JB Life Summer Vol. 3

INTERNATIONAL BEAT
HISTORY
Teen Global Leaders field trip
participants.
6
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5...
5. JEOLLABUK-DO
INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTERS
UNITY (JISU)
In the spring, Jeonbuk’s international center recruited
members for “JISU,” or the Jeollabuk-do International
Supporters Unity program. The goal of this program
was to amass a group to work on globally related tasks
in the areas of computer, translation, staff jobs, counselling,
culture and art, homestay, etc., for a nine-month
period from April to December 2016… and what a success!
200 people applied for JISU, and about 150 are
currently working with the center.
An orientation was held in April, dividing supporters
into two teams. The planning team suggests ideas for
Koreans and foreigners to get along with one another
and does marketing on the center’s business. With this
in mind, some JISUs will make videos and take photos
related to the center’s business or local performances
(singing, dancing, MC, etc.). Meanwhile, the progress
team is backing up every event to ensure it goes smoothly.
This means they do translation, make flyers, or teach
skills that are needed for the events. The two teams also
do voluntary service with foreigners: free meal service,
mural painting, coal providing service, homestay, etc.
6. TEEN GLOBAL LEADERS
FIELD TRIP
It is hard to have a chance to visit the UN, the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, and other international organizations.
With this in mind, the international center recently recruited
young students to become global leaders when
they grow up and gave them some of these treasured opportunities.
There were two field trips to UNESCAP and
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the visits intended to
broaden the international thinking of these young minds.
Through the trips, the students looked around the offices
and checked out what kinds of work were done in each
department. They also took the time to talk with professional
workers. In the end, all were satisfied with the
broadened experience of the trips. To educate and train
more students in Jeonbuk to be the next global leaders,
there will be a mock UN debate in October. Students can
join starting July through the website. (www.jbcia.or.kr)
With the province’s international center only a year old,
the programs offered are still expanding and greatly improving
in quality with each quarter. There will always be
more to do to live globally and to include and manage the
interests of foreign residents, so to get involved in these
or any of the center’s programs, visit the website at jbcia.
or.kr.
By STUART SCOTT
Jeonbuk Life Contributing Writer
There are many folk tales dealing with plants and
flowers. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed
parsley was a symbol of death and rebirth.
Achemorus, a Greek hero, was killed by a serpent. Legend
says that a parsley plant sprang up from his blood. Greeks
would put parsley on tombs of loved ones, hoping for their
rebirth. If someone was near death, people would say they
needed parsley.
In Kenya, the God Ruwa made people immortal but instructed
them not to eat any yams. One day “death” convinced
the people to cook the yams for him. However, when the God
Ruwa realized what they had done, he took away their immortality.
The violet also has a place in mythology. Attis was killed by
a wild boar. On the places where his blood fell, legend says
that violets grew. This story is of special interest because it
has a similar theme to the Dongbaek flower.
When I first heard of the legend of Dongbaek, I was told
that it was a story of a young couple. The husband went to
war and never returned. The flower grew from the blood of
his wife. However, when trying to get more details of this
story, I came across three others, and I believe there are more.
The first one is a story of a poor young fishing couple on
Daechong Island. One day, the husband returned to his home
village to attend to his ill parents. Every day, his wife went to
the sea, waiting for her husband’s return. He stayed with his
sick parents for a long time. When he finally did return, his
wife had died. He went to her grave, and his tears watered a
Dongbaek seed. A tree grew on this spot the following spring.
The second story also involved a young fishing couple.
While the husband was out fishing, a thief entered their home.
He tried to kill the young bride, but she ran away. While looking
for her husband, she fell off a high cliff. Her husband
found her and buried her there. Legend says the Dongbaek
flower grew from her grave.
The final story is one of a childless king. His younger brother
had children, and thus the king’s nephew was heir to the
throne. The king did not like this arrangement, and he planned
to kill his nephew. However, the king’s brother tricked the
King, putting his adopted sons in the place of his real sons.
The two adopted sons, according to the legend, turned into
birds and flew away. When the younger brother was buried,
the Dongbaek flower grew from his grave.
“Camellia” is the English name for the Dongbaek flower.
This flower has economic importance as it is used in the
making of tea. Today, many camellias are grown more for
ornamental value. Depending on location, the colour may
be red, white, yellow or pink. The Dongbaek legend appears
to have its roots in Jeollanamdo or Jejudo. However, if one
wants to see this beautiful flower, one does not need to leave
the province. Seonunsa temple, near Gochang, has many of
these flowers. The temple itself was first built in 577 AD. Of
course, it has since been burned by the Japanese and rebuilt.
The temple also has many other cultural properties, but behind
the temple is a forest of camellia trees. They are estimated
to be 500 years old and have been designated as a natural
monument. Dongbaeks are green year round but flower in the
late winter or very early spring. This makes Seonunsa an ideal
destination for that season.
There are always reasons for some to find fault with folktales,
but regardless, it is without dispute that the Dongbaek
flower has a special place in history and will be forever cherished
for its beauty.
* Flower photo above licensed under Creative Commons by SA-2.0,
with original credit to Flickr user juantiagues.
Jeonbuk Life 7