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Mon, August 20, 2018 | 14:43

Opinion > Columnists > Bernard Rowan >

Ginkgos of Sungkyunkwan

Many people know about Samsung, the Korean chaebol of technological renown, global success, and economic might that is “everywhere.” Some people know Samsung is a major partner with Sungkyunkwan University, Asia’s oldest institute of higher education. But too few people know about Sungkyunkwan’s ginkgo trees. The ginkgos symbolize Korea’s endurance and vitality. My column concerns the nearly 500-year-old ginkgo trees, Natural Monument No. 59. We can find them in the beautiful complex of Confucian buildings also called Sungkyunkwan at the foot of the Seoul campus next to Daehangno. They crown...

Bernard Rowan | 2017-11-07 17:43

Trump won't attack

As if the Kim Jong-un era didn’t seem bad enough, now we have the era of Donald Trump as American president. These two chief executives have treated the public to an exchange of insults, taunts, and threats that leave many struggling to understand the prospect of war on the peninsula. Some see the American president as poised to attack the North. Many worry about the North’s response to any pre-emptive strike.

Bernard Rowan | 2017-10-24 17:10

Joseonjok and reunification

Have we thought about the Joseonjok lately? This term refers to the people living in Northeast China who are of Korean ethnicity and ancestry. The Joseonjok live in the provinces of Liaoning, Heilongjiang, and Jilin. The Yanbian autonomous prefecture in Jilin is a famous area. The Chinese government recognizes them as a minority nationality, part of the Zhonghua minzu. There are around 2 million Joseonjok. Many Joseonjok come to South Korea and may toil as seasonal workers. I’ve read that marriages between South Korean men and Joseonjok are now popular. I think the Joseonjok suffer discrimin...

Bernard Rowan | 2017-10-10 18:10

Moon and local autonomy

President Moon Jae-in has said Korea must do more to develop local governments. By that I hope he means more than just tourism and economic development, and he will further the basis for and culture of local autonomy in South Korea. What is local autonomy? Do Koreans need it today? There are three basic forms of national government: unitary, confederal and federal. Most countries have a unitary form of government. The central or national government exercises all powers except those delegated by the central government to states, provinces, cities, and other units of more local authority. Conf...

Bernard Rowan | 2017-09-26 16:58

Mara Island or Marado marks the southernmost point of South Korea, roughly 11 kilometers from the popular Jeju Island. Mara Island is popular, as a place of natural beauty, solitude for walking and reflection, and as a place of the famous haenyeo or diving grandmas. We need to think about Mara Island and cultivate its natural beauty and potential. Mara Island’s population is small, in part because the island is so small, less than a quarter square mile. One can reach Mara by ferry from Jeju. There’s plenty to see and do there. I enjoy walking around the island. It doesn’t take that long to c...

Bernard Rowan | 2017-09-12 17:31

Up from the DMZ!

These days I think of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as a negative symbol and don’t like it. Oh, I don’t mean any disrespect to the lives of soldiers and civilians past and present or to the significant investments of South Korea and the United States. So many men and women support the presence. Many provide layers of support surrounding the DMZ. The Zone remains a buffer between North and South Korea. It’s part of the armistice that ended open hostilities of the Korean War. This bloody chapter in modern history continues nonetheless. It continues because the war hasn’t ended. There’s no peace...

Bernard Rowan | 2017-08-15 17:50

North Korea backs off Guam threat

Remember Dongbaekseom

I’ve traveled to Busan’s Dongbaekseom Island and want to write about this special place. It's a monument to Korea’s success and a living site for learning and cultivating a spirit of peace. Located in Haeundae, a wonderful, growing section of South Korea’s second largest city, this “Island of Camellias” contains beautiful walking paths. It reticently showcases the global vision of President Roh Moo-hyun. It centers on a shrine to the Confucian scholar, Choi Chi-won. Just like the flowers that carry its name, Dongbaeksom continues to carry the everlasting possibility of life for those who bel...

Bernard Rowan | 2017-08-01 17:26

By Bernard RowanBusan may be South Korea’s second city, but it includes a monument central to the history of present-day Korea. I’m talking about the Forty Steps Stairway in Jungang neighborhood. Don’t overlook this deceptively simple space and place. I think it’s a symbol of the past and the way forward for Korea. That means a future of peace and eventual reunification. During the Korean War, the new Republic struggled. The Chinese Army and the North pushed the U.S.-ROK forces all the way to Busan. Many Korean people in the So...

Bernard Rowan | 2017-07-18 17:47

Hold that tiger!

This week I’m discussing the mythical figures of the tiger and rabbit. Recently, I visited Busan and stayed at a hotel that featured the remarkable portrait of a tiger with a rabbit smoking a pipe. The image surprised me a bit, and I’ve done some more reading about this pair. In general, the tiger is a powerful figure that doesn’t do good. He’s eager to kill and eat humans, and he appears as a source of danger and force without reason. His hunger represents the power of nature to destroy the human without aid of reason. The rabbit is a figure of good using his wits and trickery. The rabbit h...

Bernard Rowan | 2017-07-04 17:38

Thinking of Otto Warmbier

I’m finding it sad and disturbing to read about Otto Warmbier. He’s the American college student who took a trip to North Korea in 2015 and then suffered arrest and imprisonment at the hands of the authorities. Afterwards he likely had a heart attack and existed in a coma-like state. Last week, the North Korean government released him. Other Americans and nationals of other countries remain imprisoned there. On June 19, Warmbier died. It's a fool’s errand to visit North Korea. North Korea isn’t a friendly place. It's not an exotic location. It's not a suitable destination for an “adventure”!...

Bernard Rowan | 2017-06-20 17:37

Warmbier's death overshadows summit

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Family reunion with long-lost relatives