Korean Literature In English

It's the culture, stupid!

By Shin Hyun-gook

With modernization and advances in technology the world is becoming an ever smaller place. And with it there is an ever growing need for international diplomacy.

On June 21, the 192-member U.N. General Assembly reconfirmed Ban Ki-moon, the incumbent secretary-general of the United Nations, for a second term of office from Jan. 1, 2012 to Dec. 31, 2016.

On Nov. 6, 2010, prior to the fifth G20 Summit in Seoul, I had the pleasure of interviewing Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at his residence in New York City. Ban participated in four of the last five G20 Summits and was in a position to remark on international issues in an objective manner. He had just returned from a worldwide junket: visits to a follow-up meeting in Europe on climate change, the ASEAN summit in Vietnam, the closing ceremony of the Shanghai Expo and a meeting with Chinese government leaders in Beijing.

His success has apparently had great influence on the youth of Korea. Sometime ago, I was driving down a narrow local road in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province and came across a yellow kindergarten commuter van with a notice on the rear window reading, ``Future U.N. Secretary-Generals on board.” Since his election, Ban has become a role model for many Korean youngsters. He has inspired many Korean boys and girls to turn their eyes towards prestigious international public offices. Many youngsters think of becoming a diplomat, bridging nations and cultures.

In preparation for such ambitions they may consider devoting some time to improving their foreign language skills, including English, and preparing for the state examination for a diplomatic profession in the government, which are basically the necessary steps to be taken. But once one becomes a diplomat, you are expected to carry out your duties with integrity, creativity, insight, compassion and understanding just to name a few qualities.

``It's the economy, stupid" was a phrase widely used during Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign addressing concerns over the economic recession in the U.S. Now, I would like to suggest to youngsters aspiring to hold diplomatic positions ``It’s the culture, stupid” to address the need for more cross cultural communication and understanding.

Shin Kyung-sook news (And a bit of - Korean Modern Literature in ...

Which writer does the public in South Korea most want to meet? The results of a survey of 20 thousand people by Kyobo Book Centre to mark the 30th anniversary of its opening show that Shin Kyung-sook, author of “Please Look After Mom,” was the number one preference. Shin was followed by Gong Ji-young and Lee Oi-soo. Those in their teens predominantly favored Lee Oi-soo, while those in their 20s favored Gong Ji-young. Readers in their 30s and 40s chose Shin Kyung-sook, while those in their 50s and 60s preferred Lee Hae-in.

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