Category: Busan

Some Smart, Sophisticated Events for Smart, Sophisticated Busanites (And Me Too!)

Busan is GOOD! 부산이라 좋다!

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes. Source: iamcacophony.

Sorry that I’ve been so neglectful and absent these past few weeks.

One excuse is just being very busy settling into the new semester.

The other is that I seem to be just inundated with interesting events to attend and people to meet these days.

For reasons, this is a very novel experience for me. So, lets just say the abstract concept of declining invitations, because it turns out I do still need to write, pay the bills, and sleep, has been slow to sink in.

Forced to be very selective from now on then, here are five events in Busan this month I’d still absolutely attend if I could. Unfortunately I’ll only manage three though, because two clash, and another is being held somewhere I already go to very often. For that one, I’m going to be a gentleman and leave a spot open for you instead!

First up, just yesterday I discovered Cacophony, the very sensual performer in the opening image (homepage, YouTube, Instagram), who’s having a concert on Friday the 26th at Ovantgarde, in the Kyungsung University–Pukyong National University neighborhood. Still very much in the totally smitten and infatuated phase, I’ve only just begun processing her work frankly, and haven’t seen anything about her in English yet sorry. But, based just on that MV alone, I had no hesitation in dropping 30,000 won on a prepaid ticket!

Next, at the Art Lee Chae Gallery Cafe, located between exits 2 & 4 of my old neighborhood of Namcheon subway station (one stop over from Ovantgarde), local artist Jemma Pallett is currently holding an exhibition of her work until April 23. Open from 9am to 6:30pm every day, Jemma herself will be there to meet and talk about her paintings on Wednesday the 10th and 17th from 11 to 11:30am. (I’ll attend at least one of those sessions.)

Next, this Saturday, April 13 from 2-4pm, Union Station, in collaboration with Tell Me Busan, is having a traditional Korean alcohol tasting event. Union Station, one of my favorite places in Busan, is a recently opened makgeolli bar in Millak-dong, just an easy 5 minute walk from the North/top/far end of Gwangalli beach. Perfect for a quiet, intimate, and easily accessible alternative to the crowded restaurants and and bars on the beach, it’s owned and operated by the incredibly smart and sophisticated Michelle Lee, who has a PhD in Psychology in addition to brewing her own makgeolli. In other words, the perfect host!

Honestly, I don’t even particularly like makgeolli. Despite that, I will happily drink hers, and those she suggests—it’s that good a place (her anju are great too).

Alas, I won’t be attending this particular event sorry. Partially, because I already attend the Busan Chess Club there once a week, and partially because I already drag friends and dates there on top of that. (To the bar I mean—not to the chess club.) But mainly, because of a clash:

Hosted by one of my other favorite places in Busan, Naughty Muse Studios in Songjeong Beach, which is owned and operated by the incredibly smart and sophisticated Anna Bodorenko (yes, I’m beginning to notice a certain theme too), I can not stress just how much amazing art is continually going on there, what a creative community is centered around it, and how many talented people I’ve met through Anna. While I sadly had to give up on attending classes there myself, never being able to find the time to work on my skills in between sessions, I still try to attend as many events there as I can (especially the movie nights):

Finally, great minds thinking alike, Michelle from Union Station and Anna from Naughty Muse Studios are collaborating on a combined watercolor painting and makgeolli-tasting event at the former, at 7pm on Friday April 19. Only just finishing work about then and already spending too much time at Union Station though, this is the event I’ll step aside from for the sake of any interested readers securing a spot. Not at all because I used to win prizes for my sketches as a teenager, only to completely ruin them whenever I tried to combine them with watercolor painting…

If you can make any of these events, then Yay! And please say hi!^^

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If you reside in South Korea, you can donate via wire transfer: Turnbull James Edward (Kookmin Bank/국민은행, 563401-01-214324)

“당신의 얼굴 괜찮습니까?/Is Your Face Okay?” Anti Deepfake Poster Misses the Mark

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes.

An ad at my local Busan subway station, which I’d never given a second thought to until today. I had no reason to—with a title and image like that, I’d assumed it was for some kind of beauty app or filter.

Then my aging eyes finally noticed the “딥페이크/Deepfake,” and I did a double-take:

It reads:

당신의 얼굴 괜찮습니까?

딥페이크로 인한 성 범죄가 매년 증가하고 있습니다. 성폭력처벌법 제14조의 2에 의거해 타인의 얼굴이나 신체 등을 허위 영상물로 만들거나 배포하면 5년 이하 징역 또는 5천만 원 인하의 벌금에 처하게 됩니다.

Is Your Face Okay?

Sex crimes caused by deepfakes are increasing every year. Pursuant to Article 14-2 of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act, anyone who creates or distributes a false video of another person’s face or body is subject to imprisonment for up to 5 years or a fine of up to 50 million won.

This text, a bland rehashing of the law, feels like a real missed opportunity.

The issue is who this ad is aimed at. The “Is Your Face Okay?” headline seems aimed addressed to victims, and indeed a Korean friend assures me that it is. However, surely most victims aren’t unaware that deepfakes are illegal? Surely, more of a concern would likely be feelings of embarrassment, shame, that they themselves were to blame for them in some way, and/or worries about the impact on their jobs and livelihoods? So, the priority should be giving victims assurances that these are not at all the case, and that they could receive all the help, support, lack of judgement, and legal aid they needed at the Center.

In their absence, a more creative alternative is that the headline is a double entendre intended to mean “Aren’t You Red-faced/Ashamed?” to potential perpetrators, then letting them know what might happen if they get caught.

Which applies? Unfortunately, there’s no further information about it on the Busan Gender-based Violence Prevention Center’s website, nor does Googling/Navering yield any results.

So, without disputing the Center’s good intentions for a moment, again I’m forced to defer to my friend’s judgement. In which case, I think the poster really misses the mark.

What do you think?

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If you reside in South Korea, you can donate via wire transfer: Turnbull James Edward (Kookmin Bank/국민은행, 563401-01-214324)

The Not So Korean Podcast, Ep. 38: James Turnbull (INTERVIEW) – Sexuality, Feminism, Translation, Cats & More

Podcast Running Time: 1 hour 12 minutes.

Apologies all, for any distress caused at suddenly discovering I’m not a 20-something Korean-American woman (no, seriously—it happens a lot!), and thanks very much to Jay and Tim of the Not So Korean Podcast Team for all their hard work in putting this interview together. And to my cats Albert and Elliot too, who insisted on making their own contributions to the episode.

Please visit YouTube or Spotify for the full interview, which was recorded in October 2022. Please also make sure to visit the Not So Korean Podcast’s Instagram too, to get a quick taste of the huge variety of other topics and people Jay and Tim have covered. As you’ll soon see, their other interviewees are all far more interesting and knowledgeable than me!

If you reside in South Korea, you can donate via wire transfer: Turnbull James Edward (Kookmin Bank/국민은행, 563401-01-214324)

“Return to Seoul” (리턴 투 서울, Retour à Séoul) Now Playing in Korean Cinemas

Estimated reading & viewing time: 5 minutes.

Now, the most important thing to take away from this post is to appreciate what good taste I have. For *I* decided I liked this film, and booked a ticket, weeks before it became cool.

Next most important is the secret of how I learned of it: by subscribing to the YouTube channel 문다무비. Focusing on trailers of arthouse films with limited runs, and/or of repeat screenings of popular movies, if you live in Korea then it’s an absolute must.* How else, after all, can you persuade your dates that you’re smart and sophisticated? Other than by showing them selfies of you in empty theaters that is?

Unfortunately for my otherwise carefully-crafted persona, I am an alcoholic, so was much too busy to post about the film while it was still under most people’s radar. Fortunately for you though, it’s only just been released, so there’s still a week or so to see it. Also, in addition to glowing reviews by overseas critics, as well as a surprising amount of coverage in the Korean media, there’s Jia H. Jung’s Korea Times interview of Korean French adoptee Laure Badufle, co-writer and inspiration and inspiration for the film, which will do a much better job of persuading you to watch the film than I ever could have.

Especially when I haven’t actually mentioned the trifling detail of what the film is actually about yet:

Again unfortunately for my persona, I can’t hide how giddy with excitement I am to learn that Laure Badufle was born in the small town of Sacheon in South Gyeongsang Province before she was adopted, where I taught from 2001-2003; that will likely feature in the film, while neighboring Jinju, where I lived, definitely will. Also, because of the mixture of English, French, and Korean used, I’m relieved to see that Korean subtitles will be used, which will frankly make watching it much easier for me (I don’t know of anywhere with English subtitles sorry).

Yet despite all the recent attention, there’s still only 6 CGVs screening the film in Seoul, only 1 in Busan, and, ironically, none at all in Jinju. My fellow sophisticated Busanites at least though, will appreciate the perks that come with their fine tastes—in the form of an exclusive 44-person theater, with luxury armchairs!

*Update: I’ve just discovered artninecinema/아트나인 (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook), which is even more focused on arthouse films, and also hosts various related events. Unfortunately most for Return to Seoul are already over, but on Tuesday the 16th there’s a screening with critic Jeong Seong-il in Seoul.

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If you reside in South Korea, you can donate via wire transfer: Turnbull James Edward (Kookmin Bank/국민은행, 563401-01-214324)

“Yoni Garden” Exhibition Opens in Gwangalli Tonight!

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes. Image sources: (@gallery_gwangan) left, right.

Sorry for the last-minute notice for tonight’s opening from 6 to 8pm. But fortunately the exhibition itself, about “women’s sexuality and life stories reinterpreted through traditional Buddhist lacquer (통 옻칠로 재해석 된 여성의 성 그리고 삶 이야기),” will be held at @gallery_gwangan until Wednesday May 10. All are welcome, and tonight will also feature free wine and food!

Unfortunately, I’ve been having trouble finding any more information about artist Gabby Chu (가비추) and her work.* But presumably she’ll be there tonight, and she will also be present at the gallery for the entire exhibition (note the opening hours in the blue poster). On Saturday the 6th, she will be giving a talk (in Korean) about exhibiting overseas too.

See you there!

*Update: Gabby’s Instagram can be found at gabby_chu_ottchil, and her personal website at Gabbychu.com. I can also confirm she’s every bit as amazing and creative as I expected, and is very happy for you to visit and chat in English or Korean about art, feminism, and/or sexuality :)

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If you reside in South Korea, you can donate via wire transfer: Turnbull James Edward (Kookmin Bank/국민은행, 563401-01-214324)