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PEOPLE
Yonhap
A Veteran Artist’s Love of Dokdo
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
Yonhap
Lee Jong-sang
major was western painting, he
changed to oriental painting because
he was more interested in traditional
art and paintings.
Lee admires Jeong Seon, a wellknown
painter in the Joseon era
(1392-1910) who created a Koreanstyle
landscape painting technique,
which was very different from traditional
Chinese styles. Sensing that the
great artist who used to travel all over
the country had never captured islands
or seashores, Lee decided to draw islands
with Dokdo as the central theme.
His first exhibition of Dokdo paintings
was held in Insa-dong, central
Seoul, in 1977. In the same year, he also
organized a group consisting of fellow
artists to attract more attention to
the rocky island. The group regularly
visits the islets and holds artistic performances.
For the 70-year-old artist, Dokdo is
still inspirational.
“Every time I visit Dokdo, I find a
new aspect,” said Lee, who has visited
Dokdo 36 times over the last 30
years. ■
Korea’s
‘Culture President’
Comes Back
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
Singer-producer Seo Tai-ji
Lee Jong-sang is a veteran artist
dedicated to painting Korean islands
and seashores, especially
Dokdo in the East Sea, which is at the
center of a diplomatic dispute with
Japan.
Recently he had submitted his
Dokdo paintings to an art fair to be
held in Tokyo. But pressured by
Japanese right-wingers, the organizing
committee asked him to send his
other works and he turned down the
exhibition proposal.
“I didn’t think they would consider
my paintings in relation to politics,”
he said.
“History is my important artistic
inspiration. I couldn’t accept their request
and decided not to participate in
the event.”
Then the art fair was cancelled entirely.
Born in 1938, Lee studied paintings
at the College of Arts of Seoul
National University. Even though his
Lee’s 1982 painting titled “The Spirit of Dokdo II”
Seo Tai-ji’s latest album “Moai”
has sold 150,000 copies in less
than 20 days since it came out
on July 29.
The long awaited album consisting
of four songs is the first single of his
eighth regular album, titled “Seotaiji
8th Atomos Part Moai,” which is
scheduled to be released at the end of
this year.
Seo has experimented with various
music genres such as alternative rock,
heavy metal and hardcore music
through his previous albums. The latest
record transcends all the genres,
according to Seo’s agent Seotaiji
Company.
Born in 1972, he started his professional
music career playing bass guitar
for the legendary rock band Sinawe
when he was 18.
Along with two other members, he
formed the band Seo Tai-ji & Boys in
1991. Even though the music and
dance moves based on American hiphop
were harshly criticized by experts,
young people liked the way they challenged
existing music styles and social
values. He reshaped the K-pop scene
of the 1990s. The singer-producer is
considered one of the biggest cultural
icons in Korea and sometimes referred
to as “Culture President.”
Seo Tai-ji announced his retirement
with the band’s dismantlement in 1996.
But he came back as a solo artist and
every record he has released has gone
platinum. The strong performance of
his latest album is expected to stimulate
the struggling K-pop market.
Marking the release of his new album,
he hosted a rock festival ETP Fest
2008 (Eerie Taiji People Festival) at
Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on Aug.
14 and 15. Rock stars from in and out
of the country, including American
hard rocker Marilyn Manson and
Japanese hip-hop band Dragon Ash,
were invited, attracting interest from
music fans and the media. ■
Yonhap
A record shop in downtown Seoul is crowded
with Seo Tai-ji fans buying his latest album on
July 29
56 KOREA SEPTEMBER 2008
SEPTEMBER 2008 KOREA 57