People & Culture MAY 2011 JEJUDO ISLAND A NATURAL WONDER SEOUL FLEA MARKETS SAVING MONEY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 야구[ja:gu] BASEBALL KOREA’S FANS GO WILD FOR THE STARS OF THE DIAMOND www.korea.net ISSN: 2005-2162 Contents may 2011 VOL.7 NO.05 02 COVER STORY Professional baseball, one of Koreans’ favorite 02 pastimes, celebrates 30 years in Korea. 12 PEN & BRUSH Novelist Shin Kyung-sook’s English-translated Please Look After Mom finds world-wide fame. 16 PEOPLE Korean scientist Ryoo Ryong builds a reputation for his achievements in chemistry. 19 GREAT KOREAN Meet Syngman Rhee or Yi Seung-man, the first president of South Korea. 22 SEOUL Sarangchae at Cheong Wa Dae is one of Seoul’s most unforgettable tourist destinations. 24 TRAVEL Jejudo Island is an ecological treasure. PUBLISHER Seo Kang-soo, Korean Culture and Information Service 28 FESTIVAL EDITING HEM KOREA Co., Ltd Hampyeong hosts the Butterfly Festival in May. E-MAIL [email protected] 30 PRINTING Samsung Moonhwa Printing Co. NOW IN KOREA Seoul’s got some thrifty flea markets in town. All right reserved. No part of this 22 publication may be reproduced in any form without permission from 34 KOREA and the Korean Culture and SPECIAL ISSUE Information Service. Dokdo: A peek at Korea‘s easternmost point. The articles published in KOREA do not necessarily represent the views of 38 the publisher. The publisher is not liable SUMMIT DIPLOMACY for errors or omissions. Malaysia’s Prime Minister visits Korea. If you want to receive a free copy of 42 KOREA or wish to cancel a subscription, please e-mail us. A downloadable PDF GLOBAL KOREA file of KOREA, and a map and glossary Universities abroad feature Korean studies. with common Korean words appearing in our text are available by clicking on the 46 thumbnail of KOREA on the homepage MY KOREA 34 of www.korea.net. Temple Stay: A peaceful slice of Korean culture. 발간등록번호 11-1110073-000016-06 cover story KOREA’S FAVORITE GAME Professional baseball in Korea began with a slam — a grand slam, that is. Lee Jong-do’s grand slam on the opening day of the first professional baseball season in 1982 proved to be a good omen, as pro baseball would grow into the nation’s most popular sport. Today, fans turn out in droves to see the titans of Korea play ball. by Park Kwang-min | photograph by Kim Hong-jin Jamsil Stadium was a packed house on April 9 for the Doosan Bears vs Kia Tigers game. (From opposite left to right) Korean traditional fan dance performance It all started on March 27 in 1982— clapped to the beat of his so-called fight The professional league was launched before the opening game of Korea’s Tigers have won 10 championships, “Since its inception, professional song, and took pictures of the home th first pro baseball league in 1982; The that was the day professional baseball in 1982, and now in its 30 season, Haitai Tigers celebrates its eighth more than any other franchise, and baseball has been beloved by people began in Korea. This year, Korean fans along the first base. When the baseball is the nation’s most popular victory, tossing the coach into the air they’re the Korean equivalent of the New all over the nation,” says You Young- th in 1996; Lee Seung-yeop is cheered professional baseball celebrates its 30 Bears clawed back with five runs in the sport. It has captured the imaginations after his 56th home run, Asia’s best York Yankees. koo, commissioner of the KBO (Korea year, and it has only become more seventh after trailing 7-2, Rockefeller of not just Koreans but also foreigners record, in 2003; A reception to In 1986, the Binggrae Eagles joined Baseball Organization). “We had commemorate the 30th season of popular with time. gave a standing ovation and high-fived living in Korea. Korea’s professional baseball league the league as the seventh team and some down periods in the 1990s with In its inaugural year, there were people around him. Marking its 30th season, the Korea on March 28, 2011. became the Hanwha Eagles in 1994. the foreign reserve crisis, but thanks only six teams with 141 players in the Calling himself “an avid New York Baseball Organization decided to In 1991, the Ssang Bang Wool Raiders to the passion of the teams and fans, professional league, compared to the Yankees fan,” Rockefeller says he was expand with a ninth club, and looks to became the eighth team, and in 2000, we’re experiencing a renaissance again. current eight teams with three times “deeply impressed” with the way Korean make it a 10-team, two-division league Haitai Tigers, Lotte Giants, Sammi SK bought out the team to turn it into Entering our 30th year, pro baseball in the number of players. This year, a fans kept cheering on their favorite by 2014. This year, the league hopes to Superstars, MBC Blue Dragons and OB the SK Wyverns. Korea is at a crossroads,” You adds. “We ninth team, NCsoft, is set to make its teams for the entire game. “I don’t know draw more than six million fans a season Bears. Over the ensuing three decades, Korea has steadily developed into will work even harder for fans who love debut. There are also rumors of further much about Korean baseball but I’ve just for the first time, and the players have the Superstars franchise went through a world baseball power. Starting with our game.” expansion that could see the start of a started to learn, and I want to find out worked hard themselves to keep people ownership changes, with the Chungbo the bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney The KBO is trying to look back on two-division professional league within more,” he says. “And the culture of fans in their seats. Pintos (1985-1987), the Pacific Dolphins Olympics, Korea finished third at the its 30 years, holding a special photo the next few years. of a team all becoming one is surprising. The 2011 season kicked off on April (1988-1995) and the Hyundai Unicorns inaugural World Baseball Classic (WBC) exhibition in commemoration of the Last October, Steven C Rockefeller It’s full of energy. It’s passionate. 2, with all eight teams in action. Fans (1996-2007) before being reborn as the in 2006, second at the 2009 WBC, and anniversary. At the reception to mark Jr, a world famous oil baron and a fifth I want to take this culture to the Yankee who had been dying for some baseball Woori Heroes in 2008. won gold medals at the 2008 Beijing the start of the 30th season, the KBO laid generation member of the Rockefeller Stadium in New York.” over the long winter flocked to the four The MBC team was sold to become Olympics and the 2010 Guangzhou out five major objectives: to introduce family, visited Seoul’s Jamsil Stadium ballparks in Jamsil of Seoul, Gwangju, the LG Twins in 1990, while Haitai Asian Games, going undefeated in nine a two-division league with 12 clubs by to watch Game Four of the playoff HISTORY OF BASEBALL IN KOREA Busan and Incheon. Each team will play became the Kia Tigers in 2001. The and five games, respectively. the year 2020; to draw 10 million fans series between the Samsung Lions and Philip Gillett, an American missionary, 133 regular season games, and the top the Doosan Bears. Rockefeller fully was dispatched to Korea in 1901 and four teams will reach the postseason, immersed himself with the Korean style founded the Young Men’s Christian with the champion determined in KOREA’S PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL TEAMS (2011 SEASON) of cheering, smiling at fans screaming Association (YMCA) two years later. October. The opening day was as wild as from the top of their lungs, and never In 1905, he started teaching baseball, had been expected, with all four games taking his eyes off every play on the then a Western ball game, to members sold out for the third-straight season. field. When the Doosan shortstop Son of the YMCA, and that was the birth of Pro baseball here was founded with DOOSAN BEARS KIA TIGERS SK WYVERNS NEXEN HEROES LOTTE GIANTS SAMSUNG LIONS HANWHA EAGLES LG TWINS Basement City : Seoul Gwangju Incheon Seoul Busan Daegu Daejeon Seoul Si-heon came to the plate, Rockefeller baseball in Korea. six original clubs: Samsung Lions, © Yonhap News Agency News Yonhap © Established Year: 1982 1982 2000 2008 1982 1982 1986 1990 04 | korea | may 2011 www.korea.net | 05 to ballparks; to start turning profits; to The KBO will also reorganize its break away from the right-handed majors, Chris Carpenter of the St Louis Hee-seop, “Big Choi” formerly with Korean baseball.” restructure the minor league system and minor leagues, the main source of batter, Sun’s slider broke down vertically, Cardinals pitched 22 quality starts in a the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Fans have been packing stadiums to support youth baseball; and to open a young talent, and support independent almost like forkball. Sun had such an row from May 13 to Sept 9 in 2005. Bob Dodgers, has returned home, along with from early on, hoping to get their baseball museum and hall of fame. leagues, while helping youth clubs set up aura about him that he could scare his Gibson, also of the Cardinals, had 22 former New York Mets and Los Angeles glimpse of stars such as Ryu Hyun-jin In addition to Gwangju, the KBO across the nation.