#62 Jeonju and Jeollabuk-do

[스티븐스 대사]

Each trip I take outside of Seoul is an opportunity to see how much Korea is changing and reinventing itself.  At the same time these visits give me a chance to enjoy the traditional culture that is still so proudly preserved in some areas.  This blend of the new and traditional was evident during my visit last month to Jeollabuk-do.  The province is committed to robust and cutting-edge development but also tries to preserve Korean traditions.

On our first day in Jeonju, the provincial capital, we immersed ourselves in the arts and culture for which Jeollabuk-do is famous.  We explored the well-known Hanok Village, an area of traditional hanok buildings which I recall from my previous visits to Jeonju many years ago.  The village has been beautifully preserved and has become known as a center for traditional culture.  In the village, I learned to make hanji, a beautiful and durable paper made from mulberry trees.   We also enjoyed a drum and gayageum performance that gave me a renewed appreciation for the talented musicians who bring out such lovely music from these ancient instruments.  

I learned to make hanji, the traditional Korean paper.

Jeonju Mayor Song Ha-jin guided me on a visit to Jeonju Hyanggyo, a Confucian school that still holds classes after 600 years.  We met with the principal and some instructors and talked about how young students used to study there, month upon month, for exams.  I wondered if this was perhaps the origin of Korea’s education fever.  The biggest treat was seeing exuberant children in colorful Hanbok learning traditional etiquette.   

I really enjoyed my tour at Jeonju Hyanggo Confucian School with Jeonju Mayor Song Ha-jin and the Jeonju Hyanggyo Principal.

What  colorful hanbok on a cold day!  Group photo with the Jeonju Hyanggo Principal, Jeonju Mayor Song Ha-jin, and children studying traditional etiquette at Jeonju Hyanggo.

Speaking of traditions, it was a particular pleasure to enjoy the warm ondol floor on a cold night as we stayed in a hanok with a rich history displayed in photos around the compound, including one of Korean patriot Kim Gu and his delegation, who stayed in the very same hanok more than sixty years ago.

I really felt like I was in Korea when my restful sleep on a warm ondol floor was followed by a splendid Korean breakfast, with a variety of 반찬 (side dishes) made with fresh vegetables, along with soup and rice, that puts Western breakfasts of eggs and toast to shame.   

Photo of the Hanok Village from the window

The other focus of my visit was on the future: seeing Jeollabuk-do’s impressive development and learning about its ambitious plans.  Along the coast, I crossed the massive Saemangeum seawall, which encloses one of the largest construction projects in the world.  I was told how the developers are seeking to balance environmental concerns with the massive landfill project, including by continually adapting their plans to adjust to the direction of sustainable economic growth.

Saemangeum development site

Looking at a map of the Saemangeum development site with Gunsan Mayor Mun Dong-shin

Near Saemangeum I visited an existing industrial area where the factory of the car manufacturer GM Daewoo is located.  It was encouraging to hear that GM Daewoo is now in good health after facing difficult challenges in early 2009.  The GM Daewoo Gunsan Plant, which is operating at full capacity, produces sedans for export, facilitated by a private wharf only 2 kilometers away.  Roughly 84,000 sedans were produced last year which were exported to 67 different countries. 

I also saw a new project by Hyundai Heavy Industries in concert with an American company to develop wind turbines. The six wind turbines currently being built in Korea will eventually be installed near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.  U.S. – Korean cooperation like this is helping Wisconsin to work towards its goal of generating 25% of its electricity through renewable energy resources.  This partnership is evidence that what is good for business and trade can also be good for the environment.

Visiting GM Daewoo Gunsan Plant and consulting with its production manager

I stayed in the region for a Saturday bicycle ride up the Geum River from Gunsan to Nonsan.  With history and tradition on my mind, I reflected on the role that the Geum River has played in Korean history.  This was the path that the Tang forces from China took as they fought with Shilla against Paekje in that decisive battle.  Later, it played a role in the Donghak rebellion, and it was also a pathway for early Christian missionaries into the countryside.  The river was important in the development of Gunsan, including during the Japanese era, as a major port. 

At two different places along the river we happened upon Gosa ceremonies commemorating the first full moon after the lunar New Year.  To hear the mudang (shaman) perform rites with her beautiful voice while people tossed fruit into the river was a powerful reminder that these folk traditions are still alive.

We also saw enormous flocks of birds in flight.  The photo doesn’t really do it justice, but here it is.  This kind of scene was all too common a century or so ago; now, in most of the world, it’s a rarity.  I was pleased to see it along the Geum River. 

Migrating birds form a living, moving cloud over the Geum River

And we stopped for lunch at Ganggyong, where the local specialty is 젓갈 백반 (jeotgal baekban, fermented fish with white rice).  This is the kind of Korean delicacy that is almost impossible to describe to non-Koreans, and utterly delicious.  The women who ran the restaurant could not have been more hospitable.

젓갈 백반 (Jeotgal baekban), Korean delicacy in GangGyeong

We ended our bike ride at a temple called Gwanchoksa, in Nonsan, Chungnam Province.  Others planned the trip, so when we arrived and saw the Eunjin Mireuk, the Goryeo Dynasty standing Buddha, I was astonished.  The temple guide told us the statue was built tall to tower over the still clashing factions of a turbulent time in Korean history and to promote harmony.  As our guide wryly noted, while it seemed very tall back then, now it is lower than the apartment buildings where most Koreans live.  Still, I was astonished, because I realized I had been there before.  And when I got home, I dug out an old photo of me standing there with two Chungnam teachers in 1976.  Compare and contrast!  

In Gwanchoksa, back in 1976 with two Chungnam teachers and in 2010 with “Team Embassy” bike riders