Published by the Gwangju International Center since 2001
The adjustment to the new surroundings, meeting new people, settling down at a new home, and cooking were all a hassle. Also, the advanced technology they have here is among the best on the planet. Maybe, I was just drowning in darkness and wanted to touch the light and feel warmth in the cold weather at that time.
Korea was a developing country back then – chaotic, construction everywhere, full of bad smells. Korean people were, if anything, kinder and more welcoming to strangers back then. Culturally, it felt geekier than today; I recall a fad at the time being guys wearing their glasses or sunglasses on the back of their heads, for whatever reason. We used to crack up watching “Icing,” a soap opera about a Korean hockey team.
Gwangju mourned the death of a rather quiet but determined champion for democracy early last month: Bae Eun-sim; she was 82.
There is no pure or perfectly correct saturi; everyone adopts a saturi to a degree and creates a unique blend of their own.
The Gwangju Citizens’ Mourners Group was co-founded by Lee Mincheol and Ji Jung-nam to keep the memory of the Sewol disaster alive and to help families heal.
