Photos - The Korea Times

Man-made Environmental Disaster

By Shim Hyun-chul Staff Reporter The clean sea off Taean, South Chungcheong Province has been turned into a ``sea of oil,'' which simply makes it impossible to believe that it served as a home for sea creatures and a reservoir for sea farming and fishing just a week ago. One of the world's most devastating sea pollution cases involving oil has emerged to directly affect not only the environment but also human health, causing illnesses such as laryngitis and bronchitis. Thousands of soldiers, police, officials and volunteers have been struggling to clean up the polluted area, however they it is still far from recovery. A total of 10,500 tons of oil was spilt and only 10 percent has been cleaned up. But amid the chaos, a large number of volunteers rushed to the scene to help and the number has increased each day. They believe this may create a slow yet diligent miracle. Experts say full recovery of the marine ecological system will take at least 12 years. shim@koreatimes.co.kr

Dec 13, 2007

The Scenic North Chungcheong

By Han Sang-hee, Shim Hyun-chul Staff Reporters DANYANG, JECHEON, CHUNGJU, North Chungcheong Province ― There comes a time when one senses a physical and emotional meltdown looming. A trip may work as a refreshing cure. The beautiful landscapes of the northern regions of North Chungcheong Province, located at the heart of the peninsula, will surely reinforce one's spirits. Danyang, Jecheon and Chungju are already famous as popular tourist spots with beautiful landscapes. These locations are historic sites of a civilization that was based along the Namhan River in prehistoric times. The three areas were also positioned right at the borders of each of the countries in the era of the Three Kingdoms (Silla, Goguryeo and Baekje), which made them the cultural center of three different intertwined societies. Formed by the Namhan River flowing through Mount Sobaek, the breathtaking scenery at Danyang, Jecheon and Chungju is enough to ease people's mind and soul. Danyang County is located in the northern part of North Chungcheong Province, and Mounts Sobaek and Worak Na

Dec 6, 2007

Unification Park

By Jung Sung-ki, Shim Hyun-chul Staff Reporters Located near a scenic beach on the country’s East Coast in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Unification Park offers a glimpse into the tragic history of the Korean War (1950-53) that left a divided Korean Peninsula. The 138,800 square meter park, which opened in September 2001, is composed of the Unification and Security Exhibition Hall and the Warship Exhibition Hall. The security hall is a ship-shaped pavilion where information facilities related to the history of the Korean War are displayed. The firearms and military gear used by North Korean guerillas who unsuccessfully infiltrated into Gangneung in a submarine in 1996 are also on display in the pavilion. In September 1996, a North Korean submarine ran aground on some underwater rocks forcing the crew to get out and try to return to North Korea. This prompted a deadly manhunt that lasted over a month. Twentyfive of 26 crew members were shot dead, while the South Korean casualties, civil and military, tallied 17. A decommissioned 4,000-ton warship, along with

Nov 29, 2007

Travel to Yeongcheon

By Shim Hyun-chul Staff Reporter Yeongcheon ― Blazing autumn foliage has passed away, and much of the land is now home to lone, thin trees that has shed its leaves. So perhaps its time to travel to the city where there are more stars that dot the night sky, the city of Yeongcheon in North Gyeongsang Province. Surrounded by Mount Bohyeon, which is an outreach from Taebaek mountain rage and Mount Palgong of Daegu, Yeongcheon is unusually blessed with stars. Not surprisingly, there is Mount Bohyeon Observatory here, one of the nation's three top observatories. There, every August, a Mount Bohyeon Starlight Festival is held, attracting students to experience the wonders of the universe. Yeongcheon is also famous for its variety of herbs. Its low hills yield herbs that are hard to found in the highlands. Drive along the No. 69 national highway, and once can view the beautiful picture that the multipurpose Yeongcheon dam, with its 64-meter-high, 9,640 ton reservoir capacity can make. In spring, cherry blossoms come in ful bloom along the 15-kilometer long road alongsid

Nov 22, 2007

Bosu Alley - Treasure of Second-Hand Books

By Shim Hyun-chul Staff Reporter Along the meandering alley in Bosu-dong, Busan, a motley group of kids, uniform-clad students and the elderly with their reading glasses are seen sorting through numerous books. It’s a scene that anyone who has spent their school years in Busan from the 1950s through the 1970s can easily remember. It’s also a scene that people can still come across in the socalled “Old Books Alley.” The alley winds about 150 meters, diagonally across from Daecheong Junction near the entrance to Gukje Market. Dotting the alley are innumerable stores that specialize in old or second-hand books. The alley has its origins in the Korean War (1950-1953). When people fled south to Busan during the war, one couple began selling old magazines from the U.S. Army base and other various books. With more colleges setting up campuses in Busan during the war, there was ceaseless demand for books. Some refugees sold books to sustain their family, while most of the purchasers were students and intellectuals with light pockets. “At its height, you had to line up

Nov 15, 2007

Tale of Dried Persimmons

By Shim Hyun-chul Staff Reporter There is an old folk story that says even if a baby doesn't stop crying at the mention of a tiger, it stops when given a dried persimmon, which led the tiger that was eavesdropping outside to run away at the thought that the dried fruit was more threatening. The truth, however, was that the only thing threatening about dried persimmon is its killer sweetness. The home base for dried persimmon is Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, the city that is the origin of the Nakdong River, and it is colored orange and red with persimmons at this time of the year. It is a busy time for the townspeople who are hard at work drying the juicy fruit. Considering that Sangju is responsible for 70 percent of the persimmon produced in the country, it is only natural that it is also a major producer of dried persimmon. The process of producing the dried fruit is not simple, and requires a lot of work. First, ripe persimmons must be picked and their skin peeled off. The stem of the fruit is then tied with a thread and it is hung to dry, taking about 45

Nov 8, 2007

Only Silence is Left in Chilgok

By Shim Hyun-chul Staff Reporter Silence pervades Chilgok, which was once a bombarded battle-site in North Gyeongsang Province. Surrounded by Mount Yuhak and Mount Gasan, with the Nakdong River running through the area, Chilgok is where the Dabu-dong Battle took place in 1950. The battle is remembered as one of the bloodiest conflicts during the Korean War, lasting 55 days and leaving 27,000 people dead. Traces of the event can be found in the Dabu-dong War Memorial Hall. Meanwhile, Chilgok is also sacred ground for Catholics as tormented believers fled to Hantijae, an area in the county, as a last refuge in the Joseon era (1392-1910). It was named Hanti Holy Ground after the numerous Catholics who were martyred here during this period Another must-see is the St. Benedict Waegwan Abbey, which was built in 1909 when five monks from the Ottilien Abbey in Germany came to teach. In 2006, a book of paintings by a leading artist of the mid-Joseon period, Gyeomjae Jeong-seon, was returned from the Ottilien Abbey and is now kept here. Chilgok is also famous as the site of th

Nov 1, 2007

Past Fades to Give Way to Tourism

By Lee Jae-moon Contributing Writer Under the bright and warm autumn sky, a family enjoys the peace, taking pictures and talking and laughing among themselves. A divided country ― Imjin Pavillion and Cheorlwon stand at this point of division. For the young, these places are like playgrounds. A young girl’s mind is more focused on the amusement rides nearby. Other youngsters who did not experience the Korean War (1950-1953), drop in a 500 won coin into the telescope to peer through to North Korea. The North Korea they see through the lens, is less a home of our brethren than a mysterious country that remains closed and inaccessible. Many know that this is where their grandparents come to get a glimpse of the homeland they left behind and where an old locomotive is placed with yearning to run the rails of a unified Korea once again. It’s time to ask whether we have not exercised benign negligence in letting our divided land turn into a tourist zone, as we became engulfed in the grandstanding rhetoric of the “last remnant of the Korean War.” There is another reminder of pain in the

Oct 25, 2007

Soaring in the Sky Seoul Air Show 2007

By Jung Sung-ki, ShimHyun-cheol Staff Reporters The Seoul Air Show 2007, South Korea’s biennial international aerospace and defense exhibition, kicked off on Tuesday at Seoul Airport, south of Seoul. A total of 255 domestic and foreign defense firms from 26 nations are participating in the six-day event, showcasing their high-tech aircraft, ground and naval weapons systems, space equipment and full scale mock-ups. The show, formally known as the Korea Aerospace & Defense Exhibition, was first held in 1996. The third event scheduled for 2000 was delayed to 2001 due to Seoul’s hosting of the Asia Europe Meeting in that year. About 80 aircraft are on display, including South Korea’s T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer, KT-1 Woongbi basic trainer, KO-1 forward airborne controller, F-15K and KF-16 fighter jets. Among the foreign aircraft on display are the F-15C and F-16C/D fighters, U.S. Boeing company’s K-135 tanker and an AH-64 Apache helicopters and the EC 225 SAR and the Tiger HAP helicopters of Eurocopter, a subsidiary of EADS. South Korea’s advanced ground wea

Oct 18, 2007

Floating Lanterns on Jinju Nam River

By Shim Hyun-chul Staff Reporter The Nam River cuts through the city of Jinju in South Gyeongsang Province. It’s where Nongae, a Korean gisaeng, or female entertainer similar to a Japanese geisha, threw herself into the water, tightly clutching a Japanese general during the Imjin Wars. On this river, where Nongae’s loyalty to Korea still flows, candy-color lanterns float along the river between the Jinju Bridge and the Cheonsu Bridge during the annual Flowing Lantern Festival. In mid-October every year, the city of Jinju in South Gyeongsang Province hosts the Flowing Lantern Festival on the Nam River. This year, it is scheduled from Oct. 1-14. During this period, about 50,000 lamps will light up Jinju, illuminating its painful past as well as its glories. The festival, which was selected as the best cultural travel festival, boasts more than 2 million visitors every year. It has its origins in the Battle of Jinju Fortress during the Imjin War. In October 1592, General Kim Si-min raised a torch in the sky and floated lamplights along the river to send military

Oct 11, 2007

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