From the Editor: November 2021

Welcome to November with its multi-tinted foliage, and with its high skies and fat horses (천고마비). As with the abundance of the recent harvest, we hope that this issue of the Gwangju News provides you with an abundance of reading pleasure. Here are some of the diverse topics that we feel will entice your reading interests.

The Georgian ambassador to Korea was in town recently, and the Gwangju News was there for an in-depth interview. In addition to Georgian–Korean cooperation, the ambassador speaks on the similarities between Koreans and Georgians, but Georgian wine and the nation’s 500-plus indigenous types of grapes were the catalyst for his visit (p. 6).

Have you heard of “Pan-tablo”? I’ll bet you haven’t. Read about this printmaking technique of artist Lee Min in our interview with him (p. 10). What about Sansin and dokkaebi? Unlike the seasonal ghosts of Halloween, these spirits have a year-round presence. Read about them in Blast from the Past (p. 16), and then you will be ready for the piece on Korean shamans in the movies (p. 46). However, you probably have heard of Jon Dunbar, the creator of our monthly crossword puzzle. This month, along with his puzzle, we give you a glimpse of the man behind the crossword matrix (p. 14).

We are in the midst of a climate crisis, and we know that carbon is a big culprit, but how aware are we of the negative impact caused by what we eat and what the animals we eat eat (p. 34)? To complement this, read our restaurant review, “Vegan Is Fantastic!” (p. 36). We all have worries in addition to the climate crisis. Read about one Gwangju expat’s worries over purchasing a residence (p. 19), and read about another expat’s worries about getting a haircut in any of Gwangju’s “long-established” barbering businesses (p. 32).

If you enjoyed our earlier piece on Korean men’s hair and hats, you are sure to enjoy this month’s piece on Joseon women’s hairstyles and hair accessories (p. 42). For more of the historical, read about three of Romania’s many, many castles (p. 22). For more recent history, read the poem on Korea’s last 50 years by yours truly (p. 48).

Oh, there’s so much more but so little space to plug it all. Please go to the table of contents (p. 3). And as always, stay Covid smart, stay Covid safe, get Covid protected, and enjoy the Gwangju News.

David E. Shaffer
Editor-in-Chief
Gwangju News