Bestselling history cartoon get new recognition

I have come across this cartoons but never bother but they are really worth accolade.


The revised version of the best-selling “Faraway Neighbor Countries” cartoon series recently hit local bookstores.

/ Courtesy of Gimmyoung Publishing

A local publisher has recently re-issued one of the most popular comic book series, the “Faraway Neighbor Countries” by the nation’s first-generation cartoonist Lee Won-bok.

Since its first publication in 1987, the 14-book series on the history of European countries, Japan, China and Korea has sold more than 15 million copies.

Because of its lasting popularity among the youth, the local press has labeled it a “people’s comic.”

But because times have changed so much here and abroad since the 1980s, the publisher and the author felt the need to update the series.

“When I first started to work on the series, Korea was an economic underdog. Back then, I worked on the cartoons on Europe with a sense of envy for their prosperity,” Kim writes in the introduction.

The series started with Europe because the author, 66, had spent ten years studying in Germany in the 1970s.

Starting from the Netherlands, the series has covered six European countries, including France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the U.K. Subsequently, Lee published two books on Japan, one on Korea, three on the U.S. and two on China.

“Because the books on Europe are the oldest of the series, they contain the most updates, such as the financial crisis that has hit Europe in recent years,” Lee said.

Other major updates include Japan’s nuclear disaster following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, the largest nuclear disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Some of the series were translated and exported to China, Taiwan and Thailand in the early 2000s.

Lee serves at the faculty of industrial art department at Duksung Women’s University. He went to study cartoons professionally in Germany at the age of 29. He majored in design and Western arts at Munster University in Germany.

During his 10-year stay in Europe, he spent much time traveling to different countries. An idea to introduce Europe to Koreans through cartoons was conceived during that time.

Lee has been drawing cartoons since the age of 16, when one day he was asked to take charge of cartoons at a newspaper company where his friend’s father worked.

He continued to work there part-time even after enrolling in the Department of Architectural Engineering at Seoul National University.

Lee is currently working on the finale of the cartoon series, which will be on Spain. It will be published in December.

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The night time view of Seoul, from the peak of Namhansanseong, immediately southeast of the Korean capital



To some, light is a source of beauty. To others, it irritates.

To the former, the permanently-on lights of Seoul represent the city’s vibrancy and the country’s world-leading technology standards. To the latter, it is sheer pollution and an eyesore that needs to be blocked with thicker drapes.

Therefore, when the Ministry of Environment and the Seoul City government asked Ko Ki-young, one of Korea’s few lighting design experts, and her partners at Bitzro to assess the famous Dongdaemun garment district’s lighting, they presented two contradictory objectives.

“We were asked to remodel 21 buildings in the Dongdaemun area for the project,” she told The Korea Times on Tuesday. “They told us first that the lights should be brighter to foster the area’s commercial activities, wanting to emulate Times Square (of New York). They also said that the lights as they are now are ugly. (The officials) wanted them to be minimized to reduce light pollution.”



Buyongji, a pond in the garden of Changdeok Palace, downtown Seoul, lit up


With a rather sudden change of mayor, the project is stalled at the moment, but light continues to be on politicians and civil servants’ minds.

Last month, the Seoul City announced that all the public lighting devices would be entirely switched to LED lamps by 2018, citing energy efficiency and better luminosity. But Ko urged caution against making big promises too soon.

Though LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, are the next step in lighting technology that can mimic natural light better than earlier technology, there are pitfalls, according to Ko.

“LEDs really took off two years ago receiving all the attention, leading people to mistake it as the ultimate best. But it’s still evolving. Switching to them 100 percent doesn’t seem right.”



The lighting for the Open Plaza (“Yeolin Madang”) of the National Museum of Korea, Yongsan, central Seoul, was completed in consultation with Bitzro & Partners.

Courtesy of Bitzro & Partners

The most common misunderstanding about LEDs is that they automatically save energy, she said. Unlike traditional incandescent or florescent bulbs, LED light is emitted directly below ― without spreading around the source. This means that more lamps are needed to cover the same space. Without the right amount of reflectors, the promises of less power consumption do not hold up.

Similarly, the biggest mistake is just changing the lamps to newer technology without adjusting the structure’s layout.

“It may not be readily visible… but the light condition becomes inconsistent, with the space right below sources A and B very bright but between those points it is darker than before, comparable to a sine curve. That way, if you install LED lights in an area with a high crime rate, it only creates an air of anxiety.”



Seoul’s citizens, young and old, enjoy the color fountains at the Gwanghamun Plaza on Sejongno, downtown Seoul.

/ Korea Times file

So what is so-called good lighting design?

“There is no such thing as a design that pleases everyone. If we can get 60 to 70 out of a hundred, we call it a success. Even if we think it is wonderful, clients can say it is too dark.

If I were forced to distinguish between the good and bad lighting, I would have to see if it as a blunt expression or one that fits in with the rest… a soft, harmonious light.”

The kitsch Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain came to mind, as she said those words. Hyped as the world’s longest bridge fountain, 200 bulbs illuminate its moving flows of water in colors that have nothing to do with a rainbow.



“It feels quite different from the one in the sky, doesn’t it?”

As a positive example, she cited Times Square, arguably the world’s most famous attraction of electric lights. Though the logos _ and colors _ change with the times, the outdoor space is governed by strict regulations. It was revealed in a recent project by American artist Christine Hill that all the electric billboards must be turned on at all times to keep the glow of the square constant. Ko added that the luminosity of the signs are regulated to achieve the right balance as well, unlike around Dongdaemun.

“It’s not fawning over what’s in the West and belittling our own efforts. Rather than the collection of the best-looking eyes, nose and mouth, we see a natural whole face as the most attractive because it has harmony. No one light should stick out,” said Ko.

Ancient Seoul’s main east gate area has no order, she observed. “Every light wants to be the brightest of them all.”

But her consolation is that the lights can be modified much more easily than the concrete structures themselves.



A view of Seoul from Naksan Park, Dongsungdong, downtown Seoul, through a hole on the ancient city wall


“At least we don’t have to totally destroy them and rebuild them.”

She also suggested that the water under Banpo Bridge have a fuller body and its reflected lights be more subtle and natural.

When someone says lighting design, people think of just lamps and light bulbs, i.e. artificial light. But the origin of all light begins with the natural, said Ko. For her, there lies the answer to many of the Korean capital’s problems.

“We are used to the on-off mode of artificial light… but to have this essential element of the environment be so constant while we do so many different things is dangerous.”

For Ko, who also worked for the recent Yeosu Expo’s general lighting scheme, the ideal lighting ― inside and outside ― needs to adjust continuously and interact with natural light to achieve the most comfortable 24-hour cycle for human beings.

“The best light is the one that mimics natural light… and the darkness, too.”

As with any architect or public space designer, she faces the challenges of inflexible civil servants, who often need a lot of cajoling and convincing. “Koreans are at this point are so used to blunt, direct light sources. They now feel uncomfortable in comfortable lighting conditions.

“But after a month or two, they get used to it.”

Wow Samsung beats Apple

Samsung Electronics has taken a large lead over rival Apple in smartphones, selling 48.7 million smart handsets in the second quarter for a 32.2 percent market share. The figure, based on the latest analysis by Strategy Analytics (SA), is well above the U.S. technology giant’s 17.2 percent.

Apple suffered a decline of 6.6 percent from the previous quarter hit by its Korean rival’s aggressive promotion for the latest in its Galaxy line of devices, the S3.

Samsung’s handset division reported revenue of 24.04 trillion won for the second quarter, an increase of 60 percent from a year ago, while the operating profit spiked by 145 percent to 4.19 trillion won, according to the company.

By contrast, Apple only reported a 20 percent increase for revenue and profit during the same period, with market analysts saying there is an ``iPhone slump.’’

Samsung officials say their firm looks poised to continue its current lead over Apple, though it needs to tackle emerging Chinese handset manufacturers such as ZTE and prepare for the possibility that better Android software by Google will be made available to Motorola.

In all regions except Apple’s home turf, Samsung was top. In Western Europe, the Suwon-based outfit claimed a 44.2 percent market share, while the world’s biggest technology firm had a 43.9 percent share in Eastern Europe, SA said.

``This is the first time that Samsung’s smartphone share in Europe exceeded 40 percent,’’ said company spokesman Lee Seung-joon, Tuesday.

Data from leading market research firm IDC also stated Samsung was the global No. 1 for smartphones in the second quarter with a 32.6 percent share by selling 50.2 million handsets, followed by Apple with a 16.9 percent share and sales of 26 million.

But Samsung officials and market analysts say Apple will steal some of Samsung’s share in the fourth quarter as the Cupertino-based firm looks ready to release a newly designed smartphone, tentatively named as the iPhone 5, and a smaller iPad sometime in October.

Samsung mobile chief Shin Jong-kyun will unveil updated business strategies in Europe and even North America at an upcoming technology fair in Berlin, Germany, as a strategy to keep continue the bullish business momentum.

Samsung will release the Galaxy Note 2 at the exhibition, according to Lee. Apple CEO Tim Cook has vowed to make a ``fall transition’’ with new i-branded devices.

``This is very dramatic. The two companies are involved in heavy patent disputes, while they also compete for leadership in smartphones and cooperate for components. But one thing is other smartphone makers are nowhere to be seen. The duopoly of Samsung and Apple is hurting an entire eco-system,’’ said an analyst at a Europe-based investment bank in Seoul.

During the April-June period, Finland’s Nokia captured just 6.8 percent of the smartphone market, followed by Taiwan’s HTC with 6.1 percent and Japan’s Sony with 4.9 percent, SA said. LG Electronics was level with China’s ZTE in eighth place.

Prince-pauper tale

Prince-pauper tale gets election-year twist in ‘Gwanghae’



This film image released by CJ E&M shows actor Lee Byung-hun as king Gwanghaegun, right, and his commoner double Ha-sun in “Gwanghae: the Man Who Became King.” The movie by Choo Chang-min is slated for a late September release. / Courtesy of CJ E&M


With the presidential election only a few months away, “Gwanghae: the Man Who Became King” could not be released at a better time.

Inspired by Mark Twain’s “The Prince and the Pauper,” the historical drama about switched royal identities challenges the audience to think about the system of the government today, specifically the way we see the role of the nation’s top job, according to Lee Byung-hun, the lead actor who plays the two protagonists.

“There are plenty of movies which offer vicarious satisfaction but Gwanghae portrays a real king in history and how he (the commoner replacement) learns to govern a country from zero,” said Lee at Monday’s promotional event for the media. “It asks the question: what would you do if you were king?”

The new movie by Choo Chang-min (“Mapado: Island of Fortunes,” 2004) revolves around Gwanghaegun, the 15th ruler of Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) and little-known figure commonly mistaken as a tyrant today. The suffix “gun” denoting a prince rather than a king, he was one of two sovereigns unable to secure posthumous temple names (ending with jo or jong), after being overthrown by a coup. His notoriety comes from the association to the other “prince” Yeonsangun, the 10th king, considered the worst oppressor of the people during a five-century-long history.

After having acceded to the throne in a time of political turmoil, with the court embroiled in fights for influence between different alliances, Gwanghaegun fears assassination. From here the film takes the creative turn as the king switching places with a commoner Ha-sun temporarily with the help from a confidante, Heo-gyun (Ryu Seung-ryong).

Things get complicated when others start noticing the sudden change in the ruler’s personality, including the queen (Han Hyo-ju), who prefers the new, more affectionate husband, and his loyal guard (Kim In-kwon). Further problems arise when the stand-in goes rogue, expressing his true thoughts about the social problems and court corruption.

At the media event, Ryu talked up the film and mentioned his personal recollections.

“It was the first time I felt so much tension on the set, with Lee Byung-hun and with the director,” he said. “Even the guys in the crew were tiptoeing around us because of this.”

To him, this stiff atmosphere only added to the performance: “The one-on-one scenes between Gwanghaegun and my character were filmed at the beginning. That emotional distance, some of it definitely intentional, helped us maintain that tension between our on-screen characters.”

Choo spoke of another realistic aspect in his film: the set design.

“I visited a lot of palaces before the shoot,” said Choo. “What struck me about all the other period dramas and movies made up until now was that they were quite modest in scale. So I decided to build the palace set from scratch — worthy of a true royal palace.”

Lee, claiming to have natural instinct for comedy that is “dying to be let out,” said the commoner role gripped him right away.

“It was when I was in New Orleans, on the set of G.I. Joe 2,” said Lee. “I wanted to give myself a month or two to think (the role) over, but it was that uncultured and impish character that really pulled me towards it from the beginning.”

“Gwanghae: the Man Who Became King” (international release title: “Masquerade”) is slated for a late September release in nationwide theaters. It is not yet rated as it is still in the editing process. Distributed by CJ E&M.

Korean studies to boost business

Korean studies is playing an important role for Portland, Oregon, as its harbor is the largest entry point for Hyundai automobiles in the United States, said Wim Wiewel, president of Portland State University.

“There is a need to have people that understand Korean culture and language, as Korea is an important economic partner for the city of Portland,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times at the Plaza Hotel in central Seoul, Aug. 9.

Although Koreans doing business with Portland are able to speak English, having Americans learn the language and culture of Korea will give them an enhanced understanding of their business partners, Wiewel said.

Portland State University has a Korean studies program, which was established in 1972 with an endowment by a Korean living in Oregon.

The program that teaches the Korean language for two-and-a-half years along with Korean history and culture now has a certain level of demand.

“When the Korean studies program was first established most of the students were second or third generation Korean-Americans, learning about their roots,” said the president. “But now those students make up about a third and the rest are Americans without Korean roots that have a genuine interest in Korea.”

Every year about 100 students take the Korean studies program. One main reason for the growing interest seems to be due to the popular Korean culture which is well-accepted by the students and exerting considerable influence.

“There are Korean popular culture organizations on campus in which students dance to K-pop,” said Wiewel. “Popular culture has powerful effects.”

With the growing demand and the need, the university now plans to create an official Korean studies department. This was in fact why Wiewel and a number of presidents of several universities around the world visited Korea from Aug. 6 to 11, invited by the Korea Foundation.

During the stay, the presidents visited universities and research institutes, meeting officials to discuss the prospects and plans of teaching Korean studies at their schools.

As for Portland State University, two important developments have been made so far in this field. First is the exchange agreement with the University of Ulsan to have faculty members and students visit each other’s schools for several weeks.



 
Wim Wiewel, president of
Portland State University

The other is that the presence of Korean students is growing. “There are 106 students from Korea pursuing undergraduate and graduate level degrees and 12 visiting faculty members at the school as of this year,” said Wiewel.

Although it’s not the Korean students that will be taking the Korean classes, having an increased student population from Korea would contribute to heightened awareness and interest in Korea, he said.

Wiewel hopes that there will be interest from Korean foundations, corporations, and individuals in supporting the establishment of a department.

There is currently one regular professor teaching Korean studies at the university with the others being non-permanent lecturers.

“If a department is established, we will hire more faculty members. And other faculty members teaching related courses can also teach in the Korean studies department,” said the president.

“Anyhow, Korea will only become more important in the future for Portland and the U.S., so I believe interest in Korea will continue to grow, fueling the founding of a Korean studies department in the university.” 

Seoul City: lovable for every directors to shoot their movies

Tony Gilroy, right, director of “The Bourne Legacy,” looks through a viewfinder during filming in Seoul in June last year.

/ Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

In the latest movie of the Bourne series, “The Bourne Legacy” to be released soon, an intelligence agent is killed on a subway train.

Seoul citizens may feel familiar with the design of the train and the platform, because the scene was filmed at Suseo Station in southern Seoul.

Not only the subway but also the signs along the Gangnam Street and a panoramic view of the city seen from the top of Asem Tower appear in the Hollywood blockbuster that is currently showing in U.S. theaters.

The film is one of 97 movies, soap operas and television programs shown in 17 countries featuring location shots of the Korean capital since 2007, when Seoul City started supporting production companies from overseas filming here.

Filming for movies and television programs for Southeast Asian countries account for 25 percent of total production activity here, and the boom in using Seoul as a location by companies from these nations arose after a Thai movie “Hello, Stranger,” featuring various tourist attractions in Seoul, was a big hit in 2009.

The city government offers financial support to foreign filmmakers.

“When a director and a screenwriter come to Seoul to select filming sites, we pay part of their airfare and accommodation and have a location guide accompany them. We also pay 25 percent of the production cost here, up to 100 million won per film,” a city official said.

So far, the city has paid 1.5 billion won in production costs for 50 films and programs produced for 13 countries.

“During the first half of this year, 10 films and programs were filmed here. For the latter half, about eight production companies are contacting with us and five of them are expected to work here,” a city official said.

Earlier this year, the final rounds of Indonesian audition program “Galaxy Super Star” were filmed here, and the 30 final-round contestants were filmed on their visit to the city’s tourist attractions and broadcast across Indonesia.

The city official said more and more foreign production outfits are looking to Seoul for locations; not only from Asian countries but also within Hollywood. “Korea has quality film crews. If we can offer them more support for scenes they want, such as car chases or explosions, I believe more Hollywood movies will be filmed here,” she said.

Musical Festival celebrated

Seoul Musical Festival celebrates homegrown shows


Actors perform in a scene of “The Goddess Is Watching” on Wednesday.

/ Courtesy of Seoul Musical Festival

The Seoul Musical Festival (SMF), Korea’s first-ever for musical theater people, wrapped up the eight-day event with a gala performance, Monday.

Held at various venues of Chungmu Art Hall in central Seoul, the festival began on Aug. 6 with a variety of exhibits and lectures. The “Korean Musical History” exhibition is taking place on the first floor at Chungmu Gallery. Featuring selected costumes and photographs of homegrown works from famous “The Last Empress” to recent “Moby Dick, ” it runs through Aug. 19.

Yegreen Encore showcased five musicals — “Lee Chae,” “The Goddess Is Watching,” “Addiction,” “Abboccato” and “Fly, Mrs. Park” — in development from Aug. 7-11. Producers as well as general audiences came to see the shows and selected which would be further developed. “The Goddess Is Watching” and “Fly, Mrs. Park” won the competition and received 100 million won funding for future production.

Academic programs included five conferences discussing issues such as how Korean musicals should make their way overseas and how to establish educational facilities for musical theater.

Broadway musical composer Michael John LaChiusa and New York University professor Brian Gill gave lectures at the International Musical Workshop for creators and actors, respectively. To nurture young theater talent, the festival hosted university students’ performances as well.

The final gala performance Monday was composed of two parts — the Yegreen Gala Show featuring the shows nominated for the Yegreen Awards and the SMF Gala Show of popular songs from homegrown musicals.

Yegreen Awards

The Yegreen Awards is the first awards ceremony dedicated to homegrown shows. “I hope the SMF will be an international event to let the world know more about Korean musicals,” said Song Seung-hwan, president of Korea Musical Theater Association, Monday.

“Hero,” a musical portraying the life of independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun, won the Best Musical and Best Revival. “Moby Dick” was awarded the Innovation Award as performers play musical instruments while acting and singing. “Gwanghwamun Younga,” a juke box musical featuring the songs of the late composer Lee Young-hoon, received the Hit Award for its box-office success.

Noh Woo-sung won the Best Book and Best Direction for “Sherlock Holmes: Secret of the Anderson Family” and Cho Gwang-hwa and Yoon Il-sang won for the Best Music and Lyrics. Chung Sung-hwa won the Best Actor award for his outstanding portrayal of Ahn Jung-geun in “Hero,” while Cha Ji-yeon won the Best Actress prize for her role in “Seopyeonje.”

The highlight of the award ceremony was that the Best Actor and Crew chosen by other actors and crew members. Chung Sung-hwa was named for the Best Actor by both crew and cast. Actors voted music director Kim Moon-jung and crew members picked director Lee Gi-na as Best Crew Member.

The Yegreen Award, the grand prize which aims to commemorate the person or organization that contributed to the advancement of Korean musical the most, was given to Yun Ho-jin, producer of “Hero” and president of Acom International. Other candidates included CJ E&M, “Gwanghwamun Younga” and pansori performer and actress Lee Ja-ram.

The SMF is to be an annual event and the second SMF will be held next summer. For more information, visit www.seoulmusicalfestival.kr.