Finnish TV personality releases first Korean book

Finnish TV personality Taru Salminen, left, and Korean sociologist Lee Yeon-hee set off on a one-year journey to rediscover Finland and write a comprehensive guide to the country. / Courtesy of ViaBook Publisher

'Finland, the closest Europe' offers comprehensive guide

By Yun Suh-young

Cover of “Finland, the closest Europe”

When the reporter first had an opportunity to visit Finland last year, she was curious about the northern European country. So, before heading off, she wanted to gather as much information as she could about the country.

First, she visited the Seoul Library, the largest public library in the city, to borrow some books about Finland, but there were none that really focused holistically on the country. There were not even guide books that dealt solely with Finland, and the country was always presented as a package with other northern European countries. The books that did focus on Finland were either a personal essay about the author's experience of living there or a research book on the Finnish education system. Even the bookstores could not satisfy the reporter’s curiosity because, since there was not much demand, there was hardly any supply.

Just two weeks ago, however, the reporter received a parcel, which was an unexpected delight. A blue book titled "Finland, the closest Europe" in Korean, was sent by Taru Salminen herself (in her own writing). I had met her only once, at the joomak (tavern) she ran called "Taru Joomak," which served makgeolli, Korean rice wine, in Hongdae. Taru is an avid makgeolli drinker.

The book was a delightful surprise because, as its description states, it is the first of its kind to cover Finland in a holistic way. It is faithfully playing the role of a travel book but with detailed explanations on Finnish culture, from food, language, history and the natural environment, to the drinking culture, weather and currency. It is more of a comprehensive cultural encyclopedia than a simple travel guide. Although it is uncertain whether the reporter will ever have an opportunity to revisit the country, the existence of the book came as a source of relief.

Taru Salminen is a well-known TV personality in Korea since her appearance a few years ago on a local program, "Beauties' Chatter," aired by KBS. As one of the regular guests, the Finnish woman wowed the Korean audience with her near-perfect Korean, which even carried the cultural nuances and intonations of locals.

Salminen majored in East Asian Studies at the University of Helsinki in Finland. In 1998, she visited Korea for the first time to search for her pen pal but, charmed by the country, decided to settle here. She learned Korean as an exchange student at Seoul National University. She started appearing on TV shows because of her fluent Korean and spread Finnish culture through television while also promoting Korean culture in her own country. She has translated Korean author Shin Kyung-sook's popular novel "Please Look After Mom" into Finnish, the first of its kind.

One day, sociologist Lee Yeon-hee, who calls herself a "travel addict," appeared in front of Taru Salminen at Taru's joomak. Having visited Helsinki 10 years ago, Lee said she had so many questions lingering in mind about the country. So Lee, without planning, went to Taru's joomak and the two became best friends. To resolve Lee's curiosity, Taru decided to accompany her friend on a trip to Finland and the two decided to write a story about Finland. Their one-year journey to seven different regions in Finland is thus born as a book.