Published by the Gwangju International Center since 2001
Understanding yangsim – its origins, ramifications, and altogether common absence – is the beginning of the necessary philosophical work to prevent all national disasters, not just deadly protests that marked South Korea’s turbulent past.
It is not very often that we run into a person who is a speaker of many languages. It is even rarer to meet a polyglot who has had formal instruction in not only learning languages but also in teaching. Our interview here is with one such person living amongst us here in Gwangju: Aline Verduyn. She has much to offer on speaking, learning, and teaching multiple languages.
“As if to prove that my days as an American-Korean traveler are not over, I went to Seoul’s express bus terminal on Saturday morning, bellied up to the counter, bought a ticket to Jangheung, and hit the road.”
From the rubble of old neighborhoods that struggled to pay their tithes, god resurrects new taxes, consumption, and debt. This redevelopment process is hard, relentless work that requires a break now and then – every Sunday, in fact.
Everyone on the peninsula is familiar with Jeju-do – Korea’s largest island but smallest province. But what far fewer people are aware of is the story of its founding or how great a place Jeju is to visit in the wintertime.
If you are a lover of music, especially of new releases, keep ahead of the curve with Top of the Drop. Each month, Daniel Springer, “Danno,” picks his favorite newly released tunes and gives a heads-up on upcoming albums and EPs that you might want to keep on your radar.
This month we feature and interview Korea’s only living human cultural asset for fabric dyeing, National Intangible Cultural Asset No. 115, Jung Kwan-chae (정관채). Master Jung’s ancestors long ago settled in Dasi-myeon, a rural area within the Naju city limits south of Gwangju.
Featured at this fall’s Gwangju Design Biennale are the prolific works of actor, writer, lecturer, editor, photographer, and producer Roger Steffens.
