GwangJu Blog

The Jeolla-do.com Dialect Contest this Sunday

(GwangJu) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:06:00 +0900

Can you speak Jeolla-do dialect (사투리)? Show your skills and win great prizes!
The Jeolla-do.com, a magazine which focuses on traditional living life and culture of Jeolla province, is going to hold the Jeolla-do dialect contest this Sunday, February 5th at 2-4pm at the Gwangju Folk Museum in Buk-gu (near Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall).

To participate, please submit your 3-minute-long story in Korean. You can choose your own topic.

1st prize is 500,000won (1 person)
2nd prize is 300,000won (3 people)
3rd prize is 150,000won (7 people)
Popularity Award is 150,000won (1 person)

For more information, please contact Mr.Oh Namjun at 062-654-9085 or onj1991@joenlado.com.

Thank you to Kim Singsing for sharing this event with us.

Flu Warning Issued

(julie Kim) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:20:00 +0900

image from kormedi.com

The coldest February in about 30 years has increased the dangers of a flu wave, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.

The agency said since an influenza advisory was issued on Jan. 5,
the number of patients has been soaring in southern regions like Gwangju, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang Province, and infections continue in Seoul and the central region.

"Influenza used to prevail from late December to early January over the past five years and flu patients in early February are quite rare," said Park Sun-hee of the KCDC. "We expect the number of flu patients to increase sharply as biting cold weather is predicted for February and students are returning to school this month."

To prevent flu, the KCDC advised the elderly, patients with chronic diseases, children and pregnant women to get preventive shots and wash their hands frequently.

It recommends wearing masks if they have a fever, cough and runny nose.

Cultural Tourism Explorers Needed

(GwangJu) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:06:00 +0900

The Gwangju Cultural Foundation is seeking applicants for the Gwangju Culture and Tour Expedition, a group which will explore the hidden places of Gwangju.

Members of the group will discover hidden resources with tourism potential, and create records and photographs to promote them. A small monetary grant and chances to participate in exhibitions will be given to the members.

Gwangju residents in their twenties and thirties, including foreigners living in the city, may apply. Applications will be accepted until February 10^th.

Details are available at www.gjcf.or.kr.

Korean Movie - 아빠가 여자를 좋아해 Lady Daddy

(GwangJu) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:07:00 +0900

아빠가 여자를 좋아해 Lady Daddy
Released Date: 01/14/2010

Ji-hyeon is a beautiful photographer with a secret. She used to be a man. Only a handful of people know her former identity, including her best friend, who’s a car salesman. She’s in love with her co-worker, make-up artist Joon-seo. She secretly takes photos of him and watches him through the lens of her camera when she thinks he isn’t looking. He definitely doesn’t know her secret, and she’d like to keep it that way. Joon-seo likes her in return and is constantly yet unsuccessfully trying to take their friendship to the next level. However, Ji-hyeon fears that if he were to discover the truth, she would lose even his friendship. So she keeps him at arm’s length.

Yoo-bin is an adorable, precocious nine year old whose only birthday wish is to meet his biological father. His mother and step-father are a little hesitant, so Yoo-bin takes matters into his own hands. While his parents are on vacation, he ditches English camp to track his father down. But when he rings the doorbell, Ji-hyeon is the one who answers. That’s when Ji-hyeon finds out that she has a son, and she’s actually a father! We flash back to nine years earlier, before Ji-hyeon’s sex change. One night, a lonely and drunk Ji-hyeon sleeps with his good friend and fellow medical student Bo-yeong. Could Yoo-bin really be the result of that one night?

Ji-yeon has absolutely no idea what to do with the little boy. She tells him that she’s his aunt and lets him stay since his parents are unreachable. In the meantime, she gets a DNA test done hoping that all this is just a mistake. Eventually, despite her unwillingness, she begins to soften towards the boy. Using a bogus story, she asks her make-up artist boyfriend to help her look like a man, so that Yoo-bin can finally meet his real father. She wears a small beard and mustache with a short wig to pull off the look.

But masquerading as a man is harder than it seems, and nine-year-olds are very observant. When Yoo-bin wonders why his father has breast, Ji-yeon assures him that they’re not breast, just well-developed pectoral muscles because Daddy loves to work out. Ji-yeon ends up having a lot to explain. Why does Daddy talk like a girl, have girl’s clothes and not have any manly things around the house? Unfortunately she can’t keep up the act for very long.

I really like this movie. It makes me feel good because all of the characters learn and change through the lessons they learn. Ji-yeon learns to love the son she never knew. Yoo-bin learns that he can love his step-father without betraying his real father. Joon-seo learns that the heart is more important than the appearance. Though the transgender theme is somewhat unusual for Korea, the story is humorous, without making fun, and touching.

My rating: ★★★★☆
Erin Heath

The First Full Moon Festival

(julie Kim) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:28:00 +0900

The First Full Moon Festival will take place at Jungwae Park(중외공원) from 10 am on February 5th in Gwangju City.

The Gwangju Folk Museum will be hosting the event.
Conveying the spirit of the first full moon, the festival will promote the development and harmony of the people of Gwangju.
Kite flying, a tug-of-war and other traditional games will take place on this day.

There will be a lottery with prizes, and students who come to experience traditional events will be issued volunteer certificates.

Admission to the museum is free of charge on this day.

And also there will be a smilar event in Suncheon(순천).
Nagan Daeboreum Folk Festival (낙안 정월대보름 민속한마당 행사) - held at Suncheon's Nagan Folk Village in 6th of February.
Daeboreum is the first full moon of the (lunar) new year, and this is one of many festivals around the country marking it.
Also admission fee is free.

Magnetic Strips will be Banned from Credit Cards in Korea

(julie Kim) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:46:00 +0900

(Bloomberg)

Use of magnetic stripped cards for ATMs will be limited from March in Korea.
Magnetic ATM cards, which are notoriously easy to replicate, are being switched over to IC cards.
Magnetic cards must be replaced with IC cards by September.
Initially, the Financial Supervisory Service will limit the usage of magnetic cards to certain hours in March. By September, the cards will not be useful at any ATMS.

Financial institutions have been replacing magnetic cards with IC cards since 2003, but still many use the conventional magnetic cards.
Financial consumers will be banned from using credit cards that rely solely on magnetic strips starting from September in Korea.

The Financial Supervisory Service said Tuesday that consumers are required to replace their magnetic cards with integrated circuit cards by September.

In its unveiling of the 2012 regulatory policies, the FSS said its move is aimed at preventing fraudulent financial transactions amid a series of crimes with stolen credit cards.

“Some transactions via the magnetic strip cards will be restricted from March,” the FSS said in a statement.

The usage of magnetic strip cards will totally be phased out from September, it said. “Consumers should hold IC cards for their continuous transactions via automated teller machines and settlement services.”

In addition, commercial banks will be required to install new cash machines or readjust the programs for existing ones.

An FSS official said the decision comes at a time when card scams and data theft are becoming an increasing problem for the country.

The chipless magnetic cards have been getting much of the blame for creating security holes, which thieves sneak in to steal money from bank accounts by intercepting the data from the magnetic stripes.

Though the IC card was introduced in the local market in 2003, more than 20 million magnetic strip cards are still being used in the market.

For a new regulatory policy for this year, the FSS said it plans to induce banks to refrain from excessive expansion of foreign currency assets.

The financial regulator said it would step up supervision of local banks’ foreign liquidity until risks over the ongoing eurozone debt crisis subside.

Meanwhile, the Financial Services Commission said it would restrict transactions totaling 3 million won ($2,700) or more.

The move is designed to take countermeasures against the “voice phishing” scams, said the FSC, the decision-making panel of the FSS.

Financial consumers will be allowed to withdraw money transfers worth 30 million or more via the ATMs at least in 10 minutes.

Classical Pianist Dong-Hyek Lim is Coming to Gwangju!

(GwangJu) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:02:00 +0900

Classical music enthusiasts of Gwangju, rejoice, for pianist Dong-Hyek Lim is coming to Gwangju! Lim is an internationally-renowned classical pianist who was born in Seoul in 1984 and is currently studying at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. He has been the recipient of many awards, competing for some of them with his brother Dong-Min, who is also a celebrated musician. In 1996, aged just twelve years old, Lim came second in the Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in Moscow amid a flurry of media attention, as he was the youngest participant in the competition.

In 2001, Lim became the youngest pianist ever to sign a recording contract with EMI Classics and has since released three albums containing music by Chopin, Bach, Ravel and Schubert. BBC Music Magazine describes his playing (in the October 2002 issue) as having “a quality of radiance that betokens real music-making. Poetry and virtuosity seem in balance; each performance manifests flow and sweep...I soon stopped making comparisons with past 'greats' and succumbed to the beauty, ease and naturalness of the playing."

Lim has played with the St Petersburg Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, among others. He is currently on a tour of South Korea and will play in the Grand Hall of the Gwangju Art and Culture Center on Sunday, February 19^th. The program includes pieces by Chopin and Rachmaninov and the show starts at 6pm.

Tickets are priced at 50,000 won, 70,000 won and 80,000 won and more information can be found on the Gwangju Art and Culture Center’s website www.gjart.net.

By Emma Dooley

Gwangju Inter FC

(GwangJu) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:02:00 +0900

If your looking to feed your soccer appetite here in Gwangju and don’t know where to go – look no further than Gwangju Inter FC, our very own foreigner friendly soccer team.

For those that don’t know, Gwangju Inter FC was started back in 2002 by Ciaran Toal and Jon LeRoux, with the soul aim of giving foreigners in the community the chance to get together and play the beloved game.

Since then the team has expanded to regularly play in tournaments in Gwangju and around the country, also playing one off games with various teams throughout Korea, as well as locally.

As many of us only come to Korea as a stop gap for our ‘real’ lives the squad has changed dramatically over the years, but as the team approaches its 10 year anniversary, amazingly there are still some players from the original team playing each week.

Current captain and organizer Ben Cross, from England, assumed the responsibility for team affairs in mid-2011 when then-captain Greg Blyth left Korea to return to South Africa.

Players for Inter come from all over the world. Last season alone there were over 13 countries represented by players including the U.K, U.S.A, Republic of Ireland, France, some African nations and of course Korea!

‘We have a fairly big base of players on the team,’ Cross said. ‘However, due to family and work commitments, it's often difficult to get a healthy number of people out on match days, especially away from home or for tournaments’.

Cross informs that Koreans are welcome to join the team also but restrictions can apply on numbers of Korean personnel in the squad for some tournaments.

Last year Inter played in eight tournaments up and down Korea and made the finals in four of those competitions. Unfortunately they suffered heartache in all games losing each one.

‘This was still a great achievement [to make the cup finals] and something to build on for next year’, said Cross when asked about his team’s fortunes.

Inter also arrange regular matches with teams from around the country. Games against Jeonju’s foreigner team have become quite testing as Inter have built up a bit of a rivalry with them over the years. The next time the teams are due to meet is on February 25^th this year.

Almost every week Inter’s players get together to practice on Sunday at Gye-Rim Public Elementary School, close to Gwangju’s downtown area.

Holiday commitments and the previous night’s festivities kept most foreigners absent from practice on January 15th’s session.

Luckily though there were many Koreans on hand to fill the void left by the rest of the team and they jumped at the chance to test their soccer skills against some expatriate opponents.

Sadly for the Koreans Inter’s players were just too good for them, so it was decided at half time that the teams would be mixed up and the game would continue.

With the teams a lot more even in the second half everyone enjoyed a good workout on a Sunday afternoon.

Anyone interested in joining Gwangju Inter FC should contact Ben Cross directly on 010-5809-0217 or via the clubs email address at gwangju_soccer@yahoo.com. Gwangju Inter FC is always welcoming to new players and anyone who wants to come and play with them is invited to do so.

If nothing else it’s a great way to meet new friends, stay fit, and possibly see some more of the country.

Time is Running Out for the GFN DJ Contest

(GwangJu) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:31:00 +0900

GFN 98.7 FM, Gwangju and Jeollanamdo's only all English radio station, is holding a DJ contest to discover talented individuals and recruit one of them as a freelance DJ for a locally produced music program.

Please submit the application form with a demo file by January 27th. The application is available for download here. The required running time of the demo is a minimum of 3 to a maximum of 5 minutes. The demo should be produced in a radio show format.

There will be a public audition on February 4th at 1PM for those lucky individuals who pass the preliminary round.

The top five applicants will win a prize and the opportunity to become DJs or Guests at GFN. The top applicant will be hired as a freelance DJ for GFN.

What to Submit:

Preliminary Round – Send an application form (available for download here) and a demo file (in English) to gfn@gfn.or.kr. Please be sure to include your name in the files names.

Final Round – Send a resume and a personal statement to gfn@gfn@or.kr.

Evaluation:

The Preliminary Round will be based on your performance in your demo file.

The Final Round at the GFN Hall on February 4^th will be based on an interview and audition.

Schedule:

Application Period: Jan. 1^st~ Jan. 27^th Friday

The results of the preliminary round will be announced on February 1^st.

The Final Round: Saturday, Feb. 4^th, 1PM at the GFN Hall 1F

The results of the final round will be announced on Friday, Feb. 7^th.

Prizes:

First: 1,000,000 Won, selection as a freelance DJ at GFN

Second: 500,000 Won

Third: 300,000 Won

Fourth: 200,000 Won

Fifth: 100,000 Won

※ Runner-ups will also get future chances to become DJs or Guests for GFN programming.

For more information: www.gfn.or.kr / 062)460-0991 / gfn@gfn.or.kr

Tour and Temple Stay in Gogeum Island and Wando

(GwangJu) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:55:00 +0900

A tour and temple stay are scheduled on February 4th. The price and the duration are both reasonable as well as a grereat chance to experience something out of the ordinary. The schedule, contact, and registration information follows:

February Temple Stay Tour Program - Gogeum Island and Wando Five-Day Traditional Market

Februay 4th(Saturday):
2:00-2:30PM: Pickup Gangjin Bus Terminal
2:30-4:00PM: South Province Travel Program – Gugang Port Mud Flats and Sea Views
4:00-4:30PM: White Lotus Temple Room Assignment and Unpacking
4:30-5:00PM: Orientation (Temple Introduction and Etiquette)
5:00-6:00PM: Forest Trail Trekking
6:00-7:00PM: Evening Meal
7:00-7:15PM: Evening Worship
7:15-8:00PM: Meditation
8:00-9:00PM: Tea and Conversation
9:00-10:00PM: Free Time
10:00PM: Bedtime

February 5th(Sunday):
4:30-5:00AM: Morning Ritual, Temple Bell Ringing, Morning Chant
5:00-5:20AM: Dawn Worship
5:20-6:00AM: Morning Meditation
6:00-6:30AM: Free Time
6:30-7:30AM: Morning Meal
7:30-8:00AM: Collaborative Work and Room Cleaning
8:00-9:00AM: Tea Drinking
9:00AM-5:30PM: South Province Travel Program
_________________

9:00AM: Departure from White Lotus Temple
9:40-11:20AM: Chungmu-sa Discussion
11:20AM-12:30PM: Sangjeong Wharf and Wando Market
12:30-2:30PM: Wando Traditional Five-Day Market and Market Stall Restaurant
2:30-3:30PM: Transfer from Wando to Haenam
3:30-5:00PM: Singing Grandmother from Haenam
5:30PM: Arrival at Gangjin Bus Terminal
_________________

Registration: Contact – Ildam Seunim
Email: ildams@hotmail.com
Telephone: 010.2969.8686
Inquiries and Information: Contact – Warren Parsons
Email: warren.parsons@gmail.com
Telephone: 010.7213.7463

**Price: 50,000 Won(1 Day/2 Nights) – Ferry tickets and restaurant meals are not included.
**Guests should prepare their own towels, toothbrushes and individual toiletries.
**Late guests should arrive at the temple by 5:00PM.

Mom's Incredibly Hot and Spicy Pork Stew House (엄마네 돼지찌개)

(GwangJu) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:28:00 +0900

UPDATE: I recentlly was having a chat with a group of expats who swore up and down that Korean food wasn't very spicy. I agreed that the spiciness of Korean food has been exaggerated but I felt one place exceeds all ideas of what is hot food here in Gwangju.

Getting out of the main part of downtown is very important in finding a culinary adventure in Gwangju. There are numerous places in the core of downtown that serve up a wide variety of delicious food. These places, however, are mostly large company owned eateries with all their ingredients prepackaged so there is very little actual cooking done on premises. A definite point loser for those that prefer qualtiy.

Photo from blog.naver.com/laverene/30030595590

The place that I want to introduce today is a treasure that defies accurate description. All I can say is that you have probably never have had the opportunity to eat something as fiercely hot before in your life. The restaurant is simple and plain but the food is legendary for its destructive powers. Mom's Incredibly Hot and Spicy Pork Stew House (엄마네 돼지찌개) is a quaint place that has developed a huge following with the local lunch and dinner crowd near Gwangju River. The menu is simple and until recently not even posted. You enter and a promptly told where to sit. A quick head count is done and several minutes later this comes to your table.

Photo from blog.naver.com/laverene/30030595590

Don't be fooled. This is an extremely dangerous, but oh so delicious, meal that will have you hooked and demanding to return for another go on a weekly basis. The sauce is made from some of the finest dried chungryang (청량) peppers found in Korea, garlic, onions, leeks with big chunks of firm tofu and lean pork. It is served with a bowl of rice which you dump into a larger bowl and scoop the stew over. .

The sides are all designed to give your tounge a break from the extreme spiciness. Soothing would be the term that I would apply to the sides that are given. The best part is the large plate of fried eggs that have been cooked together in one pan. They arrive as one big heap of whites and yolks. A definite help in trying to reduce the pain you feel as you scoop your way through your stew. The trick is to successfully eating a full serving is to mix the rice with the stew and alternate between stew/rice mixture, sides and eggs. Even though the stew is incredibly spicy, the indivdual ingredients are easy to taste when eaten in this way.

Photo from blog.naver.com/mint801/50046990898

This is a meal that should be shared between several people. In fact this should not even be attempted alone. Well, that being said, it is impossible to get only one serving. The minimum order is for two and will run a mere 7000 won a person. There is nothing else on the menu other than cola and extra rice. Few choices makes for an easy decision when it comes to lunch and it allows the cooks to focus on producing quality meals for their patrons.

Please remember that I'm not joking about how hot this meal is. Caution should be taken if you are new to the world of hot food. This dish is so hot that I actually experienced dizziness and a slight euphoria the last time I had it. I was positively giddy for about two hours. The pain is definetly worth the taste and the experience.

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떡국 - Rice Cake Soup Recipe

(GwangJu) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:07:00 +0900

Today is Seollal or Lunar New Year in Korea. There are many food traditions associated with Korean culture and this day is no different. Most Korean households will serve a variation on 떡국 (deokguk) or rice cake soup today and my house is no different.

The first time I ate deokguk, I was unimpressed by the bland mess that was served to me in the university cafeteria. Swollen mushy rice cake with a huge pile of dried seaweed chocking me as I ate it. It wasn't until I had my mother-in-law's version that I fell in love with deokguk. She serves a milky broth teeming with rice cake and fresh oysters. My mother-in-law knows I'm not a huge fan of dried seaweed so she leaves it out for me as well.

Today my wife and I cooked deokguk for breakfast and I wanted to share with you the recipe. You might not get to eat this today but I suggest you give it a shot. This has become one of my comfort foods and I expect that it will become one of yours as well.

떡국 – Rice Cake Soup

Serves two adults and a four year old

Ingredients:

100 grams of beef

400 grams of rinsed sliced oval rice cake

300 grams of oysters (optional)

½ a sliced leek

1 beaten egg

Salt to taste

dried seasoned seaweed

Beef Marinade:

30 mg soy sauce

15 mg sesame oil

1 - 2 cloves of chopped garlic

pinch of pepper

Start off by marinating the beef for ten minutes. In a pot quickly stir fry the beef until well browned. Add a little over than one liter of water to the pot and bring to a boil.

To the beef stock add the rinsed rice cake and return to a boil. Cook until the rice cake become tender but do not allow it to turn to a mushy puffed up mess. This is where many people go wrong.

At this point you can add the rinsed oysters to the soup if you want. They will take only one to two minutes of cooking before they are done depending on their size.

Finally, add to the soup the beaten egg and sliced leeks and boil one more minute. Salt the soup to taste and serve immediately. You can top with shredded dried seaweed if you want.

No seaweed

Seollal: Korea's New Year Festival

(GwangJu) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:01:00 +0900

from visitkorea.org

Seollal is the first day of the lunar year and falls on January 23^rd this year. Korean New Year generally falls on the day of the second new moon after the winter solstice. Seollal is a three-day holiday usually spent with family and has many associated traditions.

The Seollal feast is prepared with great care, as it is thought that the look and taste of the food determines the ancestors’ level of satisfaction. Food eaten on Seollal is part of an ancestral rite. The food is arranged on a table with an ancestral tablet and a ritual called ‘Charye’ takes place. Incense is burned, the food is offered to the ancestors and the family bows to pay their respects.

from kimichi mamas

Tteokguk, a soup made with rice cakes, is one of the foods representative of Seollal. According to tradition, eating tteokguk on Seollal adds one year to your age, so a fun way to ask someone how old they are is to ask how many servings of tteokguk they’ve had!

Many traditional Korean games are played on Seollal, like yut-nori, tuho and go-stop. Yut-nori is a board game involving a board, four wooden yut sticks and small tokens. Yut-nori is played with two teams and each team gets four tokens. The yut sticks are thrown like dice and the first team to get their tokens around the board is declared the winner. Tuho is a game where players must throw sticks into a container from a distance. Go-stop is a card game played with hwatu or flower cards. There are usually two or three players and the aim is to score points and then call a ‘go’ or a ‘stop’. When a ‘go’ is called the amount of points increases and the game continues. When a ‘stop’ is called the game ends and the person with the highest points is the winner.

Kite flying is also a popular Seollal activity. The kites are raised into the sky and then their strings are cut and a wish is made.

In the lunar calendar, each year is represented by one of twelve zodiac signs, and 2012 is the Year of the Dragon. The dragon is the fifth animal in the zodiac and represents hope and courage. Those born in the Year of the Dragon are said to be passionate and have abundant health. People born in 2012 (and 1952) will be Water Dragons (water is the element associated with 2012). Water is said to calm the dragon’s fire, resulting in people who are able to see things from other points of view.

If you wish to take part in traditional Korean activities over the Seollal holiday period, head to the Gwangju National Museum, where an event called ‘Norimadang’, or Playground of Traditional Folk Games will take place. Visitors can fly kites, play yut-nori and tuho, watch movies and observe traditional dances, and anyone wearing Hanbok will be admitted for free!

Happy New Year to all and 새해 복 많이 받으세요 (please receive many blessings in the new year)!

By Emma Dooley

Korean Movie - 야수와 미녀 The Beast and The Beauty

(GwangJu) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:55:00 +0900

I enjoy re-watching the 2005 Korean movie The Beast and The Beauty. I’ve always liked the original Beauty and the Beast story, and this is a nice re-telling. Although the story is familiar and predictable, it has personality and quirk that make it worth watching.

After Hae-ju (Shin Min-ah, most recognized now for her popular 2010 drama My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox) losses her eyesight in an accident, she feels like her life is over. But her mom tells her she’s just a Sleeping Beauty waiting for her Prince Charming to wake her up. And it’s true; she’s met her Prince Charming, Dong-gun. He’s her guiding light and her eyes. And he’s gorgeous! In her mind, she sees Dong-gun as the perfect man. He is always there for her and never lets her walk alone in the rain. Dong-gun is a voice actor who plays a Space Beast on a Power Rangers style TV show. Adorably, he often uses his Space Beast voice when he’s with Hae-ju.

One rainy day, Hae-ju receives the greatest news. She’s finally gotten an eye donor, and soon she will be able to see again. But suddenly with a flash of lightning, the camera dramatically reveals the real Dong-gun (Ryu Seung-beom), and he’s no Prince Charming. In fact, everything that Hae-ju has imagined about Dong-gun is a complete fantasy, including his looks. He’s more like a Space Beast. And now that his deception will finally be revealed to Hae-ju, he’s sure to lose her, because a Beauty could never love a Beast like him.

They first met three years ago when Hae-ju mistook his car for a taxi. She jumped in expecting the taxi to take her home. Confused, he obliged. Intrigued by her, he managed to be there to drive her, day or night from that moment on. But as their relationship developed, he was afraid to tell her what he really looked like. And since she would never see him anyway, he decided to describe the guy she deserved to be with, using his good-looking, popular and perfect friend from high school, Tak Jun-ha (played by the handsome Kim Kang-woo) as his reference.

After Hae-ju’s successful eye surgery, Dong-gun screws up the courage to go see her, but chickens out at the last minute and botches his grand entrance. Hae-ju and her family are completely creeped out by him. So he pretends to be someone else telling her that Dong-gun has gone away to Hawaii on business. He even goes so far as to send her fake postcards. He’s convinced that cosmetic surgery is his only hope. But there are limits to what the surgeon’s knife can fix, so he settles for simply removing his eyebrow scar. However, the procedure only causes him to completely lose the eyebrow making him even more unattractive.

With weeks of no contact, Hae-ju’s is hurt and angry. One night after work she meets the real Jun-ha, now a good looking prosecutor. He’s got the looks she dreamed of, but a completely opposite personality. She is reluctantly and persistently courted by him. But now she must decide if she wants to wait for the flaky Dong-gun, who won’t return her calls, or go with the handsome Jun-ha.

I think all the acting was on point for a quirky romantic comedy. Ryoo Seung-beom was truly hysterical as the Beast, although at times his self-loathing was a little over the top. I mean the guy isn’t that bad looking. He’s certainly not the Elephant Man or anything. His jealous rages were quite fun to watch. Shin Min-ah was spunky yet innocent. She was so cute when she tried to wipe off a gangster’s tattoo thinking it was only ink. At times her crying could get a little annoying, but overall she did a great job. I also enjoyed the secondary story line with the gang member following Jun-ha around and inevitably running in to Dong-gun who was following Hae-ju around. The music is a little repetitive, but easily ignored. Overall the movie is entertaining. If you like romantic comedies, you should give this one a chance.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

Erin Heath

Beseong Lights Festival

(GwangJu) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:20:10 +0900

Until January 29^th the tea fields will be alight for the Boseong Green Tea Plantation and Light Festival. The festival offers a giant tree, a tunnel of wishes, a dragon of lights, and even Santa, all surrounded by hundreds of lit tea trees.

When you google “green tea fields” the first picture is of the Boseong Tea Fields. Only an hour and a half from Gwangju, Boseong is one of the top tourist destinations and almost all foreigners make the pilgrimage at some point.

In spring the fields are lively green and full of tealeaves. But not many think to visit in winter, when the fields have turned brown and the tea has been harvested. Now there’s a reason to make the trip.

Starting at sundown and running until midnight everyday, the lights festival is a relaxing and unusual way to take in the tea fields. You can stay warm with a cup of hot green tea from your choice of vendors at the front gates. Or if you’re into more traditional festival fare, you can grab a cup of cotton candy or – the ever-present Korean street snack – some silk worms.

After wandering the fields and venturing through the lighted tunnel of wishes, you can relax and get a bit of green-tea infused traditional foods at the restaurant/giftshop at the top of the field.

Getting There:
From Gwangju Express Bus Terminal, take an intercity bus to Boseong (7,800 won each way)
From Boseong Terminal, take a local bus bound for Yulpo and get off at Boseong Green Tea Plantation – OR – especially if you don’t want to wait in the cold on the way back, take a taxi (approx. 10,000 won)

Last bus back to Gwangju from Boseong is 9:20 pm

Admission: Free

By Andrea Galvez

MUST READ

(julie Kim) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:00:18 +0900

Eunkang Chung posted on GFN City of Light's FACEBOOK.

"MUST READ****

Here's a bonus living tip !!!

Do not call back a phone call that doesn't go through as soon as you pick up. If you do out of curiousity, no one will answer the phone and you'll be automatically charged 23,000won.

There is nothing that the police can do at this point so please spread the word and don't call anyone u don't know !!!!! =)

Just wanted to put it out there !!! Cheers y'all

Izakaya Taisho: A Japanese Experience in Gwangju

(GwangJu) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:21:00 +0900

Izakaya Taisho is one many Japanese-style bars in the Sangmu area. For anyone who is curious, the word 'izakaya' means "pub", and 'taisho' means "deal", so it was fair enough to say that I was quite curious about the place when a couple of friends, who had been raving about the food, invited me to join them for dinner.

Upon entry, it's clear to see that the specialty here is alcohol. Along with a cozy atmosphere, Taisho offers different types of sake, beer, and other types of booze to get your night going. That's great for anyone who does enjoy drinking, but I was there for the food.

After we placed our orders, we were given a trio of side dishes consisting of pickled quail eggs, pickled garlic (mixed with other vegetables), and some edamame (immature soybeans). Fair warning, those eggs are quite salty.

The first of many dishes we ordered was a hot, oden nabe. It was basically a large bowl filled with broth, beef, and several types of oden. In case you're unsure of just what oden is, it's basically a type of processed fish cake. While some variations don't have much of a fishy taste, it may not be the ideal food for anyone with seafood allergies. This is actually a pretty good dish try for anyone who is curious about trying different variations of oden, as opposed to the more common kinds that you find sold in convenient stores and on the streets.

The next dish was, in my personal opinion, the best part of the night. Let me start by saying that I’ve never been a huge fan of seafood, and I apologize for the bias that may create in my reviews. That being said, the seared tuna salad we ordered at Taisho was just magical. Not only was it gorgeous to look at, but it was probably some of the best tuna I’ve had since coming to Korea. While the salad it came with was also pretty tasty, I would have happily parted with it for more of this tuna. If you’ve never tried seared tuna, I recommend you go and change that as soon as possible.

Next came the fried shrimp udon, which was a pretty standard combination of noodles, fried tofu, vegetables, and broth. We also had an order of fried shrimp and oysters, which turned out to be a bit of a surprise. I guess after growing up in a place where it’s custom to remove shrimp heads, legs, and everything outside of the meat itself, it was a shock to be served whole fried shrimp. While I have heard that it’s actually good for you to eat the whole thing, I was the strange one who chose to pick away at everything before consumption (which turned out to be somewhat difficult). In the end, it was still delicious. The fried oysters were also a hit, and significantly easier to eat.

Overall, Izakaya Taisho is a nice place to stop by for a drink and some Japanese-style food. Since this is a bar, keep in mind that the prices will more than likely be higher compared to other restaurants. With each order, you will more than likely be given a lot of food, as it is often expected for each order to be shared. Also, the menu is mostly in Korean, so it may not be the worst idea to go with a friend who can translate.

Phone: 062-381-5917
Address: 광주시 서구 치평동 1213-4 (across the street from Angel-in-Us)

Sharon Reichstadter and CoCoa

(GwangJu) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0900

Sharon Reichstadter, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, has been in Korea for almost two years. She first lived in Gwangju and worked at a hagwon. After a spell of travelling following her first contract, she decided to return to Korea to teach, this time in Daegu. In addition to working as a teacher in Daegu, Sharon also runs CoCoa, a baking company.

Sharon decided to start CoCoa in her second year in Korea, after missing all the tasty treats from back home in America. She bought a full-sized oven, and swiftly became the ‘resident baker’ for a group of foreigners. After many requests from fans of her baking, as well as a desire to offer products which are difficult to find in Korea, CoCoa was born.

Sharon hopes to open her own bakery back home in the U.S. someday, and sees CoCoa as a step on the road to achieving that goal. She says “I really just want to practice on a more regular basis to build my portfolio, and while I’m at it, I think people here can benefit from that. Food is the one thing I can’t get away from and that I never get tired of – and if my love of food can put a smile on someone else’s face and satisfy them, then it’s my gift to share.”

CoCoa specializes in cakes, biscotti and muffins, but Sharon will attempt any dessert which requires an oven! She also makes vanilla extract, spice blends and homemade marshmallows. While CoCoa is based in Daegu, Sharon is happy to mail orders of muffins, biscotti and cookies to Gwangju. Orders arrive in Gwangju the day after being mailed from Daegu, so product freshness is not a problem!

Having ordered from Sharon several times now, I cannot recommend CoCoa highly enough. Everything has been delicious, and the white chocolate, cranberry and macadamia nut cookies in particular are to die for!

CoCoa can be found on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/groups/133591943382742/) or you can contact Sharon via email at sharonorjane@gmail.com.

Bon Appetit!

By Emma Dooley

2012 Global Human Rights Essay Contest

(julie Kim) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:31:00 +0900

The 2012 Global Human Rights Essay Contest on “Human Right City” is a joint initiative by The Institute for Social Development and Policy Research of Seoul National University, Korea and the Korea Human Rights Foundation with support of the Metropolitan City of Gwangju in order to promote the idea of a human rights city as a means to localize human rights in the context of glocalization. Its primary goal is to promote youth participation in the building of a human rights city through the articulation of their visions and experiences. The Essay Contest will take place in Gwangju on 16 May 2012 during the 2012 World Human Rights Cities Forum.

Registration Deadline : 31 January, 2012 by midnight Korea Standard Time.

All participants must complete and submit the registration form online at (http://www.humanrightscity.net/) no later than on or before January 31, 2012 by midnight Korea Standard Time (KST).

Deadline : 15 March, 2012 by midnight Korea Standard Time.

Language : Essay should be written in English.

Application : All submissions must be in Microsoft Word format (.doc).

Length : Length of essay should be between 5,000 and 10,000 words.

Papers must be submitted online through the human rights cities website (http://www.humanrightscity.net/).

Announcement of results : April 15, 2012, website announcements

Sources must be cited properly in the case of usage. Proper bibliography or footnotes must be included.

Papers must be written within the frame of politics, social, cultural and economic basis.

Gwangju Theater film

(julie Kim) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0900

Here is this weekends schedule for Gwangju Cinema. This theater is a great alternative to the mainstream venues that dot the city. Don't expect to see some the latest Hollywood blockbuster here.

	13(Fri)	14(Sat)	15(Sun)
11:00	Movies I live on the skin	Mery and Max	Movies I live on the skin
1:00	Chico & Rita	Chico & Rita (1:40)	Miracle (Japanese) (1:30)
3:30	Miracle (Japanese) (3:00)	Once Again	Once Again (4:00)
5:30	Mery and Max	the Way to Book-Chon (Korean)	Chico & Rita (5:50)
7:50	Once Again	Movies I live on the skin (7:30)	Mery and Max (7:40)

How to get to Gwangju Cinema:

Korea to apply new and revised regulations and laws in 2012

(GwangJu) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:15:00 +0900

Starting this year, parents who have children under six years of age who attend a kindergarten or daycare center can apply for government support worth 200,000 won per month, regardless of income. Elderly people over 75 years of age can have 50% health insurance coverage for complete dentures.

The Ministry of Strategy and Finance recently issued a booklet that contains 268 national regulations, systems, and improvements that will be changed this year. The booklet will be handed to over 4,000 national institutes including community centers and public libraries.

Tax SystemStarting this year, council tax payments can be made online. Using an ATM, council taxes can be searched for and paid without paper tax bills.

Eco-friendly buildings are exempted from property taxes. Energy efficient buildings are also exempted 3 to 15% of the property taxes for five years depending on the energy efficiency level of the building.

Starting on the day that the Korea-US free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) becomes effective, the personal consumption tax rate for vehicles over 2,000cc will be reduced from 10% to 8%.

The car tax for vehicles for non-business purposes will also be lowered 20 won per cc. For a 1,000cc vehicle, the tax will be reduced by 20,000 won while there will be a 60,000won reduction for a 3,000cc vehicle.

Fair trade, Finance, and ProcurementVendors that work with large distributors including department stores and discount stores will be able to use an estimation system to prove the contract they made with the distributors without paper contracts. When vendors make and send documents that contain the date the contract was made and payment details, the distributors have 15 days to answer whether the contract is correct. Otherwise, the written agreement on the document will be considered correct.

Starting this year, if power bloggers receive financial support including cash or products from a company, it has to be open to the public.

Moreover, high-risk investments of banking investment firms and investors will be managed by improvements in the Net Capital Ratio (NCR) system.

Industry (Small-and Medium-Sized Companies and PatentsSocial enterprises will be considered small- and medium-sized companies and will be eligible for support from the Korean government.

Starting this year, gift certificates that can be used in traditional markets will be issued in two denominations: 50,000 won and 100,000 won. Developed to promote and envigorate traditional markets in Korea, the gift certificates can be purchased at the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK).

When reporting imported goods, documents that have been submitted on paper will be digitized. Under the revised acts on administrative work for import clearance, all documents regarding imports will be handled as electronic files.

As different types of trademarks have developed according to the development of communication technologies and marketing methods, trademarks law will be applied to new types of trademarks such as sound and fragrance. For example, the lemon fragrance of a laser printer and MGM’s lion’s roar will be registered as trademarks.

Environment and Land
Starting this year, manufacturers and sellers of ten-seater vehicles or smaller vehicles will need to follow emission standards and obey the standard of average energy consumption.

Moreover, starting in April this year, sewage treatment plants will be required to report such matters as disposal costs, additional costs, and the results from last year within a month from the day sewer bills are made, to guarantee the citizens’ right to know and encourage water conservation. Starting at the end of January, water bills can be paid by credit or debit card.

Jeju had to go through a much harder process when applying for Global Geoparks Network membership due to the absence of a national management system for geoparks. Starting at the end of January, a national geopark certification system will be introduced to Korea to protect and manage geological resources in Korea.

A volume-rate food garbage disposal system will also be introduced by the end of this year. Small electronics including cell phones and cameras will need to be separated from garbage starting in November, and a red recycling bin will be installed in residential areas across the nation.

The M-pass, a transportation pass for short-term foreign visitors, will be made available this year. The pass includes various benefits and discounts for traveling around Korea and can be purchased at tourist centers or airports in Korea.

Following the revised laws for vehicles, scooters under 50cc also have to be registered and apply for a license plate. If not registered, the owner will be fined a maximum of 500,000 won.

Health, Welfare, and WomenSenior citizens over 75 years of age will receive 50% health insurance coverage for complete dentures.

The cost for essential vaccinations for children under 12 years of age will be reduced from 15,000 won to 5,000 won. Starting this year, the number of medical institutes that offer vaccinations will also be expanded from 253 to 7,000.

The punishments and penalties for child sex offenders will be toughened and child victims will be able to request public defenders. Starting this year, a list of sex offenders will be available to the public online and the list will be handed to daycares, kindergartens, and elementary schools as well as middle schools.

Labor and Employment

The minimum wage is increasing to 4,580 won per hour. If working 40 hours a week, a monthly salary should be 957,220 won. Moreover, if a job hunter aged over 50 fails to get a job after completing job training programs, a maximum of 400,000 won will be paid for three months.

In order to run daycare services in small and medium-sized companies, the government’s support for daycare teachers will be increased to 1 million won each.

Judicial Affairs, Public Administration and Security
Starting in 2012, non-Koreans over 17 years of age who enter Korea will have to be fingerprinted and photographed.

Starting November this year, foreign nationals on a long-term stay will be able to notify the government of address changes using an online service at www.hikorea.go.kr without visiting the Immigration Office.

An F-6 visa will be newly established in December this year. Unlike an F-2 visa, the current spouse visa, an F-6 visa allows non-Koreans married to a Korean national stay in Korea after the death or disappearance of their spouse, or divorce initiated by the spouse.

Starting this year, the number of social integration programs for immigrants will also be expanded from 150 to 400.

By Jessica Seoyoung Choi
Korea.net Staff Writer
Accessed at: http://korea.net/news.do?mode=detail&guid=60698

Korean Movie Review - 오싹한 연애 - Chilling Romance

(GwangJu) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:15:00 +0900

오싹한 연애 - Chilling Romance

Tagline: “Is dating supposed to be this chilling?”

Release Date: 12/01/2011

A freak bus accident during a school trip leaves Yeo-ri (Son Ye-jin) with an unexpected souvenir. Ever since her resurrection from certain death by drowning, Yeo-ri has had the supernatural, and unwanted, ability to see ghosts. When they appear, strange things start happening to the people close to her. She is haunted by her one-time best friend Joo-hee, who died in the same accident, and other ghosts who seek her help. Yeo-ri’s family eventually ran away to escape the hauntings. To protect her two remaining friends, Yeo-ri isolates herself from them. Just like the kid from The Sixth Sense, she lives in a tent in her apartment in an effort to ignore the ghosts that haunt her. Naturally dating is off limits as well. Her only social life is the occasional phone call to her two best friends, whom she hasn’t seen since the accident 10 years ago.

One day Yeo-ri is approached by a street magician, Jo-goo (Lee Min-Ki), who sees her as she passes by and is inspired by her haunting aura. He opens a wildly successful horror-themed magic show, in which Yeo-ri ironically plays “the ghost in the closet”. After every show, Yeo-ri is invited to join the cast and crew for drinks, but she always declines, knowing what will happen if she starts getting close to anyone. Finally, she accepts, and after a night of heavy drinking, she tells Jo-goo about her little ghost problem. The girl can drink an amazing amount of alcohol, and in her drunken state, keeps ripping Jo-goo’s shirt off fistfuls at a time. Poor guy can’t even defend himself.

After hearing her sad story, Jo-goo takes pity on her, and while trying to set up dates for Yeo-ri, he ends up falling for her. He wants to date her despite her problem, because he’s not scared of ghosts in the least. Hilariously, his confident ghost taming, on-stage persona quickly crumbles in the face of the real ghosts surrounding her, when he admits that they might be just a little bit scary after all. His first spectral experience is with a little boy who climbs his back and scares him almost to death. But as one freak accident after another happen, he has to decide whether or not he can fully accept her and all her paranormal baggage.

Sounds depressing and scary, but surprise, it’s actually a comedy. Korean cinema has an amazing ability to mix genres, and this was a great hair-raising, romantic comedy. It made me laugh out loud and jump with fright in almost the same breath. I wasn’t expecting the ghosts to be so scary though. I thought they would be rather tame like the ones in Hello Ghost. But the ghosts in this movie were really creepy, more like the ones made popular in The Ring and The Grudge. Korean ghosts, or gwishin (귀신), are seriously the creepiest kind of ghosts in my book. Joo-hee is especially creepy as a mul gwishin (물귀신). Mul gwishin are water ghosts, the lonely souls of those who have drowned. They don’t like being alone in the cold water, so they will grab swimmers and drag them down into the deep waters for company, “if I’m going down, I’m not going down alone”.

Chilling Romance had so many funny moments and unique situations. It wasn’t your ordinary romantic comedy by any means. I don’t speak Korean, but I was able to easily follow the story without subtitles. The plot was well thought out, and the story arc was satisfying in the end as we come full circle to the accident that gave Yeo-ri her “gift”. Each of the characters brought depth and comedy to the movie, including the supporting cast featuring funny guy Park Cheol-min and funny girl Kim Hyeon-sook. The romantic aspect of the movie ended up taking a back seat to the other story elements, but that was ok because the rest of the story was strong enough to hold it all together. Since its release in early December, it has become a very successful box office hit. This one is worth watching, so check it out at the theater if you can.

My rating: ★★★★☆

By Erin Heath

Blood Inventory Running Low - 광주전남 혈액 수급 `비상'

(GwangJu) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:11:00 +0900

The supply of blood for transfusions is running low in the Gwangju and Jeollanam-do region, due to a lower number of donations.

Typically, the majority of blood donations come from students and soldiers.

According to the Red Cross, as of January 9^th, the Gwangju/Jeonnam Blood Center is holding only 3.5 days worth of concentrated red blood cells, which is only half of the amount deemed adequate.

The Red Cross has extended the operating hours of its blood donation centers to 8 pm, and is providing a number of incentives to encourage donations.

Please note that some limitations do apply for foreign donors. If you are unsure if you are an eligible candidate please contact Mr. Lee Hangoo at 219@redcross.or.kr or at (02) 3705-3668. You can also contact Ms. Kang Seon-hui at dnfwlqlove@redcross.or.kr or at (02) 3705-8016.

In addition, RH negative blood is always in short supply in Korea. If you are a suitable RH negative candidate please donate as often as you can.

Mannam Gwangju: New Year Charity Party

(CKKim) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:05:00 +0900

Mannam International (www.mannam.org) is a community-based volunteer organization which was set up in Gangnam, Seoul in 2003 and now boasts over 80,000 members.

The Gwangju chapter of Mannam International will be holding a New Year Party on Saturday January 14^th for all foreigners in Gwangju. Two parties will take place, from 1pm to 4pm, as well as from 4pm to 7pm. The venue is Café Stephanie downtown and the entrance fee is 4,000\ (includes a cup of tea). All proceeds from this event will be donated to charitable organizations in Gwangju.

There will be several performances at each party, including beatboxing, a magic show, a musical performance and a drama piece.

For more details please contact Vicky (010-2940-4950) or Su (010-4127-1390).

How to get there:

Café Stephanie is located downtown, across the street from the YMCA.

Essential Kpop with Jdragon # 36 ** Kids and Kpop**

(GwangJu) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:15:00 +0900

For those of us surrounded by Kpop daily, it has either become a guilty pleasure or something that you consciously tune out. Of course for me it is the former.

Recently a popular online video site posted reactions of kids who were shown some Kpop for the first time. It is light and refreshing and might also totally explain what is on your mind regarding the subject.

Nonetheless, Kpop is one of the fastest growing music genres around the world raking in billions in gross annual income. The trainee system is second to none and production quality is flawless.

2012 looks like it will be an even bigger and better year for Korea as the Hallyu is in more demand than ever around the globe from Europe, South America and even deepest darkest Central Africa.

Enough about that, below watch as the kids tell it like it is.

http ://www .youtube .com /watch ?v =yd 6 EQ 4 MxTWE &feature =player _embedded

Peace,

Jdragon

PS. JDragon is one half of the dynamic Kpop duo who bring you GFN98.7 AND 93.7FM’s KPOPULAR daily. Listen on www .gfn .or .kr right after the midday news.

Sinrakwon: Gwangju"s Home for Jajangmyeon

(GwangJu) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0900

Whenever I think of Korean comfort food, the first thing that comes to mind is always 자장면 (jajangmyeon). The origins of this insanely popular dish are a little sketchy, but it does appear to have its roots in China. This would explain why every single Chinese restaurant in Korea has it listed at the very top of their menus.

When a friend of mine first invited me to go with her to the "best jajangmyeon place in Gwangju", I couldn't help but be a little cautious of her claims. After doing a little more research, I found out that 신락원 (Sinrakwon) was actually one of the highest rated places among Koreans for jajangmyeon, which is what ultimately convinced me to go. We went to the well-known location in 상무 (Sangmu).

Now, if you're not a fan of jajangmyeon, all hope is not lost. The restaurant's menu is gigantic, and has all sorts of different dishes to fit anyone's tastes. To add a big plus to the situation, the menu does have English translations. We ordered the beef jajangmyeon with a small order of 탕수육 (tangsuyuk), also known as sweet and sour pork.

After we placed our orders, the waitress was quick to bring out the usual sides for jajangmyeon, including kimchi, pickled radishes, raw onions with a side of black bean sauce, and even some pickled peppers, which is something I haven’t had at too many places. Depending on when you go, or who your waitress is, you may get your complimentary dessert platter consisting of crackers and sweets before your meal. The table also gets a large pot of hot tea, which is always welcome with such a heavy meal.

The tangsuyuk came out first. The sheer size of it left me wondering if we’d even have enough room left for the main course. I can’t even begin to imagine how big the large order would have been. I’ve never been a huge fan of tangsuyuk, as the sweet sauce can sometimes be a bit much for people like me who don’t like sweets in large amounts, but the one at this restaurant was pretty good. While the sauce was still sweet, the pieces of pork were good and crispy. It was also full of lots of different types of vegetables, which really added a nice contrast to the dish.

Before I knew it, the main dish had come out. It was interesting to see that the waitress served the noodles separately from the sauce. I also noticed that the sauce was a little more brown than the usual dark variation I had grown used to. After spooning on the sauce, cutting the noodles, and mixing everything together, I finally dove in to see what everyone had been making such a big fuss about. It was absolutely delicious. I don’t even know if I can really compare this restaurant’s jajangmyeon to all of the other ones I’ve tried, as there’s something about this particular sauce that makes it different. It was incredibly beefy, and the onions were soft and caramelized, melding all of the flavors into this tasty sauce that I could eat on its own.

All in all, 신락원 (Sinrakwon) is definitely a place worth checking out if you’re looking for something a little different from the norm, or if you’re just someone who just enjoys a nice bowl of jajangmyeon like I do.

Address: 광주광역시 서구 치평동 1211-8
Phone: 062-383-6849
Website: http://www.cityfood.co.kr/h9/sinrakone
Note: This place can be somewhat difficult to find, especially since the front sign is in Chinese. Your best bet would be to look for the BoNo sign instead. It is located on a small street somewhere behind the Starbox sauna.

Muju - A taste of snow, close to home

(GwangJu) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:02:00 +0900

Skiers and Snowboarders missing their fix of winter powder need suffer no more. Muju Resort is close to home and it’s got everything you need.

The latest trail map shows everything Muju’s two peaks have to offer (available from http://www.mdysresort.com/english/ski/slope_02.asp ).

Situated on Deogyusan (and also referred to as Deogyusan Resort) Muju Resort is around 2hours drive outside of Gwangju in neighboring Jeollabuk-do province.

Having visited Muju twice in the last calendar year I can assure you that it doesn’t disappoint.

With rolling slopes, steep turns and groomers for beginners, there’s something for all ages and talents at Muju.

Boasting 30 different slopes and 14 chair lifts you will be sure to find a run that caters for your style and ability.

Muju Resort has the longest run of all South Korea’s ski resorts with its blue square marked ‘Silk Road’ measuring in at a whopping 6.2 km. From top to bottom this slope has everything - winding turns, steep drops and great traversing corners towards the top. Long descending straights for speed towards the bottom complete this monster trail.

There are two peaks at Muju available to ride; both have a different range of chairs to take you to the top. The two bases of these peaks are named Mansun and Seolcheon. Mansun, even though it houses most of the accommodations at the resort is by far the less busy of the two.

At the bases (although busy), Muju offers great facilities and places to eat before, during and after skiing.

There are also a variety of options for travel and accommodation. Budget minbak style rooms, pensions and large ski-in ski-out condos are some options available on the ski hill itself. We chose to stay at one of the many pensions that lie around the base of the hill.

Named Eco Ville, our pension was great value for money with each of us paying only 40,000 each per night to share a four person apartment style building that had full kitchen facilities and BBQ availability.

Many pensions and accommodation options are available and the easiest way is to search www.naver.com and find the best deals for your budget and needs.

As most people don’t have the luxury of having their own equipment here in Korea, rental gear is as cheap as 40,000 won per day for skis/snowboard, boots and clothing. Many accommodations offer up to 50% of that price too if you rent directly from them.

Mansun base boasts a lot less people than its neighboring Seolcheon.

The best options for travelling to Muju are by car or bus. We chose to hire a car so we could stick to our own schedule but if you don’t have enough people there are regular bus services that go to and from Muju each day. They can be at very early times in the morning but are well worth the money if travelling alone. More information (in English) about bus timetables and travel directions can be found at http://www.mdysresort.com/english/about/etc_map_passenger.asp .

Lift passes can be purchased for anything between 81,000 and 37,000 won depending on the amount of time and what time you want to spend on the resort’s slopes. More information is available here http://www.mdysresort.com/english/ski/price_lift.asp .

It is also worth mentioning that if you pay using a KB Bank Card (and others I’m lead to believe) you get a 20% discount off the original price of the lift ticket! Good savings indeed.

There are a couple of draw backs to skiing and boarding at Muju however.

The trails can become very busy, especially in the middle of the day. This can make life hard to maneuver around when crowds of people – many of whom are beginners and don’t have a great idea of what they should be doing – are falling over and just sitting in the middle of the trail. This can be very dangerous indeed. To avoid this problem I recommend staying on the top half of the mountain’s trails as they tend to be less crowded with beginners.

As the trails are so busy this also creates the dreaded line-up! At the Seolcheon base the lines for the lifts were ridiculous in length and took nearly 20 minutes to get on the first chair – one other reason to keep yourself towards the higher trails on the mountain. The lines were non-existent the further up we went.

If you are a keen skier or boarder and have been looking for somewhere to get your seasonal fill of powder and fun I highly recommend Muju Resort. Close to home and reasonably priced (especially if you have the right number of friends) it offers everything you need to enjoy those few days away in the snow.

By Darrel Slater

Gwangju in HDR

(GwangJu) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:15:00 +0900

My co-teachers screwed up their faces. One of them looked at me and said ‘They look….strange’. I said ‘Thanks’. I didn’t expect them to like my pictures. They saw me playing with them during lunch and asked to see them.

It’s interesting, ever since experimenting with HDR (High Dynamic Range) I’ve had a strange mix of responses. Some people have straight up told me they don’t like my pictures, which I find quite odd considering criticizing another person’s photographs isn’t normal behavior among friends. Even more bizarre is the fact that the criticism doesn’t seem to bother me. I’m a sensitive lad, if truth be told. I cried at Braveheart, and the Pursuit of Happiness, and Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Last week I dreamt my wife had an affair. I wouldn’t speak to her for a few hours after we woke up.

I think my indifference to the criticism is down to how much I enjoy photography. I reach a point with a picture and I think ‘I like this’ and that’s all that really matters. Of equal importance is the setting of my pictures, Gwangju.

I’ve scanned my neighbourhood dozens of times and I always find something new to capture. The city itself never ceases to interest me. In a matter of meters we’re presented with wide, modern roads and also tiny back alleys that hold a mysterious allure. Even the narrow streets downtown carry an appeal that I’ve always wanted to capture.

What really peaks my interest, to the dismay of Korean colleagues, is the darker, dingier aspect of Gwangju. The old markets, the buses, and hidden streets have real character to them. So while my Korean counterparts are pointing in one direction, usually at some trees or a new building, I’m clicking away at some grubby corner or miserable looking building.

For the purposes of offering a well balanced selection of pictures, I’ve kept the grubbiness to a minimum here. I hope you enjoy them and feel free to visit my travel blog. I also have a facebook page you could join if you want updates from the blog – Facebook page here.

Author: Jimmy McIntyre

Gwangju Restaurant Review - Songwon Tteokgalbi

(GwangJu) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:29:00 +0900

If you're a meat eater in Gwangju who has never tried 떡갈비 (tteokgalbi), that is something that should be fixed soon. Why? Because, it’s a dish that is believed to have originated right in this fair city, and has gained popularity all over the country. It is generally made by shaping a mixture of beef and pork (along with other ingredients, depending on who makes it) into a rectangular shape, and then grilled on charcoal. You could probably compare its components to meatloaf or even flattened meatballs, but the taste is what makes it something that is properly Korean.

I recently went to the famous Tteokgalbi Street in 송정리 (Seongjeongri) with my landlord, who apparently had the same craving for meaty goodness that I did. After browsing through all the choices this small street had to offer, we ended up settling on the busy and bustling 송원명가 (Songwon Myeongga).

Once you are seated (sorry, no chairs here), you will notice that the menu is rather limited, as all it really offers food-wise is tteokgalbi and mixed rice (cold noodles during the summer). Each order of tteokgalbi comes with two meat patties, including bone soup and a large spread of sides. It may not seem like much for the price, but I found myself walking away both full and satisfied.

After you place your order, the first thing that comes out is a bowl of piping hot bone soup (along with the traditional side dishes). The soup is quite tasty, and the bones have nice chunks of meat on them to keep you busy and fed. It does take a little work to pick the tender meat off, but it can turn out to be a rewarding experience.

Now, when the tteokgalbi comes out, you may quickly notice just how juicy and tender it looks. The galbi-like marinade is a nice combination of sweet and salty, and it really is what sets this meat patty apart from anything else that may look similar. I found myself having to resist the urge to eat the whole thing by itself.

The ‘proper’ way to enjoy tteokgalbi is to cut it into bite-sized pieces, and then to wrap it in lettuce (or perilla leaves) with any other ingredients you want before devouring said wrap in one bite. It seems to be the way to eat most forms of meat here in Korea. My ideal combination is a lettuce wrap with meat, garlic, kimchi, spinach, and ssamjang. Wrapping the meat in pickled radish slices is also quite good.

After your meal, the restaurant has free self-serve ice cream available for everyone, which is a nice perk. It seems to be the norm with tteokgalbi places.

While I can’t exactly say whether or not송원명가 (Songwon Myeongga) is the best place for tteokgalbi in town, it is definitely a good place to start. Honestly, many of the restaurants down Tteokgalbi Street are pretty similar in terms of price and taste. When in doubt, just look for the little tteokgalbi girl mascot, and you should be fine.

Address: 광주광역시 광산구 송정2동 830-6 (a few blocks away from송정리역 (Seongjeongri Subway Station))
Phone: 062-944-0366

Korean Film - Silmido (실미도)

(GwangJu) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:18:00 +0900

"If you could completely start over again…would you wield this knife for your country?” The detective asks Kang In-Chan at the beginning of the film. The question that Silmido asks is what side are you on? Where does your loyalty stand?

Silmido was released in 2003 and is directed by Woo-Suk Kong. It stars Seol Gyeong-gu, Jae-Yeong Jeong, Jun-ho Heo, and veteran actor Ahn Sung-ki. This was the first Korean film to sell over ten million admissions. The main draw of the film is that it’s based on real-life events that were relatively unknown previous to the production of Silmido.

If you know a little about Korean history then you’ve probably heard of the Blue House Raid. On January 21, 1968, thirty-one North Korean soldiers, known as Unit 124, attempted to assassinate South Korean President Park Chung-hee. They came within 800 meters of the Blue House before South Korean soldiers caught on. The result was a bloody fire fight in which 29 North Korean soldiers, 26 South Korean soldiers, and 4 American soldiers were killed. One North Korean soldier was captured and famously expressed his intentions by saying, “I came down to cut Park Chung-hee’s throat!” Unsurprisingly, this whole incident didn’t sit well with the citizenship of South Korea and anti-North sentiment rose up. You can read a much more detailed account of the Blue House Raid here.

The bulk of film focuses on South Korea’s lesser known response to the raid. Silmido, where the movie gets its name, is an island that is a mere five kilometers from Incheon International Airport. It is here that over thirty death row inmates were brought and trained to be highly skilled North Korean President killing machines.

The training conditions were quite harsh. The filmmakers are not afraid to show us this and these scenes are filled with an excessive amount of clubbing, uncomfortable barbwire contact, and men receiving treatment that is usually reserved for farm animals. The group of men became known as Unit 684. The unit did not share same “no man left behind” slogan as American soldiers. Their slogan was more like “go ahead and let the weakest link bleed to death on these rocks, then give him the club.” Seven of trainees actually died in real-life, but the film mercifully only shows one incident.

Despite their differences, the members of Unit 684 bond together, as is the usual theme in all war movies. Most of their bonding is based on a hatred for North Korean President Kim Il- Sung and the desire to cut off his head. Then just when everyone is feeling all patriotic, the assassination mission is cancelled and that’s when the story takes a tragic turn. The historical details of the cancelled mission and the resulting tragedies are unclear and full of conspiracy theories. Most of the details were hidden away until being rediscovered in the late nineties. The film’s theory is that the mission was cancelled because North and South relations had improved in the couple of years after the Blue House Raid took place. Then Central Intelligence ordered that the whole idea of Unit 684 be erased. This included the execution of the soldiers.

Silmido does an excellent job of retelling the incidents from 1968 to 1971. From the Blue House Raid to the dramatic finish everything is told with a fair amount of historical accuracy. Liberties must be taken for the unclear accounts of what actually took place on the island but this is understood in order to produce the narrative.

Some of the actors in Silmido tended to act cartoonish and melodramatic, but the strength of the acting came from the main characters. Kong In-Chan (Seol Gyeong-gu) is the most complicated character. He lives with the fact that his father was a North Korean spy. His superiors continually accuse him of being a communist and throughout the film he must prove his loyalty to South Korea. He takes on the role of the leader of the men and becomes the most respected among his peers. His loyalty lies with his unit and their mission so they can gain their freedom and redemption.

Perhaps the strongest performance is the hardened Geneal Choi Jae-hyeon (Ahn Sung-ki). In the beginning his loyalty is clearly nationalistic and belongs to his superiors in Seoul. He treats the unit harshly but slowly becomes proud of their accomplishments and feels empathy for his soldiers. When the mission is cancelled he supports the unit and does anything he can to protect them. He soon sees the evils of his superiors. Ultimately he must decide who will execute the soldiers. Unable to decide where his loyalty belongs anymore he has the most tragic role of all.

The acting is little distracting at points, but overall Silmido is a good war film as well as a historical film. It showcases some good action sequences, especially during the finale. It also makes you feel for Unit 684 just as the General did in the end. The director did a good job telling a complicated story that is representative of the time in South Korea. During this time citizens questioned their loyalty to the government. Park Chung-hee ruled as a dictator and civil rights were not always his priority. However, he was able to unite the country at times through industrialization or nationalistic pride. In the end, it is difficult to decide where one’s loyalty belongs.