.... " " .

' '
OKL\\ \\\\I. \,...;\ I L\~J.() rlll\Ul Lll llJl. l'\LI-. -., OI 1111 ~ \J.\\ H>Hk' ' IDJ r.~ I\ ~ 010 ,\: :.'.011 T llE l\.tJl\ ft -\'\ \
 TIIE

1E l\.O HE \ \ \\ \\ E \ S \ IE\\ EDT ll HOl C ll TllE P\CES OFTll E \ E\\ H>H I" T l\ IES I\ 10 10 ~\: 10 11T ll E l\.OIH: \ \ \ 1

As \/ieV\ ecl 1

l'hrough the Pages of

1~hc New Yo1~k Ti1nes
i11 2010 & 2011

KOREAN CULJURAl SE.AV!(( NY

 '/'11/s booklet /\ r1 collec1io11 q/lf3 m'ltdes
selected~)' Korea11 C111!11ml Serv/ce Ne<V York
.fio111 m11des 011 Korean c11l111re
~r 7'/1e iVfw York 7i'111es /11 2010 cL 2011.
First edition, November 20 12

Ed ited & Published by Korean C ul rural Service New York

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reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyrigh t Laws of rhe Un ired
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Printed in New York

 THE

IE KOHEAN \\~\\'Er\S \'IEWl~DT l-IHOCCH TllE PACES OFTllE .\'E\\'YO HK Tl.\I ES IN 20'!0 l\ 20 11 Tll E KO Hi'::\.\' \\

As Viewed
Through the Pages of
The New York Times
in2010 & 2011

Korea n C u It u ra I Service New Yo rk

 CONTENTS
FORE\VORD
T he Korean Wave is Here to Stay 0l0

JVIUSIC&PERFORJVIANC E
A Violinist's Bells and W histles 0l5
Instrumentalists ac an Exhi bition 0l7
H am let as Eager Korean Prince 0 l8
South Korea Forgets its amnesia and rediscovers its rock 'n' roll soul 0 19
W hen Bach Laid Bare His Own Soul 022
Korean Pop Machi ne, Ru nning o n Innocence and H air Gel 024

FOOD
Backyard Bulgogi 027
Feel Free to G raze, but Just Be Q uick 029
H eat by the H andful 03 1
A 300-Duck Day and Cabbages by th e Thousands 034
Korean Barbecue In a Smoke-Filled Room 037

FASH ION
She Wants More Than H er MTV 041
Traditional Korean Style Gets a Forward Spin 043
Esther Kim and Joseph Va ret 046
A Wh ite Ho use Debut for Doo.Ri 049

A RTS
A Korean Artist's O rigins, by Parachute 05 1
Sheep in T imes Square 053
Vessels of C lay, Cenruries Old, That Speak co Modernity 054
A Fine Line: Style or Philosophy? 056
Squeezing Essence From a Stone 058
 FILIVIS
W here W it and Genre Filmmaking Collide 061
Fierce Love: Better Not Make This Mo m Angry 063
Festival Moves co Fancier Base but Keeps Its Genre-Bending Fare 065
A Fine Balance: The Quiet Life Of a Star Actress 068
Consider an Apple, Consider rhe World 070
Through a film make r's lens, views of Korea 072
A Rogue Film Festival Earns Respect (Sort Of) 073

SPORTS
Kirn Raises Bar, Delighting Fans 077
Korean Is First Woman to Scale 14 Highest Peaks 079
Making Their Own National Noise, bur Losing Anyway 081
Soccer offers lesson in how to get rough 083
I.O.C. Awards 20 18 Winrer Garnes co a South Korean Resort 086

TOURISM
Youth Program Inspires Dreams of Korean Uni ry 089
1l1e Place 'Fir Li ke a Jacker' 092
Korean Tradition, Italian Style 094
Seoul 096
A G razing Tour of Koreatown 100

socrETY&LlTERATURE
D eath Pursues H er 103
Exacting Teaching Mach ine Sticks to the Scrip t in South Korea 105
Korean Isle Looks Abroad For an Education at Home 107
In a Land of the Aging, Children Counrer Alzheimer's 109
As Koreans Pour In, A Town Is Remade 113
Lost in Tra nsit 115

TIIE LIST OF 20 I 0 The New Yo rk Times a rticles o n Korean Cu ltu re 116

THE LIST OF 20 I l The New Yo rk Times articles on Ko1ea n Cu ltu1e 122

The Korean Wave is
Here to Stay
By Chal'l cs K. A l'm SLl'o ng

Ch arles K. Armstr ong is the Korea Foundat ion Associat e Professo r o f Kor ean St udies in t he So cial Sciences
and t he D irect o r o f t he Center for Korean Research at Columbia University. A specialist in t he modern history
of Korea and East Asia, Professor Armstr ong has published several books on contemporary Korea, including
most recently The Koreas (Rout ledge, 2007).
T
he "Korea n Wave" has been w it h us fo r well
over a decade. I nvented by C hinese jou rnalises
at the end of rhe 1990s, the term HalLyu or
" Korean Wave" originally descri bed rhe sudden and
extraordi nary rise in popula rity of Korea n pop music,
TV dram as, fashion, f ilm a nd food in C hina a nd else-
whe re in As ia. T h roughout t he 2000s, Ko rea n culture
d rew an enthusias tic a nd ever-growing following all
over the Asia n continent, fro m midd le-aged ho use-
wives in Japa n add icted to Korea n melodramas, to
you ng men in Bh uta n sporti ng haircuts modeled after
their favo rire K-pop sta rs. Europe and t he Americas
were a bit slower to catch rhe Korean wave, bur in re-
cent years Korean c ultu re has fo u nd a significant niche
in France, A rgenti na, C a nada a nd the United Scares, as
wel l as in other Western countries. Of cou rse, Koreans
have been im migrat ing to rhe US for over a century,
a nd Korea n cul ture is ha rd ly a newcom er to places li ke
New York C ity. Still, the visibility of Korea in "main-
st rea m" America n cultu re has increased expo nentia lly
in the lase several yea rs. Korean movies are no longer
li m ited rn rhe a rt house fringe bur a re reviewed regu-
la rly in rhe N ew York Times; New Yorkers consume
Korea n food with gusto, whether traditional food in
Queens, fusion fa re in tonier parts of Manhattan, or
ba rbecued beef and rice fro m rhe wandering "Korilla"
trucks. Americans who spea k nor a word of Korean
rune in regula rly to Korean T V dra mas, and m any
fa natica l followers of K-pop can be found among col-
lege srudents of a ll ethnicities. In rhe second decade of
the rwenty-fi rsr century, Korea is pan of rhe American
culrural la ndscape. The Korea n Wave is here to stay.
Forl'\\ ord
T
he ra nge and impact of Korea n culture in
American life is reflected in the diverse ar-
ticles on Korea in rhe T imes. Food was a big
story, and nor just in restaurants: as a sign of how far
Korea n food has good mainstrea m , rhe Times ra n two
articles on how to cook beef bulgogi - one rhe tradi-
tional grilled way, the other in a slider. T ravel articles
on Korea d escribed rhe local food wirh enthusiasm,
and fo r rhose wanting to sray close to home, the Ti mes
ran a useful article on where to ear in Ma nharra n's
Koreatown. New York-based celebrity chefs like David
C hang and Jea n-George Vongerichren have helped to
boost rhe visibiliry of Korean food, at the sa me ri me
rhar rhey made rheir own unique versions of rhe cui-
sine. Along with his Korea n-born wife Marja, chef
Vongerichten brought Korea n cooking to America n
living rooms wirh The Kimchi Chronicles, a hir food
and travel show on PBS. Perhaps the on ly question
about rhe newfound popularity of Korea n food in
America is: why d id ir ra ke so long? O ne might have
thought that rhe American palate wou ld naturally
gravitate rowa rd spicy gri lled beef over cold raw fish
and rice, bur after rhe long reign of sushi, ir looks li ke
Americans may be raking ro bulgogi as t heir favorite
Asia n d ish.
Music, borh Western classical music a nd pop, was
also a n imporra nt Korean story. After more th an a
decade of mass popul arity in As ia, K-pop has made
serious inroads into t he A merican market in rhe last
few years. Korea's SM Enterta in me nt pro duced a series
of sold-our concerts ar M ad ison Square Ga rden, and
rhe T imes covered in derail rhe combination of intense
competition, savvy marketing a nd sheer ta lent and
hard work that have made K-pop a global phenom-
enon. On rhe classical e nd of rhe spectru m, Korea n
musicia ns like Jennifer Lin a nd H ahn- Bin m ade rhe
news for their arti stry (as well as, in Hahn-Bin's case,
provocative fash ion statements).
Korea n fi lms, from Bong Joon-ho's thri ller "Mother"
ro Lee C hang-dong's quiet and co ntemplative "Poetry,"
received rave reviews. Shin Kyung-sook's novel "Please
Look After My Mom" was reviewed prominently in
the N ew York T imes book review, a nd became the
first work of Korean fi ction (by Korea's most popular
novelise) ro become a besrscller in t he US. Sports were
a lso in rhe news, as the Korean city of Pyeo ngchang
won rhe right ro host the 20 18 W inter Olympics, after
two previous failed bids. There were ind ividual sport
achievements as well, especia lly by women: a Korean
woman beca me the first female climber to scale che
world's fourtee n highest mountains, and fig ure skater
Kim Yu-na was rhe srar of the W inter O lympics in
Va ncouver.
 The "o n a11 \\'an is I l1rc to S ta.'

Korea n clorhi ng, arr, arch itecture a nd design have Korea is becoming a n increasingly fam iliar place for
been receiving some belated appreciation in rhe West, America ns, bu r Korea is no lon ger a place "over there,"
as a n a rricle on rhe a rt of rhe ha nbok showed. Korean- exotic a nd stra nge. It is becom ing increasingly pa rr of
influenced clothi ng design even reached rhe White the A merican cul rura l fabric, a place as famil iar ro rhe
H ouse, when First Lady M ichelle O bama wore a dress readers of the Times as the resta ura nt down the block.
by t he Korea n-American designer Ooo-ri C hung fo r Ar t h is poinc, it may no longer be useful to describe rhe
a srate d inner with P resident Lee Myung-bak, a d in- Korea n cul ru ral im pact as a "wave." Korea n culrure is
ner where rhe Korea n-America n sisters the Ahn Trio now a major triburary of the America n mainstream.
perfo rmed. T he revival and modernization in con-
temporary Korea of the hanok, o r rrad it ional Korea n
house, made the news as well. Back in New York,
rhe Merropoliran Museu m of Arr held a beaut iful
exhi bit ion of t rad itional Korea n ceramics, a nd Lee
Ufan's insta llation "Marking Infin ity" occupied rhe
Guggenh eim Museum.

Korea's well-known obsession w ith child ren's educa-

rion, and Korea ns' a m birious innovarions in the ed-
ucation field, ga ined some attention with arricles on
Jeju Island 's planned "G lobal Education Ciry" and
the "Engkey" English-reaching robot invented at the
Korea lnsrirure of Science a nd Tech nology. The Ti mes
travel section fearu re a guide ro "36 Hours in Seoul,"
coveri ng restau ra nts, museums, shopping, a nd even
the jjimjilbnng or bath house.
THE NEW YORK TIMES, THURSD.dl~ FEBRUARY 24, 2011 El, ES

A VIOLINIST'S BELLS
AND WHISTLES
BY ALEX I IA\VGOOD

en [he young violinis[ Hahn-Bin ap-

A Violinist's Bells and Whistles

Uy Al.EX llAWGOOI)
ll EN the young \'iolln
W: peared onsrage for a recent ma[inee at
he Morgan Library and Museum, a gasp
trickled through the audience, which consisted mosdy

W lst llnhnBm ap1>eared

onS1agc for :. f"'l'ttfll
matintt :u the Mora.an
Ubcu)' 11nd Museum, a psp 1ridtkd
throu&h the audJmce. ,.hkh consist
of silver-ha ired classical-music enthusiasts. C lad in a
black sleeveless kimono, dark raccoon-eye makeup
c<I mostly (I( Slhtt..-t\a!rt."d cb~
mUSK wlhuSJ.3.Sts. Ct.1d tn a bbt:k
and a high mohawk, the soloisr resembled an apoca-
sft\eloess kimono, c.brt me~
m.lkeup and a high moh."11tt k, t he ~ lyptic Kewpie doll.
kxst rtst>mblcd M apornl)'Plic Kew
p1edoll
1111.hn-Uin (who uses only lu f1n t
name) slunk B(rQSS 1he stnge vmh Hah n-Bin (who uses only his first name) slunk across
the srage with his instrument, propped himself atop a
Ha hn-Bin, equally
a l home on piano a nd whipped his bow toward the crowd, more
the ru nway and onslagc. ringmaster than concertmas[er. He then tore into works
his ln.s1rumen1, propped hnnself ntop
by C hopin, Pablo de Sarasa[e and Debussy, with some
a ptllflO ;md whipped hti bow 1cw.ard
the ct0\1t:d, ~ nna.master ttwl
concu-tmasrn. Ht' thm tllf'C into
enhancements: At one point the pia nist John Blacklow
1ttwks b)' Chop.n, Pablo de Sarasatc
:md Ddlussy, -.,rn
somt ~ placed Hahn-Bin's bow inm the violinist's mouth,
mmu: At ooc poin11hc pi."Uli.51 Jcohn
Blx .lrSow pbCftl Hahn-Bin's bow lnio
lhc \iohmst's rnooth, 111hlle llaJtn-Bln whi le Hahn-Bin plucked his violi n like a ukulele.
plucked Ins vlOlm hke a ukulele.
- 11iwe you t'\'tr Sttn nn)'thl ng hl!;t
It?" one fem.:ilc audirn<'t m~ mber
wh15pert'd to a fr~nd. "Have you ever seen anything like it?" one female au-
No, she n:plkd.. "l'\e IH:\'tr
l~.i.nJ anyth ing l1kt ii, est her.'"
l>Mpite s.hanng a ~ at Uncoln dience mem ber w hispered to a friend.
Ccntrr, lhc cL.u.SK:mU)K' and lash
90t1 lndUSll"K'S tend 10 be mulu.ill)' U
TRl.NDSCTTIHC
duswc. But for lfahn-Bin. a 22)'t:U
Ho.hnBin
perform ing a l 1he
'
old pro<~&~ lhc tmme1ll \iobnist
lllhak Perlman v.hO hokh Moun
"No," she replied. "I've never hea rd anything like it,
Louis Vu illon
store d uring
:lnd Warhol intqu3ltstttm, 111ey :u-c
ron1plcmem~.ry.
either."
Fnshion's Nighl " Wh :1t I c~ 10 v. c:ir or how I
Out las t yir:11r. Contin uf'don J-'O.l>'t8
Despite sha ring a lease at Lincoln Center, the classical-
music and fashion industries tend ro be mutually ex-
A Violinist's Bells a nd Whistles
clusive. But for Hahn-Bin, a 22-year-old protege of the
eminent violinis[ ltzhak Perlman who holds M ozart
and Wa rhol in equal esteem , [hey are complementary.

"W hat l choose ro wear or how I choose ro express

myself visua lly is equally important as the music it-
self," he said in a recent interview at Le Pain Quotid ien
on G rand Street. " Fashion teaches spiri tua l lessons. lr
has taught me who I am and showed me what I didn't
know about myself."

H ahn- Bin is a rare bridge be[ween Ca rnegie Ha ll,

where he wi ll make his mainsrage debur on Ma rch
13, and [he Boom Boom Room , where he performed
a[ a party hosted by V Magazine during New York
Fashion Week. He is [he latest in a series of classic-
musica l provoca[eurs who have included [he German
virtuoso Anne-Sophie Muner, fa mous for her strap-
less ball gowns; and Nigel Kennedy, a genre-bending,
hard-partying Brit.
 ' ' The classical-music world need s co be shak-
en up a li ttle bit," sa id V icki M argulies,
artist manager fo r Young Concert Arrisrs
Inc., which selecred H a h n-Bin to perfo rm ar t he
Morgan. ''A nd he's the one to do it."
Hahn-Bi n credits Mr. Perl man a nd the star architect
Perer M ari no, who fina nced his New York concert de-
but in 2009 ar Za nkel H a ll, pa rt of Ca rnegie H all,
for teaching him how to straddle rwo c ultural worlds.
"The on ly person char unde rstood that I was a gen re
of my ow n was M r. Perl man," he said. "H e gers char
I have always been a perform ance a rtist who sings
through the violin."
In a phone interview, Mr. Perlma n said: "H e is a n ex-
tremely ta lented violinist who is very, very individual.
He combines music wirh dra ma and a visual element.
Ir's very personal to him. W hen an a rtist feels it th at
personally, the aud ience does, too."
Hahn-Bin's diverse group of fa ns also incl udes the
fas hion personaliry And re Leon Talley, rhe art maven
Shala M onroque, the magazine edi tor Stephen Ga n
and the gallerist Ba rbara G ladstone. "In the contex t
of classically t rained musicia ns, he is q uire sta rtling,
as they a re hardly given ro personal cheater," Ms.
Gladstone said.
H e collaborated wirh the video art ist Rya n M cNa mara
on "Producrion," a perfo rmance at the Louis Vuitton
score during Fash ion's N ighr O ur last year, a nd he
walked rhe runway for the designer Elise O verland last
September. T his month , he perfo rmed ar rhe Sco ne, a n
art space in rhe East Village, in a show curated by t he
musicia ns Lou Reed and Lau rie A nderson; and played
soliloquies inspi red by the ex h ibit ion "Andy Wa rhol:
Mot ion Pictures" at t he Museum of Modern Art.
'The movement, his body, h is clot hes, his style, his
dramaturgy a nd the music, of course, fo rm one strong,
complex, mu lrilayered audio-visual image," said Klaus
Biesenbach, chief curato r at large fo r rhe museum.
H a hn-Bin said chat d efying genres in t his ma nner is
an intrinsic part of his persona lity. "] have never iden-
tified as Asian or American, b oy or girl, classical or
pop," he said.
H e was born in Seoul, South Korea; h is fami ly moved
ro Los Angeles when he was 10 so he could study ar
rhe Colburn School of Perfo rming Arts. As a teenager,
he would tell his mother he was going t here to prac-
Dt-M Copyright 2001 1by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
rice rhe violin , then sneak o ff ro see perfo rmances by
Ms. Anderson or rhe avanr-garde playwright Robert
Wilson. H e moved ro New York in 2004 after being
accepred into Juillia rd , where he q uickly felt like "a
strange fruit," he said. His classmates d idn't u ndersta nd
why he studied rhe work of the m usician Bjork and
rhe photographer N ick Kn ight along wirh Kreisler and
D vorak. "They would tease me endlessly," he said .
Between classes, he'd shop ar downtown boutiques like
Seven N ew York and Yohj i Yamamoto, rhen return ro
class decked our in Bern ha rd Will helm a nd M artin
Ma rgiela. "Everyone's jaws would just d rop," he said.
"I fo ught wirh rhe deans co nstantly abou t what I could
wear. T hey finally cold me I can wea r someth ing all
black. Natura lly, I went onstage wea ri ng a top rhar
had a very deep V-neck. I will never forge r when the
orchestra manager ra n to me backstage with a safety
pin in horror."
H ahn-Bin said char his use of fas hion is pa n of a n ar-
rempr ro make classical music ("the new u nderground
genre," he said) relevant to a group of young people
who may have been d ragged ro concerts by rheir
grandparents. H e also posrs relentlessly on his Web
sire, Twitter, YouTube a nd Facebook. "He is speaking
directly ro h is generation," Ms. M argulies said. "This
is his world."
W ith these bells a nd whistles comes t he occasio nal
accusation rhar his persona d isrracrs fro m rhe music.
"T here are many people in my field who have rried ro
tell me what I should a nd shou ldn't do w ith M oza rt or
Beethoven, even to th is day," he said .
But M r. Perlman dismissed a ny idea char Hahn-Bin's
self-stylization is gimmick ry. "It's nor like he is follow-
ing a trend in classical music right now," he said. "H e
is setti ng rhe rrend."
Ar the Morgan, rh is trendsetting included three cos-
tume cha nges from the k imono: a Ka rl Lagerfeld-esque
ruxedo with an oversize flower pin; a n asym met rical
sh irt dress with a n eye mask made from feat hers; and
a boxy red blouse with a plunging V-neck line, acces-
sorized wirh a pair of Jeremy Scott sunglasses a nd
thigh-high Rick O wens boors.
"H onestly, ro ger onsrage a nd balance in my shoes is
a lifetime achievement in of itself," H ahn-Bi n said .
"D ancers have arms ro help fi nd their balance, bur
one of my a rms, you see, is doing the most ridicu lous
things wirh rhe violin."
 " 7"'" ..,..,.- .-_..~r ""l.rl..'l!'\!o._'" :;.,~-~--,.,-:-"7""~~~~/y-"T'"1'""!"""""'""-=.-.-.,.-

THENEWl'ORK TIMES, FRJDAY,JUNE 3, 2011 C4

INSTRU MENTA LISTS

AT AN EXHIBIT ION
13' Z \ C l IABY \\'OOLF I ~

BillMI and Dana Angtla.far lt/1,

Instrumentalists at an Exhibition
In lht lefl p.antl oCSanM>n Dm
ncrsum's p.'.lmttng -nte Ful-
bnghl Tnptych a woman J.llS
wnh a child on htt Llp. In 1he
ngh1 panel a rnanalsosu.~ 111 a
~lral posture. All
ZACHARY lhrrrnarebL1nkly
~.'~~~~~i!~.1 ..
00
WOOLfE
- dominated by a Utble-
:'~~ :~:~~~~-
'"' pnnters' 1mp~mem,_ TWo
pteture v.1ndows ~hind 11 show
:in Idyllic,,ewdo\11-n tht> ro.:NJ ol
:1 coumry tov.-n.
Al a recital on WednestL1y In
lht> g.i.lle~of theTmn Cullur
Ill lns111u1e. the p;amt mg huna
next 101he players: 1ht v1ohn
1sts Angela Md Jennifer Chun,
who are smcn. and the planlSl
""..-edenc Ouu. T'My :stttn."d In
spired byilSterit mixture of
knife and la.ndsca~. aggression
and ld)ll.
The Chuns m pamc:ubr es-
chev.cd simple. folksy nostalgia
innprogrnmmflmM ~1tht ht-
1angy harmonies and dancing
rh)'lhmsof Eastern EurOJ)(':tn
muslC. Their 1merpremuons and
t one er~cutu~and se-,er-e. :.c:
tn1tu.1ung the slr.lngrness ot
the v.uks and emphasizing their
modernism.
Theynnd Mr.Ch1unrcokl Jml
lurd class!ll.ltes.. All three ""''
rtcord on the lfarmoru.l Mund1
bbcl. and tht're was a !i.trlSt of
sh!lrcd h1"'lory, .:in <'3-"I)' m1imnc:y,
in 1ht program, whtt.h was t:a.llcd
"Dall.ld nnd 030Ce- alterlheli
th!olnJhort Ligl11 work lortwo
vtol.ms ~on RomanillJl folk
songs..
Tilt rct1tn.l opt~~ Ith some
of oariok's4 1 V.ottn Duos
(around 1933) 1n1ersJ)(.'f'Std wuh
~~ions from Prokol1e,s F11
g1t1\e V1s.t0ns"' tor solo pa no
(1915-17). Mr. Onu'ssua\"e play
In :ind subtle touch - those del
IC.lit high notes' - acted hkc a
tank 10 the \10hmst.s' 1n1cn~.
bncmgduos.
TM1r Chum' '"tnngent St)'lc
"'as dfcctwe m the BMtol.. but
'"-'so m ~takO\'K'h's rhap.
Wlic "'Thrtt ~.sfor'TWoVM>
hns a.od Piano." They seemed m
1en1 on nddmg r.tWRt'.SS and edge
10 thtse Ingratiating pit('it.5, bu1
Mre II WM too much. Tht:)' ~C'rt'
morecon,'lncmg m l\&tg Yun,
Son:uma forl\l.o V1obns (1983),
It\ otuSptndtd ht'lmlOnk:S slO\\ ly
Soogs for Voc3hzmg Psami!i:I"
btukhngm ~a\tsolflOUnd,and
M1tn111u's pl3)1ul,ek'gMt Son:\
lln.'l for Tuo Vtobns nnd Piano
(1930).
and Jtn111ftr Oum, s1.srcrs, pu
/omung on \\'tdnnday nq:hr 01
lht Tfnn C'ullurol fnMll~lt
But Mr. Oliu w:is the rt'C1lal's
qtlf, bnngang exqu1<1tt ~ou'
ness toG:w:> Ping's pc>1ent'3lly
gi.mmac.ky Two So\~l Lo\'t'
(200J). ~work had some ol
the 1mprrssaonist feel of the Pro-
kofaev, \\ith Mr. Ol1u softlyv.ln"I
thn& a.nd humming O\"U Cl')'$l!ll
hne fllagree work at the' cry top
olpuno's rangc. lnsptred ~n pMI
by vxSfO ol Glenn Gould 1inaina
to hunseU as he pbyfd, the work
h;w! the same quality ttu.11;wc
Gould's pttfonnanCH so much
oftht'lrpower: thcscnscof"'PY
mg. of w::i.1chmg something )-OU
wc:ren' t supposed to Stt

n the left panel of Si mon Dinnerstein's painting The recita l opened w ith some of Barrok's 44 Violin

I "The Fulbright Triptych " a woman sits w ith a

child on her lap. In the rig ht pa nel a ma n a lso sits
in a neutra l posture. A ll three stare bla nk ly out at the
Duos (around 1933) interspersed w irh selections from
Prokofiev's " Fugitive V isions" for solo pia no (1915- 17).
Mr. C hiu's suave playi ng and subtle rouch - those
viewer. delicate hig h nores! - acted like a ronic ro the viol in-
ists' intense, bracing d uos.
T he center pa nel is dom inated by a table covered with
sha rp, a lmost surgical-looking printers' implements. Their Chuns' astringent style was effective in rhe
Two picture wi ndows behind it show an idyllic view Barrok, bur less so in Shosta kovich's rhapsodic "Three
down the road of a country rown. D uets for Two Violins and Piano." They seemed intent
on adding rawn ess and ed ge ro rhese ingratiating piec-
At a recital o n Wednesday in the ga lleries of the Tenri
es, bur here ir was roo muc h. They were more convinc-
C ultura l I nsti tu te, the painting hung next to the play-
ing in !sa ng Yun's Sonatina fo r Two Violins (1983),
ers: the violinists Angela and Jennifer C hun, who are
its suspended harmonics slowly bui lding in waves of
sisters, and the pianis t Frederic C hiu. They see med
sound, and Marrinu's play ful, eleganc Sonatina for
inspired by its eerie mixture of knife a nd landscape,
Two Violins a nd Pia no (1930).
aggression and idyll.
But Mr. C hiu was rhe recita l's star, bri nging exquisite
T he C huns in particul ar eschewed simple, folksy nos-
serious ness ro Gao Ping's potentially gimm icky "Two
talgia in a prog ra m inflected w ith the ta ngy harmo-
Soviet Love Songs for Vocalizing Pian ist" (2003).
nies a nd da ncing rhythms of Eastern Europea n music.
The work had some of rhe impress ionist feel of rhe
Thei r interprerarions and rone were curring a nd severe,
Prokofiev, w it h Mr. C hiu softly whistling a nd hum-
accentuating the stra ngeness of rhe works and empha-
mi ng over crysta lli ne fi ligree work at rhe very rop
sizi ng rheir modernism .
of piano's range. Inspired in pa rt by video of Glenn
T hey and Mr. C hiu a re old Jui ll iard classmates. A ll Gould sin ging ro h imself as he played , rhe work had
rh ree now record on rhe Harmonia Mundi label, a nd t he same qua lity rhar gave Gould's perfo rmances so
there was a sense of sha red hisrory, an easy intimacy, much of rhe ir power: the sense of spyi ng, of watchi ng
in the program, which was called " Ballad and D ance" somethin g you weren't supposed ro see.
after rhe ride of a short Ligeti work for two violins
based o n Roman ian folk songs.

Copyright 20011 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with perm1ss1on
 THE NEW YORK TIMES, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2011
HAMLE T AS EAGER
KOREAN PRINCE
BY KEN .IJ\\VO HO\VSK I
Hamlet as Eager Korean Prince
Melancholy? More like blood-
thirsty.
There's not much indecision
from Shakespeare's prince in
" Hamyul/Hamlet ," a Korean-lan-
guage adaptation
KEN or the play at La
MaMa. But boy, is
JAWOROWSKI there in tensity. In
a show that runs
r:E~~~ just 90 m inutes,
this is a Hamlet
quick to r age and eager for r e-
venge, one who jettisons his infa-
mous uncertainty long befor e the
final scenes.
" Hamyul/ Hamlet" finds the
prince dr aped in shadows,
mourning the death or his fath er.
Within minutes he's spur red to
action by the ghost, and fewer
than 100 lines l ater he's holding a
sword to his own thr oat, deliver-
ing a " To be or not to be" solilo-
quy that 's trimmed to about a
third of the original. It's a stark
production, one that retains only
the sparest pl ot and the strongest
emotions. Extended pauses carr y
great weigh t here, and the pl ay-
within-a-play scene i s sever e and
frightening.
As Hamlet, Young Kun Song
handles the fury well, pacing the
stage while his mind seems to
plot far ahead. llky u Park as
Claudius and Youn Jung Kim as
Gertrude are deft actors, rightly
wary of this prince, w hile Man Ho
Kim's Polonius provides the rare,
welcome momen ts of levity. The
"Hamyuf/Hamlet" co11 ti11ues
through July JO at La Ma Ma, 74A
East Fourth Street, East Village;
(212) '115-7710, lamama.org.
Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with pcrmrssron.
lllUN I~
Hamyul/llamlet, with.from left,
/lkyu Park, Mi11gi I Jong a11d Youn
Jung K im, at L a Ma Ma.
director, Byungkoo Ahn, adapted
the work from his father 's ver-
sion, which first appeared a1 La
MaMa in 1977.
Using om inous per cussion, a
bit of dance and a stage that's
never more than dimly lighted,
"Hamyul/ Hamlet" creates a deli-
cious mood of menace. It comes
at a high price, however. You may
find your self anticipating lines
that never arri ve (English super-
titles ar e project ed above the
stage) and longing for scenes
that have been r emoved; this is a
loose adaptation of Shake-
spear e's work, not a strict trans-
lation. Still, the play is beguiling
to watch, a r ein terpretation w ith
a dark mind all its own.
CJ
Melancholy? More like bloodthirsty.
There's not much indecision from Shakespeare's prince
in "Hamyul/ Ham le t," a Korea n-la ng uage adaptat ion
of the play at La MaMa. Bu t boy, is there intensit y. In a
show that runs just 90 mi nutes, t his is a Ham let quic k
to rage and eager for revenge, one w ho jettisons h is
infamous uncertainty long before the final scenes.
" H a myu l/ H am let" finds the prince draped in shad-
ows, mourn ing t he deat h of his fat her. W ith in min-
utes he's spurred to action by the g host, a nd fewer
th an 100 lines later he's holding a sword to his own
throat, delivering a "To be or not to be" soli loquy rhat's
trimmed to about a t h ird of t he original. It's a sta rk
production, one that retains o n ly the sparest plot a nd
the strongest emotio ns. Extended pauses carry g reat
weight here, and t he play-wit hin-a-play scene is severe
and frig hten ing.
As Ham let, You ng Kun Song hand les the fury well,
pacing the stage whi le his mind seems to plot far
ahead. ll kyu Park as C laudius a nd Youn Jung Kim as
Gertrude are deft actors, rig htly wa ry of t h is prince,
wh ile Man Ho Ki m's Polonius provides the rare, wel-
('f1A1'C come moments oflevity. T he d irector, Byu ngkoo Ahn ,
adapted the work from his fat her's version, w hich first
appeared at La M aMa in 1977.
Using ominous percussion, a bit of da nce and a stage
t hat's never more tha n d im ly lighted, "Hamyu l/
Hamlet" creates a delic ious mood of menace. It comes
at a hig h price, however. You may find yourself an-
ticipati ng lines that never arrive (English superritles
are projected above the stage) a nd longing for scenes
that have been re moved; this is a loose adaptat ion of
Shakespea re's work, not a srric t tran slatio n. Still, the
play is beguiling to warch, a re interpretation with a
da rk mind a ll its own .
"Ha111y11!/Hn111let" continues through July JO at Ln Mn Mn,
74A Enst Founh Street, East Vi/Inge; (212) 475-7710, ln-
mnmn.org.

THE GLOBAL EDITION OF THE NEWl'ORKTIMES , FRID.Al: OCTOBER21, 2011 8, 9
SOUT H KOREA FORG ETS
ITS AMNESIA AND
REDI SCOV ERS ITS
ROCK 'N' ROLL SOUL
South Korea forgets its amnesia and rediscovers its rock 'n' roll soul
New generation connects
to music suppressed
by the military in 1975
IV MAU a.USSUl..
Sbm~rtllWtllb'ltblar.
timitbtud.the .... ,,,,_.. . . tn
SNu&. , _ l&.t. bad P9*d~
b' tbt US. apdl N'JftJ ..S WU -"ct
td ID pi.I)' tap Amitricm IW 10 tbt tR10PL
"I WMCOO)'OlmllObetcert'd.'" lbt?).
)"Hf'<lldrodtn'...,ln1f'kophanens-
ritw..... . JG uitd lOdo aood)ob."
Soon., he wupi.ytna20tol0da1na
South Korea rediscovers its rock 'n' roll
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tn ~L.\RK HUSSELL
rnlitMJ buts &I "'W
lllOlldl .. U.S. llt l\u ..,. caDtd tbl god1a1hcf ol u1u htrt lNn tvtr, rtlfMcuwd and r.-
South Korta.-.;s bte "'Gu&ar Boop South Kffn roct.. Moio ma,p.Jb
Stp;tmbtr bslltd fWO mrotS*U"t' of
Mr.Shin's ml.ISie. lnttrpttted by a MW pntntlonolfans.
Shuft\e," " 40 Miln ol Bad Rold'" and liktntd him to Phil Sptetorfhbabl). A~ cntkOown "1 lt?"S. Kltn J.lin-joon.knownuDJSoubc.tpr,
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CW'I
" Rock AroWld the Cock" - the ruit ()' 10 di.KOYtt laknl and ante IOUnds. nd musk. nwijuan.l and lht <Ow1ltr ls such fanolthl South Kattan mlWccl
-... . -... .... .....,, ......
IOl1J Mr. Shln s&na. lntltad et fust pU).. Mt. Shln't tound WU low..f\ and ps)'theo C\IZturein~puc.nabruptrndlO
_.., ..............,._..
the ll70s and '10t: thaC he put IQ&ethtt I
Ing guhu. "The aok2Jen lttrntd to Ulle ckk, lfftl y milnc Fft'es and. u time Mr. Shin's C#ftf. Chan&ll'lc wu:s mb: CD calkd .. MOR Sound ot Seoul."
my guitar ~" bt recallfd. "'They
.......
puMd. k iv..- evtt mott -rid. ms bUUnrdtbtpublc'l....-forhlsnt-
u.a.ity,.......
_
wa'ert'allJ'~tk:andolt.a lk.Mdbe~'**oftbenot,..,..rn ten fl.d. and cllcGU.U. (Adl'ltnta:ta
ubdb'mcn-.... ontbeA&Xk.~Uk8wulor Nt.Sl&lin h aUllk dub. His CCIP)'rircbclP. ~.mtlNbtCllll'I
Bands l.blll pt lbd' --1 rod:q ml .w:tlheblftd.lieal. . . ~- ab-.~btpllltobea.ll'donCD ~lh'e:..,.,.tbeCXIDKdon.aotldlk.)
00 U.S. AnlJt/ * - btcMlit tbt YD- ~.,-nrmnm:n-., lndll:md-11111&,butebtn .... lltdil: tk IC:Dftld ~Kor-. hlttq an
pll'dd. nrw-tc'~Scuh ~ ..,,. ........ rndlrtic:IGlirJwtao
._ ....._
ru. Mr. SWn .... _..,......,.
dw-., d ll,auz- mlud Wnun ...ac: IUCb a nia.
-.11.IMldfolkwDtbesou:ndolttd-
mliaarnm ........ tSIM~
popwwil)'nlPJ~
mrtm~totddm~
m cdlecticn ot l.)00 o1c1 WQt albamt
thlll.n-elhtlclandMJaalarmanyol
many ol the nlOM memonbk rodt SCS1P liOnal Kornn musk,.. uid N att s-im. Bue now, af\er Oetadts of bdrw bis ~... Mr. Kim b mthustd
....... ..,,_
rta:lf'OtodlnSouth ""'npocia!lytn::m n.n, found d lJ&bt In lhe Attk Rec-
onh.anAmtrk:an boi.11ique labd lhal In
KIM N I~ 1k1 DJ s-i.c.,t, IJ. &..
ef KlftMwicot U.ltlO.ud"IOI.
mostly forp:iuen. dw mu.U: from South
Kotfa'srodc"n'roll ~bmorpop-
dut lmttat In old KorHn musk Is Oft
ltOO:,fACU
hin Joong-hyun re members rhe firsr rime he
_ __ _
rook rhe srage 55 yea rs ago in Seoul. Just 18,
soul
........................
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Army and was selected to play top A merican hits ro
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UiiWll1r ........
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"'Otolf~-
rhe t roops. "I was coo young to be scared ," rhe 73-yea r-
.___ ____
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a.it . . .~ ... ......_. .....
,.... ........ lfoellllt*,- - old rocker said in a telephone interview, "so I jusr rried
..... _(DJ_,,_ ............
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_,,,... to do a good job."
......... .. . .
~ .... - .. ,...~r.:r..... - -- ----.
~-.-
................. llC-a. ... -
Soon, he was playing 20 ro 30 d ates a month ar U. S.
m ilirary bases a ll over Sourh Korea, songs like "Guitar
"""'..._..............
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~"'
Boogie Shuffle," "4 0 M iles of Bad Road " a nd "Rock
Around rhe C lock " - rhe first song Mr. Shi n sang,
......-----..--..
~- ... a..---. insread of jusr play ing gu ira r. "The soldiers seemed to
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like my guirar playing," he recalled . "They were really
enthusiasric a nd ofren asked fo r more solos."
___ _ __
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....
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Ba nds rh ar gor t heir sta rt rocking o ur on U.S. Army
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bases beca me rhe va ngua rd of a new music scene in
=.:::::::::i.i.t.:1.=.
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Sourh Korea. M r. Shin was ar rhe heart of ir, creating
-----..
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Ml._ _ _ _ _
.....................
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_ bands, find ing singers and w riri ng many of rhe mosr
_,.. ,.....,._,__.... memorable rock songs recorded in South Korea, espe-
- -
\ l.,___ _ __
_
.
.
,
.
_
.
.
,
~
... ...... cia lly from 1968 to 1975.
H
e has been called the godfather of South
Korea n rock . Mojo magazine likened him to
Phil Spector for his abili ty to discover talent
and create sounds. M r. Sh in's sound was low-fi and
psychedelic, freely mixing genres and, as rime passed ,
it grew ever more wild.His albums typically had short,
poppy songs, on the Aside, bur side B was for M r. Shin
and the band, featuring free-flowing instrumentals up
to 22 minutes long.
"The man was a revolutionary who mixed Western
music such as rock, soul, a nd folk with the sound of
traditional Korean music," sa id Matt Sullivan , fo under
of Light in the Attic Records, an American boutique
label that in September issued two retrospectives of
Mr. Shin's music.
A government crackdown in 1975, on rock music,
marijuana and the countercu lrure in general, pur an
abrupt end to Mr. Shin's ca reer. C han gi ng tastes has-
tened the public's amnesia for his music, and he spent
most of the next years in obscurity running a live music
club. His a lbums finally began to be issued on C D in
the m id-1990s, bur there was lit tle mainstrea m inter-
est at a time domi nated musically by teenage-oriented
dance-pop a nd syrupy ballads.
But now, after decades of being mostly forgotten, the
music from South Korea's rock 'n' roll heyday is more
popular h ere than ever, reimagined and re-interpreted
by a new generation of fans.
Park M in-joon, k nown as DJ Soul scape, is such a
fa n of rhe South Korean music of the 1970s and '80s
that he put together a mix CD called "More Sound
of Seoul," featuri ng 40 obscure and mostly forgotten
funk and disco tracks. (Ad heri ng to copyright law,
however, mea ns he ca n only give away the collection,
nor sell it.)
H e scoured South Korea, hitting fl ea markers every-
where to build an impressive collection of 1,500 old vi-
nyl albums that serve as rhe foundation for many of his
retro-mixes. Mr. Park is enthused that inte rest in old
Korea n music is on t he ri se and said that more reissues
were in the works. 'Tm surprised at how much young
people are into this music," he sa id . "Bur for them, it's
nor old music, it's li ke something new."
It's not only Koreans who a re interested in the sound.
Mr. Park sa id D.j.s all over the world enjoy rhe genre-
bending albums. H e has spun his retro set in Los
Angeles and New York.
Sato Yukie is a lso a fan of the era. A Japanese musi-
cia n who fel l in love wit h vintage South Korean music
during a 1995 vacation to Seoul, he formed a Korean
classic-rock cover band called Kopcha ngjeongol
(named for a spicy beef-inna rds soup) and moved t here
in 1999. His band has released two records of covers.
"There's defin itely a boom in the old songs goi ng on
now," he said.
Mr. Sato's bandmate, Yohei H asegawa, is a guitarist
a nd producer in South Korea, and had a hand in pro-
ducing t he latest album by o ne of rhe mosr imporrant
acts in the retro-reviva l, Cha ng Kiha and the Faces, a
group that ca me from nowhere a couple of yea rs ago to
become one of the biggest bands in the country.
South Korea's indie scene has long been tiny, but it be-
ga n to change about 10 years ago w hen several young
musicians, Mr. Chang a mong them, got together at
rhe student music clubs at Seoul National U niversity.
They formed a variety of minor bands, a nd, after grad-
uating, four of t hem c reated BGBG Records in 2005.
The label's president, Go Geon, wasn't in terested in the
music at first, but one of his bands int rod uced him to
the old sounds, like Sanull im and Shi n Joong-hyun.
"I didn't like Sanullim's unique a mateuri sm," Mr. Go
said, "bur I was impressed by their attempts at differe nt
genres, especially psychedelic rock." It was a n interest
shared by seve ral BG BG bands, such as Broccoli You
Too?, Nine and the Numbers- who were co-founde rs
of the label and fellow Seoul Nationa l students - and
C hang Kiha.
By then, rhe Internet had ravaged rhe South Korean
music ma rker, leaving indie labels with less money
than ever. BGBG's first two releases did so poorly the
label nea rly shut down, but by 2007 ir managed to re-
lease a few more records. To save money, they burned
their own C Ds and printed their own packaging.
C hang Kih a and the Face's EP, released in July 2008,
was the ninth boutique release fo r BGBG, b ut it was
by far t heir biggest hit, t ha nks to a surprise explosion
of Web interest and word of mouth. It was q uirky, with
witty lyrics and a folksy sound like something from
the late 1970s. People loved it, pa rticu larly the single
"Cheap Coffee," with its e lectric guitar hook that
quickly transitioned into a bossa nova-esque acoustic
bounce. By Februa ry, w it hout a ny marketing budget,
BGBG sold 10,000 copies, a ll ha nd-burned.
C
han g Kiha's first full-length a lbum, "Living
a Nothi ng Specia l Life," sold 52,000 copies
- big numbers for a n ind ie release in South
Korea these days - and his second ful l-length a lbum,
released in July, is gerring his bes t reviews yer.

"Chang's combination of in telligent lyrics and a fresh

sound oozes authenticity," sa id Bernie C ho, the presi-
dent of DFSB Kollecrive, a di gital music distributor.
"Plus he put together rwo of the bes t videos of the year.
Low budget , bur very clever."

Then there a re ba nds li ke Jambina i, which uses a mix

of tradi tional instrumenrs a nd f/x pedals to create a
so und that is ancient but tota lly modern.

The Internet also helped Shi n Joong-hyu n find new

audiences. Mr. Sullivan of Light in the Attic Records
discovered M r. Shi n when a friend sent him a Yourube
link of Kim Jung-mi playing her haunti ngly beautiful
song "The Sun." "To say I was immediately mesmerized
would be a massive understatement," Mr. Sull iva n said.

l r was nor easy to pull together rhe collection. Ma ny

of Mr. Shi n's master recordings had been lost over rhe
yea rs, even, ru mor has it, d eliberately destroyed by the
government in its sweeping 1975 c rackdown. Most of
t he C D re-issues of Mr. Shin's old caralog were done
poorly, even at rhe wrong speed. So Mr. Sulli va n mad e
new transfers off old LPs, crying to bring M r. Sh in's
music to life. Another America n label, Lion Records,
has rwo more releases comi ng this yea r.

"Ar first, I could n't believe it when an America n label

approached me, bur then we sca rred working toge ther
and we bui lt our trust ," Mr. Shin sa id. "] don't know
much about these new bands, bur I'm happy to th in k I
might be making an infl uence still."

This article has been revised to reflect the followi11g correction:

Correction: O ctober 24, 2011

A previous version of this article gave an incorrect 11am e for

the man k11ow11 as DJ Soulscape. His name is Park Min -joon,
not Kim Mi11 -joo11. A photograph accompanying the article
was erroneously credited to NAK The correct credit is Asto11
"Husumu" H wang.

Copyright 20 11 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.

THE Nfif!YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011 AR20

WHEN BACH LAID BARE

HIS OWN SOUL
BY V IV IEN S C ll \VEITZEH

When Bach Laid Bare His Own Soul

Oy VIV lf..1""JSCllWEITZER would hav~ dnvcn me out of my mind.
N the CO\'tr of hll rt0.--n1 record mg The Chaconnt "11 1hc 1no:s:t human part

O ot Bach's p.-.rt1135 and son.ua.s fa< ol the se1, Ms. Koh said, adding. 11 feeb
unaccompanied \'tOlin Ser gcy hkc lhtJ con~1an 1 s1n1ggle 10 reach tr.'ln
Khxha1ry:u1 as shrouded in s.ccndcnce; The 1r.msl1lo11 into the Ad.ag10
d>lrkn"U. head 111ted b3ck. C)'CS raised pi of the Sona1n No. l an C, ronung directly af
ouJfy nnd handJ prt!Std 1ogc1her abo\e tcrwar..t it the \l,Ofks are played m ordcr, tS
his lnstrumt-nL Tht: image is an apt r<>pre-- n kind ol 3teeptruK'e of humamt); she
scntl'llk>n ot the rcvertnce that musicians. s.rud. She descnbtd che h l"5t rno.. ement of
scholars and Ustcnoen often bfin&to 3 d1.s- 1tmc sona1.J M 1he rnost tragic C m.'\)Or
tuSS10n of 1hese monumttt- l '\ eC'\Crhtard."
taJ works. OtllC'n Of 11.ach"s t)'tlts for solo mstru
INTO THC B.ich wrocc the 1hree so- ments, h"-e the six partJt.ls ror kC'yboard.
MUSIC 031~ :inJ l hrtt pannas, :m~ ~omeumts pl.l)'C'd nnd rl'C'Ol'dC'd in
whkh were prob.'lbty llC'\"'tr \'tlr)'UI& Ofdt...-s. Hut lf l hC' SIX v1ohn sona.tM
perf0tmtd an public dunng hlJ hfetlnlt. and p.'\rtll4' nre 10 be performed (Ompleu\
over n sp.1n of some 17 )'Cars m the early 1t "virnl 10 pcrrorm them In 1hc sequence
1~ 1 h C'cntury. The set "almost SC'ems hke n Dach specified. M ~. Koh Mid, cnlbng 1he
pm)'U book," J.'lid the viohmst Jennifer set "on lncn..<hblc mu."Slc;tl '1rc:
t\oh. Ms. Koh heard Nnthan Mibteln, who
" There Is some1hlng 111cred1bly IX'l"SOMI died In 1992, perform 1he D minor parrna
nbout II," she :\ddl'd. " ll feels hke n hfe- when she w;is 9. nn<l she clescribcs i1 M a
tunc's journ('y." formative ex1>ericncc. M1ls1cin's searing
Ms. t\oh will play an she work.s on Sun 1975 DeutJChe Gr runmophon rt..'COrdmg of
d:ty ~flernoon in a redt;\I ::u the ArnC'ncan 1he set rcmnlns n benchmark. along w11h
Af'Memy or Arts and Leners. p~nt<'d by oi her :?Oth-cC'n1ury f\."COrdings hkc Anhur
the M1JIC'r The;itt r. Dr.we v1ohmsu \lolth Cnim1Jux's bcau11fully swttt loncd. soar
UCC'ptaoru.I stanun.J occasaon.ally \'fnturt in& lnl trprttalions for Ph1hpJ in 1961 and
lhtJ ft'JI. a daunting chJ.llengc. gl\~ the Jascha llC'lfttz"s mttMdy expresSl\"C rtn-
muuc's emoc.MJl'l!ll dtpeh and technd hur dnion for RCA Vtceor In 1952. Mr. Kh.xh3
dl'"- try:m. J u ha Fa1dK'r. Rachel Podger, Cxion
B.xh. a keyboard and organ \ 1rtuoso. 0

Krmltt and Chnsuan Ttuwr ~ :unon1

Jbo pb)"td lM '1ohn profCU1on:ally a1 the
WC'11l\3r coun 3S a young 1nan. and luC'r m
h11 arttr he ottC'n pttformed as n ohnut
with th~ ensC"mbJts he led. lle p1a)'td the
1o1olm clC'Olnly and ~etr.umg.ly," accord
1ng 10 has son CMI Ph1lJpp Em3.nut:l lbch.
Cennan \"M>hmi t<omposers brgan wm-
lng polyphonic v.orks for soto \'10lm In the
m u.l-17th cent ury. Hach is t hou&IU to have
bttn lnfluenctd by musicians inchtd1n,;
Joh.111n Paul 1oon Westhoff. a prommenl
Wennar Yioli11is1 and favonte of Louis
XI V; ht' published a kl of solov1ohn jXlrt1
tas In 1696. Westhoff mcorporated 1ech
nkluH like banobge, a fast allemadon t>e--
tv.ttn Sl311c: Md Ch.Jnglng notts, y, h k h
Bnch "150 usOO to creJte contrapuntal tex
turn. Out Bach's stt fJr surp.used any
Pft\'lOUS auempu in the genre m terms of
hna,gmat1on.complcx11y and protunduy.
Struc1urnlly 1he pieces adhere 10 Utt
ro<1ue nomts. Bnch's fourmo\'tmcnt IOn<.'1
tn.J renec1 lhe fourmovement church 5()o
nata ( son.Un du ch1cs.i) . nnd his 11artll:t1
ofter the St)lizcxl d:ince mo1o-em<:nl.5 ot the
cha111bcr sonarn (sonntn da camera). Uad1
blrndcd the solo lmt nnd 1he ncco1111Janl-
J ennifer Koh will pt:rform &ch"s p.'lrtit;u n.nd son:tilas forunnccompanicd violin
o n Sunday. 111e 1.cl of works atmosl 1ttm likc n prtl)Cr book," she "3id .
ment 1n10 ooe p;1r1. wn1ing mul11plf-, 1ndc-
pendrm \'Olet 1h..11 unfold lnmlt3.nC'OU5ly.
The four-vom~ fugues in the sonatas
should !toOuml as 1r they v.cre bcing playfil
by d1ffere111 vlohnlst.s.
Some have suqes1ed 1h:\t 1he q-.: \\orks
cocwey tt rehglout n arrnu \t. v.11h the C
minor Sonarn reprc.stnUng. say, 1he
Chri~1 mas story and the C major Sonatn
the R~urruon. Oc.hm h lW'f 111tt'fpre1C'd
1hc monumtntnl Ch.'\Coon e, the approx
m:uely !).minute mcwnncnt 1hat con
elude! lhe l~rl l1:\ No. 2: In 0 minor, Man
expression ot 1he lloly Tr inhy, Yo11h the
opt"ning 0 mlrlOt setdon rcp~ntlng the
F:uhC'r, the tnsumg 0 mn)Or sec1ion the
son iimt 1ht conclmhng D minor Stttlon
1he lloly Splri1.
Wtule 1101 on perforiner1 m1<1 K:holars
:malyzc the set in light of Uach's religious
bchcfs (he: W:\$ n pmc1lcmg Lutheran), 11
,.u,..,_,.. ,,.,,.._,_.
\lt'OUtd prC>Mbly be hvd 10 fmd a \Wlinist
....-ho h.1Sn'l grnppltd w11h 1he music.s pro-
round spm1Uah1y.
f OI' M\.. Koh, who huerprets the six
1>1eces ~"a brooder spintuJI sense ms1ead
ol tip.1f1ca.lly rcl1gt0us terms, 1he migluy
Chxonne - n senes ot 64 \ana11ons on a
stately fourbJr. mplc-me1er d:tnce theme
- Is the henn ot the cycle." The fl\O\~
ment 1s thougln 10 have bttn Bach"s me-
n'a0f1,.'\I to h1.s hrst v. 1fe:, Man:i Barbat:J
Bach, whodtfd in rno.
The Chaconne h:is transfixed hsteners
for ce111u11es. In a. leuer 10 Cbra Schu
m!llln, llmhms v.-roce: "On on<: srnff, for n
~mall ms1rumen1. the nun 'ATiies 3 whole
world ot the deepest 1hough1 s and most
IX>'t'Crful feelings. If I Imagined 1ht11 I could
ha\'t cre:ued, C\'tll conceived the piece, I
am quhc ccnnl n thJI the excess of ex
c1teme111 and e:1r1h-sha11cring <'Xpcn enec
lhe )'OUnger &t'fltrution ..., ho ha\'e t'Qntnb-
u1ed dlSUnct1\'C rtt0rdmgs.
MJ. Koh woold ljke to record 1he son:1t3S
and pat11t.:lS. nut 11151C'3d ot prestntmg
them llS n compk1e C)'t'le. ihc v.1U p rob-
ably pJ1r individual \lt'OrkJ wllh contempo-
rary rmaces,
. as she h.'\S tJccn doing in her
solo rtd tal.$ In 1he M1Uer Thc::uers Bach
and Be)oml serlcs. M:'lny prominent In
stnm\Cnln.hst, nc\lcr 11L'\y Dnch's music,
v.hkh 1$ nm c-r..ckmgly cic1>0S<:d. for nn
nudiencc. MJ. Koh, "ho has per formed the
sonauu nnd 1)Jrdtas sep.unttly on variow&
OCf.asion~ 5.'\ld cite \l.Orks nre so n.:iked.
visctral und personal 1hat she hCSJuncd
for a Jong ume ~fore decKSm1 10 pl.ay any
ot them In public.
She finds It po1gna111. she said, th.11 83ch
didn't wrhe lhc set for n particular corn
m~.u1on or pcrtornmnce. M an nnls1, she
ndded, )'0\1nffd 1ocrea1eand compose.
"II doesn't m:mcr If 11 p.1)'3," she s.'lld.
At the end )'OU doh bcc::'IUSC )"OU love It Ill
every fiber of )'our berng. There is some-
1hl11g 50 beautiful to me thBI Uach j u.s1
needed 10 wri 1c thi s."

n the cover of his recent recording of Bach 's "There is so me thing incredibly personal abo ut it," she

0 parritas a nd sonatas for unaccompa nied vio-

lin Sergey Khachatryan is shrouded in dark-
ness, head tilted back, eyes ra ised pio usly and hands
added . " It feels like a lifetime's journey."

Ms. Ko h wi ll play all six wo rks o n Sunday a fternoon in

a recita l at the A merican Academy of Arts and Letters,
pressed roget her above hi s instrument. T he image is
presented by the Mi ller Theater. Brave violinists with
an a pt representatio n of the reverence char musicians,
exceptio nal sta mina occasiona lly venture this feat, a
scholars a nd listeners often bring ro a discussio n of
dauntin g cha llenge, given the music's emo tio na l depth
these monumenta l works.
a nd tech n ical hurd les.
Bach wrote rhe three sonatas and three parritas, which
Bach, a keyboa rd a nd o rga n virtuoso, a lso played the
were probably never performed in public durin g his
violin professio nally at rhe Weim ar court as a young
li fetime, over a span of some 17 years in the early 18rh
man, and lace r in his ca reer he ofte n performed as vio-
century. The set "almost seems like a prayer book,"
linist with the ensembles he led . H e "played the vio lin
said the violinist Je nn ifer Koh .
clea nly and pene trat ingly,'' accord ing ro hi s son Ca rl
Philipp Ema nuel Bach.
 \.

G
erman violinist-composers began writing conceived the piece, I a m quire certain char rhe excess
polyphonic works for solo violin in che mid- of excitement a nd earth-shattering experience wou ld
i 7rh cenrury. Bach is rhou ghr ro have been have dri ven me out of my mind."
influenced by musicians including Johann Pau l von
The C haconne " is the most human" part of rhe set,
Westhoff, a prominent Weimar violinist a nd favo rice
Ms. Koh said , add ing, " Lt feels li ke this constant
of Louis X IV; he published a set of solo violin par-
struggle ro reach tra nscendence." The tra nsition inro
citas in 1696. Westhoff incorpo rated tech niques like
the Adagio of rhe Sonata No. 3 in C, coming directly
bariolage, a fast alternation between static a nd chang-
afrerward if rhe works are played in order, is a " kind of
ing notes, wh ich Bach also used ro c reate contrapuntal
accepta nce of huma nity," she said . She described rhe
tex tures. But Bach 's set fa r surpassed any previous at-
first movement of that sonata as "rhe most tragic C
tempts in the genre in terms of imaginat io n, complex-
major I've ever hea rd."
ity a nd profundity.
Others of Bach 's cycles fo r solo instruments, li ke rhe
Structurally che p ieces adhere ro Baroque norm s.
six parciras fo r keyboa rd , a re somet imes played and re-
Bach 's fo ur-movement sonatas reflect rhe fou r-move-
corded in varying orders. Bur if rhe six viol in sonatas
ment church sonata (sonata da chiesa}, and hi s pa rciras
and parriras are to be perfo rmed complete, it is viral
offer rhe stylized dance movements of the chamber
ro perform chem in rhe sequence Bach specified , M s.
sonata (sonara da ca mera}. Bach blended che solo line
Koh said, calling the set "an incredi ble m usical a rc."
and the accompan iment in ro o ne pa rt, w ri ting mul-
t iple, independenr voices that unfold simul taneously. Ms. Koh hea rd N atha n Mi lstei n, who died in 1992,
T he fo ur-voice fugues in t he sonatas should sound as if perform rhe D minor parrira when she was 9, and she
t hey were being played by different violi ni sts. descri bes it as a fo rmative experience. M ilsrein's sear-
ing 1975 D eutsche Grammophon reco rding of rhe set
Some have suggested char the six works co nvey a reli-
rema ins a bench ma rk, along w ith other 20rh-century
gious na rrative, with the G minor Sonata representing,
recordings like A rthur Grumiaux's beautifully sweec-
say, the C hri stmas srory a nd the C major So nata t he
roned , soaring inrerprerarions fo r Phi li ps in 196 1 and
Resurrection. Others have interpreted the monumen-
Jascha H eifctz's intensely express ive rendition for RCA
ta l C haco nne, che approx imately 15-minu re move-
Vicror in 1952. Mr. Khachatrya n, Ju lia Fischer, Rachel
ment that concludes the Partita No. 2 in D mi no r, as
Podger, G idon Kre mer and C hristia n Terzlaff a re
an ex pression of the Ho ly Trinity, with the openi ng
a mo ng rhe younger generatio n w ho have contributed
D minor section representing rhe Father, the ensuing
clisrincrive recordings.
D major section t he Son a nd the co ncludin g D minor
section the Holy Spirit. M s. Koh would like to record rhe sonatas a nd pa rticas.
Bur instead of presenting che m as a complete cycle, she
W hile not a ll perfo rmers a nd scholars a na lyze t he sec
w ill probably pa ir indi vidua l works w ith contempo-
in light of Bach 's religio us beliefs (he was a pracricing
rary pieces, as she has been doing in her solo recitals
Lutheran}, it would probably be hard ro find a vio-
in rhe Mi ller Theacer's Bach a nd Beyond series. Ma ny
lin ist w ho hasn't g rappled w ith the music's profound
promine nt instrumenta lists never play Bach 's music,
spi rituality.
which is nerve-rackingly ex posed, for an audience. M s.
For M s. Koh, who interprets the six pieces in a broader Koh, who has performed the so natas and parci tas sepa-
spiritual sense instead of specifica lly religio us terms, rately on va rio us occasio ns, sa id rhe works a re so na-
the mig hty Chaconne - a series of 64 variations on ked , viscera l and persona l char she hesitated for a lo ng
a stately four-bar, tri ple-mere r d ance theme - is "rhe rime before d eciding ro play a ny of chem in public.
heart of rhe cycle." The movement is rhoughr ro have
She fi nds ir poigna nt, she sa id, char Bach d idn't write rhe
been Bach 's me mo rial co his first w ife, Ma ria Barbara
set fo r a particular com mi ssio n or perfo rmance. As a n
Bach, who died in 1720.
artist, she add ed, "yo u need to create a nd compose."
The C haconne has t ransfixed listeners for centuries. In
" fr doesn't matter if it pays," she said. "Ac rhe encl you
a letter ro C lara Schumann, Brahm s wrote: "On one
do it because you love it in every fi ber of your being.
staff, for a small instrument, rhe man writes a whole
T here is somethi ng so beauti fu l ro me char Bach just
world of rhe deepest tho ug hts a nd most powerfu l feel-
needed ro write this."
in gs. If I imagined char I could have created, even

Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with perm1ss1on.
THENEWYORKTIMES, TUESDAY, OCTOBER25,2011 Cl, C7

KOREAN POP MACHINE,

RUNNIN G ON INNOCE NCE
AND HAIR GEL
In .J O J\ CABA \I A \ ICA

T
hink of rhework requi red to m ake jusroneJusrin
Korean Pop Machine, Running on Innocence and Hair Gel
~
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... Bieber. The producrion, rhe m anagement, the
vocal trai n ing, rhe choreography, rhe swagger
to., :.::.::==-~-=-
W.lllW :.=-=..-:.:.::=., coaching - all rhar effort to create one reen-pop star
..,.. .--......
........._""'...........
- ,__,,_.....,...iolM
.......,. in a country that's sti ll starving fo r them. South Korea

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has no such d rought, thanks ro several companies char
specialize in ma nu facru ring a steady scream of teenage

---
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ido ls, in groups of various configurations. O ne of rhe lon-

.-.......,........ ....
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--_ __ .
_._.,_....._. gest-ru n ning of these com panies is SM E nterra in ment,
..........,.., ............. ~.,r...
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which o n Su nday night hosted SM Town Live, a sold-
, _ , , .. Np,
our showcase at Mad ison Squa re Garden for several of
irs acts, any o ne of which a ny American rea liry-TV tal-
South Korea's Prolific Pop Mad1ine Runs on Innocence and Hair Gel

------
----
----
ent show or m ajor-label A&R deparrmenc worth irs sale

...--....---
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__ ---_
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------- Am erica n teen-pop at irs peak has never been this pro-
d uctive. K-pop - short for Korean pop - is a n en-
viron m ent of relentless newness, both in participants
a nd in sryle; even irs veteran acts are scill relatively

I ====- ~~fi;~
~ts :ii~i;~~ ~=-~ :::::==:..
-- you ng, a nd they m ake you ng music. Srill, rhere were
subtle d iffere nces a m ong rhe vererans, like BoA and
TVXQ a nd the newe r- m inced aces like Super J u n io r,
G irl s' Generatio n a nd S HINee.

Mem bers of rhe younger set a re less concerned wirh

==::=. ::-..:..~=: :::::>::::=:.-
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bounda ries, d rawing from rhe spectrum o f pop of rhe
last decade in rheir m usic: posr-Timbaland hip-hop
ru m bles, trance-in fl uenced chu m p, dance m usic d riven
by arena-rock guitars, stra ight fo rwa rd balladry.

Of rhese groups, rhe relative newcomer SH !Nee was rhe

most a m bitious. From rhe looks of ir, rhe group's m en
are powered by b rig htly colored leather, Dr. Martens
boors and ha ir mo usse. Their m usic, especia lly "Replay,"
" Ring Ding D ong" a nd "Ju liette," felt rhc riskiest, even
if it on ly slig htly rweaked rhar polyglot K-pop fo rmu la;
these voca lises were among rhe night's srrongesr.
B
ur SHI Nee came in a recogn izable format, rhe Un ired Srares. And in August Billboard inaugurated a
same size as America n groups like 'N Sync and K-Pop Hor 100 cha rt. Bur none of che aces on rhe SM
rhc Backstreet Boys. Bue what K-pop has excelled Town Live bill arc in rhe Top 20 of che current ed ition
ar in recent years are large groups char seem co defy logic of rhe fasr-moving chart. Th is is a scene chat breeds
and order. Super Junior, which at its maximum has 13 qu ickly.
members, was one of chis show's highl ights, appeari ng
several times throughout the night in different color Which means char some ideas rhac cycle in may soon
oucfics, shining on "M r. Simple" and che incense indus- cycle our. T hat would be advisable for some of the songs
trial dance-pop of "Bonamana." (K. R.Y., a sub-group of augmented with deeply goofy rapping: showing the
English rranslarion of the lyrics on screen didn't help.
Super Ju nior, delivered whac may have been che nighc's
besr performance on "Sorry Sorry Answer," a muscular The best rapping of rhe night came from Amber, rhe
tomboy of che lcasr polished group on the bill, f(x), who
R& B ballad.)
received frenzied screams each rime she stepped our in
Super Ju nior was complemented by rhc nine-woman from of her girly band maces.
Gi rls' Generation, wh ich offered a more polite rake on
K-pop, including on "The Boys," which is its debur If rhere was a direct American influence co be gleaned
American single. Gi rls' Generation gave perhaps the here, ic was, odd ly enough, Kesha who best approxi-
best representation of K-pop's coy, shiny values in keep- mates the exuberant and sometimes careless gcn reless-
ing wirh a chasre nighr char sarisfied demand, bur nor ness of K-pop in her own music; her songs "T ik Tok"
and "My First Kiss" (with 30H!3) were covered during
desire. (Ir was an inversion on the trad itional American
formula; in rhis country young fema le singers are often chis show.
more scxualized chan their male counterparts.) But while she is simpatico with chc newer K-pop modes,
Male and female performers shared che srage here only she had little co do with the more marure styles. Those
a couple of times, ra rely gercing even in che ballpark of were represented by rhe Josh Groban-esque crooning of
innuendo. In one set piece rwo lovers serenaded each Kangca, lead singer of the foundational, long-disbanded
Korean boy band H.O.T., who made a brief appea rance
other from across the stage, wirh microphones rhey
found in a mailbox (he) and a purse (she). In berween early in the night, and the duo TVXQ, a slimmed-down
acts the screens showed virginal com mercials about version of rhe long-running group by chat name, who
friendshi p and commi tment co performance; du ri ng at one point delved into an R&B slow jam reminiscent
che sers rhcy displayed fanrascically colored graphics, of Jodeci or early Usher. BoA, the night's only feat ured
sometimes childlike, sometimes Warholian, bur never solo artist, has been making albums for a decade, and
less rhan cheerful. her "Copy & Paste" sounded like a vintage 1993 Ja nee
Jackson song.
In che past few years K-pop has shown a creeping glob-
al influence. Many aces release albums in Ko rea n and She' ll also scar in "Cobu," a 3-0 dance film ro be re-
Japanese, a nod co che increasing fun gibilicy of Asian leased nexr year, previews of which induced shrieks be-
pop. And inroads, however slight, arc being made inro fore rhe concert began. T he crowd also screamed at an
rhe American marketplace. The aces here sang and lip ad for Super Jun ior Shake, an i Phone game app, and for
synced in borh Korean and English. Girls' Generation the SM Enrercainmenr global auditions, which will cake
recently signed wich lnccrscope co release music in rhe place early next year in several countries, and will keep
the machi ne oiled for years ro come.

Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co Reprinted with permission.

IN THE NEW YORK TIM ES
 --~,=.7 ..---r ~-:~\~~ .. - - ...

THE NEWYORKTJMESMAG.1JZl!'{E SUNDAY,JUNE5,2011

..... . . . 1
, . 48. 49

BACKYARD BULGOGI
BY MARK BI T T MAN

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n lookin g to create a men u fo r a n ea rly-seaso n T he exot ic ism and excitement derive from bot h rhe in-
barbecue t hat would appeal to everyone - meat g red ients and t he techniq ues. Ma ny of t he ing redients
!lovers, vegeta ri ans, culin ary thrill-seekers and you' ll need ca n be foun d at any halfway decenr grocery
whoever else might show up - I rea lized that such a store, bur there is one importa nt except ion: gochujang,
men u a lready exists. It's just that it is n't what we t hink o r Korea n chi li-bca n paste . T his co mbines t he salty,
of as "A merica n food ." co mplex rang of m iso w ith a mi ld fi re, a nd it's a n abso-
lu te mu st as a cond imenr fo r the beef. (If you've earen
Still, it is America n to not fuss abom the orig in of
Korean barbecue, you've been offered it.)
recipes, especia lly when the menu spotlights both in-
tensely fl avored g ri lled ma rinated meat and a bu nc h of Gochugaro, Korea n chi li powd er, w hich contributes
q ui rky, flavorful a nd mostly meatless side d is hes. heat ro the ki mchi a nd sca llion-salad recipes, is a lso
d ifficult ro find in most su perma rkets, but a su bst itute
In th is case, the so urce is Korea n . And w ith a lirtle
of red-pepper flakes o r nor-terribly fiery grou nd ch ili
pla nnin g a nd ad va nce work, yo u can make beef bul-
powder will give yo u a simila r effect. D epending on
gogi and banchan (t he na me fo r the li ttle tidbi ts ei-
w here you li ve, you may wel l be able to fi nd m u ng
ther served first or as accompan iments) at ho me. A nd
bea n sprouts (wh ich sta r in a si m ple salad), daikon rad-
you' ll make them as well as o r better t ha n you've eaten
is h (pickled along w ith cabbage in kimchi) a nd hijiki
them on 32nd St reet in Manh atta n o r w herever your
(whi ch is soaked and then srir-fr ied in w ha t is quite
local joinr m ight be. In other words, you' ll kick off the
possibly the besr seaweed prepa rat ion I've ever had) in
grilling season w ith a n appea ling, exotic, even exciting
your local superma rket.
menu t hat w ill make most others seem d u ll.
T
he insta ntly recognizable profile of Ko rea n
food, however, comes nor from obscure in-
gredients bur from the relatively mainst ream
ones: sesame (both seeds a nd oi l), ga rl ic, soy sauce,
garlic, rice vinegar, garl ic, suga r and sca ll ions. And gar-
lic. I've more than once ca lled Korean food "Japanese
foo d with guts," nor as a slight against Japa nese food
(wonde rful i n its own rig ht) bur as an e ndorsem ent of
Korean c u isine's vigorous, muscular, co mple tely un-
subtle flavor profile. Korean food's aggressive season-
ing is really just right fo r grilling, whe re attempts at
nuance are usua lly in va in.
So m e elements of th is barbecue are fami liar bur
tweaked. (Some of char fam iliarity com es from
t he A merica n presence in Korea, now going o n 60
years.) Korean poraro sa lad , for instance, is s imi lar to
American poraro sa lad in that its dressing is mayon-
naise-based, bur the Korea n vers ion sometimes uses
julie nned rather than c hunked potatoes a nd a lso con-
ta ins carrots, peas, scall ion s and chives. It's fa r from
conventional and far from bland.
l will not (and ca nnot) claim char e ve ry element of th is
m e nu is legitimately Korean . ln fact one recipe, t he
plum-and-herb cockta il, is plain made up: a sang ria-
like concoction of wh ite wine, gi n, rosema ry-infused
simple syrup and fresh plums. I see it as a tribute ro
the sweet plum wine so ofren served in Korean res-
taura nts . (If you want robe authentic, drink soju -
will ge t you drunk in a hurry - or beer.) But if my
cocktail isn't authentic , it is good and, like t he rest of
the m enu, very potent.
Beef Bulgogi
Time: 45 to 150 minutes
I bunch scallions. roughly chopped
8 or more garlic cloves. peeled and roughly
chopped
I tablespoon sugar or honey
1/ 2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup soy sauce
I tablespoon sesame oil
2 pounds sirloin, rib-eye or skirt steak, thinly sliced, or
3 to 4 pounds beef short ribs. boned and thinly sliced
Boston or loose-leaf lettuce leaves for serving
Gochujang (Korean chili-bean paste) for serving.
I. Combine the scallions, garlic, sugar, pepper, soy
sauce and oil in blender and puree, adding water as
needed to form a smooth mixture. Toss the meat
with the soy mixture and marinate for 15 minutes to
2 hours. Heat a grill with the rack 4 to 6 inches from
t he flame; the fire should be as hot as possible.
2.Remove the meat from t he marinade, and grill until
browned outside but still rare inside. no more than a
couple of minutes per side; do not overcook. Serve
Copyright 201 1 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
the meat wrapped in lettuce leaves. with gochujang
for dipping.
Serves 4 to 6.
Sesame Spinach and Tofu
Cook I tablespoon minced garlic in 2 tablespoons
sesame oil over medium-high heat for I minute; add
I pound chopped spinach and cook. stirring occa-
sionally, until it begins to wilt. C rumble in 1/2 pound
extra-firm tofu and st ir until warmed through. Stir
in I tablespoon soy sauce, a pinch of sugar and I
tablespoon sesame seeds. Serve hot or warm.
Korean Potato Salad
Cook I pound julienned or shredded potatoes and
1/2 pound julienned o r shredded carrots in salted
boiling water unt il barely tender, about 5 minutes;
add I/2 cup fresh or frozen peas for the last minute
of cooking. Drain and rinse with cold water. Whisk
together 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 3 tablespoons rice
vinegar; toss with the vegetables, 1/2 cup chopped
chives and 1/4 cup chopped scallions. Garnish with
more chopped scallions and chives. season with salt
and pepper to taste and serve.
Grilled-Scallion Salad
Brush I pound untrimmed scallions with I table-
spoon sesame oil; grill over moderately high heat,
turning once, until charred and tender, 5 to I0 min-
utes. Roughly chop and toss with 1/3 cup rice vinegar,
I to 2 tablespoons gochugaro (Korean chili powder)
o r less if using red-pepper flakes, I tablespoo n sesa-
me seeds and 2 teaspoons sugar. Serve immediately.
it Kimchi
Layer I small green or white cabbage (separated
into leaves) and I small-t o-medium daiko n radish
(cut into I-inch cubes) with 1/2 cup coarse salt in a
large bowl. Let sit until the cabbage is wilted, about
2 hours. massaging and weighting it if needed to
help soften. Rinse and d ry well. Roughly chop and
toss with 15 to 20 chopped scallions, 1/4 cup fish (or
soy) sauce. 1/4 cup minced garlic. 2 to 4 tablespoons
sugar, 2 tablespoons minced ginger and I to 2
tablespoons gochugaro (Korean chili powder) or
less if using red-pepper flakes. Serve immediately or
refrigerate fo r up to a week.
Fried Hi jiki
Soak I ounce dried hijiki in 2 cups hot water. When
it's tender, about 5 minutes later. drain, squeeze dry,
remove any hard bits and chop. Cook I tablespoon
minced garlic and I/4 cup chopped scallions in I
tablespoon neutral oil (like grapeseed or corn) and
I tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat
fo r I minute; add the hijiki and cook until browned
and beginning to shrivel, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in I
tablespoon each soy sauce and sesame seeds and a
pinch of sugar. Serve hot o r warm.
Plum-and-H erb Wine Cocktai l
Cook 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup water and I sprig fresh
rosemary or thyme over medium-low heat until the
sugar dissolves; cool and remove the herb. Combine
I bottle not-too-d ry white wine (like Riesling). 1/4
cup gin, the juice of I lemon, 2 to 4 chopped plums
and I/4 cup of the rosemary syrup. Chill for at least 2
hours, taste and add more syrup if you like and serve.

THE NEW YORK TIMES, WEDNESDAY,AUGUST.17, 2011
anji is a wee little restaurant on West 52nd
D Street, done up in whitewashed brick and
blond I kea stylings, naked bulbs, ex tension
cord s and a lot of wooden spoons artfu lly displayed , as
if by David Rockwell o n a $200 budget. The crowds
are fierce.
There is a good reason. H ooni Kim , who opened this
place in December as a new-s ryle Korea n take on a
Japanese izakaya, is a terrific cook. T hose who rake rhe
time and ca re to ex plore his menu of both trad itional
and modernized Korea n food will be rewarded .
Some st ipulations before we ear. D a nji is nor a par-
ticularly comfortable resrauram. C ustomers perch on
Feel Free to Graze, but Just Be Quick
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13' SA1\I SI FTON
stools along the ba r or at high tables in t he from of rhe
room, or wedge in to the few rabies in back. T here are
jusr 36 seats. It gets quite hot in t he dini ng room, as at
a crowded party in a small apartment.
Dinners proceed not as planned, leisu rely affairs, but
as fast-casual turn-a nd-burns: you get small, sha re-
able plates a nd some d rinks, and rhen make room for
rhe next set of c ustomers. You would not wa nt to do
business ar D anji, unless your business in volves knees
touchi ng a nd t he t hrill of discovery.
So stipulated . (A cold O B beer or glass of soju may help.)
Now slide your menu out of the drawer rhat hides jusr
below the surface of each rable. It is rime to graze.
Danji works best if you buck the trend and eat a g reat
deal as leisurely as you ca n, building a tasting menu
out of rhe rapas. (The plates run $6 to $ 18.)
Start w it h a pa iring off the "traditional" list, of spicy
whelk salad a nd a sma ll pile of buckwheat noodles.
T h is ought to be protected by the Marriage Equality
Act. The tender li ttle whel ks are poached French-st yle
with a m irepoix cur through with lemongrass, gar-
lic and ginger, and dressed in a sauce of gochujang,
a Korea n hot chile paste, thar has been mured wirh
rice vi nega r a nd m irin, grated garlic and ginger. Across
from them sit fat noodles of the Japa nese soba va riety,
glossy with rhat sa me hot sauce, along with honey and
Ma'dl..UW.ll&Wlfrtnt.... _,
. . . . pm:u,r. .,.!I ""'fll:.~
soy, some waterc ress, slivered red onions, chi ves. They
''""' ....
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tmwtM..,. ruc""U. utik.
dlt'.utdollM~'"*'
are each othe r's bcsr friends.
all..-"""ltitm'Mlf"'*dl.-
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O rder more noodles: japchae, glassy little numbers off
nupllllccr..a..dirnbw
PfGC*-C'Glft<:t.
a family reun ion table in Seoul, sweer and salty w ith
MofT 11---..i ~ tJw.c~
wun l1n1'""sliollofthflda...
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sesa me oil and soy, with hi nts of ginger a nd garlic to
tialb'ltl)l:!N!bttfl DllvftOl'lftof
Alilrlpil'M'.-W, IO)IWl<ll:"
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romance the accompanying julienne vegetables and
IMC1 famotqqaii.l~O~
tc.ebtd,ptarpwff) tl. Mr
ic... - 1111-b dlllltl"'*l,-
("""'~.,...1.1111.i..-it".......
a small mound of barbecued beef. Have a crisp little
.....i.r-dn...a~~
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MllA-..:lill~t"'4 . . .ll
.......,......,.,,....
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1-. h~~~.ptftupL food version if ir is avai lable as a special. You wi ll ben-
...
NIMll~llO.,.I&.
tllfn-.darilldtlOf efit from some kimchi as wel l, m ade fo r t he restaura nt
~,~ -~
....,__htft., r"'~
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m.w'l-.11...... I M ) - I '
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by Mr. Kim's morher-in-law. T here is Napa cabbage,
Uk~ Im" .. hom- 1lll
no<.......,Bnomtflll:
htftrt'.at~on~
of course, among other va rieties: cuc u mber, of late,
And ....... d)'OUoull~w-q
throucfltMmorma.CM'Onll'f,I!
"'"l\t'lloflood.. ~ nw.a.IM IMf\11 and pony ra il radi shes.
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IH
Nllt'Kt-('".O.
 gnore for a moment the obvious sops to Western his fine dice and careful plating, ma kes the d ish seem

I palates a nd tapas-loving cocktail drin kers: the bul-

gogi sliders on the "modern" menu; the "K.F.C."
fried-chicken w ings; the k imchi, bacon and cho rizo
"paella" that reads li ke a midnight Tw itter posting
from a chef in his cups.
Bur o nly fo r a moment! Sliders may be a goofba ll trend
like cupca kes o r Korean fried chicken. T hat doesn't
make chem bad. (You can pass o n Danji's wi ngs,
though: unremarkable, even a little pallid.)
That paella is nice, too: hot and weird below a fr ied
Jidori hen egg, bright as the sun. And the bulgogi slid-
er, crisp at its edges, turns o ut to be packed w ith the
sweet thrum of Asian pear and the sa lcy hush of soy
sauce, wich smoky sesa me oil and che deep, steely caste
of good beef. le provides excellent eating beneath irs
pickled cucumbers a nd mesclun-amped scallion salsa,
on a soft g rilled bun. A pork-belly version does, too,
cara melized and fiery with gochuja ng and a finishing
oil made from che seeds of hot peppers.
Appetizers? Enrrees? A ll Danji 's dishes are small. O ne
exception o n rhe rradicional menu is che poached sa-
blefish wich da ikon , which oughc to be eacen wich rice:
the luscious fish and c hopstick-render da ikon swim-
ming in a dark, lovely b ra ise of Mr. Kim's beloved soy,
ga rlic, ginger and Korean red pepper, w ith a splash of
d ashi and a fine ju lienne of ginger to lighten thin gs
up. le expla ins in a si ngle bite che concept of umami.
(Another big fellow: che rescauranc's class ic DMZ meat
stew, a seapie of Korean rescaurancs char combines bits
of hot dog and Spam, pork belly, kimchi and ramen
noodles in a spicy brot h.)
O n the "modern" side of che menu is a dish marked
simply tofu with ginger-scallion dressing. le is magical.
M r. Kim rolls recta ngles of fresh tofu in potato starch,
rhen flash fries chem and tops rhe packages with crisp
bits of fried tempura baccer and a few slices of hoe pep-
per along w ith the ginger and scallion. By the time che
d ish reaches che cable, the sea rch has softened to cre-
ate a skin over che creamy tofu chat is elastic a nd nor
dissimila r co mochi, che Japanese glutino us rice paste.
Two orders for four people seems correct.
More trad itio nal is t he sceak rarcare. It is a version
of the classic Korea n dish yook hwe, wh ich often
marries long scrands of partially frozen beef co chi n
exactly as if ic might be served w ith a plate of fries at
Benoit or Balthazar. le could be colder, perhaps. Bue it
is preccy greac.
Noe char everything ac Danji is. There is no need for
gri lled corn with a cheese a ioli and spicy mayonnaise
here or perhaps at any other restaurant; fried ca la mari
w ith wasabi mayonnaise is unnecessary except co ac-
commodate chose for whom a menu with no cala mari
is no menu ac all; there is no real dessert on offer. And
even if you sta ll your way eh ro ugh che menu, o rde ri ng
in waves of food, a meal ar Danji goes by quire q uickly.
Meanwhile, che crowd waiting up by the ba r for cables
scares bullets if you linger.
No reservations. Go.
Danji
346 West 52nd Street. Clinton: (212) 586-2880. d an-
jinyc.com.
ATMOSPHERE Part tapas bar. part Japanese izakaya, all
Ko rean, very we lcoming.
SOUND LEVEL Mo de rate.
RECOMMENDED DI SHES W helk salad with buck-
wheat noodles, steak t artare, pancake, japchae, sable-
fish, DMZ stew, fried to fu. sliders. paella.
WINE LIST A t iny if serviceable list of w ines, sakes and
sojus, and OB beer.
PRICE RANGE Small plat es. $6 to $18.
HOURS Monday to Friday. noon t o 3 p.m.: Monday t o
Thursday, 5:30 p.m. t o mid night; Friday and Saturday,
5:30 p.m. to I a.m.
RESERVATIONS Accepted only for parties of six or
more.
CREDIT CARDS All major cards.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS The rest aurant is up o ne step
from street level and is quit e narrow. There is an acces-
sible restroom in t he rear:
WHAT THE STARS MEAN Ratings range fro m zero t o
fo ur stars and reflect the reviewer's reactio n t o food.
ambience and service, with price t aken into consider-
ation. Menu listings and prices are subject to change.

ones of Asian pea r, sesame oil, soy sauce and gochu-

jang, copped w ith a raw egg yolk. All chose ingredi-
ents are present here, though in fa ncy form (a quail
egg, Creekstone beef, pear puree). Bur Mr. Kim, who
worked at Daniel, eschews freezing che meat a nd , with

Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
 HEAT BY THE HANDFUL
BY SAM Sll'TON

EAT
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lllnll Jn11hn11Na.ta nd11 11
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T
here a re th ree ways co make t he recipe char ed Korean hot-pepper paste k now n as gochujang, they
follows here; th ree pathways co d innert ime can rise to higher pla nes.
n irvana. The d ish is the Korea n barbecue
Bulgogi sandwic hes are a caste of the sore of home
sta ndard known as bu lgogi - " fire meat," is the lit-
cooking that can lead to mo re home cooking. T hey
eral t ranslation - transformed into a sa ndwic h fill-
serve as fragrant hamburger crushers, elega nt van-
ing, a sloppy Joe for a more perfect union. (File u nder
quishers of pizza. They are a n enemy of cakeour.
"Blessin gs of Liberty.") Fed to chi ldren with a ra il glass
of milk, the sa ndw iches may inspire smiles and licked To cook chem, you ca n follow the instructions slavish-
plates, rapt attention and rhe request th at t he meal be ly, as if working for H ooni Ki m , che c hef and owner of
served at least monthly - they are not at a ll too spicy D anji, on the edge of the cheate r district in Manhattan.
for you nger palaces. Given to adults accompanied by Bulgogi "sliders" are a ha llma rk of his menu and by far
cold lager, cucumber kimchi and a pot of the fcrmenr- the restaurant's most popular dish. The recipe is his.
 m , who grew up in New York and dropped o ur So does forgo ing t he sauce pans and precisio n. On this

K of med ical school ro become a chef (his morh-

r did nor speak ro him fo r a yea r), cooks w irh
careful precision, even deli cacy. For h im, as for mosr
resrauranr chefs, the dish is made up of componenr
parrs rhat must be assembled sepa rarely beforehand
and then put rogecher, in the sryle of French-trained
a
kitchens, expressly for eac h order: la m inute.
For this firsr exercise, rhen, you should do as he does,
exacrly. W hi le making the ma ri nade in a large bowl,
you ch ill some brisker in your freezer, which makes ir
easier ro slice rhe beef rh in ly. You mix rhe sliced beef
inro rhe marinade and place ir, well covered, in rhe re-
frigeraror. You make you r spicy mayonnaise and srore
rhis in rhe refri geraror as well. You make your scall ion
d ressing, then ca refull y wash a nd dry your scallions
and place them wrapped ca refully in a paper towel be-
side the marinade and rhe mayonn a ise. You make your
cucu mber kimchi.
T hen you go in sea rch of pro per bu ns: sofr and not
at a ll crust y, w irh enough srructure ro be able ro ab-
sorb a g rear deal of far a nd flavo r w ithout falli ng aparr.
Kim orders par-baked rolls from the Pa risi bakery on
Elizaberh Street near Lierle Ita ly but does not fi n ish
chem off in his ovens at work. "Almost finished is jusr
t he rig hr rexcure," he said in a telepho ne interview.
"Koreans do nor like crust ar all." (A good-qu ali ry
challah bu n w i II suffice for ho me use.)
second pat h, t he cook fires up a backyard grill to ap-
proximare rhe smoky flavor of traditional restaura nt
bulgogis, where diners cook rl1e mear rhemselves over
rablerop braziers loaded w irh glow in g charcoa l. A ll
else remains rhe sa me, incl ud ing rhe quali ry of the
sandw ich.
Bur here is a trurh ofKim's ma rinade, and of irs excel-
lence. If you do nor have rime or energy to spa re fo r
a rtfu lly dressed sca llions or elegantly pla red sa ndwic h-
es, all w ill be fo rgiven by a ll rhose who ear rhe resulr.
You can cur rhe beef into rhe ma rinade on a weekend
and keep ir in rhe fridge for a few d ays, sofrl y absorb-
ing flavors, and rhen ross ir inro a pan some even ing
when rhe children begin ro whine.
Toast a few hamburger buns a nd spread rhem with
burrer or spicy mayonn aise o r borh o r neirher. T hen
rong some meat onto rhe bread, o r onto whi re rice if
you li ke, wirh a side of stea med g reens. Scatrer some
fresh scallions over t he cop, and ler rhem have ar ir.
W hich merhod is besr? In marters of feeding, as 111
meditarion a nd poetry, ir is besr nor ro consider rhe
question roo deeply. T he Buddhisr reacher C hogya m
Tru ngpa R inpoche said ir, and A llen G insberg called
ir arr: "Firsr rho ughr, besr rho ug hr." In rhis bulgogi,
rhere is only joy.

Finally, w hen you are ready ro cook, you do so quick-

ly a nd efficienrly, never crowd ing you r pan w ith coo
much meat, butreri ng che roasted rolls befo re apply-
ing a ny mayonnaise to chem, applying a large pinch of
scallions to each sandwich ar rhe very lasr minute and
t hen - and on ly then! - drizzling the thing with a
teaspoo n of d ress ing , so as not co w ilt rhe greens. This
resulrs in a superlarive sandwich.
Bu lgogi Sloppy Joes W it h Scallion Salsa 2. Meanwhile, in a small, nonreactive bowl. combine
the mayonnaise. soy sauce and hot chili sauce and
For the bulgogi:
stir to combine. Taste and adjust flavors. then cover
I cup soy sauce and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2 tablespoons sugar 3. When you are ready to make the sandwiches. set
one very large saute pan (or two large ones) over
I tablespoon peeled and grated garlic
high heat. Using tongs. lift meat from mar inade in
I tablespoon sesame oil batches. allow to drain well. t hen cook. turning oc-
3 tablespoons sake casionally until the excess liquid has evaporated and
the edges of the beef have started to crisp.
2 tablespoons mirin
4. Meanwhile. combine all the ingredients for the salsa
I Asian pear. peeled. cored and pureed in a food except for the scallions. then stir to combine.
processor
5.Toast and butter the hamburger buns. Spread spicy
I small carrot peeled and sliced into julienne mayonnaise on the buns. and using tongs. cover one
I medium white onion peeled and sliced into side of each set of buns with bulgogi. Add a large
julienne pinch of scallions on top of each burger and drizzle
with the dressing. Serve with cucumber kimchi
I cup apple juice (recipe follows).
2 pounds beef brisket. chilled slightly and sliced thin Serves 6. Adopted (rom Hooni Kim, Donji restaurant,
For t he spicy mayonnaise: New York.
I cup mayonnaise Cucumber Ki mchi

I tablespoon soy sauce 3 small cucumbers. cut into 1/8-inch slices

3 tablespoons hot chili sauce, ideally Sriracha 2 tablespoons kosher salt

For the scallion salsa: I tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce I tablespoon gochugaru (Korean red-pepper flakes)

2 tablespoons water 1/4 cup mirin

1/4 cup sugar 6 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons gochugaru I teaspoon grated garlic

(Korean red-pepper flakes) I teaspoon fermented krill or baby shrimp
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (optional).

2 tablespoons sesame oil I. Place the cucumbers in a medium -size bowl, then
sprinkle with the salt. Let stand 20 minutes.
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2. Rinse cucumbers in cold water to remove salt. drain
2 tablespoons mirin
and pat dry.
I tablespoon sesame seeds
3. Return cucumbers to bowl. add other ingredients.
2 bunches scallions, cleaned. dried and sliced on the toss to combine. cover tightly and place in refrigera-
bias tor overnight or until ready to use.

Unsalted butter Serves 6. Adopted (rom Hooni Kim. Donji restaurant.

New York.
6 soft hamburger buns.

I. In a large. nonreactive bowl. combine the soy sauce.

sugar. garlic. sesame oil. sake. mirin. pear. carrot.
onion and apple juice. Add the sliced brisket. stir to
combine. cover tightly and place in the refrigerator
overnight or for at least six hours.

Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co. Repnnted w1th permission.
THE NEW YORK Tli\1ES, W~DNES,DAY. NOT~Elv/BER 23, 2011
~ ...
A 300-DUCK DAY AND
CABBAGES BY THE
THOUSANDS
BY ELA INE LOUIE
A 300-Duck Day and Cabbages by the Thousands
By El.A IN E LOUIE
llE food cognosccmi like to
T know 1he source of their vcgcl:i
blM, n1h nnd mea1. Is that le1-
wce org.'\nlt? Did thm chk:ken
range freely and mt>mly during its
Shon lirt?
But consider dishes ~hose sources
nre hnrd('f 10 find, 1ha1 nrc nOl farmed
or fis.hcd but m:tde from S<'rntch, and
not m glgnnhc factories owned by OWe
or Gcnt'mJ Foods. Think of the Chinese
roasted dtKks at the East Occ.ln Paltsce
111 Forest llills, Qu~ns; klnKhi :n the
Konll.J BBQ food truck; the lightly lay-
ert'd 1orull:is ;n Dos Toros Thqucna in
Mnnhatmn: and p.1o de qucijo, puffs or
Br.mli."ln cheese bread. :ii Casa in
Greenwich Vilbgc.
None of these spcciallics arc made on
the premises. Despite their .lt1then11c
fl<wors and ~lsnaturc pl:lcc on menus,
thcy nrc turnl'(I 0111 - by machinC', h:md
or bo1h - In commercial kilchens m
Qu~ns rmd New Jersey that arc large
but htilc k nown.
Rcs1nur.m1s ou1source these foods
because 1hcy nrc lnbor-lmcnsl\'C or re-
quire spinl e<111lpmcn1 or sk ills. :lnd
because they nrc so popular lhey must
be produced In bulk, hke the 1>!0 de
QUCIJO.
vou ntt'd n m.idllne 10 beat 1he
dough; 11'1 really hnrd, nnd you,-e got
10 really be;u i1.'" s.'Ud Jupira Lee. 1he
owner of Cns.a. whkh sells JOO of the
golfb.."lllSllC breads ever)' week. lr )'OU
M
make n sn\311 b.11th for a home. hke a
bo\\I of dough, you can make 11 yourself.
nu1 if you're ma.king JOO or 400 plo de
quet,o, 1t 's a lot ol labor.M
So Ms. Lee buys 1hem frozen from Ki
Othcaa, n brand of llr:uihan Spectall>'
Foods 111 Norlh Dffgcn. NJ. The compa
nys prrsidem. CetUho Santos, snid he
stlls 1he bread 10 15 of the 30 or so Brn
i1han resttmr:ints in New York a1y.
Making k1mchi is the pro\'ince of a
spcciahs1, hllld Yun 1-1. Park, the prMI
dt'nt of 1wo l chiumi restnuranls, ::t &00
seo11 place m Monhamm nnd n 400
semer In Edison, N.J.. 1ha1 serve Jnpa
nc.se illltl Kori'nn food. Mr. Park buys
400 l>OUlldS o( !l08i kimchi, a lradilional
\'Crston of kimchi. each wctk from the
Ko-Am Food Corpormion in Flushing,
Queens, wht'rc a kilchcn prod~ccs 10
Ynrie11t.'S of lhl' fermcmed \ege1able
dish.
1f Mr. Park mes to make his own, " I
h.3\'C to hire 1wo prople to mnkc kimch1:
I h..1\C 10 lure 1K>Ople who spcaah2e 111
khnch1,M he said. One !kllary is ""'II
O\'tr "a U.CC!k, nnd I hzwe 10 buy t~
rna1cna1s.
Wh::u ~1~ resu1ur.uns from roastinc
lheir own ducks 1s oftrn lhe nff'd !or OV
ens that ttrc ne3rly SIX fe-el high and get
M hoe as ;50 dcgrttS. Eas1 Oc'tan Pal
nee, \\hkh has ISO seats, ls one of a.half
dozco klc'al businesses tha1 buy ducks
fro111 Corner ~. a Fluo;hmg restaurant
1hnt roasts hundrC(ls daily,
~Restm1mms pick up here, nnd 1hey
rche:n i1, said Alan Gao, the manager
ofCorutr28.
Al 9 one morning, two burnished Can
IOllCS<! roast ducks - 1hc1r 11\Cnt IJlOISI
:md deeply n:won:d - hung in the win
dow of Corner 2@:, a 1hree-s1ory es1ab
lishmcnt on Mnln S1rc-e1 m 401h Rond.
Oy II, Uc1i111gstylt: llucks, with cracker
cn'iJ> skin, were at the takrout window
as 1Kln of a snnc.k: a s1eamed bun. a
slice of meal. cmckhng skin, a drop of
hoisln and a soncr o f sh\'Cretl scalhons.
In 1hc base.rnent kitchen, Wnng Wei
ymg. the barbc<ue chef. O\'Crsee5 the
roasting: 2'40 to 2SO docks each wttk
day, and 300 l)r1 S.'Uurd~ and Sundays.
The slx:md-.ahalfpound birds arm-c
pl!Xkcd but noc C\'is'r.ucd. On thlS
d.'l)". u.orkers - all men - nnsed them
aod ht'3ptd nbou1 20 on a choppmg t3
bit. Af1cr rcmO\'mg the wmp, lhc men
hacked ulf 1tw So"cr bc:lJc so 1hnt the
.. ~ '-.Ill'
A LARCC ORDCR Hyuk Su l..t.'C mnkcs kimchi for reslnuran~ at the KoAm Food Corpomtion in Flushing, Queens.
BUSYOVCNS Hundreds of ducks MC roas1ed each day a t Corner 28 i n Flushing, which suppl ies rest<'lumnl~.
head would slide easily 1hrough n round
metal collar that h.1 a hook :machcd
Then 1he)' cut off the feet :i.nd dasc:trdcd
the mnards. They worked easily and
rhy1hmlcally, f:'\iSttmung a duck m
three mmutes and sharpening the
clea\'tr C\'cry 15 minutes.. The birds
" ('t'e washed In cold water.
Each d:i.y Mr. Wang nukes a df)' mix
of aniseed. sugar and salt. and cooks a
"et m.innade of h01Sm sauce, minced
fr~h gmgcr. g.lrhc, coriander and let
~
l~M ....I WO'll"lll"" TUlll:TIWJ
Wll\llto-'l.1110.Tt<I; ,,....,,ulU.~
wcc. A worker ma.ss.'\jted n cup of dry
mix into lhe duck's caVJt)'. t hen 3 half
cup of the cooked sauce. lie sk~~rC'd
shut the 'km around 1hc ca\'lly, nnscd
the duck m cold V.'tlter and brusht'\1 11
with a syrnp ot wwgar cooked \l.ith
,DJ
maltose. Tite duck dried ln front of n Inn
for a halfhour, then was ro..1.swd ;n
about SOO degrees for SS minutes.
Just eigh1 blocks owny, on Nonhem
Boulevard near Union Strttt, Is Ko-Am
Food, which shnres a basement kite.hen
with its smer buSllll!'SS. Kum G:mg Snn
restaumnL Soon Bo l.tt,63, v.t)od1rt.'C1S
the cooking, learned how to nmke k 1111
chi at age 16 111 Seoul
~she learned from her mother. be-
cause a woman. before she's rnarned,
must learn how 10 m.'lke kimchi ; S.'Ud
Sang Jin Kun, Ko-Am's president, "'ho
interpreted for his cook.
Mrs. Lee and a smH ol elgln men and
women make 10 types of klmclu, n'IOSlly
from cabbage (2,700 pounds a dny) bu1
also from druko11 and cucumbers. The
s1aff cuts the vegetables by hand.
"'We tried using n 1n.'\chlne, but the
machi ne broke up the c:1bb;ige," M r.
Kim said. For nll 10 \'arletles , ~1rs. l..ec
hns a mother S.'\ucc of nncho\'y, kcl1>.
radis h and onion, boiltt.l in w:ucr for two
hours.1hen cooled :md twenkc<I for each
varie1y.
The mos1 common vnrln1lo11 l$ brl1:111
red and rt.>dolent of gnrlic. Mrs. Lee
mixes crushed red pepper, fish sauce,
sal1C!d shnmp sauce. fresh onions ond
radish in a blender, 1hen :t.dds it 10 1he
ttiolcd s.auce along wnh lrtthly sliced
green pepper, sliced mdis.h nn<I garlic.
Pog_i k11nch1. usmg napa cabbages sllti!d
in half \'enic.111y. are d1ppN In the
chunky marinadt, ~hich workm ntso
brush onto each leaf by hMd.
The Korilla BBQ food truck. v.h1ch
won a rettnl Vendy nward for rookie of
t he year. sells bulgogi 1acos topped ~ith
pogi kim('hi, s.aid Edward Song. a
founder ol the 1ruck, which buys 2<10
pounds or Ko.Am's k1mch1 evtry week.
When 1he Konll.n BBQ food 1ruck first
s1-:mcd in October 2010, Kum Gane 5.r.m
let J\lr. Song and his partners make
1hei r food in its kitchen. A few months
la1cr 1he Konlla team started cookmg m
n kitchen o f ils own In Brooklyn.
"They were so su111>0rti\e of our
truck. and our go..'lls," said Mr. Song,
who ate often at Ku m Gan~ $;in while
growing up i n Oaysidc. "So it 's logical
for us to buy their khnchl"
Nol fnr a"ny, in Corona. Quc.'Cns, 1s
Tortillcria Nix1n..1m\I, ;1 rcstaumrll well
known for tortillas made from mas.1. a
dough of dried v.hi1c corn that has bttn
boiled and soaked in slaked lime nnd
water, which soliens the c:om and
makes 1t easier 10 peel - n process
called nixtam.'\J1zntk>n. The com Is then
finely ground for 1ondL'\ dough.
In New York Clt)', most tOrlillM :trC
made from a dncd, l)O'o'i"dered version
called m.i.s.a harina. whkh h:l$ prcser
vatl\cs and lS less tasty, s:ud ZnreL'I
Martinez. the cookbook nuthor who
closed her M~nhauan resu111ra111, 7.Are--
b, earher 1his year. When h eated, the
N1x1amal 1omlL1s puff up and toute
clearl)'. though subll)'. of com.
Inside Thr'tilleria N1xtam.1l lrom 4 to
10 a.m., the 1or11llns IK>P out of o ma
chine.
ws 3,000 1omllas an hour, 6,000 to
12,000 ionillas a dny, 7 days a week, :ws
days a year; snld Fernando Ruiz, a firt.
fighter and nati\'C of Mexico who
opened N i xtamal i n 2008 \\'ll h his s;irl
friend, Shauna Page. a Conner business
consulmnL
"Ou r 11ucnt1on wns 10 be a 1on1Ucria
to New York's Corona, a growmg Mex
lean ne1ghborhood," Ms. Pnge sn1d.
II is more th.'\n th:tt Akhtar Nawab.
1hc cxecuuvc chef of L.'1 Esquma in
Solfo and Cafe de La Esquina In Brook
lyn, buys 1onillas from N1x1am.'\l.
They're al"'zys hot nnd fresh. (\Jl{!
ther're ''Cry !!Oft,'" he S.'1id ~There's 3
h1tle chew. They"rt> rbky, hkt 3 fine
French pastry but n more 1>ea.s;int coo
stnm. and 1hey h~we pockets of mr. and
1hcy smell of com.'"
T
he food cognoscenti like co know the source of
their vegetables, fis h a nd meat. Is th at lettuce
organic? D id that chicken range freely and
merrily during its short life?
Bur consider dishes whose sources are harder to find,
that a re not farmed or fished but made from scratch,
and not in gigantic factories owned by Dole or Genera l
Foods. T hin k of the C hinese roasted ducks at the East
O cean Palace in Fo rest H ills, Q ueens; k imchi at the
Korilla BBQ food truck; the lightly layered torti llas at
D os Toros Taqueria in Ma nhattan; and pfo de queijo,
puffs of Brazilia n c heese bread, at Casa in G reenwich
Village.
None of these specialties a re made on the premises.
Despite their authentic flavors a nd signature place on
menus, t hey are turned out - by machine, ha nd or
both - in commercia l kitche ns in Q ueens and New
Jersey that are large but little known .
Restaurants outsource these foods because they are
labor-intensive or requ ire specia l equipment o r sk ills,
a nd because they a re so popu lar they must be pro-
duced in bulk, li ke the pfo de queijo.
"You need a machi ne to bea t the dough; it's rea lly
hard, and you've got to really beat it," said Jup ira Lee,
the owner of Casa, wh ich sel Is 3 00 of the gol f-ba II-size
breads every week. "If you make a sma ll batch for a
home, like a bowl of dough, you ca n ma ke it yourself.
But if you're maki ng 300 or 400 pfo de queijo, it's a
lot of labor."
So Ms. Lee buys t hem fro zen from K i D elic ia, a bra nd
of Brazilian Specia lty Foods in North Bergen, N .J.
The company's president, Gen'.dio Santos, sa id he sells
the bread to 15 of the 30 or so Brazilia n restaurants in
New York C ity.
Ma king k imch i is the province of a specia list, sa id
Yu n H. Park, rhe president of two Ichiumi restau-
rants , a 600 -seac place in Ma nhatta n a nd a 400-searer
in Ed ison, N.J., rhar serve Japa nese and Korean food.
Mr. Park buys 400 pou nds of pogi k imchi , a tradition-
al version of k imchi , each week from rhe Ko-A m Food
Corporation in Flus hi ng, Queens, w here a kitchen
produces 10 varieties of rhe fe rmented vegerable dish .
If Mr. Park tries to make his own, "I have ro hire two
people ro make kimchi; I have to hire people who spe-
cial ize in k imchi," he said . "One sa la ry is well over
$500 a week, a nd l have co buy the materia ls."
What stops restaurants fro m roasting t heir own d ucks
is often rhe need fo r ovens that are nearly six fee r high
and ger as hor as 750 degrees. East Ocean Palace,
which has 150 sears, is one of a half-dozen local busi-
nesses that buy d ucks from Corner 28, a Flushing res-
tauranr char roasts hu ndreds d aily.
"Restaura nts pick up here, and they reheat it," said
Alan Gao, the manager of Corner 28.
Ar 9 one morning, rwo burnished Ca ntonese roast
ducks - their meat moist a nd deeply flavored -
hung in rhe window of Corner 28, a t h ree-story es-
tablishment on Main Srreec ar 40th Road. By 11,
Beijing-style duc ks, with cracker-c risp sk in, were at
rhe takeout window as part of a snack: a steamed bun,
a slice of meac, c rackli ng skin , a d rop of ho isin and a
scatter of sli vered sca llions.
In t he basement kitchen, Wa ng Weiying, che barbe-
cue chef, oversees t he roasting: 240 to 280 d ucks each
weekday, and 300 on Saturdays and Sund ays.
T he six-a nd-a-ha lf-pound birds arrive pl ucked bur not
eviscerated. O n rhis day, workers - all men - rinsed
t hem and heaped about 20 on a c hopping cable. After
removing t he wings, rhe men hacked off rhe lower beak
so that the head wo uld slide easily through a round
metal collar that has a hook attached. Then t hey cut
off the feet and discarded the in nards. They worked
easily and rhythmically, evisce rating a cl uck in t hree
minu tes a nd sharpen ing t he cleaver every 15 m inu tes.
The bi rds were washed in cold water.

E
ach day Mr. Wang ma kes a dry mix of an iseed,
sugar a nd salt, a nd cooks a wer mari nade of
hoisin sauce, minced fres h ginger, ga rlic, cori-
ander a nd lenuce. A wo rker massaged a cup of dry mi x
in to rhe duck 's caviry, rhen a ha lf-cup of the cooked
sauce. H e skewered shur the ski n around rhe cavity,
rinsed rhe duck in cold water a nd brushed ir wirh a
sy ru p of vinega r cooked wirh maltose. T he duck dried
in front of a fan fo r a ha lf- hour, rhen was roasted at
about 500 degrees for 55 minutes.
Just eighr blocks away, on Northern Boulevard near
Union Srreer, is Ko-Am Food , wh ich shares a base-
mem k irchen with irs sisrer business, Ku m Gang San
restauram . Soon Bo Lee, 63, who directs the cooking,
lea rned how to make kimchi ar age 16 in Seoul.
"She lea rned from he r mother, because a woman, be-
fore she's ma rried, musr lea rn how to make kimchi,"
said Sang Ji n Kim, Ko-A m's presidem, who interprer-
ed fo r his cook.
M rs. Lee a nd a staff of eight men and women ma ke 10
rypes of k imchi, mos tly from cabbage (2,70 0 pounds
a d ay) bur a lso fro m dai kon a nd cucumbers. T he staff
curs rhe vegetables by ha nd.
"We rried using a machine, but the machine broke up
the cabbage," M r. Ki m sa id. For all 10 varieties, Mr s.
Lee has a mother sauce of anchovy, kelp, radish and
onion, boiled in water for rwo hours, then cooled a nd
tweaked fo r each variety.
The most common va riat ion is bright red a nd redo-
lent of ga rlic. Mrs. Lee mixes crushed red pepper, fish
sauce, sa lted shrimp sauce, fresh on ions and rad ish in
a blender, rhen adds ir to rhe cooled sauce a long wirh
freshly sliced green pepper, sliced radish and garl ic.
Pogi kimc hi, using napa cabbages sliced in ha lf verti-
cally, a re d ipped in the chunky marinade, which work-
ers also brush onto each leaf by hand.
T he Korilla BBQ food truck, which won a recent
Vendy awa rd fo r rookie of the year, sells bulgogi tacos
topped wirh pogi kimchi, said Edward Song, a fou nd-
er of rhe rruck, wh ich buys 240 pounds of Ko-Am's
kimchi every week .
Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
W hen rhe Korilla BBQ food truck firsr sra rced in
October 2010, Kum Gang San ler Mr. Song and his
parrners ma ke rheir food in irs kirchen. A few months
lam rhe Korilla team started cooking ar a k itchen of
its own in Brooklyn .
"They were so supportive of our truck, a nd our goals,"
said M r. Song, who ate often at Kum Ga ng San w hile
growing up in Bayside. "So it's logical for us to buy
their kimchi ."
Not far away, in Coro na, Queens, is Tortilleri a
N ixta mal, a restaura nt well know n fo r tortillas made
from masa, a dough of dried white corn that has been
boiled and soa ked in slaked lime and water, which soft-
ens the co rn and makes ir easier to peel - a process
called ni xtamalization. The corn is then fi nely ground
for tortilla dough.
In New York C ity, most tortillas a re made from a
d ried , powdered version called masa harina, which has
prese rvatives and is less rasty, said Zarela Martinez,
rhe cookbook aurhor who closed her Manhatran res-
tauranr, Zarela, ea rlier th is yea r. W hen heared, the
N ixtam al torrillas puff up a nd taste clea rly, thou gh
subtly, of corn.
Inside Torcilleria Nixrama l from 4 to 10 a. m., rhe tor-
ti llas pop out of a machine.
"Ir's 3,000 torrill as an hour, 6,000 to 12,000 tortillas
a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a yea r," said Fernando
Ruiz, a firefighrer a nd narive of Mexico who opened
Nixra ma l in 2008 w ith his girlfriend, Shauna Page, a
fo rmer business consul ta nt.
"O ur intention was to be a torrilleria to New York's
Coro na, a growing Mexican neighborhood," Ms. Page
sa id .
It is more than rhat. Akhta r Nawab, the executive chef
of La Esquin a in SoHo a nd Cafe de La Esquina in
Brooklyn, buys tortillas from Nixtamal.
"They're always hot a nd fresh, and they're very soft,"
he said. 'There's a li ttle chew. They're Oaky, like a fine
French pastry but a more peasa nt construct, and they
have pockers of a ir, and they smell of co rn."

THENEWYORKTLMES, SUNDAY, DECEMBER4~ 2011
NEW JERSE Y DINING I SOUTll Pli\INFI ELD
Korean Barbecue
In a Smoke-Filled Room
fly KAHL.A COOK
TEP 1n10 1hc dining room of Kun
S rh1 Ilana Korc;m..Jap.-.nesc Res
1aumnt In South Plrunfield, and
rfil11 owny you no1ice the s moke.
A row or mas!lve Clth:tust rans seems
to provide more dm 1han ventll:ulon,
but for dinrrs. the fnns l\rC ri good sign:
They ~gnlfy Krllhng cqu1pmen1 In Ul
bits below, where SCf"\'t'rs insert buck
Cl.$ ot gk>-4 mg coals for gnlhng trad1
11onal Korean b.vbKue The gnlts scp-
ar:ue- the diners Imo hn\"M and have.
nots. b.-irbttue or reguh\r. The rqular
1abln mD\"e fasttt.
I rttomme:nd bo1h. \\'1th one excrp-
Kimchi Hana
Korean-Japanese
Restaurant
..............
"01 lbGt)o "-!. .Uld..Dtw.r M4ll
(10l>nur.'7
WORnt lT
nc lf'ACt Nc>lnDl. l?knt Gr.in& room
~wmt-pn\'altdonlnlr'OOIM.
repl.airlllbks end a.usbi tm_The~
r.w..t.\'.CC"pelorlhtpm-.Wtd.lmlclrtm.
Oft one ln"'d, a:.. the 'PK" IS tqbL
' caowo ~And cnual. llh IU.n).
~; ...."tf'lateOSrtmdyntrorrc,
~tn~wtltn~NJ
tomm.
.-.{",_~,~~'--i;;"T~~ ~~.......,.T-
. '
KOREAN BARBECUE
IN A SMOKE -FILLED
ROOM
uon (~ ::Wou1 that bu~r), every dlS.h
I tnt'd was \'Ct)' good. from the liny
fntd ancho-.1cs in 1he beautiful concc-
llOn of Wde dashes (banch:in) served at
the sum of the meal to the l:un b soup
lkhh sesame ICa\'es.
Other rnble f:wontcs included ~
food pancake (hne m ooJ J)3Jun), with
shnmp nnd scallions, and a bcauufully
p~n lt'd rke-v~et!tble combin:i110n
ina hoe. s1one pot (lopdol bibtm bap), A
fnm1lysi1c c.i.sserole of steamed monk
fish with SO)'btan sprouts :tnd w:iter
crHS was alJO :a contender, 1hough the
fish "'+as bony. ( We left the J:ipanese
mt".nu. Inducting the sushi bar, for an
TH( UR Brin& )OW own Wlfttor bttr.
f Ht a.&. Lunch hmH.. S9 lO SIL Dulnn"
1TU11:n duhn. S'J to '30. MastttCard. \1sa
:tnd Amtf1Qn Exprns acttpled.
WHAT wt.llkCO rkd mtatdumphngs.,
now- p.l'IQ...t
Ith ptpptn and SC3.lllon~
Jnlood ~t. pnme bttf batbttut.
rmnn:t.ttdspartubb:u~~
brwbttuit.&Mnband "lkt~soup.
Slone pOfl t11bunb;tp. sttamtd rncN11'h
W1th ')'titan SprouU. 5Wttt net' dnnk,
W' YOU COO Lunch Monday thn:Ju&h Fncby,
lnCMtaftlqlttlaltunch IS'Wr.a.ll;JOa.m..
tol p.m. "1Mf nwm ~'Td llJOa.m. to
lO p..m. tc'\'C'ft da)'1 Atmy cl Jhopp:nc
" " ' " pubnc. Rtwo-.iom acttptd
Olli) b plrUd:of KXCI' marr.
.......
IU.flHCS Dorn MM. Wonrt lt.0."- Don 1
.. - ~ -
N}JJ
-
BY KA HLA COO K
TRADITIONAL Korean bn.rbecuc dish
ea arc grilltd in the table at Kimchi
I la1u'I Korc:u1J1'1>anc.c Rcslaurant,
whc1 c Duk Ch1111 g. nrnking a scn
food 1:111akc hi righ1, is the chef.
/\ bov~ lc(1 is ~l~Mned monkli 1h.
othcrume.)
The <1uat11y of the food rests " '1th
ll)'OOK Chnnf(.. "hose sb1er opened the
restn.ur.ml tn 1986 and sold 1t to htr 11
coupJe of years later Mrs. Chang, who
rrune with her lanuly from South Korea
In 1950, SPl'nt hours ptrfecona the fb.
' 'on of each dash at hOmt. she s.bd in :in
interview allcr my VISllS. then s.hartd
1he rtdpn wUh Duk Chunc. the chef
W :md ~r husb.1nd hired.
Alter her husband's d<-:Hh 11 )~31'5
gra1e. then a ""''
conu:umng the SpM'C
nbs. whteh she arranged on the gnll.
1hwantd by a connoetltt or rules - a
two-item n11n11num pt'r p.vt) to JUSU!y
ago, Mrs. Otam; came to value Mr. She rtt urntd OCCMt0nally 10 turn the occupying a b.trbecue table-, and no, t he
Chung'i hanl work and rch:ibdny, nnd meat, ~u u:tlly pronouncing the shrimp could not be cooktd in the km::h
he bec;mM: a 1r1ner In 1he business ''h e n. I cnpi1ula1cd, ordenng lhe hot, SptC)'
1hrtt yean ago.
But back 10 the barbecue: Kunch1
piec~ ready for dressing
Chung's hou.stm3de
Mr.
docnpng (fer
menttd soy paste) :1nd wrnppmg m let
and swtt1 shrimp with g.vlic s.1uce rtt
ommended by the sener, ,,.,th prtdKt
llmn.-.deh tr"ttS. tuce~aves. able result.5: too m uch brtadlll&, 1nost ol
our barbtt'Uc 1.:able "''M one m :1 llne She r~ttd the process " nh the 11 soggy,and \'ff)' liUle shnmp rtavor.
of them al the bark oi the bi& d1run1 bulaoga but, v.,th an "ye on thf- scrum of At dH.Sttt ume-. "e skJpped the ttcl
room . ._,here tht a.moke wu p;inlCUbr bean and &rttn tc;a ttt Cl'TlrnJ. ordenng
wa.uJng diners, a.skcd "htther she coukl
ly thick. Weonl<r<d bul&O&i (m:>nnAted cook the dUckcn m t.be bade.. We inst~ a s,_.eet dnnJ... Slkh)'t, m3de
bed), lbced bontlns chtc:ken and m;in-
ogreed. and $hortly she l>n>ulht the v.itb malt flour, nee and supr. The
n;ued lp.:t.rt nbt ias tntrttS. Just as we gmns ol sticky ntt Oolted amonc tin)'
~an our 1weuun - fntd pork
coolced duc:km, ttmO\'Ui the grate and
Cl.I.be$ ol ta!, combint.n.& 1th the ltq\Ud
CO>ls and replOC<d the lid. and the t>ble
to make a k>'.ety ~1e deanser. We felt
dumphng.s and 1 P'fasa.ntly crunchy
f1ourbastd ~ncali.e 1;1uddcd '14ith hol
?<'PPtt' and sulhons - the server ap-
wa.s as bd0tt. Out knees grew cool
My plan 10 order the l.3rge marinatl'd
equally rcf~hed bier ,_..hen we leh the
smoke--hlk!d room for the de:i.r night rur,
peartd '14ilh the cool buckets :uK1 the shrimp ba.rbue on a second \ '\Sii was
ha\'inge.a1tnsowtll :u K1mch1 lt o.na.
 rep into che d in ing room of Kimchi Hana
S Korean-Japa nese Restaurant in Sout h Pla infield,
and right away you notice the smoke.
A row of massive exhaust fa ns seems co provide more
din t han ventilat ion, but for diners, t he fans a re a good
sign: T hey signi fy grilling equipment in rabies below,
where servers insert buckets of glowing coals for grill-
ing t radirional Korea n barbecue. The gri lls sepa rate
rhe diners into haves and have-nors, barbecue or regu-
lar. The regular rabies move fasre r.
I recommend borh. Wirh one exception (more abour
rhat larer), every d ish I rried was very good, from rhe
riny fried a nchovies in the beaut ifu l collecrion of side
dishes (banchan) served ar rhe start of t he meal ro the
lamb soup wirh sesame leaves.
Other rable favo rires included seafood panca ke (hae
mool pajun), with shrimp a nd scallions, and a beau-
t ifu lly presented rice-vegerable combinarion in a hot
scone por (gop dol bibim bap). A fami ly-size casserole
of steamed monkfish wirh soybean sprours a nd water-
cress was a lso a contender, though rhe fish was bony.
(We lefr the Japa nese m enu, includi ng rhe sush i bar,
for a nor her ci me.)
The quali ty of rhe food rests with H yong C hang, whose
sisrer opened the restaurant in 1986 and sold ir co her a
couple of years larer. M rs. C hang, who ca me with her
family from Sourh Korea in 1980, spent hours perfect-
ing rhe flavors of each dish at home, she said in a n
interview afrer my visirs, t hen shared rhe recipes with
Duk Chung, rhe chef she and her husband hired.
Afrer her husband 's death 11 years ago, Mrs. Chang came
co value Mr. C hung's hard work and reliabiliry, and he
became a parmer in rhe business rhree years ago.
Bur back to the barbecue: K imchi H ana delivers.
O ur barbecue rable was one in a li ne of rhem ar rhe
back of rhe big d ining room, where rhe smoke was par-
ticu la rly rhick. We ordered bulgogi (ma rinared beef),
sliced boneless chicken and ma rinated spare ribs as
enrrees. Jusr as we began our appetizers - fried pork
dumpli ngs and a pleasa nrly crunchy flour-based pan-
cake srudded wirh hor peppers and scallions - rhe
server appeared wirh rhe coal buckers and rhe grace,
rhen a bowl containing rhe spare ribs, which she ar-
ranged on rhe gri ll. She returned occasionally co rum
rhe mear, eventua lly pronouncing rhe pieces ready for
dressing with Mr. C hung's housemade doenj ang (fer-
mented soy paste) and wrappi ng in lercuce leaves.
She repeated rhe process w irh che bulgogi but, with an
eye on rhe scru m of waiti ng di ners, asked whether she
could cook rhe chicken in rhe back. We agreed, and
shorrly she brought che cooked chicken, removed che
grare a nd coals and replaced rhe lid, a nd rhe rable was
as before. Our knees grew cool.
My plan ro order the la rge marinared shri mp barbecue
on a second visit was rhwarced by a confluence of rules
- a rwo-irem min imu m per parry co justify occupy-
ing a barbecue table, and no, rhe sh rimp could not be
cooked in rhe kitchen. I capiculared, ordering t he hoe,
spicy and sweet shrimp w irh ga rlic sauce recommended
by rhe server, with predicrable results: coo much bread-
ing, most of it soggy, and very li trle shri m p flavor.
Ac dessert time, we skipped che red bean a nd green
tea ice cream s, ordering instead a sweet drink, sikhye,
made with male flour, rice and sugar. The grains of
sticky rice floared among ti ny cubes of ice, combining
wirh rhe liquid co make a lovely palare cleanser. We felr
equally refreshed later when we lefr t he smoke-filled
room for che clear nighr air, having earen so well at
Kimchi Hana.
 Kimchi Hana
Korean-Japanese Restaurant

6101 Hadley Road. Middlesex Mall

South Plainfield
(908) 755-0777

WORTH IT

THE SPACE No-frills. 120-seat dining room encompass-

ing semi-private dining rooms. regular tables and a sushi
bar. The restaurant. except for the private dining areas, is
on one level. but the space is tight.

THE CROWD Noisy and casual. with many children;

servers are extremely efficient, headwaiters brusque
when seating customers.

THE BAR Bring your own wine or beer.

THE BILL Lunch items. $9 to $11. Dinner main dishes,

$9 to $30. MasterCard, Visa and American Express
accepted.

WHAT WE LIKED Fried meat dumplings. flour pan-

cake with peppers and scallions, seafood pancake. prime
beef barbecue. marinated spare rib barbecue, chicken
barbecue. lamb and wild sesame soup. stone pot bibim-
bap, steamed monkfish with soybean sprouts, sweet rice
drink.

IF YOU GO Lunch Monday through Friday. including a

special lunch menu. 11 :30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner menu
served 11 :30 a.m. to I 0 p.m. seven days. Plenty of shop-
ping-center parking. Reservations accepted only for par-
ties of six or more.

RATINGS Don't Miss. Worth It, O.K .. Don't Bother.

Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
IN THE NEW YORK TIMES
THE NEW YORK TIMES, THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2010 E8

SHE WANTS
MORE THAN HER MTV
BY \IE LE \ :\ HYZ I K

' ' H ave you had a popsicle? T hey're sooo of aspha lr on the Lower East Side, helping sell designer
good," sa id SuChin Pak, known co a T-shirrs and rhose really good ice pops, wh ich come
generation of screa m ing teenagers as in arrisanal Mex ica n flavo rs like horchara and mango
the sweer and c hippe r on-a ir correspondent fo r MT V. con chili.
"Let me buy you one! "
No, Ms. Pak did nor lose her plu m job as a n MTV cor-
It was a sweltering Sunday, a nd Ms. Pak was nowhere respondenr. She still covers events like rhe earthquake
nea r the red ca rpets or green rooms, inrerviewing in H airi and every pop scar's laresr baby bump a nd
Taylor Swifr or spotlighting some d o-gooder youth. broken engagemenr. Bur these days, she has become
Instead , she was walking up and d own a small parch consumed by a side project, one t hat rakes her to every
corner of a newly tre ndy pocket a long the Lower East
Side-Chinatown border, foraging for indie designers
UpO...
a nd boutiques, a nd seeking new flavors like rruffled
She Wants More Than Her MTV pretzels and wild lobster rolls.

Ms. Pak li kes to give credit to her brother, Suhyun, bur

she is the creative fo rce behind the Heste r Srreer Fa ir,
this summer's newest desig ner flea ma rker, wedged
in a lot between a high school athletic field and the
three-acre Seward Park, one of the oldest city-bui lr
playgrou nds in the counrry. Starred in April and ser
ro run nearly yea r round, rhis modern incarnation of
a pedd ler's paradise has been billed as a downrown
_.. _____ __ ___"""'......_..,__._..,__
...-.------ Manharran version of the Brookly n Flea, bur it feels
'"H--- .. _ .....-n..-.n-
..,........._,,......
,..._ ...n..""
-
_..._..... __
"- .. ..... _ . ,.,_ .... __.."
=-..... -~-

---.---
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34, said of the fa ir. "For me, right now, ir's rhe mosr
creative rhing that I do."
T
hat says a lot, considering her quirky, un likely
ca reer path. The daughter of conservative,
religious parents from Korea who spea k little
English, Ms. Pak was born in Seoul and moved to rhe
suburbs of San Francisco at 5. She grew up in a pop
culrure vacuum, fo rbidden to watch television or listen
to Western music. H er world was school, church and
her parents' cafe in downtow n Oakland.
How she ended up on television, on MTV no less, is
not a story of typical teenage rebellion. Even befo re at-
tendi ng the University of California, Berkeley, where
she studied political science, Ms. Pa k spent part of her
high school years contributing to a n ABC affi liate as
the host of a show called "Straight Talk N ' Teens."
("My hair," she said, "was very intense.")
After graduation, she moved to New York to lead a
short-lived ta lk show, "Trackers," which she described
as " less Bad Girl 's C lu b and more 1 A m Woman
H ea r Me Roa r," on the then newly launched Oxygen
network.
W hen she was 24, MTV recruited her. She has been
there ever since, over the years co-hosting rhe Video
Music Awards a nd developing a series about im mi-
grant li fe. Most recently she has been driving cross-
country to cover the recipients of grants from Pepsi for
civic, environmental and arts projects.
"I love TV," Ms. Pak said. "I've done ir since I was 16.
I don't have anothe r skill."
But, she added, " It's not a creative game fo r me, it's
much more of a busi ness ga me." T he H ester Street Fair
is her outlet.
She and her brother conceived the fair in response to a
request from the Seward Pa rk Cooperatives, the sprawl-
ing redbrick towers built by labor and trade un ions in
rhe 1960s, where Ms. Pak has shared a two-bedroom
unir wirh Su hyun , 32, for six years. The co-op wa nred
ideas fo r the empty lot, which it owns.
"Everybody pur in these really lame pitches- dog park
or a reflection pond," Ms. Pak said . Having grown up
going to swap meets in Northern California, she and
her brother im mediately suggested a flea market. T hey
also envisioned it as an a ntidote to the interchange-
able MozzArepas-a nd-tube-socks fa irs that plague ciry
streets every summer.
"The lase thing we want is a n outdoor mall," Ms.
Pak said. On any given weekend, there are art and
Green marker sta nds, com munity bulletin boa rds a nd
a misting rem. She and her partners have raken pains
to ma ke sure chat the vendors, most from the neigh-
borhood , fill a niche. Many are first-timers, trying our
a second ca reer or passion project. "Our hope is char
they move on to t heir own storefronrs a nd bakeries,"
Ms. Pak said. "We wou ld love to be a launching pad."
Copyright 2010 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted w1lh permission.
T he Paks brought in Ron Castella no, a n architect who
helped design Santos Party House and whose office
overlooks t he Hester Street space, a nd Ada m Zeller, a
TV marketing executive, as parrners. T hey now over-
see rhe fair's look and irs online promotion. Suhyun
runs rhe d ay-to-day operations, whi le SuC hin, as he
put it, "puts rhe little touches and rhe cool facto r."
Ms. Pak has been known to sell some of he r own de-
signer castoffs ar rhe market. She recruited other fas h-
ion insiders to do the sa me.
"I always knew chat one d ay I wou ld ask for a favor
from my friends, who are a ll ex tremely well connected
and really too cool fo r school," M s. Pak said. "And
now I'm call ing them li ke, ' Remem ber chat story I d id
rwo yea rs ago, remember that biog pose I posted? It's
payback time.' " Sway, another MTV correspondent,
is having his birthday party rhere on July 31, pa rt of a
parade of fami liar televisio n faces a nd dow n town per-
sonali ties who populace rhe fa ir.
Ms. Pak's parents, meanwhile, didn't quite understand
her des ire to run a flea ma rket. T hen aga in, they srill
watch her TV appearances with the sound off. Bur
rhey ca n resr easy: Ms. Pa k does not intend to swap TV
for fu ll-time bazaaring. "We just wa nt to throw a really
great pa rry every weekend here," she said. "Ir's fun."
Wa lking around the marker, appea ring preternaturally
cool in a ru ffled a nd pleated skirt a nd blouse and flar
C ha nel ga rdenia sanda ls, she blended in easily wit h
shoppers looking for vintage clutches or fancifu l ca ke-
pops. She's usually recognized on ly by teenagers.
"Every time l get caughr on t he subway around 3 or 4
during the school yea r, ir's definitely d icey," she said .
"I get a lor of like - yo, are you that girl? Then I have
to go eight stops wirh them."
Not that she's complaining. "Ten m ill ion 16-year-old
girls would sell their right arm to live the life that I've
had," she said.
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: )1161 25, 2010
An ar1icle 011 July 8 about the Hester Street Fair on the Lower
fast Side misspelled the given name ofone ofthe organizers. He
is Suhyun Pak, not Suyhun.
THE NEWYORKTIMES, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2010 WEB ONLY

TRADITIONAL
KOREAN STYLE
GETS A FORWARD SPIN
BY AUC E PF EI FFEH

SEOUL
ess mass-ma rketed th an the k imono, the han-

L bok is the trad itional Korean costume of com-

parable del icacy, bu r its centuries-old silhouette
is increasingly in dema nd around the world, from
Buckingha m Palace to Beverly Hills and a few places
in between .

Shore for Ha n-guk pokshik, or Korean attire, a han-

bok comprises two pieces: a bolero-st yle jacker, called
a jeogori, and a voluminous, wrapa round, floor-len gth
skirt, called a chima.

T he attire, predo minantly worn by wome n, also ex-

ists for men with baggy pants, although it is nor as
com mon. It lost some of irs popularity in the 1950s
and '60s in Sourh Korea, during rhe era of intense
America n-influenced mode rnizatio n that followed the
Korean War, fro m 1950 to 1953, when rhe hanbok was
considered old fash ioned.

Yer today, a new generation of upscale hanbok ta ilors,

mainly wome n, a re increasingly being acclaimed by
the med ia.

Lee Young Hee has been praised as Sou th Korea's most

signi fica nt, old-school ha nbok m aker. Since her first
snips in 1977, she has g ready encouraged the intro -
duction of rhe complex garments into a cosmopolita n
luxury markcL
F
irsr influenced by watching her mother work as
a n embroiderer, she later developed complex,
natural dying techniques by obse rving Buddhist
monks.
Today, she has become t he leader in her field , her cus-
tomers ranging from Miuccia Prada to South Korea's
firsr lady, Kim Yoon-ok. Mrs. Lee's hanboks are enrirely
handmade and range in price from $ 1,000 to $5,000.
It's nor just a modern replica, because she applies
Western haure couture tech niques like painting di-
rectly onto fabric.
"The t ime needed to make a hanbok va ries, depe nding
o n the intricacy a nd the level of artistry required in the
fina l piece," Mrs. Lee said. "Some of my most ambi-
tious pieces h ave taken five years to construct, bur for
a n ordinary h a nbok, I spend 15 days to one month."
A lthough she primarily uses sil k, hand-woven ram ie
known as mosi, sometimes incorporating cotton and
linen to create a contrast of textu res, she adm its ro be-
ing "always open ro trying new and unconventiona l
fab rics."
Indeed , she also experiments by weaving Hanji , local
paper handm ade our of the inner bark of the paper
mu lberry tree, into the fab ric.
Mrs. Lee says she wants ro de monstrate "modern and
elegant sensibil ity withi n the frame of the ha nbok 's
fo rma l classicism."
"Today, it is much easier ro wear compa red ro yester-
year's garment," she said.
O nce a costume worn on grand occasions, the han-
bok has become a fashion item, and therefo re liberated
from ceremo nia l or symbolic constraints. Even fash-
ionisras like Pa ri s Hilto n and Britney Spears have been
attracted ro the it.
In 2004, Mrs. Lee fo unded the Lee Young Hee Korea
Museum in New York C ity, where she shows her per-
sona l collection of traditiona l costumes, accessories
a nd books.
The museum's di rector, Jong Suk-sun g, said these were
belongi ngs "that she has acquired over a lifetime,"
"Most of her pieces are from the late Joseo n Dynasty,
covering the period from the 18th ro 20 rh century,"
Mr. Jong continued.
With its curved lines, loose fir, a mple sleeves and
abundant, flow ing fab ric, t he st yle of that period still
influences today's hanboks.
But a new generation of designe rs is reinventing the
hanbok by rethinking a ncient fo rms according ro
modern creative criteria.
Lie Sang Bong, for example, mixes t hese traditional
silhouettes with contem pora ry fas hion twists like large
leather belts and bare arms.
H is work, which is m ainly in silk, cotton and wool,
ca n sell for as much as $2,000, and he occasiona lly
works on comm issions, like a dress fo r Kim Yu-na, the
20 10 O lympic figure-skating champion, who is from
South Korea.
Both traditiona l Korean designs a nd culture a re at the
core in Mr. Lie's refere nces: T he designer says he is
inspired a nd moved by the tradit ional fabric, c utt ing,
silhouette, color and d erails bu t also " by the very tra-
ditiona l Korean elements," li ke the use of the colors
red, yellow and blue, ancient Korea n calligraphy, a nd
flower emb roid ery.
"Korea is my mother country," Mr. Lie said. "I was born
here a nd have lived so fa r, surrounded by this beautiful
ground , air, water. It is very natu ral chat my collection
has been natura lly inspired by Korea n elements."
Yer he is seek ing ro discover " how well I ca n modern-
ize t he t raditiona l elements ro the Western world. That
constitutes my endless quest."
"A new generation of ha nbok designers a re comin g our
with a n outfit t hat tra nslates modernity in a histori-
cally co mprehensible manner," said Kihoh Sohn, fash-
ion editor at Vogue Korea.
T
he magazine wants to encourage these new de-
sig ns wh ile celebra ting nat iona l sartoria l iden-
t ity, M r. Sohn said , so it features a m ini mu m
of t wo stories a yea r entirely ded icated to ha nbok.

Simila rly, the Korea n Fashion Week, which celebrated

its IO th a nniversa ry in October, featured M rs. Lee,
Mr. Lie a nd ma ny other t rad itiona l ha nbok-influenced
designers.

Women grow up "appreciating the beauty of the ha n-

bok from ea rly on," M r. Soh n added.

But hanboks are appeali ng to Western women too be-

cause t hey have "an air of gra ndeur to t hem and ca n be
a great source of even ing wea r," he said .

"And eveni ng wea r is m uch more appreciated in

Western cu ltu re tha n in t he East," he said . As a re-
su lt, Mr. Sohn said, m a ny Eu ropea n d esigners have
a lso been influenced by ha nboks, including Ha ider
Ackermann.

Other ha nbok tailors include Bae Young-jin, who has

chosen to modern ize the ga rments by using mono-
chrome, black a nd whi te materia ls a nd dyes, an ap-
proach acknowledged in 2007 when Queen Elizabeth
II visited her in her boutique nea r Gyeongbokgun g
Palace in Seou l.

M eanwh ile, Kim Young-jin has reinvenced the classic

li nes by using taffeta, silk and lace, and Kim H ee-soo
has introduced da rk shades, hats and ve ils into t he
hanboks.

Mrs. Lee sums up the ha nbok's popularity t his way:

"It is a unique for m t hat is capable of blend ing Korean
trad itional for m s with modern aesthetics."

In other ways, she add ed , South Korea n cloth ing de-

sign is like any other.

" Fash ion is a lways movi ng fas t a nd ever-cha ngi ng,"

M rs. Lee sa id . "People get excited over new trends."

Copyright 20 10 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.

THE NEWYORKTIMES, SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2011 ST13

ESTHER KIM AND

JOSEPH VARET
BY KATE 1'1 HPJ IY

Esther Kim and Joseph Varet

I
t's fitting that Esther Jin Kim and Joseph

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motes the work of perform ing artists. After all, these
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_ been known to drive from farm sta nd to fa rm stand

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designer jeans in a glass case rather than using some-
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:md sl\llrea rom1non qtk'tll ~::;.a::i,=~~
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9ftllc..... ter of the Ma rtha Stewa rt Center for Living at Mount

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Mr. Varet was captivated from the moment he first saw

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---~~t.....- ~'*"'..-..-"1'!1 a~"l-4 .. Ms. Kim. It was April 2009, a nd she had arrived late to
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AP . . . by111'flil"""' .... Ml t.,frw-J blo!Mr \ ...... lll lrlbnc,w.. ~ n.nlllS*-llbfW.-,oc11ta1
a benefit ga la. But M s. Kim, who graduated from Ya le
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..........,. .,....__..,.... .-.w,
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a nd was a busy Ph.D. ca nd idate in the history of art at
.
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",_ Columbia University a nd a part-time art dealer, didn't
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IOlllll notice him, despite caking the seat next to his.
 ' ' Wen I saw her ir was li ke I had been g rounds Escher," Dr. Chun said . "And I think she
working o n this puzzle and someone bri ngs him out of himself."
had suddenly given me rhe answer,"
A few weeks after they began seeing each other, he
said Mr. Varer, who the year before had sold the co m-
made a bold move.
pany he co-founded , LX.TV, to NBC Un iversa l for a
reported $10 millio n. (A broadba nd network and on- They were attendin g rhe Perform a benefit they had
line production compa ny, it is perhaps best known for helped pla n, a nd in midsentence he kissed her.
the programming rhar plays in the back of New York
"I d idn't know what t0 do," M s. K im sa id . "I was ta lk-
taxicabs.)
ing, and he kissed me, and then I continued ta lking
H e had been looki ng for a li ke-minded aesthete to where I left off."
share his life.
Mr. Ya rer said, "Eicher she was ignoring me or obl ivi-
"Joseph ach ieved professionally beyond h is w ildest ous, bur I wanted to make it clea r how I felt."
dreams a nd t hought, Now what?" said his younger
Up to t hat point, she did nor think of him as boyfriend
brother, David Varer. "I think he was final ly ready for
material, much less a potenti al husband , because her
love."
parents wanted her tO marry a Korea n. "I have always
T heir mother, Elizabeth Rosenwa ld Va rer, w ho is rhe been very sensit ive to pleasing my pa rents," she said.
chairwoman of A merican Securit ies Group and g rand-
The kiss, she said, began tO cha nge her attitude, as did
daughter of Jul ius Rosenwald, an ow ner and pres ident
rhe icons next to h is name as she read Gotha m maga-
of Sears, Roebuck & Company, agreed rhar her elder
zine's 2009 " 100 Hottest Bachelors" ran ki ngs. Alo ng
son was ready for love bur added dryly, "I have t h is
w ith a pi le-of-mo ney icon, wh ic h meant he was wealthy,
theory rhar people get ma rried to ger o ut of rhe agony
and a pile-of-books icon, which meant he was smart
of daring."
(he has an undergradu ate d egree from Ha rva rd a nd an
Mr. Varer's interest was piqued by rhe fac t rhar M s. M.B.A. from Columbia), he a lso had an apple-pie ico n,
K im, whose parents immig rated to D a ll as from Seoul wh ich mea nt he was good to rake ho me tO Mom.
shortly before she was born, is Korean. Mr. Va rer's
" l kn ow it sounds silly, bur that rea lly got me ch ink-
friends a nd fami ly said rhat he had lo ng had an affin-
ing," she said. "] rea lly starred wondering if my par-
ity for Asian a rt, cuisine a nd culture a nd had rraveled
e nts, a lthoug h he wasn't Ko rea n, would love h im, too,
extensively in Asia.
for t heir daughter."
Mr. Varer gor M s. Kim's e-mail address from group
Sensing he was making prog ress, a nd after several more
e-ma ils sent our by Performa and began inviting her to
dares, Mr. Ya rer invited himself to visit her in South
d inners in Koreatown as well as to the opera a nd arr
Korea, where she spem her sum mers. Her parents,
ga llery openings. She accepted h is invitations bur on ly
C hang and Susa n K im , have homes in Seoul, D al las
because she had a n ulterior motive.
and Kona, Hawa ii. Bur rwo d ays before Mr. Va rer was
"] t hought he was in tech nology a nd cou ld help se r up sched uled t0 leave fo r Sourh Korea, he had a biking
a Web site for my art deal ing," she said . W hen it be- accident on rhe H udson River bike path a nd fractured
ca me clea r he didn't know much about creating Web his left kneecap. His d ocror advised aga inst travel, but
sires, she tried to discou rage him by telling hi m she Mr. Va rer, in a leg brace, was determ ined .
had a boyfriend in Pa ris (a lthoug h she knew rhar rela-
"I wouldn't see her for eigh t o r nine weeks and knew
tion sh ip wasn't going anywhere). H e was nor deterred.
she'd forger all about me if I did n't go," he sa id.
"H e was pretty persistent," she said. "Bur in a patient
way, nor a n a n noying way." Ms. Kim pushed him arou nd Seoul in a wheelchair. "It
wasn't all t hat attract ive," she said. "My gra ndmother
Friends describe Mr. Yarer's a nd Ms. Kim's perso n-
who had had a stroke could get around better d1an he
a li ties as co mplementary: H e is calm a nd delibera-
cou ld."
tive wh ile she is passionate and sponta neous. "Joseph
 B
ur her family was impressed. "They sa id he
muse really li ke me to go to so much effo rr," she
said. "H e worked so hard ro ger my arcention."
W hen he rerurned to che Un ired Scares lacer rh ar sum-
mer, he worked rirelessly co rehabi li tare his knee before
M s. Kim joined him ar his renred summer house in
the Hamprons.
" He was constantly exercising with a pursed brow a nd
focused sta re - li ke Rocky," said Perc r Fried land, who
shared the house with Mr. Va rer a nd who has known
him since high school. "This was a Joseph Varet I had
never seen before. A Joseph in gym cloches. A Joseph
in love."
Everything the rwo of rhem did together chat August
was studied and a rtfu l, from rhe particular way they
ground a nd brewed coffee, ro the beach time they
spent not sunning or swimming bur painting warer-
colors to presenr to each orher.
T hey began to sec the beauty in their di fferences.
"H e's solid where I'm like water," M s. Kim sa id . "I
never caught him in a lie."
Lase year, rhe couple extended their reach fo r artistic
ex pression and perfec rio n by embarking on a four-
month rrip to Sourheasr Asia to discover the best street
food , something both are passionate abour.
"We wenr to a ll t he most obscure food carts to ear
some of the most bodacious food s imaginable," Ms.
Kim said. "It was chat adventurous spirit, whether
we're in LA., Brooklyn, Seoul or Penang, th at pro-
pelled us ro spend so much time toget her, to explore
and share experiences a nd th at will inspire us to keep
going tomorrow."
The couple concluded their travels w irh a visit during
rhe Thanksgiving holiday to M s. Kim's pa rents' home
in Hawaii, where Mr. Va rer proposed in front of sev-
era l family members, includ ing her parents.
"Before I proposed , I had ro have a sir-down wirh her
far her, who is very cradirional," Mr. Va rer sa id . " He
had to make me swear a little. He knew I hadn'r been
work ing a nd wa nted to know why." He passed musrer
by explaining rhar he was mak ing investments in Start-
up media companies.
Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
Mr. Varer gave Ms. Kim a $4 ri ng bought ar a beach
srand; he knew she would wa nt ro desig n her own
ring.
On April 9, rhe couple stood surrounded by 14 ausrere,
plum-colored paintings by rhc abstract artist M a rk
Rorhko at the nondeno mi national Rorh ko C hapel in
H ousto n. The Rev. Shawn Ka ng, a Presby rerian min-
ister, o fficiated with R abbi Monty Eliasov ta king part
in the ceremony. The bride's brother, Abra ha m Kim,
played rhe processional on his H awaiian u kulele.
After the re!igious ceremony, guests gathered fo r
a seared Korea n banquet at the Sheraton H ouston
Brookhollow Hotel, owned by the bride's fat her. The
hotel's ballroom had been transformed into what
looked like a mod nightcl ub: the floor covered with
iridescent white sy nthetic tur f, the wa lls draped with
folds of fro rhy, whire fab ric, accented w it h turquoise
and oran ge lighting.
The t rendy ambience contrasted wich rhe Korean pae-
baek ceremony, during wh ich che couple wore cradi-
cional silk robes, known as ha nboks, as he carried her
piggyback around the room to symbolize his ability to
support her.
The co uple will continue rheir quest fo r artisric adven-
rure, o nce back from an African safari honeymoon.
They will live in Venice Beach , Cali f., where rhe bride-
groom boughr a rhree-story contemporary rown house.
Ms. Kim hopes to show and sell arr in a n ex hibition
space on the ground floor as she finishes her Ph.D. dis-
sertation, which focuses on the influence of compu ter
technology on conceprua l a rt.
She said that a rt, like street food , is a connect ion she
and Mr. Varer share chat sustains a nd nourishes t heir
relario nship: "It's always changing form a nd creating
challenges to old ways of thi nki ng, or savoring, the
world ."
This rmicle has bew revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: M ay 1, 2011
The Vows column Inst Sunday, about the marriage of Esther
Kim r111d Joseph Vnret, misspelled the name of a traditional
Korean gnrme111. ft is a hnnbok, not hmnbok.
THE NEWYORKTIMES, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2011 WEB ONLY

A WHITE HOUSE
DEBUT FOR DOO.RI
BY EHI CWI LSON

ichelle Obama has nor been entirely co n-

M sistent when it comes to d ressing for state

dinners. Since t he considered choice of a
gold gown by N aeem Khan, a designe r with Indian
roots who is based in America, fo r t he first dinner fo r
rh e pri me m inister of India in N ovember of 2009, she
has mixed thi ngs up, wearing Peter Soronen to a din-
ner fo r the Mex ica n president, and that controversial
Alexander McQueen dress fo r the president of C hina.
She wore another dress by M r. Khan to a dinner for
the cha ncellor of Germ any.

T here is likely to be li t tle co mplaint about her lat-

est choice. For Thursday night's din ner fo r President
Lee Myung-Ba k of Sou th Korea at the W hite H ouse,
in the wake of the free-trade agreem ent approved by
C ongress, she wore a smashing plum one-shouldered
jersey d ress by the Korean-A merica n designer Doo-ri
C hung, which she accented w ith a turquoise beaded
belt. It looked like a colorful evening, with the Ahn
Trio in prima ry colo rs, though Janelle Monae stuc k
with her signatu re tuxedo. "I've always been a fa n of
pu rple, a nd I t hought it was fitting for her," M s. C hung
said in a phone interview Friday morning. "Purple is
rhe color of roya lty, and she wea rs it beaut ifully."

Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted w ith permission.
IN THE NEW YORK TIMES
THE GLOBAL EDITION OF THE NEW YORK TIMES, TUESDAY, MARCH JO, 2010 11

A KOREAN
ARTIST 'S ORIGINS,
BY PARACH UTE
BY SO~ I ,\ KOLE \l lKOV-J ESSOP

SINGAPORE

ack in 2003 ac che lncernaciona l Istanbul

B Bienn ia l, th e Korea n a rcist Do-Ho Suh pre-

sented one of his large-sca le fab ric inscallacions
"Staircase (Insta llat ion fo r Poetic Justice)," a red ethe-
rea l fabric staircase suspended from the ceiling and
running t h rough two floors without quite reaching
the ground. T he a nise is now revisiting the idea on a
sma ller scale and in a d ifferent medium. Working in
residency at the Sin gapore Tyler Pri ne institute, Mr.
Suh is creating a staircase in red threads laid over pa-
per pulp.

"Almost a ll my fab ric pieces are suspended from t he

A Korean artist's origins, by parachute
ceiling a nd this accentuates rhe sense of gravi ty," he
said . "So here, I've tried to fi nd a way to si mulate lines
th at would almos t be suspended in space, with thread
in pulp and water, because t he way t he water pushes
a nd pu lls the t hread on che pape r crea tes these beauti-
ful lines. The staircase connection is a litera l one, but
in my mind the connection and continuation w ith my
previous installation is d ealing with gravity in two-di-
mensional drawin gs," the artist, who is based in New
York, ex plai ned while recently in Singapore.

T h read , fabrics and sewing have played an important

role in Mr. Suh's sire-specific installations wh ich regu-
larly explore che issue of cultural displacement a nd che
relationsh ip between ind ividua lity a nd collectivism.
 orn in Seou l in 1962, Mr. Suh grew up in an ar-

B
tistic family. His father, Suh Se-ok, was a pivotal
figure in Korean modern arr for his use of tra-
d it ional ink painting in an abstract style. In the 1960s,
many of Korea's rradirional homes were destroyed co
ma ke way for modern buildings, bur Mr. Su h's parents
had a small, rradirional scholar's house builr of discard-
ed wood from a demolished palace building.
T his house and irs traditiona l decorative elemenrs have
become centra l co rhe arrisr's work as he reflects on his
own feelings of cu ltural displacement and longing af-
ter moving co t he Un ited Scares in 199 1. R ight afrcr his
graduation from the Rhode Island School of Design
in Providence in 1994, he was living in a noisy apart-
ment in New York when he rhoughr about recreating
his qu iet Seoul home using translucent orga nza.
" Jn many ways, rhis was a pivotal piece in my ca reer
because ir was one of rwo o r three major pieces char 1
did right after school," Mr. Suh said. " l first sewed my
studio a nd made so me samples of che Korea n house."
Then he goc a gra nt and was able co rea lize the fu ll
version.
Two years lacer, Mr. Suh was invited co present four
works in the Venice Biennale, wh ich brought him
international recognition. rn "Some/One," he used
Korean military dog rags co form a giant imperial robe,
and in "Floor," 180,000 fragile plastic fi gures righcly
placed against each orher hold up a glass floor. The
works reflect on rhc power a nd strength of rhe collec-
tive, sometimes ar rhe expense of rhe individual.
"A ll of my works really come from che sa me idea. They
all deal wirh space; being a n archiceccural one or a fig-
urative one like your persona l space," he said.
The arrisr is now preparing a fa bric insta llation fo r rhe
Venice Bicnnale of Arc hitecture (Aug. 29 co Nov. 21),
where he will represent the facade of his brownstone
apartment in New York. H e's also planning a n insral-
larion for rhe 2010 Liverpool Biennia l (Sepe. 18 co
Nov. 18), where he will place a replica of his ch ildhood
hou se in an empty lot wirh a parachu te and rhe scar-
rered contents of the house. The Liverpool insra llarion
conti nues work on a rheme that explores a srory Mr.
Suh wrote in 1999 chat resembles rhe opening scenes
of "The W iza rd of Oz." A Korea n house is lifted by a
tornado over rhe Pacific, landing in Providence. W irh
a parachute slowing its fa ll, rhe house gees stuck in the
corner of a brownstone bui lding similar co rhe one rhe
arrisr lives in roday.
In "Fallen Scar: Wind o f Destiny," (2006), Mr. Su h
rep resenred t hat Korea n house atop a tornad o of carved
Styrofoam and resin, and in "New Beginning," (2006)
he showed a large d oll house-like representation of his
18rh-century apartment in Providence wirh his fa m-
ily's Korea n home stuck in the middle of it.
Mr. Suh is also working on commissions from rwo
American museums. One is fo r the Los Angeles
County Muse um of Arc's Korean ga llery: an in siru
a roya l folding screen recreated in clear acrylic resin a
section of the palace where the screen initially would
have been housed. For his second museum commis-
sion, at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, he is rec-
reating a rradiciona l Korean gate, bur is doing so in a
negative space char visitors can wa lk eh rough. "So here
it's also about rra nsporring rwo traditional buildings
in Korea to chose insrirurions; ir's also about displace-
ment of che space a nd cransporcing che space like my
other fabric insrallarion," he said.

Ar rhe Singapore institute, Mr. Suh has revisited some

of his previo us rhemes bur also explores some new
ones. Several of his new works portray isolated fig ures
with shadowlike fo rms hovering over t hem. They are
" based on che belief chat one is nor exaccly one" but
"many different things - other people's influence,
history, differe nr personalities. Bue you don't sec ir, ir's
invisible," he said .

Copyright 2010 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
THE NEW YORK TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 CJ

SHEEP
IN TIMES SQUARE
BY HAN DY K EN ~EDY

ANCEL FRANCO{rll E NEW YORK TIMES

Sheep in Times Square

Joi ning the art carnival that descends on New York during
the annual Armory Show, the huge contemporary art fair that
opens on Thursday, T imes Square is transfor ming itself into a
whimsical sculpture garden. Pieces by Tom Otterness (a huge
bronze mouse, looking as if it has outgrown the subway), Niki de
Saint Phalle (a 10-foot ceramic and glass female figure) and Kyu
Seok Oh, a Brooklyn artist (a flock of sheep made from heavy
paper, above), were unveiled on Tuesday along with two other
sculptures, by Grimanesa Amoros and David Kennedy Cutler.
The works, presented by the Times Square Alliance, will r emain
on view through Monday. Four of the sculptures are installed
around Duffy Square at sites between 46 th Street and 47th
Street. T he sheep, which are presented in partnership with the
West Harlem Art Fund, will be grazing motionlessly for a week
between 45th Str eet and 46th Street near the Marriott Marquis
Hotel on Broadway. No need to feed them. RANDY KENNEDY

Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
THE NEW YORK TIMES, FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2011 CJO

VESS ELS OF CLAY,

CENT URIE S OLD, THAT
SPEA K TO MODERNIT Y
BY K E.i\ .1 0 1l ~ SO\'

Vessels of Clay, Centuries Old, That Speak to Modernity

More than most oc.her kinds of
an or craft. ccranuc "'Orics an
Sttm unbound by tune. A vase
might be: hundr!J of years old
and yet look as ~ f It were made
only decades ago.
KEN Th ll.1'11y bOOIUS<
The~ ~as organUed by
Soyoung l.tt,Dn ~cura
1ormthe Met'sAsianande-p.1.11-
ment, and Stung-c:hang Jt'Otl,
chief cum tor of lhe Lttum, Sam
sung Museum of Art, in Seoul.
from whkh most or 1he works
crt'Jte uniform surfDen rncm
Pottry ia (by bhng pottdain or by usmg wide
Mtrropohran Miutum ofArt brushes 10 produce wavy, striat
f'd Jlterns. These too h:wc a ff"
mnrknbly modernistic look th.'.lt
shO'o'' is n midl~1h<entury cwcr calls to mind cem1mcis1s' re-
with o momh shaped like Ddr.1.g sponse~ to Abstmct Exprc~lon

JOHNSON ~:~~~:~
-- thtwn)'J)3.int,ca.nvas.
Rt:~ :~~-~~sv:!:;:.
caust SOl1le' styles 1>mcticed in
the p:sst by forgontn IU1h.ans
embody fedmp of b\"t:lmcss and
unmecb3cy th.:u mock:m :utt5ts
love 10 tmul.ltt.
A beguiling CJ.Se in point is the
collce11on of OOnles, vnses, bowls
and dishes from the 15th and 161h
ttnlu~ln'"l>ot:tryinO-.y: Ker
rnn Buncheong Ct-nunics from
Lttum.Samsung ~IUSf!Umof
An,"' 3 beau11ful ttubition at t M
Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Poe1ry lnCJay: KOf'!On Buncht
ong Ctramo from Lttum. Som
sung Mll.St'Unl of Alf," continues
through Aug. 14 01 lht Mtlropol
tan Mwt'um of Ml, (112)5357110,
me1museum .org.
C3.J11C.
There Is nOlhlng ostent3tious
about bunchfong, \lohkh e\ol\'t'd
out of the previously popular
ccladon, astyle ch:uaaerized by
its diJllncli"'e jJde grttn glru:cs.
Bunchee>n.K cok>rs range from
ettant)' \loil.lte to warm shades or
black. The"' httltumed forms
are elegantly 11mplc but have a
comparmi\'tly co.1rsc, homespun
<1ualU)'. Some bottles have nnr-
row mouths with oullllmcd rims
nnd roundshouldcred. tapering
bocbes endlna In Oartd bases.
Others arc ptM Wptd. ~
are rbskWped boctJes in the
form ot s pheres O:mtned Imo
canteen formi. Dnim-shaped bot
ales are horizontal cylinders w11h
roundcdmds. nv.bmayopen
out or tum in to assume squal,
podlike profi~
Excess ornn~nt Is rare, but n
rcrMrkablc exceptioo in the
on's nod n K'fily trul for3 hnndlC".
Most!) buncheong has the son o(
unpretentious sculp1ural iupttt
that ct'r.unKS by and ror the ptO-
plc ha\'1! hnd since time 1mmcmo
rial
Th< be>ulyolbunch<ong. how
ever, lS less an us third dtmensaon
than 1n Its surfacf' dec-or:.tkln. lls
defining ltthnkal feature Is the
"PPlic:ulon of white slip -a coal
of viscous white cl"y- 10 1hc
grny b:i.sc clll)' of a vessel. Early
buncheonx c:rahsmen c.1ned or
lnased Images lnio lhe bast cL1y
and fillfd tM exc3\'JUOM \\1lh
slip to crt3te M"3mlessJy inQld
represc111"tions of flo\lo"'t'r'S, fish.
birds, trees and other ll31ural mo
tlf.s. lbty also used stamps 10 im
prtSS ftllf'-gmined r~lds ot dou
andtiny~s.
Works rt13de by 1his method
nre 1he 1nos1 rnfincd and the ear-
liest In the show. A 15th-century
bottle wilh n scrpen1inc, goulc
eyed dr:t.gon flying vtildly runong
the clouds inbld in v.1u1e *1th
bl.lck acttntJ on the \"eSSel"S buJ.
bous., gray Upper tuJ.f is ll JO)'OUS
1o1.tdd1ng of dftSSIQlly res1ralned.
30 form and infectiously nukt
lint.'.ll' draflsmaru.hip.
As txmcheoris; C\'ol\'ed, ~1 ~
c;tme not mOC"e but lt:ss polished
and~ vigorously cxpressm:.
Works of this son cspcc:1:llly rcs
on:uc wllh 1hc ?O th ccn1ury's dc-
ligh1 in spootnneity and dln.'Cl
ness. In m~ny cases Imagery and
A jar in laid , sta mped nnd ironJ>"inted wi1h fid1a nd pc1nls.
paucrn1 were mndc b y d mwlnn
with pointed lnstrumc111J into the
wet Jbp. An ei,gtllinchUlll Oask
Wpod bo<tl lrom th st<Ond
h3U ol the 15th ctntury tw a
comk::ll. lumpy dog on itS side
ch:u looks :t.sd11 wered mwn by
Picasso. On a shmbr boctle from
around the same time n ranoon
lsh, semlnbstmct L1ncbcal>t' re-
sembles a drn"Aing m.ide by Mir6
or Klee ma mood of ch ttrful de-
lirium. Mo~u of the show's \l.Orks
exude n happy and e'-en goofy
dispos111on.
1111.-.......-.. . . . . ~.'llOf"'1
M1o thcr Bpproa(h wn!C 10
brush gestural. black inugery d1
rtttly onto the dned slip.:\ cech
nique Glllt'd 1r0n-pam11ng. An
eye--popp1111exampk' is ;a
la1e- 151h or carlyl 6th-<cntury,
drumSh:\ped bou lc bennnga
burstmJ.;, loosely symm etrical
composi1lon or SJlhouettcd peony
blossoms. Matisse would h1we
bttn thrilled by this cho<t0grn
phy ot org;inic exubernnc,,
In bunchcong's la1er St:ljtes
some nn1sts ehminnted Imagery
by d1J>l)lng plccn Into 1he shp to
Ism In the 1950s and to Mlnlmillist
tendtncK"S m the 19605.
In :\dmlmbly lood Qtalog ei>
says the exhibitk>n'S curators
raJ.JC 1mrtgulng questions about
wh31 1hc bunchcong !lylc me.;uu
10 its creators and consumers..
\Vh:ll WM ll about the rustlC st) le
of late bune:htong 1h:11 soap-
puled 10 the aristocrats and
common people who Avidly ac
qulre<t It'I Did bunchcong crafts
men consciously cater to nostal
gia ror country life and umes past
the- wJy producers ot raux rut
liQUK p.Jn"t}'ed by llort:S hb
Pou cry Dam do today? Did they
fa\'ur a spont:ineou<, Sttming.ly
031\'C style as an "authentic..
counter 10 more ovcnl)' urb:me
C"Slhcck:s and hfC"Styk's of their
day?
Mi. Ltt details tt000m1C and
pohtlc.ol friccors 1hnt 111:-iy ha\c
cncoumgcd A turn to less labor
intensive modes or produCtion.
buc she~ she does not think
thtyHpbln ~'ff)'thmg.\idem
ly thtte wtte no cnt1cs 3l'OUl1d
b.1ck then to tluacbte lhe 1$.SUes.
But a stltction of buncheong re-
V1Val ware from the 19th, :?01h
and 21s t ttniurics by Korean and
Jo1>3nc.se 3MIStS intludcd m the
cxh1b\1lon sugxens thnt fantasies
of rur.:al lnnoctnce, nmumbsm
and unbrid~ expressionism are
likely 10 persist wherever and
whenever mctropolitrm anx1edes
flourish.

M
ore rha n mos r orher kinds of arr or cra fr, A begui ling case in point is the collection of bottles,
ceramic works ca n seem u nbou nd by rime. vases, bowls and dishes from the 15th a nd 16th centu-
A vase m ighr be hundreds of years old and ries in "Poetry in C lay: Korea n Buncheong Ceramics
yet look as if ir were m ade only decades ago. Thar is from Leeum, Sa msung Museum of A rt," a beautiful
pard y because glazed and fired clay does nor show irs ex hibirion ar rhe Metropolitan Museum of Arr.
age rhe way painr, canvas, wood and even stone do.
T he show was orga nized by Soyoung Lee, an associate
And it is partly because some styles pracriced in rhe
curator in t he Met's Asian art depa rtment, and Seung-
past by forgotte n a rrisa ns embody feelings of livel iness
cha ng Jeo n, chief curator of rhe Leeu m, Samsu ng
and immediacy rha r modern artisrs love ro emulate.
M useum of Arr, in Seou l, from which mosr of the
works ca me.
T
here is norhing osrentarious abour buncheong, scape resembles a drawing made by Miro or Klee in a
which evolved our of rhe previously popular mood of cheerful delirium. Mosr of rhe show's works
celadon, a sryle characrerized by irs disrincrive ex ude a happy and even goofy disposirion.
jade green glazes. Buncheong colors range from creamy
Another approach was ro brush gestural, black im-
whire ro wa rm shades of black. The wheel-ru rned
agery direcrly onro rhe dried sli p, a rechnique called
forms are elega ntly simple bur have a compararively
iron-painting. An eye-popping example is a lare-15rh-
coarse, homespun quali ry. Some borrles have narrow
or early-16th-cenrury, drum-shaped borrle bearing
mourhs wirh our-rurned rims and round-shouldered,
a bursring, loosely symmerrical composirion of sil-
capering bodies ending in fla red bases. Orhers are pear
houerred peony blossoms. Matisse would have been
shaped. There are flask-shaped borrles in rhe form of
rhrilled by this choreography of organic exuberance.
spheres flaccened into canteen forms. Drum-shaped
borrles are horizontal cylinders wirh rounded ends. In buncheong's larer stages some artists eliminated im-
Bowls may open out or rum in ro assume squar, pod- agery by dipping pieces inro rhe slip ro creare uniform
like profiles. surfaces resembling porcelain or by using wide brushes
ro produce wavy, striated parrerns. These roo have a re-
Excess orname nt is rare, but a remarkable exceprion
markably modernistic look char calls ro mind cera mi-
in rhe show is a mid-15rh-century ewer with a mouth
cisrs' responses ro Abstracr Expressionism in the 1950s
shaped li ke a dragon's and a scaly rail for a handle.
and ro Min imalisr rendencies in the 1960s.
Mosely buncheong has rhe sorr of unprerentious sculp-
rural aspect rhar ceramics by and for rhe people have In admirably lucid catalog essays rhe ex hibition's
had since rime immemorial. cu rarors ra ise intriguing questions abour whar rhe
buncheong sryle meant ro irs crearors and consumers.
T he beauty of buncheong, however, is less in irs rhird
W har was ir abour rhe rusric sryle of !are bu ncheong
dimension rhan in irs surface decorarion. Its defin ing
rhar so appealed ro rhe arisrocrars and common people
technica l fearure is the application of whire slip - a
who avidly acqu ired ir? Did bu ncheong crafrsmen con-
coat of viscous whire clay - ro the gray base clay of
sciously carer ro nostalgia for counr ry life and rimes
a vessel. Early buncheong crafrsmen carved or incised
past rhe way producers of faux antiques purveyed by
images into rhe base clay and filled the excavarions
scores like Porrery Barn do roday? Did rhey favo r a
wirh slip to create sea mlessly inlaid represenrarions
sponraneous, seemingly na'ive sryle as an "aurhentic"
of flowers, fish, birds, trees and other natural morifs.
counrer ro more overrly urbane esrherics and li fesryles
They also used stamps ro impress fine-grained fields of
of rheir day?
dors and tiny blossoms.
Ms. Lee derails economic and polirical facrors rhar
Works made by rhis merhod are rhe most refined and
may have encouraged a turn ro less labo r-inrensive
the earliest in the show. A 15th-cenrury botrle with
modes of production, bur she says she does nor chi nk
a serpentine, goggle-eyed dragon flying wild ly among
rhey explain everyrhing. Evidenrly rhere were no crit-
rhe clouds inlaid in wh ite with black accenrs on the
ics around back rhen ro elucidare rhe issues. Bur a se-
vessel's bulbous, gray upper half is a joyous wedding of
lecrion of buncheong revival wa re from rhe 19rh, 20rh
classically restrained, 3-D form and infectiously fluid
and 2 lsr centuries by Korean and Japanese anises in-
linear drafrsmanship.
cluded in rhe exhibirion suggesrs rhar fa ntasies of rural
As buncheong evolved, ir became not more bur less innocence, natu ralism and unbridled expressionism
polished and more vigorously expressive. Works of rhis are likely ro persisr wherever and whenever merropoli-
sort especially resonare wirh rhe 20rh cenrury's dclighr ran anxieries flouris h.
in sponraneiry and direcrness. In many cases imagery "Poet1y in Clay: Korean Bu11cheo11g Cemmics Jio111 Leeum,
and paccerns were made by drawing with poinred in- Sa111m11g Museum of Art," comi11ues through Aug. 14 flt rhe
srrumenrs into rhe wer slip. An eight-inch-rail flask- Merropolira11 Museum of Arr, (212)535-7710, 111et11111se11m
shaped bottle from rhe second half of rhe 15rh cenrury .01g.
has a comical, lumpy dog on irs side rh ar looks as if
ir were drawn by Picasso. On a similar borrlc from
around rhe sa me rime a carroonish, semiabsrracr land-

Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
THE NEW YORK TIMES, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011
A FINE LINE : STYLE OR
PHILOSOPHY?
BY KEN JOI INSON
F
or the hot, t ired and frazzled masses, the
Guggenheim Museum offers a n oasis of cool se-
renity this summe r. "Marking Infinity," a five-
decade retrospective of t he a rr of Lee Ufan, fi lls the
museum rotunda and two side galleries with about 90
works in a Zen-Minimalist, be-here-now vein.
Mr. Lee, 75, is an aesthetic distiller. H e boils rwo- a nd
three-dimension al arr down to formal and concept ua l
essences. Sculptures consist of ordinary, pumpkin-size
bou lders juxtaposed with sheers and slabs of dark,
glossy steel. Paintings made of wide brush strokes ex-
ecuted in gridded order o n raw canvas exempli fy ten-
sion between action a nd restraint.
A much published ph ilosopher as well as an artist who
divides his rime between Japan and Paris, Mr. Lee has
enjoyed considerable recogniti on in Europe and in the
Far East. Last year the Lee Ufan Museum, a build-
ing designed by Tadao Ando, opened on the isla nd of
Naoshi ma, Japan.
Bur Mr. Lee's reputation has nor extended to the United
Scares. This exhibit ion, h is fi rst in a North America n
museu m, gives a sense of why. His art is impeccably
elegant, bur in its always nea r-perfect composure, it
teeters between arr a nd d ecor.
His sculptures call to mind chose of Richard Serra,
bur shy away from t he brute physicality of Mr. Serra's
works; his paintings invite comparison to chose of
Robert Ryma n, bur a re less pragmatically inventive. In
its modernization of classical Asian gestures, his work
is more suavely stylish t ha n philosophically or spi ritu-
ally illuminat ing.
lr is interestin g to lea rn, rhen, from rhe well-wrirren
cata log essay by Alexa ndra Munroe, who orga nized
the show and is the Guggen hei m's curator of Asian art,
what a turbulent environment of a rr and politics Mr.
Lee ca me our of. H e was born in Japanese-occupied
C33
Korea in 1936. H e studied painting in Seoul a nd phi-
losophy in Japan, where he moved in 1956.
Steeped in rhe phenomenology of Merleau-Po nty a nd
H eidegger a nd in Ma rxist politics, he became an ac-
tive participant in t he countercultural upheavals of the
1960s. Ar the end of the decade he was co-founder of
an antirradirionalis r m ovement called Mono-ha, which
rough ly translates as "school of things."
Examples of Mr. Lee's Mono-ha works here have an
enigmatic, wry wit. A piece from 1969 called "Relatum"
(Mr. Lee has used this word in rhe titles of most of his
three-di mensional works) makes his concerns explicit.
A length of rubber ribbon marked in cenrime ters li ke
a rape measure is partly stretched and held down by
three stones. A stretchy ruler will give false measure-
ments, bur are nor all h um an-made measuri ng devices
similarly fa llible? Here was a parable fo r a rime when
authoritative represem arions of trut h seemed increas-
ingly unreliable to yout h ful rebels everywhere.
A work from 197 1 consist ing of seven found boulders,
each resti ng on a si mple square cushion on rhe floor,
fores hadows Mr. Lee's solution. The pillows add acer-
ta in anthropomorph ic humor, as if the stones were in-
ca rnations of the legendary Seven Sages of t he Bamboo
Grove, whose minds expanded beyond human limits
to embrace geological rime. Bur more important, rhe
seven rocks pro mpt meditation on our unmediaced ex-
perience of rhings in rime and space.
The problem is char in a museu m seccing it is nex t to
impossible to ex perience stones unclothed by culcural,
symbolic associations. We have seen too many rocks
used as landscape ornaments and read too many po-
ems about chem. Looki ng ac a "Relacum" from 2008,
in which a boulder is placed in from of an 80-inch-tall
steel place char leans against the wall, the juxtaposition
of natu re and culture is too fa mil iar, too formulaic, to
be revelatory.
 n paintings from rhe last fo ur decades, Mr. Lee has
I
ltt Ufao: Mirking Infinity, o rttrospn-tl\'t at thcGUJCl:tnhtirn Mu.M'um 1ha1u tht/1n 1North Arntrmm mu-
u1jm uh1bl11on/or Mr. l.tt, mrludn '"Nt/(1h<1m si.ltnctb'" (1005), ltfl, nnd '"Dioloj:ut"' (1007),
made the brush st roke h is primary device, often to
optically gripping and ly rica l effect. I n the '70s he A Fine Line: Style or Philosophy?
pursued two approaches, a lways using just one colo r For ttw hot. und and fnazzltd
m.i.un.1htGU&&tnhtun Mu-
per canvas - usually blue, red or black. ~m oHcn an oasis oi cool M:>-
rrmty thl' :summrr. '"Mo1kln~ In
llnuy." n lhe-decadc n.1rosii
t1''" of the 3fC ol Ltt
In one series he used a pai nt-loaded brush to make hor- KEN Utan. I.US th< mu
JOHNSON ==:::::~"
izonta l rows of squa rish marks one after a not her, each
Rt:~ :~~~~:,:i;;
paler tha n its predecesso r, as the pa int was used up. He httt-ono\Jl'\'nft.
Mr. Ltt. i5,.asan~1het1Cdu
t1lkr. He bods t~ and 1hrC'Ml1
thereby created gridded fields of sraccaro pattern in g. mcn!lion.i.I n.n down 10 lorm:\I Md
contcpturu t~ncrs. Sculptures
consist of ordinary. pumpkinll.te
botddtti Juxtaposed wnh 'httt.s
In orher paint ings he used wide brushes ro ma ke lo ng, wtd 5labs a( darl<_ pouy Mttl
Pa.lntmas ~ ol w>de brush
vertical stripes, da rk ar rhe rop a nd fading toward the ~rok~ uecutcd In griddtd or
ckron rawanv3.Sexemphfy ltn
borrom. T hey give rhe imp ressio n of srockade fe ncing '*" bft'ttn acuon and r~
s.anunL
A mLKh pubhshttd phdosophtr
obscured near rhe grou nd by low-lying fog. M cllasM :v11s1 whod1v1dcs
tus 11me bct wttn Japan nnd
Pam. Mr. Ll'e has tl\JO)'rd ton-
s.dcrnNe rm>gn11ion In Europe
In t he '80s M r. Lee loosened up his strokes a nd bega n Md In the Far East. LMl )'t:t.r lhe
l.t."t Ul:m t.luseum. abu1k!1ncde
Signed by Thebo Ando, opco:ntd on
ro produce a iry, monochrome compositions in a kind theisbndof N~JJpan.
But Mr. Ltt'J npuw.an tw
of Abstract Expressionist sryle d riven nor by emotional not Ulended to the Umtf'd
Suues. Tbas exhlbluon, his rim in
n North Amenc:sn muscum, IJ\"M
angst bur by delight in ex iste ntia l fl u x. T h is period a1Cnseolhy. l l1sart is1mJ>
tJbty ctqan1, but 1.n 1u aJways
cu lmi nates at rhe end of rhe decade in canvases dense- M>:U-perlea composure, II ttt-
cen bt1wttn an and dkor.
1lls sculptures c:ill to mind
ly covered by squ iggly gray marks rhat a rc a mong the 1hoseof Richard Serra. bu1 &hy
a--ay from the brute ph)'Sta.bty
exh ibition's most com pelli ng. of Mr.Sttra'S works; htS pa&nt
U\IS IR\'llt companson 10 lholit ol
Robert R,yman. but are~ Pro.&
1na1K3lly ln\tnll\'C. In its mod
From rhe mid-'90s on, M r. Lee pa red dow n his paint- emlt.aoon ot classtcal Asua.n ses-.
turts, his wori is more su.t\ ely
11yhsh 1ha.n pMosophu:nlly or
ings, arriv ing fou r yea rs ago at a pa rticul ar modula r i plntually lllum1naung.
form : a n oversize brush stroke shaped like a slice of "I tt U/o.n; Markin& lnJv11I)',"
NIU~ Stpt.13 GI tM C"6-
b read a nd fadi ng from black ro pale gray. H e uses rhis l."tnhf'lln Mwsnim.10111-"ifth ,.\\~
Aue. or &!Uh SZrtti; (211) -411.J.SOO.
aua;enhitlm.org
device to pu nctuate spa ringly large, otherwise bla n k,
off-whire ca nvases. H ere, as wirh rhe srone and sreel
works, preciousness tru mps phenomenology.
Bur somet h ing d ifferent a nd more exciting h appens
in a sire-specific work char e nds rhe show. In a n ap-
proximately squa re room, Mr. Lee pa inted one of h is
gray-black modu les d irectly on each of t h ree wal ls. A
surprising tension bet ween rhe ma reria liry of rhe paint
and an illusion of space a rises. The modu les become
like television screens or airpla ne wi ndows, affordi ng from Lme; 11 1977 work, ia an example of M r. Ltt'a m~king
lhe bru sh a1roke hia primAry dcvi<'e over 1he liut four dccndca.
views of indefinite, possibly in fin ire space beyo nd the
museum wa lls. It ma kes fo r a fine wedd ing of t he rea l
a nd the metaphysical.
"Lee Ufa n: Mflrking Infinity ," runs through S1p1. 28 flt rhe
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth A venue, flt 89th Street;
(212) 423-3500, guggenheim.org.
Copyright 2011 by The New York T1mes Co. Reprmted wtth permission.
AA\-.fC.t,l.111'\f_.,.~Q,u...u.HJ. . IUlC"Cl!I""
It 1s 1n1ernt.1ng to team, then.
lrom the well-wrmen coU.3.loa tt-
J.l)' by Ale:Dndm Munroe. ho
Of"K3niud 1he Wlow nnd ls the
Guiu;cnh cim'scumtorof Ashm
drl, v.hnt !\ t urbulent environ-
ment of an and pohoc:s Mr. Lee
ameoutol. Hev.asborn1nJap;t
nnC'-OCOJptfd Koru an 1936. llt"
stud1td painting in Seoul :md phi
~yinJap;in,Yt-hetthc'
nlO\'td 1n 1956.
Slttped Ul the phtnornenolo&)-
of Mtrleau-Ponty Md llt&dcger
and In Marxist poh1ia , he bc--
t3rne:in acuve par1lc1p.1nt In the
rountcrcullur.il uphe:wab of 1~
1960s. Al the md of the d('C)i~ IK"
was co-foundtt ol :an anutrad1
lt0ru)hst mmreme-nt c3Jled Mono-
ha. v. hkh rou&flly ll"3.nsb1cs 3S
xhool of 1hinp."
E.umplesdMr. Ltt"SM~
tu works here ha\"'f an tntgrnalte,
Ytr)''n.Apiecefrom 1969alltd
Rel:uum ( Mr. Lee has used 1llls
Works so composed
t hey teeter between
a rt a nd d ecor.
"' ord In the titles of mos-1 of his
lhrtt-dimcnsional works) ma.kn
his concerns ~IC'll. A length of
rubber ribbon mar\ed In ntl
mcu~rs hke o utpe measure Is
p.1rUy strelclled and held down
b)' three s1oncs. A stretchy rultt
Yt1.U 1we false meawnmtnu. but
an not :ill hum3JNn.ie n~r
mg dc!\'K.'H iumil.vly fallible?
l fere wasap;arablcfora11mc
hc:n ou1hori1am e rtprt'$t'ntn
uons of truth Sttmcd 1nc:rus1n1
ty unrebable 10 )'OUlhful ttbcb
cveryv.here.
A work from 1971tonslstlng of
st\en found boukkn,each rest
ma 00 :l f.implc lq\W't rush~ 00
I.be floor, foreshado'A'$ Mr. Ltt'J
soluoon. The pilloYt-s 3dci a ett
lrun Mlhropomorphic humor, a.s
1f the stones v.ne 1nQtn.11toos of
the ~Md.:uy Se\'tn 5:'1aH ot tht'
BambooCl"O\-e, .,.hose m1ndsu:
p:mded be)'Ond huiNn l1m1ts 10
embrace gcoogkal dme. Bui
more 11111>0rurn1, 1he Stl\'tll rocks
prompt mtd1tndon on our unme-
cha1ed upentncc ol thlnis In
time and i..pxe
TilC: rroblml ls that in a mu
seum~ 1lngu is next tolmposst
bk- to upcn~ Slants: un
dodlCd b)' cultural. S)1Tlbobc: ;u..
S00.3.lKlftS. We h.1\ e Sf't'R 100
many rocks used :u Landscl.pc or-
n:uncnis Md 1tad 100 many po-
ems about them. Looking :u a
Rt:L'\1um from 2008, ln whkha
boulder is~ an front of an S0-
1nch--taJI slct:I platr 1tw k'ans
agairw the W3ll, the }uxtaposi
tion ol na1ureand tuhurc is coo
fanuh.:ir, 100 fonnu.Jaic.10 be rn-e-
btory.
In p;un11np from the Last four
dee~. t-.lr. Ltt haJ made tM
bnish stroke his prlm."lt)' dcvlte,
often to O(llitally gnppmg o.nd
l)TICalerlta. In the "70s he pur
sued t"''O approaches. al"''l)'S us-
ing Just one C'Olor per can\'D.S -
usually blue, red or bladc..
lnone~rics heult'dai p:t.int
k>aded bl'\ISh to make horizontal
r'OW'Sol 5Qu.insb nwksoneafter
anolher, t'xh P3kT th;m llS J>l"td
tteSSOr. M the p.l.int was ust'd up.
lie thtrcby created griddtd fields
of staccato p.111unin,a.
lnocherp.'\inunp heustd
wide bnuhH t o nlAke long, vttt1
cal s1n1Jtt,cl.'\Tk at the loptmd
fading 1ownrd the bouom. TbC>'
&;l\"'t the lmpttUion ot stodc.1de
tmona ob5c:um:l near the
ground by io.4yu11 toe.
In the "80s Mr. Ltt ~up
hls strokes a.nd began to produce
a.in. monochrome compositions
I
in 3 kind of Abstract Expressk>n-
lSI s.i;yle dm-m noc by emodonat
angst but by dtlight In u1stent1ll1
flux. This period whnlmucs :tl
the tnd of 1hc dtc.-.de In tanvases
dcnsir:ty co\'ered b)' squiuly gr'3y
ma.rb l!ul art :uncwt& lhe atu'bi-
tion's mosc compc_lbna..
From lhcnud"90son.Mr. Ltt
pared det\'n has p.1.1n11ngs. a.rri\'
m,g fout )'t'US 310 ru a partM:"Ul.:t.r
modubrfonn: :mQ'\Tl"SQe brush
SU'Oll:e Jh.nped bke a sl~ of b1t3d
and fading lrom black to p.'lle
gray. lie utcS t his device 1o pu nc-
1uate sp.1rlngly large.otherwi~
btlnk.otf"'hilt'Clll\'.UU. llere.
115 Ytith the' 5t0nt' and $lttl works.
pttdousncss trumps phcnom
cnoloj;y.
But someching d1ffttt'nt and
mott uounc h3pptnt in :a sitc--
spearac: work that cncb the show.
In an approxunate:fy 1qu.ve
room, Mr. Lee p;un1cd one ol his
gm,ybl:1ck modules dfrcc1ly 011
each of three w!l]ls. A surprising
1enst0n bctttn 1he mattnahty
of the paint nnd M llluJJon of
space :m.ses. The modu~ be
COfnt' l1kt tl"lev1s1on w.rttns or
;urpb.ne Yt 1~ affording
news of tnderirut~. poua.bly lnf.-
rute spxe be)-ond the museum
wa.lls. It m4ktS fora hne tddsng
or the re:.I Md 1he mct.'lphys.ital.
THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2011 AR20

SQUE EZING ESSE NCE

FROM A STONE
BY TED LOOS

BRIDGEHAMPTO N, N.Y.

f a n artist is going to create a n installation fo r a

I
o n the East E nd of Long Island. He stud ied huge gray
majo r museum show using o nly a n industri al steel 1,400-po und bo ulders rhar had ro be moved by fo rk-
plate and a rock, the n rhe rock had better be just lift. H e bent down to gaze at brownish med iu m-size
righr. stones, tu rn ing them over to examine them as if they
were precious diamonds.
So ir was rhar Lee Ufa n was standing in a freezing rai n
early rhis spring, ca refull y culling sto nes in a large M r. Lee, a nd rhe half-dozen helpers a nd associates
field d ivided by a muddy driveway at a ga rden cenrer with hi m, had spent rhe previous day picki ng our these
rocks fro m a nearby q uarry, a nd were now ar work o n
m rhe second cur, with rhe goa l of find ing 52 rhar were fir
for t he G uggenheim Museum ex hibition "Lee Ufan:
M arking In finity," w hic h opened o n Friday, his 75 rh
bi rthday. Ir w ill be rhe fi rst large rerrospecrive of his
work in rhe U nited Stares.

T here was something of rhe shaman in rhe sp ry M r.

Lee as he tried to understand t he purpose of each rock.
When excited by a n id ea of how to use one, he would
srarr run n ing across rhe field ro give directions or share
his rhoughrs with a member of his ream.

fi(. "H e can see t h ings we can't see," said A lexandra

M unroe, rhe G uggenheim curator who organ ized rhe
Squeezing Essence
ex h ibition and who was spending several days w irh
From a Stone
him o n rhe hu nt. "When his anten nae go up, it's won-
derful to behold. A nd I've never seen this k ind of en-
ergy com ing off him."

Bur a "Chorus Li ne" moment was imminent; nor a ll

t he assembled stones were going to make it. One, a
taupe beauty with wh itish veins that, w hen slick with
rai n, had the q ua lity of m il k stirred into coffee, was
bothering Mr. Lee.

H e wa lked over to it and sta red at it. It had va rious

paper labels raped to it, p ri nted w ith irs vira l statistics
and rhe wo rk it was being co nsidered fo r: "Relarum,"
formerly "Siruation" (197 1), a series of three screeched
canvases on the floor, each copped by a si ngle stone.

M r. Lee, who was born in Korea and now lives in

Kamakura, Japa n, shook hi s head .
' ' The presence of chis rock is weak," he de-
clared in Japanese. (Two members of hi s
entou rage were rranslaring.) Someone be-
hind him yelled, " H e's changing stones!" A la rge X in
blue masking cape was applied to rhe rock.
"It's a funny th ing," M r. Lee said lacer rhar clay. "There
is no good or bad stone. It just depend s on where ir's
going to be placed. Bue I have a concepr in m ind, and
I know ir when I see ir. Ma king rhe sclecrio n of rhe
rock - chac is a rr."
"Marking lnfinicy" features Mr. Lee's paintings a nd
drawings roo, bur he is bes r known for rhe continu-
ing and freque ntly rock-filled series in wh ich every
work , li ke rhe series as a whole, is called "Relatum."
Twenty-seven pieces from rhe series a rc being shown
ac che Guggenheim, and mosr of rhose have been "re-
enacced," in M s. Munroe's word, w ith new macerials;
che orhers are exisring works on loan.
"The point of che work is to bring togerher nacure and
industrial society,'' Mr. Lee said as he continued to
move among the stones. He was referring to pieces like
"Relatum - silence b" (2008), in which a rock sics on
rhe floor in front of a sceel place lea ning against a wa ll.
"The viewer is to experience rhe cension berwee n the
rock and rhc steel place."
H e has made his mark by simpli fy ing and di stilling
hi s ideas, using as few elements as che conventions of
showing arr w ill a llow. The works require a commir-
ment of concem plarion; they do nor reach o uc and grab
rhe viewer rig hc away.
"Ar firsc chey looked casual and unintend ed and with-
o ut interest for me,'' said rh e sculptor Richard Serra,
who first encou ntered chem in the lace 1970s when he
a nd Mr. Lee shared a ga lle ry in Germany.
"They're passive," added Mr. Serra , who is famous for
his own mammo th steel consrruccions. " Bur I wa lked
by chem eve ry day for months, a nd over rime chey be-
came much more meaningful to me chan some works
chat intend so hard to elicit a response. You could think
rhese objects a lways ex isced togec her. They're ci meless
in rhac way."
Especially wirh re-enacted works Mr. Lee w ill some-
cimes change the posirioning of macerials fro m char
in previous shows, depending on rhe ex h ibirion space
and his mood - a n approach char Ms. M unroe called
"'1reranve.
. ,,
"The work is never complere, because chere is no per-
fection or complereness," Mr. Lee said. "Maybe ir's be-
cause I'm Asian . O ne day I' ll be happy w ich ic, and rhe
nexc day I'll want rhe museum to change ir."
As che name of rhe series suggests, ir's rhe interplay
of che elements char counts more chan deca ils of rh eir
size or posirioning. "Lee always says chac his works are
nor rhings in space buc rhin gs char acrivare space," Ms.
Munroe said.
Mr. Lee's " Relatu m" series bea rs rhe strong scamp of
rhe M in imalism a nd Conceptua lism movements of
rhe 1960s a nd '70s. A philosopher and che auchor of
17 books, he was a prime theorise of rhe Tokyo-based
Mono-ha (School of Things) movement of rhe same
era. H e said rhac the origi nal purpose of Mono-h a was
to "combine w har is made w ich whac is noc made,"
bringing togecher man-m ade m aceria ls and objeccs
with natura l ones, like che rocks, to animace rhe space
between them in a kind of performa nce.
M r. Lee's qu arryi ng and culling exped icions generally
last from cwo to five days if he's re-enacting "Rel arum"
works for a large exhibicion. H e a ims to captu re local
flavor wherever he is, even if the diffe rences among
che scones in question wouldn't be appreciable to rhe
untrained eye.
"The rocks in Tusca ny, France o r England are all dif-
fe rent and a reflection of rhac place," he said . "The
Hamptons is a greac area for rocks. Ic's my fourch time
comi ng here."
As the rain continued , Mr. Lee and his museum e ntou-
rage realized char rhey had ro return to che quarry for
o ne mo re stone. Once back in rhe rock pie, he scarred
scrambli ng up a pile of boulders.
"I g rew up in rhe countryside of southern Korea, a nd
there were a lor of slippery rocks along the riverbed,"
he said, explain ing his s urefooredness. "I have been
doin g this a long cime. Of course I have slipped a nd
fa llen, bur char is part of the process."
He pointed to a big g ray rock too big fo r him ro carry;
ir was pulled o ur by two qu arry employees. "When the
stones are too nacural looking, I'm averse to rhac," he
sa id. "They shou ld be nacural bur neutral."
This is che paradox of che rock quesc: Mr. Lee spends
a lot of time looki ng for rocks char don't really sca nd
o ur ac all.
"le can't be a singular rock," he said. " Jr has to be able
to be interchanged wich ocher rocks."
His scrict selectivicy did noc keep Mr. Lee from acer-
ra in anthropomorphic empachy as he went back to
finish cu lling. When rhe forklifr lowered o ne bo ulder
a nd cracked it in che process, a furrow passed over his
brow. "They have insulted che rock by cracking it," he
sa id , askin g chc workers to be more carefu l.
Perh aps even chc can rock char lose ics big break ea rly
on had porenrial fo r a future work. Mr. Lee said he was
considering sercin g ic aside: "I feel badly w hen a rock
is rejccced."
Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with perm1ss1on. ~
IN THE NEW YORK TIM ES
 WHERE W IT AND GENRE
FILMMAI( ING COLLIDE
In '111\. E llA L E

W here W it and Genre Filmmaking Collide

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Alo l he-'4111<11.iitntb~h a luxurio usly titled retrospec ti ve of a major
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and M u rderers: T he Fil ms of Bong Joon-ho" is.
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- Begin n ing Thursday n ig ht at the BAMcine matek

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in Brooklyn, this five-d ay series wi ll present the
entire o utput of Mr. Bong, a Korea n w riter-direc-
tor who is o ne of the most seriously entertaining
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film a rrisrs arou nd .
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 hese are Mr. Bong's rhemes as well, bur no
orher direcror of rhe c urrenr Korean fil m re-
naissance has ha nd led rhem wirh rhe same
sorr of finesse. From his firsr fearure, "Ba rking Dogs
Never Bice," in 2000, he has done jusrice ro rhe srory-
rell ing demand s of a va riery of genres - rhe para noid
rh riller, rhe police procedu ral, rhe sca ry-monsrer mov-
ie - wh ile wrapping rhem in h is bone-dry, perfectly
calibrared wir. For America n audiences ir's a n unusu-
ally friend ly combinario n.
"Monsrers a nd M urderers'' includes Mr. Bong's besr-
known fi lms, "Memories of Murder" a nd "The Hosr,"
bur irs highlighrs are a snea k preview of his mosr re-
cenr release, "Morher," wh ic h opens in New York on
M a rch 12, and rhe rare opporrun iry ro see "Barking
Dogs." T har fil m opens wirh rhe proclamarion, "No
a nimals were harmed in rhe making of rhis film." A
series of small, annoying dogs meer or are rhrearened
wich gruesome, if ficrional, end s, bur rhe real violence
is done ro human self-esreem .
The srory concerns a low-level academic who discovers
rhar bribery is rhe only way ro obrai n a professorship
and ar leasr parrly even rhe play ing field wirh his im-
perious, more ga infully employed wi fe. Addi ng ro his
rro ubles is rhe incessa nr yapping of a neighbor's dog
in rhe high-rise apa rrmenr block where nea rly all rhe
acrion rakes place. A sudden opporruniry ro dispose of
rh is per sers in morion a pirch-black comic plor in wh ich
a jan iror wirh a rasre for dog soup and a spacey book-
keeper wirh a hero complex also figure prominen rly.
T he humor in "Ba rkin g Dogs" is broader rha n rhar
of Mr. Bong's larer films - in one recurri ng mo rif
rhe wife hands her husband bags of nurs and orders
him ro crack rhem wirh a hammer for her d inner. T he
basic joke: If a Korean man allows ir, he'll be rreared
worse rhan a dog, and probably deserve ir. " Dogs" may
be m inor compa red wirh rhe eleganr "Memories of
Murder" and rhe h igh-ocra ne " Hosr," bur ir's funny
from srarr ro finish and showed rhar Mr. Bong's fil ms
would nor be characrerized by rhe m isogy ny rhar fi nds
such mulri fa rious ex pression in Korea n cinema.
mJ Copyright 2010 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with perm1ss1on.
lr also benefirs from rhe presence of rhe fearless come-
d ia n Bae Doo-na as rhe bookkeeper. Mr. Bong rend s
ro arrracr a high class of acror: M s. Bae reappears as the
aunr wit h a ralenr for a rchery in "The Host" (2006),
char rollick ing combination of creature featu re, SARS
parable, eco-d rama, agirprop a nd dysfunctio nal-fam i-
ly comedy; a nd Song Kang-ho, sta r of a good share of
the most prominenr South Korean movies of the last
12 years, brings his ha ngdog charisma ro both "The
Hosr" and "M emories of M urder."
"Murder" (2003) remains rhe besr combinat ion so far
of Mr. Bong's anarchic impulses a nd h is metic u lous
genre craftsmanship. Based on a stri ng of ki ll ings in
a South Korea n village in rhe lare 1980s, it srars Mr.
Song as a bumptious loca l cop who relies ent irely on
h is shaky instinc ts, a nd Kim Sang-kyu ng as a more
sophisricared derecrive who arrives from Seoul ro
rake over rhe case. "Bra iny geeks like you ca n go to
America," the homerown boy says, settin g up rhe faul t
li nes of old versus new a nd small rown versus big city
along wh ich the case will fracrure.
O rher rouchsrones appea r: a call for help goes un-
a nswered because a ll rhe exrra cops are off suppress-
ing a demonsrrarion; rhe breakrh rough in the case is
made by the on ly female officer in the srarion; semen
sa mples musr be ma iled to America for DNA a nalysis.
Beauriful ly composed a nd adroirly paced, rhe film is
suffused wirh a melancholy rhar Mr. Bong, in his sig-
narure rrick, somehow ma rries to low humor. When
rhe detectives connecr rhe killings ro a man seen lurk-
ing near a school ourhou se, rhey go ro invesrigare and
have to push rhrough a crowd in t he schoolyard. Only
rhe arrenrive viewer will nore, wirh sarisfacrion, rhe
reason: ir's rime for a gas-arrack d ri ll.
"Monsters and Murderers: The Films of Bong }oon-ho" rum
Thursday through Monda)' flt the BAM Rose Ci11emm, 30
Lafayette Avenue, at Ashland Plflce, Fort Greene, Brookf.yn,
(718) 636-4100; schedule: bnm.org. Mr. Bong wi/L nppenrfor
questions after the 7 p.m. screening of"J\1other" 011 Friday and
the 6:30 p.111. screening of "The Host" 011 Smurdfl)'
, Tl/E l\'EWYORK TIMES, FRID.Ill', ,\MRC/-112, 2010
FIERCE LOVE:
BETTER NOT MAKE
THIS MOM ANGRY
he last monster to run w ild through Bong
Joon-ho's imagination was an enormous crea-
ture fro m the watery deep. A differenr men-
ace scorms t hrough "M other," the fo urth feature from
this sensationa lly ta lented Somh Korea n filmmaker,
tho ugh she too seems to spring from unfatho mable
depths. Unlike the beast in "T he H ost" - a cata-
strophic byproduct of the A merica n mi li ta ry - the
monster in "Mother" doesn't come with much of a
backstory, which suggests t hat she is a primal force, in
other words, a natura l.
She is and she isn't as Mr. Bong revea ls th ro ugh a
kinked narrative and a monumenta l, ferocious perfor-
ma nce by Kim H ye-ja as the title cha racte r. W ritten
by Mr. Bong, shar in g credit w ith Park Eun-kyo,
"Mother" o pens as a love story that turns into a crime
story before fusing into something of a cri min al love
story. N othi ng is really certa in here, even the fi lm's
genre, a nd little is expla ined, even w hen the characters
fill in the bla nks. T hough richly a nd believably drawn,
Mr. Bong's cha racters are often opaque a nd mysteri-
ous, given to sudden rages, behaviora l blurts and h ic-
cups of weird hu mor. But it's this very mystery that
ca n make them feel terribly real.
None are truer, more disturbingly persuasive than
Mother, who li ves wich her 27-year-old so n, Do-joo n
(Won Bin), in cramped qua rters adjoining her t iny
apothecary. Beautifu l a nd strangely c hildl ike, D o-
joon doesn't seem right in cl1e head: he's forgetfu l,
seemingly naive, perhaps reta rded . (\'V' hen he cries to
re me mber so meth ing, he violently m assages borh sides
of his head in a n exercise th at Mother, wi tho ut appar-
ent iro ny, ca lls "t he tem ple of doom .") Bue ii he run s
CR
In ~I-\ '\011 LA DAJlC IS
a li ttle slow, Mother runs exceedingly fast, as you see
shortly a fter the mov ie o pens when , while play ing w ith
a dog o ne bright day, Do-joon puts himself in the path
of an o ncomin g BM W, which leaves hi m d azed if nor
particula rly mo re addled.
You watch the accident unfold alo ngs ide Mo ther, who
busily chops herbs w ith a big blade in her darkened
shop whi le casting worried gla nces at Do-joon as he
goofs off across t he street. From her va ntage point,
he looks as cenrered within the shop's front door as a
li ttle pri nce inside a fra med portrait. T he dim interio r
and bright exterior on ly accentuate his body - the
daylight functions as a kind of flood light - w h ich
puts into visual te rms the idea that he is the only thing
t hat Mother really sees. Mr. Bo ng may li ke narrative
detours, sto ries filled w ith more wrong turns than a
maze, bm he's a born fi lm ma ker w hose images - rhe
spilled water that foreshadows spilled blood - tell
more tha n you might initia lly g rasp.
H e's also a film ma ker who find s great, unsettling dark
co medy in violence, and once agai n the blood does run,
if somewhat less generously tha n in "The H ost" and
his often brilliant "M emo ries of Murd er." A lthoug h
Do-joon seems ro recover from his accident, the event
sets off a c hain of increasingly violent incidents t hat
culmin ate in the murder of a loca l schoolgirl, Ah-jung
(Moon H ee-ra), whose body is fo und slumped over a
roof wa ll in t he vi llage, positioned , one c ha rac ter says,
like " lau ndry." Do-joo n is summ arily a rrested fo r the
death after an incrim inatin g golf ba ll is fo und at the
scene. Mad w ith grief, Mother sets off to clea r him a nd
begins fu riously rooting around t he village in sea rch of
the killer.
 he hard-poundi ng heart of "Mother," Ms.
Kim is a wonderment. Perched on rhe kni fe
edge between tragedy a nd comedy, her deliv-
ery gives the na rra ti ve - which tend s to dri ft, some-
t imes begu ilingly, someti mes less so - much of its
momentum. A t times it feels as if M s. Kim is actu ally
w illing it, or perhaps M r. Bong, fo rward . Yer while
Mother ca n seem like a caricature of monstrous ma-
ternity ("You and I a re one," she insists to the jailed
Kim Hyc-ja pl;,.ys the combustible tit le role in .. Mother,.. 1hc
Do-joo n) the perfo rmance is eno rmously su btle, filled fourth feat ure f"ilrn by the South Koreon d irector Bong Joonho.
with shades of gray that emerge in ta ndem with the
unwinding investigation . T here are several cri mes in
Fierce Love: Better Not
"Mother," and while none can be justified , Mr. Bong Make This Mom Angry
works ha rd to make sure none a re easily condem ned . TI1c Inst monster 10 run wild
through Bong Joonho's imngl-
natlon wns nn enormous crca
1urc from t he wntcry dee1>. t\ dir-
"Mother" is a curious fi lm, a lternately dazzling a nd fcrcnt menace storms through
"'f\1<Mhcr," the fourth
frustrating. M r. Bong's virtues as a film maker, includ- MANOHLA feature from this
1 111
DARGIS ~~.~:~: ~~;_~~:
ing his snaking storytelling and refusal to overexplai n ~ tilmmaker,though
Review shc.rno seems 10
actions and behaviors, ca n here feel like evasions or spring from uofa1h
omablc depths. Unlike the beast
indulgences rather rha n fu lly thought-our choices. in "The I lost"' -n catns1roph ic
byproduct of the American mih
1ary - the monster in ..Mo1hcr'"
T here's a vagueness to rhe film ch ar doesn't feel or- doesn't come wich much or a
backstory, which suggests that
ga nic - as if, hav in g created a powerhouse centra l she is n 1>rimal force, in other
words, n nn.mrr\I.
cha racter, he didn't exacrly know what to do wi th her. She Is n.nd she Isn ' t n.s l\1r.
Bong reveals 1hroug h a kinked
narrative ;md a monumental.(~
T hat said, his visua l st yle a nd the way he mi xes eccen- rocious pcrformnncc by Kirn
Hycja as 1he title character.
t ric rypes wit h the more banal, like a chem ist prepar- Written by Mr. Bong. sharing
credit with Park Eunkyo,
ing a combustible fo rmula, are often sublime, as is Ms. "Moth cropensasnlovestory
that tu'l"ns into a crime story be
Kim's turn as the mother of a ll night ma rish mothers, I criminal
Core fusing into something of a
kwe story. Nothing is
really certain here, even che
a d read ful m anifestation of a love so consuming it all film's genre, and little is ex
pktinC'd, even when thechnrnc
ters fill In the bl:inks. TI1ouc.h
bur swallows rhe world. richly nnd believably drawn. Mr.
Bong's characters nre often
opaque and mysterious, given to
"Mother" is mred R (Under 17 requires t1ccompt111yi11g pm-ent sudden rages. bchavioral blurts
and hicc ups of weird humot. But
or adult guardit111}. Bloody violence, intirnations ofdepm vity. it's this very mys tery that can
mak e them feel terribly real.
None arc truer, mor e disturb-
ingly persuasive thnn Mother.
MOTHER who hvcs with het 21.year-old
son, Dojoon (Won Bin). in
cramped quancrs adjoining her
Opens Oil Fridt1y in New York t111d Los Angeles. tiny apothecary. Be:mtiful nnd
strangely childlike. Dojoon
doesn't seem right In the hend:
Directed by Bo Ilg Jooll-ho; written by Park Eu11-k)10 mid Mr. he's rorget ful, seem ingly naive,
perhaps retarded. (When he
Bong, bmed Oil a story by Mr. Bong; director ofphotogmphy, tnes 10 remember something. he
violently mass..,ges both sides of
Hong Kyrmg-pyo; edited by Moon St1e-kyou11g; music b)' Lee his hend in an exercise that
Mother, without opparen1 irony,
Byeong-woo; production clesig11e1~ Ryu Seong-hie; costumes calls "the temple of doom.") Out
if he runs nli11le slow, ~tother
by Choi Se-J1eoll; martial t1rts by Jung Doo-hong t1nd Heo runs exceedingly fast, as you sec
shonly nftcr the movie opens
when, while playing wi1h a dog
Myeong-ht1eng; produced by Mooll Yang-kwoll, Seo Woo-sik one bright day, Do-joon puts
him self in the path of an oncom
and Pmk Tt1e-joo11; relet1sed by Mt1gnolit1 Pictures. In Korean, ing DM \V, which leaves him
dazed if not pttrticularly more
with Ellglish subtitles. Runlling time: 2 hours 9 millutes. addled.
You wntch th e accident unfold
alongside Mother, who busily
WITH Kim Hye-jt1 (Motlm), Woll Bin {Yoon Do-joon), Jin chops herbs whh 11 big blade in
her darkened s hop while CMting
Goo Uin-tae), Yoon Jae-moon Ue-1111111),Jun Mi-sun (Mi-su n), womcd glances nt Oo-joon :u he
goofs off ncross the street From
Song St1e-bet111k {Sepaktt1kmw Detective} t1nd Moon Hee-ra her \'111ltage poi n1. he looks as
ccntercd within the shop's front
(Moon Ah-Jung). door ns a little prince inside a
framed por1ralt. l11c dim interior
and bright exterior only accen-
tuate hi s body-1hc daylight
funcuons as a kind of floodlight
- whic h puts inio visual terms
the ideu that he is the only thing
that Mother really sees. Mr.
Bor1g may like narrative de-
tours, stories filled wilh more
wrong turns thnn n maze, but
he's n born fihnmaker whose im-
ages - the spilled watrr thn.t
foreshadows spilled blood - tell
more than you might initially
grasp.
He's nlsoa filmmaker who
finds great. unsettling dark com-
edy in violence, nml once nt:ain
the blood does run, i f somcwhnt
Jess generously than in "The
Copyright 2010 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
~u~.s
Mothtr
Opens 011 F'ridny in New Yod: ond
l..o! Angeles.
Dlf"tt'd by Bona Joon..ho; wntttn by
P.lrlr; E11n-kyo and Mr. Bong.bufdon a
1.toryby Mr. Boog: d1tt<:torofphocogr.t1
phy, llong Kyungpyo: edited by Moon
Sae-t.youna: musk by Lttll)~""""OO :
JlfodlKUOn~, Ryu Sron.shlit: ~
1umt1 b) Cho.~>~: marual arts by
J ~l\ADoo-~Md lleoM yt"OOg~ :
produced by M oon YAngkWOfl ,~ Woo-
~kand Parkl'M'-joon;rd~.uc-dby M~
noba llfctwn. ln ~With En.&1uh
.....
subutln.. Running umr: 2 tQln t mtn
WITll : Kim 11)-c-p (MO!hcr). Woo Dm
(Yoon Do-)oon). JinGoo{Jm 1~). Yoon
Jae-moon (Je..mun),Jun Mtwn (~h
.un), SongS:w-b-iluk (~taknw Dt-
ltc tW~) and Moon lltt-rn (Moon Ah-
Ju~).
I l ost " and hi.soften brilliant
"'Memories of Murder." Al
though Do-joon seems 10 re
cover from his accidem.1hc
event sets off a chain of lncrcas
ingly violent Incidents that cul
minate in lhc murder or a local
schoolgirl, Ah jung (Moon lice
ra). whose body is found
slumped over n roof 1,1,'all in the
vii Inge. positioned, one charac-
ter says. like "laundry."' Do-joon
Is summarily arrested ror the
death after nn incrimlmlling golf
b.11! ls found nt the scene. l\fad
with grief, Mother sets off to
clear him and begins Curiously
roo1ing around the \'lllnge in
search of the killer.
T he hardpound ing hl'art or
"Mother,'" Ms. Kim ls a wonder-
ment. Petthed on the kmfo edge
between tr.tgedy and comedy,
her delivery gives the narr.ttivc
- which l ends todrth.some-
umes begmhngly, sometimes
less so - much of iis momen
tum. At times it feels ns if Ms.
Kim is nctually willing it, or per-
A son's a rrest for
murd er leads to a
parent's crusade.
Imps Mr. Bong, forward. Yet
while Mother can seem like a
caricature of monstrous mater
nity ("You nnd I arc one," she in
SIStS to thcj:Ulcd Do-joon) l he
performance Is enormously sub
tie, filled with shades of grny
that emerge In tandem With the
unwinding investigation. There
are several crimes in " M other,"
ornd wh ile none can be justified,
Mr, Bong v.-orks hard 10 make
sure none are easily condemned.
"Mo1hcr" ls a curious film, al
1c.rnately tlauling and frustrat
in1;. Mr. llongs \'inucs ns n film
mnkc r , lncludmg his s naking sto-
ry1elling and refusal toovcrcx-
plnin actions nml l>ehnvlors. c;in
here feel like evasions or indul
genccs rather than fully
thoug.ht--0u1 choices. There's a
vagueness 10 the film 1hn1
doesn't f~I organic- ns i f, hm
ing created n powerhouse cen
trnl charncter, he didn't exactly
know what to do with her. That
said , his visunl style and lhc way
he mixes eccentric types with
the more banal. like a chemist
preparing a combustible romm
In, arc often sublime, ns Is Ms.
Kim's turn as the mo1her of all
nlgh1marish mothers, a d readful
mnn i fostation of a love so con
suming it all but swallows the
world.
"Mother is rated R (Under 17
requires accom1xmyit1g parent or
adult guard{c111). Bfoody violenct,
inlimotiorts of depravity.
 THE NEWYORK TIMES, FR.IDAY,JUN!~ 25, 2010
FESTIVA L MOVES TO
FANCIE R BASE
BUT KEEPS ITS
GENRE-BENDING FARE
Juni: Rrc\Von pla)'S an o.go"1phobic "l'Oman livin.: in an ap.1.r1mc.nt in the South Korean film "'C:a.Jtawoyon the Moon ," one o( 45 offerings in this )"t'u 's New York "\sian Film Fcstiv.al.
Festival Moves to Fancier Base but Keeps Its Genre-Bending Fare
The Nt"' Yor k Asian Film Fes
U \'al has bttn waving the Ian-boy
nng proudly Since 2002. Ck>ssy
crime dr.unas and horror shows.
martial-ans spectaculars. ma
dune-gun-1,1,icklmg
MIKE =~;:=~'
HALE busten lha ~.. ~ .... born
- to shcn\; an the words ol
na.M Gr.ldyHendnx.ontot~
ftst1\ill's founders - ha'~
IC'd the -ay, as the series. ""hle:h
Sl:irtf'd\mhJUSI ll 1'1l0\1CSat the
An\hok>gy Film Arch1\'l"S. h.as
grown 10<15 films :a.nd TflO\-N 10
1hc uptown prccmcts of Uncoln
Ccnters Walter Reade Thc~ner.
ThJI h.1b1t of gorging on genre
fore con1inucs in this ytars fcstl-
val, lhc nimh, which offic:ially
openJ F"rid:ly nJgh1 'Ait h the llong
Kong marti.ilaru hit "Ip Milr1 2"
Md closesJuly81,1,11h the Kort:3J1
1wordpby ~ piece ebdcs
ot Blood." It hasdnvcn ucket
53lnCtheope-mngmght screen-
ing is said out) 3nd drawn :men-
tion. resulting m this )'C3f's part
ncrsh1p ~v."ttn Subway Ctnt-
11l3, the rour-mancooperatl\'C
1hat has run 1he restwaJ si nC't' tts
inception, and 1hc decidedly
m :unstream Film Society of Lin
coin Center. But 1hc C\''Cnt has al
The New York Asia11 Film Fe.slt\'OI
run~/rorn Fnday lhrough July8
w11h Krttnin.gs al tht \\'altrr
Reade Thtattr. 165 Wur 65th
Sirttt. Lincoln Cenler. (211) 875
5601, and 1he Japan Sot1e1y. m
Eo.sl <fiUt Strttt. Marthouon.
(211) 115-IZSB; and midnight
'~'S cc lhr IFC Ctnrtr. 323 A\'f
nue of the Al'IWlCO.S, 0 1 nu.ref
Suw1, Crttn~ich \fil!agfo.
(111) 9U-i771. ln/onnali4n:
.su!m'U)'C:lnt'ma.rom.
wayt made room for m3n)' other
kinds or fllms.. mcludmg t he art
hou!t' r:xem.scs its org.inlzers
claim to abhor. Movit's hke
"Kung t-u Chefs" and "Muumt
Girls Squad'"' will find tllttrown
aud1enCH: pttStntcd here tS 3
s.amphn.g of some other Side.: of
the f~l1\1ll'5 schedule.
A film v.1lh a foot in both lM
1enrt and an-house camps m
Tctsuya N~1mas eonres-
J.10ns.; Whd\, U1 3 nK'f!: plttt' of
lmung. has bten the No. I box-of
flee hit in Jap.1n for three "ttk..ot
nmnmg;,hold1ngolf "Iron Ma.n 2""
and ""Sex and Lhe OLy 2.." B:u.ed
onn novclb) Knn..1c Mmatoa.nd
being shown lor 1he first ume
ou1sl dc Jnpa.n.11's :m elaborate
re\'cngc fonUlsy whh 11 1"1s1: the
1'
pro1agoni<t an ndul1who ex
xts \ cngeance. In a chnka.I and
psyc~e:i.Jly S3dl5t1c 1i1;' il)'. on 11
~irorcMdren.
The br1gtu pa)eue and amped
up, mUSJC\1dto scyle ?\lr.
Naluutuma exhibited 1n "Mrmo-
nesof Matsuko" ("mncr oflhe
audience award 1111he 2007 festt
\'31) att both 1oncd down in Con
fesslons." "hteh 1sshot mdark
blurs andgrnysnnd mO\-cs ""h
a grim <uuchncss. One rtturnng
mo11r as school n11lk can ems flying
1hrou gh th e :ur m slow motion.
T he thematic tcrrhory of nlhlhs
11c Jnpanese l~no~crs and 1heir
frnntic,cnrttr~ parents
1s nwfully rnmlhar - N:usuo Kiri
no's nO\el "Real World" 15:. close
analogue- but Mr. Nak.'\Shun~
gh>H n nn opernuc 1n1cns1ty. es-
pecially in 1ht film's first half
hour, otn 11wtnl 1\ e :lnd ttne J'IK"CC
ol$111j;CSCtLing.
("Confess.ions" 1s one of t'lght
f1hn' bcmg prt'SCntcd m con1unc
uon wnh Japan Cuts: Fesuval ot
New J.1panese Film. Some of
1hosc "111 be' Krct'ncd at both 1ht
Ja1>an Society nnd 1he Waller
Heade; "'Conlrssk>n'" "' ill bc
11oho"' n only at lhe Jnp.in Soclet)',
v. here II OfK'1\S J,tpa.n Cuts on
ThursdJ) m&ht.)
~h"--a N1(h1t:.-..~s " Orar Doc
tor: a J)'lS.toral ~about a \d
lage doctor"' ho nuy not be '-A"hat
he 'ttfN, ls ma r"bcnJJy differ
entst)~. UkeMr. N3kaslunu's
l1l0\'lt', hm4C"\cr, n pJ.nnkcs m the
cn1tque of 50Ul1Hs modernny
thnt 11 1mphnt In so many Jap.i
ncse films. The commenuuy on
A acene from 1he J apanese
film ""ConfHJions," dirttlI
by Tc1suy:1 Nnknah ima.
chnn1.u~ nnd 1rnd111on 1~doublc-
l'<lgcd: 1hc \'111.:qce l oses somc-
1hlng btt<1uJe o f lls docrnr's less-
1h:m-s1crhnn qunhfkmions. bul 11
ruso ~;alns M>tncthlnit f rom Ins
old fnshloncd personal 1ouch and
tus....,11lm(tntt~ toh!lil cn. In some
c:ases 1he idea of {1 doc1or is mort
~mporuun 10 hlJ pa1Jc111s peace
or mmd 1h:in tht' reaht}'. but not
in C\ cry c=uc. :md that dichotomy
SJ>UD M!. N1~h1knw;t"(. lc)\\~kry
1hrdlc:rplo4
Nos1nlg1;t, 01 suh)ttt of wnlt'
deb.lie In "IXar Doc:tor," 1s un
nb.uh('dly the rul111~ l'mocion 111
"EchOC'S of the Rrunbow," nnothtt
Hong Konx 1111. Atcx 1...1w'I
swttpmg famil)' melodram.1
about 1hc t woson'OC a poor lhoe-
m:il<cr grCN1n1upm1he 1900, 1s
set to 1ready pop M>n&J. m both
C.1ntontw and EniJn.h (tht' Mon
ktt5' 1 \\'ann.a Be Frtt," Gordon
UghtJoof1 Pu~)..,,.tlkr<-.t. Cat
lalls"). II fttls h~e a mu-"C.Jl shot
on a 1-1a.n1 ~tkht'-'e c\"t'n
though It~ I drant:a \hr>t Of'I M llC
1ual 11onx Konx tnrttt Simon
\':un. "'ho~htlpeddd1ne1he
role of the qu~ but ~unmenn&
gnng\ter, her~ pl3)" 1hc dCN n
1roddr11 l31hcr~ hb rAn~ may be
31am1ed IO litt h1' und)'f'd gr:t)'
hair.
Th.king t lonjt Kon" nosiulx1.1 h1
a hgl11cr duttt1011 t "Cinll,1111!C,"'
whkh 1Jn kunit fu him bu1 \lollhn
mmtmum of kunx ru. In comedy
rrom C1emrnt ChcnR nnd Dutk
KVio"Ok 111 cast of onttnne nl.1n1al
a.r1s ..1:ui..1nchtdmx Bruce
Leung, Chm Kuan 1.ru J.nd Thddy
Robtn. pby0ntt1tn(' mar1Ul.1ns
heroes now '11.KKtunx 10\\ :an.IM"-
mhty m a nn>-dov. n 1eahou!lol".
Challrnir:cd by the u~uuu v. ho
want to take O\"Cr 1he propt'M)'
for n'<le\elopmem, they leap 10
1helr le-et In lhc 1mc1111on;al 'H)'le
10 procl:um 1he1r 1den1 111~: "I :lrn
the dll)'5hllt doommnl" Ml 11111
1hc delivery pt:n.ou of curry 1n .u
llurry'I"
Chinn supphC\ ;a rousi,hcr Sl)lc
or comedy tn Cnly Rnter," A
"1ldlyco11111hca1t~ f.lrt(' l1fmt"(t
111 thcCM"il:ll clly of X1:u11e11 that
~gms nnd ends" 11h b.cyclt' pur
suns. Many ol 1he i'"il'lers,
drug dealen,., fr.iuds ru\J che:tts
"ho popul;ate the film t'nd up
dead. bul m e'cry ca<..e ucctdt'n-
IJ.lly : froten 111 a rt'fniera1or
u vck, l mp."tlf'd In a hlgh<J>ttd
SCOOlt-reh;a~ Ye1 ll1\01her,;irtt.
ONLINt: Sl lOt SHOW
)t ~~d~~:~~~~::'t:::J In
Fntn'O/;
t)of ChU\C'Secomtdy IJ on dis-
play In ~Sophte's RC"\'C11R;e." an al
mou pttfttt knoc:koff of a so-so
Atnt'f'1Caflrmunliccorncdy
(crossed v.:11h AmflJe") s1runnx
7..1y1 Zhang In lh~Jtnmrt."f' ARIY
1on.JcnmfC"r G:mlc-rRcnrt' Zell
v.:eqerrole.
A South Kore.1n take on some:
or
or the l'5Ucs nhenntlon and
ktentil)' m1scd by confessions"
and Dear Doctor c:m be scen 111
Lee 11.ic-Jtm's "Ca"l..'lW;t)' on lht
Moon," whose Kattan 1\tle trnns-
btcs htcrnlly .n "Kim~ Jibnct.
Respond mg 10 1hc hum~h;, 1tons of
dt'bt and bfm&dumpcdby h1i
1t1rlfnend. a Seoul offtet' v.orktr
trlt'5 10 kill hmudf by jumpmg
mto the I I an R1\'C'r,onl)' 10 v.-<1\h
3'hon! on adl'SCMed l"ibm.I m l ht
middle of 1ttcc11y (an nrtu.ll
pl.:.ce. nuun121Md Mn n:uurc
J)reSCf\"C), whtre ht' Ul._t~ up rtt
1dcntt. Th" urban caD:twny
magically IOCS unoouccd CXCt'Jll
by an n.goraphOOk ""'moan in rtn
npaMmcnt butktinn on 1hc i-hore.
who beg.111' conununlcmlnK \\ 1th
him vfa nu.~ssages In IJottlcs.
Tu'OOf t hc more .1d~e111uro11'i
hhm 111 the ft'Stivnl are dece1>-
1ively sm1ple eSS.'l.r.JO!l t he na
lure of movie m.ig.k. E J yoni:s
"AClrt"SSC"S" b m lhc t1rro ttenrc
or the mock documen1.1ry, bu1ll's
enh\ened by 1ht 11x SOu1h Korc-
on women v.hopl;iy l hem5('1\CS,
<1,;t1p~ly 1a1ticrro on Chns1-
mM E,e for a \'09.uc ma_.:azlne
pho10 shooC ~y brmx ch.lrm
and humor rn the hurly pn:'<hCI
Co
BY ~ II KE llJ\ LE
ob!e stennno (air klSSM, cn1
fights, obsessing nbout nge and
weight) 3.fld surprising fr:ink
ness, C!Pially Ko llyun-jung,
storol"Wom3non t he BeOlCh,"
"ho ponrays herself - h~Lvloui
ly - as h.ird-dnnk1n.g. uuecurr
:and mb1dly corn~1 tn-e.
An tnurdy dtlfc:rent ~mc:nt
ol 1M film 1ndamry 11 the subtcct
ot 1ht J.1pa.ne$C' director Tc:tsuat.1
Ma1sue's "Annronc Yum1ka"
(" lfelk> Yunuka'"' in l\ottan),nn
xtual docu~tary thal tune
uons as n mash note 10 U\t' porn
star Yum1ka l la)-ash1, v. ho died m
200S Ustns:: an obscure Korean
J ApAntse sofl<nre film called
~Junko: The Tokyo lfouse"' 1fc"
I\.\ hi\ srnning pomt (and lnchl(I
Ing a number of scenes from 11.
none or 1htm p.-..nlcuLul)' ex
pbc11). t.lr. ,.1:ttsut trncksd<1"n
mm who wor ked with , expk>ltcd
otnd k>\'f'd Ms.. H.l)~hl, and t\'en
tra,tJs to South Korra 1o find the
dtr1orof Junko. In a ruul
coup he pcn:tmdcs 1ht director
.3nd t he film's male StBtS to film :t
1eenc th at was dropped from the
orlginalrllO\'te-.
"Ann)"Oflg Yum1k;i,"' m ndt Inn
d1~1i nclly Jap;111He mode or
)Okey l'nrncsrncss, ls n lark of n
film wilh n serious. nnd movlns;,
undercurr eiu,one 1hn1 btt~ldJ l\J
Mr. Mat.sue sing~ 1nlndcdly bur
rows l1l to M s.. l l t'lyashl'shfc. I t's
ahou1 l\Ore:l.fl pcrttpc.ion.s or Jop
ancsc wortl('n a.nd :\bout the pncto
of being a fr~ i;1>int In Japanese
society. :u the S301t t1mt t hat 11
celebr.ncs a profoundly J;tpmlt'St
idea lht' npphng drttts, t hrouAh
many h\'t"S, or something ai
<'phemeraJ, and e\en pcrhnps
ugly, as "Junlm : The Tbk)'O
llomcw1fc."
 he New York Asian Film Festival has been Mr. N akashima gives it an operat ic intensity, especia l-
waving the fan-boy flag proudly since 20 02 . ly in the film's first hal f-hour, a n inventive a nd eerie
Glossy crime dramas and horror shows, mar- piece of stage setting.
tial-arts spectaculars, machine-gun-wieldin g school-
("Confessions" is one of eight films being presented in
girls - "the kind of crazed , populist blockbusters
conju nction with Japa n C urs: Festival o f New Japanese
that we were born to show," in rhe wo rds of G rady
Film. Some of those will be screened at bot h t he Japa n
H endrix, one of the fes tival's founders - have led
Society and t he Walter Reade; "Con fessions" w il l be
the way, as the series, which sta rted with just 11 mov-
show n only at the Japa n Society, where it opens Japan
ies at the Anthology Fil m Archives, has grow n to 45
C uts on Thursday ni ght.)
films and m oved to the uptow n precincts of Lincoln
Center's Walter Reade Theater. Miwa N ishikawa's " Dea r D octor," a pastoral ta le about
a vill age docror who m ay not be what he seems, is in a
T hat habit of gorging on gen re fare continues in this
radically d ifferent style. Like M r. Nakash ima's movie,
year's fes tiva l, the ninth, whic h officia lly opens Friday
however, it pa rtakes in the crit iq ue of soulless moder-
night w ith the H ong Kong martia l-a rts hi t "Ip Ma n
nity char is implicit in so ma ny Japanese films. T he
2" and closes July 8 with the Korea n swordplay pe-
commenta ry on change and tradition is double-edged:
riod piece "Blades of Blood." lr has driven ticket sales
the village loses something because of its doctor's less-
(the opening night screening is sold our) and drawn
th an-sterling qu alifications, bur it a lso ga ins som e-
attention, resulting in t his year's pa rtnership between
thing from his old-fas hioned persona l touch a nd h is
Subway C inema, the four-man cooperative rh ar has
w illingness ro listen. I n some cases the idea of a docto r
run rhe fes tival since its inception, a nd rhe decidedly
is more important ro h is patie nts' peace of m ind than
mainstream Film Socie ty of Lincoln Center. Bur rhe
the reality, bur not in every case, and that dichotomy
event has always made room fo r ma ny other kinds of
spurs Ms. N ish ikawa's low-key thri ller plot.
films, including the a rr-house exercises its orga niz-
ers cla im to abhor. M ovies like "Kun g Fu C hefs" a nd Nostalgia, a subject of some debate in "Dear Doctor,"
"Mutant G irls Squad" will find their ow n audiences; is unabashed ly the ruling emotion in "Echoes of che
presented here is a sa mpling of some other sides of rhe Rainbow," another H o ng Kong h it. Alex Law's sweep-
festival 's schedule. ing fam ily melod ra ma about the two sons of a poor
shoemaker growing up in the 1960s is set to treacly pop
A film w ith a foo t in both the genre a nd art-house
songs, in both Ca ntonese and E nglish (the Monkees'
camps in Tetsuya Na kashima's "Confessions," which,
"I Wa nn a Be Free," Gordon Li ghtfoot's " Pussywillows,
in a nice piece of timing, has been the No. 1 box-office
Cat-ta ils"). It feels li ke a m usical shot on a gia nt sou nd -
hit in Japan for three weeks runn ing, hold ing off "Iron
srage, even though its a d ra ma shot on an actua l Hona0
M an 2" a nd "Sex and the C ity 2 ." Based on a novel
Kong street. Simon Yam, who has helped define rhe
by Kanae M inato a nd being shown for the first time
role of the quiet but simmeri ng gangster, here plays
outside Japa n, it's a n elaborate revenge fa ntasy with
the downtrodden fa t her; his fans may be a la rmed to
a rwist: rhe protagonist is a n adult who exacts ven-
see his undyed gray ha ir.
geance, in a clinical and psychologically sadistic way,
on a pair of child ren . Taking H ong Kong nostalgia in a lighter direction is
"Ga llants," which is a kung fu fil m but with a m ini-
The bright pa lette and amped-up, music-video style
mum of kung fu. In comedy fro m C lement C hena 0
a nd
Mr. Na kashima exhibited in "M emories of Marsu ko"
Derek Kwok a cast of onerime martia l-ans srars, includ-
(winner of the audience award at t he 2007 festival) a re
ing Bruce Leu ng, C hen Kua n-ta i and Teddy Robin,
both roned down in "Con fessions," which is shot in
play onetime martia l-arts heroes now slouch ina0 towa rd
dark blues and grays and moves wit h a grim stateli-
senility in a run-down tea house. Challenged by t he up-
ness. One recurri ng moti f is school mil k ca n ons fly ing
starts who wa nt to rake over the property fo r redevelop-
th rough the a ir in slow motion. The thematic terri-
ment, they leap to t heir feet in the traditional style to
rory of nihilistic Japanese teenagers and their fra ntic,
proclaim their identities: "I a m the day shi ft doorma n!"
career-obsessed pa rents is awfu lly fa mili ar - Narsuo
"I a m the del ivery person of 'Curry in a Hurry'!"
Kirino's novel "Real World" is a close analoaue 0
- bur
 hina supplies a rougher style of comedy in
"C razy Racer," a wildly co mplicated fa rce
filmed in the coasta l city of X ia men chat be-
gins and ends wit h bicycle pursu its. Many of the ga ng-
sters, d rug dea lers, fra uds and c heats who popu late the
film e nd up dead, but in every case accidentally: frozen
in a refrigerator truck, im paled in a high-speed scooter
chase. Yee a nor her va riety of C hinese comedy is on di s-
play in "Sophie's Revenge," a n a lmost perfect knockoff
of a so-so America n romantic co medy (crossed with
"A melie") scarring Z iyi Z han g in the Jenni fer Aniston-
Jen ni fe r Garner-Renee Zellwegger role.
A South Korean rake on some of rhe issues of alien-
ation and identity ra ised by "Confessions" a nd " Dear
Doctor" can be seen in Lee Hae-jun's "Castaway on
t he Moon," whose Korean title tra nslates lite ra lly as
"Kim's Isla nd." Respondin g to t he humiliations of
debt a nd being dumped by his girlfriend , a Seoul of-
fice worker tries to kil l himself by jumping into t he
Han River, on ly to wash ashore on a deserted island in
the middle of t he city (a n actual place, m aintai ned as
a nature preserve), where he rakes up residence. This
urban castaway magica lly goes unnoticed except by an
ago raphobic woman in a n apa rt ment bui ld ing on the
shore, who begins communica ting with him via mes-
sages in bottles.
down men w ho worked with, exploited a nd loved Ms.
H ayashi, a nd even travels to South Korea to find the
di rector of "Junko." I n a fina l coup he persuades the
director a nd rhe film's male stars to film a scene char
was dropped from rhe origi na l movie.
"Annyong Yumika," made in a d istinctly Ja panese
mode of jokey ea rnestness, is a la rk of a film w it h a seri-
ous, a nd moving, u ndercurrent, one char builds as M r.
Macsue single-mindedly burrows into Ms. Hayash i's
life. lr's abour Korean perceptions of Japanese women
and about the price of being a free spirit in Japanese
society, at the same rime char it celebrates a profoundly
Japanese idea: the rippling effects, through ma ny lives,
of something as ephemeral, and even perhaps ugly, as
"Jun ko: The Tokyo Housewife."
The New York Asian Film Festival rum from Frida)' through
}11618 with screenings at the Walter Reade Theater, 165 West
65th Street, Lincoln Cente1; (212) 875-5601, and the Japan
Society, 333 East 47th Street, Manhattan, (212) 715-1258;
and midnight shows at the !FC Center, 323 Avenue of the
Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Village, (212) 924-
7771. information: subwaycinema.com.

Two of the more adventurous fil ms in the festiva l a re

d eceptively sim ple essays on the nature of movie mag-
ic. E J-yong's "Actresses" is in the tired genre of t he
mock documentary, bur it's en live ned by rhe six South
Korean women who play themselves, supposedly gath-
ered on C h ristmas Eve fo r a Vogue magaz ine photo
shoot. They bring cha rm a nd humor to the fa irly pre-
dictable scenario (ai r kisses, carfighrs, obsessing about
age and weight) and surprisin g fra nkn ess, especia lly
Ko H yun-jung, sca r of "\Xfoma n on the Beach," who
portrays herself- hilariously - as ha rd-drin k ing, in-
secure a nd rabidly competitive.

An entirely di ffe rem segmem of the film industry is

t he subject of the Japa nese director Tersua ki Marsue's
"Annyong Yumika" (" H ello Yumi ka" in Korea n), an
actual doc umenta ry th at functions as a mash note
to rhe porn scar Yumi ka H ayashi, who died in 2005.
Using an obscure Korea n-Japa nese soft-core film
called "Jun ko: T he Tokyo Housewife" as his start-
ing point (and includi ng a number of scenes fro m it,
none of chem particula rly ex plicit), Mr. Macsue tracks

Copyright 2010 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
I
I
I
THENEWYORKTIMES.. SW'lfD.;Jl',
-
FEBRUARY6,2011
A FINE BALANCE:
THE QUIET LIFE
OF A STAR ACTRESS
BY FHJ\NZ LI DZ
A Fine Balance:
The Quiet Life
Of a Star Actress
l~~~
_.... ___ ........
,..,
l!!~
._'. "-==
:~..;:,
~~15
Fine Balance for an Actress,
Maintaining the Quiet Life
From""""'JJ
i:my Awnrds - (or the 1h1rd lime.
Ms. Yun 1.s onc o( t\orcas
most 1rt:asurtd, dccomltd and
br-lo\"<"d llCl~.- srud Ted Kim,
a Los Angeles-bastd u:ecuth>e n1
one of Korea's biggest cmcnmn
mflll comp.ln1a '"'ltkc M1d\3tl
Jord;us she st~ away from
the game in htt absolute prime."'
Though Ms. Yun had bttn con
sldettd the frontrunner for best
ac1r6S at bst )car's C.inn~
Film Fcsm'ill. the hooor -.-;ent 10
the kM:31 l:l\'Ontc Juhcuc Binoche
for her role In A~ Kfarosta
mi's eemned Copy."
"Gre.:11 reviews nre bcllrr tli.i.n
pnzes." Mr. l>.lik said. perh.1ps
spea.kmg from his own c.xpcri
ences. '" II would be ."l\\. ful to get
pnxes and 1cmble revtews."
Ms. Yun has bttn eaminft nc
rolades sinre her film debut. in
1967, a1 2J. Born Imo modest af
fluentt In Gwanruu. she n.p-
pc3r('(I in school m usicals and
idolized Audrey Hepburn bul M
p1red 10 be :t d iplomat. She w."ls
m;ijonng in his1ory at n. college in
Seoul \\hen, on n whun, she nu
d111oned for "'Chcongchun Gcuk
jnng,"' ("Sorro,\1111 Youun. n film
adaprauon of a popular novel
about l\orean rcsi!ilance hghl crs
during 1hc Jn1)311ese occup:ulon.
Sh(' h ad read the book :'Ind
strongly 1dc nt1ficd with one of the
d1amc1crs. an exch;mgc s1ml<.nt
m Tokyo who falls 111 love. "'I felt
as if I could enter h er perwnahty
thn.-ctly," n"Called M<t. Yun, who
won the part over 1.200 o ther
hopeful!..
While the fl1111 was a Sl'ns:ttion,
she WilS somcthln" else again.
(Al 1h<1 1 111ne In J\Ort"an dnl'nl<t
womt>n were mostly lumtcd co
roles as housewives or femme fa
tales.) Scremnlng tccn:\gc girl s
mobbed her. T\.'Cnagc boys
scra..,. led fan lcuers in bk>od. 1
couldn't lea''t my house," Ms.
Yun said.
Not 1ha1 sht" spent much ume
o.t home. Ourinjf. the '60s ruld 70s
Ms. Yun worked on as m.'lny as 50
rums" }"tar. somet 1m~ thrtt in 3
single day.
A mckldmma in the morning.
J histonc:al drama in the :tfll'r
noon. n c:onltdy nt m&hl," Mr.
Paik said. Al one pomt f1\'t' of Ms.
'fun's films played m th<':uers w
mult.mt"OUsly.
FILM
_ . .--..--
_,.,,. ...... ....,_---
_____ ,_
... ---
.........
E~~.:;;; ;F~~~~d
------ ~- ..... -..-io. ..-
' ll1e filmnmk cr Lee C hani:
don g im id he w rote "l'oc1ry"
will1 Yun .Jung heo in mind.
She cssnycd s1rie'I, 1cnchcrs,
inxl drwers, n1Rl11cluh si ngers,
sham:11t.S :llld k1.S.'\CllJt~. th e J\orc-
:in t.quiv:ilcnt ot gt.1.sh:u. '"Vil
IJ.Jns. not very much," :she s:1ld.
ouce I w.u a k n o;uu who low:d
While grate ful for
her popularity, Yim
Jung-hec wanted a
m easure of freedom.
a man already married." There
~ the $hghcest or p:msc.s. "No.
m.ike lh..11 SC\'Cl"aJ llntt."S."
Ongin:tlly Ms. Yun pl:mntd 10
makr 1nrn. 1~ 1n her homeland ror
ll\C yc:in, thcn n'IO\'e to the Urut
ed States and nucnd film s.chool.
'"I was Jtratdulfor 1ht lldor.mon I
rttc1\ l!'J In Kort..&, but I lmd no
frffliom. she- SJ..td oC ht-r pop-
AR13,.AR14
PARIS
u n Jung-H ee appea red in the lounge of the
Gra nd Hotel l nterContinental here wearing a
gray wool suit and a silk blouse the color of he-
_____
....-_
... ___ ..__
-------
liotrope, a grande dame trailing a half-century of Sout h
Korean fi lm history as lightly as a w isp of perfume.
_.....- _
-~---..-.-
_.. -
,...,
......
She was on the arm of her husband, t he pianist Kun
Woo Paik. They live in the Paris suburbs. "I'm h is sec-
reta ry," Ms. Yun said, fl irtatiously. "I fold his socks."
M r. Paik gazed at his wife with amusement. " Befo re I
leave home on concert tours," he said, "she makes sure
ularity. "I wai11 ed my real hfe 10
beaqmet life."
I have black socks in my suitcase."
Se\'en }<ears later, In 1m. Ms.
Yun did rrseule. m Pans. where
she enrolled in B film program
:md commuted to shoots m Asia.
"'I rtahxtJ I should h\'C 1.n the He fli nched ar t he memory of the socks char she once
L'\nd of th<' Lum~re br<Mhcrs."
sheiald.
Th:lt san~ }'t:ar Ms. Yun :ind
packed fo r a recital at A lice Tully H a ll in New York.
Mr. Palk, ..,.ho ..,.- ;is born in Stoul
and wu then h\ing In NN' York, "They were black, all right," he said, "bur t hey be-
met tit the Natk>nal lllcatcr Mu
nKh dunng a perfonnanc.e of
"Sim Ttong," M ope:ra b.utd on a
longed to our daughter, Jin-hi."
folk 1a1C a.boot 111 girl v.ho hn~s
with her blmd r:uhcr.
"I saw a btauuful !My.'" Mr.
P<llk stud. 1didn"t know she was
Ms. Yun, 66, flas hed rhe wry, w ide smile char illum i-
nnactrcs.s."'
M s. Yun s.iid, "I didn't know he nated some 330 fea ture fil ms from 1967 to 1994, t he
was a ptanl.st
She did know the opera's plot,
luwlng just pLiycd 1hc girl 111 n
yea r she stepped out of t he spotlight to fold and pack
mm \"CrstOn. The llCXI night Mr.
P.1lk accomp.,nied h er to a fo r M r. Paik. Moviegoers wi ll once again be able to
!etttningof the fcamrt.
"I didn't Stt much of the girl In
lhc mQ\'lt," he said. "I ..,.as too en
glimpse t hat grin in "Poetry," Lee C h a ng-dong's in-
chn111cd by 1he bc;1ut1ful Judy m
1hc nud!rncr." tricate meditation on arr and empat hy, which opens
The couple 111nrril'd in 197-1, and
Ms. Yun scaled b.1c.k her schl'du!e
oon.sidcrnbly. Af1cr a Oacjong Friday in New York.
Aw:mlwm nlng turn m 1hc J\ore-
nn Wnr epic '"M:uunub.111g"
(199 1), she was orrcred - and de-
clln<'d - many proj<'<'1S.
She plays M i-ja, a pensioner in a provincial tow n who
As Mr. L~ .1 llO\'CllSI turned
lllnn11akcr who ~crvcd ns culture
minister of South Korc.i from
signs up fo r a poetry class and struggles to find inspi-
2003 to 200~. wro1c "Poetry; he
imagined the mnm character In ration in everyday beauty. Her a ttempts at writ ing are
Ms. 'fun's i mage. llc lntrodul'ed
tunuclf to her, nncl onr nigh! O\'Cr
dinner with Ms. Yun and her hus
co mplicated by t he o nset of de mentia, the demands
b.1ml he sht.'<'plshly mentioned
the l-C'recnpl.1y. She was so IL11 of mercy sex fro m the stroke victim she cares for, and
1crro 1hm she acrepted Ille role
wnhout e\'en knowmg v.h:u the the news that her sullen teenage g ra ndson, whom she
movic w;u about.
" I nm hkt- MlJa; she sale!. " I
d:iydream nnd lose myself In is ra ising herself, was involved in the ga ng rape of a
bcau1y. When l see a Oo....er. I
st"re:1m wtth toy."
classmate, leading to her suicide.
S1111ng In the bnght, rury
loonge of the Grand llott'I, Mr.
P~uk hs1e11ed 10 his wife with a
look or mhmte 1mdcrs1andmg.
-y~ :tgo 141! went to Vtnlct'.
"To Mi-ja, wrmng poems is importa nt because she's
and ~he pl'3c11cally no.11cd
through 1he cny," he silk.I. "' I felt discove ring the meaning of the world ," M r. Lee said .
hke I ..,.-as holding omo a balloon
w1th a 1t11n 1hrtad."'
Mr. Paik cr Oi~ his Jc-gs, rc-- "The pa radox of he r life is char she's leaving the world
\~alingabbck scxk.
a nd forgetting t he words."
 he paradox of Ms. Yun's real life is that despite
arrempts to remain in the background she is
~ celebrated all over the world. Her performance
in "Poetry" has been w ildly praised in Somh Korea,
where she was named best actress at the 2010 Daejong
Film Awa rds - that nation's Academy Awa rds - for
the third time.
Ms. Yun is "one of Korea's most treasu red, decorated
and beloved actresses," said Ted Kim, a Los Angeles-
based executive at one of Korea's biggest entertainment
companies. "Like Michael Jordan she stepped away
from the game in her absolute prime."
Though Ms. Yun had been considered t he front-run-
ner for best actress at last year's Cannes Film Festival,
the honor went to the local favorire Juliette Binoche
for her role in Abbas Kiarostami's "Certified Copy."
"Great reviews are berrer than prizes," Mr. Paik said,
perhaps speaking from his own experiences. "It would
be awful to get prizes and terrible reviews."
Ms. Yun has been earning accolades si nce her film
debut, in 1967, at 23. Born into modest affluence in
Gwangju, she appea red in school musicals and idol-
ized Audrey Hepburn but aspi red to be a diplomat.
She was majoring in history at a college in Seoul
when, on a whim, she auditioned for "Cheongchun
Geukjang," ("Sorrowful Youth"), a film adaptation of
a popular novel abom Korean resistance fighters dur-
ing the Japanese occupation.
She had read the book and strongly identified with one
of rhe characters, an exchange student in Tokyo who
falls in love. "I felt as if I could enter her personality di-
rectly," recalled Ms. Yun, who won the part over 1,200
other hopefuls.
W hile the film was a sensation, she was something
else again. (At that time in Korean cinema women
were mostly li mited to roles as housewives or femme
fatales.) Screaming teenage girls mobbed her. Teenage
boys scrawled fan letters in blood. "I couldn't leave my
house," Ms. Yun said.
Not that she spent much rime at home. During the
'60s and '70s Ms. Yun worked on as many as 50 films
a year, sometimes t hree in a single day.
"A melodrama in the morning, a historical drama in
the afternoon, a comedy at night," Mr. Paik said. Ar
one point five of Ms. Yun's films played in rheaters
simultaneously.
She essayed spies, teachers, taxi drivers, nightclub si ng-
ers, shama ns and kisaengs, the Korean equivalent of
geishas. "Villains, nor very much," she said. "Once I was
a servant who loved a man already married." There was
the slightest of pauses. "No, make that several rimes."
O riginally Ms. Yun pla nned to make movies in her
homeland for five years, then move to the United
States and attend film school. "I was grateful for rhe
adoration I received in Korea, bur I had no freedom,"
she said of her popularity. "I wanted my real life to be
a quiet life."
Seven years later, in 1972, Ms. Yun did resettle, in
Paris, whe re she enrolled in a film program a nd com-
muted to shoors in Asia. "I realized I should live in the
land of the Lumiere brothers," she said.
That same year Ms. Yu n and Mr. Paik, who was born
in Seoul and was then living in New York, met at the
National T hearer M unich during a performance of
"Sim Tjong," an opera based on a folk tale about a girl
who lives with her blind father.
"I saw a beautiful lady," Mr. Paik said. "I did n't know
she was an actress."
Ms. Yun said, "I did n't know he was a pianist."
She did know the opera's plot, having just played the
girl in a fi lm version. The next night Mr. Paik accom-
panied her to a screening of t he feature.
"I didn't see much of t he girl in the movie," h e said.
"I was too enchanted by the beautiful lady in the
aud ience."
The couple married in 1974, and Ms. Yun scaled back her
schedule considerably. After a Daejong Award-winn ing
turn in the Korean War epic "Manmubang" (1994), she
was offered - a nd declined- many projects.
As Mr. Lee, a novelist turned film maker who served as
culture minister of South Korea from 2003 to 2004,
wrote "Poetry," he imagi ned the main character in Ms.
Yun's image. He introduced himself to her, and one
n ight over dinner with Ms. Yun a nd her h usband he
sheepishly mentioned the screenp lay. She was so flat-
tered rhar she accepted the role without even know ing
what the movie was about.
"! a m like M i-ja," she said. "I daydream and lose myself
in beauty. When I see a flower, I scream with joy."
Sitting in the bright, airy lounge of t he Grand Hotel,
Mr. Pa ik listened to his wife with a look of infinite
understanding.
"Years ago we went to Ven ice, and she practically float-
ed through the city," he said. "I felt li ke I was holding
onto a balloon with a thin thread."
Mr. Paik crossed his legs, revea ling a black sock.
Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
TJJE 1VEWYORKTIMES. FRIDAY, FF.HRUARY.1.1, 201.l CJ, C16
. '

CONSIDER AN APPLE,
CONSIDER THE WORLD
BY MJ\NOllLJ\ DJ\HC IS

WEEKENDArls:::~llNCES FRIDAY. FEBRUARY II, 2011

Consider an Apple, Consider the World

The women Md few men s nnng at
their drsks in the film Pottr," hn\~
open faces Md smiles.
MANOHLA ~~r~~-~.'"i.'!~~h~.
DARGIS 101hecul1Urnl c.n1cr 10
- - learn. Ptrh3ps because 1hty
nLM ha,c chosen to be! there,
RCVICW 1hey d0rt'1 have the look of
sullen resentm ent nnd culc l\'Ttted bort-
dom that glazes the faces of the high
school students glimpsed now and
again. i nstead 1hne 1n uer~3yoo.rds
gau at the nun who has come 10 say
somcthir1g to 1hc-m about 3n and maybe
Life. lns1e3d he holdJ up an apple and
1alks about seeing.
The Importance o! seeing, seeing the
worl d dttpl y, i s at t he hean of this qui
etly devastating, humanistic work from
the South Korean filmmnker Lee
Chnng-dong. TI1roughout 1he story, the
teathcr.a bespcct.ndcd man with an
easy manner. will guide the s1 udents.1s
Poetry \lm Jurt.g-h~e scars in U1is South
ndds. " I hat ls really Sttln& tt. From the
Korean film by 1.tt Chang.do~. optmng
on Friday in .Manhauon.
C3<'h strugg.les 10 write 4 single poem,
st3tthing memories and enM>11on1 for
inspir.uion. "Up hi! now, you havrn't
seen an apple forrenl," he says in 1hm
first class, as 1he film cuts t o a studen1,
M lja (Yun Jimg-hec), slid mg Into a sc:u.
Tu re;;illy know whnt an apple is, to be
m1crcs1td In 11.10 undersl.3nd 11," he
if also :i OAo;,y 10 exercise a mind that, 35
way 1hc cruncrn seules:on Muri it's C\'I
dent tluu he could subst itute 1heword
npplc for womnu - or life.
For Mijn, :i 66year-old rnising her
only trnnt.lson, Wook (Let David), In a
crnm~<S. cluttered apanmcnt In an un
nnmcd city, lhe J)ursuil of poetry be-
comes n p.1s1 ime and then n ll..'lssion and
tinnily a mc<tns of tmnscendcnce. A t
first, chough, It's a plcnsa111 disarac1ion
from an otherwise mundane existence.
n doc1or tells Mij3. early on. has begun
to slip slowly t1\1tny from her. Out of fear
or confusion, she k eeps the diagnosis 10
herself and almost from herseJf, telling
neilher \ \'ook nor his mother, who hves
m anocher city. lns1ead she dons the
poet's cip. " I do have a J)Oet"s vein, she
says, chnttering imo her cellphone. " I
Continued on Page 16

he women and few men sitting at their desks in about art a nd maybe li fe. Instead he holds up an apple
the fil m "Poetry" have open faces and smiles. and ta lks about seeing.
T hey're good pupils, these older people who
The importance of seeing, seeing rhe world deeply, is at
have come to the cultu ral center to learn. Perhaps be-
t he heart of this quietly devastating, huma nistic work
cause they have chosen to be there, they don't have the
fro m the South Korean filmmaker Lee C hang-dong.
look of su llen resentment and cultivated boredom rhar
T h roughout rhe story, the teacher, a bespectacled ma n
glazes the faces of rhe high school students gli mpsed
with an easy man ner, wi ll gu ide the students as each
now a nd again. I nsread rhese latter-day bards gaze
struggles to write a single poem, search ing memories
at rhe man who has come to say something to t hem
and emotions for inspiration. "Up rill now, you haven't
seen an apple for real," he says in rhar fosr class, as rhe
film curs ro a smdenr, Mija (Yun Jung-hee), slidi ng
inro a sear. "To really know w hat an apple is, ro be
inreresred in ir, ro undersra nd ir," he adds, ''rhac is re-
ally seeing ir." From rhe way t he ca mera secrles on M ija
it 's evidenr chat he could subscim re rhe word apple for
woman - or life.
or M ija, a 66-yea r-old raisi ng her only grand-
so n, Wook (Lee David), in a cra mped, clurre red
aparrmenr in a n unnam ed ciry, the pursuir of
poetry becomes a pasrime a nd then a passio n and fi-
na lly a mea ns of transcendence. Ar first, rhough, ir's a
pleasa nr distraction fro m a n orherwise munda ne exis-
tence, if also a way ro exercise a mind rhat, as a docror
cells Mija early on, has begun ro sli p slowly away from
her. O ur of fea r or con fusio n, she keeps the diagnosis ro
herself and almost from herself, celli ng neirher Wook
nor his mother, who lives in anorher c ity. Instead she
dons the poet's cap. " I do have a poet's vein," she says,
chatte ring inro her cel lpho ne. " I do like flowers and
say odd things."
She seem s so unremarkable, thi s woma n with her white
hats, tidily arranged sca rves a nd va nity. But like this
subtle, transfixing film , she draws you in. C rucial in
this respecr is Ms. Yun's performance, a rour de fo rce
of emotiona l complexity that builds th roug h rescrainr
and, like Mr. Lee's unado rned visual style, ea rns rather
rha n demands your attentio n . (H is ea rlier features in-
clude "Secret Sunshine.") T he shabby rooms and or-
dina ry srreers in "Poetry" a re shown w itho ut fanfare,
more li ke statements offacts than pieces of an evolving
narrarive. Yet it's the prosa ic qua lity of rhis world, its
ordi nari ness, that makes the srory's shocks reverberare
so forcefu lly, beginning with rhe revelatio n rhar Wook
and fi ve friends, all boys, have been implicated in the
death of a classmate, a girl first seen floatin g face d own
in a river in the open ing scene.
The re's a mesmerizing qua li ty ro char sequence, wh ich
begins w ith an image of rushing warer, parrl y because
- like rhe young chi ld on rhe ri ve rbank whose view-
point you sha re - you initia lly ca n'r make ou t whar ir
is thar you're looking ar until rhe body floars inro rhe
frame in close-up. The corpse belongs to a tee nage girl
who accused so me classmates of having se rially raped
her. On the most bruta l level, her bod y int roduces a
mystery. Yet there's more ro the openi ng, including
the children clusrered o n rhe ri verbank, om inously
doubled by the teenagers who helped pur rha t body
in the water and w hose ind iffere nce suggests rhac, fo r
them , this death wasn't cataclys mic, just play that go t
out of ha nd.
Th is cruelty doesn't exist in isolation, as becomes obvi-
ous when the fa ther of one of the other accused rapists
contacts M ija and sweeps her off roan afternoon meet-
ing at a restaurant. Together, he and fo ur other fathers
have decided - w ith the school 's blessing - ro give the
dead girl 's mother a la rge sum of cash, a bribe for her
silence. What's done is done, one man more or less says,
as another pours the beer. ("Ladies firsr," he says, of-
fering Mija a glass.) "Although I feel sorry for the dead
girl," a fat her says, "now's the t ime for us ro worry abour
ou r own boys." H er face empty, M ija sits word lessly.
A nd then she drifts outside, opens her linle norebook
and begins wriri ng: "Blood ... a flower as red as blood."
Out of pa in, M ija finds a way ro see, really see the
world, wirh its flowers, rusrling trees, laughing people
and cruel ries, a nd in doing so turns realiry inro arr,
rragedy into the sublime. It's a n extraordinary trans-
formatio n, o ne that emerges th rough seem ingly un-
connected na rrative fragments, tenderly observed
momenrs and a for ma l rigor that mig hr go unnoriced.
Yet everything pieces rogether in rhis heartbreaking
film - motifs and ac tions in the opening are mi rrored
in the last scenes - includ ing flowers, chose that be-
witch M ija ourside the restaurant and chose in a vase
ar the dead girl 's ho use. T he river chat flows in rhe
openi ng shot srrea ms th rough the lasr image roo, less a
c ircle rhan a continuum.
Ar one po int, Mija asks her poetry reacher with al-
mosr comic in nocence, "When does a 'poeric inspira-
tion' co me?" It doesn't, he replies, you mus t beg for ir.
"Where must I go?" sh e persists. H e says that she m ust
wa nder arou nd, seek it out, but that it's there, right
w here she stands. In truth, there is poetry everywhere,
includi ng in those who pass th rough her li fe, at rimes
invisibly, like the ha ndicapped retiree (K im Hira) she
cares fo r pan t ime, a hu sk of a man whom she w ill at
lasr a lso see clea rly. The quesrion rhar she doesn'r ask
is the why of a rr. She doesn'r have ro because rhe film
- irself a n exa mple of how arr allows us ro rise our of
ourselves ro feel for a nother through imaginative sym-
pathy - a nswers th at question beautifully.
Poetry
Opem 011 Friday in J'vfanhattan.
Writte11 a11d directed by Lee Chang-dong; director ofphotog-
raphy. Kim Hy1111g-seok; edited by Kim Hyun; production de-
sign by Sihn }eom-hui; produced by Lee Joan -dong; released
by Kina !11ternatio11al. In Korean, with English mbtit!es.
Running time: 2 hours 19 minutes. This film is not rated.
~'(I/TH: Yun }1111g-hee (Mija), Lee David ( Wook) and Kim
/-Jira (M. Kang).
Copyright 2011 by The New York Time s Co. Reprinted with permission.
I TlIE GLOBilL EDITJON OF11J,]\7~JVYORKTIMES, TUE~D./ll~JUNJ:.'14, 2011
THROUGH
A FILMMAKER'S LENS,
VIEWS OF KOREA
13Y .JAN INE J\ HM IN
Through a filmmaker's lens, views of Korea
Chan-kyong Park's work
takes nua nced look
a t North-South ties
BY JANlNtARMIN
This spring. lhe art establhhmmt In
South Kort.a made hndllncs Yt'Ofldwidc!
by sdectlna the Ch~ artis1, aaivis1
and DOW politJal pNontt Ai Wthrt.'d to
c:o-dirttl the ccmlng 2Q ll Gangju
"""' Bl<nolal.
Tht country's homcgrown COnlrm
porar)' art tttne may be lttJ llktly to
makt lnt~ionA! rM!Vo't. Rut artists
like Ch:tn4t)~ Park - known for hls
h:wnting fllms and phocogni.phy - are
making an Impact both at hotne and
abroad. 111.t $hort a.nd rca1ur e-ltngth
(ilms as wr:ll as his phocOfJrphy ad
dtMs U1e storied rtl.3tion$hlp of Nonh
and South Kore.\ without losing lhe lev
lty requim! to aiptivate an 1lldlmce -
a c.ardul balance In a coumry ready to
bruk t1way trom rule-book bchavk>r.
"Korean contemporary art hu the
most vital tctnein Asia; u ld Mt. Park,
who u.ys hlJ belit(Is b3std on Che grow
Ing promine1x:e of KOl'tan artls lt 11.nd,
lncrtnslngly, women mmnu.k~rs like
J~ Jung. ChM-Ok Park and SunrAC
Im. ButO\'fftumlng tllerig\d lnfras1ruc-
1u~ ol Soulh Kon~an muse um ~ so.I
lerics ls an uphill battlt , he aakl. "hutl
1utioc1s are 100 constrVtl.ll\'t , too
\'Ulntnble to 80\'tmmem change, And
thtte Ls no good journ.3.!Wn and crl-
tique."
M.r. P.ark's own work renttts the varl
oos ftructuttS born of Korta' rn.ught
history. Cenluries of ChlncsC! co&onl!A
lion were folJo-'td by a J:JJ>M"C occu
pa1ion ln the urly l'Olh ~lury and t he
Korean Civil War of the early l~ 1be:
rnultlng rdigb.I mb: ot ChlnH.e no.
Ism, catbolkism and sham.anlsm otftt
M.r. Park a rich palette ol imaatf'Y.
Ills film "Sindoan" (2008), f U
ample. portrays lndn1duals pracddng
the many anomalous rdi.glons gener
attd In lht cou.nuy durln& W m.id20th
ttntury, Ills pboeo l<erie "Thrte
C<n><t<rito" ("'') conslsts ol lmag<s
ot the final ruling placn for displaced
~ ln South Kotea.
Late last yur. Mr. Parkcompltetd the
rWn "Anyang. Par'Mhsit City" for a klcal
Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
ftstlval In the d1y ol 1J1e sam e name. Tht
film, which was shown earlier lhls ytar
at 1he l ntematklinal Fiim F'e srl\'1\l Rotter
d4rn andl\l theJeonju ln1rrn:ulonal Fn
livlll ln South Kena. is a Wend of docu
mmtary and flclk>n th.11 cmtcn on the
9C';lt(h f()t f;urvfvort cl AJ9S8 SWt"l\lShop
fitt: that kllled20 womtn. rrom my~.
1e&ertats. l ~Anyangasac:tty
full of female factory "Of~" Mr. Parle
s.:Ud. "Korniu allknowth:d lhe Kottan
'ec:onomk mnde' ls based on their tolJ,
but theynt\'ff want 10 rtmembtt."
In lht opmlnc tttne a arouP worn
en cUnce on a \'t'fd:Ant platu.u and ll>
peM 10 &1t'3 a trtditlionaJ SOf1g about
thdr l l"Ollbks wkb mtn. 1lk! dAncf: WU
deda.rt'daculturalURtbyUnesro.,and
by wing It Mr. Park: ls cornmnttina on
how he rttts ln~lrutiom upkllt tradl
1kln to increase 1ourlsm. " It was a tradi-
1kinal folk: clan," he uJd. But now h
lw ''plned aetttatn marttnabil11y.''
Ills a 10dsm of bureaucracy, u ""'di
as of South Korea's neglt'Ct of hcrita,ge
1ltts, ls evklcm In other documentary
aspecu of 1he ftlm. "Anyang'' includes
footage of an archeologkal diJ for an an
dtnt trmplc fron1 1he SOia dyrw1y that
was CO\'tff'd with another ternpl:e dur
Ing lht Corytan d)-nasty. "lhtdition Is
dead In Kore~ but no one knows how
many antiqllff are buried under the
soi.I,'' Mr. Park .uJd. "There arr 100
many big apartmenu on top of them.''
Recently, the utisl aillabor.Ued Ith
hb brother, the filmmak:er Chan-wook
Park, who ls best known for hls psycho-
kigical thrilltts that make up "The \'en-
gtanct Trilogy:' The brothtts ""TOlt,
productd and dirK"ltd the short film
"Night f'lsblng," which was at>Ot adus-
1\dy ith video trom lout lPbonts in a
pannenhipwilh Korr;vi ltkcom.
Chan-k)'on& Park: said he enjored lhe
odd angSH he could capture with the
phones. The first shots demons1r2te the
~o/.thb ttdlniqur: an Initial pan
across a dirt road whtte a band per
forms ls puncmoted wilh powerful
cSose-ups. 1lM:tr song Is c.t.rrltd O\'tt to
an elderly nwt In a nearby wood, who,
aI1er A fishing AC:cidtnt, ls able 10 speak
whh his fo.mUy one last lime through a
ftmDJe $haman.
Paradise, and the siruggle to gtt thtrt'.
pnvades both "An)'MK.. and " Night
F"uhing.'' Mr. PMk:'I amblwltnt lt"ardl
TbettnMtMtJof Lt an apt fdter through which to consJder
Clwt-1t;yoo1Patlt. Pf't$t'rtl:-d.ay Kotta. "P.lndi.le bttame
~.101M'icfl either a b:td dream or a btg joke," Mr.
andTtn~old~ P2rk sa:ld."Thtteba5talinbu'p.v*1~
'ickd Kott b uld tn me Ncnh. and aggreuh-e capitallsu'
tobe~HPt ~in 1he South. While Koreans are
nttslbtanJM bound totht ~utopian tmaga,
tram bi piHn. Kcn;ans lost great rithneu ot thdr In.di
tlonal-dthtloodworid.bo-
C&Uie Koltan modem history Is rt&Uy
built upon bUnd Mwistic ril"
M.r. P.uk'I s.eraitlvity to the rict:s and
vinues of a d ivided Kotta Is what ~
rate' him lrvm his pttn, Jaki YUn
15
Chea.gab, the ammlssiontt foe the Ko-
rea Pavilion at the Venice. Biennale this
)'T'll. " lll.t "'"'Ork ls 'Wf c:onctpCual."
sa1d Mr. Chtqllb, who h.u known the
artkl for many )'Ul'S. ''He1 wUl!Jl& to
t\g\u11 out what ls bet;lll~ North and
South Korea. Not Sooth Korea. not
North Kena. middle Kotta."
f Mr. Park,lhe"blindwUJ" that col
Ofl Kottll'I polhic.al history ls lntxtrlc-
Able from the cutTI"nt state ol contem-
por:uy art. "1987 and IJSS was lhe high
time of 1he labor mo,tn)MI," he said.
1.Jkt the artlti grCMJplntrodl>'d tn "An-
yang.' thtte 'IO'tte strong small groops
'4'ho created propa,ganda works and Uft*'Mtbdow,
..,ere lm'Olvtd In a.nusroou ccmmunl- iefttlldlocsfrom
ty 11nL They ha\e left a heritage. It 's Chuk,,:1n1Parli.'1
called 'Mlnjung Arl' meanifl& peopie "An)'afl'l,Panr.dl.-e
Mt."' Mr, Park YS 11 gcnerauon ol Chy," .,.11k h C"M+
" post MlnJung an" hu ~n lht ls itn o Atheseatth
tn11utnced by Wes1em ~p1u.alism lor sun1\W'I ol a
and unshl,e 10 medl:i poli1k::t and an lt88n1eatsbop
tns1ltutk>n1. lle posilkuu hlmself be- nrethlltkil!N?O
tw ~n the pre~t Md put llenuiona.
Operating in thls ttmponl limbo Is
clearly trulctw for the lll1lst,, who has
a.t\'ttal 1how1 th.IJ autumn. lncl udma
"Second World" In Austria ac the lme-
inated contemporvy a.rt gaihmng
Steirlschtt llert>st Ftsdval ?Ol l (~ll
to Oct. 14) llnd " l ma,ge Clash: Contml
porary Kotean Vldeo Art'' at lheCU Art
MusauntnCOlondo(Stpt..t coOct.tl).
lle'1 alto mthU$1atk:ally pursuing a
newprojea,cksplte the f-=t ~he dorl
noc yet ba'.-e ~ I fs "a horror tum
actrwio, narnJh'e w1th a lot ol female
ghosts." heaaid. "Other than that,. I pnc
lice t\'ft')' d.ly In an. dntwinp. paintings
and lnstallatkn The artworks 10011 or1
what I calJ 'Al.lanGothic.'"
 '- ... --..,...... ....
. M ~ .!. Er ,
THE NEWYORK:FJMES ;,.FRJJ -<~_-"..
>a1
A ROGUE FILM FESTIVAL
EARNS RESPECT
(SORT OF)
he New York Asia n Fi lm Festiva l has a n im-
age to uphold, based o n a wel l-honed story
of low-re nt beginnin gs and d isreputable pro-
gramm ing. This fami liar na rrative srarrs in 2002 wirh
fi ve young g uys a nd rheir credit cards, a nd embraces
rowdy, fiercely obsessive audiences ja mmed into down-
rown rhearers watch ing movies about young Japa nese
women whose breasts double as machine g uns.
Asked where his baby ranks among the c iry's annual
film co nclaves, G rad y H endri x, o ne of the festiva l's
founders and its lo ng rime spokesm a n, roes rhe line.
"Fi rmly at the bottom," he declares.
H e's exaggerating for effect, bur he's seriou s about
ma intainin g the event's renegad e cha racter. " In te rm s
of rhar film festiva l circ uit, we're pretty much rhe out-
siders lookin g in," he said in an interview. "We don't
have enoug h fa ncy parries."
Maybe nor. Bur whatever it lacks in red ca rpers a nd
seafood rowers, it makes up for in the qua lity, quantity
a nd va riety of fil ms. As it celebrates its IOrh yea r with
a program of 40 feat ures, showing Friday th ro ugh July
14 at the Wa lte r Reade Thearer and Japan Society, it's
rime to acknowledge rhar this outsider actually be-
longs in t he top tier of New York 's film fest iva ls, next
to some very se ri ous, very inside gatherings.
B't \ll KE ll ALE
Not every selection in the New York Asian Film
Fest ival is g reat, o r even good, bur ne ither is every one
in rhe New York Film Festival or New Directors New
Films. Meanwhile rhe As ia n fesr presents virtually the
sa me number of major new releases as those rwo a u-
gust events, whi le ma inta ining more co nsistent quality
a nd foc us than the sprawling Tribeca Film Festiva l.
Of course, rhe Asia n Fil m Festiva l suffers from a com-
plete lack of two things rhat, in add itio n ro big sta rs,
give a fi lm event credibi lity: European arr-house mov-
ies a nd scru ffy A merica n independenrs. While operat-
ing o n the geogra ph ic a nd c ultura l fringe, t he festiva l
is pro udly ma instrea m in its taste a nd go rges itself on
genre films and wacky comed ies.
Ar rhe sa me rime, it has helped introduce New York
to hig hbrow favo rites like Pa rk C ha n-wook, Bong
Joon-ho and Seijun Suzu k i. This year's lineup in-
cludes directors li ke Takashi Miike, Tsui H a rk a nd Na
H o ng-jin rhar any highfa lutin festival would be happy
to recruit.
And over rhe course of a decade of relentlessly track-
ing down and watching Asian movies in whatever time
they can rake away fro m t heir day jobs, the fou nders
have grown inro the ir roles.
''
e're a ll gerring older," Mr. H endrix
said. "Our rasres are changing. And
l chin k we have a berrer feel for rhe
audience's rasre." They're now willing ro book slower,
more serious, less caregorizable movies rhar would have
sca red rhem off before (given rhat empry rhearers ca n
mea n empcy pockers fo r rhe volunteer programmers).
Bur rhe emphasis is srill on visceral, accessible enrer-
ra in menr of all k ind s, especially in rhis lOrh-ann iver-
sary year, when, as M r. H endrix puc it, "we're sort of
being a liccle self-ind ulgent." That means a subsec of
C hi nese wu x ia (martia l arts) movies that includes four
fil ms written or directed by Mr. Tsui, who will appea r
at screeni ngs on Ju ly 9 rh rough 11 , and a generous,
d iverse selecrion of Korea n chrillers.
This yea r's fesrival breaks down fai rly evenly into films
from C hina (includ ing H ong Kong and Taiwa n),
So urh Korea and Japa n, wirh single films from a few
orher co untries (Ma laysia, Thailand, rhe Phil ippines)
rhrow n in.
In "Dececrive D ee & rhe Mysrery of che Phanrom
Flame," Mr. Tsui's most recent film, and "Reign of
Assassins," direcced by rhe up-and-comer Su C hao-
pi n and rhe vetera n Jo hn Woo, rhe fesriva l is offeri ng
cwo light-on-their-feer marria l arcs capers rhat sra nd
in pleasa nt contrast ro rhe bloated, nationalistic epics
that are C hina's ma in c inemat ic exporr rhese days. ("l f
it's got more than five horses in it and more than two
scenes of giant arm ies massing on rhe plain, wavi ng
fl ags, we avoid ir," Mr. H endrix said .)
"Detective Dee," starring the H ong Kong superstar
Andy Lau as t he ricle cha racter, works ics kung fu into
a reasonably credible seventh-century mysrery story
(wirh supernatural elements). Its most memorable
sequence, a ceasing, not-quire-nude scene in which a
beautiful courrier (Li Bingbing) uses her marrial arcs
ski lls co dress hersel f whi le dodging hu nd reds of ar-
rows, reca lls rhe famously sexy duel between Brigitte
Lin a nd M aggie C heung in "Dragon In n" (1992),
wh ich is also being shown in the festiva l.
"Reig n of Assassins" tweaks the wu xia recipe by tak-
ing a break fro m its story of professiona l killers pu rsu-
ing a mon k 's mummified remai ns to indu lge in a long
strerch of genrle (very gentle) romantic-domestic com-
edy. Michelle Yeoh and the Korea n actor Jung Woo-
sun g play a n ace assassin in hidi ng a nd a naive delivery
boy who meer cure du ri ng che Ming dynasry.
A th ird high-profile entry from C hi na fearures the mar-
ria l ans srar Jee Li but couldn't be more different from
rhe w u xia fil ms. I n "Ocea n Heaven," rhe directing
debut of the fil m scholar X ue X iaolu, Mr. Li forsakes
fighring encirely to play a n agi ng, ailing aquarium
maincenance worker obsessed wich provid ing for the
fumre of his au rist ic son (Wen Z hang). T here's enough
noble sufferi ng here ro fi ll rhree or four movies, but Ms.
Xue hand les ir with remarkable restraint for a Ch inese
d irector, and while M r. Li 's performa nce suffers from
the lack of kicking a nd punching, his immense li k-
abi li ty is enough ro ca rry hi m in the role.
The array of Sou eh Korea n act ion-suspense movies -
there are eight on the sched ule - offers proof of t he
genre's longev ity a nd flexibilit y, half a decade after its
fi rst heyday with M r. Park 's "revenge t rilogy." l n a
ca tegory know n fo r the brural ity of its viole nce a nd
the sometimes insa ne complex it y of its plots, two of
the festiva l films are exemplary.
"The Unjust," d irected by Ryoo Seung-wan, is film noir
at its mos r cynical, with a rosrer of characters ranging
from prosa ically corrupt to blatantly evil and a hero
who lies closer co t he wrong end of the scale. The story,
involving a battle fo r survival between a d irty cop a nd
a dirty prosecutor, is a spiral of double a nd rriple cross-
es in which there is never a good option, not that these
men wou ld be incl ined to choose it if they could.
T he violence in "The Unjust" is fairly ordinary and
often has a bu rlesque quality, bur in Jang Cheol-
Su's "Bedevilled," scy thes, scones a nd other weapons
a re wielded in shockingly vivid and graph ic ways. Ji
Seong-Won a nd Seo Young-Hee (in a gripping per-
forma nce) play chi ld hood girlfr iends reunited o n the
island where they grew up, a place where relationsh ips
between women and rhe few men who stick around
have a dynamic straighr our of "Delivera nce."
The best of rhe festiva l's C hi nese and Korean films ful-
fil! expectations in stylish and exciting ways, but ifyou're
looking fo r su rprises, they're more easily fo u nd in the
Japanese movies. One of the best examples is Yoshimasa
lsh ibashi's four-pa rt "Milocrorze: A Love Story," a
wacked-out fantasy chat recalls ea rly T im Burton one
moment, late Q uentin Tara nti no the next. A segment
involvi ng an abusive, white-suited television host is
punctuated by groovy, wonderfully deadpan dance
nu mbers, wh ile a sendup of sam urai and yakuza sto-
ries suddenly erupts inco a n elaborately choreographed
and brilliantly sraged six-mi nute sword-fight sequence
inside che tight confines of a tarami-marred brothel.
 rher highlig hts of the Japanese selecrions
include M r. Miike's "Ninja Kids!!!," a rau-
cous comedy wirh a ralemed casr of c hi ld
actors rhar's part "Naruto," pa rt "Harry Porrer"; a nd
the fo rmer pornography di rector N oboru Iguch i's
"Karate-Robo Zaborgar," a loving homage to Sarnrday
morning cartoons whose ride characrer is rhe human
Andy L.nu in '"Det~i"'" Dee & the Myatt:'ry of the Plumtom
hero's brorher, pa rmer, mora l compass a nd motor- fUune; which blends kung ru into a ~-entho:n1ury 1:1lc-.

cycle. ("Zaborga r" a lso appea rs to be rhe only film in

A Rogue Film Festival
rhis yea r's fesr ival in w hich female body pam become
weapons, somerimes rnrn ing into rocker launchers and
Earns Respect (Sort Of)
f.rom Wvtlttnd />ngf! I ONLINE: VIDEO
orher times into carnivorous liza rds.)
~ ~~::,~~~~d;~:::::::r'i~:~rw
At t hesnmclime,it h.uhc1ptd
1111 roduce New \'mk 10 highbrow
frwontes like Pnrk Oinnwook, nytlmu.com/movS~
If t hese films sound too grim, too bloody or too crazy Uoog Joonho and Se:ljun Suzukl
Thi' )'t'.:u's hneup intludt-s dirtt
flcx1b1luy, half 3 dt"C:ldc 3ftt'f' 11.S
1ors like- Tak.'lShl Milkt:, Tsui Hark
fi rst heyd.lyw1th Mr. Park 's rt-
for you, here's a fin a l recommendation. "A Boy and :ind Na llongJm 1h111 :any hlghf:a
luiln fcstwnl woold be!' h:appy 10 ,enge 1nlogy." In a c:i.ttgory
rttrun. known for lht brutal1tyof 11.s v~
His Samurai," directed by Yoshihiro Naka mura, is a And O\Yr the coorst ol n decide
ol ~JemkuJy 1mck1ng<SooAn and
lenct' :ind 1hc somrumes 1ns:uic
complex.ity ofi1splo1s.. 1woot 1he
\O'i!lchingAs~n rt'MT'tCSin .... Nll festwlll films art uempl&ry.
very America n-sryle romantic comedy, in rhe mold l'\W 11me tM) rnn lake a'A-ay "The Unjust." dtr'f'CI~ by R)'OO
Stung-wan, is film noir al its
lrom 1httr day jobs. the founders
lla~&r'DVl'nanto1ht'irrolcs. most cynka.L 'A'ilh 11 roster ot
of "Enchanted " or " Kate a nd Leopold." A sa mura i w'rC"allgdtmgolder.- Mr. cha.rac\cn r3nging from prosai-
Hendrix wid. Our la.Stts ~ call) (O(TUpl to blatant!)' tv1l and
3 htto ho bes closer 10 lhe
is mysreriously tran sported to 2 lst-century Tokyo, cf\an1ina And I think-~ Jw.e a
bt-ner- fed lor the- aud~e"s: wrong end ol lht saJc. The itor}'.
1u1e ~"re now ....;mng 10 tm'"Oking 11 b:mlt ror sun-ival ~
where he befriends an overworked single morher a nd books.lo\l.'tr.~Stt'IOUS.lns
r.1trsonz.a.bk JOO\'W'S Iha.I .,."CJIWd
IWttn 11 dlrtycopand :t.diMy
prosttutOC', is a spi;ral of doublt
ha\~ scand Wm off bd~ ((.I\ . and tnp&c crosses m..., hK:h thuc
her son a nd lea rns to do rhe lau ndry while dispensing C'fl lh.l.1 nnpty 1heatn-s can ~:m ls nt'"\"'l!r :1 good option. not tba.t
th~ men 111o'OU.Jd be lncluxd to
rmp1y pxktts for 1he '~tttr
prognm~n). dlOMe ft If thty m.lki.
lessons in discipline and obedience. Ir's complerely pre- But the tmphasb is still on vis Tbe VlOlence m The Unjust" Is
ttf1l1. QCttSSJ.b&c enteru.uunmt ol fairly OTdllW)' and oCten h:l1
burlesque quabt), bul ln JA.n.g
dicrable, a lirrle underwrirren a nd consisrendy charm- all kinds. tsptda.11)' In t his lOth
ann1\'tt5a.1Y ynr, when. m: Mr. Cheol--Su's Bedt\illtd," S()'tht:s,
lltndrlx put 11. we're sort of~ stoncs .md other weapons arr
ing. lr may nor merir a fancy pa rry, bur you' ll go home lnte aliules.dlindulgtnL.. lb3t wif!:lded 10 Shoclangly ,,rld
and
means It SU~ ot Ount'W WU Xla gn\phlt a>-s.. Ji Scong.Won and
(nmrtblaru) mo\inth.atln-
feeling berrer rha n you would afrer a Lars von Trier cluMs four fihM wnuen or d1
rtt1C!d by Mr. Tsui, who ,ll
:ap-
J"'al' at &e:rttnlngs on July 9
closing-n ighr ga la. through 11,and a geocrou"J,di

The N ew York Asian Film Festival runs Friday through July

....
~'t~ ~IKhOO of KoreM thrill-

Thisyrar~festhnl breaks
down f:urly evenl)' in10 fi/mJ from
Chmtt (u)('IU(ting Ilong Kong and
14 at the Walter Reade Theater, 165 West 65th Street, Linco/11 T1uw11n). South Korea nnd JnJXln,
w11h single films from a few other
Center, (212) 875-5367; and Thursday through Ju ly 10 at coumries (Mnlnysia, Thailand.
u~ 1>hd1ppmes) t hrown lfl.
In ~tttn-l' Ott t. 11~ M)"S-
Japan Societ;y. 333 East 47th Street, M anhattan, (212) 715 - ltt)'ol the rtll.\nlOO\ Ft:a~; Mr.
nul's nl051 rttent film. and
1258, subwayci11ema. com. Rtlgnol A.ssassm~d1r'l'C1edby
the up-a.nd<0n1e:r Su Ch;,o.pm
Wen Zhang. k:ft. 3nd Je1 Li in
Xue Xiaolu's Ocean Hc.,,vcn:
mnd 1~ \'ttemn John Woo. t~
rr-Mwoil is offC'ring fv.''O llghl-on
lhl'irftti martin! an.scaper-s th31 Seo Yoong Hee (in :i gnpping
'land in J>'tli41ll <"Onlmst lOthe
perfornunce) play childhood g.lrl
bbi1C'd, nauonahstic t'pics that fncndsre\lmtedon !he 1sbnd
where they gttW up .;, plxt
~ ctuna'S nwn anrmahc e.x
port 1hest' d.3)'$. r 1r 11s
than fh~ borsn In It and mott
''
11'\0f'r
"ht1"e reb.uonsb1P5 bt-t'A"ttn
\.\"Ofttl\ and the IN' 1nen u.1'IO

than IW'O SClt'nCSof gjllnt !lmUts stick around ha.vc a dyn:uruc-

n'LlU!fl& on the pW:n, w:n'lng
......
fb.IS.'lt"t'a,"Oid u;Mr.llt'ndnx
)
OHK11\T Ott; SUUTing the
H ong KonJ SUpttSIM Andy Lau
u 1he utk ch:t.rnctcr. ...,'Of1u its
kung fu mto ~ rrason:ably CJTd1ble
H"\'a\th-ttnlury mysttt)' story
(wnh supttn1uural tk-mentJ). I~
ll'IO!l~le~ue.nct'.a
IHSintl, not-<1u1tt-nude Stt1"le m
hteh 3 bt-.lutilol t:Ourtier (Li
Bmgblna)us.es hernwtWans
Jlr.ills1odrns~ lfwtu5edodg
m~ hund~' of nrrcr-.-1s. rttalls
lhe famously sexy duel bctttn
Brlg1ue lm and Moggie Olwng
m or.1aoo Inn (1992). whJC"h is
also being shtwm In the fcstl\oll
Rrlgn of MsaS5ins 1wr.;,ks
lhc WU Xl.'1 reci~ by lakmg 3
tJl'C'ak frorn Its Mory ot prorc-sston
al k1llcr.l pursuing a monk's mum
rnifltd remam$ to mdulgr In a
long Sl~lth <H gentle (very gen
1le) ron10ln tk-don1~icromedy.
Mlchcllc Yroh and the Korea.nnc
lor J11ng Woo-sung J)l;t.y :111 ll<'tM
sass,in 111 hltlmg and a n:m-e d('hv-
try bo) ...,.hO meet cute dunng the
MtnJ:d)'nn.sty.
A llurd hi.ghprofllc rntry from
China fca111rttthcm.ut1.a.J :iru
'"Ar Jf'I Ubu1 rouldn'tbcmore
d1Ueren1 from the wu xb htms. In
-....,_... .._ ....... __ w......._......_ __ .... ____ ~_,....._..-~-- .. --.--.........,_7 "Ocran llr!l\"t'fl," llK' directing d('-
straight ou1 of Dt11\~...
The best 0( tht ftSll\'a!'s Chr
nesc and Kon-an ftlms fuJftU r.x
prcw.ons 1n uybsh ~ cxollng
,,.'"3.)'S. but 11 you're looktn1 for
Stirpmcs.1hey'tt more taSIJy
found m the Jllp.;t.ntW l1lO\'YS.
One of lhl' best examples is YMh-
11!1.l.S3 lshi"b3..<QU's fourp.ln
M1locrone: A Lo\'tStOC")'," 3
w:"X:"k.fditf.3.n1:isy1h.11rtta.lts
early nm Burton one rnorncnt.
Lile Qutnun Turanono tht next.
A segment m''Olnng :m ltbuJht,
wh11c-su11td tdevis1on hosl 1s
punc1u:11td by gmm.')', 'olonderlul
ly dc3dp:in danct' numbtrs.,,., hlk
a sendupol$.1lmuml and yakuz:t
stones suddenly erup(s 1111oan
elaborutcly c:hortoi.:rnphcd 11.nd
bnlh.lntJy s t.nged six-minute
swotdfight sequence Inside: the
UJthl conhfl'S O( :o1 l:tl..'\J11M1Ullal
brn1hel
Other highlights of the J:ip.,.
nesc !ltleions include J\lr.
Mnkc's Nin.JA Kids!!!.~ arnu
cous comedy w11h a mlcn1cd C3SI
ol ch ild :icton that's part "Naru-
10; pan 11nrry Polter; :ind 1he
former pornography director
1\oboru lguchi's Kara1e-Robo
7..nborFr, :i lovmg hom:tJCe 10
S.:uurday morning CMIOOOS
..-.hose 1rtleeh:uac1er is tilt hu
man hc.ro'sbrothtt. 1"3r1ner.IT!Of

,__
__Rogue
., __ __ ______ ..._
___ __ ___ __ _ .. __ _ _____
... .. _, __.._
but ot lhc r11n1 sthObr Xue Xi.>Olu, ru compass ollld motorcyck.
A Film Festival
_ ___--
Ea
, rns __,_..., Respect (Sort Of) Mr. LI forsakes f1gh1fag cntirrty (ZaborpraJs.ollpPC3fS IObe

-..-___ -- ~
,..._
__.. ____
... _,....._
_ ___
Lhe ooly film ln this )'t':tr's ftsrn-al

.. ...- ------- __
to pbiy an Qgmg. ru.hng nquanum

......,. __ _ ------ ----

nwn1~ 'oll'Ol'kl'r obsas4.'d 111 \lofnch female bod)' partsbt-

=-==- ____ ...____

---- ------ .... .... 't1th pnM<bn1 f0< lhc futurt: ot come weapons. someumrs turn

w - - - - ------- _....____ _~;;:~~;

.... ... ------
__ -----
--- ing into roct.et bunchtl"$ and oth
---~- his auusoc son (Wen Zhang).
m
------
-----~
..._....._,,_
----~-
-
-------
=--~~; ---.. .......... :-:=.:.-::..-::.::::.- ==~:::::-
-------
---
~----.. --
Tbn"e'J rnough noble Miffmng
~toflllthreeor fourlT"IO\ws,
but Ms. Xllit' handles it \111th rt-
m.vttablc rcurulnt for a ChuK"Se
er umcs mto arn1\'orous le:
an!>)
lfthe$t fl!mssound1oo&nm.
100 bklody or 100 cr.u.y tor )'OU.
dtttetor,and...,hUt Mr. U'lpct httt'S a final tt<'Of1'1mendaoon.
IMTnMJtt su!fen hun ~ l:M::k of A Bey and HuSamur:11;d1rect
lOc:kin& and punthlnz. h.is Im- td by \"ostu.h1ro N11k3Jllun., b
mense llkablbty is cnooih to car \ 't'fY Amtneall-Sl)'lt' rom.'U\UC:
ryh1mml.hrrolc. C'Omt'd)',m thc mokl.ol Ench.ant
Thr arm)' ol South Korean :x- Pd. CC'K1:uesnd Uopold.. A
110n-s:uspcnsc movttS-Wre att S31t1Ur.\i1smysteriou!l)11';.l.J\S-
t"t&ht on the sche-dulie - olfn-s port.td 10 21st-cientury Tok)'O,
prool at lhe genre'$ k>n,gr\,ty and where ht btfner)(b a.n O\'tt
v.-ortc.ed singlt' mother and htt
fM Sta \'orlt:Mliln 1-'ilm f."est1ml son and learns to do l ht bundry
runs 1-nt1.ay rhrough Ju{v J.l al the while d1spcnsmg ltssons m dlsd
Watr Rtodt Thtcutr, 165 \\'HI plme:indobcc!if'nt:t". lt'scom-
ti.51hS1rttl, Lu1(1'.)fn Crnltr, plelely predkt.:a.blc-.a lluJe under
(111) 815-5361; nndThursdoy wnncn and ronsh1en1J) c:h.1rm
fhrOUJ!h July 10 al Japan Sacirry, 1ng,. It m.:ty not ITK'ril n fancy par-
l1J 1:os1 471hSlrI. Motthouan. ty, but )'OU'll go home (ttlmg bt'I
(llZ) 11)-1~ utJ"'O)Tlllf'nta lt:r 1hnn you would allt'r n Ulrs
von Tr~ closmg nlght g.:tlll.
''""
Copyright 201 1by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
IN THE NEW YORK TIMES
THE NEW YORK TIMES, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY27, 2010 DJ, D4

KIM RAISES BAR,

DELIGHTING FANS
BY .I EIUt LONGMAN

___SP-orls
Vancouver 2010 nytlmos.com/al ,mpic'\ 4
She's the
f<Utes t skater
INSIDE THE RI NCS I've ever seen.'
MICJIEU.E KWAN,

Kim Raises Bar, Delighting Fans the l~- ~noed.olul

'She's the
By J ERtLONCMAN scnbc the resourcdulness.complexity Asad.'l said.
and artistry of her &Juumg,except 1n What the ;u.td1t~ of 11.n1at raor.c whole package.'
VANCOUVER, Bntish C'umbta -
thl$ comexz: Kim would h.we f101.shal Cohseum h:u.I vntnnsed was an unprl'C'
Oress~ In az.ure, accomp.uued by OOROTIIY HAMIU...
ninth in the men's rompetnlon. ntJTly tdtntcd combtna tion ot technical d1ffl
Gershwin. Kim YUna of South Korea lN 1916 '1--pll( cMms--
10 points nhead of 1he- Amt"ncan nauon cull y and w1liovo')' soph1st1c.atJOn as Kim
Sttntingly Oo.lted to the clouds with ht'r al ch.1mpion, J ettm)' AbbotL
soorlngjumps and :liryc~ Thurs- btt.arne the first South Kor e3Jl skater to
Moo Asada of Jnpan became the first win :ut Olrmp.c g okl mcdnl. She hcki up
day nigh1, "inning an Olympic gold W'Oman to l.lnd t"-o tnple axels ma frtt un<kr enonnous pressure to suett-ed as Kim YuM is the
medal Md her n glulul p lace as one of skate a t 1he \\.'in ter Games. but she still
thegrc3tCSt womtn's figure sk.:ners of an n1hlct<!, n cullural icon and a van firlt South
finished a d istanl second by mo n. 1hnn
nnyera. qu1\ her of competitors from Japan. Korc:.n figure
W points. E\en before As.'lda s k;ited,
Demonstrating cechnlcal supenonty which occup.td the Korean peninsula k.'llcr lo win a n
she k new th3t her chances for gold were
Md ethereal gr:ice at 19. Kirn dell\'e red futile after Kim's refined Md charnung r' or
35 ye.1rs through the end \\'()(Id Olympic mccfal.
D world record pcrfonn:inee o f 228.56 pcrfonnance . Wnr ll.
101al points. Maih .:alone cannot fully de- " I could hear the crowd going crazy," Con111tut"fl on J>agr J).I

VANCOUVER, Brit ish Colu mb ia

A s Kim Raises the Bar, South Korea Delights
._____ _ ,,,,.,,....,.
...,_,_----
......,,_,.....,,,...,.,.. ___,_......__
-" --....... -_. .... !!:"...:.::::::.....~~.:...
______ ressed in azure, acco mpan ied by Gershwin,
....,....

D
,_,a "_......,__,_.
_ __ ::---------
::---...--~ ...,.n- ... .. _.,_...,.
, ~-

~-=-...:=---=-
.._
_ _
.........,, ...
..........,...._.......,.
___ _
...... _..,,...._.... ......,_.......... . ........
~==-~..:~
..,,, .....____ __
. . ..._......-...
....
Kim Yu-na of South Korea seem ingly Roared

...... -.. ..........

..,_

_
,,...,,-~--

--
._..,.. .......___
......
.. . .....
----.....--.ir.-
~--~-
---
=.:.,-=~~
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,.....
. . ........................
..... - l " ' 7 ..... ., _
-..-
u-.-~

~-

-n.-----t
--...--..
...........
...............
......-. .
ro the clouds wirh her soaring jumps and
airy elegance llrnrsd ay night, winning an O lympic
___........__..... !;:.S-~;
""""'"'.._._...,..._...,
:.:::=.:!~ .. ...,..
... ""-"--'-""
__ ......................
......

------- .......-------
~

....... .
.
...,. ... *'l... - . .....,. ..... 0..,....-

........................,,_
._ gold medal and her righ tfu l place as one of the grearesr

____........____ __ ....-
1-....._...-...-c......... ~=--..11-
..............- . ..... ..--. ~:-=::....~~ ................. .... v- ... :oo')-w,......
women's figu re skaters of any e ra.
..__..............
-
~""' -...._._._.

................. :;;:.::.:.~.~
-.._,,_. _
-~
......,._
.........
-
...
-.-
. -
.,.....,
---.--
.. .....
__ . .
......._
----"' ...........
__
............. ,,,_..
~
_., ..._.::t...5' ..... ..-.
,,,..an.1.....--..............
__
Mf'O . .- . ..... -....-
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----~ ..... .....
.....,..,._ .,..
_
....,.. -. -.. .~
,,,..,_...,._.__
---~<-

_...,...,._ _ .,_.__
~--'"~
..,..._,_.. _.,._....,....
..._... .... "Sltio't . . _ , . . . . ............
""~~"
_.,_,......-,,_ -~.,...

Demo nsrraring tech nical superiority and ethereal grace

f-...... ..... --.. ... ..-.v.. ........
..,. ..... _ ... _..,. o.. .. ...._,.. _ _.._
~
~ .......... _.,.....
....:er--....-.....,.
..:..n:=-..u:- .. =~'===--~
:::.- --.-.....
==--:..-==:.::
......, ......... ........
-~--."""
" :..~~-:u_~:.:O" _..,.,.....,..""""'- ..... ar 19, Kim delivered a wo rld- record performance of
_,..... ,.............. =~.!:::~...,... 228.56 roral poi n ts. Math alone can not fully d escribe
...___ -....
- -IJIOl\.l it _ _,,,.
_ ,_............
"lW:Ml-....,.9"\ .... . - . " "
.....,._
--
_......._........
~

....,.....,_ .,,................ .......

.,.,... v--. w- ~ -
::".:...=;~~-=-= the resourcefulness, complexity and artistry of her skat-
:.::::.!'.-"'... .,_... ,......__.._,.-
..._
,.."' . ....... _ H _ _ _
s... 1i - . ... - -.<r--
,...._,,...,.....,...,._ ...._-
_,..._,_. ,_ .... "' ing, except in this conrext: Kim would have fin ished
n.... -.......... .. -
ninth in the men's com petition , nearly I 0 poinrs al1ead
of rh e American national champion, Jeremy Abbott.

Mao Asada of Japan beca me the fi rst woman ro land

t\vo triple axels in a free skare ar the W inrer Games,
bur she still finished a d istanr second by more t han 20
points. Even before Asada skated , she knew rhat her
chances fo r gold were fu tile after Kim's re fined and
charm ing performance.

"] could hear t he crowd going c razy," Asada said.

W
ar the aud ience of 11 ,77 1 at Pacific Encomiums have been handed to Kim here in bouquets,
C oliseum had wimessed was an unprec- like Aowers. Michelle Kwan, the cwo-rime O lympic
denred combination of technical di fficul- medalist, said, "She's the fastes t skater I've ever seen."
ty and willowy sophistication as Kim became the fi rst
Kara rina Witt, the 1984 and '88 Olympic cha mp io n ,
South Korean skater to win an O lympic gold medal.
said, "She has a lightness ro her skating and her jumps
She held up under enormous pressure to succeed as an
are very high."
ath lete, a cultural icon and a vanquisher of co mpetitors
from Japan, which occupied the Korean peninsula for Dorothy H amill, the 1976 O lympic cham pion , said:
35 years through the end of World War II. "She's the whole package. Her jumps are soaring and
they're equal. Yo u do n't have one big one followed by a
"Tod ay, I was more confide nt than ever," Kim, the
lirrle tiny jump. I chink she's grown choreographically.
2009 world champion, said .
She's very musical. The whole thing is very beau tiful
It is impossible to precisely compare skaters from d if- and athletic, but not too athletic. I don't feel like I'm
ferent eras. Rules change. Athleticism increasingly missing anything when I watch her."
demands its place alongside artistry. Bue a nu mber of
Some believe char rhe new sco ring system , with its
Ki m's gold medal predecessors were presenr Th ursday,
incessant technical d emands on jumps and steps and
and all seem ed th oroughly impressed that Kim had
spins, does nor allow skaters rhe same charisma and sig-
been so poised and lissome in her presentation and
nature artistry afforded Peggy Fleming and Hamill and
vaul ting in her jumps.
other scars from previous eras.
"H ow do you compare chat to Sonja H enie?" said
''As fa r as being renowned as a legendary artist , l d on't
Kristi Yamaguchi, the 1992 O lympic champion, refer-
think so," said Frank Ca rro ll , who coached the fourth-
ring to the three-time gold medalisr from Norway in
place finisher, M irai Nagasu of the United Scares, o f
the 1920s a nd '30s. "Everything is relative to the time
Kim. "As a really great skater, technically, yes."
and era."
David Kirby, an American coach and a technical expert,
Still, Yamaguchi added : "Certainly, it has taken wo m-
said : "Clearly, she's the best girl, but it's because she's
en's skating to anoth er level. Technically. 1he whole
rhe best technician. She's 70 percent sport, 30 percent
package."
art. Peggy Fleming was a real a rtist and real athlete. I
Assured, serene, Kim o pened with a triple lutz-rriple don't think that balance of art and sport is the O lympic
toe combination, a triple Aip and a double axel-clouble cha mpio n this year."
toe-double loop combi nation . Through fou r minutes of
This will be seen as needless quibbling in South Ko rea,
rhe challenging p rogram , she skated with speed , light-
where Ki m is the country's most popular athle te. So
ness and engaging openn ess in a scyle char her coach,
incense was rhe in terest in th e Kim-Asacla rivalry char
Brian Orser, calls unselfish and welco ming.
Korean repo rters and photographers began arriving at
"She reaches the lase row of th e buildi ng," Orser said the arena 12 hours before 1lrnrsday's competi tio n, only
beforehand. "People feel th ey're invited to enjoy it as to find rhac some of the ir Japanese counterparts had
she is." spent rhe night at the rin k.

O n 1lrnrsday, Ki m whisked like a feather across the ice. "1l1is is nor sports, this is war," Lee Jiseok, a reporter
fo r the Daily Sports Seoul newspaper, said, laughi ng.
"Technically, she's the greatest of all rime," said Ted
H e and his colleagues had already prepared stories on
Barton, a Canadian who helped devise the new points-
Kim, her mother and her coach. "If sh e loses, we're
based scoring system . " If she skates a little longer and
dead," Lee said. "We'll have to explain w hy she lose."
does this over the n ext three or fo ur years, she will be
the greatest skater of all time." 1l1at would not be necessa ry; Kim won the most glam-
orous event at the W inter Games.
Scott H amil ton, the 1984 men's O lympic champi on,
compared Kim to Seabiscui t, th e thoroughbred , as " I chink the whole nati on is in fro nt of the television,"
do min ant athletes who broke the ir com petitors' will. said John Moo n, chief of staff of the South Korean
O lympic Co m mittee. "Kim Yu- na is rhe country's spe-
"Yu-na has only been at the top of her game for a cou-
cial sister. Every athlete is important, but her medal is
ple of years," Hamilton said . "Bur if she's here a nother
more im portant than the others. She is beautifu l. She's
fo ur years at this level, a lot of skaters would break
our pride. I chin k Koreans will have a lo t of drinks."
clown. 1l1ey would try to up their games so much, th ere
wo uld be injuries. 1l1ere's no wea kness there. Com pare
her with anybody; she's got it all. Under any system,
anywhere, any time, she'd win."

Copyright 2010 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
THE NEW YORK TIMES, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2010 B13

KOREAN IS
FIRST WOMAN
TO SCALE
14 HIGHEST PEAKS
BY CHOE SANG -II UN

SEOUL, South Korea

C
li mbi ng on all fo urs after 13 g ruel ing hours,
a dim inutive So uth Korean woman , O h
Eu n-su n, reached the su mmit of o ne of the
CLIMBING H imalayan gia m s o n Tuesday to lay claim to being the
first woman to scale th e world 's 14 highest moun tains.

In keep ing with her cou m ry's intense pride in irs ath -
letes, she pull ed out a So uth Korea n Aag, raised her
arms and shouted: " Hurray! Hurray!"

" l wou ld like to share th is joy with the South Korean

people," O h , who is 5 feet 1 inch , said after reach ing
the summ it of An napurna in central Nepal.

Sou th Koreans - who watched her climb because it

Korean Is First Woman to Scale 14 Highest Peaks
was broadcast live by an accom panyi ng cam era team
- hailed her as a national hero.
A message left o n the Web site of the broadcaster KBS
said : "All our people watched each step of your cli m b.
You have demonstrated our country's greatness all over
rhe wo rld."

An napurna was the last of the 14 peaks taller than

26,247 feet (8,000 meters) that Oh needed to climb
ro make history. She reached the summ it - 26,545
feet above sea level - 13 years after she scaled her fi rst
Himalayan mou ntain, Gasherbru m II, in 1997 .

" We recogn ize herachi eve mentas the first woman climb-
er to sca le all the highest mou ntains in the wo rl d," said
Ang Tshering, pres ident of th e Nepal Mountaineering
Associatio n, accord ing to The Associated Press.
0
h's closest rival, Edurne Pasaban of Spain ,
scaled Annapurna this month but has yet to
reach the 26,330-foot-high Mount Shisha
Pangma to march Oh's fear.
Nationalism looms la rge in sporrs in South Korea, a
co untry obsessed wi th maki ng a mark on the interna-
tio nal scene. Kim Yu-na, the figure skater who wo n this
year's O lympic gold, is a nat ional star.

Pasaban has raised questions about whether O h actu-
ally reached the summit of Mount Kangchenjunga, the
world's third-highest peak, last yea r.
" Her Sherpas told me that she didn't reach the summit
because of bad weather," Pasaban told l11e Times of
London recently.
In rhe absence o f an international mountaineering
body, Elizabeth H awley, an 86-year-old American
mountaineering journalist, is considered the final ar-
biter on such disputes. She agreed last week to reco rd
Oh's ascent of Kangchenjunga as "disputed ," pendin g
an investigation.
Oh, 44, scaled 4 of th e 14 peaks last year but retreated
several hundred feet from Annapurna's summit because
o f bad weather.
O n her historic climb, she was carrying a photograph
of Ko Mi-young, her rival an d fellow So uth Ko rea n,
who plummeted to her death last year while descend-
ing from N anga Parbat, the world's ninth-highest peak.
Ko had climbed l I of the 14 peaks.
News reports about spores stars wi n ning wo rld cham pi-
o nships brim with patriotism. Repo rters often ask the
athle tes to "say something to the people back home,"
and they always thank "rhe people a nd rhe fatherland"
before mentioning thei r fa mi ly a nd loved ones.
"When life was hard and we were tired, spores have
encouraged us with good news," said Ko Dong-guk,
one of hundreds of T V viewers who left congraru larory
messages on the KBS Web si te.
7his article has been revised to reflect the Jollowi11g correction:
Correction: April 30, 2010
Because ofan editing error, an rtrticle 011 \Vednesday about Oh
1111-sun ofSouth Korea, who on Tuesday reached the summit
of A1111apuma in central Nepal to lay claim to being the first
wo111a11 to scale the world's 14 highest mo11ntains, misstated
her age. She is 44, not 34. The article also referred imprecisely
to the n11mber ofpeople who have acco111plished the feat. The
figure, "fewer than 20 people," referred to the number ofpeople
who had done it before Tuesday; that did not include Oh.

"She showed us what challenge means," Lee Myung-

bak, the president of South Korea, said of O h in his
congratularory message. "I am proud of her."

Oh was bound to receive a hero's welcome home in

South Korea. Mountain-trekking is a national hob-
by in the co untry, where 7 0 percent o f the land is
mou ntaino us.

Befo re Tuesday, fewe r than 20 climbers had made ir

to the rop of th e 14 peaks t hat a re at least 26,247 feet
high, including three South Korean men.

In recent weeks, rhe South Korean news media gave

almost daily updates on Oh's condi tion. O n Tuesday,
KBS showed hours of live coverage as she inched to-
ward the rop.

Copyright 2010 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permi ssion.
THE NEW YORK TIMES, FRIDAY,]UNE 18, 2010 A26

MAKING THEIR OWN

NATIONAL NOISE,
BUT LOSING ANYWAY
BY CO HEY KTLCANNO:\

M
uch has been made of the vuvuzelas, whose
buzzy d ro ne has been the soundtrack of the
Wo rld C up games being p layed in South
Africa's stad iums.

But when it comes to assau lring ea rdrums, t he stadium

horn s have nothing on the notorious inflatable plastic
clappers that South Korea ns use to cheer rheir rea m.

The sound is especially deafening in t he confi nes of a

sma llish ballroom li ke the one above the Korea Vi llage
shopping center on Northern Boulevard a nd 150rh
Road in Flushing, Queens.

By 7 a.m ., this srretch of the bouleva rd was teemin g

Making The ir Own National Noise, bu t Losing Anyway
wirh Korean-Americans in the red T-shirts rhar a rc rhe
obligato ry uniform of South Korean soccer fans. More
than I,OOO of them took to the ca rpeted floor of rhe
bal lroom for a dua l-screen broadcast of the World C up
game berween South Korea a nd Argentina.

They clamorcd for the in flatable tubes handed our

by volunteers: clapping sticks that produce dea fening
staccato sounds when w ielded overhead by hund reds
of young, ca ffeinated fa ns.

"They increase rhe e nergy," said Hunki Lee, 25, a col-

lege student from Fl ushing.
T
he clappers fell briefl y silent before the ga me
while an M.C. led chanrs in Korean, drum-
mers beat la rge Korean ceremonial janggu a nd
buk drums, and a da nce group dressed in whi te mar-
tial arrs robes blended rae kwon do a nd sy nch ron ized
music video dance styles.

T he inflatable banging sticks were used to celebrate

t he sight of the South Korean flag on the screen, then
the appea rance of rhe ream's sta r player, Park Ji-su ng.
T hey were briefly silenced again when a cu rving kick
by an Argentina player bounced off a South Korean
mid fielder's shin and into rhe Korean goal.

Fa ns who did nor go to the ballroom flocked to the

dozen busi nesses within half a block of it, includi ng
the Jang Shoo C hon restaurant, where a slightly older
crowd was watching the game while dini ng on elabo-
rate Korean break fast offerings - places of banchan
and jigae stew. Some drank soju, which is simila r to
vod ka, while others sipped the sweet rice beverage
called sh ikhae. Argentina scored aga in.

South Korea scored going into ha lfrime to close the gap

to 2 to 1. Over ar Park's Snack Corner, a crowd of older

men cheered and are from the pork kimchi stew on a

bu rner on the table.

Ar the nearby H &Y Marketplace, a grocery clerk danced

and sa ng berween the stacked sacks of rice and Korean
melons, u nder ban ners of South Korean Aags and red
T-sh irrs.

Jn the second half, though, A rgentina scored a third

goa l, and C hris Kim, 46, a stylist at the Black and
W hite hair salon, slumped in rhe barber's chair. He
said rhe shop had bought the la rge-scree n television
just fo r the World C up.

Next door at rhe Siruyeon coffee shop, Michelle Ki m,

56, kept hope alive, as she watched on a laptop on the
counter in the kitchen whi le making rreok, steamed rice
cake pastries.

Bur in the 80rh mi nute, Gonzalo Higua in of Argentina

scored another goal, the final one of the ga me. The clap-
pers fell silent once and fo r a ll.

Copyright 2010 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with perm1ss1on.
THE GLOBAL EDITION OF THE NEW YORK TIMES, MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2011
SOCCER OFFERS LESSON
IN HOW TO GET TOUGH
LONDON
" Zero tolerance" is rhe in phrase among s porrs of-
ficials these days.
Sepp Blarrer of FIFA and Jacques Rogge of rhe
Inrernarional O lympic Co mmirree speak abour it.
Sout h Korea practices it.
T his pasr weekend , 10 Korea n professional soccer
players were ba nned fo r life from playing rhe ga me.
T he men, including one former nariona l rea m player,
Kim Dong-hyun , have ye r to face criminal prosecu-
rion. Bur rhe Korea Foorball Associario n has banned
rhem anyway.
"We made rhe decision derermined thar rhis would be
rhe firsr a nd last match-fix ing sca nda l in rhe league,"
sa id Kwak You ng-cheol, rhe head of rhe K-League d is-
ciplina ry commirtee.
"Players mu sr keep in mind rhar rhey wi ll be kicked
o ur of rhe sport perma nenrly if rhey ger caug hr com-
m icring wrongdoing." The 10, and fo ur orher men ac-
cused of collaboraring to fix rhe omcome of marches
for berting purposes, could, if convicred in courr, face
seven years in jail.
T he associario n, it seems, has concl uded their g uil t,
though Kwak conceded t hat the life bans wou ld be
rev iewed if they were clea red in crimina l proceed ings.
9
BY HOB II UC ll ES
T his, remember, is t he Republic of Korea- nor Nort h
Korea.
The K.F. A., the pa renr body to rhe 28-yea r-old
K-League, has been built u p th ro ugh its past presi-
dent, C hu ng Mong-joo n, a leading lawmaker in the
Nat iona l Assem bly in Seoul.
C hung was recenrly deposed as a vice presidenr of FIFA,
in parr because h is straight talk sat uncomfortably with
some of the corrupt pract ices now bei ng unraveled at
the top of rhe world govern ing body of soccer.
By coincidence, lraly's courrs are still sitti ng on t he case
ofluciano Maggi a nd Anton io Gi raudo, the men barred
fo r five yea rs fo r t hei r al leged roles in the Calciopoli
corru ption case that preceded Italy's wi n ning rhe 2006
World C up. Maggi and Gi raudo were fo und, by rhe
sports aurhoriries, to have wielded s uch infl uence over
referees that Moggi's club, Juvenrus, won champion-
ships thar were larer stripped fro m rhe records.
But Maggi has no t gone away. H e sti ll contributes cor-
uscaring colum ns to rhe Libero newspa per a nd acer-
bic co mrnenra ries on Telcapri Sport TV. He is srill in
cou rt, in Naples, pleadin g that he has a lways been in-
noce nt and was fra med in relation to Calciopol i and
other cases involving a player agency.
I
n che same week char Souch Korea was decla ring
10 players persona non graca, the Icalian soccer
federacion suddenly ruled char Moggi must neve r
be a llowed back into t he spore, in any capacicy.
So, zero colerance before trial in Korea, and zero coler-
ance five years afcer che fact in Italy.
This column applauds draconian measures to rooc our
match fixers in any spore, not just soccer. Nothing
contaminates sports more than attempts to corrupt
the outcome - and as the recenc tria l in Bochum,
Germany, has demonstrated, che same big fixers come
back aga in and aga in, even afcer t hey have been jailed
fo r game tampering.
The spread ofl ncernet becring has increased che stakes,
and made it possible fo r syndicaces on the other side of
the world to accempt to fix precise moments in match-
es to make their financial killings.
There are sinister consequences co this. In 2008, two
C hinese scudencs who attended Newcastle Uni versity
in England were found to have been murdered. T heir
killer refused to cake che sta nd ac his tria l and went to
prison w ithout a nswering police and prosecutio n ques-
tio ns relacing t he murders co Triad becring ga ngs in
China.
A su icide a month ago in Souch Korea triggered che
reverberations throughout the K-League. The news
agency Yonhap reported char a player found dead in
his hotel roomhad lefc a note in which he referred co a
match-fix ing cartel.
The invescigacion char followed led co t he bans, is-
sued lace Friday nighc, even before che state started ics
prosecutio n. Eighc of the indicced players are fro m che
Daejeon C itizen club. One is from Gwangju, and o ne
from Sa ngmu Phoeni x.
The Sangmu player, Kim Dong-hy un, is in big trouble.
His rea m is run by che military, and military prosecu-
tors are o n the case. If che K-League verdict holds, nor
only w ill he never represent Souch Korea again, bur he,
and the ocher nine barred players, wi ll not be allowed
co be involved in any way at all with soccer.
An llch player, KimJung-kyum of che PohangSteelers,
was handed a five-year ban afcer a llegacions char he
learned of che Oaejeon C itizen plot and bet on ic.
No club officials are accused of k nowing of the ploc
chat a llegedly scarred with o ne player's being paid 120
million won, abouc $110,000, and distri bucing ic to
team maces.
They lose the game againsc Pohang Steelers in A pril.
H owever, che clubs pay a penalty - a n ironic o ne:
chey w ill be docked a la rge part of che nea rly 270 mil-
lion won paid an nually to each K-League ream from,
of all t hings, Sports T oro. That is South Korea's only
licensed spores lottery.
We are looking at the scare of a zero-colerance policy
chat will not be watered down by courts, as it very
likely mighr in Europe or t he United Scates.
No matter how good Kim Dong-hyun was on the
field , che chances of his getting an amnesty and a re-
call to che nationa l squad are long.
He has all the rime in rhe world now co reflecc on the
real meaning of zero tolera nce. And he mig hc, if Kim
is a scudent of soccer history, thi nk his misfortune was
to be born where he was.
Way back in 1980, Paolo Rossi was disqual ified for
three years afcer being implicaced in anocher Ical ian
sca ndal, the Toconero betting affa ir. H is ban was later
reduced to two years, jusc in rime fo r Ross i co ma ke the
1982 World C up squad.
After a slow scare, Rossi became the Golden Boot and
Golden Ball winner of che Ita lia n team char won the
World Cup in Spain. Indeed, FIFA made hi m player
of the year.
All was forgiven, and later, in his book "I Made Brazil
C ry," Rossi maintained his in nocence, corroborated
by one of his accuser's admi ccing th at Rossi was never
guilty of anyching. The evide nce aga inst him, appar-
ently, was a lie.
ISoccer offers lesson
in how to get tough
Rob
Hughes
1 lions relating the murders to Triad bcl
GLOBAL SOCCER
LONDON "Zero tolerance" is the in
phrase among spons officials these
days.
Sepp Blatter of FI FA and Jacques
Rogge of lhc I nt ernational Olympic
Committee speak about it. South Korea
practices it.
This past weekend, 10 Korean profes-
sional soccer players were banned ror
life from playing the game. The men, in
duding one former national team player,
i Kim Donghyun, have yet t o face crimin
al prosecution. But the Korea Football
Association has banned them anyway.
"We made t.he decision determined
that this would be the fir.a and last
matchftxing scandal in the league,"
I said Kwak Young<heol. the head of the
K-League disciplinary commiuee.
"Players must keep in mind that they
will be kicked out of the sport perma
nently if they get caught committing
wrongdoing." The 10, and four other
men accused of c:ollaborating to ftx the
outcome or matches for belting pur-
poses, could, if convicted in coun, face
seven years in jail.
The association, it seems. has con-
' duded their guilt, though Kwak con
ceded that the life bans would be re-
viewed if they \\'ere cleared in criminal
proeeedings.
This, remember, is the Republic of
Korea - not Nonh Korea.
The K.F.A., the parent body to the 28
year-old K-league, has been built up
through its past president, Chung
Mongjoon, a leading lawmaker in the
National Assembly in Seoul.
Chung was recen tly deposed as a
vice president of FIFA, in part because
his straight talk sat uncomfortably
with some of the corrupt practices now
being unraveled at the top of the world
! governing body of soccer.
1
By coincidence, Italy's courts are still
1
sitting on lhe case or Luciano Moggi and
I Antonio Giraudo, the m en barred for
I five years for their alleged roles in the
Calciopoli corruption case that preceded
Italy's winning the 2006 World Cup.
Moggi and Girnudo were found. by the
sports authorities, to have wielded such
influence over referees that Moggi's
club, Juventus, won championships that
were later stripped from the records.
But Moggi has not gone away. He
still contributes coruscating co1umns to
the Libero newspaper and acerbic corn-
, mcntaries on Telcapri Sport TV. He is
still in coun. in Naples, pleading that
I he has always been innocent and was
l framed in relation to caJciopoli and oth-
1 er cases involving a player agency.
I n the same week that South Korea
I was declaring 10 players persona non
. grata, the Itnlian soccer federat ion sud-
denly ruled that Maggi must ne\'cr be
allowed back into the sport, in any ca-
pacity.
So, zero tolerance before trial in Ko-
rea. and zero tolerance five years after
the fact in Italy.
This column npplauds draconian
measures to root out mntch fixers in
any sport, not jus t soccer. Nothing con
taminntcs sports more than attempts t o
corrupt the outcome - and as the re-
cent trial in Bochum, Germany, has
demonstrat ed, the same big fixers come
back again and again, even after they
have been jailed for game tampering.
I The spread or Internet betting has in
creased the stnkes, and made it possi
I ble for syndicates on the other s ide or
the world 10 nttempt t o fix precise mo-
ments in matches to make their finnn
cinJ killings.
There arc sinister consequences to
this. In 2008, two Chinese students who
nttended Newcastle University in Eng
land were found to have been murdered.
Their killer refused to truce the stand at
his trial and went to prison without an
swering police and prosecution qucs
ting gangs in China.
A suicide a month ago in South Korea
triggered the rcve.rbcrations throughout
the Kleaguc. The news agency Yonhnp
reported that a ployer found dead in his
hotel roomhad left n note in which he re-
ferred t o a match fixing cartel
The invest ignlion that followed led to
the bans, issued late Friday night, even
before the st:it e s tarted its prosecution.
Eight of the indicted players are from
the Daejeon Citizen club. One is from
Gwnngju, and one from Sangmu
Phoenix.
The Sangmu player. Kim Dong-hyun,
is in big trouble. His team is run by the
military, and military prosecutors arc
on the case. If lhe KLeague verdict
holds, not only will he never represent
south Korea again, but he, and the oth
er n ine barred players, will not be aJ.
lowed to be involved in any way at all
with soccer.
An llth player, Kim Jung-kyum of the
Pohang Stcclers. was handed a five-
yeor ban after allegations that he
learned of the Oaejeon Citizen plot and
bet on it.
No dub officials ore accused or
knowing Of the plot lhOl allegedly SlOI'
""'""""""".....,,.,
Kim Donghyun was gl\'en ;a llfet lme ban.
led with one player's being paid 120
million won. about $110,000. :ind distrif>.
ut ing it to t cammates .
They lost the game against Pohang
Steclers in April.
Howe\'er, the clubs pay a penalty -
an ironic one: they will be docked a
large pan of the nearly 270 million won
paid annually to each KLeague terun
from, of a.JI things, Sports Toto. That is
South Korea's only licensed sports lot-
t ery.
We are looking al the start of a zcr~
tolerance policy that will not be
watered down by courts. as it very
likely might in Europe or the United
States.
No matter how good Kim Dong-hyun
was on the field, t he chances of his get
t ing an amnesty and a recall to t he na
tional squad are long.
He has all the time In the world now
t o reflect on t he renl meaning of iero
tolerance. And he might, if Kim is a stu
dent of soccer his tory, think his misfor-
t une was to be born where he was.
Woy back in 1980, Paolo Rossi was
disqualified for three years after being
implicat ed in anot her Italian scandal ,
the Totonero betting affair. His ban wns
later reduced t o two years, just in t ime
for Rossi lo make tl1c 1982 World Cup
squad.
After a slow st art. Rossi became the
Golden Boot nnd Golden Bal l winner of
the Italian team that won the World
C\Jp in Spain. Indeed, FI FA mode him
player or the year.
All was forgiven, and lat er, in his
book "I Made Brazil Cry," Rossi mnin
tained his innocence, corroborated by
one of his :iccuscr's admitting that
Rossi was never gu ilty of anything. The
evidence against him, apparently, was
alic.
Copyright 201 1 by The New York Tirnes Co. Reprinted w ith permission.
THE NEW YORK TIMES, THURSDAY,]ULY7, 2011
I.O.C. AWARDS
2018 WINTER GAMES
TO A SOUTH KOREAN
RESORT
BY .J ERE LO.\l C ~IA\l ASD Cl IO E SANG -II UN
T
he W inter O lympics were awa rded fo r rhe fi rsr
ri me ro Sourh Korea o n Wednesday as rhe al-
pine resort of Pyeongchang was named hosr of
rhe 2018 Ga mes.
Pyeongchang had been a persisrenr ca ndid are fo r a de-
cade, fini shing second ro Va ncouver in the voting fo r
the 2010 Games and ro Sochi, Russia, fo r the 20 14
O lympics. It built its successful ca ndidacy fo r 201 8
on a proposal to expa nd access to winrer sporrs in rhe
populous and lucrative Asian ma rket.
T he South Korea n city won overwhelmingly on
the first ballot of a secret vo te of d elegates of the
International O lympic Committee, receiving 63 vores,
compared with 25 fo r Munich a nd 7 for Annecy,
France. Voting took place ar a general asse mbly of rhe
I.O.C. in D urba n, Sourh Africa.
"There is maybe a lesson in the achievement of
Pyeongchang," Jacques Rogge, the president of rhe
I.O .C., said at a news con fere nce. "Patience a nd perse-
verance have prevailed."
Pyeongcha ng will be the t hi rd Asian city to host rhe
W imer Games, after Sapporo, Japa n, in 1972 and
Naga no, Japan, in 1998 . l rs budger fo r 20 18 was far
BJJ
grearer rhan rhe orher bids - $ 1.5 billion for the actu-
al Ga mes a nd $2 billion to $6 billion fo r infrasrrucru re
projects, according ro news reporrs, as Pyeongchang
seeks to become a regional w inrer sports hub.
T he Sourh Korean candidacy also enjoyed w idespread
public support, which t he I.O.C. considers an impor-
ta nt facto r. Its pla n to have all evenrs wirhin 30-min-
ure's drive from Pyeongcha ng appa rently was also
appea li ng. And the Olym pic delegates seemingly were
swayed by the fac r thar Sout h Korea's president, Lee
Myung-bak, t raveled to Durban to make a personal
pirch fo r the 20 18 Ga mes.
But rhe most persuasive facto r in Pyeongcha ng's bid
may have been the c ha nce to furt her expa nd the popu-
larity of winter sports in a country that had not pre-
viously hosted rhe W imer Olympics. Pyeongchang is
about I 00 mi les east of Seoul, t he South Korean capi-
ra l, which has a popularion of more rhan 10 million.
Andrew Judelson, rhe c hief revenue a nd market-
ing officer for rhe Un ired Srares Ski and Snowboard
Associario n, said in a sraremenr, "The O lympics w ill
benefit fro m rerurn ing to Asia and especially Korea,
which has become a major global business cenrer."
 OLYMPICS

1.0.C. Awards 2018 Winter Games to a South Korean Resort NORlli~

ByJERtLONGMAN
andCllOE.s.l.'iG ll UN
TM Wmttt 01)11\pta wtt'C
t~
na.
I O.C. m Durban. South Al

lbert lS maybt' a k."sson m t.M

dtn1. Ltt M)'ung-bak. tr.l'dl"d to
Durboan to nW;e a pc-rson3l pd.eh
fw the 2018 G3mtS.
W~nt'Sd.ly's \'OCe ,.,..,_, 1n kttp-
mg "'Ith m::ornt autmpu by tht-
Of)'Tllpc: and SOCttr's \\'or1d Cup
11y co orpnae ~ in1t'm;mon
al sporttn& t\"l"fUS O\'t'r lhc- p;ut
tv.'O decadH.. In add1taon to bt1n$ 5--'
.
.rJu:...n~m..
Pye: n1cti.an1

u'Jl'dtd for the firss llmt to
South Kort3 on WtdMSCbf as
lh< lllp<no ....., "' P)'tOngch.l"lt
\lo'3j Mmtd host ol the 2018
Carnes.
Pyeongchang had bttn :t ~r
si11ent Cl1Khda1e for a decade,
finishing second 10 Vaneotl\'t'r In
1he \'OC1n,g for the2010 CnmM nnd
10 Socht. Russa.'l, lor lhe 201'1
Olympics. It ~nit its succn.sful
c:1.nd1cbcy fOt' 2018 on a propcn.nl
10 exp.lnd XC6S 10 \\inter sports
in 1he popolou~ and IU(T.1the
As1anmartet.
The South Korean 01y won
O\~hdmingly on the first bal
kM of a ~ ' -01e of ~leg:atn of
the lntnational OlympK Com
mllltt, rcawmg 63 votes, corn
pared with ?S for Munkh and 7
for AnnK)', Frnncc. Vo1i11g took
place at a gcncr:i.I asSt'mbly of
Ch~ San.i:hun rrporrtd from
St'Oul, Sou1h KOrt!il.
ac:hle\'t'mffil of Pyrongchang;
JacqUts Rogge, the pttSldent o1
the 1.0C.. p><t :u a nr.r.-s conftt
tnce. "'Pautt1ee and perse'~r
a.nee tu\>e prC't':l.I~.
Pycongc:h.i.ng will be the third
Asian cuy 10 host the \Vmter
C11mes, nfttr Snpporo. J3p:sn. m
1972 nnc.I Nn.gano, Japan. in 199S.
II'\ budget for 2018 was far great
er 1tm11 1he other bids - SLS b1l
lion for Che actw.I Gnmt1 and $l
b1lhon 10 $6 billion tor mfr.mruc-
tun: pl"Oft'CU, nccordmR lo ne'olo"S
reporu.'" Pyeongd1:rng seeks to
be<ol:nt a ttx.c>nal wmtl!r s.poru
hub
Thl" South Kore:.n candidacy
nlJO tilJOYcd wklesprtad pubhc
suppon, ,... hteh the 1.0 .C. cons1d
ers nn lmpon:mt rac1or. Its plan
10 havt nll t \encs w11hm 30-
rmnutcs drl\'c from Pycong
chnnx npparcntly was also ap-
llCl'llmg. And the Olympic dcle-
gu1cs Sct"mmgly were sw:iycd by
the fnct 1htll South l\orcn's pr<.'SI
Ou1 the mosi pttSu.351\"e f3C10<
in P) 11ngchmg's bed may ha\ e
bttn the chan to lunhn" ex
p;i.nd the populanly ot v.;mer
spons 1n a count!")' t?ut had not
prt\10051)' hostrd tht Wmt'1"
Olymp.cs. Pyeongcha.ng lS about
100 nults c;ut ol Seoul. the South
l\orcan c:1~1 nl, ""'Inch has a pop-
ul:ulon or mort than 10 million.
Andrew Judelson. the!: chief
rl'vcnuc and nurkeung offi<'tt
for 1hc Uni ted States Ski nnd
Snowboard As.soc1.iuon. said m a
s 1:ucmtnl. "The Olymp.cs "",u
bene fit from ttlUmmg to ASl.3
and cspcoa.lly Korea, wtuch tw
become a m.1JOr gk>baJ busmess
Ct'ntct."
In a fin:ll pitch to 1.0.C. ddc-
g:.tes on \\'cdnesd:iy, Pyt"Ong
chang's bid lt:idcrs d1spl:t,)'td a
m ap showing lh:lt 19 of the prev1
ous 21 W1n1cr Games h3d been
held In Europe and North Amer
lea. s uggesting 11 was tune to give
Asia another chance.
to bnn& tM ,.:orkl's bipttt
sparung ~cnu 10 rbcn v.httr
thl') h3d not bttn prt\'lOUSI)'
Mid. Tlle 2014 W1nttt Games wlll
go 10 Russii fw the (1r5t llmc and
the 2016 Summer G3mts v.:111 be
held for 1he hrst 11mc in South
Ame nca. v.1th Rio de Jant1ro LU
host.
The mono ot the Pytongchang
btd was "new horizons; which
Cho Yangho. 1he ~ comm1t1ce's
<'h3Jrm.3n, d~nbed as an oppor
l umty to l'KJ)alld wmll'1' spons
10 new ~s of Ille W"Orkl Md
g.we opportumty to new J>l"'OPltt
103ccess 10 the \V1mcrG;uues.
P.u k Yonc-sung, htad ot 1he
South KortM Olympic Comnul
tee. said 1tut P)'t0ngch3111:'s \'I<'
tory "g.:we new hope for those d~
\eloping <'oumne-s, becnusc 111
the past we think 1he Ol)'mp1c:s
~ire only for the rich nnd big roun-
trics."
South Koren ha..'i &hO'A'n 11..S abtl
-...
the hose ol the' I~ Surnmtr
Olympics. South Kett01 v. H the
sovrn
ro-host "uh Japan of t ht 2002
KOREA
WorkJC\lp.
Yet. corrupoon 1n\ohing h11th
rnnkmg Olymf( offic1.'\J' lrom
South Kore01 has alJo hrouaht
emb.1rrnssment 10 t he 1.0.C. Kim
Un-yong, a formtt 1.0.C. v.ce
p~1den1, rcs~gned In 200' afttr
being <'onv1c:tl'd of embelUe-
mrnt. Lee Kunhtt. lht chalnnan
of samtJung, an Olympic spon.w, 09. ...... ~r..u
rtlmqu1~htd his dut1n as an
Pyeongchang .ec.ka 10 bt.-come
1.0.C. deltg.lte in 2003 and v.1u
a. rqiionnl winte r sports hub.
convicted ot ta_'ll e\':rnon; he "'m
blt'r pardontd and rttumtd his
role w11h 1he 1.0 C. lasl )~o.r. $12m1llion.
Part, the head of Sotnh Kort :i'a 1bc nc-A-s of Pycongchm&'s
Olymp1t Comrmll~. wns c:om'1Cl vtetory came near nudmght In
cd or embeulcm ent but par SOuth t\orca. tn the reson , \'11138
doned in 2007. 010, l he chairma n crs d;u1ccd and wa\'cd natlon;ll
or Pytongchnn1fs bid com111111~ nnd Olympic rtags.
and of Kor~an Air, was cl13rgtd "This Is a \'ktory tor the proplc
with cax evnslon in 1999 and )\IV of Sou1h Koren: l..cc, the coun
en n 1hrcc-ycnr pri:scm ter m, but t1')"S president, s..'tid from Our
settled with the JtO\'ernmcnt for ban.

n a final pitch to 1.0 .C. delegates on Wednesday,

I
In addition to being rhe hosr of rhe 1988 Summer
Pyeongcha ng's bid leade rs displayed a map show- Oly mpics, Sourh Korea was rhe co-hosr wirh Japan of
ing rhar 19 of rhe previous 2 1 W inter Games had rhe 2002 World C up.
been held in Europe and Norrh America, suggesting ir
Yee, corru prion in volvin g high-ranking Olympic of-
was rime to give Asia ano rher cha nce.
ficials from Souch Korea has a lso bro ughc embarrass-
Wednesday's vore was in keeping wirh rece nt arre mprs ment to rh e 1.0.C. Kim Un-yong, a former l.0.C.
by rhe O lympics and soccer's World C up to bring vice presidenr, resigned in 2005 after being convict-
rhe world 's biggest sporri ng events to places where ed of embezzle ment. Lee Kun-hee, rhe chairman of
rhey had nor been previously held. T he 20 14 W inter Sa msung, an O lympic sponsor, relinquished his duties
Ga mes wil l go to Russia for rhe firsr time and rhe 2016 as an 1.0.C. delegate in 2008 and was convicted of tax
Summer Ga mes wi ll be held for the first rime in Sourh evasion; he was larer pardoned and resumed his role
America, with Rio de Ja ne iro as hosr. with rhe 1.0 .C. lasr year.

The n1otto of rhe Pycongchang bid was "ne\v hori- Park, rhe head of Sourh Korea's O lympic Committee,
zons," wh ich C ho Yang-ho, rhe bid commitree's cha ir- was convicted of embezzleme nt bur pardoned in 2 007.
man, described as an opporruniry to "expand winter C ho, rhe cha irman of Pyeongcha ng's bid comm ittee
spores to new regions of the world and give opporru- a nd of Korea n Air, was charged with rax evasion in
nity to new peoples to access to rhe W imer Ga mes." 1999 and given a rhree-year priso n rerm, bur serried
wirh rhe governmenr for $ 12 mi llion.
Pa rk Yong-sun g, head of rhe South Korea n O lympic
Com mittee, said that Pyeongchang's victory "gave T he news of Pyeo ngcha ng's victory ca me near m id-
new hope for those developing countries, because in night in Sourh Korea. Jn rhe resorr, villagers danced
rhe pasr we rh ink rhe O lympics a re on ly fo r rhe rich a nd waved nationa l and O lympic flags.
and big countries."
"This is a victory for rhe people of Sout h Korea," Lee,
Sourh Korea has shown irs ability to orga ni ze major in- rhe country's president, sa id from Durban.
rern ariona l sporting events over rhe pasr rwo decades.
Choe Sa11g-hu11 reported from Seoul, South Korea.

Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
IN THE NEW YORK TIMES
THENEWYORKTIMES, THURSDAY,]ANUARY14,2010
Youth Program Inspires
Dreams of Korean Unity
By CllOESANGfl UN
SEOUL. South Korea -
When
Ju Jm-ho arm~ hn'e from
North Korea tn 2006, n was as lf
Mo had ~ to an abtn corn. .
~t. DOl )use the soulhttn twf of
the Kattan Ptninsub..
E\~ lhough M r. Ju. a 1-1-)"Ur
okl lk<rctor. was placed 01 a
school v.,th dWdltil a)~ or two
)"OW1Jer. most ol his dassm:t.tes
Vriere a. htad taUer. 11lty 1ca.wd
htm, calling him a -~ They
were fat a.head ol him m sub,eclJ
like m:uhematics. Though he was
dC$J)('rntc to make friends, he
Md trouble rommumc:ning.
ans how to harvest yams :ind
During class br<olcs. Ibey
talked about nothing but compul
m3ke scanicrows. The tr-enagen
from tM South gl\'e those from
er games. said Mr. Ju. ~ho 1s the North lips on hf:M to
now 17. 1 sumtd pl~ng 1hm1 so soaally and ocademocally.
I couk1 pn tbrir con'"'tfS3oons. I hnn m3dt fne.nds.
btcunie addicted.. My f)'esight
........
ckterion.ttd.. M)' grades COl
SU1tt lasl SUmrKr, ho'A-cvtt, bt
h3s bttn mrolled i.n 3 MW pro-
gram that Sttlts to O\'t rcomc the
yawning cultural gap that has dc-
\'cloped 111 the six dtcadcs dunng
whkh the Communist North and
the capil.11ist South h3ve been di
vklcd. The program brings to-
gether Sooth Korean tttnagers
:md )'OUng defectors f rom N orth
KOtt3 In a rare experiment here
In building affinity - and prtpar
mg for posslhie rt:uruficatlOl'L
J ust bov. far the tV'O 00~ h:we
dnlted apon. how radkally dof
fttent tMtr rrames of rtf~
ha\~ bcc'omc. 1'":15 ~'idml whfn
P:u1t Sung~ a IS..)nr-old
South Kor-e3Jl.. ~t
Mr. J u
through lhc program in Seoul's
bustbng Sinchon district.
'"When I :Weed him, ' How did
you g~ here?' I rxJ)Kled him to
say by bus or subway, M s. Park
S<lid.
Instead, she rKalled. "he g.ive
me the -..hole s tory of his joomty
from Nonh Korea thr ough Chin:i
:md Myanmar."" when he ned with
his family in 2005.
Th< p<ogr:un. c:illed lh< Wttl<
end Program ror South~ North
Kort;an Ttt:rl3Cf'S Togethtt. w.u
btgun Wt August by the Rev.
Benjamin H. Yoon. 80. lhe ~ader
of the Ouzcns' AJll;incc for North
Korean Human Rig h1s.
'"Although we share the same
,;enrs. Soi.uh and North Koreans
lhe hke comp letely di fferent iX"O"
pies. "'ith different accems,. dlf
ferent -..;iys ot thinking and be-
ha\ing; Mr. Yoon srud. w e !Of
got th:lt ~ore Korea -..-u d1,1d-
ed. "' bv'fd In the same country,
matT)ing each ochn'.-
Undef the program, the Oh
z.em' AllWKe. a O\'K group
founded in l996, h.u broug.ht 10-
gtther Studenl5 from K)-unzgi
Girl$' Jli&h Sc:hool m Stool vmh
young Nonh Kornn defectors
for enracurncut.v acuvmes.
They attend concerts.
cook, comp:utng N'onh
South Kort:an dlShcs. The North
Kor\'nns, who are adept :it fann
Ing. ha\e shown the South Kore-
SUCCttd
lb<)
When the sludenlS went camp.
Ing IJ1 Octobtt and su.yl"d up late,
Moon SungIJ. :t H)Hr-old North
Kattan. brought the- South K"'"
ans to tean "htn he rttaunled
h1S IWOaftd.a-half)"Uf journey
with ocher dtftttors, -..:hdl took
him from North Koren 10 China.
Myanmar nnd a refuge-e e.:unp In
Bangkok. But he shocked them
when he said 1hnt none or
1h:n
was AS d.!liuntlng as " South Kon....
an classroom.
1 could Mrdly undt1"Sland
an)1hlng the teacher srud; he
said. " My cl.usma1es, who "'tn
all o. )~3t or 1-.."'0 youngtt than I
was. taun1ed me as a poor SOUJ>-
eater from the Non h." I foucht
them Wlth my fiSlS."
More than Ii.OOO North Kore-
DJ\S, about 10 percent or
them
teenagers, ha\'C ned 10 the South
since f:.m1ne su uc.k their roumry
in the mid-1990s. TilC average
journey from th~ Nonh to the
Sou1h 1nkes 35 months. mostly
through China and Southeast
Asia. Noe everyone ''' ho starts
out makes It t o the South; some
h:we been caught and ret urned to
the North. whtte the)' of1tn end
up ln tabor c:tmps.
When they art: ploced In South
Korean s.c:hools. the Northerners
att lorced t o begin nearly from
scra1e:h. In the North, they spent
as much lJme le3mlng :about the
family of th~r ka(lcr, Kim Jong
ii, "-' they did :'lbottt the rest ot
Kore3n lu.story. F'e w learned
Eng.h~h. wluch Is 3 requirement
in Somh Korean schools. Dropout
r.1tes nmong defl"C'tors arc fi\"t'
YOUTH PROGRAM
INSPIRE S
DREAMS OF
KOREAN UNITY
TIIENEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL TIIURSDAY.JANUARY 11. 2010
~
and
Ju Jinho. crntcr, and Moon Sung-ii, krt. both refogtt from No11h Korea. raJ1ing Yl.' ith Sout h Ko-
rnn cirlJ u part of" program nm by the Ci1iz.cns' Alliancr for North Korun H uman Ri1:h11.
hmt'S the lWt"ra&e lor Soulh K~
a.n students. occordmg 10 the
Educntton Ministry.
With the number of Nort h J(o.
rt'an refugr-es mcrcasmg by
nbou1 10 pcrtent annulllly, the
task of lntegr.aung t~m ln10
South K~:in toOety hAS bea.:xM
an ('3rly 1rs1 for pMS1b&e un1fica-
1lon.
"'WhcM'\"tT somtthlrtg b;w1
about North Korea came up du.r
ing d.lls, c\Cf)-one turned to look
A16
BY CllO E SA.SC- II N
year-old defector. we sddom
thought about IL I still don' t thmk
11 's possible:. 11\C two econormes
arc much t oodtffcrenL""
In I\ SUf'\'t')'Of I.OOO South Kore-
ans conducted 14st June by che
Korta Ptaee lnsutute, a Ctms-
tlan rHearch institute', half 1he
resporwkn1s uiJ umfvlton WM
not necess:iry u iong as the I Yt'O
sSdes bvC'd in pe:xc. In MOlheT
pubbc opimon poll. conduaed in
Stptembtr by the Nataona.I Unar,.
cation Ad\'ISOI')' COunal, llboot
nt.'O-th1rds ol the South Keft3ni:
JUl"\e)'td '3id the) "-an1td any
uruOation 10 be gradlW 10 l\'Old
pobdcal llnd economic: cbsrup-
uons.
Although 3 s p1m o f unihca11on
pttSIMS in the South, m.iny peo-
ple 00.lk nt ''hat is expected 10 be
lhe enormOUJ c:ost ot ln1egm1in1
the t-..-o economies. Ptr cnpiUl In
rome In the North a mourns 10
only 6 pc1"Ctnt of ptr capita an
come In the South. xconhn& 10
lheBonkol~
'"I used 10 oppow unlric:uion,
bK.luse I thought -..-e'd me mctt
than we'd g:un, sa;d llur Jt-
)'OUng. a fnshman 11 Kyunw
hlJh school Htt fntnd Um llyo
Je001. ho\\'ie\'ef, S3Jd she 1Uppor1
ed 11 beause she saw an econom-
ic odv;unage 111 a largrr domcstJC
at me.'" said Mr. Ju, -..ho MW Bt the North, a Stttt<Mype hM dt- market.
tmds ttn altt:matlve school for \'doped here of Northemtts AS Afttr mingling Yt1th t he Nonh
defect ora aftrr fnihng to ad\1lJKe second-class Koreans. oet<1y Md Kore:m tcen.igen: for a sernester.
10 n rl'gulnr high Khool ""When ~t:irvmg. but al.so surly nod bel the SOu1h Koreans .s..i.id cht:)' bf.
trachcrs and s100tn1.s tpoke dis- hgerent. lbe mistrust is mu1u:al. liC\'ed more strongly In unafiCA
paragingly about Nonh Korea. I In t he North, cexhen tell chll 11on, but less for economic rt3
felt like they -..m Insulting n~... dren th:ll SOuth Kore:i 1s an sons now than for somethmg
Ms. PMk soud ihe used 10 look Amenc:an colony, n 1pnngboard closer to good w1ll
down on Nonh Kortans. "I asse> for a future lnvilStOtl, m t\ny d~ "'Belore 1.toultd this program, I
aatttl them -..ith 1omethm1 poor, rcciorssay. ronstdered unificauon Wlth 3 ul
cbrk Md ncpth"t; she said '" 83ck In the North, \lie seldom cubtor, not with my ht;u1 fOr ftl
Althouah many suttt'Uful heard texhen: tan; 3.boul unUa k.M* Koreans ln thC' Nonh; Ms.
South KOTC':al\J ha\'e lhnr rootl m tton. said ON>t llyokdM>I. 19 Uurs.;ikl.
W
en Ju Jin-ho arrived here fro m Norrh
Korea in 2006, ir was as if he had come to
n alie n contine nt, nor just rhe southern
half of the Korea n Peninsula.
Even though M r. Ju, a 14-year-old defector, was placed
in a school with chi ldren a year o r rwo yo unger, most of
his class mates were a head taller. T hey teased h im , call-
ing him a "red." T hey were fa r ahead of him in subjects
like marhemarics. T hough he was d esperate to make
friends, he had tro uble com mu nicating.
''D uring class breaks, they talked about noth-
ing bur co mputer ga mes," said Mr. Ju,
who is now 17. " I scarred playing chem
so I could join thei r conversations. I beca me addicted.
My eyesigh t d eteriorated. My grades got worse."
Since last summer, however, he has been enrolled in a
new program chat seeks to overco me the yawning cul-
tural gap t hat has d eveloped in the six decades during
which the Communise North and the capitalise South
have been divided. The program brings rogerher South
Korean teenagers and yo ung d efecrors from North
Korea in a rare experiment here in b uilding affin ity -
and preparing for possible reunification.
Just how fa r chc two sides have d ri fted apart, how radi-
cally different cheir frames of refere nce have become,
was evident when Park Sung-eun , a 16-year-old South
Korean, met Mr. Ju through the program in Seoul's
buscling Sinchon district.
"Wh en I asked him, ' How did you get here?' l expected
him co say by bus or subway," Ms. Park said.
Instead , she recalled, " he gave me che whole story of
his journey from Norrh Korea th rough C hina and
Myanmar," when he fled wi th his family in 2005.
The program, called the Weekend Program fo r South
and North Korea n Teenagers Together, was begu n lase
August by the Rev. Benjamin H. Yoon, 80, rhe leader
of the C itizens' All iance fo r North Korean Human
Righ ts.
"Alth ough we share the sa me genes, South and North
Koreans live li ke co mpletely different peoples, with d if-
ferent accents, different ways of chinking and behavi ng,"
M r. Yoon said. "We forgot ch at before Korea was divid-
ed, we lived in the sa me country, marrying each other."
Under the program, the C itizens' Alliance, a civic
group fo unded in 1996, has b rought rogechcr scudencs
from Kyu nggi G irls' High School in Seoul with young
North Korean defecrors for ext racurricular activities.
T hey attend concerts. T hey cook, comparing North and
South Korean dishes. The North Ko reans, who arc adept
at farming, have shown the South Koreans how to har-
vest yams and make scarecrows. The teenagers from the
South give chose from the North tips on how to succeed
socially and academi cally. T hey have made friends.
W hen the students went camping in Ocrober and
stayed up late, Moon Sung-ii, a 14-year-old No rth
Korean, brought che South Koreans co tears when he
recounted his rwo-and-a-half-year journey with other
defecro rs, which rook him from North Korea to C hina,
Myanmar and a refugee camp in Bangko k. But he
shocked chem when he said that none of char was as
daunting as a South Korean classroom.
" I could hardly understand anyth ing the teacher said,"
he said. " My classmates, who were all a yea r or two
younger than I was, taunted me as a 'poor soup-eater
from the North.' I fought chem with my fists."
More than 17 ,OOO North Koreans, about I0 percent
of chem teenagers, have fled to the South since fam-
ine struck the ir country in the mid- I 990s. The average
journey from the North co the South takes 35 months,
moscly through China and Sourheasc Asia. Noe every-
one who stares out makes it co the So uth; so me have
been caught and returned co the North, where they of-
ten end up in labor camps.
W hen they are placed in South Korea n schools, rhe
Norrherners are fo rced co begin nea rly from scratch . In
the Norrh , they spent as much rime lea rning about the
fa mily of their leader, Kim Jong-ii, as they did abo ut the
rest of Korean hisrory. Few learned English, which is a
req uirement in South Korean schools. Dropour rates
among defecrors are five ri mes the average for South
Korean scudents, according co the Education Ministry.
W ith the number of N orth Korean refugees increasing
by about I 0 percent an nually, che cask of integrating
them in ro South Korean society has beco me an early
test for possible unification.
"Whenever something bad about North Korea ca me up
during class, everyone turned co look at me," said Mr.
Ju, who now anends an alternative school fo r defecrors
after fai ling co advance co a regular high school. "Wh en
teachers and students spoke d isparagingly about North
Korea, I fel t like they were insulting me."
Ms. Pa rk said she used co look down o n North Koreans.
" I associated them with something poor, dark and neg-
ative," she said.
A
lthough many successful South Koreans have
their roots in the North, a stereotype has de-
Yeloped here of Northerners as seco nd-class
Koreans, need y and starving, bur also surly and bel-
ligerent. The mistrust is mutual. In the North, teachers
tell child ren rhar South Korea is an Am erica n co lony, a
s pringboard for a future invasion, many defecro rs say.

"Back in the North, we seldom hea rd teachers raJk about

unification," said Choi H yok-chol, a 19-yea r-old defec-
ror. "We seldom thought about ir. l still don't think it's
poss ible. The two economies are much roo different."

In a survey of I ,OOO South Koreans co ndu cted last June

by the Korea Peace lnstimce, a C hristian resea rch in-
stitute, haJf the respondents said unifi ca tion was not
necessary as long as the [\VO sides lived in peace. In an-
other public opinion poll, conducted in September by
the National U nification Adviso ry Council, about two-
thirds of the Sou th Koreans s urveyed said they wa nted
any unificatio n robe gradua l to avo id poli cicaJ and eco-
nomic disruptions.

AJthough a spirit of unificatio n persists in the So uth ,

many people baJk at what is expected to be the eno r-
mous cost of integrating the two econom ies. Per capita
income in the Norrh amounts to o nly G percem of per
capita income in the So uth , according co the Bank of
Korea.

"I used ro oppose unification, because l tho ught we'd

lose more than we'd ga in," said Hur Ji-young, a fresh-
man at Kyunggi high school. H er frie nd Lim Hyo-
jeong, however, said she supported it because she saw
an economic advantage in a larger do mestic marker.

After mingling with the No rth Korean teenage rs fo r a

semester, the So uth Ko rea ns said they bel ieved more
strongly in unification, but less fo r economic reasons
now than for so mething closer ro good wi ll.

"Before I joined this prog ram , I considered unificatio n

with a calculator, not with my hea rt fo r fellow Ko reans
in the North," Ms. Hur said.

Copyright 2010 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
 THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY.JUNE 13, 2010 RE4

THE PLACE
'FIT LIKE A JACKET'
BY CONSTA NCE HOSENBL UM

HABITATS/Jackson Heights, Queens

The Place
'Fit Like a Jacket'
Uy CONSTA.."CF. ROSF..NHLUM
OHLIHC: TAILORED TO S UIT
ll E np.mmcm in Jac"'5on

T lle1gh1S. Quttns. "here S.1ng and

MmJa J1 h.1ve h\'td for mnc yc:n'S
fmrty explodes ....,th original nnd un
usu:tl Y.'Orks of art.
Abo\'C 1hc sof:i hangs n m1xedmcd1a
pie by the Austrahnn arrnt D:wid
Bromley. a dreamy dcp1c1lon of a boy
surrounded by Images of cm-s. boms
and airplant'S. O\'erlook111g 1hc1r bed is
a wa1ercolor on h:mdmade paper show-
ing Viccnnmcsc women immersed in
1h~1rdruly chon::s.
Out one of the most fetch
Ing piccc:s is n creamy while
wall h:u1~ing. IH; surface Ill
tC'rru1ncd ouly by a pair of
sleek golden kol.
Mr. Ji's m1crprctation of
1hc meaning of lh\5 work Is
deeply romantic:.
"lt'sas 1f wi1h asof1 w:wc
of her tail, Minj;i \itJ.S invtt
ing me to ch:lSC :dter her,"
Mr.Ji hkcs 10 say.
fits wlfc otrcn n less sen
1lmcu1al r eadrng. " In my
opinion," Ms. J I S.'lid, " I'm
the one sw11111mng behind
him and JU5t qu1clly "alch
mg h1sbadc."
Despite their different rt::lct1ons 10
1he lnlJge. the Jl5 are In m:my "'' ays
' 'N')' much nltke. They hnve s1m1lar ram
1ly boK:kgrounds nnd ha\'C pursued s1m1
br <'ilrttrs. And 1hey disco,ered each
other Inn New York son or wny.
Mr. Ji, who1s35. immigmtcd from Ko-
rea "ith his parents whtn I~ \\':\S 10,
and was raised in Elmhurst, one sub-
way stop awa)' from wher e he lives 10-
day. A f!Cr gmdu...'lting from the Fnsh100
1ns111u1c of Technology, he went to work
as an nssistani p.-iucm maker. Today he
is director or technknl strvi<'l'S for the
dt>Slgner Narciso l~odrlgue"-
Ms. Jl, who islS and immigrated from
t\orea In 1991,nlsogrndumcd from F: l.T.
She mCl her future huSb.'\1HI when he in
1crvlewcd her for an lntern's job ns nn
eUlf)'IC\'CI raucrn m:tker :u J. Crew,
where he was working ni the time.
" llc wn.s ver) tough," snid l\1s. J i. who
Is now,\ dircc1or of tcchmeal design for
Ant1 Tuylor. "lie wns not qulle lmppy
with my work:
NOl \.\il hs1a11t11ng this m:1uspicious
st:crt, 1he two bcjtall da1111g sc:cretly.
lit ~':;~::~;:,::oflhehomeof
"fttmu.tOflt/ rolutate
They quickly bcc.1me a couple, and m
Apnl 2001 tnweled to ..:orca. where Ms.
J1's 1J.arents live, lobe married.
A )'e:tr earlier l hey h;id srnrted look
ing for a pem1ancn1 home. a.nd 011e of
1he 111"$1 places they saw was thl.s very
np.1rtmcn1.
" II felt :'IS if ii fil like a
jacket," Mr. Ji s:'lid, choos-
ing an :lprroprfatc meta
phor. 1t was over our
budge1, but thanks 10 some
t'rcaiive nmth we m:uJc an
offer. Then it v.-as pu\100
from the m;irkct. We we.re
hc.1rtbroken.
The couple wro1c the
owner a lcner, saymg thnt
if she ever decided 10 rclist
the ::ip:'lrt ment they were
definitely inte~tl"d. They
never heard a \\.'Ord.
And so 1helr srorch con
tinued, nght up 10 a memorable day lhe
following January. On 1h31 day they
v.erc taken to visit a co-op th.:tt, ns de-
scribed by the broker , sounded eerily fa
m1ha.r.
"We turned a corner. and our heans
s1.t1.ru.d pounding; Mr. J1 said. "\\.'e
looked nt each other ;u1d asked oor-
st'kes, coold 1t be? Then, sure enough,
we stepped in front of 1his buildmg.M
The onginal purch:ise pnce of
$145,000 hnd climbed io Sl65,000 -e\'cn
more of a financial reach - but the Ji.s
were not deterred.
we didn't want to sctm 100 drsprr
ate," Mr. Ji said. Mwe called that
C\'Clltng."
Their ap:irtmcnt is in a live-story red
bric.k buildmg on 781h Slrcct. :uid laces
n lush c:ourtyard garden filled with flow-
ering pl:m1s and marnrc trees. Ever
since the building went up neMly a ccu
tury :igo, th is oasis has been one of its
grc:u scll111g poims. To t he J1s, whose
bedroom :md kitchen O\'Crlook the gar
den, the big cit)' seems miles away.
"We w:ikc up ;md hear b1rds smglng;
Mr. JI s.'\id. " We feel 1he sun in our
f:lc('S. I realite 11 sounds likC' n chch(',
bul it's t rue.~
The npartmtnt has n dis1111ctly Kore
an ntmosph<:re.nnd not just because 1he
J1s nsk ,'i,lto,-, 10 rem(wc their shoes
upon entering. ns Is customary In mruiy
A~ian households. During the rouplc's
Korean wl"<lding tn p, the)' bought sev
crnl pieces of nn1lquc 1urni1urc. nrnong
1hcm a 19tho('entury chcs1srndded with
iron hanlwi\rC, :1 low S('holnr's cnblc 1h:u
now docs duty ns a 1elevision ~t:\nd. nud
nn nrmolre made of Korean ph1c, nola
ble for Its densely dcuolcd grain.
Oppos11c the bed h:\llg-t :\ hnnd
carved wooden plaque w11h n U1bli<"nl
verse In Korean 1h:u rends in ll:lrt,
" W11h your blessing 1hc house of your
~rvant wm be blessed forever," n wed
ding i:,1ft from their church. the Flu.shin~
Korean Church of the Nazarene.
Muny of 1heir furnislungs arc the
work of marquee-name designers.
among them the M ichael Ar a.m s1hcr
candl~licks, the Simon Pearce wooden
bowls and the Barbara Barry cherry
wood che!)t. (TI1c Jis arc adept at shop
ping sample sales nnd sn:lpping up noor
models. )
A few rnuchcs stnnd ns a reminder of
the couple's prorcs.siona.I interests. A
pair or dressmaker's dummies preside
over the Jis' workroom. like 111u1c scn
tries keeping guard.
The shelves that hne a wall of !he din
ins nrea arc cr.unmed wilh glossy
books on f'igures like Yohji Yamamoto,
Y\r~ S.'\1111 Liurcrn nnd llenn earlier
CASUAL OUT CLCCANT Minjl.\ nnd S:rng
J i both work in fn.shion, nnd t hei r
ap.'lrtnu:.:111 rcOcc1~ it . A wnll h:mging
o f fish i t' one of rn:rny :1rl w<>rkt'.
Dressen. Mr. J1's hbmry also Includes n
poignant rebc from his duldhood. dol
ens of leather-bound classics, :unong
them " h ':tnhoc; uule Women" nnd
war :\nd ~ace," tht'ir thle3; embossed
Ingold.
This was my mom's :111cmp1to1nnke
me read more books." Mr. J1 said. Mll
didn't ex..'\Clly work."
l11e J1s' .ttpartment h:is one obvK1Us
drn"' b.-.c.k. ~pHe nine-foot ~1hngs.
<"tc:am-colortd walls and llvmg room
wmdows that overkx* the ~treet. some
or the rooms cnn be dark.
"'So we said to ou(S('l\'es, let's cm
brnce the darkness; Mr. Jl said. Let 's
make the a1>artmcnt even dnrker.MThe
eJ.rthtoned furniture co11tr1bu1es to tlu.s
look. as do the cherry-wood blmds CO\"
ering 1he liv111g room windows.
11ic couple would be the first to ndmit
th:it ror every decon:u ing triumph there
have bctn :i few awful 111i.s.'!tC1r.>. 111e
Charles Shack lc101\ cherry-wood M
moire, orighmlly mtcnded for the hviur.
room, ucvcr quil c flt In amJ wns 5:tdly
exiled 10 the workroom.
A1\d this Is our 1h lrd rug," Mr. J i S.'\ld,
pointing lo the tobacco-colorcd Tibetan
rug from Dolmn 011 L.'\fayenc S1rcc1
tl1:u wns carted home by subway and
uuci. "' When we lnut it om 011 the floor,
we were j ust so relieved that ~nict hing
finally worked."

M r. ]i's inrerpretation of t he m ea ni ng of t his work is

T
he apa rrm enr in Jackso n H eights, Q ueens,
w here Sa ng a nd Minja Ji have li ved fo r nine d eeply rom antic.
yea rs fairl y explodes w ith o riginal and unusua l
"It's as if with a soft wave o f her tail , M inja was invit-
wo rks o f a rt.
ing me to chase after her," Mr. Ji likes to say.
Above the so fa han gs a mi xed-media piece by the
H is wife o ffers a less sentimenta l readin g. "Jn my opin-
Aust ra lian artist David Bromley, a dream y depiction
io n," M s. Ji sa id, 'Tm the o ne swim ming behind him
o f a boy su rrou nded by images of ca rs, boars and air-
and jusr quierly watching his back."
planes. Overlo oki ng their bed is a watercolor o n ha nd-
m ad e pa per show in g Vietnamese women immersed 111 Despite their different reactions to the im age, the Jis are
their da ily cho res. in m any ways very much alike. T hey have similar fa m-
ily backg rounds a nd have pursued sim ilar ca reers. A nd
Bur o ne o f t he m os r fetching pieces is a crea my white
they discovered each other in a New Yo rk sort of way.
wa ll hang ing, its surface in terrupted o n ly by a pair o f
sleek golden ko i.

M
r. Ji , who is 35, immig rated fro m Korea
wirh his parents w hen he was 10, a nd was
ra ised in Elmhurst , one subway srop away
from where he lives today. After graduati ng from rhe
Fashion l nsriru re of Tech nology, he went to work as an
assistant pattern maker. Today he is director of techni-
cal services for t he desig ner Na rc iso Rod ri guez.
Ms. Ji, who is 38 a nd immig rated from Korea in 1994,
a lso graduated from F. l.T. She met her furure husba nd
when he interviewed he r for a n inrern's job as an entry-
level pattern maker at J. C rew, w here he was wo rking
ar the rime.
"H e was very roug h," said Ms. Ji , who is now a director
of tech nical desig n for Ann Taylo r. " H e was nor quite
happy w irh my work."
Norwirhs ra nd ing rhis in ausp icious srart, rhe rwo be-
ga n d ating secretly. They quickly became a couple,
a nd in April 200 1 traveled ro Ko rea, where Ms. ]i 's
pa rents live, to be married.
A yea r ea rlie r they had sca rred looking for a permanent
home, and one of t he first places they saw was t his very
apartment.
"It fel t as if ir fit like a jacket," Mr. Ji said, choosing
an appropriate me tapho r. " It was over our budget , but
t hanks to so me creative math we made an offer. Then
it was pulled from the ma rker. We were heartbroken."
The couple wrore t he owner a lerte r, sayin g t hat if she
ever decided ro relist rhe apart menr they were definite-
ly inreres red. T hey never hea rd a word.
And so the ir sea rch conri nued , rig ht up ro a memo-
rable day rhe following Ja nu ary. O n that day they were
taken ro visit a co-op rhat, as described by the broker,
sounded eerily familiar.
"We rurned a corner, an d o ur hearts sca rred pound-
ing," Mr. Ji said. "We looked at each o ther and asked
ourselves, cou ld it be? Then, sure enough, we stopped
in front of this bui ld ing."
The origin al purchase price of $ 145,000 had cl imbed
to $ 165,00 0 - even more of a fina ncial reach - bur
rhe Jis were nor deterred.
"We didn't want co seem roo desperate," M r. Ji said.
"We ca lled that evening."
Their apartment is in a five-srory red brick building
on 78 rh Street, and faces a lush courtya rd ga rden fi lled
with floweri ng plants and mature t rees. Ever since rhe
bu ildin g went up nea rly a century ago, t his oasis has
been one of its grear selli ng points. To rhe Jis, whose
bedroom and kitchen overlook rhe garden, rhe big ciry
seems miles away.
"We wake up a nd hea r birds singing," Mr. Ji said. "We
feel rhe sun in ou r faces. I realize it sounds like a cliche,
bur it's true ."
The apartment has a disti nctly Korean atmosphere,
and nor jusr because the Jis ask visitors ro remove rheir
shoes upon entering, as is customa ry in many As ia n
households. D uring the couple's Korea n wedd ing
trip, t hey boughr several pieces of a ntiq ue furn iture,
among them a 19th-centu ry c hest studded with iron
ha rdwa re, a low schol a r's cable char now d oes duty as a
television stand , a nd an a rmoi re made of Korea n pine,
notable for irs densely dera iled gra in.
Opposite rhe bed hangs a ha nd-carved woode n plaque
wirh a Biblical verse in Ko rea n rhar reads in pa re,
"With your blessing the house of your se rvant will be
blessed foreve r," a wedding gift from rheir ch urch, rhe
Flushing Korean C hu rch of rh e Nazarene.
Many of their furnishings are rh e work of marquee-
name desig ners, a mo ng them t he M ichael Ara m sil ver
ca ndlesticks, rhe Simon Pea rce wooden bowls a nd rhe
Barbara Ba rry cherry-wood chest. (The J is are adept ar
shopping sa mple sales and snapping up floor models.)
A few couches sra nd as a remi nder of the couple's pro-
fessio nal inte rests. A pa ir of dressmaker's dumm ies
preside over the Jis' workroo m, li ke mute sentries keep-
ing guard.
The shelves rhar line a wall of t he d ini ng area a re
crammed w irh glossy books o n figu res like Yohji
Yamamoto, Yves Saint Laurent and H enri Carrier-
Bresson. Mr. Ji 's libra ry a lso incl udes a po ignanr relic
from his childh ood, dozens of leather-bound classics,
among rhe m "Iva nhoe," "Little Women" and "War
and Peace," rheir rides embossed in gold.
"This was my mom 's attempt to make me read more
books," Mr. Ji said . "Jc did n't exactl y work."
The Ji s' apartment has o ne obvious drawback. D espite
nine-foot ceilings, cream-colored wal ls and living
room w indows char overlook rhe street, some of rhe
rooms ca n be d a rk.
"So we said ro o urselves, let's embrace t he darkness,"
Mr. Ji said . "Let's make the apartme nt even darker."
The ea rth-roned furn irure cont ributes to t his look, as
do rhe cherry-wood blinds coverin g the living room
windows.
T he couple would be rhe firs t ro admit chat for every
deco rating triumph there have been a few awful mis-
steps. The C ha rles Shack leton cherry-wood armoire,
originally intended for the liv ing room, never qu ite fit
in and was sadly ex iled ro the work room.
"And this is our third rug," Mr. Ji said, pointing to
rhe robacco-colored Ti betan rug fro m Dolma o n
Lafayet te Street chat was ca rted ho me by subway a nd
ra xi. "When we la id it our o n the floor, we were just so
rel ieved that somethin g finally worked."
Copyright 20 10 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
THENEWYORKTIMES, THURSDAY,]ULYJ,2010 DS

KOREAN TRADITION,
ITALIAN STYLE
BY G ISELA \VI LLlJ\J"S

SEOUL, South Korea

F
rom the outside, the home of Simone Ca rena
and J ihye Shin looks like a rraditiona l Korean
ho use, or hanok, with its carved wooden door
and pagoda-style roof But the cherry red Ducari
parked out front hints at something unexpected in-
side: a modern , lofrli ke space in an eye-popping shade
of bamboo green.
"We wanted a strong natura l color that would bring the
outside in," said M r. Carena, 41, a fo und ing partner
of Moroelastico, an architecture firm with offices in
Seoul and T u rin, lraly. "Simila r ro the conrrast you get
from bamboo leaves against a backdrop of black tiles."
T he couple bought the property in the Samcheong-
dong district in the spri ng of 2007, fo r 280,500,000
South Korean won, or about $300,000 ar the time.
"Everyone we knew here thought we were crazy ro buy a
hanok," sa id Mr. Carena, who moved ro Seoul from Italy
in 2001, ro reach at the International Design School fo r
Advanced Studies, now part of Hongik University.
At first, so did his wife, a fashion designer who grew
up in a hanok nea rby and remembered what it was like
ro live in a house without modern amen ities - and
the inconvenience of having ro use an outhouse, espe-
cially during Seou l's harsh winters.
"Even my parents advised us aga inst it," said Ms. Shin,
3 1. "But l believed in Simone."
le tu rned our ro be the right decision. In recent yea rs,
the neighborhood has become one of Seoul 's most
fas h ionable districts, w ith a new cafe or ga llery open-
ing every few months, Mr. Carena said, and rhe prop-
erty has tripled in value.
Because the house was in "very bad cond it ion," he said,
they decid ed ro tea r it down and build a new one in-
stead of renovating, reusing the origina l roof tiles and
found ation srones.
Mr. Carena and his partner at Moroelastico, Marco
Bru no, designed a U-shaped structure, positioning it
so chat the open ing - and the courtyard - would
face west, offering views over the surrounding roof-
tops, roward the sunset. "And towards Iraly," he sa id .
The construction cost about $ 150,000 a nd was a con-
stant battle, he said, because skilled traditional build-
ers are hard ro find - they work almost exclusively on
large jobs, li ke museums or palaces, for organizations
that can pay t heir high fees - and most of chem te nd
ro be wa ry of unconventional design solutions.
Needless ro say, there were problems. Soon after Mr.
Carena and Ms. Shin moved into t he two-story,
1,100-square-foot home in Apri l, they discovered
leaks around the windows above the kitchen cabinets.
So M r. Carena came up with a n innovative solution:
a "little microsystem," as he put it, that uses gutters
and plastic funnels to direct ra inwater into fl ycatcher
plants and a miniature herb ga rden.
The house is full of co ncealed storage and clever de-
sign ideas. A wi ndow cut into the courtyard floo r and
framed with mirrors brings light into the cellar room
below and offers a " kaleidoscopic view" of the archi-
tecture, Mr. Carena said. A tiny terrace set on rop of
the kitchen offers the co uple a nd their I-year-old son,
Felice, a place to enjoy the view of Mount Inwang dur-
ing the summ er.
And unusual decorative elements - like the enor-
mous convex mi rror (typically used ro provide visibi l-
ity around tight turns on roads) and the stud io lights
in t he living room - create "the feeling of a film set,"
he said.
"This house is a puzzle of open views and hidden sror-
age," he continued. Of course, a ll those open views
make it easy for others to look in.
"One of our neighbors warned us one day t hat he saw
us dancing in t he kitche n," Mr. Ca rena said. "We
didn't mind, but J buil t a smal l bli nd for his sake."
 O N LOCATI ON

Korean Tradition, Italian Style

I. To make the smaH

house loo! as spa
cloos as poss:t>ie -
and to bring the out
doorS:ll"l~
Simono C3t'M3 Cle.31
ed a U-Shaped floor
!)kin thJI a!Jows lhe
kd.chen and Mng
room to look out onto a
coortya.rd, where an
~pocot ltee grCM-'S A
1.indow 11"1 tne COi.Wi
ynrdfloor. frarned -A1:tl
nwrors. lets light .n10 a
col\.:ttroom

2. Mt. Carcro hfs

....,10. Jtrye Sh.n; and
their son. Fellc:e. llvo in
a trad.t.ional Korean
hOuse, Of hnnok, thnl
IS onyth1ng but l1ad1
11onal on the 11'\Sido

3. ln51ead ol rcnc:Nat-
ing the ooginal house
on mo site, ""i\oeh was
in OOd st\.lpe. they
1ore 11 <-n and bu:JI a
new one. rrusaigthe
old rod lales and Joun.
"""""Slones
4. The Wing room has
a stnr.en S4tJng are.i
MCI unusuat deeora-
INC clcmcnts, kko a
1ralhc minoc. studlo
lights and a gr.in! re.
mote con1101. lO create
"lhc rcehng of a film
sel. Mt. Qlrena said

S.. Al1Cf Fei.ce was t>om. Mr Catena created a ro

1rac1.abio Shell bcSldo the library shetvtng an lhe
bcdlocm !h.31 could be USCd as a bnby bO<J. nt:JN
A tear-down in Seoul Fo!ic<I USCi 4 as a rcad:ng tab6t
becomes a modern loft li ke
6. Mr Catena dcsctlbed me \eat.green kl.1Chen as
space fo r a young fam ily. thO ongine ot Che house Ifs "v.'tiefe tho C:Jpcali
~he sa.id. bocause you can sec~ all tno
Outside, a Ducati. othof rooms frcm there

7. ThocclbtroomtSusedla$10t300,andasa
playroom and bedroom f0t Felce

By CJSEL\ Wll.UAMS
SEOUL. Scxuh Korea 8. In the office arc.a. the desk on the nght whdl
ROM theotll~dc. the home of SnnOlt("
racos thO sunken seating arC.l in lhO IMOQ rocm

F
Clren:i and Jihye Sh in looks hke a tm OOublcS as o drning room table Ovcrhoad IS a
dition:il Korean house. or hnnok. w11h IOI! bed. bu"'t into the cc1:.ng
its carved v.1)()(Jcn door :md pagoda
style roof. But tht' cht'rry red Duc..itl
9 . Tr\O nouso h3s two smau OO:lhroom5 ThO ono
parked out front hintS at S01nc1hing
uncXP<"Clt"d inside: :i mOdcm. loflhke odJClff"ll"IQ !ho bedroom IS lined wnh mosatc 111o~
sp.1ce i n M cyt--pOpping sh..~ of bamboo J;retn. wchased llomsevcrol ShopS., South Korea
"' We 'N'aflled a slrong na1ural color ltull would
bnng the outside In,'" said Mr. C:lttn:t. -41, a foond
Ing 1>3r1nc:r ot Motoebsuc:o. an :1rd11ttorc firm
with omccs an Seoul 3nd Thnn. Italy. Sim1W 10
the contruc )'OU g et from bamboo ktli\"t"S 11gl\ln!>t :11
bocl<dn>p ol bl.xk . -
The coupit bouJ:,ht the propmy in the Som
c.hlin&-don& dmnct In 1he 5pnn.s ol %001. for archumure, Mr. sakl.
280.$00,000 South Kt'.nJ.n ""On. or about SJ00.000 at mos1 f:Wuonab&c dlStncts, with a nt'Vo' o.tc or ! dUSil\"dy on ~ )Obs.. bkt museum1 or palacu.. sropte vtr'W. of~ Cl~

u.. .,,,,.,
E\"C'f')"OJ\C' ""Cknew h~ thought we wtre
uaiy to buy ah."lnok; $3id M r. Cattn.l. who 100\'ed
10 Seoul from It.My an 2001. 10 IC.-.Ch :u the In..
ltm.tlt!Oml Design Schc:lo' for Adv:mcN Studlt'S.
~ optnin,g t"\'try few months. Mr. C:.U-m.i. ukl,
ilnd the property~ 1npled In value.
~U$C tht house WM ~n "'\'tt')' bad condl-
uon; he s."Ud. thty dtodtd 10 lr:at ~t ctov. n and
build a new one in.:Mead of r enov01;t1ng. rtullnJ lhc
for i.wp.nu.:auons chat can pay thttr high ftt::s -
and ~ ol lhern t~ 10 be wary of uncon\"Cfllion-
3l dt'SllJ\ solutJOns.
Nttdltss to s::iy, there tr-e probk-ms.. Soon ;,f.
1er Mr. Carcn:a and Ms. Shin f'OO'\'Cd inco the cwo-
A 1my ICl"f:.l set on lop al the knchm olfers the
roup&e and lht-ir I-year-old son. Feta, ., pbct' 10
t'njoy 1he ~of Mount lnwang dunng thf: ~m
"""And unus~ dccorauve eltmcnts - hkc 1hc

now pan of Hong.ik Univtrsay.
At first. sod.id his ....-ire.a fashion designer who
grew up In 3 tunok nea rby :md remembered \\hat
It was like 10 h\e inn house wnhout rnodun amen
i1ics - and the inconvenience o f h.'lvm~ 10 use nn
outhOUSC', tspeciallyduring Sooul's hllr.Sh winters.
"'E\en my parents at.lvut'd us .,~'\Jn" h; "--Ud
Ms.Shin.JI. nut I bei1C\'t.-d In Sunooe.-
11 mrntd out 10be1hc nght dlsion. In rtttlll
years. the netghborhood tw ~ oot of Seciurs
on1tirull rool 11ln 3:11d found:l.uon stOOM.
Mr. Cotren3 and his 1>attner :it Motocl.-uuro,
M:u-co Hru no. deslg.ncd ::i Ushaped struc1ure. PC>S
11oning i1 so lh<'I the opening - and 11\e tour1ynr1I
- would face v."t offtnni: vi~ s O\'tr the a ur
rounding rooftops. towa.r d Ille s uns.et. "'A1XI 10-
ward s l1aJy; hes.'\id.
The construction cost nbout SIS0,000 ;md wa"
a COllSU'.llll 00tt~. he S3Jd, bc~U~ ilul ~ tradition
:ii bulklcrs arc h.lrd lO find - they 1A'Of1' 3lm0it ex
scory, 1,100-squace-f(IO( homt m April, 1hcy dlscov
t'red ~aks around t~ windows nbo\'e lhe k1tthnl
catkneu. So M r. Can:na came up with an lnnov3-
m e solution: a "little: microsys1em." as he put 11.
1hat u~ guuers aod plasuc funnels 10 cllrect mln
water Into flycatcher pl:i.ms and a mlnl;uure herb
.:.irdm.
The house Is f ull ol conccal~'11 stora.gt' nlld
c~"er dnla.n Micas. A window cut ln10 I' court
)'ard floor and frarntd "'ith m1rron brinltS hatn
Into the <'tll.lr room below Md offers a pka16do-
enormou i con\-cx mirror (l)'J)IC.311)' used to provide
\'1slblh1y around tight turns on ro.ids) ruid the stu
d10 Ughts an the IMng room - cre:ue "'th(- fee-ting
olufilm sei .-hes.\id.
111Js house Is a puule of open views alld hid
de n !i l orag~.p he continued. or ('()Ur$(', :tll t hose
01>en \>Jews make It C'J.S)' for othen to look m.
one of our ncighbors w:1.med us one I.by t hat
he S<IW us d.i.ncmg 111 thc kuche:n. Mr. Caterui said.
.. We didn't mmd, but I built a s mall blind fOf" !us
sak~.p

Copyright 2010 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2010
SEOUL
BY J\H IC Cl I EN
FROM LEll"T Cooling off artcr a sauna at the 11prnwlio g Dragon I !ill Sp11 & Resort ; sam pling burbccut..'tl pork belly ni "IAclak ne~r the Hongdae 11i wlit 1ife di suict; neon.lit strec1scene in Hongdne.
Uy ARICCllEN
ASTILY rebuilt after the
H Korean War, Seoul is shed
ding its once-gritty im:igc
to become one or Asia's
most g litte ring me1ropolis
CS.Under itJ design-obsesstd mayor,
Oh ~hoon. thc city has been spifred up
Wlt h C\'ff}'t hmg from sJeek bus shelters
todttktd-out bridges. What's more, it
was named 1his )'ears World Design
C3p1t:i.I by M in1ema1ionaldesign aU1
:u'ltc. But lhat 's just the beginning.
SOOul hns n booming COfltemporory arc
scene, fashionable stores throughout
the urb.'U1 landsetpe, and a thriving pop
nnd youth culture that now rivals that
or other ASlnn capitals like Tokyo.
Friday
4p.m.
0 Culture, Then and Now
TI1c convergence or nrt and architcc
ture, Korean nnd Western, old and new,
flnd3 a m.i rquee home at 1he Leeum,
Samsung Museum or An (74i18 ffan
nnm-dong. Yongsan-gu; 822201'16900;
leeum..samsungroondation.org). Squ1r
re.It'd away tn n hilly residenllal section
ol 1hc l~on ar 'a. the museum show
cast"S tht Samsung Foonda!ion's im
pttSSl\c nn colltction in a campus or
bwldmgs designed by Rem Koolhaas,
Jean Noo\-el and Mario Botta.. Pies
da!e from histonc Korean Buddhist
p.i.Jn11ngs nnd ccladon ceramics to
works by Mark Rothko, Anish Ka poor
nnd N3m June P,llk. Then, for a con
1ms1 10 t he Lc-eum's polished presenta
1ion, " 'alk five minutes to Ggoon (6833 1
llnnnnm-doni:;. Yongsan-gu ; 82-i0-4127
&168; choijeonghwa.com). The e xpcri
mcmnl artist Choi Jeong llwa has
1uru<"d !his former hovel i1110 n riotous,
well. hovel Ihot doubles as a cafcnnd nl-
1ernnl1\'C gallery.
I F YOU GO
The !SS-room Park tly.ut Seoul
(99$-14 Daechl 3-dong, Gangnam-
gu; 8222016-1234; ~lpark.hyau
.com) occup1e5 n 2.f story gLus
ll.nd-sittl building in tM- centr.il
Gangnrun district. Floor-to-ceilmg
windows. wnnn wood finishes and
gmmte baths outfit its sp:tcioos.
modem rooms. Doubles stnn at
li0.000 won (about $249) .
The new 11' Routlque Hotel (737-
32 l lannnm-dong. Yongsan-gu: 82-2
3702-8000: lpboutiqueho1el.com) is
co11\cnlcn1ly sltumed in ltnewon.. I t
has n colorful fncadc th:n matches
the 132 comforinble rooms within :
1111nk lots of white with splashes of
Pop color . R:i1es st.1 n at 200,000
won, whh frcquen1d1stou111s avail
nbk!.
Situmed In 1he he3rt of fashion
able Gar osugil.1he llottl Tea Trff
& Co (S3512 Sinsa-dong. Gangnam-
gu; 821542-m.1: teatret:hotel.com)
opened W t year wi th 38 spar e ret
coz.y room s. Standord rooms sum at
96,SOOwon.
7:lOp.m.
0 Kimchi Redux
It was only n matter of 1lme before Ko-
re:m CUl.$ine go1 the nou\1!lle lrNU
ment. ond n pJOneer in th is gro\\ing
mo\"etnCnt is Jung Sik D:ing (JF, Acros
8/0, 6497 Sinsa-dong, Cnngn."Ungu;
822517..SGS-C; Jungs1kd1U1g.com), next
to Dos.1.n Parit. ll1e dining room Is mod-
ern and subdued, "11h Y.h1te 1able-
d01hs and leather ch:urs. The rotating
set m enu (100,000 or 120,000 "-Oil, or
about S92or $110 01 1,0&5 won co the dol-
lar) might include sea squ1n b1bimbap,
anchovy p..1ella nnd "Five Senses Saus-
fac1ion l'Ork Hclly." There is just a
lmndfol of rnblcs, so be sure to make a
rcservnt1on.
JO:JOp.m.
0 Seoul After Dark
SCoul Ms a p..1noply of night-life dis-
tricts that cater 10 d1rtcrent crowds, bm
perhaps 1hc 1rtnd1es1 Is Garosu-gil. It's
home to cute c...res und Immaculate
boutlques like p. SJ2 and llmo Outlet,
but at mght ns 1n..'\ny OOrs throb 10 life.
Two cool SJ>OlS Include Cafc! des Arts
(?F,5'15 Sinsa-dong, Gangruun.gu: 82-2
541~. with 1t.s l>(>er and flea market
vibe. and t he yupp1e-l.sh, dMkand-
m oody Wine & Dine (5351SSinsa-dong,
Gangnam-gu: 82151S.6677).
Saturday
1oa.n1.
0 Design Digs
The Dongdnemun Design Pint.'\. a m ns
slvc complex dcsigm.'<I by 7-i ha l-lndid,
will be n ccntcrplccc of Seoul's design
tr:rnsronuntion when it is complc1ed as
c.1rly as 2012.. Tliough Slill under con
slruction, 11.s hnpresshe, space-age
s kelc1on l.s already worth n look (2 Eul-
ji-ro 7-g..1. Jung-Ku: 82-22266-7330:
R<>uldeslgn.or.k r). So Is t he new lladid
d cslgr1ed p.1rk 1hat surrounds it. which
etegnntly incorpor.ues recent!)' d1sc.ov
c~ rums. lncludmg n military corn
plex f rom the Choson dyn=-sly (1392
1910). Snu.11 design cxh1bttions accom-
p..'1ny a mu~um chronicling lhe s11e's
htstory.
l l a .m
0 White Cubes
TI1e d 1y s comempornry an S<"t'ne is
blossoming nnd ll"s ccntcred In pl c;i,s-
;uu Sruncheong-dong.. Ulue-c.hip spaces
inclmlc Gnllcry llyundni (80 S.1ga11-
dong, Jongrt.>gu; 8222287-3570;
g:i11c ryhyundlli.com); Kukje Gallery
(591 Sokeuk-<lon~. Jonj;ro-gu; 822i3S
8H 9; kukjcgnllery.com); nnd Arnrio
Gallery ( 1192 Sokcuk-dong, Jong~gu ;
S2272Hi190; arariogallcry.com). An-
c:honng 1he nren is the Aruonje Ccn1cr
( l -2 Sokcuk-dong, Jongro-gu; 82-2
733~1$: anson1e.org). founded in 1998
to support contemporary Md cxpen
mental :m . M can~h1lc, over in lhe Chc-
ongcbm aren iJ the Pliuoon Kunsthalle
Seoul ,,....,,.,s.....,..
fl,t...,.,.. f11A11
0 er as a rock band pla)'S nearby. On 1hc
(9722 Nonhyeon-dong .. Ga11gn:m1-gu:
8223447-1191: kuns1halle.com), nn al
iemativc art space b111lt fro111 scackcd
shippingoontnincrs ..
l :lOp.m.
0 Cheap or Chic
For lunch In 53mchoong-dong, try the
KuJ.;jt- Gallery's upscalc continent.'\J
restaurant (18.000 won for the scallop
risocto). Or slip into ont! ot the holc-m
the-wall resta.urant.s 1ucktd Into the
hall~ side stree1s. like Cheonjm Pojn
(l4S.5 Sokeuk-dong, Jongro-gu; 822
739-6086), "here an order of pork man
doo dumphngs wl11 set you b:\C:k 4,000
won. TI1crc's also aA (SS SOkcuk-dong,
Jongro-gu; 8227221211), a new four
l e\'CI temple to vlnlnge modern furnl
turc, thm1gh 1hc drnw is more the D;m-
ish ligh1ing 1han 1hc.8,000won ham nml
Bric sandwiches.
Jp.m.
0 Credit Crunch
Thcrcs no shortage ol ways IU m.1x out
;i, cr edit card In Seoul. The hean of
temptation lies in the Cheongdrun dong
d ast nct, and spreads out from there.
W;i,t ch intema1k>n3l brru1ds try to outdo
one another. be it with the v-e-gctallon
CO\'Cred Ann Dcmeult:nleesler (MO-I-I
0
Slnsa-<long. Gangnam-gu: 82231<12
2570; anndcmc ulemccs1cr.bc): the n ew
concn:tc-on-concrc1c Rick Owcu.s (651
Sinsa-tlong, Gangnami;u: 822516
2217: rickowens.eu); or 1hc unnpologct
icnlly dec01dem 10 Corso Como (i9 Che
ongdam-dong, Gangnnm-gu; 822-3018
1010; IOcorsocomo.co.kr). For home-
grown luxury emporiums, Slop by Boon
lhe Shop (89.J and i913 Chl"Ongdnm
dong, Gangnamgu: 822S428006:
boomheshop.com) and 1he edgier Daily
Projec:ts (124 Choongdam-dong, Gang
nam-gu; 8223218-40i5; cbilypro,ec:ts
.kr). And ror local sk.1ttt and slrttt
wear design, llum:intree: (<IF, 6.531 Sm
sn-dong, Gnngnam-gu ; 822-514-3464;
humnmree.info) sh<M'S off Its hood1es
aml Tshins nex1 t o n Pl.:anct of the
A~blow-updoll.
7: 30p.m.
0 Fash ion Barbecue
Given thnt its proprietor Is n former
editor nt Vogu e Koren. you might ex
pec:t Tndak (4 1229 tlapjeong-dong,
Mnpo-gu; 82-2-333-65&1) 10 be a tnd
pretentious. Qui1 c the opposi1e. Stylish
yet lowkcy, this wnrmandwoody Ko-
rean barbecue restaurant opened carli
er this year near the Uongdac s1udcnt
mg_ht-life di.$trkL Bttf. pork :llld vcge-
mbles are grilled O\"Cr wOOd ch3rco.il :u
your table, accompanied by all the pK:k
TR13
....ar1.-"l'"l1 llT fllU.C.OIDl.O ll llte._,Ollt;; l n . \
ONLINE: READERS' THOUGHTS
)t ~~:~:a:~~1~::00!:~ ~;:l~~~ire
whert: to Mt 011d what 10 do.
nytJmes..com/ trvel/ uoul
It'd and bean p..i.ste: fix ings. The pnces
nre Ju~t M p.:alatablc: 10.000 won l)Cf
one-JX'rson pom on.. A serving of cold
mltng m)'un noodlt'.s 1s .f.SOO won.
ll p .m.
0 Where the Kids Roam
Seoul has its share or sleek bars and so-
phis11cn1ed clubs, bu1 ror a bit of urban
a111hro1>0logy to go \\'Ith your drin k,
head to llongdnc. Packed with 1een
agcrs, uriiversily studc n1s nnd o ther 20
so111cth\ngs. th1s carnivalcsquc, neonht
nrt:i1 1s where on weekend nights you
might find )'Ourself dodging a st ill walk
main drag. you can't miss Luxury
Norebang (36739 5eogyo-dong. Mapo-
gu; 822322-3111), a mullistory karaoke
pal.lee t hal looks hke Ptt \ 1.'ee's Pia)"
house M dt'C':ormcd by L:turn Ashley.
1- or a more upscale party vibe. check
out Lound (83l3 Cheongdam-dong.
Gangnam-gu; 82~2-517-7-112:
i 41ound.cam), \\hich dro"-s a f3Sh1on
nble set to its hypcrshtk sp."lccs.
Sunday
11 1t.m.
<D Tapas With a View
llavc brunch with the in-crowd at Be-
tween (12-1-7 Yongs.111-gu, 1t.1ewon
doug; 822-795-61&1), n multilevel l!nl-
mn nml S1>anish tapas restaurnnl. wllh
n terrace and lounge, that opened carli
er 1his ycM. ll s airy, contempor.iry in-
terior Is nn ideal pince 10 wake up with
nn eggs Bcnroic1 (16,000 won) or pro-
scmuo s.1ndw1ch (17,000 won) nnd good
pcople-wntching.
12:l0p.m.
ID Bath and Beyond
A sinplc or Korean life has long been
the iJ11n11lbang, or b..1thhousc. And per
Imps the bl&gest and most cxtr.wagam
o f them all is the seven.story Dragon
11111 Spa & Resort (40713 Hangang-ro
3gn, Yongs:mgu; 822i9SOIH;
drngonhillsp..1.com). Something l i ke nn
nmuscment park with n touch of '80s
Wgois, oomplc1e with pyr.:amids ruul a
Native American-t hemed pub, this fnm-
ilyfricndly spot comes with sex-scgn.
gntcd spa areas, shared saunas, out
door pools. Jacuuis and more: picture
nail salons. video arcades, an Internet
cnfe, even o c.lnem:a and puuing green.
( Admission 10,000 to 12,000 won: sp.1
1>.Jck3gcs from 100,000 won.) A Zen re-
1n~a1 1his is not. But it's a run (a.nd fun
uy) place ror a few hours of entertain
rncnt - nnd m:iybe some r elaxation,
100.

H
ast ily rebui lt after the Korea n War, Seoul is
shedd ing its once-gritty image co become one
of Asia's most glittering metropolises. Under
irs design-obsessed mayo r, Oh Se-hoon, rhe ciry has
been spiffed up with everythi ng from sleek bus shelters
co decked-out bridges. What's more, it was named this
yea r's World D esign Capita l by a n internat ional de-
sig n all ia nce. Bur rhar's just rhe beginni ng. Seoul has
a boom ing contempora ry a rr scene, fashionable scores
rh roughour rhe u rban landscape, a nd a thriving pop
and youth culru re t hat now rivals t hat of other Asia n
capitals like Tokyo.
Friday
4 p.m .
l) CU LTURE, T H EN A N D NOW
T he convergence of arr and arch itectu re, Korea n a nd
Western, old and new, finds a marquee home at the
Leeu m, Sa msung Museum of Art (747- 18 H anna m-
dong, Yongsan-gu; 82-2-20 14-6900; leeum .sam su ng-
foundarion.org). Squ irreled away in a hi lly residentia l
section of rhe Iraewon a rea, rhe museum showcases
rhe Samsu ng Foundatio n's impressive art collectio n
in a campus of buildi ngs designed by Rem Koolhaas,
Jean Nouvcl and Ma rio Borra. Pieces dare fro m his-
toric Korean Buddh ist pai ntings a nd celadon cera mics
to works by Mark Rorhko, A nish Kapoor and Na m
June Paik. T hen, for a contrast co t he Leeu m's pol-
ished presentation, walk five m inures co Ggooll (683-
3 1 H a nnam-dong, Yongsan-gu; 82-70-4 127-6468;
choijeonghwa.com). T he experi mental arrisr C hoi
Jeong Hwa has tu rned t his fo rmer hovel into a riot-
ous, well, hovel that doubles as a cafe and alternative
ga llery.
7:30 p.m.
2) KIMCHI REDUX
It was only a matter of t ime be fore Korea n cu isine got
rhe nouvelle treatment, and a pioneer in this growing
movement is Jung Sik Dang (3F, Acros BI D, 649-7
Sinsa-dong, Ga ngnam-gu; 82-2-5 17-4654; jungsik-
dang.com), nex t co Dosan Park. T he di ni ng roo m is
modern and subdued , with white tablecloths a nd leath-
er c hai rs. The rotating set menu ( I00,000 or 120,000
won, or about $92 or $ 110 at 1,085 won co t he dollar)
m ight include sea squi rt bib im bap, a nchovy paella and
"Five Senses Satisfact ion Pork Belly." T here is just a
handfu l of rabies, so be sure co make a reservat ion.
10 :30 p.m.
3) SEOUL AFTE R DARK
Seoul has a panoply of night-life districts that carer to
different crowds, bur perhaps rhe trendies t is Garosu-
gil. It's home.; to cure cafes and im maculate boutiques
like p. 532 and l imo O utler, bur at night its ma ny bars
throb to life. Two cool spots include Cafe des Arrs
(2F, 545 Sinsa-dong, Ga ngna m-gu ; 82-2-54 1-0507),
w it h irs beer and flea market vibe, and the yuppie-ish,
dark-and-moody W ine & D ine (535- 18 Sinsa-dong,
Ga ngna m-gu ; 82-2-545 -6677).
 Saturday Seoul. The hea rt of temptation lies in the Cheongda m-
IOa.m . dong distric t, and spreads o ur from there. Watch inter-
national brands try to outdo one a nother, be it with
4) DESIGN DIGS
the vegetation-covered Ann Demeulemeester (650- 14
The D ongdaemun Design Plaza, a massive complex Sinsa-dong, Ga ngna m-gu; 82-2-3442-2570 ; a nnde-
designed by Za ha Hadid, will be a cemerpiece of meulemeester.be); the new concrete-on-conc rete R ick
Seoul's design transformation when it is co mpleted as Owens (65 1 Sinsa-d ong, Ga ngnam-gu; 82-2-5 16-
ea rly as 201 2. Though still under construction, its im- 22 17; rickowens.eu); or rhe u napologerically decadent
pressive, space-age skeleton is already worth a look (2 10 Corso Como (79 C heongdam-dong, Gang nam-gu;
Eu lji-ro 7-ga, Jung-gu; 82-2-2266-7330; seouldesign. 82-2-30 18- 1010; JOcorsocomo.co.k r). For homegrown
or.kr). So is the new H ad id-designed park that sur- . lu xury emporiums, stop by Boon the Shop (89-3
rounds it, wh ich elega ntly incorporates recently dis- a nd 79-1 3 C heongda m-d ong, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-
covered ruins, includi ng a military complex from the 542-8006 ; boonrheshop.com) and t he edgier Daily
C hoson dynasty ( 1392-19 10). Small design exhibitions Projects (1-24 C heongdam-do ng, Ga ngnam-gu; 82-2-
accompa ny a museum ch ronicling the site's history. 3218-4075; dai lyprojects.kr). And for local skater a nd
streetwear design, H umantree (4F, 653-1 Sinsa-dong,
11 a.m
Ga ngna m-gu; 82-2-514-3464; humantree.info) shows
5) WH ITE CUBES
off its hoodies and T-shirts next to a Planet of the Apes
T he city's conte mpora ry arr scene is blossoming and blow-up doll.
it's centered in pleasa nt Samcheong-dong. Blue-chip
spaces include Ga llery H yundai (80 Sagan-dong, 7:30 p.m.
Jo ngro-gu; 82-2-2287-3570; ga lleryhyunda i.co m); 8) FASHION BARBECUE
Kukje Gallery (59- 1 Sokeuk-dong, Jo ngro-gu; 82- G iven that its proprie tor is a former ed itor at Vogue
2-735-8449; kukjegallery.com); a nd Ara rio Ga llery Korea, you might expect Tadak (412-29 Hapjeong-
(149-2 Sokeuk-dong, Jongro-gu; 82-2-723-6190; a ra- dong, Mapo-gu; 82-2-333-6564) to be a rad preten-
riogallery.co m). Anchoring the area is rhe Arrsonje tious. Quire rhe opposite. Stylish ye t low-key, this
Center (144 -2 Sokeuk-dong, Jongro-gu; 82-2-733- wa rm-and-woody Korean barbecue restau ra nt opened
8945; a rtsonje.org}, founded in 1998 to support con- earlier this year near the Hongdae srudenr night-life
tempora ry and ex perimental art. Meanwhile, over in district. Beef, pork a nd vegetables a re grilled over wood
the C heongda m area is the Platoon Kunsrha lle (97- charcoal at your cable, accompan ied by all t he pickled
22 Non hyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-3447-11 91; and bean paste fixings. The prices are just as palatable:
kunsthal le.com), an alternat ive art space built from 10,000 won per one-person portion. A serving o f cold
stacked shi pping con tainers. naeng myun nood les is 4,500 won.

1:30 p.m. 11 p.m.

6) CHEAP OR CH IC
For lunch in Samcheong-dong, cry the Kukje Gallery's
upscale continental restaurant (18,000 won for t he
scallop risorco). O r slip into one of the hole-in-rhe-
wa ll restaurants tucked into the hilly side streets, like
C heonjin Poja (148-5 Sokeuk-dong, Jongro-gu; 82-2-
739-6086), where a n order of pork ma ndoo dump-
lings will set you back 4,000 won. There's also aA (55
Sokeuk-dong, Jongro-gu; 82-2-722-1211), a new four-
level temple to vintage modern furniture, though rhe
d raw is more t he Danish lighting than the 8,000-won
ham a nd Brie sandwiches.
3 p.m.
7) CREDIT C RUNCH
There's no shortage of ways to ma x our a cred it ca rd in
9) WHERE THE KIDS ROAM
Seoul has its share of sleek ba rs a nd soph isticated
clubs, bur for a bit of u rban anthropology to go with
your drink, head co Hongdae. Packed with teenagers,
university students a nd other 20-somethings, this ca r-
nivalesque, neon-lit area is where on weekend nights
you might find yourself dodging a stilt wa lker as a rock
ba nd plays nea rby. On the main drag, you can't miss
Luxury Norebang (367-39 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu;
82-2-322-3 11 1), a mu ltistory karaoke palace that looks
like Pee Wee's Playhouse as decorated by Laura Ashley.
For a more upscale party vib e, check out Lound (83-
13 C heongdam-don g, Gangnam-gu; 82-2-5 17-7412;
74 1ound.com), which draws a fash ionable set co its hy-
pers!ick spaces.
 Sund ay IFYOU GO

The 185-room Park Hyatt Seoul (995- 14 Daechi 3-dong.

II a. m .
Gangnam-gu: 82-2-2016-1234: seoul.park.hyatt.com) occupies
10) TAPAS W ITH A VIEW a 24 -story glass-and-steel building in the central Gangnam
Have b runch w irh rhe in-c rowd ar Berween (124-7 district. Floor-to-ceiling windows. warm wood finishes and
granite baths outfit its spacious. modern rooms. Doubles
Yongsa n-gu, lraewon-d ong; 82-2-795-6164), a mulri-
start at 270.000 won (about $249).
level lrali an a nd Spanish rapas resraurant, w irh a rer-
race and lounge, rhar opened ea rlier rhis yea r. lrs airy, The new IP Boutique Hotel (737-32 Hannam-dong. Yongsan-
gu: 82-2-3702-8000: ipboutiquehotel.com) is conveniently sit-
contemporary interior is a n idea l pl ace to wake up wirh
uated 1n ltaewon. It has a colorful facade that matches the 132
an eggs Bened ic r (16 ,000 won) o r prosciurro sa ndwic h comfortable rooms within: think lots of white with splashes
(1 7,000 won) and good people-warch ing. of Pop color. Rates start at 200,000 won. with frequent dis-
counts available.
12:30 p.m.
Situated 1n the heart of fashionable Garosu-gil. the Hotel Tea
11) BATH AND BEYOND
Tree & Co (535-12 S1nsa-dong. Gangnam-gu: 82-2-542-9954:
A s raple of Korean life has long been rhe jjimjilba ng, o r teatreehotel.com) opened last year with 38 spare yet cozy
barhhouse. And perhaps rhe biggest a nd m ost ex rrava- rooms. Standard rooms start at 96.800 won.
ga nt of rhem a ll is che seven-sto ry Drago n Hi ll Spa
& Reso rr (40-7 13 H anga ng-ro 3-ga, Yongsan-gu ; 82-
2-798-01 14 ; dragonhi llspa.com). Som ething like an
amusem ent park w irh a touch of '80 s Vegas, complete
wirh pyram ids a nd a Narive Am erica n-rhemed pub,
rhis fa mily-friendly spot com es w ith sex-segrega ted spa
areas, shared sa un as, outdoor pools, Jacuzzis and more:
picrure nail sa lo ns, video arcades, a n I nterner cafc,
even a cinem a a nd purring g reen . (Admission 10,000
co 12,000 won; spa packages from 100,000 won.} A
Zen rerrea r chis is nor. Bur ir's a fun (a nd funn y) pl ace
fo r a few hours of ente rrainment - a nd m aybe some
relaxatio n, too.

Copyright 2010 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
THE NEWYORKTIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2011 D6

A GRAZING TOUR
OF KOREATOWN
BY BET SY 1\_\'D HE\\'S

T
S25 /\N I> UNl) ER here's a wonder of t hi ngs to ear in Korearow n:
marin ated bu lgogi, mi lky beef-bo ne soup, siz-
A Grazing Tour of Koreatown zli ng bibi m bap. Bur, wit h the bancha n, the
llt:'tL 'S.'llllikrofth111P

T.....
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to UtllllClA'ellO'<>"'ll INifl
iutlfd~l'lbt\..V bttf.
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(UH)Tht"'hil.IJlil'Jf-"'loml.
.oftMlll'tfyq&y.lllpkntyd
ft.-lyrM-htbs~klo.ir
rableside gril ling, and the communa l g razing, d ining
S-.OIM~llw~
Wt.,....MdWt.-...1
dllklGl6'1rolir.-d~
tt.l"">- here ca n be a commitment.
:=-..:"""'c-bt ~'l.t,.IW'W\l&lllir
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WhAt lO<lotl)W'rtlwlM'rllll J \11.UlktSll'W'L(lll)M1!6;ia
lortJinchllnbuffJ?LIKlll)' r-s*illlh;oowbnMOWll Kl).
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thrn-."""1tra1~ ,_nfl-toa~.~ W hat to do if you're ha nkering for k imchi in a hurry?
MWntM'-".-~.n
..........
.. _.........
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~yte~10Kn1
,,...,,,.....tro-ll..A..tlbl'
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111c"mwJ..lt1llciM1UfJ.buttt hlinarealf'W"IM!lot'"""-
l~ln l lwlMO!., hrn loa.t lhtJbof\Jthl 1tw.-.in..i
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known, to snack.
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~--.ClllllUOO'"' rm~ l'"""at~. ah ... ~n. ..ld}..ftttt-*MudN_...
.iSooxbltarfl,t oolc:dl" porl ""r.o-nt~.
Its ba keries offer scru mptious surprises. T he Japa nese
b.o.ll'tt,.~l,.,..,..., .. f'fl'll(
lt'C~U~lual'iriJol
rrt'mlpuflJ.Al l lwtbtftf'llluJ1
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brought Parisian-style baking ro Korea in rhe m id-20rh
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economy bro ught a taste fo r fo reig n luxu ries.

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T
hat's whe n Paris Baguerre, which has more
than 2,000 outlets in South Korea, rook off.
Its bakers, though tra ined in Fre nch tech-
niques, range far afield of cream puffs. Ar che cheer-
fu l six-month-old Manhattan branch of PA RIS
BAGUETTE, 6 West 32nd Street, (212) 244-0404 ,
parisbaguetteusa.co m, a long flaky twist is braided
with earthy sweet-potato puree and dotted with black
sesame seeds ($1.80); crunchy oars and sour rye add
interest to the "grain cream cheese pastry" ($2 .50).
Though t he chestnut pastry tastes like nothin g of the
kind ($2.80), and t he brioc he is too sweet for its crea m
cheese filling ($2), a pu ff-pastry leaf topped with cara-
melized sugar is nutty with butte r and ni cely balanced
by lemon and salt ($1) . Savory pastries are either an
adventure (kimchi-stuffed croquettes, $ J. 80) or lov-
ably fa m ilia r. A croissant-like pastry e nfolding agar-
licky hot dog (a food adopted during the Korean War)
is an overgrown pig-in-a-blanker, which is to say it's
del icious ($2).
A c KORYODANG , 3 1 West 32nd Street, (2 12) 967-
9661, koryoda ng.com, a spacious, rony cafe with
branches in Queens, the displayed lists of in gredients
only deepen excite ment. W hat is "al l t rumps" or " full
strength "? "All trumps" turns our to be a high-gluten
flour, used in pastries like t he karoke, deep-fried and
plump with various fi llings. Puree potato ($ 1.50), dot-
ted with carrots, peas and boiled egg, betters a k nish.
A joy if only for its incongruity is one filled with may-
onnaisy, peppery tuna sa lad ($1.50). " Full strength "
is the bread flour used co ma ke the durch, a crusty,
chewy, filled pastry. The bacon-fil led dutch ($2) is so
substant ial, it practically oin ks.
O n the sweet side, t he sour cream orange bread 's label
lists the ingred ient "orange feel ," bur with orange oil,
zest and Grand Marn ier, this is mo re like citru sy ful l-
body concact. It's very good ($2.25).
Beyond the ba keries, a bes t-kept secret is the prepared
food ac the cha in grocery H-MART, 25 West 32nd
Street, (2 12) 695-3283, hmart.com . The cold case
holds vermicelli in spicy sesame sauce ($5.99) a nd trays
of pickled vegetables ($5.99). But t he most delicious
items are wa rm. Moist, fragra nt soond ae, Korean blood
sausage, is stuffed with sweet rice, scal lion and sweet
poraro nood le ($5.99). The w hit ing pie - warm, sofr
and very eggy, with plency of fla ky fish - is the fabu-
lous love chi ld of a fishcake and a n omelet ($3.99).
Korearown's big news is the opening of FOOD
GALLERY 32, 11 West 32nd Street, (2 12) 967-1678,
a complex of hawkers serving Korean riffs on Chi nese,
Japanese and American fare, as well as some traditiona l
dishes, to a young, mob ile crowd . Am id the kerchupy
noodles a nd du ll stir fries are a few streetwise gems,
li ke the z hong zi at the sta nd run by the Taiwanese
food truck, Bian Dang (formerl y NYC Cravi ngs). This
gooey, gargantua n sticky-rice tamale stuffed with pork
belly, C hinese sausage, mushrooms, dried shrimp a nd
vegetables is a n umami bomb w rapped in bamboo
leaves ($4).
The Korea n-style sushi ar Boon Sik Z ip's stall is bigger
and more expertly rolled rha n at the long-established
E-M o across the street. Spicy tuna wrapped in rice and
nori wi th daikon, spinach, ca rrots, omelet and sweet
pickled burdock is a tasty, many-flavored finger food
($5.99).
If you must sir, cl imb past t he cramped mezzan ine
to the top floor, where you can watch Asi an music
videos w hile tack li ng a hare-size "red ra bbit" crepe at
Crepe Monster. Rolled, Tokyo-style, into a cone filled
wi th nutty bean paste, chewy mochi a nd red bean ice
cream ($7), it's a grand Asian-fusion finale to a day of
Korearown snacking.
Copyright 2011 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
IN THE NEW YORK TIM ES
 THE NEWYORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW. SUNDAY, MARCH 14, 2010 13

DEATH PUR SUE S HER

In T EHH E\ CE RAFFEH'n

Death Pursues Her

-... -
C
hang-rae Lee is fond of words li ke "accrete"
J'lltbt-.ct'. 1.Un:an ______
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and "accrue," words that try ro name the slow,
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u ... - . ..... - - . - , . . . - - ... - - - . _ . _ . , . _

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imrr..&.,.... )tw.a/
-- almost imperceptible processes by which ex-
perience acqui res weigh t, mass a nd, if you're lucky,
mea ning. "Life, ga thering," reads one full sencence in
"_ _ _ ..

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n . - ... --. ......
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--
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,........,._ ....,,. .... --....
n. ... _ _ _ ...,. ..........
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his ferocious a nd lyrical new novel, "The Surrendered,"
and you couldn't ask for a better two-word descrip-
_.,_,.___
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------
::-..::=::=:.-:=:.
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----.., ....._.......- tion of what good fiction asp ires to. This novel, his

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ta in stealth: Lee doesn't bolt it all down at once, as the
-

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re fugee chi ldre n in his story do. "The Surrendered,"
his largest, most a mbitious book, is about the horrors
=:::=.-:=.e:.!: ........ _.. __..
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of war and the sorrows of surviva l, yet its man ner is
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__ ---- qu iet, watchful, expectanc, as if everyone, including
______
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....,..,._ .... _.. ...- Lee himself, were wa itin g to see what might accrue.
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h is heroine, a "d iffic u lt" woma n na med June Singer
(nee Han), orphaned by the Korea n War a nd now, in
=~~- =.;:.::::.-.:: New York in 1986, suffering t he end stages of stomach
cancer. " Her talent, her gift," the novel tells us, "was
an instantly patent resolve," a sometimes frightening
determina tion ro survi ve by any mea ns necessa ry. Her
story beg ins in Ko rea in 1950, where withi n che space
of a few pages she loses her encire fami ly: her fa ther a nd
older brother are taken away, never to be seen again;
her mother, two siste rs and a little brother perish, one
by one, on the road. She is by tempera ment a tough-
minded girl - Lee never tries to convince us her hard
shell is solely t he product of her wartime ordeal - a nd
her capacity to leave even the most cherished people
a nd possessions behind helps get her through t he trials
fate, or hisrory, has a rranged. As a c hild in wa rtime
she lives in the present, in fu ll flig ht, aware always of
"the suspension of any future save the one in which
they persisted, kept on ." As a dying adult, adrift in a
morphine haze, she becomes more reflective, but she
still ca n't seem to let herself rest: in the last days of her
brief life (she's 47), she sets off for Europe in search of
her waywa rd son, Ni cholas. To the end, she persists.
I
t's no easy task for a novel ist to make sheer dogged- in the pasr, a nd because omniscience does nor, l sus-
ness beauriful, or even, fo r the length of a nea rly pecr, come narurally to him: to his credir, Lee has never
500-page na rrative, interesting, but Lee trusts his seemed com fo rtable playing God. Whatever desrin ies
own patience, his stubborn reso lve to get to the bot- he dreams up for his characters are w har rhey have ro
tom of things. H e moves back and fo rth in ti me, cir- live wirh, and if he burdens them too heavily rhe re's
cling his cha rac ters, sizing rhem up - trying, as June the risk rhar rhey' ll stop crying co explain themsel ves
does, to "see each moment from every side." H e shifts to rhemselves, char they' ll stop persisting.
po int of view frequently to give us so me relief from his
But in "The Surrendered" Lee rakes that risk, enlarg-
heroine's blurred, in-a nd-out consciousness. A good
ing the operations of fare a nd challenging his char-
deal of the story is seen thro ugh the eyes of a root-
acters to assimilate, somehow, the rhings rhat have
less ex-G.I. named H ector Brennan, who is Nicholas's
befallen them. June cha rges ahead ; H ector fu mbles
long-absent fa rher and whom June enlists to a id her in
along, dragged kicki ng (but not screaming) inro some
her search. Lee describes Hector, a ha rd-dri nking jani-
kind of sertling in to h is ow n ba ffled life. They're very
tor, as a man who, in his mid-50s, is still "nor yet fi xed
different, bu r rhey sha re the memory of an orph a n-
into his own li fe": a ma n who, a fter serving in Korea
age missionary named Sylvie Ta nner, w hom th ey both
and then lingering there doing odd jobs ar a n orphan-
loved a nd who made her accommodations w irh dread-
age, has preferred to be "happily ignored , free to go his
ful experience rather ha lti ngly and nor, in rhe end, suc-
unsung way." H e is, not to put too fine a point on it, a
cessfull y. She is the sing le most touching figure in "The
classic loser, someone who has let life get the better of
Surrendered " a nd rhe validatio n of Lee's rhird-person
him. And he believes his very presence is desrrucrive to
ga mble. Seen mostly from the outside, mostly throu gh
others: he survives everything, wirhouc much ca ring
the eyes of Ju ne and Hecror, she's un forgerrable.
ro, a nd buries rhose he loves.
Fi nally, though, "T he Surrendered " must d epend on
W hat has always mosr concerned Lee, from his firsr
Lee's own vo ice, the one he has adopted to tell these
novel, "Narive Speaker," through "A Gesture Life" and
people's stories in a way they ca n't, or won'r, themselves.
"A loft," is t he way people interpret rheir own lives, rhe
Senrence by mournful sentence he keeps on, srrug-
accommodations they make in order to live with all
gling a bit ar times bur constantly pushing forward,
they've seen a nd done. T he evenrs, t he specific experi-
raking his cha racters however he ca n co a place where
ences, are important, bu r there's an awful randomness
they ca n rest. A nd at the end of their journeys - for
to them, which ca n be accepred or denied or, most
June and H ector, the stopping point is Solferino, Ira ly,
ofren, willfully ignored. For both June and Hector,
where a bloody battle not their own once rook place
war and irs aftermath make capric ious experience
- there's a sense char something has gathered there,
unignorable: "You could never anticipate whar might
th at some value has mysteriously accrued. D eliverance
happen nexr, the eanh-sharcering a nd the trivia l in-
might be coo strong a word for what awa its chem: it's
terspersing wirh the cruelest irony. You could be saved
more like a profound, bone-deep sense of relief. Bur
by pure chance, or else ruined. T hat was rhe terror of
they've ea rned it, in the ir different ways, so it feels, to
ir." Throughout "The Su rrendered ," both in the past
them and to us, li ke a great victory on rhe field of wa r.
a nd in the presenr, terrible things happen, some purely
In the long course of "The Surrendered," Lee makes
accidenral, some d eliberately inflic ted, and many that
us understa nd, in painful increments, rhe virtue of en-
seem to exist in a kind of causa l no man's land: no-
durance and the blessing of simple surcease.
body's fault, and everybody's.
Terrence Rafferty is t1 Jrequ em contributor to the Book Review.
There are more of those events in "T he Surrendered "
than in any of Lee's previous novels. T he body co unt
is high: Lee invents an extraordina ry number of vivid
characters, many of whom prove to be just passing
through on their way to viole nt, senseless ends. T he
exponenria lly increased evenrfulness of this book,
compared with Lee's others, is perh aps the result of
a d ecision co do something here that he's never done
before - to cell a story in the traditional omniscient-
narrator manner rather rhan rhe particula r, self-in-
terpreting voice of a n individual. It's a leap of fa ith
because the first-perso n mode has served him so wel l

Copyright 2010 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
 THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, JULY 11, 2010 A19

EX ACTING
TE AC HIN G MACH INE
ST ICK S TO TH E SC RIP T
IN SOUT H KORE A
BY Cll OE SA \'G-1 I L)N

Exacting Teaching Machi ne Sticks to the Script in South Korea

ByCllOE SANG-llUN
SEOUL. South Korea - Carefully
trained by a gO\ernment-run lab, she
i s the t::ues1 and perhaps most innova
live rccn1it in South Korea's obsessive
drive to teach its cluldren the global
language or J;nglish.
Over the years, this country has im
ported thousands of Americans, Cana-
dians, Sou1h Aricans and others to
supplement local teachers of English.
But the program has strained the gov
crnment 's budge1, and it is increas
ingly difficult to get nati ve English
speakers to live on islands and oth er
remote areas.
Enter Engkey, a teacher wnh ex-
acting standards and a silken voice.
She is JUSt a little penguin-shaped ro-
bot, bm both symbolically and practi-
cally, she stands ror progr ess. achieve-
ment and national pride. What she
does not stnnd ror, however, is bad pro-
nunciation.
"'Not good this lime!,. Engkry ad
monishcd n sixth grader ns he stooped
nwkwardly over her. "You need to fo-
cus more on your accent. Let's try
again...
Engkey, a contraction or English
iockey (as in disc i ockey), is the great
hope of Choi Mun-tack, a team leader
at the Korea lnsti tme or Science and
Technology's Center for Intelligent Ro-
botics. "' In three to rive years, Eng.key
will mature enough to r eplace native
speakers." he said.
Dr. Choi 's team recently demon-
strated Engkey's interactions with
four sixth graders rrom Seoul who had
not met th e robot. Engkey tracked a
student around the room, whechng to
a stop a loot away, and extended a
greeting in a synthesized female voice.
(Although a male voice is also avail-
able. Dr. Choo says th e fema le model
seems more crrcctive in teaching. )
She then led the boy to a shelf stacked
with plastic rrnit.
" I l ow can I help you today?" Eng
key said.
" Do you lmvc nny fruits on sal e?"
the student said.
wow! Very good! " Engkey exult-
ed. She sounded a fanfare, spun and
raised her left arm ror a high-five. A
scr een on her chest showed stars
grading the student.
The studcms were amazed.
.. It's cool - a machine hearing and
responding 10 me,'' said Ya ng Ui-rycol.
"There seems to be a life inside it."
Still, Engkcy has a long way to go to
fulrill her creators' dream. The robot
can help students practice only script-
ed conversmions and is at a loss i f a
student veers off script, as Yang did
dunng the demonstration.
-1 love you." the boy smd to ap1>ease
Engkey alter he was chastised ror a
bad pronunciation. Engkcy would
have none or it; i t was not in her 1no-
grammed script
"You need to work on your accent...
the robot repeated.
Wh en Yang s.id. 1 don't like ap-
ples mstcad of 1 love apples; as he
was supposed to, Engkey froze. The
boy patted her and said, " Hello. are
yo u alive or dead?"
The trials and errors at the Korea
l nsmute, a wooded top-securit y com-
pound for the country's best scientific
minds. r epresent South Korea's nm
bi tious robouc dreams.
Lust month, it announced a trial
service for II types of omelligent ro-
bots this year. They include "kiosk ro-
bots" to rom11 amusement 1>arks sell
ing tickets, and robo soldiers that
will man part or the 155-mlle border
Yang Ui- ryeol, n sixth grader in
Seoul. pracliced a conversation in
English wi th Engkcy, a robot teach-
er thal recognizes human speech .
wit h Nonh Korea with a never -sleep
ing camera eye. 111gh1 \"ision and le1hal
fir e power.
But the mos1 nocable step was thi s
country's plans to use robots as teach
ing aids. In February, the EducOltion
Ministry began deploying hundreds or
them as part of n plan to 0<1uip all the
nation's 8,400 kindergartens with ro--
bots by 20!3.
One t ype or robot, toddler-size with
a domed hea d and boxlike body on
wheels. takes attendance. rends fairy
tales and sings songs \loith children. A
smaller puppy robot helps leads gym-
nastics and flashes red eyes if touched
too roughly.
Even though they arc linle more
than fancy toys, experts say, these ro-
bots prepare children for a fast-ap-
proaching robotic future.
Early this year, w hen the insmute
did :m experimental run of Engkey in
Masan on the south coast . there \\'as a
mad rush among children 10 be se-
lected for the program, said Kim Bo-
yeong. an English teacher.
n1ey all loved robots. They get shy
before a foreig n native speaker. afraid
to make mistakes," Ms. Kim said. "But
they find robots much easier to talk
to."
An indcpcnde111 evaluator of the
trial noticed that Engkey required the
constant presence or a technical 01>era-
tor. Engkey has a long way to go if it
wants to avoid becoming an expensive
yet ignored hea p of scrap metal at the
corner or the classroom." said B:m Jac-
chun. an education professor at
Chungnam National University.
Dr. Choi knows the challenge. Alter
tests in more schools this winter, he
hopes to commercialize Engkey and to
reduce the price, currently S24.000 to
S32,000. to below SB.OOO.
Dr. Choi said his team was racing to
improve th e robot's ability to recog-
nize students and to discern and re-
spond to a studems voice amid noise.
It is also cramm ing Engkey with more
co nversational scenarios.
For now, though. Engkey's limits
quickly be<:ome apparent Hahn Yesle,
w ho participated in the recent demon
stration. said: " Engkey is fun. But she
is not human. Repenting th e same dia-
logue i s what she does. I wish she
would become more expressive and
r esponsive, hke a human 1eacher."'

SEOUL, South Korea

C
arefully trained by a governmcn r-run lab, she
is the latest and perhaps most in novative re-
,
cruit in South Korea's obsessive drive ro reach
its children rhc globa l language of English .
Over rhc years, this counrry has im ported thousands
of Americans , Ca nadians, South Africans a nd others
ro supplemen t local teachers of English. Bur the pro-
gra m has strai ned rhe governmcn r's budget, and ir is
increasingly d ifficu lt ro get nat ive English spea kers to
live on islands and other remote a reas.
Enrc r Engkcy, a teacher w ith exacting standards and a
sil ken voice. She is just a little penguin-sh a ped robot,
bur both symbolica lly a nd practically, she sta nds for
progress, ach ievemenr and national pride. What she
docs nor sta nd for, however, is bad pronunciat ion.
"Nor good this time!" Engkey ad monished a sixth
grader as he stooped awkwa rd ly over her. "You need to
focus more on your accent. Let's rry again."
 ngkey, a contraction ofEnglish jockey (as in disc
E
jockey), is the great hope of C hoi Mun-raek, a
tea m leader at the Korea Insti tute of Science
a nd Technology's Center fo r Intell igent Robot ics. "In
three to five yea rs, Engkey will mature enough to re-
place native spea kers," he sa id.
Dr. C hoi's team recently demonstrated Engkey's in-
teractio ns with fou r sixth graders fro m Seoul who had
nor met the robot. Engkey tracked a student around
the room, wheeling to a stop a foot away, a nd extended
a greeting in a synthesized female vo ice. (A lthough a
male voice is also ava ilable, D r. C hoi says the fe male
model seems more effecti ve in reaching.) She then led
the boy co a shelf stacked with plast ic frui t.
"How ca n I help you today?" Engkey said.
"Do you have any frui ts on sale?" the student said.
"Wow! Very good!" Engkey exulted. She sounded a
fanfare, spun and raised her left a rm for a hi gh-five. A
screen on her chest showed stars grading the student.
T he students we re amazed .
"It's cool - a machine hea ring and responding to me,"
said Yang Ui-ryeol. "The re seems to be a life inside it."
Still, Engkey has a long way to go to fulfil! her c re-
ators' drea m. The robot can help students practice only
scripted conversations a nd is at a loss if a student veers
off script, as Ya ng d id during the demonstration.
"I love you," rhe boy said to appease Engkey after he
was chastised for a bad pronunciation. Engkey wou ld
have none of it; it was not in her programmed scri pt.
"You need to work on you r accent," the robot repeated.
W hen Ya ng said, "I don't li ke apples" instead of "I love
apples," as he was supposed to, Engkey froze. T he boy
pan ed her and said , "Hello, a re you alive or dead?"
T he trials and errors at the Korea l nsti tute, a wooded
top-security compound for the country's best scien-
t ific minds, represent South Ko rea's a mbi tious robotic
drea ms.
Last month, it a nnounced a trial service fo r 11 types
of intelligent robots this yea r. T hey include " kiosk ro-
bots" to roa m amusement parks selling tickers, and
"robo soldiers" that will man part of the 155-mile bor-
Copyright 2010 byThe New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
der with North Korea with a never-sleeping camera
eye, night vision a nd lethal fire power.
But t he most notable step was this country's pla ns to
use robots as teaching a ids. In February, the Education
Ministry began deploying hundreds o f them as part
of a plan to equip all the nation's 8 ,400 kinderga rtens
with robots by 20 13 .
O ne rype of robot, toddler-size wirh a domed head and
boxli ke body on w heels, rakes attendance, reads fairy
tales a nd sings songs with c hildren. A smalle r puppy
robot hel ps leads gymnastics a nd fl ashes red eyes if
touched roo ro ugh ly.
Even though they are little more tha n fa ncy toys, ex-
perrs say, these robots prepare child re n For a fast-ap-
proaching robotic fu ture.
Ea rly this year, when the insti tute did a n experi mental
ru n of Engkey in Masa n on the south coast, there was
a mad rush a mong children robe selected for rhe pro-
gra m, said K im Bo-yeong, a n English teacher.
"They all loved robots. T hey ger shy befo re a foreign
native speaker, afra id to make mistakes," M s. Kim
said. "But rhey fi nd robots m uch easie r to talk ro."
An independent evalua ror of the trial noticed that
Engkey required the consta nt presence of a technical
operator. "Engkey has a lon g way to go if it wa nts to
avoid becoming a n expensive yet ignored heap of scrap
meta l ar rhe corner of rhe classroom," said Ban Jae-
chun, an ed ucation professo r ar C hungnam National
Universi ty.
Dr. C hoi knows rhe challenge. After rests in more
schools rhis winter, he hopes ro commercialize Engkey
and ro reduce the price, currently $24,000 ro $32,000,
to below $8,000.
Dr. C hoi said his tea m was racing ro improve the ro-
bot's ability ro recognize students and to discern a nd
respond ro a student's voice amid noise. It is also cram-
ming .Engkey with more conversational scenarios.
For now, though, Engkey's limits quickly b ecome ap-
parent. H a hn Yesle, who pa rticipated in rhe recent
demonstratio n, said: "Engkey is fun . But she is not hu-
man. Repeati ng the sa me d ialogue is what she does. I
wish she wou ld become more expr.essive a nd respon-
sive, li ke a human teacher."
THENEWYORKTIMES, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER2, 2010 AS

KOREAN ISLE LOOKS

ABROAD FOR
AN EDUCATION AT HOME
B'i Cll OES \\ C-lll \

Korecm lslc Looks Abroad

For an Education at Home
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SEOGWIPO, South Korea

H
ere on Jeju Island , famous for its tanger-
ine groves, pearly beaches a nd honey moon
resorts, South Korea is conductin g a bold
educational experimenr, o ne inrended to bolster oppor-
tunity at home a nd attract investment from abroad.
keep rheir fam il ies toge cher wh ile givi ng their children
a more global and E nglish-lang uage curriculum begin-
ning w ith elementary school, and by governments hop-
ing for economic rewards from maki ng cheir councries
more accraccive co foreigners w ith money to invest.

By 2015, if a ll goes according to pla n, 12 prest igious
Wes tern schools w ill have opened branch campuses in a
gove rnmenr-financed, 940-acre Jeju G lobal Education
C iry, a self-conrained community w ithin Seogwipo,
where everyone - srudenrs, reachers, ad ministrarors,
docrors, store clerks - will spea k only English. The
first school, North London Collegiace, broke g round
for its ca mpus th is month.
Wh ile rhis is rhe councry's firsc enclave constructed
ex pressly around fore ign-scyle educarion , individu al
ca mpuses are open ing elsewhere. Dulwich College, a
privare British school, is schedu led ro open a bra nch in
Seoul, rhe capita l, in a few weeks. A nd che C hadw ick
School of C aliforn ia is sec ro open a branch in Songdo, a
new rown rising wesr of Seoul , around the sa me ti me.
What is happening in South Korea is pa rt of che global
expa nsion of Western schools - a complex trend fueled
by pa rencs in Asia and elsewhere who want co be able to
"We will do everythi ng human ly possible to create a n
environmenr w here your children must speak English,
even if rhey a re not abroad," Jang Tac-young, a Jeju of-
fic ial, recencly rold a group of Korean parents.
By inviting leading Western schools, che government
is hoping to address one of che notorious stress poincs
in South Korea n society. Many parents wane ro send
ch ildren abroad so chey ca n learn English a nd avoid
the crushing pressure and narrow focus of the Korea n
educational syscem. T he number of South Korea n stu-
dents from elemencary school eh roug h high school w ho
go abroad for ed ucation increased to 27,350 in 2008
from 1,840 in 1999, acco rding to government data.
Bue ch is a rrangement ofren resulted in che fracturin g of
families, wich che mocher accom panying rhe child ren
abroad and t he facher becoming a "goose" - by sray-
ing be hind to earn che mo ney to fi nance these ventures
a nd raking occasio nal rra nsocea nic flights to visir.
 l~is trend has r~ised ~ la rms abour broken fam i-
T
lies and a bra111 dram from a counrry rhar is
already suffering from one of rhe world 's low-
est birch races. Many of che chi ld ren who scudy abroad
encl up staying abroad; chose who return ofcen have
trouble fi nding jobs ac Korean companies, regaining
their language fluency or adapting co che Korean way
of doing business.
Lee Kyung- min, 42, a pharmacist in Seoul whose
12-year-olcl daughter, Jeong Min-joo, arrended a pri-
vate school in Canada for a year and a half, said she
knew why fami lies were will ing co make sacrifices ro
send their child ren away.
"Jn South Korea, it's all rore lea rning for college en-
trance exams," Ms. Lee said. "A srudenr's worch is cle-
rerminecl solely by whar grades she gers." She added
rhar compecirion among parenrs fo rced rheir children
co sign up for exrracurricular cram sessions rhac lefr
rhem with liccle free rime co develop chcir creacivicy.
"Children wither in our education system," she said .
So Min-joo's parents bel ieved char exposing her co a
Western school system was worth che $5,000 they paid
each month for her cuirion and board, 10 rimes what
they would have spent had she scucl ied ac home.
Bue Ms. Lee said her heart sank when Mi n-joo bega n
forgeccing her Korea n gram mar and sropped ca lling
home. Sti ll, she did noc wanr ro leave her husband be-
hind co join her daughrer, because she had wicnessed
in her own neighborhood how often rhe loneliness of
"goose" fachers led ro broken ma rriages.
"O ur fami ly was losing irs bonds, becoming just a
shell," she sa id.
In June, chey brought M in-joo home, and rhey plan co
en roll her in one of che inrernarional boarding schools
in Jeju, often roman ized as C heju , nexr year. For Ms.
Lee, chis is rhe closesr she can gee co sending her daugh-
ter abroad wirhouc leaving che country.
"There is an expressed desire in Korea ro seek rhe
benefits of a 'Western' or 'America n' approach ro pre-
collegiare education," said Ted Hill, headm aster of rhe
Chadwick School, whose Songdo campus has been
deluged wirh applicants ro fill rhe 30 percenr of slors
reserved for Korean students. T he balance of rhe stu-
dent body will be recru ited from ex patriate famil ies
living in South Korea and Ch ina.
"When we explain ro Korea n parents whar we cry ro
do in rhe classroom, we sec their eyes light up," sa id
C hris DeMari no, business development direcror at
Dulwich College Ma nagement lnternarional, which
has a government-sec 25 percent ceil ing on Korea n
scudents ac its Seoul school. "There is a tremendous
demand for what we offer, bur, un fort unately, we have
to cum many of chem away."
Copyright 2010 by The New York Tomes Co. Reprinted with perm1ss1on.
In South Korea, English proficiency and a d iploma
fro m a cop American un iversity are such important
sracus ma rkers char some dcliberacely sprinkle rheir
Korea n conversation wich English phrases.
T he counrry sends more nonimmigranc scudenrs -
113,519 in the fiscal yea r char ended on Sepe. 30, 2009
- co rhe United Scares rhan any other country ex-
cept China, according ro rhc United Srarcs Office of
Immigracion Scaciscics.
In a 2008 survey by South Korea's National Sracisrica l
Office, 48.3 percent of Sourh Korea n parents said they
wa nted co send cheir chi ld ren abroad co "develop glob-
al perspectives," avoid che rigid domesric school sysrem
or lea rn English. More rhan 12 percent wanted ir for
rheir children as early as elemenra ry school.
Critics say char rhe Jeju schools - wirh an nual ruirion
fees of $ 17,000 co $25,800 and their English-language
curricu lum , aside fro m che Korean language and his-
rory classes for Korean scudenrs - will create "schools
for rhe rich." But Kwon Do-yeop, a vice minister of
land, transport and maritime affai rs whose depart-
ment oversees rhe project, said ic could save Souch
Korea $500 million annually in what is now being
spenr ro educate children overseas.
"Jeju schools cost half what you spend when you have
your children studying in rhe United Scares," said
Byon Jong-ii , the chief of the Jeju Free lnrernarional
C iry Development Cenrer, which is managing che
education projecr as pare of an overall plan for rhe is-
land. "Noe everything goes right when you send your
children abroad."
Some of rhe things char can go wrong have been high-
lighted by rhc economic downturn.
"Ma ny of rhc students who were senc abroad in che
1990s have since recurned home," said Shi n Hyun-
ma n, che president of CareerCare, a job placement
company. "Despite rheir foreign diplomas, they we re
unable co find jobs abroad because of rhc global re-
cession. Bur rhcir Korean isn't good enough, and rhey
don'r adapt well co rhe corporate culrurc here."
Jimmy Y. Hong, a graduare of Middlesex University in
London and now a marketing official ac LG Electronics
in Seoul, sa id char when he returned ro South Korea in
2008, he enrolled in a business master's degree progra m
ac Yonsei University in Seoul ro help compensate for his
lack of local school con nections, which can be critica l
co making friends, landi ng jobs and closing dea ls.
"[ feared I might be oscracizcd for studying abroad,"
he said.
THENEWYORKTIMES, FRIDAY,NOVEMBER26,2010 Al,A14

IN A LAND OF THE AGING,

CHILDREN COUNTER
ALZHEIMER'S
In P.\ \I BELIXCK

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In a Land or the Aging, Children Help Ease the Bite or Alzheimer's

In a Land of the Aging, Children Counter Al zheimer's

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 SEONGNAM , South Korea
T
hey were srooped, hobbled , disorienced, fum-
bling arou nd rhe house. They got confused
in the bathtub and struggled up stairs rhar
seemed ro swim before them.
"Oh, ir hurts," said Noh Hyu n-ho, sinki ng ro rhe
ground.
"I thought I was going ro di e," said Yook Seo-hyun.
There was surprisingly little giggling, conside ring
t hat Hyun-ho, Seo-hy un and the o thers were actu-
ally perfec tly hea lthy 11- ro 13-year-old children. Bur
rhey had strapped on splines, weighted harnesses and
fogged-up glasses, and were given tasks like "Doorknob
Experience" and "Bathroom Experience," all to help
them feel what it was like ro be old, frail or demenced.
"Even though they are sm iling for us, every day, 24
hours, is difficu lt for them," Jeong Jae-hee, 12, sa id
she learned. "They lose rheir memory and go back ro
childhood."
lr is part of a remarkable South Korean campaign ro
cope with an exploding problem: Alzheimer's d isease
and other demencias. As one of the world's fastest-
aging councries, with nea rly 9 percent of its popula-
tion over 65 already afflicted, South Korea has opened
a "War on Dementia," spending money and shining
flood lights on a disease that is, here as in ma ny places,
riddled with shame a nd fear.
South Korea is traini ng thousands of people, including
children, as" demencia supporters," ro recognize symp-
toms and care for patiencs. T he 11- ro 13-year-olds,
for insta nce, were in t he governmen t's "Aging-Friendly
Comprehensive Experience H all" outside Seoul.
Besides the aging simulation exercise, they viewed a
PowerPoint presentation defini ng demencia and were
tra ined, in rhe hall 's Dementia Experience Center, to
perform hand massage in nursing homes.
" 'What did I do with my phone? It's in rhe refrig-
eraror,' " said one insrrucror, explai ning memory loss.
" Have you seen someone like rhar? T hey may go m iss-
ing and die on rhe street."
In a nor her striking move, South Korea is also push-
ing ro m ake diagnoses ea rly, despite there being scant
treatment.
"This used robe hidden" and "there is sti ll stigma and
bias," said Kim Hye-jin, director of senior policy for
t he Health and Welfare Ministry. But "we want ro get
rhem our of their shells, out of their homes a nd di-
agnosed " ro help fam ilies adjust and give patients "a
higher cha nce of being taken care of ar home."
Hundreds of neighborhood dementia d iagnostic cen-
ters have been created. Nursing homes have nea rly rri-
pied since 2008. Other dementia programs, providing
day care and home care, have increased fi vefold since
2008, ro nearly 20,000. C are is heavily subsidized.
And a government dementia database allows families
ro register relatives and receive iron-on identification
numbers. Citizens e ncountering wanderers wi rh de-
mentia report t hei r numbers ro officials, who contact
families.
To finance this, South Korea created a long-term-ca re
insurance system, paid fo r with 6.6 percent increases in
people's national health insurance premiums. In 2009,
about $ 1 bill ion of government and public insurance
mo ney was spent on dementia patie nts. Sti ll, w ith rhe
over-65 popu lation jumping from 7 percenc in 2000 to
14 percenc in 2018 ro 20 percenc in 2026, dementia is
straining the country, socially and economically.
"Ar least one family member has ro give up work"
ro provide caregiving, said Kwak Young-soon, social
welfare direcror for Mapo District, one of Seoul's 25
geographic districts. Because South Korea encourages
people ro work well past retire ment age, families may
also lose dementia sufferers' incomes.
Most fam il ies no longer have generations living to-
gether to help with caregiving, and some facilities have
long waiting lists, bur "we can't keep building nursing
homes," M r. Kwa k sa id. "We call it a ghost. It's basi-
cally eati ng up the whole house."
D ement ia Epidemic
South Korea is at the forefro nt of a worldwide erup-
tion of dementia, from about 30 million estimated
cases now ro an estimated 100 million in 2050. And
while Sourh Korea's approach is unusually extensive,
even in t he Uni ted Stares, the National Alzheimer's
Project Act was introduced this year ro establish a
sepa rate Alzheimer's office to create "an incegrared
national plan ro overcome A lzheimer's." Supporters of
rhe bill, currently in com m ittee, include Sa ndra Day
O 'Connor, whose late husband had Alzhei mer's.
South Korea also worries rhar dementia, previously
stigmatized as "ghost-seeing " or "one's second c hild-
hood" cou ld "d il ute respect for elders," Mr. Kwak
said. "There's a saying that even rhe most filial son or
daughter wil l nor be fi lial if they look after a parenc fo r
more than three yea rs."
So the authorities promote the notion rhar fi lial piety
implies do ing everything possible for elders w it h de-
mencia, a condit ion now called chimae (pronounced
chee-may): d isease of k nowledge and rhe brain which
makes adults become babies. Bur South Korea's low
birth rare will make fam ily caregiving rougher.
''I feel as if a rsun am i's coming," said Lee Sung-
hee, t he Soud1 Ko rea n A lzheimer's Associarion
presidenr, who trains nursing home sraff
members, bur also thousa nds who regularly inreracr
wirh rhe elderly: bus drivers, tellers, hai rsrylisrs, posral
workers. "Somerimes l rhink I wanr ro run away," she
said. "But eve n rhe highesr mounrain, jusr worrying
does nor move anyth ing, bur if you choose o ne area
and move srone by srone, you pave a way ro move rhe
whole mounrain."
South Korea is even trying ro rum a crisis inro a busi-
ness opporruniry. The Aging-Friendl y ha ll, financed
by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, encourages
businesses ro enter "silver industries," producing items
for feeble elderly people, from chopsricks rhar are easi-
er ro pick up to auromared harnesses rhar hoisr people
from bed, slid ing along a ceiling rrack, and deposir
rhe m onto roilers or living room couches.
College srudenrs visir rhe ha ll and don blue 3-D glasses
fo r "Demenria Expe rience" video journ eys follow ing
people disorienred on streers or seeking barhrooms.
Throughout Sourh Korea, M rs. Lee leads "demenria
supporrer" rraining, argui ng againsr longrime pracric-
es of chasrisi ng o r neglecri ng parienrs, and advocar ing
fo r preserving rheir ski lls and self-esree m.
One tip: give deme nred relatives "a washing pan and
washboa rd " and say, " 'The washing machine's rer-
rible - we need your help' " washing clorhes, she told
200 sen ior citizens interes red in nursing home jobs or
fam ily caregiving advice. If parients say, " Tm good ar
mak ing soy soup,' bur fo rger ing red ients," g uide rhem
srep by srep, she advised. Otherwise, "They may make
ir inro salt soup, and everyone will say, 'Oh, rhis is rer-
rible, you stop do ing it.' "
Even rhe you ngesr are enlisted. M r. Kwak, rhe local
govern m ent officia l, a rra nges for nursery school classes
to play games w irh nu rsing home parienrs, saying rhar
ir d esrigmarizes demenria and rhar parients w ho "re-
gress ro earlier days" may "find ir easier ro relare ro
young children ."
And Dr. Yang Dong-won, who direcrs o ne of ma ny
govern ment-run diagnosric centers in Seou l, has vis-
ired kindergarrens, bri nging rofu. "This is very sofr,
like rhe brain," he said, leerin g ir cras h down. Now,
"rhe brain is destroyed."
"Dementia is very bad fo r you, so prorecr yo ur brain,"
he said, with exercise, "not drinking too much sugar,"
and saying, " ' Daddy, don't drink so much because it's
nor good fo r dementia.' "
Ar a D emenria March outside rhe World C up Soccer
Sradium, ch ildren ca rried signs promoring Dr. Yang's
Mapo district center: "Make the Brain Smile!" a nd
"H ow is Your Memory? Free d iagnosis center in
Mapo."
The Mapo Cente r fo r Dementia perches ar a busy
crossroads of old a nd new, nea r a university and a shop
sell ing naruropath ic goar extracts. lr has exercise ma-
chi nes our fro nt a nd a van with pictures of sm iling
elderly people.
Even people wirhour sym proms come, Dr. Ya ng said.
They are "eased by hea ring, 'You do not have dementia
and ca n visit rwo years later.' "
C ha Kyong-ho's fa m ily was wary of getti ng hi m rested.
" De menria was a subject to hide," said his daughter,
C ha Jeong-eu n. "I worried his pride would be hurr go-
ing through rh is kindergarten experience."
Bur when "my mother asked h im to get ingredienrs fo r
curry rice, he ca me back with mayo nnaise," she said.
And one day, Mr. C ha, 74, a retired subway official,
could nor f ind his way home. "I was like, 'Where the
hell am I?' " he said .
U lrimarely, he vis ited Mapo's center, finding t he rest-
ing cha llenging.
"Sometimes I don't remember what I read, o r I can
see ir with my eyes and my brain is processing it, bur
I can nor say it our loud," he said about rhe questio ns.
" How can my brilliant brain remember everyth ing?
Jeez, it's so headachy."
Checking his abi lity ro categorize items, Dr. Ya ng
asked, "W hat do you call dog and tiger?"
" I call them dog and tiger."
"Penci l and brush?"
"Oh, there's a word for that."
"A irplane and train?"
" I feel embarrassed I d on'r know."
"You have a lot ofloss of memory," Dr. Yang said. "This
is rhe very beginni ng stages of Alzheimer's d isease."
H e suggested that Mr. Cha get a govern menr-subsi-
d ized brain M .R.l. w confirm the diagnosis, and said
dru gs might delay symproms slightly. H e recommend-
ed Mapo's free programs "ro stimulate what brain cells
he has." These include rooftop garden "floral therapy,"
arr classes making realistic representations of everyday
objects, music the rapy with bongos sounding " li ke a
hea rrbear."
Mr. Cha sighed.
" I thi nk," he said, gesru ring reward his brain, "that
somerhing's wrong wirh rhis, just a little bir."
IIIll
Students as Helpe rs

chools offer community service credit, e ncour- For Kim H a n-bit, 16, the progra m is inrensely per-

S agin g work with dementia patienrs, whom stu-

dents ca ll grand mas a nd gra ndpas. Tee nage
girls do foot massage at the C heongam nursing home,
wh ich is run by Mrs. Lee, the Alzheimer's Association
president, for women without sons to care for them .
(In South Korea, sons' families trad itionally shoulder
caregiving responsibilities.) During one massage ses-
sion, 16-year-old O h Yu-mi rubbed a patient's toes,
saying: "I'm doing the heart. T he heel is the reproduc-
tive system. le will help them excrete becrer."
Another girl doing foot massage, Park Mi n-ju ng, 17,
was shaken to rea lize that dementia cou ld explain why
her gra nd fat her recently grabbed a tax i and ci rcled
his old neighborhood seeking his no-lo nger-existenr
house. "H e used to be very sca ry to me," she said , but
trai ning made her feel that " I ca n do rhings for him."
A patient wept as t he g irls lefr, upsetting 16-year-old
Kim Min-joon, the massage group's leade r. She said
social workers suggested being less effusive ro parienrs,
so the girls' leaving wou ld be less trau matic: "If there
is love or affectio n of 100 grams, cut it up inro I gram
each " and distribute it over "100 visits, nor all at once."
Bur " I'm not good ar controllin g t hat," Min-joon said.
Even at school, "The feeling of their touch remai ns
wirh me."
A boys' high school selects top students ro help at
Seobu N ursing Center, doing art therapy a nd at-
tempting physical therapy w ith d ances and " balloon
badminton" (the rac ke r is panryhose stretched on a
fra me). T he boys write observations to help Seobu ad-
just programs.
sonal. Ha n-bit was 13 when his gra ndmother, who
practically ra ised him, got A lzhe imer's, and "I would
just feel it was a nnoying a nd wa lk our of rhe room,'' he
said. "She would ask to do a n activity, a nd I would say,
' W hat business do you have doing char?' It was my re-
sponsibil ity to feed her, give her drin ks, wash her face.
Bur I even resisted and fo ught back,'' he said. When
she died , he added , "I co uldn 't lee our rears."
T he demenri a caregiving p rogram had made him
"wonder why I wasn't able to do char with m y own
gra ndma, a nd I ch ink I shou ld d o bercer in t he fu-
ture to compensate for a ll my wrongdoin g,'' he said.
"I could have taken ca re of my grandmother w ith a
grateful feel ing. If only I could have."
Recently, he worked to e ngage Lee Jeong-hee, a patienr
half h is height with missing teeth who laughed, bur
spoke incoherently.
"When I come next time,'' he sa id tenderly, "please re-
member me."
Su-I-911111 Lee comributed reportingfro111 Seoul, South Koren.
This article has been revised to reflect the fallowing correction:
Correction: Nove111ber 25, 2010
An earlier version of11 photo caption with this article misiden-
tified the loc111ion where 11 student 111r1s bowing in 11 ht1llwt1y.
The photo wt1s 11t the Seobu Nursing Center, not the M11po
Center/or De111entirt in Seoul.

At school, they wrote questions on the blackboard :

"Problems and solutions of co mmu nicating with the
elderly. Ways to improve a nd execute exercise routine.
How to make sure we're all on time."

"T hey don't comprehend my word s," sa id Ki m Su-

hwa n, 16.

"M aybe we sho uld get closer to t heir ears,'' suggested

Kim Jae-kyeum.

Maybe "some of us could massage rhe m," sa id Su-

hwan. "You do th at, Su-hwan," snickered Jae-kyeum.

"Smile at chem more," a nother student sa id. "Some of

us look like we don't wanr to do this."

Copyright 2010 by The New York Times Co. Reprinted with permission.
THE NEW YORK TIMES, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2010 A32

AS KOREANS POUR IN,

A TOWN IS REMADE

PALISADES PARK, N .J.

T
As Koreans
wo decades ago, t he police here somet imes
Pour/n, roused Jason Ki m in the wee hours, bur nor
A 7own
ls Remade
because he was in trouble. There were few
Koreans in town, a nd few of them spoke English, so
whenever one was arrested, rhe police needed M r. Ki m
to translate the Mi rand a warning.

It is hard to imag ine such a scene today, as Mr. Kim,

now an elected borough counc ilma n, strolls along
Broad Avenue, this town's bustling commercial spine,
past storefronr sig ns rhar are mostly in Korean, char-
ring in Korea n and English with business owners
and shoppers. A generation of Korean-Americans has
grown up here, ma ny people switch readi ly between
la nguages, a nd rhe police force has three Korean-
Ame ri ca n officers.

Si nce the 1980s, the towns of eastern Bergen County

- Edgewater, Englewood C liffs, Leonia, Fon Lee
a nd others - seem to have exerted a magnetic pu ll
on Asian immigrants, particula rly Koreans. Bur none
more so t ha n Palisades Pa rk, whose populat ion is now
54 percent Asia n-A merican and 44 pe rcent Korean-
American, the Census Bureau reported this week.

Major population cenrers like Queens a nd Los A ngeles

have more Koreans, bur Palisades Pa rk, w ith fewer
th an 20,000 people, is, proport iona lly, rhe most heav-
ily Korean mun icipality in the cou ntry, accord ing to
Pyong Gap M in, a disting ui shed professor of sociology
at Queens College.

A stri king 66 percent of rhe town's populatio n is for-

eign-born, includi ng many G uatema la ns an d smaller
numbers from several other countries.

T
he Korean presence is growing fasr; rhe 2000
census found rhar 3 1 percenr of Pal isades Park
residents were Korea n-American. The 44 per-
cent figu re ca me fro m surveys raken from 2005 to
2009, a nd local Korea n leaders predicr rhar rhe figure
wi ll be higher when 2010 census numbers a re released
nex r year.
"\'\/hen I came here, on ly rwo stores were Korean;
rhere were no Korean churches," said Mr. Kim, 54,
who teaches marh and co mpurer science at Bronx
Communiry College and also has a business prepari ng
swdents to rake rhe SAT. "lr is hard co believe how
much it has changed."
Palisades Park has not e nd ured rhe ki nd of violent
clashes rhar somerimes accompa ny erhnic rransirions,
bur neithe r has irs transformation been trouble-free.
Andy Nam recalled rhar after he opened Grand
Furniture on Broad Avenue in 1989, "We had some
young kids, rroublemakers, who broke che windows,
w ri te 'Go home kimchi,' rhar kind of th ing."
Korea n restaura nts a nd bars foughr fo r years - un-
successfully - fo r permission co stay open arou nd the
clock. W hite residenrs co mplai ned of shops char had
signs only in Korean, until nearly all rhe new mer-
chants volunta rily added English translations.
T he first-generation Korean-America ns faced a huge
language barrier. For yea rs, they relied heavily on peo-
ple like M r. Nam, now 70, who spoke E nglish, a nd o n
chose like M r. Ki 111 who called rhemselves generarion
1.5 - born in South Korea, bur educated here.
Unti l the 1980s, the rown was overwhel mingly wh ite,
a mi x of blue-colla r workers and professiona ls whose
fami lies had come predominantly from Ita ly, C roatia,
Germany a nd G reece. Irs ho uses were inexpensive, a nd
it had a number of vaca nt shops and offices.
A pattern had sta rred co emerge by then, of Asian
immigrants moving from New York C ity to Bergen
Counry. They were drawn by che a rea's relative safety
a nd high ly rega rded schools, and by its proxim ity ro
the George Wash ington Bridge, for co mmuting ro
jobs in rhe city.
Copynghl 2010 by The New York Times Co. Repnnled w1lh permission.
"Ar first everybody went co Fon Lee, bur I couldn't af-
ford Forr Lee," said Mr. Kim, who moved from South
Korea co rhe Bronx as a teenager, then co Pa lisades
Park in 1986. "The rea l estate agencs cold people co cry
Pa lisades Pa rle"
The infl ux made che town more prospero us, as Korea n
businesses moved in, renovating buildings and erecr-
ing new ones. Bue fo r the old-ti mers, it made the place
alien, and property more expensive. Today, 39 per-
cenc of the popul ation is whi te, bur few businesses are
wh ite-owned.
" In che begin ning, some of che old businesses shut
dow n because che Koreans wou ld nor patronize them,"
said George Mahsoud , whose fam ily has run a shoe-
repai r shop here for 35 yea rs. "You really had co make
an effort - li ke I put a Ko rea n sig n in rhe window
and I smi led a nd ta lked to rhem . Korea ns are all abour
reputatio n - rhey have to hear good rhi ngs abo ut you
fro m rheir friends, and rhat took awhile."
Two whi re wome n emerging from a bank, who asked
nor to be named fo r fear of offending t heir newer neigh-
bors, said rhcy lived in Palisades Park, b ur shopped
elsewhere. T he Korean shops carer mostly to Koreans,
rhey sa id - a face char used to bother chem, bu r rhar
now just peacefu lly propels them elsewhere.
T he Korea ns' numbers have been slow ro rranslare into
clout; o nly abour o ne-quarter of t he voters are Korean.
Mr. Kim was the fim Asia n-American elected ro a sear
on rhe school boa rd , in 1995 - his th ird rry - and
rhe first to w in a sear on the cou ncil, in 2004. A sec-
ond Korean immigrant, Jong C hui Lee, was elected to
rhe council lase year, a nd t wo others sir o n the school
board.
" I knew from rhe sta rt I couldn't win wit h jusr Korea n
votes," Mr. Kim said. "[ still can't. We have to work
with everybody."
THENEWYORKTIMESBOOKREVIEW, SUNDAY,APRILJ,2011 23

LOST IN TRANSIT
BY 1'IYT lllLI C. HAO

Lost in Transit

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' ' P lease Look After Mom," by rhe Sourh
Korea n w riter Ky ung-sook Sh in, ope ns
wirh a fam ily in d isa rray. Mom is missi ng,
separared from Farher by rhe closing doo rs of a subway
car in a busy rrain station in Seoul. A day, a week, rhen
nea rly a monch goes by. Mo m's husband a nd adult
ch ildren are nor only worried, bur crippled w ith g uile
and regret, fu mbling " in confusion, as if rhey had a ll
injured a pare of rheir brains." Are you pun ishing me?
each privately wonders.
T he eldest daughter, C h i-hon , is the writer of her fam-
ily, a nd she is persuaded to draft rhe missing-person fli-
ers. "A ppearance: Shorr, salt-and-pepper permed ha ir,
promi nenc cheekbones," she writes, " last seen wear-
in g a sky-blue shirt , a w hite jacker a nd a beige pleated
skirt." W hen Chi-ho n thinks back o n t he Mom of her
chi ld hood, she sees a woma n w ho "strode t h roug h the
sea of people in a way th at would intimidate even the
aurhori rarive buildings looking o n from above." The
stra ngers who respond to her ads pa int a d ifferenr pic-
ture: "They saw an old wom an wa lking very slowly,
some times sitting . .. o r sta nd ing vacantly." Could it
be the same woman?
Sh in's novel, her first to be t ranslated into English , em-
braces mu ltiplicity. It is told from rhe perspectives of
four members of t he fa m ily, a nd fro m their me mo ries
emerges a port ra it of a heroical ly selfless and indus-
trious woman. She runs their rura l home " li ke a fac-
tory." She sews a nd knits and rill s the fields, and ra ises
pupp ies, piglets, duck lings a nd ch ickens. The fam ily
is poor, bur she sees to it char her children's be llies are
filled , their cuicio n fees paid.
Only after her chi ldren g row up a nd leave their ho me
in C hon g up does Mom's strength and purposefuln ess
begin to flag. When C h i-ho n visits un anno unced, she
finds rhe house in shambles a nd Mo m sufferin g private
anguish. The daughter is stu n ned : "Mom got head-
aches? So severe t hat she couldn't even cry?" These are
some of the many quest ions chat punctuate her narra-
tive a nd lead to a cascade of revelations. Mom's debil i-
tating headaches a re t he byproduct of a stroke she told
no o ne about. Ot her d iscoveries come grad ua lly. Afte r
one of Chi-ho n's older brothers leaves t he vi llage fo r
Seo ul , she is responsib le fo r writing letters to him, dic-
tated by Mom. For years, Chi-ho n assu mes t his is just
an additional chore. The reali ty is revea led in another
question she asks of herself: "W hen was it yo u rea lized
char Mom didn't know how to read?"
Sh in's prose, inrimare and haunringly spare 111 this
translation by C hi-Youn g Kim, moves from first to
second a nd thi rd perso n, a nd powerfully conveys
g rief's bewi ldering immed iacy. Chi-ho n's voice is t he
novel's most d isti net, bur Father's is t he most devastat-
ing. Returnin g to rhe ho use in Chongup, he is " blud-
geo ned" wirh Mom's abse nce as he real izes char he
never fully appreciated her, th is "sreadfast tree" at t he
cenrer of his li fe- and rhac a ll this time he had been
in den ial ove r her hea lth 's dete riorat ion.
"The word 'Mom' is fami lia r," C hi-hon observes, "and it
hides a plea: Please look after me." Passages of the novel
may ca use the g rown ch ild ren among Shi n's readers to
cringe. ("You were the o ne who always hung up firsr,"
C hi-hon mournfully remembers of her own behavior.
"Yo u would say, 'Mom, I'll ca ll you back,' and then you
didn't.") A nd yer this book isn't as inreresred in emo-
tio nal man ipulario n as iris in che invis ible chasms th at
o pen up between people who k now one a no ther best.
Who is che missing woma n? ln th is raw tribute to the
mysteries of motherhood , only Mom k nows.
Mythili G. Rao has written for 711e New York Observer, V:lords
\'(/ithout Borders and Boston Review.

Copyright 2011 by The N ew York Times Co. Reprinted with perm1ss1on.

THE LIST OF 2010
The New York 'Tin1es articles
on Korean Culture

T his is l he complelc li sl or The New York T i mes ar l ides O il Ko rea n Cu It ure in 2010
acco rdin g Lo 0 111 resear ch al l ime or pu bi ical ion.

\ ol al I ar t iclcs on LltC' I isl " ere selC'cLcd for l his boo k lel. T he a r LiclC's th al a re included i 11
t ltis book let w ill be i 11 BOLD.
 JANUARY- MA RC H
No. Date Article By Title of Articles Booklet Page(s)

Ja111 1ar.\ .\larli11 ,..ac kler ................ s('I'\ i11 g a FatlHr b.\ Bringi11 g Long- 1,ost
l\.orca 11 s I lon1e
2 Ja1111an 10 C hoe S ang-1 lun \ Kor<"an Doctor's Cro11p
\\'a1 1l s lo I lalL 1\I Jorl ions
3 Ja1111 an 10 .\rie C he n .. \\ here To Co i11 20 10
4 Ja11uan II C hoe Sa ng-I lt11 1 To B('l'Oll{'i le tlw Ko rcas .
Tec 11a gc rs S h<)\\ a \\ 'ay
5 Ja 1111a ry Iii C hoe Sang-I lu11 You th Prng-ram lnspins Dreams of
Korea n l 11i1, 89 91
6 Ja 111 ian 28 :\11n e \ lanc1 1so Spa r<' Tin w
7 .Ja1111ar\' 28 C hoe S ang- I l11n Hui e of'Tl111rnb s:
l\.o rca 11s l\! ig 11 in Te,t i11 g \\ orld
8 Fe! ll'Ua I ) 12 Carol \ 'ogcl l11 siclc- 1\rt : See It , 11cc l It, To1wh It. C li1nb II
9 Fe brua I' \ l'3 .Jul iet \lac11 r 01.' rnpic I lo pes l\es l \\ 'it h S kating F~n o rile
Ki m Yu-11a
10 lcbruan 14 .Ju liet 'llacur .... ... ... ... .. .. ... I lope G lid<'s \\ ith a S mi le
11 Fcbrua rv I ~) A.O. S 1ott ... ............ .. Do11 't Thi1 1k of It as \11otlier l.'ilm FcstiYa l.
Thin k of' It as a S a111pl<'r
12 February 22 J e rl- Lo11 g 111a11 Ba la 11!'ed 0 11 a S kater's Blades.
tlw l:" pe!'lalio 11sol"a \atio n
13 Fchrua1'\' 24 Juliet \l aeur Pressu re is \o l'roble111 1()1' Ki111 Y11 -na
14 Fclll'ua ry 2:) i\ like llale .. \\'hen\\ it and Ce n1c Fi lm maki11g Collid1 .... Gl- G2
15 Fcbrua 1'\" 26 .Julie t \laC'11r An Effo rtl <'ss IJ11t E 11101io11al C old
16 Fchruar) 27 .kn' Longma n .... ............ h.im Ib ises Bar. Delig htin g Fans .......... ... ........ 77 78
17 .\larch I Cang \\ . I.cc S 11a ps hols Fro111 C:a 11ada
18 .\ larch :> Dave ll zkoff Bill.' Elliot' L<aps I 1110 South Korea
19 i\ lareh 12 i\ la noh la Dargis ............ Fi<1<1 Low:
lktt('I' ~o l \lak( T hi s \lom 1\11 g r,,,, .................. 6) - 6/j
20 i\ lal'(h Iii Te1TCIH'(' Hafferty Deal h Pul's ucs 1le l' ... ......................................... 103- 10/j
21 .\ larch 'D Cl1oe S ang- I lu11 I1 1 S ('oul. Cl'ce 11 Tran sit Is \layo r's l'e l l'l'Oj<ct
22 \ la reh 28 De11nis Lim !\est l'i<'lc d . but \ ot De lnrc cl
23 \ larch 28 Brad l. <'f'l o11 \a1io11's Pride 111 a S i11 gle Pit('li
24 .\larch '10 Sonia 1'..ol<'snikm -Jessop \ h.ona11 \rtis t's 0 1igi11s, I>,\ Pa1aeh11te 5 1 52
25 \ larch '{ I S 1ephc11 I lo ldc 11 \111id Dcsolat<' l.i\'es \11d Pit (' li cd 13all les.
1

0 11c Dlicio11s \ 11 0111al.)

26 .\ larch '1 1 K ~1ren C ro11 s(' \\ ie's \ igl11 Ca llC' ry
AP RIL - JUNE
No. Date Article By Title of Articles Booklet Page(s)

27 April 16 S Lepltc n I lo ld<'ll 12 Days . 1'12 Fi Ims. rn Co11111ri{'s

28 April IG Ke ll.' Fcl' ncy Ca l(l<"ria Far'< '. Kor<':t 11 -S1ylr
29 April 20 Flo r<' nce Fabri('anl Ko J'( ':t ll Bl'e f .lerk.' Fronr a Fa rn ily HcC'ipc
30 April 28 Choe Sa11g-l l11 11 Korca n Is Fi rsl Woma n
lo S<'a le Iii ll ighes l Peaks 79 80
31 April W Pel er .\ ppll' bo111c I11 a Col'll f'ield 's C11ri ous Trl' ntltlc.
a H<111 inde r fo r ~C\\ York Cil)

32 i\Jay 18 Ki111 Scvc rso11 .. ................ Mari,i 11ana F1wls a 1'<w Ki1 cl 1e 11 C1tll111T

33 .\la' 22 Hielt Scl 1ul1z \\' i<' Keeps 11 S irnp k and Hc:wl1es l\01111d
of ICi i11 } la1 cl1 Play

34 i\lay24 .\ la110hla Da rg is T ltai Fil n1111ak<1 Wi ns Pa lnw d 'O r al Ca nnes

.J cssi<a H ina ld i .. .............. t\ nolltcr Soul It Korca n ~ l ak es ~ l a r k
35 i\ lay 24
36 ~Ja, 26 Cltco ang- 1111 11 .\ Fa nlas.' \\.odd l s Crealing Pro blenr s
in So11Lh Ko rl'a

37 !\ lay 28 ' l~yl c r Kl'p ncr t\ F1111nc Fi ll1'd \Vi 1lt Pro1nise a nd D111 y

38 i\ la) 29 Cho< Sang-1ltnr So111lr Kor<n l::-.pa nds

1\ id fo r I111 e rnel 1\ dd icLion

39 J une I OliHr SI rand Kvod ron a nd Bo n Clron

40 J u11 t' 2 .J 1tl i:1 ,\ l oskin Yo11 ng Food l ~ 11lrc p1c n 0 1 ns Ma ke
Tlwir Ful 11 rc IH Hand

41 Ju11e 2 S lew S 11 1illt Pacif'ie Crossing: Bra l1111s by \ Vay o f' co11l
42 .Ju11l' 8 Ala n \V lrea lle.' Hcin\'C nli ng li> r S ueC'css in Soul h Ko rea
43 .Ju11 r 10 lb dH' I Lee I la rris J\ 13ikc To1n l(ll' Arl Lovers, a S ltow fo r Fc la!"
Fa 11 s Ca poeira Lessons and a Ko rea n lilm

44 .Jun<' 13 Co11sl a11ec Hos111 ul11111 T hl' Place ' Fi1 Like a .lacke1' 92 93
45 J une 14 ler11 a nda Sa nl os i\ Q 11cc ns DeHlopn11111 Haiscs ELl 111ic Tens io n
46 .lu rw 16 l\oli I lugltes S 11rprisi11g ll w \Vol'i d , a rid Al111osl Brazil
47 .h1111 18 Cor<'.) Kilganno n J\faki11g T h0i1 O wn Natio na l l\oise,
bul Losing A ny wa) 8 1- 82

48 June 22 A la n Kozinn Acade mic Series i11 .J azzy S 11rrou ndi 11gs
49 J une 23 C l11 H'k C1tl pc ppc1 Coa l; So111 h Ko rea 2, Nig<'ri a 2
50 J un r25 Rob I lughes ..... Ch'1rs al ~ 111opc's l ~x p c n sc

51 .lu 11e 25 Mike llale lesliva l i\ l mcs lo Fancie r Base

bu l Keeps ll s Gcnre-Bcnd ing Fare 65- 67
JULY- SEPTEMBER
No. Date Article By Title of Articles Booklet Page(s

52 .lu h- I C is<'la \\ ill iams l\.011a n Tradition, Italian S t.' It .. ...... .......... .. .... . 9/i !):)

53 .Juh- 7 Ferrra11cla S;1nlos L:rng 11:rgl' I lelp lc>r \('11 Yor k I1n 111 igranls
l s ing Ci ty c n i('<':-. Falls Short of" Coa ls

54 .lu l\'8 i\ lel1na lhzik S hi'\\ a n ts "lor1 T ha n I kr i\ IT \ /i I /i 2

55 .luh 11 Cho<' Sa ng I lun l::-.:r<"li11g Tcat"hing \lat"hinc

Stil'l,s to Script in South l\.orl'a IO:i IOG

56 .l uh- 20 Larry Dorrnan l111 1rrralional Pla_H'l'S 1-.ccp Hising lo tir e Top
i1 1 \la_jor Tour11anwnl s
57 .luly '.W A lexis J\ lai11 l:111d Ci t\ Hoorn: \<'11 ~<>l'k On lin e/ 1\ sk 1\ 1-. or<'a n !

58 .Jul\'28 .l oh n T. l ~ dgc .......... ..... .... Tiii' To r tilla Tak1s a Hoad Tri p lo 1-.orca

59 .Juh 2!J I.arr.' Dorrrra n \or1 l1 1-.orf'an Op<' ra Dra11s :\c<'lain1 in C hin a
60 t\ ug usl 2 .la 11cs IL 01's1l'l'iclr 1\ lalrln and S t r:111 ss f-..<1 p Co11 cl1wlors
(1>111 \ol L<' vir H') H11s.'
61 Aug ust I:) Clro<' Sa 11g- l lr11 1 \\ illr Clrarcoal as a11 l ~ li x i r. Sou1l1 1-.orf'arrs
1\1' ital izc by Hoa sl irr g i11 Kilns

62 Aug ust 2 1 Clroe S:111g- l lt11 1 1-.o rl'a's 13o ld Lt'arrri11 g l ~x p eri111(' 11 l
63 Aug ust 22 1\la 11 Kozi11 11 .................... Prais in g Peacl' and Igno rin g C:al c11dar D<'lai ls

64 Sept 111il>l'r 2 C hoe Sa ng- 1lun ............. . l\.on a 11 Isle Loo ks \hroad
For a11 Education at llomc 107 108

65 Sept" ' '' h<'r 4 Cl 1oc S a 11 g- l l111 1 ........ ..... Tr'.' i11g and Tr.' i11g \ gai n (9GO Ti1111s
f(u a I.ieC'11se

66 Scplc1nlwr 10 .\I ikc I la l<' .......... ... ........... T iil' 1: rozcn \\ ar i11 1-.orea
67 Scpl <'1nl wr 2'~ Lis 1i11g ............... ... ..... ...... \ralwsq 11cs .\11d Pirn11 cllcs On Pa rade

68 Scpl<'nrl H'r I:) .l oa1111c l-.:u11"1na11 .. I 11 \I id lO\rn. Igloos a n I lot

69 Scpll'rul wr2G \I.I I. Heed ..................... .. Firing l p the 13a rl><cue Lhc f-.. n11an \\'ay
70 Scplen rl H' r 29 J\'a1asl1a 1:rastr - Cal'a ssoni Tallon C hic
No. Date Article By Title of Articles Booklet Page(s)

71 OcLobcl' 7 Tirn J\ lc Keougf ............... J\ S1ude111 's New Scl'ecn Evokes \\!aves a nd
Cai ns Accl ai111
72 0cLobel' 8 Debbie Lee ..................... W liaL th e Squ il'l'els Know: /\ corn s fol' Di nn el'
73 OcLobel' 12 Daniel .I. \Vak i11 .............. Violini sLCancels
l~cc ila l Ovf'I' De Lr-oi l S uike Tension

74 OcLobcr 15 J\ lark Mcdona ld ............... His ing Pl'iccs Crea le J\ K imchi C1i sis
75 OcLobcr 2 1 Ca1herin e Sa int Louis ... . A 13eLLer S111 ile (bu l Nol Too Ped ccl}
76 OcLobcr 22 Sieve S 111i1h .................... 1\ Pencha111 !o r Bnrclr (S ince S he Was O nly 5)
77 OcLobcr 22 13 1'ad Spm gcon ................ J\ Soulh Kona Prepa res fOI' I1s I i rsl l.'orrnu la
0 11c Weekend
78 Oclober 29 1\ la rk J\ lc Dona ld .............. A l'Ler 6 Del:adcs of' Sq n1 l'alio11 in Kol'ea,
a 1\lceLing
79 Nove111bcr 7 David E. Sangel' Gel Me 0 111 of Here
80 November 7 Ce11e Lu<11 Yang ............. .!11 s1 Over rite Page, :i Pal'a ll el Uni vel'se
81 Nove111ber rn J\ la rk Mcdo11 a lcl ............... G-20 Even! lo S howcase So111 l1 Kol'e<i 's Al'ri va l
82 Novenrbcl' LO Sonia Ko k11 s 11ikov-.Jessop So11 Ih Ko l'ea Sels ll s S ights on Fo l'eig n Toirl'isls
83 Nove111bcr 11 Brya n Kay ................... I lavol' of l3ri1ain \Virt s over So uth Kol'ea ns

84 NoYem hcr 14 J\ ric Chcrr .......... .... Seou I 96- 99

85 Nove111 bcr 14 Sclh Kugel i<'l'ugal Los J\ 11 gelcs
86 Novc111 bel' l7 Scolt Sayal'e .................... UN l~SCO I I ai ls French Food ,
O il vVl'estli11 g and Flamenco
87 Novernbcl' 18 Choe Sa ng-1lun Hc1hinki11g \Vcclcli rr gs
Tit al Co mr \ ViLh Ca sit icl's
88 Novcm hcr 18 A lice Pf(,iff(1" .. Tradi tional Korea n Style Get a Fonvar<l Spin 43- 45
89 Novcnr hcl' 19 r\ 111hony To111 masi11 i ....... Bad Guys S i11gi ng of I .ove A 11d Power
90 Novc111 bcr 2 1 David M. ll a lbfing<..- -.. Deep in Ili c Flavol' Pool, Ko rea n S tyle
91 oYemhcr 26 Pam Bcl lt1ck .. In a La nd 01'1.hcr\ging,
Ch ild ren Counter /\ lzhcimc1"s .. 109- 112
DECEMBER
No. Date Article By Title of Articles Booklet Page(sl

92 Dcccr n hcl' Ii 1\ likc I lalc A nd Baby ~ l a kes Co rncdy

\\li en a Pl'incpss Is Tak<' n \ \'csl
93 Dcccr11bcl' 5 Co nsla nee l~osc 11hli11n ... 1\l111os1 Fl'Olll Sc l'aldl. \11d a BiL or a ~ li x

94 DecC'r11 l>C'I' 7 T l'ip C abl'i<' I !\ Forn H'I' St' hools ( :lric f" S lra p<'s J lel' Co rnc bat'k
95 Dccl'rn bc l' 7 S a111 Dillo 11 To p Tcsl Sco l'<'S
17rn nr S lia ngfori S ul' pl'iS<' l~d11 t' alo rs

96 Decernbcr 8 Kai ic Tho mas Et I1ics Issucs Do n1 Dcle l' S . Ko 1'c;1s OI.' m ic Bi d
97 Dccc rnbcr 13 ?l lal'C ~kD 011ald Savin g a Ko n a n Disl l'i<'I
98 DccT111her IG Hiehard Pfrl'z-Pl'rw As Ko nans Pou r In . \ Tmrn Is R<111adc 11 3 11 4
99 DecC'nrbcl' 2 1 S il'\ <' S rnilh D l'a\\ i11go 11 Fond C lt ildlrood \lcrn orics
fo l' a Pai 1'i 11g of" Bc<' llH)\'<' n and B<'l'io
100 DecC"111hcl' 2 1 \ ivic 11 S cl111 c iLzc l' J\11ollrc l' ~ l c rl'.) Clr l'is1111as
\\"i1lr ll H B l'andc11 hul'gs'
101 Deel' Ill bcl' 22 1\ .0. Srnll .......... .......... .. . Fi<'IT(' T<sls or l~ 11 d ll l'Ca ll CC
a nd llrl' l ~ csi li e nc< of"l lH' S pil'il
102 Dcce111bcr 29 1\eil C c nzli ngc l' :\ Fa ke Dani slr Cor ned.' Troupe
C <ws To \ o l'llr K<ma . \\ i1h S ll'ang< Result s
103 Dccc rn bcl' '1 1 S lr i\a n i \ 'o l'a Ta ke a l'lun ge. oa k L p I lcal. Tr.' a Scrub.
S ta.\ O ff Your Feel
104 Dccc111 bcl' 11 Dave ll zko fT H.:rl'e ~ l ov i c Treat in \ol'lh Ko l'ca
THE LIST OF 2011
The Nevv York Times articles
on Korean Culture

This is the com plete li st o f'Tlw t\cw York T in1 cs arlicles 0 11 Korea 11 C ullurc in 20 11
ac<"o rd i ng lo o ur rcsca reh at Ii 111e o f' pt 1bi icalio 11.

~o l a II a rl ielcs on 1lir
Iisl \\'c 1r sc lccl cd f(:>r this book Icl. T he arLiclcs Lh at a re i ncl uclcd i n
Lhi s book let w ill be i11 BOLD.
JANUARY-M ARC H
No. Date Article By Title of Articles Booklet Page(s)

.lan11a rv 10 S tew S11 1i11J .. .... ............. .. J\ S iri ng l ~ n semhl e al Play: Bod.' Language
and S licer l:, ul wra 11<c
2 .l an11a 1T 2G Flo r('lll'C FabriC'a 11 l Of'fTlw 'll c nu
3 .l a1111a ry 27 S lew S rnilh .. ......... ......... l'a 111ed G liosls \11d Tl1eir Dili g<' nl Kee pe r

4 Fe hrna ry I Vivi11 1 St'hweil zcr J\ \'ioli11isl l.ay<' rs 13:11'11

"ii Ii HC'lal i' <' \ e wco 111ers
5 Fe brnan :) Zachary \\'oolfi Play i11 g Tlia1 0 111 grows a Coz.' Space
6 Fchl'l1a1, G Franz Liclz \ Fi n<' Balance:
The Qu iel L ile Of a S ta r \ ctress 68 G!)
7 Fehl'ltary 11 \la11ohla Dargis C:o 11sidc1 a11 \pple. Considc 1 thl' \\'Ol'ld 70 7 1
8 FC'hl'l1a1T 17 E ric W ilson C'\ \ Dips a \l anic ur<'d Toe
Bar k I 11Lo l.':1 sh ion Cm c ra ge
9 l.'ebniary :w \ Iall hl'w C lll'cwilsC' li S tanding Silla II.
Sin gi11g Bi g. \I I Su lf'11 r a 11d l<'s l
10 Fe bru ary 2 1 Th e 1\ ssoC'ialccl Press Top- 1\ a n kcd Ts<' g \\ ins
L.P.C.t\.'s Scaso11 O p<' n<' r
11 Fclm1a1T 22 \l a rC' \le Donald Fo r So11Lli 1-. orea .
I nl(rncl al Blazing S pccds is S Iill l\01 Enough
12 Fchl'lta1.' 2/i Ale:\. 1lawgood ,\ \ iolinis1s fkll s and W histles 15 16
13 Fclw11an 26 \ l ike I lak B loody \ll c111pl s To l:scapc From Fat e
14 Felm1an 2:) Ti111 S tclloh ............... .. .... \ \c igli bo rhoocl's S tt'eples
!\re Set to Di sappea r ()u ict ly
15 \ la 1ch 2 Handy 1\.e11ncd) S hee p in Times Squa r<' 53
16 \larC' h 3 .l ca nn elc Ca1so 1il is I leads \\-ill l~o ll

17 \l arch 5 \ la rC' \l c Donald I11 c,

l)('rallack.
\ irus lnficls Ii () \\-eh S ites In Soulli Korea
18 \ lareh l'3 I hsa 11 Ta.\ lo r P:11)('rback lhl\\
19 \l arC'h I) \ like I lale S11 gar and Spice \nd \ .i('ious B!'ali11 gs
20 \l ar('h I:) 1\111 lio11y To111111asi1 1i 1\11sw<' ri1 1g llH Ca ll fo r New Ta l111l
21 \ larc h 20 Cics<'la \V ill ia1 11s \\ h<'1'e S('o11I is P11rif'ied Of' l3 11 sl le
22 \l a rC'li 20 \ 'ario 11s Co11lrilH1l o rs \ s ia11 Odysse.' s
23 \l ar<'h 20 \ licll<'lk I l iggi11s T ri111111in g Ilic Cost ol'a n \ sia Trip
24 \l a rC'h 2 1 .l e n11a \\ orl ha 111 .. .. ...... ... . \ng r.' Birds a 11d It s \l'" \ est l ~gg

25 \l a rd1 22 \' ic k Fox .... ... ... ... ... ....... .. . 1-.orcalo" 11: \\line lo l ~a l

26 ~ l ar<'h 2'{ Betsy 1\11drc\\ s \ G1azin g To111 o f l\.mca lcm 11 100 10 I

27 1\ la rd1 2:) Sel Ii Sch il'sel ..... .... ... i)(f'111<l i 11 g 1\ nH'rica. I he lJ mlerdog
28 \ larch 3 1 .la 11el \ lasli11 \ \l ot li er's lkrnlion. a Fa111il.' s Tca rf'11I l\t'grcls
APRIL -MAY
No. Date Article By Title of Articles Booklet Page(s)

29 Apri l 1 \I) lhil i C. Hao ................ Losl in Tra 11si1 11:)

30 April 7 l: ri C' \\ il so11 C:lo1lies J\s Old 1\ s TliC'.)' 1\ re
31 \ pril 8 "<11.l oh11so11 \ esscls ol'(Ja_, , C111111ries O ld.
Tha t S p1aks lo \l oden1ity 54 :i :)
32 \ pril 10 Larn Do r111a n \ kl lrm Colli i11u<s lo Scl Pan.
\ 11d Fi<ld S Il'llgglcs lo 1-.ccp l p
33 J\ pri l 11 l:lai111 Loui e ... .............. .. Tlw Te111po ra ry Vcgelaria11:
.lap Clt:w. l-.ona11 \oodl cs
34 :\ pri l 11 Cha rl es lslwnrnod ......... ,\111id Ca1cl 1.' Cl10l'll scs.
Pcrsoll:d Ta l1s o l' I.if<:."s 13ru l a I \ 'c ril ies

35 \pril 15 l.a rn Dorruan S uh par ti : Pro \c<'d s IG S1rok1s lo Finisl1 I lolc

36 April 16 Bill l'l'11n i11g 1ou ............. \ IG 011 a Par t1:1
I la('kc rs l.a11 glr a11d C ry \Vi 1l1:1 I l11111 hl<'d Prn

37 Apri l 2/i Ta 11vi ll'hlrC'da ................ Ill Los \11 gf'lcs, S 111a ll \IC'els \ lega111a ll

38 .\ pril:l!i "at e .\ lurph.' .. ......... ...... . Esthe r "im and .lot'sph \ aret 4G li8

39 \pril 24 !-.ale \ lur plt_, ................... Biles . \ Iia111 i. Cigi

40 \I ~" I Ti re J\ssoci:r ll'd Press .... . Tce11ag1 rTi<d f"o r l. . P.G .1\ . Lead

41 May I Cltris loplwr Clare'_)' ....... . 1\11wriC'a 11 ll'c' Darwcrs Tan go lo Gold .
.\ a l ion's Firsl 0 11 \\ oriel S 1agc

42 \l ay 8 \ il'ol< La porle ................ Tl w Daddy 1":1<'101',\

43 \la' D Claudia \\allis S1 udy in 1-.orca Pul s /\ u1i s1n's Prc\a l<ll('('
al 2.60. S u rpri sin g l:xpc rls

44 \l av 12 Co11s la11 cc l ~osc 11lilr11u 'l\\O by a Fi1111 islr Co111poscr.

:111d Va ria1io 11 s I 11spircd hy a l3 ir1l1day

45 \ Im IG I .a rr, Do r111a11 ................ Clro i \\ i11s Pla_\C'l'S i11 Pla_, off

\f"I C' r To111s \ Iisses S lto rl Pul I

46 \ Im 22 \ lark \lc-Dolla ld Elile 0111h 1-.ore:r n l 11i Hrsi1 .'

Hal 1lrd h.' S 11 icicl es

47 \l av 2!') kal il' ( :lra rr g \ a i11 G lorious \l a rrsl 11di o.

Soul h 1-.orc:r's l'i rsl \ pol ltcca r.\ for \ k 11
JUNE - JULY
No. Date Article By Title of Articles Booklet Page(s

48 .I 111 l (' "J. Sa rn Dol11 i('k ...... .. ..... ...... :\ \r" ) o rk S t a pi< .
"-.01ea11 Croc l 1s \r<' Dll'i 11d li11 g
49 .I 11111' ~ Zarhan \\ e>0 ll'< l 11s lrn11untalists at a11 E:\ hil>itio11 17
50 .I 111I(' '1 Diane Farr Bri 11g i11 g I lo111e tit<' \\ rn11g Hae<'
51 .l111w :i 1\lark Bitt111a11 Bac kya 1d Bulg>gi ... .... .... .... ............... ....... ......... 27-28

52 .I U lll' () \ la rk \kDrn ia ld St ress<d a 11d Dr pn ss< cl.

"-.o re a 11s \' oid Tli<"r<ql.'
53 .I 11111 () \l a rk Hit l 1w1 11 "-.Ol'e:t 11 Food"s \I il d S ide kic k: L<"l I11 c<
54 .l111w Iii .la11i1w A rn1i11 ........ ..... ... Th1oug h a l'il111111ake1-'s le ns. \" i<'\\S of l\.o r ea .. . 72

55 .1 11 11< 13 I lane.' Dickson T lw "-.o rea 11 Paul Po t Is

56 .ILll H' :w Hoh I l uglH's Soner o ffe rs lesson i11 ho \\ to g<' t tou g h 8')-85
57 .Ju nc 1!i l\.<n .l ohnso11 .. ... ..... .... .... ,\ Fi111 Li 1w : S t.' le 01 Phi loso phy!' :i (i- 57
58 .lu 111 1() Ted Loos ..... ... ................ S qmezin g l:sse 1He Frn 111 a Sto n<' 58-59
59 .lune W l\.c' ll .lawo 1ows ki .......... ... I la mkt as l ~ a gc 1 l\.ot'<'a11 Princc .... .. .. ............... 18
60 .lu I.) I 1\ li ke llal< ,\ Hog111 Film FC'sl i\a l
Ea rns HcS(H'l'I Sort o r ............................... ...... 71.75
61 .luh 7 .l e i<' Lo ng man and 1.0 .C. \ wal'(IS 101 8 \\in te r CanH's lo
C hew Sang- I lu11 a Sou l h l\.orca 11 Hcsort ... .... ... ... ......... ............... SG-87
62 .h1h 8 Kln .lol 111so 11 ~ l 11 sc1 1111 a 11d Gal l<' r.' I .is t i11gs fo r .!111.' 8 Iii
63 .J11h 8 Choe S a 11g- l lu 11 T" icc H<"j l'('lcd S. l\.o rcan TO\nt La nds
2018 \\ i11t e r Ca 111<s
64 .l u h 10 "-.:11111 C ro use H.' u \\ i11s Pla_H>ff to Ca pt u rc L .S. \\ rn11en s O p<' 11
65 .J LI h II "-.arc11 Crnusc \11oll l<'r So 11th "-.o rC':t ll Ccl<' hra lio 11
al th <' l .S. \\ 011 1111s O pc11
66 .Ju h l.i "-. c11 .loltnso n C11ggc11hr i111 \ lu s1'11 111 :
Le(' l l':i11 : \l ark i11g I111'i11i t.'
67 .July "1.8 .l ack lk ll ... .... ... .............. .. \la11cll<'s tc r l n it cd Dis 1na11 l l<'s
.\ l .L .S."s 13c'sl i11 HqH'al o f' Las t ) car
68 .!uh "1.8 "-. a re 11 Crn11 sc-- \ Q ui(' k S t1HI.' . S out h "-.o rea 11 Colf( 1
\\ i11 s :1 S ho t at .\1 1o llll'r i\ lajo r
AUGUST- DECEMBER
No. Date Article By Title of Articles Booklet Page(sl
69 J\ ug usl 17 Sam Si f'l on Feel l l'<'l' lo Craze, h111 .lus l Be Q 11i<"k ............. 29 30
1

70 August 17 Mik< I Ia le ......... .. .. ....... .... T he .l o111"11a ls or M11 sa 11 (201 0)

71 Augusl r_;:, Choe Sang- I lu 11 .............. Seo11I ~ l ayo l' Besig 11 s
After Losi11g chool L11 nch H.cfcre11 d11111
72 t\ ugusl 28 A li<"e Hawsthorn ............. J\ Fl11l'I'.)' of Design E\"C111 s in Asia
:111cl E11 ropc Fi 11 1li c J\ u I1111111 Ca IC'11da
73 f\ 11g usl 29 C: lil'is loplicl' Clar<".)' Track S1a1s Co Sl11)1J ldC'1 lo S lio uldel',
Higli1 10 Iii< Line
74 t\ ugusl 29 C: lil'is lopher Clal'<') ........ Who ea11 beal Boll in Ili e 100? I li111sclr
75 f\ ugusl 3 1 Had1cl Sa ltz .................... Polii ics. 11 is lory a 11d f\ II T hal .Ja zz:
Good vs. Evi I i11 3/i Songs
76 Sepl ember 18 amSif'lon .. .......... 11 eaLh_r 1lwllandf11I 3 1 3)
77 Oc1ohel' !) .J 1il ia 1\loskin ..... .. ............. Kol'ea's 1\lasl('I' C:lier
Pl'e pal'es a l3a 11qu cl al lhcMeL
78 OcLohcr Iii Eri<" \\'ilson A While ll ous<' Dchul for Doo. Ri 49
79 Ociolwr 2 1 ~ lark Husscll ..... ............. South Korea Fo rgcls il s amnesia
a nd rcdis<m<rs il s l"O<"k 'n' ro ll soul .. 19 2 1
80 Oclohcr 23 Vivien Schwcilz<1........... When Baeh Laid Ba1e 11 is Own So1JI .............. 21 2)
81 0cLobcl' 2fi J u lia \foski11 .................... Ko l'ea11 C l'i ll i11 g011 C lass. al Kl'isla lbell i
82 Oc1oher 25 .Io n Caramanica .............. Korean Pop ~ l aeh in e ,
Running on Innocence a nd I la i1 C<1............... 2/i 25
83 Nove111bel' 3 C:lioe Sa ng-l-11111 .. ........... I11 So111l1 Kol'C'a ,
Plaslic S 11 l'gC I'_)' Co111es 0 UL or LI IC Close I
84 l\'ovenilw l' 20 Vivie n Schweil zcl' ....... .. .. Pucci11i "s ~)!) Pcl'CC 11 l.
Living a nd Dyin g i11 Zeffil'e ll i S 1y le
85 November 23 l:.lai1H' Louie ................... r\ 3 00-Du<"k Day
a nd Ca hbages by 1lw T housands ...................... 3/i 36
86 Dcccrnbcl' 2 1\la11 olila Dargis ............ .. The Ycllo" Sea (20 10)
87 Dcccm lH'r li Ka 1la Cook- .. .. .. .... .. ...... Ko rean Barll<'cue in a S mokc-Fill<'d Hoon1 37 -3!)
88 Dccc111b<'I' Iii Flo l'c11cc Fabl'ica 111 O f'f 1hc ~ le 1 111

89 Dccc111 bcr 18 \ la r1 i11 Facklcr ................ 50L1lh Kol'<'a Ll'gcs

.l apa11 lo Co111 pc11 sal(' Fo r111c 1 SC"x SlavC's
90 Dece111bel' 22 J\lex ~ l a inland ............. Scouli11g Hepol'I
91 Dccc111lwl' 27 Sa111 Sif"t o11 ............. .. ......... Sa111 S if"l on's Top 10 \Tew Hesla11ra11l s of 20 11
 KOREAN
CULTU L
SERVICE
NEW YORK

Korean Cultural Service New York is a branch of the Ministry o f Cul t ure, Sports and
Tourism of the Republic of Korea. Since ou r inauguration in December 1979 under t he
authority of the Korean Consulate Genera l in New York. we have w orked to p ro m ote
cultura l exchange and stimulate interest in Korean culture through our cultural
programs. exhibitions. mov ies and events.
www.koreancultu re.org

460 Park Avenue. 6th Floor New York. NY 10022

T: 212. 759. 9550 I F: 212. 688. 8640
E: info@koreancu lture.org. nykocus@koreancul ture.org
 INFORMATION ON KOREA
1l1e Korea n 1nformarion Cenrer contains over 16,000 volu mes
oflirerarures on Korea and Korea-rclared subjecrs; such as
culture, hisrory, politics, economy and more. \'<le also have a
wide collection of Ko rean Fi lms on DVD ava ilable robe checked
our by our patrons. H1111bok (Korean rradirional cosru me)
and Ko rea n inscr ume nrs are also ava ilable for check out .

EXHIBITIONS
Gallery Ko rea's prima ry goal is ro encourage culrural
understandi ng as a s ite of culcu ral exchange between
Korean a nd Western a rr lovers. Each year, G allery Korea
prescnrs exhibitions devoted ro d iverse-folk, conrem po rary
co diasporic-Korea n a rts, as well as group shows featuring
ince rnarion al a rriscs.

EVENTS
1l1e elegance in Korea n culm re ca n be experienced eh rough
the C ulru ra l A rcs Evcnrs . In addition ro our ow n evcnrs,
incl udi ng class ical music concerts, jazz concerts, literatu re
readings, culin ary rasring evenrs; we collaborate wirh many of
the city's finest cu lrural organizations.

SPOTLIGHT KORE A
T he Korean C ulrural Service NY along wirh Lotus Music
a nd Dance are promoring Sporl igh r Korea, an educarional
progra m which se nds one ro fo u r Korean rraditiona l danc-
e rs o r musicians, ro K- 12 New York Ciry public schools in
KOflCA.N CUlTUtlAL SERVICE NY
o rder ro reach a nd perform Korean music and dance.