May 31, 2006

Summary by fumi-san "What Yong Joon wanted to say in the GQ interview"

Fumi-san summarized “what Yong Joon wanted to say in the GQ interview” on JOB. I would appreciate it if you would contact me if you wish to repost this information elsewhere.

From fumi-san’s post on JOB on May 30, 2006
Translated by flowerbossa

1. It is my fault that I don’t have a private life. I sometimes think that I need to change my personality, but it is not so easy. I don’t think I can live like this throughout my life.

2. Acting in “April Snow” was difficult experience for me, and I feel that the influence lingers even today.

3. I do not think I have a talent for acting. There are times when I cannot fit in with the other actors. Perhaps it is because I do not possess “ki” .

4. I have no intention whatsoever in maintaining a fixed image.

5. There were times when I could not sleep due to stress.

6. I sometimes feel the responsibility that I must do something for my country Korea. However, I feel a hint of “malevolence” when the media directs political questions to me. If you would consider the consequences of a political remark, there is not way that I can make a comment on such a topic.

7. My fans treat me as If I am a relative, and that is why I call them family. I think my family will continue to support me even after I get married.

8. The Korean media (some of the reporters) are not helpful. I was very displeased by the reports that went out saying that “I made a lot of money”. I cannot understand why everyone likes to talk only about money. The Korean wave should wane very shortly, if people continue to think like this.

9. I am interested in issues related to education, the environment, and health and I hope to start a business in these areas in the future.

A little humour goes a long way...


A marvelous post on "Quilt" by our sister Jaimez from Canada!
Enjoy!

-------------------------


Dear sisters, I almost make history today! I am this close to becoming the first woman ever who looks into the mirror and gets scared to death by HERSELF. So dear Yong Joon ssi and ladies, please take it easy ok? ......

It’s been reported that there has been a skyrocketing increase in female patronage into spas and esthetics salons for the past week.
Female clients walking in all displayed the same traits : lost-puppy look, panda eyes, elephant skin and loose ponytail.
It is believed that they all suffered from sleepless nights and major worrying for the SAME gorgeous Korean man!
Most popular services requested include the ‘Emergency facial resuscitation’, ‘Intensive peel till you drop’ and the ‘No-pain no-gain facelift’ treatment packages.
Major cosmetics companies in Asia, North America and Europe also apologized that the following products are currently out-of-stock until further notice (or until THAT gorgeous Korean man becomes happier) :

- all eye or nose or wherever-you-need concealers and correctors
- all firming or lifting or fortifying or revitalizing moisturizers and serums
- all wrinkle-minimizing or skin-detoxifying or complexion-smoothing or radiance-boosting masks and scrubs

Lastly, Scotties (little softie) and Kleenex inc. both announced a revenue hike of 300% in tissue sales primarily in the ‘3-ply, ultra-soft, tear-stopper’ category.
To meet the explosive demand, both companies promise to boost production by engaging in a full-gear 24-hour shift. Those poor trees must be shaking in the forest now!

♪    ♪    ♪    ♪   ♪

Translated into Japanese by flowerbossa (courtesy of Jaimez)


親愛なるシスターズ!今日、私は前代未聞のことをやってのけるところでした。鏡に映った「自分の姿」にあまりにもびっくりして、あわや命を落とすところだったんです。ですから、ヨンジュンシ、そして皆さん、気をつけて過ごしましょう。

<ペランド・フィナンシャル・ポスト誌より>

「世界中のスパ、化粧品、ティッシュー業界、ヨンジュンシへ謝意を示す」

世界中のスパやエステ・サロンにおいて、この1週間に新規に入会した女性の人数が記録的な伸びを見せたことが報告されている。

これらのスパやエステに足を踏み入れた女性たちには、同じ特徴が見られた-迷子になった子犬のような表情、パンダのような目、象のよう皴だらけの肌、そして中途半端なポニーテールである。
これらの女性たちは皆、とあるゴージャスな韓国人の男性をめぐる煩悶と不眠に苦しんでいると考えられている。
最も人気が高かったメニューには、「イマージャンシー・フェイシャル蘇生トリートメント」、「インテンシブ・とことんフェイシャル・ピーリング」、そして「痛みなくして効果なし美顔整形」が含まれているという。

また、アジア、北米、そして欧州各国の大手化粧品会社は、増産体制が整うまで(もしくは、かの韓国男性が幸せになる兆候が見られるまで)、次にあげる商品は在庫切れであることを謝罪している。

☆ すべてのアイ、ノーズ、あるいは必要な部位どこでも修正可能コンシーラー

☆ すべてのファーミング、リフティング、フォーティファイング、リヴァイタライジング・モイスチャライザーおよび美容液

☆ オール・リンクル・ミニマイザー、スキン・デトックス、コンプレクション・スムージング、そしてラジアンス・マスクおよびスクラブ

さらに、 スコッティー社およびクリーネックス・ティッシュー社は共に、ティッシュー部門における300パーセントの増収を発表しており、中でも「3プライ、ウルトラ・ソフト、ティアー・ストッパー」のカテゴリーの売行きが際立っているという。

この爆発的な需要に対応するため、両社の工場は、24時間体制による増産をめざしている。世界中の樹林が悲鳴をあげていることが、ほぼ確実であると推測されている。

May 21, 2006

People Who Supported BYJ - Part 1



Conductor -
Seikyo Kim


'I had watched "Winter Sonata" being fascinated by Choi Ji Woo-san's beauty, but it was not until later I became interested in Bae Yong Joon-san. (laughs) In this event, I only had a moment with him, but we shook hands and said our hellos. He was a very courteous person. He seemed to know that I was older than him. I got the impression that he was a man of good upbringing. I think it's a great thing to act decently. We passed each other in the hallway just before the event, and he looked at me with the expression, "I would appreciate your support" - I realized then, that he remembered who I was. Being a man who is always working with about 50 people around him, I had thought he would not remember me. Watching how considerate he was torwards others, and the respectable way he behaved as a human being, I thought he was a man with great charm.'

(Seikyo Kim conducted the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra at the "April Snow" Event, held at the Saitama Super Arena.
From Brokore Magazine, No.2)

May 19, 2006

Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye


I think many of you know of Yong Joon-ssi's love for photography.
He mentioned in an interview that one of his favorite photographers is the late Henri Cartier-Bresson.

Starting tomorrow (May 20), a film on this famous photographer will be shown in Japan.
It is called "Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye (2003)"

The other day, I found an interesting article in the Japanese newspaper called Nikkei Shimbun, written by his wife (also a photographer) named Martine Franck.
I found it interesting because there were so many similarities between this famous photographer and our Yong Joon!

So, for those who are interested, here is the translation:

The True Face of Henri
The Activities of Henri Cartier- Bresson Introduced Through a Film


(From the “Culture” column of Nikkei Shimbun May 9, 2006)

By Martine Franck (Photographer)

Frenchman Henri Cartier- Bresson is regarded as the most prominent photojournalist of the 20th century. As he was known for his reluctance in granting interviews and having his picture taken, it may be a surprise for many to hear that he had appeared in a documentary film.

Cartier-Bresson and Japan – a Long Love Affair

The film “The Impassioned Eye” was completed a year before my husband Henri died at the age of 95 in August, 2004. It was just after a major retrospective exhibit was held in Paris (this exhibit is scheduled to tour Japan in 2007), and we had just established a foundation to preserve and manage his documents and works. I think he wanted to give an account of his own activities, the work he did over a period of half a century.

A good friend took a documentary film over ten years ago, but Henri made an unreasonable demand asking the photographer “not to film his face” – he was extremely shy. However, in this new film, he talks avidly about his aesthetics on photography, which is introduced in the phrase “the decisive moment”, and also about such artists as Matisse and Degas, who he adored.

Henri would no doubt be truly pleased to know that this film will be screened in Japan. There are many fans in this country who regard his works highly. My husband, who loved to lay down on the tatami and took to wearing a yukata, served me a bowl of tea in the traditional style when we met for the first time. Until the very end, he maintained a happy relationship with Japan, something that resembled a love affair.

The Bond with Capa

Henri had first studied painting, but it was the needs of the times that led him to pursue a career as a photojournalist. During world war two, he was held captive by the German army, and succeeded in escaping on his third attempt. Thereafter, he became an active member of the resistance movement. His awareness as a “testifier of the world” developed around this time. Later, he traveled around the world with a set of Leica in his hands, witnessing the birth of communist China, and reporting on Cuba after the revolution. He also took portraits of celebrities such as the philosopher Sartre and actress Marilyn Monroe.

In 1947, he co-founded the photographic cooperative Magnum Photos along with such photographers as Robert Capa. Capa is also a photojournalist who is popular in Japan. Possessing talent and passion, the only thing they were short of was money, and on this Henri told me the following story. “When Sunday came around, Robert (Capa) would win at the horse races. I would be relieved every time thinking, oh good, we can pay the secretary”. Capa, who was an adventurer and a man popular with women, was a polar opposite of my husband in terms of character, but the two were united in the firmest of bonds.

Henri referred to a photographer as a “thief”, and a photograph as a “thrust of a dagger”. However, he was not a man who faced his subjects aggressively. His discreet attitude sometimes brought him luck.

In 1948, he was able to meet Ghandi, the father of India’s independence. Just a few hours after taking pictures of him, Ghandi was assassinated when he went outside the building. Right after this incident, a photographer by the name of Margaret Bourke-White who worked for the American Life magazine and my husband were given permission to photograph Ghandi’s body. When White used a flash to take this photograph, it incurred the wrath of the Indian people, and she was immediately deported from the country. Because my husband always preferred to use natural light for his photographs, he alone was allowed to stay until the end of the state funeral, and document this event in detail.

I would like to add that the “decisive moment” always present in his works does not mean a historical moment. Henri himself thought that “nothing that exists in this world is without a decisive moment”.


Concentrating on Drawing

This important photo that captures his friend and sculptor Giacometti is also a work that prompted Henri to reach for his camera, finding the sight of his friend walking towards the café (in which they were to meet) very funny. Behind Saint-Lazare Station, he stuck his camera between the bars of the fence, and captured the moment a man jumped over a puddle. I think it was not until later that he realized that a magical moment was captured there.

In the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, we preserve items such as the contact prints of his films. Presently, the curators of the New York Modern Museum of Art are studying the material. These are material which tells us how a photographer photographed his subject, and it may reveal something of the before and after of the “decisive moment”. However, as these are sources of a very private nature, my husband may be raising his eyebrows at this right now.

From the latter half of the 1970s, Henri worked harder with his drawings rather than his photography. It was partly due to losing the alertness required in journalism after the two operations he had on his knee, but actually, it may have been what he wanted to do the most. He loved fine art so much – he was a man who shed tears in front of a self portrait by the artist Bonnard. In the film to be shown in theaters from May 20, I think you will be able to see the unknown true face of Henri Cartier-Bresson such as these.

PHOTO: A.Giacometti, Paris 1961
photo copyright:Henri Cartier- Bresson/Magnum Photos Tokyo

Beauty spilling, overflowing...



The caption reads:

"Bae Yong Joon

Expressions, spilling out from the camera..."

Yong Joon must be miracle itself for the photographer.

May 13, 2006

When Twins Fall for Yong Joon-nim


Hello, everyone!
I would like to introduce a charming story that was posted.
I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

☆Originally posted in Japanese on JOB on April 14, 2006 by Belle Jouer Twins
Translated into English by flowerbossa

Dear Yong Joon-nim, and all of you who have gone head over heals over this man.
How do you do?
It has been a year and a half since I began reading the JOB, 8 months since I first responded to a posting on the board, and today, I am making my very first posting. I am so thrilled! I always enjoy reading the postings on the JOB, and often admire the writers for their talent.

Here in Matsumotodaira of Shinshu (Nagano Prefecture), the cherry blossoms have burst into bloom. It was due to start blooming on the 10th of April, but because of the cold weather we had last week it was 2 days late. On April 12, it was officially announced that they have started to bloom. Every year, we feel buoyant during this time of April, because our birthday always arrives when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. No matter how old we get, we can’t help feeling this joy every year…

What do I mean by “We”? Yes, that’s right, we are identical twins. Two years ago, we fell in love with this man at the same time. You may think, “That’s nothing unusual, you’re twins!”
But let me tell you, that is not necessarily so.

Our looks and faces are pretty similar. Once, I had taken her place when she needed to pick up a passport she had renewed.
What’s almost completely identical, is our voice and the way we speak. Because the characteristics of our voice, intonation, and the intervals during speech are the same, we often overlap each other.
“….hm, what did you just say?” we would often ask. It’s sometimes hard to distinguish my own voice from my sister’s. But, where we differ completely is in our preferences of color, and the type of men we like. My younger sister likes pink, and I like light blue. We did not think twice in choosing our BYJ Diary this year, and each bought the color of our choice. (If the shade was a little lighter, it would have been even better.)
As little girls, we often wore the same clothes in different colors.
Once in a while, we would dress that way even now.

Now, I get to the crucial part.
It was in fifth grade when we confessed to each other the names of the boys we liked.
Of course, it was a secret crush, so I told my sister, “I like Y-kun” (“kun” is an informal honorific) , and she in turn confessed, “I like J-kun” (both of these initials are pseudonyms).
Oh, good… we each liked a different boy.
Sighs of relief.

Ever since, we never became interested in the same boy in real life. The types and turn- ons we looked for were different.

God must have arranged it so that we would not quarrel over this matter – to this I am grateful.

BUT, we fell for a man called Bae Yong Joon at the same time.

We sigh over his beautiful looks, and are mesmerized by his too beautiful-to-be-true face and soft voice.
We admire him deeply for his sincerity in giving us his all,
his professionalism as an actor in expressing every character to its fullest,
and his manliness in speaking his mind in a dignified manner.

“This can’t be happening…”we say, but today, too, we find ourselves praying for his happiness.
If we would be allowed to borrow the words of a Korean fan, “Bae Yong Joon, you are a man who gives happiness to people with your very existence.” With all our heart, we wish he would enjoy the same amount of happiness that he himself gives to those around him.

The moment the two of us meet, there is no stopping us in talking about HIM.
Sometimes, we end up forgetting about what we needed to talk about in the first place, and later hastily call each other on the phone.

We are always together when we go to his movies and gatherings–we even visited to his country together.

Now and always, we shall talk passionately about the actor BaeYong Joon as well as Bae Yong Joon the man.
We intend to support him with passion but with a level head, while also caring about our own families.


Needless to say, what we wrote here is merely an account of our case, so if other twins out there think “Hey, wait a minute, that’s not so!” you have our apologies in advance.

Thank you, everyone, for reading my humble story.

May 5, 2006

BYJ in Real Life- as seen by President Sohn


Bae Yong Joon in Real Life – as seen by IMX President Sohn Il Hyung
(from Korean Drama Guide – “First Love”)
Published by NHK - August 2005


Chan-woo in “First Love” is Close to the Real BYJ

My relationship with Bae Yong Joon began from the year 2003. It started with my idea of holding a fan meeting for the Japanese fans, and I tried to get in touch with his manager. It took me 6 months to actually meet YJ, but since, I think I’ve been pretty successful in building up a relationship of mutual trust, not only as a business partner, but as human beings as well. I hesitate to say this, as it may sound tacky, but he calls me “hyung” (big brother), and shows his concern for me in many ways. He was with me for my birthday last year, and really put a lot of effort into choosing a present for me.

Because I am not very good in showing my concern towards others, I do not call him for matters other than business, but he calls me on his cell phone quite often. He says things like, “I know you must be busy, but are getting enough rest?”, or “We’ve got to think about our health. Let’s go for a physical check-up together” (laughs). He has dogs, and I have a bird at home, so we talk about pets, too.

On the topic of “First Love” being aired in Japan, he says that “I’m grateful, but I’m sort of worried about it because it is a drama that was made in the days when I was still a novice actor”. I, too, had my concerns as it is a series depicting the Korean society of a particular era, and I was not sure if the Japanese audience would enjoy it. But as things turned out, that was not much of an obstacle – I received enthusiastic comments from the fans like “I’m totally engrossed in it!” which made me very happy.

I was not living in Korea at the time when “First Love” had become a big hit there. But I did know that an actor by the name of Bae Yong Joon was immensely popular. My first impression of him upon seeing the drama was, “What a muscular kid!” (laughs) YJ was still a newcomer, so I would imagine that he was clueless about the drama world, and was busy doing as he was told. For that very reason, I think the real YJ comes through on screen. Also, the character of Chan-woo is similar to YJ. It seems that back in his high school days, there were times when he was quite naughty, and he was probably strong when it came to fights. I sometimes work out with him in the gym, and I can tell you that he is really muscular. It’s almost frightening when you are near him. (laughs)

One time, just by coincidence, I had a chance to watch “First Love” with him. He mentioned that he experienced a really dangerous incident when he was riding a motorcycle. “I really though I was going to die,” he said. By the way, I also saw “Papa” with him once, too. It seems to upset him quite a bit to see his own acting from those days, and he asked me to turn it off. He was full of vigor back then and that is appealing in its own way, but I have to admit that when it comes to depth of character, he is much better now …


My relationship with Bae Yong Joon began from the year 2003. It started with my idea of holding a fan meeting for the Japanese fans, and I tried to get in touch with his manager. It took me 6 months to actually meet YJ, but since, I think I’ve been pretty successful in building up a relationship of mutual trust, not only as a business partner, but as human beings as well. I hesitate to say this, as it may sound tacky, but he calls me “hyon” (big brother), and shows his concern for me in many ways. He was with me for my birthday last year, and really put a lot of effort into choosing a present for me.

Because I am not very good in showing my concern towards others, I do not call him for matters other than business, but he calls me on his cell phone quite often. He says things like, “I know you must be busy, but are getting enough rest?”, or “We’ve got to think about our health. Let’s go for a physical check-up together” (laughs). He has dogs, and I have a bird at home, so we talk about pets, too.

On the topic of “First Love” being aired in Japan, he says that “I’m grateful, but I’m sort of worried about it because it is a drama that was made in the days when I was still a novice actor”. I, too, had my concerns as it is a series depicting the Korean society of a particular era, and I was not sure if the Japanese audience would enjoy it. But as things turned out, that was not much of an obstacle – I received enthusiastic comments from the fans like “I’m totally engrossed in it!” which made me very happy.

I was not living in Korea at the time when “First Love” had become a big hit there. But I did know that an actor by the name of Bae Yong Joon was immensely popular. My first impression of him upon seeing the drama was, “What a muscular kid!” (laughs) YJ was still a newcomer, so I would imagine that he was clueless about the drama world, and was busy doing as he was told. For that very reason, I think the real YJ comes through on screen. Also, the character of Chan-woo is similar to YJ. It seems that back in his high school days, there were times when he was quite naughty, and he was probably strong when it came to fights. I sometimes work out with him in the gym, and I can tell you that he is really muscular. It’s almost frightening when you are near him. (laughs)

One time, just by coincidence, I had a chance to watch “First Love” with him. He mentioned that he experienced a really dangerous incident when he was riding a motorcycle. “I really though I was going to die,” he said. By the way, I also saw “Papa” with him once, too. It seems to upset him quite a bit to see his own acting from those days, and he asked me to turn it off. He was full of vigor back then and that is appealing in its own way, but I have to admit that when it comes to depth of character, he is much better now.

This is the hardest shooting I ever experienced”
- Said YJ at the set “April Snow”


I went to the see the set of “April Snow” about 3 times. The director for this film (Hur Jin Ho) doesn’t create storyboards - rather, he likes to change the actors’ lines on the spot. BYJ often says, “I am not suited to become an actor. The other actors are so great – they can do as they are told immediately. But I can’t do it.” Because he is not the dexterous type, he prepares himself thoroughly before a shooting. For example, even for a CM, he goes through days of preparation for just one line. At the site, even when the staff gives their OK, he is not satisfied. He insists, “Let me try that again”.

However, in this film, he is often asked to come up with things different from what he prepared, in terms of movement and expressions etc. That seems to be quite difficult for him. There are times when it takes all night to shoot a drama, and those tend to be exhausting physically. But for this movie, it seems to put a strain on him mentally, too, as he needs to create his lines with the director as they go along. But I think that this provides a good opportunity for him to find a new dimension in himself. There seems to be a change in his way of acting, and attitude as well. The experience of shooting this film will probably broaden his abilities as an actor. YJ himself said that he looked forward to that.

I saw fans at the set, but I think that probably puts pressure on him. For instance, the shooting on the first day took all night. It was a very cold night, and I think the temperature was about 10 degrees below zero. But YJ wants to smile for his fans because they are there at the site, that’s the kind of guy he is. Because he values his fans so much (to the extent he calls them “family”), he cannot ignore the fans that come to see him. He cares more about the fans than himself. I personally would prefer to provide him the environment to concentrate on the shooting.

He Really Gets talkative When it Comes to Tea

Yong Joon has tremendous curiosity, and an inquisitive mind. He is a meticulous guy, too. He loves good food, and would go out to eat at a traditional Korean food restaurant which could be an hour drive by car. He is very lively when he talks about such things. Because he knows so much about food ingredients and the diverse local cuisine of Korea, he gets pretty intense when he starts talking about it. He seems to cook himself, and it’s said that he is good at things like pasta. I think he likes Italian in particular, but he is OK with food from any country. As for Japanese food, he loves “natto” (fermented soybeans). He claims that he could eat bowls and bowls of rice just with natto. He has tried all kinds of natto, and came to the conclusion that the ones wrapped in straw are the best.

He has never cooked me anything, but I have been invited to tea. He loves tea so much that he even made a tea room in his home using furniture that was used in the film “Untold Scandal”. He has his tea parties there, and we would spend like 3 hours drinking tea. But it’s not like we’re enjoying a good talk while we’re drinking – YJ himself is constantly moving in and out of the room, pouring us tea, then washing the cup, and pouring us the next one. He makes comments like, “Notice how the aroma is different from the other one?” or “This one is from the so-and-so province of China”… Oh yes, it can go on for a LONG time. (laughs)

He is relaxed when he is dining or drinking tea, but other than those times, I feel that he is always tense. Perhaps it’s inevitable, having that kind of job. Also, he has a very strong urge towards improving himself at all times. For example, when we have a talk about China, you will find that he has studied about it when the topic comes up the next time. I think he can’t forgive himself for not knowing. He hates to lose, and even when we go bowling, he would play until he gets a score that satisfies him. He’s the type that would never give up until he wins. I’ve played video games with him a few times, and when I win, he would always say “One more game!” (laughs)

The Dream We Share is to Run a Restaurant with Local Cuisine

In my opinion, Bae Yong Joon is an actor who did not accomplish things with dexterity, and that is exactly why he was able to continue his career as an actor. He also put a lot of time in choosing his works. You can tell from the way he shoots “April Snow” and the commercials, that he is not the type to make many films in a year. However, though it was his usual routine to take many months off after doing a drama or movie, he will immediately start shooting the next drama after “April Snow”. I was very surprised when I first heard this, but I can feel the intensity of his spirit. The new drama deals with history. It’s not merely a period piece, but rather a fantasy, a spectacular drama. Because he will be playing a king who will appear in battle scenes, I think he will reveal a new aspect of himself, different from the intelligent and gentle character he has portrayed in the past.

What can be said about Korean actors in general is that they do not seek to only play roles with a fixed image, and this applies to YJ as well. In Japan, the image of his character in “Winter Sonata” is still very strong. Even with commercials, he is always asked to act as the Yon-sama in “Winter Sonata”. But I personally want to see him do something more comical or something more dynamic, a role which requires physical action. I really hope people can see much more of the YJ that people don’t know about, a new aspect of him.

Even now, he is constantly saying, “I have no confidence in my acting”. Although it is difficult to determine the criteria of good acting, I think he is an actor who is able to express himself in a way no one else can. He possesses strength while appearing to be gentle, and he has the magnetism to attract people in the most delicate of gestures and expressions.

I’m sure that fans want more opportunities to interact with him. But because YJ treasures his fans so much, he does not want to favor a certain group of fans. That is also the reason behind not wanting a fan club. It is because he considers his fans an important “family”. He is always thinking things like, what to do with the fans in Taiwan and Indonesia if he held an event in Japan...and what to do with the fans in the local areas of Japan if the event was to take place in Tokyo… I hope you would understand his feelings towards his fans.

I am hoping that I would be able to work with him in the field of cultural exchange, in areas other than film. One of the ideas we have is to run a restaurant that serves local cuisine that one can only eat in a certain part of the country. I have been talking about it with him from last year, and he is really enthusiastic about it, too. He already seems to have ideas on the kind of tableware and chopsticks he wants to use. Food has a history, and is a rich expression of the culture of the country, so I hope to introduce it to the Japanese people through serving food in a restaurant.

It is not my intention to persuade people to love everything about Korea. But I do hope to be active in providing opportunities for the Japanese to meet the people and culture of Korea, and to lead them to drop preconceived ideas and prejudice about the country. It is my wish to have people relate to Korea in a “normal” way, and not as something special.