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People & Culture

JULY 2010

July 2010 www.korea.net

www.korea.net

ISSN: 2005-2162
prelude-표2대면 2010.7.2 10:2 AM 페이지 1 Mac-2 in T C M Y K

PRELUDE

The Beauty of Korea Yangdong Village, located 16km

northeast of the city of Gyeongju in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province,
along the Hyeongsan River, is a traditional village that has hardly
changed since the Joseon Dynasty. Dating from the 15th century,
the village today retains its ancient folk customs and its yangban
(aristocratic) traditions amid many excellently preserved Joseon-
era buildings. Yangdong Village was included on UNESCO’s
Tentative List of World Heritage sites in January 2002.
ⓒ Choi Ji-young
7월호목차 2010.7.2 10:29 AM 페이지 1 Mac-2 in T C M Y K
CONTENTSJULY 2010 VOL. 6 NO. 7
COVER STORY 04
Once reckoned to be no more than a fad,
hallyu, or the Korean Wave, is set to sweep
across the world once more with some of
its hottest shows and movies yet.
PEN & BRUSH 16
In a cynical world, Shin Gyeong-suk stands
apart with a deep-rooted faith in the power
of humanity. Hearteningly, it has made her
one of Korea’s most popular writers.
PEOPLE
Though born in Germany, Lee Charm, the
head of the Korea Tourism Organization,
is as Korean as they come — right down
to the nationality on his passport.
TRAVEL 24
Jeju Island is Korea’s best-known tourist
destination, blessed with a plethora of
natural riches. Little wonder that Koreans
just can’t get enough of their idyllic island
getaway.
MY KOREA 30
It was another memorable World Cup for
Korea this year, with red-clad fans resuming
20
their places on the city streets. And for one
foreign resident, the excitement and warmth
brought memories of 2002 flooding back.
GLOBAL KOREA
Having long been recipients of aid, many
Koreans are now discovering the joy of
voluntary work — in places as far afield
as South Asia and South America. Come
and meet some of the special people who
found fulfillment in giving.
SUMMIT DIPLOMACY
At the ninth Asia Security Summit,
President Lee Myung-bak outlined his
vision for Asia’s global role, rallied support
for a resolute response to North Korea,
and still found time to talk trade and
security with the leaders of Singapore.
www.korea.net
36 NOW IN KOREA 44
From out of nowhere, Korea has emerged
as a cosmetics titan in East Asia.
Encharming beauty maniac, Korea’s
stores lure customers with good service
and quality at excellent prices.
40
PUBLISHER Seo Kang-soo,
Korean Culture and Information Service
EDITING HEM KOREA Co., Ltd
E-MAIL webmaster@korea.net
PRINTING Samsung Moonwha Printing Co.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced in any form without permission from
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Service.
The articles published in KOREA do not necessarily
represent the views of the publisher. The publisher is
not liable for errors or omissions.
Letters to the editor should include the writer’s full
name and address. Letters may be edited for clarity
and/or space restrictions.
If you want to receive a free copy of KOREA or wish
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text are available by clicking on the thumbnail of
KOREA on the homepage of www.korea.net.
발간등록번호 : 11-1110073-000016-06
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COVER STORY

THE KOREAN
WAVE
SPREADS
TO THE
WORLD
In its home country, hallyu — the “Korean Wave” of TV series, movies and pop
singers that swept across Asia — was once considered no more than a fad. While its
biggest hits, such as Winter Sonata and Dae Jang Geum (aired in the U.S. as Jewel in
the Palace), were sensations overseas, the resulting glut of hallyu-prefixed output
was often of a vastly inferior quality, leading many to think that its days were
numbered. But recently, hallyu has emerged stronger than ever, with its hits
sweeping through Asia and onto the world stage. by Jeong Deok-hyeon

ⓒ Victory Production

A still from the TV drama Personal Preference, which stars Lee Min-ho and Son Ye-jin.
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Turning on the television in his hotel room on a recent

business trip to Vietnam, K. from Korea was astonished.
Though he had certainly glimpsed the posters of Korean
celebrities adorning the shops en route from the airport, he
hadn’t expected to see them all again on his TV in a seemingly
endless procession of Korean drama shows. Seeing the actors
dubbed in Vietnamese was also a source of amusement. On
one show, he could swear that one person’s voice was dubbing
every single character. Later asking a guide, who confirmed his
suspicion, whether it wasn’t offputting to have one actor do all
the voices, he was told no it wasn’t, because the dramas are
just so addictive.
And situations like this aren’t limited to Vietnam. At 9pm,
the “golden hour” for viewing figures, Korean dramas are a
common sight on Hong Kong’s TV stations. ATV, one of the
largest outlets, currently shows Korean programming from 8
to 10:30pm, Monday to Friday. Just a few years ago, Korean
dramas were a marginal concern, with only two or three aired
per year. Then Dae Jang Geum, a historical tale about a female
physician in the Joseon Dynasty, seized a massive 50 percent
audience share, taking Korean TV shows into the big time.
China has proved just as susceptible to the Korean wave.
Again, the catalyst for success was Dae Jang Geum, which
gained an audience share of at least 15 percent in 31 major
cities across the country, followed by other big hits such as
Full House and Stairway to Heaven. Such has been the success Kim Tae-hee, who starred in the hit show Iris (opposite). Actors Lee Jun-ki,
heroine Nam Sang-mi and Jung Kyung-ho star in Time Between Dog and
of Korean stars in the country, some are now appearing in Wolf (above, from left). Stills from the drama Iris (below left, right). A scene
homegrown Chinese productions. After gaining popularity in from the drama Boys Over Flowers (bottom).

ⓒ Apple Tree Pictures (top); Taewon Entertainment (middle left, right); Creative Leaders Group Eight (bottom)
Successful Story of a Bright Girl, about a country girl falling for a
big-city business type, Jang Na-ra co-starred in the Chinese
drama My Bratty Princess with Taiwanese actor Alec Su. Its
sequel, My Bratty Princess 2, featured another Korean actress,
Chae Rim, who hit it big in All About Eve, in which two news
reporters vie for a top spot in the network they both work for.
Alongside Jang Hyuk, who gained popularity with Introducing My
Girlfriend, Chae Rim is scheduled to star in the upcoming
Chinese remake of All About Eve.
From Hong Kong, hallyu has also spread throughout
Southeast Asia. Even Myanmar, a country not known for its
cultural openness, has fallen for the charms of Korean enter-
tainment, first with Winter Sonata and now Dae Jang Geum
and a comedy gangster flick Marrying the Mafia. In cracking
Southeast Asian markets, Hong Kong has proved a crucial
ⓒ Taewon Entertainment

conduit. Full House, to take one example, garnered a 52

percent rating in Hong Kong with 63 percent in Thailand,
42.3 percent in the Philippines and an astonishing 78 percent
rating in Indonesia.
Today, proving their remarkably adaptable appeal, hallyu

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shows have started creeping into Central Asia, Africa and even
the Muslim world. Slushy hit Winter Sonata aired in Egypt in
2004, while Tunisia has developed a taste for Korean histori-
cal dramas such as Jamyeonggo. In 2007, after joining the long
list of countries to fall for Dae Jang Geum, Iran became hooked
on Jumong, which recorded a 60 percent audience share.
Uzbek viewers saw Painter of the Wind; Mongolians watched
Temptation of a Wife. And the recently finished Personal
Preference, in which a straight man pretends to be gay in order
to room with the female lead, is being exported to Central and
South America, Africa, and the Middle East.

THE INTERNATIONAL WAVE So how is the original market for

hallyu, Japan, faring now? Though many believe the Korean
wave petered out after Winter Sonata and Dae Jang Geum, the
reality is that, though not on the phenomenal scale of those two
shows, a string of Korean shows continue to do well there
today. Having failed to lure audiences with dramas that mim-

ⓒ Pan Entertainment (top); Taewon Entertainment (bottom); OSEN (bottom right); Creative Leaders Group Eight (opposite top); Victory Production (opposite bottom)
icked the formula of the big hits, Korean TV producers are
finding that homegrown successes are continuing to pull in
Japanese viewers. Romantic comedy My Lovely Sam Soon, a
huge success in Korea, took a 5.2 percent share in the highly
fragmented Japanese market (where even 6 percent is
rare), and historical dramas Yi San and Dae Jo Yeong also
struck a big chord with Japanese viewers.
Protagonist Lee Seung-gi from Brilliant Legacy (above). Iris’s stars Lee So- At home, the number of Korean dramas is rising
yeon, Kim Tae-hee and TOP (below, right). A still from Boys Over Flowers
(opposite top). A scene from Personal Preference (opposite bottom).
steadily. From November 2008 to June 2009, the
number of such shows increased from 27 to 42,
with each channel raising its own quota of
dramas from two to six. And with greater volume
has come greater diversity. After Winter Sonata
inspired a cult-like following among women
throughout Asia, Korean producers saturated the
market with sentimental romances with increasing-
ly unfeasible plots. Now, however, subject matter
includes noir (Time Between Dog and Wolf), family
(Brilliant Legacy), history (Jumong) and even private
educational institutes (Boys Over Flowers). By diversify-
ing their output into fast-paced, more action-oriented
historical series, producers have managed to lure male
viewers into what was once an almost entirely female
preserve — and now, viewers are getting younger, too.
Iris is a prime example of how hallyu dramas have
changed. On April 21, the espionage thriller was the first
Korean drama to be aired on Japanese TV in the 9pm
golden hour, with the first two episodes (broadcast
consecutively) receiving a 10.1 percent overall audience share,
a huge number by Japanese standards.
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boundaries within Asia, the next stepping stone for hallyu has
become the global market. Korean actors and actresses are
starring in Chinese and Japanese dramas, and Korean
directors and authors are working with Chinese and Japanese
actors and actresses. Capital is no longer limited by national
boundaries, and TV and movie moguls are searching for new
investments throughout the region.
As hallyu aims to consolidate its success in Asia, producers
recognize that they, too, have to change. Though not created
specifically with the international market in mind, Dae Jang
Geum is perhaps the best example of how Korean dramas can
succeed across borders: by identifying universal themes that
can appeal to viewers everywhere, and can be tweaked to
speak to their own lives.

TODAY EUROPE, TOMORROW HOLLYWOOD The international-

ization of Korean TV dramas is every bit as evident in movies.
In China, the list of Korean stars appearing in local productions
includes Song Hye-kyo in Wong Kar-wai’s The Grand Master,
Jun Ji-hyun in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and Kim Hee- A scene from the movie Ha Ha Ha, which starred Moon So-ri and Kim Sang-
gyeong – the film received the top prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival
sun in the historical movie Civil Wars. And while the focus for
(top). Director of Poetry Lee Chang-dong and The Housemaid’s director Im
hallyu in Southeast Asia undoubtedly remains TV dramas, in Sang-soo (above, from left). Poetry’s heroine Yoon Jeong-hee (below).
other markets, notably Europe, it is the movies that are catch-
ing the critics’ eyes.
Among the films on show at this year’s Cannes Film Festival
Nor were ratings the sole triumph for Iris. With much of the was Im Sang-soo’s The Housemaid, a remake of a cult Korean
production and marketing duties shared with TBS, Iris starred classic from the 1960s. Meanwhile, Lee Chang-dong’s Poetry
Lee Byung-hun, one of Korea’s biggest stars, and TOP, a singer received great acclaim and went on to win the award for best
with popular K-pop group Big Bang, and featured a soundtrack screenplay. Another Korean movie Hong Sang-soo’s Ha Ha Ha
by Shin Seung-hun, a fast-rising Korean star in Japan. By received the top prize in the Un Certain Regard category.
bringing such big and varied stars on board, Iris aimed for, While Cannes itself was, because of Europe’s ongoing
and got, not just viewers in their 30s and older, but a younger economic problems, a somewhat dampened affair, Korean

Jeon Do-yeon, who previously won the best female actress award at Cannes
Film Festival in 2007, recently starred the film The Housemaid (above). A
scene from The Housemaid (below).
ⓒ Sponge Entertainment (top); Mirovision (middle right); Unikorea (middle left, bottom)
demographic as well. films enjoyed their most successful showing yet. Besides The
As a joint production with Japan, Iris also symbolized hallyu’s Housemaid’s tally of 15 countries, Poetry and Lee Joon-ik’s
growing role as a truly pan-Asian phenomenon. From being Blades of Blood (which was not officially on show) were sold to
made entirely in Korea, and then viewed in Japan and China, four countries apiece. In addition, Kim Ji-woon, of The Good,
newer productions are often harnessing the strengths of all The Bad, The Weird fame, sold his latest work, I Saw the Devil,
three countries. Kim Hyoo-jong, dean of the Graduate School of to French distributor ARP. Though still unfinished, the movie is
Arts Management at Chugye University for the Arts, defines the receiving a lot of attention thanks to its stellar cast, which
first phase of hallyu as the “made in” era, the next phase as includes Lee Byung-hun and Oldboy star Choi Min-sik.
the “made by” era (when the focus will be on the production As seen at Cannes, Korean movies are slowly but surely
company), and the current phase as the “made for” era, where gaining ground in Europe. But what of the movie Holy Grail,
the emphasis is on targeting groups that can receive the most Hollywood? So far, hallyu has had considerably less success
value and enjoyment. there. Yet two top stars, Rain and Lee Byung-hun, were cast in
Hallyu has become an industry where content is no longer big-budget movies — respectively Ninja Assassin and G.I. Joe:
restricted by national boundaries. China’s vast market, Japan’s The Rise of Cobra — and with the success hallyu continues to
ⓒ Mirovision

marketing skills and Korea’s excellence in production are now enjoy elsewhere, who would bet against a Korean-directed
combined to produce a single product. Having expanded its Hollywood film hitting it big in the next 10 years?

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COVER STORY
These are heady days for Korea’s historical
dramas. Now shown around the world, the
genre’s road to success began back in
2004 with the mega-hit Dae Jang Geum,
which told the story of a female physician in
a Joseon Dynasty. As of June 2010, the
show has been broadcast in 60 countries
worldwide, enjoying phenomenal success as
far afield as Japan, Taiwan and Iran. In
India, so taken was one prisoner with the
show that he penned an open letter to
Korea saying, “I have found new hope in life
through watching Dae Jang Geum.”
In bringing Korean culture into households
around the world, Dae Jang Geum has raised
Korea’s profile enormously, while also bringing
tangible financial benefits to the country. The
show’s heavy focus on food sparked a craze
for such dishes as bibimbap, with Korean
restaurants even in New York reporting a
spike in interest in the dish. In addition, the
show sparked a wave of spin-offs and
merchandising, in everything from tourism to
musicals to computer game characters.
More recently, the historical dramas
Jumong, Yi San, The Kingdom of the Winds
and Emperor of the Sea have raised
awareness of Korea’s history and culture A still from the TV drama Kim Soo Ro (oppo-
site). A scene from the drama The Kingdom
while gripping viewers worldwide. Calling of the Winds, starred Song Il-gook (top). Kim
them “cultural ambassadors,” one member Soo Ro’s hero Ji Sung (above).
of the production staff at Korean TV network
MBC says: “Although historical dramas need to be interesting,
they must also accurately depict Korean history. If our histori-
cal dramas are not accurate, they could show foreigners a
distorted picture of Korean history.”
THE REAL PICTURE Ever since the success of Dae Jang Geum,
LEARNING FROM THE PAST Korean pop culture has used the country’s history both to feed
the overseas demand for hallyu and to make domestic audiences
As Sex and the City fans would surely acknowledge, the show’s setting and the lifestyle of look at their past anew. One notable instance of this has been in
the changing depiction of women, of whom the determined
its main characters are as appealing as its plotlines. Indeed, rightly or wrongly, the show
protagonist of Dae Jang Geum is only the most notable example.
is great insight into how New Yorkers live for many viewers. In much the same way, While conventional wisdom has it that Korean women were
various hallyu productions are providing a window into the lives and culture of Koreans.
ⓒ KBS (top); MBC (bottom)
always and everywhere suppressed by dominant men, historical
And nowhere is this truer than with one of its most popular exports: historical dramas. dramas have shown a more nuanced picture, depicting the lives
by Ahn Jin-yong of women who wielded genuine power in historical Korea.
Take, for example, MBC historical drama Queen Seondeok.
ⓒ MBC
Set in Korea’s distant past, the show depicts the conspiracies
KOREA
JULY
12 2010
and feuds that eventually saw Seonduk
become Korea’s first queen. A big success
in Korea, the series has also been exported
to 14 countries around the world.
In Dong Yi, also on MBC, Consort Choi,
though born to the lowest echelons of
Korean society, mothers the man who goes
on to become Joseon Dynasty monarch
Yeongjo. “Dong Yi was contracted for export
to Japan and Thailand for US$ 6 million
even before the drama was aired in Korea,”
says a crew member working on the show.
“Buyers are growing tired of male dominated
historical dramas, and are increasingly fasci-
nated by historical stories about women.”
Some historical dramas also attempt to
cover aspects of Korean history that had previ-
ously been neglected. Kim Soo Ro delves into
largely forgotten Gaya civilization, while Dae Jo
Yeong serves as a source of information on
Korea’s ancient Balhae civilization.
WHY SO POPULAR Just as we think of
pyramids and the Sphinx when Egypt is
mentioned, and Ancient Greece brings to
mind mythology, in like manner Korean
historical dramas are providing a compelling
historical context for the country Korea is
today. These intriguing storylines and the
culture they convey are one of the most
precious gifts left to us by our forefathers,
and have a universal appeal that can be enjoyed by foreigners
as much as by Koreans.
And the benefits are more than just a higher profile for Korean
culture. According to the “Study of the Economic Value of the
Korean Wave (Hallyu),” published in 2005 by the International
Trade Research Center of the Korea International Trade
Association, in 2004, the year Dae Jang Geum was released,
hallyu generated income of US$ 1.87 billion overseas.
Clearly, a well-made depiction of Korean culture can bring
great economic benefits, too. But the intangible benefits are as
valuable, providing Korea with a chance to display the vibrancy
of its culture, lifestyle and history to the wider world. “Korea
currently may not make blockbuster movies like Transformers
or Iron Man,” a Korean cultural critic recently noted. “But
Korea definately has a distinct culture that nobody else
possesses. This unique aspect is distilled and displayed in
Korean historical dramas.”
KOREA
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COVER STORY

appearance in Queen Seondeok. Kwon also returned to the big

screen, with an appearance in Lee Jae-han’s 71-Into the Fire.

MADE OF KOREAN MATERIALS So Ji-sub, who last year went

to Japan to promote his hit series Cain and Abel, is starring in
a new drama. To mark his return, So chose Road Number One,
a drama series about the Korean War that air in the memory of
60th year of the Korean War, which is on the air nowadays.
A reference to National Highway No 1, the main artery
connecting North and South Korea during the war, Road
Number One looks at the loves and friendships that are forged
during the war. So Ji-sub plays Lee Jang-woo, a passionate
South Korean officer born to a poor farming family, who finally

HALLYU’S BIG BANG overcomes enormous hardship and danger by sheer instinct
and force of will.
Starting broadcast on June 25, Road Number One also stars
Some of hallyu’s biggest stars have a busy six months ahead. Having conquered Kim Ha-neul, Yoon Kye-sang, Choi Min-soo and Son Chang-min.
Southeast Asia and, in some cases, gone further afield, some of the biggest names in A member of the crew says: “Road Number One is not only an
Korean entertainment — including Rain, Song Seung-hun, Kwon Sang-woo and So Ji- engrossing series, it is also an opportunity to reflect on the Kim Hyeon-jung is rumored to be playing the lead roles in upcoming drama,
It Started With a Kiss (above). So Ji-sub (below) and Kim Ha-neul (bottom)
sub — are set to return to the big and small screens. In this big hallyu showdown, who Korean War. By casting So Ji-sub in the lead role, the show is are currently starring in the show Road Number One.
will be the last man (or woman) standing? by Ahn Jin-yong sure to convey the full emotional impact of the war to his
foreign fans too.”
Meanwhile, Park Yong-ha, star of Winter Sonata and On Air,
is to star in Love Song, a remake drama of the Chinese movie
of Sweet Sweet Love. Park is also a famous singer, especially
in Japan, where he has released 10 albums and even held a
concert at Nippon Budokan, one of the country’s most famous
concert halls. By remaking what was a worldwide hit when it
was released in 1997, Sweet Sweet Love, which originally
After a long absence as he focused on becoming a global star, friends. And in the second half of 2010, they are preparing to starred Leon Lai and Maggie Cheung, has the advantage of a
Rain will be back on Korean TV screens in this year’s October battle it out for the affections of hallyu fans everywhere. familiar and much-loved story. Park’s Japanese fans and the
with a new miniseries, Fugitive. Five years have passed since An award winner for his star turn in the drama series East of legions of Chinese viewers who so loved the original are sure
the Ninja Assassin star’s last TV outing, so expectations among Eden, Song is set to appear in My Princess, from the team at to make the new version, Love Song, a big hit.
his fans are reaching a fever pitch. Curtain Call Producers. Though neither the network nor the Also set for the Korean remake treatment is It Started With
Making his small-screen debut in 2004’s Full House, Rain director have yet been confirmed, Song will star opposite one a Kiss, a hit drama series from Taiwan that was itself based on
has consolidated his Asia-wide appeal in the years since with of Korea’s hottest female stars, Kim Tae-hee, fresh from her a bestselling Japanese comic book. Kim Hyeon-jung, from K-
a string of pop hits and, more recently, movie roles. In the new success in the smash hit thriller series Iris. “Kim Eun-sook, pop idol group SS501, and Shim Chang-min, from rival group
series, Rain will be working with producer Kwak Jung-hwan and who wrote Lovers in Paris and On Air, will write the script,” says TVQX, or Dong Bang Shin Gi, are rumored to be playing the
writer Chun Sung-il, who teamed up to a successful effect in a member of the production team. “With Song Seung-hun and lead roles in the Korean version, which is scheduled to air in
last year’s drama Chuno. Fan boards are also aswirl with Kim Tae-hee in this drama, we’re all expecting big things, both the second half of 2010. With both Kim and Shim already big
rumors linking Lee Na-young, star of Korea-Japan co-production inside and outside Korea.” pop stars in Korea and throughout Asia, producers are
Dream and hit drama Island, with the lead role opposite Rain. Also set to make Korean TV screens sizzle is Kwon Sang- confident that It Started With a Kiss will be a big hit with
As comebacks go, this one could be really special. woo, who will return in The Substitute this October. Kwon will ⓒ DSP Media (top); MBC
their younger fans.
appear alongside Ko Hyun-jung, who starred as Mishil in last “With so many big names returning, the remaining half of
STARS, RIVALS, FRIENDS Song Seung-hun, famous for the year’s historical drama Queen Seondeok, and Ko Hyun-jung, 2010 is truly shaping up to be a ‘war of the stars,’” says a
dramas Autumn in My Heart and Summer Scent, and Kwon who will play Korea’s first female president. source at Korean TV network MBC. “This will also become a
Sang-woo, the milky-skinned star of Stairway to Heaven, have a Much is being made of the potential on-screen chemistry battle amongst the three main TV channels. The whole tide of
fair bit in common. They are both 33. They are very close between Kwon and Ko, whose star is on the rise after her hallyu could change this year.”

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PEN & BRUSH

WRITING
WITHOUT
BORDERS
Shin Gyeong-suk’s novels are so delicate and welcoming, they invariably remind
you of the low hills curving the bends of a countryside road or of a gently flowing
stream. The wind may blow, cold rain may pour, a wild storm may pass through,
but through it all, Shin’s books retain a touching faith in human nature. This is
the consistency that keeps Shin’s novels together. by Oh Kyong-yon | photographs by Park Jeong-roh

I met Shin Gyeong-suk in early June, with her new novel,
A Phone Rings for Me Somewhere, was relishing its third
straight week on the top of the bestseller lists. It was her
second bestseller in a row following Take Care of My Mother,
which sold more than a million copies and was turned into a
successful play. I first thanked Shin for taking time off from
her busy schedule and asked her how she is handling her
countless obligations. In a hoarse whisper, Shin responded
that she was almost lost her voice following a book signing
last week. She also said, however, that she could really feel the
affection from her readers, and that no matter how busy she
got, she always felt content and happy.
For several reasons, A Phone Rings for Me Somewhere is a
significant work for Shin. For one thing, it was the first time
comment as she progressed. For a “conventional” writer, I
remarked that exposing her work to the rough and tumble of
the Internet world must had been quite a risk. But Shin
recalled the experience as being “more refreshing and fun
than I’d expected.”
“Yes, the writing was continuing online, but I simply kept
meeting the deadline the way I always have, and so I wasn’t in
any sort of rush,” Shin said. “And then there was the fun part
of seeing readers’ comments to my writing in real time. It was
as if the monitor was alive.”
Each part of Shin’s serial attracted 60 to 100 comments,
mostly written by fans who had visited her website every day.
Reeling off some of the more memorable user IDs she
encountered, she said that over the six months it had taken

Shin Gyeong-suk she had posted drafts of her work online, inviting readers to her to write the whole book, her readers’ feedback were a

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major source of encouragement and inspiration.
But not all parts of her story were so warmly received. Early
on, when she included some intense scenes about the deaths
of the main characters, some readers responded they were
shocked and heartbroken. “Since the stories were posted at
10am, a relatively early hour,” Shin said, “I decided not to
reveal the more harrowing episodes, and put them directly
in the book.”
Another reason why A Phone Rings for Me Somewhere is so
special to Shin is that it gave her the chance to write about the
vagaries of youth. “French novelist Le Clézio said ‘the home
of the writer is the mother tongue,’” said Shin. “As a Korean
writer, I’d long harbored ambitions of writing a beautiful and
sophisticated Korean-language novel about youth. It finally
came true.” Just as she had spent her youth reading André
Gide and Hermann Hesse, Shin said that she hoped her
works would become the same kind of coming-of-age works
that can inspire the Korean youth of today.
THE UNIVERSAL None of this means, however, that Shin’s
themes work only in Korean. The million-selling Take Care of
My Mother has been sold to 19 countries throughout North
KOREA
JULY
18 2010
America, Europe and Asia, while other novels have been
translated into Chinese, French and Japanese. Shin said that
regarding Take Care of My Mother, the editor at her US
publisher had shocked her by expressing virtually the same
opinions on it as her Korean publisher had. “Regardless of
nationality, people seem to share universal feelings and
existential values,” Shin said.
“[My] novels aren’t confined to certain cultural areas,
but deal with fundamental tales,” she added, “and that way,
anyone from any country can really relate to them.” Because
of this, Shin said, foreign readers of her work had been able
to absorb the oddities of Korean culture, rather than just
viewing it as alien. “We often categorize literature by the
country of the writer’s origin, such as ‘Korean literature,’
‘Japanese literature,’ or ‘French literature,’” she said, “but I
actually think there’s no boundary to literature itself.”
As a huge fan of foreign literature, Shin said she dearly
hoped that Korean novels, definitely including her own,
would gain more readership overseas. And in her work,
references to foreign culture abound: In one example, at the
end of Take Care of My Mother, the Pieta (Jesus in the arms
of Mother Mary), in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, is
symbolically overlapped with the scene of the ‘mother’ in the
arms of her own mother. In another, A Phone Rings for Me
Somewhere contains a significant reference to St. Christopher
from the Western myth.
LITTLE GUYS Saying she has never really felt attracted to
heroes, Shin characterized most of her protagonists as “little
guys,” the ordinary, everyday people who live with the pain of
loss. Shin’s empathy with “anti-heroes” can be found in her
novel Leejin, a historical work about a real-life 19th-century
character named Yi Sim who moved from Korea to Paris.
“Yi Sim had been completely forgotten amid historical
events, such as the modernization at the end of the Joseon
Dynasty and the introduction of feudalism in modern
France,” Shin said, adding that her passion for a character
who had faded into insignificance more than 100 years previ-
ously had pushed her to try a new genre of writing. “I had
personally become more introverted after experiencing some
of the difficulties of moving from the countryside to a big
city, so I could really relate to the identity crisis and loneliness
that Yi Sim must have faced.”
This empathy and affection for her characters is a trait
found in much of Shin’s work. But back when she began her
literary career, aged just 22, Shin admited to having been a
very different writer. “Early on, I paid more attention to
prose. I wanted the readers to know, no matter which page
they were reading, that this is a Shin Gyeong-suk novel,”
she said. “But after two decades as a novelist, I feel liberated
from that obsession. My focus has definitely shifted to the
characters.”
In coming up with ideas for her stories, Shin said she was
inspired by random words she reads somewhere, newspaper
articles, or just little things she comes across in her everyday
life. But nothing, she said, inspired her like people them-
selves, and the endless shades of opinion she had about the
many fascinating characters she met.
With Shin now twenty years into her career, what, I asked
her, did the novel mean to her?
“To me, a novel is the world, a way of communication, and
everything that I am. All of my novels start from within. The
characters’ words and anecdotes all come out through me,
and that really is the inevitable outcome.” But, she added,
while she was the conduit for the characters, each of them
ended up weaving his or her own story as the book unfolded.
So when the book was complete, the people in it represented
no more than 10 percent of her.
She cited An Isolated Room as an example. Though it was
LA CHAMBRE SOLITAIRE
(AN ISOLATED ROOM)
> Language French
> Publisher Philippe Picquier (France, Paris)
> Published 2008
Shin Gyeong-suk’s autobiographical novel is
based on her own experiences from the age of
16 to 20. The protagonist moves to Seoul after
growing up on a farm, and attends night school after spending all
day at work. The book is about an aspiring writer’s interactions
with the people she meets while working. In calm prose, Shin
offers a sometimes unflinching account of painful memories, using
the symbolic space that is “an isolated room.”
VERSAMMELTE LICHTER
(GATHERED LIGHT)
> Language German
> Publisher Pendragon (Bielefeld, Germany)
> Published 2002
Part of a collection of modern Korean short
stories, Versammelte Lichter is a story about
what happens after a novelist publishes in a newspaper a rather
uncomfortable incident between her father and her aunt. In an
offbeat, witty manner, Shin relates parts of the tale as if it were
a newspaper article.
(SOME DISAPPEARANCE)
> Language Japanese
> Publisher Kinokuniya (Tokyo, Japan)
> Published 1997
Actually a collection of Shin’s short stories, the
title work depicts the painful aftermath of a devas-
tated family. In it, a son dies mysteriously while
serving in his military duty, an event that sends his mother insane.
After she too dies, the father and the daughter must learn how to
come to terms with the loss and move on.
considered one of her most autobiographical works, Shin said
she was actually interested in the other characters, and not
the storyteller. “I wanted to write about my own experience
from the 1980s, and as much as I could, I wanted to focus on
these other, forgotten characters who suffered just as much,
rather than on the narrator, who reflected me. I want people
to pay more attention to other characters than to my voice.”
Her greatest wish was for her novels to be seen as “guiding
hands,” Shin said: “We forget that people are valuable in their
own way and that each one of us is as unique as a shining
star. I want to be able to help people, and sometimes, I
wanted to be helped by people.”
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20-23 people 2010.7.2 10:16 AM 페이지 20 Mac-2 in T C M Y K

PEOPLE

A TRUE
KOREAN
In what remains one of the most
homogeneous modern countries,
Lee Charm is a foreigner to every
local he encounters. But talking
with him even for a short while
reveals a depth of knowledge
about Korea and its culture that
would put a lot of locals to
shame. Completely fluent in
Korean, German-born Lee
Charm is the first naturalized
Korean to hold a high official
post — in his case, the presiden-
cy of the Korea Tourism
Organization. And in keeping
with his passion for Korean
tourist spots, KOREA met up
with him in the woods of
Magoksa Temple in Gongju,
Chungcheongnam-do Province.
by Oh Kyong-yon | photographs by Kim Nam-heon

KOREA KOREA
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20 2010 2010 21
20-23 people 2010.7.2 10:16 AM 페이지 22 Mac-2 in T C M Y K
Lee Charm starts his day early. Most mornings, he attends
meetings from 7 to 7:30am or gives academic lectures. At
around 9am he attends a board meeting to discuss major
issues affecting the various departments he is involved with.
The rest of the morning and the entire afternoon are a blizzard
of talks with government ministry personnel, tourism events
and business meetings. Much of his daily 24 hours, then, is
packed with negotiations and business dealings. But somehow,
the industrious president of the Korea Tourism Organization
(KTO) finds time to squeeze in domestic and overseas
business trips as well.
Since his appointment to the KTO in August 2009, Lee says
he has spent less than 10 days on entirely personal affairs —
prompting not unreasonable claims that he is a workaholic.
“But it’s something I enjoy doing,” he says, “so I don’t really
feel like the work is exhausting. When I do have some spare
time, I go mountain climbing or take a walk with my purebred
Jindo dog.” Something else he does in his precious spare time
is update his blog (http://blog.naver.com/charmlee21) —
which, perhaps inevitably, contains news of his work and
travels, too. Even as we wander around Magoksa Temple,
where the interview takes place, Lee is constantly stopping to
take pictures that will make their way onto his blog. “I would
really love to take better photos with a DSLR camera,” he says
with a smile, “but because of difficulties in carrying it, I have to
settle for a compact digital camera. Too bad!”
DISCOVERING SEON Lee’s reason for traveling to Magoksa is
to participate in the G-20 Templestay Experience, one of a
series of events prepared for representatives of countries tak-
ing part in the G-20 Summit in Korea later this year. Asked why
he chose a templestay to represent Korea’s tourist attractions,
which requires participants to stay in the Korean countryside
for two days, Lee says, “Korean Buddhist culture is not only a
KOREA
JULY
22 2010
religious matter; it’s also of a general concept that includes
meditating, taking part in the tea ceremony and so on.
Buddhist temples are usually located within nature, in
mountains or near rivers. Meditating in these places can bring
you closer to nature and help you discover your true self.”
“From the aspect of Pungsu-jiri [Korea’s geomancy or feng
shui],” he continues, with all the assurance of a true master,
“Magoksa has perfect form and shape.” The location of the
temple is also stable, he adds, with the Magok stream running
in an S shape in the middle of the precincts of the temple.
Mentioning that this is his
third templestay, Lee looks
perfectly at ease as he takes
part in barugongyang (the
Buddhist meal ritual), cultural
activities, and even the pre-
dawn Buddhist service.
“Arriving at the state of Seon
through meditation without any
formalities is always a new,
magical experience,” Lee says,
referring to the Korean form of
Zen. “Feeling that your mind
and body are at peace is not a
Lee Charm takes a walk with a monk and others (top). Magoksa Temple is a histori-
cal site, originally built in AD640 during the Shilla era (above left). Some colorful
Dasik (Korean traditional pressed sweets) is seen (above right).
coincidence of any kind; it’s the result of harmony between the
mountains and the water.” From 2011, he says, the KTO will
feature a templestay program that will heal the mind and body
by using the ancient Eastern life-force, known in Korean as gi.
ALWAYS DIFFERENT, ALWAYS THE SAME Born in Bad
Kreuznach in Germany, the 196cm-tall Lee became a natural-
ized Korean citizen at the relatively young age of 32. Working
variously as an educator, broadcaster, actor, writer and
entrepreneur in Korea, Lee became a truly public figure with
his ascent to the presidency of the KTO. Promoting a
naturalized citizen to the top spot in a public organization —
the first time this had happened in Korea — was widely hailed
as an innovative, even daring move, especially in a country
that still has such a small foreign population.
“A lot of people helped me, so it wasn’t that tough,” Lee
says. “I think, through this position, the Korean tourism
industry gave me a chance to really help develop this field in
this age of internationalization. I do feel a deep sense of
responsibility because I am the first non-Korean born person
to hold such a post, but I will do my very best so that there
will be more people like me in Korea.”
“In Korean food, the elements of Yin and Yang and the Five
Elements mentioned in Eastern philosophy exist, so you can
experience five different tastes: bitterness, spiciness, sweet- one of his favorite destinations is the hometown of the
ness, sourness and saltiness,” Lee explains. To illustrate his Donguibogam (an ancient Korean medical tome): Sancheong in
point, Lee talks about a promotional event that he attended Gyeongsangnam-do Province. Besides its medical connections,
during a business trip to Germany earlier this year. To test Sancheong is also home to a royal palace that has two major
their level of gi, or chi, before and after eating Korean cuisine, claims to fame: During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the
participants underwent what is known as the Bi-Digital O-Ring national seal was made there; and within its walls, it has a
Test (BDORT), in which someone forms an O shape with his or turtle-shaped rock that is renowned for containing the
her fingers and another person tries to pry them open. After strongest gi in Korea — legend has it that if you touch the
eating, all the participants fingers became considerably harder rock, something good will happen to you.
to force open, a fact that proponents put down to increases in Lee defines Korea as “a country of mystical energy, gi; of
gi prompted by Korean food. emotional energy, jeong; and of cheerful energy, heung.” To
“Korean food creates energy,” Lee says. “Not only is it tasty, Lee, the ineffable but ever-present gi was a key reason for
it has a philosophy that can appeal to people all over the Korea’s startling progress after the Korean War. “Creating
world.” Lee’s personal favorite is bibimbap, a concoction of such a fun atmosphere by getting along with each other, just
boiled rice and vegetables that Lee says can transform itself like the group cheering culture during the World Cup, is due to
endlessly by adding ingredients unique to different parts of Korea’s unique energy, heung,” he adds, warming to his
Korea, or even different parts of the world. Much like pizza, theme. “In other countries, you often have to pay for water
bibimbap can thus be customized to local tastes, without ever when you’re in restaurants, but in Korea, you experience a
losing its basic identity. “There are a lot of vegetables in warm human touch, by getting water and even side dishes for
bibimbap, so you’re eating a lot of fiber. When I eat it, it feels free, which shows the jeong of Koreans.” With his Caucasian
like I’m consuming nature’s energy.” appearance and his towering frame, Lee Charm may look every
inch the stranger in a foreign land. But with the deep affection
HIGH ENERGY Even before becoming head of the KTO, Lee and knowledge he embodies toward his adopted home, it is
was well known as a big fan of traveling around Korea. Today, hard to imagine anyone more truly Korean.
Temple stay participants experience a time of Seon [Korean form of Zen] (top). Lee
enjoys taking pictures and updating his blog about travel (above).
KOREA
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24-29 travel 2010.7.2 10:17 AM 페이지 1 Mac-2 in T C M Y K

TRAVEL

ONLY ON
JEJU
Jeju, off Korea’s southern coast, is an island of peace,
where welcoming people live surrounded by
turquoise seas and turtle-shaped hills. On the path-
ways connecting the outskirts of the island, hikers
wander at leisure, stopping to see some of Jeju’s
remarkable natural sights — an oreum (parasitic
volcano), perhaps, or a beautiful waterfall. On Jeju,
travelers discover all the bounty of nature, and all

ⓒ Jeju Special Self-Governing Province

the charms of Korean hospitality, too. by Chung Dong-muk

A beautiful bird’s eye view of Jeju Island.

24-29 travel 2010.7.2 10:17 AM 페이지 3 Mac-2 in T C M Y K
With the day breaking and light starting to illuminate my small
room, I rise and prepare for a journey on the road. It is the
second day of what has been my longest walk for years. My
feet are swollen, my body fatigued, yet in my mind, I am ready
to conquer Everest Mountain.
The Olle trail that circles Jeju Island along the beach is now
the number one itinerary for visitors to the island. I must
confess to having been a little bit mystified by the appeal of
this renowned walkway — it is, ultimately, only a path. But
when I actually started walking it, along with a group of youth
who happened to be going the same way, I started to realize
just what made it so special.
Appreciating the marvelous scenery of Jeju, at the leisurely
pace it warrants, is an experience that no amount of descrip-
tion will quite do justice to. It is, also, the perfect place to
rediscover the virtue of the good old-fashioned stroll. Today,
after all, people walk perhaps less than ever before. We sit in
offices, we sit in cars. We walk in a month a similar distance
to what our grandparents perhaps covered in a day. As a
KOREA
JULY
26 2010
Seongsan-eup, and leading to the northwest point of
Gwangryeong-ri town office at Aewol-eup. Each course runs
about 15-20 kilometers and takes between five and seven
hours to complete.
A NATURAL ATTRACTION Despite falling levels of exercise,
there has been a growing trend toward these therapeutic trips,
in which earthly cares are extinguished through a long walk (or
some other physical activities) and plenty of sweat. Jeju is
tailor-made for this kind of vacation, offering both an astonish-
ing natural bounty and plenty of opportunity to relax, too.
Blessed with a temperate marine climate, Jeju also has an
abundance of flora never seen on the mainland. Rare species
such crinums and angraecums, and broadleaf trees like silver
magnolia, Korean fir, and Washington Palm create a wonderful
atmosphere, with few parallels anywhere in Northeast Asia.
The ocean that dances around Jeju’s coast is also a huge
draw for visitors. Formed by the eruption of an underwater
volcano some 1.2 million years ago, Jeju also has lovely
beaches, covered in silky sands and lined by turquoise
waters. To preserve this sublime beauty, the Korean govern-
ment has designated Jeju a Special Autonomous Province,
with the power to keep its nature pristine for the reams of
tourists who visit.
The wonders of Jeju continue over at Manjanggul, the
longest lava tube in Jeju. Measuring 7,416 meters, the cave
system came into being approximately 300,000 years ago
when lava overflowed from the crater of Mount Hallasan, now
Jeju’s biggest mountain, toward the sea. The insides are like
result, we gain weight and suffer all sorts of niggly back pains an underground palace. Here and there, stone pillars, stalac-
and “sedentary diseases.” In sum, much of our ill health these tites, flowstones and boulders create stunning geological
days arises from not walking the walk. artworks. Of particular note is the “Stone Turtle,” an intriguing
But even for the most walking averse, Jeju’s Olle trail is the rock that resembles both a turtle and Jeju Island itself.
perfect place to rediscover your inner hiker. While walking Fascinating as it is, Manjanggul is in fact only one of a
around much of Seoul can be just as dull as jogging on a series of lava tubes on Jeju, all of which have been collectively
treadmill, on Jeju’s Olle, you are surrounded by beaches on designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. “I have been to
one side and the quaint beauty of the island’s oreum on the several countries around the globe but I have never seen such
other. The air is invigorating, the slopes gentle. You will pass a grand cave,” says Jose, a traveler from Spain who is visiting
traditional little houses and horses grazing in fields. Every step with his family. “To be honest I did not expect much when I
brings a new horizon and the time simply melts away. first came here but it is just amazing. It made me completely
“I intend to make a new start in my life,” bubbles 23-year- rethink my opinion of Korea.”
ⓒ Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
old Jin Min-hee, who has come here from Incheon with some For a further glimpse of what makes Jeju unique, many visi-
friends. “I am walking to clean up my past and formulate tors head to the Hansupul Haenyeo School in Hallim-eup,
plans for the future. It’s been 11 days since I came to Jeju where the island’s famed female deep-sea divers, haenyeo,
and I’ve only completed six courses. I am going to walk until learn their trade. Every year for the four months from May to
I’ve done them all.” August, a program nurturing new haenyeo takes place here,
As of June 2010, the Jeju Olle numbered 16 courses, all and even if you aren’t a full student you can take part in a one-
starting from the east side of the island in Siheung-ri, day program. Equip yourself for free with a diving suit, goggles
A breathtaking view of oreum (parasitic volcano) is seen – it is said that there are Haenyeo, a female diver, is one of the symbols of Jeju (top). There is a great amount
around 360 oreum in Jeju Island. of marine life thriving in Jeju’s ocean (middle). Yongcheongul is a limestone cave
that holds the Lake in a Thousand, one of UNESCO World Heritage sites (bottom).
KOREA
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24-29 travel 2010.7.2 10:17 AM 페이지 5 Mac-2 in T C M Y K

and tewak (styrofoam that keeps you afloat) — but no oxygen

tanks or other modern scuba gear — and you too will be ready
to see Jeju as its hardy diving fisherwomen do.
There is nothing quite like diving and plucking conch, sea
squirt and agar with your own hands. This is the way haenyeo
live, and have lived for generations, scouring the seabed for
fish and shellfish and making a living from their catch. As it is
such a dangerous trade, the haenyeo must be intimately famil-
iar with the climate, currents, wind and tides. It is knowledge
they gather through a lifetime of experience, and one that
keeps some of them diving as late as into their 60s.
Though you can see haenyeo at many of the villages dotting
Jeju’s coast, the best place to watch them in action is Udo
Island, just to Jeju’s east. To get to Udo, you can take a 10-
minute boat ride from Seongsanpo port at Seongsan-eup —
whose Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone is also designated a
UNESCO World Heritage. Udo is also home to an Olle course,
and cycling it is a great way to see the island (buses are also
available for the foot sore).
In contrast to their sometimes prickly sisters on Jeju proper,
the haenyeo on Udo are usually more welcoming, as they still
don’t meet too many people from beyond their island. Dressed
in black diving suits with tewak and mangsari (nets to hold
their catch) attached to their sides, several dozen village
ladies troop out to the ocean every day. This is something
you simply can’t see anywhere else in the world.
If luck is with you, and you encounter them on the way back,
you might even get to sample some of their fresh abalones
and conch. While you’re on Udo, be sure to also climb
Udobong peak and, for the more adventurous, ride a horse Regional Committee for the Western Pacific in 2007. Ensuring hectares, Samyang is nonetheless renowned for its dark sand
through one of the fields. When you’re done with all that the building is in tune with its surroundings, the grounds (the only such beach on Jeju), which is said to help remedy all
activity, there is another enticing way to while away an hour include pillar-shaped waterfalls, grass fields planted with sorts of ailments. Submerging your body in the sand for a
or two besides sitting on a bench with a cup of tea, that’s by indigenous Jeju plants and a walking path that leads to the while, it is claimed, will give relief from neuralgia, arthritis, skin
watching the majestic sight of Seongsan Ilchulbong and the ocean. Last year, when the officials attending the Korea, diseases and even diabetes.
surrounding oceans. China and Japan trilateral summit or the Korea-ASEAN summit While you’re there, be sure to see at least a few of Jeju’s
wanted to take a break, they were able to do so amid the famous tourism attraction oreum, or parasitic volcanoes. The
AN ISLAND OF PEACE To appreciate nature on Jeju is to enjoy wonderful scenery surrounding Jeju’s convention center. result of craters created next to crust formed from lava flow,
an extraordinary peace of mind. By offering a retreat from the Nor is such serenity restricted to Jeju’s daytimes. Unlike some 360 oreum — basically small hillocks — dot the Jeju
drudgery of city life, Korea’s biggest island invigorates all who Hong Kong, say, or Macao, where nights erupt with raucous landscape today. Not too low but not too high either, oreum
visit — not least the world leaders who have come here during clubs and shows, Jeju remains rather relaxed and sedate, a provide the perfect setting for a leisurely stroll in good compa-
the several summits that Korea has hosted on Jeju. state of mind that even stretches to the island’s few casinos. ny. Reach the top, and the ocean breeze will cool the sweat on

ⓒ International Convention Center Jeju

ⓒ Jeju Special Self-Governing Province

In recent years, Jeju has in fact become an increasingly “Most of our guests are respectable gents,” says Kim Dong- your forehead, a marvelously refreshing sensation that regular
important venue for top events hosted by the Korean govern- yeon, a manager at the Grand Jeju Hotel’s Casino, with a glint visitors will be sure to experience every time they come.
ment. Opened in March 2003 as the Jungmun Tourist Resort of pride. “They want to spend a bit of quality time with friends “Whenever I grow tired of life, I always come back to Jeju,” a
Complex, International Convention Center Jeju has hosted and family, so we make sure they can do so in peace.” traveler tells me on the olle. “There are mountains, the ocean,
major international events such as the 37th Annual Meeting of If you arrive at Jeju after a long and tiring journey, instead of the fields, as well as warm people here that make up the ideal
the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank in heading for the sauna, why not try taking a rest on the dark tonic for me to recharge myself. If it were up to me, I would
th
2004, the 58 Session of the World Health Organization sand at Samyang Beach near the airport? Stretching for just 6 actually like to stay here forever.”

A view from Udo Beach (top). People enjoy a day of yachting (middle). Traditional An exterior view of International Convention Center Jeju is seen.
chogajip, or Korean traditional thatched-roof house, is located at the base of
Sanbangsan Mountain (above).
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30-35 my korea 2010.7.2 10:18 AM 페이지 1 Mac-2 in T C M Y K

MY KOREA

Last month, the peo

ple of Seoul once
as
again turned their city into a sea of red
i r t e a m a t the FIFA
ed for the long-
they root o n e
or ries is
A f r ica. F m o
u th e h
u p i n So o k em a led e.
r l d C t aw s e p l
Wo
n t , tha
e t hat p eo
e its
l resi d l t im d
u i ca an
m Se o a g r y
ter am u nt
d co
2 an e This June, as Korea celebrated victory against
0 t h
20 or
of e f Greece in its first World Cup match in South
lov Africa, the energy coursing through Seoul
brought back a flood of warm memories of
when I first arrived eight years ago, just a few
months shy of World Cup 2002. Granted,
nothing compares to the energy of when the
country is hosting the event, but Korea’s
relentless enthusiasm was on display now just
as it was then, with thousands — tens of
thousands — of screaming fans clad in red
shirts, united in spirit, filling the streets near
City Hall and sharing in the
excitement. It was an unforget-
table experience, and one that
served as a pleasant reminder
that, thanks to the nature of
sport, for a brief
moment in time
all the world’s
problems can be
put aside, leav-
ing just a throng
of passionate
fans cheering on
their favorite
team. I can’t
think of a more

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30-35 my korea 2010.7.2 10:18 AM 페이지 3 Mac-2 in T C M Y K
opportune time to have come here.
It was, though, quite a foreign experience
for me to witness this level of feverish excite-
ment. Football — or soccer as it is referred to
in some parts of the world — just isn’t all
that big where I come from. Instead,
Canadians take their ice hockey very serious-
ly. Yet, as riled up as fans can get inside a
hockey arena, it pales in comparison to the
sheer scope of open stadiums of Europe (and
now Asia) housing over 60,000 screaming
fans cheering on the home team. Add to that
the boisterous hordes parading through the
city waving banners and signs, and one gets a
much clearer picture of just how colossal an
influence soccer has over people.
In fact, I remember witnessing what
looked to be a riot in Gangnam — crowds
of people stomping on top of buses
— yet was pleasantly surprised
KOREA
JULY
32 2010
(and not a little relieved) to learn that everyone was just overjoyed at Korea’s
place in the group standings. There wasn’t the slightest bit of aggression or
hooliganism. That’s something I remember very distinctly. I would usually
take to the streets with several friends and without fail one or all of us would
get asked where we were from or how we were enjoying Korea. It was that
level of genuine warmth that cemented my good impression of Koreans, and
it has stayed with me to this day.
But I didn’t only watch the games from inside bars or celebrate in the
streets. I had the good fortune of taking in three games in stadiums: Korea
versus Germany, Spain versus Ireland and Korea versus Portugal. The latter I
watched at Jamsil Stadium, in Seoul — though the game was actually taking
place in Incheon. It was the deciding match of the group stages, and the
excitement had gotten to such a degree that many large venues threw their
doors open and let fans watch the action on vast screens. Supporters of all
ages flooded in through Jamsil Stadium’s gates that day, raising noise levels to
deafening heights. In our group were some of the only foreigners in the stadi-
um on that particular day, and before we knew what was happening, we
were whisked to the VIP section to get better views. I don’t think we were
told the reason behind our sudden four-star treatment, or if there even
was one. Looking back, I think it was simply a case of the host
country wanting to share as much as possible with their foreign
guests. It was, to say the least, a humbling experience.
The biggest game that year was, of course, the semi-final, when Korea faced
Germany. Having made it so far, defeating both Italy and Spain, Korea stood
on the cusp of a place in the final and a place in soccer immortality. For the
life of me, I don’t know how I managed to snag tickets, but there I sat, sur-
rounded by over 60,000 fans, rooting for the Taegeuk Warriors. Though,
sadly, Korea’s glorious winning streak finally came to an end that night, with
the Germans winning 1-0, as I left the stadium afterward, I couldn’t help but
be struck by just how orderly everything was, and how good-spirited all the
Korean fans were despite the loss.
At that stage, it was hard to remember that just a few weeks previously, with
demonstrations or other disturbances deemed a real possibility, the authori-
ties had ramped up security measures in the capital. During the event, there
was nothing of the sort. Not at the stadiums, nor in the streets. Plenty of
clean-up needed, but nothing worse than you’d expect after a city-sized party.
I was really amazed by that — that level of safety and genuine mutual respect.
It was Korea’s chance to introduce itself to the world and it couldn’t have
made a better impression.
At the time, when I related these stories to friends back home, many of
them couldn’t even find Korea on a map. And while Korea remains less well
known than its neighbors, the World Cup definitely raised its profile in their
eyes, and gave them an idea that there was this distinct, fascinating culture in
a country on the far side of the world.
For me, though, being here at that time was simply incomparable, like
being a part of history. It’s left impressions that have stayed with me ever
since. I will take a mental scrapbook of memories with me when I leave
Korea, but that year — my first year — and that experience will be near the
very top of the first page. It was, I am convinced, the central reason why I have
remained in Korea until now.
As they say, first impressions are lasting impressions. And in this, I think I
couldn’t have had a more apt introduction to the country I still call home. In
its fervor and friendliness, the 2002 World Cup was the best possible intro-
duction to Korea’s embracing spirit and incredible passion. Though Seoul
changes as quickly as almost any city on Earth, it’s reassuring to know that its
people remain anchored to their traditional roots of welcome and hospitality.
Korea holds a great deal of interest for veteran travelers and newcomers
alike. Many parts of the country are virtually untouched and just beckoning
to be explored. My reasons for coming here largely stemmed from a keen
PROFILE
desire to get out of a comfort zone and quiet my nagging wanderlust. I hadn’t
counted on falling in love with the culture here, nor did I ever anticipate the Canada-born Gregory
Curley is a professional
warm reception I would receive throughout my time here. I had initially photographer based in
planned to stay for one year, but I’m now well into my eighth. Though much Seoul. His work has
appeared in The Korea
of the reason for this is the opportunity and creativity I’ve found here, I Herald, The Korea Times,
SEOUL, Elle, MTV, 10
would definitely say that much of it is also down to sheer luck at arriving at Magazine, Morning Calm,
such a pivotal time. CNNGo and CNN.
He now works for LG Ad
Korea was on the cusp of change in 2002, but still shows no signs of slowing as a copywriter, and for
down. Now, as then, I’m happy to be along for the ride. by Gregory B. Curley | SEOUL and CNNGo as a
photographer and regular
illustrations by Jo Seung-yeon | photographs by Kim Nam-heon and Kim Hong-jin contributer.
KOREA
JULY
2010 33
30-35 my korea 2010.7.2 10:19 AM 페이지 5 Mac-2 in T C M Y K

MY KOREA : PHOTOS

VARIOUS FACES OF STREET SUPPORTERS An upside

view from Han River’s Banpo is seen – it looks all red
because many citizens are wearing red-colored shirts,
so called “cheering color” (above). A man holds a
flag printed with “KOREA” (opposite, below left).
Some foreigners with painted faces joined the street
to cheer (opposite, below right). Famous Korean
comedian Kim Guk-jin (middle) joins the street
crowded with cheering citizens (top right).
Generations of all ages gathered together to cheer
for the 2010 World Cup games (right above). Tens of
thousands of people gathered at the Seoul Plaza, in
front of the Seoul City Hall, to support the national
team (right).

KOREA KOREA
JULY JULY
34 2010 2010 35
36-39 global korea 2010.7.2 10:20 AM 페이지 1 Mac-2 in T C M Y K

GLOBAL KOREA

Of the many reasons cited for Korea’s

explosive economic growth, the famed
Korean work ethic is one that pops up
time and again. Without the propensity
for hard slog and eye-wateringly long
hours, it is said, Korea’s ascent from
wartorn poverty to economic power-
house simply couldn’t have taken
place. Yet even today, with the country
much better off, those workaholic
habits die hard. And more than just in
the manufacturing or corporate indus-
tries, those traits are showing up in,
for Korea, a much newer enterprise:
overseas voluntary work.
Kim Dong-cheol, 33, left Korea for
the remote Sri Lankan town of
Hettipola in 2004. It’s only 140 kilo-
meters northeast of the capital
Colombo, but because of poor roads,
he had to drive for five hours to get Copion’s short volunteering people and students in government’s aid projects. Using little
Kathmandu enjoy their holiday in Nepal (opposite).
there. “I wasn’t affiliated with any or no machinery, Kim and the people
Kim Dong-cheol, middle, hands a girl stationery in
organization, and I had no idea what Sri Lanka (above). A volunteer draws a face-paint- of Hettipola took around 18 months to
to do when I was left alone in this ing with a child in Jakarta, Indonesia (below). construct the building. Today, the cen-
remote village,” says Kim. “For three ter has space for computers, English
months, I rode around the town on a Impressed with this foreigner working and agricultural training, a library and
bike just making friends and explain- so hard on their home turf, some a kindergarten.
ing why I had come.” 3,300 local residents joined Kim to Even after returning from his two-
After winning over the hearts of the work on the building, using materials year stay, Kim simply couldn’t forget
townspeople, Kim got to work on the largely supplied by the Korea Sri Lanka. Leaving a steady job at a
main reason for his being there: con- International Cooperation Agency, or research institute in Gangwon-do
structing an education center. KOICA, which oversees the Korean Province, Kim became chairman of the
NGO EIF Sri Lanka, which promotes
development and the improvements in
education in Sri Lanka’s rural areas.
When in Korea, Kim delivers frequent
lectures on public administration and
international cooperation. But two or

FROM RAGS TO RICHES... three times a year, he returns to Sri

ⓒ Kim Dong-cheol / KOICA (top); Jang Won-rok / KOICA (right)ⓒ Ch

Lanka to work on development proj-
ects. Last January, Kim helped build
AND GIVING BACK a library in Hettipola, and is now work-
ing to expand the education center.
“I remember what the American
Korea, long a recipient of global aid, is now extending its help- Peace Corps volunteers who served
ing hand to others. Reduced to rubble due to the Korean War, in Korea 40 years ago had said
recently,” Kim says. “They said they’d
the country has made a stirring comeback over the last six
ⓒ Jeong Yeong-seob / KOICA

come to Korea to change and ‘save’

decades, culminating in its membership of the OECD’s us, but instead Korea ended up
Development Assistance Committee last year. Korea is now changing and saving them.
Volunteering overseas has changed
rapidly increasing the size of its overseas aid, and its volunteers me and made me have entirely new
are in the front lines of these efforts. by Seo Dong-cheol dreams and set new goals.”

KOREA KOREA
JULY JULY
36 2010 2010 37
36-39 global korea 2010.7.2 10:20 AM 페이지 3
Some Peruvian Students are having a pottery-mak-
ing lesson from Korean volunteers (top). Jeong
Woo-hui, right, presides at the Korean-speaking
competition in Thailand (above).
KOREA
JULY
38 2010
Mac-2 in T C M Y K
VOLUNTEERING CHANGED LIFE
Jeong Woo-hui, 35, quit a good job at
a foreign company and left to start
volunteering overseas in 2005. The
Korean literature major decided to
dedicate herself to teaching the
Korean language, and once her mind
was made up, no amount of coaxing
by her friends could change it. For
two years, Jeong taught Korean at
Burapha University in Bangsaen,
Thailand, building friendships with her
students that have transcended the
typical teacher-student relationship.
Her proudest moment, she says, was
coaching a student to the top prize in a
Korean-speaking competition organized
by the Korean Embassy in Thailand.
Like Kim, Jeong found her life com-
pletely changed by her voluntary work.
Leaving behind eight years of experi-
ence as a brand manager in the mar-
keting department of a foreign firm,
she got a master’s degree in Korean-
language education, and began teach-
ing Korean to foreigners at Yonsei
University’s Korean Language
Institute.
“Just as English-speaking volun-
teers came to Korea to teach English
40 years ago, I was blessed with the
chance to share my ability with people
from a different culture through the
Korean language,” she says. “Without
volunteering, I wouldn’t have discov-
ered such joy.”
Woo Ju-hee, a 29-year-old former
stationery designer, also became
enamored with volunteering overseas.
In 2006, following a series of chance
encounters and meetings, Woo found
herself in Colombo, Sri Lanka, doing
voluntary work as a teacher and also
discovering the joy of sharing.
“I taught how to produce animation
and advertisements using Photoshop
and Illustrator at the University of the
Visual & Performing Arts, and I realized
that my talents could do so much
good,” she says. “I was very pleased to
be able to contribute to design educa-
tion, which is still at such an early stage
in Sri Lanka.”
On top of working with college stu-
dents, Woo found time to teach mid-
dle and high school students for two
hours per day. After about six months
of class, Woo, in coordination with the
school, opened a design exhibition
and provided school supplies to the
top students. After two years of volun-
teering in Sri Lanka, Woo returned
home, got a teaching certificate and
became a teacher at a vocational
school. Currently, Woo is taking some
time off and mulling over her next
move. “Through my volunteering
experience overseas, I developed an
interest in social welfare,” she says.
“I am considering going to grad school
and expanding my knowledge in
design, so that I can share it through
volunteering and other ways.”
FROM ECONOMIC POWER TO
VOLUNTARY POWER There are many
other devoted Korean volunteers in
ⓒ Jeong Kyeong-ah (top) / KOICA; Song Yeong-il / KOICA (right)
ⓒ Park Eun-mi / KOICA (top); Jeong Woo-hui / KOICA (left)
foreign nations. As of June 2010,
there are about 1,700 volunteers dis-
patched across the globe through
KOICA. Boasting expertise in every-
thing from children’s education, com-
puters and medicine, to electronics,
marine development and women’s
rights, they are based in almost 50
countries, including Vietnam,
Indonesia, the Philippines, Mongolia,
Peru and Bangladesh.
From just 44 overseas volunteers in
1990, KOICA’s force of overseas vol-
unteers swelled to 100 in 1995, 724
in 2004 and more than 1,000 last
year. The Korean government now
plans to send 4,000 volunteers per
year until 2013, along with college vol-
unteers sent by the the Ministry of
Education, Science and Technology;
Internet experts from the Ministry of
Public Administration and Security;
and taekwondo masters put together
by the Taekwondo Peace Corps.
Volunteers from Korean NGOs, such
as Global Civic Sharing, Good
Neighbors and Good People will only
add to the figure. Considering that
Korea received aid from across the
world as recently as the 1960s, this
caps a remarkable transformation.
Children have a Taekwondo lesson in Bandung,
Indonesia (above). Girls are jumping ropes at a
school playground with KOICA volunteers in
Uzbekistan (below).
Sixty-seven-year-old Sin Chan-su,
who returned last summer from a two-
year volunteering stint in Nepal, per-
sonifies the changes in his home
country. In the 1960s, Sin graduated
from an agricultural high school in
Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do Province, and
worked at an agricultural guide center.
Foreign volunteers helped with devel-
opment projects in the area for six
months, and it was then, Sin said,
that he started dreaming of going
abroad someday as a volunteer. Thirty-
eight years later, in 2001, Sin retired
from his post at the Rural
Development Administration and since
then he has been on three volunteer-
ing missions. Over a six-year period,
Sin shared everything he knew about
rural development with people in
developing countries. What he
received as a young man, he has
repaid as an adult. Like Sin, Koreans
now understand this: having achieved
extraordinary economic growth thanks
in large part to foreign aid, it’s now
time for Korea to give back.
KOREA
JULY
2010 39
40-43 summit diplomacy 2010.7.2 10:20 AM 페이지 1 Mac-2 in T C M Y K
SUMMIT DIPLOMACY
AT THE ASIA SECURITY SUMMIT,
PRESIDENT LEE DISCUSSES CHEONAN,
ECONOMIC TIES WITH SINGAPORE
Dominated by the Cheonan incident and its international repercussions,
this year’s Asia Security Summit, or Shangri-La Dialogue, also saw President
Lee Myung-bak meet the Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for
a discussion on bilateral issues related to the economy, trade, security and
green growth. The main event, which included Russia and Australia among
its 28 participants, wrapped up on June 6. by Kwon Kyeong-hui
Before a large congregation of mainly
Asian dignitaries at the ninth Asia
Security Summit, held in Singapore,
President Lee Myung-bak outlined his
vision for Asia’s global presence and
Korea’s role within it. South Korea, he
said, will actively participate in region-
al and international responses to glob-
al security problems, adding that for
the sake of world peace and universal
prosperity, South Korea has been
“steadily expanding its official devel-
opment assistance and peacekeeping
operations.” And “With the successful
hosting of the G-20 Summit this year
and the Nuclear Security Summit in
2012,” President Lee said in his
keynote speech, “the South Korea will
play an active role in resolving global
economic and security problems.”
Addressing North Korea’s ongoing
nuclear ambitions and its sinking of
the Cheonan, a South Korean warship,
President Lee said that “since these
provocations present a great threat to
peace and stability on the Korean
Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, the
international community must cooper-
ate closely and respond firmly.”
“The international community,” Lee
ⓒ Cheongwadae
continued, “should make North Korea
acknowledge its wrongdoing regarding
the Cheonan sinking and must help
the North realize that buying time to
KOREA
JULY
40 2010
build nuclear weapons is not going to
help them achieve their goal of
becoming a strong and prosperous
nation.” Urging North Korea to aban-
don its nuclear ambitions, Lee called
on his northern neighbor to engage in
sincere dialogue with the South, and
to move out of international isolation
toward an era of common prosperity
on the Korean Peninsula.
Held annually since 2002, the Asia
Security Summit is a forum for coun-
tries from the Asia-Pacific region, co-
hosted by the Singaporean govern-
ment and International Institute for
Strategic Studies, a British research
institute. Involving decision-makers in
diplomacy and security from 28
nations across the Asia-Pacific — and
including the US and China — the
summit is better known as the
“Shangri-La Dialogue.”
After the plenary session, President
Lee met with Lee Kuan Yew, the first
Prime Minister and now “Minister
Mentor” of Singapore, and they
exchanged views on Northeast Asian
regional affairs, the G-20 Summit and
global economic trends. On June 5,
the Korean leader sat down with
Singaporean business leaders to pro-
mote investment opportunities in
major Korean development projects,
such as Saemangeum and free eco-
nomic zones, as well as green growth
industries. Lee then discussed the
US-Korea defense posture with Robert
Gates, the US Secretary of Defense,
before having a meeting with
Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee
Hsien Loong.
TAKING THE CHEONAN TO THE UN
During his keynote address, President
Lee Myung-bak announced that Seoul
had formally asked the UN Security
Council to discuss sanctions against
North Korea for its deadly attack on
the Cheonan. The request, submitted
to Mexico, the rotating chair of the
Security Council, came on the heels of
an announcement by South Korea’s
ambassador to the UN, Park In-kook,
that a joint military-civilian investiga-
tive team had concluded that the
North Korea was clearly to blame for
the attack, and that such provocations
were endangering global security.
Along with the referral to the Security
Council, Lee said his government was
seeking coordinated support from the
international community.
“North Korea’s provocation against
the Cheonan isn’t just a problem for
South Korea; it’s a serious matter
upon which the peace and stability of
President Lee Myung-bak gives a keynote speech
at the 2010 Shangri-La Dialogue (opposite).
President Lee has a chat with Lee Hsien Loong, the
Singaporean Prime Minister, on June 5 (above
left). Lee met with the former, first Prime Minister
Lee Kuan Yew on June 4 (below).
KOREA
JULY
2010 41
40-43 summit diplomacy 2010.7.2 10:20 AM 페이지 3
the entire Northeast Asia region
hinges,” Lee said. “If we once again
let such actions go unanswered, it will
be a threat to peace on the Korean
Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.”
Stressing the growing need for
regional cooperation in Asia, Lee cited
the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the
Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Summit
as examples of effective multilateral
organizations. But though much of his
speech focused on the importance of
fraternity and universal cooperation,
Lee’s major aim, experts say, was to
gain the support of smaller Asian
countries in persuading China to
adopt a tougher stance with North
Korea. In this, Lee’s keynote speech
served as an extension of his earlier
efforts — both at a summit with
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and the
3rd Trilateral Summit of Korea, Japan
and China — to bring China on board
with international efforts to further iso-
late the North Korea.
Moving on to the nuclear issue,
President Lee said that in order for
North Korea to be welcomed into the
international community, it first has to
abandon its nuclear ambitions. “After
the North Korean nuclear program was
exposed in 1993, there have been
numerous talks and negotiations over
the past 17 years,” he said. “But all
KOREA
JULY
42 2010
Mac-2 in T C M Y K
President Lee Myung-bak had a meeting with
Singaporean economists on June 5 (above). Lee
also met Robert Gates, the US Secretary of Defense
in Singapore (below).
that’s left us with are two North
Korean nuclear tests.”
“What’s important is not when the
six-party talks can resume,” Lee con-
tinued, referring to international
efforts to end the North’s nuclear pro-
gram. “But how we can resolve the
issue with a grand bargain.”
KOREA AND SINGAPORE TALK
TRADE At the June 5 meeting
between the premiers of South Korea
and Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong,
Singapore’s Prime Minister, pledged
support for South Korea’s efforts to
raise the Cheonan issue at the UN
Security Council. Among several
other bilateral issues, the men also
discussed the expansion of defense
cooperation following a ministerial
meeting between their two countries
late last year. The two leaders agreed
to maintain close coordination in
defense.
The President and Prime Minister
also signed a memorandum of under-
standing on medical exchange and
cooperation on joint developments in
developing countries. President Lee
then asked his counterpart for
Singapore’s support during the G-20
Summit held in Seoul this November,
and for Korea’s Global Green Growth
Institute, which Seoul established to
support eco-friendly growth.
In other talks, the two leaders said
they would cooperate closely on
increased cultural exchanges, such as
the construction of a Korean Cultural
Center in Singapore. They further
vowed to strengthen economic ties
through the anticipated signing of the
Mutual Recognition Agreement for the
Authorized Economic Operator (AEO),
which was to be made official at the
Annual Session of the World Customs
Organization Council in Belgium, in
late June.
ⓒ Cheongwadae
RECASTING THE KOREAN MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT:
ISSUES, DEBATES, AND LESSONS
Marking the 60th anniversary since the outbreak of the Korean
War, an international conference on the Korean development
model was held in Washington D.C. on June 29 and 30. Co-
hosted by the Korean Economic Association and the Korean
Political Science Association, the meeting aimed to look back
on Korea’s post-war development and how it became a suc-
cessful state in its politics, economy and society. At a time
when global interest in Korea’s development is on the rise, the
meeting’s organizers agreed that they needed to come up with
a broader perspective on the country’s development model,
and that efforts could help Korea’s labor at national branding.
There were two major points addressed in the meeting. First,
acknowledging that studies into the Korean development model
to date had been largely confined to economic issues, the con-
ference stressed the need for a more comprehensive approach
that sees Korea’s growth as a process in which political, eco-
nomic and social aspects all interact with each other. Since
economic growth isn’t accomplished in a socio-political vacu-
um, economic development has a critical impact on politics
and society. The Korean development model, the delegates
argued, should be used as a concept that encompasses the
major aspects of these changes.
While agreeing that economic studies should continue, the
attendees argued strongly that they mustn’t be restricted to the
administration of Park Chung-hee, the strongman president
who ruled Korean from 1961 until his assassination in 1979.
Though Korea was far wealthier when Park’s reign ended than
when it began, Korea continued to experience great swings in
its fortunes as it strove to become a fully developed country – a
status, some argue, it has yet to reach. Nonetheless, that
Korea continued to grow and financially prosper throughout the
’80s and after democratization, is both indisputable and a key
reason for the ongoing interest in the country’s development
model. Therefore, the delegates said, any economic studies
must look at both the authoritarian and the democratic eras.
They should also recognize political and economic develop-
ments have always interacted with each other to pave the way
for Korea’s growth, and that the Korean model of development
is a complicated process of change in which every person
relies on one another.
Several major issues emerged during the Washington meet-
ing. There was the question of how Korea could sustain its
development. Countries have been able to achieve major
growth over a short period of time before, but rare is the nation
that is able to sustain it long-term. The quality of the export-
based development strategy, the government’s industrial poli-
cy, committed leadership, a passion for education and a strong
work ethic have all been credited with leading the nation’s
development. In Washington, professors Lee Keun [at Seoul
SPECIAL REPORT
National University] and Lee Jay-min [at Yonsei University]
added to this list the accumulation of technology, thanks to
increased spending on research and development, the role of
conglomerates, the timing of the shift from the export-led strat-
egy, and positive effects from free and open markets. By plac-
ing too much emphasis on the government’s role, they argued,
it becomes easy to overlook the effects of open markets on
competition and the research and development capabilities of
Korea’s big conglomerates, or chaebol. Without these factors,
they continued, Korea’s economic development couldn’t have
lasted.
A new light, shed on the connection between economic
development and democracy, was another major issue –
something that remains a highly charged topic in Korea. It’s
generally assumed that under authoritarian rule, Korea
achieved rapid development that brought increasing affluence,
which in turn led to the demise of dictatorship and the arrival of
democracy. But some questions were raised regarding this
school of thought. Delegates asked, just what was the nature
of authoritarianism in Korea – there was a competition in the
form of elections and the media voiced some critical opinions,
too. These aspects, the scholars said, prevented Korea from
being overwhelmed by the corruption that challenges many
developing countries, and were a crucial factor in the nation’s
economic success. Further debates tackled the costs of
democracy and those of dictatirship. Both democracy and
authoritarianism incur heavy costs, and Korea was no excep-
tion. But democratic governments can also do a great deal to
spur economic growth – Korea has grown even further since
democratization.
The question was also raised as to whether the Korean
development model could be transplanted to other countries.
Many developing countries today see Korea as a model for
their own progress, but some delegates stressed that they
needed to learn the right lessons: For professor Lee Keun,
education and technological development are key. Frey-Lungula
N’kumu, Chairman of Congo Saemaul Undong, argued that the
Saemaul Movement, a regenerative program used to such
positive effect in 1970s Korea, could be a great success in
Africa. Professor Kim Eun-mee [at Ewha Womans University]
believed Korea could present an alternative to the model of
developing countries by linking its development assistance to
its development model.
There was a debate on the international environment sur-
rounding Korea’s development. While every country’s success
(or otherwise) is affected by world events, for Korea, the role of
foreign powers has been absolutely crucial. How these situa-
tions affect Korea’s international relations and how Korea has
prepared in response were all vital points of discussion.
KOREA
JULY
2010 43
44-48 now in korea 2010.7.2 10:22 AM 페이지 44 Mac-2 in T C M Y K

LOCAL
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Myeongdong is one of the hottest place for those who want to explore a new world of
shopping and fashion.
KOREA KOREA
JULY JULY
44 2010 2010 45
44-48 now in korea 2010.7.2 10:22 AM 페이지 46 Mac-2 in T C M Y K

The central street of Myeongdong, Seoul, is crowded on a

Wednesday afternoon. Packed with shops, restaurants, cafes
and stalls, it is heaving even on a weekday, with its mid-priced
cosmetic stores drawing a particularly enthusiastic crowd.
From among the hordes of Japanese and Chinese speakers, a
Japanese tourist named Yumiko browses around the make-up
shop Beauty Credit. “I always buy BB creams and mascara
when I come to Korea,” she says. “Korean products are
cheaper than Japanese ones so I usually stock up for my
friends as well.”
Wen Chingsha, a Taiwanese woman shopping at Hanskin,
says, “I often visit Korea to buy cosmetics rather than to go
sightseeing. I came to Myeongdong twice last year, too.”
In the past few years, a visit to Myeongdong has become
de rigueur for East Asian women visiting Seoul — more so, in
fact, than the city’s more historical tourist attractions. Lured
by its good-quality, affordable beauty products, so many Asian
women now visit the area that shop assistants are as likely
to be speaking Japanese as Korean. But in a country not
traditionally known as the center of fashion, just how did
this transformation take place?

A CUT-PRICE REVOLUTION Jungangno is the most crowded

street in Myeongdong. Once known for its tailors and shoe
stores, it is today populated with a string of budget cosmetic
shops. Missha began the makeover when it opened its doors
in the mid-2000s, closely followed by The Face Shop, Etude

House, Skin Food and TonyMoly. Local brands such as these,
which aim squarely at teens and 20-somethings with an
interest in beauty but lacking designer-level funds.
By using plastic containers instead of glass, and cutting
retail costs through increased internet and direct sales,
Korea’s cosmetics chains were able to lower their prices while
still appealing to youthful customers — their most important
demographic. Having hit on such a successful model, a string
of new chains appeared and spread quickly, attracting the
attention of ever more young, beauty-conscious patrons. Such
was the budget chains’ success, in fact, that some long-
established cosmetic makers that had based their whole sales
strategy on department stores and specialty boutiques, felt
compelled to respond with cut-price lines of their own.
In a notoriously elitist field, the cheaper brands even started
to gain some cachet among fans of more expensive, often
European brands. In starting this “cut-price boom,” the budget
lines were every bit as eager to cater to their customers’
needs, but set about doing it in more modest, cost-effective
ways. For perhaps the first time in Korea, budget cosmetics
had successfully challenged the notion that “expensive =
good,” and in doing so, they changed the whole complexion of
shopping in Seoul.
LOWER COSTS, HIGHER QUALITY But changing Korea’s
beauty industry wasn’t only achieved through cheaper
cosmetics. At around the same time, beauty salons began to
diversify to offer packaged services for manicures/pedicures,
tattoos, semi-permanent make-up, meridian massages and
much else besides. As more people showed interest in these
services, beauty-related industries prospered along with them.
Just 10 years ago, the terms “nail academy” or “nail fran-
chise” were practically unknown in Korea; today, it’s hard to
escape them in Seoul.
Despite this growth, however, specialized beauty services
have focused as much on improving quality as on quantity. In

Hanskin’s BB cream collection is a favorite among foreign tourists (top). Two A series of decorated beauty-products stores line each of the popular tourists stops.
Taiwanese girls shop in Beauty Credit store (above left). It’s not difficult to come
across Japanese – or Chinese – language ads at these beauty spots (above right).
KOREA KOREA
JULY JULY
46 2010 2010 47
44-48 now in korea 2010.7.2 10:21 AM 페이지 48 Mac-2 in T C M Y K

Seoul today, customers have access to services that are com-
parable to those offered in such fashion capitals as London,
Paris and New York — but at a considerably lower price.
Having her nails done in a small shop in Gangnam,
Englishwoman Jane Lewis says, “It costs 30,000 won to get a
full nail care service for an hour and twenty minutes here. For
the same service in London I probably would have to pay at
least 100 pounds [about 180,000 won].”
Lorane Chang, a Singaporean visiting a masseuse in
Myeongdong that charges for 10-minute sessions, says, “I
used to go to Hong Kong [for beauty services] because Hong
Kong is closer to Singapore than Seoul. But these days Seoul
provides better and more diverse services at more attractive
prices, so now I’m a Seoul regular.”
According to Chang, beauty shops in Hong Kong are too
focused on cutting prices, whereas their counterparts in Seoul
have looked to improve service at the same time. And
Myeongdong itself, a barometer for the beauty business
throughout Korea, is a ringing endorsement of this fact.
Today and on certain days, up to 80 percent of the cus-
tomers in Myeongdong can be foreign tourists. “One out of
every 10 of our foreign customers is a regular who visits us at
least twice a year,” says Kim Tae-hyung, a manager at a
branch of Nature Republic, a leading cut-price cosmetics store.
The first Myeongdong branch of Missha is now the most suc-
cessful in this nationwide chain, thanks to foreign tourists. And
at Beauty Credit, so popular is its main herbal brand, Danahan,
that the store often struggles to meet the demand.
So what has brought this wave of foreign interest in
Myeongdong’s cosmetic shops and beauty stores? First,
experts say, Korea’s much-touted four distinct seasons mean
the country’s cosmetics companies have to produce a wide
range of multi-functional products that supplement moisture
and block UV rays. Second, to thrive in the fiercely competitive
Korean market, companies have to keep prices low while
always improving quality. Third, unlike in many other countries
in the region, customers can test products directly in Korean
stores before buying them.
Another factor for the success of Korean cosmetics is that
many foreign customers, especially from Japan, began to buy
Korean products when they became interested in Korean
celebrities, such as TV superstar Bae Yong-joon. But now, it’s
the make-up that keeps them coming back. In just a few years,
Korea has gone from a beauty backwater to a make-up mecca,
and all of Asia’s women can now achieve the same beauty as
seen on the streets of Seoul.

KOREA’S HOT BEAUTY ITEMS

1. BB Cream

ⓒ Amore Pacific (far left)

BB stands for “Blemish Balm,” and is being hailed as a new won-
der tool for women looking for smoother, moist skin and a brighter
complexion. Originally used as a post-cosmetic surgery medical
cream, enterprising researchers found that it promoted a smooth
facial tone by covering skin defects in a very natural way. Its
numerous functions include blocking UV rays, moisturizing, remov-
ing wrinkles and generally making skin look brighter.

2. Facial Massage
Unlike regular massage services, such as the foot and body
massages found in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and other Asian
countries, Korean facial massage is an unusually elaborate
process, including a simple massage to improve blood circulation,
deep cleansing and removing dead skin cells, as well as two facial
masks and a meridian massage. Another big advantage of Korean
massage is that patrons can choose ampoules or masks depend-
ing on their skin type or condition.

3. Nail Art
There are a lot of exclusive and specialized nail care shops in
Korea, with “nail art” that costs about US$200 in Japan costing
only US$50 in Korea. From conscientious, professionally certified
nail stylists, patrons can be pampered with French tips or
pedicures in attractive and relaxing surroundings.

Sulwhasoo, a prestige cosmetic brand by Amore Pacific attracts not only the Korean
customers but also foreign customers with its high-end quality products (top left).
Nail files are illustrated with women wearing traditional costumes (top right). A
KOREA
JULY
Singaporean family smiles with the beauty products they just bought (above).
48 2010
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PAYEE
KOREA (SEOUL)
KOIS
15 Hyoja-ro, Jongno-gu
Seoul (110-040)
Republic of Korea
ⓒ Choi Ji-young
Mac-2 in T C M Y K
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7월호엽서 2010.7.2 10:1 AM 페이지 2 Mac-2 in T C M Y K

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