Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.
Nigerian journalist urges literature exchanges
Jerry Adesewo, freelance journalist and CEO of Arojah Concepts, talks about bilateral exchanges between Nigeria and South Korea in an interview at The Korea Times office in Seodamun-gu, Seoul, Monday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Park Jin-hai
By Park Jin-hai
Jerry Adesewo was a Nigerian journalist covering the opening of the Korean Cultural Center in Nigeria when he discovered the beauty of Korea. Since making that discovery, he has become a Korea expert promoting bilateral cultural exchanges.
“Korea and Nigeria are similar in that we have a rich cultural history, both intangible and tangible, and that is why we connect,” Jerry Adesewo told The Korea Times in an interview held Monday in Seoul. Now a freelance journalist and CEO of Arojah Concepts, the 37-year-old was on a 10-day visit from June 23 to July 2, upon the invitation of the Korea Culture and Information Service(KCIS).
"Apart from India, Korea is the first Asian country whose dramas enjoyed such popularity. It was shown on Sundays and people wanted to skip church. That was my case, too. So later they changed the timing of the program," he said.
It was part of KCIS's program that invites a series of overseas opinion leaders to have a cultural experience in Korea and forge networks with them to further promote Korean culture.
Jerry said during the interview with The Korea Times that his country is not as distant culturally as it is geographically. The national television has two Korean dramas on air and the "Jewel in the Palace," which recently finished showing, was a huge success.
Also, a Nigerian team participated in a K-pop Cover Dance Festival and came third last year. The final competition in Nigeria this year will take place on July 23, before they are invited here for the festival, slated for September in Gangwon Province, Korea. He listed Sistar and SHINee as popular K-pop stars in Nigeria.
Aside from K-pop and dramas, however, he wants to introduce other areas of Korean culture - Korean literature and theater.
The company he heads is within the Korean Cultural Center in Nigeria and works in close cooperation with the center to introduce Korean culture to locals.
For instance, it hosts a monthly "play reading party,” where it picks a Korean poem or novel and participants read play scripts based on it and discuss related social issues. So far there have been 19 sessions and these included works of Korea's most respected poets such as Ko Un and Ku Sang as well as contemporary novels including Shin Kyung-sook's "Please Take Care of Mom" and Kim Young-ha's "I Have the Right to Destroy Myself."
It has also hosted an annual Korea-Nigeria Poetry Fest since 2011 under such themes as culture and friendship, intangible cultural heritage and womanhood.
Jerry now hopes that more young Korean contemporary authors, whose books are available in English, will visit his country and interact with the Nigerian community in book-friendly cities such as Abuja and Lagos.
"Nigeria is a huge market with over 200 million people. We love to read and if Korean literature gains popularity, I think it will open a new market," he said.
As a "theater-person," he also commented on his next move in that field.
"I've seen 'Nanta,' non-verbal percussion show, and 'Miso,' Korean folktale based musical, during my stay. I would like to bring these to Nigeria. Nigerian people would love them. And then I will bring Nigerian performances to Korea."
Jerry is a freelance journalist and contributes articles to newspapers such as The National Mirror, The Guardian (Nigeria) and Sunday Trust.