Year of new things

In this month of year-end gatherings, old friends and acquaintances never fail to get together.

Koreans live a fast and hard life, and the last month of the year is a good excuse to put all things behind them and meet friends.

They talk about the old days but also about the new things they have attempted in the past year. One friend talked about how to mark his half-century on this planet, he climbed Mt. Jiri to watch the sunrise.

A colleague of mine recently wrote about his maiden attempt at running a full marathon. Another colleague, a designer, traveled for the first time to the southwestern Jeolla region, known for its rich Korean food and also a former politically disadvantaged area in the regionalism-beset Korean politics of the past.

A friend gave birth for the first time at the age of 43 to a baby girl, and completely transformed herself from a sophisticated urban lady into a bona-fide “ajumma.” Another friend attended her son’s first presentation at kindergarten.

In 2012, I tried live octopus and raw beef sashimi for the first time. I had feared possible hygiene and health issues should I eat them and consuming the two foods were something that required courage. My bottom line on the two dishes was to find them palatable. Both come marinated in sesame oil and salt, are gentle on the taste buds and are reportedly energy-providing foods.

On a macro-scale, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports was awarded a bonus of 100 million won for its outstanding work this year mostly in regard to the booming popularity of “hallyu,” or the Korean cultural wave. The biggest new thing to emerge from Korea on a global scale is undeniably Psy, who is jokingly referred to as the most famous Asian after Genghis Khan, as his horse-riding dance conquers the world.

People crave (when they are younger) and feel obliged (when older) to try something new at least once a year (in my case). It’s a good way to step out of one’s comfort zone and stand back for an objective look at one’s self and surroundings. Years come and pass and these new attempts become old but they become one’s own, perhaps the reason people pursue them.

So by the time this paper is printed, whether we will like it or not, Koreans will have a new president, or rather a president-elect, who will steer the country for the next five years starting February 2013. First and foremost on people’s list of expectations will probably be what new policies, changes or benefits will the new president offer? Campaign pledges have been aplenty but the mechanism of real politics has a life of its own to complicate things. In the cultural sector, all the candidates have similar proposals such as expanding the national budget for cultural affairs, supporting financially ailing artists to promote their creative works and also to allow everyone to enjoy the benefits of culture.

There have been interesting pledges but the worry is that the government may exert too heavy a hand in promoting cultural activities so as to stifle creativity and unnecessarily tie cultural entities and agents to uniform standards. The government is considering reforming the Korean Freedom Federation building in Jangchung-dong, Seoul, to a possible “hallyu exhibition center.” Other attempts are being made to build hallyu centers to lure more visitors and fans from abroad. All well and good but a better method to spread the benefits of culture may well be to incorporate them into the everyday life of Koreans, such as building more libraries, sports and cultural centers so culture doesn’t necessarily have to be bought but can be experienced. <The Korea Times/Kim Ji-soo>