April 2021

Story Journey Muse

Trek-worthy Journeys Upwards & Onward Floral Valleys Natural Inspiration
April 2021

Publisher
Park Jung-youl
Korean Culture and Information Service

Executive Producer
Park Byunggyu

Producers
Park Jaehong, Jeon Jeongeon

Advisers
Park Pumsoon, Ryoo Cheul-Ho,
Chung Wonjun, Kim Dong-hun © Studio Kenn © Studio Kenn © JB

Email
koreamagazine@korea.kr

Contents
Magazine Production
06 42
Hongcommunications
Story Antique
Editor-in-Chief
Park Sangho
Upwards & Onward Hwagak
(Lacquered Ox-horn)
Production Supervisor
Seong Hyekyung
10
Journey 46
Editing Team
Lee Yongkook, Kim Jane, Yoon Sui Floral Valleys Home Activity 101
Jirisan Mountain, Jeolla-do Province Setting Up
Creative Director
Min Guihong Leafy Habitation
16
Designers
Kang Seungmi, Lee Yongmuk, Song Yeji Muse 50

Photographers
Natural Inspiration Current Korea
Studio Kenn Asia’s Hub of Global Media
24
Interview 52
Hur Young Man KCC Now
Platformizing Intercultural Exchange
30
Indie Culture 54
K-beauty Brands Global Korea
- Minhwa Today
34 - Imparting Sounds
Seasonal Delights - Letter to Would-be Honorary Reporters
Hwajeon
(Flower pancakes) 57
Speak Like a Korean
38 Haircut
Trek-worthy Journeys K-pop Beats
Lasting Careers
Despite all the modern comforts of Korea’s urban environment, people really enjoy trekking. Whether on the
subway or alongside any well-paved lake or riverside, at least one hiker or two will be clad in trekking gear.
While hiking has heretofore been the pastime of the middle-aged and older, the coronavirus pandemic has
broadened its demographic appeal. Many younger Koreans — primarily millennials — are now taking to the
hills. Accordingly, online sales of hiking gear and camping equipment are booming.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission from KOREA and the Ko-
•All photographs have either been taken prior to the pandemic, or under its safety protocols. rean Culture and Information Service. A downloadable PDF of KOREA and a map and glossary with common Korean words
appearing in our magazine are available by clicking on the thumbnail of KOREA at the website www.korea.net. Publication
ISSN 2005-2162 Registration No: 11-1371030-000014-06
 Trek-worthy Journeys
Korea is a land of mountains. Rugged terrain,
steep hillsides and endless ridgelines never
disappear from view. It’s no surprise, then, that
trekking is a popular activity, if not a lifestyle.
[san-haeng] Whether it’s for exercise, camaraderie-build-
ing, socializing, networking, or just leisure,
Koreans of all ages are hitting the mountains
nowadays.
Story
1. 
The nobility of Joseon era What is it about mountains that brings landscapes. When azalea blooms in the

served as the backdrop of

were fond of making excur- Korean hikers so much pleasure? The an- hills, Koreans are often drawn there by
sions to famed mountains,

Mountains have long

like the Geumgangsan Moun- swer to that question may well vary with some irrepressible urge. Koreans over-

Koreans’ lives.
tain shown. The featured
the individual, but clearly many Koreans seas say they often yearn for the hills
minhwa (folk art) was drawn
by Jeong Seon, a landscape take habitual joy and comfort both in the and fields of their home country, sprin-
painter (1676–1759).
mountains and in nature more broadly. kled with the splendid pale pink of the
2.  Quite a few people are hiking manias, azaleas. Koreans think of their hills as
Situated approx. 25 km
southeast of Seoul, Nam- while plenty of others say that hiking is good-natured neighbors. Furthermore,
hansanseong Fortress is a the only way they can deal with the severe the hills here are generally low enough
UNESCO World Heritage
and landmark that had been stress and loneliness of their lives. to be approachable: they can be easily
designed as an emergency Korea is a very mountainous coun- climbed in a pair of flip flops. That’s the
capital in the Joseon Dynasty.
try, with hills covering 70% of its land- biggest reason that hiking is so popular
mass. That means mountains have always in Korea.

Upwards
served as the backdrop of Koreans’ lives. But when exactly did Koreans start hik-
The picturesque and tranquil view of low ing? It’s difficult to pinpoint the precise ori-
hills affectionately huddled together is gin, but our ancestors have long been head-

& Onward
perhaps the most typical of all Korean ing into the hills on all kinds of business.

From Challenges to Mode of Leisure

Koreans have an unparalleled passion for hiking. Simply consider how many
people congregate to the hills when spring flowers are in bloom or when the leaves
change in autumn. And I’m not just talking about the well-known mountains in the
vicinity of Seoul: trails around the country get as crowded as a subway station

© National Museum of Korea

© shutterstock
at rush hour. Plenty of people go hiking early in the morning on New Year’s Day
to greet the first sunrise of the year.

Written by Park Wonsik, naturalism essayist

Seventy percent of Korean

terrain is covered by hills.
What is it about mountains
that brings Korean hikers
so much pleasure?

2 1 2

06 07
Our hunter-gatherer ancestors stalked 3-4.  5. 

© shutterstock + clipartkorea
Historically accorded to April heralds Korea’s lush
the slopes to spear wild game and climbed hiking activities were many spring and summertime
to the top to check on the weather, which purposes as well as symbolic greenery.
implications.
could be seen as the genesis of hiking. Al-
ternatively, we could regard the Koreans
who performed rituals for the mountain
spirits on the mountain peaks — part of
an ancient tradition of mountain worship
— as being the original hikers. Others
trace hiking back to the hwarang, the elite
young warriors of the Silla Dynasty, who
roamed through the hills to hone their
martial skills, or to the Buddhist monks
who took up residence in the mountains
during the Three Kingdoms Period.

© shutterstock
Since time immemorial, therefore,
Koreans have often engaged in what
could be called hiking. Even more diverse
forms of hiking appeared in the Joseon 3
Dynasty. Koreans frequently traveled
5
through the mountains for military, aca-
demic, and political purposes. Even rock
climbing is depicted in fascinating folk
paintings from the mid-Joseon Dynasty.
What’s most striking is that the scholarly Korea’s hills are generally low enough
nobility left behind a clear record of the
hikes they often took as a form of sight-
for maximal approachability, often easily
seeing. The philosophy behind their hikes
was somewhat different from today. They
trekked on a casual basis.
3
regarded hikes as a way to discipline the
mind: the mountains served as a sort of

© shutterstock
mental gym. These refined individuals of-
ten penned thoughtful accounts of their A growing number of serious hikers tack- people find pleasure in communing with “prison of masks” and left with nothing
excursions through the hills, creating le the Baekdudaegan mountain range; the nature. The mountain air awakening our to do and nowhere to go, young people
genre known as yusangi in Korean. number of trekking courses has exploded; senses, the immobile tranquility of the have turned to hiking as an escape from
Hiking in the modern sense of the even night hiking has become popular. trees and the winds whispering through their routine. But for those who are both
word arrived in the mid-20th century People commonly tag along with friends the woods — all are noble gifts of nature profoundly passionate and anxious about
from the West, under the influence of for a hike, often ending up as converts that are inaccessible in the city. Enjoying their lives, mountains offer more than
alpinism. This new approach, with its into apostles of mountaineering. them on a hike gives us a precious oppor- mere fun. After all, mountains and na-
focus on the thrill of conquering a peak, The reasons that Koreans go hiking tunity to invigorate our dull routines. ture are what inspire us to ask the deep
was imported to Korea along with moun- seem to be gradually changing for the Hiking in Korea was long the pre- questions about who we really are. Hiking
taineering techniques. As more people better. While many still enjoy conquer- serve of the middle-aged. But that ten- provides what could be called an oppor-
sought to climb ever-higher mountains in ing summits, others take to the trail to dency has been transformed as masses tunity for self-reflection. That’s why I’m
ever-shorter times, hiking was embraced restore focus to a distracted mind. Rather of young people join the ranks of hikers. so glad to see hiking catch on with Kore-
by the masses. Today, it has become one than hiking to race up a mountain or as That has been one of the more positive an young people.
2 4 3
of Koreans’ favorite recreational activity. outdoor exercise, a growing number of effects of COVID-19. Chafing in the 5

08 09
Journey

Not only is Jirisan Mountain Korea’s most iconic wonders of nature; it is also the first
National Park to receive the designation. Spanning across a sizable portion of the Korean

Floral Valleys
peninsula (from Hamyang-gun, Sancheong-gun and Hadong-gun counties of Gyeongsangnam-do
Province to Gurye-gun County, and Namwon-si City in Jeollabuk-do Province) is Jirisan Mountain.
Join us as we cover the start to and the endpoint of the Jirisan Dulle-gil trail
in the rural town of Unbong-eup, Jucheon-myeon, Namwon.
Jirisan Mountain, Jeollabuk-do Province
Written by Seong Hyekyeong Photographed by Studio Kenn

© clipartkorea
10 11

Their curvatures are an emblem
of pine trees’ natural inclination
toward the rays and warmth of sunlight.
Any nature enthusiast who loves Korea’s
rugged slopes will find Jirisan special
in many ways. As the mountain’s scale
spans over several provinces, this article
will only cover the Jeollabuk-do Province
portion, near the city of Namwon.
Start & End Point
The rural town of Namwon is where the
iconic Jirisan Dulle-gil Trail begins and
ends. The famed trail, frequented by
those seeking a tranquil, leisurely trek-
king session rather than one of extreme
physical exertion, begins at Haengjeong
Village in Unbong-eup, Jucheon-myeon,
Namwon.
12
The village is situated on the north-
western part of the entire Dulle-gil course,
on the Unbong plateau: an intersection-
al point between the rural mountainside
and the modern tourist facilities.
Narratives Woven on Pine Trees
Haengjeong Village greets you with a colo-
ny of pine trees. Besides their typical rugged
shape, also noticeable are scars of uniform
shape glaringly piercing the lower midsec-
tion — or at eye level — of their barks. They
are not natural marks but are literal scars
from the colonial era during which pine
trees were stripped of their resin, or sap and
utilized as oil for aviation fuel.
1. 
The wooden signpost signals
the scope and directions of
Jirisan Dulle-gil.
2. 
Curvy trees were deemed
worthless, until they formed
colonies on mountainsides
and formed a reliable buttress
guarding the slopes.
3. 
Clad in casual hiking gear,
comrades bond over the ful-
fillment reaped from climbing
steep trails.
2
A more light-hearted representation
that configure pine trees quite literally is
their tendency to pursue sunlight. Many
of them, at least the ones in this region
of the country, are curvy. This shape is a
natural result of their inclination to chase
wherever is better lit by the sun.
Whether the pine trees in the Un-
bong plateau, which leads gradually up
the trekking course of Jirisan Dulle-gil,
or standing amid the forests of Jirisan
look the way they do because of the pain
they have weathered or due to their nat-
ural tendencies, it is clear that pine trees
embody honest reflections of the years 3
3
they’ve endured.
13
 4. 
Guryong Waterfall uniquely
consists of clearer waters
at the bottom than on its
upper cliff.
5. 
The southern part of Jirisan
National Park is Gurye-gun,
a county especially renowned
for its sansuyu (yellow
-flowered trees).
© Namwon city
4 mild.
14
Borderline Landmark
© clipartkorea
& Community
It is difficult to know how Haengjeong
Maeul Village retains serenity consid-
ering how well known the Dulle-gil is,
though elderly villagers are prone to greet
visitors with open arms, especially youths
— a demographic rural villages like these
often lack.
Streams cutting through the village
have modern hanging racks and steps,
yet such facilities are designed for wash-
ing and hanging clothes — itself a man-
ual, less modern act. Our friendly local
guide points out, “This particular facet
is a manifestation of that boundary be-
tween modernity and antiquated [cus-
toms and lifestyles].” While modernity
can be glimpsed through tourist-welcom-
ing placards and signposts filled with ex-
planations of the trees, tractors pass by 5
to reap harvests and the air often carries
wafts of manure.
Streams & Waterfall
Nestled in the heart of the area is Gury-
ong Valley, also known as Yonghogu-
gok (“Dragon Lake Valley”), colloquially
dubbed the latter for its accompanying
Philosophy in Foliage
legend. As folktale has it, the valley is
From the region where we commenced now fill the mountaintops, flanking the
visited by nine dragons descending from
our journey — the starting point of Dulle- hillside as if to protect the habitat rather
the skies every first day of the fourth lu-
gil — a roughly paved road is a glaring than merely populate it.
nar month. Characteristically, the closer
remnant from the past. Previously having Jirisan’s standout flowers blossom
to the lower base-level where the water
linked Unbong-hyeon and Namwon-bu fully in April, heralding a colorful pre-
streams lace themselves against rocks
(as they were previously classified), the view of what luscious vistas are set to un-
horizontally, the cooler the air feels. No
road imparts a poignantly antiquated at- fold in the following month. In this part
wonder it is a prime spot to enjoy natural
mosphere. of the Jirisan Mountains dubbed “Ho-
summer springs.
Hiking upwards on a small hilltop of gyeong,” an expression to denote ‘a vil-
The valley is about 4 km-long and
the Hogyeong region just a five minutes’ lage with a fine view,’ the alder tree claims
flanked by trails constructed for easy
drive away, pine trees become even more a pivotal role in its ecosystem. True to
trekking. Feeling the cool breeze of the
predominant. Pointing to their figures, our its name, the mountainous habitation
rock-steeped valley, one can feel why the
guide reminds us of how straight-stand- flaunts royal azaleas, which have sticky
area is most frequented by visitors in the
ing pine trees are the prime choice for surfaces to trap insects and small-flower
months of May and October, when buds
anything to do with woodwork, especially forget-me-nots. Thus Jirisan lives up to
have blossomed but temperatures are
for building cabins and most traditional its stature as a series of flower-studded
Scan for accompanying video housing. Those that haven’t been chosen valleys.
15
Muse

Lee Sang-eun has conquered some of the world’s

highest peaks, including Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro,
Turkey’s Mount Ararat, and Mexico’s Orizaba.
She is the first female to reach the Himalaya’s
Nirekha peak. Name any world-class mountain —
Annapurna, the Japanese Northern Alps, Langtang
Lirung and of course Mount Everest — and you
can bet she has trekked them all, likely more than
once.

Empowered
by Nature
© shutterstock

Record-holding Mountaineer, Lee Sang-eun

Written by Kim Jane, features editor Photo courtesy of Lee Sang-eun

16 17
1-2. 
The infotainment ‘Screen
Album - The Mountain’
premiered on KBSWorld. The
weekly program captures vis-
tas of wondrous slopes and
various communities residing
on mountainsides.
18
Lee Sang-eun is brimming with all kinds
of love: love for Mother Nature, for her
coworkers, even passersby conversation-
alists, toward life itself and last but per-
haps most importantly, her life partner
and muse. The spark that set aflame her
impressive career as a mountaineer is her
husband Kim Sung Sun, a mountaineer
renowned for his adventures into the ex-
treme wilderness who is now focusing on
managing an array of related businesses.
Though her muse may be her endearing
husband, she is definitely a premier muse
for the production staff of KOREA mag-
azine.
Regardless of where in the world she
has been and what wondrous peaks she
has climbed, Lee is quick to talk of how
blessed Korea is. “Our four seasons, the
coming and going of every sprout, leaf
and life. The luscious breeze, then that
wistful fading away of multicolored
leaves… Witnessing it all, nature’s cycle
feels precious every time,” she says. “Ev-
ery occasion is different, extraordinary.
How amazing is it that we’re granted ac-
cess to the most varied seasonal changes
1 2
on Earth!” Koreans are indeed, blessed by
Mother Nature herself.
“I personally wouldn’t find spring so
beautiful, had it not been for its preced-
ing wintertime,” she adds. “On the other
Conversation with
hand, the greenery of summertime may
Lee Sang-eun
not be as welcomed had it not been for
the cool breeze and barren land that pre-
Seated amidst the cozy camping (or ‘glamping,’ as per the
vailed in preceding months. Our chang-
Korean trend ‘glamorous camping’) grounds of LOHAS
ing seasons are natural reminders of how
alongside Daecheong-ho Lake, Lee speaks with glistening
priceless every minutiae being, down to
eyes as if to soak up every invaluable moment of our time
our own identities, inherently is.”
together.
Teeming with enthusiasm on all fronts,
Lee is an energizer whether for her listen-
ers, fellow trackers or companions of any
sort. When asked how she maintains such
unbristled positivity, she offers a candid
response: “I, too, have moments of doubt
— just like we all do. Like yourself, I also Q. Please describe the hiking experience for us. Q. How has nature affected you?
struggle with the fact that I have expec-
tations to live up to, and such pressures. A. The process of hiking mountains is an encapsulation of life it- A. When I describe this, I hope that none of our readers imagine
But then again, who doesn’t? And be- self. Perhaps that’s precisely what draws me to the experience — to this to pertain only to myself. On the contrary, this is a universal
cause I can relate — as you can, too — we the point wherein every living cell, the entirety of my being, craves effect nature has on humanity. Its vastness, grandiosity, the simply
all are able to form a bond, a solidarity the particular activity of climbing mountains. It’s also the reason I wondrous and spectacular being is in itself a consolation, a meta-
probably applicable across most if not all tell novice, rookie or even prospective hikers — those deciding on physical source of energy. One way I tap into this power of nature
of humanity.” whether or not it’s worth a try, or to take it up as a hobby — to make is by waking up at the break of dawn to catch the sunrise.
a habit of climbing even itty bitty hills, which you can find nearly (She points and refers to the sight that unfolds from where
anywhere in Korea. we’re situated.) When the sun rises over the aquatic horizon here,
then starts to glisten against the pure, tranquil surface of the lake…
Q. What about the process do you most enjoy? imagine the innumerable emotions. Every time I take in the hori-
zon at the precise moment of sunrise, it takes on yet another ap-
A. Continuing my allusion to human life: because I feel that it’s
pearance, imparting a mood yet unexperienced. Seeing its varied,
© KBS, Mountaineering Chronicles (‘Screen Album - The Mountain’)
a scaled-down version of life. It in turn amplifies everything, in-
though consistently honest versions — on days cloudy, foggy,
cluding the most trivial and fleeting of moments. I love how one
misty, sunny or any combination thereof — my problems seem to
moment, my muscle pains bother me persistently then the next
shrink, my daily woes fade away and are replaced by sheer grati-
moment, I couldn’t feel prouder of myself, for persevering and en-
tude for my existence, plus overwhelming relief. What a powerful
during that moment of struggle. Likewise, I feel a heightened sense
effect nature has on us! I will never cease to cherish it.
of appreciation for a single bite into a juicy apple when snacking
atop a crest. Till then, that apple in my bag was undoubtedly a liter-
al, physical burden. It — the same apple — can also feel like a chore,
or a mundane factor in life, when we’re simply sitting at home to
have a bite.
Imagine approaching all these moments in such dramatized
form — in such extreme magnitude! Such a joyous way to savor life
and its juiciest bits.
19
In Korea, where mountains flank most highways,
hills and valleys are in abundance. As we now
enter springtime, let’s indulge in a classic Korean
landmark: Dulle-gil Trail in Jirisan Mountain. While
the mountain itself spans both the southern and
northern parts of Jeolla-do Province, tucked
alongside are plenty of plant life, best enjoyed with
a ‘forest interpreter,’ as the occupation is officially
called.

Tree
Whisperer
Art of Forest-telling amid Lush Mountaintops
Written by Lee Yongkook, managing editor Photographed by Studio Kenn

20 21
Originally from Jeju-do Island, Lee Changsu
was living in Seoul when he dared to decide
to move to Namwon, Jeollabuk-do Prov-
ince. For anyone who has listened to or been
guided by his tree-interpretations, it’s hard
to imagine him living elsewhere (anywhere
away from forestry). And yet, it’s also hard to
imagine leaving behind city life in the capital
with your entire family in your forties.
That’s precisely what Lee did ten years
ago. Ever since, he hasn’t looked back. In-
stead, he dove into his studies of trees in
2011 and in 2015, started giving lessons on
trees. Four years is a brief time period for
anyone to develop any specialty or expertise,
made possible only thanks to his absolute
zeal for trees.
Talking about trees not only makes
Lee’s eyes glisten in earnest; it draws from
him such extreme affection as to make him
22
empathize and refer to them in personifica-
tion.
True to his characteristic, unwavering
passion for trees as to accord them a spe-
cial place in his heart, Lee never deems trees
routine or mundane in any way. Given Ko-
rea’s distinct, vivid four seasons, Lee is quick
to gush over the smallest of developments
glimpsed on plant life as they undergo due
seasonal changes. In fact, visible evolutions
and stages of foliage growth never cease to
exhilarate Lee from the depths of his heart.
“Every single moment of encountering, ob-
serving or simply talking about — as part of
my job — trees gives me pure joy,” he pro-
claims, visibly enchanted by energy accorded
by Mother Nature herself.
1. 
Amid the streams of Guryong
Waterfall, Lee explains the
wondrous workings of the
surrounding ecosystem.
Conversation with
1
Lee Changsu
Lee Changsu has lived in Jeju-do Island (the mainstay of
Korean tourism), Seoul (the national capital for which no
words are needed) and in Namwon, Jeollabuk-do Province.
His exuberant face and bubbly body language are living
proof of his compatibility with his current environment
near Jirisan Mountain.
Q. What drew you to your current occupation?
A. For every year succeeding 2011, Aug. 29th is the most special,
self-celebratory anniversary for me. I call it my “tree-day” and treat
it as if it’s a birthday, announcing to everyone around me — none
of whom even care! It doesn’t matter, because it has so, so much
significance to me.
On that day in 2011, I was mesmerized by a tree of the willowy
kind, laden with red-tinted bark. Ever since, trees took my heart
and I dove into their charms without looking anywhere else.
Being surrounded by trees on all sides makes me joyous in the
most genuine sense of the expression. Seeing the smallest changes
affect these flora awes me, at whichever season, moment or growth
stage I catch them in. Then I’m affected by the most minor devel-
opments they regularly undergo because of the huge amounts of
attention I pay them instinctively. I can’t help being so attracted to
these blessings of nature!
1
Q. What made you move to this part of the country?
A. As fate had it, my wife and I visited these slopes of Jirisan on our
very first trip together. That said, I was fed up with the urban day-
to-days of living in Seoul. The unbearably routine, literally “boxed-
in” — as apartments are densely compartmentalized into countless
residencies — lifestyle of urban living was dreary, to say the least.
There were two decisive moments that awoke me to that re-
alization. One is when my wife asked me what I plan to do after
retirement. I was taken aback when I realized I had never imag-
ined myself doing anything outside of my monotonous day job.
The best I could come up with was… a security guard, perhaps?
That was a shocking revelation, how much I simply lacked vivacity,
energy and any urge whatsoever to will myself into action.
Another case-in-point are the terrible prospects I imagined
for my son. He was around ten years old at the time when I realized
he’d been and may very well continue growing up amid concrete
surfaces instead of soil. Imagining that made me recoil.
Q. What’s your favorite and least favorite type of tree?
A. Oh, you know I’m going to say I have too many favorites, that
all of these within our sight are absolutely wonderful. In fact, let
me narrow it down to “trees that belong to the land on which
they stand.” I find particular beauty in indigenous trees that are
well-rooted where they always have been, and should be as they are
naturally acclimatized to the locations. Can I just put it out there
that I am most enamored by the most Korean, the most genuinely
“our trees” stemming [not only physically, but through its prede-
cessors] from our lands?
On the other hand, there are trees that I sort of pity and even
plants that I give permission for my tour guests to snap and take
home. The first type are those that have rooted themselves on for-
eign land to which they are inherently alien. And the latter are cas-
es like these springy bursts — see here — of little pine trees? Con-
trary to how ideal this sunlit gravesite is and how they’ve nested
well on such a warm spot, they are simply fated to be crushed soon
— of course, by workers who have been paid to upkeep the spot. I
dub them “neglected beings.” It’s not only pets or children that are
neglected; it happens to plants like these, too.
23
Interview
Hardly

looking his age,

Hur welcomes

the staff in a

stylishly easygoing
manner.

Storyteller
at His Finest
Hur Young Man

Rarely would a Korean dispute the sheer prowess Hur Young Man embodies as a figure
in Korea’s popular art scene. Though an icon of manhwa (cartoons), a medium generally
imbued with and corresponding to mainstream tastes, Hur has a record of
breaking the genre free of its lowbrow stereotype. Here’s what Korea’s iconic storyteller,
legendary artist of visibly resplendent physique and cerebral grandeur,
has been up to since his last media interview in 2015.

Written by Kim Jane Photographed by Studio Kenn

24 25

Contrary to his characteristic aversion
to press interviews (his last one was with
Korea’s closest answer to Oprah, Son
Seok-hee, in 2015 regarding his exhibi-
tion), Hur welcomes the KOREA staff team
with a nonchalant and down-to-earth, yet
stylishly easygoing manner. A candid rep-
resentation of his calm, graceful compo-
sure and presence, his home is stockpiled
with endless books, (of course) cartoons,
collectibles related to his bestsellers, large
desks functioning as work (drawing and
writing) stations, record labels (CDs, LPs
and even antique sound gadgets) and
most poignantly, an analog atmosphere.
Legendary Career
Forty years into his career, Hur’s earlier
works are treated as national classics and
26
darlings of popular culture by the Kore-
an mainstream. Even his more modern
works capturing standout representa-
tions of Korean society (“Tazza,” original
publication 2000) and culture (“Sikgaek,”
2003) spawned multimedia remakes of
record-setting ratings.
Among his notable works prior to the
millennium are “Asphalt Man” (1992),
“Beat” (1994), “Fly Superboard” (1989,
and adapted animation that aired till
2002) — cartoons for adult, teenage and
children, respectively. The broadcast an-
imation for “Fly Superboard” raked over
42% viewership, a record which has yet to
be challenged.
Considering the sheer variety of
Hur’s topics of choice or those featured in
his works, it is perhaps not much of a sur-
In youthful
prise that Hur is a keen observer and not
necessarily related, either on a personal
spirit, Hur or direct level, to themes that his works
revolve around. Apart from his sharp eye
claims his and attentiveness to detail, Hur is known
to feature conflicted protagonists and
‘works-in- their dualities, rather than static heroes.
With a critical, even satirical stance to-
progress ward society, Hur easily captures both
are slated for
artistic finesse and mass appeal.
publication.’
Upkeeping Diligence
Hur has often been compared to Kant for
the impeccable consistency with which he 2
attends to his daily routine. Hearing his
breakdown of what his day — by which,
we mean every single day — looks like, it
becomes strikingly apparent how enrich-
ing, not to mention productive, of a life
he maintains. “I’ve been on this routine
— of spending 7-8 hours in the morning
in deep work-mode — for nearly forty
years. It started on the year of my debut
as a cartoonist (1974), before which I was
prone to rise at noon, get started midday
and attend to my laborious drawings till
the wee hours of dawn. That rhythm was
a physical toil, in total contrast to how 3
refreshingly enriching each day is for me
now.”
He continues, “It was a senior car-
toonist who influenced me to change my For aspiring artists, he offers straight-
1. 
schedule drastically. When we lived side- Hur’s workroom is replete forward advice: to “do whatever in the
with CDs, LP records, piles world they want.” He says, “That’s actu-
by-side, the way he’d get up at dawn to
of books and photo albums,
attend to his work just looked so whole- plus clippings of various ally how my son describes me. Though
medium and format.
some and productive. It made me want the pandemic has limited the scope of my
to try out the routine for myself as well. 2.  carefree adventures for the time being, I
Though the masterful
Once I had the ball rolling, it was nice to storyteller claims to have ‘dis-
used to simply get up and head to foreign
be greeted, upon getting out of bed, with carded cartfuls, huge loads lands, go enjoy golfing, fishing or what-
of books,’ most corners
his lit window in the dim hours of dawn.” and shelves of his house are ever activity I’m inclined to indulge in
It’s clear that back in the days when he stockpiled with books. that day. For me, that’s the way to live it
was a young adult (he debuted at the age 3.  up. Expanding the scope of your genuine,
Hung on the walls of Hur’s tangible, firsthand experiences — I can-
of 27 and published prolifically from the
house are framed posters of
80s, 90s and into the millennium), cama- works produced on behalf of not overemphasize how important that
his original (cartoon) narrative,
raderie amongst fellow cartoonists was is for an artist. It’s your free, boundless
plus his previous exhibition
1 lively. poster (far left). resource for inspiration!”
27

Conscientious of His Toolbox
Speaking for his own artistic process, he
professes, “Perhaps I’m just an oldie who
hasn’t adjusted to the flashy convenienc-
es digital tools offer nowadays. That said,
I still find worthwhile that touch of the
grip, of leaving that pencil sketch on lit-
eral paper. That tangible contact, to me
has yet to be rendered replaceable. I am
in awe especially of how fast the coloring
procedures are done on pads or tablets.
However, I can’t help but feel that the
electronic gadgets have a split-second lag
compared to the responsivity of the touch
of pencil-on-paper.”
Medium for
Communal Appreciation
On a similar vein, he says, “the industry,
too, feels strikingly individualist relative
to how it had used to be.” He continues,
28
1-2. 
Lee is renowned
for his live onstage
presence.
1-2. 
Lee is renowned
for his live onstage
presence.
“Since submissions were handed to pub-
lishing houses in hard copy and through
face-to-face encounters, the natural course
of action was simply to wind down in
what tended to draw out into casual net-
working sessions at dive bars and pubs.”
It is no wonder how cozily analog his
home feels, with all sorts of trinkets laden
atop flat surfaces of varied sorts.
It may perhaps even be this sensitivi-
ty of his that led him to produce a classic
hinging on a philosophy of treating food
as a medium for interpersonal experienc-
es. “Sikgaek (Gourmet)” was adopted into
a widely popular TV series of the epony-
mous title, released in 2008 by SBS; as of
late, he stars in the ongoing reality pro-
gram “Gourmet Mukbang Trip” (2020,
available on Netflix).
Contrary to the connotations of the
program’s English title, “Gourmet Muk-
bang Trip” focuses on casual, accessible
© Hur Young Man
eateries (cheap eats usually priced less
than USD $9). Reflecting on the show’s
longevity and popularity, which “I hadn’t
foreseen,” Hur says it let him “appreciate
what (priceless) value a mere ten-dol-
lar bill can bring us.” In addition to the
taste, which he always savors but admits
is entirely subjective, he remembers “the
streetscapes, the merchants and vendors
in these marketplaces making do with
their daily routine.” He says, “Many of
them are reluctant to receive — indeed,
insist on keeping at bay — any sort of help
5
from their children, because they consid-
er their work a rough, lowly kind. That’s
heartbreaking, seeing what an amazing
experience their food has to offer. That
said, it’s nice to get to interact with them,
notwithstanding the cameras and all.”
4 Still Alight, Blazing Forth
Despite being a maven frequently looked
up to, it quickly becomes obvious that he
is not bound to ‘settle’ for his astound-
ing achievements thus far. “This applies
4. 
Hur’s desk attests to his faithful neither specifically to me, nor to my fel-
habit of note-taking — a practice
critical for composing intricately low artists. Rather, I believe any profes-
woven narratives and realistic de- sional — passionate in whichever field
tails that spring alive, both of which
he is renowned for. they’re active in — wishes likewise: to die
in the middle of working. To do so amid
5.
Among Hur’s expansive work my work tools, in my work studio, in the
scope is the sports comedy
middle of what I love to do most.”
adapted into a 2013 film and
available on Netflix as ‘Mr. Go,’
6 He continues, “I’m working on my
originally serialized in the comic
next cartoon, which I am not about to re-
magazine Bomulseom (1974).
veal any spoilers or leave whatsoever hints
6.
Most known as an 24-episodic se- of. I won’t speak about its topic, because
ries of SBS’s 2008 TV adaptation, there should be no such giveaway. All I’ll
the storyline of ‘Sikgaek (Gourmet)’
(original cartoons serialized on the let on is that I’m preparing something
daily Dong-A Ilbo, 2002-2008)
unprecedented, most likely unexpected
was applied to a film in 2010, in
addition to a serialized sequel for my audiences. It’ll feel totally new.”
on the Kakaopage platform and
His pure, undistilled passion toward his
hard-copy publication.
art and unwavering pursuit in creating yet
7.
another novelty, of challenging himself
Hur’s “How About a Cup of
Coffee?” (2015) was serialized from boundlessly is in itself, a feat only a maven
the 40th anniversary of his debut
7 of his prowess can impress us with.
as a cartoonist.
29
Indie Culture

To Each Their
Own Charms
K-beauty Trends thru Indie Brands

Sustainable, socially conscious ideals have spawned a throng of brands

partaking in wholesome PR strategies as well as a global movement, thanks in large part to
values upheld by Gen Z and millennials and their eco-friendly lifestyles. The same pertains to
the K-beauty market. While these may not be household names of mainstream recognition,
these independently minded beauty brands hinge on a solid philosophy, whether a
pointed brand mission and vision or catering to a niche demand.

Written by Yoon Sui, beauty editor

© EATH Library

© thetoollab
30 31

Strictly speaking, “indie brands” denote
small-scale enterprises, sometimes begin-
ning as startups. Whether as a one-per-
son operation or a handful of employees
at most, independent labels attracted an
impressive user base — and oftentimes,
even fandom.
Striving for
Mother Nature’s Longevity
According to industry sources, indepen-
dent K-beauty brands began to explode in
2019. Brands kicked off in a spree of active
launches focusing on green, eco-friend-
ly ideals. “Clean, green, organic”: such
biofriendly — or “biocompatible” when
32
© EATH Library
1 2
speaking of skin types and finer needs —
synonymous keywords have in common
degradability, whether of packaging or
constituents, and minimization of tox-
ins. Put differently, what harms the Earth
less also tends to be what harms our own
bodies and skin less. How great, to know
there are ways to take care of our own
selves simultaneous to doing what we can
for the planet we inhabit?
Hence, a major way brands live up
to their professed mission of green val-
ues is to swap common ingredients with
environmentally-conscious alternatives.
B CLEAN is a store that the conglomer-
ate–department store Hyundai launched
1. 
EATH Library upkeeps its
showrooms and pop-up
stores with much care,
offering a unique brand expe-
rience for its customers.
2. 
The Pure Wonder Active
Serum 55% is comprised of
55% of AYM (Active Youth
Molecule), a core ingredient
exclusive to and invented on
behalf of EATH.
3. 
Intricately crafted brushes
claim a very niche sector in
the makeup industry.
3
at their flagship store in Seoul’s Yeouido
district, decked out with a curated selec-
tion of vegan beauty products. Decorated
in minty hues, every brand experience
seems to live up to the vegan ideals of
millennials. Salespeople that consumers
consult for makeup expertise in luxe de-
partment stores claim the organic selec-
tion offers the best of concepts of “green,”
well-being and vegan.
Another that has made great strides
in both living up to their mission and
reflecting it for an environmentally-con-
scious customer base. Herbal whether on
imagistic, effectiveness or aroma-wise,
EATH taps into natural ingredients used in
Korean traditional medicine. Its earthly
aesthetics of natural colors and simplicity
are well aligned with its brand message of
healing through a crisscross of traditional
resources and technological procedures.
In all, manifest in each of its product line
are the visions of its co-founders: a de-
signer and a doctor of oriental medicine.
Fine-pointed Expertise
Launched in December 2015, TheTool-
lab is founded on the motto of “formu-
la-based tools and tool-based formulas.”
Founder Baek Sookyung boasts an over
ten years-long career as a specialist in
makeup brushes. She has previously worked
© thetoollab
with cosmetic giants like Sephora, Chanel
and SK-II, among others. As its name
hints, TheToollab deals specifically with
makeup tools, with brushes a major focus.
Thanks to her years searching for
optimal solutions, she built a company
dedicated to making the safest, most ad-
vanced brush. Her insistence on making
the ideal brush is not so particular once
we consider how few commercial brush
regulations are in place.
As such, indie beauty brands facing
either the domestic or global markets are
defined by originality of either technique
(or build of the material) or philosophy.
33
Seasonal Delights

Springtime
Specialty
Exploring Korea’s Edible Flower Pancakes

Spring in Korea is quite a sight to behold. And while talk of this season usually
conjures up images of urban streets lined with cherry blossoms and courting
couples walking hand-in-hand, pausing at every few steps to snap selfies, things
were not always thus. In years gone by, the rhododendron mucronulatum, a native
rhododendron species called jindallae, was the true herald of springtime.

Written by Tim Alper, contributing writer Photo courtesy Bomnarae

[hwajeon]

34 35

The flower is a distinctly light pink vari-
ety that still thrives in the wild. The de-
ciduous bushes it grows on are a common
sight on Korea’s many mountains and
hills. The jindallae is one of the first flow-
ers to make its presence felt in spring-
time. And its annual appearance — just
like the returning migratory swallows of
Europe — was once cause for nationwide
jubilation.
One of the paintings in the Hyewon
Pungsokdo, a series of works by Shin Yun-
bok (1758–1813), Korea’s most iconic
artist, encapsulates the mood that must
have once filled the air at this time of the
year. Entitled Yeonso Dapjung (“Young
Folks’ Outing”), the painting shows a
group of courtesans — one with a twig
laden with jindallae flowers in her hair —
36
Of distinctly
light-pink
hues and variety,
the deciduous
flora flanking the
wilderness and
mountaintops
across warmer
regions of Korea
are jindallae.
1
riding on horseback along a hillside path.
More jindallae grow on the high, rocky
crops in the background, as a number
of young male scholars call to them with
flirtatious advances.
So abundant were these flowers that
they eventually found their way into the
Korean kitchen. Very much edible, the
jindallae is often used to flavor a sweet-
ened alcoholic beverage named jindallae-
sul. But it also has a far more symbolic
use in the nation’s cuisine — in the form
of hwajeon.
Fried Fancy
Hwajeon literally means “pan-fried flow-
er,” and its name speaks volumes about
the way it is prepared. Its chief ingre-
dient is fine glutinous rice flour, often
Although certain flowers are nutri- erone-free), high-status Joseon women had
1-3. 
As long as you heed the
delicacy of flower petals, tious, most do not constitute a hearty the liberty to take to the countryside for
jindallae hwajeon doesn’t re-
quire advanced skills, esp. for
those experienced in making
meal, and are mainly used to liven up
otherwise plain-looking preparations.
stunning vistas. They met in groups to
picnic with their hwajeon snacks, speak-
jeon (Korean pancakes).
4. 
There are a number of hwajeon variet-
ies, all traditionally eaten at different points
ing freely and frankly unlike in any other
day. Then in late Joseon wherein women
Unlike other, typical varieties
of jeon, hwajeon tends to be
of the year, making use of edible blossoms
from trees like pear and chrysanthemums.
began enjoying more freedom, Sangsa
and its corresponding snack no longer
treated more like a snack and
thus, paired alongside tea or
drinks and snackable crisps.
But the jindallae version is arguably the commanded such cherished presence.
most aesthetically pleasing and well-known But even after the fall of the Joseon, the
of the bunch. stunning preparation continues to have
Eating flowers may sound unusual, deep symbolic and nostalgic worth.
but many countries have traditions of For some, it will always be synony-
consuming blooms. In the UK, dandeli-
ons, which grow as abundantly in North-
mous with the end of winter and the start
of clement weather. The snack is perhaps
western Europe as rhododendron variet-
ies do in East Asian mountains, used to be
best enjoyed during a break on a hilltop
hike, preferably surrounded by foliage
a cornerstone of British cuisine. In Italy,
stuffed zucchini flowers are a common
— a veritable explosion of pinks, whites,
violets and yellows that unfailingly brings
dish, while chefs all over the world like hope to even the sternest of hearts. Thus,
to top their salad or pasta dishes with a jindallae hwajeon still serves both as a re-
scattering of edible petals. minder of the country’s bygone customs
On Sangsa (one day of the year when and a seasonal treat that ushers in the
noblewomen could gather, relatively chap- warmth of spring.
© shutterstock
flavored with salt. Cooks make a dough
from this, then shape individual piec-
es into small, disc-like circles, like mini,
American-style pancakes. Finally, a fully
bloomed jindallae is pressed into the top,
before it is fried.
Cooks typically fry hwajeon in ses-
ame oil, making for a rich, nutty flavor.
2
Although this might not seem unusual
to modern chefs, back in the days when
sesame oil was a scarce and prized ingre-
dient, the oil was indeed, used sparingly
as a finishing touch. Only on special oc-
casions — like the days on which hwajeon
were consumed — would it be used as
part of the cooking process.
Though certainly not flavorless, the
delicacy is primarily designed to be con-
3 4
sumed with the eyes. 2
37
K-pop Beats

Groups with
Long-lasting
Careers
Over the last two decades, K-pop has achieved sweeping success. Based on
overwhelming mass appeal, K-pop acts have come to dominate segments of
popular music, and now the entire industry. Idol dance music has swiftly risen to the
mainstream, edging aside genres that were once more prevalent like pop ballads,
rock, and folk. Emerging in 2003, the 2nd generation of idol groups — including
TVXQ, Super Junior and Big Bang — have sustained their superstardom, leading
critics to take back their words of transpiration dates of idol group careers. More
recently, Sunmi (Wonder Girls), Taeyeon (Girls’ Generation), Hyuna (4Minute), Bae
Suzy (Miss A), and IU (typically not an idol but comparable in status) have remained
popular more than a decade since debuting, invalidating the assumption that idols
are short-lived.

Written by Lim Jinmo, pop columnist Illustrated by JB

38 39
1. 
IU (Lee Ji-eun) is capable of
performing and songwriting in
myriad genres and styles.
2. 
Taemin from Shinee performs his
single alongside a troupe of back
dancers.
3. 
Super Junior consists of many
members, each of whom flaunt
distinct charms of their own.
Early idol groups such as H.O.T., Sechs
Kies, and the girl group SES broke up
within six years. Needless to say, artists’
staying power largely depends on the
ability to establish solid brand awareness.
Early success is critical here. If a group
can’t get noticed within several years of
their debut, they typically have to break
up or halt their activities, putting an end
to hopes of a long career.
But Korean idols in the first and sec-
ond generations scored major success-
es in the global market both in terms of
music sales and concert tickets, solidify-
ing their position and paving the way for
long-lasting careers. K-pop’s global influ-
ence has given idols longevity. One of the
TVXQ, the epitome of second-gen idol
groups, is an unusual example of a group
still around after 18 years, albeit with re-
duced group members. TVXQ has been
around for 18 years, Super Junior 16, and
Shinee 13. All of them belong to SM En-
tertainment, under chief producer Lee
Soo-man. Industry analysts say that Super
Junior, regarded as a Hallyu pioneer, has
thrived for so long because all its mem-
bers put the group first. That testifies to
the members’ and label’s commitment
to keeping the group in business, though
some members have parted ways or done 2 3
individual projects.
Leeteuk, leader of the group, offered
the following thoughts when the group

K-pop is now shaking off

best-known long-lasting idol groups is
Shinhwa, which debuted in 1998, making
it part of the first generation of idols. It
was Shinhwa that made it normal for old-
er idols to stay in the game. Through its
entire run, Shinhwa has never replaced a
single member.
1 3
reached its 15th anniversary in 2020.
“It’s amazing to think we’re still around
15 years later! We just grit our teeth and
held on, and here we are today.” It’s re-
markable that such a large group (nine
members, down from the original 13)
has stayed active for 16 years now. On
their 15th anniversary, they released their
tenth full-length album.
Some think that the secret to Su-
per Junior’s long career is permitting its
members to partake in solo projects in
addition to group projects, in contrast to
earlier idol groups. However, the precise
correlation between, or impact that indi-
vidual and (smaller) unit-based activities
have on group unity, is still in dispute.
Another key to a long career is a re-
liable fan base. On social media, both the
label’s official and members’ personal ac-
counts often send regular updates, form-
ing a close bond and building brand aware-
ness over great distances. That in turn
reinforces the members’ loyalty to the
group, spawning a positive feedback loop.
There’s no denying that TVXQ, which has
now been around for 18 years, owes its
strength to Cassiopeia, its fan club of
800,000 members.
generational shackles through idol groups
with long-lasting careers.
In recent years, social media has been
transforming the musical landscape. Sig-
nificantly, YouTube has been alerting the
current generation to past acts, such as
Brave Girls, a group that debuted back
in 2011, between the second and third
generations of K-pop. The group re-
gained popularity when its song “Rollin”
recently came back into rotation, years
after they performed the song to much
acclaim during a morale-boosting vis-
it to a military base. Since such “blasts
from the past” are now a common oc-
currence, they’re expected to help idol
groups stay together even longer. The
most critical criterion for a long-running
career, however, is good music. Among
other members of girl groups, boy groups
Shinee and Big Bang are living proof of
that eternal truth. Sunmi, who began her
career with the Wonder Girls, shows that
personality and talent are the founda-
tion of a long-lasting career. Since going
solo following the group’s successful run,
Sunmi has released a number of songs
that have gained mass appeal, beginning
with “Gashina” in 2017 and continuing
with “Heroine,” “Siren” and most recently,
“Tail.” Critics praise her songs for befit-
ting the timely atmosphere and tastes of
the time. The impetus behind her success
during her 14-year-career is her vocal fi-
nesse. The same goes for IU, a solo artist,
who rose to stardom with the song “Good
Day” in 2010. For 13 years now, IU has
put out one strong song after another,
demonstrating her bottomless capacity to
experiment and take on new challenges.
Her recently released songs “Blueming”
and “Fight” have brought fresh accolades
for her musical evolution. She’s also a
rare example of a younger artist whose
name is familiar to older Koreans.
K-pop has labored under the stereo-
type that idol dance groups have a short
shelf life due to how much their populari-
ty hinges on fleeting, youthful appearanc-
es. That stereotype is held even today by
many elderly people. But the idol dance
groups in K-pop are undergoing many
changes. Artists’ passion and the effe-
ciency of systems that their labels devel-
oped account for the emergence of idols
with staying power. That’s the power of
K-pop: in addition to erasing national
boundaries, it’s now shaking off genera-
tional shackles by producing idol groups
with long-lasting careers.
3

40 41
Antique

Hwagak
Brilliance in
Technique & Material
Hwagak

Hwagak — or ‘brilliant horn’ — is a uniquely Korean lacquer technique of inlaying painted

pieces of flattened ox-horn onto the outside surfaces of furniture or other household items,
creating mesmerizing patterns in the process.

Written by Robert Joseph K. Photo courtesy of Lee Jae-man, National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 109

42 43
 Nobody is quite sure when this process
began. However, several ancient items
that appear to have made their way to
Japan from the Korean Peninsula during
the first millennium of the common era
suggest that Koreans have been using ox-
bone inlays to artistic effect since at least
the Three Kingdoms era (57 B.C.E.–668
C.E.). Neighboring countries such as Chi-
na have long used tortoise shells for in-
laying as well, though only Koreans have
used ox-bone to produce lacquer designs.
Lee Jae-man, a state-designated mas-
ter of the craft, told the local daily Mun-
hwa Ilbo in 2019, “When they see a piece
of hwagak, many people think they are
Chinese crafts because of the flashy col-
Ten longevity Jewelry box
44
ors. But hwagak is really a craft and art
unique to Korea, not found in Japan or
China.”
Thinner Than Paper
To produce hwagak, the artisan takes the
horns of young oxen, cuts off their tips,
slices them open lengthwise and boils
them in water to soften them. Afterwards,
they heat the horns using direct heat from
a stove to soften them further, making
them easier to flatten. The artisan then
uses tongs to open and flatten the soft-
ened horn.
Next, the artisan must turn the flat-
tened horn into thin, translucent sheets.
The horn is about 10 mm thick when first
opened. Using a file, the artisan thins the
horn until it is less than a millimeter thick
— thinner than a sheet of paper — result-
ing in a beautifully translucent sheet.
Once this is done, the artisan paints
the reverse side of the horn sheet with
traditionally auspicious designs, includ-
ing animals, flowers and Taoist motifs.
Pigments made from ground stone are
used to produce bright colors that liven
the living environment.
Finally, the artisan takes the paint-
ed sheets of horn and attaches them —
painted side down — to the surface of a
piece of furniture or a household item
using a protein-based glue traditionally
made from fish parts and other animal
products. Korean ox-horns are small,
so even a small item may require many
sheets before it’s complete.
A painstaking technique, hwagak
requires much time and skill on the part
of the artisan. Moreover, the materials
Doorknob Table Set
were expensive — ox-horns were espe-
cially hard to obtain as they were used
to make archery bows, a vital weapon of
national defense during the Joseon era
Small chest
(1395–1910). Accordingly, hwagak piec-
es were traditionally reserved for royalty
and members of Korea’s old yangban elite
of scholar-officials.
Only towards the end of the Joseon
era did hwagak begin to attain a wider
consumer base, when dozens of work-
shops gathered along the Hangang River
in what is today western Seoul’s Yang-
hwajin area. A devastating flood in the
early 20th century and the introduction
of cheaply produced imitation products
nearly killed the craft, however.
Today, hwagak is kept alive by a
handful of dedicated artisans. The na-
tional government designated the craft
Intangible Cultural Property No. 109 in
1996.
Colorfully Korean
Because of their bright, cheerful color
schemes, hwagak items were favored by
aristocratic women. Popular articles in-
cluded jewel boxes, sewing kits, hand
mirrors, rolling pins and bedside chests.
Hwagak pieces have found their way
into museum collections based not only
Scan for accompanying video
in Korea but across the world, too. Sev-
eral works — including a box, comb box
and a sewing ruler from the Joseon era —
are in the collection of the National Mu-
seum of Korea.
In New York, the Metropolitan Mu-
seum of Art has a hwagak box from the
19th century donated to the collection
in 2015. Images of cranes, deer, drag-
ons, phoenixes, tigers and other animals
symbolizing good fortune and longevity
adorn the box, as was common in handi-
crafts of the period.
Despite the beauty of hwagak, mod-
ern lifestyles have not necessarily em-
braced the craft. “As our style of houses
have changed from traditional wooden
houses to concrete-heavy apartments,
and people prefer cheaper residences, tra-
ditional wooden crafts including hwagak
lost their ground,” said Lee, the state-des-
ignated master, to The Korea Times in
2018. “Whether a craftwork can become
a time-honored asset or fast-consumed
furniture will totally depend on the users’
mind.”
45
Home Activity 101

Surround
Yourself in Leafy
Habitation
How to Take a Lush, Healthy Breather

Plants are rarely considered proper company — at least, until millennials across the world
caught on to the terra cotta pot interior aesthetic of resplendent cacti. The Korean version
of the trend, as there happens to be for seemingly every global hype, is captured by the
portmanteau “planterior.” Calling the term a “buzz word coined by Korean interior designers,”
The Korea Times in 2019 attributed the rise of planterior — which is to say, decorating your
private living space with foliage — to health-conscious consumers.

Written by Yu Pureum Illustrated by SINANA

46 47
Trend-conscious as ever, Koreans have
developed platforms catering to those
either looking to get into herbal interior,
or seeking further knowledge in the facet
of day-to-day living that they’re accus-
tomed to.
Develop Kinship: First,
With Your Own Self
The app PlantFit claims both an offline
and online presence in its purpose to aid
those wanting to own and grow house-
plants. PlantFit provides handy infor-
mation to those seeking a better main-
tenance routine for their plants or ways
to ease into a cohabitational mode within
the confines of their lifestyle. Some of the
app’s rookie-oriented features include a
testing session reminiscent of MBTI per-
sonality tests where users can discover
through a set of questions which plants
they are most compatible with.
Apart from the recommendation sys-
tem, the online PlantFit service attempts
to alleviate some of the common strug-
gles plant owners face. With hopes of
letting users feel that nurturing plants is
not as difficult as it seems, the app guides
newcomers to plant-accompanied life-
styles into an easily executable experience
of cultivating plants within their private
living space.
Its eponymously named offline store dif-
fers little from other brick-and-mortar
flower vendors. From bouquets, bonsai,
flower baskets and gardening classes, its
store in Incheon’s Songdo district offers
a host of floral experiences for either
novices or veterans. Both versions of
the PlantFit platform aim to expand the
demographic scope of those engaged in
looking after their plants.
Get into the Groove
Up next is keeping the health or your
plant in check. For this, an app service
called Pliary offers a hand in what they
call “plant care services.” True to its mis-
sion of taking care of plants through mi-
cro-management, Pliary lets users keep
meticulous records of their plant’s visible
status.
Moreover, Pliary makes sure to add a
bit of fun, and tracks the affinity or bond
between the houseplant and its owner. As
such, it offers features like implement-
ing photos of the houseplant onto cards
or composing one’s own virtual garden.
You can also take advantage of practical
reminders like when to water your plants.
Optimize Practicality
Meanwhile, houseplants can be more
than just dear company. They can also be
handy material for harvest and consump-
tion. Ingredients like lettuce, kale, avoca-
do, chili, basil, mint, scallion and such of-
ten serve as budget-friendly nourishment,
and Korea is no different. Single-living or
as they say, “adulting” millennials often
purchase potted plants and care for them
in their down time and in the privacy
of their own homes. Growing your own
veggies after all is a safe answer to both
pandemic lockdowns as well as assuring
better, or at least more controlled, sanita-
tion for the food you consume.

Statistical
benefits of keeping
houseplants

34
Lower tendency
to feel stressed

Stats collected by Rural

Development Administration’s
Horticulture-cure Program

13
Increased feelings
of daily contentment

Stats collected by Rural

Development Administration’s
Horticulture-cure Program

%
48 49
Current Korea
Korea,
“Freedom of the press is a precious privi-
© YonhapNews
lege that no country can forego.” Mahatma
Gandhi’s saying reminds us of our duty to
Asia’s Hub of
respect and uphold the right to freedom of
speech and expression.
In the COVID-19 era especially, sup-
Global Media
pression of media freedom is worse than
ever, as some countries were reported to
censor media coverage on their major out-
breaks.
As legendary American journalist W.
The world sees Korea as a nation with better freedom of
Cronkite put, “Freedom of the press is not
speech and of expression, compared to other Asian
just important to democracy, it is democra-
countries. The fact is backed up by a growing number
cy.”
of major foreign media outlets that have decided to
Last year, Korea ranked at 42nd out
relocate their operations to Seoul.
of 180 countries on The 2020 World Press
Freedom Index, unveiled last year by the
Written by Sohn Ji-ae
international media watchdog Reporters
© Korea.net
50
Without Borders (RSF). The country’s rank-
ing is the highest in Asia, ahead of the coun-
try’s neighbors: Japan at 66th, Hong Kong
at 80th, Singapore at 158th and China at
177th, among others.
As of February 2021, around 280 for-
eign correspondents are based in Seoul,
making news about not only Korea but also
its Asian neighbors. News coverage related
to Korea has also increased significantly
over a decade, 16.7 percent up from 9,010
in 2010 to 30,340 in 2020, the government
data said.
The increased media coverage demon-
strates growing interest in Korea among
foreign media.
It is true that Korea has gained lots of
media attention due to its geopolitical is-
sues, mainly involving North Korea. In the
pandemic times, too, the country’s swift
and efficient response to the virus garnered
wide-ranging media coverage worldwide.
The growing importance of the country
positioned Seoul as “a reasonable choice”
for news organizations to settle. As a re-
sult, the world’s major foreign news outlets
now plan to relocate some of their report-
ers and journalists to Seoul within this year.
The New York Times (The Times) and The
Washington Post (The Post) decided to re-
locate part of their operations to Seoul over
the course of this year.
The Post last year picked Seoul as the
home to one of its two new breaking-news
hubs along with London, as part of its effort
to build a global 24-hour newsroom.
The Times also announced that it would
move its digital team of journalists —
roughly one-third of its Hong Kong staff
— to Seoul, saying “South Korea proved
attractive, among other reasons, for its
friendliness to foreign business, indepen-
dent press, and its central role in several
major Asian news stories.”
It is reported that before the decision,
the newspaper had considered Bangkok,
Singapore, Tokyo, and other cities in the
Asia-Pacific region as a suitable location.
Asked why Korea was chosen over other
Asian countries in an interview with the
domestic media, Stephen Dunbar-Johnson,
international president of The Times, said,
“Freedom of speech, freedom of expres-
sion. We look at rankings, and Seoul does
very well, it ranks very highly. Seoul will
become our Asian headquarters.”
The Seoul-based Foreign Press
Center Korea holds a foreign
media conference.
Renewed Facilities
Amid the major news outlets’ relocation
plans, the Korean government now ramps
up its effort to make the nation “more friendly
and more attractive towards foreign media.”
As part of the effort, the government on Feb.
26 announced plans to upgrade its existing
Seoul-based foreign press center, in a way
to accommodate more correspondents and
provide a better media system.
KOCIS (of MCST) plans to expand its
Foreign Press Center in Seoul to the Foreign
Media Integrated Support Center. The new
facility will be equipped with a media brief-
ing room with an expanded seating capac-
ity of 100, up from 40. It will also have a
visual studio, interview room and video-
conferencing system.
“Korea is on the verge of an era of 350
foreign correspondents. The new media
center will play a crucial role in connecting
government institutions and foreign media,
as well as be able to effectively respond to
the recent surge in foreign media coverage
of Korea,” KOCIS said.
The expansion of Seoul’s existing me-
dia facility, coupled with the two U.S. me-
dia giants’ move to the capital, is expected
to play a positive role in attracting more
media companies to the country. Hopeful-
ly, this will lead to Korea, as Asia’s media
hub, promoting media’s free expression
and, also, more transparency in sharing in-
formation to the public.
51
KCC Now
“I’ll do my best to improve Korea’s im-
Looking Back at the Transformative & Dynamic 50 Years of KOCIS
age, so that it’s regarded not as a coun-
In Commemoration of KOCIS’s 50th Anniversary
try of liars and warmongers but rather,
as a country with a high level of culture,
a country that even builds its own TVs,”
said Lee Gyu-hyeon, inaugural director of
Platform for
the Korea Overseas Information Service
(now Korean Culture and Information
Service), in an interview with the press
Intercultural Exchange
in 1971. In the early 1970s, there was an
extremely high risk of war on the penin-
sula because of military tensions between
the North and South. South Korea had
barely started manufacturing televisions;
Written by Kim Jaehwan, director of KCC in Belgium Photo courtesy of KCC in Belgium lacking a reputation as a land of culture,
it had to strain to bring its culture into
the limelight.
In the era that we’re in, however, BTS
tops Billboard charts with music sung in
the Korean language; Korean films are
celebrated at the Oscars. And while the
global economy was in freefall due to
COVID-19, the Korean economy main-
tained the world’s highest level of growth.
What remarkable progress in such a short
time period.
Several reasons account for that trans-
formation. One is the appeal of Korean
Brussels
Belgium
pop culture, which has attracted a ded-
icated following of global scale (dubbed
Hallyu for “Korean wave”). For instance,
the Korean Culture and Information Ser-
Director, KCC in Belgium
Kim Jaehwan
52
vice (KOCIS) has spent the last half-cen-
tury burnishing Korea’s national brand
as a country of cultural esteem, building
a reputation commensurate to the power
of Korea’s economy, which ranks 10th in
the world. Back in 1979, there were only
three Korean Cultural Centers (in New
York, Los Angeles and Tokyo). Today,
there has been an over ten-fold increase
(32 centers in 27 different countries).
Korean society has transformed and
developed rapidly as, too, has KOCIS. One
of KOCIS’s aims was to present Korea as
a country with a distinct cultural identity;
another was to flaunt its impressive prog-
ress. KOCIS’s role changed once more to
suit contemporary needs: in showcasing
Korean culture, its role has evolved into
that of a platform for cultural exchange
and cooperation. In effect, the Korean
Cultural Centers (KCC) currently func-
tion as cultural exchange platforms in 32
cities around the world.
It is through these platforms that glob-
al citizens encounter and enjoy Korean
culture, while also taking ownership by
adapting bits of Korea to create a third
culture in their own, unique ways. With-
out the KCCs, we may never have had the
pleasure to witness Nigerians film their
own version of “Tiger is Coming.” The
same can be said for a Korean cultural
festival organized by young people in the
small town of Debrecen, on the border of
Hungary and Romania, or the traditional
Korean dances performed by people in
the Turkish port city of Izmir.
KCCs’ role as platforms aligns with
the current nature of Hallyu. K-pop is
rooted in American pop culture that
flowed into Korea after the Korean War.
But K-pop transcended these foreign cul-
tural imports and transplants, eventually
acquiring a rhythm and musicality unique
to itself. When Bong Joon-ho offered a
touching tribute to Martin Scorsese, his
cinematic inspiration, at the Oscars, Di-
rector Bong was saluting how his films
had grown out of what he’d learned from
American cinema.
Not unlike the way Hollywood has
passed on its cinematic conventions to
Korea and the world over, the hybridity
of Hallyu and openness demonstrated by
its adoption and amalgamation of foreign
cultures show that the growth of Korean
culture has in many ways, been driven by
exchange and cooperation.
Today, Hallyu consists of a combina-
tion and absorption of multifaceted ele-
ments that represent not unilateral domi-
nation but mutual cooperation.
53

Global Korea
1 Sydney, Australia
MINHWA Today
The KCC in Sydney, Australia hosted a minhwa (Korean folk
art) exhibition at the ground floor of its building between Feb.
8 and April 1. Open during working hours 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. be-
tween Monday and Friday, the exhibition is open for viewing,
free of cost. Minhwa is an ethnic breed of Korean visual art that
traces back to the Joseon era.
Jointly with Jackie Menzies of The Asian Arts Society of
Australia, the KCC created a video introducing the exhibition
and the type of art it features for those unable to pay physical
visits. The video can be watched on the KCC’s YouTube.
2 Jakarta, Indonesia
Imparting Korean Sounds Every Tuesday
In the third quarter of 2020, the KCC in Jakarta, Indonesia
featured gugak (Korean traditional music) content on a week-
ly basis (every Tuesday). On the KCC’s SNS accounts, an ar-
ray of gugak videos have been introduced. Entitled “Sound of
Korea,” the SNS-streamed or uploaded music videos flaunted
high-quality performance and aesthetics.
In order to support the industry from struggles wrought
by the pandemic, the National Gugak Center also provided
Indonesian commentary to complement three exemplary per-
formances in Jan. 2021.
54
Lasting Legends
“sabbatical” when they need a rest.
its members; instead of disbanding, they simply go on
their thirties. To this day, the band has changed none of
for “child.” At the time, all the band members were in
which (“i”) is pronounced the same as the Korean word
on the borrowed English word idol, the first syllable of
have carried the nickname seongin (“adult”)-dol, a play
around for nearly 25 years and counting. In fact, they
Debuting in 1998, the boy band Shinhwa has been
3 Letter to Would-be Honorary Reporters
Glue this area and fold along the dotted line to cut out and use the postcard.
Written by Honorary Reporters Laura L. Velazquez, Iran Tavera & Paola Corpus
Photo courtesy of I. Tavera
Hello, Korean culture lovers. We are three Honorary Reporters
who became friends through this program. For those interested
in joining, this article may help make your decision.
1
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Laura: I joined thanks to a wonderful coincidence. This pro-
25 26 27 28 29 30
S M T W T F S
gram led me to new skills and the ability to overcome chal-
lenges. I still remember how I felt when one of my articles was
posted on Korea.net. Being an Honorary Reporter has been
4
immensely rewarding and enriching.
Iran: Being an Honorary Reporter lets me express my love for
Korean pop culture. I still remember my first article on Korea.
2
net, and since then, also collaborated with fellow Honorary Re-
3
porters from elsewhere and received gifts from the program. I
usually include my drawings and illustrations in my articles.
To further disseminate Korean pop culture, I created an SNS
account of my freehand and vector illustrations. NE PAS AFFRANCHIR
Priority / Prioritaire
Paola: I joined this program in March 2020. Though I had ups By airmail / Par avion
and downs in my first year of writing, I eventually acquired the
IBRS / CCRI N° : 10024-40730
necessary skills to continue. I wanted many people to get to Subscribe to the more interactive KOREA NO STAMP REQUIRED
webzine and save paper. Please also evaluate us
know Korea through my photographs, experience and words. online by filling out the online section Readers’
Comments.
Thanks to my efforts, people who had no knowledge about
Korea are now and even tell me that my work let them feel as
if they are in Korea. In my first year as an Honorary Reporter,
I appeared on the official platforms of Talk Talk Korea and
Korea.net and received presents from the program. Such expe-
riences granted me new knowledge and friendships.
Webzi n e
REPLY PAID / RÉPONSE PAYÉE
All three: We recommend joining us Honorary Reporters. It’s For a PDF of the magazine,
KOREA (SEOUL)
visit korea.net/Resources/
a great opportunity to meet and befriend people with common Publications/KOREA-Magazines Korean Culture and Information Service
interests. Put yourself out there! Mag a zi n e
(해외문화홍보원)
14-1, 408, Galmae-ro, Sejong-si, Government Complex-Sejong,
30119, Republic of Korea
* Simply open the page by scanning the QR code.
 Thank you for your feedback
Speak
We will give special gifts to readers who send us feedback by May 15th.
Five winners will be randomly selected and announced on KOREA webzine. 짧게 잘라 주세요.
* Subscribe to the more interactive KOREA webzine and save paper!
Cut it short, please.
Jjalkke jalla juseyo.

A A
Magazine Subscribe
korea.net/Others/Subscribe-to-Koreanet/KOREA-Magazine 머리를 어떻게 해 드릴까요? 이 머리는 많이 짧은데 괜찮으시겠어요?
How would you like your hair done? Are you fine with it being so short?
Meorireul eotteoke hae deurilkkayo? I meorineun mani jjalbeunde gwaenchaneusigesseoyo?

Webzine Subscribe
korea.net/Others/Subscribe-to-Koreanet/KOREA-Webzine
B B

이 사진처럼 해 주세요. 괜찮아요. 짧게 잘라 주세요.

Just like it this photo. It’s fine, feel free to chop it off for me.
I sajincheoreom hae juseyo. Gwaenchanayo. Jjalkke jalla juseyo.

N-cheoreom Let’s Practice!

Attached to a noun, the phrase indicates a comparative For each sentence, select the best clause from the choices presented to fill in the blank.
relationship between the objects mentioned between its Both are responses to the question typically asked in hair salons: “How would you like
surrounding clauses. for your hair to be done?”

ex

A. 동생이 노래를 잘해요?

염색해 주세요. 다듬어 주세요.
Is your sibling a good singer?
Please dye it Please trim it
B. 네, 가수처럼 노래를 잘해요. yeomsaekae juseyo. dadeumeo juseyo.
Yes, (s)he sings like a pro.

A/V-ge
Attached to a verb or an adjective, -ge turns the clause 1 A. 어떻게 해 드릴까요? 2 A. 밝은색으로 _________________.
into a description. How may I help you today? _______________ in bright color.
ex
6. Your personal information:

5. Do you have any suggestions for improving the content of KOREA,

4. How did you find out about KOREA magazine?

3. Which article was your least favorite and why?

2. Which article did you enjoy the most and why?

1. How useful was KOREA magazine in learning about Korea?

Eotteoke hae deurilkkayo? Balgeunsaegeuro _________________.

or any new ideas for regular sections?
Age
Nationality
Sex

A. 맛있게 드세요.
Korea.net
Acquaintance
Search engine

B. 조금만 _________________. B. 그럼 이 색은 어때요?

Very useful
Female

Dig in. _______________ just a tad bit. How about this color, then?

B. 네, 잘 먹겠습니다.
②

Jogeumman _________________. Geureom i saegeun eottaeyo?

Readers’ Comments
Email

Alright, I’ll help myself!

Male

③
Occupation

Other (please specify)

Korean Cultural Center
Social media

Useful
④

Korea Now!
There’s no place like the hair salon to experience the nation’s pulse in contemporary styles. That may account for the reason so many foreigners list visiting
⑤

a Korean barbershop as their top to-do during their time in Korea, especially to have their hair done the way their favorite K-pop star wears it. In fact, Korean
hair salons teem with customers who show reference photos, as in their desired haircut often featured on glossy magazines and worn by celebs. That’s when
Not useful at all

you say “(OOO meori hae juseyo),” citing the name of the celeb. Another perk of Korean salons is their complementary services like scalp massaging and
⑥

provision of drinks, usually free of cost.

⑦
April 2021

Written by Yi Mi Ji (Office of International Affairs, Pukyong National University) Organized by National Institute of Korean Language