2005-2162 The Buddha’s birthday illuminates Seoul

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People [Press Q] Father Kevin O’Rourke hopes to introduce the world to the beauty of Korean writing Most expatriates cool on their adopted land after a few years. But Father Kevin O’Rourke has never let his passion for Korean culture die. A 70-year-old Irish priest in the Missionary Society of Saint Columban in Seongbuk, Seoul, O’Rourke was the first non-Korean to build a career studying and translating Korean literature. “No wind, no swell; / a world so various opens before my eyes. / No need for a lot of words; to look is to see.” Entitled “Small Lotus Pond,” this is O’Rourke’s translation of a poem by the Buddhist monk Hyeshim (1178-1234) from the Korean kingdom of Goryeo. The priest began translating Korean literarature, from short stories and contemporary poems to classical sijo (three-line lyric poems), in the early 1970s. “When I first started studying Korean literature, I concentrated on poems written by poets Park Tu-jin, Seo Jeong-ju and Cho Byung-hwa in the early 20th century. But as time passed pieces written during ancient times grabbed my attention and I tried to explore them,” he said. “You need to look Father Kevin O’Rourke has been in Korea since 1964, and is the first non-Korean to earn a doctorate in Korean literature. closely into works created in those early times rather than modern times in order to understand Korean values and souls.” The priest began translating poems by Kim Sak-kat, the pen name of Kim Byeongyeon (1807-1863), 10 years ago. He recently finished an English collection of 80 selected works by the poet and is looking for a publisher. “It is shameful to learn that not much research has been done on Kim’s works and that there is only one book introducing them,” O’Rourke said. “The year 2007 marked the 200th anniversary of Kim’s birth and not one academic institution held a symposium or seminar to talk about his philosophy and works." O’Rourke was ordained in December 1963 and came to Korea as a missionary with five others in late September a year later. The day after he arrived, he started studying Korean at Yonsei University’s Korean Language Institute. He earned a master’s in Korean literature at Yonsei in 1970. “Since I considered language a very important tool for a successful missionary, I wanted to be fluent in Korean. I also thought researching Korean literature was essential to understanding Korean culture,” he said. He was then dispatched to Chuncheon, Gangwon, to carry out his missionary duties, and briefly taught at Kangwon National University there. He also gave lectures part-time at Kookmin University in Seoul for two years after returning from Chuncheon. The priest became a full-fledged professor at Kyung Hee University in 1977. While teaching O’Rourke became the first non-Korean to earn a doctorate in Korean literature in 1982. “It is so beautiful to see how Korean and Chinese characters are written. I am happy to devote myself to studying and translating many wonderful old literary works,” he said. “I want to introduce [these] writings to as many foreigners as possible.” By Lee Min-yong Yang Ik-june is an actorturned director who has won global accolades for his The director of Breathless calls it a frank depiction of his own family life Meet Yang Ik-june, 34, and you may think a man this down-to-earth and spontaneous can’t possibly be a big-time movie director. But Yang’s debut film Breathless has taken top honors at a number of international events, including the Tiger Award at the 38th Rotterdam International Film Festival in January this year, the top prize and critics’ award at the 11th Deauville Asian Film Festival in March, the Audience Award for International Selection at the Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival in April, and more. Why did Breathless strike such a chord? “They came to see my movie, which they thought might be interesting, and happened to like it, that’s all. All the cast, including myself, had been just ‘us’ throughout the moviemaking process, and viewers seemed to feel it and sympathize with us,” [NEWSIS}debut film, Breathless. Yang said. The film is about Sang-hun, a victim of domestic violence who grows up to become a gangster with a hot temper who doesn’t hesitate to use violence. But he unexpectedly finds a ray of hope when he meets a fearless neighborhood high school girl, also a victim of abuse. Yang wrote and directed the film based on his own life, and played the lead. Due to the film’s intense depiction of violence and dysfunctional families, it created quite a stir. Yang said one viewer told him, “You look so normal and even gentle in person [compared to in the film].” “Sang-hun is a part of me, say, an aggressive side of me, while the person whom you will be seeing in person is also a part of me. I’ve always been and will be the human Yang Ikjune on and off screen,” said Yang. Asked why he filmed his own life, Yang said, “All people live under the influence of their families, whether they like it or not, particularly in Korea. And they have a lot to say about [their families], often connected with feelings of love and hatred at the same time. Many still feel uncomfortable doing so. Yang continued, “But we cannot turn away forever, and what I did was just look squarely at it and show it without adding to or subtracting from what I’ve felt throughout my life.” This actor-turned-director was explicit about his principles of acting and filmmaking. “Filmmaking is and should always be a challenge, since it is creating something out of nothing, using your imagination while setting foot in reality,” said Yang. “I rarely tell actors what to do on the set. Actors should be able to express what they already have inside themselves. That’s what actors are supposed to do.” By Park Sun-young 62 korea May 2009 May 2009 korea 63
People Old Partner tells the story of the life of Choi Won-kyun, 82, a farmer in Bongha, North Gyeongsang, and the cow that has been his constant companion. In fact the two are so close in the film that Choi’s wife Lee Sam-sun is jealous, in an unusual and touching tale. [JoongAng Ilbo] With very few exceptions, independent movies have to be satisfied with a run at film festivals, perhaps a brief theatrical life on a couple of screens and finally a long career sitting on DVD store shelves. But Old Partner, happily, turned out to be one of those exceptions. The low-budget documentary is poised to become the country’s highest grossing independent film. It opened Jan. 15 in about seven theaters with typically low expectations. But critics and moviegoers loved the film, and at its peak, Old Partner was shown on more than 200 screens. Directed by Lee Choong-yeol, the movie tells the story of a crippled old farmer and the dying cow that has served him faithfully for decades. The production cost and minuscule marketing budget barely touched the 100 million won ($75,000) mark. It’s hard to imagine a Korean studio investing in a project like it. Nevertheless, the latest estimates show it’s earned several times more than what was spent to make it. Old Partner’s focus on simple rural life, and on the strong Lee Choong-yeol bond an aging farmer has Director of Old Partner formed with his cow (so strong that his wife gets jealous) has drawn mostly urbanized viewers whose industrialized country prides itself on achieving near-miraculous economic growth since the Korean War — yet clearly still harbor a nostalgia for the pastoral Korea of old. Just as intriguing as the movie’s real-life plot is how it was made in the first place. Director Lee spent five years searching for the right pair of man and cow, having drawn his inspiration from his own rural childhood. Stories passed around about the process of creating the film drew viewers just as much as the documentary itself. Lee, constantly low on cash, had to struggle to keep his producer on board, especially because the old cow — who was supposed to die — refused to play its part, pushing the completion date back farther and farther. Eighty-two-year-old farmer Choi Won-kyun is the star of the movie, along with his companion cow. And Lee Sam-sun, Choi’s wife, completes the unusual love triangle. Since the movie’s January premiere, an avalanche of curious visitors has invaded the private life of the couple, who until now had enjoyed absolute privacy in their rural village. The movie has done well among critics, winning an award at the prestigious Pusan International Film Festival. It also played at the Sundance Film Festival. The director, Lee Chung-ryoul, became the first recipient of the “Rookie Director Award” at the PaekSang Arts Awards as an indie film director. The movie at times has maintained its spot as the number one movie despite being challenged by domestic movies filled with stars and by Hollywood films. For a struggling film industry, the movie’s success at the box office is an important lesson for movie producers — namely that a simple, heartfelt story can go a long way. South Korea’s previous box-office record for an independent documentary film stood at 120,000 tickets. But Old Partner has topped the 3 million mark. Even President Lee Myung-bak has watched the film. Bongha village in North Gyeongsang, where the film was shot, is planning an “Old Partner” museum to cash in on the movie’s success. The old couple has been besieged by tourists, and there has been concern from the movie director about the instrusions on their daily lives. On the other hand, the village seems thankful for the possible influx of cash. The dynamic tempo of South Korean development and the sometimes cold nature of its society, with cutthroat competition for jobs and schools, may have laid the groundwork for the movie’s huge success. At least that’s what movie critics think happened. “A buddy tale between human and beast that depicts a strong bond is deeply touching the hearts of viewers. It’s playing on human nature, and that is the most appealing point,” said culture critic Kim Jong-hui. By Brian Lee Provided by Warnangsori blog 64 korea May 2009 May 2009 korea 65
Page 1: Opening a communicative space betwe
Page 4 and 5: Cover Story A luminary’s party en
Page 6 and 7: Buddha’s Birthday: A luminary’s
Page 8 and 9: Diplomacy U.S. President Barack Oba
Page 10 and 11: Global Korea KOICA in Ethiopia 18 k
Page 12 and 13: Culture Songs from the Korean soul
Page 14 and 15: Culture [JoongAng Ilbo] Art as frau
Page 16 and 17: Korean Literature Hwang Seok-yeong
Page 18 and 19: Book Human story Provided by The Ko
Page 20 and 21: Human story To Won’s father, June
Page 22 and 23: Korea through the Lens Sun flowers
Page 24 and 25: Travel minutes leads to the ridge.
Page 26 and 27: Successive administrations have sup
Page 28 and 29: Sports missionary, Phillip L. Gille
Page 30 and 31: Design The biggest auto show in the
Page 34: Foreign Viewpoints Back to a life o

2005-2162 The Buddha’s birthday illuminates Seoul

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