Koreana Spring 2021(English)

SPRING 2021

KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

SPECIAL FEATURE

WEBTOONS

Fun and Fantasy Enjoyed Online Webtoons Scroll to the Top Worldwide A Dynamic, Morphing Medium Webtoonists Who Lead the Industry ‘Story Universes’ for Cross-Media Entertainment

WEBTOONS

VOL. 35 NO. 1

ISSN 1016-0744

IMAGE OF KOREA

Memories of Country Whistle Stops Kim Hwa-young Literary Critic; Member of the National Academy of Arts

R

© Ahn Hong-beom

ecently I came upon news of a high-speed rail line opening between Seoul and Andong. My hometown of Yeongju borders the northern edge of the historical city of Andong, so I’ll now be able to travel there in just one hour and 40 minutes. On a cold winter morning some 60-odd years ago, a 13-year-old boy from a poor mountain village boarded a train at Yeongju Station. That was me – my first solo trip. Many stops with unfamiliar names unfolded before me. And by the time the train reached Seoul, the sky was beginning to darken.

Just think. The very same distance can now be covered in about 100 minutes. What true change, what progress! Still, the surprise and gratitude inspired by the speed and convenience of a bullet train coexists with an underlying longing for the slower pace and sweet scenery of days long past.

The boy’s first-ever train journey set his heart racing with trepidation and wonder. The grown-up sitting next to him asked where he was going and what he planned to do there. I responded proudly that I was going to Seoul to take my middle school entrance examination. The train car was packed with passengers, seated and standing in the aisle. Whenever the train entered a tunnel, the car darkened then soon brightened again. The black smoke and soot belching from the engine car came through open windows.

The train stopped at a small country station. The auntie in the facing seat who shared her boiled eggs with me had been drooling in her sleep, but suddenly she jerked awake and gathered her things. Her back as she stepped off the train, together with a young student in a school uniform, and disappeared beyond the whistle stop… The flowerbeds blooming with various fleeting annuals like cosmos, trembling in the breeze…

Such scenes became an inextricable part of my train journey.

Today, KTX trains race past small stops in a matter-ofcourse manner. Many country stations have been abandoned and demolished, having lost their purpose long ago. But some have been repurposed into cafés, diners or little museums, offering people a trip down memory lane and revitalizing these sites as tourist attractions.

Awakening from a light sleep in the deep of night, I sometimes take that young boy I once was and sit him down in the darkness of a lonely, old whistle stop. Then I turn on a faint light in each of the whistle stop waiting rooms that have flowed through the course of my life, and picture scenes from the poem “At Sapyeong Station” by Kwak Jae-gu. “…with its windows like autumn leaves / who knows where the night train runs / calling out each moment I have longed for, I / tossed a handful of my tears into the light.”

Editor’s Letter

PUBLISHER

Lee Geun

Webtoons Bloom with Digital Imagination

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Kang Young-pil

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Lee Kyong-hee

EDITORIAL BOARD

Han Kyung-koo

Benjamin Joinau

Jung Duk-hyun

Kim Eun-gi

Kim Hwa-young

Kim Youngna

Koh Mi-seok

Charles La Shure

Song Hye-jin

There was a time when Hollywood movies were a major source of entertainment for the Korean public. Back then, American pop songs showed a whole new world of music to teenagers in this country. And then followed a generation that reveled in J-pop, manga and anime. The current craze for K-pop and webtoons among young people around the world naturally makes one look back on those days.

Webtoons, or web comics designed for vertical scrolling on digital devices, originated in Korea some 20 years ago. At first, few people took young cartoonists and their new gigs seriously. They weren’t much more than a means to increase search traffic and keep website visitors longer on one page. But then the cartoonists began exploring ways to make the most of their newfound freedom in virtual spaces. Today, many webtoon platforms abuzz with hundreds of fantastic works provide a vivid glimpse into the overflowing imagination and enthusiasm of young artists.

Our special coverage, “Webtoons: Fun and Fantasy Enjoyed Online,” looks into the world of this vibrant medium – how it started and how it has grown to provide prized entertainment content across genres and media. Indeed, digital comics have inspired games, movies, TV serials, plays and musicals, functioning as “super IP” and thus reaching audiences across generations and borders.

Korea’s webtoon market is estimated to be worth one trillion won, or approximately US$881 billion.

As an example of webtoon-based cross-media entertainment, we also introduce “Sweet Home” (page 74). Global streaming service Netflix produced a 10-episode TV series based on the popular monster webtoon of the same name.

It was released late last year to high viewership in various countries.

It would be gratifying to see more people throughout the world find joy and solace in webtoons. If young people can be inspired and motivated, that would be even more rewarding.

Lee Kyong-hee Editor-in-Chief

Song Young-man

COPY EDITOR

Jamie Lypka

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Ji Geun-hwa

ASSISTANT EDITORS

Cho Yoon-jung

Ted Chan

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Song Won-seok

EDITORS

Lee Ji-hye, Oh Seung-hae

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Seo Hee-jee

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Kim Ji-yeon, Lee Hyun-jon,

Yeob Lan-kyeong

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A scene from

“Annarasumanara” Ha Il-kwon 2010-2011 NAVER WEBTOON

reproduced in any form without the prior permission of the Korea Foundation.

The opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily represent those of the editors of Koreana or the Korea Foundation.

Koreana , registered as a quarterly magazine with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Registration No. Ba-1033, August 8, 1987), is also published in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish.

Webtoons

Fun and Fantasy Enjoyed Online

04

SPECIAL FEATURE 1

16

SPECIAL FEATURE 3

Webtoons Scroll to the Top Worldwide

Webtoonists Who Lead the Industry

Hong Nan-ji

Wee Geun-woo

10

22

SPECIAL FEATURE 2

A Dynamic, Morphing Medium Park Ki-soo

SPECIAL FEATURE 4

‘Story Universes’ for Cross-Media Entertainment Chae Hee-sang

© Yonhap News

30

FOCUS

56

TALES OF TWO KOREAS

The Odyssey of a National Treasure

Sharing Art for a Single Korea

Kang Hye-ran

Kim Hak-soon

74 ENTERTAINMENT Evolution of Korean-style Creature Features Kang Sang-joon

36

INTERVIEW

‘The World’s Saddest and Most Beautiful Arirang’

60

ON THE ROAD

Gochang: Seedbed of Revolution Lee San-ha

Lim Hee-yun

40

ART REVIEW

The Mundane Becomes Abstract

GUARDIANS OF HERITAGE

Heo Yun-hee

52

Dureup : A Precious Spring Green

68

AN ORDINARY DAY

Unwrinkled Devotion Hwang Kyung-shin

82 LIFESTYLE Hobbies and Pastimes Move Online Kim Dong-hwan

Balancing Beauty and Precision

ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS

Jeong Jae-hoon

Kim Min

46

78

IN LOVE WITH KOREA

Laure Mafo: Under the Spell of Pansori Cho Yoon-jung

72

BOOKS & MORE

One Left: A Novel

86

JOURNEYS IN KOREAN LITERATURE

A Disturbing Testimony of Truths about ‘Comfort Women’

Speaking for Those Who Can’t

Looking Back Life Was Beautiful: Drawings for My Grandchildren

Strolling Seolleung

Lovely Words and Pictures from Grandparents

Jikji World

English-language Website on Early Printing History Charles La Shure

Choi Jae-bong

Jung Yong-jun

SPECIAL FEATURE 1

Webtoons: Fun and Fantasy Enjoyed Online 1

© Koogi / Courtesy of LEZHIN Entertainment, Inc.

S N O O T B WE O T L L O R SC P O T E THE D I W D L R O W 3

al exception h it w n e rategic s and lad ns, and st ile device io b t o o m m e n l o niversa ons, r scrolling as webto that tap u n s e w Framed fo o iv t n a k r r r a w bette artistry, n omics, no c e style and n li n o n n – Korea ide. s localizatio l Industrie rs worldw e d a e r of Cultura g e g in t lle o a C iv g t gkan are cap nts, Chun wa Conte ol of Manh o ch S r, o Profess ng Nan-ji

Ho 4

© LEZHIN Entertainment, Inc.

KOREANA SPRING 2021

2

1. Fans of “Killing Stalking” buy books and related merchandise at Etna Comics, held in Catania, Italy, in June 2019. The author, Koogi, signed autographs in a meet-and-greet with readers.

2, 3. “Killing Stalking,” winner of the grand prize in the Second Lezhin Comics World Comic Contest, places a serial killer and a stalker in the same house, both unaware of each other’s history.

It was serialized on the webtoon portal Lezhin Comics from November 2016 to March 2019.

4

KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

© DUBU (REDICE STUDIO), Chugong, h-goon, D&C WEBTOON Biz

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A

high-school girl with an inferiority complex because of her looks transforms herself with make-up. Will the boy she loves become smitten with her? It’s a coming-of-age formula seen over and over in movies and TV shows. But as a webtoon in the hands of artist Yaongyi, “True Beauty” is an international favorite. It began serializing on Naver Webtoon, Korea’s biggest webtoon platform, in 2018. For overseas readers, weekly episodes are uploaded to WEBTOON (distinguished from Naver’s domestic webtoon platform) and, starting with the Thai site, are serviced in Indonesia, Japan and Taiwan, as well as North America, France and Spain. Accumulated overseas page views have reached four billion.

Webtoons are a distinct type of digital comics that originated in Korea in the early 2000s. Each installment appears in a long, vertical strip, optimized for easy scrolling and readability on computers, tablets and smartphones. Webtoons also are noted for their splashes of color and some are even accompanied by music. But behind the reader-friendly aspects and “anywhere, anytime” accessibility are universal sentiments and experiences, paving the way for acceptance and popularity around the world.

Augmenting the spread of this addition to the Korean Wave is translation into English and other languages, as well as platforms that offer free viewing. And of course, attention to planning and the creativity of artists have remained the hallmarks of webtoons since their inception.

#Genre&Style Webtoons cover a wide variety of genres to attract readers and keep them satisfied. On the opposite end of the spectrum from sugar-coated works such as “True Beauty” are raw creations like “Killing Stalking” (2016-2019), an adult thriller with homosexual overtones and sadistic content. Praised for its unique style and suspense, “Killing Stalking” was serialized on the webtoon portal Lezhin Comics and disarmed readers in North America; now it’s enticing the European market as well. Not surprisingly, the author, Koogi, has been a frequent invitee to fan festivals, including Anime Expo held in Los Angeles; the Lucca Comics and Games convention in Italy, the biggest comics festival in Europe and second biggest in the world; and Etna Comics, also in Italy Another major webtoon hit is “Solo Leveling” (2018), an adaptation of a fantasy web novel, “Only I Level Up.” It narrates the growth and development of the protagonist as he battles all kinds of monsters and other creatures. He rises to another level each time he completes a task, as in a role playing game that heightens emotional connections between players and their avatars.

The webtoon can be read in English on both Webnovel and Tappytoon. It’s also being serialized in China, Japan, Vietnam and France, ranking among the top titles in terms of page views.

Likewise, in Japan, Brazil and Germany, where it’s been published in physical book form, “Solo Leveling” has been a leader in local online retail listings.

4. “Only I Level Up” was a popular 2016 web novel

by Chugong. It was adapted into a webtoon, “Solo Leveling,” with writing by h-goon and illustrations by DUBU from REDICE STUDIO. An English translation is on Tappytoon. The comic book version topped Amazon’s comic book rankings in Brazil and Germany, and is also sold in Japan.

5

# Quality To ensure quality and success, webtoon platforms carefully screen creators. Those who survive multiple rounds of talks are given the green light to serialize their brainchild. Thereafter, at least six months (and at times, more than a year) of planning go into preparing a single title.

Webtoon episodes are typically uploaded weekly. This is a very short time frame to complete an installment, which usually consists of 60-90 panels. To reduce the workload and enhance quality, a specialized production system divides the main tasks – planning, story composition, continuity, sketches, background images and coloring – among individuals and teams.

Training at universities and organizations that promote cultural content has also contributed to raising the quality of storytelling and art, paired with critical perspectives of the art form that have arisen in academic circles.

The most popular webtoons among young international readers deal with the common experiences of their generation. Readers gain vicarious satisfaction as they follow the stories of protagonists who overcome obstacles to achieve their most ardent dreams.

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KOREANA SPRING 2021

# Localization Korean webtoon platforms began knocking on the doors of international markets years ago.

Using their own social networking accounts, the platforms introduced some of their best works to readers and distributors abroad. But ensuring quality translations proved to be a major challenge. This prompted platform operators to source local translators, helping to accurately convey the context of Korean webtoons and at the same time encouraging local artists to create their own works.

One outcome of this process was the launch of the WEBTOON CANVAS Awards in the United States as a gateway for amateur cartoonists. This is the U.S. version of Naver Webtoon’s “Dojeon Manhwa” (or “Manhwa Challenge”), introduced in 2006 for aspiring comic artists to upload their work to be judged by readers. The most popular works are selected and their creators are given the opportunity to publish them online in serial form.

New Zealand artist Rachel Smythe’s global hit “Lore Olympus” is one of the works created in this open competition. It was nominated for the 2019 Eisner Awards, the comic book world’s equivalent of the Oscars. A Korean translation has been uploaded weekly to Naver Webtoon since August 2020.

1. “True Beauty” is webtoon creator Yaongyi’s debut work.

It follows a bullied high school girl who decides to transform herself into a beauty through makeup. Translations of the webtoon have been a hit in several countries.

2. “Lore Olympus”

by Rachel Smythe is a modern take on Greek mythology.

It was discovered through the WEBTOON CANVAS Awards, Naver’s open competition for amateurs in the United States. The first chapter was uploaded to the English site WEBTOON in March 2018 and is still available.

© Rachel Smythe / Courtesy of NAVER WEBTOON

©

Ya y rtes ou i/C gy on

ON AVER WEBTO of N

KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

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# UniversalAppeal Initially, the prevailing view was that webtoons had to be retrofitted for the culture and tastes of targeted overseas audiences. Yoon Tae-ho’s “Misaeng: Incomplete Life,” serialized in 20122013, upended this belief. The webtoon was about a young man whose world revolved around the strategy board game baduk (go). When he fails to become a professional player, he looks for a job. But armed with only a high-school equivalency certificate, his prospects are limited in a meritocracy. He is hired at a large trading company as a contract employee. Short-term contracts are a vulnerable way to survive.

In 2017, “Misaeng: Incomplete Life” won the Excellence Award in the manga category at the 20th Japan Media Arts Festival organized by Tokyo’s Agency for Cultural Affairs. The reasoning behind the win was that “readers empathized with a hero trapped in the cracks appearing in a society obsessed with academic credentials and economic growth. Japan has shared the same predicament for some time.” The basis for the sentiments in this webtoon was not confined to a single culture.

The most popular webtoons among young international readers deal with the common experiences of their generation. Readers gain vicarious satisfaction as they follow the stories of protagonists who overcome obstacles to achieve their most ardent dreams. This can be seen as the greatest strength of Korean webtoons. By catering to young people not only through their simple interests, like those in “True Beauty,” but also through the ordeals they face living in this age where it’s so hard to make dreams come true, like in “Misaeng: Incomplete Life,” webtoons are reverberating around the world.

7

“The genres are diverse.”

A

Canan Kus Germany

Korean studies major living in Dortmund, Germany, Canan Kus, 26, is a

self-confessed webtoon fanatic. She first

Reading webtoons on the way to school alleviates boredom and makes time pass more quickly, she adds.

started reading webtoons at the recom-

In Europe, webtoons are still less familiar

mendation of friends when she was study-

than manga, but Kus thinks that this is grad-

ing in Korea several years ago, and it has

ually shifting. As webtoons reflect so much

since become part of her daily routine.

of Korean culture, she says that, like K-pop,

For Kus, the strength of webtoons lies in their accessibility and the diversity of

they can be used for Korea’s national branding efforts.

genres. “Everyone has different tastes and

“It won’t be long before webtoons are

individuality, but there are so many differ-

widely popular throughout Asia, America,

ent styles of webtoons that it really is pos-

Europe and other places,” she says. “If more

sible to satisfy everyone,” she says. “It’s a

works are translated, that is. Because the

great advantage that such a large number

world inside webtoons is fun and full of

of works can be seen on a smartphone.”

great stories.”

WHY I LOVE WEBTOONS “The artistry is outstanding.”

N

8

ida Karim, 30, left India to get an MBA

“Movies and TV dramas have to worry

degree in Korea and fell in love with

about commercial success, so they face

webtoons when she started to read “Cheese

many limitations because of all the varied

in the Trap.” Now she stays up late reading

interests involved. But with webtoons, the

webtoons two or three nights a week. “They

artists can give flight to their imagination

have a special meaning for me because I’m

and results can be fantastic,” she says.

learning the Korean language,” she says,

Ubiquitous, 24/7 accessibility via mobile

and with a laugh, adds, “As I read them only

devices is another strong point. “Sometimes

in Korean, I’m almost forgetting my English.”

I lose myself in reading webtoons and end

For Karim, the attraction of webtoons

up losing my way on the subway. I some-

is the realistic depiction and beautiful art

times find myself reading webtoons in the

style. Unlike the print comics of old, which

middle of a boring lecture.”

were basically limited to black and white,

Webtoons are not yet widespread in

webtoons are richly colored and have much

India. But Karim expects that as the Korean

more depth. She also extols the quality of

Wave carries further, they will gradually

the storytelling.

gain a foothold in her home country.

Nida Karim

India

KOREANA SPRING 2021

“I find the characters and pace enticing.”

N

oriyoshi Sasaki, 35, was studying

ular film and TV drama adaptations they’ve

translation at a Korean graduate

generated, Sasaki believes webtoons can

school when he fell in love with webtoons

promote Korea to the world alongside

and began translating them into Japanese.

K-pop and Korean literature. Such adapta-

“There aren’t too many characters, and each one is brilliantly drawn to maximize the

Japan

tions are what led Sasaki to read the original works.

appeal,” he says. “The simple yet gripping

“Compared to Japanese, the Korean lan-

stories move quickly. The content is short

guage has so many onomatopoeic words

but well structured.”

that it’s hard to express them. I make ef-

Sasaki appreciates how readers can im-

forts to find a way to convey to Japanese

mediately post reviews in the comments

readers Korean-style expressions that don’t

section and communicate with the artists,

exist in Japanese, as well as acronyms and

as well as the rapid pace of updates that

trendy language used by young people, all

come once or twice a week.

within the limited space afforded by com-

Considering the number of highly pop-

Noriyoshi Sasaki

ics,” he says.

Webtoons are gaining popularity around the world. After K-pop, Korean digital comics are enticing young people on all continents. Four fans share their views – what about webtoons they find attractive and interesting.

Kang Young-woon Reporter, Maeil Business Newspaper

“My interest in Korean culture has grown.”

N

orth Carolina resident Chelsey Moore,

Chelsey Moore

United States

25, found webtoons by chance. Two

webtoon readership. As she spends more

years ago, she learned about “Lore Olym-

time at home, she finds herself increasingly

pus” through an ad on social media. After

watching Korean dramas on Netflix and

devouring the series, her curiosity about

reading webtoons.

other works led to more reading. Eventually,

In fact, it was webtoons that gave Moore

she became so absorbed that she would

a thirst for Korean dramas. “Now I’m inter-

pay for immediate access to the latest chap-

ested in Korean culture as a whole,” she

ters of her favorite titles instead of waiting

says. She also actively reaches out to make

for free uploads later.

Korean friends on social media platforms

Moore considers creative imagination

such as Instagram and the language ex-

the main attraction of webtoons. She spent

change app Hello Talk. Certain that small

a lot of time reading manga and watching

steps can lead to big changes, she says, “If

anime as a child. “These days, webtoons are

people gain a deeper understanding of Ko-

taking their place,” she says.

rea as they enjoy reading webtoons, they’ll

She believes that the COVID-19 situation

KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

has probably played a role in enhancing

come to hold Korea in higher esteem.”

9

SPECIAL FEATURE 2

Webtoons: Fun and Fantasy Enjoyed Online

A DYNAMIC, MORPHING MEDIUM Since their emergence in Korea a mere 20 years ago, webtoons have grown into a powerful medium with a resounding impact. This growth has been driven by the immense potential to create new value by variously combining the media, platforms, users and devices that make up versatile digital ecosystems.

Park Ki-soo Professor, Department of Digital Culture and Contents, Hanyang University

2000 10

Chollian Webtoon

2003

Love Story KOREANA SPRING 2021

Webtoon apps provided by the major webtoon platforms. They are, clockwise from top left: Daum Webtoon, Naver Webtoon, KakaoPage and Lezhin Comics.

KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

11

T

he moniker “webtoon” [web+cartoon] came from Chollian Webtoon, the online comics platform launched in 2000 by Chollian, Korea’s first online communication service. At the time, online comics were no more than scanned print comics, very different in concept from today’s webtoons.

Around the same time, omnibus-style comics with non-linear narratives about everyday life started to appear. Some examples include “SnowCat” (1998) by Kwon Yoon-joo, “Marine Blues” (2001-2007) by Jung Chul-yeon and “Pape Popo Memories” (2002) by Shim Seung-hyun. Although stylistically different, these comics are often regarded as the prototypes of today’s webtoons in that they first adopted the vertical scrolling method.

The prevailing view, however, is that webtoons in their current form truly began with “Love Story” (2003-2004) by Kang Full, published on Daum, one of Korea’s largest search engines. Kang not only employed vertical scrolling, he made various experiments with the format. Most importantly, he opened up the era of webtoons by adopting the type of narratives seen in TV dramas and feature films.

Maybe I shouldn’t have come…

But she’s the girl I slept with for 6 years!!

Major Web Portals The growth of webtoons was accelerated by Korea’s major web portals. In 2003, Daum launched a platform for reading serialized webtoons, and other portals like Naver, Paran and Empas followed suit the following year.

The new market then expanded rapidly after Yahoo’s entrance a few years later. Initially, these portals offered webtoons for free to increase traffic and search volume, by which they hoped to give greater exposure to advertisements and other content.

As cartoonists found a new means of reaching readers through portal sites, they started to create comics tailored for online viewing, spurring further development of the webtoon genre. Kang Do-ha released “The Great Cats© Kang Do-ha / Courtesy of Daum Webtoon

2004 12

The Great Catsby KOREANA SPRING 2021

by” (2004-2005) on Empas, but when the company subsequently closed its webtoon business, he moved to Daum. His sophisticated love story of youthful angst and longing was acclaimed for its delicate drawings and sensitive portrayal of emotions.

Ingeniously expressing the flow of time through the vertical scrolling format, Kang was recognized for his dramatic plot twists and distinct “webtoon grammar,” involving psychological descriptions based on metaphor, skillful coloring and frame composition. He honed his style even further in “Romance Killer” (2006) and “Kubrick” (2007), which constitute his Youth Trilogy along with “The Great Catsby.” While Kang Full laid the groundwork for webtoons with feature-length stories, Kang Do-ha built on it with story direction better suited to the online environment.

Competition The term “webtoon,” after going largely unnoticed in the early days, came into popular use with the launch of Naver Webtoon in 2005.

However, Naver’s status in the market lagged far behind that of Daum, which was speeding ahead with star creators Kang Full and Kang Do-ha.

Naver made its winning moves by benchmarking Daum’s methods, adopt-

“The Great Catsby” by Kang Do-ha (aka Doha Kang), which started serialization in 2004, is a love story of youthful angst and longing. Acclaimed for its delicate drawings and sensitive portrayal of emotions, the popular series opened a new chapter for dramatic webtoons.

Kang’s romance stories marked a clear departure from the short episodes of everyday life featured in most online comics at the time.

While Daum emphasized the role of editors for quality assessment, Naver relied on user statistics to select titles and determine fees for creators. In the meantime, competition between the two portals expedited the growth of webtoons in both quality and quantity. ing them through modification or devising contrasting strategies. When Daum focused on dramatic narratives, Naver turned its attention to everyday tales. When Daum promoted comic dramas for women over 15, Naver catered to teenage boys under 15. While Daum emphasized the role of editors in quality assessment, Naver relied on user statistics to select titles and determine fees for creators. In the meantime, competition between the two portals expedited the growth of webtoons in both quality and quantity.

Incorporating all the defining characteristics of Naver Webtoon is “The Sound of Your Heart” (2006-2020) by Cho Seok, a comedy in omnibus format that was an immediate hit.

Serialized for 14 years up until 2020, it’s also Korea’s longest-running webtoon. This is the title that drove Naver Webtoon’s initial success, and Cho remains one of the platform’s most iconic artists.

The narrative quality of Daum’s webtoons, established by Kang Full and Kang Do-ha, was

2005 KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

NAVER WEBTOON 13

Finally, the 1000th episode!

Gimlet

2

5 million views average per episode!

1

© Cho Seok / Courtesy of NAVER WEBTOON

reinforced by Yoon Tae-ho in “Moss” (20072009), which was billed as a cold-blooded thriller. Although it started out on an obscure webtoon site, “Moss” made a splash early on.

It depicted human nature laid bare, based on a solid thriller structure, intense characters, detailed psychological descriptions and powerful metaphors. “Moss” won an excellence award in the comics category at the 2007 Korea Content Awards. Yoon’s compelling narratives are the key factors behind the success of his webtoons and their adaptations: “Misaeng: Incomplete Life” (2012-2013) became a TV drama, and “Moss” and “The Insiders” (20102012) were made into movies, all successful.

From Free to Paid Improvements in webtoon quality coincided with a major change in the market. While webtoon access had largely remained free in the past, major platforms began to introduce a paywall in 2012. Daum’s system allowed users

2006 14

The Sound of Your Heart

The injustice

© Choi Gyu-seok / Courtesy of NAVER WEBTOON

KOREANA SPRING 2021

to pay to read completed works, with 90 percent of the revenue returned to the creators. For starters, all the completed works of Kang Full went behind the paywall. Despite market concerns, the paid content system was implemented successfully. This was significant not just as a revenue model but as a solution to build sustainable practices to ensure the continued creation and consumption of webtoons. Providing fair compensation to creators was crucial to cultivating a healthy environment.

In 2013, Lezhin Comics also launched a paid webtoon platform with the belief that it would be viable if premium value could be tied to user convenience. This system helped establish the model of either paying for new content or waiting until it became free. Lezhin Comics has since been especially successful with its offerings for mature audiences.

Subject Matter and Expression The mid-2010s saw webtoons dealing with more diverse subject matter. In “Gimlet” (20132017), set in a foreign-based superstore, Choi Gyu-seok highlighted labor issues interwoven with his signature black humor to tell the story of workers facing wrongful dismissal. Works exploring gender issues also emerged. As exem-

1. A scene from the 1,000th episode of Cho Seok’s “The Sound of Your Heart,” featuring the cartoonist himself and people around him. A total of 1,237 episodes were uploaded to Naver Webtoon from September 2006 to July 2020, making it Korea’s longest-running webtoon.

2. “Gimlet” by Choi Gyu-seok deals with labor issues in a foreign-based superstore. Its serialization began in December 2013 and ended in August 2017, with the 30th episode of the fifth chapter. It is credited with expanding the range of webtoon subject matter.

3. “The Chat of the Three Kingdoms,” written by Superpink and illustrated by YiLee, is a modern adaptation of the classical Chinese novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” Readers can flip the pages rather than scrolling down, one of the webtoon’s remarkable experiments. It has been running on Naver Webtoon since May 2018.

2013

Lezhin Comics

KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

“Moss” brought widespread fame to its creator, Yoon Tae-ho, amid readers’ enthusiastic response to his absorbing plot and refined composition of frames.

Wait a second…

© Yoon Tae-ho, SUPERCOMIX STUDIO Corp.

3

plified by Gi Maeng-gi’s “My ID is Gangnam Beauty” (2016-2017), feminist webtoons began to address the oppression of women against the backdrop of patriarchal traditions, sexual abuse and workplace discrimination. Their easy accessibility allowed webtoons to become a medium for social discourse.

It is also worth noting that radical experiments have been made to exploit the versatility of online platforms – incorporating sensory effects into two-dimensional displays, telling a story in the form of instant messenger chatting or introducing interactive features so that readers can “communicate” with the fictional characters. Taking advantage of the latest technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality and machine learning, these experiments have produced mixed results, but have significantly expanded the range of expression for webtoons.

2018

The Chat of the Three Kingdoms © YLAB, Superpink, YiLee

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SPECIAL FEATURE 3

Webtoons: Fun and Fantasy Enjoyed Online

WEBTOONISTS WHO LEAD THE INDUSTRY 1

Webtoons have avid fans both at home and abroad, their global popularity buoyed by the ingenuity and hard work of their creators.

Here are five prominent artists who have led some of the biggest trends in webtoons, from the genre’s inception to the present.

Wee Geun-woo Freelance Writer

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Kang Full The Trailblazer

I

n 2015, when Kang Full was interviewed on newscaster Sohn Suk-hee’s prime time news show, Sohn introduced him as “the trilobite of the webtoon world.” This comparison to an early life form was symbolic of Kang’s trailblazing role as an early webtoon artist.

When Kang began posting the series “Love Story” on the Daum web portal in 2003, the concept of webtoons as a new genre was neither clearly defined nor well known. Some refused to accept webtoons as a legitimate form of comics, and Kang’s illustrations were arguably not on par with the standard set by print comic books. Nonetheless, his work was a sensation; when he hit another home run with “Apartment” the following year, people began to think differently.

Kang’s early works – an endearing portrayal of pure love and a horror mystery about a vengeful spirit that drives

the residents of an apartment building to death – proved that a well-structured plot alone could rack up page views. This precedent led to a major shift in the industry. Aspiring artists began to think that they too could make it as webtoonists if they had a good storyline or idea that could make up for subpar drawing skills.

Interestingly, an outpouring of solid titles in diverse genres followed.

In the wake of movie adaptations of “Apartment” and other works by Kang, webtoons emerged as key “one source multi-use” content. The movie and television industries increasingly turned to webtoons for stories, vitalizing the market for secondary rights and contributing to the growth of webtoons as a whole. Obviously, Kang can’t take sole credit for this trend. But without a doubt, the “trilobite of webtoons” made an indelible mark on the budding medium.

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“Love Story” (2003-2004, Daum Webtoon) “Apartment” (2004-2008, Daum Webtoon) “26 Years” (2006, Daum Webtoon) “I Love You” (2007, Daum Webtoon) “Neighbor” (2008, Daum Webtoon) “Lamp Shop” (2011, Daum Webtoon) “Witch” (2013, Daum Webtoon) “Moving” (2015, Daum Webtoon) “Bridge” (2017, Daum Webtoon)

1. The protagonists of “Love Story,” considered the true debut work of webtoon artist Kang Full.

2. The protagonists of “I Love You,” a touching portrayal of the lives and loves of the marginalized elderly.

3. The characters in the preview of “26 Years,” which deals with the Gwangju Democratic Uprising of May 1980. Kang said he struggled with this work more than any other due to the nature of the topic.

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KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

17 © Kang Full / Courtesy of Daum Webtoon

T

he multifarious aesthetic experimentation of comic artists in the digital environment, characterized by screens and vertical scrolling, has served to establish webtoons as a new medium independent of existing comics.

Ha Il-kwon (aka Ilkwon Ha), an early webtoon artist, has broadened his expressive range in remarkable ways over the course of his career. His

Ha Il-kwon Aesthetic Heights

debut title, “Sambong Barber Shop” (2006), was noted for its choice of colors that were better suited to a computer screen than in print, whereas in “Annarasumanara” (2010-2011), he conveyed shifts in mood through the contrast of achromatic and chromatic colors, exhibiting a freer style that resisted the confines of each frame.

In “God of Bath” (2011-2012), Ha moved on to demonstrate a more

mature style. But after judging that his drawing style no longer felt distinctive, he began focusing less on flashy art and more on increasing the density of each individual frame, and also incorporated devices like found footage. The results of these shifts can be seen in “Duty after School” (20122013), where they maximize the story’s gloomy mood.

Readers continue to find Ha’s style engaging not merely because he has expanded his expressive techniques to best fit the physical properties of computer or smartphone screens. He heightens their fun and emotional response, as evidenced in “Annarasumanara” (a title derived from its magician character’s incantation) and “Duty after School.” The perfect coupling of story and style runs through his works, including “GOGOGO” (collaboration, 2015), a cheerful adventure series that makes effective use of the built-in features of smartphones such as the vibration function, and “Taste of Illness” (2018-2019), which depicts in dream-like style the distressed mental state of its protagonist suffering from panic disorder.

Ha Il-kwon has a penchant for emotionally resonant stories about the troubles of the alienated and emotionally wounded.

“Annarasumanara” is a fantastical story about the events that unfold when a young girl, the sole breadwinner of her financially struggling family, meets a magician.

© Ha Il-kwon / Courtesy of NAVER WEBTOON

“Sambong Barber Shop” (2006, Paran) “Annarasumanara” (2010-2011, Naver Webtoon) “God of Bath” (2011-2012, Naver Webtoon) “Duty after School” (2012-2013, Naver Webtoon) “Taste of Illness” (2018-2019, Naver Webtoon)

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“Hanged Doll” (Story by Aruani; 2007-2008, Daum Webtoon) “Superior Day” (Story by Aruani; 2008-2009, Naver Webtoon) “Bastard” (Illustrations by Hwang Young-chan; 2014-2016, Naver Webtoon) “Sweet Home” (Illustrations by Hwang Young-chan; 2017-2020, Naver Webtoon) “Gorgon” (Illustrations by Seo Jai-il; 2018-2019, Toomics) “Shotgun Boy” (Illustrations by Red Brush; 2021, Naver Webtoon)

© Carnby Kim, Youngchan Hwang / Courtesy of NAVER WEBTOON

Carnby Kim Guru of the Thriller Genre

T

he most famous webtoon by Carnby Kim (aka Kim Kan-bi) is undoubtedly “Sweet Home” (20172020), recently adapted into an original TV series for Netflix. While the average viewer might know little else about Kim, in the webtoon world he’s known as an artist who delved deeply into the thriller genre and played a vital role in its development.

Kim formed Team Getname with story writer Aruani, and the two have collaborated on many projects. Their KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

debut series, “Hanged Doll” (20072008), and second title, “Superior Day” (2008-2009), are meticulous portrayals of the evil nature of human beings. “Hanged Doll” is a story involving five children who, even at the tender age of 10, have no qualms about committing murder, and the revenge exacted on them years later by a now-adult who was almost one of their victims. “Superior Day,” which received an 18+ rating, features a serial killer who feels a sense of supe-

riority through murder, an atrocious killer who once subdued him, and the good-natured protagonist who gets swept up in their game. In “Bastard” (2014-2016), Kim’s first collaboration with Hwang Young-chan, the illustrator of “Sweet Home,” the protagonist is coerced and threatened by his serial killer father to act as his accomplice.

Kim’s works spotlight the brutal nature of humans, with his protagonists often facing serious ethical dilemmas. “Sweet Home,” which is better described as a post-apocalyptic tale than a thriller, is a story of humans who, in a world where monsters run rampant, strive not to become monsters themselves, despite how much easier it would be to follow suit. This has been a consistent theme throughout Kim’s body of work – and it’s what he does best.

Featuring distinctive monster characters, “Sweet Home” keeps viewers on edge with suspense, horror and fright. The writer focused on the emotional growth of the protagonist, which sets the work apart from the usual apocalypse stories.

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Newly married and he doesn’t even get breakfast...

Don’t say that.

Work comes ahead of making her husband breakfast!

She could get fired!

1 © Soo Shin Ji

Soo Shin Ji

Out of the Mainstream

S

oo Shin Ji, the creator of “SARIN” (2017-2018) and “Gone” (20192020), has spearheaded changes in contemporary Korean webtoons in two ways. First, she chose not to serialize her works on Daum or Naver, the two major webtoon platforms.

Instead, she posted to social media sites Instagram and Facebook, managing to gain explosive popularity and recognition all the same.

Even without relying on powerful platforms and their hordes of potential readers, “SARIN” garnered over a million followers solely through word of mouth and recommendations on social media. The tradeoff was that Soo wasn’t paid and made no money

until after the series was published in book form. But it serves as a remarkable example of the ability to score a smash hit without following a conventional route to success.

Secondly, Soo effectively brought to the fore feminist issues that have become a hot topic online in recent years. In “SARIN,” she casts a critical eye on Korean society’s patriarchal customs which expect women, upon marriage, to be devoted to their husband’s family. In “Gone,” she portrays a fictional world where technology can determine whether a woman has had an abortion, and those who have undergone the procedure face legal punishment. It’s a biting satire on how

2

1, 2. Scenes from “SARIN.” Posted on social media rather than a major webtoon platform with a horde of potential readers, this webtoon enjoyed huge popularity, with numerous comments left by readers on each episode. It sparked heated debate about women’s status and role in society.

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banning abortion constitutes a violation of a woman’s bodily autonomy.

As the webtoon market expanded quantitatively around Daum and Naver as the genre’s two major platforms, comic artists became increasingly inclined to cater to these distributors to get their works online.

The accumulation of success stories has paradoxically discouraged artists from working outside the box. This is why Soo’s ventures into feminist issues, which seemed to hold no guarantees of success without the backing of mainstream platforms, speak volumes.

More webtoon artists have since begun posting their work on Instagram and other social media sites, and feminist webtoons infused with sharp social commentary have appeared, with some inversely being picked up by major platforms. The small ripples Soo caused outside the rigid mainstream are now making huge waves.

“3 Grams” (2012, Mimesis) “Street Painter” (2015, Olleh Market) “SARIN” (2017-2018, Instagram/Facebook) “Gone” (2019-2020, Instagram/Facebook)

KOREANA SPRING 2021

P

ak Tae-jun (aka Taejun Pak) first earned fame on a 2009 TV variety show which featured internet celebrities known for their looks. This led to further TV appearances and, eventually, to Pak launching an online clothing store. In 2014, he debuted as a webtoon artist with “Lookism,” an ongoing weekly series on Naver Webtoon, which has received the highest number of views since the platform’s inception.

In the domestic webtoon scene, Pak is regarded as an invasive species disturbing the industry’s ecosystem, something that isn’t entirely attributed to his history as an outsider. After all, others have broken into the scene from different fields to gain huge popularity, though none as

“Lookism” (Since 2014, Naver Webtoon) “Viral Hit” (Illustrations by Kim Junghyun; since 2019, Naver Webtoon) “Loser Life” (Illustrations by Jeon Sun-wook; 2019-2020, Naver Webtoon)

successfully as Pak. Instead, he is considered “disruptive” more for strictly adhering to the textbook formula for success – appealing without pretense to the visceral desires of readers.

Webtoon readers tend to have a predilection for a narrative technique dubbed “soda” in Korea. This refers to an exhilarating development of events that resembles the fizzy taste of a carbonated drink, a narrative device that provides vicarious pleasure through an abrupt change in situation rather than a plausible resolution of conflict among the characters. In “Lookism,” for instance, the short, ugly protagonist can turn himself into a tall, handsome man who is the object of envy. In “Viral Hit” (2019-), the poor, weak main charac-

Pak Tae-jun Soda Pop You Can’t Put Down

1 © Pak Tae-jun / Courtesy of NAVER WEBTOON

2 © Kim Juin, Taejun Webtoon Company / Courtesy of NAVER WEBTOON

1. A scene from “Lookism.” The protagonist in this webtoon is bullied because of his ugly looks, but suddenly finds he can turn himself into a handsome man. As soon as the webtoon was uploaded to Naver’s “Manhwa Challenge” section for amateurs, it soared to the top of the ranks. Official serialization began in September 2014.

2. “Diary of Desire” is an ongoing omnibus thriller produced by Taejun Webtoon Company.

Written and illustrated by Kim Juin, it debuted in December 2020.

KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

ter gradually grows stronger with the help of a YouTube channel that teaches fighting skills, eventually becoming a popular YouTuber himself by uploading videos of his fights. This narrative structure may seem overly simplistic, but it’s a surefire way of delivering instant enjoyment to readers.

Pak’s “Loser Life” (2019-2020), which was serialized on Naver Webtoon, also garnered a huge number of views, proving the efficacy of his methods. But in taking the quick and easy route to gratifying readers, his works risk provoking public disdain for the socially disadvantaged. On the one hand, his webtoons enjoy absolute popularity, but on the other, they come under fire for their misogynistic and anti-immigrant undertones. This is an issue Pak will have to address if he wishes to appeal to a broader audience outside of Korea.

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SPECIAL FEATURE 4

Webtoons: Fun and Fantasy Enjoyed Online

‘STORY UNIVERSES’ FOR CROSS-MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT Webtoons are quickly becoming sought-after as source material for movies, games and other forms of entertainment. With the rise of global content platforms like Netflix, the value of webtoons as “super intellectual properties” is set to appreciate even further.

Chae Hee-sang Professor, Division of Advertising, PR & Visual Communication, Hanshin University

T

he value of webtoons as a basis for movies, TV dramas, games and animations was slow to materialize; until the mid-2000s, webtoon-based cross-media productions were limited to certain genres. A handful of Kang Full’s works, such as “Love Story,” spawned plays, and Kang Do-ha’s “The Great Catsby” became a musical.

Profits from crossovers were also negligible. And then “Moss,” a 2010 mystery thriller directed by Kang Woo-suk, upended the malaise. Based on the webtoon of the same title

by Yoon Tae-ho, “Moss” became the first webtoon-based movie to rack up ticket sales. It passed the break-even point, drawing an audience of around 3.35 million, and won numerous awards in the festival circuit, including some for best director, best actor and best cinematography. Cross-media adaptations of webtoons became entrenched thereafter.

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Cho Seok’s “The Sound of Your Heart” is probably the most notable webtoon to have inspired a range of adaptations. With a 14-yearlong storyline that concluded in 2020, it was the longest-running serial on Naver Webtoon.

Episodes spotlighted the daily events of characters primarily derived from people around Cho. In 2016, the webtoon turned into a five-part sitcom, which was streamed online and then later televised. A 20-part follow-up, “The Sound of Your Heart – Reboot,” appeared in 2018 with a new cast and was released on Netflix. A mobile game featuring the webtoon’s original characters was also launched in 2016, and that same year, a 26-episode animated series aired on several children’s channels.

At the National Library of Korea, “The Age of Webtoon Platforms: The Meteoric Rise of Webtoon IP,” an interactive exhibition, counted that 19 movies, 36 television dramas, KOREANA SPRING 2021

1

2 © CJ ENM

3 © Yoon Tae-ho, SUPERCOMIX STUDIO Corp.

© STUDIO DRAGON

Jang Geu-rae, have this done by tomorrow. Okay?

To…tomorrow?

4

1. A scene from the movie “Moss,” a 2010 mystery thriller directed by Kang Woo-suk based on the webtoon of the same title by Yoon Tae-ho. The protagonist travels to a rural village where his father lived and uncovers the residents’ mysterious secrets.

2, 3. The movie and webtoon versions of a scene from “Moss,” in which the village head’s henchman tries to sneak into the house of the protagonist.

5

4, 5. “Misaeng: Incomplete Life,” serialized on Daum Webtoon, was made into a 20-episode TV series in 2014 and became a big hit. Young protagonist Jang Geu-rae struggles to adjust to office life in a large trading company.

© Yoon Tae-ho, SUPERCOMIX STUDIO Corp.

KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

23

19 games, 17 animated features, 65 plays and 14 musicals had been adapted from webtoons by the mid-2010s.

Turning Point

1

2

The premiere of the first season of Netflix original series “Kingdom” in January 2019 was an inflection point in the cross-media adaptations of webtoons, in terms of both production scale and quality. The zombie horror drama was based on “The Kingdom of the Gods,” a Japanese manga series produced by webtoon company YLAB. In order to better deliver both the distinctive elements of the original story and the fine art of adaptation, “Kingdom” was made into a webtoon and released on Naver a week before Netflix began streaming its version.

Television dramatist Kim Eun-hee wrote both the story for the comics and the TV series, firmly implanting the original plot and perspec-

© Netflix Original Series

3

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The premiere of the first season of Netflix original series “Kingdom” in January 2019 was an inflection point in the cross-media adaptations of webtoons, in terms of both production scale and quality.

1, 2, 3. Netflix original series “Kingdom” is a faithful adaptation of the webtoon, “The Kingdom of the Gods.” The storyline is about a crown prince who battles zombies and accusations of being a traitor.

tives into the series. Released in 190 countries, “Kingdom” has ranked as high as ninth among the most popular television shows on IMDb, an online database of information on films and television shows. Netflix aired a second season in 2020, and the New York Times subsequently listed the series among its “10 Best International TV Shows.” A third season is in the pipeline.

“Kingdom” ignited an explosive increase

in cross-media adaptations of webtoons. It also marked the expansion of distribution channels from local television stations and OTT (overthe-top) platforms to global platforms like Netflix and China’s Tencent.

Regeneration

Transmedia storytelling creates and develops a variety of content from a single source story to expand and deepen the story’s universe across different media, platforms and genres. It largely involves two approaches: crossing over into other formats after the original form has proved to be an exceptional success, or developing content for crossovers at the outset.

Yoon Tae-ho’s “Misaeng: Incomplete Life” (2012-2013) is an example of the former strategy. Its massive popularity when serialized on internet portal Daum led to a production in 2013 of a mobile short film titled “Incomplete

MOVIE

SECRETLY, GREATLY

Original story by Hun Platform: Daum Webtoon Serialized: 2010-2011 Movie release: 2013 © HUN, SUPERCOMIX STUDIO Corp.

“Secretly, Greatly,” directed by Jang Cheol-soo, is about an elite North Korean spy who is sent to the South to await orders from the North while disguised as a village idiot. It remains one of Korea’s highest-grossing webtoon-based movies, having attracted around seven million viewers to the domestic box office. Although the film was unable to cram in everything from the long-running webtoon, the cast was superb in bringing the characters to life and the dialogue was memorable. Kim Soo-hyun clinched two best new actor awards for his lead role in the movie.

Following the movie’s success, two more webtoons were published: “Secretly, Greatly: Slumber” (2013), revolving around stories that were not includ-

© MICHIGAN VENTURE CAPITAL AND MCMC

ed in the original version, and a prequel, “Secretly, Greatly 2” (2013-2014). The webtoon was also made into a musical titled “Secretly, Greatly – The Last,” which was staged in 2016.

KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

25

Welcome!

1

1

Honey Night at your service!

Bridging Platforms

“Space Sweepers,” a space opera film directed

by Jo Sung-hee released on Netflix in February 2021, tells the story of “Seungri-ho” (Victory), a ship that collects space debris, and the dramatic events that unfold for its crew after they discover a humanoid child robot named Dorothy, known as a weapon of mass destruction. The transmedia storytelling strategy was adopted from its planning stage, with Bidangil [Silk Road] Pictures producing the movie and Kakao Entertainment Corp. producing a webtoon based on the same theme. Accordingly, 19 26

© Kwang jin / Courtesy of Daum Webtoon

Life: Prequel,” which probed the past of the main characters that went unexplored in the original story. In 2014, cable channel tvN aired a 20-episode series titled “Misaeng: Incomplete Life.” Actor Yim Si-wan reprised his lead role from the film version. While the series was airing, Yoon released five special webtoon episodes looking back at the past life of one of the main characters, Mr. Oh. The webtoon’s sequel, “Misaeng 2,” was serialized from 2015 to 2018 on Daum and KakaoPage. While the original work detailed the struggles of contract employees to survive the fierce competition in a large corporation, the sequel put the lens on a small business pitted against a conglomerate. The webtoon, mobile film and television series have distinct storylines, but are all part of the “Misaeng” universe.

Meanwhile, “Itaewon Class” (2016-2018),

by Kwang jin, is a prime example of global cross-media adaptation of a webtoon. In 2017, while it was being serialized in Korea, a Japanese adaptation was released under the title “Roppongi Class” on the digital comics platform Piccoma, operated by Kakao Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of Kakao Corp.

In early 2020, the original webtoon was made into a television series that aired on the Korean cable television network JTBC, drawing interest from Netflix. “Itaewon Class” became the second most-watched title on Netflix Japan and reawakened awareness of “Roppongi Class.” Sales of the Japanese webtoon subsequently soared 454 percent from a year earlier.

So, you’re Saeroyi…

Then, you’re just being stubborn and foolish.

2 © JTBC

3

I reckon you’ll have

KOREANA SPRING plenty of time2021 to reflect in there.

1, 2, 3. “Itaewon Class” recorded the highest viewer ratings for a TV adaptation of a webtoon. Set in Itaewon, a multicultural district in Seoul, it tells the story of a young startup owner’s fight against a major food company. The webtoon and TV series scenes show protagonist Park Saeroyi and Jang Dae-hee, CEO of the food company. The webtoon’s author, Kwang jin, also wrote the script for the TV series.

ANIMATED TV SERIES

TOWER OF GOD Original story by SIU Platform: Naver Webtoon Serialized: 2010-2020 Original run: 2020 © NAVER WEBTOON

“Tower of God” centers on a boy named Bam who lives beneath a tower with only his close friend Rachel for company. After she enters the tower, Bam is determined to find her and is tested on each floor as he makes his way up to the top. The animated TV adaptation of the long-running webtoon serial was an international effort involving Korea’s Naver Webtoon, U.S. anime content company Crunchyroll and Japanese animation studio Telecom Animation Film. It was directed by Takashi Sano, a former animator.

The series premiered on Crunchyroll in April 2020 to high viewership. It began airing in Japan on Tokyo MX in the same month and was released on Netflix Japan in November 2020, consistently ranking among the daily top 10 most-watched titles.

The success of “Tower of God” spurred more anime series adaptations of Naver webtoons in Japan: “The God of High School,” which aired on Tokyo MX and AT-X, and “Noblesse,” which aired on Tokyo MX and BS11, both released in 2020.

LIVE-ACTION TV SERIES

THE UNCANNY COUNTER

Original story by Jang E Platform: Daum Webtoon Serialized: Since 2018 Original run: 2020-2021 © Jang E / Courtesy of Daum Webtoon

“The Uncanny Counter” is a 16-episode television series that aired from November 2020 to January 2021 on domestic cable channel OCN. It appeared on Netflix soon after. The plot centers on a disabled high school student who is recruited to join the Counters, paranormal hunters who battle evil spirits that escape the afterlife and possess human hosts in search of immortality.

The English title of the TV series was changed from the webtoon’s title, “Amazing Rumor” (a pun on the main character’s name). Other differences between the two versions include the roles of the characters and their relationships, the level of conflict and the unfolding of major events. “The Uncanny Counter” became the first OCN series to record a two-digit viewership rating. Like the webtoon, the distinctive charm and harmony of the Counters proved to have a strong draw. Scenes showing the four demon-hunters decked out in identical red tracksuits as they set out on another mission brought a cheerful verve to the drama.

When not busy hunting down evil spirits or receiving instructions from a celestial © STUDIO DRAGON

KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

panel, the Counters operate a noodle restaurant to avoid the public eye.

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1

3 Courtesy of Netflix

2

Take off

1, 2, 3, 4, 5. “Space Sweepers,” directed by Jo Sung-hee, is about a spaceship, “Seungri-ho” (Victory), that collects space debris, and the dramatic events that unfold after its crew finds a humanoid child robot aboard. It is an example of transmedia storytelling, with Bidangil Pictures producing the movie and Kakao Entertainment Corp. producing a webtoon at the same time.

RPG

HERO CANTARE Original story: “Tower of God”/“The God of High School”/“Hardcore Leveling Warrior” Creators: SIU/Yongje Park/Sehoon Kim Platform: Naver Webtoon Serialized: Since 2010/2011/2016 RPG release: 2019

“Hero Cantare” is considered a prime example of a mobile role-playing game (RPG) that incorporates the storylines of webtoons. Launched by NgelGames, it involves characters from three action-oriented Naver webtoons: “Tower of God,” “The God of High School” and “Hardcore Leveling Warrior.”

© NGELGAMES

The characters in the game team up to save the planet Tetra, which is in danger of being destroyed when a gap opens up in space. Just four months after its release in overseas markets, “Hero Cantare” surpassed 10 billion won in sales, and was No. 1 on both Google Play Store’s North American RPG game chart and among RPGs for iOS and Android in Japan.

For the game’s second anniversary update, three “pair heroes” were added; they borrow the powers of other webtoon characters. For example, a “Tower of God” character gains the ability to use the power of a character from “The God of High School,” and in turn, that character is able to deploy the superpowers of a “Hardcore Leveling Warrior” character. This crossover of characters from different webtoons boosts the game’s fun factor.

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KOREANA SPRING 2021

What’s legal?

!!

Profits for UTS? © Hongjacga, Kakao Entertainment Corp.

4

5

chapters of the webtoon, serialized between May and September 2020, preceded the Netflix rollout.

Ensuing chapters were released in Korea after the movie’s release, and the webtoon was concurrently serialized in Japan, Indonesia, North America and France. Without the time constraints of a feature film, the webtoon could more freely develop the characters.

The strategy deployed to deliver the overlapping story of “Space Sweepers” to moviegoers and webtoon readers, with each version optimized to suit the distinct characteristics of its respective format, can be seen as an evolved form of transmedia storytelling. The movie and webtoon each play a unique role in building the story world surrounding the spaceship and its crew, thus creating a richer entertainment experience for both audiences. This appears to be an effective move to diversify and maximize the profit structure through a virtuous cycle whereby movie viewers read the webtoon and webtoon readers watch movie.

Companies at the forefront of the Korean webtoon industry, including Naver Web-

toon, Kakao Entertainment Corp. and YLAB, are cultivating “Super IP,” a term introduced

by Chinese technology conglomerate Tencent. This refers to intellectual property such as games, webtoons and movies that can be continuously reframed for other entertainment formats to increase profits.

Super IP

For example, YLAB has a page on Naver Webtoon dedicated to “Super String,” an IP in which characters from the company’s various webtoons assemble to counter the forces of evil and save the Earth. The premise mirrors Hollywood’s Marvel superheroes, who battle evil separately and also as a team. YLAB’s first crossover from the webtoon universe, “Terror vs Revival,” unveiled in January 2021, pits “Terror Man” against “Reawaken Man.” In this way, cross-media and transmedia storytelling is expected to evolve toward broader “story universes,” where plots and characters rooted in a shared world are developed and expanded continuously across genres, platforms and media.

LIVE-ACTION TV SERIES

HELLBOUND Original story by Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Gyu-seok Platform: Naver Webtoon Serialized: 2019-2020 Scheduled release: Late 2021 © Yeon Sang-ho, Choi Gyu-seok / Courtesy of NAVER WEBTOON

“The Hell,” serialized on Naver Webtoon, is based on the animated short “The Hell: Two Kinds of Life” (2006) by Yeon Sang-ho, a director who works in both live-action movies and animation. Written by Yeon and illustrated by Choi Gyu-seok, the thriller webtoon explores sin and punishment, justice and judgment as it unravels the truth behind supernatural phenomena.

News of a collaboration between the two men was enough to cause a sensation all on its own. Yeon is known for works that are infused with distinctive commentary, such as the animated films “The Fake” (2013) and “Seoul Station” (2016), and the live-action feature “Train to Busan” (2016), while Choi is recognized for groundbreaking webtoons, most notably “Gimlet” (2013-2017), which details the struggles of contract workers at a large retailer who take action against their unfair dismissal.

“Hellbound,” a Netflix original series adapted from “The Hell,” is scheduled for release later in 2021. With Yeon and Choi writing the script and Yeon directing the series, deeper substance will likely be added to the webtoon’s storyline.

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FOCUS

SEHANDO

“Sehando” (A Winter Scene) Kim Jeong-hui (1786-1856). 1844.

Ink on paper. 23.9 × 70.4 cm.

National Museum of Korea.

A designated National Treasure of Korea, this is the most celebrated literati painting of the Joseon Dynasty. Kim Jeong-hui, a distinguished scholar and calligrapher, depicted the bleakness of Jeju Island where he was living in exile. Left of the scroll-mounted painting is Kim’s colophon, which quotes a passage from “The Analects of Confucius” to convey his appreciation for the unchanging friendship of his student, Yi Sang-jeok.

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The Odyssey of a National Treasure “Sehando” (A Winter Scene), the quintessential Korean literati painting, arrived at the National Museum of Korea last year at the end of a long, winding path through history. At last, the 19th century masterpiece by calligrapher-scholar Kim Jeong-hui (1786-1856) has found its permanent home in the public domain.

Kang Hye-ran Reporter, The JoongAng Ilbo

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T

o understand and appreciate “Sehando,” one must first distinguish the priceless painting from the scroll on which it is mounted. The painting is 70 centimeters long, but when unrolled completely, the scroll stretches 1,469.5 centimeters. How the painting, Korea’s designated National Treasure, became so disproportioned is a story that starts with Kim Jeong-hui, a scholar considered to be the nation’s greatest calligrapher, and involves border crossings and changing ownership.

In the late 18th century, when Kim was born to a wealthy family related to the royal house, practical knowledge had started to flourish among some scholars, paving the way for modernization. By the 19th century, the Joseon Dynasty was in chaos as a succession of child kings were enthroned while their maternal relatives held sway over state affairs. New ideas and adopted religions, such as Practical Learning (silhak) and Catholicism, were rejected by the conservative ruling class. Those in power purged enemies, real and imagined, by accusing them of supporting “subversive” thoughts or religions.

In 1840, at the age of 55, Kim became a victim

“Master Wandang by the Sea Wearing a Bamboo Hat” Heo Ryeon (1808-1893). 19th century. Ink and color on paper.

79.3 × 38.7 cm. APMA, Amorepacific Museum of Art. Heo Ryeon, a prominent landscape painter of the late Joseon Dynasty, who is also known by his pen name Sochi, depicted his teacher Kim Jeong-hui living in banishment on Jeju Island. The motif of the painting was taken from “Dongpo in a Bamboo Hat and Clogs,” a portrait of the Chinese poet Su Shi, whom Kim admired.

The horizontal scroll of “Sehando,” stretching some 14.7 meters, contains comments by 16 Chinese intellectuals. Kim Jeong-hui presented the painting to his student Yi Sang-jeok, who carried it to Beijing and invited Chinese men of letters to comment on it.

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The Chinese intellectuals appreciated the symbolic meaning of the painting and emphasized the importance of staying faithful to one’s principles amidst difficult circumstances.

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of this political turmoil and was sent to the remotest and harshest place of banishment: Jeju Island. On the then barren island off the southern coast, he was kept in home detention for eight years and four months.

Exiled to Jeju Island

As an eminent Confucian scholar, Kim was wellversed in poetry, calligraphy and painting – the three major skills that men of letters were required to possess. He created a calligraphy style called Chusache after his pen name, Chusa.

Throughout his exile, Kim battled constant sickness and the despair of losing his wife. Calligraphy and painting provided an escape. And from his student, government translator Yi Sang-jeok (18041865), he also received current news as well as books purchased during trips to China.

To show his appreciation, Kim painted “Sehando” in 1844 and presented it to Yi. The painting depicts a humble hut flanked by a gnarled pine and three arborvitae trees standing in the wilderness, surrounded by empty space. Kim’s dry bush technique is evident in the sparse scene. Attached to the left of the painting was a note that quoted Confucius: “When the year becomes cold, then we know how the pine and the cypress are the last to lose their leaves” (The Analects, Book IX “Tsze Han,” Chapter 27; Translation by James Legge). The name of the painting was derived from this passage; “sehan” means “the bitter cold around the Lunar New Year.” With the cold winter as a metaphor for his lonesome life as an exile, Kim seemingly meant to convey that hardships would not crush his friendship with Yi.

Kim Jeong-hui left his writing on a separate sheet of paper attached to the left of the painting to express his feelings as an exile and gratitude toward his student, Yi Sang-jeok.

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Yi was preparing to leave for China when he received “Sehando.” He took the painting on the trip, and after arriving in Yanjing (Beijing), showed it to 17 Chinese intellectuals. Sixteen of them agreed to offer comments. Their writings, attached later to the scroll, mostly stressed the difficulty and importance of staying faithful to one’s principles. A century later, Koreans would add their own comments, but not before the painting took a long, rough journey.

The Long Journey

Yi’s own student inherited the painting, and then that student’s son took possession. The painting changed hands a few more times before it was obtained by Japanese scholar Chikashi Fujitsuka (1879-1948) during the Japanese colonial period in the early 20th century. As a Chinese philosophy professor at Keijo Imperial University, forerunner of Seoul National University, Fujitsuka was preoccupied with the legacy of Kim, who frequently appeared in Qing Chinese scholars’ writings. When Fujitsuka returned to Japan in 1940, he took “Sehando,” along with his expansive collection of other items related to Kim. Toward the end of 1944, a Korean calligrapher studying Kim’s oeuvre, Sohn Jae-hyeong (19031981), went to Japan in the hopes of getting the painting back. He pleaded every day for two months before Fujitsuka finally acquiesced without demanding any payment, saying Sohn deserved to keep the painting. The timing was fortuitous. Three months later, in March 1945, U.S. firebombs engulfed Fujitsuka’s collection.

When World War II ended and Korea regained

In 1914, the painting’s third owner, Kim Jun-hak (1859-?), wrote the title, “Wandang’s Sehando,” in five classical Chinese characters on another separate sheet of paper and attached it to the right-hand side. Under the title he wrote a poem on his feelings about the painting.

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its freedom in August 1945, Sohn celebrated by asking three distinguished Korean scholars to offer their comments on “Sehando.” They expressed overwhelming joy for the nation’s restored independence and praised Sohn’s recovery of the painting from Japan. Around this time, Sohn remounted the painting on the silk scroll upon which it sits now, with large blank spaces. Presumably, he expected more writings would be attached, but none have been subsequently added.

Needing money to run for the National Assembly, Sohn pawned “Sehando” in 1971; it soon became the property of Sohn Se-ki (1903-1983; no relation), a businessman from Kaesong (aka Gaeseong) who had made a fortune in the ginseng trade. Sohn Se-ki’s eldest son, Sohn Chang-keun, was next to inherit the painting. He donated hundreds of artworks and cultural properties to the National Museum of Korea in 2018, but at the last minute, decided to keep just one artwork: “Sehando.” His attachment to the painting was too strong.

In February 2020, he finally relented. At the year’s end, the government awarded Sohn and 12 other individuals with the Order of Cultural Merit for their contributions in protecting cultural heritage.

Sohn was the only recipient of the Geumgwan (Gold Crown) Order, the highest honor among these awards, rarely granted to a living person. The Cultural Heritage Administration noted that most of the invaluable cultural properties that Sohn has donated are of either National Treasure or Treasure grade. By giving away “Sehando,” Sohn has turned it into “a common asset of all Koreans,” providing better public access to cultural heritage.

In the 20th century, three distinguished Koreans added their comments on the final stretch of the scroll.

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Kim Jeong-hui spent his last years in Gwacheon, Gyonggi Province. Located there is Chusa Museum, which contains thousands of Fujitsuka’s research materials, including handwritten documents by Kim. These items were donated by his son, Akinao Fujitsuka.

A French Artist’s Interpretation

In November 2020, the National Museum of Korea opened the exhibition, “After Every Winter Comes Spring: Wintry Days and Memorable Moments.” It was the first showing of the entire “Sehando” scroll since 2006. The exhibition is scheduled to continue until April 4, 2021.

At the exhibition, a seven-minute black-andwhite video entitled “Winter Time” introduces the painting. It highlights loneliness and desolation with images of the winds and waves of Jeju Island, a spider weaving its web without cease, a thick pine forest and so on.

“The painting ‘Sehando’ makes me feel plenty of emotions, but the feeling of loneliness may be the strongest one,” said Jean-Julien Pous, the media artist who produced the video. “This feeling is undoubtedly exacerbated by COVID-19. The pandemic situation makes us feel all the more alone, even in a big city.”

A keen sense of aesthetics permeates the video, which could be seen as yet another comment on the painting from the 21st-century French artist.

“Sehando,” which has inspired many people on its long journey from Korea to China, Japan, and then back again over nearly two centuries, has been reinterpreted into a new form of art in the digital era.

At the very end of the lengthy scroll is an encomium written by Jeong In-bo (1893-1950), a Korean historian and journalist. Jeong expressed his compassion for Kim Jeong-hui and his joy for the recovery of both the painting and the nation’s independence.

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“When the year becomes cold, then we know how the pine and the cypress are the last to lose their leaves.”

French media artist Jean-Julien Pous offers a modern interpretation of “Sehando” in his black-and-white video, “Winter Time.”

Oh Se-chang (1864-1953), a politician and independence activist, praised the courage of calligrapher Sohn Jae-hyeong, who removed “Sehando” from harm’s way. Sohn went to Tokyo in 1944, at the height of World War II, and persuaded the painting’s owner, Chikashi Fujitsuka, to return it to Korea.

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Zhang Mu (1805-1849), a Chinese scholar and author of “Record of Nomad Life in Mongolia,” left a comment intended to be a letter to Kim Jeong-hui.

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INTERVIEW

‘ The

’ World s

Saddest and Most ’ Beautiful Arirang A celebrated jazz singer with strong ties to Europe, Nah Youn-sun [Youn Sun Nah] has had a long and active career. Spending more time in Korea due to COVID-19 afforded Nah the chance to collaborate with musicians in various countries to produce the album “ARIRANG, The Name of Korean vol. 8,” released in December 2020.

Lim Hee-yun Reporter, The Dong-A Ilbo

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W

atching Nah Youn-sun on stage, one gets the feeling that the singer is a unique and peerless instrument. The melodies that flow over her audiences are both delicate and keen, seeping into the heart of each listener. “Momento Magico,” “Asturias,” “Breakfast in Baghdad,” “Hurt” – all are opportunities to experience the ingenious music that Nah can craft with her vocal chords.

Recognized as one of Europe’s foremost jazz singers, Nah regularly commands stages at the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals and possesses numerous accolades, including an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters from the French Ministry of Culture.

Since signing with German record label ACT in 2008 and then with American label Warner Music Group in 2019, Nah has made her superlative presence felt.

Rather than American blues music, it 36

seems to be “Arirang,” Korea’s best known folk song both at home and abroad, that constitutes the main artery of this Paris-based jazz vocalist’s musical influence. “When I sing a sad chanson, I’ll find myself singing it much, much sadder than the original version,” she once mused. “You know the way of Koreans; when we lose someone close to us, we cry as if the world has ended. In a way, that’s the sensibility I’ve brought to my songs.”

Nah’s seventh and eighth albums, titled “Same Girl” and “Lento,” respectively, both included versions of “Arirang.” Nah also sang a rendition of the song during the closing ceremony of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. This time, she’s taken on the role of music director for “ARIRANG, The Name of Korean vol. 8,” an album structured entirely around the folk song, which historically has had a slew of variations. Thirty-five minutes in length, the album includes six brand-new

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1. Nah Youn-sun (standing), music director of “ARIRANG, The Name of Korean vol. No. 8,” an album that explores contemporary interpretations of the most famous Korean folk song, works at a recording studio. At left is geomungo player Heo Yoon-jeong.

2. Rather than impeding the musicians, working remotely on the album prompted deeper concentration into one another’s input and the overall sound.

3. To Nah Youn-sun, “Arirang” is a song that motivates a restart in trying times.

© Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation

versions of “Arirang,” each a collaboration by artists from different countries, such as a piece by gayageum player Park Kyung-so [Kyungso Park] and British saxophonist Andy Sheppard, and another by geomungo player Heo Yoon-jeong [Yoon Jeong Heo] and Norwegian trumpeter Mathias Eick.

What’s different about this version of “Arirang”?

Well, as you know, we all had a particularly difficult year last year because of COVID19. Musicians, producers, agencies – we all found ourselves in dire straits as live performances more or less disappeared. Still, there wasn’t a single one of us who said, “It’s over.”

Instead, the catchphrase going around was, “Stay creative,” or “Keep creative.” I learned a lot from this positive attitude. I didn’t want to sing some bright and cheery “Arirang” of contrived hope. I spurred us all on to try KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

and make the world’s saddest, most beautiful “Arirang,” capturing today’s world as it actually is. Everyone agreed and threw themselves into that task, and ultimately, the process of making this album was quite therapeutic for us all.

What type of musicians did you want to work with?

I wanted musicians who were open to collaboration, and who would be able to grasp what “Arirang” really is. Andy Sheppard, for example, had already worked with Park Kyungso once as part of England’s “K-Music Festival.” Mathias Eick and I have actually toured together as a duo, so I know he’s a truly multitalented instrumentalist. Trumpet, contrabass, drum, piano, even electronic instruments

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– he can do it all.

[Through her years of frequent tours across Europe, Nah has played a key role in establishing “Arirang” in jazz repertoire. For example, in their 2017 album “Good Stuff,” Finland’s Iiro Emil Rantala (piano) and Sweden’s Ulf Wakenius (guitar) included a track titled “Seoul,” which built on the melody of the Miryang regional version of “Arirang.” Beginning in the early 2000s, Wakenius became deeply familiar with renditions of “Arirang” from Miryang, Jindo and Jeongseon while working closely with Nah.] How do foreign musicians perceive this Korean folk song?

Well, first they tend to really like the melody itself. I actually played all the various regional versions of “Arirang” for Samuel Blaser, the Swiss trombone player who collaborated on “ARIRANG-19” with the duo CelloGayageum.

He was so struck by them all that he said he was overflowing with inspiration and sent me a veritable stream of reinterpretations.

Where do you think this power comes from?

I consider it to be a power inherent to minyo, or folk song. And for foreigners, of course, it has a kind of novelty. It’s like coming across an entirely new type of music, so it can spark really strong interest. “Arirang” has simple bones, but there’s something singular in its rhythms.

This makes it possible for each musician to try out whatever interests them the most – and all the more so when it comes to jazz musicians in particular. After all, if a jazz musician feels a hundred different things, they can express them a hundred different ways, one by one. They’re quite interested in irregular time signatures with 5 or 7 beats.

This album was made remotely. Did that cause any problems?

The situation was such that we were all physically very distant from one another and the pandemic made it impossible for us to get together.

So we started with the Korean musicians, each creating and recording their new interpretations of “Arirang.” Then they sent that – either direct38

ly or through me – to their musical collaborators abroad via email, internet messenger or SNS. And then those far-flung musicians would listen to the file and send back their own instrumentation.

Naturally, this wasn’t an easy, one-step affair.

We repeated this process many times, reworking each piece back and forth until everyone was satisfied with the result. But other than the time difference, it was just like any other collaborative songwriting process. For a few of the pieces, I did the final mastering myself.

How was 2020 without your usual travel?

Well, I’ve never been able to spend so much time with my parents. Before, my home in Korea was almost like a hotel where I would stay for short stretches before leaving again. To be completely honest, I dealt with some depression and anxiety, too. Out of nowhere I’d be struck with thoughts like, “How far have I actually come in this life?” I’m rather sensitive, and the situation as a whole really pained me. Some people around me advised that, in times like these, social media can be a good tool, but I never actually acted on that.

At the start of the pandemic, instead of listening to music, I just focused on cleaning, organizing and spending time with my parents. When I started listening to music again, I essentially rediscovered the music of Europe. Somehow, every album felt like the soundtrack to a movie.

I’d felt exhilaration before when listening to Stevie Wonder or Herbie Hancock, but just sitting in my own home and slowly listening to all these albums in their entirety, it came to me how music, too, can tell one long, full story.

This kind of arc is something one always considers, of course, when sequencing a track list, but this became an opportunity for me to real-

The artists who collaborated for “ARIRANG, The Name of Korean vol. 8” are: (from left, first row) geomungo player Heo Yoon-jeong, drummer Michele Rabbia (Italy), saxophonist Andy Sheppard (England), Gyeonggi minyo vocalist Kim Bora (Korea); (second row) accordion player Vincent Peirani (France), geomungo player Heo Yoon-jeong, flutist Joce Mieniel (France), daegeum player Lee Aram (Korea); (third row) pansori vocalist Kim Yulhee (Korea), gayageum player Park Kyung-so (Korea), trumpeter Mathias Eick (Norway) and percussionist Hwang Min-wang (Korea).

Not pictured are Korean duo CelloGayageum and Swiss trombone player Samuel Blaser.

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© Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation

“‘Arirang’ has simple bones, but there’s something singular in its rhythms. This makes it possible for each musician to try out whatever interests them most – and all the more so when it comes to jazz musicians in particular.” ly understand on a deeper level how important that can be. It was also a period where I really felt anew how much actual healing power there is to be found in art and in music. Directing this album, I told everyone, “Don’t make these songs short. Make them as long as possible, say every last thing you want to say.”

It seems this album could be a nice accompaniment to activities like yoga or home workouts.

Sure, that might be nice, too. You don’t necessarKOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

ily have to be fully focused as you listen. It’s pleasant music for doing the dishes or puttering around the house, or maybe even doing nothing at all. Though for people who have the time and space, I also recommend going deeper and listening with full concentration. Then it can feel almost like taking in the narrative arc of a feature film.

What are your plans for 2021?

I’m in the process of preparing my second album with Warner Music. It will be my 11th album overall and I expect to start working on it soon in New York and L.A. We plan to actually get into the recording studio in April. I’ve been considering returning to acoustic tracks, but nothing’s decided yet. I’m looking forward to a new format of music. And if the COVID19 situation improves enough, there are around 10 performances across Europe that we have booked in March. I sincerely hope that this year has happier days in store for all musicians, artists and people.

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ART REVIEW

The Mundane Becomes Abstract

Installation artist Haegue Yang, internationally active from her bases in Berlin and Seoul, interprets everyday household objects in varied ways. Her latest exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul highlights the ongoing expansion of her genre-defying boldness as she muses on new questions.

Kim Min Reporter, The Dong-A Ilbo

1 © Sebastiano Pellion Di Persano / Courtesy of MMCA

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aegue Yang explores the potential of mundane objects such as laundry racks, Venetian blinds and light bulbs as her motifs – and has been remarkably successful in doing so. In one of her seminal works, “Salim” (Korean for “homemaking”), presented at the Korean Pavilion for the 2009 Venice Biennale, she created a kitchen out of steel frames, fans and yarn.

Yang’s multimedia installations typically consist of standard household objects that have been transformed for a variety of new possibilities, often set against digital wallpapers with graphic design. Disconnected images are interwoven in a complex way; critics say they find the high image density difficult to take in all at once. She responds that abstruseness characterizes her works.

Her latest exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, “MMCA Hyundai 40

Motor Series 2020: Haegue Yang – O2 & H2O” (September 29, 2020-February 28, 2021), is no exception. What first greets visitors is a huge piece, “Silo of Silence – Clicked Core.” With its inscrutable title, the 11-meter-high installation takes the form of a large mobile composed of Venetian blinds and lighting fixtures. Dark blue and black blinds revolve in their respective orbits. Visitors can freely appreciate the exhibit from afar and from underneath; the impressive size and colors moving in slow motion create enigmatic spatial experiences.

One Object, Varied Interpretations

The Venetian blinds used here are the same as those featured in Yang’s best-known work, the “Sol LeWitt Upside Down” series, which can be seen further inside the exhibition hall. Created out of white blinds, it has strong minimalist features, as can be inferred from the name of the American artist in the title.

Regarding the Venetian blinds, Yang said that some

1. Haegue Yang poses at the inaugural Taipei Dangdai art fair, held at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center in January 2019.

2. “Silo of Silence – Clicked Core.” 2017. Aluminum Venetian blinds, powder-coated aluminum and steel hanging structure, steel wire rope, revolving stage, LED tubes, cable. 1105 × 780 × 780 cm.

KINDL – Centre for Contemporary Art in Berlin invites one artist every year to present a single artwork in the 20-meter-high Boiler House, a typical post-industrial site. This cylindrical, moving installation by Hague Yang was exhibited from September 2017 to May 2018.

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KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

© Jens Ziehe / Courtesy of Hague Yang

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A view of “Ornament and Abstraction,” Yang’s first solo exhibition in Latin America, held in Mexico City’s kurimanzutto art gallery in 2017. The works on exhibit are: “The Intermediate – UHHHHH Creature Extended W.” 2017.

Artificial straw, powder-coated stainless steel hanging structure, powder-coated stainless steel frame, steel wire rope, Neoseul, Bupo.

580 × 750 × 60 cm.

“Big-eyed Tongue-tied Mountains beneath Solar and Lunar Orbs – Trustworthy #315.” 2017. Various security envelopes, graph paper, origami paper, and sandpaper on cardboard, framed, self-adhesive vinyl film. 11 parts.

86.2 × 86.2 cm; 57.2 × 57.2 cm; 29.2 × 29.2 cm.

From exploring the boundaries between East and West, and animate and inanimate objects, the artist seems to be moving toward questioning the divide between real and virtual, and between genuine and fake.

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“Sol LeWitt Upside Down – K123456, Expanded 1078 Times, Doubled and Mirrored.”

2017. Aluminum Venetian blinds, powder-coated aluminum hanging structure, steel wire rope, fluorescent tubes, cable. 878 × 563 × 1088 cm.

© Omar Luis Olguín / Courtesy of kurimanzutto

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1 © Cheolki Hong / Courtesy of MMCA

1. At “MMCA Hyundai Motor Series 2020: Haegue Yang – O2 & H2O,” held from September 29, 2020 to February 28, 2021, Yang displayed new forms of art, including her voice replicated via artificial intelligence and a digital collage on banners.

(Left) “Genuine Cloning.” 2020.

AI (Typecast), Haegue Yang’s voice, speakers. Dimensions variable. Technology by Neosapience.

(Right) “Five Doing Un-Doing.”

2020. Water-based inkjet print on polyester banners, ad balloons, eyelets, steel wire rope, hanji. Dimensions variable.

Graphics by Yena Yoo.

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people may perceive them as an Asian material and others as a Western material. Depending on individual perspectives, then, some may be reminded of Asian bamboo blinds whereas others might associate them with a Western office space. Evident in Yang’s other works is the artist’s same intention to show how an object can take on altered meanings in different contexts.

Mixed Boundaries

Most prominently on display in Gallery 5 is a group of sculptures entitled “Sonic Domesticus,” which are built of artificial straw, plastic ropes and brass bells. The brass bells lining the surface of these sculptures create an initial impression of exotic living organisms. Gradually, one can make out the shapes of irons, computer mice, hairdryers and pots.

While she attempts to define differences between East and West in her works built of Venetian blinds, here Yang appears to probe the boundary between animate and inanimate objects. Hairdryers take on the form of a crab; two computer mice stacked on top of one another resemble the body of an insect; and irons are adjoined to evoke a pair of scissors. The pieces stand on wheels and produce sounds when moved.

The wall to the right of these sculptures features four types of handles attached in nonagonal formation, apparently designed for a similar effect. The artist clearly wanted to demonstrate how contexts change the meaning of objects: doorknobs attached to the wall lose their original function of opening a door.

Some may say that this is a familiar strategy dating back a century to the Dada artists. Long before Yang crossed two irons to create a shape reminiscent of scissors, visual artist Man Ray created “Cadeau” in 1921. He attached a row of nails to the bottom of an iron to nullify the object’s function and meaning. Going back even further, Yang’s work recalls Marcel Duchamp’s 1917 piece, “Fountain,” a urinal brought into a museum.

There is no doubt that a marked trend in today’s inter-

2. In this series of works, Yang created hybrid vessels by adjoining or crosslinking mundane items such as irons, hairdryers, computer mice and pots.

“Sonic Domesticus.” 2020. Powder-coated stainless steel frame, powdercoated mesh, powder-coated handles, casters, black brass and brass plated bells, red stainless steel and stainless steel bell, metal rings, plastic twine. From left: “Sonic Domesticus – Scissor Pressing.” 208 × 151 × 86 cm.

“Sonic Domesticus – Blow-Dry Crawl.” 155 × 227 × 115 cm.

“Sonic Domesticus – Clam Tongs.” 291 × 111 × 97 cm.

“Sonic Domesticus – Pot Atop.” 224 × 176 × 122 cm.

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national art scene is to freely draw inspiration from ideas dating back to any era in art history. This may lead one to naturally search for Yang’s own unique voice in borrowing ideas from conceptual art.

Reality and Abstraction

That voice is perhaps clearest in a new form of art that Yang introduces in “Five Doing Un-Doing,” a collage of digital images on banners; and “Genuine Cloning,” a collection of speakers that transmit an AI-generated voice.

In her own words, “Five Doing Un-Doing” is “characteristic of loud graphics and overblown typography resembling political propaganda.” On the five banners are written the names of the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water) symbolized by the colors representing the five cardinal directions (blue, red, yellow, white and black). The bottom of the banners is adorned with tassel-like shamanic paraphernalia created using traditional Korean paper, hanji. This installation in particular appears highly relevant to the title of the exhibition, “O2 and H2O.” Yang says she keyed in on how oxygen and water, both ubiquitous elements of everyday life, are coded as O2 and H2O. Thus, she explains that she has abstracted reality into five elements in her own way.

“Genuine Cloning” is an installation of speakers hung between the five banners. The speakers play Yang’s voice, cloned using AI technology. From exploring the boundaries between East and West, and animate and inanimate objects, the artist seems to be moving toward questioning the divide between real and virtual, and between genuine and fake.

Between Berlin and Seoul

Born in Seoul in 1971, Yang moved to Frankfurt, Germany in 1994 and graduated from Städelschule, the State Academy of Fine Arts. Since 2005, she has lived and worked in Berlin; in 2014, she set up an additional studio in Seoul and now travels back and forth between the two cities. In 2018, she made headlines by becoming the first Asian woman to receive the Wolfgang Hahn Prize, which honors contemporary artists.

Last year, despite the coronavirus pandemic, Yang’s works were exhibited in many venues around the world.

She presented six dynamic sculptures in an exhibition titled “Handles” (October 21, 2019-February 28, 2021), commemorating the reopening of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York; and “Strange Attractors” (October 24, 2020-September 26, 2021) at Tate St Ives in Cornwall, England.

The MMCA Hyundai Motor Series is the museum’s annual event held in support of major artists. This marks Yang’s first solo exhibition at the MMCA. 45

GUARDIANS OF HERITAGE

Balancing Beauty and Precision Over the past five decades, Kee Heung-sung has produced countless miniature models of architecture – both ancient and modern, from East and West. But the crowning glory of his peerless endeavor is his exquisite replicas of traditional Korean structures.

Heo Yun-hee Reporter, The Chosun Ilbo

T

Ha Ji-kwon Photographer

he Kee Heung Sung Museum, located in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, about an hour’s drive from Seoul, is an intriguing miniature world. Its creator and director, Kee Heungsung, showed a talent for drawing and making things from an early age. His father wanted him to work in civil engineering, saying there would be a surge of public works if the two Koreas were reunited.

Kee was born in 1938 in Ongjin, Hwanghae Province, which is now part of North Korea. His family came down to the South shortly after the Korean War broke out in June 1950. His model-making career dates back to 1967 when, as a rookie architectural designer, he grabbed the attention of Kim Swoo-geun, (1931-1986), a pioneering modern architect and then senior vice president of Korea Engineering Consultants Corp. The company was commissioned to build the grounds for a trade fair.

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Kee Heung-sung looks at a miniature model of the nine-story wooden pagoda of Hwangnyong Temple, which was the largest Buddhist temple of the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935). When building models of ancient structures, he does not use nails but follows traditional dovetail joinery techniques.

Kee made models with scrap material in his office. When Kim saw them, he exclaimed, “Where did this demon come from?”

That was the moment Kee’s long and successful career took off.

Unmatched Talent

His hand was deft and precise. He would be finishing a model when others were still making sketches. And so, having gained Kim’s absolute trust, Kee was promoted to team manager at age 31. In the 1970s, in the midst of the country’s rapid industrialization, he built almost all the presentation models used for national development projects. In a sense, his work bore witness to the history of Korea’s economic development.

“Back then, I was like a relief pitcher at briefings for the president. Drawings have certain limitations in explaining buildings.

My models made it far easier to understand the design,” said Kee. He worked on a continuous series of government projects, including the construction of the Gyeongbu (Seoul-Busan) Expressway and development of Yeouido, an island on the Han River that is home to the National Assembly. He worked hard day and night, taking quick naps on a cot in his office.

The skills Kee had polished in creating miniature models of modern architecture came into their own when he tackled historic buildings. The turning point came when the National Museum of Korea asked him to make a miniature replica of the legendary nine-story wooden pagoda of Hwangnyong Temple, built in the seventh century during the Silla Kingdom. This had been Silla’s largest Buddhist temple, founded to pray for the Buddha’s protection of the country, but it was destroyed by a fire in 1238 during the Mongol invasions. Kee created a fourmeter-high model of the pagoda, which was known to have stood some 80 meters tall overlooking Gyeongju, based solely on historical records.

Recalling that time, he said, “It was back in the 1980s. I spent three years making drawings of the presumed structure, KOREANA SPRING 2021

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consulting scholars and experts in related fields, including architects, archaeologists and art historians. Then it took another five years to build the actual model.”

Having to reproduce a long-lost ancient pagoda based on informed guesswork made this Kee’s “hardest but most memorable project.” In the exhibition hall on his museum’s basement floor is another replica of the same wooden pagoda, built for “Korean Architectural Culture: Kee Heung-sung’s World of Models,” a special exhibition that celebrated the relocation of the National Folk Museum of Korea in 1993. Kee was lauded at home and abroad for reviving the architectural glory of Silla.

A miniature model of an ancient town at the Lotte World Folk Museum in Seoul has also earned him international recognition. The gorgeous exhibit, built on a scale of 1:8 and covering an area of 1,200 square meters, recreates a vibrant town with various traditional structures, including Gyeongbokgung, the primary palace of the Joseon Dynasty; public schools (hyanggyo) and Buddhist temples; as well as hundreds of miniature people in colorful costumes. Providing a glimpse of the architecture and lifestyle of premodern Korea, the display is a must-see for visiting foreign dignitaries. On his visit in 2002, Lu Xiaobo, dean of the Academy of Arts and Design at Tsinghua University, expressed his wishes to introduce to China “these wonderful skills that bring to life the beauty of traditional architecture.”

Kee spent two years building the miniature town, painting dancheong (traditional multicolored paintwork) on the wooden structures and baking tiny roof tiles the size of a fingernail. “I almost killed myself,” said Kee. He toiled through the project wearing a pacemaker.

“Lines are crucial in ancient Korean architecture. The curves of upturned eaves are a subtle 48

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“A mere copy of the external features will not impress the viewer. A model should be both precise and beautiful.”

deviation from a straight line, made with intuition,” Kee said. “Whenever I work on old buildings, I marvel at the wisdom of our ancestors. They have an elegance that can’t be matched by modern architecture. Traditional buildings are so much harder to replicate that at least five years’ experience is necessary for any novice model maker.”

In 2004, Kee served as visiting professor at Tsinghua University’s Academy of Arts and Design to share his knowhow and craftsmanship for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the Expo 2010 Shanghai.

China Central Television covered “Kee Heung-sung’s World of Models,” the exhibition held in Beijing in June 2004, in a special program.

Museum for a Lifetime’s Work

The Kee Heung Sung Museum opened in 2016, marking the 50th anniversary of his career. The result of a long-cherished dream to showcase his works and share his knowledge and knowhow, the museum exhibits more than 1,000 models. The basement level houses the Hall of Traditional Korean Architecture, where Sungnyemun, the old south gate of Seoul, stands at the entrance, a testament to what this national treasure looked like before it was burned down in an arson in 2008. All the fine details are replicated exactly, including the columns and stairs inside the structure as well as the symbolic figurines placed along the roof ridge lines. Even the tiny convex and concave roof tiles fit together perfectly, and the meticulously reproduced rampart walls on either side of the gate show the shapes and surface patterns of the stones of which they are comprised.

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1. Known to have stood 80 meters high, the seventh-century wooden pagoda of Hwangnyong Temple has been restored in a 1:20 scale model.

Kee spent three years conducting research on the long-lost pagoda and making drawings of the presumed structure, then another five years on building the model.

2. The balustrade along the wraparound balcony of each floor features intricate geometric latticework.

The pagoda was burned down along with the entire temple during the Mongol invasions in the 13th century.

“I got calls from numerous people when Sungnyemun was destroyed by fire,” Kee said. “As a perfect copy of the gate before the fire, the model was apparently helpful for the restoration effort.”

The second floor of his museum features the Hall of Early Modern and Contemporary Architecture, exhibiting exquisite models of classical Western-style structures including the old Seoul Station and demolished Japanese Government-General building. Also on display are Seoul Olympic Stadium, Seoul World Cup Stadium, 63 Square (aka the 63 Building) and Jongno Tower, as well as such overseas landmarks as the White House, Empire State Building and Petronas Twin Towers. Kee’s model of Pyongyang led him to be dubbed “the guy who moved all of Pyongyang to Seoul.” The North Korean capital’s major buildings and natural surroundings as they were in 2000, when the first inter-Korean summit was held, are recreated on a platform five meters square. Sunan International Airport, Juche Tower, Mansudae Assembly Hall, the People’s Palace of Culture and Koryo Hotel are all included, among other landmarks.

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Kee’s 1:200 scale models were also instrumental in helping Korean companies to win a US$40 billion contract in 2009 to build nuclear power plants in the United Arab Emirates.

An Unfulfilled Dream

Models may seem unnecessary in an age when three-dimensional images can be rendered online. But Kee said, “A model is indispensable because it enables an architect to visualize the structure before it’s constructed, and to see how it fits in with the surroundings. To convey the intentions behind the design, the model maker must follow the exact process of constructing the actual structure based on the drawings.”

The same is true for reproducing traditional architecture, which requires a series of arduous procedures: erecting pillars on foundation stones, building the framework with beams and rafters, laying the tiled roof and fitting windows and doors.

“A mere copy of the external features will not impress the viewer,” he said. “A model KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

1. Sungnyemun was the main gate of Hanyang, the capital of the Joseon Dynasty, which largely overlapped with the old city center of Seoul. The two-tiered wooden structure, five bays across and two bays deep, stands on a granite foundation.

Built in 1398, the gate was destroyed by fire in 2008 and its restoration was completed in 2013. Kee’s model is recognized as the most faithful replica of the structure before the fire.

2. Kee paid the utmost attention to details, including the symbolic figurines on the roof ridges, also scaled down in proportion. In traditional architecture, the animal figurines served both decorative and talismanic purposes.

should be both precise and beautiful.”

The hardest part of assembling models of traditional buildings is obtaining good timber. To prevent the wooden parts from cracking, Kee uses fine-quality red pine, the same wood used for actual hanok (traditional Korean houses), and assembles the parts without nails, using the traditional dovetail joinery method to remain faithful to the original aesthetics.

As of now, Kee’s museum dream has not been entirely fulfilled. He plans to open another exhibition hall in the annex behind the main museum to display works currently in storage. And yet another museum is planned to open somewhere near Songdo or Deokjeok Island in Incheon, closer to his hometown in North Korea.

“Building architectural models is a way to help restore our disappearing cultural heritage, and to predict and prepare for problems that may arise in the future. This has been my mission for over 50 years now and will continue to be so until the end of my life,” he said.

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IN LOVE WITH KOREA

Not everyone is lucky enough to know exactly what they want in life.

Laure Mafo does. She only had to hear pansori once to know that she had found her vocation. Without hesitation, she decided to move to Seoul, where she now hones her skills in this genre of traditional Korean vocal music with the hope of performing it all over the world.

Cho Yoon-jung Freelance Writer and Translator Heo Dong-wuk Photographer

Laure Mafo

UNDER THE SPELL OF PANSORI

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hen Laure Mafo worked for Samsung Electronics in Paris, she dreamed of buying a house and turning it into a daycare center filled with children. Until she went to a performance of pansori. “It was amazing. It was like falling in love,” she recalls. Mesmerized by the traditional Korean narrative song, she found herself smiling through the performance and thinking, “This is good, really good. I think this is for me.”

After the performance, she approached the singer, Min Hye-sung, to ask her about learning pansori. Min, who had sung an excerpt from “Chunhyangga” (Song of Chunhyang), based on a famous love story between a noble boy and a commoner girl, said Korea was naturally the best place to start. Impulsively, Mafo, who had studied business administration in college, asked, “If I go to Korea, would you teach me?”

In 2017, after two years of preparations and convincing her family and friends that she wasn’t crazy, Mafo arrived in Seoul. Min had warned that 10 years would be the minimum time it would take to train. But to ease her mother’s worries, Mafo told her she’d “try it for just

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one year.” Although she was not particularly adventurous, Mafo had no apprehensions. “I just had this feeling,” she says.

As promised, Mafo began lessons under Min, a designated successor to the art of singing “Heungbuga” (Song of Heungbu), one of the five main pansori works and a designated piece of Korea’s Important Intangible Cultural Heritage. There was much to learn. Since storytelling is central to pansori, understanding the lyrics is crucial. That made learning Korean and written Chinese her first step.

1, 2. Laure Mafo’s pursuit of becoming a pansori performer requires not only arduous hours of learning the techniques for the musical storytelling genre, but also intense Korean language study to understand the lyrics and sharpen her pronunciation to native level.

Practice, More Practice Before COVID-19, lessons, practice and occasional concerts and television appearances filled Mafo’s days, usually from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

She feels that she has to work twice as hard as others; articulating lyrics can be a struggle, let alone understanding their meaning. For proper pronunciation, she once practiced a single phrase for a week with a pen stuck sideways in her mouth. “I may not be able to sing like native Koreans, but I want to be a professional,” says Mafo, 36, who possesses a deep, resonant voice.

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In her fledgling career, a memorable moment came in 2018 when she sang at the Élysée Palace in Paris to mark the summit meeting between Korean President Moon Jae-in and French President Emmanuel Macron. But the Cameroonian-born French citizen regards another performance in 2019 as even more special: she performed at the Korean Embassy in Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon, with her teacher and other masters. The audience included her family members as well as local dignitaries.

“My mother didn’t really watch me perform,” Mafo says. “She watched the other people to see how they were reacting. She was really proud.”

The story of each song and the underlying messages entice Mafo. Her favorite is “Heungbuga,” which conveys a folk tale about a poor but good-hearted younger brother and his greedy older brother. “It’s about family. Every family has its own problems. Mine too.” She also

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believes in the message that being good brings its own rewards.

Her ultimate goal is not only to master “Heungbuga” but to perform the entire threehour-long piece, hopefully all over the world, and also to teach pansori to children. She wants to help children express themselves through this music in the way it has helped her. “In Paris, I was depressed a lot of the time. I don’t know why but I couldn’t express my feelings,” she says. “But when I sing pansori, I feel like my mind is really clear. One day, I also want to teach my own children this beautiful music.”

This takes Mafo back to thoughts of her mother. She speaks to her mother every day, and every time, her mother asks if she has found a good man. Each time she answers, “Not yet.”

As an honorary ambassador for the Korea-Africa Foundation, Mafo likes to wear a hanbok reflecting both her Cameroonian roots and her adopted Korean culture. She combines a jacket featuring a unique Cameroonian design with a red, traditionalstyle skirt for the formal Korean dress.

Pandemic Year The year 2020 was especially difficult for Mafo.

No performances were allowed and her visa didn’t permit her to take another job outside

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“When I perform on stage, I want my audience to see me as a pansori singer, not a foreigner singing pansori.”

the arts. She’s trying to reach out to audiences online through her own YouTube channel, “Laurerang Arirang” (meaning “Arirang with Laure”), and her teacher’s channel, “Bonjour Pansori,” where she translates her teacher’s lessons into French. But no performances means no income. Still, Mafo considers herself lucky. The landlady of her boarding house has been very supportive, waiving the rent and taking care of her needs. She even presented Mafo with a hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) for her stage costume. Mafo calls her “eonni,” meaning “big sister.”

She still finds Korea’s “polite” forms of language and relationships baffling from time to time, but otherwise says her experience in Korea has mostly been rewarding, thanks to good people. Her teacher is here and friends that she knew in Paris helped her with basic tasks such as finding a place to live and opening a bank account. She misses French delicacies like raclette cheese and éclairs, but has found her

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own Korean comfort food – ox bone broth soup, a popular hangover dish that she loves even though she doesn’t drink.

Not all was gloomy in 2020; Mafo realized her cherished goal of gaining admission to the prestigious Korean National University of Arts.

She was overjoyed, though worried a bit about “being a student again and having to translate everything.” But her real concern is how to pay the tuition. For the first time in her life, she says, she finds herself financially strapped.

No Looking Back Still, Mafo says she has absolutely no regrets.

Only once did she question her choices. It was during the first of her twice-a-year intensive pansori training camps, the so-called san gongbu (literally “study in the mountains”). “I thought I would die. We started at 5 a.m. and practiced all day. Practice and eat, practice and eat,” she recalls. “I thought to myself, ‘What am I doing here?’ But afterwards it was like, ‘Wow, my pansori has really improved.’” She admits the mountain training camps have been crucial in acquiring the proper voice and intricate techniques.

For Mafo, singing pansori in French is another challenge. Sometimes she performs in a mixture of Korean and French, which she finds more difficult. “When you sing in Korean, the techniques are different,” she explains. “It’s like a story when I sing in Korean, but in French, it’s like a song. I’m working on the French side, so that it’s more like a story in French, too.” In whichever language, she seems to crystallize her hopes into the statement: “When I perform on stage, I want my audience to see me as a pansori singer, not a foreigner singing pansori.”

This year, she hopes to start performing again. She also aims to master “Heungbuga” and move on to a lesser known piece called “Sugyeong nangjaga” (Song of the Maiden Sugyeong). It’s a love story and is carried on today by only a handful of singers, one of them being Min Hye-sung.

“One day, if just one person has the same feeling I had when I first heard my teacher sing – if only one person would say, ‘Wow, I want to learn that too,’ then that would be amazing,” Mafo says.

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TALES OF TWO KOREAS

“A South-Facing House, Again” – an art exhibition by a North Korean refugee and her South Korean mentor/art therapist – attracted many viewers near the end of 2020. It highlighted efforts toward mutual understanding between North and South Koreans, and their shared desire for unification.

Kim Hak-soon Journalist; Visiting Professor, School of Media and Communication, Korea University Han Sang-mooh Photographer

Sharing Art for

A SINGLE KOREA

“A Map of the Korean Peninsula Embraced by Sigma” Shin Hyung-mee and Koi. 2020. Acrylic painting on wood.

160 × 100 cm.

A collaboration by Koi, a North Korean refugee, and Shin Hyung-mee, her South Korean mentor/art therapist, displayed at their joint exhibition, “A South-Facing House, Again,” held in Seoul in November 2020. It employs the mathematical symbol (sigma) to express the whole of all parts.

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orth Korean refugee “Koi” named herself after the colorful carp to mask her identity and express her newly-acquired freedom. Koi in a fishbowl rarely surpass eight centimeters in length, but those in a river can grow up to 15 times bigger. The young artist likens herself to a fishbowl variety that has now reached the “wide and free river” of South Korea.

In December 2008, Koi left her home in Chongjin, North Hamgyong Province, and sneaked into China, motivated by a close friend and her family members who had settled in South Korea. She couldn’t be deterred even by her own family’s warnings of severe punishment should she be captured.

After many twists and turns in China and Thailand, Koi arrived in South Korea, her “dream land,” in March 2009. She personified an old adage that says, “The newborn calf is not afraid of the tiger.” Today, she fully realizes the risks she took as a new, 18-year-old high school graduate. She says she would not attempt the journey now if she were still in the North.

Upon arriving, Koi set her sights on a fine arts education in Seoul. To prepare for the college entrance exam, she attended Heavenly Dream School, a private alternative school for displaced North Koreans in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. In 2012, Koi was admitted to Hongik University’s Department of Textile Art and Fashion Design. She was the department’s first student from North Korea.

Coincidence or Karma

While at the university, Koi met Shin Hyungmee, an art therapist, through the Young Defectors’ Christian Association. “When I first met Koi in 2013, I immediately felt that she had a very bright and positive view of life,” Shin recalls. “At the time, I was giving group counseling to young refugees and teaching them English at the Korean Methodist Church headquarters. I knew that Koi eagerly wanted me to teach her privately. I’ve been her mentor ever since.”

The two artists created nine works for a joint exhibition held in Seoul from November 25 to November 30, 2020. The theme of the KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

“Unit Harmony” Koi. 2020.

Special fabric.

100 × 100 cm.

This solo piece

by Koi expresses her belief that many wishes for unification will eventually build one Korea. The artist says she was inspired by paper airplanes carrying notes of wellwishes.

event was “national unification.” It was the second round of “A South-Facing House,” an exhibition series launched in 2008 by Seoul Women’s University and the Incheon Dongbu Office of Education as an art therapy project for young refugees. The series has showcased participants’ artistic talents in a variety of genres, including painting, textile art and installation. The 2020 edition was hosted by the Unification Ministry at Topohaus, a gallery in Insa-dong, an arts and crafts conclave in central Seoul.

The exhibition introduced Koi and her special relationship with Shin to the broader art scene. They collaborated on three of the artworks and separately produced three works each.

“A Map of the Korean Peninsula Embraced by Sigma,” one of the joint pieces, expressed the artists’ impression of Korea through the mathematical symbol denoting a sum. In 57

“More importantly, two artists from the South and the North were able to engage in collaborative activities rather than doing something separately.

We’ve already gotten off to a good start toward national unification, I believe.”

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an earlier project called “Communicate with Colors,” 30 refugees, 29 South Koreans and 41 other artists came together, each creating a different color of paint based on their own view of national unification. These hues were supplemented by a “color of emotion” made by Shin and Koi. Thus, 101 colors were exhibited and later handed over to institutions involved with education for national unification.

“The Road to a South-Facing House I Walk with You On,” one of Koi’s individual works, was an installation piece. It evoked 50 pairs of the sneakers that she wore back in the North.

“I put a handwritten letter in each pair of shoes to say hello to 50 friends of mine in the North. The letters reflect my longing for my family and friends, and my wish for national unification,” she explains. “Many visitors lin58

1. “The Road to a South-Facing House I Walk with You On” Koi. 2020. Fabric, handwriting, installation of 50 pairs of sneakers.

Each of the 50 pairs of sneakers, the same type as those Koi wore in North Korea, includes a letter she wrote to say hello to her friends in the North.

gered in front of the work. Some of them read each letter carefully and shed tears. Others left notes to say they were very touched.”

“Unit Harmony,” another piece by Koi, was crafted based on her inspiration from paper airplanes carrying notes of well-wishes.

Each of the “units” stands for a different dream. It embodies the image of one Korea built on many wishes for unification, just as all these smaller dreams together make up a bigger dream.

Consideration and Patience

“Long-Distance Running Track,” a solo piece

by Shin, depicted the long and rough journey taken by 46 individuals from among the many North Korean refugees whom she still remembers meeting as an art therapist.

“Ever since I was a child, long-distance running has been difficult for me,” Shin says.

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could be used for national unification. More importantly, two artists from the South and the North were able to engage in collaborative activities rather than doing something separately. We’ve already gotten off to a good start toward national unification, I believe.”

The exhibition was initiated by Shin. “We prepared it not as a one-off event, but as a long-running program,” she says. “With this serving as momentum, we’ll play the role of a bridge so that it can develop into a bigger project and more people can take part in it, approaching the topic of North Korea in a natural manner with optimism about unification.”

Another exhibition is scheduled for later this year at a gallery run by the National Unification Advisory Council.

Steps toward a Dream

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“I wanted to compare North Korean escapees’ experiences of both dangerous moments and peaceful relief along their journey toward South Korea with how runners feel during a long-distance race.”

Despite their special relationship as a mentor and a mentee, as they worked together, Shin and Koi were constantly reminded of their different values, outgrowths of the disparate environments and experiences they have had. Communication, consideration and patience were critical. They thought hard about how to integrate their two different cultures.

Koi says she was encouraged by the sheer number of visitors to the exhibition. “I had anticipated that there would be only a small number of visitors due to COVID-19, but was surprised to find out that more people came than expected. I was convinced that my talent KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

2. When art therapist Shin Hyung-mee (left) and Koi, her mentee from North Korea, work together, their different values often surface. They find communication, consideration and patience to be critical to their collaboration.

Currently, Koi is studying for a master’s degree in fashion business at Hongik University and working for the Korea Fashion Industry Association. In 2016, she planned and participated in a group exhibition by nine young North and South Korean artists at Common Ground, South Korea’s first shopping mall made of shipping containers, under the sponsorship of Kolon Group. Her dream is to become an influential expert in the fashion industry and the world of arts and culture so that she’ll be able to play a useful role in uniting the two Koreas.

Shin has maintained a close relationship with refugees since 2004. It all began when she met a boy from North Korea while working as a volunteer for Doctors Without Borders. As an art therapist, she also facilitated defectors’ mental healing and communicated with them at Hanawon, a government facility for defector re-education. She studied fine arts at Ohio University in the United States and obtained her master’s degree in art therapy from Seoul Women’s University Graduate School.

Now, Shin is undertaking a doctoral program on clinical art therapy at CHA University. She is also preparing for various activities designed to raise awareness of the important public task of helping displaced North Koreans live a fulfilling life in the South.

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ON THE ROAD

Gochang

Seedbed of Revolution Gochang in North Jeolla Province delights visitors with its fertile land and beautiful landscape, but its sunny hills and winding valleys also keep heartbreaking memories of a failed peasants’ revolt from the waning years of Korea’s final dynasty.

Lee San-ha Poet

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Ahn Hong-beom Photographer

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The rock-carved seated Buddha by the path leading up to Dosol Hermitage at Seonun Temple in Gochang dates back to the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). Measuring 15.7 meters high and 8.5 meters wide at the knees, it is one of the largest rock-carved Buddhist images in Korea. In the 1890s, warriors of the Donghak Peasant Revolution prayed in front of the Buddha for success in battle.

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he high-speed KTX train departing from Yongsan Station in Seoul deposited me at Songjeong Station in Gwangju after one hour and 40 minutes. Driving with a friend who met me at the station, I found a billboard beckoning us to the town of Gochang. “Welcome to Gochang, the first capital of the Korean peninsula. Home of Mt. Seonun, beautiful all year round, and the sacred site of the Donghak Peasant Revolution.” Indeed.

Gochang is where the flag of the farmers’ revolt was first raised in 1894, when the Joseon Dynasty was falling. It is also the gravesite of the defeated peasant warriors. Next to the billboard, a banner appealed for donations: “Join in the fundraising to erect a statue of General Jeon Bong-jun.” There already are several government-funded statues memorializing the revolution and its leaders. But this time, the local residents intend to build a statue of the revolution’s foremost leader of their own accord.

Birthplace

Beyond vast fields, the footprints of the revolution lead to the small, tiled-roof house of Song Du-ho (18291895) in Juksan village, Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province. I came here first because I wanted to pay a silent tribute to a revolutionary who was executed 126 years ago. The site has no front gate. A concrete column announces it as the “Birthplace of the Donghak Peasant Revolution.” From here, dreamers of a better life scattered the seeds of revolution that challenged Korea’s last monarchy. They promised each other that they would fight to the death.

The outcome of their vows was the so-called sabal tongmun, or “rice bowl circular,” which features 22 signatures written along the rim of an overturned rice bowl. No one could determine who signed first in the circle of names, so the instigators remained hidden.

The format mirrored a roundtable gathering in medieval Europe; the identity of the head of the group and ranking of individuals could be concealed.

This document is evidence that the Donghak Peasant Revolution was a well-planned, grassroots effort to end long years of tyranny and corruption. It includes a four-point code of conduct that essentially called for armed resistance. It urged residents to storm the magistrate’s office and, from there, march on to Seoul. Donghak, meaning “Eastern Learning,” was a homegrown academic and reform movement against Western influences represented by Christianity and imperial powers.

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miracle. It was discovered by chance 53 years ago, hidden under the floorboards at the home of Song Jun-seop, a descendant of Song Du-ho. When the revolution collapsed, government soldiers who had been sent to put down the strife condemned the place as a “village of rebels,” and indiscriminately massacred the residents and burned down their houses. The circular was hidden inside the family’s genealogical record, which escaped the destruction.

The house right in front of the one where the revolution was plotted is where my friend’s grandfather used to live. My friend’s eyes began to glisten as he looked from one house to the other. Not far off is the Donghak Revolution Memorial Tower, erected by descendants of the original revolutionaries. And nearby is also the Donghak Peasant Army Memorial Tower, honoring the countless, nameless heroes who fought for change.

The first volley in the revolt was an anti-government protest in Gobu. It was a success, but the revolt KOREANA SPRING 2021

1. Seonun Temple is embraced by the largest concentration of camellia trees in Korea. The camellias here bloom from late March to mid-April, adorning the temple grounds with their gorgeous red flowers and lush green leaves.

2. Manseru (Pavilion of Eternity) at Seonun Temple was built as a lecture hall in 1620. Destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt in 1752 and its original name, Daeyangnu, was changed to Manseru. The interior beams and rafters are made of natural unprocessed timbers.

1 Courtesy of Gochang County

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1. The barley fields of Hagwon Farm attract half a million visitors every spring. The Green Barley Field Festival is the largest festival in the region.

2. Small spirit poles ( jangseung) serve as guideposts for barley fields in Gochang, which cover an area of about one million square meters.

was ultimately crushed at Ugeumchi, a mountain pass in Gongju to the north. The peasant warriors wielded spears, no match for the guns of the government and the Japanese soldiers who allied to subdue the revolt.

A bowl of rice sitting before the memorial speaks for the reason why those starving farmers took up their pickaxes and sickles. In those days, rice needed to be shared for the people to survive. As I looked over the vast fields, the image of the hungry farmers marching on Seoul overlapped with that of Spartacus leading warrior slaves in their march on Rome. Both revolutions were crushed.

Temple and Sea

The next stop was Seonun Temple. There, I wanted to absorb the quietude and wash away the dust in my mind. But the temple was abuzz with people who had come to see the camellia trees profuse with red flowers behind the main hall.

Seonun Temple, nestled on the northern slope of Mt. Seonun (Zen Cloud), was founded in 577 by two monks: Geomdan of Baekje and Uiun of Silla. At the time, the two neighboring states were at war, leaving many people displaced. The two monks joined forces to save the refugees and built a haven where communal life began. In this way, the temple was originally a refugee relief center. Accordingly, some 1,300 years later, the peasant army prayed for the success of their uprising in front of the rock-carved Buddha at Dosol Hermitage, about 2.5 kilometers up the slopes of the mountain behind the temple.

Leaving Seonun Temple, I headed for a beach known for its “10 li of clear sand,” called Myeongsasimni. The beach faces Gyeokpo port in Buan, and a dense forest of pine trees hundreds of years old lines the strip of fine, white sand that stretches more than one kilometer. The scent of pine in the spring breeze seemed to cleanse my senses. The wind whipping through the pines whispered like water boiling in a teapot.

Beyond the sand, the tidal flats were vast and endKOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

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As I looked over the vast fields, the image of the hungry farmers marching on Seoul overlapped with that of Spartacus leading warrior slaves in their march on Rome. Both revolutions were crushed.

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less. The west coast of Korea has the highest tidal range in the world. Day after day, the sea and land rotate; a spot where one stands one moment will soon become part of the sea again. The water here is so salty that people with skin trouble come to bathe in it, and those with neuralgia come for the hot sand baths. As I looked out across the tidal flats, Admiral Yi Sun-shin (1545-1598), Korea’s greatest naval commander, came to mind. It is said that when provisions ran out during the Japanese invasions of 1592-1598, he took a slice of the coast and gathered sea water there to evaporate it in the gigantic natural pot. The large quantity of salt thus produced was sold to buy thousands of tons of rice for his troops.

Grilled Eels

Once you’ve stepped foot in Gochang, you can’t leave without having grilled jangeo (eels) and bokbunja (Korean black raspberry) wine. Gochang is famed for its specialty of eels caught in the Pungcheon River, right where it meets the sea. These eels are a popular health food.

Off a main thoroughfare, in a lonely spot near the fields stands a restaurant with a lengthy name: “Hyeongje Susan [Brothers’ Fishery] Pungcheon Jangeo.” This

is a place that local foodies keep to themselves. It has a large garden and spacious interior.

The owner of the restaurant grills fresh eel over charcoal, applying a special marinade that contains over 200 ingredients, including medicinal herbs, grain enzymes and herb-based liquor. The side dishes on offer vary according to the season, and the ingredients are all organically grown. The restaurant’s home-brew raspberry wine danced on my tongue, making me feel stronger and younger.

Dolmen Clusters

Early the next morning, I looked around the Gochang Dolmen Museum located in town, and then went to the village of Daesan to see the dolmens in their natural state. Every path from the village entrance to the midslope of the mountain is lined with these monoliths as the great mountain hosts a large outdoor museum of ancient stone tombs. Each dolmen is numbered – the higher up the mountain, the lower the number. I wanted to see No. 1 at the summit, but exhaustion took over. I gave up.

Sixty percent of the world’s dolmens are found on the Korean peninsula, and about 1,600 of these, the

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Places to Visit in Gochang

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Seoul 273 km

Gyeokpo Gochang Gobu-myeon (township)

West Sea

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Jeongeup Station Dongho Beach 1 Gojeon-ri Salt Village

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Seonun Temple

2 Ungok Ramsar Wetland

Gusipo Beach

Gochang Dolmen Site 3 Gochang Dolmen Museum 4 4 Gochang Pansori Museum

Hagwon Farm

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1. Some 1,600 dolmens can be found in Gochang County, the largest cluster of megalithic tombs in Korea. Along with the Hwasun and Ganghwa sites, the Gochang Dolmen Site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.

2. A local farmers’ band performs in the yard in front of Gochang Town Fortress. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, performances of traditional music and dance were given here, as well as at the nearby birthplace of Shin Jae-hyo (1812-1884), a master singer and teacher of pansori, every weekend from spring to autumn.

KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

largest cluster, are in Gochang. The Gochang Dolmen Site, along with the Hwasun and Ganghwa sites, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000, recognized for its unique and varied group of dolmens that reveal changes in construction methods.

It could be said that the entire county of Gochang constitutes a cultural heritage site. In 2013, Gochang was also designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, in recognition of its beautiful natural environment and biological diversity.

In the afternoon, hobbling on tired legs, I went to see the green barley fields of Hagwon Farm. Every April, when the yellow rapeseed flowers bloom, the whole area turns into a tourist attraction bustling with tens of thousands of visitors from across the country. As I emerged from the furrows of fresh green barley sprouts, it began to rain. Just as flowers must fall before fruit ripens, beauty must be forsaken for new life to be born. Suddenly, I felt there was something miraculous about the new sprouts in the fields getting wet under the spring rain. This was a trip not for taking in new sights, but for finding a new way of seeing things.

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AN ORDINARY DAY

Unwrinkled Devotion Coarse hands move nimbly between rising plumes of white steam. Seconds later, a rumpled piece of clothing is reborn, neat and smooth. Handing their clean, warm clothes back to his customers, an easy smile spreads across Oh Ki-nyeong’s face at his neighborhood dry cleaning shop.

Hwang Kyung-shin Writer

Ha Ji-kwon Photographer

“T

earing off a piece of freshly baked bread with my hands; stacking a pile of folded underwear neatly in my drawer; the feel of a brandnew shirt slipping over my head, its scent of clean, new cotton – these are moments when I feel a small but certain happiness,” writes author Haruki Murakami. Every country, it seems, has a way of expressing this sort of peace and the way to achieve it. In Denmark, there is “hygge”; in Sweden, “lagom”; in France, “au calme.” More recently, “sohwakhaeng,” an abbreviation of the phrase “small but certain happiness,” has entered the Korean lexicon.

Surely, the dry cleaner’s – that one place in every neighborhood alleyway that seems always to be open, emitting its white steam – must be a purveyor of the sort of warmth that transcends nationality or race.

At Hyundai Cleaning, a neighborhood dry cleaner’s on Shinsu-ro street in the Mapo District of Seoul, owner Oh Ki-nyeong starts his day at 8 a.m.

“When I get to work, first I organize and sort the laundry by type and then wash it. Once that work is done, I gather all the clothes that have come in for alterations and work on those. Then comes the ironing. At 9 p.m. it’s time to go make the deliveries. By the time I’ve done the rounds of the five or so apartment complexes around here, it’s usually close to 10 p.m.

“Spring is the busiest season of the year. With every household taking out their spring clothes and stowing their winter clothes all at the same time, the laundry overflows. So in spring, there’s really no start or end to my workday. I’ll work until 1 or 2 a.m., ’til I pass out asleep, then I’ll get up and work again for as long as I can stand it.”

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Oh Ki-nyeong, the owner of Hyundai Cleaning in Mapo District, Seoul, has 14-hour workdays at his 26 sq. meter shop. He is especially busy in the spring, when most households take out their spring cloths and stow their winter clothes at the same time.

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There’s a lot less work these days, due to changing circumstances. In previous years, Oh would make 40 deliveries daily. Now, there are no more than 10. Still, his 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. workday remains unchanged, most of it spent standing.

One elbow is deformed, the consequence of ironing with one arm for so many years. “It’s an occupational disease – no way to heal it completely, even with steady exercise,” he explains.

Getting Established

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1. Oh brings the gratitude he feels for his customers to every piece of clothing that he handles. Largely catering to regulars, his shop has been a neighborhood fixture for 20 years.

2. New technology can help sort orders, but Oh refuses to deviate from sorting and checking handwritten tags for each order, one by one.

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Oh started learning his trade in his early twenties, working at a clothing factory where he first brushed thread and ripped seams, and eventually mastered his tailoring skills. He set out to found a factory of his own at around age 30. He operated it for about five years, before becoming a casualty of the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

“The number of orders plummeted, so much so that we only had enough work for two, three days a week. There was just no way to pay my employees. There was nothing to be done but shut down the factory. My youngest brother was running a dry cleaner’s in Yongin then, so I went to take a look and thought maybe I should try it, too. After all, it’s the kind of work you can do even as you get older, so long as your body holds out.

“It so happened that a friend of my wife’s was also running a dry cleaner’s. My wife and I worked there together to learn the necessary skills. We worked for three months without pay, day in and day out, learning various techniques, how to run the machines, and so on. Laundry techniques are different, depending on the fabric. My experience making clothes at the factory turned out to be a big help.”

Oh had some hit-or-miss learning experiences. His first location was in Guro-dong, a section of Guro District, where dress-making and textile manufacturing once thrived.

Oh’s lack of experience translated into a lot of effort without much profit. Dealing with all types of people would also upset him frequently. Within just a few months, he moved into the retail section of a new apartment complex. At the time, there was an unwritten no-compete rule. With no other dry cleaner present, Oh ended up handling all 1,300 households in the complex. He lasted six months before throwing up his hands; it was just too much work. Looking for his next location, he told himself not to be greedy.

“Mapo is actually my home neighborhood. Back when I was first trying to set up a dry cleaner’s, this place had no apartments yet. By the time I’d sold my second shop, though, a bunch of apartments had been built in the meantime and there just happened to be an available space, so I took it. Now it’s been about 20 years since I set up shop here.”

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Hoping against hope that these difficult times will soon give way to the return of more ordinary days, Oh lifts his heavy iron once again to provide his customers one small but certain happiness.

Despite the reduced volume in recent times, the workday still isn’t easy. Ever since his wife’s health began to decline, Oh has taken over all of the daily operations on his own.

Filled with stacks and stacks of laundry and packed with all kinds of sewing machines and the like, the shop is a mere eight pyeong (26.4 sq. meters). Even when there’s time for a short break, there’s no space to lie down – so he rests in a chair.

Changing Circumstances

Younger generations tend to favor easy-to-use laundry apps, or entrust their clothes to relatively cheaper and more familiar franchises. Meanwhile, as people have been going out less and working from home more due to the COVID-19 pandemic, less laundry needs to be done. And because dry cleaning work itself is taxing, it’s increasingly difficult to find anyone interested in learning how to do it.

Indeed, neighborhood dry cleaning shops like Oh’s place are gradually disappearing. Once the current owners have aged out of being able to do the work, they tend to close their doors for good.

Still, the fact remains that Oh is a master craftsman, doing his utmost for each and every patron. Most of the customers who seek out his shop are homemakers in their forties and fifties, long-term regulars. They express honest joy when they are handed their clothes, clean as new, and sometimes show their appreciation with small gifts of pastries or fruit. There are, of course, unpleasant customers as well.

Some claim there are stains that weren’t there before. And some are simply rude without cause.

“There are people who talk down to me. It’s like they think they can speak to me however they want just because I do this kind of work. Those people are the hardest to deal with. I have to be very clear that if they aren’t satisfied, it’s fine for them to go someplace else. Otherwise, it just causes me too much stress.”

After so many years on the job, Oh has seen his fair share of memorable individuals, too. One forty-something customer, a man, would regularly bring in a mesh bag stuffed with everything from underwear to shirts and pants, even towels. Thanks to those still damp towels, the stench, of course, was pretty bad. Then one day, when the shop KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

was closed, he took his whole load someplace else – only to come back later and complain that they charged far too much. “Now do you see?” was Oh’s reply.

He has now learned and mastered the art of not letting people hurt his feelings. After all, if a customer is unreasonable, he can just turn them away, and the good customers that always surround him make up for it. When all is said and done, he is only sorry he can’t do more for the good customers.

Wrestling with clothes all day long, it’s only natural that Oh’s sensitivity to fashion trends has become honed. When there’s an uptick in the number of customers coming in to tailor a new outfit, he thinks, “This style must be in fashion these days.” And since the proper washing technique for a garment depends on the material, it’s essential that he studies and stays informed. When he has time on the weekends, Oh visits clothing stores to keep up to date with the styles and pricing of current merchandise.

A Master’s Efforts

In the past, people wore a lot of clothes that needed to be dry cleaned. Today, there are more varieties of functional clothes, such as different kinds of sportswear. Preserving their functionality requires shorter cleaning times and neutral detergents. Clothes can be ruined if one doesn’t know the specific requirements.

But to work Monday through Saturday and then spend Sunday going out to look at more clothes, does Oh have time for any other hobbies? At this, he smiles wide and pulls out a small notepad.

“I’m about to complete a cross-country bicycle trek along various cycling routes. Each course has a booth, and when you pass through, they give you a stamp. For a while I went every Sunday. Go early in the morning, race on my bicycle, and take the bus back home. Taking a long course and finishing it just a little bit at a time. I only have one stretch left now. It’s a way to get some exercise and some spiritual healing, too, on my day off – my greatest pleasure.”

And with that, hoping against hope that these difficult times will soon give way to the return of more ordinary days, Oh lifts his heavy iron once again to provide his customers one small but certain happiness.

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BOOKS & MORE

Charles La Shure Professor, Department of Korean Language and Literature, Seoul National University

A Disturbing Testimony of Truths about ‘Comfort Women’

One Left: A Novel

By Kim Soom, Translated by Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton, 224 pages, $19.95, Seattle: University of Washington Press [2020]

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During World War II, the imperial Japanese military set up a system of brothels intended to reduce incidences of wartime rape. Although these so-called “comfort stations” were supposed to be staffed with voluntary prostitutes, the vast majority of the women who worked them were either taken by force or tricked into sexual slavery with promises of well-paid factory jobs or other ruses. The women victimized in this way came to be known euphemistically as “comfort women.”

Although Korean literature has been telling tragic stories of the Korean people throughout the modern era, comfort women have largely been ignored. This book

by Kim Soom is an exception. The first novel to present the experiences of comfort women in such a raw and unflinching manner, it tells the story of one survivor who has never gone public with her experiences. When she learns that the last known comfort woman is nearing death, she is forced to look back over her life and decide whether she will continue to live in fear and silence or finally tell her story to the world.

The novel is not for the faint of heart or the delicate of soul. In contrast to the designation “comfort women,” the pain, humiliation and degradation to which these young girls and women were subjected is portrayed here with no hint of euphemism. The very act of reading is traumatic.

The story weaves back and forth between the present, in which our now 93-year-old grandmother lives in a desolate neighborhood slated for redevelopment, and the past, in which the then 13-year-old girl is taken by the Japanese while gathering marsh snails for her starving family and forced into sexual slavery in Manchuria. And yet it quickly becomes apparent that these are not merely flashbacks; our protagonist does not merely think back to the past, she relives it on a daily basis. While the seven years she spent at the comfort station may have long since come to an end, the suffering and trauma of that experience have never truly left her.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this novel is how it straddles the line between fact and fiction. As the creative work of the author, it is indeed a novel.

But it is peppered with over 300 footnotes, providing sources from actual testimonies of real comfort women.

How then, should the reader approach it? Is it a work of fiction or a work of history? It is in fact both, and as such, it is a testimony to the power of fiction to convey painful truths. Readers, even those already aware of the suffering of the comfort women, will likely be shocked by what they find here. But confronting this truth is the first step toward healing.

KOREANA SPRING 2021

Lovely Words and Pictures from Grandparents

Looking Back Life Was Beautiful: Drawings for My Grandchildren Illustrations by Grandpa Chan (Chan Jae Lee), Words by Grandma Marina (Kyong Ja An), Translated by Sophie Bowman, 304 pages, $20.00, London: Particular Books [2020]

When Grandpa Chan and Grandma Marina met at university in the 1960s, it was like something out of a storybook romance. She had written a poem for a poetry and painting exhibition, and he had been randomly assigned to illustrate it. They connected through their art, and this seed blossomed into a love that led them to build a family together. They were living in Brazil when, in 2015, their daughter and her family decided to move back to Korea. Their son, who was living in New York, suggested that his father start drawing again. Mirroring how they had first met all those years ago, Grandma Marina wrote words to go along with the pictures, and these they uploaded to their Instagram account, “Drawings for My Grandchildren.”

Today, the art and words of this couple have gone from screen to print. The book is loosely organized around the four seasons, separated by brief interludes such as Grandpa Chan’s trip to the Galapagos Islands with a National Geographic team or memories of his youth. The themes covered range from the grandchildren themselves to dinosaurs, other animals and the beauty of nature. Not surprisingly, there are also quite a few meditations on getting older and even on death and loss.

Grandpa Chan’s drawings are colorful, expressive and inspiring, while Grandma Marina’s words manage to balance an almost childlike innocence with years of wisdom. Together, they are greater than the sum of their parts.

English-language Website on Early Printing History

Jikji World www.cheongju.go.kr/app3/jikjiworld/content/eng_main/ index.html Cheongju: Cheongju Early Printing Museum

KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

This is a new English-language version of a website dedicated to the book commonly known as “Jikji,” the oldest extant book printed with movable metal type. It predates Gutenberg’s Bible by 78 years and was added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register in 2001.

The website contains a trove of knowledge about the medieval Buddhist text itself, including bibliographical information and details on the technology used to print it; an extensive discussion of the history of metal type printing in Korea; and an introduction to the Cheongju Early Printing Museum.

The virtual reality experiences of the museum itself unfortunately do not appear to be working at the time of writing, but if you’ve ever wanted to know more about “Jikji,” the information here will satisfy your curiosity.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Evolution of Korean-style Creature Features

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© Netflix Original Series

The TV adaptation of the Korean webtoon “Sweet Home” has achieved worldwide popularity. Its storyline and visual style are likely to make it a pacesetter in the production of next-generation Korean creature features.

Kang Sang-joon Pop Culture Columnist

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T 1. The 10-episode Netflix adaptation of the monster webtoon “Sweet Home” became a runaway No. 1 hit in many countries after its release in December 2020.

2. The Lotus Root Monster in “Sweet Home.”

Taking a cue from animals’ instinctive movements, choreographer Kim Seol-jin helped design the actions of monsters – how they hunt and fight.

h e Ko r e a n w e b t o o n “ S w e e t Home” attracted fans around the world during its online run from October 2017 to July 2020. Available in nine languages, it recorded a total of 1.2 billion pageviews. But more importantly, it caught the attention of Netflix.

Popular Korean movies and TV serials are regularly picked up by the video streaming service provider. This time, Netflix decided to use its own money to bring “Sweet Home” to life.

With the bar raised for the Korean-style apocalyptic genre by the period drama “Kingdom,” anticipation was high for the visual recreation of the monsters in the “Sweet Home” webtoon. The stakes had also changed when the Korean film “Parasite” won the Palme d’Or at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival and subsequently picked up four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, elevating the status of Korean entertainment.

Netflix spent a whopping 30 billion won on content production. But as soon as the 10-episode TV version of “Sweet Home” was released in December 2020, it was clear that these investments had paid out. The excellent use of computer-generated monsters, quality of sets and depth of character

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development quenched the audience’s thirst for the “real thing.” Runaway viewer acceptance confirmed Netflix’s confidence in the webtoon.

“Sweet Home” quickly rose to third place in Netflix’s global listings. In more than 70 countries, it placed in the Netflix top 10, and in 13 Netflix markets, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia and Peru, the series soared to No. 1 after just four days.

Lee Eung-bok directed the drama. This was not his first brush with Netflix; he had previously directed “Mister Sunshine,” a 2018 hit TV serial that the streaming service rebroadcast to international subscribers. “I don’t usually watch monster movies, but the moment I laid eyes on the original webtoon, I wanted to challenge myself in the sense that Korean drama motifs could be expanded. It was as good a global motif as any, too,” Lee said in an interview.

Infection of Desire

The original webtoon was written by Carnby Kim (aka Kim Kan-bi) and drawn by Hwang Young-chan. The story begins in an aged Seoul apartment building, Green Home, into which a reclusive high school student named Hyun-su moves after losing his family in a traffic accident. Hyun-su and the other residents must fight off a variety of monsters that suddenly engulf their community. Isolated from outside help, each person must decide how far they are willing to go in putting themselves at risk to protect the whole group.

At the outset, “Sweet Home” seems to have all the trappings of a typical zombie apocalyptic tale. But the script boldly veers.

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The cliché formula of a swelling number of bitten people becoming zombies never materializes, nor do hordes of zombies pursue the main characters. It’s clear from the start that there is no viral infection or disease suddenly transforming people into insatiable cannibals. Instead, something closely related to dark, individual desires transforms people into hideous-looking monsters.

This plays out as an unknown fear factor, departing from the usual zombie apocalypse. “The idea that one’s desire creates a monster out of oneself seemed quite fresh to me, and I wanted to show that visually,” Lee explains.

Korean Sentiment

With everyone susceptible to becoming a monster, the lines of defense built by the survivors gradually contract. The residents have no choice but to exclude those who suddenly have a nosebleed, a telltale sign of morphing. Suspicions lead to homemade weapons being pointed at one another. In the process,

the residents’ ethics and morality are tested and shaken repeatedly as they desperately struggle to remain human.

The protagonist, Hyun-su, is a victim of school bullying and has attempted to commit suicide. Despite his vulnerability, he somehow manages to stop midway from turning into a monster and becomes powerful enough to protect his fellow residents. As the episodes progress, the viewers learn that this is no simple creature feature. In the midst of a selfish crowd, an altruistic individual makes self-sacrifices for the good of the group. This process ultimately enables that person to grow.

The show enriches the dozen main characters through individual backstories, and weaves them into centerpiece interactions for survival. This is in line with the director’s

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1. The protagonist, Hyun-su, sheds his self-imposed social isolation to lead residents of his building into battle, brandishing makeshift weapons.

2. Normally calm and quiet, Korean language teacher Jung Jae-heon turns into a sword-wielding combatant, rushing through hallways to fight monsters with his kendo skill set.

3. Residents of Green Home Apartments watch a TV broadcast, realizing their slim chances of rescue or survival as a slew of monsters terrorize Seoul.

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In the midst of a selfish crowd, an altruistic individual makes self-sacrifices for the good of the group. This process ultimately enables that person to grow.

approach. “What I wanted to talk about,” Lee says, “was people. I wanted to ask what a monster is, after all.” As a line from the show goes, “I realized that what you see isn’t everything – people, the world and even God’s will.”

The way the characters advance toward a common goal is directly related to the theme of the serial, which cheers for each individual’s own life adventure as well as their humanity as a group. The “family-oriented solidarity” typical of Korean dramas meshes nicely here and is wholly relatable.

Tension and Excitement

At the same time, “Sweet Home” doesn’t omit all of the fun and excitement that the zombie apocalypse genre can tap. Lee worked with a Hollywood special effects team in a yearlong quest to create raw, primal fear. After filming the actors’ scenes, monsters were created using computer graphics, with their movements choreographed by Kim Seol-jin. In addition, urgency in the turn of events and tightly-knit action sequences heighten tension, and excitement is injected as the main characters must hide and duck in cramped spaces to

KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

avoid deadly confrontations.

The monsters are not meant to be stereotypical – they can be anything from a giant eyeball to a spider. Each has its unique habits and behavior due to its appearance, and the humans have to improvise their response every time, maximizing the suspense.

The more threatening creatures include a slimy monster that appears at the front gate of the apartment building, extending its extremely long tentacles to grab victims and suck their blood. Another is missing its upper jaw and relies solely on its auditory senses to hunt prey, while a gigantic, muscular creature constantly screams, “Protein!”

Toward the end of the series, the biggest existential threat is not a single monster but a roving band of thugs. This tugs on viewers’ emotions to the extreme.

As such, “Sweet Home” was born as a human spectacle that paints the events unfolding in a derelict apartment complex with fear, excitement, desire and solidarity.

It’s likely to become a demarcation point, sorting Korean-style creature feature content into the pre- and post-“Sweet Home” era.

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ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS

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© Shin Hye-woo

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DUREUP

A Precious Spring Green With its rough, crunchy texture and bitterish taste, dureup can be enjoyed only briefly, like the fleeting spring season itself. Prepared today in many ways in both local and Western styles of cooking, the tender young shoots of the Korean angelica tree convey the scent of the season.

Jeong Jae-hoon Pharmacist and Food Writer

K

oreans love their greens. Among OECD countries, the daily per capita consumption of vegetables is highest in Korea for two main culinary reasons: one is kimchi and the other is namul, the generic name for fresh greens. Many of these can be eaten only in spring before the plants harden, or in some cases, even begin to produce poisons as they grow.

Dureup in particular can only be eaten during a very short period in spring, around the time the cherry blossoms bloom. In the southern part of the country, it is harvested in early April; in the central and northern regions, from mid- to late April. As the shoots don’t all emerge at once, they need to be harvested three or four times. These days, dureup is grown in greenhouses so that it can be eaten not only in spring but throughout the year.

Appealing Texture

Dureup has a bitter taste and a unique fragrance that’s somewhere between wood and grass. However, its distinguishing feature is its texture. Blanched dureup has both a soft and crunchy mouthfeel.

It also lacks the tough texture typical KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

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1, 2. Dureup is a delectable spring green harvested only briefly in April. These crunchy, slightly bitter shoots bring the taste of spring itself to the table.

of most spring greens. The little prickles on the surface may feel a bit rough at first, but they easily break like fine string when chewed. Anyone eating this green for the first time may be compelled to keep chewing on it because of its intriguing texture.

And it’s thanks to this texture that the vegetable is eaten in a way similar to raw fish: blanched dureup is dipped in red pepper paste mixed with a little vinegar, often served with blanched squid. The very different textures of the two ingredients go together unexpectedly well. Squid may also be replaced with slices of boiled and pressed pork.

The dureup side dish featured in “Various New Korean Recipes” (Joseon mussang sinsik yori jebeop) from 1924, Korea’s first cookbook printed in color, is remarkably simple.

“Fresh dureup, blanched and cut diagonally like licorice root added to herbal medicine, sprinkled with salt and crushed sesame seeds and mixed with plenty of sesame oil makes one of the best vegetable dishes, loved by everybody.”

If cooked for a long time, the shoots soften and taste dull and boring. Only when boiled quickly do they retain their flavor and texture. Varieties of young angelica 79

1. Dureup shoots are most commonly eaten blanched. Thick shoots are cut in half lengthwise or a cross-shaped cut is made at the bottom before cooking.

2. Dureup rice rolls are made by placing blanched shoots on cooked rice that has been mixed with a briefly boiled solution of vinegar, sugar and salt – all rolled up in a strip of dried laver.

3. The taste of bibimbap, or rice mixed with various greens, is enhanced by adding the unique, strong flavor of blanched dureup.

1 © blog.naver.com/lovejnkm

shoots called ddangdureup (aka dokhwal, aralia cordata) and gaedureup (aka eumnamu, castor aralia) are all eaten blanched. The April 30, 1959 edition of the daily Dong-A Ilbo introduced dureup recipes such as young shoots peeled and dipped in red pepper paste and vinegar, or stir-fried with minced beef and various condiments, in addition to the abovementioned method of seasoning with salt, sesame seeds and oil.

While dureup is most commonly eaten with red pepper paste and vinegar, this sauce tends to cover the fragrance of the shoots. When pickled in soy sauce, however, the natural fragrance is enhanced. After washing and draining dry, the shoots are layered in a container, and a boiled mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and water in the proportion of 1:1:1:1.5 is poured over them. This is kept for two or three days at room temperature before eating, and afterwards is stored in the refrigerator. The bitterness is reduced and the woody, herbal aroma grows stronger. Eating these pickled shoots, called dureup jangajji, somehow makes you feel healthy.

Cheon Yong-ho, a dureup grower in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, has patents for dureup jangajji and dureup kimchi. His pickling mixture differs from the usual 80

homemade proportion of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and water, and his dureup jangajji is aged differently, as well. It is ripened in three stages and, when vacuum packaged, can be kept for more than three years in the fridge. Dureup kimchi is generally made in the same way as cabbage kimchi, but with blanched dureup as the main ingredient. The fresh shoots can also be preserved in salt, ready to be eaten as soon as they are removed and rinsed.

Eaten in Diverse Ways

In some ways, dureup is a lot like asparagus. Both are shoots that grow in the spring, but they have a different aroma. Though blanched dureup doesn’t have exactly the same texture as blanched asparagus, the two are fairly similar. Dureup briefly boiled in leftover pasta water can be added to pasta with anchovy oil to create a dish that brings Eastern and Western flavors together.

Today, the barbecued beef and dureup skewers of the 1970s have been transformed into skewers of ham or crab meat and asparagus, probably inspired by the similarity between the two vegetables. In Japan, both dureup and asparagus are eaten deep-fried, as tempura.

More recently, the March 17, 2018 edition of the daily KOREANA SPRING 2021

Dureup has a bitter taste and a unique fragrance that’s somewhere between wood and grass. However, its distinguishing feature is its texture. Blanched dureup has both a soft and crunchy mouthfeel.

JoongAng Ilbo featured a dureup gratin recipe. Blanched dureup mixed with chopped boiled eggs is covered with bechamel sauce and baked. Similarly, modern fine dining restaurants in Seoul often serve spring dureup. Thanks to creative recipes from home and abroad, the local ingredient can delight global palates seeking the scent of the season.

2

Underrated Identity

2 © blog.naver.com/magicpt78

3

If dureup could speak, what would it say? It probably wouldn’t bother asking why it was cooked in the Italian or French way instead of the Korean way. Rather, it might ask, “Do you know how I would look if I hadn’t been cut up and served on your dining table?”

We often forget that the food we eat was originally a living thing. Though people may consider dureup shoots familiar, few have seen how they can grow to become a tree. The same goes for asparagus, so often eaten as a side with steak. Hardly anyone knows what a fully grown asparagus plant looks like.

Fortunately, even when dureup shoots are cut off and asparagus is harvested, the plants don’t die. The branches are pruned after harvesting, and if a suitable number of branches are left, the plant grows big in the summer. Left alone, the angelica tree that produces dureup shoots will grow three to four meters high.

But that makes it difficult to take care of the trees and harvest their young shoots. By pruning branches, thinning out buds and adjusting the number of stems, farmers can control the height of the tree and increase the yield of fresh shoots in the spring.

Meanwhile, if the temperature in a greenhouse rises too much, the shoots grow too quickly and lose their taste and aroma, so farmers also have to adjust the temperature and humidity day and night.

In grocery stores, consumers only see the shoots, knowing nothing about the tree they came from. So the next time dureup is served at your table, try asking yourself how much you know about it.

© blog.naver.com/cgr61

KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

81

LIFESTYLE

Hobbies and Pastimes Move Online In 2019, small groups sharing hobby-related activities became popular in Korea.

Young adults in particular bought into this “salon culture.” While the COVID-19 pandemic has halted in-person gatherings, undaunted hobbyists are still staying connected.

Kim Dong-hwan Reporter, The Segye Times

1

© hobbyful

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KOREANA SPRING 2021

2 © CLASS 101

L

ee, an office worker in his 30s, relishes sniffing and tasting wine. The pleasure doubles when it’s done alongside other wine connoisseurs.

In 2019, he joined a small club of wine enthusiasts to broaden his knowledge. The club, consisting of a dozen men and women in their 30s, met every Friday evening in Mapo, a commercial-residential district along the Han River in Seoul. Each week, the members quickly moved from small talk to sipping and discussing varieties of wines.

Lee once dreamed of flying to Switzerland to indulge in a good bottle with tasty cheese.

He has yet to visit the Alps, but spending time with other wine aficionados proved to be an engaging alternative. Besides, there was the bonus of socializing. The members of the club were in his age range and there was a good gender balance. Everyone looked forward to ending their workweek with fine wine in a warm, amiable atmosphere. Then COVID-19 erupted.

“Nobody knows when we can meet again,” KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

1. Embroidery is a popular selection on Hobbyful, an online learning platform.

Hobby and pastime sites have mushroomed as the COVID-19 pandemic forces people to limit social interactions and spend more time at home.

2. Home baking attracts wide attention among online learners. Online hobby lessons are geared toward a broad range of hands-on experiences with arts and crafts for self-enrichment and home application.

Lee says. “If this is a dream, I just want to wake up soon.”

Amid pandemic-related curbs on social interaction, Lee’s wine tasting hiatus has lengthened and memories of the club are growing dim. Even in 2021, he still can’t do much more than sip wine alone and perhaps watch offerings on Netflix. At times, he does even less; he admits to spending time simply sitting absentmindedly on his sofa after his workday.

Salon Culture

Lee’s wine club was among a myriad of groups organized around shared interests in 2019. This so-called “salon culture” included a wide scope of interests, with people in their 30s being especially active. Reading, movies, travel, cooking and music were among the top activities for these social communities.

In April 2019, Embrain Trend Monitor, a local market researcher, conducted a national poll of 1,000 people aged 19-59 to gauge their participation in social activities. Among the respondents, 906 said they were engaged in 83

a regular activity, and 26 percent of them said their activity entailed “meeting a multitude of unspecified people with the same interests and hobbies.” That cohort was less than half of the number of respondents who said their social activities primarily took place with former classmates or coworkers, accounting for 67.6 percent. But other responses suggested that salon culture was gaining traction. Some 290 respondents stressed the need to take part in gatherings that focus on hobbies or interests.

Travel is, by far, the activity that people would like to share most with others: 73.5 percent of respondents said they wanted to join travel clubs. Next came sports clubs (18.1 percent), foreign language clubs (15.9 percent), volunteering clubs (15 percent), film clubs (14.3 percent), and reading or writing clubs (14.1 percent).

This seems to have something to do with the social phenomenon of individualization;

Fans cheer for their teams during a Korean Basketball League game between Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus and Changwon LG Sakers, held on September 20, 2020. Unable to attend games in person due to COVID-19, fans gathered in small groups to watch them online together during sports seasons.

more and more personal relationships nowadays revolve around “me,” and “my” hobby and interests are important preconditions for interpersonal connections.

Online Gatherings

COVID-19 upended the new trend in social culture but many enthusiasts refuse to become disconnected. Video conferencing adopted by workplaces to cope with social distancing has transferred equally to non-work purposes.

“We’re going to keep our club alive with Zoom, an online chat program,” one book club announced.

The Seoul-based club made the announcement to their 67 members through an app dubbed “Somoim,” meaning “small gatherings.” It followed the government’s tighter lockdown controls in the capital region late last year. The club’s idea was to have members meet online to exchange their book reviews.

© Yonhap News

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KOREANA SPRING 2021

Although interpersonal warmth and body language are difficult to convey via virtual meetings, opinions flow easily. Many members still rate their participation as “interesting” or “useful.”

A similar format is also being employed by writing clubs, which ordinarily see members gathered at a table to share their prose. One Seoulbased writing club with 234 m e m b e r s s e t u p meetings through Google Meet. Although unfamiliar with virtual meetings at first, the participants soon adapted to their new e nv i r o n m e n t , s h a r i n g online the stories they had written.

Other social gathering platforms for hobby enthusiasts include “Munto,” “Moonraedang,” “Trevari” and “Frip.” They call themselves “social salons.”

Trevari, a book discussion platform, is an old hand in the online social community. It opened in 2015 and currently comprises about 400 book clubs with some 6,000 total users.

Most of the members read a book and join four meetings per month. Although interpersonal warmth and body language are difficult to convey via virtual meetings, opinions flow easily.

Many members still rate their participation as “interesting” or “useful.”

Frip is a social platform for a variety of hobbies and leisure activities, such as cooking, pottery making, mountain climbing and DIY, among others. Cooking club members not only prepare dishes, they demonstrate best practices for maintaining proper hygiene and preventing COVID infections. Offline activities are inevitable for cooking clubs that require special KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

© LG Uplus

COVID-19 lockdowns of gyms have forced people to exercise at home. They have a wealth of new athome workout programs that can be downloaded onto their smartphones for easy reference.

utensils and food ingredients as well as a kitchen. Sports clubs like those for mountain climbing and trekking are complying with the ban on private gatherings of more than four people. Under these circumstances, some cooking and sports clubs conduct programs both on and offline. Meal kits are delivered to members at home, while activities such as a hike or long swim are shared online with other members.

A Private Experience

I decided to take part in an online class myself.

I had zero knitting experience but that didn’t stop me from ordering a tea mat knitting kit from Frip. I was confident that I could quickly knit a tea mat by watching an online instructor.

However, frustration soon arose; the instructor’s hands moved too quickly for me to follow.

After fumbling my spool of yarn and knitting needles several times, it dawned on me that in-person classes would be a much better way to learn how to knit. My plan to enjoy a cup of coffee set on a pretty mat I’d knitted by hand unraveled with me hardly getting a stitch in. I concluded that I’d do better to buy a tea mat.

Other beginners could feel similarly frustrated, but the threshold might not be as high for non-novices. As for me, I’ve stowed my yarn in a drawer for a post-pandemic, offline class.

85

JOURNEYS IN KOREAN LITERATURE

CRITIQUE

Speaking for Those Who Can’t Jung Yong-jun made his debut in a literary magazine in 2009, at the age of 28. Issues surrounding speech and communication have since been central themes in all of his five novels and two short story collections. Underlying this preoccupation is a weighty meditation on what it means to be human.

Choi Jae-bong Reporter, The Hankyoreh

I

f we consider that fiction is an art based on language and that language is the most powerful tool of communication, it may seem rather odd that Jung Yong-jun uses fiction to delve unremittingly into the premise that communication is difficult or even impossible.

The observations of literary critic Kim Na-yeong in her commentary on Jung’s second short story collection, “Aren’t We Flesh and Blood?” (2015), may help unravel this question. “His fiction deals with a broad range of characters and events under varied themes,” Kim wrote. “But it is noteworthy that, more than anything, the stories start from ‘speaking’ and return to it. His characters are physically barred from speaking by something unspeakable, or are under psychological oppression which makes them unable to speak as they wish; this is precisely what generates the events of the plot.”

Jung’s first novel, “Babel” (2014), is a dramatic portrayal of a situation in which speech has become impossible. A transformation of

86

the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, the novel depicts a dystopian situation in which the words people utter turn into rotten, stinking pellets that stick to their bodies. The pellets may be seen as impressionistic symbols of the writer’s distrust and apprehension regarding speech.

In the “Author’s Note” at the end of the book, Jung discloses his experience of growing up with a stammer caused by a speech-related psychological disorder. This means there is an autobiographical element to the questions into which he persistently inquires. Indeed, such subject matter stands out in Jung’s debut work, “Goodnight, Oblo,” and the protagonist of “Du-Du-Du, Du” in his first short story collection, “Gana” (2011), stammers, too.

The protagonist of Jung’s most recently published novel, “I’m Talking, Aren’t I?” (2020), is a 14-year-old boy with a stammer who works to overcome it. He attends a speech therapy center where, with his peers, he practices giving presentations, handing out flyers in the street and telling his story in subway stations. His symptoms improve little by little. In the process, which involves trial and error and moments of despair, what helps him most is the advice of his aunt, a surgeon who is trying to cor-

KOREANA SPRING 2021

rect her own stammer. “When you feel gloomy and stifled, afraid with the notion that you can’t cope with something, open up a notepad and just write whatever. It makes you feel much better,” she says.

While dubious of her advice, the boy starts writing down the stories of the people at the speech therapy center, and the letters that fill his notepads soon begin to feel like “a prison holding in all the words that he couldn’t get out.”

The title of the book reads both as the protagonist’s proud declaration of having overcome his stammer and a testimony to the coming into the world of the author Jung Yong-jun himself, who also broke through the difficulty of speaking.

In the “Author’s Note” for “Aren’t We Flesh and Blood?” Jung wrote: “People who say that nothing can be done about sad things; people who were just born like that; people who don’t even realize they feel wronged and angry, and just go on living, with a strange glint in their eyes; those who burn with rage and quickly turn to ash; and transparent spirits that have lost their light. Why do I write about these things?

Perhaps it’s because I’m sorry. Or perhaps it’s because I’m ashamed.”

His reasons for writing about such people and situations probably stem from both emotions. Or perhaps he writes in order to feel less sorry and less ashamed. The short story “Strolling Seolleung” deals with those sad and wronged and angry individuals, as well as the author’s sense of remorse and shame. It was published in the Winter 2015 edition of a literary magazine and earned Jung several important prizes.

“Strolling Seolleung” is narrated from the perspective of a jobless graduate who spends 12 hours looking after Han Doo-un, a 20-year-old man with autism. It depicts how the narrator, who simply intended to make a nice bit of cash by covering his friend’s side gig for a day, first encounters and spends time with Han, his awareness gradually changing in the process.

Because of Han’s autism and its particular symptoms,

the two men are unable to communicate smoothly. The narrator can’t figure out what Han could possibly be thinking, and even wonders to himself, “Does he have any kind of self-awareness?” He spends the day with Han strolling around Seolleung, an ancient royal graveyard in the middle of Seoul, feeling restless and nervous because he can’t understand his companion. In the course of this simple and repetitive walk, the wall between them gives way bit by bit, as indicated in the minute changes in the glances they exchange.

When they first meet, Han Doo-un won’t even look at the narrator, who glares when he carelessly spits on the ground. This awkward relationship gradually thaws through a series of incidents. Some level of communion is reached between the two characters, and by the time the narrator finds himself telling a story from his university days, Han responds with a smile.

Of course, the barrier between them can’t be completely cleared away during a day-long walk. Misunderstandings and conflicts brew and boil over, and the narrator ends up being scolded by Han Doo-un’s guardian for failing to protect him properly. But when it seems things have hit rock bottom, Han expresses his gratitude to the narrator through his own unique gesture, which can be taken as silent but compelling evidence that their stroll wasn’t all in vain.

Musing on the background behind writing this story, the author said, “There are so few people you can talk to in this world. They all too easily exaggerate and inflate, and at times even cleverly change what I say as they pass it on. Causes and consequences diverge, and with everything from the nuance to the tone of my delivery changed, I somehow become someone who said something weird.

I’m aware that they conveyed my words strangely, and they know that I know, and despite all this we smile and shake hands. This life of mine seems like a scene of fiction that I haven’t been able to write – one which I find myself wanting to delete completely or edit carefully.”

Jung Yong-jun: “ People who say that nothing can be done about sad things; people who were just born like that; people who don’t even realize they feel wronged and angry, and just go on living, with a strange glint in their eyes…

Why do I write about these things?”

KOREAN CULTURE & ARTS

87

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