www.korea.net

FEBRUARY 2010
FEBRUARY 2010 www.korea.net
www.korea.net
ISSN: 2005-2162
COMPUTER
GRAPHIC:
A NEW STAR IN
KOREAN
MOVIES

Gateway to Korea
Korea’s official multi-language website has:

PRELUDE
The Beauty of Korea Located in southeastern
Seoul, Namhansanseong is a mountain
fortress with about 200 historic sites and buildings.
The fortress was included on UNESCO’s Tentative
Lists in January 2010.
Choi Ji-young

CONTENTS
FEBRUARY 2010 VOL. 6 NO. 2
COVER STORY 04
CG is being incorporated more and more frequently
into Korean movies. Haeundae and
Take Off, movies in which CG played a
prominent role, were both big hits last year.
PEN & BRUSH 16
Novelist Sung Suk-je’s works are entertaining,
but also touching. His knack for combining
both humor and interesting subject
matter can also be seen in his essays.
PEOPLE 20
The classical music cafe “Art for Life,” managed
by oboist Seong Pil-gwan and his wife
flutist Yong Mi-joong, is an extraordinary
place in Buam-dong, Seoul. Two concerts
are held at the cafe each week, showcasing
the pair’s philosophy about art and sharing.

TRAVEL 26
Inje, which lies on the eastern side of the
Korean peninsula, takes its winter celebrations
to heart. Here, you will find that winter
festivals, outstanding local food and
snow-white landscapes are ubiquitous.
SUMMIT DIPLOMACY 36
Korea is to build and operate nuclear power
plants in the United Arab Emirates, worth
US$40 billion. It is said that the global
nuclear reactor market will double over the
next two decades.
NOW IN KOREA 44
Even the harsh cold weather can’t stop
Koreans’ passion for winter sports. From
snowboarding to ice climbing, there are a
myriad of winter activities to enjoy in Korea.
MY KOREA 32
Certain cultural quirks can seem odd to foreigners
— but therein also lies the charm.
An Englishman living in Seoul confesses
that singing in a noraebang, Korean karaoke,
is indeed strange, but an interesting experience
nonetheless.
GLOBAL KOREA 40
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Agreement (CEPA) between Korea and India
took effect January 1. As a country with
tremendous growth potential, India has been
predicted to bring great economic opportunities
to Korea.
PUBLISHER Kim He-beom,
Korean Culture and Information Service
EDITING HEM KOREA Co., Ltd
E-MAIL webmaster@korea.net
PRINTING Samsung Moonwha Printing Co.
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COVER STORY
COMPUTER
GRAPHIC:
A NEW
STAR
IN KOREAN
MOVIES
Topic Photo

When a massive tsunami approached the shores of Busan’s
Haeundae Beach, the excited chatter of vacationers was instantly
transformed into hellish screams. In the summer of 2009, Koreans
packed movie theaters to watch Haeundae, the nation’s first natural
disaster blockbuster. The film, which sold more than 10 million
tickets, owes its success to computer graphics technology.
by Min Yong-jun

CG on the Korean Screens
A film chronicling the rise of a hopeless group of ski jumpers quickly garnered fame in
Korean theaters. Take Off (2009) follows the tale of five young men who train in ski
resorts without any proper ski jumping facilities, in the hopes of someday winning an
Olympic gold medal. The hit film sold more than 8 million tickets and combined with
Haeundae, the two blockbusters sold nearly 20 million tickets domestically — more
than 10 percent of the entire nation’s 156 million movie ticket sales in 2009. Both
films took advantage of Korea’s own virtual effects (VFX) technology, particularly in the
area of computer graphics (CG).
But even before recent box office hits like Haeundae and Take Off, CG played a
prominent role in Korean cinema. Blockbusters such as Tae Guk Gi: Brotherhood of War
(2004), director Kang Je-gyu’s Korean War epic that breathtakingly recreated the misery
of the battlefield on the silver screen, and fantasy film The Restless (2006) also
made extensive use of CG. In 2007, Dragon Wars: D-War took the technology’s potential
to a new level, setting the bar higher within the Korean film industry. Director Bong
Mofac Studio
06
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010

Joon-ho’s The Host (2006) was also recognized for its use of the technology. In
essence, CG has grown to become a “secret weapon” that can make almost any image
into reality.
However, the use of CG is not some effortless, quick and simple wave of a magic
wand. CG is only a part of VFX, which functions as a means to artificially portray extraordinary
scenes normal cameras are unable to capture. The increasing incorporation of CG
in Korean films means VFX supervisors are playing a more important role than ever. As
Jeong Seong-jin of EON Digital Films (the VFX supervisor for Take Off) puts it, “For the
last 30 minutes of Take Off, the whole crew had to make a huge collective effort.
Creating an explosive finale, while at the same time giving viewers a sense of realism,
was important to us. It was also vital that CG supported the dramatic emotions of the
main characters, who were facing the risks of ski jumping in spite of bad weather, while
delivering a sense of real speed.”
Jeong underscores that CG is not simply a device used to buttress movies on a technical
basis; it’s a catalyst that enables more effective drama, but is an addition that
should not interfere with the overall flow of the film.
Jang Seong-ho, president of Mofac Studio (the VFX supervisor for Haeundae), also
said, “We could have achieved a better quality of CG than we did if the production company
had told us to look for ways to create CG with our own technology from the beginning
of the project. [Furthermore,] we could have done it for half as much as was spent
in the US (when we outsourced the material). In any event, it’s a relief that we were able
to bring the level of CG up to a point that viewers found acceptable, though I would not
be honest if I said the project was completed with total satisfaction.” In fact, the quality
of the computer-generated data in Haeundae’s water scenes bought from the American
company was originally so bad, in part due to a lack of budget, that Jang completely
reworked the data he was given. Mofac Studio ended up changing the texture and lighting
of the CG cuts, rendering them over and over, and adding extra details. They spent
roughly two months focusing on the final composition of more than 640 CG cuts.
before
A still from the movie
Haeundae (opposite), CG
works from the TV drama
Legend (left, right above)
and also from the TV
drama Tamra, the Island
(right below).
after
before
after
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
07

Learning from Experience
The experience of learning to use CG provides another opportunity. Director Yoon
Je-kyoon and JK Film are now in the early stages of putting together an underwater
“monster movie” called Sector 7. Mofac Studio is working on preproduction together
with JK Film for the project.
The creature in The Host was brought to life by an American VFX company called
The Orphanage. Back then, a movie featuring a huge monster was an unprecedented
challenge in the Korean film industry. For a blockbuster that cost around US$9.1
million to make, the producers had to be careful when making choices to ensure they
didn’t lose money, which is why The Orphanage was chosen over every other Korean
company. While The Orphanage was known for the CG work it did on a texture called
“hard surface,” through its work for The Host, the company acquired the necessary
technology to create a new kind of monster, which in turn helped raise its own standard
of quality.
Not to be outdone, the making of Haeundae was also an amazing achievement. JK
Film stipulated in its conditions that all technology would transfer to Mofac Studio
when it signed a contract with the foreign VFX company. The resulting data from
Haeundae thus became the property of Mofac Studio, which ultimately helped improve
Korea’s own VFX technology.
In a similar move, Weta Digital, a New Zealand visual effects company, grew leaps
and bounds with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. More recently, it helped
Still and CG works from the movie The
Forbidden Kingdom (top, below), CG works from
the movie The Restless (bottom).
before
after
before
after
DTI Pictures
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KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010

efore
after
before
after
Still and CG works from TV drama, Iris (top and
above, below).
work on the science fiction epic Avatar (2009). Keep in mind that although New
Zealand’s movie industry is, relative to Hollywood, underdeveloped, Peter Jackson
helped his own New Zealand-based VFX company become one of the world’s most
respected in its field by bringing it in to help in the making of his hugely successful
movie project.
It’s not practical to always depend on just one company do all the work. At the same
time, overcoming huge challenges is a prerequisite for positive growth. Previously,
Insight Visual took part in the production of Kang Je-gyu’s Tae Guk Gi: Brotherhood of
War, and is now working on D-Day (working title), Kang’s first overseas project that is
still in the planning stages.
“At the time when Tae Guk Gi was being made, Kang didn’t trust our CG team very
much,” says Son Seung-hyeon, Insight Visual’s production director. “But afterwards I
think he learned to trust the role CG plays in movies. I think he’s decided to use CG a
lot more from now on.”
The most important part of D-Day is location, as the movie is based around the
Normandy invasion. The production department is planning on shooting in China,
Germany, Hungary and Korea, but continues to discuss the necessity of each location.
Additionally, they’re examining different ways to get the effects they need without
spending too much of the budget to film in all those locations.
Although the movie has substantial funding of around US$27 million, shooting will
be hard to execute because of its sheer scale, which is why CG is bound to play an
important role. It is likely that “matte painting,” a cost-cutting technique used to copy
and paste people’s movements for a particular shoot in the form of digital data, will be
used in D-Day because of the way it positively impacted Tae Guk Gi.
Next Visual
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
19

The Future of Korean VFX
Perhaps the greatest benefit of CG technology is that it allows for more diverse storytelling.
From Haeundae and Take Off, to a recent movie called Woochi (2009), Korean
cinema is attempting to deal with genres and subjects that would have been impossible
in the past. The same applies to TV dramas. The Legend (2008) and Iris (2009) were
both large-scale projects that captured the attention of viewers with their unique use of
CG. As a result of technological developments, Korea’s movie and video game industries
gained new freedoms in sharing their stories.
At the same time, it’s important to think seriously about how efficiently CG will be
used in the future. Yang Seok-il, a manager at DTI Pictures, cautions, “Some producers
just hate CG but others heavily depend on it. For example, when shooting a car chase
scene where a car is flipped over, producers need to think about whether their action
team or CG team can reconstruct it better, and then also consider which one is more
within their budget. I’m not saying you have to use CG and spend more money, but it is
important to decide which part of a movie definitely needs proper CG.”
The box office success of Haeundae and Take Off is definitely encouraging. Indeed,
the success of big budget movies that make liberal use of CG has led to the planning of
Insight Visual
10
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010

other such movies, with companies able to study and apply the new technology to them.
Korean VFX companies usually work on several projects simultaneously — three to four
at any given time. Although there is an educational benefit for the film crew — they can
gain an intimate understanding of the overall flow of each movie or TV drama they work
on — it is born from a grueling work process.
Today, Korean VFX companies are turning their sights to overseas markets. In an
effort to promote Korea’s VFX industry, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and
the Korea Creative Content Agency jointly sponsored Korea’s seven leading VFX companies
by participating in the American Film Market (AFM) — the largest motion picture
trade show in the world — in 2009.
Before the event, few Korean companies received requests to help make foreign
movies. One notable exception was when DTI Pictures, Macrograph and Footage all took
part in the postproduction of The Forbidden Kingdom (2008). Yang Seok-il of DTI
Pictures explained it this way: “The price difference wasn’t very big. Breaking into
Hollywood doesn’t guarantee success. What you need to do is respond to business
strategically.” Mofac Studio also took part in the production of the soon-to-be released
movie, The Warrior’s Way (2010). While it won’t be easy for Korean VFX companies to
become an inseparable part of extravagant Hollywood films any time soon, they will
need to search for more long-term targets when considering overseas markets.
The expansive achievements of Korea’s CG technology will be rendered useless if not
given the chance to be properly used, but opportunities aren’t created solely through the
efforts of a single individual. So far, there have been the select few who have worked
hard to develop the industry, but now it is time to understand where the country stands,
from an industrial and international perspective. The CG industry’s ambition to re-create
the future of Korean cinema with its technology can only begin to be realized after this
understanding comes about. Looking only at the progress so far, the results are encouraging.
Based on the diverse range of experiences Korean VFX companies have had so
far, they will one day be able to create such comparable CG works as that of Avatar.
before
CG work from the movie
Hong Gil-dong (opposite),
a still from the
movie Tae Guk Gi (left),
CG works from the movie
Modern Boy (right
above) and from the
movie Private Eye (right
below).
after
before
after
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
11

INTERVIEW
KOREAN ARTISTS
TO LEAD CG BLOCKBUSTERS
Anyone who has been paying close attention to the end credits
of Hollywood blockbusters for the past several years will have
noticed the occasional Korean name scroll by. Today, there are
actually quite a few Korean VFX artists working on some of
Hollywood’s top productions and at some of America’s leading studios.
These talented men and women represent the future of the
Korean VFX industry.
Koreans had a hand in Avatar (2009), James Cameron’s epic 3D
motion picture that has fundamentally altered the movie industry.
The list includes lighting technical director Jung Byung-gun(above),
digital modelers Chang Jung-min and Lo Eung-ho, senior facial
modeler Lee Jin-woo, modeler Lee Sun-jin, visual effects artist Im
Chang-eui, FX ATD Sean Lee, motion editor Kim Ki-hyun and senior
animator Park Jee-young. A total of nine Korean artists were
involved in the historic cinematic project, two of whom sat down to
talk with KOREA about their lives and the VFX industry.
Jung Byung-gun
12
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010

Q How did you end up working overseas?
A Jung Byung-gun After graduating from Hongik University with a
degree in Department of Art Studies, I enrolled at the Academy of
Art University (AAU) in San Francisco in 1996. I then worked on
three feature films and one short animation at the Walt Disney
Studios before landing a job at Weta Digital. In the past, I’ve also
worked for Paramount Studios and Sony Computer Entertainment,
the maker of the Sony PlayStation. Early on in my career I spent
three or four years in the field of game cinematics, working for
companies like SNK, Activision and Sony.
Park Jee-young In character animation at the California Institute of
the Arts (CalArts), I started work at an indie movie production
company as a 2D key animator. At the time, many 2D animators
were transitioning into 3D, and I was no exception. Three years
ago, I saw an announcement saying James Cameron’s Avatar was
going into preproduction, and, of course, that’s when I applied to
join Weta’s animation team.
20 th Century Fox Korea
Q What exactly did you do on Avatar?
A Jung In November 2008, for the first eight months of production,
I worked as a texture artist, developing colors and textures for
CG character backgrounds and objects, and then for the last four
months I worked as a lighting technical director, designing the
lighting for scenes to create the final images. This transition
between departments enabled me to experience a wider range of
the movie’s production process.
Park I worked on Avatar as a senior animator. All of these creatures,
none of which exist in the real world, were created from
scratch through nothing but animation.
Q What did you think was special when you first saw how
Hollywood productions were made and became a part of it?
A Park The first things that come to mind are the massive amounts
of capital investment, the systematic production pipeline in place,
and the abundance of trained professionals. A particular focus is
placed on preproduction and planning, during which an efficient
production plan is drawn up, while developing the necessary software
and technologies and creating a coherent storyline at the
same time. Such thorough preparation, combined with an efficient
work environment, saves a lot of time. During the preproduction of
Avatar, which lasted several years, James Cameron and 20 th
Century Fox developed a new camera technology called the Pace
Fusion 3D camera system. Another strength of the Hollywood VFX
industry is that there are so many artists who know how to use all
these new technologies really well.
Q How do you think Korea’s VFX technology is coming along?
A Park Thanks to Korea’s soaring interest in VFX and how it’s revitalizing
the entertainment industry, investment in VFX movies is
growing every year and movies out there are becoming more and
more expressive. The use of VFX is only going to increase in Korea
in the future. It’s also noteworthy that there are a growing number
of professionals who are well-versed in this field.
Q What do you think about Korea’s intention to take its VFX
overseas?
A Jung It’s great that Korean VFX companies are collaborating on
overseas projects and making inroads in other markets, and they
should definitely keep up with this. It’s difficult to expect the
Korean VFX industry to grow if companies just target the limited
domestic market with its small number of moviegoers. Producers
in Hollywood are turning their attention outside the country to cut
costs. So as long as you have solid qualifications and a good command
of English, there’s a good chance you can sign some kind of
a deal with an overseas company for VFX or animation production.
We have to figure out what our strengths and weaknesses are, and
deal with the particular problems we face. Korea has a domestic
movie and game market base, and a professional workforce. On the
other hand, there is a lack of experts with high-end production
experience and a language barrier in place. You also have to keep
in mind that most of the countries doing VFX and animation work
for the US right now are English-speaking ones like Canada, India,
New Zealand, Singapore, India and the UK.
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
13

HELPING THE CG INDUSTRY
GAIN GROUND WORLDWIDE
In November 2009, seven Korean VFX companies shared a booth
at the American Film Market (AFM), the largest motion picture
trade show in the world. The companies were involved in a project
aimed at actively promoting the technology of Korean VFX companies
through business meetings with international film professionals,
an endeavor spearheaded by Korea’s Ministry of Culture,
Sports and Tourism (MCST) and the Korea Creative Content
Agency (KOCCA).
The two government groups backed the companies’ promotional
efforts by arranging business meetings with buyers from
Hollywood, which Jo Ha-sup, an assistant manager at KOCCA’s
Future Convergence Content Group, expounded on when he said,
“It is very difficult for small Korean companies to open booths at
international festivals because of their limited budgets. That’s why
the government provided an opportunity for these small businesses
to share a booth.”
Park Sang-uk, who works at the MCST’s Convergence Content
Team, adds, “The AFM is part of the bigger promotional package
picture. The main part of the program is aimed at supporting
Korean CG companies participating in movie/broadcasting projects
both in Korea and overseas by paying for part of the production
costs. The goal is to help these companies enhance their price
competitiveness and the quality of their product. In this context,
participation in the AFM can be seen as an additional marketing
support tool.”
The industry welcomes the move. “Hollywood tends to keep
going back to companies that have proven themselves time and
again. Initially, we predict we will not achieve exactly what we
want, but I do think that we will be able to improve our relations
on a lasting basis once we successfully complete our first project,”
says Son Seung-hyeon, production director at Insight Visual. In
essence, government support is like fertilizer, supporting the
industry until companies can stand on their own two feet.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism made an official
announcement about the project to promote Korean CG companies
in foreign markets on January 14, 2010, with Minister Yu In-chon
explaining, “The government plans to inject around US$181 million
into its computer graphics industry by 2013.” The action plan
includes creating a special CG fund of around US$45 million,
offering tax breaks that include refunding the cost of production,
KM Culture

Zip Cinema
Stills from the recently released movie Woochi (above) and last year’s
hit movie Take Off (below).
and providing support in the form of equipment to small companies
to enhance their technological competence.
On top of that, the government will help individual companies
which have had difficulty finding investment for their technologies,
with their R&D efforts. The project aims to improve the technological
prowess of all Korean VFX providers and secure new 3D
technologies emerging around the world. The MCST plans to
spearhead participation in overseas projects involving Korean companies
and to provide further marketing opportunities by bringing
relevant businesses together in overseas markets, including the
Cannes International Film Festival and the American Film Market.
If all goes according to plan, this will create sales of 100 billion
won and 30,000 new jobs by 2013.
The government’s policy initiative was brought about after
Korean companies would not leave the issue alone. The outcome
of their hard work to coordinate these demands was the establishment
of the Korea Computer Graphics Industry Alliance (KCGIA) in
2009. The idea of a council was conceived in 2008 and came to
fruition in August 2009 as an advisory committee to the government.
In a nutshell, the success of this policy depends on how well
government officials are informed of what is really going on in the
industry. People are paying attention to whether this meaningful
first step can lead to an even bigger leap.

PEN & BRUSH
Sung Suk-je
ng’s taste for fun and interesting subject matter can also be seen in his
essays. ‘I easily laugh. During my years in uni

DEEP INTO THE
WORLD OF
EVERYDAY
LIFE
Sung Suk-je’s novels are entertaining,
even touching. His stories are like a
cheerful folk dance. Spectators unknowingly
follow the beat and start dancing.
However, as one excitedly follows his stories,
one suddenly flinches into an abrupt
silence. Excitement is suddenly transformed
into tears, enlightening the reader
with a sudden intuition that the source of
laughter and grief is one and the same.
Drawing pathos from everyday life, this is
why we believe in his writing.
by Lee Se-mi | photographs by Kim Hong-jin
For 24 years, Sung Suk-je has brought his readers laughter and
tears with a writing style that encompasses both his strong personality
and quick plot pacing. Although he has built a strong
resume based on his novels, he first appeared on the literary
scene as a poet.
In 1986, Sung entered the field with his poem Window
Washing Person, which won a prize at Munhaksasang. He went
on to write his first novel, The Last 4.5 Seconds of My Life, in
1994. Since then, his works have continued to win numerous
awards, including the Oh Yeong-soo Literary Award in 2005.
Sung has procured a steady reader base with his prolific published
writings of two collections of poetry, 10 short novels,
essay collections and four novels.
Sung’s literary works are easily accessible for most readers. He
does not seek to affirm his own innocence nor does he bask in
novelty. He also does not tease readers with ostentatiously complex
questions. In his youth, Sung admired colorful patchwork
quilts, and his literary career is often compared to the eclectic
works that were once so impressed upon him.
“I like mixing it up. I’d rather have people than one person in
my stories. I’ve written about whatever my mind shows, like a
patchwork quilt, and that is what I believe my literary world to
be. Literature is communication between author and readers.
Literature is conveying stories I’ve heard and made. Literature is
an inanimate object that springs to life with human interaction.
Unless awoken by human touch, a literary work will just be an
ordinary marker left at a specific location.”
Though Sung is happy with the self-reflection poetry induces,
he also enjoys the interaction that novels bring. Happiness can
be a personal, one-sided emotion but, comparably, when something
is entertaining it must be shared and is hardpressed to be
kept secret. The writer also found new ways of interacting with
the audience with his essays, which, like his novels and poems,
portray his personal side.
“Writing sentences means the domain of fiction has started,
and essays are also kind of a fabrication of fiction. But essays are
usually written with some sort of fact or phenomenon. You cannot
write an essay without them. With these in hand, I have to
magnify and characterize a specific portion to get my point
across clearly. Essays have a different fun to them.”
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
17

A TRUE STORYTELLER Though there is no one to scold him if
he slacks off, Sung always wakes before dawn to care for his rice
paddies. He is a farmer’s son and heads straight for the fields,
whether there is work to do or not. His first experience with
literature started before entering elementary school. Without
any other forms of entertainment available, his only hobby was
reading. Before entering elementary school, the young Sung
tried to read everything he could get his hands on — including
Hamlet more than a hundred times, thousands of martial arts
novels, such as Hyeolmumun, and his aunt and uncle’s Korean
textbooks.
After graduating from high school, he moved to Seoul and
entered Yonsei University, majoring in law. After graduating, he
got a job at a company as an ordinary office worker, but
resigned and became a full-time writer. However, he didn’t quit
his job with the intention of becoming a writer. To Sung, a
proper job was safe and secure, but could in no way be fun. At
the time, he also never thought that, of all things, writing novels
could be entertaining.
Sung was fascinated with German poets and writers Rainer
Maria Rilke, Bertolt Brecht, and Paul Celan, but regarded literature
as ontological and only pursued his hobby in order to be
well-read. His goal in life was to become a cultivated man who
could live his life with passion, like writer, philosopher, scientist
and prime minister Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Understanding this ambition helps connect the ties between
the writer’s personality and his works. If you strike up a conversation
with him, you will be instantly reminded of a sincere and
well-informed scholar. His novels also demonstrate his sense of
humor: comical but with a hidden sincerity.
Sung’s particular brand of subtle humor has pushed him to
the forefront of contemporary writing. Often referred to as this
generation’s representative storyteller, he prefers classics aside
from his own literary tastes.
Many will agree that what makes his novels most outstanding
is their subject matter. As he has an affinity for all people, he is
constantly enveloped by a barrage of individuals that he connects
with. Every acquaintance becomes potential material for
his writing later, simply stored in his mind until they resurface
somewhere in a novel. Sometimes, even old friends are recycled
and recast in his writing.
His characters range from motorcycle gang members to gamblers,
sexual assailants to passionless commoners. Though the
protagonists may vary, their lives are always expressed in a manner
which most emphasizes the juxtaposition of humor and
tragedy of their circumstances. The paradoxical profundity of
the emotions felt by the reader typically conclude with a reevaluation
of one’s existence.
But it would be foolish to try and discover the hidden moral
in Sung’s stories; the best closure is to revel in the silent reminiscence
that remains after the last page has been read and closed.
Though he can take you far past the point of emotional clarity
18
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010

into obscurity again, the point is the journey itself.
And Sung is, indeed, a fun person. “If it is not fun for me, it
cannot make others laugh. I cannot tolerate boredom.
Literature fundamentally has no meaning if it’s not read, and a
powerful force that makes people read is when the content is
fun. Whatever the result, there must be something that makes
me excited and curious. However, even if I think the material is
fun, and if my readers do not agree, then ultimately there is no
fun in the material for me either.”
Sung’s taste for entertainment saturates his writing. “I laugh
easily. During my years in university, I was once scolded for
laughing out loud by my professor who said ‘Why do you laugh
at something so simple?’ So I walked out of the classroom and
laughed all I wanted before returning.” His love for jocosity is
one reason he believes novels should be read carefreely, without
the obligation that something must be learnt from the material.
Sung’s novels are much closer to realism than any ideological
philosophies on the origins of our human nature. The weight of
life and its layers of intricate truths can be very easily simplified
with a gallant and bold bout of laughter.
In earlier works, his novels often began with bizarre characters
whose idiosyncracies are expressed playfully, at odds with
their environment. By the mid-2000s, his novels, among them
Mother’s Song and A Really Good Day, began to develop a heavier
feel to them, progressing into new territories of, perhaps,
maturity. More recently, in his new novel Currently Happy,
Sung has returned to his previously playful characters that are
completely introverted into their own lives, but have reconciled
themselves with their surroundings. The characters reflect the
perspectives of the author as his view of the world becomes
more tolerant. However, one aspect of his novels has never
changed, which Sung calls “showing the extreme.”
“My interest in the extreme has not changed. Today I focus
less on a being’s extreme characteristics, and try to focus on
expanding that extremity. It is less evident as it is covered up.
People can change any way they like, whether tragically or
comically or coincidentally. I always keep that in mind.”
His characters are pushed to their limits through gambling,
drinking, dancing, or acts implicitly demonstrating that the act
of losing oneself is a form of liberation. His extremes are not
metaphysical, but a form of experiential immersion.
In writing, Sung is interested in hedonistic paradigms of the
world, such as crime and money. But in person, he enjoys activities
such as hiking, listening to music or riding his bicycle when
faced with writer’s block.
He is currently writing about strangers who connect to form
a family. Until then, his readers will have to lie in wait for the
next laugh, intermingled with sobs. As one of his poems cautions,
“don’t expect this world to be this warm.” Sung Suk-je,
the storyteller, is a true player.
SUNG SUK-JE’S SHORT STORIES
The Last 4.5 Seconds of My Life (Die letzten viereinhalb
Sekunden meines Lebens)
> Language German
> Publisher Peperkorn (Germany)
> Published year 2009
Sung Suk-je’s collection of short stories, The Last
4.5 Seconds of My Life (Die letzten viereinhalb
Sekunden meines Lebens), includes nine of his
major works, including the title work The Last 4.5
Seconds of My Life, First Love, Early Spring, Jo
Dong-gwan Yakjeon, Wandering, Novel Writing
Person, Under the Shadows of the Oleander,
Hwang Man-geun Said, and Cheonaeyullak.
The characters in The Last 4.5 Seconds of My Life
are people on the boundaries of society. Sung
expresses the characters’ cleverness and simplicity
through a lovable combination, using comfortable
and witty writing that only he can. Examining a few
works in his collection of short stories, the title work
The Last 4.5 Seconds of My Life is a piece that uses
satirical allegory to express the transformation of a
man moving from a period dominated by physical
strength, to a period of ideologies. The writer depicted
the last 4.5 seconds of a gangster’s life, like a
slow video motion film, as he falls off a bridge to his
death in his car. Without any frivolous excess or
humor, Sung’s mixture of mythology makes the
novel multi-emotional in dimension.
Hwang Man-geun Said is a short story of a farmer
who is below average in all aspects of life. Hwang
Man-geun works diligently and helps his neighbors,
while never avoiding humiliation from others until
his sudden accidental death. He comes back to life
in this short story as an outsider who sees his true
worth. What would have Hwang Man-geun said?
He never did leave any special message, but his
duty-fulfilled life urges the reader to reflect on their
own, which are littered with desires and
selfishness.
Jo Dong-gwan Yakjeon is a
piece that shows the true
essence of Sung’s writing.
The writer exquisitely expresses
the short life of a gangster
named Jo Dong-gwan and his
roughneck life, and how he
gained fame as a gangster.
Jo leaves to catch his runaway
wife but fails to to get her. On
his way back home, he breaks
all the windows of a police
station. He is arrested, convicted,
and ultimately sent to
a “juvenile facility.” With the
death of Jo, the indescribable
effects of his death on the
villagers are used to expose
the hypocrisy and authority of
older generations.
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
19

PEOPLE
20
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010

THE ART OF
SHARING
A cafe can serve as an atmospheric environment to sip a
well-brewed coffee, a gathering place for artists and writers, a casual
restaurant to catch a light meal, or a simple getaway to enjoy
stimulating conversation. Combine the romantic ambiance of Cafe
de la Rotonde in Paris, where Jean Cocteau and Amedeo
Modigliani discussed the arts, with the Korean people’s affinity for
community, and you get “Art for Life,” a prime example of Seoul’s
unique blend of cafe culture. Situated at the foot of Buam-dong’s
tranquil mountains, this charismatic space of traditional architecture
radiates with a progressive philanthropy.
by Jeong Se-young | photographs by Kim Nam-heon
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
21

Novelist Oh Jung-hee once wrote: “In the evening as I wash rice,
I look up through the window greeted by the sunset hiding behind
the horizon of mountains and woods as a white bird flies by leaving
a trace of mystery, and my heart is filled with a vague sadness
towards my life.” The scenery of this passage matches that of
Buam-dong, which boasts the idyllic figures of Mounts Bukhansan
and Inwangsan in its landscape. The best vantage point can be
found just past the Whanki Museum — a landmark in Buam-dong
— and up the slope; spectators are rewarded with a picturesque
scene unlike the world that was left behind the bend. Taking a
deep breath as you look around, it’s easy to forget this quaint cafe
village is actually in the center of Seoul. Mountain ridges glow in
the sunset, smoke rises from traditional houses as families prepare
dinner, a stray cat follows the scent of rice, and a thick snow blankets
the rooftops.
Buam-dong is located in Jongno-gu, Seoul, at the eastern foot of
Mount Inwangsan, and bordered by Samcheong-dong to the east
and Pyeongchang-dong to the north. The neighborhood was named
after Buchim, a mythical boulder borne of traditional folklore. It
was believed that “if you rub a rock on the boulder the number of
times equal to one’s age, it will stick to the stone and that person
will be given a son.” Recently, Buam-dong started to gain fame as
it became the prominent stage for hit Korean dramas. Young
artists ranging from designers, photographers, musicians, film professionals
and chefs began to show a great deal of interest in
Buam-dong. Its winding alleyways elude to a simpler lifestyle surrounded
by nature, far away from the city bustle.
Buam-dong has become the popular “it” place to open an
artist’s studio, joining the prestigious ranks of Hongdae and
Garosu-gil, Samcheong-dong and Seorae Maeul, Gahoe-dong and
Hyoja-dong. Though the area has countless charming cafes, the
oldest and most sought-after is the classical music cafe “Art for
Life,” managed by former Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra oboist
Seong Pil-gwan and his wife, flutist Yong Mi-joong. The couple
acquired the mountaintop home seven years ago.
By the age of 38, Seong had studied culture, philosophy, politics
and economics in both the Netherlands and France. During
his studies in Paris, where he first experienced authentic cafe culture,
he dreamt of achieving the same level of connectivity in
Korea that he found abroad: the phenomenon of people freely
experiencing salon concerts in a setting of synergy. The first thing
he did upon returning to Korea was sell his 23-year-old apartment
building to construct a house in the mountains within Seoul’s city
limits. Seong hired four contractors to create his dream structure,
a “house of arts and sharing.” The final design included a main
building, large enough to house three generations, a small theater
for weekly concerts, an outdoor terrace for exhibitions, and a cafe
where one can order warm food and tea. Though many an obstacle
was faced in completing the building, Seong and his wife’s kept
their spirits up, and 18 months later their dreams were realized.
22
KOREA
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2010

As soon as “Art for Life” opened, musicians, photographers,
poets, entrepreneurs, professors, doctors and passersby in love
with classical music flocked to their establishment. Many customers
were introduced to the establishment based on word of
mouth recommendations. But guests of “Art for Life” always
return and now, seven years later, they have become the cafe’s
family. Regulars gather each week on a volunteer basis to perform
and recite poems, partake in delectable cuisine and drink. Then,
at the end of the day, profits are sent to help those in need.
A FESTIVE LIFE At the entrance of the cafe are the words “A
Festive Life.” The phrase, which would seem to echo the premature
epitaph of a musician’s life well-lived, is meant to inspire visitors
to define what happiness means to them. Though it may seem
at odds with those the couple wishes to help (those suffering from
misfortune), the catchphrase became the couple’s life slogan after
they found religion. Seong graduated from Hanyang University’s
College of Music, majoring in the oboe, and became a member of
the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 21. He lectured at
Hanyang University, Sookmyung Women’s University and
Chung-Ang University and was on the short path to success.
Seong Pil-gwan, 55, is an oboist and the owner of the cafe “Art for Life” (opposite). The
cafe’s entrance is seen covered in snow (top) and a monochromatic sign indicates the
restaurant concert hall (above).
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
23

Art for Life
That is until when, in 1992, he left everything behind to study
abroad in Europe. Seong confesses that he was full of conceit,
having achieved so much at an early age. “Music was all I knew;
it was my life ... But one day, I met God. Everything changed after
that.” During his studies in Paris, the young musician learned of
an organization named Emmaüs, led by a priest named Abbe
Pierre. Through the charitable work of the group, Seong came to
realize that art was not only fun, but that it could be used to create
happiness in others as well. He learned that to spread joy, one
must share and live among those in society who are in need. He
came to regret the years spent enjoying his talents selfishly, and
instead wanted to give to others. Seong’s own “festive life” started
when he decided to share and use his talents for his neighbors.
The cafe now holds two concerts every Tuesday and Saturday;
a busy schedule that has the calendar booked through 2012.
January through March of this year will showcase jazz, March to
June will present classical music, July will return to jazz, and
August will present 15 th and 16 th century music. Though this year
is filled with Western music, the upcoming year will have traditional
Korean performances featuring instruments such as the
gayageum byeongchang, geomungo and haegeum accompanied by
dances. Film festivals and a myriad of events are also scheduled.
Performance profits are donated to the impoverished and others
in need. The philanthropic couple has helped foreign women living
in Korea who have no way to maintain their livelihood obtain
Korean citizenship, and has sponsored five orphaned minors
every year for the last three years, by giving them 1 million won
each month.
“Art for Life” does not stop at helping others materially. The
pair also help children learn and gain a better understanding of the
arts. Seong buys the paintings the children make at 5,000 won
(around US$4.50) per piece and hangs them in the cafe. He
hopes to teach children that art is not free, but that it is a relationship
of exchange and growth. “Children draw very well. After listening
to music, we ask the children to draw their impressions and
we get such unique paintings filled with their infinite imagination.
These paintings are worth more than any piece of art in the professional
world.” The paintings Seong has collected over the years
from children are enough to cover all the walls of his cafe.
Another method to expand a sense of community is to give visitors
a chance to write poems. Providing people with the opportunity
to recite verse about subjects which they never had a chance to
express serves as a moving catharsis. Through this process Seong
has grown close to his patrons, and once received a letter he will
never forget. One woman, after arguing with her husband, wrote
him a letter after deciding to take her own life. By the time Seong
received the letter the woman had already passed away, but in her
final moments she knew she could reach out to someone, and was
not alone. Seong once again realized, upon reading the letter, the
importance of connecting emotionally to others.
After this incident, “Art for Life” started couples’ art therapy
classes. The class “Ieum (connection)” helps estranged married
couples re-establish a close bond. The intimate and raw emotions
of the meetings have melted even the coldest of hearts, from
wealthy business people to busy celebrities who are often
detached from the lives of others.
24
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010

Art for Life
COOKING CULTURE One of the main reasons Seong has an easy
smile and optimistic lifestyle is his other half: Yong Mi-joong. The
couple first met in an audition for the Seoul Philharmonic
Orchestra (as an auditioning student and judges panel member),
and later married. Though Yong is seven years younger than her
husband, the couple work smoothly as a team, with Yong oftentimes
taking charge with organizing and preparations. When Seong
invites a large group of people without considering the circumstances,
it is Yong who gets busy. The disciplined flutist prepares
all the food, while also performing and conducting other duties.
Yong says that she is happy to share her music and cooking
with others. Throughout the interview with KOREA, the musician
never once left the kitchen until discussions about food began.
Lately, she says, she has been enamored with enzymes. The modest
Yong says that she is still learning, but her exquisite cuisine
belies her humble words. Enzymes, created by fermentation, can
be called an ingredient that grows life. In the chef’s words, “food
that embraces everyone” is closer to people’s hearts than any particular
food trends. She began to study food philosophy and
learned that cuisine that is healthy and natural caters to all
palettes. Yong says her dishes are inspired by the Eastern philosophy
of the Taoism, and that tastes and culture are reflected in
one’s writing, music and cooking. She has started to read more
about the unseen forces of connectivity and philosophy, and began
to learn about meditation.
Yong first developed a passion for food from a desire to cook for
patients in hospices. As spicy and salty foods can be hazardous for
the sick, she began to research and learn more about well-being.
Quality ingredients and minimal seasoning are best — Italian cuisine
is a case in point, as it is one of the world’s best-known health
foods, she says. After Yong completed a professional course in
Italian cuisine, she moved on to study French cooking. Next, she
dreams of learning to prepare a variety of Korean cuisine from
across the country, taking to heart recipes handed down from generation
to generation. These gastronomic historians, people who
have perfected their dishes after years of preparation and practice,
are the true philosophers of food. These recipes contain not only
ingredients, but the souls of people, and they incite inspiration,
calm, anger and give strength to the weak — this is the level the
dedicated chef strives for.
When Yong cooks for visitors who have recently argued, she uses
dried ingredients instead of fresh vegetables or fruits. “Raw dishes
have a tendency to be rough. For people who have fought, these
dishes will only add to their anger and not suppress it. In contrast,
dried ingredients have a good taste and energy, giving the dish a
gentle and soft feel.” A verse from The Book of Unholy Mischief by
Elle Newmark describes the chef that she dreams of becoming.
“Luciano, food has power. Each dish works its own magic, a kind of
alchemy that changes our body and minds, but is easily consumable
with no need to chew. So it helps ease a person’s mind.”
Seong plays the oboe in the restaurant concert hall (opposite below). The name of the cafe
is painted on a colorful wall (opposite top). Chidren’s paintings hung in the cafe (opposite
above). Yong Mi-joong, 49, plays the flute (above).
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
25

TRAVEL
A TRANSPARENT
Winter Song
Inje lies on the eastern edge of the Korean peninsula, an area where the mountains are
higher and the valleys deeper. Each year, Inje takes its winter celebrations to heart. Once
the fine crystal structures of snowflakes start to appear, they continue to fall endlessly from
the sky, in all their ephemeral beauty. Similar to the local specialty, hwangtae (dried pollack),
which deepens in flavor by melting and refreezing with the cold, visitors to the region
must allow their hearts to open to new experiences, despite the sub-zero temperatures.
by Cheon So-hyeon | photographs by Park Jung-ro

The Road to Baekdamsa temple

In December, when the temperature drops below
minus 10C, the residents of Hwangtae Village in
Inje begin to stir in an excited frenzy. On the
same ground where the villagers raised corn and
peppers just months before until autumn’s end,
deok wooden frames are set up on which millions
of myeongtae (a wall-eye pollack) are hung. The
myeongtaes, which have been frozen and thawed
every night and day for the past three to four
months, become hwangtae once the lengthy
cycle is completed. The process is similar to that
of ice wine, in which grapes are repeatedly frozen
and thawed. The rings on the skin of the hwangtae
reflect the mercury dips of winter.
When we arrived at Choi Yong-sik’s hwangtae
deokjang (drying facility) for a visit, he was having
a meal with his employees on their last day of
hanging the local grub. This winter Choi dried
2.7 million of the fish. Yongdae-ri village, population
of 550, has 30 deokjang, and an annual
production of 17 million hwangtaes — or 70 percent
of the total hwangtae consumption in Korea.
A PASSIONATE LIFE In Nam-myeon, Inje, where
the arms of the Soyanggang river slow with the
cold, a large-scale bingjang, or ice plaza, is created
every winter. Many people wait for the cold
season to visit the area, so that they can fish for
bingeo, or smelt. The annual Inje Icefish
Festival, now in its 14 th run, has become a
regional event. The key to enticing friends to
come out to the site is the thrill of ice fishing, an
activity which can’t be done just anywhere in
Korea. Once a person masters the gentle motion
of the catch, strings of bingeo no bigger than
your index finger can be pulled from the small
holes in the ice in no time.
The skin of bingeo is translucent, showing the
entirety of their inner structures. The small fish
are typically eaten with gochujang, red pepper
Hwangtae deokjang (drying pollack facilities) in Inje (above). Inje’s
mountains and valleys are seen from Misiryeong pass (oppposite).
28
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010

18
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010

paste, right after they are caught. If the raw meal
seems too bold, bingeo can also be prepared
cooked and seasoned. You don’t have to look too
far for restaurants — there is a line of snack bars
shielded from the chilly winds by tents pitched
around the festival venue on Soyangho lake.
Though the 2010 Icefish Festival was held from
January 28 to 31, die-hard bingeo afficionados
start visiting the frozen rivers from mid-January
to early February, when the river starts to freeze.
Mount Seoraksan was the fifth mountain to be
designated a national park in Korea. When people
hear the name, they might think of its main
gateway city, Sokcho, but the inland region of
this mountain is actually located in Inje. Mount
Seoraksan is divided into Naeseorak (Inner
Seorak), Waeseorak (Outer Seorak), and
Namseorak (South Seorak). Naeseorak is located
in Inje, Waeseorak in Goseong and Sokcho, and
Namseorak in Yangyang and Inje. The mountain
peaks and ridges have become the natural borders
dividing the regions, creating different traditions
and lifestyles for each. There are 96 mountains
in Inje and some 91 percent of its total
area consists of peaks and rivers, creating the
depth of its valleys.
Though the fiery-hue of autumnal foliage is
typically the first image to grace people’s minds
when they hear Mount Seoraksan mentioned, the
landscape is actually pure white and snowy for
most of the year. The mountain’s snow cover
remains for so long, in fact, that is said that
snow from Chuseok (the Korean harvest holiday
in September) doesn’t melt until Dano (the fifth
day of the fifth lunar month, around mid-June of
the solar calendar). This is how it earned its
name, which in Korean means a snowy mountain
that is difficult to climb.
A SPIRITUAL WINTER On a recent winter’s day,
heavy snowfall froze all roads and stopped all
shuttle buses. Visitors to the area were told that
they would have to walk 14km to reach
Baekdamsa temple. The suddenly-limited traffic
saw Baekdamsa return to its past, when it was
once a secluded temple with few visitors. After
walking along the solitary valley for two hours, it
feels as if the world had widened and broadened.
There are few people willing to take on the
mountains, and the chirping of the birds
becomes defined and clear. On the snow, the
footprints of a rabbit skipping to look for spring
water are imprinted like a winter shadow. Only
after crossing two bridges and climbing three
hills — causing sweat to caress my forehead —
does the Iljumun gate appear. I cross the last
bridge, the Susingyo, and finally I arrive at the
Baekdamsa temple.
One of the founding temples of the Jogye
Order of Korean Buddhism, only 40 people a
year undertake the challenge of pursuing the
temple’s strict teaching — the first step to
becoming a monk. To catch a glimpse into a
monk’s life without the six months of training,
visitors can easily participate in a temple stay.
The short program offers lessons on meditation,
the 108 bows, dado (tea ceremony),
balwu-gongyang (eating practices) and yoga. For
those who can’t stay long, relax for a warm cup of
green tea and add a stone on the pagoda at the
temple’s entrance, which symbolizes leaving
behind one’s worries.
My footsteps climbing down the mountain are
lighter, the weather warmer. It’s a delight to see
the animals, invisible from a car’s vantage point,
while walking the silent wintry road. Winter in
Inje — this is spiritual training.
HOW TO GO
> By Bus Take a bus at Dong (East)
Seoul Bus Terminal ([02] 446-8000) or
Sangbong Bus Terminal ([02] 323-
5885). The ride takes around two
hours and 20 minutes to Inje.
> By Car Take Gyeongchun
Expressway from Seoul through Donghongcheon
to Inje (an hour and 30
minutes), or Youngdong Expressway
through Wonju and Hongcheon to Inje
(two hours and 30 minutes). You must
take National Road No 44 from
Hongcheon. For more information, call
the Inje Tourism Information Center on
1588-6226, [033] 460-2170 or visit
www.inje.go.kr.
HWANGTAE FESTIVAL, YONGDAE-RI
> Date Feb. 26-Mar. 1, 2010
> Address Yongdae 3-ri, Inje.
For more information, call [033] 462-
4808 or visit www.yongdaeri.com.
BAEKDAMSA TEMPLE
> Address 690 Yongdae-ri, Bukmyeon,
Inje. For more information, call
[033] 462-6969, Temple Secretariat
[033] 462-5565 or www.baekdamsa.org.
> Temple Stay Fee Rest for one day
(30,000 Korean won [US$27.27]), two
days & one night (70,000 won
[US$63.63]), three days & two nights
(100,000 won [US$90.90]), etc.
The water of Soyanggang river lies frozen (above). The bell of
Baekdamsa temple (opposite top). A woman is enjoying ice fishing
on bingjang, ice plaza in Inje (opposite bottom).
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
31

MY KOREA
Singin’
in the
ROOM
----------
Noraebang
Nights
Just how can
Koreans derive such
joy from
gathering in a dimly
lit room, blasting a
synth-cheese
version of their
favorite pop song,
and then singing
and dancing with
face-twisting
abandon?
by Niels Footman
photograph by
Kim Nam-heon
illustrations by
Jo Seung-yeon
32
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010

Ask a Korean the biggest cultural oddities facing a Westerner in his country, and
you will likely hear a commentary on terrifyingly spicy food, unfailing reverence
for the elderly or the perils of trying to master chopsticks. Ask a Westerner, however,
and the list transforms. What the heck is with these devil-may-care drivers?
They will demand. Why do older people barge through me as if I didn’t exist?
And how can Koreans gather in a small room, and sing and dance with facetwisting
abandon? True enough, karaoke, or noraebang (literally “song room”)
as it is known here, is one of those oddities, but it is far from unique to Korea.
My earliest brush with it actually took place in Hong Kong, where I lived and
worked for three years in the mid-’90s.
My first time, as such things tend to be, was unforgettable. Though a lifelong
lover of rock and pop music, and a passionate bathroom and mirror-front singer,
I had never for a second countenanced going out with friends to a karaoke, much
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
33

less singing at one. After much prompting, and emboldened by generous amounts of
beer, I finally summoned the courage to unleash my debut song — Abba’s “Dancing
Queen,” if memory serves — on an expectant public. Gradually shedding my stiff
British reserve, my voice grew from a timid crackle to a triumphal bellow, drawing
whoops of approval from my companions. It was nothing short of liberating. Having
been thus blooded in karaoke, I was at something of an advantage when the noraebang
call inevitably came in Korea. In my earliest visits there, I could see much of
what I recalled from my previous karaoke experiences: the disco lights, cavern-esque
rooms and tinny musical accompaniments were all present and correct.
Yet things were a bit different here, too. For one thing, the song lists, while containing
the usual English-language standards, also had strikingly outré inclusions
(who could resist a singalong to metal titans Helloween or Pantera?). For another, in
a country not known for its abstemiousness, most noraebang were, and still are,
completely dry (although, thankfully for my own singing career, some places do sell
booze). And crucially, thanks to the relative ease of learning the Korean alphabet,
34
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010

PROFILE
In his eight years in
Korea, UK native Niels
Footman has taught
English, taken a
Master’s degree, edited
at a local newspaper
and magazine, and is
now working in public
relations. When he’s
not hard at work for
his company, he loves
writing, reading, getting
outdoors and, of
course, the occasional
visit to the noraebang.
hangeul, I was able from a very early stage to sing a song or two in Korean,
which, for an audience unaccustomed to hearing a foreigner speak Korean, never
mind sing it, was often met with something approaching hysteria.
Subsequent noraebang visits with local friends yielded glimpses of Korea that
no guidebook, and certainly no visit to the usual tourist sights, could ever provide.
For me, this was especially the case after I took up a job in a big publishing
firm, where all the other staff were Korean. Every few weeks our department or,
on bigger occasions, the entire office would troop off for the infamous hoesik, or
after-work food and drinks, gorge on barbecued pork and soju (the local grog)
and then, with thudding certainty, make our way to the nearest noraebang.
The change in these people I worked with was often extraordinary. On coming
into contact with a mic, a squelchy soundtrack and a backing video depicting
unfeasibly happy people bounding through a Swiss hamlet, the sternest of clients
and middle-aged office managers would transform into louche rockers or heartfelt
crooners. The daintiest, most introverted young women would open their
mouths to reveal lungs of fire. And while the famous Korean office hierarchy persisted
even in these unceremonious surroundings — the most junior staff would
sing first, drinking etiquette was scrupulously maintained and no one left until
the boss did — there was, at least through the mist of several shots of whiskey too
many, an undeniable sense of camaraderie, a feeling that tonight, at least, everyone
was as one in the crucible of behaving very foolishly indeed.
On the times I subsequently went in groups including newly arrived foreign
friends, though, I was newly reminded of just how alien karaoke was to many of
them. Some would refuse outright to sing, while others would flick endlessly
through the pages of the song catalog, never quite finding the right one. Still
others would choose a song, raise the mic to their mouths, then freeze and shrink
back into their chairs. Having never experienced the joys of karaoke at home,
these greenhorns were consumed with the kind of deep-rooted dread that only
singing in front of their peers could inspire: A fear that their voice would be so
bad, it would make a gaggle of alley cats sound like a barbershop quartet.
As I had once done, though, the karaoke refuseniks were rather missing the
point. As I’ve discovered through my many visits, there can be few places anywhere
where notions of making a fool of yourself are not so much disregarded as
simply irrelevant. While a few of my Korean noraebang companions have been
accomplished singers who clearly put in a bit of practice, the overwhelming
majority were unashamedly poor, murdering everything from K-pop songs to
old, maudlin Korean ballads to Gloria Gaynor with the same relentless vigor and
effort. But just by taking to the floor, and warbling along as best they could, they
invariably prompted claps, cheers and equally woeful dancing among the onlooking
crowd. In just this way, I have had some of my most hilarious nights out in
Korea (the best ones, admittedly, helped along with a drink or six).
I’ve done P-Diddy in my native Scottish accent. I’ve sung late-night Scorpions
duets with old friends. I’ve pogoed to A-ha’s “Take On Me.” And, most stirringly
of all, I’ve stolen the show with stuttering renditions of Korean pop songs. Just
as my friends back home would find moments of genuine poignancy by getting
sloshed on beer, putting their arms around each other’s shoulders and howling
along to the jukebox, Koreans, it has always seemed to me, find a real sense of
togetherness in their song-room serenades. And as mystifying as karaokes may be
for the uninitiated, the friendships formed over drunken, cacophonous noraebang
nights may just be the ones that stay with you the longest.
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
35

SUMMIT DIPLOMACY
KOREA TO BUILD NUCLEAR
POWER PLANTS IN THE UAE
Led by the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) consortium,
Korea won the right to build and operate four nuclear power plants in
the United Arab Emirates worth US$40 billion. It’s the largest deal of its
kind for Korea, nearly six times bigger than the deal to build a second
phase of the Libyan waterway in the 1980s. by Kwon Kyeong-hui
36
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010

Nuclear power plants in Yeonggwang, South Jeolla
Province, Korea (above). Construction of nuclear
power plant in Gori, Korea (right).
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd
Multibits Image
The UAE nuclear power plant deal is
being hailed as a gold mine that will
raise the country’s national profile. After
setting its first nuclear power plant in
motion in Gori in 1978, with the aid of
US technology, Korea will now get to
export its indigenous nuclear power
plant (APR 1400) for the first time, ushering
in a renaissance of nuclear power.
Korean President Lee Myung-bak says
China plans to build 100 nuclear power
plants, with 400 additional plants by
2030 worldwide and about 1,000 more
in the long term. “Korea has joined the
likes of the United States, Japan, France
and Russia as exporters of nuclear power
plants,” Lee said.
“President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed
Al Nahyan and I discussed building comprehensive
and strategic partnerships in
nuclear power as well as in education,
the latest technology and security,” Lee
added. “Our relations with the UAE
should bring us the second Middle East
boom. Unlike in the past, we should
make headways in high value-added
industries, centered on plants.”
The UAE deal includes the construction
of the first 1,400-megawatt reactor
by 2017 and a total of four reactors, in
the capital Abu Dhabi and Sila, 330km
to its west, by the year 2020. Over the
next 10 years, the construction contract
will amount to US$20 billion, which
would equal the amount generated by
exporting 1 million units of mid-sized
sedans or exporting 180 units of major
oil tankers weighing 300,000 tons.
Another US$20 billion will be earned
during the 60-year lifespan of the reactors
as Korea would oversee operations
and replace equipment as necessary.
“The UAE order will generate
110,000 jobs over 10 years,” a Blue
House official said. “Considering other
effects related to construction, equipment
manufacturing, architecture,
nuclear technology development and
financing, the deal will have an impact
on the nation’s economy as a whole.”
President Khalifa expressed hopes for
cooperation with Korea in various fields.
Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO of the
Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation,
said, “We were impressed by the worldclass
safety the KEPCO consortium presented
and that’s why we selected it.”
Hammadi, who will oversee the country’s
first nuclear power plant project,
added that the deal will be an important
starting point for the UAE nuclear power
industry, which will continue to develop
into the future.
“In the bidding, we regarded safety as
the most important factor,” Al Hammadi
explained. “The KEPCO consortium
received higher marks in safety than its
competitors. Whether the leading consortium
company could be held accountable
for participation of its partners and
whether the companies could honor the
deadline were other important criteria,”
the CEO added. “The consortium convinced
us that it could deliver the knowhow
for 30 years of successfully operating
nuclear power plants.”
Al Hammadi then added that ENEC
and KEPCO will form a joint venture to
operate the UAE nuclear power plants,
adding, “The two companies will be able
to create other joint ventures in areas
such as fuel supply. We’re also considering
sending our personnel to Korean universities
or institutes to develop our
nuclear technology. The UAE is trying to
reduce carbon emissions and use
nuclear energy for peaceful purposes for
sustainable growth,” Al Hammadi continued,
“We expect the two countries to
maintain a long-term relationship.”
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
37

NEW REACTOR TECHNOLOGY The APR
1400, the nuclear reactor to be built in
the UAE, is the fruit of long-term nuclear
power development in Korea. It’s a
third-generation light-water reactor
based on the design, construction and
operation of the OPR 1000, the Korean
standard for nuclear power plants.
To produce the APR 1400, the
Korean government launched a project
to develop next-generation nuclear reactor
technology in 1992. By 1999, the
basic blueprint was completed and the
name APR 1400 came to be. In 2002, it
won national design certification, and
five years later, the standard was applied
to nuclear reactors in Korea.
The 1.4-million kW unit has an operational
lifespan of 60 years and can be
built in 54 months. This reactor is said
to suffer less than one core damage per
1 million years. It has 10 times the safety
and economical benefits of OPR
1000. In terms of economics, among the
third-generation reactors based on OPR
1000, APR 1400 has the most competitive
overnight cost per kilowatt at
US$2,300. In comparison, the figures
for the French reactor (EPR) measured
at US$2,900, while those for the
Japanese (ABWR) and the US (AP 1000)
models were US$2,900 and US$3,582,
respectively.
It’s also convenient to operate and
maintain. There is twice as much time —
up to eight hours from four hours — to
respond to the halting of operations,
while the amount of time workers are
exposed to radiation has been reduced.
A system to make maintenance and
inspections more convenient has also
been bolstered. Currently, APR 1400
construction works are under way for the
New Gori Nos 3 and 4, the first commercial
reactors, and for New Uljin Nos 1
and 2. A new model of APR 1400 for
the European market is in development,
and Korea is also trying to win US design
certification in order to enter the
American market.
Yonhapnews Agency
A brand-new nuclear power plant built in Gori,
Korea, on February 28, 2009 is shown (above).
Korean President Lee Myung-bak and the UAE’s
President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced
the results of the Korea-UAE Nuclear Power Deal
at Abu Dhabi on December 27, 2009 (below).
Yonhapnews Agency
38
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010

GLOBAL NUCLEAR PLANT BUILDING PROSPECTS
(Unit: MW, number of plants in parentheses)
CURRENT GLOBAL USE OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AND PROSPECTS
(Unit: number of plants)
ASIA
US
25,000MW(19)
RUNNING UNDER CONST. FINALIZED PLANNED
109 35 94
148
EUROPE 197 13 20 93
N. AMERICA 122 3 15 22
OTHER 816 32
POLAND
10,000MW(5)
ENGLAND
6,000MW(4)
ITALY
17,000MW(10)
UKRAINA
27,000MW(20)
UAE
15,500MW(11)
DAWN OF THE NUCLEAR AGE The global
nuclear reactor market is expected to
double over the next two decades.
Today, 31 nations are running 436 reactors.
By 2030, an additional 430 reactors
are expected to be built. The United
States will resume building reactors after
a 30-year hiatus. Italy, which stopped
building new reactors after a 1980 referendum,
will join the party in 2013.
France, one of the leading nuclear
states, will rely on nuclear power for 78
percent of all its electricity. Japan is also
trying to expand its scope.
China, the world’s largest emitter of
greenhouse gases, is ahead of everyone
else in nuclear power plant construction.
It plans to increase its nuclear energy
generation to 40 gigawatts by 2020 so
that up to 6 percent of all its electricity
will come from nuclear power.
The world is turning its eyes toward
the resource because alternative renewable
energies have been secured, and no
other form of fuel can effectively reduce
greenhouse gases. Though nuclear power
accounts for only about 15 percent of
electricity production, it can only
increase from here as countries continue
to expand their industries.
Even considering the massive construction
costs, risks of casualties and
INDIA
20,000MW(15)
CHINA
79,000MW(90)
VIETNAM
8,000MW(8)
Source: World Nuclear Association
RUSSIA
36,680MW(37)
contamination through radiation, and
problems with disposing of nuclear
waste, there is hardly any doubt that
nuclear power — with no carbon emissions
— will replace oil and coal as the
major source of energy. Nuclear reactor
technology has reached a point where
dangers can be controled and “carbon
neutrality” has emerged as the new
value for all nations.
Many countries are in stiff competition
for contracts to build reactors. To
construct reactors in Vietnam, Japan has
been lobbying the government and civilians
for 20 years. To make up for its loss
over the UAE deal, France will be in hot
pursuit of the Vietnam order. France has
also reportedly told Kenya that it would
like to join the African country’s first
reactor construction in five years.
Russia is known to have signed deals
or to be in negotiations for deals with the
likes of Vietnam, Egypt, Morocco,
Malaysia, China, Brazil and Algeria over
nuclear reactor construction or uranium
exports. Canada and India have recently
completed negotiations with Trinidad
and Tobago over nuclear power cooperation
and are finalizing a deal.
The nuclear reactor market is competitive
and the national strategies and support
will be the key determinant. In an
attempt to raise its competitiveness in
an increasingly fierce market, the
Korean government plans to invest
around US$350 million through 2017
to turn nuclear plant construction into
a new export industry.
Using the UAE deal as the stepping
stone, Korea wants to develop this niche
industry and place it on par with semiconductors,
shipbuilding and automobiles
— the leading export industries.
The government aims to export 10 reactors
by 2012, and 80 by 2030, assuming
20 percent of the global nuclear
power plant construction market.
The additional 80 reactors would be
worth US$400 billion. That’s more than
the entire Korean export level last year of
US$363 billion. Building these plants
would create 75,000 jobs annually for a
total of 1.56 million new jobs. Revenue
for small and medium enterprises related
to nuclear power plant equipment
could reach more than US$24 billion. If
Korea can achieve all these goals, it
would become one of three leading
exporters of nuclear power plants.
Today, France, the US and Japan
make up the top three. Westinghouse
and GE account for 28 and 20 percent
of the market, while Areva of France,
which has pursued deals in the past several
years, has a 24 percent share. Japan
entered the fray when Toshiba took over
Westinghouse in 2006.
To develop this into an export industry,
the Korean government will concentrate
on the following areas: customizing
exports and aggressively reaching out to
nuclear power plant operation and maintenance
markets; making technology
independent and promoting global competitiveness;
nurturing technical experts;
securing fuel for power plants; bolstering
export capabilities of core materials and
equipment; and strengthening export
industrialization.
“By forming strategies to turn nuclear
power plant construction into an export
industry, we’ve laid the ground work for
what will feed us over the next 50
years,” said Minister of Knowledge
Economy Choi Kyung-hwan. “We will
concentrate our efforts on constant technological
innovation and the nurturing of
new talent.”
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
39

GLOBAL KOREA
INDIA’S MAMMOTH MARKET
OPENS UP TO KOREA
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
between Korea and India took effect January 1. It is Korea’s first
free trade agreement with a member of the BRIC group of nations.
CEPA covers a wide range of exchanges, including goods, services,
investments and economic cooperation, and has the same effects as
an FTA. by Kwon Kyeong-hui
James P. Blair / National Geographic Image Collection

With the CEPA in effect, the tariffs on
automobile parts will drop from 12.5
percent to 1-5 percent within eight
years. And over the next decade, tariffs
on 85 percent of the goods will fall, thus
opening up the export market for Korean
companies. With a 1.15 billion population,
India represents the world’s second
largest market for Korea. The nation’s
“economic map” has grown larger.
This agreement, called a virtual FTA,
or Free Trade Agreement, will accelerate
the pace with which Korean companies
have already been entering India. India
is the next giant of the global economy,
hotly pursued by Japan and the
European Union. As of 2008, India had
the world’s second biggest population,
and the 12 th -largest gross domestic product
at US$1.2 trillion. It’s the
fourth-largest consumer market behind
only the United States, China and Japan.
“India is a country with tremendous
growth potential, so much so that it
managed a positive growth despite the
global economic recession,” said a
researcher at the Korea Institute for
International Economic Policy. “Reaching
the CEPA with India is significant
for Korea in that it has given our
exporters the opportunity to secure the
huge emerging market with nearly 1.2
billion people.”
India has reached free trade deals
with only Singapore, Sri Lanka and
Thailand, among others. Most are small
countries and major economic powers
aren’t among them. India is negotiating
with Japan and the EU, but Korea is the
first nation with economic sway to have a
free trade deal with the country.
From this perspective, the signing of
the Korea-India CEPA has laid the foundation
for Korean exporters to beat others
to the massively growing market.
“Korea has signed the CEPA ahead of
other competing powers such as China
and Japan,” said Lee Seong-han, head
of the FTA Promotion and Policy
Adjustment Authority under the Ministry
of Strategy and Finance. “Exports are
expected to grow by four times the
amount of imports.”
The main reason why India is called a
land of opportunity is its seemingly infinite
growth potential. Since 2005, India
has maintained around a 9 percent
annual growth rate. From April 2008 to
March 2009, during the global economic
downturn, India averaged a 6.7-percent
growth per month. Last year, the
Indian economy is estimated to have
grown 6.5 percent and is expected to
grow 8 percent this year.
Its per capita income soared from
around US$400 in 2000 to US$1,000
last year. Its middle class is expanding,
making it an even more attractive emerging
power with a potentially major consumer
market. The middle class consisted
of 50 million (5 percent of the total
population) this year and could rise more
than tenfold to about 583 million (43
percent) by 2025.
India’s economy is driven more by
domestic consumption than by export,
which makes it less sensitive to global
economic shifts. The Indian government
focuses on stimulus measures through
tax breaks and supplying liquidity.
The growing middle class is a huge
strength for India, since consumption
has also increased. Compared with
China, it has just gotten on track for
economic development. With sustainable
growth, foreign investments that
left India previously are returning. The
BSE Sensex index, which nosedived to
8,000 in 2008 because of the exodus
of foreign capital, has climbed back up
to 20,000, the pre-economic downturn
level.
“The biggest appeal about India is
that its economy is growing rapidly,”
said an official at the Korea Institute for
Industrial Economics and Trade. “The
economy is about US$1 trillion today
but it should surpass US$2 trillion by
2020, when India will become the
sixth-largest economy in the world.”
Other experts say India is growing so
fast that in 20 years, it could trail only
the United States, China and Japan.
We have to keep in mind that the
CEPA with India has given Korean companies
an upper hand in the Indian market.
Prices are so important in India that
companies there will choose cheaper
options over its partners for 10 or 20
years. As tariffs on most goods are eliminated
thanks to the CEPA, our products
will have that much of an edge.
Yonhapnews Agency
India is a country with great potential; it is the
fourth largest market in the world, and also
attracts lots of foreign tourists for its beautiful
landscapes and cultural heritage, as shown by
above and opposite images of Taj Mahal.
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
41

KOREA-INDIA BILATERAL TRADE
(Unit: US$)
5.48 billion
6.71 billion
9.17 billion
11.22 billion
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Source : Korea International Trade Association
Yonhapnews Agency
15.56 billion
Mahabodhi Temple is a famous symbol of architecture
in India (above). Hyundai Motor is the second
largest company in India’s auto sector (opposite).
LEADING TO MORE COMPETITION
Likely thanks to this prospect, Korean
companies are flocking to India. There
are an estimated 400 Korean companies
there — 200 in New Delhi, 150 in
Chennai and 50 in Mumbai. Among
them, about 150 went to India within
the last three years. And with the CEPA
in effect, the number of Korean firms in
India is expected to skyrocket.
Under the CEPA, 85 percent of
Korea’s leading export goods will either
be free of tariffs or have them reduced.
Of 5,227 goods, 202 had their tariffs
scrapped immediately, 180 will see their
tariffs abolished over the next five years,
and another 3,358 goods over the next
eight years.
The automobile industry is the biggest
beneficiary. The 12.5 percent tariff will
be cut to 1 to 5 percent within eight
years. Hyundai Motor, which is No 2 in
the Indian market, should eat into the
lead currently held by Suzuki of Japan.
“The Indian market is structured so
that you secure your networks, it’s difficult
for latecomers to break into them,”
said an auto parts industry figure. “The
CEPA will give us an upper hand over our
existing competition and over companies
from countries that try to reach a deal
with India later.”
The two sides agreed to open the service
sector to a higher degree than would
be done according to the Doha
Development Agenda currently under
negotiation. In other words, Korea would
have an expanded opportunity to enter
medical, communication, energy retailing,
shipping, construction, distribution
(excluding retailing), advertising and
entertainment markets.
The financial market has also opened
up so that Korean banks can add up to
10 Indian local branches within the first
four years of the CEPA.
The economic effect following the
CEPA agreement is significant. The
Korea Institute for Industrial Economics
and Trade forecast that the manufacturing
export would grow by an average of
US$177 million (3.9 percent) over the
next 10 years, while the import by
US$37 million (1.6 percent) and the
trade surplus by US$140 million over
the same span.
The Korea Institute for International
Economic Policy estimated that the
trade volume would rise by US$3.9 billion
and the GDP by 0.18 percent
(US$7.78 trillion), while about 50,000
jobs would be created. The two institutes
picked automobiles, machinery, chemistry,
electricity and electronics as
industries that would benefit from the
CEPA. Also, though they aren’t currently
exporting, diesel engines, locomotive
trains and elevators are thought to be
new industries that will thrive under the
CEPA.
The CEPA’s impact doesn’t stop at
increased sales and investments. The
deal also tears down the invisible barrier
between the two economies. The construction
of POSCO’s Indian steel mill,
set to produce 12 million tons per year,
has been delayed for years due to problems
in compensating the local residents
and with the local authorities’ lukewarm
responses.
After three and a half years of stalemate,
POSCO finally began the work on
the US$12 billion mega integrated steel
plant in Orissa province last October.
POSCO explained that the central Indian
government’s insistence that investments
by a Korean company must be put
through under the CEPA-helped construction
get started.
Korean companies are thriving in
India already. Samsung Electronics and
LG Electronics are battling for top spot
in the Indian consumer electronics market.
Hyundai Motor is the second largest
player in the auto sector.
According to figures from January to
September last year, Korea has zipped
past Britain, Russia and Canada in
terms of exports to reach No 9 in the
world, climbing three spots from 2008.
It ranked 85 th in 1950, 26 th in 1980 and
then hovered around 11 th and 12 th from
the 1990s.
Since the 1950s, only Japan and
China were new entries in the top 10 in
terms of exports. And solid export figures
compared to its competition helped
make Korea bounce back quickest from
the economic crisis among OECD member
nations. The trade surplus of US$42
billion last year was a record high, bigger
than that of Japan.
42
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010

Seoul Economy Daily
SEARCHING FOR THE BLUE OCEAN In
India, Samsung mobile phones are
known as a symbol of wealth. They sell
like hot cakes. When rivals such as
Motorola lowered their prices, Samsung
targeted the middle class with
higher-end products and successfully
carved its own niche. Thanks to this
success, Samsung is right on the heels
of the market leader Motorola.
Based on thorough market research
to separate itself from the competition,
Samsung accurately predicted that the
rising middle class would lead to the
expansion of a consumers market, and
introducing customized products was
right on the money.
“The painstaking field research, covering
from top to bottom helped us nail the
potential consumer group, and that
played an important role in entering the
market,” said a Samsung official. “In
particular, high-end, customized products
appeared to have captured consumers’
hearts.”
Aside from mobile phones, Samsung
is the Indian market leader for color
television, LCD TVs and PDP TVs. LG
Electronics is the No 1 seller.
Samsung maintains the lead in sales
revenues, which goes to prove how luxurious
of a brand Samsung is in India.
“To attack the Indian market and its
unlimited potentials, we will continue
to maintain premium strategies in
production and in marketing,” said an
official of Samsung’s Indian branch.
“At the same time, we will pursue
localized strategies to satisfy Indian
consumers to bolster our standing as
the No 1 in the market.”
Korea, which has become a strong
trade nation, is considered a passionate
champion of free trade. It has FTAs with
Chile, Singapore, the European Free
Trade Association and ASEAN.
According to the Ministry of Knowledge
Economy, Korea’s trades with these
nations jumped by as little as 20.5 percent
and by as much as 31.6 percent
after the FTAs took effect.
In addition, Korea’s FTAs with the
United States and the EU are poised to
take effect. Korea would be the only
nation to have free trade deals with the
two major pillars of the world economy.
When these two deals take effect,
Korea’s FTA partners would account for
34 percent of all Korean trade, compared
to 11 to 12 percent today.
Also, Korea is preparing to reach
FTAs with China, Japan, Gulf
Cooperation Council and other 15
economies. Korea stands to become the
nation who trades with most major
economies virtually free.
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
43

NOW IN KOREA

Wild With
WINTER
SPORTS
Not even the harsh cold weather can freeze
Koreans’ love of winter sports. The year 2010
began with a blanket of white snow covering the
entirety of Seoul, accompanied by temperatures
below minus 10C, resulting in one of the coldest
winters in recent memory. Despite the unbearably
cold weather of late, the season is filled with activities
nobody wants to miss. From amateurs to pros,
many are braving the elements to enjoy winter
sports. by Oh Kyong-yon | photographs by Kim Nam-heon
A snowboarder jumps off a slope at Phoenix Park ski resort.

AP Photo / The Canadian Press, Darren Calabrese / Yonhapnews Agency
On December 11, 2009, an unusual scene was observed in the
heart of Seoul, the capital city of the Republic of Korea. In
Gwanghwamun Square, a 34m-high and 100m-long jump ramp
was built and covered with snow, and top the world’s top snowboarders
came to show off their skills. The 2009 Seoul Snow Jam,
co-hosted by Seoul City government and the Korea Ski Instructors
Association, is a snowboard competition that caught the attention
of about 200 media channels in 100 countries around the world.
The following night, Kim Deok-kyeong, who came from out of
town to watch the competition, commented, “The place is so
crowded with spectators it’s a little hard to enjoy.” But he gave it
the thumbs up because “it’s a unique opportunity to see snowboarders
live, jumping from up in the skyscrapers.” For those keen
to get involved rather than just watch, there are plenty of winter
sports to enjoy in Seoul. Ice skating at Gwanghwamun Square,
World Cup Park and Olympic Park is both fun and affordable —
about US$0.90 per 60 to 90 minutes.
Lee Se-na, who has been skiing since she was five years old, is
well-known as a ski fanatic among her friends. She can’t stand the
cold but every year she waits for winter. “Until I was in college, I
always bought a season pass and went skiing every weekend. But
now that I have a job, I can’t come so often,” Lee said. When
asked what attracted her to the sport, she said, “the fresh feeling
46
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
The landscapes of Phoenix Park ski resort (top left). World figure skating champion Kim Yuna
carried the Olympic flame in Hamilton, Canada, on last December (top right). Summer
Goh from Singapore, in the middle, says that she likes having ski lessons in Korea (above).

when I slide down the slope. I try out new techniques every time I
descend. Carving is a popular technique now and once I master
that, I can’t say enough how accomplished I will feel.”
There are more than 20 ski resorts throughout the country,
many in the snowy, mountainous region of Gangwon Province. Ski
resorts are not just for skiers and snowboarders but are also the
perfect place for families and workshop attendees, because they
are designed as entertainment complexes that offer accommodations.
According to statistics, an estimated 6.7 million people will
visit ski resorts in Korea this winter.
A haven for skiers, Gangwon Province has many destination
cities such as Pyeongchang, Hongcheon, Jeongseon and Wonju.
KOREA headed to Pyeongchang, a county with a well-developed
infrastructure that is currently making its third bid to host the
Winter Olympics. Phoenix Park ski resort in Pyeongchang, a place
that’s loved by younger generations and often called “Phi-park,” is
crowded with skiers and snowboarders on every slope — even on
weekdays. The resort has eight lifts and gondolas, all of them busy
transporting skiers and snowboarders to the top. Panorama Slope
and the beginners’ course have a total length of 3,350m. The
region also boasts the famous “Extreme Park,” Korea’s very first
snowboard park designed by the country’s top world-class snowboarder
Park Hyun-sang. The various courses and slopes at
Phoenix Park are more than enough to attract winter sports enthusiasts,
from beginners to professionals.
Hyundai Sungwoo Resort, located in Hoengseong, near
Pyeongchang, is a popular destination for families because of its
various attractions, particularly, “Snow Adventure” featuring the
longest bobsleigh slope in Korea, a dogsled park, carriage rides
and much more. It is a well-known hotspot for anyone looking to
experience a diverse range of unique outdoor events.
Ski resorts in Gangwon Province also attract international visitors.
In Asian countries like Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and
Malaysia, Korea is a popular destination for winter getaways.
Whether it’s an individual trip or a group tour package, international
visitors come to Korea for ski vacations, to try local Korean cuisine
and to relax. We ran into a group of international skiers at the
top of a slope. Summer Goh, from Singapore, told us that it was
her first visit to a ski resort and that she was having a great time.
“It’s my first time getting a ski lesson but I haven’t fallen and I am
really enjoying it,” she said, adding that she would melt away the
fatigue by relaxing at a spa in the hot springs later that night.
Winter sports, though set on snowy slopes with biting winds,
also make for a perfect opportunity for families to get together. We
saw a father who had taken his boys out for a few days on the
slopes while his wife was still at work. The father, Choi Jong-seok,
Yonhapnews Agency
A beautiful night scene from the International Ski Federation’s Snowboard Big Air World
Cup held at Gwanghwamun Square, in Seoul, on December 13, 2009 (above).
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010
47

while holding hands with his sons Chung-rak and Seong-rak, said,
“[I am] usually so busy at work and have no time to play with my
kids. But [my kids] have been skiing ever since they were little,
so I try my best to come out with them every year for a family
vacation.”
CROWDS OF EXCITED ENERGY Pyeongchang’s Alpensia Resort
was the setting for last year’s hit movie Take Off, also known as
National Athlete. On our way back from a look from the dizzying
heights of the ski jump, we met a group of skiers ascending a
fierce slope. Some of them wore uniforms bearing a taegeukgi
(Korean national flag), and, just as we expected, they were
cross-country skiers training for the 2010 Vancouver Winter
Olympics. The athletes were in their final weeks of rigorous
training before they will travel to Canada to compete at the
Games. Coach Ahn Jin-soo said, “Unlike slope descents where
you just slide down from top to bottom, cross-country skiing has
ups and downs. It requires as much energy and strength as
marathon running.”
Even for mountaineers, winter is a heart-racing season. When
winter arrives and waterfalls freeze, mountain climber Lee
Hyeong-mo always ventures out, geared up with his climbing irons,
picks and ropes to climb the frozen faces. Though the concept of
ice climbing was not popular among Koreans until a few years ago,
the sport has already grown in popularity. In regions all over Korea,
artificial ice climbing walls are created by pouring water over rocks
and waiting for it to freeze. Towangseong Falls of Mount Seorak is
the most famous for its natural ice wall: it’s about 300m high and
boasts three different levels, which has made it well-known to
mountaineers from across Asia. Eoreumgol Valley Ice Wall in
Cheongsong County and the artificial ice wall in Wonju are similarly
popular. For beginners, artificial ice walls are recommended
because of they are wider and more easily accessible.
Lee’s love for ice climbing isn’t just based on the adrenaline
rush. The avid climber says the activity has health benefits and
that the exercise outside in the cold weather is invigorating. “Time
is of the essence, you can only ice climb from December to
mid-February when the falls are frozen. Imagine, it’s a struggle
against gravity! I never forget the thrill that I feel when I reach the
top. That is why I look forward to winter every year.”
The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics start this month, an event
that stirs excitement in both the athletes in competition, as well as
the spectators who cheer them on. The world’s attention will be on
the best winter sports athletes from across the globe, including
Kim Yu-na, who many are predicting will win the gold medal in
women’s figure skating. Who will win at the Games will be on
everyone’s minds, but, win or lose, we should applaud all the athletes
who have endured the rigors of training in extreme conditions
to prepare themselves for the Games. As they do every year, sports
will heat us up this winter.
Yonhapnews Agency
Climbers brave Gugok Fall’s ice wall in Chuncheon (top).
Cross-country skiers glide at Alpensia Resort (above).
48
KOREA
FEBRUARY
2010