From the Editor: March 2022

The new year is marching on, the chill of winter will soon be marching out as the warm breeze of spring marches in, and of course, the Gwangju News is marching forward with its March issue! This month we bring you an interview with a new novelist in our midst, the author of NINE. Joe Wade has been a fixture in the Gwangju community for well over a decade as photographer, writer, and entrepreneur, but this is his first foray into the world of novel-writing.

With this issue, we will be saying farewell to our ever-so-interesting column People in the Arts, which has adorned our pages for nearly two years with an array of colors and an assortment of art styles. We will also be saying “thank you” to Kang Hyunsuk (aka “Jennis”) for a superb selection of artists from Gwangju and Jeollanam-do, most of whom she interviewed in person and visited their exhibitions or studios. My knowledge of the local art scene has been broadened by Jennis’ artist interviews and thoughtful commentary. Jennis’ contributions to the Gwangju News will be missed, but aging parents and familial duties must take priority. Thank you, Jennis.

With every sorrow comes a joy. In this issue you will find an article on Jeong Yak-yong (aka Dasan), a renowned Joseon period scholar exiled to Jeollanam-do. This interesting piece was penned by Diane Dooley, whose name you may be familiar with from her earlier articles in the Gwangju News on Joseon women’s hairstyles and Joseon men’s hats. Diane has a university degree in Korean and a graduate degree in Korean literature, and she will now be contributing monthly articles to the magazine on things Korean. Thank you, Diane.

There is so much more inside that deserves mention: the Expressions art exhibition by six local expat artists, an exposition on the meaning of Korean han, a tutorial on the use of automobile turning signals and why everyone should master their use, the making of environmental-friendly soaps, discovering vegan-friendly restaurants, discovering an abandoned university, a book review on “Korean cool,” a film review of Round and Around, and a restaurant review for an “earthy” eatery. We bring you the writing of a young author that is “out of this world” and also our monthly regulars. Thank you, everyone!

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

David Shaffer

Editor-in-Chief

Gwangju News