July 17, 2013 / Issue No. 589 Looking for a Translator: Seoul Selection is always looking for competent, experienced Korean-to-English translators. If this sounds like you, send an email with a resume and cover letter to Eugene at planner@seoulselection.com. Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival Korea’s most off-beat film festival features 141 entries from 21 countries With just a few weeks left before the opening of Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan), its organizers have revealed 21 entries for the It Project, run by the Network of Asian Fantastic Films (NAFF). Whittled down from 141 entries hailing from 21 countries, this year’s NAFF selection showcases some of the best young and veteran genre talent from across Asia and the rest of the world. In recent years, NAFF has acted as a spawning ground for Asian genre films. PERIOD: Jul 18–28 VENUE: Various theaters in Bucheon MORE INFO: T. 032-327-6313, www.pifan.com GETTING THERE: Songnae Station 송내역 (Line 1), Exit 2. Use the PiFan express shuttle for free transportation Around the Web A miscellany of high-quality hyperlinks from the week, courtesy of SEOUL editor-in-chief Robert Koehler. – The debate on culture and the Asiana crash continues. – Are foreign students in Korea adapting sufficiently? – The Korean War divided Korea’s artistic community. – A decade of great restaurants. – The Korea Times asks if Koreans are bigots. – The church at Chukseong-ni is a film set. It’s still pretty, though. – Boy, those are some weird clouds. – What to do around Jamsillaru Station. – Here’s a very lovely lotus pond in Jeonju. – Dale goes to Botaam Hermitage. Events Quincy Jones Pop legend Quincy Jones will hold a concert for the first time in Korea on July 25, bringing a team of his Global Gumbo artists. The concert is prepared as part of his world tour marking his 80th birthday. Jones has an illustrative career as composer, artist, film producer, arranger, conductor, instrumentalist, TV producer, and multimedia entrepreneur. Jazz vocalists participating in the Korea tour include Patti Austin, James Ingram, and Nikki Yanofsky, while jazz pianist Alfredo Rodriguez and 11-year-old prodigy pianist Emily Bear will also join the team. DATE: Jul 25, 8pm VENUE: SK Olympic Handball Arena ADMISSION: KRW 99,000–176,000 Tickets: http://ticket.interpark.com/global MORE INFO: T. 1544-1555 GETTING THERE: Olympic Park Station 올림픽공원역 (Line 5), Exit 3 Alphonse Mucha—Art Nouveau and Utopia Czech artist Alphonse Mucha was one of the leading artists of the Art Nouveau movement, displaying his immense talents in painting, decorative arts, arts and crafts and illustration. In fact, in wouldn’t be an exageration to say that Art Nouveau began and ended with him. Some 235 works are on display. VENUE: Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul Arts Center PERIOD: Jul 11–Sep 22 ADMISSION: KRW 12,000 MORE INFO: T. 1666-2775, www.mucha2013.com GO: Nambu Bus Terminal Station 남부터미널역 (Line 3), Exit 5. Transfer to shuttle bus, or green bus No. 4429. Boryeong Mud Festival During the hugely popular Boryeong Mud Festival, everyone is happy to be covered in mud from head to toe. Now in its 16th year, the festival will run July 19–28 on Daecheon Beach, taking advantage of the abundant mud found in nearby tidal flats. Tourists flock to the beach to experience the beneficial properties of Boryeong mud; the mud is considered rich in minerals and used to manufacture cosmetics. Festivalgoers also have their pick of fun activities, like the Mr. Mud contest, mud wrestling, mud races, and even a mud boot camp. Colored mud is also produced for body painting. Those looking for a more laid-back experience can opt for mud facials, pottery demos, soapmaking, and lounging on the beach. A big stage is erected for live music, competitions, and various other types of entertainment. A small market runs along the seafront selling cosmetics made from Boryeong mud. In the evening, music and fireworks enliven the party on the beach. VENUE: Mud Plaza, Daecheon Beach, Boryeong-si, Chungcheongnam-do PERIOD: Jul 19–28 ADMISSION: KRW 6,000–10,000 MORE INFO: T. 010-5438-4865, www.mudfestival.or.kr GO: Head for Daecheon Station 대천역 by train or Boryeong by intercity bus. Then transfer to a local bus bound for Daecheon Beach Everyday Koreans Jeju-do Sunset   A beautiful Jeju-do sunset near Jeju City. Photo by Arnab Sen. *Click the photo to see a full-size version at our website. NOTE: If you have a photo you would like to see in our Everyday Koreans section, please sent it to story@seoulselection.com. Photos should be AT LEAST 950px wide. Send a one-line bio, too. Notifications Tell Us About ‘Your Korea’: If you’re a longtime resident of Korea and would like to share your story in KOCIS’s KOREA Magazine, shoot an email with your story idea to book@seoulselection.com. Looking for Translators – Seoul Selection is looking for a few good translators (Korean to English) for general translation work. Those interested should send a resume and cover letter to Kyehyun at trans@seoulselection.com. Seoul Selection eBooks – You can purchase some Seoul Selection titles in ebook format via Amazon.com (for Kindle) and Apple’s iBookstore. Titles include Ask a Korean Dude, Moon Tides, Doing Business in Korea, Once Around the Sun, and seven volumes of our Korean Film Directors series: BONG Joon-ho, IM Kwon-taek, KIM Jee-woon, LEE Chang-dong, LEE Man-hee, PARK Chan-wook, and SHIN Sang-ok. Send Your Event Info – If you would like to advertise any upcoming events you are organizing, please send us the press release material at book@seoulselection.com by the preceding Friday in order for it to appear in the following Tuesday’s issue.

Freelance Contributors Wanted – SEOUL Magazine needs writers who are fluent in both Korean and English. Writers should have a strong interest in Korean culture and be able to interview Koreans. Send your resume and writing samples to book@seoulselection.com.

Forward this email to a friend Unsubscribe / Change Profile SEOUL Magazine SEOUL (July 2013) Buy online for just $1 Buy Books at Seoul Selection’s ONLINE Bookshop! Sponsors Recommended The Guest The Berlin File New Books Korea: Land of The Morning Calm SsokSsok Korean Card for Exciting Korean Class 韓國語と 韓國文化 Tuttle Korea for Kids Flash Cards Bi-lingual Edition Modern Korean Literature Set 2 New DVDs Miracle in Cell No.7 Shin Sang Ok’s Melodramas From The 1950s Collection Spring Breeze Bravo! Jazz Life Nobody’s Daughter Haewon

A beautiful Jeju-do sunset near Jeju City. Photo by Arnab Sen.

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Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival (March 8–10)

Jeju-do’s signature festival is link to Korea’s rural heritage

Written and photographed by Douglas Macdonald

The late afternoon sun had begun to slip behind the hills as I made my way across a large field of dead grass on the western side of Jeju-do. The weather was cool and I could see the faint wisps of my breath catch the last rays of golden light as it escaped into the crisp air above me. I arrived at my destination as evening came and the sky turned from a deep blue to black. A large crowd of people had already arrived. There was noisy chatter everywhere; men and women of all ages shared food and drinks while children flew kites nearby. The atmosphere was electric, the sense of anticipation high.

I set my camera on a tripod beside a long line of photographers preparing for the big event. It was completely dark now and, as if on cue, a woman in a long, flowing, white robe began to descend a small hill a few meters away, several young boys and girls with lit torches trailing behind her. As they reached the bottom of the hill, hundreds of spectators began to converge around them. Quickly realizing a tripod would be useless, I handed it off to a friend and squeezed my way to the front of the crowd as the woman began to dance and chant her way through the throng of cheering people.

© Seoul Selection

This marked the beginning of Jeju-do’s Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival. Traditionally held on the first full moon of the Lunar New Year to commemorate the ancient agricultural practice of setting fire to farm fields in the winter and thereby readying them for spring by clearing them of dead grass and destructive insects, the festival has evolved over the years and is now an annual event that attracts thousands of people.

Throughout the day, visitors of all ages come to write down their hopes and prayers for the upcoming year and then attach their messages to the many hay bales placed around the base of Saebyeol Oreum, a small, extinct volcanic vent on the western side of Jeju-do, Korea’s largest island and a place of much natural beauty.

© Seoul Selection

The woman in the robe slid effortlessly, almost ghostlike, through the frenzied crowd and towards a large group of local dignitaries taking part in the torch lighting ceremony. The men, their fiery torches raised in a scene reminiscent of Frankenstein, then marched to the foot of Saebyeol Oreum, where large, wooden structures containing the hale bales and the paper wishes awaited.

Racing ahead of this determined army of men, I crouched down low and positioned myself as close to one of the structures as possible. The bales of hay and the messages attached to them were set on fire and, as fireworks went off overhead, the crackling flames raced upwards, engulfing the entire hill within minutes—a symbolic act representing the burning away of bad luck from the previous year and clearing the path for good luck in the year ahead.

© Seoul Selection

NOTE For more info about the festival, visit http://festival.jeju.go.kr or call T. 064-728-2752.

EAT> Local Jeju-do specialties include: Heuk dwaeji—black pig, possibly Jeju’s most famous dish. Galchi—Galchi (largehead hairtail) is a long, silver fish that is often grilled or boiled in a spicy stew with vegetables. Jeonbokjuk—Abalone and rice porridge. Abalone alone is one of the most expensive dishes in Jeju, but a bowl of this porridge is only about 8,000 won.

STAY> Jeju-do is a major tourist destination; accordingly, it’s blessed with a wide range of accommodation, including: Jeju December Hotel—A well-rated 2 star hotel only 2.3 km from the airport. Decent rooms with free Wi-Fi. (T. 064-745-7800) Ever Hotel Jeju—Another 2 star hotel located close to the airport with Korean-style rooms. (T. 064-742-2911)

GO> Korean Air, Asiana, Jin Air, T’way, and Jeju Air all fly to Jeju-do several times a day from Seoul’s Gimpo Airport. The flight takes about 1 hour. Saebyeoul Oreum, the venue of the festival, is located beside highway 1135, about a 20-minute drive southwest of Jeju City. To get there, you’ll need to rent a car or hire a cab.

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