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Gwangju & South Jeolla Intern ational Magazine
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From the Editor
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February 2020, Issue No. 216 Published: February 1, 2020 Cover Photo Valentine’s Day
Photograph by Sarah Pittman
THE EDITORIAL TEAM Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editors Production Editor Layout Editor Photo Editor Photographer Communications Proofreaders
Online Editor Researchers
Dr. Shin Gyonggu Dr. David E. Shaffer William Urbanski, Karina Prananto Isaiah Winters Karina Prananto Sarah Pittman Kim Yunkyoung Park Min-young Tara Kulash, Elisabeth Loeck, Gilda Wilson, Joseph Nunez, Ynell Lumantao-Mondragon, Timothy Berg, Di Foster, David Foster Karina Prananto Melline Galani, Lee Younny
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 English-speaking communities.
The Gwangju News is published by Gwangju International Center: Jungang-ro 196-beon-gil 5 (Geumnam-ro 3-ga), Dong-gu, Gwangju 61475, South Korea Tel: (+82)-62-226-2733~34 Fax: (+82)-62-226-2731 Website: www.gwangjunewsgic.com Email: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr GwangjuNews gwangjunews
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.
You may wish to consider the warm beaches of “Guam, Guam, Guam” for a Valentine’s Day getaway. The piece’s author was there with his partner over New Year’s. As another international destination, we feature Romania’s humungous Palace of the Parliament. If these ports of call are to distant, you may wish to consider Seoul’s Botanic Park or Incheon’s Fairytale Village (“Photo Essay”). Not sure where you want to go? Read how the Gwangju Convention and Visitors Bureau might help you (“Promoting Tourism in Gwangju”). Or go it alone – rooftopping (“Lost in Gwangju”). For a warm meal with your loved one or the whole family, consider the grilled fish at Daega Restaurant, or consider treating them to your own pork ribs with our “Galbi Jjim” recipe. If you get your warmth from helping others, read about volunteering at KONA and at the Gwangju Children’s Home. We have so much more: doping Russian-style, forturetelling Korean-style, a book review of Status Anxiety, FAQs about Korea TESOL, Korean study, Gwangju city news and happenings, and our monthly crossword puzzler. With the publication of the February issue of the Gwangju News, we sadly say farewell to Karina Prananto, who has been on the magazine and GIC staff for over a decade. Maternity duties call her. Also leaving the Gwangju News staff, the GIC, and Gwangju is Park Min-young. Both of these fine individuals have contributed much to the magazine’s quality and success; their presence will be greatly missed.
David E. Shaffer Editor-in-Chief Gwangju News
February 2020
Registration No. 광주광역시 라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315) Registration Date: February 22, 2010 Printed by Join Adcom 조인애드컴 (+82)-62-367-7702
Our cover story takes us back to roots that were planted centuries before St. Valentine began marrying young couples and all the way up to the present-day observances. Give it a read. Then feast your eyes on our love-ly Photo of the Month. Gwangju Writes provides some love-ly poetry just “For You.”
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Copyright © 2020 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.
s a new month greets us, so does the February issue of the Gwangju News! Though February is the shortest month of the year, it has one internationally loved holiday smack-dab in the middle of the month for all to behold: Valentine’s Day! Our cover gives this away, and our cover story guides us through the multifaceted history of the affectionate day. But, while February 14th focuses on romantic love, we should not lose sight that this is not the only form of love and that we should endeavor to exhibit love and understanding in all our interactions with our brothers and sisters inhabiting Planet Earth.
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Photo of the Month
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February 2020
ARTS & CULTURE
By Paolo Mondragon
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like to go on long walks with my film camera from time to time. On this particular day, after two hours of urban hiking, I ended up in downtown Gwangju at the ACC. There had been a festival there the day before. The place was nearly empty, but luckily there were still some street art paintings on display for people to enjoy. This painting caught my eye. I thought it was clever how the heart was placed in front of the hand, giving a 3D effect. I also liked how the blue blended in with the sky that day and how that same blue made the pink pastel color stand out even more. As I took a moment to enjoy the scene, I saw a young couple approaching, unwittingly ready to take the stage. I knew I had to make this photo, even their shirts complimented the scene! Every time I look at this photo, I wonder about this couple. I remember them walking by, seemingly contented in their comfortable silence. It seemed like just another day for them. This photo reminds me that love isn’t always about grand moments and dramatic expressions. Love is daily, and there is beauty in the mundane.
The Photographer
Paolo Mondragon is a Filipino-Canadian artist from the Toronto area. He dabbles in various mediums and his current passion is showcasing the beauty of the mundane. For more photos, find his Instagram @35millz
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CONTENTS February 2020
Issue # 216
MONTHLY NEWS 04. Gwangju City News 54. February 2020 Happenings 56. Community Board FEATURES 06. Valentine’s Day: Amour than Meets the Eye? 10. Promoting Tourism in Gwangju: Dark Tours in the City of Light 14. Romania’s Palace of the Parliament: Horrible Kitsch or Masterpiece? BLAST FROM THE PAST 17. Applying Oriental Thought to Korean Life TRAVEL 20. Lost in Gwangju: Rooftopping in the City of Heights 24. From Abroad: Guam! Guam! Guam! 28. Around Korea: Seoul Botanic Park – Amazes, Heals, and Educates
SPORTS AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES 34. YZ Park: Hidden Gem in Downtown Gwangju COMMUNITY 36. Feeling Alive! Volunteering at KONA 38. Volunteering at Gwangju Children’s Home EDUCATION 39. Everyday Korean: Episode 26 – 취미 (Hobbies) 40. Language Teaching: The FAQs about Korea TESOL OPINION 42. More Scandal Than You Can Handle ARTS & CULTURE 02. Photo of the Month 44. Photo Essay: Incheon’s Fairytale Village 50. Book Review: Status Anxiety by Alain de Botton 51. Gwangju Writes: For You 53. Gwangju News Crossword Puzzle
FOOD & DRINKS 30. Daega Restaurant: The Best Grilled Fish Serving Gwangju 32. Galbi Jjim: Braised Pork Ribs
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February 2020
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Gwangju City News
MONTHLY NEWS
Reprinted with permission from Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall Photographs courtesy of Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall
Mayor Lee (front row, center) with the Energy Policy Committee members.
Gwangju to Speed Up Energy Conversion with AI Launching of Energy Policy Committee with 28 experts from all walks of life to advise on energy-related policies and serve as an oversight body.
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February 2020
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wangju Metropolitan City, as a center of artificial intelligence (AI) in Korea, takes proactive measures in converting future energy by linking it to AI convergence technology. On January 7, Gwangju City Hall held a ceremony for launching the Energy Policy Committee and disclosed its plans to accelerate related strategies in a prompt manner with a focus on urban energy transformation and development of business models. The Energy Policy Committee is composed of 28 members, including two from the City Council; three from industries such as KEPCO and KEPCO KDN; nine from energy-related research institutes such as Gwangju Technopark and Gwangju-Jeonnam Research Institute; eight from academia, including Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education and Chonnam National University; five from civic groups such as the Gwangju Environmental Movement Alliance; and one from Gwangju City Hall led by Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop and Prof. Moon Seungil from Seoul National University. The Committee will act as an oversight body on the energy policies of Gwangju City, providing advice on matters
related to the energy industry, establishing and expanding the Gwangju-tailored energy business model, and strengthening the human network for energy conversion. At the inauguration ceremony, Prof. Moon delivered a keynote talk on the theme of “Gwangju, a Global Leading City for AI-based Energy Conversion,’” and Gwangju City presented the “Energy Transition Plan Based on Innovation and Communication to Start the Future Energy Era.” Subsequently, the committee members discussed the development direction of the energy industry. In
5 particular, city hall presented its energy conversion plan, along with its future energy vision linked to artificial intelligence through implementing the Gwangju Citizens’ Participatory National DR Platform City plan, stressing that it plans to share its profits with citizens by operating familiar energy initiatives such as the Civilian-led Solar Power Plant project. Henceforth, Gwangju City will form an energy policy support council encompassing experts as an implementation body. By February, the Citizens’ Energy Consultative Body and the Citizens’ Public Relations Group will be formed to increase the effectiveness of the project. In addition, if last year was the time to build infrastructure such as the joint energy industrial complex in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, this year, the Energy Policy Committee, launched on January 7, aims to achieve visible results gradually by increasing its executive power and residents’ acceptance of the Gwangju-tailored energy project. “The energy industry is the most important field for Korea as well as for our region to have sustainable competitiveness,” said Mayor Lee Yong-sup, adding, “The committee should play an active role in combining artificial intelligence technologies to create specialized strategies that can be directly connected to policies in which citizens can participate and profit from customized business enterprises.”
5.18 Remains Found at Gwangju Prison
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The consolidated investigation division includes Park Jong-tae, a professor at Chonnam University Law School, and Yoon Chang-ryuk, professor at Chosun University Dental College, both of whom were recommended by the
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he City of Gwangju revealed on December 15 that the Gwangsan District’s Nambu University was selected as the preferential candidate site for the Swimming Promotion Center project by its evaluation committee. The district’s university was rated highly for its effective options, including the remodeling of its existing facilities with minimized construction for the reduction of project costs and its symbolism and synergies with future scheduled swimming contests. Other candidate sites included Seogu’s Yeomju Swimming Pool, Namgu’s Gwangju University, and Buk-gu’s Ilgok Park. When the location is finalized, the 12,000-squaremeter project is expected to launch its construction in 2021 and to be operational by 2023. It will encompass a standard competition swimming pool and aquatic contest exhibition areas as well. The center is known to be a commemorative project for the success of the 18th FINA World Championships held in Gwangju last year.
Gwangju City Buys Red Cross Hospital Building
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he City of Gwangju announced its intent to purchase the former Red Cross Hospital, which is known as the eleventh historical site of the May 18 Democratic Movement. The purchase will be made from Seonam University. However, the price of the 2,800-square-meter property is uncertain since the university asked for 8.9 billion won for the site, which the city cannot agree to. The hospital provided emergency medical services to Gwangju citizens during the May 18 Uprising, as it was the closest hospital to the main site of the protests: the old Jeollanam-do Provincial Hall. The current owner of the building, Seonam Academy Foundation, bought the building in 1995 and ran it as a Seonam University Hospital; however, due to continuous deficits, it closed in 2014. May 18-related officials remarked that the city has to make a comprehensive plan by connecting the site’s past significance with a vision for its future, including ways of preserving the remaining buildings and historic sites. Note: The Gwangju News covered this hospital in depth in our January 2019 issue.
February 2020
The first process of the examination is reported to be grasping the exact quantity of the remains found, followed by judging the possibility of DNA extraction. Once DNA extraction is secured, a comparison study will be conducted with the DNA of 299 family members of missing participants of the May 18 Democratic Movement stored at the Chonnam University Law School Research Center.
Nambu University No. 1 Candidate for Swimming Promotion Center
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he remains of some 40 individuals found at the old Gwangju Prison site have been transferred to the National Forensic Service headquarters for further examination. According to the May 18th Commemorative Foundation, the remains have been moved to Wonju in Gangwon Province for close examination a consolidated investigation division participating.
May 18th Commemorative Foundation, the Ministry of Justice, and military and police officials.
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Valentine’s Day Amour than Meets the Eye? Written by Colin Farabee
www.gwangjunewsgic.com 2020 www.gwangjunewsgic.comFebruary February 2020
FEATURE FEATURE
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his month, the hearts of young lovers all over the world will flutter and sigh as Valentine’s Day comes, with each aspiring romantic attempting to woo the apples of their eyes with anything they can buy, make, or find. It may come in the form of chocolate, candy hearts, a card, roses arranged with the romantic “language of flowers,” or a simple premade card, but no matter how it begins, it is a day that will start (or end!) many relationships. Many people see it as the day when they are permitted to share their feelings openly, loudly declaring their love in a traditional way. But there are so many ways to show your love for someone, and a lot of the information about their origins is inaccurate or completely made up. So let’s tackle some common ideas and symbols of Valentine’s Day and look at where each part of this adorable mishmash of a holiday came from. First, many people already know that Valentine’s Day is a Catholic saint’s day, and that his martyrdom is not a romantic story. He was likely a priest, arrested for preaching Christianity when it was illegal in the Roman Empire, and he married many Christian couples, hence his connection to love. But this does not match up with the modern-day views of Valentine’s Day as a day for dates, romance, passion, and finding a partner. History seems to have an answer for this mismatch of beliefs,
though, in the pagan holiday of Lupercalia. A pre-Roman celebration of fertility and finding love, it had more or less died out in the 6th century after many years of pressure from Catholicism. Our story begins, however, in the 14th century, hundreds of years after Lupercalia ended, when the Roman Empire was considered mysterious and trendy. Many academics became interested and attempted to revive pieces of Roman culture that they saw as interesting, and this caught their eye. On Lupercalia, a goat was sacrificed to the god of purity and fertility, and the skin of the animal was cut into strips called “februa” (the source for the name of the month of February). Men and women were struck with the februa, believing it would bring them better fertility. This may also have been the first attempt at organized speed dating, as single men are believed to have put their names in a chalice, and any single women wanting a partner could take a name at random and try to live with their new partner. In the Middle Ages, these ideas were slowly romanticized. By 1400, it had become less about trying to have kids, and more about the courtly ideals of romantic and pure love. Despite many changes to different Western cultures since then, this newer version of the holiday has endured and shifted meanings with changing sensibilities
7 Now, a number of jaded individuals frequently cite Valentine’s Day as an example of everything that is soullessly manufactured by corporations for profit, from the boxes of chocolates and the pressure to give out heartshaped gifts to the ever-present cheap greeting cards. While I am not here to argue that the robotic marketing campaigns are not at work, there are completely legitimate reasons for all of these traditions! First, I will cover the classic box of chocolates, a part of Valentine’s Day that anyone can enjoy! Every culture to encounter chocolate has thought it to be an aphrodisiac since the beginning of time. When chocolate crossed the Atlantic from South America to Europe, medieval nobles rich enough to afford the wildly expensive luxury would pay for sweet amber and chocolate confections for their wives and lovers, hoping to get lucky on its fabled properties. While of course there is no real “aphrodisiac” and its arousing properties were total fabrications, its flavor and rarity kept it popular. As chocolate remained out of the price range of the common people for centuries, when people could finally afford to imitate the rich, they did, and since then it is never decreased in popularity.
Thirdly, there are the omnipresent Hallmark cards declaring one’s love for a significant other in a hundred different ways. As the second-most popular card-sending holiday, consumers are not wrong to state that the idea is far too commercial to seem authentic or even romantic. But the humble Valentine’s card containing words of love or poetry has a more beautiful and complicated history than a generic card could convey. Lupercalia, as I mentioned earlier, was a pagan holiday and was finally fully suppressed around the year 492. It lived on, however, in the minds of many academics who began modernizing it, connecting the ideas of St. Valentine’s Christian marriages and ideas of fertility, dating, and love. Chaucer, around 1390, wrote a long poem called “The Parliament of Fowls,” which is the first recorded mention of Valentine’s Day being about love and pairing off with partners. It is frequently cited as the single work that reignited a popular interest in Valentine’s Day and tied it to resurging ideas about Lupercalia. Only 25 years later, Charles, the Duke of Orleans, is recorded as the first man to send his wife a letter with a poem proclaiming his eternal devotion and passion. While he was held captive in England in 1415 during the Hundred Years War, he sent his wife a letter declaring that he was “sick of love” since he had been held apart from the love of his life for another year. This matured and developed over centuries into a strong tradition of sending letters and declaring love on Valentine’s Day. While certain companies may have capitalized on this, they definitely did not start this beautiful custom.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com 2020 www.gwangjunewsgic.comFebruary February 2020
The second symbol of Valentine’s Day that I want to cover is the heart-shaped gifts. These cards and gift boxes are synonymous with love and are a traditional part of the Valentine’s Day date. What might surprise the average person is that these are rumored to have begun with St. Valentine himself and may be the only traditionally Catholic part of the celebration. St. Valentine is a very ancient figure in Catholicism and many of his deeds are part guesswork or legend. One thing many historians and Catholic accounts allege is that he gave heartshaped emblems to the couples he secretly married, either as a way of reminding them of their obligation to one another, or as a physical token for the men to keep with them to keep them faithful. While the deeper
obligations of the gift have faded from popular memory, a cursory glance at any store on February 13th will tell you that despite the nearly 1,500 years separating us from the saint, his emblem has stuck around and is still heavily associated with gifts given to a partner.
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February 2020
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If you are an adult, you probably know the feeling of rushing out to buy roses for a special date. The 12 deepred roses every lover will dutifully provide are meant to signify “love.” While it is true that roses mean love, their meaning is actually not so simple or clear. A single red rose, as many people could guess, denotes passion and love. Multiply that by 12, however, and the meaning according to the language of flowers shifts to “gratitude.” Perhaps this is a perfect gift for a married couple, but if you wish to give 12 roses to your date, what you are saying is less romantic, and more thankful. It is also worth mentioning that playing around with the color or the flower may offend a savvy date. If your lover says their favorite color is yellow, or that they love geraniums, you should probably buy them what they love. But be aware: Giving a date yellow roses symbolizes “let’s just be friends,” and giving a Victorian man or woman geraniums would instantly tell them you think they are an idiot.
The fourth symbol I wish to address is Cupid, usually depicted as a young boy with angel wings shooting a bow with a heart-shaped arrowhead, who is a character heavily associated with Valentine’s Day. Modern references to Cupid compare true, deep love to being “shot by Cupid’s arrow.” A casual search into the history of Cupid in English and general Western European history would yield the same results as well: a cherubic and innocent young boy who leaves true love in his wake. Shakespeare would write in A Midsummer Night’s Dream that “Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind” because he believed that Cupid was an emblem of the purest and best kind of love. While he may well represent that today, his place in history is far more wanton and carnal, and makes his presence in Valentine’s Day themes far more entertaining. Cupid to the Romans was a son of Venus, and to the Greeks he was an ancient and primal god older than
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their main pantheon, but he was the same force of nature to both. His arrows were lust itself, and the people struck by them were definitely not in love. They were instead desperately driven to other, more adult desires, without the ability to reason and think rationally. Even post-Roman Christian works describe him as a “demon of lust” and a force of darkness and sin. Though it will not get you into trouble today, Cupid’s past was definitely a far cry from the depictions shown today, which were mostly invented in the Middle Ages when he was combined with the image of a cherub to make him cuter and more palatable. While he is seen as an angelic force of pure love today, your ancestors would likely have considered him to be about as pure as the average conversation on a dating app. In short, whether you call it Valentine’s Day or Lupercalia, this holiday has many rich traditions behind it that span thousands of years into the times before the Roman Empire. These collected parts created
a celebration of love that has truly become an international holiday, with each tradition boasting of a rich and storied past. This Valentine’s Day, whether you are on a first date or taking out your spouse, I hope you enjoy the spirit of the holiday it has become, and spend it with a person who makes you feel great, whether that person has the right roses and chocolates or not. Photographed by Sarah Pittman and Stephanie Vollmer
The Author
Colin Farabee is a 27-yearold Californian working as an English teacher in Gwangju’s Sangmu District. His hobbies include extreme sports, riflery, and teaching historical European martial arts. He also writes adventure modules and plays lots of nerdy games, such as D&D and WH40k.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
February 2020
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Promoting Tourism in Gwangju Dark Tours in the City of Light
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February 2020
FEATURE
Written by Karina Prananto
▲ A tour group visiting Lee Jang-woo’s former home in Yangnim-dong.
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fter its founding eleven years ago, the Gwangju Convention and Visitors Bureau (GCVB) has actively been promoting Gwangju as a tourism city locally and abroad. True to its name, it mainly promotes the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) industry and tourism in general. This year, it will be promoting Gwangju as a city of history and human rights, in accordance with the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising. We met with Lee Yong-heon, the director of the GCVB, who gave us more information on the program.
Gwangju News (GN): Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed! Could you tell us a bit about how the Gwangju Convention and Visitors Bureau was established and its purpose? Lee Yong-heon (Lee): After the adoption of the regulation to promote the international conference industry, Gwangju was designated as an international conference city. The Gwangju Convention and Visitors Bureau (GCVB) was formed to revive the local economy by making Gwangju an attractive destination for international conferences, conventions, and tourists.
GN: What are your main programs this year? Lee: There is a growing interest in any special history linked to a city that people visit, so we want to focus on that, especially because this year is the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising. Last year, our tour theme was “Travel to Gwangju with a Foreigner Living in Korea” (대한외국인과 함께하는 광주여행). We partnered with MODETOUR (모두투어) and they sold the tour packages for us. The tour departed from Seoul, as our target market was Koreans. Last year, it was only a one-day tour, but we hope to make it a two-day, one-night package this year, and not only for visitors from Seoul but also from Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, Daegu, and other cities. We plan to start advertising in March.
February 2020
GN: What program do most foreigners participate in? Lee: International visitors like to experience Korean culture programs the most. They like to make things by hand, try the local food, or do activities that require movement rather than listen to a tour guide. Among the programs offered, the most popular is
GN: How do you promote Gwangju to potential tourists abroad? Lee: We have participated in the exhibitions held by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) to promote Gwangju to general tourists, and we also sometimes go abroad, partnering with our overseas organizations, to promote Gwangju tour packages. We have promoted Gwangju at exhibitions in Russia, Malaysia, Singapore, Ukraine, Germany, France, Finland, Japan, and many other places. Our main focus for promotion is Mudeung Mountain because, as a city with 1.5 million people, we are fortunate to have a mountain and national park so close to the city center. I think that is our specialty. Through KTO, we also distribute Gwangju’s promotional tourism materials online and offline abroad, in addition to promotion on social media.
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GN: What are the main roles of the GCVB in promoting Gwangju tourism? Lee: To attract visitors to Gwangju, we participate in many exhibitions as well as promote Gwangju through online and offline platforms locally and abroad. Gwangju is not as famous as Seoul, Busan, or Jeju as a destination for travel, so we have to make Gwangju a new tourism destination by introducing something unique and new.
making Korean food. Aside from that, dressing up in a hanbok and making Korean fans are also popular. Although these types of experience programs are the most attractive, we also try to focus on programs to introduce the city’s history. For example, we hosted a FAM Tour (familiarization tour) for tourists from Russia who wanted to get to know more about the city.
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A tour group visiting the ACC.
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February 2020
Lee Yong-heon, the director of the GCVB.
GN: Could you please tell us more about the special tours that will take place with the 40th Anniversary of May 18? Lee: We are now planning to promote a Gwangju-specific “dark tour.” This kind of tour package is called “special interest travel” (SIT). We hope to sell this tour in the first half of the year and market it to local and overseas travelers through travel agencies and related organizations. We will try to promote the tour program to Japanese tourists as well, as recently many have been coming to Korea to visit sites related to May 18, like the May 18 National Cemetery, the May 18 Archive, May 18 Freedom Park, and experience programs related to May 18. If possible, we also plan to arrange a meeting with people related to May 18. For this, we will cooperate with local agencies in Japan. We also wish to promote the Gwangju history tour to middle and high school students from other regions as a destination for field trips. GN: Could you tell us about the “Eui-hyang Gwangju” [의향광주, Gwangju for Justice] brand that is currently being promoted? Lee:We wanted to make a tour program that is meaningful as well as memorable. There will always be something that we do not know about Gwangju, and we always like to
find out new things about the city – that is the key point. So it will not just be a dark tour but will also combine cuisine and experience programs, making it a “light” tour as well. I think this is the reason why “Travel to Gwangju with a Foreigner Living in Korea” was successful last year. For us, this is an easy Gwangju-tailored dark tour. GN: Your program for a Gwangju dark tour was successfully carried out last year by attracting many tourists nationwide. What is your target this year? Lee: We are targeting 1,000 tourists this year. We are now in the process of collaborating with travel agencies locally throughout the year. I think our target is attainable because we have special events coming up this year in Gwangju. For the first half of the year, we are focusing on the dark tour with the May 18 anniversary in mind, while in the second half of the year, we will be focusing on art-related tourism. Gwangju will host many artists and groups from around the world this year. GN: What do you think of “dark tourism” as possibly being interpreted as something sad and gloomy compared to regular tours? Lee: I think that Gwangju’s dark tour is not heavy or
13 depressing at all. Like last year, we will also promote similar tours of art exhibitions and the Dwinggul Dong-gul (뒹굴동굴) bunker cave in Yangnim Historical Village. Last year, we also brought tourists to see the original houses of Lee Jang-woo and Choi Seung-hyo from the Japanese colonial period. Through the survey that we did of tourists who participated, we found that they thought our dark tour was not sad or gloomy. Also, last year Gwangju City selected seven representative foods, and one of them was the famous May 18 rice balls. We plan to include making these as an experience program so we can combine both Gwangju’s history of May 18 with Gwangju’s representative foods, making it a “delicious” trip. GN: Are there any other special tours this year that you would like us to know about? Lee: As I mentioned earlier, we will promote Gwangju for dark tourism in the first half of the year until sometime in July, and then during the rest of the year, we plan to promote art and food tourism. Travelers will be able to meet experts in the field and then participate in experience programs. You can check on this later through our official website and our tour agent partners.
Photographs courtesy of Gwangju Convention A tour group visiting the ACC.
and Visitor Bureau and Kim Yunkyoung. Interview translation by Park Min-young.
The Author
A tour group visiting the former Provincial Office.
February 2020
Karina, from Jakarta, Indonesia, has been a Gwangju resident since 2006 and been involved with Gwangju News since 2007. Her joy in life is her son, who is now on his toddler years. She loves traveling, reading, and watching horror movies.
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GN: Where should people look for more information and register for the tours? Lee: You can apply for these programs through our travel partners such as MODETOUR and Namhae Tours (남해관광) starting in February. From Japan, it is through Sanshin Travel; from Singapore, it is through CTC Travel; and from Russia it is through Art Tours. Or you can always contact us through our website: http://visitgwangju.kr/.
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Romania’s Palace of the Parliament Horrible Kitsch or Masterpiece? Written and photographed by Melline Galani
This communist-era behemoth was designed and started under the Ceaușescu regime in 1984 but is not yet
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February 2020
FEATURE FEATURE
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omania is not only known worldwide for its vampire myths (Dracula) but also for having the world’s second largest administrative building (after the Pentagon), which is also the most expensive administrative building and overall heaviest building in the world – the Palace of the Parliament (known universally as the People’s House – “Casa Poporului,” in Romanian).
The Parliament building from outside. (Photo by Ondrej Bocek on Unsplash)
finished (nor will it ever be, if you ask me). Communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu ruled Romania from 1965 until his sudden and violent death in December 1989 when the Romanian Revolution took place. His oppressive regime left deep scars in all aspects of life, including urban planning and architecture. Originally designed by a young architect named Anca Petrescu, who was just 28 at the time, with the help of a team of approximately 700 architects, this monstrosity
15 15 was designed to accommodate almost all the apparatus of the communist state. Today, it hosts the Romanian parliament, a conference center, and Romania’s National Museum of Contemporary Art. Ceaușescu was impressed by the societal organization and mass adulation of North Korea’s Juche ideology during his East Asian visit in 1971 (he was also a close friend with North Korean leader, Kim Il-sung), and decided to implement similar policies in Romania with the stated goal of turning Romania into a “multilaterally developed socialist society.” Ceaușescu wanted a civic center more in line with the country’s political stance, as an intended replica of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, so he started a reconstruction plan of Bucharest based on the style of socialist realism. The Palace of the Parliament was the center of this project. The Palace of the Parliament rises from the place where there was once an old Uranus neighborhood, a district with hills once crisscrossed with small streets paved with cubic stone, and old and quaint Romanian houses with bohemian glamour, many of which were brought to light by architects from centuries prior. The people living in those houses formed the middle class of Bucharest society. They were traders, craftsmen, and owners of small businesses.
In order to make space for the enormous building, 20 churches were destroyed (and eight moved), 10,000 homes were demolished, and over 57,000 families were evicted. The Palace of the Parliament has a height of 84 meters (276 ft.), a floor area of 365,000 square meters (3,930,000 square feet), and a volume of 2,550,000 cubic meters (90,000,000 cubic feet),1 weighing about 4,098,500,000 kilograms in total. Built and furnished exclusively with Romanian materials, the building reflects the work of the country’s best artisans. The building was made with construction materials produced in Romania, amongst which are 1,000,000 cubic meters of marble, 550,000 tons of cement, 700,000 tons of steel, 2,000,000 tons of sand, 1,000 tons of basalt, 900,000 cubic meters of rich wood, 3,500 tons of crystal, 200,000 cubic meters of glass, 2,800 chandeliers, 220,000 square meters of carpets, and 3,500 square meters of leather.2 The entire construction is the result of over 100,000 workers’ effort, with more than 20,000 persons working 24 hours a day in three shifts during peak periods. Moreover, between the years 1984 and 1990, 12,000 soldiers took part in the construction work. Construction began in 1984 and initially should have been completed in only two years. The construction period was then extended until 1990, but
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February 2020
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The conference room.
The entrance hall.
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February 2020
even now it remains unfinished. Only 400 rooms and two meeting rooms are finished and in use out of the planned 1,100 rooms. The building has eight underground levels, the last one being a nuclear bunker (a room with 1.5-meterthick concrete walls that cannot be penetrated by radiation) linked to the main state institutions by 20 kilometers of catacombs. Nicolae Ceaușescu feared nuclear war. Thousands of workers died in connection with the construction of the Palace of the Parliament, but the real number remains a mystery. These days, urban legends circulate saying that the building is haunted by ghosts who show up at night in the hallways breaking seals, whistling, or making security systems sound. These ghosts are thought to be the souls of those who died during construction of the edifice. The Palace of the Parliament was first opened to the public shortly after the Romanian Revolution in 1989. I remember going there with my grandmother (I was around 12 years old at the time), and we were astounded by the luxury and opulence we saw inside. Nowadays, guided tours take visitors through a small selection of dazzling rooms, huge halls, and quarters used by the Senate (when not in session). The interior is a luxurious display of crystal chandeliers, mosaics, oak paneling, marble, gold leaf, stained-glass windows, and floors covered in rich carpets.
The interior hall.
If one happens to go to Romania’s capital city of Bucharest, the Palace of the Parliament is a must-see, but a reservation is required for visits as well as an ID card or passport. A standard tour costs less than ten U.S. dollars/person and is available all year round except national holidays. Moreover, near the Palace of the Parliament is another grotesque building under construction that is almost ready – the People’s Salvation Cathedral (“Catedrala Mantuirii Neamului,” in Romanian) – which is the tallest and largest Orthodox church in the world by volume. Sources 1
2
Wikipedia. (2019, December 22). Palace of the parliament. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_the_Parliament Bucharest International Conference Centre. (2020). Palace of the parliament. http://cic.cdep.ro/en/general-presentation/ urban-legends-and-myths-about-the-palace-of-the-parliament
The Author
Melline Galani is a Romanian enthusiast, born and raised in the capital city of Bucharest, and is currently living in Gwangju. She likes new challenges, learning interesting things, and is incurably optimistic.
Blast from the Past 17
Applying Oriental Thought to Korean Life
A
Korean given names usually consist of two Chinese characters, one of which is the generational character (dollim-ja, 돌림자), indicative of his generational position in the family lineage. (Here family refers to all those with the same surname, or to subgroups with the same surname but different locations of origin.) The generational character usually has to do with
February 2020
THE FIVE ELEMENTS The Five Elements are metal, water, wood, fire, and earth (soil). In creating a plethora of objects and phenomena, the yin and yang forces influence these elements by means of two principles: one of generating, the other of overcoming. According to the generating principle, metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal, and so on in a cyclical process of generating. On the other hand, the overcoming principle states that metal overcomes wood, wood – earth, earth – water, water – fire, fire – metal, and so on in the circular process of overcoming.
KOREAN NAME-MAKING When two men with the same surname meet, after passing the time of day, they may ask about each other’s generational character, which may also be one of the characters in their name, to ascertain their family-lineage relationship. If one is found to be one or two generations higher than the other in the lineage order, then the mode of speech of the latter may change to an honorific mode from the peer-to-peer mode that they had been using, even though they may be the same age and even if the latter is older.
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ccording to the ninth century I Ching, the Book of Changes, the teachings of which are widely practiced in Korea, the Taegeuk (태극, 太極), the Ultimate Limit, was the very substance of the universe before it was divided into heaven and earth. The division was created by two cosmic forces, the yin and the yang, emanating from the Taeguk. Yin and yang (eum/음 and yang/양 in Korean), in turn, exert their influence upon the O Haeng (오행, 五行), the Five Elements, which are considered to be the components of a myriad of things in the universe.
The two elements in each phase of the generating process are considered harmonious, well-matched, congruous, and compatible. On the other hand, the two elements in each phase of the overcoming process are considered inharmonious, ill-matched, incongruous, and incompatible. Accordingly, Koreans attempt to properly apply these desirable or undesirable combinations of elements in their lives.
blast from the past
In our January issue of the Gwangju News, we brought you an article on “The Year of the Rat” that touched on the Five Elements, yin and yang, and predictions for the year. In this article, based on two past Gwangju News articles by Prof. Shin Sang-soon (1922–2011), “The Way Koreans Apply Oriental Thought to Their Life” (August 2006) and “A Nation Full of Fortune-Tellers” (February 2006), we bring you more on the influence of the Five Elements, yin– yang, and fortune-telling in general on the lives of Koreans. — Ed.
18 male lineage only since girls, once married, were regarded as being part of their husband’s family. Each generational character must carry a radical that signifies one of the five elements. The order of the radical-carrying characters must conform to the order of the Five Elements [金(금), 水(수), 木(목), 火(화), 土(토)]. Accordingly, each family surname (or sub-families within the same surname) will have a distinct set of 10 or 15 generational characters that are used cyclically in creating names for offspring of successive generations of the family.
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February 2020
Following the generating principle of the Five Elements, if the grandfather’s generational character carries the metal radical, then the father’s generational character must carry the water radical, following the rule of “metal generates water.” The following generation’s character would carry a wood radical as part of its make-up according to the rule of “water begets wood,” and so on. After a cycle of five generations is completed, the same five radicals come around again in the same order but this time as part of a different character to make a different generational character. Usually two or three sets of five generational characters (that is, 10 or 15 characters) are designated before the same character in the cycle repeats itself. Also, each generational character level may have one, two, or three characters to choose from – all with the same radical. All these character decisions are made by the grand clan and followed from generation to generation. An example may be helpful. President Moon Jae-in is a member of the Nampyeong branch of the Moon family. Moon Jae-in’s name (문재인) written in Chinese characters is 文在寅. The second character, jae (재, 在), is the generational character in his name. It was one of three that could have been chosen from for his generation – all of which contained the earth element, to (토, 土). You will notice that the lower right portion of the jae character (在) is the earth radical (土). The generational character may be the first or second character of a two-character given name. Following this system of name-giving is to maintain a harmonizing effect by keeping the forces of the universe in balance, thereby minimizing the possibility of misfortune befalling the individual and the family. Individuals are known to have their names changed, using an alternative character designated for their generation, in order to improve upon their adverse state of affairs. MATCH-MAKING Another example of the application of yin and yang and the Five Elements is to the matter of marriage. The traditional Korean belief on life was that one’s fate is dependent upon one’s saju palja (사주팔자; literally, “four pillars and eight characters”). The four pillars are the year, month, day, and
hour of one’s birth, and the eight characters are the four sets of two Chinese characters representing each pillar. The combination of each set of two characters is based on the Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches of the oriental zodiac (see January 2020 issue). One’s birth is analyzed in terms of the Five Elements. So if a prospective bride’s and groom’s births are of, say, metal and water, or any of the other generating combinations, the two are a good match because their elements are harmonious and compatible. On the other hand, if their births are of, say, metal and wood, or any of the other overcoming combinations, they are unlikely to make a good pair because their elements are inharmonious and incompatible. The forces of yin and yang are believed to be everywhere, opposing and balancing at the same time, thus keeping harmony in the universe. A NATION FULL OF FORTUNE-TELLERS When walking through the alleyways of Korean cities, you are likely to encounter a building with a “Hall of Philosophy” (철학관) sign, or a saju palja (사주팔자) sign, or some similar fortunetelling sign. They are the establishments where those who feel insecure about their future go to have their fortunes told by a fortune-teller. The fortune-teller may be either male or female. Upon entering the “Hall of Philosophy,” one is asked by the fortune-teller for the saju, the “four pillars” of the person whose fortune is to be told, that is, the year, month, day, and hour of the person’s birth according to the lunar calendar. Using one’s saju palja, the fortune-teller, who is usually steeped in Chinese cosmology, consults ancient books of divination, which are based on the I-Ching and provide insight into the cosmic and social changes that affect mankind. The New Year season, either solar or lunar, is traditionally a time for checking one’s fortune, and that of family members, for the coming year. Fortune-tellers, armed with a book entitled Tojeong Bigyeol are a common sight at traditional markets, street corners, bus stops, and other places where people tend to gather. Tojeong Bigyeol (토정비결; literally, “Tojeong’s secrets”) is said to have been written by Yi Ji-ham (1517–1578), a Confucian scholar whose penname was Tojeong. Walking along a street,
19
▲ From left: Tojeong Bigyeol (Tojeong’s Secrets), a talisman (bujeok), and a book of I Ching.
you can easily encounter those ubiquitous street-corner fortune-tellers and casually ask them to tell your fortune for the year for an inexpensive fee. The peak seasons for fortune-tellers are the New Year, school admission exam periods, spring and autumn wedding seasons, and election periods. Since there are so many people and so many curious minds, fortunetellers’ customers are not in short supply at other times of the year either. This on-going trend of fortune-telling is contrary to the logic of science but, nevertheless, thrives as a “future-predicting industry.” According to an estimate by the Korea Association of Fortune-Tellers, the annual income from the industry amounts to two trillion won (nearly two billion US dollars) – an astronomical figure!
In cases of elections to various public offices, including
When times are dark and favorable outcomes are doubtful, one resorts to fortune-telling. It thrives in places where uncertainty abounds. The Tojeong Bigyeol, the I-Ching, the Five Elements, the yin and yang – all interact to bring harmony and balance to the universe and peace of mind to the Korean psyche. Arranged by David Shaffer
The Author
David Shaffer is a long-time resident of Gwangju. In 2020, he is spending his fifth Year of the Rat here. He has written about the lunar calendar and Lunar New Year customs in Seasonal Customs of Korea (Hollym). Dr. Shaffer is the chairman of the board at the Gwangju International Center and the editor-in-chief at the Gwangju News.
February 2020
To mention a few popular scenarios of fortune-telling, a mother with a son or daughter who is planning to take the college entrance exam may go around to several fortunetellers, even though she receives a favorable prediction from the first fortune-teller. She may visit a second or third one to confirm that the first prognosis was correct. The way the mind works is that once you hear favorable words, you want to hear more of them.
In addition to charging fees for their services, most Korean fortune-tellers also sell paper talismans (bujeok, 부적), which may cost anywhere from 10,000 won to more than 1 million won (1,000 US dollars). One fortune-teller in Seoul’s affluent Gangnam district was quoted as saying that some 70 percent of his customers buy talismans. Once purchased, talismans are pasted above doorways, placed under pillows and mattresses, and carried in purses and wallets. www.gwangjunewsgic.com
The Korean fortune-telling websites on the Internet number over 150. The annual earnings of one particular site amounts to five billion won (nearly five million US dollars), and it was rumored that the site owner would list his business on the KOSDAQ venture market. In certain districts of Seoul, especially the thriving Gangnam area, there are some 70 fortune-telling shops or cafes equipped with the oriental and occidental tools of the trade and price lists of the plethora of fortune-telling methods they provide.
those for the National Assembly and local governments, the most anxious people are politicians, or rather their wives. They frequently seek out fortune-tellers’ advice as to the advisability of their husbands running for the National Assembly, from which constituency, etc. This seems to indicate that more faith is placed in fortune-tellers’ predictions than in political analysts and consultants in planning for an election campaign.
20 20 Lost in Gwangju
Rooftopping in the City of Heights
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February 2020
TRAVEL
Written and photographed by Isaiah Winters
A view of downtown Gwangju and Mudeung Mountain from the top of the KDB building.
2121
“R
ooftopping” is a pretty selfexplanatory neologism that refers to accessing rooftops, often high ones, within the context of urban exploring. Like hikers scaling a mountain, many do it for the simple thrill of ascending urban peaks; however, to an unfortunate few, rooftopping is a way to leverage most people’s healthy fear of heights for mindless online attention, often by doing stupidly risky stunts. As I want to live a long life, I prefer to have my cake and eat it too by simply enjoying the ascent and beautiful views without risking my life over vacuous antics.
February 2020
Fortunately for my readers, yours truly is a different breed of persistent. After years of hit-and-miss ascents, I finally got lucky last fall when a construction crew working
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In this month’s edition of Lost in Gwangju, I’ll share some of my more memorable photos and experiences related to extreme heights in the City of Light, starting with what was until last year the tallest building in Gwangju: Yang-dong’s KDB building. At 30 stories high, the KDB building is easily the tallest building for miles around, and this affords visitors an unobstructed 360-degree view of Gwangju’s bustling cityscape. The only problem is that your chances of accessing the rooftop are next to nil. It’s regularly on lockdown and the security guards are extra keen to pursue people – especially foreigners – who suspiciously take the elevator straight to the top, doubly so since the top floor isn’t in regular use these days.
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February 2020
A view from the monorail on the way to the octagonal pavilion overlooking the city.
on the top floor let me slide past with little more than a shrug of their shoulders. As far as inner-city views of Gwangju go, this one is absolutely unparalleled. Blessed with clear weather and unusually good air quality that day, the amount of detail captured in a single frame – no matter the direction – was inspiration enough for an entire article. As for photos included in this article, one is looking broadly southeast towards Mudeung Mountain, while the other is a close-up of many of Gwangju’s taller buildings lining Geumnam-ro. Sadly, I doubt I’ll ever get to take photos again from this vantage point on a similarly photogenic day. As proof of how closely guarded this rooftop is, just a few weeks later, my friend Ryan and I pressed our luck and tried to make the same ascent, only to get hounded down by security in mere minutes. Confronting us on the top floor, the guard was more startled than upset by our presence. But even if you get past the guards, locked doors are typically all that greet you, unless you’re my unlucky friend Lex. On our first visit to the top floor back in 2013 – back when it used to be an abandoned wedding hall – she came nose to nose with a terrified squatter who hid behind a dressing room door after he’d heard us snickering at all the bizarre costumes in the room. After seeing him, she power-walked up to me, eyes bulging,
and shout-whispered, “There’s a man!” It wasn’t until we reached the ground floor that she, hyperventilating, finally explained what’d happened. These days, the squatter and wedding hall are long gone, though the glittering bridal photo room inexplicably remains. While the KDB rooftop may be off limits, there are quite a few other rooftops around the city that are, at least ostensibly, freely accessible to the public. Among these, some are completely unguarded and easy to get to, while others are so convoluted to reach that many will likely give up or lose their nerve in the process. Some have security guards that are surprisingly reasonable, provided you can explain yourself in Korean; however, more often than not, they’ll deny you access no matter what your justification is. Understandably, they simply don’t want to be held responsible for anything that might go wrong. If rooftop run-ins with security aren’t your thing, but you still want to enjoy exceptional views of Gwangju from high up, the Sajik Observation Tower in Yangrim-dong is a safe and family-friendly vantage point that’s open to the public. Another alternative is Cloud Bridge, which spans a high, narrow valley in Nam-gu between Jinwol-dong and Bongseon-dong and is freely accessible 365 days a year. Best of all is probably the ski lift in Jisan-dong, with the
23 additional option to take the vertigo-inspiring monorail to the octagonal pavilion overlooking Chosun University, as well as the rest of the city. In other words, for most people, there’s no reason to take risks with rooftopping when so many other good alternatives exist. Speaking of risks, another acrophobic exercise worth mentioning is crane climbing, which is kind of like rooftopping’s drunk, gambling-addicted uncle. Obviously, this comes with a serious risk–reward tradeoff favoring the former, and should be avoided by just about everyone. I definitely had a crane-climbing phase back when I was a testosterone-addled 20-something, but these days I’m finding better and better excuses for why not to climb cranes, which assuages my aging ego. As a recovering acroholic, I hope you’ll take my advice and play it safe.
The Author
▲ A crane’s-eye-view of Dong-gu and Mudeung Mountain.
Originally from Southern California, Isaiah Winters is a Gwangju-based urban explorer who enjoys writing about the City of Light’s lesser-known quarters. When he’s not roaming the streets and writing about his experiences, he’s usually working or fulfilling his duties as the Gwangju News’ heavily caffeinated chief proofreader.
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February 2020
A close-up of the cityscape lining Geumnam-ro.
24 From Abroad
Guam! Guam! Guam!
TRAVEL
Written and photographed by William Urbanski
The final sunset of 2019.
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February 2020
Jeju Air knocks it out of the park with its new, direct service from Muan Airport to Guam.
H
ĂĽfa Adai! What if in roughly the same time it takes to ride the bus from Gwangju to Incheon Airport, you could be sitting on the beach in Guam? Actually, that is a bit of an exaggeration because after the four-hour flight from Muan, you will almost certainly be forced to wait for two hours in an abysmal immigration line manned not by humans but by dysfunctional biological systems contained within TSA uniforms. If you can just resist the urge to throw a temper tantrum in the Guam Airport, paradise awaits. On December 24, Jeju Air started a rad and direct service from Muan Airport to Guam. Muan Airport is an easy 45-minute drive from the city, and flights to Guam leave at 8:40 in the Ante Meridiem. A convenient feature of Muan Airport is the free and easy parking. Also, the airport itself is not large, so after arriving it only took us a few minutes to get from the car to the check-in counter.
One thing to be aware of is that for this route, online check-in is not allowed (something to do with traveling to the States, which Guam is a part of). Keep that in mind when planning your schedule. Approaching the end of 2019, I figured everyone in the whole world knew that when using an airplane toilet, one must slide the latch to lock the door and let others know it is occupied. The last person on planet Earth who was not aware of this cultural practice was on our flight, and my wife had the extreme displeasure of opening the bathroom door and spoiling that woman’s special, private moment. Awkward! Overall, the flight was a breeze, made even better by the kind and helpful Jeju Air staff, and not even the horrid experience at immigration could stop the positive vibes once we smelled the fresh sea air. WHAT TO SEE As an intrepid, seasoned, and somewhat grizzled traveler, I have to say that the beaches in Guam are among the most
25 stunning and beautiful anywhere. They should be at the top of your list of places to visit. Ypao and Tumon beaches are free, accessible, and feature perfect, white sand and clear water. I also heard about some private beaches which cost, like, ninety bucks and cap the number of beachgoers, but why anyone would want to pay for something you can get for free is beyond me. To each his own, I guess. Two Lovers Point is a bit out of the way but provides a perfect view of the Tumon area and the vast, blue sea. The cliffs get their name from the legend of two forbidden lovers
who tied their hair together and did a swan dive onto the rocks below. Not a very romantic gesture in my book, but the vista makes the trip out there worthwhile. GUAM QUALMS Outside of the Tumon district, which is relatively well-serviced by various shuttles (more on that in a bit) and actually has decent sidewalks, make no mistake: Guam is not pedestrian friendly. Even though the island is relatively small (about two-thirds the size of Jeju) I would not recommend taking the heel-toe express for anything but the shortest trips. There are a few reasons for this, such as many of the sidewalks being along major roads having up to six lanes. Guam is also hot and hilly, so it is easy to get gassed out from walking. Another thing I found is that Guam subtly discourages walking. As winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics Richard Thaler points out in his book Nudge, the default option is a powerful way to control behavior, and when at a crosswalk in Guam, the walk signal will
The Red Guahan Shuttle is a great way to get around.
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February 2020
A perfect day at Ypao Beach.
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February 2020
Tumon Beach. Notice how half the sky is black and white while the other half is in color. Cool!
The view from Two Lovers Point.
27 not activate unless the button is pushed. This may seem like a trivial thing, but it sends a strong message that cars, not pedestrians, get priority. Renting a car is worth considering if you would like to explore the island, but this has all the drawbacks of, well, renting a car. Adding to the expense is the fact that gas is pricey on Guam (about $4.50 a gallon). Taxis are readily available but they will, without hesitation, wage war on your wallet.
There is a lot more to say about Guam, including its rich history and the traditions of the local Chamorro people, but for now, all you need to know is that Jeju Air has planes waiting in Muan to take you there.
William Urbanski, managing editor of the Gwangju News, has an MA in international relations and cultural diplomacy. He is married to a wonderful Korean woman and has myriad interests, but his true passion is eating pizza.
Send the Gwangju News to your loved ones back home! The Gwangju News has been serving the community since 2001 by delivering news and information to the international communities of Gwangju. Send the Gwangju News to your family and friends back home, and let them know about Gwangju! Annual Subcription Rates: • Asia and Australia: 40,000 won (US $40) • Europe: 50,000 won (US $50) • America, Africa: 60,000 won (US $60) Payment can be made through bank transfer, cash, or Paypal. Bank Transfer: Kwangju Bank (사)광주국제교류센터: 134-107-000999 Paypal: gic@gic.or.kr Inquiry: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr or 062-226-2733
February 2020
The Author
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A CHANCE ENCOUNTER My favorite part of the trip was on New Year’s Eve, when my wife and I were walking back to our hotel along a dark, coastal road. Suddenly her grip tightened and she pulled me back. My wife, who usually screams at a pitch normally reserved for calling dogs, was too shaken to even speak. Almost underfoot was what can only be described as a cross between a tarantula and thanatophobia: a coconut crab! Clearly dreamed into existence by the devil himself, the terrifying “ayuyu” (as it is called in the local language) is very rare and found only in areas of the Pacific and, increasingly, my nightmares. My one major regret in life is not taking a picture of that unholy beast, but it was too difficult to operate my camera while running away screaming like a little girl.
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FOOD & DRINKS
The public transportation system is pretty much nonexistent, so that leaves the shuttle services. The Red Guahan Shuttle service is quaint (the buses look like street cars) and hits all the hot spots. An unlimited two-day pass is $15 and, as an added bonus, the drivers will not hesitate to dispense customized financial advice, up to and including exactly what and how many stocks you should buy. Thanks! Overall, we were pretty happy with the Red Guahan Shuttle, but there were a few instances in the evening when we had to wait for quite a while, and one time we were not even let on because it was full. The other shuttle service that seemed to come by more frequently was the Lea Lea bus, but you have to buy your ticket online in advance. If I had to do it again, I would just get passes for each of the shuttles.
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February 2020 TRAVEL TRAVEL
28 28 Around Korea
29
Seoul Botanic Park Amazes, Heals, and Educates
Written and photographed by Sesetu Holomisa
W
hen it comes to beautiful sites to explore, Korea truly never disappoints. Whether you are looking for a place to feast on delicious Korean cuisine, learn about the history of Korea, or explore nature, the options are endless. The Seoul Botanic Park is a site that I would recommend to anyone who is planning a trip to Korea, or more specifically, a trip to Seoul. The Seoul Botanic Park is the first park that has an urban aesthetic in Korea, and it is located in Magok-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul. The park is separated into four areas: the open forest, the lake garden, the wetland garden, and the botanical garden.
Seoul Botanic Park 서울식물원 t March–October: Daily, 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. November–February: Daily, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. P 161 Magokdong-ro, Seoul 서울 강서구 마곡동로 161 ￦ 5,000 won (adults), 2,000 won (children) À 02-2104-9711 ` http://botanicpark.seoul.go.kr/
The Author
Sesetu Holomisa is currently a 22-year-old English teacher in Korea. She is a politics and law graduate and is trying to explore as much of the world as she can before she dedicates her life to corporate interests and capitalism! She enjoys reading, sleeping, eating, and meeting new people.
February 2020
Being at the botanical garden felt like a mini retreat, thanks to the fresh air, the stunning urban ecology, and the peaceful atmosphere of the facility. It would be a wonderful site for an outing with loved ones or for a school fieldtrip, as it is a place providing environmental education. One can learn more about sustainability and nature at the Seoul Botanic Park, which could not be
Other facilities at the park include a Korean-style cafeteria and a Western fusion restaurant. The Seoul Botanic Park is a serene site that heals and educates on biodiversity in a very aesthetically pleasing way. I fear that I have failed to adequately describe how amazing this park really is, so take a look at the pictures and plan a trip to visit the Seoul Botanic Park sometime! I promise that it is worth it. You can get there via bus, subway (line 9), or car. It is also only a couple of minutes away from Gimpo International Airport.
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I visited the park on a cold and rainy day, so I chose to spend all my time in the botanical garden which is indoors. Attempting to describe how beautiful the park is is proving to be incredibly difficult because it is truly breath-taking. The botanical garden is inside a greenhouse structure that houses a couple of floors that are now home to plants from many cities around the world. The garden is vibrant with all the different colors of the flowers, trees, and other plants. It smells divine and allows visitors to feel at one with nature and take a break from everything.
more imperative as the climate crisis has made it necessary for individuals to become more aware of nature and its value to the Earth and our survival.
FOOD & DRINKS
30 Restaurant Review
Daega Restaurant
The Best Grilled Fish Serving Gwangju
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
February 2020
Written and photographed by Melline Galani
D
aega (대가), the house of grilled fish, has been one of my favorite restaurants in Korea since I first discovered it in 2015. Though it is considered a traditional Korean eatery, I would argue that it is not only this because it satisfies all my culinary tastes and expectations. And the most particular experts are my children, who still refuse nearly all Korean food but will gladly go to Daega any time. Daega’s main specialty is grilled fish and offers Korean mackerel, Japanese Spanish mackerel, Pacific saury, garfish, and cutlass. They come together with many diverse and tasty side dishes, a landmark of South Jeolla’s amazing cuisine and, of course, rice. The rice itself is also amazing, and here the sotbap (솥밥) is the best. It is basically rice and other grains cooked in a stone pot called a dolsot (돌솥). It is delicious, and you can have
nureungji (누룽지, scorched rice), too. For meat lovers, the restaurant serves tteok-galbi (떡 갈비, grilled short rib patties), another tasty local treat. I must confess that here they have the best tteok-galbi I have ever had in the Gwangju and Damyang areas. Though I am not a meat fan, I definitely enjoy the dish here. Daega has been around for decades and is situated near Gwangju Dam. The restaurant is a hanok-style wooden building with high ceilings, wide windows, and big, wooden tables. There is a small stream inside the restaurant with live fish swimming around and spacious parking outside. The prices are cheap when compared to what is on offer and vary depending on the number of people eating. A menu item for two starts at 32,000 won and goes up to
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80,000 won for five people. There is also a special menu for kids for 5,000 won, but the portions are generous. Moreover, they have free ice cream, coffee, and sikhye (식혜, a traditional, sweet rice beverage). For those passionate about going to coffee shops, there is one near the restaurant and offers a 10 percent discount on the coffee items if you present a receipt from Daega. Being a famous matjib (맛집, a popular place with tasty food), the restaurant is always packed with people, and every time I have been there, the venue was absolutely crowded though we haven’t had to wait long for the food to come. As it is located just outside of Gwangju, it may be a bit difficult to reach for those who do not have a car, but it is well worth the effort. I have taken all my friends and relatives who visited Gwangju to Daega, and they have all loved the place and the food. I would describe it as unique, cheap, and popular, with friendly service and amazing food – a must-try for anyone in the area.
Daega 대가 t Daily 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (closed on national holidays) P 619 Gasamunhak-ro, Goseo-myeon, Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do 전남 담양군 고서면 가사문학로 619 À 061-383-7050
The Author
Melline Galani is a Romanian enthusiast, born and raised in the capital city of Bucharest, who is currently living in Gwangju. She likes new challenges and learning interesting things, and she is incurably optimistic.
“
Daega is unique, cheap, and popular, with friendly service and amazing food.
”
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
February 2020
32 Korean Recipe
Galbi Jjim Braised Pork Ribs Written by Joe Wabe
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
February 2020
FOOD & DRINKS
A
ccording to legend, St. Valentine was a Roman priest who defied the emperor’s orders and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war. In return, the newlyweds cooked a steaming pot of galbi jjim (갈비찜) for St. Valentine, and the dish became a symbol of love around the world – especially in Korea. Although it is hard to verify if this legend is true or not, what remains an absolute truth is Koreans’ love for short ribs or galbi.
Dwaeji galbi jjim (돼지 갈비찜), or braised pork short ribs, is a variation of ribs usually made with beef (galbi jjim, 갈비찜). The meat is simmered at medium heat for about an hour together with a marinade made of soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, minced garlic, among other ingredients. The original way of preparing jjim (찜, a steamed dish) was by using a steamer; however, the technique has changed to boiling the ingredients in a broth and reducing the amount of liquid. Galbi was traditionally regarded as an upper-class dish because its price was more expensive than other cuts, so galbi jjim could only be enjoyed on special days such as Chuseok. As the living conditions improved in Korea, the dish became more popular and easier to access. Daegu is known as the original home of this dish, and the area of Dongin-dong has a reputation for serving the best galbi jjim in Korea, a reputation that dates back to the 1970s when it was a custom for restaurant owners to serve it together with makgeolli (막걸리, unrefined rice wine). To celebrate the month associated with St. Valentine, and the international day of love and friendship, let’s put together some lovely braised pork ribs!
The Author
Joe Wabe is a Gwangju expat, who has been contributing to the GIC and the Gwangju News for more than 10 years with his work in photography and writing.
Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • •
(Serves 5)
1 1/2 kg. pork meat short ribs (with bones) 2 cups of water 2 medium-sized carrots Dried jujube (about 6) 4 shiitake mushrooms 1 red apple 1/2 an onion 1/2 cup of soy sauce 1 teaspoon of sesame oil 2 tablespoons of brown sugar 2 tablespoons of honey
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• 2 tablespoons of mirin • 5 garlic cloves • Black pepper corns
February 2020
Soak the beef ribs in cold water for 30 minutes to remove the blood from the meat. Drain, rinse, and remove the extra fat from the ribs. Make some small cuts on the ribs – this will allow the sauce to penetrate much better. Boil the meat again for 10 minutes and add mirin; skim the scum then rinse one more time. In a blender, mix the apple, half onion, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and black pepper corns. Place the meat in a pot and add the sauce with two cups of water. Let it boil on low-medium heat for about 30 minutes. Add the carrots, mushrooms, and dried jujube, and cook for another 30 minutes. You can add more water if you wish to make the meat more tender, but keep in mind that there should be only a small amount of thick sauce left at the end.
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Preparation
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
February 2020
SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
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The Camp VR waiting room.
The Hi Roll skating area.
YZ Park
Hidden Gem in Downtown Gwangju Written and photographed by Melline Galani
E
veryone is more than familiar with Gwangju’s downtown stores, restaurants, coffee shops, and karaoke places, but there is one place that parents in particular will find exciting just as I did when I discovered it. This hidden gem is YZ Park (와이즈파크), located in what is best known as the H&M Building for the famous clothing store that occupies the building’s first two floors. The floors above H&M were renovated in the first part of 2019 and now host numerous interesting amusement spaces for children of all ages. Being a parent of two myself, and having a five-year age difference between my kids, it is not easy to find entertainment for both of my children at the same time and in the same place. That is why I was so lucky to discover YZ Park. Starting on the third floor of the H&M Building, there is Hi Zoo (하이주), a small, indoor zoo and playground for toddlers and young kids with many activities on offer. There are spaces with big windows so the kids can see all the animals like fennec foxes and raccoons, with parrots flying around freely. There are also tables and chairs for
eating snacks or for coloring experiences; a small, green area replicating nature; and an indoor trampoline with special spaces filled with colored balls. A tiny coffee shop provides parents with drinks and snacks while their children play. This place is great on rainy, cold, or fine-dust days, when both parents and kids want to do something fun but cannot spent time outside. The prices are 5,000 won for toddlers between 18 and 24 months old, 12,900 won for kids up to 12 years old, and 8,900 won for adults and teenagers. The fourth floor is for sports lovers because it hosts a roller skating rink called Hi Roll (하이롤). This is the place where my son spends a lot of time and where he learned (by himself) how to skate well. The space is wide, and I have never seen it crowded. The atmosphere resembles a night club due to the music being played on a big screen and the colorful lights shining throughout the space. All the safety gear – helmets, kneepads, and elbow pads – are included in the entrance fee. They have a separate area with tables and chairs for the snacks and beverages
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Glitters and slime at the Slime-Making Room.
sold inside and for visitors who want to rest or parents waiting for their kids. There are also lockers available free of charge. The entrance fee here for children is 7,000 won for two hours. On the fifth floor, there is a cookie-making café and a cartoon café. The cartoon café (만화카페) offers a great variety of comic books (but mostly in Korean) and drinks. It is a quiet and pleasant space for enjoying comics, meeting friends, or just relaxing. One of my daughter’s favorite spaces is the cookie-making café (쿠키빈). It is a bit pricey, but the experience of making cookies and their taste is worth every won. For 30,000 won you can spend time here making, decorating, and baking your own cookies. What could be more delicious than that?
YZ PARK 와이즈파크 t Daily, 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
P 72 Chungjang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju 광주 동구 충장로 72 À 062-236-5989 ` http://www.yzpark.kr/
The Author
Melline Galani is a Romanian enthusiast, born and raised in the capital city of Bucharest, who is currently living in Gwangju. She likes new challenges and learning interesting things, and she is incurably optimistic.
February 2020
On the same floor is my daughter’s absolute most favorite place: the slime-making room (슬라임방). Beads, glitter, amazingly colored slime, and tons of accessories are available to make the perfect slime. Prices also vary according to the amount and types of slime and beads used. Fortunately, customers get a 20 percent discount if they use both the VR area and the slime-making room. Regular prices range from 6,000 to 14,000 won.
To maximize the experience, come with some friends. Children will play joyfully while parents can cherish some time to relax together with other parents.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
On the sixth floor is every boy’s dreamland – Camp VR. They have everything here: survival games, action games, real-time experience games, and VR for a place where you can spend hours without realizing it. Prices vary according to the amount of time spent and the type of game/VR experience, starting from 13,900–35,900 won. More information can be found at Cam VR’s SNS accounts (Facebook, Instagram: CampVR 충장점).
Interior of Hi Zoo.
36 Expat Living
COMMUNITY
Feeling Alive! Volunteering at KONA Written by Nayan Das
W
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
February 2020
hat makes someone feel alive? What makes people happy? Why are people around us always so unhappy? These kinds of questions always get tossed around in my mind. In the journey of life, I always look for answers to them. From my experience, I have come to know that as human beings we are social creatures, and we need each other’s help. Every person has something unique in them. When we share what we can among the people around us, it makes us feel alive and gives us a sense of satisfaction, which leads to a happy and successful life. So how can we share our talents with society? There may be many ways, but to me, the most effective way is through volunteering. Four years ago, I joined UNESCO KONA Volunteers, which was founded by Professor Kim Young-im. The purpose of this volunteer organization is not only to teach foreign languages, but also to develop leadership among young kids and to prepare them for the future through different sessions of silent reading. Silent reading activities include buddy reading (more on this in a bit) and reading sessions on topics such as meditation, science, history, folktales, and biographies. Through these activities, I have had the opportunity to work and learn from young volunteer leaders like Bae Han-saem, Bae Han-byul, Um Jun-yong, Lee Seo-jin, and
many more. At the beginning, they were my mentors and taught me how to run my sessions. It was and still is a wonderful experience to be a part of the volunteer team. As a UNESCO KONA volunteer, I have worked at the KONA Storybook Center, the Gwangju Children’s Home, the GIC, the Daein Market, and the Wolbong Confucian Academy. Through this volunteering opportunity, I have been able to meet lots of new people, learn about their cultures, and share my country’s culture. This year, I have been assigned to do volunteer work at the Children’s English Library in Gwangju, and I am greatly looking forward to this experience throughout 2020. Volunteering at the Children’s English Library is another new experience for me. Going there twice a month, I join with other KONA volunteers Lee Seo-jin, Im Jong-woong, and Yoon Hyun-ji. We read books about geography, history, science, and the cultures of different countries around the world. After reading, we share the knowledge learned with fellow readers, which is a great way of learning, which we call “buddy reading.” After buddy reading, the young readers write a summary of their favorite book of that day. Sometimes other KONA volunteers from other countries join us, including Shilpa from India, Kevan and Tom from Canada, Matkhiya from Uzbekistan, and Tiana from the U.K. It is always a great experience. The best part for me is
37 that by volunteering at the Children’s English Library, we are able to make other people curious about our buddy reading program, and they join in to read books with us. It is such a wonderful moment when we can connect through reading books. Volunteering has always been a big part of my life. I find peace of mind and happiness by serving the society I am in. It is always a learning journey for me. As I said earlier, everyone has something unique to share, and when all these different talents come together, something good always happens. By connecting and sharing with the people around us, we can truly build a happy society. With the dream of a happy and beautiful society, I will continue my journey of volunteering. I hope to see you also on the journey. Let’s make the world a better place for our next generation. Photographs courtesy of UNESCO KONA Volunteers
The Author
Written by Um Jun-yong
H
ello! I am Um Jun-yong, a first-year student from Yongbuk Middle School. I live in a dormitory because my school is located in Namwon, which is far away from Gwangju. It is so far away that I only come back home once a week. I visit Gwangju Children’s Home (GCH, 광주애육원) with my parents on the fourth Saturday of every month. I have volunteered there since 2015. Since I have set dates to see young kids there on a regular basis, I thank my parents for joining me and for helping me to pay more attention to volunteer work at GCH. Whenever I make visits there, I borrow English storybooks from the Children’s English Library (CEL) in Gwangju and meet the members of my volunteer group. The group is made up of me, my parents, first-year high schoolers Bae Han-saem and Bae Hanbyul, and two teachers, Tiana from the UK, and Tom from Canada.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
Nayan Das is currently a PhD student at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology. He received his BSc from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and his MS from Missouri State University, USA. Since his undergraduate studies, he has been part of many volunteer organizations and events such as BADHON (a Bangledeshi blood donation organization), the Science Olympiad organized by Missouri State University, the Ozarks Celebration Festival, and the Gwangju International Center. Now he volunteers as a member of the UNESCO KONA Volunteers of KONA Storybook Center in South Korea. Email: nayan0314@gmail.com
Volunteering at Gwangju Children’s Home
February 2020
38
shared their country’s folktales or storybooks for the GCH children whenever KONA invited the children to the KONA Center and the CEL . Especially the children really enjoyed visiting the CEL. KONA invited the children on GIC Day, too. They liked to listen to the stories with puppets by the foreign volunteers a lot.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
February 2020
When I arrive at the GCH, the kids always greet my family with a big smile. We check their homework first. They try their best to do their assignments all the time. Whenever I see them, I am so impressed. After checking their homework, I do “service teaching” using story maps. When I see the kids doing “service teaching,” I realize that they have been practicing a lot. After doing service teaching, they study the original text with their partners. Then they draw story-maps on a yellow board and make presentations about their stories. My partner is Mun Ye-rin, and she is in the fifth grade. Ye-rin has consistently done her homework and reads English well. When I listen to her reading English, I feel her pronunciation is getting better and better. Time passes by quickly while we read the prepared English fairytales together. After all the activities, we share snacks together. Then, we have a talk with one another about how we felt while studying, which allows us to better understand each other. As for me, during sharing time I feel so sorry to have to say goodbye, and I hope I will see them in a month. I would like to thank Padmapriya and Shilpa from India, Esther from the U.S.A., Julius from Kenya, Kevan from Canada, Nayan from Bangladesh, and Matkhiya from Uzbekistan for volunteering along with us. They have
After volunteering, when my family drives Tiana home, my mother treats her to her favorite food: gimbap. While coming and going with Tiana teacher, I talk with her. She tries to speak Korean. While talking, my English skills get better and “Tiana teacher’s” Korean skills improve, too. I thank her for her passion and bright smile. I am proud of Woo-young, a third-grader at the Children’s Home. Although Woo-young is now very confident when he speaks with others, at first he could not make a presentation about his story map. However, he can now give a wonderful presentation, thanks to encouragement from my mother and other teachers as well. I am very happy to have seen Woo-young change completely. Other students also have built a joy of studying English, too. Though I will see them next month, I already miss them as I think of their hearts and minds growing. I am grateful for my good health that allows me to help them, and I feel it is so precious to be with my “younger brothers and sisters.”
The Author
Um Jun-yong attends Yongbuk Middle School. He is a member of the UNESCO KONA Volunteers of KONA Storybook Center, which helps disadvantaged children learn English through storybooks and story maps. Every fourth Saturday, he goes to Gwangju Children’s Home (광주애육원) with his parents, other KONA family members, and two foreigners to help the children there with their English.
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TOPIK GUIDE (topikguide.com) is the most comprehensive website devoted to the TOPIK exam. It has been helping Korean language learners pass the TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) for more than eight years. On our website, you can get all the TOPIK updates, grammar and vocabulary material, and study tips.
Everyday Korean Episode 26: 취미 (Hobbies)
By Harsh Kumar Mishra
EDUCATION
Grammar ~는 것: Use this to make verbs into nouns. Ex: 먹는 것 to eat/eating 하는 것 to do/doing 만나는 것 to meet/meeting
~았겠/었겠: These can be used with verbs and adjectives to express supposition, guesses, and conjecture. Ex: 토픽 시험 때문에 바빴겠네요. You must have been busy because of the TOPIK exam.
Vocabulary
hobby strolling reading to read hiking then mountain often close/near
Vocabulary Terms Related to Hobbies hobby sports/exercise swimming traveling watching movies listening to music fishing handicrafts cooking
정민:
저는 산책하는 것을 좋아해요. 그리고 독서도 좋아해요. 윌슨 씨는요?
[Jeo-neun san-chaek-ha-neun geo-seul joa-haeyo. Geu-rigo dok-seo-do joa-haeyo. Wil-seun sshi-neun-yo?] Jeong-min: I like going for walks. And I also like reading. How about you, Wilson?
윌슨:
저도 책 읽는 것을 좋아해요. 그런데 산책보다 등산을 더 좋아해요.
[Jeo-do chaek ing-neun geo-seul joa-haeyo. Geu-reon-de san-chaek-ppoda deung-sa-neul deo joa-haeyo.] Wilson: I like reading books, too. However, I prefer hiking to taking a stroll.
정민:
그럼 한국에서 등산을 많이 했겠네요.
[Geu-reom han-guge-seo deung-sa-neul ma-ni hae-kken-neyo?] Jeong-min: Then you must have hiked around Korea a lot.
윌슨:
네. 한라산, 설악산과 무등산을 등산해 봤어요… 무등산이 가까워서 자주 가요.
[Ne. Halla-san, seorak-san-gwa mu-deung-sa-neul deung-san-hae bwa-sseo-yo... mudeung-sa-ni gak-ka-wo-seo ja-ju gayo.] Wilson: Yeah. I have hiked up Halla Mountain, Seorak Mountain, and Mudeung Mountain. I often go to Mudeung Mountain, as it’s close.
정민:
좋네요.
[Jonneyo.] Jeong-min: Nice.
February 2020
취미 운동 수영 여행 영화 감상 음악 감상 낚시 수예 요리
정민 씨는 취미가 뭐예요?
[Jeong-min sshi-neun chwi-mi-ga mwo-yeyo?] Wilson: What are your hobbies, Jeong-min?
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
취미 산책 독서 읽다 등산 그럼 산 자주 가깝다
윌슨:
40 Language Teaching
The FAQs about Korea TESOL Written by Dr. David E. Shaffer
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
February 2020
EDUCATION
H
ow well informed is the body of English teachers in Korea about what Korea TESOL actually is? A recent discussion on the KOTESOL Facebook group concerning preconceptions and misconceptions about the organization was surprising and revealing in that so many KOTESOL members had earlier heard things about KOTESOL that were at considerable variance with the truth. If these faulty impressions of KOTESOL were once held by current members, it follows that such beliefs are likely to be even more prevalent among English teachers who are not yet members. To clarify these preconceptions and misconceptions, this article offers a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) in the hope of presenting a more accurate picture of the organization. FAQ 1: What is the difference between “KOTESOL” and “Korea TESOL”? Both terms are used to refer to the same organization. They are both shortenings of the inelegantly long full name: Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. Its lesser-known name in Korean is Taehan-yeongeo-gyoyukhakhoe (대한영어교육학회), but it is more often written as 코테솔 (KOTESOL). There is no difference between “KOTESOL” and “Korea TESOL,” except that the latter is longer (in both letters and syllables) and is therefore considered a bit more formal. As you can see, both were used to begin this article, but “KOTESOL” is probably more common in everyday use. FAQ 2: Does KOTESOL provide English teaching certificate courses? Though KOTESOL is a professional development association for teachers, it is not in the business of
conducting certificate courses in teaching English. KOTESOL frequently gets inquiries asking about its “TESOL courses.” The misunderstanding centers on “TESOL” being the acronym for two different yet similar things. One is used in the names of teachers’ groups: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (as above). The other “TESOL” is the profession: Teaching English to speakers of other languages – this is the “TESOL” in “TESOL certificate course.” To add to the confusion, TESOL International, the worldwide teachers’ association of which KOTESOL is the national affiliate, does offer online TESOL certificate courses for professional development. FAQ 3: Must teachers have a TESL degree to join KOTESOL? A university degree in TESL (teaching English as a second language) – basically the same thing as the second meaning of “TESOL” – is not a requirement to become a member of KOTESOL. In fact, when KOTESOL and its predecessor were formed back in the early 1990s and 1980s, respectively, very few universities in English-speaking countries offered degrees in teaching English as a second or foreign language. Therefore, very few expats had degrees in TESL – BA, MA, or PhD. Though many Korean universities do offer degrees in “English education,” this has never been a requirement either to become a KOTESOL member. FAQ 4: Must one have a doctorate to become a KOTESOL member? No doctoral degree, neither a PhD nor an EdD, is a
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requirement for KOTESOL membership. While other English education associations in Korea do have a substantial number of doctorate holders among their membership, and especially among their leadership, this is not the case with KOTESOL. The concentration of master’s and doctorate degrees is steadily increasing among KOTESOL members, but neither is required for membership. FAQ 5: Is KOTESOL only for university professors? Teaching at a university is not a KOTESOL membership requirement. While approximately half of KOTESOL members do have positions at universities, this is probably in large part due to expats new to teaching in Korea not being so concerned about joining a teaching association. They may not know about KOTESOL, or they may not intend to make a career out of teaching English. Expat teachers in Korea who decide to make teaching a career tend to move from language academy and public school positions to university openings, and tend to become more interested in professional development and KOTESOL. FAQ 6: Is KOTESOL only for expats and not for Koreans? Of the dozen or so nationwide English teachers’ associations in Korea, KOTESOL is the one that most expat teachers join. Part of the reason for this may be that English is the official language of KOTESOL. An additional reason may be that Koreans have so many other associations to choose from. Although the majority of KOTESOL members may be expats, KOTESOL makes efforts to increase its Korean membership.
If you are an English teacher in Korea – or a teacher of any language, for that matter – and are interested in improving your teaching knowledge and skills, KOTESOL just might be exactly what you are looking for! KOTESOL is on the web at koreatesol.org.
GWANGJU-JEONNAM KOTESOL MONTHLY MEETING Date: February 8 (2nd Saturday) Place: Gwangju National University of Education • Two 50-Minute Presentations/Workshops • SwapShop Mini-Presentations – All are welcome to contribute. • After-Meeting Dinner For full event details: Website: http://koreatesol.org/gwangju Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL
The Author
David Shaffer has been a resident of Gwangju and taught at Chosun University for many years. He has been associated with KOTESOL since its beginnings and is a past president of the organization. At present, as vicepresident of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of KOTESOL, he invites you to participate in the teacher development workshops at their monthly meetings, so that you can discover first-hand what KOTESOL is and is not. Dr. Shaffer is presently the chairman of the board at the Gwangju International Center and also editor-in-chief of the Gwangju News.
February 2020
FAQ 8: Is it true that, while language academy and public school teachers may participate in KOTESOL events, only university professors can have leadership roles? Most definitely not. KOTESOL values diversity and inclusiveness. While it is true that a considerable number of KOTESOL leaders are affiliated with universities, the affiliations of KOTESOL leadership percentage-wise very closely mirror those of the general KOTESOL
FAQ 9: Is KOTESOL only for Christians? No, no, KOTESOL is not a group of missionaries. Though KOTESOL does not collect data on its members’ religious affiliations, it is quite possible that the percentage of Christians among the KOTESOL membership is lower than that among the general populace in Korea. Among KOTESOL’s SIGs, one is the Christian Teachers’ SIG, but its membership is not particularly large. KOTESOL is accepting of members of any religion and those unaffiliated, as well.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
FAQ 7: Is KOTESOL accepting of young teachers? Most definitely. KOTESOL is a professional developmentoriented organization, and it can easily be argued that young teachers are more in need of improving their teaching skills than older, more experienced teachers. KOTESOL is quite welcoming of young teachers, and of teachers of any age new to the profession. In fact, KOTESOL has a special membership category for undergraduate students.
membership. In its ongoing efforts for inclusivity, KOTESOL has recently created a diversity committee and also formed a gender equality special interest group (SIG).
42 Opinion
More Scandal Than You Can Handle Written by William Urbanski
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some pretty clear rules about getting juiced up on ye olde gym candy. While individual athletes certainly get caught for using banned substances all the time, what’s particular (though unfortunately not very surprising) about Team Russia’s current predicament is its wide-scale, institutional approach to breeding bigger, stronger, and more dopingpolicy-breaking athletes. Virtually, Russia’s entire athletic program was based on the idea that it ain’t cheating if you don’t get caught.
Following all the regulations set out by any international sports competition can be a daunting task, but it seems to me that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has
Perhaps you’ve wondered why countries pour so much time and energy into athletic programs anyway. Wouldn’t these hard-earned resources be better directed into fixing poverty or something? After all, if a country wins a gold medal at the Olympics, there’s no big financial reward besides a medallion that, if melted down, is barely worth a ruble. Positive results in sports competitions can definitely be a force for national cohesion and even national pride,
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
February 2020
OPINION
Russia’s recent pre-emptive disqualification from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics sheds light on the relationship between soft power, corruption, and the institutions that support them both.
ell, well, well. The 2020 Olympics haven’t even started yet, and Russia went and got itself disqualified (again) for its athletic body’s involvement in a doping scandal larger than Zangief ’s biceps. We won’t get into the James Bond-esque details of this massive doping and corruption saga here, but needless to say, a few people in the Kremlin are going to be taken off Vladimir Putin’s Christmas card list, to say the least.
43 but one of the less-obvious reasons countries go so hard into international sports competitions is that doing well increases that country’s level of the ephemeral and elusive concept called soft power. When wielded correctly, soft power yields a number of economic benefits. If people like a country or have a positive perception of it, they are more likely to visit there or buy its products – it’s really quite as simple as that. America-bashing has become fashionable as of late, but it’s hard to ignore the massive cultural impact the USA has had worldwide because of its excellent movies, music, literature, athletic achievements, and so forth. There’s no question that the reason American products, from Apple to Nike, enjoy so much economic success is because there’s an overall perception that America is, for lack of a better term, “cool.” So what’s up with Russia then? Russia has more than its fair share of cultural achievements (in music, literature, sports, and puzzle-themed video games), not to mention incredible scientific breakthroughs. Surely some of this would translate to increasing soft power and more people admiring all-things Russian, right? Right? It turns out there’s a phenomenon that works squarely and plainly against soft power, negating it and minimizing its effectiveness. That factor is corruption, and Russia, just like many parts of Asia and Africa, is extremely corrupt.
If you’ve made it this far in this article, I bet you’re just dying to know by what mechanism corruption undermines soft power. Well, today is your lucky day, because I’m going to tell you.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Corruption Perception Index or the Soft Power 30, check out the following links: www.transparency.org and www. softpower30.com Graphics by William Urbanski
The Author
William Urbanski, managing editor of the Gwangju News, has an MA in international relations and cultural diplomacy. He is married to a wonderful Korean woman, always pays cash, and keeps all his receipts.
February 2020
Both corruption and soft power are perception-based and many (myself included) would argue that low corruption is actually a contributing factor to soft power. A quick check on the soft power rankings (my personal favorite is “Soft Power 30”) shows that any country with a high level of corruption cannot maintain a strong degree of soft power. Calculating a country’s soft power may seem like nebulous, airy-fairy pseudo-science, but it’s actually an academically rigorous process that takes into account many factors such as government, education, culture, and
Perhaps you’ve heard a variation of the adage that a man can build a thousand bridges, but if he steals one pig that makes him a thief. In calculating soft power indices, as in life, the bad things we do often count for more than the good things we do. So all the gold medals and sports glory in the world actually count for very little when people think the country that won them is a breeding ground for corruption. www.gwangjunewsgic.com
Hold on, hold on. Before you think I’m “Russia bashing” (which I’m not), let me explain where I’m getting these big ideas from. Corruption is a very measurable thing, and there are several well-managed and academically accepted indices that measure and compare it between countries. The one to be familiar with is called the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) run by Transparency International, an NGO based in Berlin, Germany. In 2018, of 180 countries, Russia ranked 138th on the CPI (Korea is 45th, North Korea is 176th).
enterprise. When a country is perceived as corrupt, what that really means is that its institutions are corrupt and, therefore, produce outcomes that are unexpected, unjust, or just plain unfair. The Russian Federation ranks number 30 out of 30 in the Soft Power 30 ranking, which doesn’t sound so bad considering that they made the top 30 at all, but let me point out that it ranks behind Poland and Turkey, two countries that are complex and interesting in their own rights but aren’t exactly known as cultural heavyweights.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
February 2020
ARTS & CULTURE
44 44 Photo Essay
A cute couple holding hands as they stroll along through the Fairytale Village.
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Incheon’s Fairytale Village Written and photographed by Stephanie Vollmer
I
The Author
February 2020
Stephanie Vollmer (NieNie) is a Korean-American who has a passion for travel. She considers herself to be an unconventional blogger in that she believes she does not fit into any one niche. She lives without borders, so she decided to create a blog to document everything the world has to offer. You can check her out at www. adventureswithnienie.com.
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have been living in Incheon, South Korea, for the past year, and one of the first touristy things I did upon my arrival was to visit the Songwol-dong Fairytale Village. This cute village is perfect for couples to visit at any time of the year, but especially on Valentine’s Day because of the beautifully painted colors and popular K-drama filming spots. Another popular place to visit is the Namsan Tower in Seoul. When you get to the tower, you will notice thousands of love locks attached to metal spires. When I visited Korea several years ago, my cousins and I visited the tower and placed a lock on one of those spires. We wrote our names, thought about our hopes and dreams, and wished that someday they would come true. The reason I took this picture is that these locks represent more than just love, they represent a bond or an unbreakable commitment to whatever our heart desires.
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February 2020
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â–² A visitor wishes for a happy 2020.
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â–˛ A quaint street leading into the village. The bright colors caught my eye.
February 2020
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February 2020
48
â–˛ Some adorable Disney creatures gaze adoringly at Snow White.
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www.gwangjunewsgic.com
February 2020
â–˛ The bright white building against the bright blue sky looked straight out of a Pixar movie.
50 Book Review
Status Anxiety by Alain de Botton
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
February 2020
ARTS & CULTURE
Reviewed by Kristy Dolson
W
hen January’s shiny promises for a new year wear off and February offers up the cold embrace of reality, you may find yourself returning to the same routines and thought patterns that you wanted to leave behind on New Year’s Eve. If you need help breaking out of this rut, this month I have a non-fiction book to recommend. Status Anxiety by Alain de Botton takes aim at the concepts of “status” and “status anxiety” in the modern Western world and sets out to navigate the causes and solutions for this widespread problem in today’s economic, political, and social climate.
produce an underclass that must be poor in order to maintain the reigning capitalist economy. However, the persistent drive of the middle and working classes towards achieving equality blinds them to their immutably inferior status. Everything around them proclaims they have a right to equal riches – while encouraging them to look down on those who will not make the effort to attain higher status. Without calling for an economic revolution, Botton puts forth solutions for dismantling this harmful ideology drawn from philosophy, art, politics, religion, and bohemia.
This book had been on my to-read list for some time. A coworker mentioned the author’s name offhand once and I was curious. So I did some research and discovered that he had a number of intriguing books. After some library shenanigans, I finally got my hands on a copy and finished it in three days. At just under 300 pages with images throughout, it was a very quick reading experience. I found it very interesting, although to my mind it did not propose any radical or revolutionary solutions for how to solve the problem of “status anxiety.” But I found it an enlightening read regardless, and useful as a historical primer on this issue.
As a new teacher, I was a firm believer in meritocracy, but over the years – and especially given today’s political and social climate – I have come to see that that ideology has many flaws. Even though everyone is given an equal chance to prove themselves, success still favors those who have certain financial and/or ethnic backgrounds that are subliminally rewarded because they were built into the system. Those people who are subliminally rewarded are usually those with access to the resources needed to shine, i.e., money and time. Along with deconstructing meritocracy, Botton also calls for a change in our perspective of “success.” If we can be happy with little, then we can scale down our anxieties to manageable obstacles. In essence, we can avoid creating monstrous mountains, which demand a continual climb over the decades of our working years, by lowering our own expectations.
The book opens by tracing humanity’s quest for love. Not the sexual love that is so well documented in songs, literature, and films, but the love we seek to gain from the world. The changes in perspective of and between the “rich” and the “poor” in the United States are outlined. Specific focus is given to the rise of American meritocracy and how its pursuit of total equality raises expectations to unrealistic levels. These unrealistic ideals, Botton argues,
I find it fascinating that this book was written sixteen years ago and remains so prescient of our current time and the culture of anxiety and burn-out that so many young people now find themselves fighting. With the near-
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The Reviewer
(Photo by Cheyenne Taylor)
”
Written by Elizabeth Kaye Corpuz
Only Now I love you today I loved you yesterday I hope to love you tomorrow My heart, my ever-changing heart My mind, my ever-doubtful mind Guarding against all dangers I stay for a while and run for a while Fugitive as I may seem, away from home Distance, space, time, and healing
But… I keep trying and trying from dawn to dusk I keep covering all these things I cannot tell But it makes me vulnerable I keep walls of distance But I feel them crashing down I don’t dare to give up, only to rebuild the walls Seeing black as black and white as white This is the rule I keep living by But it only makes me weak I glance at the sky and look at you Serenity surrounds you; it makes my heart leap The thought of holding you, only the sky can attest But the present makes the difference I let this orange sky disappear to become a starry night Only then can I sleep, but still I am restless For another day will come, as did my yesterdays But I continue stumbling
February February2020 2020
“
I find it fascinating that this book was written sixteen years ago and remains so prescient of our current time.
A Collection of Poems
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K r i s t y Dolson lived in South Korea for five years before taking a year off to travel, read, and spend time with her family in Canada and Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Education and now lives in Yeosu, where she splits her time between teaching at the new Jeollanamdo International Education Institute and reading as much as she can.
For You
ARTS ARTS && CULTURE CULTURE
inescapability of social media, the issue of “status anxiety” is becoming more and more popular. However, the more it gets bandied about as an excuse for the growing “treat yourself ” trend, the less will be done to change the problematic systems at the root of it. It takes a strong individual to stand up in our modern day of non-stop advertisements, networking, and high expectations to declare “I will not submit myself to these standards. I am rich because I say I am rich.” I do not see Western societies heading for any mass economic or social revolutions anytime soon, but this book is a thought-provoking reflection of and warning for our time. Let’s take heed of it and put the power of positive thinking to good use in this new decade: Say “No” to status anxiety, and “Yes” to self-care, gratitude, and lower expectations.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
February 2020
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Question
Compre II
You might be right I might be wrong Or might it be the other way around I asked you, you chose silence You asked me, a smile was my return You walked to the right I walked to the left Our space grew apart Your mind was filling with “whys” I shrugged and continued I did not know why Keeping up on what’s ahead Not stopping for what’s behind Is it wrong? Or, is it right? Another question puzzles my mind Might this be the end? To push myself for naught To settle for only the great
I dare to love you That’s all I can do And there it stops We are bound by law
The Author
A simple emotion A simple sympathy That grows and blossoms And reaches the sky It’s only a feeling, they say But what can I do? If I am lost with you In a wonderful land It’s a moment of silence And a burning feeling That makes me carefree In seamless time
To My Friendly Assaliant In this dim-lighted place, You attack from behind. Instead of a blow, You give me warmth. I choose to be still, Rather than run. Nothing to give, Yet you choose to dig. Scared and afraid, To escape or to stow? My heart is melting. My time is ticking. I am gasping. I am depleting. And, I have to give in. Photograph by Sarah Pittman
Elizabeth Kaye Corpuz is naturally lethargic but loves off-the-grid adventures. This year, she is planning to do volunteering activities and finish a book. She gives a shout-out to her friend who is celebrating his birthday this month. Happy birthday MFA!
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CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Created by Jon Dunbar
Look for the answers to this crossword puzzle to appear in March in Gwangju News Online (www.gwangjunewsgic.com).
ACROSS 40 43 45 46 48 52 55 57 58 59 60 61 62 63
First Alleyway vegetarian burger option Benefactors Taekwondo belt level Gawk at Penn and Teller’s craft Pilgrimage to Mecca Derriere To and ___ Tea A life simulation video game Ostrich cousin Bird that goes with meadow or sky Opposite of coldness Where beer comes from
February 2020
2020’s zodiac animal Worn by Miss Universe or girl scouts Steals Changnyeong County wetland Norway capital Currency in 19 countries Goes with Mos or Comedy Jam ___ and Practice Donkey cry Emit Ballerina’s skirt Last year’s zodiac animal Gwangju mayor’s award win Monkey Pee ___ Reduce, ___ recycle and recover “___ vraie jeune fille” Trail transport USA’s weirdest state Photoshop maker
Impolite Peak or zenith Doenjang-guk ingredient “Very well then” Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Put coins in here Nonsense Condemn “Be ___ guest” Underwire-containing clothing item Type of bean used in Korean cooking Rapper ___ Live Anonymous web browser Jewel Hand or ear warmer Land surrounded by water Brennan or Stephenson Square park on campus CTRL+Z “___ Flux” Font file Michael Jackson song Gwangju concert hall Measure of work Least cool Gasteyer or Santa Cut One of the Great Lakes Filipino teachers’ group “___ la Douce” What happened on 12/12, 1979 Dangerous acid “Take on Me” band Jam container USFK cost-sharing deal
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1 4 8 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 24 28 32 33 34 36 37
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 19 21 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 35 38 39 41 42 44 47 49 51 51 52 53 54 56
ARTS & CULTURE
DOWN
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Gwangju Happenings February 2020 Compiled by Melline Galani
MIGRATION: SPEAKING NEARBY
이주 서사 Migration: Speaking Nearby
MONTHLY NEWS
t November 23, 2019 – February 23, 2020 P Munhwa-jeondang-ro, Dong-gu,
Gwangju (Asia Culture Center, Space 2) ￦ Free À 1899-5566 ` https://www.acc.go.kr/en/board/ schedule/exhibition/3525
HER NAME IS 그녀의 이름은 t December 20, 2019 – March 1, 2020 P 38 Munhwa-jeondang-ro, Dong-gu,
Gwangju (Asia Culture Center, Space 6) ￦ Free À 1899-5566 ` https://www.acc.go.kr/board/schedule/ exhibition/3679
ACC BACKSTAGE TOUR
ACC 백스테이지 투어
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February 2020
t January 8 – March 27, 2020 P 38 Munhwa-jeondang-ro, Dong-gu,
Gwangju (Around Asia Culture Center) ￦ Free À 1899-5566 ` https://www.acc.go.kr/board/schedule/ event/3685
NUSANTARA, THE COUNTRY OF ARCHIPELAGO
많은 섬들의 나라, 누산타라
t November 22, 2019 – June 21, 2020 P 38 Munhwa-jeondang-ro, Dong-gu,
Gwangju (Asia Culture Center, Special Hall 3) ￦ Free À 1899-5566 ` https://www.acc.go.kr/board/schedule/ exhibition/3516
TIME CUBISM 타임 큐비즘 t November 27, 2019 – February 16, 2020 P 52 Haseo-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju
(Gwangju Museum of Arts, Exhibition Hall 1 and 2) ￦ Free À 062-613-7100 ` http://artmuse.gwangju.go.kr/
FANTASY KIDS PARK SEASON 2 – CIRCUS SUPERHEROES
판타지키즈파크 시즌2 – 서커스 슈퍼히어로 t December 21, 2019 – March 1, 2020
(10 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
P 30 Sangmunuri-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju
(Kim Daejung Convention Center, Exhibition Hall 1) ￦ Free entrance for children up to 24 months; Children (2–13) 15,000 won, Teens & Adults (14 and above) 12,000 won for all day. À 062-611-3377 ` https://www.kdjcenter.or.kr/
FEBRUARY’S REPOSITORY FAIR
2월 곳장 라이프 페어
t February 21–22 (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.) P 30 Sangmunuri-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju
(Kim Daejung Convention Center, Exhibition Hall 3) ￦ Free ` @gotgan_jangteo
CHILDREN MUSICAL “LET IT GO”
어린이뮤지컬 렛잇고
t February 22–23 (11 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m.) P 60 Bukmun-daero, Buk-gu, Gwangju
(Gwangju Culture and Arts Center)
￦ 44,000 won (50% discount for early booking) À 02-555-0822/3, 062-613-8352 ` https://gjart.gwangju.go.kr/
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Gwangju Theater Movie Schedule P 62 Chungjang-ro 5-ga, Dong-gu, Gwangju (Two blocks behind NC Wave) ￦ 8,000 won À 062-224-5858 ` http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju (Korean)
* Synopses excerpted from Wikipedia, IMDb, and Hancinema. All English language films are presented with Korean subtitles; nonEnglish international films are presented with Korean subtitles only.
FOR SAMA 사마에게
Documentary, 96 min., Arabic, English (Korean subtitles)
Through a loving letter from a young mother to her daughter, the film tells the story of Waad al-Kateab’s life through the five-year uprising in Aleppo, Syria. Throughout this period, she falls in love, gets married, and gives birth to Sama, all while cataclysmic conflicts take place around her. Her camera captures incredible stories of loss, laughter, and survival as Waad wrestles with an impossible choice – whether or not to flee the city to protect her daughter’s life, when leaving means abandoning the struggle for freedom for which she has already sacrificed so much. Directors: Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts Starring: Waad Al-Kateab, Hamza Al-Khateab, Sama AlKhateab
THE LAND OF SEONGHYE 성혜의 나라
Drama, 117 min., Korean (No subtitles)
This film traces the hard life of 29-year-old Seonghye. After graduating from college, she worked as an intern in a large company. When a workplace protest against sexual harassment is ignored, she reports to the Human Rights Commission and leaves the company. She is then unable to work elsewhere and lives on part-time jobs. Her father is in the hospital and her mother, who works at a restaurant, asks her for money. Her boyfriend, who is preparing for the civil service exam, is incompetent and behaves tactlessly. Director: Jung Hyung-suk Starring: Song Ji-in, Kang Du
LITTLE WOMEN 작은 아씨들
Drama, Romance, 135 min., English (Korean subtitles)
Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott, Jo March reflects back on her life, telling the beloved story of the March sisters – four young women, each determined to live life on their own terms. Director: Greta Gerwig Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen
TIME TO HUNT 사냥의 시간
In the near future, a financial crisis hits Korea and slums arise. From those areas, a group of young people turn to crime to survive. Director: Yoon Sung-Hyun Starring: Lee Je-hoon, Choi Woo-sik , Ahn Jae-hong, Park Jung-min
PAIN AND GLORY 페인 앤 글로리
Drama, 113 min., Spanish (Korean subtitles)
February 2020
The protagonist of “Pain and Glory” was at the decline of his career. The man involuntarily looks back on his past, and a stream of vivid memories falls upon him. He recalls such moments from his youth as tender feelings for his mother, love and separation, and the search for happiness and success. Director: Pedro Almodóvar Starring: Antonio Banderas, Asier Etxeandia, Leonardo Sbaraglia
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
Thriller, Korean (no subtitles)
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Community Board Have something you want to share with the community? The Community Board provides a space for the community to announce activities and special events. Please contact gwangjunews@gic.or.kr for more information.
Join us and celebrate together Devotion to the Goddess of Wisdom & Knowledge
서라스와티 푸자 봄의 시작을 축하하고 지혜와 예술의 신 사라스와티에게 기도를 올리는 의식은 함께 하기 위해 초대합니다~
2 February (10 :30 AM -1:30 PM) Supported by
the roster. The team consists of both foreign and Korean players, and plays every Saturday from March to October. Come, play, and have fun! If interested, contact Joel Klimas at joelklimas@gmail.com.
Gwangju Inter FC
The Gwangju International Soccer Team (Gwangju Inter FC) plays regularly every weekend. If you are interested in playing, email seehand@naver.com, phone or text 0107126-1207. Facebook: Gwangju Inter FC
KONA Storybook Center First Nepal
Events: Puja & Anjali Prasad Cultural performances Traditional food
Contact: Soumitra Kundu 01030405100 Ajay Kumar 01059293105 Venue:
Gwangju International Center
5 Jungang-ro 196beon-gil, Chungjang-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju
Organized by:
Hindu Community, Gwangju, Korea
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
February 2020
Gwangju Toastmasters Club
Gwangju Toastmasters Club (TM) is a relaxed, alternativestyle Toastmasters club that focuses on building communication and leadership skills. We provide people with opportunities to improve and practice their communication skills with prepared and impromptu speaking roles. Guests are welcome! We meet every Saturday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the GIC, 2nd Floor, Room 5. For more information, please visit our Facebook page: Gwangju Toastmasters or call 010-4614-7434.
Baseball in Gwangju
Are you interested in playing baseball? Do you enjoy the sport but haven’t had the opportunity to participate here in Gwangju? Well, you are in luck! For the past six years, the foreign baseball team, the Gwangju Bombers, has been playing competitively in a baseball league in the city. The team is always looking for players to add to
KONA Storybook Center (KSC) is a registered research center for English reading education and culture exchange. It supports UNESCO KONA Volunteers (UKV). UKV is a registered organization that helps disadvantaged children to learn English independently through storybooks and story-maps. We guide the family and children to develop a love of reading and to explore foreign cultures. We also give guidance to volunteers in using storybooks. We are looking for long-term volunteers who desire to enrich their lives. We are asking volunteers to commit to helping at least once a month. The days for KONA volunteering and the facilities are as follows: 1. KONA Storybook Center: Every Saturday, 10am–12pm 2. Children’s English Library: Every Saturday, 2–4pm 3. Gwangju Children’s Home: Every 4th Saturday 2–4pm For more information, please visit http://cafe.daum. net/konavolunteers or our Facebook pages for KONA Storybook Center and UNESCO KONA Volunteers. Also, you can contact Kim Young-im at 062-434-9887 or email konacenter@gmail.com.
KONA English Center
KONA Storybook Center The KONA English Center (KEC) is an educational center for English reading and culture exchanges. The KEC will guide any family and their children to develop a love for reading and to explore foreign cultures.
KONA English Center 코나영어센터 KONA Storybook Center 영어독서교육연구소 UNESCO KONA Volunteers 유네스코 코나 자원봉사단
Programs: 1. 영어독서멘토링 (Mentoring in English Reading) 2. 영어로 배우는 과학 (Science in English) 3. 영어로 배우는 위인전 (Biography in English) 4. 코나비전특강 (KONA Vision Talk) 5. 외국인과 함께하는 문화교실 (UNESCO CCAP)
Tel: 062-434-9887 광주광역시 서구 상일로 37 37 Sangil-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju
The KONA Storybook Center (KSC) is a non-profit organization that helps disadvantaged children to learn English independently through storybooks and storymaps with UNESCO KONA Volunteers (UKV).
THE DARKER YOUR TRIP IS, THE BRIGHTER YOUR LIFE IS.
INQUIRY GWANGJU CONVENTION & VISITOR BUREAU
Learn more at www.visitgwangju.kr 062-611-3632 | yunjung@visitgwangju.kr