.jpg) The five members of Dokdo Racer pose for the camera during an interview with The Korea Times at Seoul National University last week. Dokdo Racer is a project group consisted of five university students planning to travel around the world to “set the record straight” about Dokdo, the islets that are the subject of a territorial dispute with Japan. From left, Choi Byung-gil, Kim Eun-yeol, Kim Young-joo, Kim Ji-yae and Kim Yeon-a. / Korea Times photo by Han Sang-hee |
By Han Sang-hee
Changing history is not a joke: it takes time and effort, but it also grows from the smallest endeavors. This is exactly what five young and passionate Korean university students are hoping to achieve for some 170 days during a trip around the world.
On a chilly Friday afternoon, the five members of the “Dokdo Racer,” a project group under an adventure club at Seoul National University, were preparing another hour of rehearsing for their upcoming concerts lined up in a number of cities around the world.
Dokdo Racer is a project that was first launched in 2009 by a group of university students, who were interested in “setting the record straight” about Dokdo, the islets that are the subject of a territorial dispute with Japan.
They knew their steps were small, but nonetheless, they adventured around the world to share their beliefs and further inform fellow students about the small islets that were causing such controversy.
The Dokdo Racer is on its second adventure with four new members _ Kim Yeon-a, 21; Choi Byung-gil, 25; Kim Ji-yae, 21; and 20-year-old Kim Eun-yeol _ and their leader Kim Young-joo, 25, a senior at Yonsei Univeristy studying mechanical engineering, is pretty sure they have what it takes for the upcoming journey.
``The main goal is to inform the world about Korean culture and Dokdo,’’ Kim told The Korea Times.
All of the five members were interested in the issue, but it took more than mere interest to hop onto this project. Some, including the youngest Kim, were already participating in meaningful activities such as the volunteer group Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK), while others dreamt of continuing the first endeavor.
``I worked as the local manager for the first Dokdo Racer project in 2009 but before we could complete our work, the leader caught influenza A and so we had to postpone some activities. I always thought it was a shame and told myself that I would want to include meetings with Japanese students and teachers next time,’’ leader Kim said.
He added that there are so many people who understand the problem but fail to actually act on it, which was one of the reasons that pushed him further.
``I felt embarrassed to pass on the responsibility to others and turn a blind eye. We considered it as a challenge,’’ he said.
Instead of giving out fliers and walking around with placards, the members are planning to hold a concert called the ``Dokdo Concert,’’ making it more accessible for foreigners to enjoy and learn about their objective. Through the help of students at various universities and also Korean students who attend those schools, the five members will offer a performance comprised of ``samulnori’’ (Korean traditional percussion), ``talchum’’ (traditional mask dance), ``pansori’’ (Korean opera) and a ``gayageum’’ (12-string traditional instrument) performance. They have been learning and rehearsing from experts for the past two months, seven to eight hours a day.
``Dokdo may be an important issue in Korea and Japan, but it’s not elsewhere. Instead of pushing so much information to foreigners, we are planning to mix the necessary information with the cultural aspect of music and performance. We want them to become fans of Korea,’’ Choi added.
Collecting money was one of the biggest problems, but the members all pitched in about 6 million won each and are currently searching for support.
``If we do, great, but if we don’t, we’ll still manage it,’’ Kim said shrugging.
When asked what the final goal was for the project Dokdo Racer, Kim took a deep breath.
``Ending the dispute would be the final goal. It’s sad that the islets are a symbol of conflict between Korea and Japan, but who knows? Through projects like us, Dokdo may turn out to be a symbol of peace someday,’’ he said with a smile.
For more information on the Dokdo Racer and their journey, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dokdokorea or twitter at www.twitter.com/dokdoracer.
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