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Mr. Martyn. Howe
Hello, I'm Kim Yong-jae from Korea who participated in the WTC held in Skiatos, Greece. Thank you so much for asking for a conversation with Google Translator. I was surprised to hear that you like Korean movies. Recently, there has been a lot of noise in Korea due to the military service issue of the world-class singer BTS. ARMY and politicians are actively discussing because they have to enlist cultural evangelists who have made Korea known to the world through culture and serve in the military for two years. However, BTS themselves announced that they would join the military a few days ago. Korea has a conscription system, so it regards its military duty as sacred. I wonder what Britain's defense obligations are.
In Korea, there is a road called 'Korea Dulle-gil' that goes around South Korea. In other words, there are Haeparang-gil on the east coast, Namparang-gil on the south coast, Seohaerang-gil on the west coast, and DMZ-gil on the Demilitarized Zone. It is a long-distance trail about 4,500 km long. In order to promote this road, the government orders promotional projects from each local government, and low-priced houses in Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, often referred to as Naples of the East. As one of the promotions, I am in charge of the Namparang Trail guide.
I am the leader of a civic group called Tongyeong Gil Cultural Solidarity in Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea. We are engaged in civic activities to find and connect the paths our ancestors walked in the past, walk with members, study and share local history and culture. I am studying history in graduate school because I lack knowledge as I study local history together. It's hard to study at a late age (age 67), but it's also rewarding.
I am also interested in local roads. I am very interested in the walking environment with the belief that it should be a safe way for people to travel. I am interested in the connection of the crosswalk, the appropriateness of the signal system, and the children's commuting route. I'm actually doing that kind of course. Sir, I wonder what is the perception of pedestrians in England. In Korea, we are gradually improving people-centered awareness on vehicle-centered roads. Is there a group that investigates the walking environment of the city center?
Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, where I live, is a place where the naval forces of Joseon, the government of the past, won greatly to the Japanese military, and is a historic place where the Samdosu Military Control Camp was located. The naval general at that time was Admiral Yi Sun-shin, who used a turtle ship to defeat the Japanese. It's often compared to British General Nelson over his death on the battlefield leading to victory in the last battle.
I am spending time in Korea far away wishing for your health.
Kim Yongjae on October 20, 2022
Martyn의 답장
Hello 백세청풍,
I am not that far from Korea now, I am in Japan on holiday with my wife, something we planned 3 or 4 years ago. I have lived in SE Asia for seven years, in Singapore (from 1966 to 1971, and 1998 to 2000) and travelled throughout, except Korea and Japan.
I will write a longer email when I get home to England, where I hope our crazy political situation is starting to get better. I am working with the Kinetika team on the Beach of Dreams Project, and we will be building contacts with trail walkers in the UK and Ireland.
Here is a small article I wrote about this project:
https://trailplanner.co.uk/2022/10/11/beach-of-dreams-from-a-chance-encounter-in-essex-to-an-exciting-project-a-walk-around-the-entire-coastline-of-the-uk-and-ireland-in-may-2024
Other Korean films I like are:
The Handmaiden
Train to Busan
Squid Game
Parasite (in Black and White)
The Wailing - just wonderful zombies
Minari
These are quite popular in the UK as they differ from generic Hollywood films.
Expect another email from me in November.
Martyn