Gimme Shelter

I was back to town right on time to attend the inauguration of the Young Architects Program exhibition at MMCA Seoul*... and to enjoy a bit of the rainy season, even if this one looks much milder than the biblical downpour of 2010 (see "Chusoaked").

Luckily, the ultimately MOMA PS1-ish theme was about 'shade, seating, and water', and the winning project provided the perfect shelter for both Tuesday's rain and Thursday's sun. 

Named Temp'L, like for a temporary temple, Shinslab's structure does have, with its whaleish white ribs, something of Niemeyer's Brasilia Cathedral. It also honors the 2015-2016 France - Korea cultural years (see "Bleu Blanc Rouge"): based in Paris, Shinslab Architecture is led by Franco-Korean couple Claire and Tchely Hyung-Chul SHIN.

In the middle of the museum's courtyard, Temp'L is a big chunk of a boat's shell upcycled into a welcoming space with windows to Gyeongbokgung and Bugaksan, and trees breathing life within it.

Could this non threatening, upside-down hull in the heart of Seoul, just hectometers from Sejongdaero, help post-Sewol Korea at long last start healing?

"Shinslab's TempL - YAP winner at MMCA Seoul. A cathedral-like boat shell, a shelter, not a haunting Sewol-ity (twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/750246322247114752).

Back to MMCA SEOUL (and the hull of YAP's winning project) (twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/750956684613283840)

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* hors les murs de MOMA PS1, this edition involved Santiago de Chile's Constructo, Istanbul Modern, MMCA Seoul, and Pippo Ciorra's MAXXI in Rome

That was 2015

So what struck you as the most important moment of 2015?

The hacking of Universal Studios in February? Most baekduologists now agree that KIM Jong-un wanted to enjoy a sneak peek at the plans of the attraction based on the movie '50 Shades of Grey', for the adult section of the famous theme park.

CHO Hyun-ah's prison break in April? The nation is still wondering how the Korean Air heiress could fool the medical staff, pretending to choke in an episode now known as The Pretzel Fury.

The Abe Statement in August? We all remember how the Prime Minister of the newly restored Empire of Japan apologized for not being able to resuscitate Hideki Tojo.

So many things happened in 2015*... Yet we haven't forgotten 2014. And we will never forget its most heartbreaking moment ("Korea Upside Down")...

Because that's the only way of not getting crazy, we will not forget to celebrate life in its full absurdity either. 

Seoul Village Season IX is about to start. Get ready.

And Happy New Year!

Except maybe for you, Jong-un:





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* for a full list month by month, see my miserable blogules "Happy New Year 2016" (in French: "Bonne Année 2016")

Cheong Alive, Jeonju Kicking

Last week, we had a fantastic time in a Jeonju blessed with a perfect weather... 

Autumn in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do - 20141010
twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/520443719456026625

... and a perfect alibi for returning to that lovely city: the 2014 Jeonju International Sori Festival (see links below).

Official poster of the 2014 JISF (Oct. 8-12) - sorifestival.com

I was specially looking forward to watching 'Cheong Alive', the opening concert:

Cheong Alive (淸 ALIVE), the inaugural concert

I knew that PARK Jechun and Miyeon would give their best, not only for Jeonju and Korea, but also for the country's younger generations and for the future, particularly in the wake of the Sewol tragedy. They delivered such an incredibly powerful creation that we came back the following night to watch it again, this time with 600 Korean kids in the audience.

'Cheong' is the SIM Cheong of Simcheongga, a great pansori classic that had already been adapted and updated in countless ways (some of which quite stimulating, like in "Bitter, Sweet Seoul"). In the story, the daughter of SIM sacrificed herself for her father, but comes back from the depths of the sea to become an Empress.

It took guts to cast only young pansori singers for the opening ceremony of such a prestigious festival, but the young talents were up to the task, and 'Cheong Alive' follows on from a long tradition, without forgetting to honoring pansori greats. Master KIM Cheong-man, the janggu player in that amazing 'Yeourak' Super Session (see "In the zone with Miyeon and Park Je chun"), even chaperons the younger generation during a multisensorial experience that's much more than a concert, an opera, and a musical wrapped in one. Bridging generations and lifting pansori to new territories, Miyeon's music claims you from the first to the last second, and keeps haunting you long afterwards.

'Cheong Alive', an amazing pansori musical for the Sori Festival opening ceremony in Jeonju. Bravo Park Jechun and Miyeon!
20141008 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/519813170731315201

*

Mind you, I also crave for more traditional pansori, and loved KIM Yeon's take at another one of the five surviving great stories of pansori, Heungbuga, where humor plays a much larger role.

*

But the Sori Festival is not just Korea's best festival for traditional music, and if Songlines lists it among the 25 best in the world, that's also because it is truly international, and proposes very high quality music that don't often reach Korean shores (that's all about heralding cultural diversity, remember?*). I'm sure Jechun loved the incredible percussionists in these Iranian and Armenian groups:

From Iran, Sialk Ensemble - 20141010 twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/520444186571460608

Duduk music from Armenia - 20141010 twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/520592506069594113

*

The beauty of having festival venues, cultural assets, and great eateries scattered across the hanok village is that you can always find quiet or busy spots, depending on your mood:

Visitors and characters from all horizons roaming Jeonju hanok village. Sori Festival full throttle - 20101009
twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/520057631625314304

Aaah Jeonju... special mention for the doenjang (with the zucchini leaves, bottom left) - #koreanfood - 20141010 twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/520373873405988864

*

Of course, beyond the festival and the hanok maeul, there's a lot to see in Jeonju. 


The Nambu market deserves a triple visit for its outdoor street along Jeonjucheon, its covered section, and its trendier upper floor.

Jeonju Nambu Market - 20141010 twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/520480117097644033

*

On the other side of the river, Dongseohak-dong is evolving into a arty neighborhood full of new cultural hotspots, but like in many other parts of the city, original vintage shop signs are preserved, and sometimes old trades, such as this time-capsulesque cushion puffing place:

One of Korea's few surviving cushion puffing services, in Jeonju - 20141011 twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/520717462656937988

*

We went on to an amazing trip across Southern Korea, but more about that later.

I'm very glad I could enjoy Jeonju with old and new friends, and wish Chip were there as well, to taste the makgeolli we prepared together last July for the festival inauguration:

Preparing makgeolli with friends last July (see "Soriju seems to be the sweetest word")

*

See all posts related to Jeonju and to the Sori Festival, including:

• on Jechun, Miyeon, and the festival: "In the zone with Miyeon and Park Je chun" (May 2014)
• on the hwimori flashmob: "World Cup v. Korean Keg" (June 2014)
• preparing the makgeolli for the festival: "Soriju seems to be the sweetest word" (July 2014)

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* talking about waves and shores, see "Heralding cultural diversity - a stronger and more sustainable Korean wave (Part I)", Part II, Part III

Mens Sana in Computore Sano (Seoul Digital Forum 2014)

Unlike for the 2012 edition*, I decided not to attend SDF 2014 with a "Press" card, but to remain in the audience... which still leaves opportunities to chat with innovators, particularly when they are launching impromptu roundtables at the cafe**, like Alan Mycroft, the enthusiastic father of Raspberry Pi who succeeded in bringing fun back into computer science and students back to both schools and playgrounds. Needless to say, Mycroft wishes Korea's education system were less destructive for creativity.

By the way: this country would be a much better place if failures were recognized as an indispensable component of innovation. In the wake of the Sewol tragedy more than ever, we must learn how to learn from our mistakes, instead of just firing people before they accumulate experience.

And let's not deter those who are willing to try, or turn down a 15 year-old because he's 15 year-old. Let's keep in mind that at that ripe age, Jack Andraka invented his 3-cent cancer detector:

Andraka also called for a democratization of science papers, which should be available for free - knowledge as a human right - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/469346406327529473

And Korea? Please stop looking for the Korean Steve Jobs. Remember that you have Kilnam CHON, who brought internet to Asia and cares for the billions victims of the digital divide. Remember that you never succeed by following the money, but always by leading in values.

1982, Korea's maiden internet network (the first outside the US). Meet its father, Kilnam Chon, at Seoul Digital Forum. twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/468913159601152002

An innovation literally brings something new inside a given environment, which means innovation shouldn't be considered without taking into account its impacts on the said environment, the time factor, the very process of "bringing". Ideally, innovation is simple, cheap, and democratic, and the innovator cares more about helping others than making money. The ideal innovator could well be Alfredo Moser, whose Moser lamp changed the lives of many among the poorest, but didn't change him (see "Alfredo Moser: Bottle light inventor proud to be poor").

Innovators need to be empowered, though, and that's what Mark Randall loves to do. At Adobe, he pushed the suggestion box to the next level by offering a "Kickbox" to all collaborators willing to develop a pet project. Nothing revolutionary, but a concrete message: we give you a process, some money, total freedom, so that you can give your best. And it works.

In any case, never forget to have fun. Like Guy Hoffman when he improvises on piano with his robot. Hoffman's take at anthropomorphy in robotics is not of the 'creepy' kind, like Hiroshi Ishiguro's*: instead of reaching for the most realistic humanoid, he focuses on human-robot interactions, UI/UX, and particularly body language, a universal, emotionally loaded language that speaks volumes.

Travis, Hoffman's latest cute bot was on stage at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, for a closer look and a more comprehensive understanding of his work, check his TEDx talk in Jaifa (more videos on his website - http://guyhoffman.com/category/topvideo):




As computers around us keep getting smarter, and as the best brains collaborate to decypher the human brain and make the next computers even smarter***, it's somehow reassuring to see masses embrace a technophobic human relying on his own intellect. But there as well, it takes a lot of work to make your creation look brilliant: "Sherlock" co-author Steven Moffat confessed that neither Benedict Cumberbatch nor himself were superior minds. And I presume that a robotic arm would have certainly come in handy for Moffat's book signing marathon - this waiting line tells a lot about Sherlock's popularity in Korea:

twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/469293346062495744

Of course, not all crimefighters are created equal. And I'm afraid Homicide Watch DC's vibrant activism could be misinterpreted as crocodile tears. If I second all initiatives to make police and legal systems more transparent, I suggested to Laura AMICO that people who've been wrongly suspected should be considered as victims, not just 'dropped charges' in the 'suspect' column. The more experienced KWON Hye-jin (Newstapa.org - Korean Center for Investigative Journalism, the local partner of the ICIJ / International Consortium of Investigative Journalists) has tamed her passion for truth by keeping her eye on the ball: emotions are one thing, justice and journalism different issues.

Yes, there were a few dull talks too - but again, failures are part of the innovation process. And the young participants to the first Global Hackathon will learn as much from their failures as from their successes. Maybe the Australian leader of the winning team will even learn to share the stage more gracefully in the future - but he doesn't need that if he's looking for a Job(s).

The 11th edition of SDF is over but, as a famous cyborg said, "I'll be back".

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* see "Seoul Digital Forum: Return To The Future"
** I wish I had more time to chat with KIM Sangbae, a MIT expert in biomimetics who does amazing things by learning from geckos, cheetahs, meshworms or cockroaches (check the (vi)vids on http://biomimetics.mit.edu/videos). The following day, in his talk, KIM showed the part of BBC's fascinating 'Meat eaters' with the cheetah, pointing out the position and the role of the tail during the hunt, but what strikes me each time I watch this slow motion masterpiece is the eerie stability of the predator's head, like a Steadicam locked on its prey.

*** looking forward to the findings and applications of the Blue Brain and Human Brain projects (Henry Markram - EPFL)... and to tasting the cherry-mushroom mix recommended by Cognitive Cooking (Rob High - IBM Watson).

SDF 2014, the program:
Wednesday May 21
09:00-09:10    Opening Ceremony & Keynote Address Opening & Congratulatory Remarks
09:10 - 09:30    ‘‘The Beginning of ‘New TIME’”
09:30 - 10:00    [KEY1 ‘Connect’] CHON Kilnam
10:00 - 10:30    [KEY2 ‘Capture’] Luis von AHN
10:50 - 11:10    [KEY3 ‘Resonance’] AN Yongil
11:10 - 11:30    [KEY4 ‘Unprejudiced’] WI Euiseok
11:30 - 11:50    [KEY5 ‘Wear’] Eric FRIEDMAN
12:50 - 13:10    [KEY6 ‘Programmable’] Alan MYCROFT
13:10 - 13:30    [KEY7 ‘Working Together’] Lia NAVARRO
13:30 - 13:50    [KEY8 ‘Borderless’] Tony LYU
13:50 - 14:30    [KEY9 ‘Simply Brilliant’]Alfredo MOSER, Illac DIAZ, Claire RIGBY
15:10 - 15:35    [KEY10 ‘Universal’]Sylvia CHAN-OLMSTED, RHEE June Woong
15:35 - 15:55    [KEY11 ‘Empathy’] Laura & Chris AMICO
16:00 - 16:20    [KEY12 ‘Emotional Innovation’] Kwame FERREIRA
16:20 - 16:40    [KEY13 ‘Understanding’] Simon Seojoon KIM
16:40 - 17:20    [KEY14 ‘Radical Connectivity’] Nicco MELE, YOON Youngchul
Thursday May 22
09:00-09:50    Keynote Address
09:10 - 09:50    [KEY15 ‘Uncommon Sense’] Steven MOFFAT & Sue VERTUE
09:50 - 10:10    [KEY16 ‘Brain-reading’] Henry MARKRAM
10:10 - 10:30    [KEY17 ‘Mind-reading’] Rob HIGH
10:50 - 11:10    [KEY18 ‘Moving Design’] KIM Bongjin
11:10 - 11:30    [KEY19 ‘Cure’] YUN Kyongsik, CHO Dongcharn
11:30 - 12:00    [KEY20 ‘Communication & Reflection’]HWANG Kyung-Sig & SON Wha-Chul
13:20 - 13:40    [KEY21 ‘Bridging by Sharing’] LEE Sangchul
13:40 - 14:00    [KEY22 ‘Creativity Within’] Mark RANDALL
14:00 - 14:20    [KEY23 ‘Unwalled Curiosity’] Jack ANDRAKA
14:20 - 14:40    [KEY24 ‘Seeing without Seeing’] Pete ECKERT
15:10 - 15:30    [KEY25 ‘Truth’] KWON Hyejin
15:30 - 15:50    [KEY26 ‘Learn from Nature’] KIM Sangbae
16:00 - 16:20    [KEY27 ‘A Duet’] Guy HOFFMAN
16:20 - 17:00    [KEY28 ‘Amplify’] Daniel Dae KIM, CHANG Tae You, KIM Younghyun, PARK Sangyean
17:10 - 17:50    [KEY29 ‘Hope’] The 1st Global Hackathon Ceremony (“善 Challenge”)
17:50 - 17:55    Closing Remarks · The End
Alternate programs:
SDF DeepDive I - Gaming as Illness and Social Remedies by Graduate School of Culture Technology, KAIST (14:30-17:00 Wednesday May 21) - LEE Dongman, SHIN Yee-jin, PARK Juyong, DOH Young Yim, KIM Huy Kang, SONG Gil-young, Jake SONG, LEE Wonjae, Park Jun Hyun, WOO Jae Joon
SDF DeepDive II - The 1st Global Hackathon “善 Challenge”by AppCenter with SBS Foundation (For 4 days & 3 nights Monday-Thursday May 19-22) - 100 contestants from 16 nations
SDF DeepDive III - Master Class for Media Writing: The Formula for Successful Storytellingby Korea TV & Radio Writers Association with SBS Foundation (14:00-18:40 Thursday May 22) - Steven MOFFAT, Ekuni KAORI

Obama between toppling Japan and sunken-hearted Korea

As the new "pivot to Korea-Japan", Barack Obama must be bracing for a very special trip that will lead him to toppling Japan and sunken-hearted Korea.

*

The righting of capsized Korea has not started yet (see "Korea Upside Down"). And as divers recover one by one lifeless bodies from the Sewol, the nation starts thinking about the other victims of the tragedy: survivors with PTSD, relatives left without psychological assistance, that vice principal who took his own life... or even journalistic deontology*.

At the same time focusing on the present, reconstructing the past, and working on future improvements, Korea as a whole adopted a new timeline. Always on.

Non-stop coverage of Sewol tragedy means that if you're an announcer, your ad will be covered with sad updates and casualty countdowns
twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/458029412860981248

*

Meanwhile, across the East Sea, Japan remains on the verge of capsizing into the dark waters of "ABEIGNomics", under the helm of a Prime Minister who persists in methodically dishonoring the nation:

"Obama ponders Sewol tribute or altering trip. Meanwhile, Shinzo Abe sends flowers to Yasukuni... #ABEIGNomics"

twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/458027878026719232

As if a fascist** ruler wasn't disgraceful enough for poor Japan: dozens of pro-Nazi demonstrators paraded in Tokyo, waving Nazi and Rising Sun flags, praising Hitler, and denying the existence of the Holocaust. Far from arresting these outrageous fanatics, the police protected them all the way***...

"In ShinzoAbe Japan, police protects pro-Nazi demonstration"
twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/458050106168582144

No, the Japanese democracy cannot survive with governments that support war criminals and police that support Nazis. It's up to each citizen to take a stand and prevent the nation from sinking. Even if "Abenomics" were to fail and precipitate the end of this infamous PM, Japan cannot afford to postpone any longer its obligation to face history and to cleanse a political system corrupted by Imperial Japan loyalists.

Hopefully, from time to time, moderates speak up to defend the honor of the nation and to denounce the government's attacks on democracy and the peaceful post-war constitution. I'm glad to learn that 200,000 copies of this book were sold:

"'What happens if you change the Constitution?' bestseller denounces ABEIGNomics"
twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/457778061421731840

*

So how did the situation evolve since "The Tripartite Summitulacra" in The Hague? Clearly, one party seems to have recovered while the two others took serious hits:

• Korea, as we see, is literally overwhelmed by the Sewol crisis.
• Obama's foreign policy is under crossfire: not only the US failed to make a difference in Ukraine after Syria, but changes are demanded in the approach of Asia Pacific (see "Re-balancing the rebalance: resourcing U.S. diplomatic strategy in the Asia-Pacific region" - "A Majority Staff report prepared for the use of the Committee on foreign relations United States Senate" - 20140417). Again, John Kerry is not seen as involved as Hillary Clinton with the region.
   
• Shinzo Abe simply bought time by accepting a first director-general meeting on Imperial Japan sexual slavery issues ahead of Barack Obama's visit. As expected, the meeting didn't solve anything. Bonus: Japanese lobbyists even managed to restore the "State Visit" status!

"Obama saves face of Emperor of Japan, not Shinzo Abe's: still 2-day only, but "State Visit" status
twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/452740025533210625

In this context, more will be expected from Barack Obama than sincere condolences**** or the nine Joseon seals to be returned to the Gyeongbokgung museum. And more than "unwavering friendship", we want to hear about unwavering principles. 

Again, the POTUS must stand for the victims of Imperial Japan sexual slavery system as a universal cause, not just by mentioning it as an issue to be settled between Japan and Korea because that's absolutely not the case: once and for all, Japan must chose between post-war peace and Imperial Japan revival.

*

And of course, North Korea will try its "best" to remain at the center of all discussions. As usual, ad nauseam:

"Ever the tactful KIM Jong-un: weird choice of photo op as Sewol tragedy unfolds"
twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/458111066984042496

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* see Kim Tong-hyung's "Media coverage on ship sinking has been pathetic" - whatever happened to the guidelines fixed by the Journalists Association of Korea following the 2003 attack of Daegu subway?
** again, I'm just telling it as it is: Shinzo Abe is a textbook (!) fascist - see all posts related to Shinzo Abe on Seoul Village, for instance "Saving Japan - Let's fall the Indecision Tree", "The Elusive Independence Day - When will Japan officially proclaim its Independence from Imperial Japan?", "Dear Japan, Please Say No To Abeignomics"...
*** see "日극우 "히틀러 기리자"… 나치旗 들고 도쿄시내 행진"(Chosun Ilbo - 20140421)
**** see "Statement by the President on the Tragic Ferry Sinking Off the Coast of the Republic of Korea" (Embassy of the United States in Seoul, Korea - 20140417)

On behalf of all the American people, Michelle and I send our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of the tragic ferry sinking off the coast of the Republic of Korea. The bonds of friendship between the American and Korean people are strong and enduring, and our hearts ache to see our Korean friends going through such a terrible loss, especially the loss of so many young students. South Korea is one of our closest allies, and American Navy personnel and U.S. Marines are already on the scene assisting with the search and rescue efforts. I’ve directed our military to provide any and all assistance requested by our Korean partners in the days ahead. As I will underscore on my visit to Seoul next week, America’s commitment to our ally South Korea is unwavering—in good times and in bad. As the Korean people deal with this heartbreaking tragedy, they will have the unending support and friendship of the United States.

Korea Upside Down

One month after Malaysia's MH370, the Sewol tragedy exposes Korea's own failures in crisis management.
24 hours after the incident, most of the 475 people on board (mainly students) remain trapped in a ferry that had plenty of time to be evacuated before it sank.

"Cruise ship w 500 'people on board calling for help by #Jindo. Sinking?"
twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/456228964269178880 (20140416 - 9:33 AM)

"For 140 mn, a nation watches its kids die. Incomprehension in #ChosunIlbo and across #Korea"
twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/456575173366276096" (20140417 - 8:29 AM)

Tragic incompetence on board, utter confusion on shore, this nation seems projected 20 years back in time, when the Sampoong Department Store collapsed.

Let's hope more lives will be saved, and lessons learned for the future.

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