The Great Leap Backward: A Look Inside the Old Gwangju Prison
“What they were also surprisingly keen on was decorating, as many rooms had unique wallpaper not seen in other cells.”
Category: Travel
Anticommunism and Counterespionage in the Middle of Nowhere
“My aim here is neither to extol nor vilify the Saemaul Movement, but rather to highlight its continued impact on the Korea we see today.”
The “Magical” Castles of Romania
Romanian castles preserve between their walls medieval stories about voivodes (governors) and kings, hide legends and bloody battles, or bathe in jewelry and treasures – castles that seem to rise from a rock and that give even more charm to a country that has so much to offer.
Youth on the Bubble: Shopping for a Home in Gwangju’s Overheated Housing Market
Korea’s millions of barbeque-loving boomers face a similar dilemma when it comes to apartment life. Lacking even the smallest external balconies, their apartments force them to buy half a home’s worth of additional appliances and camping gear so they can approximate backyard cookouts at overcrowded campsites.
If You Build It, Will They Come? Yonggwolsan’s New “Sky Road”
Located alongside the bulging rockface of Yonggwolsan, the new “Sky Road” (하늘길) zigzags for long stretches up the mountainside, offering unparalleled views of the Seomjin River valley below. It’s the latest manifestation of the region’s push to develop the local tourism industry, for better and for worse.
Destination: Jangheung, June 19−20, 2021
“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.”
And on the Seventh Day, the Economy Rested
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.
Suamgol Village: The Warmth of Cheongju
Suamgol (수암골) Village, an old settlement in Cheongju City, has been revived as a community of culture and art.