to make it a

priority for nations to improve the lives of disabled people, who are more likely to be unemployed, poor, and suffering from health problems. The Special Olympics is one of the precisely few platforms that allows them to push the agenda internationally, and Pyeongchang indeed represented progress in the efforts to improve discourse. Its meaningful that world leaders will gather to make a call for ending the discrimination of people with intellectual disabilities and to urge nations to be more serious about finding ways to better integrate them to their societies, said Kim Yong-hwan, Koreas Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in a press event ahead of the Pyeongchang competition. The declaration is meaningful as it is the first of its kind to be announced at a Special Olympics event. While the agreements in the joint statement will not be binding to the countries that signed, it will still be meaningful as an international standard as countries begin to cope with the issue of improving the lives of intellectually disabled people.

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E N T E R TA I N M E N T

Get Your Weekend Going in

Exploring the heart of the Korean Wave
Written by Monica Suk Photographed by RAUM Studio and Ryu Seunghoo

Gangnam Style

o one saw it coming and it could not have been predicted. Gangnam Style is boldly going where no Internet hit has gone before, and it takes a good reason to want to discover what Gangnam is really all about. For the last eight months, Psy has been taking center stage everywhere from Dodger Stadium to Rockefeller Center and Times Square. If there were to be one last stop to this dance craze before the release of his next new single, it should be nowhere else but Gangnam. Gangnam, which literally translates to south of the river, is an affluent part of Seoul that used to be notorious for being the locus of the excessive education zeal and real estate boom. Stirring up a mix of scorn, jealousy, and awe, the town has always been at the center of Koreas rapid modernization, often criticized for being too westernized and too far from Korean. With that all behind, Gangnam now owns a powerful brand it didnt before. Psys irresistibly catchy beat and easy-to-follow choreography gave the district a fame it never used to have. If youre willing to participate in keeping the spirit alive, get ready to swing yourself into a saddle and ride your horse to Gangnam.

1. COEX Complex, a major Gangnam landmark 2. COEX Aquarium

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E N T E R TA I N M E N T

Its all about having fun and looking silly

It is not an exaggeration to say that its the galloping move that brought Psy such phenomenal success. Everyone from Britney Spears, and Hugh Jackman to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is dancing on his or her own invisible horse. Every weekend, the Gangnam District Office offers a dance lesson for the irresistible horse-riding dance. As everyone knows, the choreography is massively entertaining but doesnt require any complex interpretation. Participants, mainly composed of visitors from the United States and Europe, get an hour-long lesson from a professional dancer at the Samseongdong Culture Center at 1pm. I didnt know that Id get a chance to learn this dance, but its cool to feel like Im part of this whole trend at the right place, said Tenzin Dhekyong, who joined the program last month. People ask me whether Ive been to Gangnam and I say, Yeah I was way too Gangnam there, she added. The dance class is part of a tour program run by the district office but is open to anyone who makes a reservation at least a day in advance. Kwak Bong-hoon, the assistant director of Cosmojin, the travel agency in charge of the program, said the number of inquiries for the tour doubled after Psys overnight success last summer. Because its sort of a trend, we used to have a flash mob event in front of COEX Mall after each lesson. When the weather gets warmer in March, well be back on the street performing, said Kwak.
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Dress classy, dance cheesy

If youve got the right moves, its time to get into the music video and imagine yourself living Gangnam Style. A guy who one-shots his coffee before it even cools down/ A guy whose heart bursts when night comes. There is only one place in town where its not difficult to spot people like those mentioned in the lyricsCheongdam. Cheongdam-dong is mostly known for its glitz factor, like high-end boutiques and fine dining. At night, however, coffee is replaced by vodka, ponytails are let down, and the sound of typing gets covered up by loud electronic music. Take the Bundang Line and get off at Apgujeong Rodeo Station. The stretch of street from Exit 3 to Cheongdam Intersection is where designer shops and posh restaurants stand. Largely known as Boutique Street, the place has been officially designated as Fashion Street. Consider visiting 10 Corso Como (Trinity Building, 79 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu) which is just one block

away from Apgujeong Rodeo Station. The cultural complex combining music, culture, and cuisine is internationally recognized as a hub for style and fashion. The building has an art gallery, bookshop, fashion and design store, caf, and small three-room hotel. When you feel like getting into the party groove and maybe want to show off the horse-riding dance you learned in the afternoon, walk to Club Ellui, owned by a luxury hotel on the banks of the Han River. Measuring in at over 2,787 square meters, the venue is always filled with trendsetters and fashonistas who love electronic music. Club Ellui is open from 10pm to 6am, and here you can witness what nightlife is like in Korea. Make sure your threads are colorful yet classy, because thats the kind of style that reigns in Gangnam. When everythings set, ride your horse into the night.

Station, Exit 2. You can see street vendors and small stores selling popular snacks on almost every block, but visiting one particular Korean snack bar near Jamwon Station would be like taking the Gangnam Style craze to its apex. A snack bar named Gangnam Style (60-6 Jamwon-dong, Seocho-gu) began its business two months ago, catching up with the songs international boom. I mean, were located right next to Gangnam and its a huge thing all over the world. Were selling Korean food, so why not choose a name that represents Korea? the shop owner said during a brief phone interview with KOREA.

Capturing the eyes of more than 1,205,079,000

MORE INFO Gangnam City Tour
T. 02-318-3405 gangnamtour.com 1. Tourists participate in Gangnam City Tour. 2. Horse dancing stage in Yeoksamdong

Psys Gangnam Style has changed so many things and gone beyond everyones expectations: In the past, skinny girl groups and pretty boy bands largely

represented K-pop, but now we have a K-pop sensation whos not pretty, not polished, and not stylish. It may take a while for the artist to prove that this is more than just a novelty act, but Psy certainly did materialize the real value of viral music and dance. Though only a handful of the global audience understands the lyrics, Psy captured the eyes of more than 1,205,079,000 people, and the district instantly became a hip spot. Its a bit awkward to say this as a musician, that my success comes from being funny, but it makes a lot of sense, Psy said at a press conference last year. In any part of the world, people seek laughter. Again, its all about having fun. Learn the moves, go shopping, dance hard, and cure late-night hunger, all in Gangnam Style.

Eating Gangnam Style

To try some popular Korean street foods, take Line 3 and get off at Jamwon
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SPECIAL ISSUE

National Museum of Korean Contemporary History examines the birth of the Korean Miracle
Written and photographed by Robert Koehler

Remembering the Recent Past

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of the Ministry of Culture, built in 1961, leaving as much of the historic landmark intact as possible while incorporating energy-saving architectural technologies into the outdated structure. The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History aims to show off Koreas leading IT technology, and the technical wonders begin as soon as you step inside. You are immediately greeted by a digital display of images attesting to the beauty and dynamism of Korea. The museums flagship exhibit, however, is in a special hall to the right. The Rediscovering Korea exhibit allows users to experience important moments in Korean history by manipulating high-tech displays using hand motions.

an economic powerhouse and mature democracy in just half a century. Major historical events and programssuch as the New Village Movement, the development of Koreas export economy, and the democratic movements of 1980 and 1987are given pride of place, but also included are the stories of other actors in Koreas dynamic modern history, like the Korean miners and nurses sent to Germany in the 1960s to earn foreign currency. Restored classic Korean cars like Koreas first mass-produced automobile, the Hyundai Pony, Cold War-era public service posters, period news clips, and other audiovisual exhibits tell the tale of the Miracle in the Han River in a colorful and engrossing manner. The final exhibit, Modernization and Koreas Vision of the Future, looks at where Korea is now and where it wishes to go. Here visitors can relive the glories of the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games and the 2002 FIFA World Cup, experience the international cultural sensation that is the Korean wave, and learn about Koreas efforts to share its extraordinary development experience with the rest of the world.

The Korean success story in

three oors
The main exhibits begin on the third floor. The first regular exhibit, Prelude to the Republic of Korea (18741945), is dedicated to the dramatic period between Koreas early efforts to modernize after the opening of Korea to the West in 1876 and Koreas liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. Some of the exhibit items here are truly inspiring, including a Korean flag given by King Gojong in 1890 to American diplomat Owen Denny, who served as an advisor to the Korean royal government; this is believed to be the oldest Korean flag in existence. Taking up the entirety of the fourth floor, the second regular exhibit, Foundation of the Republic of Korea, covers the crucial period between 1945 and 1961. This period witnessed the foundation of the Republic of Korea. While ideological conflict and fratricidal war cast a dark shadow over this time, the roots of Koreas phenomenal economic and political development can be traced back to this period, too. The fifth floor is home to two permanent exhibits. The first, Development of the Republic of Korea, may be the most impressive in the entire museum. This is a treasure trove of material documenting the nearly unprecedented development of Korea into

oused in the historic former headquarters of the Ministry of Culture, the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History is a national shrine to Koreas remarkable modern history. The exhibit makes for a compelling narrative that witnesses Koreas rise from colonial oppression and post-war ruin to an economic, technological and cultural powerhouse of the 21st century. As if to highlight just how far Korea has come, the museum makes maximum use of cultural technology (CT) utilizing information technology to give visitors a taste of the digital future.

A piece of history in downtown Seoul

Built over four years at a cost of KRW 45 billion, the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History is Koreas first museum dedicated to Koreas modern history. Located in Gwanghwamun in the heart of Seouls historic downtown, the museums history begins with the building itself. To house the exhibits, architecture and engineering firm Daelim remodeled the former headquarters

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MORE INFO National Museum of Korean Contemporary History Hours: 9am to 6pm (entry ends one hour to closing). Closed Mondays. T. 02-3703-9200, www.much.go.kr Getting there Short walk from Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5), Exit 2.

1. Korean ag given to American diplomat Owen Denny in 1890, believed to be the oldest Korean ag in existence 2. State-of-the-art museum technology at Rediscovering Korea

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CURRENT KOREA

PART OF THE FAMILY

Koreas growing fondness for pets is bringing new changes in status for animals
Written by Ben Jackson Photographed by RAUM Studio

orea is often described as a Confucian society, with many relationships heavily influenced by Confucianisms famous Five Bonds: between ruler and ruled, father and son, husband and wife, elder brother and younger brother, and between friends. Recently, however, animals have been muscling their way into the social hierarchy in a big way. Pampered in salons, fed as carefully as children, and protected by a growing body of legally enshrined rights and advocacy groups, Koreas dogs, cats, hamsters, and other nonhuman individuals are an increasingly significant presence in Korean society and economy.
Pet Lovers
Angie (with her cat John) Vocalist/guitarist of blues band Wasted Johnnys Kim Jin Cheol (with his dog Bbosongi) Drummer of pop rock band WHOwho Chung Seung Chul (with his turtles Papillon, Ivy and Ggossuni) Manager of WONYANG Architects & Engineers

of several new specific retail standalone concepts. Offering services such as pet play/training areas, cafs, in-house vets, pet hotels and adoption clinics, the stores were a runaway success; fellow retail giants Lotte Mart and Home plus followed suit last year with Pet Garden and I Love Pet, respectively.

Animal rights and wrongs

As Koreans grow increasingly enthusiastic about loving their animals, social attitudes are changing. Bookshops abound with works explaining how to best raise a variety of pets, while a handful of Korean animal communicators have achieved recognition in local media. The notion of animal rights is starting to take root in society, increasingly backed up by legislation. Animal rights groups are fighting to improve legal protection for animals and raise public awareness of their rights and needs. Unfortunately, the Animal Protection Act does not provide sufficient protection, says Lee Gi-soon, of Korea Animal Welfare Association (KAWA). Almost all it contains is recommendations, backed up by nonexistent or weak punishment, making it largely ineffective. Lee believes, however, that the growing number of people supporting KAWA and a series of campaign successes points to a steadily rising public awareness of animal rights. The introduction, this year, of a mandatory dog registration system, too, comes after years of demand from animal rights campaigners. It looks set to have a clear effect on stray and lost animals, says Lee. As Korea continues to enjoy its love affair with pets, it remains to be seen how animal rights campaigners, authorities, and members of the public will come together to perfect the systems, education, and awareness needed for a society of healthy and happy animals.

Newfound status
With the countrys increased prosperity, interest in dogs, cats, and other animals as pets has begun to increase. The common word for pet today is aewan dongmul, literally an animal to love and play with. The countrys largely urbanized population has found the inclination and economic wherewithal to add four-legged, furry, feathered, or even reptilian members to their families. The growing number of people living alone, as the strong family-based ties of Confucian society are eroded by material affluence and greater emphasis on individualism, has also fueled demand for non-human companions. Some ten million Koreans now keep pets, with the pet-related market worth around KRW 4 trillion. Elements of this market include veterinary clinics, pet product manufacturers, pet food makers, dog training boot camps, pet salons, pet beauty academies (to train the people working in salons), pet shows, pet insurance, and more. Pet food was among the 102 new items added to the Bank of Koreas producer price index this year. In 2010, E-Mart, one of Koreas four powerful supermarket chains, opened Mollys Pet Shop as one

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SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

BOOSTING KOREAS DIPLOMATIC HORIZONS IN ASIA

Over the course of the Lee Myung-bak administration, Korea has greatly strengthened its cooperation and ties with its Asian neighbors. In particular, cooperation with ASEANone of the worlds fastest rising economic centershas deepened immensely. President Lee held a special summit with ASEAN leaders in June 2009 and completed the KoreaASEAN Free Trade Agreement that same month. The KoreaASEAN Center was established in March 2009, and Korea established a permanent ASEAN delegation in September 2012. Perhaps most important, Korea and ASEAN elevated their relationship to that of a strategic partnership in October 2010. Korea has also pursued specifically tailored diplomacy with other Asian regions, too. Cooperation with China and Japan has been deepened with the regularization of tripartite summits and the establishment of a tripartite cooperation office in Seoul in September 2011. The Lee administration has also bolstered its cooperation with the vital Central Asia region across a wide range of fields, including energy and resources, large-scale construction, infrastructure development, IT, and health. Annual summits with the leaders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have also been held. Cooperation with South Asia and the Pacific has also been a priority. In January 2010, Korea and India elevated their relationship to that of a strategic partnership. This included the signing of the landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, or CEPA, which led to a 70% increase in trade between the two economic giants.

KOREA & CANADA CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF TIES

President Lee Myung-bak and Governor General of Canada David Lloyd Johnston exchanged messages of congratulations to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the Republic of Korea and Canada. President Lee said the two nations, who share a very special relationship that began with the dispatch of Canadian troops to Korea in the Korean War, have achieved noteworthy developments in their relationship in a wide range of sectors since official ties were first established in 1963. He said the two nations were cooperating closely for peace, stability, and global governance on both the Korean Peninsula and in the international community and that he hoped the celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties would serve as an opportunity to begin a new chapter in bilateral ties. Governor General Johnston said Canada and Korea have developed into close allies, beginning even before the establishment of official ties with Canadas dispatch of troops to Korea in the 19501953 Korean War. He said that since the establishment of ties, both countries have played an important role in generating prosperity, and that he hoped mutually beneficial ties would continue to develop in the future.

KOREA JOINS SECURITY COUNCIL AS NON-PERMANENT MEMBER

Korea has joined the influential UN Security Council (UNSC) as a non-permanent member for 20132014. Korea was selected for the position through a UN General Assembly vote in October 2010. The election to the UNSC is a fruit of Koreas diplomatic efforts, including its successful hosting of the 2010 G20 Seoul Summit, the 2011 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, and the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. With its selection to the UNSC, Korea hopes to expand its contributions to international peace and security, strengthen its leadership and elevate its international prestige. It will also expand its diplomatic horizons and bolster its multilateral diplomacy capacity through direct and active participation in discussions on international peace and security.

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GLOBAL KOREA

moon... I will do my best with the pride of a Korean special forces operator wearing the mark of both the UN and the Korean flag. Operating out of Tyre, Lebanon as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the Dongmyeong Unit represents what is currently Koreas largest contribution to international peacekeeping efforts. First deployed to the region in July 2007, the unit has enjoyed the longest tenure of any Korean peacekeeping deployment ever. It has earned praise from both military and civilian officials for its contributions to maintaining peace and stability in Lebanon and promoting cultural exchange between Korea and this important Middle Eastern nation.

Bringing Peace to a Languished Land

Koreas longest-serving peacekeeping force, the Dongmyeong Unit, is working to rebuild southern Lebanon
Written by Robert Koehler Photographs courtesy of People Who Love Soldiers Deployed Overseas (http://cafe.daum.net/jcspao)

Keeping the Peace

The Dongmyeong Unit is just one piece of UNIFIL, which first deployed to southern Lebanon in March 1978 to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli forces that had invaded just five days earlier. Over two decades and several invasions later, UNIFIL is still performing its mission, with over 11,000 troops enforcing the southern Lebanese buffer zone and providing humanitarian aid to the local population. The Dongmyeong Unit is based in Tyre, an ancient and strategic port city just 20 km from the Blue Line, the Israeli withdrawal line which more or less follows the border between Lebanon and Israel. Along with the rest of UNIFIL, the unit is tasked with preventing the entry of illegal armed combatants into southern Lebanon, as well as serving as military observers, carrying out

reconnaissance, and performing civil affairs operations. The Dongmyeong Units performance has been excellent. Since its deployment to Tyre, it has carried out over 14,000 patrols and 2,000 disposals of ordinance. More importantly, there have been no reported incidents of hostilities throughout the units five years of service.

The Korean wave blooms in the Levant

Koreas operations in Lebanon have focused on more than just peacekeeping. The Dongmyeong Unit has also engaged in improving the quality of life of local residents and promoting cultural exchange. The units medical team has treated over 40,000 patients. Some of the most popular programs operated by the

O
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n January 17, the Dongmyeong Unit marked its 12th rotation in a ceremony at the base of the 7th Airborne Special Forces Brigade in Iksan, Jeollabuk-do. Overseen by Cho Jung-hwan, Chief of Staff of the ROK Army, the event was attended by about 800 people, including the 308 men scheduled for deployment to Lebanon beginning January 28. This rotation includes 33 soldiers who have studied abroad, including unit translator Pvt. Kim Ha-neul who majored in Arabic at Saudi Arabias Islamic University of al-Madinah, and Pvt. Jeon Hong-geun who attended Oxford University. Jeon told Yonhap News, It has been my dream to make Korea shine on the international stage like UN Secretary General Ban Ki-

1. UNIFIL Western District commander Gen. Carlo La Mana (Italy) hands out UNIFIL medal to Korean troops, 2011 2. Korean troops play with children during civil affairs operation

unit, however, are its Korean language, taekwondo, and computer classes. The taekwondo classes have proven especially popularsome 294 local students have studied with the unit so far, with 47 earning belts. Over 140 Lebanese have also visited Korea as part of the units cultural promotion program. The Dongmyeong Unit has also teamed up with Korean NGOs to help bring relief to southern Lebanon, which is now dealing with an influx of refugees from neighboring Syria. The Beautiful Store, a thrift shop operated by the charitable organization the Beautiful Foundation, delivered about 3,000 articles of clothing, shoes, and toys to the Dongmyeong Unit on January 16. The Dongmyeong Unit will distribute the articles to those in need through next month.

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M Y

K O R E A

OF NEW YEARS PAST

Longtime Korea resident Peter Bartholomew describes Lunar New Years celebrations when he first came to Korea in 1968
Written by Peter Bartholomew Illustrated by Kim Yoon-Myong

first arrived in Korea in January 1968. Many married women and most older men still wore Hanbok (traditional dress) as their standard daily attire. Only a handful of high-rise buildings existed in Seoul; commercial structures were one to three stories. There were no apartments anywhere in the country, and central heating and indoor plumbing were virtually unknown. I did not realize it then, but I was seeing the last few years of the old Korea, with so much of its original culture still dominant.
42

Within a few days of arriving in Seoul I was sent off to the east coast of Gangwon-do, where I lived for the next five years. I had the great fortune of living on the Seongyojang estate first built by a Joseon Dynasty aristocrat in the 18th century. It was the equivalent of a British stately home and still occupied by the original owner, a gracious lady born in the 1880s whom I simply called Halmeoni (grandmother). There was no electricity; we lived a quintessentially Joseonperiod life in all respects. All interior heating and cooking was with wood fires under the ondol floors, and running

water consisted of running to the well, drawing water, and running back to the kitchen. One day in early February there was a sudden invasion of numerous kind female relatives of Halmeonis who had arrived by train and bus from Seoul, a 12-hour trip over dirt roads. The women arrived laden with huge bundles of food, wine, and gifts. Upon arrival they immediately started the complex process of preparing for the New Year ceremonies and festivities. Everything was directed by Halmeoni. Their preparation of tteok (traditional rice cakes) consisted of grinding rice into flour, making dough, pounding the dough with large wooden mallets, rolling out the dough to make each cake, etc. Preparation of the fillings was equally time consuming. The Seongyojang estate had several kitchens; the women used at least two of them for the gujeong preparations. The atmosphere of the principal, mammoth kitchen was dark and cold, filled with smoke, steam, and the aroma of mouth wateringly delicious foods. The internal roof beams, nearly five meters high, were black with the smoke of 300 years of daily cooking. The enormous cast iron rice cooker bubbled, gurgled, and steamed, foam seeping out around the edges. Some ladies were occupied cutting and cleaning meats, fish, and vegetables for cooking, while others were in charge of the fried foods or boiled delicacies. When guests arrived they were given a simple but delicious bowl of tteokguk with sprinkles of dried

seaweed and thin slivers of spring onion, and of course, two or three varieties of kimchi. Finally, the time had come for jaesa, the ancestor memorial ceremony. Foods were stacked in perfect traditional geometric patterns on special ceremonial porcelain, brass, and bronze dishes and stands, put on large wooden trays, and then carried by the men to the ceremonial hall (sadang) to be placed on each of the three altars for the last three generations of the Son Kyo Jang family. The final setting in the sadang was somber, dignified, and impressive, with two candles, an incense burner, and stacks of food. The ceremony took over one hour, starting with yusaecha and recitation of the history of each head of household from 1703 to the present. Presiding over the scene were portraits of each of these three ancestors. Another elaborate ceremony subsequently took place at the hillside grave sites of each of the ancestors for 13 generations of Seongyojang family, again with food, wine, and incense offered to the spirits of the deceased, all carried by the young men to these many hillside graves. The feast following the jaesa was magnificent! We could not even see the wooden surfaces of the table; every square centimeter was so heavily laden with side dishes of every culinary variety, all perfectly and aesthetically presented. Men sat at one very long table, while the women and children were seated in a separate room for their feast. Wine, constant discussion of every subject imaginable, and catching up on family affairs went on for hours into the night.

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MULTICULTURAL KOREA

NOT YOUR AVERAGE KOREAN

TEACHER
Written by Ben Jackson Photographed by RAUM Studio

SNU Professor Robert Fouser on Korean language education and architectural preservation

hen youre enjoying a day off from work on October 9 this year, Robert Fouser will partly be the one to thank for it. The recent recipient of a commendation from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism for his role in raising the profile of Korean language education, Fouser has developed a strong relationship with Korean culture since first coming to the country in the early 1980sa relationship that has seen him translating books on understanding Korean literature, writing regular newspaper columns, fighting to save old buildings in his Seoul neighborhood, renovating a Hanok of his own, campaigning successfully to have Hangeul Day restored to the status of an official public holiday, and becoming one of a small handful of foreigners who are deeply involved in teaching Korean as a foreign language.

PhD in Applied Linguistics at Trinity College, Dublin. A few years later, he began a 13-year period of living in Japan, during which time he was able to make frequent visits to Korea. For seven years, he penned a weekly column titled Cultural Dimensions in the Korea Herald. It was mostly culture-based, but strayed into socio-politics sometimes, he says.

foreigners to get involved with teaching the Korean language. The government knows that if a language is to be international, it needs to have various spokespersons, including foreigners, he says.

Cultural (re)development
Im not an architect, but all this started when I was living in Nuha-dong in 2009, says Fouser of his involvement with Koreas ongoing controversy over urban redevelopment. Nuha-dong is one of the neighborhoods that comprise Seochon, an area to the west of Seouls Gyeongbokgung Palace that contains many of the citys few remaining traditional Hanok homes. Fouser found himself in the middle of a raging dispute between those in favor of preserving the areas architectural heritage and a group of disgruntled local residents impatient to have the neighborhood redeveloped. When asked what it is that keeps him in the country, he is unromantic, citing practical reasons such as employment. But his fondness for the local culture is obviously genuine, as further demonstrated by his current project to renovate a Hanok back in Seochon. Each step of the renovation has been welldocumented, punctuated by holding a traditional sangnyangsik, the ceremony held when placing the all-important roof ridge beam in place. At a time when the Korean language is gradually attracting more international learners, Fousers expertise in teaching it places him in a good position to meet this growing demand. It remains to be seen how his relationship with Korean culture will keep on developing.
45

East Asian education

Fouser is a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he began his affinity for East Asia by majoring in Japanese language and literature at the University of Michigan. In true Japanese style, Fouser found his attention turning to continental Asia. Persuaded by Chinese and Korean friends at the time of the relative benefits of Korea as a destination, he headed to Seoul National University to spend a year of language study. Korea was in the middle of an economic boom at the time, and preparing for the [1988] Olympics, he says. From 2006 to 2008, Fouser took an important step in his career as a proponent of Korean language education, developing a Korean language program at Kagoshima University. I thought my students might be surprised to see a gaijin introducing himself as their Korean teacher, but they didn't show much reaction at all, he laughs. In 2008, Fouser moved to Korea and took a position teaching Korean language education at Seoul National University, the place where he himself had grappled with the language in the early 1980s. The commendation was a bit of a surprise, says Fouser. He wonders if it may have been a reflection of the governments desire to encourage more

Cultural dimensions
In 1993, Fouser began studying for a
44

TALES FROM KOREA

Kongjwi and Patjwi

koreas Cinderalla tale offers insight into old Korea
Written by Kang Juwon Illustrated by Shim Soo-keun

he story of Kongjwi and Patjwi is a beloved and popular Korean folktale made around the late Joseon period. The folktale is known to exist in 17 variant forms, and the novel version was first published in 1928. Often compared to the Western fairy tell of Cinderella for sharing common motifs, Kongjwi and Patjwi also features a wicked stepmother, a misplaced shoe, and helper-characters with magical powers. The universal theme of good prevailing over evil is also found in both. These commonalities appear in almost all variations of the more than 1,000 Cinderella-type stories known to exist worldwide. These commonalities notwithstanding, Kongjwi and Patjwi differs markedly from its Western counterpart in that the Korean story does not feature a wedding denouement. The protagonist, Kongjwi, does marry her Prince Charming but the story is far from over. Nor do they live happily. In fact, the so called Prince Charmingcharming as he may bedoes not guarantee Kongjwi any happiness.

Ironically, the marriage is only a harbinger of more hardships to come. It instigates the jealous stepsister, Patjwi, to murder Kongjwi and take her place. But more importantly, perhaps, is the fact that only by sheer will and determination is Kongjwi resurrected and able to avenge her own death. Among the many different foreign adaptations of Kongjwi and Patjwi, American author Shirley Climos The Korean Cinderella (HarperCollins, 1993) is arguably the most popular and widely-read version of its kind. A childrens book by design, The Korean Cinderella is said to be a retelling based on three of the half a dozen Korean Cinderella variants. The book is highly regarded for its detailed research of Korean culture, not to mention its colorful and vibrant illustrations. The only caveat is that the story in itself is none other than the Western Cinderella story, only with Korean characters set in Joseon Dynasty. Like the Western Cinderella story, Climos story ends when the protagonist, Pear Blossom, marries her Prince Charming, the magistrate, and the two live happily ever after. The original version of Kongjwi and Patjwi gives the audience a rare insight into the morals, values, and customs of the day. For instance, Kongjwis

resurrection and transformationfirst into a lotus flower and later into a marblereveals some elements of shamanism that were present in Joseon. Shamanism, an indigenous religion of Korea, was centered on the belief that life force exists in all natural objects. Lotus flowers or marbles themselves are recurring motifs in Korean literature that symbolize immortality and perfection. Similarly, the difficult tasks handed out by the stepmother in the beginning of the story reflect agrarian life in Joseon. Tasks such as filling the water jar, weaving hemp cloth, and crushing rice were all typical chores expected to be done by women. The universal and unique nature of Kongjwi and Patjwi is its appeal. In the story, Kongjwis stepmother is also seen handing out difficult tasks. Unlike the Western story, however, these are practical everyday chores which are handed out to both stepsisters. With help, Kongjwi only does a better job while Patjwi fails trying. If the storys familiarity renders it amiable, its uniqueness gives it meaning. And, in a way, the storys uniqueness has not been fully uncovered. This Korean folktale still has much to offer both as art and entertainment.

46

47

G R E AT K O R E A N

1. Ssireum (Korean Wrestling) 2. Seodang (Confucian School) 3. Chum Chuneun Ai (Dancing Child)

K
DANWON KIM HONG-DO
Korean painter revealed everyday life of Joseon Korea
Written by Kang Juwon Photographs courtesy of National Museum of Korea

im Hong-do (17451806?), also known by his pen name Danwon, was a grandmaster painter during the Joseon Dynasty. A versatile painter who excelled at all areas of paintings, Kim is most famous for his genre paintingspaintings that depict everyday life by portraying ordinary people engaged in common activities. In his 20s, Kim was already a member of the esteemed Dohwaseo, the official painters of the royal court. At the age of 37, Kim painted the portrait of King Jeongjothe crowning accomplishment of his illustrious career. Kim later went on to paint more than 300 paintings, almost all of which are still held in high regard today. He is arguably the most beloved painter in Korean history. Kim is especially loved for his genre paintings. Many Koreans find his candid, precise, and witty depictions of common people a joy to behold. But what sets Kims paintings apart is his ability to present contradicting notions of energy and lethargy in a single setting. This harmonious coexistence of relaxed tranquility and dynamic forcefulness is a central theme in many of Kims genre paintings. For instance, in his painting Ssirum, two wrestlers are grappling each other in an attempt to upend the opponent to the ground. In the midst of all this action, a taffy peddler,who seems utterly oblivious to the match is going about his business without a care in the world. Similarly in Tajak, which depicts farmers harvesting in the fields, the farmers are hard at work while a lazy supervisor, lying on his side, watches on as if he couldnt be bothered. It is this hidden duality that makes each of Kims genre paintings a classic work of art. Apart from his life as a painter, Kim was also known for his good looks and love of music. Although it was forbidden for the middle class to have portraits of themselves, there are numerous references attesting to his charm and good looks. Meanwhile, there are also many accounts of him playing different musical instruments with great finesse. Indeed, it is believed that the character portrayed as playing the geomungo (a six-stringed Korean zither) in his painting Danwondo is meant to be Kim himself.
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48

How to Write Hangeul (Korean Alphabet)

Gotgamssam & Sujeonggwa

Written by Monica Suk Photographed by RAUM Studio

Hangeul is the Korean alphabet. Hangeul was created in 1443 by King Sejong and scholars at Jiphyeonjeon (Hall of the Assembled Sages). Prior to the creation of Hangeul, spoken Korean was transcribed using Chinese characters. However, because Chinese characters were difficult for the common people to use, access to the Chinese transcription system was limited only to the privileged classes. Hangeul was invented to enable ordinary people to express their ideas easily in writing.

Vowel

Name

Romani- How to zation write

Consonant

Name
giyeok ssang giyeok kieuk digeut ssang digeut tieut bieup ssang bieup pieup jieut ssang jieut chieut siot ssang siot hieut nieun mieum ieung rieul

Romani- How to zation write

Syllable Structure
The shapes of syllables vary, depending on the consonantvowel combination. Korean syllables are written by combining the beginning, middle, and ending sound, not side by side. EX) (X) / () These vowels are written to the right of the consonants.

henever traditional holidays are near, it is not difficult to see dried persimmons being sold at supermarkets. Soft dried persimmons are a dessert beloved by Koreans of all ages and are also used as an ingredient to make gotgamssam and sujeonggwa. Just as chocolate goes perfectly with macadamia nuts, dried persimmon creates a heavenly flavor with walnuts. Gotgamssam is a semi-dried persimmon that embraces roasted walnuts inside instead of its seed. The simplicity of the dessert matches well with the sweet and rich taste of sujeonggwa, a traditional Korean beverage made by simmering cinnamon sticks, sugar, and dried persimmons. It is usually served chilled like punch, but drinking it hot will arouse the warm earthy flavor of cinnamon. Both gotgamssam and sujeonggwa are consumed primarily during holidays like the Lunar New Year, but they can be seen at special occasions like weddings as well.

Bowls provided by cermaic workshop YIDO.
YIDO Hours: 10am to 7pm, closed on the third Sunday of the month T. 02-722-0756, www.yido.kr Getting there Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 2. Walk 15 minutes.

a eo o u eu i ae e oe wi ya yeo yo yu yae ye wa wae wo we ui

g kk k d tt t b pp p j jj ch s ss h n m ng r/l

C C C V C C

,,,,,,,,

These vowels are written below the consonants.

, , , ,

These vowels are written around the consonants.

, , , , , , C

Lets Make a Korean Word

Fill in the boxes to spell the word Hangeul.

HAN GEUL

Korean letters are written from top to bottom and from left to right.

50

Priority / Priorilaire By airmail / Par avion

IBRS / CCRI N : 10024-40730
NO STAMP REQUIRED

NE PAS AFFRANCHIR

REPLY PAID / RPONSE PAYE RPONSE PAYE

KOCIS
15 Hyoja-ro, Jongno-gu Seoul (110-040) Republic of Korea

Korean New Years clothing provided by Lee Hun Chung, The Classic. T. 02-793-4853, http://leehunchung.instudy.kr

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