the Ulsan Pear

Getting bigger and better, now with more than 2000 copies printed every month
Vol. III Issue VIII
the Ulsan Pear
www.ulsanpear.biz
February 2007
Arts and Culture
Cover photo by Jason Teale
Busan Museum of Modern Art
Ulsan Culture Center
Korean Fashion
and more inside...
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2 THE ulsan Pear
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Do not panic, ask for English
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International Operator
I must admit, I’ve not often thought of Ulsan as a cultural city.
With it being the ‘industrial capital of Korea’ it’s easy to often lose
sight of the fact that there are a fair amount of opportunities to
experience art and culture in and around the city.
In this issue, we scratch the surface of art and culture here in Korea.
There is more out there to see and do, and in the future we can
hopefully bring you information on all the cultural opportunities
that await you here in Ulsan, and around Korea.
Thank you once again for taking the time to pick up and read the
Ulsan Pear.
Ambulance 구급(Gu-Guep)
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112
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Kevin Forman
Editor-in-Chief
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Editorial Board/
Staff Writers:
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Nicole Shirray
Jason Teale
Contributors:
Adamo DeFazio
Chris Devauld
Josie Hines
Shawn Hines
Katie Peavler
Copy Editor: Deirdre Madden
Jason Teale
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Layout/Design:
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Deirdre Madden
Nicole Shirray
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THE ulsan Pear 3
Come Explore the Busan Museum of Modern Art
Chris Devauld
Contributor
Of course the museum doesn’t end
there, yet the third floor is as much
a continuation of the second floor
as tea is a substitute for pancakes.
The whole museum does have a
theme—this month it’s called “at
the Groove of Time”—but you
will hardly notice.
Be quiet, don’t take pictures when
people are looking, and enjoy the
amalgamation of, umm, dead animals, dishes, and countless other
discarded treasures. No this isn’t a
tour of a Korean garbage dump,
but a description of the Busan
Museum of Modern Art.
Since December 1998, this museum has been entertaining locals
and foreigners alike. Having its
own stop on the subway line and
being near the ever-so-popular
Haeundae Beach, the museum has
enjoyed a lot of success in its short
history. And to keep things fresh,
exhibits are changed, refreshed,
and cancelled often, which means
that every visit is most likely a different experience.
I went for the first time in October
and I didn’t like it. Upon entering
the building, I noticed that, first
of all, many of the events lacked
an originality that is supposed to
encompass modern art—even if
you don’t understand it. However,
when I visited last weekend I was
pleasantly surprised. The first thing
that caught my eye was, well, porn!
That’s right. On the first floor of
the museum (directly across from
the ticket desk as a matter of fact),
is a vertical collection of television
sets, broadcasting a wide range
of channels, from sports to infomercials, and even pornography.
I’ve always loved how art can get
away with parading naked people
Photo by Chris Devauld
around, especially when there’s a
young Caucasian woman having
what apparently looks like an orgasm, in Korea—in public!
But that’s nothing. Just wait until you see the dead animal with a
tap screwed into it. Yes, the second
floor was quite a lot of fun for me
and perhaps nobody else. As many
of the displays are from local artists, there is a surprising amount
of diversity. I mean, have you ever
seen an exhibit with a garden tap
attached to a dead varmint? Well,
you will if you go to the museum
now. It’s kind of like Alice in Wonderland meets Dr. Moreau.
And next to this exhibit is something truly remarkable: a 20 foothigh pile of perfectly polished
kitchen silverware. Yes you heard
right. Tucked into a cave-like display, like the Buddha statue in the
Seokguram grotto, is a massive
pile of pots and pans, all perfectly forming a pyramid of glitter. I
guess that perhaps this represents
the shining aspirations of Korean cuisine, but then again I was
never much for kimchi. All in all,
I found it fascinating to stand in
front of something that must have
taken countless hours of polishing, collecting, and endless questioning . . .
I sat down in a dark room and
watched a fat naked women rolling around in fast motion in a television set (they wouldn’t slow it
down unfortunately); my friends
observed the many ways you can
mess around with string, spray
paint, and bits of shells; and everyone got a kick out of the horri-
bly depressing, yet fantastic paintings that represents this months’
theme. Honestly, it was a great
way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon. What’s more, the entrance
fee is only W700 and the museum is open from 10-6, except for
Monday when everything is closed
down.
So, grab a friend and go experience something that will most
likely make you feel uncomfortable. Hey, isn’t that what Art’s all
about?
[email protected]
Photo by Chris Devauld
4 THE ulsan Pear
The Ulsan Metropolitan Culture and arts Center
Katie Peavler
Contributor
The classical music floats softly
across the terrace like morning
fog over a placid lake as you reach
the top of the steps. The stress
of the past week melts away as
you realize you’ve arrived at the
Ulsan Metropolitan Culture and
Arts Center in Samsandong, that
cluster of buildings nestled next
to the KBS Station. One of your
friends mentioned this was an
interesting place, and now you
see why. You are standing in front
of the main building, the King
Theater, which, when you turn,
offers a nice panorama of the busy
downtown streets of Ulsan.
There are coffee machines and
patio tables on the terrace,
offering caffeine and beautiful
metropolitan views in exchange for
some friendly conversation. This is
where you will find me, enjoying a
morning cup of joe, ready to give
you my own defense of daylight:
The premise being that Ulsan has
just as much to offer during the
day as the night. And the Ulsan
Metropolitan Culture and Arts
Center is a great place to start.
The King Theater, offering the
biggest performance space, stands
between the Arts Center’s two
lesser buildings. When facing the
King Theater, the building on
the left is the aptly named Little
Theater, and to the right is the
Art Gallery. The three buildings
each offer impressive stone
columns backed by two-story glass
windows, creating a well-designed
façade for the arts of Ulsan.
Beneath the Art Gallery is an
affordably priced Western-style
restaurant, nicely decorated, with
ample seating for visitors.
There are several musical offerings
in the theaters for February. On
February 1st from 7:30 to 9:30pm in
the Little Theater is a performance
called Opera Arias, featuring “La
Traviata,” among other songs. On
Expect to pay twenty to thirty
thousand won depending on
what seat you acquire. Remember
that theater seating in Korea is
numbered, and thus you should
buy your tickets early and in
focusing on scenic Ulsan. The
photos develop an impressive
montage of Ulsan’s character as
they continue throughout each
of the gallery’s four showrooms,
encompassing two floors and over
1000m2 of space. There is also
a summer garden gallery in the
central lower level of the building,
outside, which does not show
during the cold winter season.
The next gallery showing runs
from February 6th to the 12th and
features a local photographer.
Further information regarding the
Ulsan Metropolitan Culture and
Arts Center can be found at www.
ucac.or.kr if you can read Korean.
Or use some of the adventurous
spirit that brought you here in
the first place to explore the Arts
Center on your own. There are
pamphlets readily available on
location in the gallery and the
theaters, and you might find
yourself pleasantly surprised by
what it has to offer.
Photo by Jason Teale
Behind these buildings is a
garden amphitheater for summer
performances, and further beyond
lies the Cultural Park, which also
receives the benefit of classical
music playing in the background.
The music is also played live
through the speakers when a
performance is in session, so if
you prefer free entertainment, buy
yourself a coffee at the kiosk in the
park and enjoy the music.
the 22nd, 7:30-8:30pm, is a choral
music concert in the King Theater
featuring songs ranging from “Oh
Danny Boy” to “Gran Jota.” Both
concerts cost three thousand won.
However, the most interesting
performance starts when the opera
La Boheme arrives at the Little
Theater on Friday, February 2nd
at 7:30pm, with a second showing
on Saturday, February 3rd at 7pm.
groups, unless you want to end up
sitting in the middle of a Korean
Army outing, like I did the last
performance I attended!
If the theaters of the Arts Center
create a feast for the ears, its Art
Gallery definitely offers a feast
for the eyes, and for free. Open
from ten in the morning until
seven at night, the gallery mostly
features photographic shows
Spend a wonderful Saturday
afternoon viewing the free exhibit
at the Art Gallery, have dinner at
the restaurant beneath it to discuss
your deep interpretations of the
art with your equally intelligent
companions. Then head up to one
of the theaters and buy tickets to
the show that night, enjoying the
satisfied feeling of being culturally
literate for a few hours. Take
advantage of the daylight for once,
and discover the cultural heart of
Ulsan. Besides, you can always get
a beer afterwards.
[email protected]
THE ulsan Pear 5
The Who’s Who and What’s What At the Exes
Jason Teale
The Ulsan Pear
COEX – Seoul
Possibly one of the coolest
places in Korea; not only does
it play host to some pretty cool
stuff, it also houses the world’s
only “Kimchi Field Museum”.
COEX is a place where you can
spend hours wandering around
looking at all of the western
style shopping mall stores and
the beyond tasty food court that
will have you drooling, and still
find time to enrich your brain
with something the whole family
can enjoy, like the teddy bear
thing….
www.coex.co.kr/eng
Upcoming Events:
Teddy & friends- Around the
World in a Day (until 2/21)
Eq & Eq- English Quotient
(until 2/21)
We are Science (until 2/20)
How To Get There:
Take subway line 2 to Samseong
Station and take exit 6
BEXCO – Busan
If you take away the cool
shopping mall, the food court,
the Kimchi Field Museum and
add a McDonald’s and a Bally’s
Total Fitness, you’ve got BEXCO.
Like EXCO and COEX, BEXCO
gets all of the same cool stuff
along with a lot of conventions.
www.bexco.co.kr/eng
Upcoming Events:
2007 Super Kids Land (until
3/18)
London Carnival (until 2/20)
The 39th Annual Comic World
Convention (2/10-2/11)
Busan International Auto Salon
(3/21-3/25)
Busan International English Expo
(3/21-3/25)
How To Get There:
From Haeundae (Train) Station:
ㆍ Bus/Taxi : Approx. 5 minutes
ㆍ Buses: 109, 115, 115-1, 240,
36, 38, 200-1, 5, 139, 140, 141,
142, 239
From Busan (Train) Station:
ㆍ Bus/Taxi : approx. 40 minutes
ㆍ Buses: 40, 139, 239, 240,
302, 140, 2003
ㆍ Subway : approx. 40 minutes
- take subway line no.1
(going toward No Po Dong)
- transfer to line no.2 at
Seo Myeon Station (going
toward Jang San)
- get off at Centum City
Station and take exit no.1
in Daegu. A smaller version of
the first two, but can be just as
interesting.
www.excodaegu.co.kr/eng
Upcoming Events:
Einstein Special Event 2007 (until
3/1)
International Optical Show (until
3/1)
Green Energy Expo (until 4/1)
How to get there:
By car: If you are arriving by expressway,
turn off from the Gyeongbu
Expressway at the Bukdaegu
Interchange and then proceed
directly to the Daegu Distribution
Complex area where EXCO is
located.
From the downtown area of
Daegu, take the Sincheondongro (Riverside Road #13) to
the Daegu Distribution Complex
area and EXCO. Alternatively,
take the Sincheon-daero
(Riverside Road #11) and turn
off at the Chimsan-gyo Bridge
and then drive to the Daegu
Distribution Complex area and
EXCO.
By Bus:
Bus #636: get off at Dongdaegu
Station
Bus #306, #535: get off at Daegu
Station
Bus #305: get off at Eldis
Regent Hotel
Bus #929: get off at Prince
Hotel, and Crystal Hotel By Taxi:
From Daegu Int’l Airport:
2,500 won (approx. 15
minutes)
From Dongdaegu Station:
4,000 won (20 minutes)
From downtown: 5,000 won
(25 minutes)
[email protected]
From Busan bus terminal:
ㆍ Taxi : approx. 40
minutes
ㆍ Express bus, no.2002:
approx. 1 hr.
ㆍ Subway : approx. 1 hr.
and 10 min.
- take subway line no.1
(going toward Shin Pyuong)
- transfer to line no.2 at
Seo Myeon Station(going
toward Jang San Station)
- get off at Centum City
Station and take exit no.1
EXCO – Daegu
If you subtract the
McDonalds and the Bally’s
Total Fitness and add more
conventions, you get EXCO
Green Printing
Photo by Jason Teale
6 THE ulsan Pear
London, Paris, Milan, New York....Seoul???
Deirdre Madden
The Ulsan Pear
For some of us, the term “Korean
Style” may seem like an oxymoron.
The young people in Ulsan often
dress in a mix-and-match style
that doesn’t quite fit with the
“Fashion Do’s” Westerners learned
from the New York and Paris
based magazines. Multiple layers,
stripes and polka dots, lace, bows,
ruffles, non-functional zippers,
buttons and snaps all appear in
one outfit, making it clear that
“more is more” for the Korean
Fashionista.
Much Korean street-style seems
unfocused, as though the wearer
couldn’t decide on a look. If
fashion is meant to express who
we are, the clothes here suggest
confusion or an uncertainty about
identity. Perhaps this is because
Korea has developed so quickly
that Koreans are struggling to
find a way to blend their long,
colourful, unique heritage with
modern life. If this is the case,
then they should be looking to
Korea’s internationally renowned
fashion designers for inspiration.
There are three notable Korean
designers whose works are
currently gracing catwalks in Paris
and New York; Andre’ Kim, Lee
Young Hee and Lie Sang Bong.
All three designers use elements
of traditional Korean hanbok in
their designs, from high waists
and lots of flowing fabric to the
single loop bow, or otgoreum.
Andre Kim is perhaps the most
well known Korean designer. He
showed his first collection in Paris
in 1966, and has since shown in
numerous countries around the
world. In 1988 he was chosen as the
designer for the Korean Olympic
team for the Seoul Olympics. He is
known for designing very unique,
futuristic pieces,
and for fashion
firsts. Several
years ago, he
became
the
first designer
to show a
collection
in
front of the
Pyramids
in
Egypt.
This
past December
he
achieved
another fashion
first by showing
his Spring 2007
collection
at
Angkor Wat,
a
UNESCO
W o r l d
Heritage site
in Cambodia.
Sometimes
described
as
“lavish
costumes”,
his garments are definitely haute
couture rather than daily wear.
He uses bold colours and patterns,
and lots of fabric to make dramatic
statements.
Lee Young Hee is the top designer
of traditional hanbok, but she
also designs modern gowns which
flawlessly blend the classic looks
with cutting-edge fashion. She
held her first fashion show in
1981, and has since designed for
catwalks internationally, including
New York and Paris. Using fabrics
such as silk organza, the abovethe-breast waistline, and short
jackets modeled on the jeogori
(hanbok jacket), her garments are
Photo by Jason Teale
obviously inspired by the hanbok,
yet are fresh and contemporary.
Lee’s pieces are wearable as well
as stunning, evoking a sense of
moving forward without losing
the importance of history.
Lie Sang Bong is a relative
newcomer to the international
fashion scene. His first show
outside of Korea was in 1990
in New York. Since then he has
taken the world by storm, and is
now considered one of the most
influential people in Korea. His
2007 collection, which recently
sashayed down the runway in
Paris, featured striking black and
white patterned garments, many
of which incorporated Korean
script as a motif. But the alphabet
isn’t the only visible tie to Korean
culture in his collection. Lie is
also fond of ultra-high waists and
using the otgoreum (one loop
bow) in his pieces. His ability to
fuse aspects of traditional looks
with chic modernism results in
captivating clothes that respect
their roots but aren’t held back by
them.
Hopefully these looks will trickle
down to the streets of Korea, giving
the Fashionistas a more cohesive
sense of style and perhaps even a
stronger sense of cultural identity
in the whirlwind of change that
has gripped this society.
[email protected]
Top Photo: Andre Kim Spring 2007 Collection
Middle Photo: Lee Young Hee Spring 2007Collection
Bottom Photo: Lie Sang Bong Spring 2007 Collection
THE ulsan Pear 7
8 THE ulsan Pear
Beginner’s guide TO
Reading The Korean Script
Deirdre Madden
The Ulsan Pear
One of the frustrating
things for foreigners
arriving in Korea is
the fact that we are
functionally illiterate.
But Hangul is fairly
easy to learn to read,
as it is a phonetic
character set, much
like English. Although
rules of pronunciation
can change based
on the characters
placement in the
syllable, the basics
are pretty straight
forward. It’s a good
idea to learn to read
Korean if you’re living
here. It’s highly useful
in bars and restaurants,
as well as when using
buses and trains.
Vowel sounds
When a vowel is first in a syllable,
it has a placeholder circle put in
front of it. Like our silent “e”, it
isn’t pronounced. The circle at the
end of the word is pronounced
“ng”.
Once you have an idea of the
sounds, try going to McDonalds
or a Hof and read the menus.
These are the best places to
practice because most of the
words are Konglish (English
words written in Hangul).
Here are some words for you to
practice on.
울산, 빅맥, 햄버거, 토마토,
피자, 김치, 치츠, 부산
[email protected]
Vowel Sounds
Korean
Sound
Written in English
아
ah, as in “apple”
a
야
yah, as in “oh yah”
ya
어
aw, as in “paw”
eo
여
yaw, as in “yawn”
yeo
오
oh, as in “oh my gosh!”
o
요
yoh, as in “yoh, dawg, whazup?”
yo
우
oo, as in “oot and aboot”
u
유
yoo, as in “you”
yu
으
euh, as in “euh, there’s a cockroach”
eu
이
ee, as in “eek! Kill it!”
i
Consonant Sounds
Korean
Sound
Written in English
ㄱ
Soft g/ k, as in “gimbap”
g under new system, k under old
ㄴ
n, as in “no”
n
ㄷ
d, as in “Deirdre is dynamite!”
l/r, depending on placement. Impossible
to say properly unless you’re Korean.
d
ㅁ
m, as in “monkey”
ㅂ
Soft b, as in “banana”
m
b under the new system, p under
the old
ㄹ
ㅇ
Between sh/s, sounding like a slow leak
from your tire.
Placeholder or ng, as in “sing a song”
ㅈ
j, as in “jumping jack”
j, or sometimes z
ㅊ
ch, as in “church challenge”
ch
ㅋ
Hard k, as in “kitchen”
k
ㅌ
Hard t, as in “tree top”
t
ㅍ
p, as in “popcorn”
p
ㅎ
h, as in “high on the hills”
h
ㅅ
Photo by Deirdre Madden
l or r, depending on placement.
Adamo DeFazio’s View
s
_/ng
THE ulsan Pear 9
Somewhere
over the maison
presenting... Gallery Bow
Katie Peavler
Contributor
Iron teeth rusted in bronze strike
out from the steel squares in uniform rows, threatening to devour
the onlooker that steps too close.
Blurred trees breathe movement
into a sunlit field, as a babbling
brook winds its way through the
scene. A vase of flowers encased
in shadows floats in black space,
beautifully captivating in its momentary portrait, yet stained by
a blot of thick white paint. These
are just a few examples of the contemporary art of Ulsan, waiting
for another visitor to witness it.
booked well into next year. More
artists are also vying every day for
their own opportunity to demonstrate work here.
The gallery consists of two spaces:
the showroom and the art lounge.
Visitors enter the showroom first
and become immersed immediately in contemporary art from step
one. The space has white walls,
wood floors, and a vaulted ceiling,
almost comparable to the smaller
galleries of New York City.
The second part of the gallery is
unique and invites visitors to peruse more examples of art through
books and smaller pieces in a cubby hole library. There is a modern
style couch and studio table to
accommodate the visitor that accepts this invitation, and they can
stay as long as they like. “I try to
create a relaxed atmosphere for
people who love art,” Se Young
commented. “Some people have
said that in this way, I am not the
typical gallery owner.”
Much of the art originates from
students at the nearby Ulsan University, though artists from Daegu, Busan, and even Seoul have
begun to show increased interest
in exhibiting here. Gallery own-
ers in Seoul and Daegu have also
come to meet with Se Young as
they explore opportunities to create a new Ulsan location. “In ten
years I think Ulsan will be a much
more cultural city,” she explained,
“so the owners know that investing now is a good idea.”
Se Young shows mostly paintings,
photography, and textiles by artists
working with contemporary style.
She sees many portfolios on a constant basis, and finds it difficult to
choose from the local talent.
and coming artists to her network in the art world. “I want to
say thank you to Ulsan artists for
their kindness and innocence,” Se
Young said with a smile. “It is this
which helps me enjoy my work
and makes me successful.”
The gallery is open all week, from
11am-7pm. Se Young speaks a
sizeable amount of English, and is
very friendly, so feel free to chat
with her about the art world of
Ulsan when you visit. Se Young
can be reached at gallerybow@
yahoo.co.kr and 052-266-6226.
The next opening night for a new
exhibition will be February 5th, 67 pm, to celebrate the new works
of a local oil painter, who will be
in attendance.
[email protected]
The gallery owner especially enjoys meeting and connecting up
Hidden in the NamBu District of
Ulsan, near the NamBu Police Station, and on the third floor above
the Maison Restaurant, lies a small
modern art showroom called Gallery Bow. Kim Se Young, the owner of the gallery, met with me one
Saturday afternoon to describe the
role of her art space within this industrial city.
Ms. Kim opened Gallery Bow a
year and a half ago after completing her own artistic studies in oil
painting in countries like Germany and Australia, and earning
her degree from her home town
of Daegu. The gallery is cleverly
named for the success a rainbow
can bring after being sighted. The
title has quickly worked its magic,
as Se Young already has exhibits
Photo by Jason Teale
10 THE ulsan Pear
The Pear’s Events Calendar FOR February 2007
THE CUT-OUT & KEEP GUIDE TO FORTHCOMING EVENTS ACROSS ULSAN
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
The Beach By Melissa Vazquez
[email protected]
Martial Arts Training
Ki Mizu Ryu Martial Arts
Certified Belts and Certificates
English Instruction
www.imasgroup.us
[email protected]
Mobis Basketball home games
played at Dongcheon Gymnasium
MONDAY
Free Alcohol!
Photo of the month is a contest sponsored by Benchwarmers.
Each winner recieves a 20,000won tab. Send your photo to: [email protected] Artistic shots or
Konglish signs are welcome as submissions.
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
1
SATURDAY
2
La Boheme
King Theater 7pm
See Page 4 For Details
Seoul Int’l Marathon March 18th.
Runners and Supporters wanted. Training 4 days a week.
Beginners welcome. [email protected]
SUNDAY
3
La Boheme
King Theater 7pm
See Page 4 For Details
4
Frisbee 3pm
Pub Quiz @
Benchwarmers
Mobis Basketball
Game 5pm
Bowling Tuesdays & Poker on Thursdays @ Tombstone
5
Bow Gallery Exhibit
6 -7pm
See Page 9 for Details
12
6
13
14
Special Valentine’s
Bingo @
Benchwarmers
20
Books and Booze
Literary Discussion Group.
“Water for Elephants” by
Sarah Gruen
McKenzie’s, Mondays
at 10pm. Email
[email protected]
for details.
16
17
23
Writers Group @McKenzie’s 10:30pm
Mobis Basketball
Game 3pm
Poker @ Tombstone
Choral Music Concert
King Theater 7:30pm
See Page 4 for Details
Mountain Bike Club - UMTBC
Jung Sang Young, Samchuly Bicycle
between Gongeobtap and Taewha
Rotaries. 052-260-3000.
18
Frisbee 3pm
Pub Quiz @
Benchwarmers
24
25
Frisbee 3pm
2
3
Evita @ Hyundai Arts Center Tickets From 20,000 won
Shows are: March 1st 8pm; March 2nd 8pm; March 3rd 3pm
and 7pm; March 4th 4pm
Running - Hash House Harriers meet every second Sunday at the
Foreigners compound in Bangeojin at 10am.
Paintball
Can organize paintball days for
groups of twenty-five to thirty.
Contact Benchwarmers.
Battlecatz@Bexco
Battlecatz @ Bexco
4pm
4pm
See Page 11 for Details
See Page 11 for Details
22
1
11
Frisbee 3pm
Mobis Basketball
Game 3pm
28
Bingo @
Benchwarmers
10
Mobis Basketball
Game 3pm
15
21
27
9
Poker @ Tombstone
Ulsan Pear Submission
Deadline!!!
26
8
Writers Group @ McKenzie’s 10:30pm
Poker @ Tombstone
Mobis Basketball
Game 7pm
Photography Exhibit
February 6th - 12th
Culture and Arts Center Art Gallery
www.ucac.or.kr
See Page 4 For Details
Saxaphone Quintet @
Hyundai Arts Center
8pm Tickets From
10,000 won
19
7
4
Pub Quiz @
Benchwarmers
Writers Group @ McKenzie’s Bar: Share your short stories,
poetry and music. Or just come and listen. [email protected]
The Ulsan Ugly Playboy Rugby
Team are back. Interested? Contact Benchwarmers at
[email protected]
Rock Climbing - Most Saturdays
and some mornings.
ulsanrockclimbing@googlegroups.
com
THE ulsan Pear 11
Korean Hip Hop and B-boys
Nicole Shirray
The Ulsan Pear
Hip Hop has circled the globe
and found a unique home in
South Korea. The music, and
the breakdancing that goes with
it, epitomizes Korean energy,
evolution, and controversy.
Hip hop and breakdancing have
their origins in urban American
culture. Korea got its introduction
in the mid 1990’s through movies
such as Flashdance and Breakin’,
and artists like Michael Jackson.
Early Korean performers imitated
the sounds and moves of the
American stars, but acts soon
emerged that incorporated their
own flavours, such as traditional
Korean music and martial arts.
Artists such as Seo Taiji and Boys,
Deux, and DJ DOC used the
Korean language to express their
own ideas as much as possible,
but censorship and a lack of
popular support limited what they
could say. Hip hop was seen as a
rebellious and negative foreign
influence on the nation’s youth,
and its performers and fans were
considered troublemakers who
were being disrespectful to their
culture. The social issues typically
brought up in hip hop music go
directly against the ideals of a
Confucian society which considers
these topics taboo. The rules kept
artists (of all music genres, not just
hip hop) singing about how great
life was, not about where change
was needed.
Over the years, as hip hop has
become more marketable and as
Gamblers Crew
some artists, such as DJ DOC and
Uptown, pushed the limits of the
censorship laws, hip hop slowly
gained acceptance and support.
It also came into its own, pulling
away from the pop genre, although
some acts still ride the line. Tasha,
of Uptown, was the first Korean
hip hop artist to prove that a
full-fledged hip hop album was
marketable, even with
a woman behind the
mic. Breakdancing
also came in big
after going through
it’s growing pains in
subway stations and
parks. Early B-Boys
were spat at, refused
rides by taxis, and
generally
despised
by most of the
population. That all changed when
they started winning competitions
after 2000.
Nowadays, Korean B-Boys are
a hot trend. They are in high
demand for advertisements and
events, because of their passion
and die-hard spirit. They are
considered some of the top BBoys in the world, with their
high energy and dedication
propelling them above the rest.
They have won top honors in
events in Germany, France, the
UK and the USA.
Closer to home, a lot of events
and performances are just
coming to an end as this paper
goes to print, but there is still
one weekend left of BattleCatz
at Bexco in Busan. They’re
running on February 10 and
11 from 4 to 6pm. It’s part of
the London Carnival, so you
can browse around and make a
day of it if you want! Tickets are
15,000W each, and coupons
are available at Megabox for a
2,000W discount.
[email protected]
We Need Your Help
Jason Teale
The Ulsan Pear
My name is Jason Teale and I have
been with the Ulsan Pear since it
began. I have been through it all
with this idea-turned-newspaper,
but I must admit that these days
I am getting a little worried about
its future. To be brutally honest,
the Ulsan Pear NEEDS YOUR
HELP.
As you might have guessed, the
Ulsan Pear does not just magically
appear every month. It takes the
hard work and dedication of a
number of individuals to produce
this publication. In recent times,
we have seen a number of key
individuals move on and have yet
to find anyone willing to replace
them.
There is more to the Ulsan Pear
than just clever writing and an
interesting cover photo. There are
people who design and layout the
newspaper, edit the submissions,
collect and acquire advertising,
and distribute the papers. It is
people willing to perform jobs
such as these which we are in
desperate need of.
Recently, the Pear has grown in
popularity around the country
and there is a demand for more
papers every month. This means
more papers need to be printed,
but due to unfortunate personnel
changes, we have been unable to
properly maintain our chief source
of income; ADVERTISING.
Advertising needs someone to look
after these important matters.
If you have noticed a drop in the
number of pages this month, it
is because we have had our usual
turnover in advertisers, but no
new businesses coming on board
to replace those who have left.
At the moment, we simply can’t
afford to publish at our usual
capacity. These are the direct
effects of a lack of staff.
The Ulsan Pear cannot survive
without the support of the
people of Ulsan. It is you who
make the Ulsan Pear what it is
every month and without you
we cannot publish this great
paper.
Currently we are looking for
people who can use Photoshop
and/or Adobe Indesign that can
help with the layout and design
of the paper. If you are willing
to learn or are already savvy with
these programs, please contact
us.
We are also looking for people to
run our Advertising department.
This is by far the most important
job. It is a great way to really
get out and meet people. What
better time to acquire a new skill
then while you have the time in
Korea?
Please take the time to think
about it. Are there any skills that
you have to lend to the Ulsan
Pear? Can you use a computer
and have a few hours to kill
each month making a cool
publication? Please, don’t let this
paper die.
[email protected]
Culture Shock - Family Style
Shawn & Josie Hines
Contributors
After planning to come to South
Korea for many months, emails,
express letters to consulates and
sending our passports away, we
finally had our tickets in hand
and were ready to board the plane.
Normally, teaching English would
be done by a single person or
perhaps a couple, but no, we had
to bring all FIVE of us to Korea!
Oh boy…
my way around the city and even
order Bulgogi all by myself. As
we stepped off the plane, I took
charge. Been there, done that.
This is where my eyes were reopened to Korea 2006.
After traveling, we made it to our
new 2 bedroom apartment. Really
a one bedroom with a big living
room, we crashed on the floor
after eating our first Korean meal
at 2 am. Our suitcases were our
pillow; we were home.
THE ulsan Pear 12
Next Issue:
was more expensive because there
were five of us. We took the train
instead of the buses, we took taxis
rather than the city buses and
this made life more expensive in
general. We spent a lot of time in
our apartment because of the high
cost, not really knowing about
cheaper alternatives.
About this time we began to
think we had made a big mistake
by coming here, but we stuck it
out, talked to other foreigners,
read the Ulsan Pear (shameless
plug inserted here), and learned
something new everyday.
Now we travel almost every
weekend to Busan or somewhere
nearby, cheaply. We buy our
western groceries at CostCo and
have a well-stocked pantry. We
have learned how to buy clothes
in Nampo-dong for the entire
family.
Photo by Shawn Hines
We took our children out of their
familiar school, packed bags and
hopped a long set of flights to
halfway around the world for the
sake of teaching and having a new
experience. Others buy boats,
bigger houses, nicer cars; we
decide to come to Korea. We are a
“do it” rather than “hear about it”
kind of family.
Then began the shopping, for a
single person this would have been
easy, for a family not so much.
Five yo’s, five blankets, five pillows
(Korean-style), five plates, you get
the idea. Now everything to cook
with, including food. We brought
a couple of American cookbooks
and quickly realized the limitation
to our meal choices: no oven.
20 years ago, I made it to Korea
through the military. I spent
my 365 days working as a
communications specialist in
Daegu. I thought I had it all
together. I could get in a taxi, find
We were so excited about
everything, we did so much wrong.
We bought western groceries at the
most expensive places because we
were afraid we wouldn’t find them
elsewhere. When we traveled, it
After the first six months of
adjustments and worries nothing
really scares us. We still worry
about traffic and we have a plan
for each months’ penny, but life
has relaxed and we are finally
getting more of what we expected
from this journey. We teach, we
travel and we are learning more
about our family than we did in
the United States.
For some, culture shock can be a
paralyzing fear that would keep
them at home, but for us, it is
an experience that is bringing us
closer together.
[email protected]
Law and Order
The theme of our March issue is Law and Order.
How does the Korean legal system work? What should you do if
you are in trouble? Any interesting legal stories? All contributions are
welcome, and other topics will be accepted as well.
Please send 500 words (and an accompanying photograph)
to [email protected] before February 19th. If you have
any questions, please feel free to ask!