Gwangju News February 2024 #264

Gwangju and South Jeolla International Magazine

February 2024 #264

Against the Grain

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3 Gwangju & South Jeolla International Magazine

February 2024, Issue 264 Published: February 1, 2024

Cover Photo

Kitchen-dining area in Dong-su’s hanok.

Photo by Kang Dong-su

THE EDITORIAL TEAM Publisher E ditor-in-Chief Managing Editor Chief Copy Editor Layout Editor Online Editor

Dr. Shin Gyonggu Dr. David E. Shaffer Lee Boram Dr. David E. Shaffer Kim Minsu Lee Boram

The Gwangju News is the first English monthly magazine for the general public in Korea, first published in 2001. Each monthly issue covers local and regional issues, with a focus on the roles and activities of the international residents and local Englishspeaking communities.

Copyright ©2024 by the Gwangju International Center.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by this copyright may be reproduced in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise – without the written consent of the publisher.

For volunteering and article submission inquiries, please contact the editor at gwangjunews@gic.or.kr.

Special thanks to Gwangju City and all of our sponsors.

T

he new year is fastly speeding by.

It is February already, and we’re in the throes of winter! The mercury is dropping low (I still have a bona fide mercury thermometer), the winds are blowing strong, and the snow is falling white. But not to worry – the first of February’s two seasonal terms is Ipchun (the Onset of Spring)!

Besides that, the warmth of the February issue of the Gwangju News is already here! And here are the sizzling highlights of what this month’s edition has on offer.

Speaking of dates in February, we have the first day of the year.

That is correct – the first day of the lunar year: Seollal (falling on Feb. 10), one of Korea’s two biggest holidays, which is followed two weeks later by Daeboreum and it’s large, bright full moon.

Our main feature for this issue discusses both of these holidays and the tradition that accompanies them. Specifically, gossaumnori (loop fighting) and talgip-taeugi (moon-house burning), both of which are enacted over the Daeboreum weekend in Gwangju’s Chilseok-dong. Supplementing this article and the holiday festivities is a write-up on the Gwangju National Museum and its holiday program. Read what traditional games, music, experiences, and movies fill their three-day Lunar New Year’s schedule. For additional events happening around Gwangju in February and beyond, check out our Upcoming Events pages.

When thinking of woodcuts, old, outmoded forms of printing and art come to mind, but read this month’s People in the Arts and see how artist Park Gu-hwan uses woodcuts to make paintings in a style all his own. Similarly, when thinking of old, crusty wallpaper being pulled out of dilapidated traditional houses, we don’t get very excited, but hanok restorer Kang Dongsu takes these old samples of wallpaper, restores them, and has created a business out of it. This too is an interesting read (see Lost in Gwangju).

We have two articles for you on community groups that are international in their service. The first is the Gwangju Migrant Women Association, which is helping foreign women in the area settling in and adapting to Korean life. The second is a Nepalese student group supporting students here and fostering Korea– Nepal relations. ...And there is much more.

Happy February, everyone! 새해 福 많이 받으십시오. (May you receive many New Year’s blessings)!

David E. Shaffer Editor-in-Chief Gwangju News

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

The Gwangju News is published by the Gwangju International Center: Jungang-ro 196-beon-gil 5 (Geumnam-ro 3-ga), Dong-gu, Gwangju 61475, South Korea Tel: (+82)-62-226-2733 Fax: (+82)-62-226-2731 Website: www.gwangjunewsgic.com Email: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr gwangjunews gwangju_news Registration No. 광주광역시 라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315) Registration Date: February 22, 2010 Printed by Jieum 지음 (+82)-62-672-2566

From the Editor

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PHOTO OF THE MONTH

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

Off the Beaten Path Daeseong, owner of Daeseong Super (대성슈퍼), is 83 years old and has been running this modest shop for 50 years. He was amused by my visit and thrilled that I enjoyed the bowl of cup ramen I had purchased. It’s rare to meet someone so content with life. I always appreciate these encounters while cycling this far off the beaten path.

Photograph by Sean Walker.

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February 2024

CONTENTS ISSUE 264

03 FROM THE EDITOR 04 PHOTO OF THE MONTH Off the Beaten Path 06 GWANGJU CITY NEWS

20 COMMUNITY Nepalese Student Society 24 PEOPLE IN THE ARTS Painting the Scent of Memories, Artist Park Gu-hwan

08 FEATURE Let the Fight Begin: Gossaum-nori in Chilseok-dong 10 FEATURE Discover Gwangju Souvenirs: Unique Tourist Items 27 ESSAY What’s in a Name?

30 TEACHING AND LEARNING Learning a Language or Just Machine Translate

13 LOST IN GWANGJU

33 WHAT TO DO IN GWANGJU Lunar New Year Cultural Festival

Against the Grain 34 UPCOMING EVENTS February 2024

Crime Prevention Information 37 CROSSWORD PUZZLE 18 PEOPLE IN GWANGJU The Gwangju Migrant Women Association

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

36 EXPAT LIVING TIPS

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Gwangju City News The Gwangju Follies Display Charming Decor, Dazzling Lights

created with a variety of landscape lights, will become “selfie spots,” and that the old downtown is transformed into places where the past, present, and future are in harmony when the city center perimeter connecting the folly structures is completed as part of the fifth installment of the Gwangju Follies.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

In addition, the follies support a voice commentary service for the 31 works included in the Gwangju Follies. The 24-hour voice interpretation service is provided by utilizing the Qpicker application that supports voice interpretation and the QR code attached to the each folly information board.

The Gwangju Follies, a set of artistic structures installed in various parts of the old city center of Gwangju, has been transformed into colorful and lighted landscape spots, providing new attractions for citizens. The city of Gwangju has installed landscape lighting with a winter atmosphere in the structure 99 Compartments, in front of the Chungjang Security Center, and to Gwangju Sarangbang, next to the bus stop around the Asia Culture Center. In addition, Flow Control in Geumnam Park was installed with landscape lighting to maintain the uniqueness of the work and guide vehicle movement. The work Vote on K-pop Star Street revived the storyboard function that had been suspended for a while and introduced an experiential tourism content function in connection with the specialized street.

Gwangju City expects that the Gwangju Follies,

*Folly: A structure that has lost its original function and plays a decorative role.

Source

Gwangju City Website https://www.gwangju. go. k r / b o ard Vi e w. d o ? p a ge Id = w w w 7 8 9 & b o ard I d = B D _ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 & s e q = 1 7 0 4 2 & m ov e Pa g e = 1

Gwangju to Host 2025 World Para Archery Championships Gwangju has been confirmed as the host city for the Paralympic Archery Competition following the 2025 World Archery Championships.

According to Gwangju City Hall, the World Archery Federation recently announced that it has decided on Gwangju as the venue for the 2025 World Para Archery Championships. The World Archery Federation held a regular executive board meeting in Antalya, Turkey, at the end of last year and held a video conference with officials

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from cities applying to host the event, including Gwangju and Beijing, China.

and instead pursue a plan to implement closures on weekdays.

Gwangju City Hall reported that the preparations, such as stadiums and accommodations, required to successfully host the World Archery Championships, as well as the experience in preparing for international sports competitions, were highly evaluated. It is known that Gwangju is the third city in history to simultaneously host the Archery Championships and the Paralympic Archery Championships. The World Archery Championships for the Disabled will be held at the Gwangju International Archery Range and the National Asia Culture Center for seven days after the World Archery Championships are held in September 2025. Over 400 athletes and officials from over 50 countries are scheduled to participate in four sports: recurve, compound, W1 (severely disabled), and visually impaired.

The Distribution Industry Development Act stipulates that public holidays can be designated as mandatory closure days for large-scale retail stores. Furthermore, through an agreement with the relevant parties, a nonpublic holiday can also be designated as a mandatory closure day.

Source

Yonhap. https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR2024010811700 0054?input=1195m

Gwangju to Keep Twice-Monthly Sunday Closed Policy

Accordingly, Gwangju City has stipulated in the Ordinance on the Registration and Adjustment of Large Retail Stores in Districts that the head of a district office may designate a public holiday as mandatory closure day. The mandatory closure of public holidays is currently set as the second and fourth Sundays of each month.

In Gwangju, 18 large-scale retail stores, comprised of ten large-scale supermarkets and eight corporate supermarkets, are mandated for closure on public holidays. Given the strong opposition from small business owners in local commercial districts, such as the Small Business Association and the Merchants Association, who are sensitive to the closure of largescale retail stores, Gwangju City intends to maintain the policy of mandatory closure on public holidays.

Source

https://www.gwangju.go.kr/boardView.do?pageId=www7 89&boardId=BD_0000000027&seq=17047

Tarangge Shared Bicycle Operation Resumes

The Office for Government Policy Coordination announced on the 22nd that it is pursuing a plan to scrap the policy of designating public holidays as mandatory closure days for large-scale supermarkets, as discussed during the a government–public debate,

Source

Gwangju Tarangge: https://tarangge.gwangju.go.kr (Kor., Eng.)

Summaries and translations by Minsu Kim, Moon Jung- ah.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

During the New Year’s economic sector briefing on January 22, Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung stated that Gwangju City maintains its stance on the government’s scrapping of the policy mandating large retailers to close their stores on Sunday twice a month.

Taranggge, an unmanned shared bicycle servicce that first began operation in July 2020 in Gwangju, will resume operation in March by revising its operating hours and usage fees. Tarangge has 350 vehicles installed at 10 stations, operates from 5 a.m. to 12 midnight, and can be rented for free for one hour. (Tel. 062-373-0740)

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FEATURE

Let the Fight Begin Gossaum-nori in Chilseok-dong

By Julien Laheur te

I GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

n South Korea, the new year is celebrated in two distinct ways. The first, less traditional method involves observing New Year’s Eve according to the Gregorian Calendar, a solar dating system originally used by Catholic European countries and now globally adopted.

The second method aligns with the Chinese lunar calendar, with the new year for 2024 set to occur on the 10th of February from the Gregorian perspective.

Two major celebrations are linked to the lunar new year. Seollal (설날), marking the first day of the lunar calendar, is primarily a family gathering where individuals return to their hometowns to partake in ancestral rites. The second celebration is Jeongwol Daeboreum (정월대보름), observed on the 15th day of the lunar calendar’s first month, signifying the year’s first full moon. During Jeongwol Daeboreum, cities, towns, and villages organize

festivities aimed at bringing good fortune and warding off evil spirits.

For Jeongwol Daeboreum, a three-day celebration is planned in Gwangju. Hosted annually by the Gossaum-nori Preservation Society (고싸움놀이보존회), the 41st edition of the Gossaum-nori Festival (고싸움놀이축제) will unfold in Nam-gu, Chilseok-dong (Otdol Village) from February 23 to 25. The agenda includes fireworks on the 23rd and traditional games and experiences on the 24th and 25th, featuring a bonfire and loop fights.

Gossaum (고싸움, loop fight) is a compound term consisting of go (고), derived from otgoreum (옷고름), which refers to the ribbon bow on traditional Korean costumes, and ssaum (싸움), meaning “fight.” This term signifies a match or fight between two teams pulling on knotted ropes. The game’s rules are simple:

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Daljip-taeugi, the burning of “moon houses.” ©clipartkorea

adult men form two teams and engage in playful collisions, with the last team standing recognized as the winner.

Played for over 800 years, gossaum is predominantly enjoyed in the Jeolla region.

Beyond its playful nature, the outcome of gossaum is traditionally believed to predict the agricultural fortune of the year. The two sides are named su-jul for the eastern team and amjul for the western team. Victory by the am-jul team is thought to ensure a bountiful harvest, highlighting the agricultural symbolism embedded in the game. Additionally, gossaum serves as a means to foster unity and cooperation among male villagers.

The second main event of the festival is daljiptaeugi (달집 태우기), a traditional custom associated with the celebration of Jeongweol Daeboreum. The term daljip-taeugi, translated as “burning the moon house,” involves constructing a large bonfire to mark the arrival of the first full moon of the year.

Though the detailed origins of daljip-taeugi lack documented records, speculation places its practice centuries in the past. The roots of this ritual extend to the northeast part of Jeollanamdo, encompassing areas such as Gurye and Suncheon. In Gwangju, the celebration of daljiptaeugi was not a widespread tradition until the inception of the Gossaum-nori Festival in 1982.

Since then, it has ascended to become a pivotal element of the festival’s festivities.

Photo courtesy of The Gossaum-nori Preservation Society

The Author

Julien Laheurte is a French literary translator who has been residing in South Korea for the past two years. After the completion of his master’s degree in Seoul, he moved to Gwangju with the intention of delving deeper into the history of the May 1980 democracy movement. His goal is to translate literary works that shed light on this pivotal moment in Korean history.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

Following a period of obscurity during the Colonial Period (1910–1945), gossaum experienced a revival in the 1960s and was designated a National Intangible Cultural Asset in 1971. The Gwangju Gossaum Festival, first held in 1982, continues to attract an increasing number of visitors each year. During the festival, gossaum takes on a more playful and humorous tone compared to its original version, with the primary objective being to entertain people in a lighthearted and joyous manner.

This ritual is believed to bring good weather and prosperity for the upcoming year. When crafting the moon house, it is customary to position the door eastward, aligning with the moon’s rising direction. Once the moon appears in the eastern sky, the moon house is set ablaze. Depending on the village, bamboo, along with pine branches, might be added to the moon house. The loud noise produced by the burning is thought to drive away malevolent spirits.

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FEATURE

Discover the Gwangju Souvenirs - Unique Tourist Items

By Jana Milosavljevic

S

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

ouvenirs – small, large, precious, inexpensive, luxurious, tacky, personal, sentimental, historical, charming, eccentric – there are numerous ways to describe them and even more types on offer representing various popular tourist locations all over the world. Whether we want to admit it or not, even those most adamant about “not collecting unnecessary trinkets” cannot easily resist them.

It has been said that souvenirs represent the natural need of humans to preserve memories, to physically be able to take with them a memory of a place or a time. Souvenirs also serve as a way to express identity and promote the cultural heritage of a location, which is why it is equally important to create, as well as choose, souvenirs representative of a place.

Whether one is visiting for a brief period, for an extended holiday, or when one is living in a foreign country and wishes to take back a piece of it with them to their family and loved ones, there is always the question of choosing “the right one.” The souvenir that would represent the place exactly as one felt about it in their

heart. The one that would at the same time be useful, likeable, not too expensive, but also not too tacky – the dilemmas go on and on.

Luckily, for everyone traveling to Gwangju, the new Gwangju Tourist Goods, which uniquely represent Gwangju and can be found in several locations around the city, tick most of the boxes and lessen the dilemma.

Namely, Gwangju Institute of Design Promotion has announced that more than 40 types of Gwangju Representative Tourism Goods will, from now on, be available to customers at shops in five different locations in Gwangju. The project of creating distinctive souvenirs representative of Gwangju, the Gwangju Representative Tourist Goods Project, is a project focused on creating products targeting tourists visiting Gwangju, promoting the unique charms of Gwangju and its tourist attractions. The project was envisioned, supported, and produced through the Gwangju Representative Tourist Goods Development Support Project, sponsored by the Gwangju Metropolitan City and organized by the Gwangju Institute of Design Promotion.

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FEATURE

Various items available at Gwangju Tourist Goods stores.

Song Jin-hee, the head of the Gwangju Institute of Design Promotion, commented on the project on several occasions in the press stating, “Tourist goods are the medium for remembering travel destinations.” She also added that the Gwangju Institute of Design Promotion would continue to do their best to ensure that the numerous newly imagined souvenirs become products representative of the region, and find their place in the hearts of Koreans and overseas tourists visiting Gwangju as unique mementos preserving their precious memories of the time spent in the city.

The element that was thought through even further during the project is the fact that the locations of the shops where the Gwangju tourist souvenirs can be found are strategically placed so that there is one in each of Gwangju’s five districts: Dong-gu, Seo-gu, Nam-gu, Bukgu, and Gwangsan-gu. In other words, tourists can have easy access to the Gwangju souvenir locations, regardless of where they are in Gwangju.

Brief information about the shops that have been selected to carry these Gwangju souvenir items and their locations can be found on the next page.

Photos courtesy of Gwangju Institute of Design Promotion.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

Around 40 types of products were envisioned and created through this project, some of which include a soap with the scent of the Chinese fringe tree (Chionanthus retusus), native to eastern Asia but bearing special meaning to the residents of Gwangju, as the tree symbolizes the events during the May 18 Democratization Movement of 1980, which not only sparked the process of democratization of all of South Korea but also created the unique Spirit of Gwangju that lives in its citizens to this very day; snowballs

showing Gwangju’s proudly beloved landmark, Mudeung Mountain, which is also one of the UNESCO Global Geoparks in Korea; as well as “the usual” key rings and magnets representing various other Gwangju landmarks.

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FEATURE

Gwangju Goods Stores Papa Shop in Dong-gu 파파샵 Address: 2 Jangdong-ro , Dong-gu, Gwangju Operating Hours: 10:30-22:00 every day Located right at the entrance to the bustling neighborhood of Dongmyeong-dong in downtown Gwangju, which has recently become popular for its vibrant coffee scene, this shop is in the area that is a must-visit location for virtually every tourist, and at the same time is located close to Gwangju’s hub for international artistic exchange, the Asia Culture Center.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

U-Square Specialty Products Store 유스퀘어 특산물판매장 Address: 904 Mujin-daero, Seo-gu, Gwangju Operating Hours: 08:30-18:00 every day Gwangju Goods can also be found together with other specialty products of different regions from Jeollanam-do in the store located in the U-Square complex, inside of which the Gwangju bus terminal is located, making it a perfect location to pick up some last-minute souvenirs before leaving Gwangju.

Willow Forest Youth Creation Center 버들숲청년창작소 Address: 23 Seoseopyeong-gil, Nam-gu, Gwangju Operating Hours: Mon., Tue., Thu., Fri. 10:30– 18:00; Wed. 10:30–18:30; Sat.–Sun. 10:00–19:00 Another souvenir shop is located in Namgu’s Yangnim-dong, the center of modern history and culture, and is also bound to be on many visitors’ go-to lists. Here, the Gwangju Goods can be found in the Willow Forest Youth Creation Center, a cultural and artistic creative space for young people.

Everything Is OK 에브리띵이즈오케이 Address: 77 Yongbong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju Operating Hours: Mon-Fri 10:00-21:00, Sat.Sun. 11:00-21:00 Everything Is OK, a shop that has also opened its doors to the Gwangju Goods, is located right next to Gwangju’s Chonnam National University. It might not be on the map of every tourist visiting Gwangju, but it is for sure a must-visit place for international and exchange students who spend their time in Gwangju studying at this reputable university.

Slow Food Bukak Maeul 광산구느린먹거리 부각마을 Address: 26 Songjeong-ro 8-beon-gil, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Operating Hours: Mon.–Fri. 11:00–20:00, Sat.–Sun. 10:00–21:00 One more location where “Gwangju Goods” have found a home is right across from Gwangju Songjeong KTX train station, in the Slow Food Bukak Maeul Cafe, where one can choose their perfect Gwangju memorabilia while enjoying the popular Korean snack gim-bugak, a deep-fried dried seaweed laver coated in a batter of glutinous rice starch.

So, next time you have visiting family and friends over, when you are traveling home, or leaving Gwangju for good – there is no need to contemplate over souvenirs – just make sure to check out the “Gwangju Goods,” unique keepsakes of Gwangju that will keep the memory of the City of Light always shining in your heart.

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LOST IN GWANGJU

Against the Grain

By Isaiah Winters

I

t’s not every day in Korea that you cross paths with a multicultural married couple in their twenties who are their own bosses, live in a restored hanok, and raise a newborn there. That’s why it’s always a pleasure to catch up with Kang Dong-su, my hanok-restoring friend who goes against society’s grain and somehow comes out with an enviably smooth finish. What follows is us catching up since the last time we met in July 2023 (Gwangju News, issue 257).

Kang Dong-su at his hanok.

As you might recall, our other company, Baemui, focuses on

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

Isaiah Winters (IW): A lot has changed since the last time we met. Last summer, we were peeling through layers of old hanok wallpaper for your wallpaper archive, and since then, you’ve launched your own wallpaper business. Tell us a bit about that.

Kang Dong-su (Dong-su): Since last summer, our journey has taken an exciting turn.

Inspired by our explorations through layers of old hanok wallpaper for the wallpaper archive, we’ve taken on a new venture – the launch of our own wallpaper business, Gosaté.

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LOST IN GWANGJU

Dong-su, his wife, and their son, San.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

archiving, researching, and restoring disappearing architectural heritage sites, especially hanok, in Korea. The turning point came during the demolition of a hanok built in 1893, where we discovered layers of wallpaper dating back to the early 1910s featuring patterns and imprints from the Japanese newspaper Asahi Newspaper during World War I. Motivated by this find, we embarked on a meticulous process of scanning and archiving each type of wallpaper discovered in hidden nooks of several hanok undergoing remodeling.

These wallpaper remnants, representing diverse eras and designs, were often discarded during home renovations, prompting us to think about their historical and cultural significance.

Our latest business, Gosaté, aims to revive and preserve Korea’s once-vibrant wallpaper culture.

We’ve launched a brand that not only sells restored wallpaper but also serves as a platform

to showcase the rich tapestry of Korea’s wallpaper heritage. “Gosaté” (고샅에) is a fusion of the word gosat (고샅), meaning an “alley” or “lane” in Korean, and the Korean postposition é (에) with a stylized French accent marker, which in sum means “in the alley.” The name reflects our commitment to exploring alleyways, old city centers, and rural villages to rediscover forgotten treasures.

Presently, Gosaté features a collection ranging from late-Joseon woodblock-printed wallpaper to those from the 1980s, encapsulating a century of Korea’s modern history. These wallpaper remnants are digitally restored and produced in collaboration with a Swedish wallpaper manufacturer. They’re available for purchase on our website, www.gosate.kr. While we don’t disclose all types of wallpaper we’ve collected, we also collaborate with filmset designers and offer pattern authentication services to institutions and restoration firms.

LOST IN GWANGJU

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going on, too. Over the last few "These wallpaper bundles “housekeeping” months, you’ve completed many of the long-term projects inside your hanok. That must are brought to the workshop renovation be very satisfying for a carpenter like you. What some of the biggest changes you’ve made, and and meticulously separated, are what were some of the greatest challenges?

Our home, built in 1972, is a typical often with the help of steam Dong-su: example of mass-produced hanok in Gwangju, as featured in the Gwangju News on five occasions. or dampening to reveal It’s located on the site of the former Gyeongyang Bangjuk, an artificial lake created during the detailed information." mid-Joseon period. Originally serving as a dike, IW: How do you get from finding a dusty old strip of wallpaper in some abandoned hanok to delivering colorful rolls of freshly printed wallpaper to people’s doors? Walk us through that process.

Dong-su: The process begins on-site, where we collect layers of thick, decades- to centuryold wallpaper from abandoned hanok. These wallpaper bundles are brought to the workshop and meticulously separated, often with the help of steam or dampening to reveal detailed information. While the wallpaper is still moist, we scan or photograph it, creating a digital archive.

The scanned patterns are then sorted and stored chronologically in our wallpaper storage facility.

Gyeongyang Bangjuk was partially filled in during the Japanese colonial era and repurposed as a lake for a city park. However, in 1968, due to the need for funds for the Geumnam-ro street expansion project, Gwangju completely filled in and sold the land to developers for the construction of mass-produced hanok. Our house is one of those built during that time.

In 2020, we repaired part of the house (kitchendining room) for use, and by the summer of

Next, the digitization process takes place. Using an iPad and Apple Pencil, each pattern is traced and its colors adjusted. Some patterns undergo modifications to make them commercially viable, with adjustments to color schemes or overall aesthetics. After several rounds of sample work to refine the designs, the final digital files are prepared.

IW: That’s about as niche as it gets! And while you’ve got these two businesses running in the background, you’ve had some intensive

Remodeling done by Dong-su in 2023.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

For patterns deemed suitable for commercial use, we place orders with said wallpaper manufacturer in Sweden. The freshly printed wallpaper orders are promptly shipped directly to customers, ensuring they receive vibrant rolls of wallpaper at their doorstep.

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LOST IN GWANGJU

near Iksan Station and a sliding door from a twostory house in Dongmyeong-dong, Gwangju, dating back to the 1970s.

“The House of Happiness” backdropped by Gosaté wallpaper.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

2023, we remodeled the living room and loft and added a bedroom. Future remodeling projects include a loft to be used as a couple’s bedroom, a second bathroom, and an office space. We plan to address this latter area with more consideration, as it’ll become the office space for Gosaté.

One of the core considerations during renovation was insulation, along with a key principle guiding all my work: preserving old elements as much as possible. For spaces like the kitchen, where insulation was less critical, we exposed the old walls and structures. In contrast, for the newly created spaces like the living room, loft, and bedroom, we focused on insulation, using thick walls and ceiling insulation of up to 30 cm. Basic structures like beams and columns were left exposed.

Throughout the renovations, I paid attention to reusing old materials. For example, I reused a beam found in a heap of demolition debris in my grandmother’s neighborhood, which was inscribed with building information. I also repurposed a wooden door from an old house

IW: Speaking of repurposing things, have you used any of Gosaté’s “new old” wallpaper in your home? Which pattern(s) did you go with and why?

Dong-su: We’ve applied one of the restored Korean wallpaper products from the 1950s on the wall of our kitchen cabinet. This particular pattern, estimated to date back to the 1950s, has been found nationwide, including areas like Ganghwa Island in Incheon and Damyang in Jeollanam-do. To delve into the history of the pattern, it draws inspiration from the grapevine motif symbolizing Jesus found in the Byzantine Empire and Orthodox-style crosses. This pattern spread widely and was even used in the Ottoman Empire, which practiced Islam. Over time, it reached Korea at the end of the Joseon Dynasty, underwent various adaptations during the Japanese colonial period, liberation, and subsequent war, making it difficult to trace the original source.

The wallpaper found in Damyang, Ganghwa Island, and other locations nationwide exhibit variations in their shapes. These wallpaper patterns were not mass-produced in a single workshop but copied and reproduced in various studios. In contrast to Western patterns, these Korean patterns have a flat composition reminiscent of folk paintings (minhwa, 민화), and the presence of a cross pattern with star motifs and target markings in the center evokes wartime imagery. This aspect reflects the historical context of 1950s Korea, especially the period around the Korean War. Due to material shortages, the wallpaper from this era was limited in terms of colors, often featuring the same ink for different patterns.

They primarily used black, red, and green hues.

These limited yet distinct colors, reminiscent of Christmas aesthetics, earned my wife’s admiration, prompting us to choose the kitchen, her favorite space, as the perfect spot for this wallpaper.

LOST IN GWANGJU

IW: Speaking of Christmas, probably the biggest change that’s taken place since we last met is your new role as a father. I presume many of your home renovations were in anticipation of bringing a child into the world last December, so please tell us about life as a new parent.

Dong-su: Yes, a few weeks ago, I became a father.

Fortunately, our son was born around the due date, and the whole process at the hospital took only about two hours. The childbirth wasn’t too challenging for my wife, and we’re taking good care of him at home without going to a postnatal care center. He’s been breastfeeding well since birth.

We named him San. Combined with my surname, Kang, the name "Kang San" can also mean “river and mountain,” which is a metaphor for the landscape of Korea. We also chose this name for its ease of pronunciation in Western countries, considering our multicultural family background.

Personally, although we don’t follow any specific religion, we also considered the Catholic cultural background of my wife’s family. So, “San” was chosen to imply “Saint” in addition to its natural landscape reference. Interestingly, my wife’s grandmother, who’s Catholic, had predicted that he might be born on Christmas, so she was delighted that he was indeed born on Christmas Day, especially as he was born to a carpenter family, which she found quite special.

Additionally, since my wife’s hometown is near the Alps, she liked the mountain connotation in his name.

IW: Little San’s already got quite the origin story! What are some things you’re most looking forward to in 2024?

Dong-su: First and foremost, I hope our son smoothly navigates his first year to celebrate his traditionally important first birthday, his dol (돌). As my work often requires extended business trips, I hope to be able to work as close to Gwangju as possible.

In terms of projects, we’re currently in the process of remodeling a hanok built in 1945 near the beach on Ganghwa Island, scheduled to be completed this spring. Regarding our wallpaper business, while it hasn’t generated significant profits yet, I hope it thrives in the coming year.

Additionally, though there aren’t concrete plans at the moment, I’m considering a future project involving disassembling hanok in redevelopment areas facing demolition threats, packing them into shipping containers, and exporting them overseas. For over a decade, I’ve been involved in various attempts to preserve Korea’s old structures.

However, recognizing the limitations in domestic demand and the rapid development that causes traditional hanok and architectural cultural heritage sites to disappear, I wonder if relocating them abroad might ensure their documentation and survival. I’m currently conducting surveys of potential interest in America, Europe, Asia, and elsewhere. Recently, I’ve received inquiries from a museum in the United States regarding shipping hanok, indicating some progress in this direction. I believe there are various possibilities for utilization overseas, including private residences, villas, pavilions, and museum/gallery exhibition spaces.

IW: I hope this becomes business number three.

If it does, it’ll definitely merit another interview.

Best of luck with everything in 2024!

The Author

Hailing from Chino, California, Isaiah Winters is a pixel-stained wretch who loves writing about Gwangju and Honam, warts and all. He’s grateful to have written for the Gwangju News for over five years. More of his unique finds can be seen on Instagram @d.p.r.kwangju and YouTube at Lost in Honam.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

Our son is growing healthily, and one interesting characteristic is that even before he turned a week old, he was captivated by looking at the ceiling and following moving objects with his gaze, indicating a sensitivity to visual stimuli earlier than other babies. This seems to be a trait he inherited from me. We hope he continues to grow healthily and happily.

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PEOPLE IN GWANGJU

Serving the Female Immigrant Community The Gwangju Migrant Women Association Inter viewed by Moon Jung-ah

Immigrants to Korea often encounter difficulties in adjusting to the new culture, the new language, and a new lifestyle in the country that is new to them. This is especially true for women who may at the same time be adjusting to married life. The Gwangju Migrant Women Association is dedicated to making settlement for incoming women a less challenging task. Recently, the Gwangju News was able to sit down for an interview with the president of the association. That interview is what follows. — Ed.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

Chosun University and the Gwangju Migrant Women Association jointly hosted event in 2023.

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Kim Boon-ok: Gwangju Migrant Women Association, a non-profit organization, started as the Gwangju branch of the Korean Immigrant Women’s Association in 2016 and changed to its current name in 2019. Our organization consists of 140 members from 11 countries – China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Mongolia, Japan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Russia – working for the human rights of migrant women. We provide human rights education, safety education, livelihood support, legal support, and art education programs for migrant women to help them

he Gwangju News (GN): Thank you for arranging time to do this interview with us. To begin with, would you please introduce yourself to our Gwangju News readers?

Kim Boon-ok: Certainly, I’m Kim Boon-ok, president of the Gwangju Migrant Women Association. I met my husband when he was traveling around China in 1995, and I moved to Korea in 1996 for the first time. It’s now been 28 years since I came to Korea.

GN: What is the Gwangju Migrant Women Association?

Celebrating World Women’s Day on March 8 last year.

PEOPLE IN GWANGJU

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adapt and settle down in Gwangju. Some of our programs are funded, but most are run as volunteer activities.

GN: Can you share with us the motivation behind your dedicated efforts to support immigrant women?

Kim Boon-ok: It was challenging when I first came to Korea. I learned Korean language and started working as a visiting tutor at the Gwangju Buk-gu Family Center in 2008. When I visited Filipino families as a visiting tutor, it was an experience that sparked my interest in social services. That experience motivated me to enter university and enroll in its social welfare department. I know how difficult it is for any foreigner to initially settle in Korea, so I started this work to share information and my experiences with others. Because I am a migrant woman, I have become more interested in issues concerning migrant women.

GN: What has been the most challenging aspect of your work helping migrant women?

Kim Boon-ok: One of the challenges I encounter is the inability to communicate in the language of immigrant women from countries other than China and Korea, as I can only speak those two languages. Furthermore, it isn’t straightforward when there’s a misunderstanding because I don’t understand that country’s culture. Also, I wish that when others look at immigrant women, they see us as ordinary and equal individuals living alongside them. Unfortunately, people still discriminate based on country of origin, skin color, and appearance. I would appreciate an

Gwangju Migrant Women Association members participate in a broadcast at Gwangju KBS.

improvement in how people perceive immigrant women.

GN: What are the future goals of the Gwangju Migrant Women Association?

Kim Boon-ok: Our goal is to facilitate the successful settlement and well-being of immigrants coming to Korea by helping them discover and assert their rights. We aspire to be a source of assistance through our association.

Recognizing the hidden talents among migrant women hindered by various constraints, I envision running programs to bring out their abilities. Additionally, we aim to play a pivotal role in international exchange, fostering connections within the local community and globally.

Ultimately, we want to contribute to creating a world where people can coexist harmoniously.

Migrant women needing support can contact the Gwangju Migrant Women Association.

Gwangju Migrant Women Association members participate in an “Escape from Daily Life!” trip.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

Gwangju Migrant Women Association Phone: 062-465-9890, Email: bo200270@hanmail.net

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COMMUNITY

Nepalese Student Society: Going Strong

By Narayan Sah Sonar

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he Society of Nepalese Students in Korea (SONSIK) is a notable non-profit organization that has been officially registered in South Korea. Established in 2004, the organization holds the distinction of being the only representative body for all Nepalese students who are pursuing their studies across various academic institutions in South Korea.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

Role and Mission SONSIK is deeply committed to fostering and enhancing both educational and cultural activities.

These efforts aim to enrich the academic and professional competencies of Nepalese students.

Through a plethora of initiatives and activities, SONSIK has played an instrumental role in ensuring that students’ experiences in South Korea are holistic, enriching, and grounded in their cultural roots.

Nepalese Students in South Korea The current data suggests that over 4,500 Nepalese students have enrolled in South Korean higher educational institutions, reflecting the growing appeal and relevance of the nation in the global education landscape.

SONSIK’s Engagements and Initiatives Since its inception, SONSIK has been at the forefront of connecting Nepalese students through

an array of social and academic programs. The organization has successfully orchestrated various programs that include leadership development workshops, social networking events, picnics, educational counseling sessions, and more. These initiatives provide students with platforms to engage, learn, and grow together, strengthening a sense of community and belonging. Among the Nepalese culture events that we celebrate in Korea are Dashain, Tihar, and Teej. The Gwangju International Center (GIC) sponsors Dashian (the biggest Nepalese festival). We raise funds from different events by participating and hand the funds over to needy students in Nepal. SONSIK participates in all international cultural events and represents Nepal in Korea. The Embassay of Nepal in Seoul authorized SONSIK to represent Nepal for cultural events on different platforms in Korea.

Cultural Celebration: The Dashain Festival Among the multitude of events organized by SONSIK in 2023, the Dashain Festival stands out the most significant. Celebrated with great fervor every year, the Dashain Festival is hosted in various parts of South Korea. Through this festival, SONSIK not only showcases the rich cultural heritage of Nepal but also ensures that students, despite being miles away from home, stay connected to their roots and traditions.

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Dashain is not just a spiritual observance; it’s a grand celebration. Houses are cleaned and decorated, symbolizing the removal of evil and negativity. Huge bamboo swings, known as ping, are constructed in many parts of the country for children and adults alike. Another significant aspect is the buying and wearing of new clothes,

which is almost a ritual, symbolizing renewal and freshness. During Dashain, the skies of Nepal are dotted with kites, as kiteflying becomes a major pastime, symbolizing freedom and the link between the earth and the heavens. Traditional music, dances, and feasts further add to the vibrant atmosphere.

Purpose • Dashain is an event organized to share and exchange culture among international communities in Korea. The objectives of the event are as follows: • To create a platform for global communities and Korean communities to share and exchange cultural and traditional aspects as well as to build up friendship among people from different countries.

• To interact with other Koreans and learn new things about Korean culture by engaging with this program.

• To exchange culture between local Koreans and international students.

• To introduce foreign culture and traditions,

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

The festival serves as an occasion for family reunions. Dashain, often referred to as Bijaya Dashami, is the longest festival celebrated in Nepal. Spanning over 15 days, it occurs during the lunar month of Ashwin (late September to early October) and is a time when families come together, honor the goddess Durga, and celebrate the victory of good over evil. The first nine days, known as Navaratri, are dedicated to the worship of Durga in her various forms. Each day has its own significance, with devotees offering prayers, performing rituals, and seeking blessings. The tenth day, Bijaya Dashami, is the most auspicious, where family members receive tika (a mixture of yogurt, rice, and vermilion) and jamara (barley grass) from their elders along with their blessings.

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such as traditional dances, music, games, exotic sites, and delicious cuisines among Korean and international communities.

• To invite and educate international communities to experience different cultures by participating in traditional performances and games.

• To provide the opportunity to explore different places in Korea.

• To understand the cultural values and traditions of different countries in a single place.

• To build up friendship among people from different countries and also interact with Koreans.

Participants’ Reactions The team cooking brought us together, creating lasting memories. The farewell and program coordination were heartwarming, and the emcees kept the energy high. The entertaining games had us in splits, and the smooth event flow showcased excellent management. The cultural performances were a feast for the senses. Post-dinner, preparing juice and momos added the perfect touch. I’m grateful to SONSIK and the GIC for an incredible experience.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

The Dashain celebration at Dewans Temple, orchestrated by SONSIK and sponsored by the GIC, was a joyous experience. The cultural performances showcased our rich heritage. I’m grateful for SONSIK and the GIC for this vibrant celebration, leaving us with cherished memories of togetherness.

SONSIK Dashain Dhamaka 2023.

2. Webinar: Tips and Suggestions for CV Writing (February 4): Providing practical insights, SONSIK organized a webinar guiding students on crafting effective resumes, a crucial skill for career development.

3. Webinar: Unlock Your Potential – GKS Scholarship (February 18): SONSIK facilitated a webinar to guide students on applying for the prestigious Global Korea Scholarship, unlocking opportunities for higher education.

4. SONSIK Sports Meet (April 8–9): Promoting a healthy lifestyle and camaraderie, SONSIK organized a sports meet for Nepalese students, encouraging physical activity and community bonding.

Entertaining games, cultural performances, and post-dinner gatherings made the evening unforgettable.

5. Participation in the 2023 NIIED Students Day (May 13): SONSIK actively participated in the NIIED Students Day, providing Nepalese students with opportunities to engage and network.

The cultural performances and post-dinner gatherings with juice and momos added the perfect touch, making it an unforgettable celebration of our community’s diversity and camaraderie.

6. SONSIK Receives Award from Daejeon Metropolitan City (May 18): In recognition for its outstanding contributions, SONSIK received an award from Daejeon City.

SONSIK Activities for Nepalese Students in Korea (2023) 1. The Python Online Class for Beginners (January 7–8): SONSIK initiated learning opportunities with a Python online class, catering to beginners and fostering skills in a key programming language.

7. Participation in the Seoul Friendship Festival (June 18–19): SONSIK strengthened cultural ties by participating in the Seoul Friendship Festival, fostering a bridge between Nepalese and Korean communities.

8. Fundraising for Niruta Mahat’s Treatment (June 2023): SONSIK displayed compassion by raising funds for the medical treatment of Niruta Mahat,

COMMUNITY

exemplifying solidarity within the Nepalese community.

9. Scholarships to 100 Students in Makawanpur (June 8): SONSIK extended support to education by providing scholarships to 100 students in Makawanpur, Nepal.

10. Scholarships to 26 Students in Dhading (June 16): Continuing its commitment to education, SONSIK awarded scholarships to 26 deserving students in Dhading, Nepal.

11. Scholarships to 100 Students in Myagdi (August): SONSIK’s dedication to education persisted as it granted scholarships to 100 students in Myagdi, Nepal.

12. The 20th Annual Meeting of SONSIK (August): Marking a milestone, SONSIK celebrated its 20th Annual Meeting, reflecting on achievements and planning for the future.

13. SONSIK Teej Program (September 16): Embracing cultural festivities, SONSIK organized a vibrant Teej program, connecting Nepalese students in Korea to their traditions.

14. Webinar: Experiences and Insights of the Undergraduate GKS (September 20): SONSIK facilitated a webinar, sharing valuable experiences and insights for Nepalese students aspiring for the Global Korea Scholarship.

15. Celebration of Nepal’s Constitutional Day and National Day (September 26): SONSIK honored Nepal’s heritage by celebrating Constitutional Day and National Day, fostering a sense of national pride in both their home country and in themselves as student representatives of their country.

17. Webinar: Research Experiences in Korea (October 18): Sharing valuable insights, SONSIK organized a webinar, providing Nepalese students with perspectives on research experiences in Korea.

18. Cultural Representation in MAMF (Migrants Arirang Multicultural Festival; October 20–22): SONSIK showcased Nepal’s rich cultural heritage at MAMF, contributing to the multicultural fabric of the festival.

19. SONSIK Dashain Dhamaka 2023 (October 21–22): The grand Dashain celebration, sponsored by the GIC, was a highlight, bringing the community together for a festive and joyous occasion.

20. Korea–Nepal Cultural Exchange Event 2023: SONSIK played a pivotal role in fostering cultural exchange between Korea and Nepal, commemorating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

21. Webinar: Voice Phishing Awareness and Protection Strategies (November 9): SONSIK addressed cybersecurity concerns with a webinar, focusing on raising awareness and protection strategies for Nepalese students in Korea.

22. SONSIK Deusi-Bhailo Program for Jajarkot (November 11–12): SONSIK organized a fundraising Deusi-Bhailo program, supporting students affected by the earthquake in Jajarkot, Nepal.

23. Webinar: Nepal Embassy’s Initiatives for Nepalese Students in Korea (November 25): SONSIK facilitated a webinar highlighting the initiatives of the Nepal Embassy in supporting Nepalese students in Korea.

These activities showcase SONSIK’s diverse efforts in education, culture, community welfare, and bilateral relations, making a significant impact on the lives of Nepalese students in Korea.

The Author

Narayan Sah Sonar, a Nepali international student in South Korea since 2022, is currently a dedicated PhD researcher at Mokpo National University. Hailing from Birgunj, Nepal, he actively contributes to community welfare as an esteemed member of SONSIK, engaging in various volunteering programs assigned by GIC. Beyond his academic pursuits, he selflessly volunteers with Nepalese students in Gwangju, embodying a commitment to both academic excellence and community service.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

16. Representation in GIC Week – Meet the World in Gwangju (October 7–8): SONSIK proudly represented Nepal at Gwangju International Community Week, contributing to the multicultural tapestry of the event.

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PEOPLE IN THE ARTS

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Painting the Scent of Memories

Artist Park Gu-hwan

By Kang "Jennis" Hyunsuk

A

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

rtist Park Gu-hwan, even if you don’t know his name, his paintings might not be that unfamiliar to you. This is because most of his paintings contain rural landscapes of Korea, and his paintings have been used in pictorial calendars of many companies. For this installment of People in the Arts, I visited Park Gu-hwan’s Art Space, located just outside of Gwangju in Damyang for the following interview.

Park Gu-hwan, the artist.

Jennis: Thank you so much for granting me this interview. Your paintings express peaceful landscapes, so when I go to an art fair, I stop and ponder your paintings. According to the interviews of the artists I have met, it seems that their experiences in their childhood affect their artworks.

I wonder about your childhood and how it might have impacted your art world.

Park Gu-hwan: When I was young, I used to study calligraphy with my older sister from the master Hakjeong, who was one of the best calligraphers in Korea. But I think I liked sports a little more. I was dreaming of becoming a soccer player, but after I hurt my ankle, I gave up playing at the sports club and started painting.

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Jennis: In your paintings, I can easily see landscapes of the countryside. Are those landscapes of your hometown?

Park Gu-hwan: I attended schools in Gwangju, but during my vacations, I stayed at my grandparents’ place in Jangseong, near Gwangju, because my parents were busy working. I still remember the day that I rode in an ox cart to go to the fair with my grandfather. The scenery of the Jangseong area in the 1970s was like that of the deep countryside. The experience living in the countryside left a deep impression on me.

Jennis: You majored in Western painting in the College of Fine Arts at Chosun University. I wonder what the paintings of your college days were like and how your paintings may have changed since then.

Park Gu-hwan: When I was dreaming of becoming a painter, I decided to enter Chosun University’s College of Fine Arts as a four-year scholarship student instead of going to an art school in Seoul, and soon I became obsessed with German expressionism. My paintings were drawn with the eyes of a young man who was looking at the times of instability. The paintings of my college days were a lot different from those of the present. After finishing my first solo exhibition in 1991, I started thinking about whether to continue my career as an artist full time.

Jennis: What is the annihilation technique?

Recollection (2023). Oil on canvas, 33.4 x 24.2 cm.

In Full Bloom (2022). Oil on canvas, 67 x 65 cm.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

At that time, it was hard to make a living as an artist. Instead of working as a painter, I decided to learn ancient art restoration techniques in Japan. While staying in Japan, I came across multi-colored Japanese prints.

Then, however, my father’s health was poor, so I couldn’t finish my studies in Japan.

After coming back to Korea, I started to create my own type of printmaking using the annihilation technique.

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PEOPLE IN THE ARTS

back to the studio and created the scenery I had thrillingly witnessed with a figurative wood print. I named it Sea of Sound. Since then, I’ve been working as an artist for over 30 years.

In Full Bloom (2023). Oil on canvas, 116.8 x 91 cm.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

Park Gu-hwan: When making a multi-colored print, I don’t print it with multiple wooden panels.

I use a single wooden panel to print on the paper, then I cut the next image into the panel and print another color unto the paper with paint on the newly cut portion of the panel, and so forth.

Jennis: In your paintings, a seaside village often appears. Why do you often draw seaside village scenes?

Park Gu-hwan: There was a time when I was skeptical about my life as a painter. I threw away my paintings and went to the seaside or to a reservoir to fish. Then one day, I went fishing at night and witnessed the moment when the night and the morning intersected. In the darkness where nothing could be seen, the water’s mist gradually appeared before me, and the trees around the reservoir gradually appeared next, and eventually the morning came with the clicking sound of a farmer with his cultivator.

This daybreak scene touched me. So, I went

Jennis: So you have been making wood prints for more than 30 years since that early morning dawn on the water.

What do you think is the greatest charm of wood prints?

Park Gu-hwan: The beauty of coincidence is sometimes found in the process of applying colors to wood blocks and pressing them onto the paper.

These days, I am working on single-edition prints. After printing, I paint on them. After painting over the woodcut print several times in several places, a single-edition work is created. Actually, I use woodcut printing as just a part of my painting.

Jennis: I would like to end the interview by asking the question “What is art to you?”

Park Gu-hwan: I think that art has always been in our lives, and life itself is art. I am grateful for anyone who stops in front of a painting of mine to contemplate it for a moment.

Jennis: Thank you so much for your precious time. It was a pleasure to be able to conduct this interview.

Photographs courtesy of Park Gu-hwan.

The Interviewer

Kang Jennis Hyunsuk is a lifelong resident of Gwangju. She has been doing oil painting for almost a decade, and she has learned that there are a lot of fabulous artists in this City of Art. As a freelance interpreter and translator, her desire is to introduce these wonderful artists to the world. Instagram: @jenniskang

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ESSAY

What's in a Name?

By Park Nahm-Sheik

J

uliet laments the last name of her beloved Romeo thus in Romeo and Juliet. She goes on to say, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” What is implied here is that names don’t really affect the stuff their bearers are made of. It means that what name one goes by shouldn’t really matter at all.

strain) got sprinkled with quite a few race-related expressions, among which are “racial segregation,” “racial integration,” “racial profiling,” and “racial quota.” These turns of phrase are routinely resorted to when addressing measures to deal with racial challenges confronting American society at large.

As is well known, Romeo and Juliet is among the greatest love stories of all time. And it goes without saying that William Shakespeare, the author, is arguably the most beloved poetplaywright in the history of England. The whole world is in deep debt to him for so enriching the soil of human civilization. He more than richly deserves the title “Immortal Bard of England.”

It is a matter of common knowledge that much of the Western World’s capitalist economy was built on the back of slave labor of color. Not just that of North America, mind you! In the process, the English language (of the American

Regionalisn in South Korea as characterized by 2012 presidential election returns.

(GeoCurrents.info, no attribution)

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

Using another word in place of name here in “What’s in a name?” we come face to face with another major issue of timeless relevance everywhere. Think of race as a substitute for name here. What immediately gets on the table is the burning issue of racism, which is a pain in the neck today not just for the United States but for the whole world as well.

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ESSAY

Numerous disparaging monikers for AfricanAmericans were in common use particularly among the ultra-conservative White Supremacists of the Deep South. There was a time when the Ku Klux Klan used to wield the hangman’s noose virtually at will there. The KKK often went to the extremes of lynching innocent persons of color at the slightest provocation. They were in fact among the most lawless bands of heinous terrorists ever.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

Still vivid in my mind’s eye is the apparent helplessness clearly sculpted in the faces of most African Americans I came across in and around Washington, D.C. and elsewhere in the United States while I was doing my graduate studies over there in the mid-1960s and the late 1970s. Had it not been for a long line of dedicated civil rights activists and their allies, the African American community would still be stuck in the quagmire they were trapped in then. Indeed, homage is due such prominent civil-rights leaders as Frederick Douglas, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Jesse Jackson, and Stokely Carmichael.

Despite the heroic struggles of these eminent leaders, vestiges of ugly racism still linger on and contaminate the overall socio-cultural atmosphere of the entire United States. Even such mundane things as inter-racial marriage and dating still tend to get frowned upon as illicit and profane forms of cohabitation. It is very unfortunate and regrettable that not a few African Americans still get killed all over the United States, sometimes in broad daylight. Under these conditions, BLM (Black Lives Matter) got incubated in the first place and keeps gathering steam to this day. The residual embers are still glowing alive and well, stubbornly refusing to get extinguished.

Culture, religion, ideology, and ethnicity often get mixed up with racism that ultimately emerges.

In the process, volatility often combines with violence with the combo leading up to a chaotic and/or seditious situation. Such a dangerous consequence has been raising its ugly head in places like Myanmar and Ukraine. Similarly

decipherable are the quandaries surrounding the Israel–Palestine conflict as well as civil unrest in Nigeria, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kashmir, and Sinkiang.

Replacing name with some other words in “What’s in a name?” here can afford us interesting glimpses of one issue or another of timeless relevance to us all. Let’s see what happens when region is substituted for name here. Regionalism is what we end up with, which happens to be an issue of lasting relevance to all societies, including Korea. As for Korea, regionalism used to be next to negligible well into the mid-1960s.

Incidentally, it is often thought to have stemmed from the murky social climate of the country in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s through much of the 1990s, however.

Not everyone may agree, but before long regionalism devolved into something of a national endemic seriously crippling the whole country. Jeollanam-do, the province where I was born and raised, was hit especially hard. An Average Joe from that region was a persona non grata in much of Korean society. Let me begin here by relating the story of my failed application for a run-of-the-mill teaching job at a girls’ high school in Seoul in the late 1960s. Soon after I returned home to Korea upon completion of my master’s work in linguistics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, I went to file my application papers with the school administration. To my surprise and quite contrary to my expectations, the principal told me without much ado that I was not acceptable for the simple reason that my undergraduate studies were done at Chonnam National University. In those days of yore, though, an American graduate degree was enough to land one a position of full-time lecturer at any respectable Korean institution of higher learning.

A bit later, encouraged by an acquaintance of mine who was already on the Seoul National University faculty, I applied for a tenured SNU position. This time around, I lucked out thanks mainly to two Good Samaritans from my East-West Center hay days at the University of Hawaii. They helped me get over the objections of the SNU powers that

ESSAY

"... Lots of people from marginalized areas like Jeollanam-do once also had gotten private lessons to whitewash their dialects." be, including the then incumbent SNU president.

At this point, I should like to look back on a symptom of regionalism that I experienced on the job at the beginning of my SNU career. While conducting a freshmen English class in the spring of 1970, I nearly got laughed off the lectern due apparently to my regional accent. My students were having a field day laughing to their heart’s content at the way I was delivering my lecture in my “supposedly corny” native dialect.

What particularly piqued me here, however, was that my colleagues from elsewhere in the country freely wielded their (non-standard) dialects with no fear whatsoever of a similar blowback. These colleagues of mine were openly flaunting their accents and got away with it while I was close to compelled to hide behind mine. This somehow didn’t seem right to me. Was it really that wrong of me to think this way? It was anything but fair for someone to be made fun of like I was because of my accent in the then SNU freshmen English classroom. As if that was not enough, I was often branded “radical” and/or “unreasonable” by my colleagues for putting in a word or two in departmental meetings.

Perhaps they were gunning for favor from some outside influencers looking askance at their hometown(ers). They appeared to me to be nothing but brazen scumbags at best.

A case in point: A high school classmate of mine who took every possible occasion to speak ill of an ex-president of the republic from our home province. This friend of mine said that this eminent statesman was an obstacle in the way of his ambition to become a cabinet minister someday. Groundless as it apparently was, this barefaced public badmouthing of his was his way of currying favor with bigshot influence-wielders, especially the ones on the outside. He must have been counting on those powerful outsiders to help him on his way up to the highest rung of the socio-political ladder.

It was no laughing matter that lots of people from marginalized areas like Jeollanam-do once also had gotten private lessons to whitewash their dialects. They did not mind at all attending those rather costly sessions to shed their native dialect(s) in favor of a more highly regarded one. This they did in the belief that it would help them stand a better chance of becoming more respectable and/or gainful employment.

Let me now conclude my remarks by wishing that regionalism belonged in the remote past only and would never make its way back into our society down the pike. Let us now bid a permanent farewell to regional discrimination of all shades.

Neither racism nor regionalism is acceptable in any way, shape, or form. Nor is discrimination of any other kind, be it sexism, ageism, ableism, or some other toxic ideology of that ilk.

The Author

Park Nahm-sheik has a BA in English from Chonnam National University, an MA in linguistics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, U.S.A., and a PhD in applied linguistics from Georgetown University. He is now a Professor Emeritus after a long and illustrious career at Seoul National University as well as President Emeritus of the International Graduate School of English.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

Regionalism being such a viral issue back then, not a few from my region openly attempted to compromise their origin stories, often in shameless ways. They sometimes came up with false birth records. They occasionally went on record and said that they had nothing at all to do with their “purported” places of birth. They also didn’t hesitate to go as far as to ruthlessly bash their hometowns and/or some widely recognized public figures hailing therefrom.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

30

Learning a Language or Just Machine Translate

By David Shaffer

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GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

n the present day and age with the advent of machine translation, a second-language novice might very seriously consider whether they should embark on the journey of learning a second language (L2) such as English or rely on machine translators instead. It isn’t difficult to understand why they might contemplate relying on machine translation rather than learning the language. After all, a machine translator (MT) spits out a sentence, paragraph, or longer text in just seconds, while manual translation could easily take hours to complete the same task. Moreover, attaining an advanced level of proficiency in an L2 such as English for Korean L1 speakers, takes years and years of dedicated study, but MTs are available as applications online, while MT devices are also readily available. And very importantly to many, MTs such as Google Translate and Naver’s Papago have free versions.

Considering these three benefits, why should one not decide on using an MT rather than invest considerable time and energy (and money) into learning an L2 such as English. This article will lay out numerous advantages of learning an L2 over using an MT. Machine Translators Are Not Reliable MTs such as Google Translate and Papago are still far from being 100% reliable. For example, they have trouble with homonyms. If one inputs the Korean equivalent of “The pear in the stomach sank like a ship” (pear, stomach, and ship are homonyms in Korean), the MT output will be nonsensical (see Figure 1). These MTs cannot very well handle long sentences, which Korean is notoriously known for, especially compound

sentences containing the connective meo (며).

They very commonly give up in mid sentence and scatter a few indecipherable words at the end of the paragraph. And MTs are not inconstant. A prime example is the way they romanize Korean names into English: The name 김철수 may be romanized as “Kim Chulsoo” in one sentence and as “Cheolsu Kim” in the next. As you can see, output from text translators actually needs to be proofread and corrected in order to be transformed into an acceptable translation. So what does this infer? In infers that you need to have an acceptable grasp of the L2 in order to massage the MT output into meaningful and consistently spelled, capitalized, and punctuated L2 text. In short, you need to know the L2 yourself in order to use an MT effectually.

Communication is More Than Words MTs are often good at word-to-word translation, but that isn’t always a good thing, especially in dealing with idioms (e.g., input “John kicked the bucket” into an MT; see what it gives back to you).

Although words and sentence/utterance structure is important, knowing an L2 encompasses, and provides an opportunity to understand, the nonverbal aspects of communication (e.g., tone, gestures, facial expressions, body language) – all which are important to a full understanding of the message.

An L2 Promotes Problem-Solving Skills It almost goes without saying that learning an L2 develops problem-solving skills, as few would deny that learning an L2 (and an L1, for that matter) is not without a plethora of problems

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Figure 1. Korean-to-English Machine Mis-translations.

to solve (e.g., building the meanings of words, deciphering grammar, reading between the unspoken/written lines, navigating through cultural differences). The development of problem-solving skills through language learning carries over to the use of these skills in other areas of learning (studies have shown that young students who have learned an L2 do better in other school subjects such as math)¹ and in life in general.

Knowing an L2 Promotes Cultural Understanding and Sensitivity Through learning an L2, one can obtain a deeper understanding of the speakers of that language and their culture – granted that every individual is different and that numerous cultures may

An L2 Enhances Personal and Professional Growth L2 proficiency boosts personal development and opens the door to professional opportunities.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

Learning an L2 is Healthful Studies suggest that learning an L2 can promote brain health.² Individuals who speak an L2 have been shown to outperform monolinguals on tasks that require working memory. Bilinguals also performed better than their monolingual counterparts on both verbal and non-verbal tests.

Learning an L2 is thought to increase flexibility in cognitive functioning, including attention improvement. It is also believed to ward off the onset of dementia.³, ⁴

speak the same language. MTs cannot take cultural considerations into account. They can’t understand that the Korean equivalent of “Have you had lunch?” is a noontime greeting and that the equivalent of “Where are you going?” can also merely be a greeting. One needs to understand the cultural nuances and cultural norms of the speakers of the community. For example, English speakers must realize that Korean has different levels of speech when speaking to someone older, younger, and the same age as you. Failure to use these levels properly is often considered an insensitive cultural gaffe. On the other hand, Korean learners of English are happy to learn that English does not have required honorific forms to use according to the hearer’s age; however, they may easily make the faux pas of not adjusting their English speech according to the authority of the individual being spoken to (e.g., speaking the same to one’s teacher/professor as they do to a drinking buddy). This could also easily be viewed as an insensitivity. Knowledge such as this helps to avoid misunderstandings and unintentional offenses, and promotes cultural sensitivity and respectful communication.

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Knowing an L2 can broaden one’s career prospects. In fact, it is almost impossible to be hired by any of Korea’s conglomerates without knowing at least one L2 well. L2 proficiency can make a person a more attractive candidate for an international position, and it can assuredly help to connect one with a more diverse range of people.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

Learning an L2 Is Empowering Relying solely on present-day translation tools creates total dependence on technology for one’s survival in any L2 context. It reminds me a bit of my students of yesteryear lugging around their six-centimeter-thick English-to-Korean dictionaries. But the dictionaries were only an aid to their learning of their L2. They were a part of the empowerment that comes with learning an L2. Total reliance on MTs stifles empowerment and fosters dependence. Learning an L2, and using MTs as a tool in that learning process is empowering.

“Have L2, Will Travel” This heading comes from an old, very old, U.S. TV cowboy program that I watched when I was young: Have Gun: Will Travel. The point here is that having a second language will enhance your travel experiences significantly when visiting a foreign country where that L2 is spoken (in the case of English, that is many countries of the world). It allows you to connect with the locals personally, without having to rely on MT devices, human translators, or a 6-cm-thick dictionary to navigate through an L2 situation. Having an L2 encourages travel; it is empowering! And it creates a sense of independence and confidence in being able to travel alone. How would you like to travel alone to, say, Thailand without being able to speak Thai?

An L2 Builds Global Citizenship In our increasingly interconnected world, proficiency in an L2 contributes to global citizenship. It enables one to participate more actively in international conversations, conferences, business meetings, etc., fostering a sense of global awareness and responsibility.

Learning an L2 involves gaining insight into

different perspectives and ways of expressing oneself. This fosters empathy by allowing one to view the world through a different cultural lens, promoting more open-mindedness and deeper understanding.

Sources ¹ Zhang, J. (2017). The role of early language abilities on math skills among Chinese children. PloS One, 12(7), Article e0181074. https://doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal. pone.0181074 ² Aliouche, H. (2022, February 15). The impact of learning a language on brain health. News Medical. https://www.news-medical.net/health/The-Impactof-Learning-a-Language-on-Brain-Health.aspx ³ Cullen, M. (2024, January 16). Learning a language may help stave off dementia [Email newsletter]. The New York Times: The Evening. ⁴ Padmanabhan, J. (2023, April 28). Bilingualism may stave off dementia, study suggests. Columbia University Irving Medical Center. https://www. neurology.columbia.edu/news/bilingualism-maystave-dementia-study-suggests

Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL Upcoming Events Monthly Chapter Workshop Date: February 17, 2024 (Saturday) Venue: GIC Lounge (1st Floor, 2:00 p.m.)

Check the chapter’s webpages and Facebook group periodically for updates on chapter events and additional in-person and online KOTESOL activities.

For full event details: Website: http://koreatesol.org/gwangju Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL The Author

David Shaffer, PhD, has been involved in TEFL, teacher training, writing, and research in Gwangju for many years as a professor at Chosun University. As vice-president of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of KOTESOL, he invites you to participate in the chapter’s monthly teacher development workshops and in KOTESOL activities in general. Dr. Shaffer is a past president of KOTESOL and is the editor-in-chief of the Gwangju News.

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WHAT TO DO IN GWANGJU

Enjoy the Program!

Lunar New Year Cultural Festival at the Gwangju National Museum The Gwangju National Museum, opened on December 6, 1978, was established to promote the development of cultural arts and to foster patriotism. The Museum’s goal is to maintain cultural values through the collection and preservation of valuable historical artifacts found in the Gwangju and Jeollanam-do regions as well as make contributions to the community through continuous research, exhibitions, and education. With over 130,000 artifacts as well as various educational and experience programs, the museum aims to provide an enjoyable cultural center for visitors. Address: 110 Haseo-ro, Bukgu, Gwangju (광주광역시 북구 하서로 110)

Day 1: Friday, February 9 • 2:00 p.m. (Exhibition Hall front yard). Five-person pungmul (percussion) performance group perform a pungmul exorcism • 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Education Center Experience and Learning Room). Making pollock soap to ward off evil (limited to 200 people per day).

• 3:00 p.m. (Education Center Auditorium). Film screening of The Little Mermaid.

Day 2: Sunday, February 11 • 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Education Center Experience and Learning Room). Making lucky bag macarons (limited to 200 people per day).

• 3:00 p.m. (Education Center Auditorium). Magic Bubble Show (Advance reservation on website required).

Day 3: Monday, February 12 • 2:00 p.m. (Exhibition Hall front yard).

Squeaking comic mime.

• 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Education Center Experience and Learning Room). Making traditional knot bracelets (limited to 200 people per day).

• 3:00 p.m. (Education Center Auditorium).

Film screening of Zootopia.

Do you know how many dragon-related exhibits there are at the museum?

If you find and authenticate dragon-related exhibits at the National Gwangju Museum exhibition hall, you will receive a Gwangbak Coupon that can be used for the experience free of charge! If you verify your visit to the National Gwangju Museum on Instagram, you will receive one additional Gwangbak Coupon! Ready to find dragons in the Year of the Dragon?

Source: Gwangju National Museum.

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

Over the Lunar New Year holidays, the Gwangju National Museum will be holding a Seollal Cultural Festival (설맞이 우리문화한마당). The events will take place in the front yard of the museum’s education center and in the exhibition hall and education center for a total of three days on Friday, February 9; Sunday, February 11; and Monday, February 12 to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. Visitors can experience traditional culture and crafts and can also watch special performances and movies.

General Experience • Education Center front yard: Multicultural play, musical instruments, and costume experience.

• Education Center front yard: Discover your New Year’s fortune by playing yut • Education Center lobby: Fishing for the lucky bag figurine (gift given if you catch the blue dragon!).

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February 2024 Upcoming Events MUSIC CONCERTS Gwangju Symphony Orchestra 381st Regular Concert 광주시립교향악단 381회 정기연주회 [No.2] Date: Feb. 24 (Sat.) Time: 17:00 (5:00 p.m.)

Venue: Gwangju Arts Center, Grand Theater Admission: R seats 30,000 won, S seats 20,000 won, A seats 10,000 won Phone: 062-613-8241

Film Music Concert 밀레니엄 심포니 오케스트라와 함께하는 영화음악 콘서트 Time & Date: Feb. 28 (Wed.) 11:00 a.m.

Venue: ACC, Theater 2 Eligibility: Must be 7 or older Admission: Paid Phone: 1899-5566

Anne-Sophie Mutter Violin Recital

GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

안네 소피 무터 바이올린 리사이틀 Time & Date: March. 12 (Tue.) 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Gwangju Arts Center, Grand Theater Eligibility: Must be 7 or older Admission: R seats 180,000 won, S seats 140,000 won, A seats 110,000 won, B seats 80,000 won, C seats 50,000 won Phone: 062-613-8241

EXHIBITIONS City of Gaia 가기아의 도시 Date: Feb. 25 (Sun.) Time: 10:00–18:00 (10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.)

Venue: ACC, Creation Space 3 & 4 Eligibility: All ages Admission: Free Phone: 1899-5566

Dear Baba-Nyonya: Blended Culture in Seaport Cities 디어 바바뇨냐: 해항도시 속 혼합문화 Date: June 16 (Sun.) Time: 10:00–18:00 (10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.)

Venue: ACC, Creation Space 1 Eligibility: All ages Admission: Free Phone: 1899-5566

Children’s Book Playground: Our City Scenery 어린이 책 놀이터 너나들이 도시풍경 Date: July 7, (Sun.) Time: 10:00–18:00 (10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.)

Venue: Play Library Eligibility: All ages Admission: Free Phone: 1899-5566

Connectivity Construction 이음 지음 Date: July, 21 (Sun.) Time: 10:00–18:00 (10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.)

Venue: ACC, Creation Space 2 Eligibility: All ages Admission: Free Phone: 1899-5566

PERFORMANCE Three Friends 세친구 Date: Feb. 9-10 (Fri.–Sat.) Time: Fri. 11:00, 15:00; Sat. 14:00 (Fri. 11 a.m. & 3 p.m.; Sat. 2 p.m.)

Venue: ACC, Playhouse Eligibility: Must be 36 months or older Admission: 15,000 won Run time: 45 min.

Phone: 1899-5566

SPECIAL EVETNS

Traditional Musical Instrument Experience

Fusion Korean Traditional Music Performance 퓨전국악공연 Date: Feb. 11 (Sun.) Time: 14:00–14:50 (2:00–2:50 p.m.)

Venue: Gwangju National Science Museum, Imagination Hall Eligibility: All ages Admission: Free Phone: 062-960-6210

전통악기체험 Date: Feb. 9–12 (Fri.–Mon.) Time: 9:30–17:30 (9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.)

Venue: Gwangju National Science Museum Contents: Traditional Seollal musical instruments (Sangmo twirling, janggu, buk, and jing playing) Eligibility: All ages Admission: Free Phone: 062-960-6210

Kite Flying Experience

Traditional Games Experience

연날리기 체험 Date: Feb. 9–12 (Fri.–Mon.) Time: 11:00/13:00/14:00/15:00 (11 a.m., & 1, 2, 3 p.m.)

Participants: 15 per session Venue: Gwangju National Science Museum, 1st Floor, STEAM Lab Contents: Traditional Seollal games (yut, shuttlecock kicking, arrow-throwing, archery) Admission: Free Phone: 062-960-6232

전통놀이체험 Date: Feb. 9–12 (Fri.–Mon.) Time: 9:30–17:30 (9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.)

Venue: Gwangju National Science Museum Contents: Traditional Seollal games (yut, shuttlecock kicking, arrow-throwing, archery) Eligibility: All ages Admission: Free Phone: 062-960-6210

Complied by Moon Jung- ah.

Crossword Puzzle Answers for the January Issue 1

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5,000 won

The first three people to complete the crossword puzzle correctly and send us a photo of the completed puzzle will receive a cultural gift certificate for 5,000 won!

The prize winners will be announced in the March issue of the Gwangju News, and the gift certificate will be sent online on the 5th of the following month.

- Email to gwangjunews@gic.or.kr or DM to Instagram at Gwangju International Center

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EXPAT LIVING TIPS

Crime Prevention Information

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GWANGJU NEWS, FEBRUARY 2024

hough crime is probably not the main thing on your mind as you walk down the street, it does exist – that’s why we have police! How can you report a crime when one does occur? And how can you prevent yourself from preventing a crime that you may not be aware of? The answer to these questions and more can be found in this handy list of tips for the expat community published by Korea’s National Police Agency.

Unknowingly Committed Crimes • Weapons such as knives, metal bars, hacksaws, and other weapons that can cause serious harm to human life or body must not be carried without a convincing reason.

• Any person who is related to narcotics crimes, such as manufacturing, smuggling, owning, and administering drugs will be punished severely and will become subject to compulsory expulsion from the country.

• Acts of gambling are subject to severe punishment, if one competes for profit in property with an infraction of the laws.

• Actions such as illegal photography and transmission of sexual exploitation materials will receive heavy punishments.

• One will receive heavy punishment when approaching a person or their family member against their will without good reason, or causing fear or anxiety using a communication network.

It is considered as stalking.

• Taking possession of properties from the street that do not indicate ownership can be punished

as theft or embezzlement of lost articles.

• Overseas money transfers between individuals without using a foreign financial institution is a violation of the foreign currency law, punishable as a serous crime.

How to Report a Crime Interpretation is provided when reporting a crime (damage) and for civil appeals in order to assist foreigners who are not fluent in Korean.

When a foreigner makes a 112 report, it will be filed in the format of a three-party interpretation service (police-interpreter-reporter). A police officer on duty can help by immediately using the interpreting service.

• National Police Agency 112 Interpreter – Three-party interpretation available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays.

– Two languages available: English (Tel. 02-6150-1101) and Chinese (Tel. 02-6150-1102).

• Foreign tourist information (Tel. 1330) – Three-party interpretation: 24 hours a day for English, Chinese, and Japanese daily.

– Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, Malaysian, and Indonesian are available from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

• Danuri Call Center (Tel. 1577-1366) by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family – Three-party interpretation: 24 hours for English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog daily.

– Japanese, Russian, Mongolian, Cambodia, Uzbek, Lao, Nepali from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Source: Gwangju Metropolitan Police.

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CROSSWORDPUZZLE Created by Jon Dunbar 1

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ACROSS Land of the Morning ___ Toast franchise Opposite of failure Goes with divergent or atypical Herb related to mint Kim Chang-yeol, Lee Ha-neul and Jung Jae-yong (2 words) Sticks together Seoul Metro Line 4 terminus Lowrise apartment, often “Whole Lotta Shakin’ ___ On” “Doe, ___” (2 words) Joseon aristocrat Kyoung-duk or Hyun-jin Doesn't throw away

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community

culture

exchange

communication

sharing

GIC

GWANGJU INTERNATIONAL CENTER

For only 50,000 won/year, you help the GIC provide a space for exchanges for the local and international communities to learn and experience various cultures from around the world and to promote respect for diversity and inclusivity.

Bene�its as a GIC member: Receive the Gwangju News every month by email.

Priority for participation in programs.

Get discounts on paid programs and space rentals.

Borrow books and materials from the GIC Library.

Get receipts for contributions provided for year-end tax settlement.

(61475) 5 Jungang-ro 196-beon-gil (Geumnam-ro 3-ga), Dong-gu, Gwangju, Korea Tel. 062-226-2732 Email. gic@gic.or.kr Web. www.gic.or.kr