표지+세네카최종 2010.11.

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People & Culture

NOVEMBER 2010

November 2010 www.korea.net

SEOUL SUMMIT
SHARED GROWTH BEYOND CRISIS

BUKCHON HANOK VILLAGE

AUTUMN IN SEOUL
FIFA U-17 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
KOREA’S BIG VICTORY
www.korea.net

ISSN: 2005-2162
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PRELUDE

The Beauty of Korea The

Daegokcheon Stream Petroglyphs are
works of rock art engraved on three-
kilometer-long cliffs located in the
Daegokcheon Stream, Ulsan City, in the
southeast of Korea. They include the
Bangudae Petroglyphs in Daegok-ri
(National Treasure No. 285) and the
Petroglyphs in Cheonjeon-ri (National
Treasure No. 147, pictured on this page).
In existence since the prehistoric age, the
petroglyphs are all still virtually intact, as
are the other diverse relics in this region.
The Daegokcheon Stream area was
included on UNESCO’s Tentative List of
World Heritage sites in January 2010.
ⓒ Choi Ji-young
11월호목차 2010.11.3 11:41 AM 페이지 1 mac4 1130-4CL-out
CONTENTS
NOVEMBER 2010 VOL. 6 NO. 11
COVER STORY 04 PEN & BRUSH 20
The world’s top leaders are headed to Now 14 years into her career as an author,
Seoul as the G20 convenes in Asia for the Jo Kyung-ran believes that she was simply
first time. Korea – a wealthy nation only born to write. She continues to work with
having recently emerged from poverty – will often feverish intensity, and it’s little
be put to the test in its role as mediator. wonder Jo feels her best is yet to come.
TRAVEL 30
It’s fall in Seoul, and with the chilly
autumn air comes the beauty of colorful
foliage. Nowhere captures this stunning
scenery better than Bukchon and
Samcheong-dong, both of which welcome
visitors with all the charms of old Korea.
PEOPLE 24
Less than two months after the Korean
women’s squad came in third at the FIFA
U-20 World Cup, the U-17s went one
better and took the cup. Read the story
behind Korea’s teenage world champions.
MY KOREA 36
A university English instructor from Canada
is in awe of his Korean students’ devotion
to education and drive to prosper – but
wonders whether they might not be missing
out on something.
GLOBAL KOREA 40
Having helped build and shape Korea into
an economic power, some older Koreans
are volunteering overseas, providing the
kind of help and wisdom that only comes
with a lifetime of experience.
www.korea.net
NOW IN KOREA 44
You’re never far from keen-looking
photographers armed with the latest in
lavish photography gear. These snappers
are a part of Korea’s growing army of
amateurs, whose skills and devotion
could potentially put the pros to shame.
PUBLISHER Seo Kang-soo,
Korean Culture and Information Service
EDITING HEM KOREA Co., Ltd
E-MAIL webmaster@korea.net
PRINTING Samsung Moonwha Printing Co.
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.
The articles published in KOREA do not necessarily
represent the views of the publisher. The publisher is
not liable for errors or omissions.
Letters to the editor should include the writer’s full
name and address. Letters may be edited for clarity
and/or space restrictions.
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.
발간등록번호 : 11-1110073-000016-06
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COVER STORY

G20 ARRIVES
IN SEOUL
The 5th Group of 20 Summit is taking place in Seoul from November 11 to 12.
The summit in Seoul promises to be an especially important event as world lead-
ers look to reshape the global economic order. KOREA takes a look at the country
as it prepares for the event, and examines the significance of holding it here.
by Kwon Kyeong-hui | photograph by Kim Nam-heon

A huge welcoming wall celebrating the G20 Seoul Summit is displayed at Seoul City Hall.
G20 Seoul Summit PR ambassador and world-champion figure skater, Kim Yu-na graces
the wall shown here from the vantage point of Seoul Plaza’s grassy knoll.
04-17 cover story수정 2010.11.3
President Lee Myung-bak, sec-
ond from left, is shown at the
G20 Summit meeting in Toronto
in June (above). Newly appoint-
ed Prime Minister Kim Hwang-
sik gives remarks at the G20
Security Relationship Minister’s
Conference in October (below).
Korean special police officers
patrol at Gimpo Airport in Seoul
in October as Korea’s police
are on high alert to thwart
possible threats or disruptions
of safety (opposite).
KOREA
NOVEMBER
06 2010
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First came the Seoul Summer Olympics
in 1988. Then, Korea co-hosted (along
with Japan) the FIFA World Cup in 2002.
Now, eight years later, Korea is once again
set to have its day in the international sun
as it hosts the G20 Summit this month.
While the Olympics and the World Cup
were of profound importance to a coun-
try ravaged by war and poverty just a few
decades earlier, the G20 Summit takes
Korea’s development to a new level: From
the periphery of the global order, Korea
will be taking its place at the table of
economic powers.
It may lack the shrills and thrills of a
sports tournament, and public interest in
the economic minutiae certainly won’t match the passion of Korea’s soccer fans, but in
shaping issues that will directly affect people’s economic wellbeing worldwide, the G20 is by
far a more important event. Held for the first time in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, the
G20 Summit is now the highest-level forum for tackling global economic issues worldwide.
With international talk now turning to the possibility of “currency wars,” Seoul’s role as host
of the summit couldn’t be any more relevant.
BUILDING THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL ORDER In hosting the G20 Summit, Korea is achieving a
trio of firsts. It is the first non-member of the G7, a developed countries’ club, to host the
event, as well as being the first Asian country, and first emerging economy. By bringing the
world’s most powerful leaders together, Korea has managed to position itself as a mediator
and facilitator on the biggest economic and political stage in the world.
“This is the result of recognition by heads of state of our accumulated national power and
achievements,” said Lee Chang-yong, head of the planning and coordination division at the
Presidential Committee for the G20 Summit. “We’re the host of the G20 just 19 years after
joining the United Nations.”
The G20 forum was established in 1999 by combining the G7 with 12 emerging economies,
plus the European Union. In expanding, the G20 was con-
tinuing a trend toward progressively larger economic
forums that began in 1975, just after the first oil crisis,
ⓒ Seoul Economy Daily (far left); Yonhap News Agency (left)
with the formation of the G6.
Today, after playing a lead role in dealing with the 2008
financial crisis, the G20 is an important body for global
financial regulations. At the inaugural summit, held in
Washington D.C. in November 2008, the G20 leaders
debated ways to counter the economic crisis following
the collapse of Lehman Brothers, a US investment bank. ⓒ Yonhap News Agency
At the 2nd and 3rd summits, respectively in London and
Pittsburgh, the focus remained on countering the crisis.
The combined efforts of these three meetings are widely
credited with helping the global economy recover more
04-17 cover story수정 2010.11.3
The G20 High-Level
Development Conference,
ahead of the G20 Seoul
Summit, is held under the
theme of “Development
Partnership for Shared
Growth” in Seoul in October
(above). Finance ministers and
central governors take part at
the G20 Finance Ministers and
Central Bank Governors’
Meeting in Busan in June
(opposite bottom).
KOREA
NOVEMBER
08 2010
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gap, head of global research at the Samsung Economic
Research Institute. “But if Korea can produce tangible results
from the Korea Initiatives and the Business Summit, then the
country will be recognized as the source of those ideas.”
REWRITING THE RULES With so many pressing issues at
hand, analysts believe that Seoul could witness some funda-
mental shifts in global economic policy and regulations. In
the two years since the financial crisis, governments have
been hard at work coming up with ways to prevent a recur-
rence, and those discussions should be wrapped up in Seoul.
So far, national and financial leaders have focused much of
their efforts on building global financial safety nets. And once
again, due to its recent history, Korea brings first-hand
experience to the table. In the late 1990s, Korea’s economy
suffered a massive shock due to a temporary lack of foreign
currency reserves. In response, Korea has built up enormous
stockpiles of foreign currency in the years since. However, to
try and prevent other countries from suffering the same fate,
Korea is now proposing a series of globally administered,
multi-layered safety measures to tackle liquidity problems
before they turn into a full-blown crisis.
quickly than expected. GOOD START ON CURRENCY IN GYEONGJU The currency issue, over which many countries Minister of Strategy and
Finance Yoon Jeung-hyun
Perhaps Korea’s most important task is the “Korea Initiatives,” a range of policy measures remained at odds, got off to a solid start. At the G20 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central communicates with Kim
Choong-soo, Governor of the
aimed at bolstering global financial security nets, among other things. Having only relatively Bank Governors, held in Gyeongju at the end of October when the world was waging currency Bank of Korea, at the G20
recently emerged from poverty itself, Korea occupies an almost unique position in global wars, participants produced an international agreement for a successful ending, exceeding Finance Ministers and Central
Bank Governors’ Meeting in
diplomacy, enjoying the trust of both developing nations and developed countries. This makes earlier expectations. Busan (top). Mounted police
Korea very well placed to try and implement its ambitious policy goals. On the “currency war” involving the US and China, financial leaders agreed to limit individ- patrol around the COEX
center during a traffic order
Financial safety nets, in Korea’s view, should go beyond just responding to volatility in ual governments’ involvement in foreign currency markets. The US had initially pressed China campaign (above).
capital markets, and instead look to prevent it. To do this, Korea has proposed reforming the to reduce the current account surpluses and deficits to within 4% of the gross domestic prod-
International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) preventive funding system, developing alternative uct. And the US tried to institutionalize the reduction of trade surpluses by forcing China,
methods for handling the systematic crises, and operating regional safety nets in cooperation with the world’s biggest trade surpluses, to carry out an appreciation of the yuan (a decrease
with the IMF. in value of the yuan in relation to US dollar). And with the US presenting this idea at the
Korea also believes that its own experience of overcoming poverty could hold useful lessons Gyeongju meeting, the two giants looked to be on a collision course.
ⓒ Seoul Economy Daily (top, bottom); Yonhap News Agency (middle)
for other developing countries, and is looking to institutionalize the G20’s role in helping But Korea as the chair nation served as the willing mediator, and the joint statement includ-
those nations grow. Already, a good degree of consensus has been built over proposals related ed a clause about keeping governments out of foreign currency markets and moving toward a
to infrastructure, private investment and job creation, human resources development, trade, more market-determined exchange rate system. And as for the reform of the International
improving access to financial services, and food security. Monetary Fund (IMF), one of the con-
Besides wielding considerable power of the course of the G20 Summit, Korea also stands to tentious issues at the G20, the US and
reap major economic benefits. A recent study by The Korea International Trade Association European quotas were handed over to
concluded that the economic effects could be worth between 21.6 trillion (US$19.4 billion) emerging economies so that their IMF
and 31.2 trillion won over the course of 2011. In addition, with a meeting of world business shares will rise by more than 6%.
ⓒ Yonhap News Agency
leaders running alongside the G20 Summit, those few days in November could also play a China made concessions on the
major role in the efforts of the private sector to keep the global recovery on track. currency issue, and the US and Europe
“At previous summits, countries have faced conflicting interests and extremely slow did the same on IMF reform. The major
progress, which made it difficult to produce too many groundbreaking ideas,” said Kim Deuk- players agreed that if a compromise could
KOREA
NOVEMBER
2010 09
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not be reached, then everyone would lose, and Korea proved to be the perfect
mediator. The foreign press had positive reviews of the Gyeongju conference,
as countries got themselves on the same page for implementing a market-
determined exchange rate system, limiting competitive devaluation of EUROPEAN COMPANION

currencies, and on improving the governance of the IMF. The success of the UNITED KINGDOM
conference has lead to a positive outlook for the G20 Summit. GERMANY
RUSSIA
The Korean government and the Presidential Committee for the G20 Seoul CANADA FRANCE CHINA
Summit have concluded that currency issues and the reform of international
agencies have been taken care of, and they want to center on development and ITALY TURKEY JAPAN
UNITED STATES OF INDIA
trade agendas at the Sherpa meetings scheduled in early November. On the AMERICA
development agenda, the focus will likely be on producing detailed plans for MEXICO REPUBLIC OF
implementation, based on discussions so far. Talks have dealt with develop- KOREA
SAUDI ARABIA
ment aid for trade to help with potential growth rates for developing
economies, maintaining market development, and expanding support on INDONESIA
duty-free and quota-free (DFQF). On the trade agenda, leaders are expected BRAZIL
to discuss the prevention of new barriers and restarting the stalled AUSTRALIA
negotiations on the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). REPUBLIC OF
SOUTH AFRICA

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH At the previous summit in Toronto, the ambassa- ARGENTINA
dors said, the attending leaders decided to postpone many decisions until
< MEMBER COUNTRIES OF THE G20 SUMMIT >
their next meeting, meaning Seoul could see a raft of crucial resolutions and
agreements going through. In addition, participating countries are all watch-
ing to see if the Seoul meeting will confirm the G20 as the world’s highest
multilateral forum for discussing economic issues, or whether its size will ren- Canada, the world’s second-largest country by land mass, will send Prime Minister Stephen Internal and external social
organization’s representatives
der it helpless in the face of tough decisions. Harper to discuss its concerns. Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan will also be in Seoul, as and G20 Sherpa officials attend
The G20 Summit was born of the notion that, in the wake of the financial will Chinese President Hu Jintao, who expects the G20 Summit to become fully institutional- the Civil G20 Dialogue 2010 to
discuss the G20 Seoul
crisis of 2008, fixing problems would require the input and help of developing ized following the Seoul summit. Britain, represented by Prime Minister David Cameron, has Summit’s agenda in Incheon in
October (opposite above).
economies. With the summit now being held for the first time in an emerging played a major role in promoting the G20’s separate meetings for the member nations’ finance President Lee Myung-bak
economy, many analysts believe that the Seoul meeting will offer a proper ministers. It is looking to the G20 to continue playing a central role in the world’s economic makes a keynote speech at the
G20 Sherpa Meeting in Seoul in
gauge of whether the G20’s lofty global aspirations can be met. recovery and growth, while also facilitating a wider coordination of policies by big economies. July (opposite below).
“The G20 declaration from Toronto includes eight references to decisions France, the next host, is perhaps taking the closest interest in the success of the Seoul
to delay reaching conclusions on issues until the Seoul summit. That shows summit. Germany, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, has also been central in launching the
how much work Seoul has to do,” said Han Duck-soo, Korea’s ambassador to G8 and G20 Financial Ministers’ Meetings. It will guide discussions toward strengthening
the United States. “The US thinks the success of G20 will be determined in regulations on international financial markets and sustainable economic development.
Seoul and the expectations are high.” Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will be in Seoul as well. In addition to its push for

ⓒ Yonhap News Agency (opposite above); Seoul Economy Daily (left)

Along with leaders from the 19 G20 nations and the European Union, the a response to maritime disasters, Russia is expected to seek solutions to newer problems
G20 Summit in Seoul will be hosting top brass from the UN, international regarding supplies of food and energy.
agencies and several other invited countries. A total of 33 heads of state or Argentina, the second-largest economy in South America, will be represented by President
international agency chiefs will make the trip. Cristina Fernández, and Australia, the sixth-largest country in the world, will be sending its
The US President Barack Obama will be one of them. For the G20 Summit prime minister, Julia Gillard. The other leaders will be Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da
to become a major institution and not just another talking shop, the commit- Silva; European Council President Herman Van Rompuy; Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
ment of the US is crucial. Singh; Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono; Italian Prime Minister Silvio
The United States is a member of the five-nation G20 operating group and Berlusconi; Mexican President Felipe Calderón; Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz;
will play a central role in forming the agenda and producing results. The sum- South African President Jacob Zuma; and Turkish President Abdulla Gül.
mit will also be an opportunity for the United States and Korea to take further Invited leaders such as Spain, the Netherlands and Malawi, which currently holds the rotat-
action on the new alliance their leaders agreed to last year, thereby deepening ing presidency of the African Union, as well as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and IMF
ties between Seoul and Washington. President Dominique Strauss-Kahn, will also travel to Seoul.

KOREA KOREA
NOVEMBER NOVEMBER
10 2010 2010 11
04-17 cover story수정 2010.11.3
Attendants from Cheongsa-
chorong (a traditional Korean
lantern that is also the symbol
of the G20 Seoul Summit) e-
Reporter, an online community
for the promotion of the G20
Seoul Summit, are shown at the
welcoming ceremony in Seoul
in September (above). Park Ji-
sung, Korean football star and
also an ambassador for the
G20 Seoul Summiit holds
“G20 Football Class,” an
event wishing for the G20
Summit’s success in Suwon in
September (opposite above).
Korean government threw a
trial drill preparing an unex-
pected accident of aircraft,
for the successful host of the
G20 Seoul Summit, in October
(opposite below).
KOREA
NOVEMBER
12 2010
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A NATION EXPECTS Having invited so many distinguished guests, the Korean government is
pulling out all the stops to ensure the event is a success. The National Museum of Korea will KOREA
stage a special exhibit, “Masterpieces of Goryeo Buddhist Paintings-A Long Lost Look after UNVEILS
G20
700 Years,” to let the international delegations get a closer look at Korean culture. The exhibit COMMEM-
will feature 61 Goryeo-era Buddhist paintings, plus 47 other relics. ORATIVE
A string of cultural events will take place across Seoul around the time of the summit. PASSPORT
STAMPS
Yeakdang of the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts will stage Taepyeong
Seogok (Prelude to Wishing for Peace), an 80-minute performance based on the 60th birthday
banquet thrown by Joseon Dynasty King Jeongjo for his mother, Queen Hyegyeonggung, at
the Hwaseong Bongsudang fortress in Suwon. To mark the opening of the summit, a concert
will be held featuring artists from each of the G20’s member nations. The Asia Song Festival To commemorate the G20
Summit in Seoul in
will bring together 15 top artists from across Asia, while the 2010 Korea International Music
November, the Korean gov-
Festival and 2010 Seoul Performing Arts Festival will also be held during the summit. ernment has released a
Visitors will also have the chance to learn more about Korea’s history of the past 60 years series of passport stamps
depicting images of Korean
using high-tech Multi Touch Screen (MTS) equipment. This time travel technology lets
culture and history. The
spectators select a spot along Cheonggyecheon Stream and look at the past, present and the stamps will be used in the
future of the area. The large screen displays Korean attractions elected by UNESCO, including passports of foreigners vis-
iting Seoul over the period.
Bulguksa Temple in the historic city of Gyeongju.
Besides the G20 stamps,
The Korean government is going to great lengths to ensure the event has the best possible the government is releas-
food. While preparing the finest traditional Korean cuisine, the organizing committee is ing stamps celebrating the
country’s immigration serv-
arranging a wide range of international dishes, with minor adjustments to the menu to fit the
ice and Visit Korea Year.
requirements of all the heads of state. “We can’t serve pork or food with pork grease for repre- Numerous different colors
sentatives of Muslim states like and styles have been used
to promote Korea’s beauty
33 HEADS OF STATE, A VERY BUSY SCHEDULE Gathering 33 of the world’s busiest people in Saudi Arabia and Indonesia,” a
to travelers.
one city is no small feat. and throughout the two-day conference, they will be even busier than committee representative said.
usual. All 33 leaders are set to arrive in Seoul on November 10, with the summit’s welcoming “We will pay extra attention to
reception at the National Museum of Korea scheduled to begin at 6pm the next day. Through details of leaders’ preferences
the course of the dinner and reception, the leaders will have perhaps their best chance to get are concerned.”
a good look at Korea’s rich cultural relics on this visit. The organizers are also doing
The working dinner begins at 7pm, with leaders meeting to discuss the summit agenda all they can to create the best
and engage in a more informal exchange of views. A separate dinner will be hosted for the working environment for inter-
spouses of participating leaders, following which all the first couples will be driven to a national journalists. Kim He-
dozen different hotels across Seoul. beom, the committee’s PR chief,
Meetings will begin in earnest at 9am on November 12 at COEX in Samseong-dong in said, “The number of Korean
southern Seoul. In the morning, there will be two sessions of the general meeting, followed and foreign journalists could
by a photo-op and meetings with youth leaders. After a working lunch, two more sessions reach 4,000, if you count the
ⓒ Yonhap News Agency (above); Seoul Economy Daily (below)
will take place. Up for discussion will be such weighty topics as overcoming the global traveling press. That will exceed
financial crisis, strengthening banks’ asset structure, supervision of large financial the 3,500 press people at the
institutions and the financial sector’s use of public funds. The leaders will also debate Toronto summit, which was
the issue of global financial safety nets, as well as development issues for non-G20 members. already a record number.”
At around 4 pm, President Lee Myung-bak will read a joint communiqué as representative To help the journalists,
of the host nation. A press conference will then take place, with the summit wrapping up at organizers will provide simulta-
5pm. Some of the leaders will then fly straight to Japan to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic neous interpretation at the
ⓒ Seoul Economy Daily
Cooperation Summit. press center and the briefing
The summit will see blanket media coverage all over the world. According to the summit room, and will operate inter-
organizers, about 4,000 journalists from Korea and overseas are to cover the event. Big inter- pretation service in 14 lan-
natinal news agencies such as Reuters, Associated Press, and Kyodo News will be present. guages at the media center.
KOREA
NOVEMBER
2010 13
04-17 cover story수정 2010.11.3 11:39 AM
COVER STORY
FROM WINNING THE BID TO HOSTING
THE SUMMIT: G20 SUMMIT AND
PRESIDENT LEE MYUNG-BAK
The 3rd Group of 20 Summit meeting,
held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in
September 2009, will go down as one of
the most significant moments in Korean
history. With the unanimous support of
the leaders that account for 85% of the
world’s gross domestic product (GDP)
and two-thirds of its population, Korea
was selected to host the 5th G20 Summit
in November 2010, signifying the
moment Korea truly arrived at the table
of global diplomacy. by Lee Hyeon-ho
KOREA
NOVEMBER
14 2010
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When it came time to select the host of the 5th G20 Summit,
the determination of President Lee Myung-bak was crucial.
The president firmly believed that Korea needed to host the
meeting if it was to consolidate its international standing and
be truly accepted as a developed nation.
The eyes of the world will be on the G20 Summit, where
ⓒ Seoul Economy Daily
major steps will be taken in reorganizing international
economic infrastructure. President Lee, for many years a
corporate CEO, has been quick to recognize the direction of
international trends, and used enormous personal and
political capital into securing the right to hold the summit. In the forthcoming meeting, the follow-up agenda from
The international financial crisis that began in the US and the previous summit and the “Korea Initiatives” prepared by
Europe ended up bolstering the international standing of Lee’s government will be the main items up for discussion.
emerging economies such as Korea, China and Brazil. In The follow-up agenda includes reform of financial regula-
order to overcome the enormous challenges they faced and tions and tightened supervision of big financial firms; the
to implement major reforms, the G8 sought a wider goroup prevention of protectionist trade policies; and measures
of nations for talks. aimed at alleviating the plight of the world’s poor and small-
Korea, having successfully emerged from a major financial and medium-sized businesses.
crisis in the late 1990s, has potentially useful lessons in The Korea Initiatives also aim to promote strong, sustain-
addressing the more recent turmoil. Seeing its opportunity, able and balanced growth, while stressing the importance of
the Korean government established “Global Korea” as its international cooperation. With tensions rising recently
primary policy goal, and increased much efforts to promote between the US, China, the European Union and Japan over
the country overseas. The world started paying attention, and alleged currency manipulation, Korea will need to draw on
the G20 Seoul Summit was Korea’s reward. all its skills as mediator.
Winning the right to host the The premise underlying much of
summit was just the beginning. To the discussions is that the 2008
ensure its success, President Lee is financial crisis began with lax man-
personally overseeing every step of agement, and the gathered coun-
the preparations. From about four tries must do all they can to prevent
weeks prior to the event, Lee told a repeat. Some of this will involve a
the G20 organizing committee to fundamental reorganization of
report to him daily, and he hasn’t international financial agencies,
shied away from getting involved which are still predominantly run
in frontline preparations. by developed countries in the West.
“Hosting the G20 Summit will “So far, we’ve made some
President Lee Myung-bak attends at the 4 G20 Summit in Toronto
th
place Korea at the center of inter- in June (opposite). President Lee and First Lady Kim Yoon-ok pose significant progress on the frame-
for the press with the US President Barack Obama and First Lady
national diplomacy and present us Michelle Obama at the Pittsburgh Summit 2009 (above).
work, IMF quotas and final meas-
with an opportunity to upgrade ures to improve the health of bank
our national prestige,” Lee said. assets,” said Kim He-beom, head of
“We have to set up a wide range of measures to improve our
politics and economy, and we have to let the public know the
the organizing committee’s public relations office. “Now it’s
up to the heads of states to make the political decisions at the
significance of hosting the G20 Summit.”
President Lee has undertaken a blizzard of diplomatic
Seoul summit.”
President Lee has also stated that the agenda should reflect
engagements to ensure the successful hosting of the summit. the voices not only of the G20 nations, but of non-member
th
At the 8 ASEM Summit in Belgium in early October, he states, too. Korea is a credible voice, having only emerged
sought support from gathered heads of state. from poverty relatively recently, but now recognized as a
“Through the G20 Summit in Seoul, we will try to present dynamic and growing economy. By holding this position and
ways to improve global banking and world economic gover- pushing for the adoption of the Korea Initiatives, Korea
nance,” President Lee said at the meeting. “We will also try to harbors hopes of becoming a true global leader.
draw consensus on key issues, including reducing the devel- President Lee firmly hopes that aside from embracing
opment gap between states, building global financial safety non-G20 members, Korea can also help
nets and reforming international financial institutions.” expand the priorities at G20 from
By hosting a successful event in November, Korea hopes to financial and macroeconomic issues
help establish the G20 Summit as the pre-eminent forum for to development, thereby laying the
the world’s top leaders. The government is working hard to groundwork for the G20 Summit to
place major issues on the agenda, and to establish a level of establish itself as a permanent forum
consensus before the summit begins. for global leaders.
KOREA
NOVEMBER
2010 15
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COVER STORY

A VOICE FOR BUSINESS: Though London, Pittsburgh and Toronto have all held G20
Summits, one thing setting Seoul’s apart is the arrival of a
new platform for the corporate and business world, the B20.
Companies attending the B20 (excluding business lobbying
bodies) registered a combined US$4 trillion in sales in the
fiscal year 2009. That’s 4.8 times the size of Korea’s gross

TURNING THE G20 SUMMIT By inviting captains of commerce and industry, Seoul is
hoping to broaden the spectrum of opinion and give the G20
domestic product, and 80% of China’s GDP (US$4.98 tril-
lion). All these visionary and influential figures will be

INTO A FORUM FOR GOVERNMENT- greater credibility as the voice of the world economy.
The B20 will be an outlet for more ideas on how to
together over two days in Seoul, discussing issues that will
shape the role of business and push the global economy

BUSINESS COOPERATION overcome the global economic crisis and secure sustainable
growth. Oh Young-ho, vice chairman of the Korea
International Trade Association and an
toward a more balanced path.
The B20’s agenda will comprise four main items: Trade,

Just ahead of the G20 Summit in Seoul, executive director of the B20, says, “This will
which takes place on November 11 and be a stage for global corporate leaders to
12, businesses from around the world will present industry’s point of view on how to
converge on the Korean capital for a change our economic system following the
financial crisis.”
meeting of their own. Called the B20, the
At a speech marking the launch of the B20
meeting on November 10 and 11 at the
organizing committee, Minister of
Sheraton Grand Walkerhill Hotel will Knowledge Economy Choi Kyung-hwan
discuss how to determine “The Role of said, “After the global crisis, the international
Ahead of the Seoul G20 Business Summit, a mid-term conference was held in Tianjin, China, in September
(opposite above, below). Chairman of Microsoft Bill Gates, CEO of Bosch Franz Fehrenbach, CEO of
Business for Sustained and Balanced economy stabilized under government-led Standard Chartered Bank Peter Sands, and Charman of the Nestle Group Peter Brabeck-Letmathe are
expected to appear at the G20 Business Summit in Seoul in November (above, from left).
Growth.” by Lee Seung-hyeon emergency measures. But for a complete
recovery and for sustainable growth to take
hold in the future, the private sector must play a leading role.” investment, green growth and corporate social responsibility.
CEOs and founders of major global firms will be in The business leaders will be divided into teams to discuss
attendance at the B20. The 112 attendees will include Bill three subtopics per item, for a total of 12 topics, and will
Gates, the founder of Microsoft; Victor Fung, chairman of produce final reports after their meetings.
the Li & Fung Group; Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, chairman of Each subtopic will deal with practical issues, with discus-
Nestle; Stephen Green, chairman of HSBC; and Josef sions focusing on concrete measures the G20 should take to
Ackermann, chairman of Deutsche Bank. accomplish its goals. The topics will include such far-reaching
Fifteen heads of Korean companies and financial firms will questions as, “How can the G20 reduce the production costs
also be attending, including Samsung Electronics Chairman of renewable energy in the next five years?” and, “What can
Lee Kun-hee; Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Mong-koo; the G20 do to improve medical access around the world?”
LG Chairman Koo Bon-moo; SK Chairman Chey Tae-won; The B20 isn’t a one-time event. Participants have already
and KB Financial Group Chairman Euh Yoon-dae. The B20 held preparatory meetings, including one in Tianjin, China,
organizers said more companies are hoping to attend and the on September 14, with their consultations producing a series
final list of participants could be much longer. of agreements and joint reports. The B20 in Seoul will
The organizers devised their list of potential attendees provide a forum for these issues to be discussed in greater
based on Fortune magazine’s top 250 global companies. In depth, and for more significant measures to be proposed
deciding who to invite, the organizers also tried to strike a and, hopefully, adopted.

ⓒ Presidential Committee for the G20 Summit

balance among nationalities and different areas of business. Numerous heads of state attending the G20 will also be
86 figures from G20 member states are scheduled to attend, present at the opening of the B20 and at
including 15 Koreans, 12 Americans, 11 French, 8 Japanese some of its consultative groups. Far
and 7 Chinese. 5 Spaniards and 2 Dutch were among the 26 more than just a talking shop for
individuals invited from non-member states. In terms of business, the B20 could produce
business fields, manufacturing and information technology measures that are reflected just across
lead with 35 people, followed by 28 in finance, 25 in energy town in the debates and policy
and 24 in retail and shipping. making of the world’s top leaders.

KOREA KOREA
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18-19 cover story 2010.11.3 11:45 AM 페이지 1
COVER STORY
FOR A SUCCESSFUL G20
SEOUL SUMMIT
Sakong Il / Chairman of the Presidential Committee for the G20 Seoul Summit
The G20 Seoul Summit is just
around the corner and Korea has
gone to great lengths to ensure the
success of the meeting. In order to
spearhead the effort, in November
2009 the Korean government created
a new organization, the Presidential
Committee for the G20 Summit.
KOREA sat down with the commit-
tee’s chairman, Dr. Saking Il, to talk
about last-minute preparations and
the role Korea is expected to play as
host. by Oh Kyong-yon
KOREA
NOVEMBER
18 2010
mac4 1130-4CL-out
With only weeks to go before the Seoul summit, Dr. Sakong
Il, chairman of the Presidential Committee responsible for
the Seoul summit, has a full schedule. In addition to
coordinating and overseeing the planning, the protocol
and the public relations for the Seoul summit itself, the
committee has organized and orchestrated meetings of the
G20 Finance Ministers, the Deputies, and the Sherpas, as well
ⓒ Presidential Committee for the G20 Summit
as relevant high-level conferences and workshops.
Of course, Dr. Sakong’s activities have not been limited to
Korea. Throughout the year, he has put special emphasis on
reaching out to non-G20 countries and organizations like the
United Nations, to facilitate their active participation in the
G20 process. In June, immediately following the G20 Toronto
Summit, he traveled to Washington DC to outline the goals
and objectives of the Seoul summit to members of the
Organization of American States (OAS) and spoke to mem-
ber states at the United Nations in New York. In September,
he went to the United States and France for further discus-
sions and to host related seminars as part of his continued
efforts to garner support for the upcoming summit.
To Dr. Sakong, the Seoul summit represents a crucial test
for the G20. “The G20 Seoul summit must be successful in
order for the G20 to be institutionalized as the premier
forum for international economic cooperation,” Dr. Sakong
explains. “The G20 is vital to the sustainable and continued
growth of the world economy, and the Seoul summit will
play a central role in shaping the new global financial order.
By stepping up and hosting the G20, Seoul and Korea have
taken on a significant responsibility.”
At the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors
Meeting in late October, Korea made substantial progress
towards realizing some of its goals. In the area of exchange
rate policy, the ministers agreed to move towards more
market-determined exchange rate systems that reflect
underlying economic fundamentals and refrain from
“competitive devaluation” of currencies. According to the
communiqué released after the meeting, advanced
economies, including those with reserve currencies, “will be
vigilant against excess volatility and disorderly movements
in exchange rates.” The communiqué went on to explain that
these actions will help “mitigate the risk of excessive volatility
in capital flows” which can pose a threat to the stability of
some emerging economies.
The ministers also agreed to strengthen multilateral
cooperation to “promote external sustainability and pursue
the full range of policies conducive to reducing excessive
imbalances and maintaining current account balances at
sustainable levels.” And the communiqué went on to say
that “persistently large imbalances, assessed against indicative
Dr. Sakong Il, chairman of the Presidential Committee for the G20 Seoul Summit,
second from left, speaks at the G20 Consultation & Outreach Meeting (above).
guidelines to be agreed, would warrant an assessment of their
nature and the root causes of impediments to adjustment as
a part of the Mutual Assessment Process.”
Progress was also made in the area of reforming the quota
and governance of the International Monetary Fund.
Agreements included the doubling of quotas (financial stakes
that determine voting power), shifting more than 6% of the
quota shares from overrepresented countries to dynamic and
emerging economies, and agreeing to reduce by two the
number of seats on the executive board held by advanced
European countries.
The agreements reached in October will be among those
sent to the leaders summit in Seoul for final discussion and
confirmation.
There are the newer items that Korea’s team has worked
hard to put on the G20 Agenda. Bringing its unique perspec-
tive to bear, Korea has introduced two of its own initiatives:
plans for establishing global financial safety nets, and a new
approach to reducing the development gap. Regarding the
former, the organizing committee announced the first phase
of reforms to the IMF’s crisis prevention loans on August 30,
and additional discussions are being held ahead of the Seoul
summit. Substantial progress is also likely in the area of
development, “The multi-year action plans are expected to be
endorsed at the Seoul summit,” asserts Dr. Sakong.
Without a doubt, the Seoul summit is expected to be a
turning point for the G20 process. The unprecedented levels
of cooperation seen among the 20 countries during the eco-
nomic crisis need to be sustained if the G20’s effectiveness as
a global economic force is to outlast the crisis.
Thus far, the G20 appears to be on the right track. And
further progress in November is expected to dispel many of
the remaining concerns. “The G20 leaders are united in their
belief that the world economy should strive for strong,
sustainable and balanced growth and that in order to do so,
all countries, whether in surplus or in debt, need to work
together,” says Dr. Sakong.
As the first non-G7 country and the first developing
economy to chair the G20, Korea is aware that the G20 must
establish its credibility with member and non-member
countries. Dr. Sakong is determined to
incorporate the diverse perspectives that
make up this global body as well as to
see the Seoul summit produce concrete
measures that will alleviate global
imbalances and pave the way for
“shared growth beyond crisis.”
KOREA
NOVEMBER
2010 19
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PEN & BRUSH

AS GOOD
AS HER WORDS
Jo Kyung-ran is not given to spoonfeeding her readers. The elaborate recollections strewn
throughout her novels, the penetrating viewpoints arriving unannounced whatever the
subject matter, can be far from welcoming and even a little difficult to read, but with each
new release, her work gets a little warmer. With her wild 20s and 30s fading from view and
her 40s just beginning, Jo’s novels are at the point of a climax, with softness adding even
greater depth to her singular sharpness and dazzle. by Oh Kyong-yon | photographs by Park Jeong-roh

Jo Kyung-ran is a natural writer. Always clad in black clothes,

she is (due to low blood pressure) a perpetually late riser,
giving her the leisurely, rumpled air of the eternal bohemian.
She is gentle and mannered, and lives in a way best described
as free and easy.
In our first meeting, the talk quickly shifted to her newest
novel, Blowfish, which was released in this past September.
Completing this new work, her first since 2007’s Tongue, was
a great challenge, taking her much longer than normal.
“I don’t usually drag my feet in completing a novel,” she
said. “Most of the time, I deal with the structure and research
first, and can write the text pretty easily after that. But this
one took a lot out of me. I began writing it last fall and it was
April before I’d finished. But I still had to go to Tokyo for a
month to do some fact checking, and then I had to polish it
all off. Even then, I still had to search out some additional
info. It took ages for me to write this book, and even longer to
revise it all.”
As a novelist, Jo seeks realism and perfection. In one scene

20
KOREA
NOVEMBER
2010
from her most recent book, a character sits on a bench in

Jo Kyung-ran
20-23 pen&brush 2010.11.3 11:47 AM 페이지 18 mac4 1130-4CL-out

front of a building, and Jo is punctilious in describing its “All the stories are entangled in my heart. Stories I had
actual position, even to the point of noting where the sun wanted to write for years, and subjects that inspire me and TONGUE
sets. She puts this meticulous side of her character down to persistently stimulate me ... they remain in chaos, mixed > Language English
> Publisher Bloomsbury
her star sign. together and as the most desperate story jumps out at me,
(New York, US)
“I seem to have all the traits of a Capricorn. It’s as if I am a novels are formed in the order the stories appear.” > Published 2009
wild goat slowly climbing the cliff in silence,” she said. With such an intense approach to her art, it should come as
“Taking the time to revise my writing requires that same level little surprise that Jo relies on regular walks to clear her mind TONG (TONGUE)
> Language Dutch
of persistence. I’m not sure if the perfect novel can ever exist, and contemplate the path of her novels. > Publisher JM Meulenhoff
but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.” A literary star in her homeland, Jo has enjoyed growing (Netherlands)
> Published 2009
Jo said that Blowfish is the story she’d most wanted to success overseas, where her books have been translated into
write in her 14 years as a novelist, yet it is a story that can English, Spanish, German, Dutch and other languages. Tongue is the story of a woman who can’t forget the man she
only be told once. While many, if not most, of her foreign readers will be largely loved, and ends up taking terrible revenge on him and his new
lover. The tragic and shocking ending caused a considerable stir
“Apart from what I may produce in the future, Blowfish unfamiliar with Korea, Jo said she believes her work travels
when the book was released. The heroine is a cook, allowing for
must be my best work. Massive, grave themes of death, love well, thanks to themes that resonate worldwide. impressive scenes in almost every chapter, with detailed cooking
and art were integrated into one whole in this book.” “The biggest themes that continually appear throughout scenes and descriptions of food. Tongue is a gripping, fast-paced
book with a solid and intense structure.
my novels are fear and relationships. These elements inhabit
COEXISTENCE AND CONTEMPLATION From her earliest nov- the most basic and universal nature of humans, don’t you
els, beginning with Time For Baking Bread, through Tongue think?” EN BUSCA DEL ELEFANTE
and on to Blowfish, Jo’s work has returned time and again to (LOOKING FOR THE ELEPHANT)
> Language Spanish
the themes of food and cooking. 40 YEARS YOUNG Before writing this article, I had instinc- > Publisher Ermitano (Mexico)
“It must reflect my interest in the subject of food,” she tively planned to refer to Jo as a young writer. But it was only > Published 2007
said. “From 20 to 25, a time when I should have been bright at Jo’s insistence that I decided not to.
WIE KOMMT DER ELEFANT
and carefree, I was personally in great pain, so I tried to fill “I am not young any more,” she said firmly, but with a soft IN MEIN SCHLAFZIMMER?
the void in my heart by eating. Looking back after that smile. “I debuted when I was 26, so that makes me a trained (LOOKING FOR
agonizing period had finally passed, I understood in the end writer of 14 years as of this year. I’m in my 40s now, but I still THE ELEPHANT)
> Language German
the emptiness of the heart can never be soothed by food.” plan to be a novelist for the next 40 years, so I’m keeping my > Publisher Pendragon
Nevertheless, these trying times paved the way for a schedule as tight as ever.” (Bielefeld, Germany)
> Published 2003
successful future. Her fascination with food led her, as a At this point, I realized that Jo is not the “typical” writer
young writer, to explore Italian and Chinese cuisines, as well she sometimes appears to be. Writing only when her muse This collection of short stories leads with Looking for the
strikes and casually spurning deadlines are both anathema Elephant, an autobiographical story depicting Jo’s time living a
modest but harmonious existence with her family in a rooftop
to Jo. In order to stick faithfully to her own work routines,
apartment. The narrator feels the presence of dead relatives like
as wine and baking. This, in turn, provided inspiration for Jo said she refuses to publish serial stories in magazines or her grandmother and aunt, leaving her in a state of anxiety that
one of her earliest successes, Time For Baking Bread. online media, sticking instead to the demanding regularity is only relieved when she sees a picture of an elephant that is
half asleep. Looking for the Elephant, Jo says, is one of her
“Personally, I think there are two types of writers. The type of her novels.
most cherished works.
who’s born and the type who’s made,” said Jo. “If I had to Once an aspiring poet but now an established novelist,
categorize myself, I definitely belong to the latter. I have had Jo has understandably strong views when I ask what writing
to really work at it, undergoing terrible anguish to complete means to her. ZEIT ZUM TOASTBACKEN
(TIME FOR BAKING BREAD)
my works one by one.” “Writing is the main subject of my life. I ask myself > Language German
This process was even more pronounced during the endlessly, ‘What story should I write and why?’ For a while > Publisher Pendragon (Bielefeld, Germany)
> Published 2005
writing of her latest book, when she threw herself into the after my debut, I’d have been lying if I said I no longer want-
study of blowfish with her usual obsession for detail. ed to be a poet. Even now, I am better acquainted with poets Published in 1996, the year Jo debuted,
“I don’t want to pretend that I know things when really I than novelists, and I still love to read poems. But a novelist, I the book won the 1st Munhakdongne New
Writer Award. Jo wrote it after taking baking
don’t” she said, “I absolutely believe that I can’t write a good try to think only about novels and try not to look back on
lessons, and the book is rich in elaborate
story about something unless I know it extremely well first.” ‘the road not taken.’ This is because novels are my destiny.” connections between various types of bread
Modestly attributing her success to sheer effort rather than In the preface to one of her books, Jo wrote that she would and themes in the story. The confusion of a woman who discovers
a series of long-held secrets following the death of her parents is
talent, Jo paused for a moment when I asked her what “be a desperate person writing books till the end.” As she
delivered in a calm, distinctive narrative style.
inspires her. enters her fourth decade. Jo remains as good as her words.

KOREA KOREA
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PEOPLE

UNDER-17S
ON TOP
OF THE WORLD
On September 26, Korea won a FIFA football tournament for the first time. However,
these champions weren’t K-League star playing abroad, but teenage girls. In the wake
of their success, KOREA met with head coach Choi Duck-joo and players Yeo Min-ji,
Kim Areum and Kim Minah to talk about their amazing journey. by On Nu-ri

ⓒ Yonhap News Agency

Members of the Korean team celebrate their victory after the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Final match between Korea and
Japan. The final game was held at Hasely Crawford Stadium on September 26 in Port of Spain, Trinidad And Tobago (above).
KOREA KOREA
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When Korea’s women hoisted the U-17 World Cup, everyone
was surprised, except for the team’s head coach, Choi Duck-
joo. “I was only thinking about winning, even before we
started the tournament,” he says.
An unflappable presence, Choi is defined by his gentle
leadership style (so-called “Grandfather leadership”). He
drills his players to never let their heads drop, imbuing them
with an almost Quixotic belief that a game is never lost until
the final whistle is blown. He decided long ago that, crucial
as tactics are, having players that believe in themselves was
more important than anything.
Choi used various methods to keep his young players
confident and upbeat throughout the tournament. He used
“music therapy” to instill in his team a fighting spirit,
playing them such rousing Korean pop songs as Champion
KOREA
NOVEMBER
26 2010
by PSY (“You who enjoy life are the real champions”). At
Choi’s behest, the players listened to those songs wherever
they went.
Choi’s personal favorite, I Scream Myself by Maya, became
an anthem for the team. One particular line, “Instead of just
saying I’ll never be weak or fall behind, I’ll just scream that
this moment isn’t the end and I’ll never fall behind,” was
practically the team’s mantra throughout the competition.
Ever the cool-headed tactician, Choi claims he didn’t once
lose his temper at the tournament. Even at halftime in the
quarterfinal against Nigeria, when Choi kicked the water
cooler in apparent frustration with his team’s lackluster
showing, it was, he says, finely calculated to jolt his team
into action.
He didn’t actually want to hit any players with the water,
he says, so he carefully judged the direction and strength of
his kick before his “outburst.”
“In the locker room I said, ‘If you don’t want to play, you
can come off now and I’ll go on for you,’ and I kicked the
water cooler,” Choi recalls with a sheepish smile. “I saw that
some of the players giggled, so I kicked the ice box for good
measure.”
Choi’s display did the trick. In another nail-biting finish,
Korea rallied to win 6-5 in overtime. But before the semifinal
against Spain, Choi used a completely different technique to
motivate his players.
“When we analyzed the Nigeria game, I didn’t replay any of
their mistakes,” says Choi. “I didn’t want them to dwell on it
and worry about making more mistakes. In order to instill
them with confidence, I only showed them the things they
did well in the attack.”
YEO MIN-JI, KOREA’S TRIPLE CHAMPION Without doubt,
Yeo Min-ji was the shining star of the U-17 Women’s World
Cup. She was all over the place, making a final pass and
scoring at crucial moments.
After claiming two goals and an assist in the opening
match against South Africa, she proceeded to score against
Mexico. In the quarterfinal match with Nigeria, Yeo scored
four points, the most ever by a Korean player, male or female,
at a FIFA-sanctioned match. When Korea trailed Spain 1-0
in the semifinal, it was Yeo that scored the equalizer.
Yeo’s performance was even more remarkable because she
ⓒ Yonhap News Agency
was far from 100% fit. Just two months earlier, in a practice
match against Gangwon Provincial College, she partially tore
her anterior cruciate ligament. In the past, when she was an
elementary school student, she’d had both her knees in casts
Coach Choi Duck-joo smiles at the welcoming party at Incheon International Airport
in Incheon, Korea. Family, friends and fans greeted the team upon their return.
for three months due to unspecified “growing pains.” As a
middle school senior, Yeo had surgery on a torn ligament in
her right knee. Medical staff advised her not to play in the
tournament, but Yeo was not to be dissuaded.
“I remembered some passage I’d read in a book that said,
‘Even in the most trying of situations, people can switch their
mind from ‘off ’ to ‘on’ if they put their mind to it,” Yeo says.
“Whenever the going got tough, I tried to recall that line. The
biggest positive I got from this championship is that I now
know I can achieve anything I want, if I have the mental
toughness.”
Yeo has been staying busy since her return from the World
Cup. While returning to school to prepare for the National
Sports Festival, she has somehow found the time to film
commercials and make numerous public appearances.
“I don’t mind the attention,” she says. “Women’s football
hasn’t been under the spotlight, and I don’t think this will
last forever. I am always appreciative, even if I am tired.”
Having shone on the world stage, Yeo now has a new
dream. When she one day retires from playing, she wants to
travel the world as an administrator for FIFA.
“I really wanted to chat with players from other countries,
but I didn’t speak enough English,” Yeo says. “I’ve been
practicing football and learning English at the same time,
but I guess it wasn’t enough. I now want to learn English
more seriously. After I came home, I told my mom that I
wanted to get a personal tutor.”
Yeo has decided to spend her scholarship winnings from
the championship on her English education. She wants to
become a top soccer player and also a good student — the
exemplary student-athlete.
In the meantime, Yeo’s ambition is to play professional
soccer overseas.
“If I can speak English well, it’ll be a great help for me in
playing in overseas leagues,” Yeo says with a smile. “I want to
compete against world-class players on the biggest stage.”
CAPTAIN KIM AND HER QUIET CHARISMA Kim Areum, the
team’s exceptional captain, displayed a full range of skills and
abilities to lead her team. Though somewhat overshadowed
by Yeo’s scoring feats, Kim was the bedrock on which the
team was built, scoring two goals and providing three crucial
assists. She was one of three Korean candidates for the
Golden Ball award.
“I could sense that some of the Western girls were putting
us down a bit because they are so much taller than us,” said
Kim, herself a modest 165cm tall. “But I was very confident
Yeo Min-ji, perhaps the biggest star of the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup,
received the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards in addition to taking home
the trophy and title she and her teammates earned as winners of the cup final.
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in my speed and strength, and I wasn’t scared of taller
opponents.”
Kim played every minute of Korea’s six games, and her
quiet assurance won the respect and trust of her teammates.
The young starlet, however, also has something of a way with
words.
After the 2-1 semifinal win over Spain, she said with a grin,
“I told my teammates that we would go out there and kill
ourselves having fun.” Back at the victory ceremony in Korea,
Kim had the press corps roaring with laughter when asked if
she had any complaints about Coach Choi. “Head coach Choi
has an accent,” she said. “So when he yelled at us, his words
came out funny.”
After on shaking hands with English football star David
Beckham, who’d visited the stadium for the final to promote
KOREA
NOVEMBER
28 2010
England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup, Kim said, “I just Two weeks after the championship ended, Kim was still home. They made a few TV appearances and were asked to
about fainted before the game even started.” bowled over by all the attention. attend some football events, too. Most of them played at the
Kim began playing football in the third grade at Donghae “I love it that my profile comes up when I just type ‘Kim’ National Sports Festival, which ended on October 12. Soon,
Elementary School in Pohang. She has represented her into a search engine. And it’s cool that I can take up a whole like all girls their age, they will have to return to school, but
country in every age group — under-12s, -15s, -16s and -17s page, just like real celebrities,” she says. “I’d actually thought their experience on the world stage has taught them things
— and has developed into a rock-solid on-field leader who about quitting the sport because training was so difficult, but they could never have learned anywhere else.
sets the tone for offense and defense. I love football, and so I got myself together and kept trying. “I can feel that I grow after each international event,” says
Kim was actually inspired to start playing football after Even now, the mere thought of ‘What if I’d actually quit Yeo Min-ji. “That’s why I played through my injury.” And
hearing her father say, “Why don’t I have a child like that?” then?’ scares me.” when the girls grow up in two years’ time, Korea will be
while watching the Korean team on its sterling run at the “I know this sort of interest won’t last long. After seeing looking with greater optimism than ever before at winning
2002 FIFA World Cup. And now, she’s got bigger things in our placards coming down right after the end of the the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
her sights. celebration at home, I was worried that this show of love When the U-17 team visited the Blue House (Korea’s
“I want to make the U-19 and U-20 national teams and and support for women’s football would only be temporary,” presidential residence) to celebrate their achievement,
win the senior World Cup,” Kim says. “My goal is to grow into she continud. “It was thanks to the people’s support that we President Lee Myung-bak pledged to invest more in women’s
a great player who can make the nation proud.” were able to win the championship, wearing our national football at the grassroots level. The U-17 team thrust
flag on our chests. I really hope that soccer fans will maintain women’s football into a glorious spotlight. With the new
KIM MINAH, THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE Kim Minah, their interest in women’s football.” wave of enthusiasm, the future of the women’s game in Korea
another key member of the championship team, has no The U-17 team spent a lot of time off the field after coming has looked brighter.
memory of the quarterfinal against Nigeria. With the score
tied at 4-4, Kim tried to make a save when her face hit a
Nigerian player’s thigh. She passed out and suffered a
concussion, but insisted to the physician that she could
complete the game. The game went into extra time, and
Korea prevailed 6-5, thanks in large part to Kim’s saves.
“I still can’t remember anything about that game or what
happened that morning,” Kim says. Though she received
treatment immediately after the game, her condition was
serious enough that she was still complaining of headaches
on the day of the semifinal against Spain.
No one, however, had the heart to keep her out.
“Obviously, I thought very seriously about withdrawing
her,” says goalkeeping coach Park Young-soo. “But I just
couldn’t deprive her of what could be a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity. It was unbelievable what she gave, even after
that clash. It was also great to see the goalkeeper in the lime-
light, since it’s a position that’s often relatively overlooked.”
Recalling the semifinal against Spain, Kim says, “My head
was hurting, but the coaches told me not to lose my focus. ⓒ Yonhap News Agency (left); Multibits Image (opposite)
That really helped. Even when I bumped into opposing play-
ers, I wanted to protect my goal above all else. There is simply
no way I would have chosen to leave that game.”
Kim also shone in the game against Japan. Her saves were
as good as scoring several goals, and in the penalty shootout,
her steely composure seemed to unnerve the Japanese.
“We were fortunate that our opponents missed the net,”
Kim says modestly of her own contribution. “We were able to
win because of each other.”
Kim Areum raises the trophy just after the Korean team’s victory over Japan during Kim Minah is in action during the quarterfinal match against Nigeria at the Manny
the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Final match. Ramjohn Stadium on September 16.
KOREA
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TRAVEL

A Korean Autumn
in Bukchon
Bukchon Hanok Village, not far from downtown Seoul, is the perfect spot to
experience the traditional simplicity of Korea. Removed from the bustle of the city,
this enclave of old Korean housing is drenched in history and perched right on the
doorstep of Bugaksan Mountain, making it an idyl spot to appreciate the season.
by Chung Dong-muk | photographs by Kim Nam-heon

Bukchon Hanok Village, just north of

downtown Seoul, boasts traditional
Korean homes and a unrivaled ambiance.
30-35 travel 2010.11.3 11:50 AM 페이지 3 mac4 1130-4CL-out
With winter looming, nature clothes herself in extravagant
reds and yellows. Knowing that the days will soon be short
and food scarce, nature, it seems, is hunkering down in
preparation for tough times ahead. As beautiful as it is,
autumn always stirs in me a deep melancholy, as well as a
sense of awe. Autumn looms among the many hanok (Korean
traditional housing) strung along the lanes of Bukchon.
Visitors can feel autumn on the ivy-twined stone walls, per-
simmon trees and high blue autumn skies. In stark contrast
with the flow of seasons, in Bukchon, you feel frozen in time.
These feelings only grow stronger as I read Silent Work by
poet Kim Sa-in outside Jeongdok Public Library.
“An evening when nothing pleases / a leaf gently falls
prematurely by my side / with nothing for myself but to stay
still / you lay silently and still / thank you / these are the
things that one should be grateful for.”
With its long history, Samcheong-dong, the area surround-
ing Bukchon, rewards visitors with a deep understanding of
Korean art. In 2008, this understanding was deepened when
Jongno-gu Office and Seoul City Gallery Project Corps
You can look out over the landscape of northern Seoul on Bugaksan Mountain (top).
Bukchon is a favorite walking route of foreign residents and vistiors, and is
particularly well-loved for its timeless architecture and serene atmosphere (above).
KOREA
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32 2010
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
The vibrant shades of red and yellow displayed by Samcheong-dong’s fall foliage make
autumn one of the best seasons to visit the area (top). Galleries and restaurants line the
streets in front of Jeongdok Public Library (middle). The area’s book cafés, where book-
worms can sit and read freely, are a novelty of sorts in the bustling city of Seoul (above).
undertook The Road to You project, in which seven poems
from six famous Korean poets, including Guards in the Clouds
by Kim Su-yeong and Passing a Castle Town by Lee Si-yeong,
were engraved on aluminum boards and displayed on the
walls of Jeongdok Public Library. Today, passersby still gather
around and read the engraved poems, bringing a touch of
autumn to the air whatever time of year.
Indeed, none of Seoul’s city streets quite captures the feel
of autumn like Samcheong-dong and neighboring Gahoe-
dong, both located in Jongno-gu. Among the endless bland
concrete sidewalks of this Asian metropolis, these two areas
maintain a charm and serenity that is all their own.
Bukchon streets are adorned with traditional Korean
houses. To the west is Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main
palace of the Joseon Dynasty for 500 years, and to the east is
Changdeokgung Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site. To
fully appreciate what this neighborhood has to offer, visitors
should spurn the car and go on foot. They should walk slowly,
taking time to view north, south, east and west. They should
enjoy the company of people around them, talking and
laughing with their friends as they go.
AUTUMN FLOWS There are two main roads:
Samcheongdong-gil and Gahoedong-gil. Both ending at the
Board of Audit and Inspection Korea building,
Samcheongdong-gil starts at Dongsipjagak Tower, located
east of Gyeongbokgung Palace, while Gahoedong-gil begins
at Anguk Subway Station. On entering Samcheong-dong,
visitors are greeted with a 200-meter long road lined with
ginkgo trees. They can enjoy quiet strolls by taking the
Gyeongbokgung Doldam-gil road, or walk east and take in
one of the many art galleries.
Passing the galleries, the road narrows and starts to bend.
This is where visitors truly start to experience the unique
styles and tastes of Korea, with restaurants, cafés and delight-
ful little boutiques lining the roadsides. Jinsun Book Café,
located right by the enterance of the road, houses a gallery for
promising new writers and artists, and exhibits books and
works of art on its wide terrace and first and second floors.
Strolling along further, visitors discover boutiques selling
hats, accessories, shoes and clothes. If you grow tired from
walking, a slew of restaurants and cafés are on hand serving
everything from Italian and French to Thai. Many Korean
restaurants can be found here too, including the famous
Samcheong-dong Sujebi where thin sujebi (strips of flour
dough in a broth with zucchini and eggs) is served with
anchovy broth for a clean but deep taste.
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By contrast, Gahoe-dong has more museums and hanok days of the Joseon Dynasty. At that time, Korea’s rulers built a
experience centers where visitors can personally experience fortress wall to defend the city from the foreign invaders, and
the lifestyles and atmosphere of traditional Korea. The Gahoe today that same structure, edged by Seonggwak-gil, provides
Museum, a collection of traditional art; the Han Sang Soo another wonderful walking trail for weekend hikers.
Embroidery Museum, home to colorful embroidery; the “Visitors have increased recently, with about a thousand
Dong-Lim Museum, with traditional Korean knots; and the people visiting on weekdays and four thousand on week-
Seoul Museum of Chicken Art, with a collection of chicken- ends,” says Baek Jung-hun, a warden on one of the paths here.
themed Asian artworks, are all accessible from Gahoe-dong. “On the weekend there are sometimes long lines on the trails.
Shim Young-mi, the manager of the Dong-Lim Museum, Up to 20% of those visitors are foreigners, who seem to really
has been a master of traditional Korean knots for 40 years, enjoy themselves. Fairly suddenly, it feels like this place has
having inherited the craft from her father-in-law, who in become a big tourist attraction in Seoul.”
turn learned from an aunt-in-law who practiced the art in Personally, I could be perfectly happy in both places.
the Joseon Dynasty court. Though each has its particular enticements, they are both
“I am learning traditional crafts but applying modern united in their rich autumnal color. Acorns fall from oaks,
methods,” said Park Jin-young, a student of Shim. “This is a while squirrels scurry to catch the acorns and prepare for
very delicate craft, as it uses our fingertips. It is so fun that winter. The autumn sun hangs over the treetops in the pine
sometimes I am unaware of the passage of time.” forest, while leaves rustle as if poised to fall.
Visiting the museum with his Korean girlfriend, Dirk, a The sky is blue and ever so high. As I climb the hundreds
German expatriate, said, “I never knew such an art genre of steps on this trail, the sweat on my back dries under a
existed in Korea. I am still amazed at the skills Koreans fresh autumn breeze. Seoul is slowly moving on from autumn
possess in their hands.” to winter.

HISTORY IN THE FORTRESS WALLS Samcheong-dong HOW TO VISIT BUGAKSAN MOUNTAIN

and Gahoe-dong have abundant opportunities to sample the Bugaksan Seoul Seonggwak-gil Visitors Information
charms of old hanok, but to get a real feel for life in these old Open 9am-3pm in summer (April through October) /
10am-3pm in winter (November to March) / Closed on
homes, visitors should stay a night or two. The Seoul Guest Mondays, or Tuesdays (if Monday is national holiday)
House, located on Gahoe-dong, is a traditional hanok that General Instructions Hiking the full trail takes around two
has been opened up as accommodation aimed at foreign hours. Permission is needed to access parts of the road.
To apply, bring your passport or alien registration card
tourists. Manager Lee Mi-ja says: “Many of the foreign guests and fill in the form there.
that stay the night subsequently sent us letters saying they’d
never dreamed of such a place in the heart of Seoul, with <Information>
Jinsun Book Café
beautiful green gardens, wooden porches and such a gentle 150 Palpan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
atmosphere.” Menu Sirloin steak 35,000 won (US$31), special pasta
Many foreign visitors to this area continue their walks into 16,000 won (US$13), traditional tea 8,000 won (US$7)
Tel 82 2 723 5977
the Bugaksan Mountain’s surrounding trails. Behind the Kukje Gallery
Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea building is a pathway 59-1 Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
up Bugaksan Mountain, the main mountain that guards Open Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm / Sunday & National
Holidays 10am-5pm
Seoul. Bukagsan Mountain provides hikers with some of the Tel 82 2 735 8449
finest trails in the capital, capped by views that capture the Dong-Lim Museum
entire cityscape. 11-7 Gahoe-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
ⓒ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Entrance Fee adults 2,000 won (US$1.7) /

The hiking trail begins at Waryong Park just past the rear children 1,000 won (US$0.8)
gates of Sungkyunkwan University. After 20 minutes or so, Tel 82 2 3673 2778
the trail splits at the Malbawi Rest Area, the Seoul Seoul Guest House
135-1 Gye-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Seonggwak-gil and Bugak Haneul-gil roads. Originally Room Rate Single room 40,000 won (US$35) /
known as Hanyang, Seoul became Korea’s capital in the early Twin room 60,000 won (US$53) Tel 82 2 745 0057

Samcheong-dong offers interesting wall paintings in unexpected places (top). Bugaksan Mountain and the surrounding trails are loved by foreigners and locals
A couple visits Dong-Lim Museum to experience the craft of traditional Korean knots alike. The landscape is ideal for splendid autumn afternoon strolls (above).
(middle left). Boutiques and designers’ shops boast unique handmade jewelry items
KOREA KOREA
NOVEMBER
(middle right). Samcheong-dong’s scenery is a pictureque urban oasis (above). NOVEMBER
34 2010 2010 35
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MY KOREA

Education in Korea has a long, hallowed history, but modern schooling In contrast to universities in North
didn’t begin here until the arrival of Protestant Missionaries in the late 19th America, where campuses are sprawling
century. The roots of Soongsil University, where I teach, date back to 1897, affairs that eat up real estate with wild
when an American evangelical minister Dr W M Baird, of the Presbyterian abandon, the most striking aspect of this
Church began teaching a handful of students in the guest room of his home. campus is the relative modesty of its
From its modest beginnings, Soongsil went on to survive the Japanese grounds. With little room to spread out, the
colonial era and the Korean War to become fully accredited institution with buildings have been constructed upward,
13,000 students, that it is today. with many reaching 15 stories or more.
Located south of the Hangang River, Soongsil is accessible on subway line Despite the confines of its square-shaped
No 7 via its namesake station. Occupying approximately 12.9 hectares, it is a area. However, planners have still managed to
bustling, self-contained community with dormitories, cafeterias, convenience include ample green spaces complete with
stores, an on-site bank and pretty much every other amenity you could pathways, manicured gardens, and abundant
want as a student. While it offers a full roster of

CAMPUS
science programs, engineering and
humanities programs, Soongsil
is known for its outstanding
reputation in IT, computer

LIFE IN studies and robotics.

KOREA Arriving here as an instructor, my first

impression of Soongsil University was of a
densely populated complex of towering
buildings, wide brick staircases and throngs
of young students hurrying to class, relaxing
on benches together or just hanging out. It’s
been a few years since I was in the students’
shoes, and Korea is a long way from home,
but things don’t seem to have changed so
very much.

KOREA KOREA
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they understand the spoken word, they know
all the grammar rules, but speaking has been
a stumbling block for all but a few of them.
A pervasive shyness and lack of confidence
has held them back from becoming com-
pletely bilingual. My students study all
different disciplines and come from every
corner of the country. Perhaps the one com-
mon thread that binds them all together
is their desire to improve their English
speaking skills.
My students are generally serious
and attentive. At the same time,
they are young, energetic adults,
inquisitive about the world
and looking forward to a
bright future. They are the
same as young people any-
where who seek a good job,
love, family and security. They
are predominantly alert,
sensitive, polite and considerate.
They are like sponges wanting to know
everything about Western culture. When I
discuss any aspect of Canada, be it geogra-
natural forests that alleviate the “concrete Jungle” of Seoul. phy, people, customs or food, they sit in rapt
Directly across the street from campus is a strip of inexpensive restaurants, attention. I am always amazed by their
fast food outlets, bars, coffee shops and convenience stores, all catering to the constant thirst for knowledge.
university crowd. It is a lively, vibrant place, and day or night the street is The first week of October was “the school
filled with students blowing off steam or feverishly cramming together for festival,” a week of partying equivalent to the
the next exam. Canadian Frosh Week. Student organizations
If there is one thing all Koreans are serious about, it is education. With a and clubs set up tents from which they
literacy rate of 99%, Korea is among the most literate countries in the world. served food, beer, makgeolli (sweetish,
In addition to a historically high regard for education, modern South fermented rice liquor) and the ever-present
Koreans recognized education as invaluable in pulling the country out of soju — a clear, strong Korean alcohol that is
abject poverty after the Korean War. The strategy has been highly successful, enjoyed in great quantities by Korean men
turning the country’s fortunes around from being one of the world’s poorest and women of all ages (of course, adult only).
nations just a few decades ago to one of its richest today. Temporary stages sprang up all over
That drive to survive, followed by the drive to prosper, is reflected in a campus, and entertainers were soloing on
curriculum that includes English-language education from as early as guitars and crooning into microphones long
elementary school, and sometimes even before. Recognizing English as the into the night. Thousands of students crowd-
language of commerce, Korean schooling places enormous emphasis on ed around to dance, cheer and sing along. It
English language skills. This fact has allowed me to come here as a teacher was a raucous, roaring reverie that lasted for
and experience this amazing country firsthand. four hugely enjoyable nights.
Most students I encounter have been studying English since elementary The day starts early for my students, with
school — about 10 years. I tell them they must all be like native English even the more easy-going ones displaying a
speakers, which invariably elicits gales of laughter. Indeed, they can write, dedication that would put most Canadian
KOREA
NOVEMBER
38 2010
students to shame. Many rise before dawn to arrive for the first class at 7:30 at studies and neglecting the play that is so
am Some have to get up at 5am and ride the subway for an hour to get here much of a North American child’s life. From
on time. grade school through university and on to
At that time of the day, there is little activity on campus. By the time my their career, there seems to be no relief from
second class ends at 9:30 am, the campus is teeming with eager students the stress of study and work.
rushing to class, taking on cell phones, texting, or meeting up with friends. For my part, I want to do what I can to
Campus life is no different from any other campus at any large university, help shepherd them through to the next
at any cosmopolitan city in the world. The big difference for me, of course, is phase. I have been touched by every single
that this is Seoul. The students are Korean. Among young people there is a one of them — from the academic geniuses
huge concern with appearance and the energy spent on fashion and appear- to the artistic souls. I may have been most
ance is enormous, almost to the point of obsession. A great deal of time, affected by the ones who “don’t get it” as
concern and money is devoted to how the girls present themselves to the quickly as the others. They struggle so much.
world. The people are generally slim, fit and dressed to impress — or excess, There is a pervasive attitude here of never
depending on your perspective. giving up, a kind of “you can do anything”
Students scurry to lectures, study, chat, laugh, drink coffee, argue, dream approach to the world. I think this can be
and plan for their futures. From a very early stage, huge drive here “to find a partly explained by the obligatory military
job.” It is the great motor powering every student’s academic journey. It can’t service that all the male students have been
be just any job. It has to be with a big company. The most sought-after through. Two years of being pushed to do
positions are with Samsung, Hyundai, LG and other corporate behemoths. more with less has created a society of people
Taking a position at a lesser company seems unacceptable. Such jobs are, for who are independent and resourceful. It is
the most part, considered beneath the dignity of graduates. inspiring to be among these young students.
This is very the attitudes in North America, where graduates may take So much of the time I feel as though I am
any job, anywhere just to have work while they look for the “right position.” not the teacher here, but the student. It is a
Here, culture demands more. It could be something of an embarassment to privilege to be a part of their lives. by John
the graduate and his family to take a lesser position. As a consequence, many Larsen | illustrations by Jo Seung-yeon | photograph by
unemployed graduates sit at home waiting for opportunities. This unfortu- Park Jeong-roh
nate circumstance means that many small- to medium-sized companies have
had trouble filling positions. This attitude is slowly changing, however, as the
harsh reality of a new emerging economy has forced students to re-evaluate
their career options.
PROFILE
But for now, none of this matters. The students at Soongsil are focused on
getting through the next physics exam or scoring high marks on the OPI and John Larsen is a Canadian
living in South Korea. He
other English proficiency tests like TOEIC. They don’t have time to ponder an is currently teaching
uncertain future of “what if.” Right now, their lives are filled with early morn- English as a second
language at Soongsil
ing English classes and long nights University in Seoul. He
first traveled to South
in the chemistry lab. On week- Korea in 2004 when he
ends, they let loose and get stayed for three weeks at
a Buddhist Temple near
ready for the Monday morning Gyeongju, the ancient
grind all over again. They have capital of the Silla
Dynasty. During this time
been taught from an early age he studied martial arts,
that if they work hard they will meditated and found a
connection with Korea that
succeed. Several of my Korean was to be profound and
life changing. He has since
friends said that from an early age they then traveled extensively
have been obsessed with the idea that throughout South Korea
marveling at the history,
working hard will guarantee material success, architecture and ancient
and a good education is key. It saddens me to see culture and meeting a wide
network of people he is
elementary school children spending countless hours pleased to call “friends.”
KOREA
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GLOBAL KOREA
THE AMAZING SECOND ACT Lee Yeong-chul, 65, was a chemistry
teacher. He started teaching high
school in 1972 and went on to serve
OF KOREA’S OVERSEAS VOLUNTEERS as a vice principal and then principal
over his 36-year career. He retired in
2007, but instead of seeing it as the
Despite having led the country to decades of spectacular economic end, he felt it was a new beginning.
He began looking for overseas volun-
growth, many of Korea’s older generation say they still have much to do.
teer groups. He had no idea what kind
They are sharing the experiences and knowledge they gained with people of work he wanted to do, but he was
in developing countries, making their twilight years some of the most sure he wanted to lead a new life
through volunteering.
rewarding of their lives. Their bodies may be aging, but their hearts are “Up to that point, I’d been getting
as young as ever. by Seo Dong-cheol paid to work, but after I retired, I want-
ed to lead a life of sharing and volun-
teering,” Lee says. “I discovered that
through a volunteer group, I could put
my teaching experience to work in for-
eign countries.”
Within six months of retiring, Lee
was on a plane bound for Thailand, a
country that had once helped Korea in
its hour of need. Half a century earlier,
during the Korean War, Thailand had
provided a beleaguered South Korea
with substantial military forces and
40,000 tons of rice.
“Korean people have obviously
worked hard to get to where we are
today, but without the countries that
helped us, none of it would have been
possible,” Lee says. “This is why I
chose Thailand.”
Lee was stationed at the Ngao
Pracharattammakun School in
Lampang Province. Teaching science
there for two years, Lee handed down
his wisdom to students and also
shared his knowledge of educational
techniques with fellow teachers.
Early on, Lee encountered major
challenges. The language barrier
caused many problems, as did the
lack of samples or equipment, which
made experiments all but impossible.
Most challenging, however, was that
securing the basic necessities of life,
such as food, clothing and shelter,
often had to take priority over educa-
tion.
“Securing drinking water for 1,300
ⓒ KOICA
ⓒ KOICA
students was the biggest problem,”
Lee says. “During dry periods, we
KOREA
NOVEMBER
40 2010
Volunteer Lee Sang-su poses with children in
Pakbeng, a remote village in Luang Prabang, Laos
(opposite). A former educator Lee Yeong-chul holds
a science class for his students in Thailand (above).
didn’t have enough water, and in rainy
seasons, we’d get muddy water. After
a while, I invited the heads of eight
rotary clubs from my hometown in
Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province,
Korea, and had them tour the school.
They generously offered 6 million won
(US$5,300) to help improve facilities.
We bought water tanks and water
towers to provide clean drinking water.
We even had money left over for
scholarships for eight students.”
For Lee, the time volunteering in
Thailand passed in the blink of an eye.
Though he is now two years older than
when he arrived there, he feels as if
the second chapter of his life is only
just beginning.
“I don’t think the prime years of the
second part of my life have arrived
yet,” Lee says. “There are still many
places that can use my experience. I
will travel to Vietnam next time and
continue to share and volunteer.”
BEAUTIFUL SENIORS Im Yeon-sik, 58,
is a veteran nurse. From 1972 to
2004, she quietly traveled that path,
inspired by the volunteerism and dedi-
cation that nursing entails. Over the
years, Im helped countless elderly and
disabled people, but still felt as if
something was missing.
“I became a nurse to help other
people, but since it was my livelihood,
I couldn’t derive enough satisfaction
from it. I didn’t think it was about
sharing and volunteering in the purest
sense of those terms.”
After ending her nursing career in
2004, Im started looking for ways to
engage in true volunteer work. Hearing
about opportunities to put her skills to
use overseas, Im decided to go to
Nepal. She wasn’t looking for any
compensation; indeed, she was
willing to give whatever she had.
So in November 2004, Im arrived at
Bharatpur in Chitwan, a medical
outpost with a number of hospitals,
as well as medical, nursing and
public health schools.
“Facilities were worse than I’d
expected. The health center for
mothers and babies had just one
set of scales,” recalls Im. “We
needed to run programs for students
in vaccination, pre- and post-natal care
for mothers and care for babies, while
also building the necessary facilities
ourselves. We painted buildings,
made desks and built baby mobiles
with students.”
KOREA
NOVEMBER
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40-43 global korea 2010.11.3 11:53 AM
Im spent a whirlwind two years in
Nepal before going home in 2006.
Within months, and against the wish-
es of her family, Im was on her way
back to Nepal. It was difficult living
away from her family, but Im couldn’t
give up the joys of volunteering.
“During my second stay in Nepal,
my husband in Korea passed away,”
Im says. “It was devastating, and I
can’t forget my Nepalese neighbors’
heartfelt consolation. They didn’t say
it in so many words, but I could feel
their affection from even their small-
est gestures.”
KOREA
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42 2010
페이지 3 mac4 1130-4CL-out
Im Yeon-sik does a medical checkup on Nepalese
children (top). A volunteer for Lee Sang-su takes
part in disease surveillence and quarantine activi-
ties to fight the spread of parasites in Laos (above).
Im came home for the second time
last November, after two years at the
Red Cross Blood Bank in Pokhara.
She is already preparing for another
stint volunteering overseas. Once she
passes a physical examination, Im will
leave for either Paraguay or Ethiopia in
this December.
“Giving everything is the ultimate
dream of my life,” Im says. “If I can
live that dream, I will be volunteering to bear fruit. The next set of tests
overseas as long as my body allows.” revealed that the number of people
When 63-year-old Lee Sang-su with parasites had fallen by up to 60
arrived to spend two years in the percent. “The decrease was especially
remote village of Luang Prabang, noticeable among the young,” he
Laos in 2004, he says it was like the says. “It was easier to change the
clock had been turned back three lifestyles of children and that had a
decades. When he started his career bigger impact.”
as a public health civil servant in After returning home in 2006, Lee
Chungcheongnam-do in 1968, Lee went back to Laos in 2008. He is in
had to battle with the same kinds of his 60s, but his passion for volun-
diseases he faced in Laos, in similarly teerism is as strong as ever. “When I
challenging conditions. was starting out as a civil servant in
“After conducting stool tests, I was public health, volunteers from other
shocked. Of 595 people, 96.8% were countries came in to help us,” Lee
infected,” Lee says. “The infected says. “Now I am just so overwhelmed
people had at least two parasites that I am now returning the favor, and
each, and some who’d eaten I am not tired at all.”
freshwater crabs off the Mekong River
had lung distomiasis.” PILLARS OF THE COMMUNITIES One of Copion’s senior members has a heartwarm- nate. What the older volunteers lack
ing time with local children in Nepal (above).
Along with two Laotian clinicians, When it comes to overseas volun- in sheer numbers, they more than
Volunteer Lee Yeong-chul shakes hands with
Lee launched a war against the para- teers, Korea’s older generations are General Chavang in Thailand (below). make up for with their dedication and
sites. He requested and received more than matching the zeal of their life experience.
anthelmintics from the Chungcheong- younger compatriots. In fast-changing “Since 2004, we’ve been sending
nam-do provincial government and societies like that of Korea, senior citi- Friends Korea, under the auspices of senior volunteers with at least 10
Chungnam Pharmaceutical Associa- zens may be considered to be in their Korea’s foreign ministry; KADO years’ experience in education, public
tion. While curing the infected was declining years, but in developing Internet Volunteers, under the ministry health and agricultural development
urgent, improving overall living condi- countries, they are indispensable. of public administration; and assorted overseas," said Jeong Su-jin, who
tions and educating people about pub- They placed Korea among the world’s university student groups and science handles recruiting at the Korea
lic health was even more important. biggest economies in just half a centu- volunteers, which operate under the International Cooperation Agency, a
“We found a source of drinking ry, and their experience and know-how ministry of education. government body. “They may take
water on a mountaintop two kilo- are proving just as valuable today. Seniors’ groups account for barely 1 more time than young people to get
meters away and connected it with a The government has created over- % of all volunteers, and at NGOs such adjusted to the new environment and
pipe to bring clean water into town,” seas volunteer groups, including World as Copion, younger activists domi- language, but the role of the older
Lee says. “It was impossible to get volunteers is substantial. They have
groundwater because there was no excelled in areas where a lot of experi-
electricity. While I was working with ence is necessary, such as agricultur-
the locals, I stressed that things in al development — including teaching
Korea weren’t much different in the skills needed in livestock farming and
past and that if they worked at it, cultivation — and urban development,
they could find themselves in better covering the construction of schools,
conditions. They knew that and they hospitals, public health centers, play-
followed my guidance well.” grounds and public bathrooms.”
In addition, Lee helped build public In fact, Korea’s senior volunteers
bathrooms in schools, along with aren’t just giving to the developing
dumping grounds and incineration countries they go to. They find new
ⓒ Copion (above); KOICA (right)
plants. He also gathered villagers at sources of energy in making full use
the town hall to teach them how to of their vast wells of talent. For this
brush their teeth and wash their reason, many of the volunteers boast
hands properly, as well as how to of feeling 10 years younger when
ensure that their cooking killed any they return — and it’s not long before
ⓒ KOICA
parasites in the food. many of them are back on their travels
Within two years, Lee’s work began again.
KOREA
NOVEMBER
2010 43
44-48 now in korea 2010.11.3 11:54 AM 페이지 44 mac4 1130-4CL-out

NOW IN KOREA

KOREA’S
SHUTTERBUG
ARMY

“Why do Koreans like taking

photos so much?” This is a
question that many tourists ask
when they come to Korea for the
first time. Everywhere you look,
there are Koreans shooting
pictures with everything from
cell phone cameras to the latest
DSLR cameras. In Korea, even
the snappers with the top-end
equipment are often no more
than amateur enthusiasts, and
though they may not get paid for
their work, these weekend
shutterbugs display an expertise
and passion that would put
many of their professional
counterparts to shame.
By Seo Dong-cheol | photographs by Kim Hong-jin

Members of the online community “DSLRs for Sharper Pictures” strike a picture-perfect
pose during a shooting session at Seoul’s iconic Jogyesa Temple (above).
KOREA KOREA
NOVEMBER NOVEMBER
44 2010 2010 45
44-48 now in korea 2010.11.3 11:55 AM 페이지 46 mac4 1130-4CL-out
On a brisk autumn afternoon, a group begins to gather
outside of Jogyesa Temple in the heart of Seoul. Ranging
from students in their 20s to men in their 50s, all of them
carry state-of-the-art DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex)
cameras on their shoulders. These are the members of the
online community “DSLRs for Sharper Pictures”
(cafe.naver.com/realdslr) and they have met to indulge their
passion in the company of like-minded photography fans.
With the group having contacted the temple in advance, a
monk comes to meet them and happily agrees to be pho-
tographed. A fusillade of clicks fills the forecourt as the pho-
tographers look to capture the understated beauty of
Daeungjeon Hall. Lenses are changed, flashes pop, and the
snappers sit, kneel and lie down on the ground, all in search
of the perfect shot. Strewn at their feet is a mound of bags,
each filled with wide-angle zooms, filters and memory cards.
Showing just how seriously the shutterbugs take their art, the
contents of each bag would easily cost US$600 or more.
KOREA
NOVEMBER
46 2010
BEYOND THE ROUTINE Park Ki-deok, the manager of the
group, discovered his love for photography through a small
compact camera. In 2001, Park bought a modest digital
camera to take pictures during a vacation, and subsequently
upgraded to a more expensive model on the birth of his first
child in 2003. Before long, however, Park felt that even his
new, fancier camera wasn’t enough.
“Within a year, I wanted a DSLR camera,” says Park. “I was
still just learning how to take pictures and I’d heard that a
DSLR could really improve the quality of your photography.
I soon became besotted with the thing and in 2005, I pub-
lished a book called Introduction to the DSLR Camera. In
October of that year, I started DSLR online community, and
we now have over 100,000 registered members.”
It’s no exaggeration to say that DSLR cameras changed
Park’s life. The high-tech cameras, which use mirrors and a
pentaprism to reflect light onto a large viewfinder, now take
up a huge chunk of Park’s time, as he delivers talks on the
technology and takes part in photography meetings. Park
still works as a freelance publishing manager, but the rest of
his life revolves around his camera. A DIGITAL DESIRE Korean’s love for photography began in
Lee Min-ju, another member of the community, is taking the late 1990s, when the popularization of compact digital
part in the Jogyesa Temple shoot despite being very pregnant. cameras made it much easier for people to snap, store and
Buying her first DSLR camera in 2006, Lee began by docu- view high-quality pictures. While digital gear was a hit
menting her daily life and posting shots on her homepage to around the world, Korea’s highly advanced broadband
share with friends. Soon, however, Lee truly caught the DSLR connectivity and a very tech-savvy populace made the
bug. She enrolled in photography classes, not just to improve growth of digital photography explosive. Very quickly,
her everyday shots, but to create genuine works of art. Koreans began recording their daily lives in digital format,
“My child is due pretty soon so it’s difficult to travel long sharing their pictures on their blogs and homepages. Along
distances,” she says. “At the moment, I focus on taking shots with PCs and cell phones, digital cameras became one of a
of models and landscapes. There are wonderful scenes for trio of high-tech must-haves.
photographers at Seonyudo Park and Haneul Park [both in When affordable DSLR cameras hit the market, they found
Seoul], and besides my homepage, I’m now posting my work an eager audience. On first arriving in Korea in the early
on blogs and online communities, too.” 2000s, they were prohibitively expensive for ordinary users,
A middle-aged man going only by his online community and only professional photographers or photojournalists
nickname, Lunicolao, says that he bought his first DSLR were seen carrying them around. But as they invariably do
camera just five months ago. Though he took photography with electronics goods, prices quickly began to fall, until a
classes when he was in high school, he says he never had the few years ago, DSLR models began appearing for a much
chance to learn more. His passion for photography withered more accessible under US$900. Predictably, demand boomed.
ⓒ Korea Tourism Organization (bottom right)
as he focused on his studies, then his career, then marriage, “The digital camera market in Korea has grown from
but it was rekindled when he saw young students and office 100,000 cameras in 2000 to 2,000,000 today,” says an expert
workers carrying these high-tech cameras around. in the camera industry. “Among the total number of cameras,
arasum International Jazz Fe
“Because I started late, my love for photography is even it is estimated that there are 1.7 million compact digital
greater,” he says. “Any time it’s not raining, on weekends and cameras and 300,000 DSLR cameras, which shows the fast
even weekday evenings, I’m out somewhere or other looking growth of the DSLR market. Once they’ve got digital
for stuff to shoot. I just love it, but I’m not sure that my wife cameras, Koreans are quick to upgrade to low-cost DSLR
and children are so keen.” models, and from there to expensive ones.”
The professional eqiupment may be expensive, but Korea’s amateur photographers’ A monk at Jogyesa Temple sits poised as a model for an amateur group of
enthusiasm for shooting makes it all worth the while. Online communities and niche photographers (top). Though they’re not professional photographers, this groups’
groups bring these photographers together for a weekend shoot (above). passion for shooting makes the art of photography a treasured hobby (middle).
KOREA
The beautiful scenery of Daehandawon green tea fields in Boseong (above). NOVEMBER
2010 47
44-48 now in korea 2010.11.3 11:55 AM 페이지 48 mac4 1130-4CL-out
Though young men were the earliest adopters of DSLR
equipment, women in their 20s and 30s have recently started
buying in big numbers, too. Today, it’s not unusual to see
elderly couples bringing DSLR cameras along with them on
vacations, as well as housewives taking part in photography
meetups armed with tripods and a gamut of lenses.
DSLR communities now abound online, with groups like
the SLR Club (www.slrclub.com) claiming more than 100,000
members. As well as arranging shoots and offering an online
forum, they provide information on camera brands, galleries
of their members’ work, offline lectures and specialist
meetings catering to different parts of the country and
different brands.
The boom of interest in DSLR is an archetypal example
of a homegrown trend that started with a few hardcore users.
Known as saenghwal sajinga, literally “life photographers,”
today’s snappers have passed beyond the realm of mere
amateurs to become true experts, often with skills to match
the best professionals. In fact, the amateurs become that, very
often, the only thing distinguishing them from the pros is the
lack of financial reward.
KOREA’S BEAUTIFUL BACKDROPS Another big factor in
boosting the ranks of Korea’s amateur photographers is the
country’s extraordinary natural scenery. Fields of reeds and
silver grass waving in the wind, seas of flowers that serve up
different colors with the changing seasons, sunsets that set
the sky and seas ablaze, hazy fogs at dawn — all provide
Korea’s photographers with a endless array of backdrops for
their work.
The silver grass fields of the Mindungsan Mountain in
Jeongseon, Gangwon-do Province; the reed fields in
KOREA
NOVEMBER
48 2010
Sinseong-ri in Seocheon, Chungcheongnam-do Province;
and Haneul Park at World Cup Park in Seoul are all popular
destinations for photography meetups in autumn. With the
sun hanging in the sky, the reeds and grass fields with a
golden hue, producing scenery of arresting beauty.
The Daehandawon green tea fields in Boseong, Suncheon
Bay Ecological Park in Suncheon, Darangyi Village in
Gacheon, and Hoeryongpo in Yecheon also attract many
photographers. Boseong’s fields roll in endless green curves
on the mountainsides, while the terraced farms of Darangyi
Village in Gacheon sprawl over the mountain slopes. In
Suncheon Bay, the currents pass through swamps into the
ocean and the waterways of Hoeryongpo whirl around the
village.
For photographers seeking out straight roads flanked with
towering trees, the Metasequoia-lined road of Nami Island in
Gangwon-do Province is the most famous spot of all. Here,
viewfinders are filled with a lush green tunnel in spring and
summer, a gentle yellow landscape in fall, and a snow-covered
wonderland in winter. With a vanishing point at the end of
the road, it feels as if we are being led toward an unknown
world.
For photographers in search of the “art of reflection,”
Korea provides plentiful waterways mirroring the world
around them. Upo Swamp in Changneong, Gyeongsangnam-
do Province, and Seryangji in Hwasun, Jeollanam-do
Province are popular locations for photographers in search
of dreamlike, early-morning mists. The Gomso Salt Ponds
in Buan, Jeollabuk-do Province, are also popular thanks to
unique scenes of sun-dried salt and reflections from the
ponds.
Sunrises and sunsets are an eternal theme for photography
lovers everywhere. Being surrounded by ocean on three sides,
Korea provides wonderful settings to capture these sublime
moments.
Sunrises at Hyangiram Hermitage in Yeosu, Jeollanam-do
ⓒ Korea Tourism OrganizationJarasum International Jazz Fe
Province; as well as sunsets at Kkotji Beach in Taean,
Chungcheongnam-do Province and Sebang-Nakjo
Observatory in Jindo, Jeollanam-do Province, are all
renowned for being captivatingly photogenic.
The rape flower fields of Jeju Island, the sheep ranches in
Daegwallyeong in Gangwon-do Province, the snow flowers
of Deogyusan Mountain in Muju, Jeollabuk-do Province, and
a 26.7-kilometer-long cherry blossom road in Hadong,
Gyeongsangnam-do Province are more Korean spots that can
produce magical photographs. In Korea, the only boundary
for photographers are the memory card on their cameras.
The sheer beauty of Suncheon Bay Ecological Park in Suncheon displays tranquility
and serenity during the autumn season (above).
 NE PAS AFFRANCHIR
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ⓒ Choi Ji-young
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11:43 AM
2010.11.3
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