From the Editor

Ready… Set… March!

The month of March is symbolic of beginnings in a number of ways. As you may know, March was originally the first month of the Roman calendar. March is also considered to be the first of the three spring months (at this latitude), and this month contains two solar terms of Korea’s traditional calendar (aka “farmer’s calendar”) that signify the beginning of spring: Gyeongchip, the awakening from hibernation (March 5), and Chunbun, the spring equinox (March 20).

We look forward to March beginning to reveal positive effects of COVID-19 vaccinations and to the first blossoms of spring revealing themselves through the plum blossom paintings of Kang Namgu. We also look forward to March 8, International Women’s Day, which this issue of the Gwangju News commemorates with a feature article. March brings us much to look forward to, and here’s what our March issue has for you to look forward to.

Our cover feature introduces a new photo zine, The Bulldozed Future, through its urban-explorer editor who chronicles our present at times when it is on the verge of disappearing. Likewise, Lost in Gwangju documents the vanishing apartments of Unam-dong and the nostalgia this creates.

What’s going on around the community? Find out about the zero-waste concept and the initiative that a local shop has launched. Learn about the new PD at the City of Light radio show at GFN.

Interested in culture and the arts? Blast from the Past explains why Koreans don’t whistle, play flutes, or clip fingernails at night. (Hint: It has something to do with rats, snakes, and/or ghosts.) Speaking of ghosts, we have for you an anthology of ghostly Korean urban legends in film.

Getting hungry? Check out this month’s review of the restaurant with the freshest fish in town: Sushi Dogam. Or stay at home and stay warm by trying out this issue’s recipe for beef and radish stew. After eating, want to do more reading than in the Gwangju News? Check out our review of the best book platforms.

Is that all, you ask? Of course not. Read a professor’s ten tips for fostering creativity. Find out how alternative schools differ from public schools, and from each other. And learn how to talk about locations in Korean.

We have recent news from Gwangju City Hall, our much-talked-about crossword puzzle, and our photo of the month. In addition, our lovely Photo Essay is of a dazzling wedding in the midst of the pandemic.

And we sadly bid a final farewell to a well-known figure in the community.

As always, stay Covid smart, stay Covid safe, and enjoy the Gwangju News.

David E. Shaffer
Editor-in-Chief
Gwangju News