may 2012 #123 - 2

May 2012Issue No. 123

www.gwangjunewsgic.com

On The Cover:Ahn Sung-rye

remembering May 18

Farewell to Master Su Sana funeral in pictures

Special May 18 Tributein poetry and pictures

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Gwangju News May 20122

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THE EDITORIAL TEAM

Gwangju News is a monthly English magazine written and editedby volunteers. We welcome your contributions for proofreading,copy editing, administration, layout/design and distribution. Pleasewrite to [email protected] and tell us your area of interest.

Special thanks to the City of Gwangju and all ofour sponsors.

Copyright by the Gwangju International Center. All rightsreserved. No part of this publication covered by thiscopyright may be reproduced in any form or by any means -graphic, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording orotherwise - without the written consent of the publishers.

Gwangju News welcomes letters to the editor([email protected]) regarding articles and issues.Articles and submissions may be edited for reasons of clarity orspace.

Publisher: Shin Gyonggu

Editor-in-Chief: Julian Warmington

Editors: Seth Pevey, Kathleen Villadiego, Kim Minsu

Assistant Editor: Stephen Redeker

Copy Editor: Emma Dooley

Coordinators: Karina Prananto, Kim Jihyun, Jeong Jayeon

Layout and Design: Karina Prananto

Proofreaders: Jon Ozelton, Samantha Richter, Emma Dooley,

Pete Schandall, Gina Covert, Amy Daniels

Online Editors: Caitlin Jacobs, Andrea Galvez

Researchers: Kim Wooyeon, Hwang Yeongwook, Kim Jiwon,

Kwon Insung

Gwangju News is published by Gwangju International CenterAddress: Jeon-il Building 5F, Geumnam-no 1-1,

Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-758, South Korea

Phone: +82-62-226-2733~4

Fax: +82-62-226-2731

Website: www.gwangjunewsgic.com

E-mail: [email protected]

Registration No.: 광주광역시라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315)

Registeration Date: February 22, 2010

Printed by Logos (Phone +82-62-444-8800)

Publication Date: April 27, 2012

44the JU! Flea Market

May 2012

Gwangju News May 2012 3

ON THE COVERPhotographer: Christina GreenCover Photo: Ahn Sung-rye, May Mothers’ House founder. May Mothers’ House is a place of refuge for women affected by the May 18 DemocraticUprising.

Read the full story on page 11.

Photo edited for layout purposes.

26KORUS FTA controversy

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features regulars

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Local NewsThis Month in GwangjuBy Carl Hedinger

Upcoming Events

GIC Tour PreviewGuryeBy Warren Parsons

Photo Contest

Photo Essay: Master Su San Funeral ProcessionBy Doug Stuber

InternationalVolunteers will Attend Foreign Language SchoolBy Kim So-yeon

Home Pages

CultureBlood Type: More Than Just a LetterBy Stephen Redeker

Language Study The Pattern ‘‘--기기 전전에에’’: before doingBy Jung Soo-a

Movie ReviewSilencedBy Seth Pevey

Language StudyLetters to KOTESOLBy Dr. Dave Shaffer

FashionFash-on with xxl jjdpBy jjdp

Food and DrinkCalifornia RollBy Gabriel Ward

Food and DrinkFlower PancakeBy Kim Jiwon

Puzzle PagesBy Emma Dooley and Brian Paredes

Community Board

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FeatureAhn Sung-rye: Memories of a MassacreBy Seth Pevey

FeatureMore Love, More Happiness with GIC’s May Concert!By Karina Prananto

FeatureChristian Ludwig: Gwangju Symphony OrchestraBy Doug Stuber

CultureUNESCO and South Korea - A PreviewBy Sonia Mahut

LiteratureNot Over Yet: Poetry on the Gwangju UprisingTranslated by Song Chaepyong and Anne Rashid

TravelAn Ancient Village Alive and WellBy Mark Liebenthal

PerspectiveKORUS FTA: a Blessing or a Curse?By Charles Murray

Food and DrinkTreat Yourself Right: Drink Real MakgeolliBy Michael Bielawski

CommunityMDream Garden Children’s HomeBy Emma Dooley

Perspective“Pink Slime”: What’s Your Beef?By Matt Furlane

CommunityBuy, Sell and Trade in GwangjuBy Stephen Redeker

PerspectiveFriends or Foes? Korea vs JapanBy 8ball


Contents

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Christina Green (USA, Photographer) has been living in Gwangju for nearlyfour years. It wasn’t until she came to Korea that she picked up a knack forphotography. Though she considers herself as an amateur hobbyist, shefinds joy in capturing images around her.

She is always looking for new and interesting people/events to capture.Contact her at [email protected] next time you're in need of aphotographer.

Our Contributors

Jeong Jayeon(Korea, Coordinator)Working as a GIC summer intern in 2007, she realized that she is apeople person. This January, her wish to work here finally came true!She is now happy with her Gwangju News work for mutualunderstanding between Korean and international residents andexcited to meet new people every day. Singing in the Noraebang(singing room) and hiking Mt. Mudeung in a gentle breeze are herfavorite pastimes.

Michael Bielawski (USA, Writer) came toKorea in late 2008 after he met his Koreangirlfriend in New York City. They marriedand now he teaches English to elementarystudents in Seoul. Besides journalism, thesedays he enjoys Tae Kwon Do, homemademakgeolli, online gaming and watchingold Snoopy and Ren and Stimpy cartoons.

”

“ Gwangju Newscould not be asgreat as it iswithout the helpof our regularvolunteers, andwe’re alwayslooking for newcontributors andproofreaders.

8ball (Kim Dong-hun) (Korea, Writer) wasa former GIC volunteer worker from 2003to 2006, running the GIC Saturday Talk andwriting for the Gwangju News. Recently, hemade a surprise comeback as acontributing writer for Gwangju News.After spending about 10 years in Gwangju,he now lives in Seoul. Want to know whyhe is called 8ball? Check out one ofGwangju News’ back issues. The 8ballshow must go on.

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Time & Place: Every Saturday, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., GIC office (Jeon-il Bldg 5th Fl.) For more information visit www.gic.or.kr or contact [email protected] out pictures from previous GIC Talks http://picasaweb.google.com/gictalkWatch highlight clips of previous GIC Talks at www.youtube.com/GICTALK

May 5Children’s Day - GIC is closed

May 12Topic: Mike Royko: Chicago Politics Threatened byHonest Humor Speaker: Mark Liebenthal (Educator, M.A. EasternClassics, St. John’s College Graduate Institute, SantaFe, New Mexico)A jester is an entertainer who uses humor to make apolitical point, often putting himself at risk. Mike Royko wassuch a man. He worked as a Chicago newspapercolumnist for over thirty years, criticizing the city he loved somuch. He is one of America’s best known and most lovednewspaper men. In 1971, he published an unauthorizedautobiography of Richard Daley, the mayor of Chicago.He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1972. He is known forhis biting political satire, especially concerning Chicagopolitics. His was always a humorous voice of reason andcommon sense, with rich imagery from baseball, family,taverns and the streets of Chicago.

May 19Topic: Mapping Diasporic IdentitiesSpeaker: Chaepyong Song (Associate Professor of

[ GIC Talk ]

English, Marygrove College, Ph.D. in English Literature)Globalization creates, expands and intensifies socialinterconnections and interdependencies, driving evenpreviously homogeneous countries like South Koreatoward more heterogeneous, multicultural societies. In thistalk, Dr. Song will explore the connection betweendiaspora and identity. More importantly, he will examineways in which different forms of identities can beconceived, forms that are not based on exclusionarynotions of cultural identity.

May 26Topic: Korea has Copyright Law? Actually, Yes. Speaker: Darren Bean (Lecturer at Chosun University'sDepartment of Criminology)Korea is actually a net exporter of royalties. For music andsoftware, Korea sends more money to the US than it pullsin (think RIAA and Microsoft). And although it may beeasy to copy an entire book (so easy that it was a pointof interest to the FTA negotiations), many small businessowners are finding that criminal prosecution for piracy inKorea has a very low standard. This talk will compareKorean and American copyright law, briefly discussinternational treaties (including the FTA), music licensing inboth countries and software anti-piracy crackdowns.

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A brief roundup of news stories from in and around Gwangju

By Carl Hedinger

Sing the Spirit of MayPrepare to “Sing the Spirit of May”. Head out toChonnam University on May 12th at 7:30 p.m. to seethe 2nd May Creative Music Festival. While thisshowcase will be a great way to find new music, thefestival’s other purpose is to rekindle memories of theMay 18th Democracy Movement. Among thesymbols to be prominent will be “democracy”,“human rights”, and “peace”. Festival organizerswant to attract a younger audience and plan toinvolve the crowd in more ways than ever. Oneexample will likely invoke notions of “Superstar K”. Forthis year’s show, 150 people from the audience willbe chosen to serve as judges of the performances.For more information, please call 062-6707-9713 or visitthe festival’s website at www.518music.net.

Gwangju Kimchi Hits the RoadI f one mentions the words “Food” and “Fair”,Gwangju must surely find a way to join the fun. Thiswas certainly the case at the 2012 Korean FoodTourist Fair in Seoul this past month. More than 30 foodexperts from Gwangju arrived on the scene to displaythe superiority of Gwangju’s kimchi. The Gwangjudelegates offered 60 varieties of kimchi dishes andraised eyebrows with the wide array of foods on offer.According to a Gwangju representative, “we arecarrying forward a project making more healthy anddelicious kimchi to support the industry domesticallyand internationally.”

Museum Cafe ReopenedGwangju’s National Museum has been accused oflacking appropriate facilities to accompany its


collection of ancient relics. To make things up tovisitors, museum officials ordered the renovation of the“Jamitan” which has served as the museum’s cafesince the building’s opening. The Jamitan reopenedfor business on April 3rd and is expected to givefamilies more options during a lengthy visit. Childrenwho visit will now have a place to rest and eat afterlong hours of walking through the museum’s corridorsand adults will have a more welcoming place toreflect and contemplate the beauty of the artifactsinside the National Museum for many years to come.

Gwangju Expressway Toll RaisedFrequent travelers of Gwangju’s elaborateexpressway should prepare for higher fees in the nearfuture. City Hall announced that toll prices wil lincrease starting next month. The office said “If wedon’t raise the toll, the city will be responsible for 9.2billion won. Therefore we decided to raise the toll [by]15-26 percent”. City Hall has been paying for theGwangju expressway since it first opened in 2001.While the increases are fairly minimal (ranging from100 to 400 won), City Hall certainly expects to seetremendous rewards from the increases. Prepare forthe fees to change on May 1st.

Gwangsan-gu teams up with Local University to HelpFemale Migrant WorkersFollowing on from last month’s news roundup, morehurdles have been overcome for female migrantworkers. Following a meeting at the Gwangsan-guOffice in Gwangju, the district has teamed up withHonam University to offer better employmentopportunities for women working in Korea. The Ministryof Labor selected Honam to work with Gwangsan-guand the resulting project is known as the “MarriageMigrant Employment Support Plan”. The MMESP’spurpose is to help married women living in Korea whoare in need of secure and stable employment.

When foreign women are hired, they tend to beemployed as “non-regular workers” or for simple taskswhich do not provide stable income. For thoseselected for the MMESP, multiple tests wil l beadministered in the hopes of finding a career that fits.Among the services offered are a psychologicalexamination, a placement test, career counselingand job-specific training. The program’s stated goal isto help 180 women find a job each year. In order toreach these expectations, Gwangsan District’s Officeis responsible for finding candidates and HonamUniversity will provide the training and education.

This Month in Gwangju

The Kimchi Fair in Seoul

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Upcoming Events

Gone with the Wind 바바람람과과 함함께께 사사라라지지다다Genre: Historical, RomanceStarring: Clark Gable, Vivien LeighCountry: United StatesLanguage: EnglishSynopsis: The tradition and orders of the southern US havegone with the wind because of the American civil war.Scarlett O’Hara goes through pain as a defeated citizen,but gives all of her heart to live a winning life.

Waterloo Bridge 애애수수Genre: Drama, Romance, WarStarring: Robert Taylor, Vivien LeighCountry: United StatesLanguage: EnglishSynopsis: During World War II, Captain Roy is taking awalk on Waterloo Bridge. At the air raid-alarm, while Royis going to shelter, he meets a young and beautifulballerina, Myra.

Singin' in the Rain 사사랑랑은은 비비를를 타타고고Genre: Romantic comedy, MusicalStarring: Gene Kelly, Donald O'ConnorCountry: United StatesLanguage: EnglishSynopsis: This movie is described as one of the bestmusicals ever made. Amateur comedian Don comes toHollywood to find a new job. He acts as a stunt man andappears in lots of films with a popular actress. This film isfamous for the scene which Don dances happily in therain with an umbrella.

Roman Holiday 로로마마의의 휴휴일일Genre: Comedy, Drama, RomanceStarring: Audrey Hepburn, Gregory PeckCountry: United StatesLanguage: EnglishSynopsis: Princess Anne begins to rebel against herrestricted, regimented schedule. One day, she sneaks outof her room and goes to the street. On the street, shemeets a gentleman and enjoys the life of a normalcitizen.

Contributors: Kim Wooyeon, Hwang Yeongwook, Kwon Insung, Kim Jiwon (GIC Gwangju News Team)

Movies @ Gwangju TheaterAddress: Chungjangro 5-ga (two blocks behind Migliore)Phone: 062-224-5858Films change weekly to bi-weekly. Check online for more movies, schedule and prices. For more info: http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju (Korean)

Amadeus 아아마마데데우우스스Genre: Biography, Drama, MusicStarring: F. Murray Abraham, Thomas Edward HulceCountry: United StatesLanguage: EnglishSynopsis: An old musician named Salieri launches a longconfession to a priest. Some days, he is so impressed withMozart's concerts. He continues with his life, but thinksMozart is irreverent and lewd, and so begins to hate himfor his God-given talent.

SportsKIA Tigers Baseball TeamMay Match Schedule

Date

123456111213222324252627

Match Team

SKSKSK

NexenNexenNexenDoosanDoosanDoosanHanhwaHanhwaHanhwa

LGLGLG

Time

6:30 p.m.6:30 p.m.6:30 p.m.6:30 p.m.

2 p.m.2 p.m.

6:30 p.m.5 p.m.5 p.m.

6:30 p.m.6:30 p.m.6:30 p.m.6:30 p.m.

5 p.m.5 p.m.

Venue: Gwangju Mudeung Baseball Stadium (무등경기장)Buses 16, 38, 51, 53, 58, 89, 95, 98, 151 get off at MudeungStadium bus stopTicket Price: Adults 7,000 - 13,000 won; Students (13 - 18):4,000 - 9,000 won; Children (under 13: 2,000 - 6,000 won)Website: www.tigers.co.kr

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9Gwangju News May 2012

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the May edition of what’s new andhappening at Holiday Inn Gwangju

Spring is in full swing!Our Lobby Lounge Snack Buffet and unlimitedwine, beer and soft drinks continues to be verypopular each Thursday, Friday and Saturdaynight. Rendezvous with friends and enjoy thisfantastic deal for 21,500 won per person from 6:30p.m. to 9 p.m.

Spring Cocktails:10,000 won + taxFrozen Strawberry Daiquiri, Bombay Beach andMelon Cooler…to name but a few!If you are looking for an intimate venue for aWestern meal, our Cloud Lounge on the 10th floornow offers a set menu consisting of six courses thatfeature smoked salmon roulade, traditional Frenchonion soup and Beef Wellington (beef tenderloinwrapped in pastry and mushrooms then roasted)This is available every day from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30p.m. Price is 67,000 won + tax and includes a glassof the house red.

We all look forward to seeing you at Holiday InnGwangju.

Best wishes,

Michael WilsonGeneral ManagerHoliday Inn [email protected]

This Month at Holiday Inn Gwangju

Gwangju International Tea Fair 광광주주국국제제차차문문화화전전시시회회Location: Kim Daejung Convention Center 김대중컨벤션센터Date: May 25 - 28, 2012Admission fee: 2000 won (Adults), 1000 won (Children),Free (Under 6 or over 65 years old, those who haveinvitations or applied on the Internet) 50% discount(Groups of over 20 people) Phone: 062-611-2212For more information go to: http://www.teaexpo.or.kr/

KBC Pregnancy Birth Child Education Exhibition KKBBCC임임신신출출산산육육아아교교육육박박람람회회Location: Kim Daejung Convention Center 김대중컨벤션센터Date: May 3-6, 2012Admission fee: 2000 won (Adults) Free (children, thosewho have free invitations or applied on internet) Phone: 062-650-3048For more information go to: http://www.kbcbaby.co.kr/

Exhibitions

Gwangju FC Soccer Team May Match Schedule

Venue: Gwangju World Cup Stadium (광주월드컵경기장)Directions: Buses 6, 16, 20, 26, 47, 74 Ticket Price: VIP 10,000 won, GOLD 5,000 won(if you buy a ticket on the website, 10% discount)Website: www.gwangjufc.com

Date519

Match TeamDaegu FCSeoul FC

Time3 p.m.3 p.m.

Sungbin Book and Bake Sale Date: May 19, 2012 (Saturday)Time: 12 p.m. until 8 p.m.Place: Underground Grocers, downtown Gwangju(please check page 55 for location info)

This event is held to support the Sungbin EducationalEndowment Fund to assist students in attendinguniversity or vocational training. You can participatein the event by donating baked goods or used booksto be sold at the Bake Sale.

For more information, please check Facebook event:2012 Sungbin Book and Bake Sale or contact DanielLister at [email protected]

Children’s Day Fundraiser for MDream GardenChildren’s HomeDate: May 5, 2012 (Saturday) - Children’s DayPlace: Gwangju World Cup StadiumTime: 3 p.m. (Gwangju FC Vs. Daegu FC) Admission fee: Free, but a donation is requested. (Tickets can be picked up from GIC, Speakeasy orZeppelin’s bars downtown or at the stadium on the day.)

Help support a good cause while watching GwangjuFC’s home game against Daegu FC.

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Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea 2012 여여수수엑엑스스포포Date: May 12 - August 12Venue: New Port Area, Yeosu City, Jeollanam-do Representative programs: Theme Pavil ion, KoreanPavil ion, Marine Life Pavil ion, Aquarium, LocalGovernment Pavilion, Corporate Pavilions, InternationalPavilions, DSME Marine Robot Pavilion and so on. Admission Fee: 33,000 won on regular days, and 40,000won on special days (May 12-13, May 26-28, August 10-12)To get there: Take the bus to Yeosu bus terminal from U-square terminal and (9,900 won) and take a shuttle bus toget to the EXPO. This shuttle bus from the Yeosu busterminal is ready to serve you for free during the EXPO. For more English information, go to:http://eng.expo2012.kr/

The 38th Boseong Green Tea Festival 제제 3388회회 보보성성다다향향제제Date: May 16 - 20 Venue: Korea Tea Pansori Culture Park, Boseong-gun,Jeollanam-doContests: Korea Best Tea Contest, National StudentCourtesy Contest, Green Tea Drinking Contest, RecycleIdea Contest for Canned Green Tea, National SongContest (in Korean: 전국노래자랑)Activity: Green Tea Beauty & Health Experience, BoseongGreen Tea Taste, Boseong Green Tea Cafe Show Performance: Street Magic Performance, Tea PlantationConcert, Mime PerformanceTo get there: take a bus to Boseong from U-square busterminal.For more information: http://dahyang.boseong.go.kr/

Jangseong Hong Gil-dong Festival장장성성 홍홍길길동동 축축제제Date: May 25 - 27Venue: Hong Gil-dong Theme Park, Jangseong,Jeollanam-do Activity: Traditional Game Experience, Traditional KoreanVillage Experience, Hong Gil-dong Exhibition, DrawingHong Gil-dong, Making Character Umbrellas, World HeroCharacter Parade, etc.To get there: Take the bus to Jangseong bus terminalfrom U-square.For more information, go to http://tour2.jangseong.go.kr/


Festivals7th Periodical Concert-Gwangju Youth PhilharmonicOrchestra광광주주청청소소년년교교향향악악단단 제제77회회 정정기기연연주주회회Location: Grand Theater, Gwangju Art and CultureCenter (광주문화예술회관)Date: May 28Time: 7:30 p.m.Admission fee: 10,000 won/ 5,000 won (for students)Phone: 010-5648-6547Gwangju Youth Philharmonic Orchestra will give a recitalon May 28. They wil l play a wide variety of musicincluding Gioacchino Antonio Rossini's “The Barber ofSevil le”, Franz Peter Schubert's “Symphony No.8[Unfinished]” and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's “ViolinConcerto No.4”.

May 18 Musical 뮤뮤지지컬컬 화화려려한한 휴휴가가Location: Dongsan Art Hall, U-Square Cultural Center (유스퀘어 문화관)Date: May 18 to 28Time: 18th to 20th 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. / 7:30 p.m. Onweekdays / 3 p.m. and 7p.m. on Saturdays / 3 p.m. onSundays and holidays / no performance on MondaysAdmission fee: 30,000 wonPhone: 062-655-3580For more information go to: http://www.musical518.co.kror see This Month in Gwangju on page 7.This performance is based on the famous movie “May18”, which is focused on the Gwangju DemocratizationMovement of 1980. It gives us a vivid description of thetragic incident. This performance reminds us of the soulsof all the fallen heroes who died protecting Gwangju.There are also many interesting things in this musical youwon’t find in the movie.

2012 The Second May Music Festival제제22회회 전전국국 오오월월창창작작가가요요제제Location: Chonnam National UniversityDate: May 12Time: 7:30 p.m.Admission fee: freePhone: 062-670-7971~3For more information go to: www.518music.netThe May Music Festival is a kind of concert that aims forfreedom and a spirit of resistance.

Performances

GIC May ConcertTheme: PLUS ‘More Love, More Happiness’Date: May 13, 2012 (Sunday)Time: 5 p.m.Venue: Recital Theater, Gwangju Culture & ArtCenter, Buk-gu, Gwangju 광주문화예술회관 소극장Ticket price: 10,000 won (get 20 percent discount ifyou buy 10 tickets or more)- All proceeds of the concert will be used to helpenvironmental disaster victims or human rightsorganizationsDirection: Bus 12, 16, 18, 27, 48, 49, 51, 58, 72, 84, 85,95, 101, 192 (get off at 광주문화예술회관) Please contact GIC for more details at 062-226-2733or e-mail [email protected]

May 2012_12 2012.4.28 12:29 PM


By Seth PeveyTranslation by Jeong JayeonPhotos by Christina Green

ay, in our far-f lung distr ict, brings thebeginnings of balmy weather, mosquitoesbuzzing at your ears and windswept,

cloudless days. Even so, there is often a stir at thistime of something not quite set to rights. The gloriesof the peninsula in spring, however bright andpetal-blown they may be, are now and then stifledby the reflections of the many other springs thathave gone before. Though new growths of lifeblossom from every alleyway, May can bring with itpainful recollections of death to the citizens ofGwangju; a crime can be felt to bubble up frombelow, painfully refusing to be forgotten.

And how could we forget? While those that lefttheir blood on the streets may now be gone andsilenced, some relics and artifacts of the May 18thmassacre walk amongst us even now – mothersand fathers and indeed entire famil ies whoexperienced the slaughter first-hand are alive, andthey remember.

One such living memory can be found yet ablazeinside of Ahn Sung-rye. In her seventies, she has a

broad face and a tight smile not entirely resignedand dour enough in its expressions to suit the thingsshe has seen and the many seasons that havepassed since.

She greeted the Gwangju News team wearing fullhanbok and a hopeful yet worried grin at the oldMay Mothers’ House (오월어머니집) in downtownGwangju. This house, which she first used toestablish a sort of sanctuary for the victims andtheir families, is now much like a shrine to the past:proclaiming and glorifying the human spirit whileimmortalizing its horrible recompense. Photos andpaintings of her late husband, Myung Ro-keun, linethe walls like sentinels and are interspersed hereand there with hastily captured shots of the surgingmasses of humanity, seemingly pulsating even inthe silent thirty-year-old photographs of the streetsoutside of the provincial capital building just blocksaway from our interview.

She poured us homemade tea in homemadeglasses with calmness and a grace that wouldn’tlast long. Born in the countryside to a wealthy

M

feature

Memories of aMassacre

Ahn SSung-r y e

Sung-rye in front of the portrait of Myung Ro-keun

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 6:15 PM


family in 1938, her family was soon to be robbed ofits fortune by the Korean War, a whirlwind of turmoilso catastrophic it would also leave her without amother or a brother. Her father, left alone with her,wanted only that she marry well – and so shewould. She at first thought her best chance at abetter life would come from going abroad, and soshe sought to study English. What she would find inher new teacher Myung was more than a foreigntongue. Ro-keun, a Fulbright graduate of AnnArbor and who then worked at ChonnamUniversity, and Sung-rye, his pupil, would soon findtheir teacher/student relationship dissolving into aromance which would last a lifetime.

“So, because of him, I couldn’t learn English!” shelaughed when she recalled how easily love hadreplaced her other plans.

The handsome bearded visage of her latehusband loomed over us still, watchful as shecontinued.

“We were married in 1959, the professor and I.” Shelooked dreamily up at him across the room.

After their marriage, Ro-keun would take up hispost at Chonnam and continued in his strongChristian values, volunteering constantly at theYMCA and YWCA in Gwangju. The couple’s liveswere near-perfect aside from one thorn – anitching, brewing trouble in the form of Park Chung-

hee (in power from 1961-1979, and one of themost controversial figures in Korean History). As apublic figure, a professor and a man to whommany people l istened, Ro-keun was in aparticularly precarious posit ion under thepresidency of a paranoid and heavy handedChung-hee.

“At that time, professors were put to the task ofbasically spying on their own students, to monitorfor any anti-government (or so called“communist”) ideals. My husband wouldn’t do it,and was reported by members of the KoreanCentral Intelligence Agency (KCIA), and he lost hisprofessorship. Eleven other professors werearrested.”

After this, Ro-keun would return to the church asan elder. He continued to preach the word ofJesus and to proclaim the ideals of aspiringfreedom and democracy. Due to a random andunlucky circumstance, he would preach a sermonabout “saving the country” – dangerous words atan inopportune time. This testimony, innocent as itwas, would soon land him in hot water. In Octoberof 1979, just one month before the sermon, ParkChung-hee had been assassinated. The powersthat be would make a quick and unfounded linkbetween Ro-keun’s proclamation and the politicalstruggles of the day; this phantom connection sawhim arrested and sent off to military prison for afew months while under suspicion.

Sung-rye’s painful memories give rise to tears

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:53 PM

Chung-hee’s assassination, which led to theusurpation of power by Chun Doo-hwan, asidefrom casting Ro-keun as a political prisoner, wouldbe a further jump from the frying pan and into thefire.

“In May, after Doo-hwan came into control, thestudents tried to go to university classes but foundthey were forbidden to enter by soldiers. So, theytook to the streets.”

Sung-rye directed our attention to one particularphoto of a procession of students, a few professorsat the head of a long column of marchers.

She modestly points at a man at the front. “That ismy husband in the front. Not leading, justescorting.”

After a 14-year-old boy was killed by soldiers whileriding his bike from the countryside to view theprotests, Gwangju citizens, Ro-keun and Sung-ryeincluded, knew that the floodgates had burst.There was a broadcast about the killings, andsuddenly everyone knew that the government wasguilty of murder. Eventually students andsupporters would raid a local arms cache andtake again to the streets. The governmentresponse was to make Gwangju an island; they cutoff telephones, food, transportation and evenmedicine.

“My husband was asked to be a sort of negotiatorof Citizens’ Settlement Committee between thecitizens, students and the government,” Sung-ryerecalls. “The students demanded the release ofcitizens, treatment for the injured and a formalapology.”

But Doo-hwan would overturn any agreementsthey managed to come to, and with the“agreement” of American leadership, sent theforce of the army bearing down on Gwangju.

“At that time we were so thankful to America, butthey did nothing to stop Doo-hwan. We felt sobetrayed,” she said as huge marble tears rolleddown her face and channeled into wrinkled linesof disgust. “So many people died.”

She has a right to shed tears. At the time, she wasa nurse in Gwangju Christian Hopsital, and sawwith her own eyes the horrible and bloody birthpangs of democracy. Her hospital did all it could,performing up to thirty surgeries a day as injuriesand casualties mounted. She shows us pictures ofbodies piled on bodies: their limbs flaccid and theirfaces unrecognizably smeared with black blood,

torsos with angry swollen bullet holes lining thefloor, dead women, dead children and some bitsof flesh hardly identifiable as once having beenhuman.

She and her husband would survive to tell us aboutthis, as well as her daughter who joined us for theinterview, herself having spent two years in prisonover the incident. Ro-keun would go on to live ahappy life, passing away in 2000 from a heartattack.

“I love my husband,”Sung-rye says in English,holding a photo of him in her lap and smiling overtears.

Such is the living history of Gwangju. Democracy,once the philosophical fodder of intellectuals,suddenly became real in the minds of the peoplein that distant spring. Though Doo-hwan would rulefor seven more years, he would eventually besentenced to death, and then pardoned for hisrole in the massacre.

Sung-rye bows goodbye to the Gwangju Newsteam with a smile.

As the new spring comes into flower across Korea,we can’t help but be reminded that the freedomand privilege it now enjoys once cost our own cityso dearly. May 18th is only a special day inGwangju, and not marked by any significance inthe other Korean cities. Therefore let us somberlypay it homage, and hope for the springs hereafterto be filled with better days.


May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:53 PM

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:53 PM


feature

GIC May ConcertTheme: PLUS ‘More Love, More Happiness’Date: May 13, 2012 (Sunday)Time: 5 p.m.Venue: Recital Theater, Gwangju Culture & ArtCenter, Buk-gu, Gwangju 광주문화예술회관 소극장Ticket price: 10,000 won (get 20 percent discount ifyou buy 10 tickets or more)- All proceeds of the concert will be used to helpenvironmental disaster victims or human rightsorganizationsDirection: Bus 12, 16, 18, 27, 48, 49, 51, 58, 72, 84, 85,95, 101, 192 (get off at 광주문화예술회관) Please contact GIC for more details at 062-226-2733 or e-mail [email protected]

By Karina Prananto

MMoorree LLoovvee,, MMoorree HHaappppiinneessss wwiitthhGGIICCGGIICC’’’’ss MMaayy CCoonncceerrtt!!ss MMaayy CCoonncceerrtt!!

ay rhymes with spring, flowers and all thegood things that happen after a longperiod of cold winter days. It also

symbolizes a new start. The May Concert is anevent to celebrate the beauty of life, communityand sharing among people in need, like the spiritof Gwangju people in May 1980. The talentedmusicians of the GIC musician’s board donate theirtalents, t ime and energy to raise funds forenvironmental disaster victims in other countriesand human rights organizations locally andabroad. All proceeds that were collected frompast events have been used to help build sheltersfor foreign workers (2003), to help victims of anexplosion in North Korea (2004), to aid victims of anearthquake in Pakistan (2005), to Sri Lanka (humanrights group in 2006 and 2009, college scholarshipfund and human rights group in 2007), to aCambodian orphanage (2008), used for a Chinesestudent scholarship (2008), to help tsunami victimsin Japan (2011) and donated to internationalorganizations like UNHCR (2010). More than 26million won has been collected since the firstconcert in 2003.

The concert will be opened by the trio of fluteplayed by Choi Ji-hye, cello played by Oh Seung-seok and piano played by Park Jin-hee. SopranoLee Myung-jin will follow, accompanied by violistYang Se-mi and pianist Lee Sang-rok. The violin duoof Yang Se-mi and Kim Do-yeon and the sopranosPahk Kay and Gil Ae-ryeong will perform next. “4Hands of Piano” by Dong Su-jeong and Park Ui-hyuk and finally a solo soprano by Park Kyung-sukwill complete the concert, and the lovable kidsfrom GFN Children’s Choir will perform famoussongs from The Sound of Music.

The harmony of the music will instill in listeners afeeling of sharing and togetherness. Help ussupport this cause by coming to the concert andbeing a part of the Gwangju’s global community.We guarantee a wonderful evening filled withbeautiful music all in support of a good cause. Seeyou on May 13!

M

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:53 PM

feature

Christian Ludwig:Gwangju Symphony OrchestraBy Doug StuberPhotos courtesy of Christian Ludwig and Gwangju Symphony Orchestra


May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:53 PM


he Gwangju Symphony Orchestra, nowstarting its second year under musical directorChristian Ludwig, sounded magnificent in a

recent performance of Tchaikovsky’s PianoConcerto Number One (with piano virtuosoprodigy Cho Song Chin playing superbly) andRachmaninoff’s Second Symphony, a less-heardpiece that demonstrated the orchestra’s ability toperform a subtle, moving work with all the emotiondemanded by a Russian composer.

Ludwig commented on the talent of the soloist inan interview after the concert.

“We are able to bring in young, rising stars who areaffordable, make the time to come to Gwangju,and perform very well. At age 17, Cho has alreadytaken a prize in the Tchaikovsky Piano competitionin Moscow and played with orchestras in Japan,China and Russia. The amazing thing is, no one inhis family has a musical background,” Ludwig said,as he prepared for a flight to Germany the nextday. Cho is slated to play in China and Europe in2012 also.

Ludwig, who was the assistant to Mr Ku, theprevious conductor here, in opera orchestras inboth Frankfurt and Seoul, was born in Germany,and has a Korean mother.

“I visited here often, with so much family here, butworking here has helped me get a completeimpression of the Korean culture,” he said, with thesmile of a man who appreciates getting to knowhis mother’s land.

Ludwig had a tough act to follow, as Ku hadturned the orchestra from the best one inJeollanamdo, to one of the most harmonious inKorea, yet his goal is to improve the orchestraeven further. As is a tradition in all Koreanorchestras, the Gwangju Symphony is goingthrough a re-audition process. This means allmembers must re-qualify to retain their seats in theorchestra. The process has gone without a hitchand, with 16 members left to go, it appears Ludwigwill have to improve the orchestra with its currentmembers, rather than replacing fading or less-hard-working members with new blood.

“The May 18 Memorial Concert is the majorperformance in May, but the orchestra playsmany concerts at schools, and in places (like infront of the Town Hall in Sangmu last summer) thatdraw crowds that would not normally see classicalmusic”, Ludwig continued. “The May 18 Concertfeatures a Shostakovich piece that demands avery large orchestra and a chance to perform a

symphony that is full of the same spirit of revolutionthat still hangs in the air here.”

And that spirit infected a practice recently when anumber of orchestra members hung signs from theirmusic stands asking “Are you doing a good job?”Those may have referred to the fact that Ludwigalso conducts the Cologne Chamber Orchestra, aswell as guest conducting around Europe forapproximately two weeks per month. Most recentlyhe conducted in Lisbon, Portugal. Or, they mayhave been a reaction to the fact that re-auditionswere happening at all, since, in a fit of what mustbe called a “Seoul Superiority Complex” the KoreanBroadcast Orchestra allowed members to opt outof re-auditions, the only orchestra in Korean historyto do so.

The fact is that in classical music, woodwind andbrass instruments stand out, while str ings arecoddled in a cocoon of large sections. This meansthat a viola player may not be the best, but itwould be hard to detect in a large section, while aflub on trumpet or French horn stands out, not justdue to volume but also the obviousness of theinstrument that made the error (either rhythmically

T

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:53 PM


The May 18 Memorial Concert5.18 자자유유Date: May 17, 2012 (Thursday)Time: 7:30 p.m.Venue: Grand Theater, Gwangju Culture and ArtCenter 광주문화예술회관 대극장Price: R seat: 30,000 won, S seat: 20,000 won, A seat:10,000 won (students: 50 percent discount)For more information, go to:http://cafe.daum.com/gjsym.orch. (Korean) or 062-524-5086For ticket reservations, go to: http://www.gjart.net(phone: 062-613-8364)

The whole orchestra

or in tone). Thus in the case of Gwangju, the full re-audition is a necessary part of being a professionalmusician every year.

Considering the near-mutiny the little red signscreated, there is an option for Mr. Ludwig that hedid not mention in the interview. Instead of re-auditioning an orchestra, with the assumptionmost will be professional enough to retain theirseats, an orchestra can be disbanded, and everyseat can be opened up to anyone who wants toaudition.

Korea has an almost unbounded talent pool onstrings, but one assumes that an open call auditionwould sti l l f ind 85 percent of the orchestraretaining their seats. I can’t imagine a cellist losinga seat for instance, but a full and open audition isthe only fair way to make better string sections,again because of the cocoon effect. It wouldhave to be an excellent player on any instrumentto find their way into this already strong addition toGwangju’s place as a “cultural hub city of Asia.”Without it, Ludwig will undoubtedly be stepping uphis already rigorous rehearsals. Either way we canlook forward to an ever-improving orchestra, andas was recently proven, one that plays welltogether, regardless of juvenile antics atrehearsals.

May 2012_12 2012.4.28 12:21 PM


UNESCO and South Korea – A PreviewBy Sonia Mahut Photo courtesy of Ad-hoc Committee for Establishing May 18 Archives

So what better challenge for UNESCO, the grandmediator between cultures, than to reconcile itspolicies towards youth empowerment with theSeowons’ preference for respecting status andage hierarchy, without damaging the culture it issupposed to protect? How will it do at its nextmeeting on May 18th in Gwangju, especially nowthat several Confucian academies have appliedfor the protection granted by being part of theUNESCO World Heritage program?

n organization which has education, scienceand culture in its title should appeal to SouthKorean ideals maybe more than to any

other country’s. Originally, UNESCO was designedto promote peace by stopping wars in their tracksjust as they took root in the minds of people.

At the end of World War Two, when all countrieswere exhausted by the battles, it was decided toattempt to prevent a reoccurence by creating anorganization oriented towards honoring culturaldiversity, dialogue and sustainable development inorder to promote profound understanding andtolerance among nations.

Wars used to be simpler, as well as morespectacular. They were mainly about territory, asthe enemies tried to impose themselves using theirsize. Fights were in the open and casualties weremeasured in lost l imbs and commodities.Nowadays, wars are low-key, most of the time theviolence is hidden. There is a trend towardsminimization and the losses are spiritual, culturaland moral, measured in dying languages,traditions or philosophies of life.

Science now has a life of its own, and is becomingmore and more specialized and narrow in its focus,though it has to be regulated by people who havea more general background. If we are capable ofdoing something, it doesn’t necessarily mean weshould actually do it without careful considerationof the ramifications. As South Korea has seen aspectacular expansion in the natural and lifesciences fields, many older people perceive thatthis has come at the price of losing the compass ofmorality. There has thus been a recent revival ofinterest in Seowons, academies in which studentsare taught the Confucian way of life. Seowonswant to put ethics and history back into theschools that have shunned them in order to makemore room for the sciences. UNESCO wantsphilosophical dialogue in schools so that youngpeople can learn to make decisions based onlong-term evaluation of their effects.

culture

A

From the Press Release of Ad-hocCommittee for Establishing May 18 Archives“May 18 Archives”, to be opened in May 2014, willprovide a multi-functional space where exhibitions,research and education can be seen throughdatabase planning of archive contents includingdocuments, sound, oral statements, images, researchand cultural reappearance. With regard to this, theAd-hoc Committee for Establishing May 18 Archives iswaiting for donations of May 18 records from bothKoreans and foreigners. Its collection targets arediaries, statements, reporters’ notebooks,proclamations, films and photographs, tapes andanything else relevant to May 18 democraticmovements from organizations, groups andindividuals within and outside of Korea. All inquiries arewelcomed by the Ad-hoc Committee for EstablishingMay 18 Archives. (Email: [email protected],Contact number: 062-376-6644)

UNESCO designated Geumnam park crossroads(518m) as the road for democracy and human rightson September 5th, 2011.

May 2012_12 2012.4.28 12:16 PM

literature

Don’t Sing of May as a Blade of Grass that Withers in Wind By Kim Nam-ju (1946-1994)

Don’t sing of May as a blade of grass that withers in wind.May didn’t come lyrically like wind,nor did it lie lyrically like a blade of grass.

May came with a beast’s blood-stained claws.May came with the teeth of crazy dogs hungry for blood.May came with the soldier’s bayonet cutting the pregnant mother’s womb.May came gorging on the children’s eyes that popped out like bullets.May came with American tanks that trampled down the breath of freedom.

Don’t sing of May as a blade of grass that withers in wind.May didn’t come lyrically like wind,nor did it lie lyrically like a blade of grass.

May rose with the wailing of an angry lion.May rose with the blood-stained hair of the slaughtered young woman.May rose with the last scream that destroyed men shout.It was the Freedom’s suicidal attack that jumped into the forest of guns and swords.It was the hammer heated in the fire at the ironworks.It was the kitchen knives of the boys who rushed out of the restaurants.It was the rice ball rolled by the innocent lips of barmaids.It was the dynamite where all the human emotion toward injusticecongealed in love and exploded in hatred.

Don’t sing of May as a blade of grass that withers in wind.Wind is not fitting poetic language for the beast’s claws.Don’t sing of May as a blade of grass that withers in wind.Grass blades are not fitting poetic images for the blood battle resisting massacre.There is no room for the lyrical to stand in between the bloody massacre and the armed resistance.Nor does it deserve a place–not in Gwangju streets in May of 1980!

Not Over Yet: Poetry on the May 18 Democratic UprisingTranslated by Chae-Pyong Song and Anne RashidPhotos by Mark Eaton and courtesy of The May 18 Memorial Foundation


May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:53 PM

The Rice Ball of Tears By Koh Jung-hee (1948-1991)

The rice ball on which even the angel of death shed tears,the rice ball over which sisters and brothers sobbed:have you eaten the rice ball of Gwangju?The rice ball that makes a fire pillar rise up after you eat it,the rice ball that makes the Youngsan River roll up and downwhen you share it:have you eaten the rice ball of freedom?The rice ball mixed with Mother’s blood tearsat the floor of the Hakdong Marketand at the Yangdong Market,the rice ball seasoned with the sisters’ wailingat Hwajungdong, on Hwasun Neorit Hill,on Kumnam Street, and at Sansoodong:have you eaten the rice ball of sanctuary?Have you eaten the rice ball of community?Oh, love, love, love,the apocalyptic river water of May,the people who will run to Gwangju, toward Gwangjuuntil we climb up Mudeung Mountain, Lake Chunji of Baekdu Mountain,climbing over Lake Baekrock of Halla Mountain,wash the snow and the rice in the deep blue lakes of Baekrock and Chunji that will feed more than sixty million peopleand share the rice ball of reunification,the rice ball of equality,the rice ball of humanity,let us flare up as rice and firewoodat the home where dim evening smoke rises at dusk.

The May of My Heart By Kwak Jae-gu (1954- )

I longed to open a green umbrella hangingwith a pink ribbon wrapped around it.Standing in the spring wind blowing in,I longed to collect flowers along the bankand flowers of my heart,and spray them toward the glowing sky of the South.I longed to shout a poem that makes one burst into tearstoward the grass surging strongly from the wound of a rocky mountain.For that which was burned to bones and for that which collapsed and then became more beautiful,I longed to pin a few short flowersonto the heart of the naked land after the snow melted.And then I longed to become a star.I longed to become the starlight of the eastern sky which has a warm heart,a star that descends on the dew-drenched, dawn grassand with the incomprehensive fragrance of the skyputs to sleep the sorrows of this land.Ah, what should I do, my love?On this May day in my heart,only the azaleas hanging with black ribbons around their stalksmaniacally burn the spring mountains and streams.


May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM


By an Unnamed Warrior’s Grave By Lee Si-young (1949- )

Leaving you here,we shouted “the time of reconciliation!”Lifting up high our gunshot-wounded arms,clinking the glasses,we had already forgotten our wounds.After dancing at the plaza where democracy was to comewe had forgotten our wounds and all we had sacrificedto forget you,finally shaking our heads,to forget you who were lying down, painted, within the grave.But the spring sunthat hadn’t removed the paint from your whole body is not our spring any more.It’s a lie; it’s hypocrisy.The warrior, the youth who disappeared as a cold floweron the dawn of May 27, 1980,was pushed back by the closing-in forest of guns and bayonets.Any history that shouts, leaving you here,is not a history.

The South I Long for By Kwak Jae-gu (1954- )

Where is the place?If you look, you will find the place azaleas bloomlike tearsat a corner of the foot of the mountain.If you call toward it,putting together your big jointed handsit answers with clouds mixed with tears--the place where blood-filled tears gather again.When you look back to the land you misswhich in deepening darkness lies alone,becoming sorrowful,today who is calling it, thirsting for deep love? Young poet, do you know everywhere in this land you can see clearly with open eyes:in the autumn melody when the autumn windblows,in the spring melody when the spring wind blows,in the quiet sound of the rising tide,the undying, sorrowful powers of this landthat are like corn, green peppers,and winter larva in snow, come into bloom on our collapsed hearts.

By the Grave By Lee Si-young (1949- )

Spring flowers were brutally snapped,and the aggressor’s footsteps by the grave make me giddy.Friend, don’t sleep yet.In our blood-shot eyesyour death is vividly alive--you who threw a knife toward the enemy that dawn.

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM


Gwangju, Our Love By Kim Yong-taek (1948- )

Gwangju, our love,that does not freeze even during dictatorship’s biting winter,where snow does not accumulatethough it is dumped like bullets--here living water gushes with steam.

May, 1989:Gwangju is not over yetAh, Mudeung Mountain, our eternal mother, andazaleas blooming all over the land!

Ah, the angels who were dying on that day in their mother's wombsrunning thousands and thousands of steps,feeling out of breath as though the sky was collapsing!The hands of avaricious devilthat took away their precious lives!May 1980:the city of revolution that lives eternally by dying.Gwangju! We haven't laid down our hands yet.

Like beasts who smelled blood,the dark hands climbed over the walland pulled the trigger of indiscriminate massacreat the brothers who couldn't shoot at the dawn of the daywith their hands shaking.May 1980:Gwangju is not over yet!

By the bank where milk vetch bloomed all over,you, eleven-year-old child, diedon Kumnam Street, at Yangrimdong, at Wolsandong,at the Yangdong Market, at Kyerimdong Five-way Crossing,at the Hwankumdong bar districtGwangju died once, twice, three times,and Gwangju revived from the fight, from darkness,a city of resurrection that factory workers, restaurant workers,professors, students, doctors, barmaids, office workers,shoe shiners, and garbage scavengers built as one.

Kumnam Street overflows with love and peace--streets overflow with rice balls:the community where people's faces filled with smiles,their hearts filled with equality,the world where people live,the time of glory and shame that passes like a dream.

May, 1989:the life that emerges again in dying,Mudeung Mountain that stands as a majestic mother,the wildflowers who disappearedwithout any name.

Today we march againFrom Kumnam Street, to Provincial Hall,to Shinandong, to Mangwol cemetery--we march, clenching our bare hands,not to rememberthe day's roar, the day's anger, the day's trembling,but to cut offthe day's oppression, the day's torture, the day's terrorthat still constricts our feet.To make tomorrow's good world with our hands,today we march holding torches.

Though the night sky is darkand our road is long and treacherous,till the day of democracy, till the day of national liberationtill the day of our reunification,ah, May! Gwangju is not over yet.

Ah, May! Gwangju Is Not Over Yet By Na Jong-young (1954- )

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24

An Ancient Village Alive and WellWords by Mark LiebenthalPhoto by Matt Ehlers

travel

The paths around the village are wide and well-worn. They meander between and aroundthatched stone cottages and large officialbuildings. Residents of the homes go about theirlives, mixing with visitors, occasionally stopping tochat while they cook or do laundry.

Within the village are traditional restaurants thatare look rustic, but comfortable, roomy and brightinside. The menus contain only traditional Koreanfood and are the perfect place to take a breakfrom a walking tour.

The village setting is perfect for photographers ofall levels, as almost everything is picturesque andworth a second look. The views from the villagewalls are particularly amazing.

The village is open year-round and entrance feesare minimal at 2,000 won for adults, 1,500 won foryouths and 1,000 won for children. Visitors mayalso make arrangements to stay overnight in thevillage.

ith spring in the air and blue skiesoverhead, it’s time to get back outsideand see Korea.

A pleasant one-hour drive south of Gwangju, nearSuncheon, is a popular destination calledNaganeupseong (Nagan Folk Village).

Naganeupseong is renowned for several reasons.First, it is a living village with almost two hundredresidents. Second, the folk village contains the onlycastle representative of the Jeoson dynasty inSouth Jeolla Province. Third, Naganeupseong isalso one of the filming locations for the wildlypopular Korean historical drama, “Daejanggeum”(Jewel in the Palace), which lead to a surge invisitor numbers.

Finally, the village is home to the shrine of GeneralIm Gyeong Eop. General Im is remembered for hisdefense of Jeoson Korea during the Manchuinvasions as well as his turbulent political life. Anannual ceremony is held at his shrine during the fullmoon of the New Year.

W


May 2012_12 2012.4.27 6:20 PM


ay is a lovely month of warm days andcomfortable nights. In anticipation of thecoming summer, the countryside and

mountains glow a fresh vibrant green. It is anexcellent time to use your vigor, see some natureand climb a mountain with the GIC Tour!

This month, we will go to the majestic mountaintown of Gurye and visit Jirisan National Park. Jirisanis the largest park in the country and also has thehighest peak on peninsular South Korea. Our firststop will be Seongsam-Jae, a high mountain passfrom where we will start our ascent to Nogodan,the tallest summit in Jeollanam-do at 1507 meters.The trail is wide and the views from above areexpansive. After reaching the top we will trek downto a lower elevation for a comfortable picnic lunchoverlooking the valleys below.

After lunch, we will hike back down to the bus andtransfer to Hwaeom-sa. Founded in 544 C.E. by anIndian monk, Hwaeom-sa is one of the oldest,largest and most important temples in Korea.Surrounded by exquisite scenery, the temple is fullof treasures, including the tallest stone lantern inthe country, a massive two-storey prayer hall and a

beautiful stone pagoda with carved l ions.Participants will have free time to enjoy the templecompound, stroll through the virgin forests or relaxin a traditional teashop along a cool river.

Finally, we will head down the valley to the nearbyvil lage to have a l ight supper of mountainvegetables and Korean pancakes. After everygood day of hiking in the mountains, it is customaryto have some food and refreshments to satisfy yourhunger for the ride home.

May is one of the most pleasant months of theyear. Come out and experience it with the GICTour!

Gurye구례(Jirisan and Hwaeom-sa)

GIC Tour with Warren

By Warren Parsons

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TOUR OVERVIEWGIC Tour May 2012: Gurye and Jirisan National ParkDate: May 26Itinerary: Seongsamjae-Nogodan-Hwaeom-saFee: 35,000 won/ non-member: 45,000 wonRegistration: May 11 - 24 via the GIC homepage(www.gic.or.kr)

*Please wear appropriate shoes for hiking**Total hiking time is about 3 hours (about 6-7kilometers)

GIC Tour Preview

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM


rguably the most talked-about issue du jour inSouth Korea is The Korus Agreement, or TheU.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. Opinions

vary widely on the subject, and indeed it is a highlypolarizing issue for both countries.

This agreement, interestingly, is not new for eithercountry, for it was first ratified in 2007 by SouthKorean President Roh Moo Hyun, and then re-negotiated with Washington in November 2011. Inthat month and year the l iberal opposit ionlawmakers in Korea were blindsided by the GrandNational Party when they were forced into a"surprise" floor vote, catching them off guard. Sochaotic did it become that Representative Kim SunDong, a Democratic Labor-Party lawmaker,shocked Korea by pulling the pin on a tear-gascanister, hurling it at Vice Speaker Chung Ui Hwa infront of the Assembly speaker's podium, an eventthat was replayed on Korean news channels literallyhundreds of times.

Police had been deployed to block lawmakers'aides from entering the main building of thelegislature to prevent melees or other aggression.Journalists were also halted and kept away from themain chamber's observation deck.

Many Koreans have held anti-FTA rallies acrossKorea, and have demanded the FTA beinvalidated; some have said that President LeeMyung Bak should resign immediately.

Kim Min Yeong, the deputy secretary-general of ThePeople's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy,called late President Roh Moo Hyun's government'spush for the agreement a coup d' etat, not an actof governance.

U.S. President Barack Obama had spoken withPresident Lee Myung Bak via telephone on March14th, 2012, the day before the new revisions tookeffect, and Obama thanked the Korean presidentfor Korea's close cooperation in implementing theagreement and noted how it was a strong exampleof the accomplishments achieved in the U.S.-Koreapartnership.

perspective

KORUS FTA: A Blessing or a Curse?By Charles Murray

A So after the pandemonium has faded, what will theFTA mean to each country?

The new version of the KORUS FTA took effect onMarch 15, 2012, and as of this date, almost 80percent of U.S. industrial goods exports to Korea areduty-free. Included in this l ist are: aerospaceequipment, agricultural equipment, auto parts,building products, chemicals, consumer goods,electrical equipment, environmental goods, travelgoods, paper products, scientific equipment, as wellas various shipping and transportation equipment.

Other projected benefits for South Korea will be thecreation of 70,000 jobs for its people, and that two-thirds of U.S. agricultural exports will be duty-free.This list includes: wheat, corn, soybeans, whey forfeed use, hides and skins, cotton, cherries,pistachios, almonds, orange juice, grape juice andwine.

The largest projected increase in U.S. imports will bein dairy products, other meat products (primarilypork and poultry), apparel, footwear, leather goodsand bovine meat products. By value, the sharpestrise in American exports to Korea will be in variousmachinery and equipment, rubber, plasticproducts, chemical, bovine meat products andother food products.

South Korea will also create greater protection andenforcements of its intellectual property rights. Thetotal package is estimated to increase profits forKorea by between 6.4 and 6.9 billion USD, a heftyrevenue surge, indeed.

According to The U.S. International TradeCommission the reduction of Korean tariffs andtariff-rate quotas on goods would add an estimated10 to12 billion USD to the annual U.S. GDP. Theagreement is expected to create tens of thousandsof jobs in America.

The views expressed in this article are those of the writer’sonly

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM

food and drink

Treat Yourself Right! Drink Real MakgeolliBy Michael Bielawski

n Korea the expression “well-being” is thrownaround a lot these days for foods, drinks andlifestyle, but like all catchy health terms, it means

well until it becomes overused for marketing andnow it can even be downright misleading. Thisbrings us to one of the most popular Korean well-being traditions: rice wine, better known asmakgeolli.

In 2009 over 90,000 people attended the world’s firstMakgeolli Expo, which has been held annually inSeoul since. Traditionally most popular amongfarmers who would drink it while working in their fieldsfor its apparently healthy effects, makgeolli is nowrapidly gaining popularity among younger crowds inbig cities.

Made from fermented yeast and rice, makgeolli isknown to contain healthy bacteria, yeast, fiber, Bvitamins, proteins, lactobacillus, as well as havinganti-cancer and anti-aging properties. It’s even(allegedly) good for our skin, for weight loss and tolower cholesterol! And perhaps most importantly, it’sfun to drink!

All good things must be consumed with knowledgeof how they were produced and what was addedto them. For example, homemade makgeolliprobably does have most of the alleged healthbenefits. Most makgeolli, however, is producedmainly by large corporations that prioritize shelf lifeand taste over any potential health benefits. Thereare at least two key factors that make most store-brand makgeolli not only less healthy, but even plainunhealthy.

One factor is sterilization. Sterilizing makgeollibasically enables it to extend its shelf life in the storesfrom ten weeks to ten months. The problem is thatsterilization also kills many of the good bacteria thatare beneficial to our health.

The second problem with commercial makgeolli isthe added ingredient aspartame, a sugar substitute.Aspartame is arguably the single most controversial

I


ingredient ever approved by the US Food and DrugAdministration. Since its accidental discovery in the1960s, aspartame has been linked to nearly everyimaginable health hazard from cancer, diabetesand seizures to headaches and more. Todayaspartame is an ingredient in thousands of foods,drinks and even vitamins, as well as most store-brands of Korean “well-being” makgeolli.

So how can you find better-quality makgeolli? Well,first of all you need to check the labels foraspartame. Aspartame is very plainly spelled out inKorean characters, easy to read even for novices.However, you won’t find any brands without it atyour local corner stores, so you are probably goingto have to go to E-Mart. E-Mart stores have entiremakgeolli sections devoted to being aspartame-free, but again always check the label to be sure.

Now if you want the real deal: chemical free, un-sterilized and makgeolli that’s genuinely good foryou, this is going to take some extra effort. Officiallyyou can only buy makgeolli from a licenseddistributor, unless a private deal takes place amongfriends or family. There is now a substantial andgrowing independent market for homegrownmakgeolli, and the aforementioned Makgeolli Expois a great example of this. If you have a look aroundin your community, you can probably find similarevents near you. You could also check the manyKorean farmers markets. Even if your Koreanlanguage skills are limited, these home brewers arevery passionate about their product. If you expressinterest to them they will be more than happy tohelp you obtain healthy, real makgeolli.

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM

Sunset in YeonggwangPhoto by Jaypee Augustin

Submit your best shot of Korea!To enter the Photo Contest, simply send your name, photo and picture description to [email protected] Photo of the Month will be displayed at the GIC for that month.

PHOTO CONTEST

Photo of the Month


Sea road at JindoPhoto by Andrew Thomas

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM

Spirit DogPhoto by David Cowger

Seoul Tower in MotionPhoto by Jannies Le

Gwangju News’ photo contest was judged by Mark Eaton.Mark Eaton has exhibited his photographic work in art galleries as well as other public and

private venues in the United States and South Korea.


May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM


photo essay

u San, the most revered Son (Zen) Buddhist monk since Beop Jeong, died recently,and in a snowy funeral at Baegyansa, a temple well-known to Gwangjuvians for itsfall colors, streams and ponds, hundreds of people paid their respects.

Su San had studied Zen Buddhism in his early years as a monk, and painted some of thewalls at Bulgapsa (on the west coast of Korea), a temple built in the late 4th century ADafter a visit from a Zen monk from India.

More than just a leader, his two main concepts were Zen and farming, and “no work, nofood.” This brought new meaning to the Buddhist tradition of hard work, and thus hisdeparture leaves a gap, perhaps not as public as Beop Jeong’s but a gap nevertheless,in the spreading of wise teachings among the Son Buddhists in Korea.

Monks and notable Jeollanam-do elected officials paid their respects, at a funeral thatwould certainly have seen even more people in attendance had the weather not beenso cold.

The tradition of a long white cloth held by believers streaming back for 500 meters was inplace. The walkers who followed the casket to the pyre site chanted all the way, somenear tears. Some untied the cloth that held the casket carrying sticks together to take assouvenirs of a life that will be long remembered.

MMaasstteerr SSuu SSaann Funeral PProcessionWords and photos by Doug Stuber

S

The last salute

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 5:30 PM


The Master is gone

Receiving mournersProceeding to the pyre

Loading the body onto the pyre

Reverent walk

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM


ne by one, students enter the universitycampus at the time of sunset. They areheaded towards the Language Education

Center. Inside their bags are the English textbooksthat they had long ago deserted. The people whofill the classroom in the late evening are the studentsof the Universiade Foreign Language School.Students with diverse backgrounds including officeworkers, housewives and retired persons are listeningattentively to the blue-eyed lecturer.

The zeal for the Universiade Foreign LanguageSchool, in its third year of operation this year, isintense. The first task that the Gwangju UniversiadeOrganizing Committee (GUOC) set out to completeto encourage the volunteers who will play anessential role in running the Universiade was theestablishment of the Foreign Language School. TheGUOC believes that the success of the Universiadedepends on the ability to communicate with theforeigners visiting Gwangju from various parts of theworld. Language proficiency however, does notcome overnight. It is an area that requires strenuouseffort and investment over a lengthy period of time.The GUOC formulated a plan to conduct languageeducation for volunteers five years ago and has putthe plan into action.

In the last two years, more than 6,500 students(comprised of middle school students who wouldbecome university students in 2015, as well as Gwangjucitizens) have graduated from the English LanguageSchools conducted in the Language EducationCenters of seven universities and middle schools.

Online educational courses include English,Japanese, French, Spanish, Russian and Chinese areoffered free of charge, and anyone withdetermination and passion can take a course. Thebiggest advantage is that students who go throughthe Universiade Foreign School can work ininternational events held in Gwangju as volunteersand build up a solid body of experience.

Of those who underwent language training lastyear, more than 200 registered as volunteers forinterpretation and translation at the Gwangju

community

2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade

O

Volunteer Center through the GUOC andperformed the role of volunteer interpreters evenbefore the Universiade. One such volunteer is LeeMi-sook (a 51-year-old housewife) who is attendingthe Highly Advanced Class at Gwangju Women’sUniversity. “I want to do some volunteer work duringthe 2015 Gwangju Universiade and make Koreaand Gwangju known to the world,” says Lee, whohas demonstrated her language proficiency whileundertaking foreign language volunteer work duringthe opening ceremony of the 2011 Gwangju DesignBiennale. The students of the Foreign LanguageSchool are filled with passion and zeal for providingvolunteer interpretation during the Universiade, justlike Lee. Although their ages and occupations arediverse, they all share one vision – to tirelessly studylanguage and play a vital role in the successfulstaging of the Universiade.

The goal of the GUOC is to train some 20,000volunteers by the year 2015. In addition to trainingthe citizens and young people the GUOC, from nextyear, plans to gradually expand education on thefields of expertise for university students, professionalinterpreters and translators and those engaged inthe tourism industry who will play the pivotal role inthe success of the Universiade.

2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade Cyber Foreign Language SchoolRegistration period – Every month from 20th to 31stat www.gwangju2015.kr (click on Cyber School link on the left bar)Inquiry: 062-616-3643Languages: English, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, German, Arabic, Russian

Volunteers Will Attend Foreign Language School By Kim So-yeon (2015 Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee Press Support Team)

Opening ceremony of the Foreign Language School

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM

Want to write about news from your country? Contact the Editor for more information:

[email protected].

Home Pages

The PhilippinesBy Rubie Lee

U.S.ABy Aisha Hobbs

Holy Week in the PhilippinesHoly Week (the week leading up toEaster Sunday) is when manydevout Catholics perform holy ritesin fulfillment of a vow they madewhen they asked God a favor, suchas a cure for an illness. Priests andreligious statues are dressed inpurple to symbolize gloom. DevoutCatholics go to church every dayduring this period and many fast.

The most striking feature of HolyWeek celebrations in the Philippineswas the sight of Filipinos publiclywhipping themselves. These arereenactments of the torture anddeath of Jesus. Some Filipinos notonly whipped their backs into abloody mess, they also had their feetand hands nailed to a woodencross. In Manila, Tondo is the placeto see these flagellants. Outside thecapital, Pampanga and NuevaEcija are famous for flagellants whocover their faces with white cottonhoods. Crowns of thorns are alsoplaced on their heads.

New ZealandBy JJ Parkes

Eyes on WahlooA wallaby – an Australian animalsimilar to a kangaroo – has beentaken in as a pet by a farmer onNew Zealand’s Kapiti Coast, justnorth of Wellington. Adopted atinfancy, it has been raised to gointo town and even go shopping inthe supermarket! The wallaby hasnow been found to have problemswith its eyesight. National mediapublicity has seen the start of apublic fundraising campaign toraise funds for a cost-pricecataract surgical procedure ofNZ$2,500 (2,340,000 won). Moreimages and information areavailable on the Facebook group,“Eyes on Wahloo”.

“Goat”-busters!If you think a greased pig is hard tocatch, try catching a pygmy goat!At a Ravenna, Michigan auction,a 15-pound pygmy goat, aptlynamed Billy, decided he didn’twant to be sold off to the highestbidder and took off on his ownadventure. He has been evadingresidents ever since. He finds theparking lot and bushes at thebowling alley quite comfortable.Jim Nutt, the owner of the alley,knows that ‘the marking of histerritory’ is becoming a problem.Another resident and his kidsmanaged to catch him but whenthe bleating became too much tohandle, they let him go! Well,here’s to you “Billy the kid” foroutwitting them all!

Play time: Wahloo the blind wallabyplays with his friend, Toto the farmhouse cat.

KoreaBy Kim Dong-hun

Serving his time in jail instead ofthe militaryA man in his 20s was sentencedto 18 months in prison for gettinga tattoo on his entire body inorder to dodge the draft. Thecourt said that what he has doneto avoid military service wastotally inappropriate. In 2005 hehad a checkup conducted bythe Military ManpowerAdministration in Busan to see ifhe was fit to serve in the military.Even though he was eligible to goto the military at that time, hepostponed his service eight times,claiming that he had to preparefor a civil service examination. In 2008 and 2009 he got a tattooon his entire body (except hisface and thigh) and in March2011 he joined the military butwas sent back home after 3 daysbecause of his tattoo.

Holy week mournerswww.miguelcandela.com


May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM

IrelandBy Patrick Conway

When the chips are down…Korea is not the only placethat’s been casting votes thisseason. The Irish have too, buton something to be takenrather more seriously thanpolitics: chips. Yes, not theNorth American type butrather the ones that completethe popular “fish supper’”.One of Ireland’s broadsheets,The Irish Times, hasannounced that the bestchips to be found on theisland are at Lennox’s, CorkCity and McDonagh’s inGalway. This writer hassampled the fare in Galwayand was happy enough butcan’t give any comments onLennox’s which one malevoter described as having“great portions and veryreasonable prices”. One ladyvoter dared to claim thatMcDonagh’s had the “bestchips in the world” althoughthis might give other countriesa chip on their shoulder.

NepalBy Nipun Tamrakar

IndiaBy Sreejith

Treasure temple Indianist.com

WalesBy Andrew Thomas

A temple with treasure worth $22Billion?A treasure consisting of goldcoins, statues, jewels wasdiscovered recently in SriPadmana-bhaswamy temple inthe capital Tiruvanan-thapuram,of the southern state of India,Kerala. The estimated worth ofthe treasure being around$22(£14) billion. The treasure wasdiscovered when the honorableSupreme Court of India directedthe temple authorities to open thevaults which were closed foralmost 120 years. Some of theprecious items that were foundwere several golden statues,almost all weighing two kg each,a gold necklace as long as 15feet, and crowns studded withemeralds, rubies and diamonds.The chamber is situated around20 feet under the ground. Thefoundation of the presententrance gateway of the templewas laid in 1566. The temple has a100-foot, seven-tier tower besidesa corridor with 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite stonepillars. The main temple deity,Padmanabhaswamy, is a form ofHindu god Vishnu inAnananthasayanam posture or ineternal sleep of 'yognidra'.

Nepal: the host for the largestPassover Seder in the worldPassover is one of the mostmomentous festivals on the Jewishcalendar. It marks the freedom ofthe Israelites from enslavement bythe Egyptians.Surprisingly, the largest PassoverSeder is celebrated in Nepal, acountry with almost no Jewishpopulation. Around 2,000 Jewishpeople arrived in Kathmandu,Nepal, this year to participate inthe weeklong event (April 18-26)of the largest Passover Seder inthe world. Hundreds of pounds ofkosher matzah, fish, meat, wineand Haggadahs were broughtalong for the Seder.The tradition began in the mid-1990s by Jewish travelers andtrekkers who were impressed bythe natural beauty of Nepal. Jewsfrom all across the world, includingIsrael, America, Australia andEurope arrive at Kathmandu everyyear for the festive celebrations.Truly, Nepal is a wonder to watchon the holy festival of Passoverilluminated with the lights ofspirituality and religious meaning.

Wanted: Welsh WaterAs drought continues to affect many areas across the border in Englandsome voices in eternally damp Wales have been calling for watercompanies to make more of their “liquid assets”. Low rainfall andunseasonably high temperatures have forced much of southern Englandto enforce the dreaded “hosepipe ban” this spring and certainindividuals, such as former Welsh Water CEO John Elfed Jones, want tosee water treated as a national resource and sold at market rate like oil.It's not a particularly new idea, but with the Welsh Assembly having newpowers over many areas including water, it may now be more realistic.One thing is for sure, there would be plenty of support for any policy thatcould make the most of the much-maligned perpetual drizzle that hasforever drenched the length and breadth of Wales.


May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM


n a rainy morning in April, Gwangju Newsmet the Secretary General of MDreamChildren’s Home, Chung Eunkang. Located

near Mudeung Mountain, MDream has beenhelping the people of Gwangju in one way oranother for over seven decades. Set up by Chung’sgreat-grandfather Chung Sun-Mo, MDream firstopened its doors in 1928 as a homeless shelter, butwas transformed into an orphanage in 1956following the Korean War.

In the early days, as many as 300 orphans of warwere squashed into the rooms of MDream.Nowadays the number of children hovers around 80and they range in age from two to 18 years old. Notall the current residents of MDream are orphans:some of them ended up there as a result of childabuse or neglect, divorce or teen pregnancy.MDream is arranged to provide as homely anenvironment as possible, and every child lives withbetween 10 and 14 others in a number of self-contained four-bedroom apartments. The kids ineach apartment are looked after by a group of 16“aunties”, dedicated female staff members whowork alternating 24-hour shifts. There are also sixoffice staff, three kitchen workers, a nurse and theMDream Director, who is also Chung’s father, tocater to the children’s’ needs.

In fact, Eunkang is the fourth generation of theChung family to dedicate himself to MDream andits residents. Born in Switzerland and educated thereand in the US, Eunkang worked as a social worker inthe area of mental health before his return to Korea.

He came back for MDream and has been holdingthe reins there as Secretary General since 2009. Heloves his job, but it doesn’t come withoutchallenges. He says there are two significantobstacles he and the other staff face on a dailybasis. First, he finds it difficult to see the effects of hiswork on the kids and whether or not they arelearning or changing, so mired is he in the mountainof paperwork necessary to obtain and maintain thegovernment funding of MDream. The second andpotentially more hazardous obstacle he faces day-to-day is that some of the kids, in particular theolder ones, resent the fact that they l ive atMDream, intensely dislike the place and indulge infantasies about living in a “normal” home. This isespecially difficult for those kids who are notactually orphans and may even see their parentsfrom time to time. This is the reason behind thehomely set-up of MDream, as well as the plethora ofclubs and activities that are available for the kids topartake in.

community

MDream GardenChildren’s HomeBy Emma Dooley

O

Baking club at MDream

MDream Yoga Class with Rebecca Moss

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 5:38 PM


GOpti Lasik 2012 (FS200 + EX500)

보건복지부 지정안과수술 전문병원

Since the beginning of his time as Secretary General ofMDream, Eunkang has tried to get as many foreignersinvolved as possible. At present there arephotography, baking, yoga, drama, guitar, boardgames and sports clubs run by a troupe of enthusiasticvolunteers. Eunkang feels that the frequent visits byforeigners are beneficial for both sides: the kids have areason to learn and speak English and also feel thatthey have a friend from the other side of the world,while the volunteers can take home a very positiveexperience from their time in Korea.

In fact, the kids are now so used to the kindness ofothers and getting help free of charge that they cansometimes forget to be thankful for all that they dohave. In order to combat this, Eunkang and theother staff are trying to teach the kids about theimportance of giving back to their community. Now,when they receive a donation, they may use themoney to put on a show for a local elderly facility,make a donation to a charity or use the money forsomething that will benefit everyone at MDream.The kids also took part in a recent flea market andare now giving free Korean classes to foreigners!

Right now, MDream is trying to expand its pre-kindergarten program. Currently running Monday toFriday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, this program caters

for one to three year-olds and aims to get them inthe habit of learning, studying and reading, so thatwhen they get to school they’ll be prepared.Eunkang hopes to expand the program in the nearfuture to include afternoon activities, as well asgetting some more English-speaking volunteersinvolved to play with and talk to the kids, thusexposing them to English from an early age.

This writer has been involved with MDream for sometime now and the days I have spent there havebeen the most amusing, enjoyable and rewardingof my time in Korea and I will treasure them always.The kids are hilarious, cute and inspirational andalways up for a bit of fun!

If you would like to get involved with MDream,make a donation or simply find out more about thisamazing place, visit www.mdream.org, join theFacebook group Mdream Garden or contactEunkang himself at [email protected].

On May 5th, which is also Children’s Day, there willbe a fundraising event for MDream at the GwangjuFC home game at the World Cup Stadium. Ticketsare free, but a donation is requested. Tickets canbe picked up from Speakeasy or Zeppelin’s barsdowntown or at the stadium on the day.

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM


"Pink Slime": What’s Your Beef?By Matt Furlane

Pink goo thedaily.com

orean cuisine is amongst the healthiest food inthe world, and Korean beef is arguably someof the best quality beef in the world because it

doesn’t contain steroids or fillers. I think evenKorean McDonald’s, which uses beef importedfrom Australia, tastes better than AmericanMcDonald’s because Australia has higherstandards for making ground beef. But now withthe enforcement of the KORUS Free TradeAgreement this past March, more American beefwill be coming to Korean markets. But is it really 100percent beef? Is it likely to be harmful for thosewho consume it?

In April of 2011, famed English chef Jamie Olivertrotted out a live cow on the premiere episode ofhis new show "Food Revolution" in order to, "Getparents thinking, where does my food come from,and where does my children’s food come from?"As the cow stood broadside to the audienceOliver spray painted prices on it representing howmuch each section of beef costs the consumer:shank - $30, round - $105, rib - $135 etc.

It gave parents and consumers a clear visual as towhere cuts of beef in the supermarket come from.Once the cow is cut up, where do the leftoversand the beef parts closest to the cow’s intestinalwall go? In the USA these meat leftovers are usedto make hotdogs and pet food, or else they endup in something the meat industry calls “pinkslime”.

What is essentially the dirtiest, cheapest form ofmeat you can get from a cow is stripped down,thrown around and beaten down and then, to killany residual fecal matter to make it safe foreating, it gets mixed with ammonium hydroxide(NH3(aq)) and turned into a form of processedground meat, now famous as "pink slime". ABCNews describes the process this way:

"the low-grade trimmings used to produce lean,finely textured beef come from the parts of thecow most susceptible to contamination with E.coli,often close to the hide, which is highly exposed tofecal matter. But because of the treatment of the

trimmings – after they have been simmered in lowheat, separating fat and tissue using a centrifuge,they are sprayed with ammonia gas to kill germs –the USDA says it's safe to eat."

Pink sl ime goes into an enormous range ofproducts including hamburgers sold at places likeMcDonald’s. The USDA allows for the slime productto be mixed in with other forms of beef served atgrocers and in schools without labeling. Accordingto Oliver, it is present "in 70 percent of ground-beefproducts." It was a stunning revelation. Oliver wenton to say: "Everything about this process to me isabout no respect for food, or people, or children."

After just one year the responses to, and corporateretractions of, pink slime have been phenomenal.Five months after Jamie Oliver’s show aired,McDonald’s began removing ammonia-treatedbeef from its supply chain and announced onFebruary 1st, 2012 that it is no longer using pinkslime in any of its products. Burger King has donethe same. Even Taco Bell, whose beef has beennotoriously suspect for years as being nothing butfiller or dog food, has announced it will discontinueusing "Lean Beef Trimmings." Most notably, over thelast month large American retailers and grocers

K

perspective

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 5:40 PM


? l ike Kroger Co., Stop and Shop, Safeway,Supervalu, Food Lion and Walmart have said thatthey no longer carry any beef containing theammonia-treated leftover beef trimmings.

More importantly for regular Americans is that thenews coverage, social networking and citizen-stylereporting from people like school food advocateBettina Siegels (see www.thelunchtray.com), havehelped lead school districts across America to startpull ing pink sl ime out of school lunchroomcafeterias as quickly as possible.

On the website www.change.org, Siegel now hasa petition asking the USDA to ban completely alluse of pink slime. Over 250,000 people have signedit.

As of March 26th, Beef Products Inc., which is acompany that makes pink slime, has suspended itsoperations for 60 days until further review. Theyblamed ABC news for "a gross misrepresentation ofour products and our process" which is quiteamusing since ABC asked former USDA scientistsabout pink slime. According to microbiologistGerald Zirnstein, "It's not fresh ground beef. It's acheap substitute added in."

Despite a public relations counter-campaign bythe beef industry involving former presidentialcandidate Rick Perry with the dumb slogan, "Dude,it's beef" and scientific “evidence” that pink slime isharmless, Americans have overwhelmingly said“No”. Despite the success of Oliver’s “FoodRevolution” the pink slime story is just one chapterin a very long book about unlabeled, hidden andquestionable food processing methods and foodpoisoning in America. The United States used tohave one of best food supply chains in the world,delivering farm produce that was clean andhealthy to markets, homes and restaurants all overthe country. But for the last 20 years the number ofcases of food-borne illnesses, and the number ofdeaths, has been rising. Botulism, Salmonella, E.coli, Listeria, and Hepatitis have all found their wayinto American food and sickened or killed people.Here's a short list of food/meat related problemsinvolving E.coli (O157:H7).

In 1993 four people died when fast-food restaurantJack In The Box served up hamburgers tainted withE. coli.In 1997 over 25 million pounds of ground beef wasrecalled by Hudson Food Company after E. coliwas discovered.

In 2000 65 people were sickened and one diedwhen beef containing E. coli from Excel meatpacking was sold to Sizzler steakhouse.In 2002 nearly 80 people were sickened by E. coli-tainted ground beef produced by ConAgra andEmmpak Foods.In 2007 over 20 million pounds of ground beef wererecalled because of E. coli contamination from theTopps Meat Company plant.In 2009 Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough wascontaminated by E. coli from ground beef and 70people were sickened.In 2011 Tyson Fresh meat recalled over 130,000pounds of ground beef because of E. colicontamination.

Jamie Oliver, an Englishman, came to America andin the true spirit of America started a real revolutionthat helped people. May the Queen of Englandknight him for his efforts. But despite his widespreadsuccess and generation of awareness the darkerside of business practices in the U.S., as well as theefforts of lobbyists to conceal the unsafeproduction of foods is still going on today. The USDAmust be held responsible in order to be effective.The pink slime food revolution must be just the firststep in holding business leaders, politicians andcorporations responsible for harming the public.

As free trade agreements continue to proliferate itis becoming clear that global business is benefiting,but the effect on the public is uncertain.According to the office of the United States TradeRepresentative:"The entry into force of the U.S.-Korea Free TradeAgreement on March 15, 2012 means countlessnew opportunities for U.S. exporters to sellmore....agricultural products to Koreancustomers....American beef volumes haveincreased by more than 120 percent in just a fewyears under the exist ing protocol – helpingproducers to regain much of the market share theylost earlier. Tariff eliminations on Korea’s existing 40percent tariff will further boost beef exports, savingan estimated $1,300 per ton of beef imported toKorea – savings that would total $90 mil l ionannually for U.S. beef producers at current saleslevels. "

This might be good news for some Americans, andas an American I want to see my country prosper,but not at the expense of hurting its own citizensand those around the world – especially here inKorea where so much American beef is going tobe shipped.

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM

40 Gwangju News May 2012

hether you’re a native Korean or a fresh-faced foreigner here for only a short while,you’ve likely heard the term “blood type”

mentioned. It could simply be related to thestandard medical exam for new foreigners, orconcerned with donating blood, but to Koreans ithas another meaning. Many of them believe thatone’s blood type is directly related to one’spersonality traits. This belief does not originate in

Korea, but it has been adopted here and oftencomes up in casual conversation.

The belief that blood type influencespersonality is something like the westernthought that zodiac signs (determinedby your birth date) have a direct

correlation to luck, life, personality andcompatibility with others. There’s a small

minority who make decisions based on whatthe horoscope dictates, and those people aremost likely the ones who would ask the clichédquestion “What’s your sign?” on a blind date.Inversely, in Korea, “What’s your blood type?” isnot such an uncommon blind date question!

The blood type myth dates back almost a hundredyears, with its origins in Japan. Then, after 1970, itregained popularity when Japanesejournalist Masahiko Nomi published bookson the subject. Some companies evengrouped workers by blood type thinkingthey would work better together. Bloodtype plays much less of a role these days,but it’s still in the back of everyone’s mindhere in Korea. Here’s a look at thepersonality traits associated with each bloodtype:

Type A – The Good: Patient, punctual,perfectionists, conservative, creative, sensible,trustworthy. The Bad: Self-conscious, obsessive,uptight, stubborn, over-earnest. These people areconsidered to be mild-mannered, very loyal andconsiderate of others. They may also be verysecretive, reserved and passive aggressive, yetalso shy and sensitive. Compatibility: A and AB

W

This series of articles will shed light on some Korean myths, folklore, traditions and superstitions. Every country hastheir own share of beliefs, fact or fiction, and many foreigners living in Korea are yet to hear or understand thebasis of various Korean beliefs as they become apparent.

Behind the Myth: Exploring Korean Tradition

culture

Type B – The Good: Active, optimistic, adventurous,creative, passionate, headstrong. The Bad:Irresponsible, selfish, careless, impatient, forgetful.Type Bs tend to be very independent and go off ontheir own, caring not what everyone around themthinks. Strong willed and goal-oriented, they mayalso be seen as shallow and selfish. Some Koreanwomen tend to avoid Type B men as they couldbe “players” and not very reliable in the long run.Compatibility: B and AB

Type AB – The Good: Calm, cool, calculating,rational, introverted. The Bad: Critical, indecisive,fickle, aloof, unforgiving, distant. Thisblood type is thought to be more aboutthe brain than the heart. People withthis blood type can be unpredictablebut are usually well-organized andgood with handling money. Some saythis blood type often has a splitpersonality. They may be shy but canalso enjoy helping others and be outgoingto an extent. Compatibility: AB, B, A, O

Type O – The Good: Sociable, optimistic, popular,agreeable, confident, inspired, ambitious, athletic.The Bad: Arrogant, insensitive, vain, rude, intolerant.

Type O is seen as the ultimate go-getter, thenatural leader who is expressive, passionate

and obsessive in their pursuits. They tend totake risks and can cause rifts with thosewho disl ike their strong, outgoingpersonalities and “center of attention”

tendencies. Type Os are eager to initiate,but sometimes they don’t finish what they

start. Compatibility: O, AB

Do you believe your blood type matches theprofile of the above personality traits? Do you evenknow your blood type? Koreans may very well besurprised at foreigners who do not know their ownblood type. This myth about blood type andpersonalities has been disproven over time, but itstill makes for good conversation fodder when ablind date develops into a lackluster affair!

Blood Type: More than just a letterBy Stephen Redeker

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 5:42 PM

TThhee PPaatttteerrnn ‘‘--기기 전전에에’’:: bbeeffoorree ddooiinngg

Dialogue

소소라라 :: 안안녕녕하하세세요요?? GGIICC입입니니다다.. 무무엇엇을을 도도와와 드드릴릴까까요요?? [[AAnnnnyyeeoonngghhaasseeyyoo?? GGIICCiimmnniiddaa.. MMuueeoosseeuull ddoowwaa ddeeuurriillkkkkaayyoo??]]

Sora : Hello. This is GIC, May I help you?

존존 :: 안안녕녕하하세세요요?? 저저는는 존존입입니니다다.. 한한국국어어 교교실실 수수업업을을 신신청청하하고고 싶싶어어요요..[[AAnnnnyyeeoonngghhaasseeyyoo?? JJeeoonneeuunn JJoonniimmnniiddaa.. HHaanngguuggeeoo ggyyoosshhiill ssuueeoobbeeuull sshhiinncchheeoonngghhaaggoo sshhiippeeooyyoo.. ]]

John: Hello. I would like to apply for the Korean class.

소소라라 :: 아아,, 그그래래요요?? 어어떤떤 단단계계를를 신신청청하하고고 싶싶어어요요?? [[AA,, ggeeuurraaeeyyoo?? EEootttteeoonn ddaannggyyeerreeuull sshhiinncchheeoonngghhaaggoo sshhiippeeooyyoo??]]

Sora : Oh, I see. which level would you like to apply?

존존 :: 시시작작 단단계계요요.. 언언제제 수수업업이이 시시작작해해요요??[[SShhiijjaakk ddaannggyyeeyyoo.. EEoonnjjee ssuueeoobbii sshhiijjaakkhhaaeeyyoo??]]

John: Beginner level. When does it start?

소소라라 :: 55월월 99일일이이요요.. [[OOwwooll gguuiirriiyyoo..]]Sora : It's on May 9th.

존존 :: 그그럼럼,, 언언제제 신신청청할할 수수 있있어어요요??[[GGeeuurreeoomm,, eeoonnjjee sshhiinncchheeoonngghhaall ssuu iisseeooyyoo??]]

John: If so, when can I apply for it?

소소라라 :: 한한국국어어 수수업업 시시작작 전전에에 신신청청할할 수수 있있어어요요..[[HHaanngguuggeeoo ssuueeoopp sshhiijjaakk jjeeoonnee sshhiinncchheeoonngghhaall ssuu iisseeooyyoo..]]

Sora : You can apply for it before the Korean class starts.

존존 :: 네네,, 감감사사합합니니다다.. [[NNee,, ggaammssaahhaammnniiddaa..]]John : Ok, thank you.

Reference: 김성희 외. (2009). 서강한국어2A 서울: 도서출판 하우서강한국어. Retrived April 9, 2012 from http://korean.sogang.ac.kr

Grammar TThhee PPaatttteerrnn ‘‘--기기 전전에에’’:: bbeeffoorree ddooiinngg The word ‘전’is a noun meaning “time before”or “place in front”and ‘-에’is a marker meaning “at, in, on”. So the pattern ‘-기전에’is used to express of ‘before something happens’. This pattern is always used with verbs, and the subjects of the twoclauses can be either the same or different.

EExxaammppllee _ 잊기전에쓰세요. (Please write it before you forget.) _ 집에가기전에GIC에들르세요. Before you go home, please drop by GIC. _ 일하기전에공부를하세요. Please study before you start working._ 오시기전에전화하세요. (Please give me a call, before you come.)

By Jung Soo-aJung Soo-a is an instructor of the GIC Korean Language Class

language study

Vocabulary 돕다[dopda]: help신청하다[shincheonghada]: apply,request어떤[eotteon]: which단계[dangye]: a, level, a step, astage, a phase


May 2012_12 2012.4.27 5:43 PM


language study

Dear Dr. Dave,What is the best way to understand CNN or BBCEnglish? I try to listen, at first I can focus very well but ifthe sentences are long I get lost. From Lydia

Dear Lydia,One of the biggest problems that I find languagelearners doing is setting a goal and attacking itdirectly and immediately. There are many steps thatone must take to get to the mountaintop. You can'tget there in one giant leap. Similarly, the beginner orintermediate-level learner cannot just decide thatthey want to be able to listen to CNN, begin to listenand magically expect a high degree ofcomprehension. Efficient language learning occurswhen the learning material is just a little above thelearner's present level. So, start with listening materialsat your level. Graded readers are good for this. Alsomany listening materials for learners are available atRandall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab (www.esl-lab.com)and at ELLLO (www.elllo.org) and at many otherplaces on the web. (Do a Google search of "EFLListening.") Gradually advance to higher-levelmaterials as the materials at your present levelbecome easy. Switch to materials targeting nativespeakers when learner's materials become overlyeasy. Many little steps will get you to your goal fasterthan hurried ones that are too large.Dr. Dave

Dear Dr. Dave,When teaching a reading course I find my classes tosimply be getting the students to read, followed byme asking them questions about the text. How can Imake this more productive, rewarding and varied?Extensive Reader

Dear ER,You sign yourself "Extensive Reader," but I wonder ifyou incorporate extensive reading (ER) into yourcourse. It sounds like you are focusing exclusively onintensive reading -- reading for detail. While this is oneuseful activity, ER carries numerous benefits thatintensive reading does not. ER involves each studentreading in a book of their choosing and at their level(i.e., containing only a few unfamiliar words andstructures). Graded readers are excellent for this. The

trick is to get your school to supply them. Alternately,students can supply books and trade with otherstudents after reading theirs. Everyone, including theteacher, reads together silently from the book of theirchoice. Questions are not necessary, except possiblyto check whether particular students actually read.This promotes the reading habit, gets studentsreading outside of class, and leads to increasedvocabulary and grammar acquisition as well asincreased general English proficiency. If students areprovided with easy and engaging materials to read,you will have no problem keeping the students'interest. ER is a very productive approach to reading.With ER, reading is its own reward. And reading is asvaried as the books the students choose to read.Dr. Dave

Dear Dr. Dave,What is the most useful tool to use in teaching listeningclasses?From a high school teacher

Dear Teacher,The most useful tool for "teaching" listening is your owncreative mind. You know your students' abilities andtheir needs better than anyone else, so you can bestselect and create listening materials to meet theirneeds. The second-most useful tool is now theInternet. It is a treasure trove of listening materials forall ages and all ability levels. Don't rely wholly on theKorean web. Much more is available on the Englishportion of the Internet. Input "ESL EFL Listening" into aGoogle search engine and it will offer you many siteswith listening recordings, exercises, and listeningactivity ideas.Dr. Dave

Dear Dr. Dave,I am a English learner and I would like to know how tocatch the details from native speakers speakingthrough listening. I’m currently on a training programand the teachers have a variety of accents whichconfuse me.Please help me!J

Dear J.,Learning to understand an accent of a foreign

By Dr. Dave Shaffer

Letters to KOTESOLIf you have a question for Dr. Dave, please send an e-mail to [email protected] lettingus know your question, students’ age and proficiency level.

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM


language is very much like getting accustomed to astrange accent in your mother tongue. For me to getaccustomed to a Scottish accent, for example, or foryou to get accustomed to a Gyeongsan-do accent,it takes a lot of listening. The same is true for gettingaccustomed to an unfamiliar accent in a foreignlanguage. To get this practice, the Internet may behelpful. Some of the better English listening sites onthe web offer listening materials in a wide variety ofaccents. Check them out, and listen extensively.Dr. Dave

Dear Dr. Dave,I am a high school teacher and I would like to findways to make my classes more exciting. For the fourskills where can I find the best resources?From June

Dear June,The best resource is actually you yourself. You knowyour students and their interests. Whether focusing onreading, writing, speaking or listening, select topicsthat the students are interested in. Making yourclasses interactive enlivens the students. Small-groupactivities work well for this, especially when task-based instruction is employed. Give the groups a taskthat involves decision-making or problem-solving.Structure it so that the students need to use thefocused grammar point (if you have one) in theirdiscussion, and let the students work on a solution (inEnglish). When finished, have each group report theirdecision or solution to the whole class. Role plays also

work well. Give each group a situation and eachmember of the group a role, and let them try tocomplete the problem-solving or persuasion task inthe roles they have – no scripts, no memorizing, justtalking. A focal structure may be incorporated.Meaningful student interaction in English is the key tomaking an activity interesting and the key toeffective language learning.Dr. Dave

“Dr. Dave” is David E. Shaffer, currentPresident of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapterof Korea TESOL (KOTESOL). On behalf ofthe Chapter, he invites you to participate inthe teacher development workshops at theirmonthly meetings. Dr. Shaffer is a professorof English at Chosun University, where hehas taught, graduate, undergraduate, andpostgraduate courses for many years. Hehas recently received the KOTESOLLifetime Achievement Award.

Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL May Chapter Meeting

Date & Time: May 12 (Sat.), 1:30 p.m.Place: Chosun University, Main Building (Bon-gwan)Two Featured Presentations on relevant ELT topicsSwap-Shop: Share your teaching ideas and activitiesAdmission: Free

Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOLWebsite: www.koreatesol.org/GwangjuJeonnamEmail: [email protected]

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM


community

ave you heard about the Gwangju-Jeolla OneStop Flea Market group on Facebook? If youhaven’t then it’s about time! There are many

different groups related to Gwangju on Facebook,but this one is the most active, with new posts andcomments appearing almost by the second. What’sall the hype about? This community page is all aboutbringing people together to buy and sell their “stuff”.The nature of expat life in Korea is very transient andtherefore many foreigners are stuck having to get ridof household items purchased during their stay herein Korea. Much of those goods are perfectly usefuland even valuable to others. Thanks to this Facebookgroup, the problem is solved. The Flea Market groupis much like a mini-eBay in that it provides liquidity toyour possessions, as well as vast exposure. The grouphas almost 1,000 members and is growing by theday.

The Flea Market group is also changing the buyingculture among foreigners (and Koreans) in Gwangju.If you’re planning on staying only for one year andhave doubts about purchasing that nice bicycle orflat screen TV you saw at the store, then fear not! Youwill always have a suitable buyer waiting for youritem to be listed for sale, and thus get back some ofthe money used to buy it. It’s almost like you rentedthat item for the time you had it. E-commerce is abeautiful thing.

There is also a physical manifestation of this popularFacebook group called “The JU! Flea Market”.Created and managed by Gwangju residents JoeWabe and Matt Rehrig, The JU! branches off from theonline version and accomplishes the same goal: tobring people together to buy and sell their stuff. Thistime, instead of having to deal with carrying youritem across the city to meet someone, you can sellyour goods at a market. The main difference ispeople get to see the items in person, make apurchase and take it home from there. It provides aset time and place, making it easier for two peopleto meet. Many different items are bought and sold:books, clothing, baby items, hand-made crafts, CDs,DVDs, electronics and so on. A variety of food anddrinks are also available. The first JU! Flea Market washeld last November 19th at the Rainbow VillageInternational Center at Yangdong Market. Thesecond took place last March in front of theKunsthalle art building and was a big success. The

Buy, Sell and Trade in Gwangju: at your fingertips and in person

H

Clothes for sale at the JU! Flea Market

future looks bright: more Flea Markets on a bi-monthlybasis, held outdoors in the spring/summer/fall andunderground during the winter.

The JU! creator Joe Wabe first got the idea a fewyears ago when he came across the Facebookgroup which was then called “Jeollanamdo OneStop”. At the time it had only 200 users, but Joe sawthe potential for something greater since there weremany people willing to buy, sell and trade. He alsowanted to hold regular flea markets that were largerthan the ones happening at the GIC and at otherlocations downtown. When the original administratorfor the “One Stop” group left Korea, Joe took overthe group and gave it its current name, with hopes tocombine and promote it with the live flea market.Judging by the popularity and success of the events,the plan has come together beautifully.

If you’re interested in getting involved with The JU!Flea Market, contact Matt at [email protected]. If you haven’t already, search for theFacebook group “Gwangju-Jeolla One Stop FleaMarket” and join it. Keep an eye on the page if youneed something in particular. The hottest selling itemsseem to be the electronics, as heat lamps, printers,speakers, wireless routers and other such items fly offthe page faster than you can log in. Keep your eyespeeled for future events. Be a part of somethingwhich brings Gwangju and the community closerand happier together.

Words and photo by Stephen Redeker

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM


Silenced도가니

f you are a teacher in Gwangju, you have probablyheard your students mention Silenced by its Koreanname Do-Ga-Ni. If you haven’t, ask them. You will

likely hear outrage, disturbance and uncomfortableadmissions of having viewed the film. It is well knownfor the controversy it caused, and is not a particularpoint of pride for the citizens of the city of light.

The film is based on a “true story” and on the 2009novel by Gong Jee-Yong. Set in a thinly veiledrepresentation of Gwangju, where the alleged eventstranspired, the story features a Seoul city-slickerteacher (played by dashing Gong Yoo) who isstarting a job at a school for deaf children in this“provincial” and implicitly backwards locale.

Things do not start off well, as he is immediately setupon by the two twin (identical brothers) principalswho run the school and who demand two things:Secrecy and a steady flow of bribe money if he wantsto keep his job.

But it seems these creepy Gemini brothers don’t stopthere, and soon our protagonist uncovers a darksecret that chil ls the blood. It seems this rusticsanctuary for the hearing impaired is actuallyinvolved in child molestation. Perhaps “involved” isthe wrong word. In an over the top, evil, sadisticfashion, the entire staff and a number of the townsfolkare involved in an elaborate cover up of sexualcrimes and abuse against disabled children.

I What makes the film particularly jarring is that itdoesn’t simply imply in a tasteful way this abuse ishappening. That would be too easy and perhapsovershadow what really happens in cases of childabuse. Instead, the director Kwang Dong Hyukchooses to show the molestation graphically andin detail. Yes, in the film there are explicit shots ofnude children being abused.

All of this which really leaves your humble filmreviewer a bit confused. Surely, they used realchildren to make the fi lm, which means thechildren in the film were actually involved in whatwas only the “acting out” of abuse but what musthave, in reality, left some of the child actors badlyshaken and was perhaps no different in theiryoung minds to the real thing. This leaves the film’sultimate aim of denouncing South Korea’s laxsexual crime laws sounding somewhathypocritical.

But the film is successful in using these images toshock the viewer, which the production teamperhaps used to justify any harm done by theactual filming process. The movie will certainly jaryou—leaving you feeling dirty and disgusted.However, it is very well made and decently acted,and will certainly be talked about for years tocome.

movie review

By Seth Pevey

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM


s a Korean interested in Japanese culture,TV dramas and movies, I’ve alwayswondered why many Korean people hate

Japan and Japanese people. I have someJapanese friends and I always dream about goingback to Japan again to see, taste and feel moreabout this wonderful country. As you are wellaware, Japan is one of the countries in which K-Pop and the Korean wave (also known as Hallyu)are quite influential and popular. It implies thatsome Japanese people are quite interested inKorea, as well as Korean language and culture.

However, when some extremely conservativepeople, including politicians, in Japan denounceKorea and Korean people, claiming that wefalsely accuse Japan and Japanese people ofcommitting some terrible acts for nothing, I haveto admit that I do, albeit temporarily, dislikeJapan.

In spite of such tragedy we have a lot in commonin terms of history, culture and geographicallocation. First, influenced by China in ancient timesboth Korea and Japan use Chinese characters.Second, both countries use chopsticks to eatfood. Finally, both Korea and Japan valuecourtesy and respect, especially towards elders.

However, Korean people often describe Japan asa close but distant neighbor. Why is that? Why dosome Korean people hate Japan and Japanesepeople? Are there solutions to put an end to thisproblem?

When it comes to history between Korea andJapan, there are many issues that remainunsolved to this day. Japan has invaded Koreamany times, including the Japanese invasion ofKorea in 1592. From 1910 to 1945 Korea was underJapanese colonial rule. During this period manyKorean people were forcibly sent to othercountries and even joined the war as Japanese

Friends or Foes? Korea vs Japan By 8ball

A soldiers. Some Korean women were used by theJapanese Army against their will as “comfortwomen”. These victims have received neithercompensation nor an apology.

Both Korea and Japan have claimed sovereigntyover a certain isle located between the twonations called “Dokdo” by Korea and “Takeshima”by Japan. This sensitive issue remains unsolved.

Some Japanese extreme rightists often try to distorthistorical facts regarding the relationship betweenKorea and Japan in the past, including Japanesecolonial rule in the 1900s. They have evenpublished textbooks in an attempt to incorrectlyeducate young Japanese students. Some say thatKorean people are brainwashed to hold a grudgeagainst Japanese people or that Korean peoplehold them responsible for atrocities carried out inthe past.

Despite the issues mentioned above, Koreanpeople are not taught to hate Japan andJapanese people at home or at school. We merelylearn the truth and the facts. Not all Korean peoplehate Japan and Japanese people.

Korea and Japan have to embrace each otherand people should speak their minds about theproblems between them. We can’t dwell on thepast, though neither should we forget the past.Instead, we should move on to a better, brighterfuture for both countries.

These are just my opinions. If you have any ideas,thoughts or opinions, then please share them withme via e-mail: [email protected].

perspective

The views expressed in the article are those of the writer’sonly

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM


Regular Class (Weekdays and Saturdays)

K-Entertainment Class

TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) Class

Kids Korean Class

(May 1st ~ June 16th)

Five reasons why you should learn Korean at the GIC:1. A chance to participate in “Culture Experience Program”: take part in Korean culture first-hand while practicing your Korean.2. Classes designed for your needs.3. Experienced teachers.4. You will receive a certificate upon completion of the class and a special award for best student.5. Small class - more opportunity to speak and practice your Korean!

Available Levels: Intensive Beginner, Beginner 1-2-3-4, Advanced 1Time and day: Intensive (Tue~Fri - 4 times a week) 10:30 a.m ~ 12:30 p.m.,

Regular Weekdays (Tue, Thurs - twice a week) Morning Class: 10:30 a.m. ~ 12:30 p.m.; Evening Class: 7 ~ 9 p.m.Regular (Saturdays - once a week) 10:30 a.m. ~ 12 p.m.

Price: Intensive: 150,000 won; Regular Weekdays: 80,000 won; Regular Saturdays: 50,000 won (exclude textbook and GIC membership fee)

Available Levels: Basic and IntermediateTime and day: Tue or Sat (once a week) 1:30 p.m ~ 3 p.m., 3:30 p.m. ~ 5 p.m.Price: 50,000 won (exclude textbook and GIC membership fee)

Available Levels: Level 1 ~ 4Time and day: Tue, Thurs (twice a week) 7 p.m. ~ 9 p.m.Price: 100,000 won (exclude textbook, GIC membership fee and registration for TOPIK)

Available for students from Beginner 1 to Intermediate 2

Available for kids age 3 to 6 years old

Learn Korean through K-pop and K-Drama!

Available Level: Baby KoreanTime and day: Thurs (once a week) 5 p.m. ~ 6 p.m.Price: 50,000 won (exclude textbook, GIC membership fee for parents)

Please contact Boram Lee at [email protected] or by phone 062-226-2733/34 and www.gic.or.kr for more information.

2012 GIC 3rd Korean Language ClassEnrich your life in Korea by studying Korean and learning Korean culture with the GIC!

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM

fter playing hide and seek for a fewweeks, spring is finally here! Nothinghas gotten me as excited in the past

few months as the thought of warm sunnydays, breaking out my shorts and wearing asingle layer of clothing. Although I am a bitsad to let go of the plush decadence that iscashmere and fur boots, spring means it istime to rock, roll and Fash-on.

One of the main attractions of the KoreanSpringtime is of course the onset of the festivalseason and heralding the start is one of themost amazing festivals that one can see onnearly every street corner: that of thedelightful Cherry Blossom. It is hard to not feelhappy and giddy inside when admiring thecandyfloss pink masses of blooms decoratingtrees that have been brown and dull for theprevious five months. I have thus also takenmy cue from great Gaia and decoratedmyself with blooms to fully be enraptured inthe 벚꽃; literally meaning happiness flowers,this month.

I know it might be a bit adventurous for somebut there is no harm updating your style ortrying something new. I have contrasted twolooks, first a more serious and dapper darkblue floral look, and second, a more dandyand joyful look. I have also included somepastels, a perennial spring trend that I canassure you will never go out of style. At themoment there are a variety of trends doingthe rounds, last month we featured somegreat bold colors which are also still current,but this month it is all about taking a deepbreath and enjoying nature by being freeand easy.

Wearing florals in Korea can be quitedaunting as they can be seen everywhere onolder married ladies who have a certain flairfor putting together some of the most eye-

A

FFaasshh--OOnn wwiitthh xxxxll jjjjddpp 벚벚꽃꽃보보다다 남남자자 Boy before Cherry Blossoms

By jjdpPhotos by Brian Klein and Delsie KwonShot on location at Uncheon Resevoir, closest subwayUncheon/ Honam University.

fashion

ClothingIndigo blue floral shirt - Paul Smith - Seoul Vintage floral shirt - Golden Vintage located next to Geumnamro4 exit in the direction of MiglioreDenim shorts - DieselMilkshake socks - Uniqlo Contrasting Desert boots - Paul Smith


May 2012_12 2012.4.27 5:46 PM

catching looks I have ever seen, so be very carefulhow you wear this trend. Keep your look young,fresh and exciting with a twist. The great thing witha floral pattern is that you can opt for a big or smallprint, just ensure that you include it in your closetthis spring. Guys are usually more accustomed towearing florals on a Hawaiian printed shirt or boardshorts, but having this pattern on an actual dressshirt is a sure treat for the eyes as seen on therunways of iconic British fashion houses Burberryand Paul Smith.

The first look involves a basic spring day look,consisting of an indigo fitted cotton shirt with aminute flower pattern in white and hunter green.The shirt is very simple and unassuming when seenat a distance, but remains detailed up close as italso features pearl snap buttons. I have paired itwith dark denim cut-off shorts which are an xxl jjdpstandard for any wardrobe. For greater effect Ihave added contrasting milkshake coloredsocks in candyfloss and lime and suededesert boots. Remember it is al l aboutmaking a statement.

The second look is lighter and brighter andconsists of a vintage white floral shirt withsome awesome color. Working with boldshades of salmon and fuschia I kept the cut-off short combo and I have instantly createda different mood for the day. The shirtprovides enough visual excitement to spark

interest but not too much to distract from youroverall look. If you are afraid of wearing the shirton its own, layer it with a light denim shirt, or if youwant to take it to another level, add a brightcardigan in a complementary color to really makea mark.

I really hope that everyone will be inspired to adda little creativity to their wardrobe this spring andsummer and as always, be careful when workingwith patterned garments and remember: less ismore. Here’s to seeing you out and about lookinggood at some of the festivals!


May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM

pposite the German Bar downtown isCalifornia Sushi Roll. It’s on the second floorof the buildings lining the street and has a

yellow exterior. I hadn’t eaten California rolls oranything remotely resembling Japanese food for awhile. Thus I checked out said restaurant this pastmonth for the first time.

Upon ascending the stairs I passed signs painted onthe wall giving details of the menu and prices.Salmon, Eel, and Tuna California rolls all in therange of 6,000 to 10,000 won sounded pretty goodto me.

I was confidently greeted by a middle-aged guy,who showed me to a table. There were a fewpeople there, which as always is a good sign.Empty restaurants don’t give the impression ofhaving good food. I was immediately impressed bythe interior of the place. It was very capacious anduncluttered. The furniture had a very modern feelto it, with wooden tables and chairs reminiscent ofIKEA. The music was at a good volume; not so loudas to be intrusive or annoying nor too quiet.

The waiter immediately provided me with waterand a menu. I’d decided before I walked into therestaurant that I was going to get the salmonCalifornia rolls. I have a particular soft spot forsalmon so I almost always get it when I am eatingJapanese food. Thus I called the waiter over againto place my order. I explicitly asked him to put no

O

food and drink

mayonnaise or sauce in the roll, as I like to just dressit with soy sauce mixed with wasabi. I remainedapprehensive at this point as in my experiencethese kinds of places in Korea can be way tooliberal with the mayonnaise and other sweetsauces. Moreover, trying to make special requestscan often lead to a breakdown in communication.He was very confident in talking to me however,which I did find reassuring. A couple of minuteslater the man brought out my salmon roll alongwith some wasabi (there was already a bottle ofsoy sauce at the table). I was highly impressed tofind that there was no mayonnaise in my roll,though he did bring me out more of the sicklysweet green apple sauce in a small bowl. The rollwas a generous size and there was a decentamount of salmon on each round of rice. The fillingwas rice and primarily lettuce, with some picklesand sashimi in there as well. Accompanying the rollwas pickled radish and garlic, a salad doused insickly sweet sauce, and of course kimchi. On thewhole the roll was pretty good, not mind blowing,but not bad either. The service was excellent andthe atmosphere and dining experience was reallyenjoyable. I plan on going back there again in thefuture, most likely when I particularly feel like a bitof Japanese influenced food. I might even go fortheir sushi instead of California Rolls. The sushiranges from 8,500 to 25,000 won. The set menuoptions are from 15,000 to 38,000 won and servetwo people. They also have udong noodles andrice dishes for around 6,000 won.

California RollWords and photo by Gabriel Ward


May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM

Flower Pancake 화화전전

Cooking Method:1. Wash the petals of the edible flowers and drain onpaper towels.

2. Put 1/2 teaspoon of salt into 200 grams of glutinousrice flour and pour in 3-4 tablespoons of hot water. Knead the dough till it develops a sticky consistency.

3. Cut the dough into small pieces like a small ball andmake it into a flat and round shape about 5 centimetersin diameter.

4. Oil the frying pan and put the dough in it. Put theflowers on the dough and wait for it to cook over lowheat.

5. When it is ready, turn the dough over and turn itagain immediately. If you don't turn it over immediately,the flowers will be cooked and look ugly.

6. Serve the hwajeon with some honey or grain syrup.

Things to prepare (for two servings)

200 grams of glutinous rice flour, edible flowers, 3-4 tablespoons of hot water, salt, cooking oil and honey or grain syrup

food and drink

Words and photos by Kim Jiwon

hat looks good, tastes good. What phrase couldbe better for describing hwajeon? Hwajeon isone of the most beautiful Korean foods and it

represents spring. It has been made since the GoryeoDynasty to celebrate spring. Korean ancestors madehwajeon with whatever flowers were in season at thetime. In spring, they made azalea hwajeon or forsythiahwajeon and ate them with a cup of tea. They also hada great time in fall while enjoying chrysanthemumhwajeon alongside chrysanthemum wine. Besideslooking beautiful, it has a great taste and texturebecause it is made of glutinous rice flour. It is tasty andchewy alone, but it is much better to dip it in honey orgrain syrup. Why don't you try to make this simple,beautiful and traditional food this weekend?

W


May 2012_12 2012.4.27 5:48 PM


Across1. Musical time (5)3. New Zealand bird (4)4. Gwangju's baseball team (3,6)6. In poor health (6)10. Frothy coffee drink (10)14. Orderly (4)15. Rumpus (6)16. Animal den (4)18. Selection (6)19. Prestige (5)

Down1. Extreme fear (6)2. Italian pudding (8)5. Vertical part of a door frame (4)7. Rise - Outfit (3,2)8. Garret (5)9. Ogre (7)10. Largest city in the Arab World (5)11. The 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner (12)12. Squirm (6)13. Flash of lightning (4)17. The UFC light-heavyweight champion (3,5)

CROSSWORD

Please submit your answers to: [email protected] winner of this month's puzzle pages will be published in the next issue.Winners will receive a collectors' edition GIC mug which can be picked up at the GIC.

Congratulations!!to KIM MI-OK who won last month’s puzzle and will receive a complimentary mug from GIC.

Please drop by the GIC office in the office hours to retrieve your gift.

Puzzle PageBy Emma Dooley and Brian Paredes

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM


Draw this three crossing square pattern with pencilin one continuous line so that you don't take thepencil point off the paper.

You aren't allowed to go over any part of the linetwice, or even cross it.

A rose-red city half as old as Time.One billion years ago the city's ageWas just two-fifths of what Time's age will beA billion years from now. Can you computeHow old the crimson city is today?

CROSSWORDAcross3. Dram4. Hail6. Ache7. Itaewon9. Earl10. Apogee11. Pall13. Iniquitous15. Pelt17. Petal18. Cheltenham

VISUAL PUZZLE 216 ounces (about half of pot A). The amount of teathat can be kept within each pot is determined bythe height of the spout opening. The tea levelcannot rise above the spout opening since anyextra tea would merely spill out from the spout. Asimple visual estimate would conclude that thespout of teapot B is approximately half the height ofthat of teapot A, therefore providing only half of thecapacity, or 16 ounces.

VISUAL PUZZLE 1

Last Month’’s Puzzle Solution

Source: www.puzzles.com

Visual Puzzle

Logic Puzzle

Down1. Chauffeur2. Giza4. Hoe5. Peppermint8. The Artist12. Lament14. Owned16. Qantas19. Eddy

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 5:53 PM

Gwangju Zen Meditation GroupThe group will meet weekly every Saturday at the GICbetween 5:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. for meditation andreadings from books written by the Korean Zen masterSeung Sahn Sunim. For details [email protected] or call 010-3439-7725.You can also search for Gwangju Zen MeditationGroup on Facebook.

MDream Garden Children’s Day FundraiserChildren’s Day Fundraiser for MDream GardenChildren’s HomeDate: May 5, 2012 (Saturday) - Children’s DayPlace: Gwangju World Cup StadiumTime: 3 p.m. (Gwangju FC vs Daegu FC) Admission fee: Free, but a donation is requested. (Tickets can be picked up from GIC, Speakeasy orZeppelin’s bars downtown or at the stadium on the day.)

Help support a good cause while watching GwangjuFC’s home game against Daegu FC.

GIC Gallery is looking for artistsGIC Gallery is an exhibition area provided forinternational artists or foreign artist community to sharetheir artworks to both local and expats. For moreinformation, please contact [email protected] or call062-226-2733.


Kittens to haveThey are free, but you need to vacinate them. They are Korean short hairs. The kittens are 7 weeks old.Contact Lynne at 010-8692-9101 or [email protected]

Have something you want to share with the community?Gwangju News’ community board provides a space for you to announce your club’s activity, special events and so on. Please send us the information in 200 words or less to [email protected].

The Gwangju Photography ClubThe Gwangju Photography Club is a place wheremany different people can meet, share advice, giveideas, and practice photography. Every month, thePhotography Club goes on a photo outing todifferent places around the city and country tocapture the moment and practice new techniques.Anyone is welcome to join the photography groupand help share in the experience. To join the group,search Gwangju Photography Club on Facebook.

Sung Bin Orphanage Sung Bin Orphanage is looking for creative/ active/energetic/ outgoing/ enthusiastic long-term volunteersto join in our regular Saturday program. We would likeyou to give at least two Saturdays per month. Meetevery Saturday at 1 p.m. in front of downtownStarbucks. All are welcome. For more volunteeringinformation please contact Daniel Lister at: [email protected].

Sungbin Book and Bake SaleDate: May 19, 2012 (Saturday)Time: 12 p.m. until 8 p.m.Place: Underground Grocers, downtown Gwangju(please check next page ad of Underground Grocerfor location info)Book and Bake Sale is held to support the SungbinEducational Endowment Fund to assist students inattending university or vocational training. You canparticipate by bringing baked goods or used books for sale.

Gwangju Inter FCThe Gwangju international soccer team (Gwangju Inter FC) plays regularly most weekends. If you are interested in playing, e-mail:gwangju_soccer@ yahoo.com or search ‘Gwangju Inter FC’ on Facebook.

Gwangju Ice Hockey Team Looking for men and women of all ages to join us everySaturday night from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Yeomju IceRink near World Cup Stadium. If you are interested,contact either Andrew Dunne at [email protected] Chris Wilson at: [email protected]

Community Board

MDream Garden Children’s Home

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 6:3 PM


Midway between Kunsthalle and theGrand Hotel, across the main street atthe traffic lights from the Crown Bakery.On the 3rd floor of the T World building.

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM

May 2012_12 2012.4.27 4:54 PM

may 2012 #123 - 2

Documents

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