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January 2009 VOL. 5 NO. 1

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New Hope Emerging in Taean a Year after Oil Spill Olle Reveals Jeju’s True Character
International Environment Forum Seeks Future Action
Plans for Taean
46 People
Pop Diva BoA Sets Her Sights on 30 Countries
14 Diplomacy
Korean YouTube Star Hopes to Inspire Others
Korea, China, Japan Agree to Widen Economic Ties at
Tripartite Summit German Revives Ancient Art Olympics
Korea to Boost Business Ties with Poland, Jordan
Cover photo
Solar modules installed in Sinan,
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Korea Ends 4-Year Military Mission in Iraq
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4 KOREA JANUARY 2009 JANUARY 2009 KOREA 5

COVER

New Hope Emerging

in Taean
a Year after Oil Spill
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER

Eric Gillet

Malipo Beach in Taean is recovering after the nation’s worst oil spill a year ago

6 KOREA JANUARY 2009 JANUARY 2009 KOREA 7

COVER
Taean is beginning to repopulate with birds
O
n Dec. 9, a group of experts at home and abroad vis-
ited Taean, which was hit severely by the nation’s
worst-ever oil spill one year ago. They participated
in recovery efforts and related environmental research after
the oil spill accident.
“I have been here three times over the last year and this
is first time perceiving the sound of sand,” said Kazue
Tazaki, professor of earth science at Kanazawa University in
Japan, as she was collecting some sample pebbles on
Malipo Beach, one of the most badly affected areas. “That
means there’s no material between grains, it’s clean,” added
the professor, whose research is focused on nature’s self-
cleansing functions.
On Dec. 7, 2007, a crane-carrying barge, which be-
longed to Samsung Heavy Industries Co., rammed into a
Hong Kong-registered oil tanker, Hebei Sprit, causing some
8 KOREA JANUARY 2009
10,500 tons of crude oil to gush into the waters 10 kilome-
ters off Taean County, about 153 kilometers southwest of
Seoul. The oil slick spread 70 kilometers along the coastline
and damaged an estimated 8,300 hectares of fish farms and
beaches.
News of the oil spill was a shock to Koreans because
west coast areas had been popular for its well-preserved
clean and scenic environment.
The central and local governments dispatched thousands
of soldiers, policemen and civil servants to clean up the oil
slick, but their relief efforts seemed futile as the freezing
weather and high tides sometimes stopped the works.
But pessimistic outlooks were reported as result of early
assessment on the damage.
Then the so-called “Miracle in the West Sea” happened.
Regardless of age, nationality and gender, millions of volun-
The seashore and birds blackened by oil
Eric Gillet
teers with shovels and buckets on their hands started flock-
ing to Taean. According to officials, about 2.2 million peo-
ple, or 4 percent of the total population participated in the
cleanup. Within a few weeks, the liquid oil, which blackened
the shores and sea animals, were mostly removed.
“That was unusual. In many other countries, it’s impossi-
ble to clean up the area by volunteers. But here in Taean,
many volunteers were able to limit the spill very quickly,”
said Keen Christen, unit head of Danish Emergency
Management Agency, who was hurried to Taean right after
the oil spill, leading the U.N.-EU joint Taean assessment team.
“Everything was surprisingly well-organized. Both to deal
with people and organize them are very difficult in that kind
of emergency situation. I think a lot of countries will like to
come and see how you make volunteers so committed.
“Personally, it’s extremely nice to see this clean beach,”
The Korea Herald
he said looking around Gureumpo Beach, the only one that
couldn’t be opened during the last summer season.
Taean’s other 14 beaches, once popular for soft sand
beaches and crystal-blue waters, hosted vacationers, start-
ing at the end of June, as relief works were completed ac-
cording to the guidelines set by the Ministry of Land,
Transport and Maritime Affairs.
Although experts project that it will take more time for
the unbalanced eco-system in the affected areas to fully re-
cover, some hints of revival have been witnessed.
Chungnam National University and NeoEnBiz, an envi-
ronmental assessment group, announced the interim result
of maritime pollution impact on Oct. 31. The survey showed
that oil concentration and bio-toxicity of seawaters have
been recovered to that of before the oil spill and the affect-
ed areas are beginning to repopulate with sea animals like
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 9
COVER

Yonhap
Eric Gillet

The Korea Herald

clams, crabs and crayfish.
The Korea Herald

Fishing activities are also being conducted throughout

the entire area. In an effort to prevent polluted fishery prod-
ucts from being distributed, strict safety inspections have
been enforced by specialized institutions in cooperation
with local fishermen.
Many lessons have been learned from the spill that left
thousands devastated and took away their long-lived hopes
and dreams.
Park Jeung-sook, scientific affairs officer at the region-
al coordination unit of the UNEP Northwest Pacific Action Fishery activities restart in Taean (top) after
Plan, told The Korea Herald that the most important sug- the oil spill hit fish farms a year ago (bottom)

gestion is to develop and implement a comprehensive mon-

The West Sea off Taean at sunset on Dec. 10 (top) and the blackened
seashore a year ago (bottom)
itoring programs as part of the National Oil Spill
Contingency Plan to provide information to determine the
geographical distribution and impact of contaminants in
case of an oil spill.
A comprehensive monitoring program, including post-
spill damage assessment and restoration, is important not
only to provide relevant scientific information in the case
of an incident, but also to provide information on the pre-
ferred methods of cleanup and optimum extent of the
cleanup, Park said, adding that this avoids any possible en-
vironmental damage.
So far, the government conducted a study on how the
oil spill affected the health of volunteers and residents liv-
ing there and it budgeted 3 trillion won ($2.2 billion) for the
study earlier in April, according to officials at the Ministry
for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs. The Environment
Ministry then established an environment health center,
which would seek for the improvement of residents’ health,
in Taean in September.
Kim Won-min, director-general for the marine environ-
ment policy at the Ministry of Land, Transport and
Maritime Affairs, said supertanker service line safety assess-
ment and improvement was made in October and it plans to
expand vessel monitoring targets to coastal-navigating ves-
sels and fishing boats by July of this year. The maritime af-
fairs ministry also expects to establish an eco-system
restoration plan after collecting the opinions of central and
local government officials, residents and field experts. ■

10 KOREA JANUARY 2009 JANUARY 2009 KOREA 11


Millions of volunteers joined the clean-up efforts after the oil spill
Endless Wave of Volunteers
Despite the freezing winter weather,
the number of volunteers flocking to
Taean from across the nation and
abroad was continuously growing.
According to officials, 2.2 million peo-
ple, about 4 percent of the total popu-
lation, have participated in the cleanup
works since the oil spill.
The volunteering activities of some
celebrities also accelerated the partici-
pation of more volunteers. Kim Jang-
hoon, the versatile singer-songwriter,
donated 500 million won ($529,000) to
the restoration efforts and completed a
30-day campaign to help clean up the
west coast with about 300 volunteers.
Korean superstar Rain also joined the
The Korea Herald
cleanup efforts by donating 300 million
won. His fan club members in the
United States followed suit.
12 KOREA JANUARY 2009
The Korea Herald
Help from the international communi-
ty in and out of the country was also de-
livered. Japan dispatched six maritime
disaster prevention specialists, follow-
ing four from the United Nations and
another four from the European Union.
China sent two vessels with 65 tons
of oil adsorbing sheets and other
equipment in addition to technical
specialists. Also joining were three
marine rangers from the U.S. Coast
Guard and a researcher from the U.S.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, with experience from
the world’s largest-ever oil spill in
Alaska in 1989.
A Spanish team of four marine and
ecological experts, who took care of the
oil spill in northern Spain in 2002, also
visited Taean to provide know-how. ■
International Environment Forum Seeks
Future Action Plans for Taean
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
Participants answer questions during a news conference before the Taean International Environment Forum on Dec. 10
T
he Taean International Environ-
ment Forum was held on Dec. 9
at Ocean Castle resort located in
Anmyeondo, Taean, which was se-
verely hit by the nation’s worst oil spill
accident one year ago.
Organized by the UNEP National
Committee for Korea and
Chungcheongnam-do Province, the
three-day conference was attended by
some 100 participants, including ex-
perts at home and abroad specialized
in the fields of environment, eco-sys-
tem, health and pollution prevention.
They also participated in the restora-
tion efforts and related research since
the oil spill.
The forum was divided into four
sessions under different themes — how
to overcome and newly understand
maritime oil pollution accidents, evalu-
ation on impact on ecology and health
and environmental restoration, evalua-
tion on social impact, volunteer work
culture and environment preservation
and improvement of regional image
and regional development strategies.
The forum opened with a presenta-
tion on the damage and overall relief
efforts for the last year to help better
understand the current situation of the
affected areas.
In his address, Roger Percy, an offi-
cial from Canada’s Environment
Ministry, who was dispatched to Taean
one year ago, offered some specific so-
lutions to deal with maritime oil spill
accidents. He cited the Exxon Valdez
off Alaska in 1989, which enabled the
establishment of Shoreline Clean-up
Assessment Technique (SCAT).
After the Taean accident, a health
impact survey was jointly conducted
by governmental institutions includ-
ing the Ministry of Environment, re-
search centers and civic groups. Ha
Mi-na, professor at the Medical School
of Dankook University, who has also
taken part in the survey, addressed the
result of the project.
COVER
Eric Gillet
Even though most residents and
volunteers who helped the clean up
suffered some physical and psycholog-
ical pains, their symptoms are getting
better, she said. But she emphasized the
importance of the long-term monitor-
ing on their health condition through a
health center newly established by the
Environment Ministry in September.
Discussions on volunteering activ-
ities were also followed. Gonzalo
Oviedo, advisor for the International
Union for Conservation and Natural
Resources, stressed the role of volun-
teers in preserving the environment.
Various issues, like the revitaliza-
tion of the local economy, were talked
about with active participation of ex-
perts and officials.
At the closing ceremony, the Taean
Declaration on Environment and
Development was announced. In the
declaration, participants sought inter-
national cooperation for environment
disasters. ■
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 13
DIPLOMACY

Korea, China, Japan Agree to From top :

Placards welcoming the tripartite
summit hang on a street in Fukuoka

Widen Economic Ties at Tripartite Summit Korea and Japan hold a bilateral
summit meeting

that the three countries share common

visions. All problems can be resolved
through dialogue. Closer cooperation
among the three will enhance the de-
velopment of the entire world, as well
as of the region. Korea’s latest curren-
cy swap deals with Japan and China
also illustrate the importance of re-
gional cooperation.”
Lee called for closer tripartite co-
operation in persuading North Korea
to give up its nuclear program through
the Six-Party Talks, saying the North’s
nuclear problem will eventually be re-
solved, though it may take longer-
than-expected time.
Aso and Wen also attached special
meaning to the first tripartite summit
in their separate remarks at the press
conference at the Kyushu National
Museum in downtown Fukuoka.
Ahead of the tripartite summit, Lee
met separately with Aso and Wen.
“Both President Lee and Prime
Minister Aso consented to the need for As part of efforts to strengthen tri- operation between their countries for
steady efforts to boost bilateral rela- partite economic partnership, mean- the denuclearization of North Korea
tions and the Japanese prime minister while, the three countries agreed to after expressing regrets at the North’s
agreed to visit Korea in the nearest pos- accelerate preparatory moves for bi- ‘uncooperative attitude’ shown at the
sible future to resume bilateral shuttle lateral and trilateral free trade talks, just-concluded Six-Party Talks.”
diplomacy,” Lee’s spokesman said. regularly hold meetings of their for- Following their summit meeting,
President Lee Myung-bak (right) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso (center) and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during the three-way summit in
the Japanese city of Fukuoka on Dec. 13 In their bilateral meeting, the eign ministers, improve business en- Lee, Aso and Wen issued three joint
South Korean and Chinese leaders vironment for one another’s compa- statements calling for tripartite part-
agreed to closely cooperate in forcing nies and intensify three-way coopera- nership, closer cooperation over the

T
he leaders of South Korea, Japan
and China agreed on Dec. 13 to
widen cooperation in promoting
free trade, fiscal expansion and cur-
rency swaps to weather the global eco-
nomic crisis at an unprecedented tri-
lateral summit.
South Korean President Lee
Myung-bak, Japanese Prime Minister
Taro Aso and Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao also agreed to reinforce tripar-
tite partnership for “regional stability,
prosperity and peace,” while express-
ing regrets at North Korea’s recent re-
fusal to agree to verification measures
for its nuclear program.
The meeting in the Japanese city of
Fukuoka marked the first three-way
summit held separately from multilat-
eral international forums. The three
countries have met annually on the
sidelines of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Plus
Three summit.
“It was a historic meeting, as leaders
of Korea, Japan and China got together
at one place within the region for the
first time,” President Lee said in a joint
press conference after the summit.
“I found through the summit talks
North Korea to abandon its nuclear
program, the spokesman said.
“President Lee explained the latest
circumstances on the Korean
Peninsula, while Wen stressed the two
Koreas should attempt to improve re-
lations through dialogue and negotia-
tions. The Chinese leader then offered
continued support for better inter-
Korean relations,” said the spokesman.
tion in the fields of energy, financial
markets and logistics, according to
the press release.
“Lee, Aso and Wen, while taking
note of the importance of frequent di-
alogue among their countries, agreed
to regularly hold the tripartite summit
meeting,” said a joint statement issued
earlier after the summit. “The three
leaders agreed to strengthen policy co-
global financial crisis and disaster
management cooperation.
In addition, they adopted a three-
way action plan calling for holding
the tripartite summit annually and es-
tablish a tripartite cyberspace secre-
tariat in 2009. Under the agreement,
next year’s tripartite summit will take
place in China, while South Korea will
host one in 2010. ■

14 KOREA JANUARY 2009 JANUARY 2009 KOREA 15

DIPLOMACY

President Lee shakes hands with Polish President Lech Kaczynski (left) at Cheong Wa Dae on Dec. 5

Yonhap
economic ties, paving the way for
Korean companies’ involvement in the
construction of nuclear power plants
and a large-scale waterway in the
Middle Eastern kingdom.
Their discussion focused on eco-
nomic cooperation, involving a range
of infrastructure projects in Jordan,
Lee’s office said in a statement.
“King Abdullah explained his gov-
ernment’s major infrastructure pro-
jects, including nuclear power plants,
a waterway linking the Red Sea and
the Dead Sea and desalination facili-
ties,” Cheong Wa Dae said.
The two leaders agreed that both
countries will expand cooperation in
these areas and Korean companies
would participate in the construction
projects, the statement said.
Following the summit, officials,
trade bodies and businesses from the
two countries signed agreements to
cooperate in the projects.
Jordan, which suffers from an
ever-decreasing amount of water,
plans to lay a 166 kilometer waterway
to channel water from the Red Sea to
the Dead Sea.
The plan was proposed 10 years
ago, but has been delayed because of
volatile Middle East politics and envi-
ronmental concerns.
Jordan plans to develop large-
scale facilities for desalination and
power generation near the planned
waterway.
The country also plans to build
several nuclear power plants to in-
crease the proportion of its power gen-
eration taken up by atomic power to
30 percent by 2040.
Korea and Jordan established
diplomatic relations in 1962. Korea’s
exports to Jordan, largely electronics
and cars, surged 80 percent until
September this year in comparison to
the same period last year. ■

President Lee and Jordanian King Addullah II bin Al Hussein (left) attend a welcoming ceremony for the Jordanian leader at Cheong Wa Dae on Dec. 1

Poland, Jordan Welcome Korea’s

Participation in Infrastructure Projects

K
orean President Lee Myung-bak
and Polish President Lech
Kaczynski agreed boost eco-
nomic cooperation between the two
countries during summit at Cheong
Wa Dae on Dec. 5.
“President Lee asked the Polish
leader to support Korean companies
seeking to take part in Poland’s plans
to build new atomic power plants, a
ways and expressways,” Lee’s office
said in a statement.
The Polish president welcomed
Korea’s participation in projects to
build nuclear power plants and ex-
pand infrastructure in Poland.
Poland is Korea’s largest export
market and investment destination in
Central and Eastern Europe. The two
nations established diplomatic ties in
During his stay in Korea, President
Kaczynski received an honorary doc-
torate from Hankuk University of
Foreign Studies and visit the
Demilitarized Zone, Lee’s office said.
Before meeting the Polish leader,
President Lee also held a summit with
Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al
Hussein on Dec. 1, who came to Seoul
for a three-day visit.
Yonhap

liquefied natural gas terminal, sub- 1989. The two leaders agreed to enhance

16 KOREA JANUARY 2009 JANUARY 2009 KOREA 17

GLOBAL KOREA
K
orea has ended its four-year
Korea Ends 4-Year peacekeeping mission in Iraq
and pulled out its troops from
the Middle Eastern country in
December.
Military Mission in Iraq The last group from the Zaytun
(olive in Arabic) unit in Iraq and an air
support unit in neighboring Kuwait
arrived at Seoul Airport on Dec. 19.
The Zaytun unit, which mainly con-
Foreign Troops Eager to Benchmark Zaytun sisted of engineering and medical
troops, had stationed in the northern city
Unit’s Peace and Reconstruction Efforts of Irbil and they had helped in efforts to
reconstruct the war-ravaged Iraq.
In particular, the Zaytun troops
had drawn positive responses from lo-
cal residents for their contributions to
developing the region. Other foreign
Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Deputy Chairman Kim Joong-ryeon presents the national flag to Kurdish Regional Government Prime Minister Nechirvan Idris Barzani
(left) during a special farewell ceremony in Irbil on Dec. 3 Korean Zaytun troops hold a ceremony to end their four-year peacekeeping mission in Iraq on Dec. 1
JCS
JCS
18 KOREA JANUARY 2009
In particular, the Zaytun
troops had drawn positive
responses from local
troops dispatched to Iraq at the re-
quest of the United States were re-
portedly eager to benchmark the
Korean troops’ activities.
During their presence, the Zaytun
residents for their
contributions to developing
unit focused on helping rebuild public
facilities and providing various means
of assistance to the people of Iraq to
help improve their lives. The troops
the region. Other foreign
troops dispatched to Iraq at
the request of the United
offered free vocational training cours-
es to the local residents, such as class-
es teaching how to repair cars, operate
States were reportedly eager
computers, handle heavy machinery,
learn taekwondo and bake.
to benchmark the Korean
troops’ activities.
According to the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, over 88,000 Iraqi residents re-
ceived free medical services during
the troops’ four-year presence. The
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 19
JCS
GLOBAL KOREA
Zaytun troops provided medical
services and vocational programs to
local residents during their
deployment in Iraq (top)
A Korean soldier trains Iraqis how to
repair cars
Zaytun unit also helped build a num-
ber of schools and other public facili-
ties, such as health clinics, town halls
and a library for local residents.
The unit also donated over 36,000
pieces of heavy equipment and other
military supplies to Iraqi forces before
its departure.
“I am proud and happy to have
contributed what little strength I have
to the successful completion of the
mission of our unit and building peace
in Iraq,” Yonhap News quoted First
Sgt. Kim Dae-hyoung as saying. He is
an Air Force engineer who had been
dispatched five times to Kuwait, serv-
ing a total of 26 months there.
Nearly 19,000 Korean troops had
served in Iraq and Kuwait since the
country first dispatched a 3,600-
strong unit to the Iraqi city in
September 2004, according to the
Defense Ministry. The total number
marked Korea’s largest overseas troop
deployment since the Vietnam War.
The deployment started after the
20 KOREA JANUARY 2009
U.S. government asked the Korean world grow with experiences such as A Korean soldier poses with
government to send troops to assist its this,” the daily said in its editorial. Iraqi children holding Korean
national flags
“war on terror” following the A disbandment ceremony for the
September 11 attacks in 2001. Zaytun and Daiman units was hosted
Despite its uncomfortable relation- by Prime Minister Han Seung-soo at
ship with the Bush administration and the Armed Forces Athletic Corps
opposition from some civic groups Command in Seoul, involving all key
and political parties in Korea, the Roh leaders of the military, including the
Moo-hyun administration pushed defense minister and chiefs of the
Iraqi students smile in
ahead with the troop deployment. armed services, as well as some 3,000 a school built by Korean
While around 400 global businesses of the troops’ family members. ■ troops
participated in reconstruction projects,
the Korea National Oil Corporation won
a major oil development project in the
Kurdish region in September of this
year and took on a US$2.1 billion infra-
structure project due in large part to the
achievements of the Zaytun Unit, ac-
cording to the Chosun Ilbo, a major
Korean newspaper.
“The 51 months the Zaytun unit
spent in Iraq was an excellent experi-
ence for Korea, with the unit’s contri-
bution befitting the country’s status
in the international community.
Korea’s status and influence in the
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 21
GLOBAL KOREA
Culture ministers from Korea (center), China (left) and Japan pose for a picture after signing a joint declaration on three-way cooperation in the field of culture
on Jejudo on Dec. 25
Culture Ministers Hope for More
Cultural Exchanges
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
T
he culture ministers of Korea,
China and Japan adopted a joint
declaration aimed at strengthen-
ing the tripartite cooperation in the
field of cultural exchanges.
Korean Minister Yu In-chon held
talks with his Chinese counterpart Cai
Wu and Japanese counterpart
Tamotsu Aoki at the second Korea-
China-Japan Cultural Ministerial
22 KOREA JANUARY 2009
Meeting, which was held from Dec.
24 to Dec. 26 in Seogwipo, Jeju
Island.
The “Jeju Declaration” includes
agreements to increase cultural figure
exchanges among the three nations,
to expand youth exchanges through
the Internet, and to make efforts to
strengthen the protection of intellec-
tual property rights.
Yonhap
During the meeting, Minister Yu
proposed that the three nations pro-
mote a joint international film festival.
Various cultural events celebrated
the occasion.
Jeju’s special self-governing
provincial dance company staged a
musical. There were also joint perfor-
mances by the three countries and a
movie festival. ■
Forum Discusses
Future of
Multicultural
Society
T
he foreign national population has
moved past the 1 million mark. To
touch on this subject, the “Multi-
cultural Policy Forum” was held on Dec.
16 at Millennium Seoul Hilton Hotel.
The forum was hosted by the
Ministry of Culture, Sports, and
Tourism and the Korean National
Commission for UNESCO.
Hundreds of cultural figures, in-
cluding Jeon Taek-su, secretary-gener-
al of the Korean National Commission
for UNESCO, attended the forum.
Under the theme “UNESCO’s
International Standard Setting
Korea, China, Japan Agree on Green Growth
Environment ministers of Korea, China and
Japan pose after the meeting
Instruments for the Promotion of
Cultural Diversity and New Challenges
of Multicultural Policy in Korea,” many
experts expressed their opinions.
Nina Obuljen, the state secretary of
the Ministry of Culture of Croatia, said
that “the meaning of cultural diversity
should be understood in a political
concept.”
In the first session, “Multicultural
Policy Practices and Experiences,”
many foreign experts touched on how
their countries are dealing with multi-
culturalism.
Sankichi Furuhashi introduced
T
he environment ministers of
Korea, China and Japan agreed
on the need for green growth at
the 10th Tripartite Environment
Ministers Meeting at the International
Convention Center in Jejudo on Dec. 2.
Lee Maan-ee, environment minis-
ter of Korea, Zhou Shengxian of
China, and Tetsuo Saito of Japan dis-
cussed how to build a low-carbon so-
ciety. They also touched on control-
ling yellow sand and chemical sub-
stances, and policies on environmental
health.
They agreed to keep discussing the
policies for 10 more years and that the
The Korea Herald
Participants listen to a lecture
Japan’s example in his speech, “To cre-
ate a barrier-free global city: Policies
and measures toward building a multi-
cultural community in Toyota city.”
In the second session, “Future
Challenges of Multicultural Policy in
Korea,” Korean experts gave their
opinions on what the Korean govern-
ment should focus on. Dr. Hong Ki-
won, head of the Cultural Policy
Research Team at Korea Culture &
Tourism Institute, gave a speech on
policy support in a multicultural Korea.
An active discussion took place af-
ter every session. ■
TEMM 10 should develop into a more
practical meeting.
They agreed to cooperate in green
growth and the establishment of a low
carbon society and economy.
Minister Lee also mentioned
Korea’s will to host the 2012 World
Summit on Sustainable Development
(Rio+20) last September at the UN
meeting, and asked for active support.
This meeting has been held every
year since 1999. The goal of the meet-
ing is to come up with solutions to re-
gional environmental problems.
The 11th meeting will be held in
China next year. ■
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 23
GLOBAL KOREA
Bhutan Officials Learn About
Korea’s Anti-corruption Program
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
K
orea is becoming a leading country in the Asia-
Pacific region in the anti-corruption drive, thanks
to the efforts of the Anti-corruption and Civil
Rights Commission.
From Nov. 21 to 26, the ACRC held an anti-corruption
consulting session for officials of the Bhutanese Anti-
corruption Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture,
who will participate in the anti-corruption pilot program.
It was one of the four sessions held this year in the
Asia-Pacific region to educate local officials on how to
measure and evaluate transparency as well as how to give
ethics education.
In August last year, the United Nations Development
Program signed a memorandum of understanding with
the ACRC to provide $950,000 for the project, which helps
developing countries set up a technical support system to
eradicate corruption.
The Korean agency completed the transfer of nine an-
ti-corruption tactics to Bhutan in February, the first re-
cipient country of the project. Bhutanese officials visited
Korea later in August for further training.
The ACRC signed a separate memorandum with
Indonesia in 2006 and held training sessions for the
country’s Corruption Eradication Commission three times
until September this year.
The Indonesian anti-corruption watchdog also test-
ran Korea’s transparency program on some 30 central
government agencies.
According to the ACRC, it will continue to promote
Korea’s image as a leading anti-corruption country in the
international community by sharing its technically ad-
vanced system with developing countries. ■
(Photos courtesy of ACRC)
24 KOREA JANUARY 2009
English-Language Radio Channel Comes to Seoul
BY JEAN OH
STAFF WRITER
Hosts of tbs e-fm pose in front of the tbs building
W
ith the foreign national popu-
lation moving past the 1 mil-
lion mark, the introduction of
more English-language radio channels
has been long overdue.
And now, the Seoul Traffic
‘We Aim to Be a Truly International Program’
Lee Cham Interview
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
Lee Cham, a naturalized Korean from
Germany who is well known both as an en-
trepreneur and show biz personality, hosts
his own “Evening Show” on tbs e-fm from 6
pm to 8 pm from Mondays to Fridays.
It is a soft talk show which also provides
current information. “We cover national, inter-
national, business, and economy news, and
also editorials of Korean dailies,” says Lee.
The main target of the show is expats.
“Our program is like a platform where ex-
pats can get information and express their
opinions on,” said Lee. “We can give them
information that would otherwise be hard to
get. Like for example, expats can’t read the
A Korean counselor talks with a Bhutanese official (top), Korean counselors
Korean paper, but since we cover editorials
and Bhutanese officials pose after holding sessions
Broadcasting System, also known as
“tbs,” is bringing audiences a brand
new all-English language channel.
“From what I hear, the Korea
Trade-Investment Promotion Agency
conducted a survey on tourists and
on Korean dailies, they can learn what
Koreans are currently thinking about.”
The charm of a radio show is that the
hosts can really interact with the listeners.
Lee was once surprised to see a direct re-
sponse from the blue house. “We talked
about a business issue on the program with
our guest and suggested some policies the
government must do. Two days later, the
blue house announced exactly what we are
discussing. Many decision makers must be
listening to our program.”
Lee also enjoys getting response from
the young people. “I never texted to a radio
program before, but the young people must
enjoy it,” he starts with a chuckle. “Some of
foreigners last year and discovered
that language issues were the biggest
problems that respondents faced,” said
e-FM Producer Kim Kyoung-rae, 39.
“I believe that was the starting
point for the creation of this channel.”
Following the approval of the
Korea Communications Commission
and a test run in August, “tbs e-FM,”
also known as “SOUL-FM,” is bringing
a slew of English-language shows to
listeners in the city.
Approximately 10 programs will
run from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. on a daily
basis, keeping Seoulites updated on
the latest music and news.
To tune in to “SOUL-FM,” just turn
the dial to FM 101.3MHz.
For more information, visit
www.tbs.seoul.kr. ■
(Photos courtesy of tbs e-fm)
Lee Cham
them actually ask for some advice, like, ad-
vises on how to write for a resume to apply
for an international company.”
Lee also mentioned the difference of TBS
from Arirang TV. “Arirang is sponsored by
the government, and mostly talk towards
the world trying to make an image for
Korea. TBS on the other hand, is real broad-
casting, with the hosts and writers full of in-
ternational minds,” he said.
“We are just at our kindergarten stage
right now, but we surely have the potential
to become a truly international program.” ■
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 25
NEW YEAR FESTIVAL

The Korea Herald

Celebrating New Year’s
Leading figures of the society strike the Bosingak Bell

The Korea Herald

Foreigners learn the procedure of charye

the Korean Way

BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER

New Year’s Day is always exciting — people busy partying or making New Year’s resolutions.
In Korea, it has one more special meaning: You are a year older.
Nowadays, some Koreans celebrate Jan. 1 as New Year’s, but usually, Koreans celebrate
the Lunar New Year called Seollal. It is one of the two biggest holidays in Korea, along with
Chuseok in autumn. This year, Seollal is going to be on Jan 26. Here are some tips to enjoy
your Korean-style New Year’s.
Striking the Bell
A big crowd of people can be seen gathered around
Bosingak Bell on Dec. 31. When the clock hits midnight,
about 10 people — usually high profiled ones including
the president — strike the bell 33 times. The number sig-
nifies the 33 freedom fighters who signed the
Declaration of Independence against Japanese occupiers
in 1919. Then fireworks decorate the sky, and the festive
ambience continues on for the whole day.
Traditional Events
The first thing to do on New Year’s morning is set the
ceremonial table and get into your “Hanbok,” or Korean
traditional costume. It is time for “charye,” a memorial
service for ancestors.
Many fruits, fish and meat need to be organized on
the table just in the right way. It would be confusing for
starters, but you should do it with extra care, as this is the
way to celebrate New Year’s Day with your ancestors.

26 KOREA JANUARY 2009 JANUARY 2009 KOREA 27

 KTO
NEW YEAR FESTIVAL

KTO
Be careful, as it is only the younger ones
who bow. Those who are of the same degree of
kindred usually bow to each other. This is the
most awaited moment for the children because
the elders give out money in return for the bows.
Girls play on a Korean-style see-saw
Traditional Foods
“tteokguk,” a soup boiled with several thinly

With your New Year’s money in hand, it is time
to hit the dining room. Finally, it is time for
breakfast. On New Year’s Day, Koreans eat
KTO
sliced rice cakes. Eating one bowl of the soup
means you are getting a year older. But no
need to worry — you won’t age faster just be-
cause you have two bowls!

KTO
TteokguK
Traditional Games
A boy flies a kite
After having a nice bowl of tteokguk, now you
Charye varies according to regions and can really enjoy the day with Korean tradition-
family traditions, but usually goes like this. al games. There are so many to choose from —
Follow the leader — usually the oldest male in starting with kite flying. Boys usually play Foreigners play Korea’s traditional shuttlecock game
the family — and bow at the table two times. shuttlecock or spin tops. The basic rules for
Pay a few minutes of silence while the leader shuttlecock are simple. Just put the shuttle
moves the chopsticks from dish to dish and cock on your feet and bounce it. The one who
pour liquor into the glasses. bounces it the most times wins. For spinning
Either move to another room or stand for a tops, the one who spins it the longest wins.
while to wait for the ancestors to finish their Girls enjoy Korean-style see-saw, which is
meals, and go back and bow two more times. similar to the Western one except that you
Take a sip of the drinks that were set on the launch upward standing up instead of sitting
table. Then the ritual is complete. down.
When charye is over, it is time to say your Also, try to play the game “yut.” It is a
New Year’s greetings to the older members of board game played by tossing four sticks into
the family. Bow two times in front of them, and the air. It is really amusing when the entire
Foreigners enjoy the game of yut
then they will say some well-wishing remarks. family participates. ■

28 KOREA JANUARY 2009 JANUARY 2009 KOREA 29

KOREAN LITERATURE

Kim Hoon
A Writer Who Writes with His Body

He is a writer who strikes us as a tough
warrior rather than as a frail scholar. He
insists on writing longhand using only
pencils, and shuns automobiles in favor of
tooling around on a bike. But most of all,
he is the writer of an entirely new kind of
historical novels in Korea. Park Hae-hyun,
a reporter for the Chosun Ilbo, met with
novelist Kim Hoon for this interview. — Ed.
(Source: Korea Literature Translation
Institute)
meaning “wheels of the wind,” and
wrote a series of travel essays. He is a
writer who rejects computers and
writes with a pencil, a writer who
shuns automobiles and troubles him-
self by stepping on the pedals of his
bicycle. People now consider him an
evangelist promoting bike riding as
part of the green lifestyle that is being
emphasized in Korea today.
Kim Hoon, however, brushes this
off, saying, “pencils and bicycles are
scholar. It is no coincidence that his
most widely read work is Song of the
Sword, his novel about Admiral Yi
Sun-sin, who is considered as almost
sacred in Korean history.
Song of the Sword not only sold
over a million copies in Korea but also
garnered its author the prestigious
Dongin Literary Award, a rare case of
a single book accomplishing both crit-
ical and commercial success. Song of
the Sword is a historical novel set
is the reason behind the success of Kim
Hoon’s novel in 21st century Korea?
First, in writing Song of the Sword,
Kim Hoon took the form of the histor-
ical novel, but adopted a style and
construction completely different from
those of other Korean historical novels
that had come before it. Kim catego-
rized the historical novels of preceding
generations into two types — romantic
historical novels set in the royal court,
and populist historical novels that

K
im Hoon writes in longhand,
using pencils. He worked as a
journalist for over 20 years be-
fore he started publishing novels, but
strangely enough, he has never
touched the keyboard of a typewriter
or a computer. In this digital day and
age, he insists on writing the analog
way. Kim has always said, “When I
write with pencils, I feel that my body
is propelling the writing forward. I am
incapable of writing a single line
without this feeling.” To him, a pencil
is not merely a tool for writing, but
the embodiment of the writer himself.
Kim Hoon uses his entire body to
show the moment in which the body
and the words of the writer become
one to reveal that a writer’s style is,
literally, none other than the writer
himself.
Kim Hoon calls himself a bicycle
racer. He does not have a driver’s li-
cense. He journeyed to the southern
part of the Korean peninsula riding his
bike, which he named Pungryun,
not exactly my source of pride or my against the backdrop of 16th century center around common people — and
idiosyncrasies.” He goes on to confess, warfare between Korea and Japan. It aimed at overcoming both. He rejected
“It’s not that I reject machinery out of has been translated into several lan- both the romantic historical novel that
free will; it’s simply that machines tend guages in many different countries, fostered escapism in readers through
to break down at my touch. In other including France where it was pub- the romance of historical heroes, and
words, I’m disabled, a handicapped per- lished as part of Gallimard’s Du Monde the populist historical novels that shed
son, who has fallen behind the progress Entier series. light on the life of the common people
of the machine-oriented civilization.” The first-person narrator of Song through the perspective of 20th centu-
But Kim has succeeded in turning his of the Sword is Admiral Yi himself, ry left-wing ideology. Instead of let-
weaknesses into strengths. There has who, with a small fleet, defended the ting himself, the author, tell the story
always been a tendency in Korean soci- kingdom of Joseon against the invad- about people from the past, Kim chose
ety to equate writers with frail and ing Japanese navy. Yi Sun-sin is the first-person narrative through
bookish, scholars. Kim, with his pencils revered as a national hero among the which a historical figure reveals his in-
and bikes, however, has come to be rec- Korean people, and countless novels terior feelings and thoughts.
ognized as a writer who writes with his and films have been made about him. The Admiral Yi Sun-sin in Song of
body, a writer who strikes us as a tough His heroic tale may have become too the Sword is not an extraordinary su-
warrior rather than as an effeminate clichéd even for Koreans. What, then, perhuman or a mythical hero, but an
Song of the Sword is a historical novel set against the backdrop of 16th
century warfare between Korea and Japan. It has been translated into several
languages in many different countries, including France where it was
published as part of Gallimard’s Du Monde Entier series.

30 KOREA JANUARY 2009 JANUARY 2009 KOREA 31

KOREAN LITERATURE
individual caught up in existential
agony in the midst of war. The strength
that keeps him fighting in battle is not
rooted in his loyalty to the state or the
king, or his love for the people. He
fights on with all his might because he
has been thrown into this situation
called war. His life becomes one with
his sword, and his voice becomes the
song of the sword. Because he keeps
fighting despite a premonition that he
will not make it out alive, his spirit
cannot free itself from a sense of ni-
hilism. In reality, Yi Sun-sin died in
combat during the war’s final battle.
The nihilism in Song of the Sword
stirred up a heated controversy among
critics. One pointed out that the novel
lacked the historicity required for it to
be regarded as a historical novel in the
true sense of the word, that it was clos-
er to an essay than a novel, and that it
projected the author’s nihilistic views
on history and the world. In contrast,
another critic took a positive view of
Kim’s nihilism, stressing that all writers
are bound to assume a nihilistic stand-
point in order to distance themselves
from the events they depict, and that
real choices can be made only in a ni-
hilistic situation. Kim Hoon, he stated,
opened a new path for the Korean nov-
el by boldly making use of nihilism.
Such controversy, in fact, was
what Kim had intended. It is true that
Kim wanted to write a modern novel
that delved deep into the interiors of an
individual, freeing himself from the
fixed form of the historical novel. He
had also on many occasions openly ex-
pressed his aesthetics based on tragic
nihilism. His insistence on writing with
pencils and riding bicycles is a form of
nihilistic criticism on the civilization of
the 21st century, which emphasizes
convenience, speed, and efficiency.
Kim’s sense of nihilism, in this aspect, is
not a pessimistic attitude but an exis-
tential one, revealing a spirit of defi-
ance against today’s reality, and this is
32 KOREA JANUARY 2009
what resonates with many readers.
Kim Hoon published two other his-
torical novels since Song of the Sword,
one of which is titled Fortress on Mt.
Namhan. This book was also a huge
success, yet again accompanied by
controversy from critics. In this novel
as well, Kim Hoon captures the de-
tailed psychological depths of individ-
ual minds with his distinctive, taut,
and precise prose.
Fortress on Mt. Namhan is set dur-
ing the war that was waged between
the Korean kingdom of Joseon and
Qing China in the 17th century. At the
time, Joseon was no match for the
Manchu dynasty that had conquered
China. Nevertheless, Qing invaded
Joseon because it had continued to pay
respects to the fallen Ming dynasty,
with which it had previously main-
tained tributary relations, and chose to
ignore the authority of Qing, the new
supreme power. Joseon’s royal family
and court officials fled the powerful
Qing forces to the Namhansanseong
(mountain fortress), where they were
held up for 47 days within the
fortress’s locked gates, but in the end,
the Joseon king surrendered, bowing
down before the Qing emperor.
This novel touched on the histori-
cal wounds of the Korean people. In a
cool, tightly-knit prose style, it depicts
how the king and his subjects, soldiers,
and the common people persisted,
fought, and lost, in complete isolation
inside the Namhansanseong, sur-
rounded by the enemy. The two pow-
ers that maintain conflict throughout
the novel are the advocates of peace
and the proponents of war. The former
maintained that they should preserve
the kingdom through reconciliation
with the Qing dynasty, and the latter
argued that they should fight the
Manchus down to the last man. The
novel sides with neither, and instead,
vividly recreates the fortress as a sym-
bolic space in history, leaving room
for the readers of today to interpret the
story from a contemporary point of
view. A historian noted that Kim’s
novel reflected the spiritual injury suf-
fered by the isolated Korean people
following the financial crisis in the
late 1990s. Another interpretation saw
the relationship between Joseon, Ming
China, and the Qing dynasty, the new
superpower, as a reflection of Korea’s
geopolitical reality in the Northeast
Asia of the 21st century.
Upon publication of Fortress on
Mt. Namhan, Kim Hoon, wary of polit-
ically-inclined readings of his work,
commented, “Human reality cannot be
made up solely of self-respect and glo-
ry. I believe it is inevitable that shame
and submission be a part of life and
history as well.” Then he cautiously
added, “I am unsure if my contempo-
raries will sympathize with the idea
that even those inevitably disgraced
for the sake of survival were just as
beautiful as any other. I am neither on
the side of the advocates of peace or
the advocates of war, but on the side
of those in pain. I hope the readers
read this novel simply as a novel.”
One thing is clear: Kim Hoon’s his-
torical novels, as they are being read,
have the power to amplify controver-
sies as they are reflected in the mirror of
reality. On the other hand, many critics
agree that his prose brilliantly captures
the tragic and sublime beauty of hu-
manity within the realm of mundane
realities, elevating the aesthetic style of
the novel to the height of poetry.
In addition to Song of the Sword
and Fortress on Mt. Namhan, Kim
Hoon has written another historical
novel, Song of Strings. He has also
published Rivers and Mountains
Without End, a collection of short sto-
ries, and several books of non-fiction.
Nowadays, he rides his bicycle around
the suburbs of Ilsan in Gyeonggi-do
(province), where he is writing a new
novel, with a pencil. ■
Tears of the Sword
Songs of the Sword Flowers blossomed on each deserted
island. The islands billowed like
clouds as the evening sun lit the flow-
ering trees. It seemed as if they might
slip free of their moorings and drift
beyond the darkening horizon. By the
time the birds returned from this shore
to their roosts on the dimming islands,
the sparkling sunset had already hur-
ried off to the horizon and died. At
dusk, the remote islands were the first
to be drawn into the shallow twilight
and at dawn, they were the first to be
returned to the world by the rising
sun. Out at sea, it was always the most
remote islands that died first and
came back first.
As the setting sun scraped the
shimmering scales of light off the wa-
ter, the sea blackened and surged with
the tide, crashing against the cliffs, the
rumble of the surf tossing in the dark-
ness. My sight line extended no fur-
ther than the blackened bluff. This
was the moment when the enemy fleet
would swoop in once again on the
dark crest of waves from the other side
of the murmurous horizon, wings
spread wide, bearing a mountain of
guns and swords. I could not fathom
the source of the enemy’s rancor and
By Kim Hoon the enemy had no way of knowing the
Translated by Jung Ha-yun and Ahn Jin-hwan quivering depths of my own rancor.
The sea was taut, swollen with a ran-
cor that neither side could hope to
Song of the Sword is a first-person narrative told in the voice of his- penetrate. But that was all I had for
torical hero Admiral Yi Sun-sin. It is an intimate and existential the time being — no fleet, only my
rancor. ■
monologue of a man confronted with the harsh realities of war, loss,
and indignity. The book begins in the year Jeongyu (1597), five “Song of the Sword” in Foreign Languages
years into the war against Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s invasion. The fol- - French: “Le Chant Du Sabre (2006,
Gallimard)”
lowing is the novel’s first chapter, which opens as Yi arrives back on - German: “Schwertgesang (2008, Edition
the southern coast, released after torture and interrogation as a re- Delta)”
- Spanish: “El canto de la espada (2005,
sult of intrigue against him in the capital. Trotta)”
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 33
CULTURE

T
he National Museum of Korea In addition, you can learn about
Goryeo’s Royal Ceramics on Display has brought a collection of royal
ceramics from the Goryeo
how Goryeo celadon porcelain pieces
were made, considering that the exhi-

at National Museum Dynasty (918–1392) together. The ce-

ramics are rare cultural relics that
bition presents ceramics restored from
broken shards found at old kiln sites in
BY CHUNG MYUNG-JE have been unearthed from royal Sadang-li, Gangjin in Jeollanam-do
KOREA.NET CHIEF STAFF WRITER tombs of the dynasty. The exhibi- and Yucheon-li, Buan in Jeollabuk-
tion titled “The Royal Ceramics of do. Most ceramics for Goryeo royal
the Goryeo Dynasty” opened at household were made at these two
the National Museum’s Fine Arts kilns.
Gallery II on Dec. 2. It will last The Goryeo royal household pre-
76 days until Feb. 15 this year. ferred celadon porcelain pieces with
About 290 highly valuable solemn beauty that were made with
Goryeo celadon porcelain pieces, highly developed techniques. This ex-
including four national treasures hibition provides visitors with a
such as “Melon-Shaped Bottle” chance to get a glimpse of what high
(National Treasure No. 94), are on taste the Goryeo royal household had.
display. This exhibition will provide For more information, call 82-2-
you with a rare chance to relish the 2077-9499 (curator Kang Kyung-nam
beauty and the excellence in the arts in the Fine Arts Department of the
of Goryeo. Curatorial Affairs Office) or go to
The exhibition will especially fea- English website at www.museum.go.kr
ture all finds excavated from /eng/index.jsp. ■
Jangreung, the tomb of Injong, the (Photos courtesy of
17th king of Goryeo. These relics the National Museum of Korea)
have never been shown to the public
“Porcelain Melon-Shaped Bottle” before. The archeological finds from “Porcelain Lotus Flower-Shaped Incense Burner”
this royal tomb are precious materials
for research into the kingdom’s society
and culture, as well as its ceramics, in
the 12th century. Moreover, many
other royal celadon porcelain pieces of
Goryeo dating back to the 12th centu-
ry and the early 13th century are also
on display.
Other royal ceramics were un-
earthed from the tombs of the 19th
king Myeongjong, of the 21st king
Huijong, of Queen Wondeok, the wife
of the 22nd king Gangjong, and of
Queen Sun-gyeong, the wife of the
24th king Wonjong. These precious
ceramics carry significance as historic
relics and show what kinds of ceram-
ics the royal household of the Goryeo
Dynasty used.
Yonhap

Visitors look at the “Porcelain Sea Dragon-Shaped Kettle”

34 KOREA JANUARY 2009 JANUARY 2009 KOREA 35

CULTURE

Korean language students at Ain Shams University in Cairo speak during a Korean language speech contest held at the school on Dec. 3

Yonhap
cerning their studies. “At first I
couldn’t understand some distinctive
Korean sounds. So I had to practice the
sounds everyday in front of the mirror.
But because I did it too much, my par-
ents were seriously worried about me,”
said Alah.
The top prize of the contest went to
Mar and Mohmad, senior students of
the school, who showcased correct
pronunciation and excellent vocabu-
A contestant wearing Hanbok, a traditional Korean costume
lary. “We were very moved to know
how much Koreans tried and struggled
to achieve independence and freedom, improves every year, so it becomes the Korean language.”

Yonhap
when we first visited Korea last sum-
mer and went to the Independence
Hall of Korea,” they said.
The Korean minister to Egypt Ahn
Sung-doo, who also led the judging
Egyptian People’s Love of Korean Language panel, said, “The level of participants
harder for us to judge their speeches.”
In a celebrating address, Chung
Dal-ho, Korean ambassador to Egypt,
said, “Even though Korea and Egypt
are far apart, the two countries can be-
come closer thanks to you who learn
Ain Shams University started a
Korean language department for the
first time in the Middle East and
African regions. Some 110 students
are learning the Korean language from
eight Korean professors. ■

BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER

The Asian Institute at Cairo nomic achievements.

A Seminar on
University held a seminar titled In the keynote speech,

“I
was not sad when the Egyptian “In 2004, after watching the drama Korea’s Economic Growth
national handball team was “Winter Sonata,” I was very impressed “The Government’s Role and Korean Ambassador Chung

The poster for the speech contest
defeated by Korea during the
Beijing Olympics, because to me Korea
is my second country,” said a contes-
tant speaking at a Korean language
speech contest at Ain Shams
University in Cairo on Dec. 3.
Celebrating its third anniversary in
2008, the event has been held in
Egypt’s capital and is organized by the
Korean Embassy and the school. The
13 contestants included some students
of the school’s Korean language de-
partment and ordinary citizens who
are interested in Korean culture as well
as its language.
by Korea and went to the Korean
Embassy,” said 25-year-old dentist
Amira. “At the Korean Cultural Center
in there, I could learn Korean. It was
great when I got full marks in a test.”
Amr, 19, appeared on the stage
wearing in Hanbok, Korea’s tradition-
al clothe. He said he was very im-
pressed by the plays of Korean football
team at the 2002 World Cup, shouting
out the famous cheering phrase “Dae-
han-min-kuk.”
Nash and Alah, both majoring in
Korean language at the school, intro-
duced some interesting episodes con-
Held in Egypt Policies in Korea’s Economic
Development,” on Nov. 26 with
participation of over 100 pro-
fessors, students and embassy
officials.
During the three-session
meeting, scholars of both
countries exchanged their
opinions on Korea’s economic
growth, its policies and some
Egyptian cases. Also, they
agreed Korean people’s edu-
cational fever and related poli-
cies are an important basis for
the country’s stunning eco-
Dal-ho emphasized the impor-
tance of economic cooperation
between two countries and ex-
pected that cooperation to be
strengthened every year.
Aimed at fostering the devel-
opment of Korean studies and
training more scholars in the
field, the seminar has been sup-
ported by the Korean Govern-
ment. As part of the event, a
lecture program on Korean
studies was also offered to stu-
dents of Cairo University, which
is located in Giza, Egypt. ■

36 KOREA JANUARY 2009 JANUARY 2009 KOREA 37

CULTURE
THE BEAUTY OF KOREA-18

Hemispheric Sundial
Treasure No. 845

Joseon, 18th century

Shin Gwang-sub (center right), head of the National Folk Museum of Korea, shakes hands with his counterpart Yuri Chistov (center left), director of Peter the Great Bronze | Di.24.3cm, H.10.0cm
Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, on Dec. 3 after they signed a memorandum of understanding

Cultural Understanding Deepens

Between Korea and Russia
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER

T
he National Folk Museum of
Korea signed a memorandum of
understanding with Russia’s
Peter the Great Museum of
Anthropology and Ethnography on
Dec. 3, in order to expand the two
countries’ cultural understanding.
Under the agreement, a variety of
academic projects, including content
exchange, tour exhibitions, joint re-
search and personnel swap programs,
are planned regarding each other’s eth-
nic cultures and people’s daily lives.
Peter the Great Museum, also
known as Kunstkamera (strange
room), is the country’s biggest and
oldest museum established in St.
Petersburg in 1727. Its Korean hall
consists of some 2,000 artifacts in-
cluding those collected by Russians
who stayed in Korea from late 17th to
early 20th centuries and some from
North Korea since the 1950s.
“The Peter the Great Museum has a
lot of national treasure-level antiquities
from Korea. The recently signed MOU is
meaningful as it opens an academic op-
portunity for Korean researchers to
study Korean artifacts owned by
Russia,” said Shin Gwang-sub, the head
of the National Folk Museum of Korea.
Especially remarkable are a folding
screen with a seal of Gyeomjae
Jeongseon (1676-1759), renowned
landscape painter from the Joseon pe- Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and
riod (1392-1910), and a photograph Ethnography in St. Petersburg, Russia
which is assumed to be taken in 1897
by a Russian during the national
mourning for Joseon’s last Empress
Myeongseong (1851-1895). The
mourning photographs have never
been seen in Korea before.
The museum also has kept antiqui-
ties donated by Russian diplomat Kar
Ivanovich Bever, who was a close ally The sundial cast in bronze features a gnomon pointing towards the north, lines indicating hours,
of Empress Myeongseong. They are and 13 horizontal lines for 24 subseasons in silver inlay. The device, with a concave hemispheric
considered to be helpful for understand- design, was invented in 1434 during the reign of King Sejong(1397-1450) to be installed in the court
ing of the late Joseon’s royal life. ■ and busy streets as public timetellers.
A photograph assumed to be taken by a Russian (Photo courtesy of the National Folk Museum of Korea)
(Photos courtesy of during the national mourning period for Empress
the National Folk Museum of Korea) Myeongseong in 1897

38 KOREA JANUARY 2009 JANUARY 2009 KOREA 39

FOOD

Hansan Sogokju
W
hen the bone-aching cold starts and the year-end

Sogokju stress gets unbearable, there’s nothing like a few

glasses of good traditional wine to settle you down.
Take some time from your work and head for Seocheon, in
Chungcheongnam-do, where the Korean traditional liquor
“sogokju” allures visitors with its relaxing taste.
to Heat up Your Winter Hansan Sogokju brewery makes one of Korea’s best sogokju.
The light drink, which has a hint of sweetness and scent of wild
chrysanthemum, is said to have been favored by the Baekje
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
Royal Family some 1,300 years ago.
STAFF WRITER
Various ingredients are needed for sogokju, including
1
glutinous rice, whole wheat, chrysanthemum leaves and a
pinch of red chili pepper.
Brewers explain that the most important factor in making
good sogokju is the water, and then the yeast, followed by just
the right temperature for the drink to ripen.
To make the drink, whole wheat has to be cultivated for a
month to become yeast. Then wash and grind some non-gluti-
nous rice to make it sticky. Pour some wheat water in it, and
leave it there for four to five days.
When it is ripened, mix it with some hard-boiled rice made
of glutinous rice. Add some chrysanthemum leaves, red chili
pepper and sesame oil, and let it ferment for 100 days in a cool
2
spot. When it is done, gently scoop up the clear liquid, and the
sogokju is ready.
Enjoy the sight while you are there. From the end of
November, Seocheon is famous for its scenery of golden fields
filled with reeds. It is also a favorite navigation point for mi-
gratory birds, which fly over the reeds, creating a spectacle
both for the eyes and ears.
The morning or near sunset are the best times to get great
views. To get a better view of the flocks of migratory birds, vis-
it the estuary’s observatory tower.
For information on traveling in Seocheon, call the tourism
division at (041) 950-4224. To contact Hansan Sogokju, call 3
(041) 950-0290 or visit www.sogokju.co.kr. ■
YoungDoo Moon

4
To make sogokju, stomp on the non-glutinous rice to make it sticky (1),
mix it with other ingredients (2), stir the glutinous rice (3), scoop up the
Sogokju
clear liquid after it ferments for 100 days (4)

40 KOREA JANUARY 2009 JANUARY 2009 KOREA 41

TRAVEL
Traditional thatched houses on Jeju Island
Olle Reveals Jeju’s
True Character
M
ount Halla, yellow rape flowers, lava
caves and honeymooners… Sound fa-
miliar? These are some of the unique
features of Korea’s largest island Jejudo (Jeju
Island).
Most of Jeju Island visitors join a group
tour, rent a vehicle or hire a local tour guide to
look around the island. They can save time, but
BY YOON SO-JUNG the limited sightseeing may not be enough for
KOREA.NET STAFF WRITER those who want to have more special “Jeju”
experiences.
The good news for Jejudo lovers is, Suh
Myung-sook, chief of the Jeju Olle
Organization, says that the island still offers
golden opportunities for them to find its hid-
den beauty, especially for those who wish to
travel in a more intimate and environmentally
42 KOREA JANUARY 2009
Deuleong-gwitgae Cave
friendly way to see the true colors of the place.
Though it may require physical endurance
and patience, eleven courses of Jeju Olle
trekking programs let travelers discover the
“very untouched” natural landscape of the is-
land blessed with a warm temperature, rare
species and beautiful scenery.
“Olle” is an old word meaning narrow
paths used on Jeju Island. So far, the Jeju Olle
non-profit Organization opened 11 Olle cours-
es since 2007.
Olle trekkers don’t need to make a booking
or buy a ticket after arriving in Jeju Island,
whether by plane or boat. Instead, you need to
decide which of the 11 Olle courses you want
to try first and find maps of the selected cours-
es. Each of the 11 courses takes from four up to
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 43
TRAVEL
six hours to complete.
If you would like to see the wild yet beau-
tiful nature of the island, highlighted with its
uniquely shaped rocks and cliffs, course 8 is a
recommended route. The 27.6-kilometer-long
course 8 stretches from Wolpyeong Harbor to
Daepyeong Harbor, and here you can find the
natural beauty created by Jeju Island’s spectac-
ular pillar-shaped rocks, pampas grasses and
seashore.
Follow arrow markers and yellow and blue
ribbons that direct you in the way you need to
proceed. Along course 8 you can find tradi-
tional thatched houses of Jeju Island, sur-
rounded by stone walls and a seaside road cov-
ered with various sizes of black rocks marked
as “Marine Corps Road” on the Olle map. In the
44 KOREA JANUARY 2009
From top :
Olle trekkers head to Hamel Museum
Gyul (tangerine) farm along the Olle course
past, Jejudo residents did not use this 0.8-kilo-
meter-long rocky road because it was too
bumpy to be used as a thoroughfare. But in
2007, 80 soldiers from Korea’s Marine Corps
and the Korean Navy rebuilt the road by mov-
ing and rearranging sea rocks in three days.
Once past this rocky road, Jejudo’s hidden
beauty will delight trekkers with its seashore
view on one side and beautifully carved cliffs
on the other.
To find the hidden beauty of the island’s
seashore, the 8.81-kilometer-long course 4 and
14-kilometer-long 5 are also recommended. As
each course takes more than four hours, you
need to begin the trip as early as possible. You
may need to climb small hills or “oreum,”
meaning “small mountain” in Jeju dialect, or
cross a creek by relying on small stepping
stones. After patiently passing these uneasy
places, a picturesque vista of pampas grasses,
beautifully shaped cliffs and the sea will amaze
you. Gyul (tangerine or mandarin orange)
farms are also a unique sight. If lucky, you
might be given some free gyul, which will im- Westerner to introduce Korea to Europe in the If you feel hungry wandering on Olle roads, Olle courses reveal
press you with not only their taste, but also journal that he wrote and later published, after visit small restaurants run by traditional Jeju the hidden beauty of
Jeju Island
Jeju residents’ kindness. living for 13 years in Korea. women divers who catch fresh fish and make
On course 5, you can find several beaches If you want to feel the inland beauty of Jeju seafood cuisines and you find along the way to
and rocky roads. Be careful because these Island, try course 1. When walking along this try reasonable priced local specialties like
roads can be slippery, especially when raining. 15-kilometer-long course, you will need to abalone soup or other seafood dishes. Bring
But don’t forget to look around and take pho- climb some hills. After reaching a peak, look some cash as credit cards are not accepted in
tos to catch the beauty of Jeju beach. After around to find the scenery of Jeju residents’ some of these remote restaurants.
climbing a hill at Yongmeori beach, named af- farms, ports and Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise When following Olle courses, using public
ter its dragon head-shaped geographical fea- Peak), one of three World Natural Heritage transportation is recommended. A raincoat,
tures, you will find Hamel Monument and a sites designated by the United Nations warm jacket, long-sleeved shirts and comfort-
museum shaped like a Western ship under the Educational, Scientific and Cultural able shoes or mountain-climbing boots are al-
hill. These structures are to mark the spot Organization (UNESCO) in June 2007. You so required for the trip; Jeju Island has a lot of
where the Dutchman Hendrik Hamel (?-1692) may come across some cows or horses, as the wind and rain which makes for frequent
was shipwrecked off the coast of the island in course traverses ranches and farm roads. Keep weather changes.
1653 with 36 shipmates of the Dutch East India quiet and wait until the animal passes by and For more information, visit www.jejuolle.
Company. He is known to be the first you can proceed on your way. org. ■
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 45
PEOPLE
SM Entertainment
Pop Diva BoA
Sets Her Sights on 30 Countries
BY HAN ARAN
KOREA.NET STAFF WRITER
A
t first it looked as if the Asian
pop sensation BoA was only
setting her sights on the U.S.
music market, when she announced
her plan to debut in the United States
in September.
But the 21-year-old Korean singer
was aiming for a more ambitious goal
after all. Korean pop princess BoA,
who has conquered the Japanese pop
world, is about to knock on the door
of the music scene of no less than 30
countries with her song “Eat You Up.”
BoA’s first English single and U.S.
debut song “Eat You Up” was unveiled
to the world through some 300 web-
sites in 30 countries around the world
on Oct. 21. The countries included the
United States, China, Great Britain,
France, Germany, Italy, Australia and
New Zealand.
Known for producing Britney
Spears’ “Toxic,” which they co-wrote,
the Swedish duo Bloodshy and Avant
put their talent to work for BoA. They
came out with a catchy chorus, a stac-
cato electronic vibe and deep bass
beats. In keeping with the current
trend in the U.S. pop scene, the single
veered away from BoA’s standard
R&B and hip-hop sound.
Pop Diva BoA
To keep BoA’s hip-hop flavor in-
46 KOREA JANUARY 2009
BoA’s first English
single and U.S. debut
song “Eat You Up”
was unveiled to the
world through some
300 websites in 30
countries around the
world on Oct. 21. The
countries included the
United States, China,
Great Britain, France,
Germany, Italy,
Australia and New
Zealand.
tact, choreographers for her American ringback tone through AT&T and T- Asia, and is especially adored in
and Asian music videos infused dance Mobile. Japan. In 2002, she made her debut in
moves with a few solo riffs. Misha In the meantime, the song is being Japan with the album “Listen to My
Gabriel, who worked with Justin distributed in Korea starting Oct. 22 Heart.” Since then BoA has concen-
Timberlake, choreographed the routine through major music portals including trated most of her activities in that na-
for her Korean music video. It was di- Melon, Dosirak and Cyworld. In Japan, tion, releasing six Japanese-language
rected by Cha Eun-taek. Flii Stylz, it was released on iTunes Store, Mora, albums, which have all topped the
known for his work with Chris Brown Mu-mo, and dwango.jp. In Thailand Oricon weekly charts.
and Usher, choreographed her the song is carried by Sanook Online BoA is the latest in a string of
American music video. and Click Internet, and in China by Korean pop stars who are trying to
In the United States, the song was sina.com and China mobile. make it big in the United States. Rain
released on various websites including The single was released offline in and Seven have reportedly been prepar-
iTunes, Amazon, AOL, I-Music, November and BoA started her activi- ing for their debut in the United States
Emusic and MySpace. It is also distrib- ties in the United States. for the past year, but neither has yet re-
uted as a mobile phone ringtone and BoA is well known throughout leased an English-language album. ■
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 47
PEOPLE
Korean
YouTube Star
Hopes to
Inspire Others
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
I
n late 2005, a YouTube video
showing a mysterious guitarist at-
tracted huge attention with more
than 7 million views. The guy in the
video played a difficult rock version
of Pachelbel’s Canon in a room with
his face obscured by a baseball cap
and sunlight pouring behind him.
After eight months, an article in
the New York Times finally revealed
that he was Korean Lim Jeong-hyun
who was studying at Auckland
University in New Zealand. In the ar-
ticle titled “Web Guitar Wizard
Revealed at Last,” the reporter
Virginia Heffernan wrote that Lim’s
virtuosity made him to “find beauty in
the speed and accuracy that the new
internet world demands.”
“The New York Times article was a
trigger,” recalled Lim, 25, who is cur-
The Korea Herald
rently in Seoul preparing for the next
semester at Yonsei University as an
YouTube star Lim Jeong-hyun poses at a café in central Seoul on Dec. 11
exchange student.
48 KOREA JANUARY 2009
“I had no intention to hide my
identity. I just wanted to hide my ugly
hair that day,” he said with a smile. “I
didn’t know much about YouTube at
that time and couldn’t understand the
situation that an ordinary person like
me can be spotlighted that much.” The
video was copied and posted on
YouTube by a fan from a Korean mu-
sic site where Lim originally uploaded
it in October, 2005.
After the revelation about his real
identity, he was interviewed by sever-
al international newspapers and tele-
vision channels such as the Los
Angeles Times, Reuters and CNN.
As one of the site’s most-viewed
videos, Lim’s guitar playing video is
widely considered an early example of
the social impact of YouTube and the
viewing number is still growing — sur-
passing 53 million as of December.
Even though the comments and
videos linked to the video are all
about praise and admiration, he said
he is more attracted by some harsh
criticism on his fingering. “The main
reason for my filming videos is to
show my playing to people and listen
from them,” he said.
After first picking up a guitar
eight years ago when he was a high
school student, he has completely self
taught — except for one month of gui-
tar lessons. It took three weeks for
him to master the “Canon Rock,”
arranged by a Taiwanese guitarist
Jerry Chang, which demands a play-
er’s high dexterity.
Thanks to the popularity he gained
through the YouTube video, he has
held several concerts at home and
abroad over the last three years, and
released his first song “Mission,”
which was inspired by his tour around
the world in 2007.
In November, his dream came true
The Korea Herald
when he staged with Joe Satriani, leg-
endary American guitarist who was a
lead guitarist for famous bands like
the Rolling Stones and Deep Purple. In
preparation for YouTube Live, which
featured a variety of YouTube celebri-
ties, the concert organizer asked Lim
to submit a list of musicians who he
wanted to play with.
“Of course, on the top of the list
was my favorite guitar master Jo
Satriani. And they made it. It was a
superb stage,” Lim said, “I was a little
nervous though. The concert was
streamed live in San Francisco and
Tokyo to the world. You never knew
how many people were watching my
performance.”
On the stage he played a Korean
Peninsula-shaped guitar with the “I feel great
country’s national flag engraved on it.
“I also wanted to introduce Korea to
when people say
the world,” he said. they became
So far, Lim has released four digi-
tal singles in Korea and is often asked interested in
to become a professional musician. guitar or they
But he has never thought about it.
“I feel no need to choose one thing start guitar again
and give up another. I want to have a
job related to my major, information
after watching
science, and continue music. It will be my video. And
great though, if it’s about music,” he
said. “When I’m fully ready, I hope to more broadly I
release my regular album containing would like to be
songs that I create.”
“The most important thing that I a person who can
can earn from my YouTube popularity
is I have found my own color in every-
inspire other
thing. I have become much more con- people especially
fident and energetic.
“I feel great when people say they youngsters to try
became interested in guitar or they new things and
start guitar again after watching my
video. And more broadly I would like have a dream,”
to be a person who can inspire other
people especially youngsters to try new
Lim said.
things and have a dream,” he said. ■
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 49

PEOPLE
German Revives
Ancient Art Olympics
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
I
n ancient Greece, an art competition
called the “Delphic Games” was held
every four years before the Olympic
Games. And one hundred years after a
French nobleman Pierre Coubertin es-
tablished the International Olympic
Council, a German financier revived
the Delphics in 1994.
Christian Kirsch, 66, is the initiator
of the Delphic Movement of the
Modern Era and secretary general of
the International Delphic Council in
Berlin. In November, he visited Jeju,
which is stepping up efforts to prepare
for the third Delphic Games scheduled
to be held in September in the south-
ernmost resort island.
While he was sponsoring some tal-
ented artists, he dreamed of making a
culture festival that brings people
around the world together. One day a
friend told him about the Delphic
Games and he ran with it.
With the help of Queen Sophia of
Spain, who is from Greece, he could
work as a cultural advisor for the
Greek government, residing in the
country and studying more about the
ancient events. He sometimes spent
whole nights at a theater where the
Delphics used to take place.
After several meetings with culture
ministers around the world, he orga-
nized the IDC with representatives
from 18 nations in 1994.
50 KOREA JANUARY 2009
Christian Kirsch, secretary general of the International Delphic Council
Following the first events in
Moscow in 2000, and the second in
Malaysia in 2005, Korea’s Jeju was de-
cided to be the third host city of the
Delphic Games at the IDC’s interna-
tional assembly in 2006.
In an interview with a local news-
paper, Christian emphasized the
meaning of Korea’s hosting the events.
“South and North Korea are still
distant politically, but we can make the
chill atmosphere warmer with art and
Yonhap
Yonhap
culture. I hope the events can be a
bridge connecting two Koreas,” he said.
Under the theme of “Turning into
Nature,” the Jeju events will feature a
variety of programs exploring the
origin and nature of culture and art
from ancient times to the modern
era, according to the organizing
committee. The events are expected
to be the biggest in size with more
than 3,000 participants from some
100 countries. ■
Jang Dong-gun
Named Goodwill Ambassador
for WFP
BY LEE JI-YOON
STAFF WRITER
K
orean actor Jang Dong-gun,
who is enjoying popularity
around Asia, was appointed
goodwill ambassador for the World
Food Program, on Dec. 3. Based in
Rome, the program was launched in
1961 to provide humanitarian food
support to people in under-developed
countries.
His appointment was announced
at the closing ceremony of the Clinton
Global Initiative’s Asian conference,
which was held in Hong Kong with
some 400 guests of international
celebrities including former U.S.
President Bill Clinton and
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan
Yew.
“I feel great responsibility as I as-
sume the honorable and important job
of the WFP’s ambassador,” Jang said
in an interview with Korea’s Yonhap
News. “I’ll do my best to make the
food problems in the world be consid-
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton (center)
announces the appointment of actor Jang
Dong-gun (left) as goodwill ambassador for the
World Food Program at the Clinton Global
Initiative’s Asian conference held in Hong Kong
on Dec. 3
ered more seriously by many Asians
and my fans.”
As well as the 37-year-old actor’s
appeal as a Korean Wave star, his in-
terest in human rights issues in North
Korea was reportedly considered by
the judging panel. He was said to be-
come concerned about the issue as he
appeared in movies like “Taegukgi:
Brotherhood of War” in 2003 and
“Typhoon” in 2005, both about the
1950-53 Korean War.
Regarding food aid for North
Korea, he said, “I want to help more
humanitarian aid to be made by the
South Korean Government as an im-
portant food contributor,” adding that
he would like to visit the North if he
has an opportunity.
The WFP’s international goodwill
ambassadors currently active include
American actress Drew Barrymore,
Howard Buffett, son of American in-
vestor Warren Buffett, and Brazilian
football player Kaka. ■
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 51
LEISURE

Korea Becoming More

Bicycle-Friendly
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER

Bicycle Race in Seoul

M
ore than 2,000 people gathered in
Yeouido with their bikes on a chilly
morning on Dec. 14. They were here to
participate in the Seoul Bicycle Festival, held
by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
Starting from Yeouido, thousands of bikes
went over Mapo Bridge, passed Mapo and
headed toward Gwanghwamun. Turning at
Sejongno, the parade continued past Seoul
Station, crossed the Hangang again over
Wonhyo Bridge and finally returned to the
starting point — all in two hours.
With the help of the police, two traffic
lanes were used, and the bikers didn’t have to
stop and wait at crosswalks.
Some unique bikes were spotted: a bike
with a tiny wheel half the regular size, a bike
you ride while lying down, and a bike with a
baby carrier tagging along.
At a corner of Yeouido Park, a flea market
was opened. Participants could receive bicycle
repair services at the service center, and ex-

52 KOREA JANUARY 2009 JANUARY 2009 KOREA 53

LEISURE

Some unique bikes spotted during the Seoul Bicycle Festival

change bike parts with other participants at the

Yonhap
bartering marketplace.
“This festival aims to make citizens healthy
and decrease the expense of fossil fuels by en-
couraging the use of bicycles in the communi-
ty,” said Park Byeong-jin, head of the Sports
for All Division of the Culture Ministry.
“We are going to launch various projects so
that bicycles can become a part of the citizens’
everyday life.”
The Culture Ministry plans to make the bike
festival an annual event starting next year.

Government Promotes Bicycles

One by one, the Government and local admin-

istrations are announcing policies that will en-
courage people to use bikes.
The Ministry of Public Administration and
Security announced on Nov. 5 in Changwon,
Gyeongsangnam-do, that it will revise a law
that will make parking lots install bicycle park-
ing spaces. The ministry will hand in the re-
vised law to the parliament in March 2009.
The ministry is also planning a “road diet,”
which will create more space for bikes to pass
by. It had formerly announced in 2006 that it
will construct a road exclusive for bicycles,
1,218 km long, along the west coast. The con-
struction will be finished by 2010.
Starting from Haengju bridge above
Hangang, Seoul, the road will pass Incheon,
Mokpo and lead into Changwon. Considering
that the average distance covered per day by a
biker is 80 to 100 km, it will take about 12 to
15 days to finish the course.
Some local communities have already
joined in on the action. Gyeonggi-do an-
nounced on Dec. 8 that it will construct a road
exclusive for bicycles, connecting Suwon,
Gyeonggi and Pyeongtaekho on the west coast.
It will be 57 km long.
There is already a bicycle road along the
Hangang, which is 28 km long. So when
Gyeonggi-do finishes its construction of the
road connected to the west coast and another
road of 9 km which will link that road with the
one along Hangang, bikers can enjoy 94 km of
biking freedom. A couple enjoys
Changwon city in Gyeongsangnam-do biking during the
festival
launched the NUBIJA plan on Oct. 22. Nubija is
a public bicycle rental system. The name is an
abbreviation for “Nearby Useful Bike,
Interesting Joyful Attraction.”
A month after its launch, more than 2,500
people have registered as members. More than
8,000 bikes have been rented.
“If this active participation continues, it
will not be hard for the public bicycle system to
grow,” said Ha Seung-woo, policy aide of NU-
BIJA. ■
Free Rental Bikes at Bukchon Hanok Village
Foreigners who visit Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul will be provided with free
rental bikes and tour guides in English and in Japanese.
Jongno-gu announced on Dec. 8 that it will install a Bukchon-PUB tourist
bureau, which offers those services, next to Jaedong Elementary School in
Bukchon within the month.
As part of the city gallery project, the tourist bureau will be operated along
with the Seoul Art Valley Tourism Information Center, which works to create
Bukchon as a cultural tourism spot.
“We are going to install many more convenient systems to increase local
tourism,” said an official at Jongno-gu Office. ■

54 KOREA JANUARY 2009 JANUARY 2009 KOREA 55

Singapore Art Museum
EVENTS
“Philip, New York 083182” by Lee Yong Deok
Fashion Meets Culture at Old Seoul Station
A chic fashion show filled the empty hall at the
old Seoul Station from Dec. 11 to 12. The
fashion show, “Fashion Meets the Culture,”
was held to promote the launch of the
Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism’s
plans to develop fashion and culture.
Famous Korean fashion designers, such as
Lee Sang-bong, Choi Bum-suk and Ha Sang-
beg, showcased their works.
Many foreign ambassadors and figures in
fashion and culture attended the show, includ-
ing U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Stephens,
French Ambassador Philippe Thiebaud, Won
Dae-yeon, chairman of the Asia Fashion
Federation, and Ko Eun, a famous Korean poet.
Culture Minister Yu In-chon announced the
ministry’s policies to support the fashion in-
56 KOREA JANUARY 2009
Korean Contemporary Art Revealed in
Singapore
If you want to learn about Korean modern and
contemporary art during this winter,
Singapore is the place to go.
Singapore Art Museum is holding the exhi-
bition “Transcendence: Modernity and
Beyond in Korean Art,” displaying Korean art
from the 1950s to the present.
The works are on loan from the National
Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul. Over
40 works of 12 artists are being shown.
The featured artists include: Cheong
Kwang Ho, Hong Kyoung Tack, Kang Ik
Joong, Kim Hong Joo, Kim Kang Yong, Kim
Tschang Yeul, Lee Jung Woong, Lee Lee
Nam, Lee Ufan, Lee Yong Deok, Park Seo Bo,
Suh Do Ho and Yim Tae Kyu.
The exhibition has three parts. The first part
focuses on the origins of Korean modernism
in the 1950s. Three major artists of Korean
modernism — Park Seo Bo, Lee Ufan and
Kim Tschang Yeul — are featured.
Artists who emerged in the late 1970s and
dustry. It will hold the “Korean Wave Fashion
Show,” which contains both fashion and mu-
sical contents. Korean celebrities well-known
in Asia and fashion designers will participate.
Another plan of the ministry is to hold the
AFF meeting in Korea, and make it into an in-
ternational fashion festival. Yu said the min-
istry will operate “Foreign Master Classes” by
inviting world famous fashion designers and
educate new Korean designers.
The “Public Fashion Design Fair” is also on
tap, which will display clothing that can be
worn in everyday life.
“To reinforce Korea’s international compe-
tence, the nation will actively support its fash-
ion and culture industry, starting from 2009,”
said Yu. ■
early 1980s are spotlighted in the second
part. They started to incorporate everyday
objects into their canvas.
Works of Kim Kang Yong, Lee Yong Deok,
Cheong Kwang Ho and Lee Lee Nam are
shown in the section.
The last part features Korean art of the
1990s. During this time, artists showed greater
interest in the social function of art. Kang Ik
Joong used art as an important tool to con-
nect geographical boundaries and cultures.
The exhibition runs through March 15. For
more information, visit http://www.singart.
com/ ■
Singapore Art Museum
“Happy World” by Kang Ik Joong
Fashion show “Fashion meets the Culture”
Yonhap
Asian Culture Exchanges in Seoul
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
“A Winter Story”
The first 2008 Seoul, Asian Arts Festival was held from “To go along with the theme of the Asian Arts
Dec. 8 to 16 at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul. Festival, we moved the setting of the play to Central
Under the theme “Color of Asia, Wave of Asia,” its Asia where Mongolians originated from,” explained an
goal was to build strong cultural interchanges and co- official of the theatrical company. “We wanted to com-
operation among Asian countries.
A joint concert of Korean, Chinese and Japanese or-
municate with the Asian audience of this time.”
For more information, visit www.sac.or.kr ■
chestra was held on the opening day. Musicians and (Photos courtesy of Seoul Arts Center)
conductors from China, Japan, Mongolia and Korea
took part.
A joint concert with Korean, Chinese and Japanese orchestra
An Asian Culture & Arts International Conference was
held at the conference hall on Dec. 11. Culture and ed-
ucation officials from Japan, China, Vietnam and Korea
attended.
The Young Chung-Ang Film Festival was held at the
CINUS ISU Multiplex Theater. It screened 39 short and
medium-length movies.
The creative musical play “Transit 1987,” directed by
Kim Seong-nyeo, who is a well-known Korean actress,
was staged from Dec. 15 to 16. The theme was taken
from the musical “A Fiddler on the Roof.” But the script
and the music were originals. It is about how some peo-
ple from the Goryeo Dynasty were forced to move to the
maritime province of Siberia long ago.
“A Winter Story,” which is a Korean adaptation of
Shakespeare’s original play, was held from Dec. 12 to 14.
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 57
BOOKS
The status of women in Korea was at a dis-
mal level in the latter half of the Joseon
Dynasty (1392-1910). Most women, even
those in the upper class, were not given first
names, a disheartening evidence of the coun-
try’s male-oriented culture. Progress has
been made in modern Korea, but both
women’s studies researchers and historians
say there is much to be done about the histo-
ry of Korean women.
“Women in Korean History” (Ewha
Womans University Press; 28,000 won; 320
Ewha Press
Na Hye-seok (left), Korea’s first female
artist of Western paintings
58 KOREA JANUARY 2009
Identity of Korean Women in
History Explored
pp.) is latest in a string of academic efforts to
bring gender equality to Korean history.
Written by Lee Bae-yong and translated into
English by Lee Kyong-hee, the book reviews
the lives of Korean women from ancient times
to the 20th century through analysis of various
customs and institutions related to women as
well as brief biographies of women in many
fields who distinguished themselves.
In the book, author Lee Bae-young, cur-
rently president of Ewha Womans University,
looks back on the dynamic and glorious paths
trodden by Korean women overcoming feu-
dalistic constraints for over 2,000 years.
The first chapter of the book focuses on the
life of Korean women during the Joseon peri-
od in view of the Confucian social systems
and institutions, including marriage, property
inheritance, gender segregation and chastity.
It also sheds light on the lives of queens, court
ladies and shamans, among other female pro-
fessionals, and how they navigated through
political and social turmoil.
The second chapter traces the lives of
Newly appointed female judges and prosecutors take their oath at the Ministry of Justice
great women who left prominent footsteps in
history from ancient to medieval and modern
times. The brief but well-documented bio-
graphical accounts introduce a panoramic
glimpse on how women achieved self-realiza-
tion and contributed to society and the nation
despite various restrictions.
The remarkable trailblazers include Queen
Seondeok and Empress Myeongseong, poet
Heo Nanseolheon, painter Rha Hye-suk, pilot
Park Gyeong-won and dance Choi Seung-hui.
The third and last chapter reviews the lives
of women through historical records such as
the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and the
Memoirs of the Lady Hyegyeong. The palaces
and the royal ancestral shrine of the Joseon
period, traditionally considered the arenas of
men, are revisited with eyes focused on the
role of women, how they carved their niches
in the male-dominated political scene.
The book shifts attention to the past lives of
Korean women, and Korean history and cul-
ture in general. For further information about
the book, visit www.ewhapress.com. ■
Yonhap
Let There Be a Yard
Author: Hwang Sung-hyuk
Publisher: E&B Plus
Pages: 397
Price: 19,000 won
This book chronicles the early hey-days of
the era of industrialization in Korea during the
1960s when president-cum-dictator Park
Jung-hee had fervent ambitions to steer the
nation out of poverty and into affluence.
Written by a man who was there on-site
during that time, Hwang Sung-hyuk details
the early settlement of Korean shipyards
and shipbuilding during the industry’s infan-
cy period. The book tells the story of
Hyundai Group founder Chung Ju-yung, his
involvement in the establishment of the
shipyards, and those who were instrumental
in leading the shipbuilding industry into one
of the major export assets of the nation.
The book not only focuses on the ins and
outs of how the industry became established
but also takes a personal look into the lives of
those who made the seemingly impossible,
possible-detailing the many personal sacri-
fices that had to be made for the better good.
The book has been must-read literature for
anyone involved in the shipbuilding industry,
but Hwang’s book also contains enough com-
pelling human drama that would satisfy any-
one interested in the industrial-era of Korea.
Hwang graduated from Seoul National
University in 1965. After graduation, he
joined Hyundai Shipyard in 1971 during the
industry’s infancy. ■
Guide to Korean Culture
Publisher: Korean Culture and
Information Service
Pages: 256
Not for Sale
This handy guidebook offers readers a brief
but comprehensive hint on Korea’s cultural
heritage, including some world’s cultural
heritage designated by UNESCO. The an-
cient kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and
Silla (1st century B.C.-A.D. 7th century) pro-
duced some of the world’s most outstand-
ing Buddhist art. Goryeo, the dynasty that
ruled Korea from 918 to 1392, produced in-
laid celadon ceramics of impeccable beauty
and the world’s most comprehensive collec-
tion of Buddhist scriptures, the Tripitaka
Koreana, flawlessly carved from over 80,000
woodblocks. The monarchs of Joseon
(1392-1910) also supported the creation of
notable firsts: a rain gauge (1441); Hangeul
(1443), an alphabet so scientific that modern
linguists praise its efficiency; and an ironclad
battleship (late 16th century). Along with tra-
ditional Korean cultural and customs, read-
ers also can find how the precious cultural
legacies are reinterpreted in the modern era.
For more information, visit Korea’s official
English website at www.korea.net. ■
The International Flavours
of Seoul
Author: Seoul International
Women’s Association
Publisher: Seoul Selection
Pages: 256
Price: 15,000 won
If cooking non-Korean meals has been too
much of a hassle due to laborious time-con-
suming efforts to acquire region-specific in-
gredients at local grocery stores, you’re in
luck.
This book offers 172 recipes of authentic
dishes from 54 countries that can be pre-
pared and cooked using only local ingredi-
ents that don’t require a trip to an interna-
tional market.
Each recipe in the book is accompanied
by brief background information on the dish
and its cultural relevance to the country it
comes from as well as glossy color photos
of the completed selection.
All recipes have both Korean and English
translations.
Of course, also included in the book are
traditional Korean recipes by famous do-
mestic chefs.
The cookbook is the brain-child of SIWA
(The Seoul International Women’s
Association), a non-profit organization
comprised of expat women that puts forth
efforts to promote multiculturalism in Korea.
The group also volunteers in charity work
and all profits from book sales will go to var-
ious charity groups supported by the orga-
nization. ■
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 59
SPECIAL SERIES
Special Contribution-2
Korea: Past, Present and Future
BY KAZUO OGOURA
Korea as a Model of Economic Development
K
orea, with its distinguished pattern of economic de-
velopment, has proved itself a good model for many
developing countries. Apart from Japan, Korea is in-
deed a unique example of a non-Western country becoming
a member of the OECD as a major trading nation. What,
then, are the principal factors contributing to this success in
Korean economics?
The most predominant factor was the effectiveness of the
“triangle” formed by the government, industries and financial
institutions. The Chaebols, the banking sector, and the gov-
ernment formed a solid triangle of economic development.
This triangle would not have led to shining results however,
had it not been for certain favorable external factors.
The rapid economic development of Japan as well as
Japanese economic and technical cooperation contributed
significantly to the early stages of Korean economic devel-
opment. Then came the waves of globalization. The export-
led pattern of growth of the Korean economy rode success-
fully on the waves of globalization and Korean develop-
60 KOREA JANUARY 2009
ment was, in turn, an aspect of the globalization (in the
sense of growing interdependence) of the world economy.
The Korean economy based on this triangle, however,
became the victim of its own success. This was witnessed
very clearly during the so-called Asian economic crisis of
the late 1990’s. The solid triangle had led to the excessive
dependence on the short-term capital from abroad and had
left intact the structural rigidity of the economy.
Here again, however, Korea demonstrated itself to be a
good example of a developing country overcoming external
financial difficulties combined with internal rigidities. The
courageous opening of the Korean financial as well as com-
modity markets to foreign investors and traders, coupled with
the restructuring of Chaebols and of the labor market, con-
tributed a great deal to Korea’s efforts to overcome the crisis.
More than the introduction of various new economic
measures, however, what should be emulated by developing
countries is the political skill of appealing to national soli-
darity and the determination to restore international credi-
bility by faithfully observing the IMF’s “conditionalities.”
Looking back at the history of Korean economic devel-
opment over the last thirty years or so, one might today
wonder whether Korea can become another model of eco-
nomic progress in the coming decade and, in that connec-
tion, what major tasks remain ahead.
If Korea can become, for the third time, a good model of
development for other similarly placed economies of the
world, it appears that Korea should, at least, be able to deal
successfully with the following problems or tasks.
The first is the growing income gap between the rich and
the poor, not only inside the Korean society itself, but all
around the world. To what extent the Korean government will
be able to provide an effective safety-net to the underprivi-
leged is a serious problem to be tackled, particularly in view of
the rapid demographic changes of the Korean society.
Second is the question of agriculture. It is likely that the
farm subsidies and the international competitiveness of
Korean agriculture could become serious obstacles for Korea
in its efforts to promote free trade agreements with its trading
partners. In other words, Korea, instead of asking for various
types of exceptions for its agriculture, can make use of the
opportunities of free trade negotiations as an instrument to
carry out the structural reform of its own agriculture.
The third task will be the dismantling of its developing
country status. Korea has, so far, in various trade and other
areas-such as the imports of rice or green house emission
control-advanced the argument that Korea still remains a
developing country. In view of Korea’s latest economic
progress, this argument has increasingly been viewed in the
international community as more or less outdated.
One might argue in this connection, that Korea wanted
to retain its developing country status in preparation for the
reintegration of the much poorer North Korea. Though polit-
ically understandable, this argument is likely to be viewed in
the international community as an excuse to avoid shoul-
dering more international responsibilities and may weaken
international financial support for reintegration.
All in all, what lies now before Korea as the great task
for the future is the de-Koreanization of its own economy,
in the sense of further integrating its economy with that of
the rest of the world, thereby contributing significantly to
the sustainable growth of the world economy.
Korean Political Development
After the presidency of Syngman Rhee Korea experienced
for a long period of time, military, authoritarian govern-
ments. How should we assess such regimes in the light of
the contemporary political situation in Korea?
The military shouldered political responsibility due to the
need for a government-initiated development strategy and to
the security requirement in face of the threat from the North.
Here again, however, the Korean political process was linked
to international circumstances, particularly the East-West
confrontation. The prolongation of the military regimes was,
therefore, linked both to domestic and international factors.
Strategic consideration, both economic and politico-military,
weighed heavily on the political process in Korea.
One should not, however, lose sight of the activities of the
democratic forces which were not negligible even under the
military governments. Student movements, labor union ac-
tivities and the political opposition of Kim Dae-jung and oth-
er political personalities, however troublesome they may
have been to the successive military governments, paved the
way for transition from military to civil governments. In oth-
er words, the democratic forces that survived the Park gov-
ernment, checked the pattern of the Chun Doo Hwan presi-
dency which ended after one term, and it paved the way for
the presidency of Roh Tae-woo, who came from the military
but became president by being elected through proper
process. In other words, both the Chun and Roh regimes
could be considered as transitional governments which paved
the way for a more democratic political process.
The Kim Young-sam government can be remembered as
one that played a decisive role in cracking the fusion of pol-
itics and economics. During this period, the roles of politi-
cal parties were consolidated and, in the true sense of the
word, democratic forces were integrated into the institu-
tionalized political process.
This process was completed when Kim Dae-jung, long con-
sidered the symbol of opposition, was elected president. His
presidency was also significant, as people from the Jeollanam-
do region, traditionally viewed as “outsiders” in the political
process, took over the centre stage of Korean politics.
Kim Dae-jung’s presidency, however, did not destroy the
traditional respect for authority, whether it may be political
or academic. Active for a long time as an outsider politician,
Kim and his group of politicians tried to project the image of
responsible politicians as soon as they took over the helm of
the presidency. In this process they relied upon, rather than
destroyed, the traditional aura of authority attached to the
position of presidency, ministership, or professorship.
This aura of traditional authority attached to the presi-
dency, and other “titles” or positions was politically target-
ed during the Roh Moo-hyun presidency. In fact, Roh’s
presidency was a quiet revolution, in the sense of destroy-
ing the traditional authority attached to the various politi-
cal positions. The thread of populism that ran deep and wide
during the period of Roh’s presidency cannot entirely be at-
tributed to the Internet psychology of the people. The trend
of such populism should be understood in the wider histor-
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 61

ical context of Korean politics, namely, the degree of the
maturity of the democratic process.
This implies that the immediate national task in Korean
politics can be said to lie in the growth of healthy, sound op-
position parties which can present practical alternatives in-
stead of having recourse to regionalism or populism.
Korean Diplomacy
The most important diplomatic issue for Korea after the “Kore-
an War,” has been the international aspect of the North
Korean problem: namely, how to secure international support
for Korean security and, at the same time, obtain the blessings
of the major powers for easing tension with the North.
These two objectives have to be pursued with careful bal-
ance, particularly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
The creation of the six-party conference is an important de-
vice to “internationalize” the North Korean problem, thereby
securing the delicate balance between containment of the
North and rapprochement with it. Despite occasional frictions
with the U.S., the Republic of Korea has, in general, deployed
skillful diplomacy through which the Korean government has
obtained international support both for its “soft” policy to-
wards the North and “pressure diplomacy” against it.
There are some signs, however, that may disturb the del-
icate balance of soft and hard policies towards the North. This
is related to growing nationalism (in the ethnic sense) in
Korea. The revival of a strong ethnic identity with the North
(particularly among young people) presents the risk of giving
rise to frustration over American policies towards the Far East
as well as its troop presence. There is also the danger that
such nationalism be canalized or diverted, consciously or in-
advertently, toward an anti-Japanese movement.
The U.S. and Japan should view the rise of Korean na-
tionalism with cool but sympathetic eyes, because Korea,
which faces the gigantic task of reunification, has a strong
need of ethnic nationalism. The U.S. and Japan should stay
“cool” at the time of occasional eruptions of such Korean
nationalism. At the same time, the Korean government
should refrain from canalizing or diverting the anti-govern-
ment sentiment of the people towards outside targets such
as the U.S. or Japan.
The promotion of the free trade agreement or new eco-
nomic accords with these two countries may help mitigate
such risks of political diversion. In relation to the free trade
agreements, there is the issue of building an East Asian
Association or Community. One has to note, above every-
thing else, that an East Asian Community is already in the
making in the “functional” sense of the word. The degree of
the interdependence of trade among East Asian countries
62 KOREA JANUARY 2009
SPECIAL SERIES
T
(Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and the ASEAN nations) has he discovery of cheap oil dependence.
New Growth Engine Industries-2
already exceeded the degree of interdependence among and convenient oil For Korea, which relies
NAFTA countries and has, more or less, reached the level of enabled humans to heavily on oil, using clean
the European Union at the beginning of the1970’s. establish highly advanced coal energy is almost the
Clean
In addition to trade relations, East Asian countries civilizations in the 20th equivalent of achieving
(Korea, Japan and China) have expanded tourism among century. However, due to “energy independency.” As
themselves and have also rapidly increased student ex- the excessive use of limited clean coal energy does not
changes. The life-styles of the young people in Korea, oil, production of oil is emit pollutants, it can be
Japan, Taiwan, and the coastal areas of China have wit- likely to hit a peak some- deemed as a representative
Coal:
nessed a certain “cultural” affinity, as evidenced by the time between 2010 and energy to promote low-
popularity of Korean TV dramas and Japanese fashions. 2030, according to experts. carbon growth or, “green
Such trends towards an East Asian Community should It was only three or growth.”
be welcomed and encouraged by Korea for several reasons. four years ago when oil Even though the
Firstly, moves towards building an East Asian Community prices remained at $20 per Korean economy has
will help hold in check the rise of China-centralism and the barrel. Now, most think achieved a remarkable
parochial nationalism of East Asian nations.
Secondly, it can help strengthen the sense of interna-
tanks and researchers pro-
ject that oil prices will
A Promising Oil growth through fast indus-
trialization since the
tional responsibility for China to act as a responsible major
power in the world.
hover at around $100 per
barrel for the near future. Alternative 1960s, it had to pay a
heavy price of high depen-
Finally, efforts to build an East Asian Community will The proportion of oil BY PARK SAM-RYONG dency on overseas energy
help form a vision of a stable, peaceful East Asian politico- use will decrease while that sources and pollution.
military geography after the Korean reintegration. of alternative energies like Clean coal energy would
There are, however, a few tasks that Korea must deal bio fuels and solar energy not only solve such prob-
with in the process of forming an East Asian Community. will increase. However, coal is almost the only energy lems but would serve as a stepping stone for the economy
First of all, Korea must soften the “colonial” mentality of source that can replace oil in the near future. to make another leap forward.
fanning anti-Japanese sentiment, for the sake of consoli- The oil dependency issue will be solved only when the The importance of developing clean coal technology is
dating national unity or identity. As Korean society be- technology of solar energy, hydrogen energy and nuclear being felt not only in Korea but around the world, as na-
comes more and more mature both politically and econom- fusion is fully developed. This will probably come after 2050. tions are scrambling for more energy sources and imposing
ically, freedom of expression, even on the issues concerning Thus, we have to focus on coal to replace oil until 2050. tougher regulations on carbon emissions.
Japan, is expected to be secured socially and politically, not A useful energy source meets three requirements; it Due to such a prospective outlook, clean coal technology
to mention legally. should be abundant, affordable and clean. Unfortunately, has been selected as one of the New Growth Engines by the
In this connection it should be pointed out that “protest there is no energy source that satisfies all three. Coal re- government. From a long-term perspective, Korea plans to
diplomacy” (to sever the channel of communication itself as serves are three times larger than those of oil; coal is more commercialize the clean gasification technology to produce
a means of manifesting protest) should not be utilized except evenly distributed around the earth than oil; and it is cheap- synthetic oil using low rank coal as raw material and recycle
in an emergency, as lack of communication increases the risk er than oil. Therefore, coal is considered as one of the carbon dioxide that is generated during the production pro-
of misunderstanding and gives rise to the sense of detach- strongest candidates for an alternative energy source to oil. cedure. The technology is expected to lower investment costs
ment in the minds of potential friends. ■ Relatively low oil prices since the oil shock have been by half, compared to existing gasification technologies.
the major stumbling block to the development of coal ener- Many countries are eager to develop this technology
Kazuo Ogoura is president of the Japan gy technology. However, chances are very slim that the era and clean coal-related business and governments are spar-
Foundation, and a former Ambassador to of low oil prices will continue. Since the technology of us- ing no support for the development of the technology.
Vietnam, Korea, and France. Graduating from ing low rank coal, which is as abundant as high rank coal, Recently, the National Intelligence Council of the United
the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law and the as an energy source has been developed, it is highly likely States selected six “disruptive technologies” which would
University of Cambridge’s Faculty of Economics, that coal prices will become competitive. affect the United States in various sectors by 2025. The dis-
he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where To use coal as an alternative energy, we should ensure ruptive technologies refer to technologies with the potential
he served in various positions, including Director-General of Cultural its cleanliness. Coal emits much more carbon dioxide than to cause a noticeable degradation or enhancement in U.S.
Affairs Department (1989-92), Director-General of Economic Affairs oil or natural gas. If we can develop technology that can re- political, economic, military or social sectors. The U.S. gov-
Bureau (1992-94), Deputy Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and move pollutants when using coal, we will be able to create ernment selected six technologies out of 102 potential tech-
Japanese G7/G8 Sherpa (1995-97). He is also an Invited Professor of cheap, clean coal energy as a complete alternative to oil. nologies. Clean coal technology is one of the six, which is
International Politics in the Economics and Business Department of Clean coal energy would have a formidable impact on the similar to Korea’s emission-free coal energy. Japan started
Aoyama Gakuin University (2003-). world’s energy market and help us overcome the problem of the project of EAGLE, or Coal Energy Application for Gas,
JANUARY 2009 KOREA 63
SPECIAL SERIES

Liquid and Electricity, in 1995 to develop clean coal energy.

Clean coal technology could wean people off oil depen-
dency. It is almost the only alternative energy to oil, until
we fully commercialize renewable energy.
Clean coal technology, one of the 22 New Growth
Engines, will require a 22 trillion won spending budget for
the next five years. The technology enables production of
synthetic oil, chemical products and electricity from low rank
coal without emitting pollutants. The technology gap be-
tween Korea and advanced nations is small. Thus, it is very
likely that Korea will develop the technology successfully.
Industry watchers forecast that the market size of syn-
thetic oil, chemicals and electricity produced by coal gasifi-
cation will grow to more than 2,000 trillion won.
In such large markets, the government’s target of creat-
ing 150,000 jobs and replacing 8 percent, or 80 million bar-
rels, of oil consumption a year with clean coal energy by
2018 is not a distant goal. The reserves of low rank coal,
consisting of lignite and bituminous coal, are estimated to
be 470 billion tons, similar to the 500 billion tons of high
rank coal reserves. But low rank coal costs only one-tenth
of high rank coal. Low rank coal’s economical efficiency
could change depending on the rise and fall of oil prices.
However, we should put all our efforts to develop clean
coal technology, given that oil prices are not likely to fall
below the current level because of the limited oil reserves. prices fall below the price of synthetic oil. dioxide. The recycle of carbon dioxide during the procedure However, the current age will be surely a transition period
Also, the continuous growth of the transportation fuel mar- In addition, it is imperative for the government to ensures a cheap and clean production of synthetic gas. because the carbon emission market is enabling the renew-
ket, which is the largest potential market for synthetic oil, strengthen international cooperation to secure low rank The synthetic gas goes through the so-called Fischer- able energy market’s economic efficiency. Investment capi-
gives legitimacy to developing clean coal energy. If coal is coal as a stable energy source. High rank coal, represented Tropsch Process to become synthetic oil. Then we can pro- tal is flowing in the renewable energy market. Major
converted into synthetic oil, it can be available for more by bituminous coal, is already secured by global powers. On duce petrochemical products such as methanol, dimethyl economies including the United States are strengthening
than 100 years, based on a projection that synthetic oil re- the contrary, there are abundant chances for us to secure ether and olefin as well as electricity through the Integrated government support for the facilitation of renewable ener-
places 50 percent of the world’s transportation fuel. The low rank coal because it has been underdeveloped. To cap- Gasification Combined Cycle process. If we can produce syn- gy especially after the recent oil spike.
government’s role of improving related measures and italize on an opportunity to secure low rank coal, corpora- thetic oil through clean coal technology, we can probably Energy and environment are the two direst challenges
boosting international cooperation is important as well. tions and the government should strengthen energy devel- lower production cost to below $50 per barrel. This is possi- that humans have ever faced. However, if we find a renew-
The government should ensure that clean coal energy opment cooperation with other nations. ble because we can cut costs of the gasification process by able energy which can help us overcome those challenges,
could compete with oil in terms of price, until the technol- Clean coal technology can lower raw material costs by one third. Not only can we cut costs but improve efficiency. the renewable energy will be the new growth engine in the
ogy is commercially available. Now, Korea aims to produce using cheap, low rank coal. While existing technologies When the clean coal technology is completed, much of energy-diversified era. Therefore, our challenge will be to
synthetic oil at a price of $50 per barrel. If oil prices fall be- have to use a lot of oxygen, the new technology does not, transportation fuels like gasoline, diesel and jet fuel can be find energy which meets three conditions of abundance,
low $50 per barrel, then investors will not be motivated to which reduces facility cost of separately building air separa- replaced by synthetic oil. Petrochemical products, currently economic efficiency and cleanness. Clean coal energy is the
develop synthetic oil. To ensure sustainable corporate in- tion units. Because the new technology does not generate produced from oil, will be also produced from coal. closest one in searching for the answer. Through clean coal
vestment for technology development, the government oxidation reaction, it can reduce costs of building pollutant- We will be able to use the clean coal as a stable, cheap energy, the Korean economy will be able to achieve green
should provide a measure to support the price gap if oil disposal facilities to get rid of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen and clean energy source without worries of a supply short- growth, break free from oil dependency and become a leader
age, until we solve the energy issue through solar energy in the global energy market. ■
and nuclear fusion energy.
The importance of developing clean coal technology is being felt Thus, it will contribute to the world’s energy security Park Sam-ryong is head of Energy R&D Center
and provide our next generations with hundreds of years of of the SK Institute of Technology and vice
not only in Korea but around the world, as nations are scrambling raw material sources for petrochemical products as well. president of SK Energy Co. Park received his
In the past century, there was no big change in the pro- MBA at the American Graduate School of
for more energy sources and imposing tougher regulations on portion of renewable energy in total energy use, despite International Management. E-mail:
carbon emissions. several energy crises like the first and second oil shock. srpark@skenergy.com

64 KOREA JANUARY 2009 JANUARY 2009 KOREA 65

FOREIGN VIEWPOINT
Bringing Norway and Korea Together
T
hirty-four years have passed
since Korea’s first VLCC left the
dock at Hyundai Heavy
Industries for her maiden sea trial. Two
years earlier, work had begun to trans-
form the small fishing village of Mipo
Bay into a modern shipyard. Korea’s
political and economic leadership had
set an incredibly ambitious agenda for
the reconstruction of their country,
which was just coming out of the dev-
astations of the Korean War. The ship-
building industry was to become the
cornerstone in the modernization.
Korea’s amazing development into
becoming the world’s largest and most
sophisticated shipbuilding nation was
swift. Soon Koreans built all types of
ships better and more efficient than
anyone else. In fact, there was only one
type of vessels which eluded Korean
shipyards, namely cruise ships for the
avant-garde elite of globetrotters.
But no more. Earlier this year, STX
acquired the Norwegian shipbuilders
Aker Yard, and now STX owns some
of the world’s finest yards for building
cruise ships.
Korea’s remarkable development
as a shipbuilding nation is very impor-
tant to Norway. More than one thou-
sand Norwegians live in Korea, most
of them in the area of Ulsan, Busan
and Geoje, where they work in various
professions related to shipbuilding.
Before coming to Korea, I was fa-
miliar with the country’s position as
the world’s leading shipbuilding na-
tion. My perception, however, was
mostly from an economist’s or lawyer’s
perspective. I knew the importance of
66 KOREA JANUARY 2009
Shipbuilding
BY DIDRIK TONSETH
NORWEGIAN AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH KOREA
shipbuilding to Korea’s economy. And
I had studied the EU-Korea WTO subsi-
dies cases, which one might say, ended
in a draw. But I had yet to experience a
modern shipyard myself.
When I arrived in Korea in October
2006, my first task was to start plan-
ning for the official visit by the
Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon and
Crown Princess Mette-Marit. It soon
became clear that the Crown prince
couple simply had to visit a shipyard.
Chairman Choi Kil-seon of Hyundai
Heavy Industries was kind enough to
prepare a comprehensive program,
which clearly impressed the Crown
Prince couple. From that experience, I
myself started to view Korean ship-
yards from a different perspective. It
became clear to me that Korean ship-
yards reflected the nature of the
Korean people; an arena where Korean
efficiency and tidiness was blended
with computerized logistics to con-
struct the world’s most advanced ships.
Norway is also a shipbuilding na-
tion. More than a thousand years ago,
Norwegian Vikings sailed across the
Atlantic to establish small settlements
in Canada. These dexterous exploits
could not have been achieved without
the skills of Norwegian shipbuilders.
The maritime industry is still very
important to Norway. Shipbuilding clus-
ters along the coast design and construct
highly specialized vessels as well as in-
stallations for our offshore industry.
But today, most Norwegian ships
and oil platforms are built in Korea.
Still, as chairman Kim Jing-wan of
Samsung Heavy Industries told me, a
production platform which might cost
anywhere from 500 to 800 mill USD,
may contain Norwegian gear, instru-
ments as well as engineering services
totalling more than 1/3 of the cost of
the finished platform. In fact, Korea is
Norway’s 10th largest export market —
to a large extent because of our ex-
ports to the Korean shipbuilding in-
dustry. This puts Korea just behind
China and ahead of Japan as Norway’s
leading export markets.
Thus, there is a high degree of syn-
ergy and interdependence between the
maritime industries of Norway and
Korea, which both countries have
much to gain from.
Moreover, with full order books in-
to 2010, today’s troubled global econ-
omy should not much affect Korea’s
major shipyards, during a period
where other Korean major export in-
dustries maybe less fortunate.
Myself, I will continue to be
amazed by the size and tidiness of
Korean shipyards and in the meticu-
lous way they are being run. ■