Seoul Lights Up for the Holiday Season - Korea.net

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December 2008 VOL. 4 NO. 12
8 16
28
30
48
06 Cover
41 Art
More Professionals Become Naturalized Koreans
Death of Korean Student Remembered in Japanese Film
The Experience of Foreign Students in Korea
Korean B-boying Performances Wow New Yorkers
Korea Becoming More Foreign-Friendly
Three Renowned Film Directors Meet in ‘Tokyo!’
14 Diplomacy
46 Food
Lee Warns against Trade Protectionism at G20 Summit
Making Hot Foods Hotter and Mild Foods Milder
Korea Proposes Creation of Pacific Rim Free Trade Area
48 Travel
18 Global Korea
Festivals to Mark Korea’s Winter Season
Publisher Yoo Jin-hwan
Korean Culture and Information Service
Editing & Printing Herald Media Inc.
E-mail webmaster@korea.net
Design toga design
Korean Culture Introduced to South America
Ramsar 2008 Adopts ‘Changwon Declaration’ on Humanity
and Nature
Experiencing Korea’s Traditional Boudoir Culture
52 Events
Daegu Biennale Shows Charms of Photography
Seoul Lights Up for Holiday Season
36
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26 Culture
Museum Prepares to Celebrate Centennial Next Year
The World of Korean Calligraphy
A Look at Contemporary Korean Artists in Paris
Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty Revived in Digital Form
Hanbok Artist Makes Style Simple and Easy
38 People
Kim Yu-na Set to Dominate Figure Skating World
Japanese Artist Focuses on Beauty of Korean
Traditional Culture
Jang Han-na Shows New Side of Vivaldi
56 Books
Goguryeo: In Search of Its Culture and History
59 Special Series
The Republic of Korea at Sixty
— Guy Sorman, French Philosopher
New Growth Engine Industries-1 : Planting Seeds of Growth
in Key Sectors
66 Foreign Viewpoints
Multiculturalism Starts at Home
— Luis T. Cruz, Philippine Ambassador to South Korea
54
4 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 5

COVER
The Ministry of Justice
More Professionals Become
Naturalized Koreans
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
Aceremony for 26 new Koreans
who became naturalized in
October was held by the
Ministry of Justice on Oct. 27. To become
a Korean citizen, one is required
to have lived here more than five years
and pass the naturalization test.
According to Korea Immigration
Service, over 9,000 people from foreign
countries have become naturalized
Koreans this year as of September.
The number is expected to surpass the
record 13,000 by the end of the year.
Vladmir V. Saveliev (right) from Russia makes an oath at his naturalization ceremony held by the Ministry of Justice on Oct. 27
Only 54,000 people have taken
Korean citizenship since the country’s
independence from Japan’s colonial
rule in 1945. Chinese account for almost
45,000 of that total, followed by
people from the Philippines, Mongolia
and Pakistan — most seeking a better
life here.
However, as the number of naturalization
applicants from other regions
like Europe has increased, their
nationality and occupations have become
varied and more professionals
with higher education are included.
Vladmir V. Saveliev from Russia is
one such individual. Saveliev, 54, is an
expert in the field of three-dimensional
image display and has published some
10 articles in international journals and
holds five patents. After two failures, he
finally passed the naturalization test
and made an oath in Korean at the ceremony
representing others.
When asked why he became a
Korean citizen, he told reporters,
“Because I love Korea more than
Koreans do.”
He first visited Korea in 1998
when he was invited by the Korea
Institute of Science and Technology to
take part in a project with the Ministry
of Information and Communication.
After the successful completion of the
work, he came to Korea again and has
stayed here since 2000.
It did not take long for him to
make a decision on naturalization because
he had already been fascinated
with Korean history, culture and food.
Of course, the country’s advanced
technology was the decisive reason. “I
have wanted to work in Korea —
which has the world’s best technology
in the display area,” he said. He is currently
working at the Research
Institute of Electrical and Computer
Engineering, which is affiliated with
Hanyang University in Seoul.
Another is Kim Myung-kuk. Kim,
38, who was born in China and majored
in animal husbandry, also became
naturalized in October. Since
earning doctor’s and master’s degrees
at Seoul National University, he has
been working as a researcher at the
school. He studies eco-friendly pig
raising without using antibiotics in
their feed. His research is expected to
help Korea’s livestock industry, largely
dependent on feed materials from
abroad, and struggling to compete
with cheaper imported products.
Han Yeon, 35, is a naturalized
Korean citizen from China who has
exported Korean children’s books of
more than 100 titles. After studying
the Korean language and literature at
a local university, she has been working
at a publishing company and has
written two books in Korean.
Two sisters who had Taiwanese
nationality also became newly naturalized
citizens. Both studied pharmacology
at a university in Korea and
are planning to open a drug store. ■
A family is awarded naturalization certificates
Foreign engineers work with their Korean fellows
The Ministry of Justice
The Korea Herald
6 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 7

COVER
The Experience of Foreign Students in Korea
BY KIM SO-HYUN
KOREA HERALD STAFF WRITER
Exchange students from
abroad learn how to
make a traditional fan
Hema Haninway started learning Korean
in 2003 while doing her master’s program
in political science in Delhi.
She chose Korean after much thought because
she was impressed by the country’s dramatic
economic growth.
“In order to learn about a country’s politics
or culture, I believed it was essential to learn
the language,” she said.
She is now a master’s student of Korean
language and culture education at Korea
University.
“Upon graduation next year, I plan to go
back to India and teach Korean. I also plan to
open an institution for stronger ties between
Korea and India.”
Hema is one of the 64,000 foreign students
studying in Korean universities. Thanks to increased
scholarship opportunities, the number
of students from abroad surged by more than
five-fold compared to 12,314 in 2003. Seventy
percent of them are from China and another 12
percent are from other Asian countries.
Seoul has sought to attract more foreign students
through its “Study Korea” project devised
in 2004. It plans to extend state scholarships to
The Korea Herald
Female students try on Hanbok, traditional Korean clothing
The Korea Herald
3,000 students in 2012, up from 837 this year.
About another 3,000 foreign students are on
scholarships provided by Korean universities
themselves.
Some, like 23-year-old Ali from Pakistan,
come as exchange students.
Ali, a business management student at
Seoul National University, chose SNU on the
advice of his professor back home and hopes to
learn from Korea’s advanced industries before
returning to Pakistan to run his own packaging
material business.
International students are admitted to various
departments ranging from cultural properties
to computer science, but not all of them
come with a good command of Korean. Still
being a fraction of the student population,
many face difficulties as minorities.
Malla Thakuri, studying atmospheric science
at Yonsei University, did not know she’d
be taking some of her courses in Korean.
After filling her lab hours from morning
through evening, the Nepalese student strives to
learn Korean and do assignments for her major.
“This semester, I’m taking five courses and
one is in Korean language. It is so difficult as
I’m learning basic Korean now,” she said. “But
language is the one problem I have. I like the
food and the culture.”
A Cambodian student studying urban engineering
signed up for English courses only. But
because he is the only non-Korean in his class,
the professor often uses Korean during the lecture
and gives him separate lessons.
“About 35 percent of the foreign students
major in engineering,” said Sohn Sung-moon,
Education Minister
Ahn Byung-man (left)
meet with 26 students
from Asian countries.
Yonhap
8 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 9

COVER
The Korea Herald
Korea Becoming
More Foreign-Friendly
Students listen to a lecture at a university
Students from abroad play
traditional shuttlecock
Yonsei University’s coordinator of international
affairs.
“Unfortunately, not all professors in all departments
are ready to teach entirely in
English. Most international students studying
for a degree are required to learn Korean to a
certain level.”
Tran Thi Thuy from Vietnam plans to work
as an interpreter upon graduation for Korean
businesses operating in her home country.
Yonhap
“I found that knowledge of economics was
required to be a good interpreter for companies
and decided to study economics in Korean,”
she said.
“I learned Korean before coming to Korea
but I’m the only foreign student and it is hard
to make friends in school.”
Education Minister Ahn Byung-man met
with 26 students from Vietnam, Mongolia,
Pakistan, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Nepal,
Cambodia, Malaysia, India, Bangladesh and
Kazakhstan on Monday. The minister had a
lunch meeting with Chinese students last month.
In addition to the limited English courses,
students raised several issues such as the need
for cheaper dormitories and childcare facilities
as well as diversity of the school cafeteria menu.
“We will include the assistance of international
students as an evaluation factor for universities
to encourage them to work more on
that,” Ahn told the students.
“We will also improve the quality of
English-only courses as well as Korean language
programs, provide more international
students with dorm rooms, job finding services
and a chance to experience Korean culture.” ■
Policies toward foreigners have taken on
increasing significance in Korea where
the number of foreign residents has
topped the 1 million mark, accounting for over
2 percent of the total population.
Expatriates who have stayed here for more
than 90 days accounted for 1.8 percent of the
Korean population estimated at 49.35 million,
according to the recent data released by the
Ministry of Public Administration and Security.
Migrant workers totaled 437,727, nearly
half of the immigrants. The numbers of spouses
and children from international marriages
are 144,385 (16.2 percent), and 58,007 (6.5
percent), respectively.
Together with short-term foreign residents
here, non-Korean residents totaled 1,145,660,
over 2 percent of the total population, according
to the Korea Immigration Service. The
number is expected to rise to 2.9 million in
2020, or about 5 percent of the population.
In recent years, the Korean Government
has introduced plans to relax immigration and
naturalization rules in a bid to sharpen global
competitiveness with foreign human resources.
Under the banner of “multiculturalism,” it has
also crafted various policies to promote social
integration among non-Koreans.
The Justice Ministry established the Korea
Immigration Service last year to comprehensively
deal with social integration, immigration and
naturalization. The ministry also enacted the nation’s
first law aimed at guaranteeing better
treatment for foreigners in Korea in July 2007.
Efforts for Expat Families
The Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family
Affairs is currently implementing a support
The Korea Herald
A female tourist learns traditional
Korean oil painting
10 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 11

COVER
The Korea Herald
U.S. Engineer Starts
New Life at KAIST
BY KIM SO-HYUN
KOREA HERALD STAFF WRITER
Expats learn how to play
Janggu, traditional Korean
drum
Expats make kimchi for the needy
project for the families of foreign residents,
which is divided into four major stages.
The four stages are: preparation ahead of
arrival; starting a family; settling and raising
children; and helping those families develop
useful skills.
Before foreigners arrive, they will be able
to obtain information about life in Korea
through consultations with international marriage
or immigration management officials in
the Philippines and Vietnam, according to the
ministry.
Cultural classes — regarding understanding
the differences in cultures, conjugal relations,
The Korea Herald
the roles of parents and communication methods
— for the Korean spouses are also held at
the 80 branches of the Transnational Marriage
and Family Support Center located nationwide,
its officials said. Private visits are also made by
Korean language instructors for foreign brides
and they will be encouraged to form their own
groups to help keep their identity.
To provide a wider range of information
for foreigners, a quarterly magazine that contains
essential living information for foreign
residents is being published in different languages
— with the goal of translating it into
five different languages — and an interpretation
and translation hotline is expected to be
launched by next year, the ministry said.
Policies to Attract More
International Brains
Through the “World-Class University” (WCU)
project, Korea seeks to nurture promising new
fields in basic sciences and develop interdisciplinary
studies by attracting more academic
from abroad.
Children from various countries show their national
flag-shaped cakes
The Ministry of Education, Science and
Technology set aside a budget of 200 billion
won (about $13.2 million) for the WCU project
to be invested between 2008 and 2012.
The applications for WCU grants are categorized
into three types. Type 1 is to set up new
academic departments or specialized majors
with at least 30 percent of the faculty from
abroad. Type 2 is to hire researchers from overseas
universities, think tanks and companies as
full-time teaching staff for existing departments.
Type 3 invites renowned academics,
such as Nobel laureates, who will be required to
stay in Korea for at least two months a year.
As the result of the type 3 evaluation, the
Education Ministry announced in November
that a total of 81 academics have been appointed
by 30 universities. Starting next year,
they will teach students and take part in 79
projects with their Korean fellows.
They include nine Nobel laureates, 18
members of the U.S. National Academy of
Engineering, 12 members of the U.S. National
Academy of Sciences and three members of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences. ■
As part of efforts to boost international
competitiveness, the Korea
Advanced Institute of Science and
Technology (KAIST) offers more than
half of its courses in English.
Seventeen percent of full-time
teaching staff at the state-funded
university are non-Koreans, most of
whom are engineering experts or
scientists.
James Morrison, a former advisory
engineer at IBM in Vermont and assistant
professor at Central Michigan
University, joined KAIST early this
year as an assistant professor of industrial
and systems engineering.
“KAIST offers a competitive startup
package, salary and benefits
comparable to large state schools in
the United States. The start of a
tenure system is also similar to that
of the United States,” Morrison said
in an email interview.
“As one of my areas of interest is
semiconductor manufacturing automation
or high-tech manufacturing,
the fact that Samsung is based
in Korea is also appealing.”
Morrison chose KAIST also because
he knew the students would
be excellent. He described his students
as “driven to succeed, wellprepared
and smart.”
“As my Korean is very poor, I am
fortunate that most students and virtually
all faculty have a command of
English to such a degree that communication
is always possible,” said
the American, who has a Korean wife.
“I feel that KAIST has welcomed
me. In some ways, I think that because
I am a foreign faculty member,
others make special efforts to
help me.”
Morrison was happy to hear that
the Korean government is planning
to provide large grants for universities
to hire academics from abroad.
He was involved in his department’s
proposal for the “World-
Class University” state funding to
create a research group focusing on
the design of next-generation semiconductor
wafer/LCD fabrication
plants.
“We identified several internationally
famous world-class scholars in
the United States who expressed a
willingness to participate,” he said.
“In addition, I played a minor role
in reviewing another WCU proposal
to create a new department at KAIST
— the Department of Intelligent
Service Engineering. I am concurrently
appointed to that department.”
The professor has clear goals for
himself — to design and evaluate solutions
for problems of substantial
importance, publish the results, obtain
grant money to support his work
and serve his academic community.
“In particular, as electronics is a
cornerstone industry in Korea, solving
problems in semiconductor
manufacturing automation can have
significant value — increasing market
share and improving efficiency,”
he said.
Morrison is a part of the KAIST
Mobile Floating Port project which
seeks to develop next-generation
port service concepts with an eye toward
extending Korea’s strengths in
this area. ■
12 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 13

DIPLOMACY
Korean President Lee Myung-bak
(second from right, front row)
and other world leaders pose for
a group photo during the G20
Summit on Financial Markets and
the World Economy in
Washington on Nov. 15
Lee Warns against
Trade Protectionism at G20 Economic Summit
President Lee Myung-bak called
on world leaders to conclude a
long-delayed accord to reduce
subsidies and tariffs, warning that
trade protectionism will hurt emerging
markets.
In a keynote speech at the G20
economic summit in Washington, he
also suggested currency swap lines between
advanced and emerging
economies and more funds to developing
countries to help alleviate a
credit crunch in the global financial
markets.
“G20 nations must lead the way
for the stalled WTO Doha Agreement
to be concluded as soon as possible,”
he said, referring to the World Trade
Organization’s seven-year-old talks.
“What we are concerned about is
spread of protectionism due to the current
difficult economic situation.”
He said any spread of protectionism
will make the global economy
more susceptible to recession and
harm weak emerging economies.
In this context, Lee called for global
leaders to agree on a “Stand-Still”
declaration in which they would no
longer create new barriers to trade and
investment.
Lee, French President Nicolas
Sarkozy and several other heads of
state have called for sweeping reform
of the IMF and the establishment of a
new global financial system to keep
pace with recent changes in the global
economy.
Lee told the summit forum, “I think
this short session should prioritize stabilization
of the global financial market
and minimizing its adverse impact
on economic fundamentals, although
today’s session was supposed to deal
with reform of the international financial
systems to prevent recurrence of
the financial crisis.”
Lee also urged the world’s leading
economies to establish currency swap
lines to help provide foreign currency
liquidity to emerging economies.
Korea currently has a $30 billion
currency swap arrangement with the
United States, a currency line of $13
billion with Japan and a $4 billion
currency deal with China.
In a speech at the working lunch,
Lee urged global leaders not to repeat
the “beggar-thy-neighbor policies” of
the Great Depression days in order to
bring about a speedy recovery from
the ongoing financial crisis.
“Going further back in history, we
also learn that during the Great
Depression of the 1930s, countries decided
to increase tariffs and raise trade
barriers, which inevitably stifled trade
and prolonged worldwide economic
stagnation. We must not repeat such
beggar-thy-neighbor policies.”
Yonhap
“Beggar-thy-neighbor policies”
refers to international trade regimes
that emphasize competitive devaluations
and increased protective barriers
that one country institutes to gain at
the expense of its trading partners.
Meeting Korean journalists after
the economic conference, Lee categorized
the G20 summit as a major power
shift from a handful advanced
countries to a number of countries
representing a variety of economic developments.
“This summit should be seen as a
historic one that can happen only once
in a hundred years as emerging
economies were taking part in the
process to discuss major global issues,
which were monopolized by G7 advanced
economies,” Lee said.
Lee expected that the summit of
the world’s 20 biggest economies will
develop into a major forum to discuss
energy, global warming and other major
global issues as well as the global
financial crisis.
“From now on, such global issues
should be discussed both by developed
and emerging economies, and I presume
that they will be,” he said.
The President noted that Korea will
be the chair country of the summit in
2010, after Britain next year. ■
14 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 15

DIPLOMACY
Yonhap
“Sets of bilateral and multilateral FTAs will help accelerate the
WTO’s bid for global trade and investment liberalization,” Lee said,
noting that Korea, Peru and Indonesia conducted a preliminary
joint study on the FTAAP earlier this year.
Leaders of the countries that belong to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) including
Korean President Lee Myung-bak pose for a group photo after attending the APEC summit conference in Lima, Peru, on Nov. 22
Korea Proposes
Creation of Pacific Rim Free Trade Area
Korean President Lee Myung-bak
proposed launching discussions
on concluding a multilateral
free trade agreement among Pacific
Rim countries.
He made the proposal in an address
at the closing session of the Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
forum in Peru on Nov. 23.
He said the 21 APEC member nations
need to conduct an extensive
study on the potential economic impact
of the so-called Free Trade Area
of the Asia-Pacific Region (FTAAP), a
proposed free trade area involving almost
all APEC member economies,
which account for more than half the
world economy and almost half of
world trade.
“Sets of bilateral and multilateral
FTAs will help accelerate the WTO’s
bid for global trade and investment
liberalization,” Lee said, noting that
Korea, Peru and Indonesia conducted
a preliminary joint study on the
FTAAP earlier this year.
The Asia Pacific leaders wrapped
up their two-day summit in the
Peruvian capital of Lima after adopting
a 12-point joint declaration calling for
“quick and decisive action” to prevent
a severe global economic downturn.
They also warned against sealing
trade borders in the face of financial
turmoil and also called for a “prompt,
ambitious and balanced conclusion”
to the WTO’s stalled Doha round of
global trade liberalization talks.
Notably, the leaders voiced hope that
the ongoing financial crisis could be
overcome in one-and-a-half years.
Summit Talks among Lee,
Bush and Aso
On the sidelines of the APEC summit
in Lima, President Lee, U.S. President
George W. Bush and Japanese Prime
Minister Taro Aso held a three-way
summit meeting on Nov. 22 and
agreed to resume the six-nation talks
on North Korea’s nuclear program early
December.
President Lee’s spokesman Lee
Dong-kwan told reporters that there is
a consensus among all participants
that the North Korean nuclear problem
should be discussed within the framework
of the Six-Party Talks.
Following the three-way summit,
Lee and Bush held bilateral talks for
discussions on North Korea, the ongoing
financial crisis, the long-delayed
legislative approval of the Korea-U.S.
free trade agreement (FTA) and other
pending issues.
Yonhap
Bilateral Summit Meetings
Korean President Lee and his Peruvian
counterpart, Alan Garcia agreed at a
summit in Lima on Nov. 21 to begin
negotiations on a two-way free trade
agreement in the first half of 2009.
In addition, Lee also separately met
with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe
and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee
Hsien Loong to discuss ways to expand
bilateral economic cooperation.
President Lee and Chilean
President Michelle Bachelet also met
just ahead of the APEC summit and
agreed to cooperate to form a new
multilateral FTA involving about 10
Pacific Rim countries, including New
Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, the United
States, Australia, India and Peru.
Before flying to Peru, the Korean
President visited Brazil and held summit
talks with Brazilian President Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva. The two leaders
agreed to closely cooperate in combating
the global economic crisis and
widen bilateral economic and commercial
exchanges during their summit
talks in Brasilia on Nov. 19. In Brasilia,
Lee also held unscheduled summit talks
with his Indonesian counterpart, Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono. They discussed
ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in
energy and resources and agreed to cooperate
more closely in overcoming the
global financial crisis. ■
President Lee (left) shakes hands with Brazilian President Lula before holding summit talks in
Brasilia on Nov. 19
16 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 17

GLOBAL KOREA
Korean Culture
Introduced to South America
Traditional musician Ahn Sook-sun
Pianist Kim Sun-wook
AKorean Music and Film Festival, held in Sao Paulo
on Nov. 11, ended with a positive response from audiences.
Sponsored by the Korean Culture and
Information Service (KOIS), the event was attended by 350
guests including Brazilian government officials, diplomats
and Korean expatriates living there.
Renowned traditional musician Ahn Sook-sun performed
“Shimcheong-ga,” one of the most well-known
Korean pansori songs, which was also designated as part
of UNESCO’s world cultural heritage category. Amid the
cheers of the audience, she also sang the song “Arirang.”
Pianist Kim Sun-wook, who is currently working in
London, played Schumann’s Kinderszenen (Scenes from
Childhood) and Beethoven’s Sonata No. 31. The audience
applauded the 20-year-old piano prodigy for his brilliant
performances.
During the event, Korean traditional food was also provided
for participants to experience Korean culinary culture.
Several cultural events were held to introduce Korean
culture to South American countries to commemorate the
16th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit,
which took place in Lima, Peru, in November, with the
participation of President Lee Myung-bak.
Before the Lima event, some Korean films screened on
Oct. 30 and 31 and performances by the National Theater
were presented on Nov. 3, both in Santiago, Chile.
“Chile, Brazil and Peru have a 50-year history of diplomatic
relations with Korea,” said Chung In-kyu, an official
at KOIS. “These cultural events were prepared to reaffirm
the friendship with those three South American countries
before the APEC summit.”
On Nov. 7 and 8, Korean films were also shown to
Peruvians at the Korean Cultural Center. ■
‘These cultural events were
prepared to reaffirm the
friendship with those three
South American countries
before the APEC summit.’
18 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 19

GLOBAL KOREA
Yonhap
Ramsar Changwon 2008
Jogaedongneup in Odaesan,
Gangwon-do, a newly
designated Ramsar wetland
Officials of the Ramsar Convention including Environment Minister Lee Maan-ee (second from right) and Anaga Tiega, secretary
general of the Ramsar Convention (middle) celebrate at the closing ceremony in Changwon
Ramsar 2008 Adopts ‘Changwon Declaration’
on Humanity and Nature
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
The 10th meeting of the contracting parties
of the Ramsar Convention — an international
gathering to protect wetlands
— closed amid cheers on Nov. 4.
A total of 2,288 government and NGO officials
from 140 countries attended the meeting
at Changwon Exhibition Convention Center.
The participants said the meeting was about 10
years ahead of its time, with its thorough
preparation and stable management.
The meeting was an eco-friendly one, befitting
its goal. A total of 2,500 people, including
both participants and citizens, chipped in for
the carbon offset funds.
Personal stainless steel cups instead of paper
ones were used. Also, USB flash drives took
the place of paper.
Of the 33 draft resolutions discussed during
the session, 32 were adopted. The one regarding
a change in the frequency of meetings was
rejected.
The “Changwon Declaration,” which was led
by the Korean government, was adopted. It envisions
a way of harmonizing humanity and na-
ture by highlighting positive actions under the
themes of water, climate change, people’s livelihood
and health, land use and biodiversity.
“The declaration is different from the other
issues discussed during the session, as it offers
practical measures to assure it will have an impact,”
a Korean delegate said.
A joint resolution by South Korea and
Japan on the preservation of rice paddies, titled
“Enhancing biodiversity in rice paddies as wetland
systems,” was also adopted. The goal is to
promote proper water management of rice
paddies to ensure conservation of biodiversity
and sustainable food production.
The meeting was an opportunity for citizens
to take another look at the wetlands. More
than 20,000 people participated in the various
events held at the convention center. The high
interest led to the revitalization of wetland
tours. More than 135.000 people visited Upo
wetland and the Junam reservoir during the
meeting period.
“The meeting elevated Korea’s status as an
environmentally advanced country,” said Kim
Tae-ho, governor of Gyeongsangnam-do. “We
need to keep the interest up in order to preserve
wetlands in the future.”
The next Ramsar Convention is to be held
in Romania in 2012. ■
Yonhap
Books containing artwork by 4,400 students depicting the nature and culture of the 158
Ramsar member countries (top), volunteers wave hands on the closing day
20 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 21

GLOBAL KOREA
Experiencing Korea’s Traditional
Boudoir Culture
The Museum of Korean Embroidery
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
Korean traditional five-sided cushion
Korean traditional spools
The Museum of Korean Embroidery
Fifteen foreign women gathered at The Museum of
Korean Embroidery in Nonhyun-dong, southern
Seoul, on the last day of October to learn how to
make “bojagi,” a Korean traditional wrapping cloth.
The museum held sewing classes from Oct. 28 to
Nov. 3 for migrant women who are married to
Korean men. A total of a hundred women participated
in the program, in which they made five-sided
cushions and bojagi.
“We wanted to teach them Korean culture and history
so that they can better adjust to Korea,” explained
Lee Hye-kyu, the curator of the museum. “Plus, it will
also help them raise their children. Their children will
be Korean. It would be a shame if the mothers didn’t
know anything about Korean women culture.”
The women were eager to learn. Every minute of the
class was vigorous, with all the sewing, fluffing and asking
of questions. No translators were needed — being
wives of Korean men, — most were fluent in Korean.
A Japanese lady who brought her daughter along
to the class stopped her sewing several times to exclaim
“So beautiful!” in Korean, holding up her cushion
with a huge smile.
Established in 1969, The Museum of Korean
Embroidery is practically the only institute in Korea
that displays the cultural assets of Korean women’s
boudoir, such as bojagi, needles, spools and embroideries.
It holds more than 3,000 cultural assets including
a couple of treasures.
The founders of the museum busily ran back and
forth between antique art markets to make the collection.
“These are very precious items, but Koreans didn’t
seem to realize that,” say Huh Dong-hwa, one of the
founding members and the current director of the museum.
“So we decided to collect them, and preserve
them before they all get lost.”
Thanks to their efforts, attention has increased on
the culture of Korean women’s handicrafts.
“About 80 percent of the visitors are foreigners,
since the museum is more famous overseas than in
Korea,” says Lee. “This museum is a must-stop spot for
tourists. Including those held overseas, more than 7
million people have come to our exhibitions.”
The museum has held about 50 exhibitions in other
countries, including the United States, England,
France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Australia, New
Zealand and Japan.
“Western countries don’t have bojagi culture, so
Western people simply think that it is another kind of
painting,” says Huh. “But the thing is that they think
our bojagi is more beautiful than the paintings of famous
Western artists. That is why they get drawn into
bojagi.”
Huh assumes that bojagi started about 1,500 years
ago in Korea, during the Goguryeo Kingdom. “Chinese,
Japanese and Korean bojagi all have their unique styles.
But Korean bojagi is best at pulling out what is supposed
to be the original charm of cloths quilted together — by
delicately showing the stitch marks,” he says.
Now, according to Huh, bojagi is practically considered
a proper noun, like kimchi. “Bojagi is the most
environmentally friendly wrapping material that can
be reused more than a hundred times. It was recently
chosen as the main item in many design shows. As far
as I’m concerned, it is time for revolution of bojagi.”
The museum plans to hold the education program
every year. “Next year, it will be bigger and we will
invite people from more countries,” says Huh.
Meanwhile, the museum is holding “The
Exhibition of Korean Traditional Spool” through
Migrant wives concentrate on making five-sided
cushions (top) pose with their work
March 5. A total of 150 spools made of various materials,
such as stone, cow bone, ivory, straw and embroidered
cloth, are displayed.
Some were used by the common people, and some
were only used inside the palace by the royal family
and aristocrats. People carved in little passages hoping
for happiness in the family or a baby boy.
To get to the museum, get off at Hakdong Station,
subway line No. 7, and come out of exit No. 10. For
more information, contact www.bojagii.com ■
22 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 23

GLOBAL KOREA
World Ocean Forum 2008
Ministry of National Defense
Korean and foreign experts attending the seminar at the Korea Press Center
Busan Hosts World Ocean Forum 2008
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
Lecturers of the World Ocean Forum 2008
The “World Ocean Forum 2008”
was held Nov. 11 to 12 at the
Lotte Hotel, Busan. More than
2,000 participants from around the
world gathered at the forum, and 10
world renowned scholars gave speeches.
This is the second time the forum
was held in Busan. It is the first international
forum that specializes in the
marine field. It aims to become the
Davos Forum of the marine field.
Under the theme “Toward the Future
of Wealth in the New Ocean Era,” the
participants sought ways to best generate
national wealth through the ocean,
to overcome global risks and to preserve
the sustainability of the ocean.
The first day started with the special
session “Stories on Future Values
of Ocean by World Leading Scholars.”
Karl Laustein, president of World
Maritime University, Michael M.
Bernitsas, professor of naval architecture
and marine engineering at
University of Michigan, and O.C.
Phang, president of International Ports
and Harbours Associations, gave
speeches on “The Importance of MET
and National Development,” “Marine
Renewable Energy” and “Future Co-
Prospect through Port Networks,” respectively.
The rest of the forum was composed
of three sessions — “Ocean
Resources and Energy of New Growth
Engine,” “Creating National Wealth
through Shipbuilding and Logistics
Industry” and “Future Vision toward a
Marine Power.”
The participating scholars gave
positive remarks about the forum.
“The forum is filled with enthusiasm,”
said David Lincoln Fluharty, professor
of ocean fishery science at University
of Washington, who gave a speech on
“Ecosystem Based Management” during
the second session.
“Busan’s status as a maritime city
will emerge, and its marine industry
and forum will also rise internationally,”
Fluharty said.
One of the forum’s achievements
was the inauguration of the MITO
award.
Kim Jong-ryeol, president of the
Marine Industry and Technology
Organization, and Peter Marlow, president
of the International Association
of Maritime Economist, created an
MOU to present 1,000 pounds to an
A participant speaks at the forum
international maritime economist who
is contributing to the development of
the marine industry.
“The many suggestions discussed
during the forum should be reflected in
the government’s future policies and
should gain commercial interest,” said
Lee Jin-bang, co-chairman of the World
Ocean 2008 Committee and president of
the Korea Shipowners’ Association.
“This forum will be able to move our
maritime industry to an advanced level.
We aim to keep the forum growing.”
The forum was hosted by the
Ministry of Land, Transport, and
Maritime Affairs, Busan Metropolitan
City, and the Marine Industry and
Technology Organization.
More information can be found at
www.wof.kr ■
Defense Experts Discuss
Korean Peace at Global Forum
The Ministry of National Defense
hosted an international seminar
on “Global Trend of Arms
Control and Peace on the Korean
Peninsula” at the Korea Press Center
from Oct. 29 to 30.
Nineteen experts, including six
foreign ones, attended the seminar and
introduced 10 new papers and held
discussion sessions. The 18th MND
Arms Control Seminar and the 26th
International Conference of the
Research Institute on National
Security Affairs were also held on the
occasion.
“The seminar is organized to grasp
the vast knowledge and experience of
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
local and foreign experts while working
to develop various policies to establish
military trust and set up an
arms control system between the two
Koreas, which is one of the 100 main
policy goals of the government,” said
a ministry official.
On the first day, the participants
discussed many subjects regarding
arms control. Debates on “Building
Peace on Peninsula and Arms Control”
followed the next day.
Some significant arguments were
introduced during the seminar.
Narushige Michishita, a professor at
the National Institute for Defense
Studies in Japan, said that North Korea
will change from the current assaultive
control policy to a defensive
one — if its government changes.
James Acton, an associate in the
Nonproliferation Program at the
Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace, said the cases of North Korea
and Iran show the serious weak points
of the existing Nonproliferation Treaty.
He asserted the need of a new forum
to enable discussions of a nongovernmental
level.
The MND has annually held a seminar
on arms control since 1991. This
is the first time the ministry hosted an
international seminar on the issue
with this many participants. ■
24 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 25

CULTURE
Museum Prepares to Celebrate
Centennial Next Year
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
More than 200 museum officials
gathered at the National
Museum of Korea on Nov. 3
for a ceremony to proclaim 2009 as
“the 100th anniversary of the Korean
museum.”
Lee O-young, chairman of the
Commemoration Promotion Committee
and the former minister of culture,
sports and tourism, gave the proclamation.
“It has been 100 years since the
first Korean museum opened. We need
to preserve our cultural assets and their
value in their original form,” he said.
It was held under the theme “The
Visitors take notes at the National Museum of Korea
The National Museum of Korea
National Museum of Korea
National Museum of Korea
historical significance of the 100th anniversary
of the Korean museum.”
Many cultural figures participated,
including Lee, Kim Jang-sil, vice-minister
of culture, sports and tourism,
and Go Heung-gil, chairman of the
Culture, Sports and Tourism and
Broadcasting and Communications
Committee of the National Assembly.
After the seminar, the participants
looked around “Autumn in Art,” a special
exhibition of the museum. A total
of 140 pieces of landscape paintings,
genre paintings and other cultural assets
regarding autumn were displayed.
An emblem to commemorate the
centennial was also unveiled. It consists
of the Korean letters “Bak Mul
Gwan,” or “museum,” and the colors
are inspired by “bojagi,” or Korean traditional
wrapping cloths. It implies
that it will carefully wrap and preserve
various Korean cultural artifacts.
The first Korean museum that was
open to the public was the Imperial
Museum, founded on Nov. 1, 1908, at
Changgyeonggung Palace. It was
opened to the public for the first time in
1909 by Sunjong, the last emperor of
the Empire of Korea, who hoped to
share cultural assets with the people.
Next year, to commemorate the
Visitors take a look at a collection in the National Museum of Korea
1 Changgyeonggung Yanghwadang, a former building of the museum which was used from 1908 to 1938
2 The renovated capital building, which was used as the museum from 1986 to 1996
3 A building in Gyeongbokgung, which was used as the museum from 1972 to 1986
1
2 3
100th anniversary of the Korean museum,
the National Museum of Korea
will hold various commemorative
events along with the Korean Museum
Association.
It plans to hold a ceremony and an
international conference in November
2009. It will host three international
conferences before that, all regarding the
meaning of the centennial year.
A special exhibition with 200
pieces of cultural assets is planned
from November 2009 to February
2010. The museum will also publish a
book on the history of Korean museums
and start a donation fund.
“We hope to make next year a starting
point to raise the importance of
museums and make them more familiar
to the people,” said Choe Kwang-shik,
the director of the National Museum of
Korea, during the ceremony.
“We will look back on the
achievements of Korean museums
and prepare for the next centennial —
all the while preserving and boosting
Korean culture.”
To visit the National Museum of
Korea, get off at Ichon Station, subway
line No. 4, and come out of exit
No. 2. For more information, visit
www.museum.go.kr ■
26 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 27

CULTURE
Emography on a closet
Calligraphy of Kim Jeong-hee
black Chinese ink, but the thickness of
the ink varies. Calligraphers adjust the
strength put into each stroke, creating
a spectrum of brightness from complete
black to nearly white, even on
one single letter.
The unique thing about Korean
calligraphy is that it uses “Hangeul,”
or Korean characters, as well as Hanja.
It has even a wider range of letters to
express the art with. Great Korean calligraphers,
such as Kim Jeong-hee, are
considered some of Asia’s best.
Huh Hoi-tae
The Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum at Seoul Arts Center
Calligraphy of King Hyojong of the Joseon Dynasty
The World of
Korean Calligraphy
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
Foreigners are often puzzled
when faced with Korean calligraphy
work. “Is that a piece of
art or a document?” they would say.
Even though it is unfamiliar in the
West, calligraphy is a traditional form
of art in Asia. Originating in ancient
China, calligraphy caught on in many
Asian countries that use “Hanja,” or
Chinese characters, such as Japan,
Vietnam and Korea.
Charm of Korean Calligraphy
No matter how simple it looks to stroke
letters on a paper with a big brush, calligraphy
is a complex genre of art.
It is the art of shape. Just the right
accordance of dots and lines are needed.
Regarding this, each calligrapher has his
or her own style. Little variances, even a
simple shift in the order of writing each
letter, make a big difference.
The works are usually done in
Huh Hoi-tae
Calligraphy Museums in
Korea
The Korean Museum of Calligraphy
opened in Suwon in October 2008. It is
the first museum specializing in calligraphy
to be established by a local government.
At the museum, visitors can see
how Korean calligraphy changed and
developed over time. The museum
holds more than 6,000 works by famous
calligraphers from various dynasties.
The works of King Youngjo
and Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty can
be found there.
Before the museum in Suwon
opened, the Seoul Calligraphy Art
Museum at Seoul Arts Center in
southern Seoul was the sole place that
held expositions on calligraphy. It has
held nearly a hundred expositions
since its establishment in 1988.
The Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum
contains more than 1,300 works of
calligraphy. Some works of foreign
calligraphers are also included in the
collection.
Huh Hoi-tae writes
calligraphy with
a big brush
Contemporary Korean
Calligraphy
Some calligraphers seek to modernize
Korean calligraphy in a creative way.
Huh Hoi-tae, a veteran calligrapher of
47 years, is one. He recently held the
exhibition titled “Emography” at
Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum.
“Emography” is a new concept of
calligraphy that Huh created. It signifies
the collaboration of emotion and
calligraphy.
Huh’s works not only stay in expositions
and museums but are used as
designs for closets, beds and even
Korean traditional costumes.
“I tried to push Korean calligraphy
out into the open rather than to leave
it isolated from the public — stuck in
the frame called ‘tradition’ or ‘oriental,’”
Huh explains.
“If it comes out into the open, people
will know that Korean calligraphy
is like a creative treasure box.”
Huh’s unique style is gaining interest
around the world.
“The idea of expressing emotions
within the smallest forms of
letters — such as a dot or a stroke
— can be highly attractive to everyone,”
he says. ■
Emography
on a Korean
traditional
costume
Huh Hoi-tae
28 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 29

CULTURE
A Look at
Contemporary Korean Artists
in Paris
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
“A High Place”
by Oh You-kyeong
“Deux Sceurs-Tricoteuse (A Woman Who is
Knitting)” by Sung Ji-yeon
While New York is a dynamic
art market where artists compete
fiercely for artistic opportunities,
Paris has long been an inspiration
in itself for many renowned
artists around the world. Korean artists
are no exception.
According to the Korean Embassy
in Paris, there are some 1,000 Korean
artists officially registered in its database.
Many belong to local galleries
and are helped financially by the
French government, which supports
artists regardless of nationality.
“France is a country that has a
long artistic tradition of respecting
artists and art. People there understand
and accept any forms of artistic
trials. So artists can attempt anything
regardless of the trend at the time,”
said Kim Mi-jin, art director of the exhibition
“Contemporary Korean Artists
in Paris,” which was held in November
at Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul.
Last year the museum launched a
city-themed project introducing artworks
of Korean artists doing art in
overseas countries. Following the first
New York exhibition, this year’s exhibition
featured 21 artists based in France
coming from different generations.
The first section “Root of a Myth”
showed works by the first generation
of artists who were sent to the country
as government scholarship students in
the 1950s and 1960s, the artistic heyday
of Paris. They explored the root of
contemporary Western art based on
Asian identity.
Rhee Seun-dja, now in her 90s, expresses
beautiful nature treasured in
childhood memories through trees and
light.
Inspired by Buddhism and Taoism,
Kim Tschang-yeul, who has stayed in
Paris since 1969, examines the movement
of water drops that change and
disappear as time goes by.
The next generation has pursued
the essence of art by dealing with the
issue of abstractness and representation,
as presented in the “Exploring
Expression as the Material” section.
Kwon Sun-cheol, 65, focuses on
faces of ordinary Koreans by using
thick and rough matiere. Kwon stayed
at an atelier building, called “Sonamu”
(pine trees in Korean), located in Elssyles-Moulineaux,
southwestern Paris,
in the 1990s. Some Korean artists
transformed a steel structure, once a
military hangar during the Second
World War, into an artistic space
housing 46 ateliers — 20 for Koreans.
Until its dissolution in 2001, it had
been a beloved space where expat
artists from around the world used to
exchange artistic ideas.
Much attention was paid especially
to the “Temperate Desire” section, which
showed unique and exciting artworks of
young artists ranging from those who
worked in the 1990s to 20-somethings
who recently arrived in Paris.
Yoo Hye-sook, who moved to
France in 1987, takes everyday objects
such as towels and clothes, turning
them into a black mass. With countless
pencil touches on them, the mass becomes
a lively fur-like creature. “A
pencil was the most humble tool I could
take,” she said. For Yoo, France has
been a space where she is able to concentrate
solely on herself and understand
other people and things, she said.
The photography of Park Soohwan,
who majored in composition,
visualizes city landscapes through
musical images. “We are living in a
world where visual images are dominant.
I want to revive our losing sense
“Le Visage (The Face)” by Kwun Sun-cheol
“METRONOME II” by Park Soo-hwan
of hearing along with imagination,”
Park, who has been in Paris for 13
years, said in an e-mail interview.
Park pointed out the family atmosphere
of the city’s Korean art community
as the most special thing about
Paris. “Unlike New York, Korean artists
in Paris get along with one another like
family members. We don’t hesitate to
talk about the works of others and accept
their advice very sincerely.”
Contemporary Korean art has been
overshadowed by Japanese and
Chinese art in the international art
scene. Compared to those of the other
two countries, Korean artists have expressed
Asian identity less openly and
people regarded Korean art as not
unique, said Kim, the art director.
“Times have changed. Old boundaries
that divided and defined the art
world have disappeared. Ironically, the
high quality of Korean art and the
newness of ideas started to be reappraised
and are gaining attention. And
that is best represented by Korean
artists in Paris,” she said. ■
(Photos courtesy of Seoul Arts Center)
30 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 31

CULTURE
Royal Protocols
of the Joseon Dynasty
Palace Records Revived in Digital Form
BY SHIN BYEONG-JU
HISTORY PROFESSOR AT KONKUK UNIVERSITY
(Left) Protocols of the
investiture of King
Gojong’s two sons (for the
king’s perusal)
(Right) Protocols of
Gyeongmo Hall for Crown
Prince Jangheon (for the
king’s perusal)
Since June 2008 the Cultural Heritage
Administration web site has featured
digitalized palace records of the Joseon
Dynasty (1391-1910). These fascinating digital
files cover part of some 300 volumes of official
records on court events of Korea's last
monarchy, which are currently kept by the
French National Library (Bibliotheque nationale
de France).
The Joseon palace documents were carried
away from the royal archives in Ganghwa
Island by invading French troops in 1866.
Expatriation of the displaced royal documents
has been a prominent pending issue between
Korea and France over the past decades.
Official Reports on State Events
The Joseon Dynasty maintained a unique tradition
of compiling detailed reports on major state
rites and events in the royal household throughout
its five-century rule. These reports were usually
accompanied by colorful illustrations. They
were primarily intended for use by the throne
and concerned offices as references for organizing
similar events. Hence they were called uigwe,
literally the "exemplary protocols."
Among the recorded state and royal household
events were weddings of kings, investitures
of crown princes, feasts and funerals for
the royal family members and construction of
palace pavilions. Detailed records were made
on the entire procedures of these events and afterwards,
a temporary office was set up to
compile the records into a full report.
What singles out these reports is a strong
commitment to documentation. The reports fully
described the procedures of an event, and listed
all the participants and logistics as well as leftover
goods, thereby ensuring thorough transparency
and openness in state management.
Another prominent characteristic is the rich
visual material, including illustrations and diagrams.
Most of the reports were actually fantastic
picture books that featured realistic depictions
of grand processions of officials of all
ranks as well as diagrams of ritual objects and
pavilions. The colorful illustrations offer vivid
glimpses of the circumstances of the events
and the equipment and objects used, which defy
accurate description through words alone.
The Joseon royal protocols are now scattered
at several places such as the Kyujanggak
Institute of Korean Studies at Seoul National
University, the Jangseogak Archives at the
Academy of Korean Studies, the Japanese
Imperial Household Agency and the French
National Library. In 2006 the Korean government
nominated the entire uigwe collections at
the two Korean national archives for inscription
on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
In 2007, a total of 2,940 volumes of 546 kinds of
Joseon royal protocols at the Kyujanggak
Institute of Korean Studies and 529 volumes of
287 kinds at the Jangseogak Archives were
placed on the UNESCO list of documentary literature
of "outstanding universal value."
Suffering of Palace Documents
As one of the first projects upon his accession
in 1776, King Jeongjo, the 22nd ruler of the
Joseon Dynasty, established Kyujanggak as a
royal library and palace institution for academic
research. When Kyujanggak was set up
completely in Changdeok Palace, he ordered
the construction of another royal archive
building on Ganghwa Island, where he believed
the valuable books and documents of
the royal palace could be preserved in a safer
environment. In the second month of 1782, the
sixth year of the reign of King Jeongjo, the
Protocols of the daesarye
by King Yeongjo (daesarye:
a rite where a king shoots
an arrow after paying
respect to his ancestors)
32 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 33

CULTURE
Protocols of the wedding
ceremony (for preservation
at state archives)
magistrate of Ganghwa reported the completion
of the outer royal archive, named
"Oekyujanggak." It was 11 months after the
king ordered the construction.
Joseon made remarkable cultural advancement
under the reign of Jeongjo. Kyujanggak
served as a bastion of academic research and
publication under his leadership. In the next
century or so the royal archive in Ganghwa
took firm root as a treasure trove of Joseon
royal culture, where the personal profiles and
writings of kings, official records of court
events and books written by prominent authors
were systematically preserved.
Particularly, the uigwe kept there were special
copies produced for review by the kings.
However, the royal archive on Ganghwa
was completely lost when a French flotilla invaded
the island in 1866. The French troops
encountered fierce resistance from the Joseon
army and retreated but carried away 19 boxes
of silver ingots and luxurious copies of royal
protocols specially produced for perusal by the
kings. Among other archive holdings the
French soldiers focused on pillaging the royal
protocols. They probably discerned the outstanding
value of the beautiful books made of
top quality paper and bound in silk covers with
bronze ornaments.
Negotiations for Return of Royal
Protocols
Most of some 6,000 volumes of books at the
Ganghwa archive were burned. Only about 340
volumes of uigwe and some maps were carried
away by the retreating French troops. Most of
the plundered books and documents are preserved
at the French National Library but classified
under the Chinese collection. In 1975, Dr.
Park Byeong-seon, a Korean librarian working
for the library, found they were Korean palace
documents of the Joseon period. She made a
list of all the uigwe volumes at the library.
Thanks to her efforts, the valuable Joseon court
relics became known a century after they had
been taken away.
The Korean royal documents at the French
National Library again drew public attention in
1993, as then French President Francois
Mitterrand said the French government would
return them to Korea. Mitterrand made the remarks
during his visit to Seoul to promote the
French high-speed train TGV. France won the
bid but its leader's commitment still remains
unfulfilled on the grounds that it had not been
officially discussed. The two governments have
since undertaken several rounds of negotiations
on the repatriation of the Joseon royal
protocols, with the conclusion not in sight yet.
Digitalized Royal Protocols
The two uigwe volumes brought by the visiting
French president aroused great interest in their
regal style of calligraphy and bookmaking
techniques. They were made of excellent paper
and mineral and plant pigments were used for
illustrations, which all contributed to their perfect
preservation.
The Korean government has persistently
tried to persuade the French authorities to return
the Joseon royal protocols. Since 2001, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has conducted
surveys on the records kept at the French
National Library. In 2005 both sides agreed on
producing digital files from 30 out of the total
297 volumes in the French government possession,
that are the only extant copies. The digitalized
protocols are provided through the Cultural
Heritage Administration web site.
The digital files include the 30 exclusive
copies in the French collection as well as the
original silk covers of 12 volumes. These luxurious
editions have green silk covers and
bronze ornaments with the chrysanthemum
emblem of the Joseon royal household. Also,
the digitalized documents include 50 pages
from The Protocols of the Wedding Rites of
King Yeongjo and Queen Jeongsun (Yeongjo
Jeongsun Wanghu Garye Dogam Uigwe), depicting
grand ceremonies attended by officials
of all ranks and files.
The resplendent ambience of palace ceremonies
vividly comes alive, even in digital
files, successfully conveying the uncompromising
principle of thorough documentation
that ran through the Joseon bureaucracy.
These files will be useful sources for research in
a variety of fields, including the general history
of the Joseon period as well as art history,
costume history and bibliography. As many researchers
find them a crucial trove of knowledge,
it will gradually become apparent within
and outside the academic community where
the invaluable documents should properly belong
— why the displaced documents should be
returned to their place of origin. ■
(Source : Cultural Heritage Administration,
Korean Heritage)
Protocols of Jongmyo
Shrine and Jongmyojerye
Ritual (for the king’s
perusal)
34 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 35

CULTURE
Hanbok Artist
Makes Style
Simple and Easy
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
Hanbok artist Lee Hyo-jae
A tea room at the corner of her dining room (left) and her artworks
Lee Hyo-jae, traditional clothing
artist, had no idea when the media
first introduced her as
Korea’s Martha Stuart or Korea’s Tasha
Tudor — both internationally wellknown
for their dexterity in homemaking
and gardening respectively.
“I learned about Martha from her
book, which was sent by a reporter.
And Tasha’s book is what I receive
most frequently as gift,” she said.
Now 51, she runs a Hanbok workshop
which was passed on by her
mother nearly twenty years ago, along
with sewing skills. She usually creates
Hanbok, traditional Korean dress, and
other goods such as bedclothes and
Hanbok accessories, used especially
for wedding preparations, called
“yedan” in Korean.
After her house and homemaking
activities based on tradition were featured
in several publications and television
programs, her name “Hyojae”
became a household brand that reinterprets
Korean style in a simple and
practical way.
“People easily misunderstand that
I’m good at decorating. But I pursue an
extremely simple and practical style. I
just put some hint of tradition and my
style to hide some ugly things like a
nail on a wall,” she said. “For me, roses
are too complicated.”
She has recently moved to a new
house and a TV channel aired a onehour
program featuring her moving
process in May. Located in
Seongbuk-dong, northern Seoul, the
two-story house, once the former residence
of a foreign ambassador, has
transformed it into a beautiful home
with a Korean touch.
Even though it is rented, her care
reaches each corner of the house. The
empty walls of the house were covered
with ivy. A small space in the corner
of a living room turns into a tea room
with a small pond. Electronic devices
are covered with a white cloth handembroidered
with colorful flowers.
And she relocated her Hanbok
shop and showroom to a garage at the
entrance of the house, which has become
a popular spot for visitors.
“My friends and husband say I’m
addicted to working, but for me it is a
kind of time to reflect and conceive designs,
concentrating solely on my inner
self,” Lee said as she kept sewing a piece
of white linen, which would become a
dishcloth with delicate embroidery.
Another important reason her
ideas are spotlighted is they are ecofriendly.
When serving food, she puts
pine needles on the plate. And she always
reuses empty plastic bottles or
boxes with a little design.
“I don’t think I’m special. Mothers
are professional. You know, people always
say their mother’s kimchi is the
best. People pay attention to me just because
I’m a designer who does daily activities
artistically and happily,” she said.
Despite her humble remarks, the
seats for her living class, which takes
place at her house sponsored by a local
home decorating magazine, have
already been fully-booked until next
spring. Recent lectures in November
were focused on Korean-style ornament
making, gift packaging and table
setting for Christmas.
Along with Koreans who started
sensing a new aspect of Korean style,
many people from abroad such as
wives of foreign ambassadors to Korea
visit her house and workshop to experience
Korean culture.
Among her several lectures, the
most favored is bojagi wrapping, a traditional
way of packaging by using
bojagi, square-shaped clothes made of
a variety of materials. She has some 60
patents for unique and different styles
of wrapping and knotting.
Recently, she has taken part in an
eco-friendly product exhibition, wrapping
a Volkswagen’s New Beetle with
bojagi clothes.
“It was a symbolic performance
breaking the borders between two
worlds and connecting them.
Although it’s physically difficult, I will
continue to do similar experiments —
like wrapping a building — to make
people think differently,” she said, still
sewing, with her left hand bandaged.
“I’m trying to enjoy every moment
of my life. If I’m not happy, I
couldn’t do things with this much
passion,” she said.
“I will keep doing what I’m doing
now, such as Hanbok design, giving
lectures, writing books and homemaking.
And I want my creations to
be not only praised for high quality,
but also enjoyed widely by ordinary
people,” she said. ■
(Photos by Eric Gillet)
36 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 37

PEOPLE
Yonhap
Kim Yu-na responds to cheers after winning the Cup of China in Beijing
Yonhap
Kim Yu-na performs at the
women’s free skating gala
show in the Cup of China in
Beijing on Nov. 9, after
winning the competition the
previous day. The Cup of
China is the third of six events
in the International Skating
Union’s Grand Prix series
Kim Yu-na
Set to
Dominate
Figure Skating
World
Korean Kim Yu-na is set to dominate the figure skating
world as she advanced to the Grand Prix Final.
The 18-year-old Korean top figure skater defended her
Cup of China title in Beijing on the International Skating
Union’s Grand Prix of Figure Skating circuit Nov. 8. It was
her fifth straight Grand Prix win.
In the competition at the Capital Gymnasium in Beijing,
Kim scored 191.75 points, defeating her Japanese rival Miki
Ando by 20.87 points. That victory followed her winning
the Skate America title in October.
With her latest win, Kim has qualified for the Grand Prix
of Figure Skating Final to be held in Korea in December. The
event is open to the top six skaters after their performances
in two Grand Prix events.
Dancing to the rhythm of Russian symphony suite
Scheherazade and dressed in vivid red, Kim pulled off a sequence
of near-perfect jumps except for a single attempt in
which she landed in a faulty step.
“I performed feeling less nervous than during the short
program,” Kim told reporters. “I was confident. Even though
I was shaken in one of the jumps, I got good results. I’m
glad to have won a chance to compete in the Grand Prix
Final.”
“Many have played against the backdrop of
Scheherazade, but I have tried to lead a performance of my
own,” she added, following her performance which won loud
applause from the crowd that included a throng of her
Korean supporters.
Kim, a high school student who was recently granted
admission to a top university in Seoul and commands a
wide fan base, has won gold in the last five consecutive
Grand Prix events she has competed in, including the 2006
Trophee Eric Bompard and the 2007 Cup of Russia. ■
38 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 39

PEOPLE
Moon Young Doo
Credia
Japanese Artist Focuses
on Beauty of Korean
Traditional Culture
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
Watanabe Tsuneko
Jang Han-na
Shows
New Side of
Vivaldi
BY KOH YOUNG-AAH
KOREA HERALD STAFF WRITER
Not many people know much
about their own traditional culture,
and fewer have in-depth
knowledge about it. That is why it is
shocking and even grateful when a
foreigner is so into your culture.
Watanabe Tsuneko, a Japanese
artist, has more interest in Korean traditional
culture than most Koreans.
She studied the culture for years and
recently published the book “Enduring
Traditional Art and Crafts of Japan
and Korea.”
Her 240-page book is filled with
photos and explanations about the
two cultures. The first half contains
Korean culture in step with the
changes of the seasons. The other half
is on Japanese culture, talking about
Hakata dolls, kabuki and Japanese traditional
plays.
It was in the late 1980s when
Watanabe first set her foot on Korean
soil with her husband. She was fascinated
by Korea’s cultural assets in
Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and
Insa-dong, Seoul.
Watanabe was also relieved to see
that tradition still remained here —
“Enduring Traditional Art and Crafts of Japan and
Korea,” by Watanabe Tsuneko
even though it was tucked away in
deep corners. She decided to write
about Korean culture.
During the last two years, Watanabe
visited Korea often to study and collect
items to include in the book. Korean
staff helped with the collection.
“I am very happy to have made
this book through the cooperation between
two countries,” she said. “The
work done by the Korean staff was introduced
in one of Japan’s major magazines
and gained a great reputation.”
From traditional food and clothing
to musical instruments and
“Hahoetal,” Korean mask, her collection
holds practically every cultural
asset in Korea.
She added explanations on the history
and origin of each item to help
Japanese readers better understand.
“Japanese readers are shocked to
realize that Korean metal craft started
in 7 B.C. and that Hahoetal was first
made in the 12th century — during the
Goryeo dynasty,” Watanabe says.
The book contains huge photos and
specific details about each cultural asset,
including human beings themselves.
Watanabe says that she covered
both cultures in the book to help both
Koreans and Japanese better understand
each others’ culture.
“I found out that the cornerstone
of Japanese traditional culture was influenced
by Korea,” says Watanabe.
“The Japanese should be thankful for
this. Korean traditional culture has left
a deep echo in the hearts of the
Japanese.” ■
Most of us know the Italian
composer Antonio Vivaldi
(1678-1741) from his “Four
Seasons.” Even those with only a passing
knowledge of classical music enjoy
its melodic, hummable score.
On the other hand, few know
about Vivaldi’s other works. With her
new album, “Vivaldi Cello Concerto,”
however, Korean cellist Chang Han-na
is set to bring to light this side of
Vivaldi — which is still largely unexplored,
even by the majority of classical
music insiders.
In June, Chang shrugged off a finger
injury amid a sweltering London
summer to record seven of Vivaldi’s
cello concertos.
“I wanted to go back to the beginning
of classical music, which was
Baroque music, and chose Vivaldi, who
was the first to convert the cello from
an accompaniment instrument to a solo
instrument,” said Chang at a press
conference held October in Seoul.
Compared to Bach’s serious and
rigorous music, Vivaldi’s works are
rhythmic and colorful. Chang said that
while Vivaldi’s nearly 30 cello concertos
were known to sound similar to
one another, they can be differentiated
by the performer’s interpretation.
“I think depending on the performer’s
interpretation, a certain tune
can enrapture the audience or make
them fall asleep,” said Chang.
Chang recalled the recording
process as being far from easy. Because
of the scarcity of existing records, it
took Chang and the organizers more
than eight months just to find the
scores. The concertos were not published
while Vivaldi was alive and have
survived only in manuscript form.
Performing the music was another
challenge. Not only were the musicians
unfamiliar with the concertos,
but the many high-pitched passages
made playing it a technical challenge.
It is the first time Chang, one of the
best classical musicians to hail from
Korea, has recorded Baroque. Chang,
who won the 5th Rostropovich
International Cello Competition at age
11, is better known for performing
work by composers like Prokofiev and
Shostakovich.
Chang, 26, is currently on leave from
Harvard University where she is majoring
in philosophy, but she said at the
press conference that she would also like
to study conducting in New York.
Conducting, according to the cellist,
helped her gain a better understanding
of the timbres of different instruments,
and the harmony they create. ■
40 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 41

PEOPLE
ART
Young Korean
Violinist Impresses
the World
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
Shin Hyun-su
Yonhap
Aloud applause from the audience filled the
Gala concert hall of Concours Long-
Thibaud in Paris on Nov. 15. It was for Shin
Hyun-su, a Korean violinist who won first prize
there, one of the 10 prestigious concours of the
world.
There was no second place winner this time.
Instead, the 21-year-old violinist was awarded
with two more, the Prize of the Orchestre
Philharmonique de Radio France and the Prize of
the Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Shin’s talent is especially praiseworthy because
it was very hard for her to maintain it. After
her father’s failure in business, she managed to
keep practicing violin. Her entire family lived in a
dim single room that let in little sunlight.
Studying overseas was out of the question for
her. Her family could not even pay for her own
violin.
“I tried to make good sounds with cheap violins,
and I think that helped me improve,” Shin
said after the Gala concert.
Shin still uses rentals or her teacher’s instrument.
Now, she uses a Guadagnini, one of the best
in the world, which is also borrowed.
She was able to borrow it after winning second
place in the Hanover Concours last October, but
has to give it back next year.
Fortunately, Shin had many people who cared
for her. Her mother never mentioned their financial
situation to her daughters, so that Shin and her older
sister, Shin A-ra, who is also a violinist, could
concentrate on practicing.
Kim Nam-yun, a well-known violinist in Korea
and the principal of the School of Music at the
Korean National University of Arts, acknowledged
the Shin girls’ talents. Knowing their heartbreaking
situation, Kim taught them free for 10 years.
“I could never thank her enough,” Shin said.
Whenever her mother brought up the idea of
studying abroad, she replied, “Where I am is the
best place to learn.”
Shin is passionate, optimistic and hardworking.
She went back and forth from Seoul and
Jeonju, in Jeollabuk-do, every day for her lessons.
She did that for years but never complained.
“When I’m down, I convince myself into
thinking that things will get better if I work harder,”
she said. ■
Death of
Korean Student
Remembered in
Japanese Film
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
The late Lee Soo-hyun
www.soohyunlee.com
Back in 2001, a Korean university student
was killed by a train at a subway station
in Tokyo. Lee Soo-hyun, then 26, was
trying to rescue a drunken man who had fallen
onto the track, but he could not dodge the train
and three people, including a Japanese photographer
who was helping Lee, all died at the
scene.
Based on this story, the Japanese film “26
Years Diary,” which was released here in
October, traces the young hero’s short life and
dream. The movie opened first in Japan last year.
In early 2000, Lee Soo-hyun, played by
Korean actor Lee Tae-sung, who has recently
come back to school after completing his military
duty, moves to Japan to study. One day he
saves a female street-band singer, played by
A scene from the film “26 Years Diary”
Japanese Maki Onaga, from gangsters, and the
two become close through music.
His Tokyo life sometimes faces prejudice
from Japanese, especially Yuri’s father, who
hates Korea. But Lee’s sincerity starts to change
his attitude.
As in real life, his short life ends as he
throws himself on a train track.
“The movie shows well what my son used
to be. Whenever I see the movie, it reminds me
of my son,” said Lee’s parents, Lee Sung-dae
and Shin Yoon-chan, at the movie’s Seoul premiere
on Oct. 27.
Even though Lee’s unfortunate death is
tragic, his courageous act has inspired people
of both Korea and Japan. And still many people
are making efforts to remember him in various
ways. About 280 students from 16 Asian
countries are helped by the LSH Scholarship
Foundation, which was established in Japan by
donations in memory of Lee.
The film’s premiere in Tokyo last year was
attended by many celebrities, including the
Japanese royal couple, who had invited Lee’s
parents to their palace.
In 2001, a month after the accident happened,
Korea University awarded Lee an honorary
diploma, the first in its history. Lee was
studying trade at the school. ■
42 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 43

ART
A scene from “A Ballerina Who
Loves a B-Boy” (top) and the show
“Break Out”
Three Renowned Film Directors
Meet in ‘Tokyo!’
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
B-boying
Performances
Wow New Yorkers
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
Korean b-boying theaters made a
successful U.S. debut by performing
on Off-Broadway
stages in New York. The longer, staged
form has yet to take hold there.
With victories at world competitions
and some crews becoming well
known too, b-boying has exploded in
popularity. While many new attempts
are being made to incorporate other
artistic genres into b-boying performances,
staged works are trying to
branch out to overseas audiences.
One of the first such pieces is “A
Ballerina Who Loved a B-Boy,” which
was staged at 37 Arts theater in New
York October. As the title suggests, it
follows a ballerina who falls for a b-
boy in a record store. After he shows
his b-boying moves, they end up
dancing together.
Featuring Extreme Crew, a group
of Korean break dancers who won the
2007 World B-Boy Championship, the
show offers a visual pleasure to experience
the collision of the two worlds
of ballet and break dancing.
Two kilometers away from the theater,
another Korean performance,
“Break Out” was shown at the Union
Square Theater from Sept. 18 to Nov.
30, extended one month thanks to
positive responses.
Three prisoners — Tricky, Lump and
Dandy — attempt a prison break, and a
magic book falls from outer space and
gives them the gift of breaking and beat
boxing. The show climaxes with a helicopter
chasing them in the last five minutes.
Before the U.S. debut, it was performed
in Malaysia, China and Thailand.
The U.S. debuts of the two works
were possible after they were shown last
year at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in
Scotland, the world’s largest arts festival,
gaining great attention from participants.
Their first showings in New York
are expected to stimulate other Korean
b-boying staged works to reach to the
world’s performing arts scene.
The Korean Government has hosted
the annual International R16 B-boy
Championships & Urban Arts Festival
since last year to support youth culture
by offering a healthy environment for
them. For more information on the
competition and Korean b-boys, visit
the multilingual website www.r16korea.com
■
(From left) Renowned directors Michel Gondry, Leos Carax and Korean Bong Joon-ho
The film “Tokyo!” an international
collaboration of Korea, Japan
and France, was released on Oct.
23 here, following its French premiere
in April and in Japan in August. Set in
Tokyo, the 107-minute omnibus
movie was produced by three
renowned directors Korean Bong
Joon-ho, Michel Gondry and Leos
Carax both from France.
There is nothing in common
among the films — except the genre
and the fact that they were shot in
Tokyo — reflecting their different
styles and ideas of filmmaking.
In the first segment, “Interior
Design,” Michel Gondry, who has
been recognized internationally for
his previous films “The Science of
Sleep” and “Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind,” features the increasing
problem of irregular employment
among young Japanese. His unique
explanation of the world, so-called
“The Gondry World,” unfolds as he
shows a woman suffering from social
indifference and isolation and finally
turning into a chair.
In “Merde,” Leos Carax, who directed
the famous “Les Amants du Pont-
Neuf (The Lovers on the Bridge)” in
1991, mocks society in the eyes of a
strange man who is living in underground
sewers and appears out of a
manhole to scare people. French actor
Denis Lavant, who appeared in Carax’s
1991 film plays the unusual character.
Director Bong Joon-ho completes
the three-segment project with “Shaking
Tokyo.” It explores the problem of
hikikomori, a Japanese term referring
to those unable to adjust to society and
never leave their homes. A hikikomori
man falls in love with a pizza delivery
girl, played by a famous Japanese actress,
Yu Aoi. The man, after locking
himself in his home for 10 years, decides
to go out to find her, but on that
day an earthquake shakes the city.
The movie was first opened to the
public at the Cannes Film Festival in
May. ■
Scenes from the movie “Tokyo!”
44 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 45

FOOD
Making Hot Foods Hotter
and Mild Foods Milder
Making a delectable meal requires a lot of time and effort. In Korea, new tastes
are continuously being created. Recently, fusion foods have become a trend.
Fusion food blends Korean ingredients with Western spices, captivating the
palates of Koreans and non-Koreans alike. Recent trends in Korean cuisine are
to make hot foods hotter and mild foods milder.
Buldak
Buldak (literally fire chicken) has become a standardized term in the dictionary
of Korean foods. Chicken is steamed to remove the fat and then basted with a hot
and spicy sauce made with kimchi and gochujang (red pepper paste). The boneless
chicken is then barbecued over charcoal.
Wine Samgyeopsal
Samgyeopsal, or thick slices of bacon, is a favorite for many Koreans. The pork
is grilled over charcoal or on a hot iron grill, dipped in bean paste and wrapped
in a lettuce or sesame leaf. Methods of eating samgyeopsal vary by regions and
restaurants. Wine samgyeopsal is marinated in wine overnight, which makes the
meat soft and odorless.
Saessak Bibimbap
Saessak bibimbap is a leading health food in Korea. Instead of using stir-fried or
charbroiled mountain greens, (the traditional ingredients of bibimbap), young
broccoli sprouts, turnips, lettuce, and other greens are mixed with gochujang (red
pepper paste), sesame oil and steamed white rice. The sweet scent of sesame oil
enhances the taste of the fresh greens and rice.
Osam Bulgogi
This fusion dish is a combination of squid (ojing-eo) and Korean bacon (samgyeopsal).
Pork is sliced into small bite-size pieces and mixed with slices of squid
and gochujang (red pepper paste) before grilling on a hot iron plate. This hot and
spicy dish is very tasty, as it is also fiery hot. ■
(Source: Korea Tourism Organization)
Sundae Town in Sillim-dong
Sindang-dong Tteokbokki
Bukchang-dong Alley
Exploring
Seoul’s Food Alleys
Sundae is cow or pig intestines stuffed with seasoned rice, onions,
noodles, and other ingredients. It can be eaten steamed or as a
soup. Located in the southern part of Seoul, Sundae Town in
Sillim-dong consists of small restaurants, which have been
operating for more than 30 years.
A 500-meter walk from Exit 4 of Sillim Station on Seoul
subway Line 2
About 30 small restaurants are gathered around Sindang-dong’s
Tteokbokki Alley. Thin, cylinder-shaped rice cakes are mixed in
gochujang (red pepper paste) to make tteokbokki, a favorite fast
food in Korea. Tteokbokki is commonly sold on the streets by street
vendors. Sindang-dong has also become a highly popular area, and
pop songs have been dedicated to this special area.
A 300-meter walk from Exit 8 of Sindang Station on Seoul
subway Line 2
Bukchang-dong Alley consists of small back alleys lined with
about 500 restaurants. From traditional Korean cuisine to formal
Japanese sushi and casual Western dining, there is a wide
selection to choose from. This vibrant area is also close to many
downtown hotels.
Exits 7 or 8 of City Hall Station on Seoul subway Line 1 and 2
46 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 47

TRAVEL
Inje Ice Fish Festival
Night view of the Sancheoneo Ice Festival
The 12th Inje Icefish Festival will be held this winter on Soyangho in Inje,
Gangwon-do. Soyangho is the largest fresh-water lake, formed by the water
flowing from Seoraksan and Naerincheon. Icefish, also known as smelts or sweet
fish, are small silvery fish that only live in cold water. The winter is the best season
to experience the taste of icefish. The festival holds various events such as a
fishing competition, ice bowling and ice soccer tournaments. The festival offers
English, Chinese and Japanese translation services and many events that both
locals and foreigners can enjoy. Programs for foreigners include a fishing contest
and a sleigh ride on the frozen lake. The festival runs from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2.
For details, call (033) 460-2082 or visit www.injefestival.co.kr
How to Get There:
Take a bus to Sinnam Terminal. It takes
about three hours. A free shuttle bus runs
from there to the Inje Icefish Festival.
Festivals to Mark
Korea’s Winter Season
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
Some may think that the best way to enjoy winter is to curl up on
the sofa. But even for couch potatoes, it will not be easy to resist
the many fun fetes Korea offers. Gangwon-do, famous for its
beautiful snow-covered scenery, allures tourists with its fabulous
winter festivals. They vary in theme and features — from ice fishing
to sleigh rides.
Sancheoneo (mountain trout) Ice Festival
Sancheoneo (mountain
trout) Ice Festival
Gangwon-do invites visitors to
fish mountain trout in
Hwacheon-gun. Mountain trout,
also known as cherry salmon or
masou salmon, is a native Korean
fish that lives in freshwater. At
the festival, visitors can enjoy
the unique experience of catching
the fish by sticking their bare
hands into a hole on the frozen
Hwacheongang. The festival
holds many events such as a
fishing contest, ice sleighing,
bobsleighing, ice biking and
bumper car rides. There is also a
creative sleigh-making contest.
Snow sculptures and fireworks
at night add to the merry ambience.
The festival runs from Jan.
10 to 27. For details, call (033)
441-7575 or visit www.narafestival.com/icenara/
How to Get There:
There is a bus that runs from Seoul to
Hwacheon. On train, get off at
Chuncheon station and take a bus
from there. In both cases, it will take
about three hours from Seoul to
Hwacheon.
Inje Ice Fish Festival
Kids fish at the Inje Icefish Festival
48 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 49

TRAVEL
Daegwallyeong Snow
Festival
Goseong Myeongtae Festival
The Daegwallyeong Snow Festival, arguably
the biggest winter festival in
Korea, will take place in
Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do, in
January. More than 20 events will be
held, including ice fishing, hunting,
dog sleigh rides, igloo experiences and
half-naked marathons. More than a
hundred snow sculptures will be displayed
all over Daegwallyeong. There
will also be events at sheep ranches
nearby. The festival runs from Jan. 15
to 19. For details, call (033) 330-2761
or visit www.snowfestival.net
How to Get There:
By bus or train, get off at Hoenggye Bus
Terminal. It takes about two and a half hours
from Seoul.
Daegwallyeong Snow Festival
A participant enjoys dog sleigh ride in Daegwallyeong Snow Festival
A snow sculpture at Mt. Taebaek Snow Festival
Taebaeksan Snow Festival
Taebaeksan Snow Festival
Various events will be held in the
highlands of Taebaeksan, 800 meters
above sea level, at Taebaeksan
Provincial Park, Hwangjiho and the
city of Taebaek, Gangwon-do. The
16th Taebaeksan Snow Festival includes
a snow sculpture exhibition,
an outdoor concert and a fireworks
show. It also offers various familyfriendly
programs such as dog sled
rides, a curling competition and snow
train rides. The festival runs from Jan.
30 to Feb. 8. For more information,
call (033) 550-2081, 2828 or visit festival.taebaek.go.kr/part2/home/html/
main.html
How to Get There:
By train or bus, get off at Taebaek. It takes
four and a half hours by train and three and
a half hours by bus from Seoul.
Goseong Myeongtae Festival
The Goseong Myeongtae Festival is to be held around Geojin harbor,
the only Myeongtae fishing spot in Korea, located northeastern
Gangwon-do. Myeongtae, meaning Alaskan pollack, is a fish
mostly caught during the winter season. The festival is all about
myeongtae, promoting events like the myeongtae throwing game,
a street parade with people wearing costumes made of myeongtae
and the myeongtae tower game. The festival’s edge comes from the
beautiful scenery of the winter sea. It will have a fireworks show
by the sea each night, creating a romantic mood for couples visiting
Geojin harbor. The festival will operate free boat rides. It runs
from Feb. 21 to 24. For more information, call (033) 680-3221 or
visit www.myeongtae.com ■
How to Get There:
Take a bus to Geojin terminal. It takes about four hours from Seoul.
Kids hold up Myeongtae they fished at the Goseong Myeongtae Festival
Goseong Myeongtae Festival
Goseong Myeongtae Festival
50 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 51

EVENTS
Daegu Photo Biennale 2008
1 “Gyeongbok Palace,” 1888
2 “The Night Prior to an Event,” Yang Jae-kwan
3 “Another Episode,” Liu Lijie
4 “The Three Fates,” Yanagi Miwa
Visitors look at photos at Daegu Biennale
“Women with Updo Hairstyle in front of a Folding
Screen before 1901,” Louis Marin Collection,
Musee Guimet
Daegu Biennale Shows
Charms of Photography
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
The international Daegu Photo
Biennale 2008 photo festival ended
on Nov. 16 after a 17-day run.
It placed the spotlight on Asia, featuring
some 1,500 photos by 200 leading
photographers from 10 countries.
“We have a lot of interest in
Western photos but don’t really know
about Asian photos, even though we
live in Asia,” said Koo Bohn-chang,
the biennale’s artistic director.
The biennale attracted more interest
this year as Koo is one of Korea’s
top photographers and is a wellknown
figure around the world.
“This biennale focused on three
Asian countries — Korea, China and
Japan — and it provided a chance to
learn about them,” he said.
The main exhibition looked at the
artistic trend of modern photographers
as well as documentary photos in
Asia. Under the theme “Then & Now —
Memories of the Future,” the biennale
sought a balance between the two
roles of photography: art and record.
“Memories of the Future,” one of
the two main expositions, held 400
works by modern Korean, Chinese,
Taiwanese and Japanese photographers
at the EXCO in Daegu. Each had
a unique theme related to the countries’
socio-cultural backgrounds.
“The Sensibility of Life: The
Reconfigured Eye” is an exhibition of
12 Korean photographers who offered
incisive commentary on modern
Korean society.
In “The Night Prior to an Event,”
Yang Jae-kwan criticized Korea’s tendency
to put too much emphasis on
the cause and result of an event without
trying to understand the details or
procedures.
1
Fifteen Chinese and Taiwanese
photographers expressed their unique
thoughts about life in the exposition
“While Alive.” The photos reflect the
various changes China went through
in the last 20 years. Liu Lijie expressed
her feelings about the miscellaneous
and seductive world in the
series “Another Episode.”
In the exhibit “Body Images in
Digital Era,” 12 Japanese photographers
displayed bold and provocative
photos. In “The Three Fates,” Yanagi
Miwa visualized the Moirae, who are
the three sisters of Greek mythology in
charge of fate. The oldest, Cloto, spins
human life out of her hair but grows
old and miserable because she can no
longer control her ever-growing hair.
“Photographs from 100 Years
Ago,” the other main exhibit at the
EXCO, displayed 350 rare photos of
the three Asian countries back when
cameras were just introduced.
The unfamiliar faces and forgotten
backgrounds in the black-and-white
photos remind viewers of the importance
of using photos to record and remember.
However, the Korean section
seemed too brief due to the dearth of
old photos. “There weren’t many photos
of Korea from that time that we
could collect. Actually, I wanted the
viewers to realize that,” Koo said.
“The original role of photography is
to record. If we can’t see that, then in
another 100 years we might still be
lacking photos.”
Some of the Korean photos came
off as quite a discovery. The panoramic
photo of Gyeongbok Palace taken in
1888 was shown to the public for the
first time.
More exhibitions were held
throughout Daegu. “Changing Social
Landscape: Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea 1950-2008,” at the
Daegu Culture and Arts Center,
showed pictures of people and landscape
in North Korea. They were taken
by 12 well-known photographers, including
Margaret Bourke-White, a former
photographer for Life magazine.
“The last 10 years have been a very
progressive time for Korean photography,”
said Wendy Watriss, a reviewer
of this biennale and one of the
founders of FotoFest, an internationally
known photographic arts and education
organization based in Houston.
“The biennale exposes many photos
that show an Asian perspective, which
was not seen outside of Asia.” ■
Louis Marin Collection, Musee Guimet
2
3
4
52 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 53

EVENTS
Seoul Lights Up
for the Holiday Season
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
Central Seoul is glowing for the
holiday season. Seoul City and
the Seoul Foundation for Arts
and Culture are holding the winter
version of the ‘Hi Seoul Festival 2008’
from Dec. 19 to Jan. 18.
Under the theme “Pure Seoul, Pure
White Winter,” the festival is all about
white light. The goal is to present a
warm ambience to citizens who are
suffering from the recent economic
depression and to show a new aspect
of Seoul’s nighttime view.
“This winter festival pursues ‘empty
Seoul,’” says Sohn Jang-bok, illumination
director of the festival.
“Seoul is always packed with tall
buildings, flashing lights and noise.
Through pure white color, we will purify
this messy city and help citizens
experience a new light.”
Highlights include music, lights
and digital artworks, which are lined
up on the main street from Cheonggye
Plaza to city hall.
Various illumination patterns and
a countdown video for New Year’s are
displayed on a big white wall which is
set up in Cheonggye Plaza.
Cheonggye Stream is decorated with
digital effects.
There is also a skating rink in front
of city hall with magnificent lights
and a giant Christmas tree. Some of
the main buildings around there, such
as the Sejong Center for the
Performing Arts, are lit with different
colors of light.
Many events are being prepared in
central Seoul during this period. A
“Hope Tree” will be decorated with
small light bulbs — each holding notes
with citizens’ wishes written on them.
For details, visit http://www3.
hiseoulfest.org ■
Yonhap
Korean exhibition room at the 2008 Dubai Media & Marketing Show in Dubai
Korean Media
Take Aim at
the Middle East
Korean Music
and Dance Set to
Impress Japan
The Korean Cultural Center in Tokyo
Korea’s major broadcasting companies promoted
Korean soap operas and documentary
films at the 2008 Dubai Media & Marketing
Show, which was held Nov. 3 to 5 at the Dubai
International Convention Center, Dubai.
MBC, SBS, SBS Production and KBS
Media exhibited 25 soap operas and documentary
films such as “East of Eden” (MBC)
and “The Painter of the Wind” (SBS).
Built in a form of a giant TV, the Korean exhibition
room caught many eyes. Englishdubbed
Korean programs were showcased
on the monitors. The exhibition team handed
out program brochures to the visitors.
The officials of the show put banners of
Korean soap operas — “Beethoven Virus”
(MBC) and “Ilji-mae” (SBS) — at the entrance
of the center, proving the popularity of Korean
programs in the Middle East.
“Dae Jang Geum” (MBC) aired in Iran last
year, taking a 90 percent share in program
ratings. “Sorry, I Love You” (KBS), which recently
aired on Dubai TV, finished amid
cheers of local fans.
“There are Korean soap operas in the
Middle East, but no Japanese or Chinese
ones,” said an official of KBS at the event.
“Korean soap operas are not just a product of
cultural content but a means to raise the
brand value of Korea,”
Lee Kyeong-ja, a member of the
Broadcasting and Communications
Committee, attended the show and promised
to support the export of Korean programs. ■
54 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture
The Korean Cultural Center in Tokyo is set to
hold the Korean Traditional Song · Dance
· Music Festival on Dec. 11 at the Yotzuya
district center.
“The Korean Cultural Center has been doing
many cultural exchanges with Japan so
far,” said an official at the center. “This festival
will be a chance to commemorate what we
have achieved in 2008 and to once again introduce
the charms of Korean traditional culture
to Japan.”
The festival also celebrates the construction
of its new building in Shinjuku.
Many human cultural assets of Korea, such
as Jeong Cheol-ho, who does “Pansori,” or
Korean traditional narrative song, and Lee Okcheon,
who specializes in “Heung-bo-ga,”
which is also Pansori, will perform. A total of
nine songs and exorcism dances will be
showcased.
It will be a rare chance to see various
Korean traditional instruments, such as
“Ajaeng,” a seven-stringed Korean instrument,
and “Gayageum,” a 12-stringed
Korean harp.
For more information, visit http://www.koreanculture.jp
■
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 55

BOOKS
Goguryeo: In Search of Its Culture and History
Author: Jeon Ho-tae
Publisher: Hollym
Page: 288
Price: 35,000 won
Long Long Time Ago
Publisher: Hollym
Page: 128
Price: 15,000 won
The author explores one of the most
powerful and prosperous times in
Korean history by examining mural
paintings found on the walls of ancient
tombs.
Located in North Korean cities of
Pyongyang and Nampo, the Complex
of Goguryeo Tombs consists of 30 individual
tombs from Goguryeo, one of
the Three Kingdoms running from 57
B.C. to A.D. 668.
In 2004, it was designated as the first UNESCO World Heritage site in the
country.
The tombs are assumed to have been used as a burial site for kings, queens
and other members of the royal family and contain beautifully colored mural
paintings showing daily life and mythologies of the time.
The author, a professor of history and culture at the University of Ulsan and
curator at the National Museum of Korea, specializes in ancient cultural history
and has published numerous articles on Goguryeo tomb murals and ancient
Chinese art. ■
A total of 20 most loved Korean folk tales
have been collected in this illustrated book.
Readers can meet a variety of beloved characters
that have made Korean children happy
and excited for generations: a rabbit who outwits
a tiger; a brother and a sister who became
the Sun and the Moon respectively; a
tortoise and a hare who are totally different
from the ones in Aesop’s fable. Illustrator Kim
Dong-sung, who majored in Oriental painting
at Hongik University, has created beautiful illustrations
by using a dreamy ink painting,
adding to the fun. ■
Big Bang in Capital Market
Edited by The Korea Herald
Publisher: Jimoondang
Page:
Price: 15,000 won
The recent downfall of top U.S. investment banks calls into question the validity of the Korean
Government’s scheme to foster investment banks as a catalyst for capital market growth. Isn’t
the plan based on a wrong model? Hasn’t the era of investment banks come to an end with the
ongoing turmoil on Wall Street?
To these questions, this book gives unambiguous answers. The researchers of the Korea
Securities Research Institute, who jointly authored the book, argue that it is not investment banking
per se that is challenged. What has been found defective is the Wall Street model of investment
banking. The authors provide a penetrating analysis of the problems of what they call Wall
Street’s “free lunch model” and offer astute policy recommendations for financial regulators.
They also stress that financial companies should foster a sound risk management culture.
What made the difference between Goldman Sachs survival and Merrill Lynch’s failure, they explain,
was the attitude toward risk management.
For further information, visit www.koreaherald.com. ■
56 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 57

THE BEAUTY OF KOREA-17
SPECIAL SERIES
White Porcelain Jar Decorated with
Bamboo and Plum in Underglaze Iron Oxide
National Treasure No. 166
Special Contribution-1
The Republic of Korea
at Sixty
BY GUY SORMAN
The Seokguram Grotto
This jar from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) is well known
for its refined charm and beautiful painting.
It is 41.3 cm tall, and the diameter at the widest point of
the body is 37.9 cm.
The technique used for the main designs — bamboo on one
side and plum on the other — indicates that this piece was
not decorated by regular potters, but rather by the members
of the royal painting bureau.
The wide, thick portions of the bamboo leaves were made
with a layer of underglaze iron, which burned through the
clear glaze to form rust-colored areas that lend texture and
volume to the painting.
The jar is an example of 16th-century Joseon white
porcelains and buncheong wares, which are shaped like
Ming China jars of the mid-15th century.
The flowery borders on the shoulders are reminiscent of
Ming Chinese blue-white porcelains of this period. ■
(Photo courtesy of National Museum of Korea)
South Korea at sixty in the Western eye has an image
problem due to the Bengali Nobel prize winner,
Rabindranath Tagore, an influential poet and a
world traveler. After he visited Seoul in the early twentieth
century, Tagore wrote a poem called “The Land of the
Morning Calm.” The poem became famous the world over
and the name took. South Korea became known globally
as Morning Calm and the West still perceives the country
this way. These days, the name feels inaccurate, to say the
least. This motivated former President Kim Dae-jung to
rekindle the country’s reputation, not as calm but as dynamic,
so far with limited success: dynamism lacks any
specific Korean flavor.
Calm or Dynamic
Within South Korea, the debate still lingers as how best to
represent the country on the international stage. South
Korean officials and their public relations advisers can often
be heard complaining that they lack the equivalent of the
Japanese Fuji Mountain, the French Eiffel Tower or the
American Statue of Liberty. Whenever consulted on this
matter, I suggest the well known crossed-legged Boddhisatva,
which can be admired in the National Museum of Korea, as
the South Korean logo and icon. This Buddha, reminiscent
of the Thinker by the French sculptor Rodin, has no competitor;
I think that through its unique aesthetics and transcendental
strength it could convey the spirit of the nation.
My suggestion, however, has never been taken into consideration.
Isn’t it dynamic enough? Or is it too Buddhist in a
country where religions are so diverse? So far, the logo
problem for South Korea remains unsolved; probably it
cannot be solved easily while Korean identity is not that
easy to describe nor to understand, at least for non-Koreans.
It cannot be denied that in spite of the outstanding global
success of South Korean brands, many buyers of these
brands hardly know they are made in Korea. Western consumers
who esteem Samsung cell phones are not sure
whether they are Korean, Chinese, or Japanese. Hyundai
cars have found their niche in the world market because
58 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 59

SPECIAL SERIES
they are perceived as reliable and not too expensive; but
they are not grasped as Korean the way a Mercedes car is
bought because it is German. South Korea as a trademark,
in spite of recent progress due to its leading export companies,
is still moderately acknowledged. Is this weak brand
recognition due to insufficient efforts to promote South
Korea as such? To a certain extent, yes, South Korean governments
never packaged the Korean identity as a clear
message nor promoted it in a systematic way, as Japan did
in the 60s and still does. True enough, the message escapes
easy definition. How to promote Korea when the country itself
is divided? How to promote modern South Korea alone
as it is so different from ancient Korea? How to send a unifying
message when the South Korean people are so greatly
diversified by region and religion?
The solution to these dilemmas could very well emerge
from the art world. South Korea now is popular abroad not
only thanks to its industrial exports; artists do play a decisive
role. Beware of the ambiguities however. The so-called
Korean Wave is carrying American rock music to an enthusiastic
Chinese audience: the music is played by Koreans but
it is hardly related to Pansori. Korean television sitcoms
may be closer to the true Korean soul; we know how they
have been useful in bringing together the Japanese and the
South Koreans in a more thorough way than many years of
diligent diplomacy. Eventually, I consider that to really understand
the South Korean identity, the South Korean
movies and contemporary art have been more revealing
than pop entertainment.
Im Kwon-taek’s “Painted Fire,” Kim Jee-woon’s “A Tale
of Two Sisters”, Park Chan-wook’s, “Old Boy”, have
brought to an international audience a unique civilization,
Asian but definitely not Chinese and definitely not
Japanese. These movies have produced in the West a culture
shock comparable to the European discovery of
Japanese prints in the late 19th century. In fine arts, similarly,
the video art pioneer Paik Nam June and his follower
Jheon Soo-cheon have opened the eyes of art lovers
everywhere; thanks to these artists, South Korea has been
discovered as if it were a new continent. Korea was there
but we, in the West, could hardly see it.
Can these artists, to whom I shall add the writer Yi Munyeol,
help us understand who South Korea is at sixty? It is the
Morning Calm and Dynamism simultaneously. When Jheon
Soo-cheon displays his installations in Seoul , Venice , Paris
or New York, ancient funeral statuettes in a contemporary
light, he connects the oldest tradition with cutting edge
modernity: like Yi Mun-yeol’s novel , “Hail to the Emperor”,
he makes evident the continuity from Shamanism to
Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity and the postmodern
nihilism of Old Boy.
Because of this outstanding continuity, we celebrate
South Korea’s sixtieth birthday today as well as its 3000-
year-old civilization. This is a reason why, when visiting the
National Museum of Korea in Seoul, I regret that it does not
incorporate the most recent creation of contemporary
artists: the continuity would be for all to see. It would make
clear that South Korea does not lack identity but does suffer
from a still weak identity promotion policy.
What use would be such a policy? It would convey some
economic benefits. Strong national brands sell: world consumers
buy French perfumes because they are French,
Germans cars because they are German, Japanese technology
because it is Japanese. Korean products sell for many
reasons but rarely because they are Korean. Among industrial
advanced nations, South Korea, so far, has not yet built
a decisive cultural advantage.
Rising Expectations
In sixty years, however, South Korea went from one of the
poorest countries on earth to one of the most successful. Its
civilization alone would not have permitted such progress
if the right strategy had not been followed, a free market
economy and a progressive shift from enlightened despotism
to full-blown democracy. For the younger generation
who takes South Korea’s present status for granted, it is
difficult to imagine a different evolution. But a glance at
the neighboring countries which benefit from superior basic
resources show how communism could bring nations to
their knees.
History has thus proven that South Korean leaders
made the right choices at an early stage when liberal
democracy did not necessarily look like a winning choice:
whatever the rational (resist North Korea? emulate Japan?
follow the United States?), South Korea had it right. This
needs to be reaffirmed as Korean society at sixty doesn’t
escape the turmoil which goes with maturity. Is South
Korea in a crisis? Of course it is; only stagnant nations
mired in poverty, under despotic regimes, ignore crisis.
Because it is an actual democracy, and a modern economy,
South Korea has entered into the cycle of rising expectation:
only when life is improving do you start wondering
why it is not improving more rapidly. When free speech is
allowed, why not become vociferous?
As seen from abroad, especially from Western Europe,
the street demonstrations and strikes which take place in
South Korea do not surprise us: we have lived through those
kind of events before and we still live with them. In democratic
countries, elections never fully solve social conflicts;
the purpose of elections is to quiet those conflicts so that
they would not degenerate into civil war. What we now see
in South Korea is business as usual in Western democracies.
Are South Koreans disappointed with democracy? This is
common as well: democracy is always disappointing while
people expect too much of it. It is an imperfect regime but
it is non-violent and it doesn’t pretend to dictate individual
life. Maybe South Koreans are not yet accustomed to the inherent
modesty of democratic institutions.
They also are not fully reconciled - no nation is - with
the imperfections of the free market economy. Free market
economy brought South Koreans out of poverty; this was
hardly debated when the growth rate hovered around ten
percent. When the growth rate plummets to four percent,
enthusiasm for the market tends to decline. The very high
growth rate could absorb many imperfections of the system
such as long work hours, unequal redistribution, brutal exodus
from traditional activities to mass industry.
But a slower growth rate underlines these imperfections:
hard work is less well-tolerated, the gap between rich and
poor, between regular and irregular workers fall under
harsher scrutiny. A slower growth rate generates social frustration
from the less educated toward the better educated,
from the less paid toward the wealthy entrepreneurs. The
search for scapegoats (the Americans, the chaebol), and a
fiery nationalism, close to jingoism, take root easily when
expectations are not met. Shall we conclude that South
Korea is in a crisis, or in a transition? It seems to me as a
transition to the next stage, when South Korea will become
a major global player on the world scene.
Global Player
South Korea at sixty has unique resources that remain untapped:
its civilization as mentioned above is the most evident.
By promoting its cultural resources, from its museums
to its cuisine, by pursuing the globalization of its
economy, South Korea could be better recognized as a
global player. A stronger economy, more cultural value
would bring a stronger diplomatic position; South Korea
does not need to remain dwarfed between China and
Japan. More global clout would make reunification easier
against those who do not want it. Not only against North
Korea, which is an economic midget but against China and
Video artist Paik Nam-jun’s works
Japan as well; those two countries are not enthusiastic
about Korea’s reunification.
The goal of a unified Korea, which is now closer than
ever, could be the ambition of a new generation, the success
of the present administration and a tremendous booster for
the Korean economy. How will it happen? It is anybody’s
guess but, based on my knowledge of North Korea and my
memories of Russia, I bet on an implosion of North Korea
under the stress of mass poverty. The North Korean people
are no longer ignorant of the global reality.
Many in South Korea fear the cost of this reunification;
but the benefits in terms of market opportunities and new
work force would rapidly offset the costs. Moreover it
would bring peace to North East Asia, which remains unstable
and very much depending on the good will of the
U.S. military. A stronger and larger Korea could balance its
influence between Japan and China with the ultimate goal
of a North East Asian economic zone, following the lines of
the European Union. Such a grand design could become the
new national ambition of the South Koreans and overcome
short-term domestic conflicts or short-sighted nationalism.
This grand design should not exclude some significant
60 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 61

President Lee Myung-bak, government officials,
experts and entrepreneurs attend a mammoth
meeting to announce the nation’s new economic
growth engine industries at the the Electronics
and Telecommunications Research Institute in
Daejeon on Sept. 22
SPECIAL SERIES
changes within South Korean society. Among those, education
comes first. South Korean schools, colleges and universities
are still very much in the grip of a traditional system
which goes back to Confucian rote learning. This authoritarian
pedagogy was perhaps well-geared to the first stage
of South Korean industrialization when it required an obedient
workforce. But in a transition toward a more hightech
and service-oriented economy, South Korea needs a
more initiative-based workforce and more entrepreneurship-minded
individuals; this requires a fundamental shift
in the education style, toward a more individualistic and
less Confucian type of students-teachers relationship.
A more open education would be able to retain in
South Korea many of its best students who now emigrate
to the United States; it would also attract students and
scholars from other parts of the world, not only from the
Asia Pacific region. A whiff of cosmopolitism would enhance
the creativity of the Korean education and its performance.
More and better educated, Koreans would produce
less “irregular” workers, while most of these “irregular”
workers presently suffer from a lack of proper education.
Better educated Koreans will be more ready to understand
the harsh process of destructive creation, which is the
core of rapid economic development: adaptation through
education should be the Korean answer to the challenges of
globalization.
This adaptation will not be a smooth nor an instantaneous
process; no country so far has been able to strike an
easy balance between the flexibility requirements of the
global market and the collective desire for stability. Some
turmoil will happen that cannot be avoided, but more open
political debates, better public explanations, better education
and constant negotiations should lead to more consensual
solutions.
To achieve such a delicate balance between competition
and social stability, South Korea should not necessarily follow
other models, be it Japan, the United States or Europe.
There is room for creativity in a still young State: South
Korean economists, state officials, union leaders, and entrepreneurs
could experiment with new solutions such as a
competitive welfare system, permanent training, negative
income tax for the poorest, and social “flexi security” (flexibility
for the employers, security for the employees) mechanisms
as now practiced in Scandinavia.
Beyond these still to be created public institutions, government,
at the national and local levels, should focus on
the quality of life in Korea. The Korean people have worked,
and still work, hard; they deserve reliable health care, special
attention to the old and retired, safety and a more beautiful
environment. The beautification of Seoul under the
leadership of former mayor and now President Lee Myungbak
and his successor Oh Se-hoon has demonstrated that
government officials can make a difference in the daily life
of the Korean people. This is a model to be followed.
Korea in Sixty Years’ Time
I have no doubt about Korea’s economic or diplomatic status
sixty years from now. But I wonder what Korean will
mean then? All nations today are torn apart between their
ancestors’ roots and fusion into a global melting pot. Most
probably, the recent nationalistic outbursts among young
Koreans express a disarray towards these contradictory
trends. The tension between local and global will only increase
as more Koreans will live abroad or be exposed to diverse
cultural experiences. Moreover, more foreigners will
come and live in Korea; Korea cannot escape immigration
and its developing economy will need immigrant workers,
at the top as well as at the bottom of the economic scale.
Will this confrontation between Koreans and foreigners,
abroad and at home, be smooth and easy? Will xenophobia
prevail, or intermarriage? Probably, both will happen, like
in the rest of the world.
Koreans who always defined themselves through their
bloodline and family history, will then be compelled to
change their self definition: a Korean in the future could
well be Korean by culture without being Korean by genetic
origin. Moreover, a Korean could be Korean and something
else simultaneously. This is not to be feared: we are all shifting
from a world dominated by the cult of our ancestors, to
a world based on shared identity. Many Koreans will remain
Korean and become global citizens as well; and many global
citizens could become Korean by choice. ■
Guy Sorman is a French journalist, economist,
philosopher and author of twenty books on contemporary
affairs, covering the five continents. He is a
regular columnist for Le Figaro in France, the Wall
Street Journal and City Journal in the United States,
and other publications around the world. Sorman
taught economics at the Paris Institute of Political
Sciences from 1970 to 2000. He has held several public offices, including
advisor to the prime minister of France (1995-1997) and deputy
mayor of Boulonge, near Paris. He was appointed by President Lee
Myung-bak as a member of the Global Advisors and Friends of Korea in
June 2008.
As the country’s economic
growth rate slows, the government
has been seeking what it
calls “new growth engines.”
In its search for new industries to
fuel economic growth, Seoul has set
up a special team of more than 360
experts from the industrial, academic
and research fields led by Korea
Advanced Institute of Science and
Technology (KAIST) president Suh
Nam-pyo. Together with the Ministry
of Knowledge Economy, the team
worked for about six months to select
new growth engine industries out of
New Growth Engine Industries-1
Planting Seeds of Growth in Key Sectors
BY CHOI HE-SUK
KOREA HERALD STAFF WRITER
more than 400 candidates.
The result is 22 industries from six
fields, announced on Sept. 22. The six
categories are energy and environment,
transportation systems, new information
technology, industrial convergence,
biotechnology and knowledge-based
services.
Under the plans the government
will inject 7.9 trillion won ($5.4 billion)
into these areas, hoping to persuade
the private sector to foot the 91.5 trillion
won that remains from the total of
99.4 trillion won investment planned
for its new growth engine scheme.
Although observers have commented
that success will depend on whether
or not the private sector spends as
much as the government is hoping for,
the Lee Myung-bak administration has
high hopes for its ambitious plans.
According to the government’s estimates,
the project will raise the country’s
value added production output to
253 trillion won by 2013 from this
year’s 116 trillion won and increase
exports from this year’s $120.8 billion
to $306.9 billion by 2013 and to
$795.4 billion by 2018.
The government also expects
62 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 63

SPECIAL SERIES
880,000 new jobs will be created over
the next five years and 2.26 million
jobs made available over the next 10
years as a result of the projects.
Energy and Environment
The Lee Myung-bak government has
placed great emphasis on promoting
“green growth,” and such intentions
can also be seen through the new
growth engine scheme.
Of the 22 new growth engine industries,
six are in the field of energy
and environment, five of which are
concerned with alternative or renewable
energy sources. The six industries
singled out are clean coal energy, maritime
bio fuels, solar cells, carbon
dioxide capture and recycling, fuel cell
power generation systems and nuclear
power facilities. The total investment
required in these areas is estimated at
30.47 trillion won over the next five
years.
For clean coal energy, converting
low-grade coal to synthetic petroleum
using eco-friendly methods, the government
hopes to induce investments
worth 22 trillion won over the next
five years.
According to the government’s
projections, the clean coal energy industry
will generate 150,000 new jobs
and produce 80 million barrels of synthetic
petroleum on an annual basis -
or about 8 percent of Korea’s annual
petroleum consumption by 2018.
Maritime bio fuels - referring to
petroleum alternatives produced from
aquatic plants and carbon dioxide
capture and recycling techniques - use
carbon dioxide produced at highemission
facilities such as power
plants as gas in the production of other
chemicals.
Overall, the government expects
the five alternative energy projects to
reduce the country’s petroleum dependency
by 13.4 percentage points from
last year’s 43.3 percent by 2018.
Transportation Systems
The transportation system category
consists of two subcategories - environmentally
friendly automotive technology
and technologies related to
ships and maritime facilities.
In the case of environmentally
friendly automotive technologies, the
government plans to direct 1.3 trillion
won over the next five years with the
aim of developing the local industry
into one of the world’s top four nations
in terms of related technologies.
Although local carmakers have already
made significant headway without
much help from the government,
the inclusion of the subject in the new
growth engine plans have been welcomed
by the industry.
Hyundai Kia Automotive Group already
has a number of hydrogen fuel
cell driven vehicles and hybrid electric
vehicles around the world and the company
is scheduled to begin commercial
production of the liquefied petroleum
gas-electric hybrid version of the compact
sedan Avante next year. The auto
giant has also succeeded in locally developing
much of the technologies used
in hybrid vehicles allowing it to significantly
reduce production costs.
“There has been no change in policies
concerning environmental car
technologies as of yet and no support
- other than what had already been in
place - has materialized,” said an auto
industry official, adding that policy
changes are likely to be implemented
within the next couple of years.
“But the process of fine tuning the
policies takes time and many in the industry
consider it highly significant
that the president is personally involving
himself in drawing up such plans.”
For plans concerning ships and
maritime facilities, the government estimates
that 733 billion won needs to
be injected by 2013. In addition to the
conventional ideas such as developing
more advanced ships, the category includes
innovative ideas such as mobile
harbors that move out to sea for larger
ships that require deeper waters, a
prototype of which will be introduced
at the Yeosu Expo 2012.
New Information Technology
Under the new information technology
category, the government has included
semiconductors, displays, nextgeneration
mobile telecommunications
and LED lighting as future
growth engines.
The fifth and final subcategory
that comes under new information
technology is RFID and USN. RFID,
short for radio frequency identification,
is a method of identification using
RFID tags, which is currently being
used in a wide range of areas including
product tracking, transportation
payments and in passports. USN or
ubiquitous sensor networks refer to
the ubiquitous use of RFID tags for
purposes ranging from monitoring
pollution and environmental conditions
to military applications.
Over the next five years, the government
estimates that 28.3 trillion
won needs to be injected into these areas.
Of the total, 13.5 trillion won will
be directed towards semiconductor-related
areas with the emphasis on system
semiconductors, the market for
which is about four times larger than
that for memory chips.
Industrial Convergence
The industrial convergence category
concerns areas that require two or
more industries to converge.
The category consists of four industries:
robotics, new materials and
nano-convergence, IT-based convergence,
and broadcasting-telecommunication
convergent media. The total
investment estimated for the category
is 34.5 trillion won.
For robotics, the government hopes
to raise the local industry to one of the
top three globally by 2018 to capitalize
on a world-wide market expected to
grow to $420 billion by 2020.
For the new materials and nanoconvergence
category, Seoul has penciled
in 12.6 trillion won for the next
five years in the hopes that the country
will grow to be one of the world’s
top four nations in terms of materials
technology and solve the country’s
trade deficit problem by 2018.
IT-based convergence refers to the
addition of information technology to
telecommunications to develop IT applicable
to automotive, shipbuilding
and other key industries.
For the broadcasting-telecommunication
convergent media, which includes
internet protocol television and
mobile broadcasting services, 18.7 trillion
won is estimated to be required in
order to meet the target of developing
a world class industry by 2018.
In the biotechnology sector -
which according to the plans will receive
a 900 billion won investment
over the next five years - focus will be
placed on developing new medicines
from biological sources and nurturing
medical equipment technologies,
much of which Korea still imports.
According to the Korea Health
Industry Development Institute, of the
more than 2,300 medical devices costing
more than 100 million won that
were in use at university hospitals in
2005, less than 4 percent was produced
by local firms. In addition, the
Korea Health Industry Development
Institute’s data showed that last year
the country imported $2.2 billion
worth of medical equipment, while exports
came in at only $1 billion.
The final category is knowledgebased
services. It consists of four different
industries: software, design, healthcare
and cultural contents business.
The government is aiming for 6.6
trillion won in investments by 2013. ■
64 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 65

FOREIGN VIEWPOINT
Multiculturalism Starts At Home
South Korea has instituted several programs
aimed at promoting awareness of a nation
evolving towards a more diverse constituency;
from local governments to the national
level, laws have been enacted to ensure a
proactive approach to the challenges of a
multicultural society.
For the Philippines, multiculturalism takes
on greater significance as more than 50,000
of our countrymen reside in South Korea as
students, workers, missionaries or spouses of
Korean nationals. With this trend expected to
continue, I wish to offer my views on multiculturalism,
particularly as it relates to mixed
marriages:
■ It is not enough that South Koreans help
foreign spouses adjust to life in South
Korea. The Korean spouses must also
learn and understand the culture of their
foreign spouses.
■ President Lee Myung-bak once proposed
having Korean men undergo mandatory
education prior to interracial marriage.
The Philippines already implements a
similar program whereby Filipinos going
abroad as fiancés or spouses are required
to attend guidance and counseling sessions
before their departure.
■ Aside from the cultural gap, Korean institutions
should also address the mismatch
in expectations between the
Korean husband and the foreign spouse.
The former expects his spouse to help
him with the family trade and take care of
his parents, but the latter enters the marriage
hoping to be gainfully employed
and thus be in a position to extend economic
help to her own family.
■ Ties to the home country are nurtured
and strengthened specially during special
festivals akin to Chuseok for
Koreans, when families take extra effort
to be together. These events include
Christmas, New Year, birthdays and the
like. Recognition by the Korean spouse
of the need to commemorate these important
occasions will go a long way in
fostering mutual understanding.
■ More opportunities for civic service
BY LUIS T. CRUZ
PHILIPPINE AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH KOREA
should be given to naturalized Koreans.
Many have already taken up positions as
civil servants in their respective local
governments.
■ Foreign spouses should be encouraged
to form interpersonal networks, particularly
with other foreign spouses. These
networks provide invaluable support
systems and reduce the feeling of sadness
and isolation.
■ The Philippine Embassy carries out a program
that introduces Filipino culture not
only to children of multicultural families,
but also to Korean spouses and in-laws.
There should be more of these, and
Korean government institutions and NGOs
should come up with cooperative projects
with embassies and other institutions that
promote inter-cultural understanding.
■ There is a need to educate educators as
well. Because behavior forms at an early
age, parents and teachers must be
aware and wary of discriminatory practices-including
their own.
■ Some Filipino parents I talked to send
their kids to school overseas because of
the reported bullying of their children, the
high cost of education in South Korea
and the strong pressure born by young
students to extend their study and extracurricular
sessions until late at night.
Programs that address the added challenges
faced by multicultural children,
particularly bullying, should be instituted.
■ Foreign spouses, who are often welleducated
in their home countries,
should be given opportunity to pursue
higher learning in South Korea. This will
also make them become more productive
members of society.
■ People-to-people exchange must be
further strengthened. Government
agencies like the Korea Local
Authorities Foundation for International
Relations, an agency under the Ministry
of Government and Home Affairs, assist
in developing sister-city arrangements.
■ Some local and national government
units sponsor a program where family
members of the foreign spouses are invited
to South Korea to get acquainted
with Korean life and culture.
Conversely, Korean NGOs like the YW-
CA, through its Migrant Women’s
Homeland Visiting Project, sponsor
trips of Korean husbands to the country
of their spouses. These should be encouraged.
■ South Koreans must remember that foreign
countries stood by South Korea
when it needed help. Several countries
rushed to its aid during the Korean War.
Now that South Korea is a developed nation,
it is now in a good position to pay
back and help others in the global society
who are also in need.
■ Koreans who study abroad are exposed
to other cultures over a period of time.
They should be harnessed to help promote
multiculturalism in Korea.
To be really effective, programs must not only
permeate all levels of government but also be
endemic in the grassroots. Multicultural families
must themselves be active in promoting
consciousness about the issue. Instead of
merely helping a foreign spouse become assimilated
to Korean culture, South Korea will
do even better by embracing the richness of
cultures naturally present in the homes of interracial
couples and using the knowledge
derived from multicultural families to equip
the nation with a truly global perspective. ■
66 KOREA DECEMBER 2008