Inside the Gwangju News: Passion for Our Planet – Chung Hyunhwa

This column features each month one of our regular writers for the Gwangju News for our readers to get to know them better. These windows on writers follow an interview format. This interview features Chung Hyunhwa, writer of our Environment column — Editor

Gwangju News (GN): Hello, Hyunhwa. Thank you for making time for this interview. To start things off, please tell us a little about yourself.

Hyunhwa: It is my honor to have this interview with the Gwangju News. I have been with the magazine since June 2021, so I am in my fifth year as a writer. Before that, I led Gwangju Hikers – a Gwangju International Center (GIC) community group – for about two years to assist our expat friends to hike Mt. Mudeung together.

GN: I know you have had a dynamic life living in numerous places. Among them, you spent quite a few years working in China. Would you tell us about that experience?

Hyunhwa: My stay in China started in 2004, and I returned to Korea for good in 2014. I worked for two different schools as an English/ESL teacher for expat children there. As a Korean speaker, I also worked as a school translator to help Korean parents. When I left for China in 2004, it seemed like an adventure, but the experiences I had there broadened and deepened my understanding of different cultures. It was an enriching time for my personal growth.

GN: Your work in Korea has also allowed for you to travel internationally. To what places has your work taken you?

Hyunhwa: My latest job was at a young-plant import company, but most of the communication was carried out through email, so it didn’t require so much traveling. However, I did travel to the Netherlands, the U.K, and Japan to visit the correspondents while working there. And the Netherlands especially made a good impression on me in many ways, not to mention their seriousness about dealing with climate change.

GN: You began writing for the Gwangju News quite a few years ago, and much of your writing for the magazine is associated with preserving our planet from the injustice that we pour upon it. Though we are all aware of the harm we are inflicting on the earth, you are more passionate than most. From where did your passion evolve?

Hyunhwa: My eye-opening moment was in early 2021, when a very close friend of mine recommended a couple of books mentioning the urgency of the climate situation nowadays.

The first book I read was Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplify Your Life by Reducing Your Waste by Bea Johnson. It was a book about how a family of four left only one pint of waste in one year. It was almost shocking. I thought I was doing enough but realized that I was far from it. The experiments Bea Johnson shared in her book to reduce waste were just beyond my imagination, and it made me reflect on my way of life. I read more books, went to lectures, and studied further. I also participated as an instructor in the environment education program for citizens run by the city that year. Then, I looked for more opportunities. I asked the GIC director, Dr. Shin Gyonggu, if I could write about environment and climate issues – and here I am. I always feel that writing about the environment is really not doing enough, but it is the least I can do. I hope it will have some people stop and think.

GN: What earth-friendly practices do you observe in your daily life?

Hyunhwa: I am sensitive about food waste, so I order or cook just enough for the immediate need. One funny thing I do that no one around me does is eat the white rind of the watermelon. I eat everything but the green-striped peel. It reduces waste, pays respect to the farmers for their effort, and is actually good for the health, too. The remainder can be composted. I have a health issue that keeps me from becoming vegan, but I try to be minimal with meat consumption. It is something anybody can do right now, and it is good for you and the environment. I stopped buying single-use plastic bags and reuse plastic bags when I need them. I stopped buying potential trash. I use a bike to travel short and medium distances. I avoid using unnecessary chemical products. I buy second- hand goods first, if available, because I believe the world is engaged in over-production and over-consumption.

GN: So many environment-friendly practices – it’s admirable! Do you have any final words for the readers before we close this interview?

Hyunhwa: As for actions to fight the climate crises, everyone needs to start doing something. The problems we have now were caused by human greed and ignorance. If the problems started from greed, we should try to end the problems by controlling our greed. The systems we will need are for controlling that greed more effectively and more quickly. Therefore, politics and the community spirit are important.

I somehow believe that there will be a dramatic breakthrough one day, possibly through new technologies, but it will not come by itself, nor for free. I think it will only become possible when we all together have that common focus and share the responsibilities. Until there is a solution, we should keep doing what we do: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Fixing our planet will surely be much easier than finding a new planet and preparing it for humans to live on. I will also look for other things to do in addition to writing.

GN: Thank you, Hyunhwa, for allowing us to get to know you better. And thank you for your passion for our planet! We look forward to many more enjoyable and informative articles from you!

Hyunhwa: Thank you.

Cover Photo: Chung Hyunhwa discussing the climate crisis with a class of secondary school students in 2021. (Chung Hyunhwa)