Indonesia's comicbook character Juki comes to Korea

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Stephanie Pradnyaparamita

Photos = Stephanie Pradnyaparamita

For Indonesians who like to read comicbooks, they must be familiar with one of the currently best-known comic strip characters, Juki. Faza Meonk, the creator of Juki, recently published "Si Juki : Seri Jalan-jalan, Petualangan di Korea," or "Juki : The Traveling Series, Adventures in Korea," at Popcon Asia 2017 in Jakarta on Aug. 5. This newest volume in the Juki series is really interesting because not many comic strip characters go travelling. The first edition of this travelling series is about Korea. Even better, there's a collaboration going on between the character Juki from Indonesia and Larva, the famous cartoon character from Korea. 

"Juki : The Travelling Series, Adventure in Korea" is basically about Juki and Juleha, his cousin, on their trip to Korea. When they arrive in Korea, Juki and Juleha meet Red Larva and Yellow Larva and the story of their adventures in Korea starts here. Along with their stories traveling around Korea, this comic book also provides not only information about some famous tourist sites in Korea, like Nami Island, the N-Seoul Tower, the Lotte World Tower, the Yeouido Hangang Park and Myeongdong, but also another 101 travel tips for Korea, like renting a portable Wi-Fi broadcaster, having hot packs in the cold weather, some explanation about Korean food, and even some information you should know before going to Korea, such as the need for Indonesians to apply for a visa to get into Korea.

Juki, Juleha, Red Larva and Yellow Larva also visit Pyeongchang and talk about the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games that will take place there next year. The most interesting part is when they visit Jumunjin Beach, one of the filming sites for "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" (쓸쓸하고 찬란하神 – 도깨비). Juleha is really excited, as that soap opera is one of her favorites. This part of the comic book really shows how tourism in Korea nowadays is not only about historical places or modern buildings, but also soap operas. Just like the two larva that are really funny, Juki and Juleha are mostly similar. They will bring a lot of laughs for readers who read this comic. 

As the comic strip is supported by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), people will really get a comprehensive and complete view of Korea, especially from the Indonesian point of view, in a very smooth and fun manner. Besides, Faza Meonk, the creator, is also an honorary tourism ambassador for the city of Seoul and has been given an award by the mayor of Seoul, Park Won Soon.

This comic book is actually suitable for people across all ages, and especially for those who want to visit Korea. You can get inspiration and even set a rough itinerary for your travels to Korea by reading this comic book. Hopefully, there will be more collaboration projects between Indonesia and Korea in the future, especially in fun ways like this comic.  

wisdom117@korea.kr

Korea confers Gwanghwa Medal on Indonesian official

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Magdalena Krisnawati
Photos = Magdalena Krisnawati and Korean Embassy in Jakarta

The government of Korea has bestowed  an Order of Diplomatic Service Merit, the Gwanghwa Medal, on the Head of the Indonesia Creative Economy Agency, Triawan Munaf.  

Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Cho Tai-young officially pinned the medal on Munaf in a ceremony held at the Korean Embassy in Jakarta on May 17. In the ceremony, Munaf was accompanied by his family, included his daughter Sherina Munaf, a well–known musician and singer.

The Korean ambassador said that the Gwanghwa Medal is the highest diplomatic medal given by the Korean government to a non-Korean who is considered to have been meritorious in improving the bilateral relationship between Korea and the other country.

“This medal is an acknowledgment of the contribution of that Triawan Munaf, the chairman of  the Indonesia  Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf), has made to further strengthening the better relationship between Indonesia and Korea,” Ambassador Cho said.

“It's also proof that the Korean government attaches great importance to its relationship with Indonesia. I expect that Triawan Munaf will make further efforts to promote a better relationship between our two countries.”

As for Munaf himself, he said that he is very thankful and that he feels honored to receive the medal.  “This medal will encourage me and  everyone at the Bekraf to do more to bring forward our two countries through cooperation and collaboration in terms of the creative economy, industry, trade and investment,” Munaf said.

Munaf has also been appointed as a liaison officer for the Indonesia-Korea relationship by Indonesian President Joko Widodo. There is quite a lot of Korean investment in Indonesia and there are still some obstacles in terms of day-to-day functioning. “It’s my duty to find solutions and to open opportunities to both countries in doing business," he said.

So far, Munaf has successfully  signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Korea and Indonesia government s in the creative industry sector. He has also enhanced cooperation in many other sectors , such as film, publishing, broadcasting and  various creative content industries. Munaf also supports many Korean companies to promote and invest in Indonesia, ever since 2015.

Korea and Indonesia officially started their modern diplomatic relationship in 1973. The governments of both countries have agreed to the establishment of a  strategic partnership in 2006. Today, Korea is the fifth largest trading partner  in Indonesia, and Indonesia is the 12th largest trading partner for Korea.

wisdom117@korea.net 

Indonesian singer shoots video in Korea

By Korea.net Honorary Repoter Magdalena Krisnawati

Photos = KTO Jakarta

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) in Jakarta has once again given its support to an Indonesian artist. This time, the KTO is supporting the young and talented Indonesian singer Calvin Jeremy, who just produced his new album entitled "Nostalgia."

Jeremy will film a music video in Korea for his song "All Right," a collaboration with Wouter Hamel,  a well-known jazz musician from the Netherlands.

Indonesian singer Calvin Jeremy is in Korea to shoot his music video. 

The KTO Jakarta announced on May 15 that the city of Seoul would be the main location for the video for "All Right." The dazzling scenery of Seoul, combining its modern and traditional nuances, will appear in the music video. The video will take in some of Seoul's more beautiful spots, such as the N Seoul Tower, the neighborhoods of Hongdae, Itaewon, Insadong and Myeongdong, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza and many other beautiful Seoul spots.

The busy atmosphere of Seoul, with skyscrapers and traditional buildings in the heart of the city, will be an enchanting background for "All Right." Seoul was considered suitable for the energetic rhythm of the song.

Seoul is a bustling city. 

Besides Seoul, Jeremy will also go to Gangwon-do Province to shoot the video for his song "Nostalgia." The beautiful landscape in Gangwon-do will give special nuances to the song "Nostalgia." 

The director of the KTO Jakarta, Oh Hyonjae, expressed his expectation that the appearance of Korea in Calvin’s music videos would atrract more Indonesians to visit Korea and to fall in love with the country. 

Jeremy also performed his song "All Right" in the presence of the mayor of Seoul City, Park Won Soon, at the Seoul Tourism Night, held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Jakarta on May 22.

Calvin Jeremy has so far produced two albums, "Selamanya" (2010) and "Calvin Jeremy" (2012). Besides being good at singing, the young talented artist was born on May 6, 1991, and is also good at acting and had stared in the film "Hasduk Berpola" (2013). 

wisdom117@korea.kr

The reason of many K-Fiction story

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Siti Martina

Photos = Siti Martina

I'm in Seoul! I'm going to Busan! Let's meet in Mokpo! That's the location in a recent novel I read. After finishing the novel, I can imagine how beautiful that place is.

That's what a young author in my country recently did. This is not the Korean translation of a novel. The story is entirely written by Indonesian young women, where they write their stories with Korean settings. Korea is popular in many countries, with what the waves of Korean TV shows and pop music sweeping across East Asia and elsewhere. Five years ago, I might have just watched soap operas or listened to K-pop, but now I follow anything about Korea.

I like reading books about most anything, especially novels. After some years learning about Korea, my reading tastes now turn toward love stories related to Korea. Are you curious as to what makes young authors here write such Korean fiction?

I've had the chance to chat with two young authors, Yuli Priatania and Indiastuti. Both of these young women are authors of Korean fiction.

This is an excerpt from the interview.

What made you decide to write stories about Korea?

I just love K-pop and Korean TV shows.

When did you get interested in writing Korean fiction?

In January 2011, because I was so amazed by the pop group Super Junior.

Who is someone who has helped you to get interested in fiction?

The pop star Kyuhyun in the group Super Junior.

Where do you usually get story ideas?

Everywhere, like just surfing online.

How do you feel after you write a book that's then accepted by a publisher and printed?

I'm so happy and so proud.

Yuli works as a novel editor, and she has loved K-pop and Korean TV shows since 2011. The first time she discovered Korea was with the pop group Super Junior. That led to her interest in writing Korean fiction. She's a fan of the band member Kyuhyun, too. The Korean fiction "And Then" is in its second printing, and was a best seller in 2015. Not only that, she has other novels, too, like "2060" and "A (Wo)man Scent."

The next interview was with Indiastuti.

What made you decide to write a story about Korea?

It all began when I fell in love with K-pop in 2010. I started to read a lot of fan fiction, but I got bored with it. I started to move on and tried to write fan fiction. This continues today, and eventually I loved writing stories set in Korea or which have a Korean theme.

When did you get interested in writing Korean fiction?

It's really been forever! When I was first interested in fan fiction, I would often write stories under the name of my favorite pop star, and put these on my blog. "Therapy" is the first novel that I made with other characters.

Who's someone that makes you interested in writing this fiction?

The publisher Grasindo is really good. They create writing events with rules: write a story on the theme of Korea. I heard about this competition from my friend Adel.

Where do you normally get the ideas for your stories? 

I usually write a story in my room in front of the computer, but to imagine the characters and to get an idea, I often get it after watching a Korean soap opera. Can you think of a person who could be an inspiration for me and my writing? 

Are the novels you write written to impress people?

I don't think so. I worried about this, too, because this is the first time I participated in the writing event. I really didn't have any time before the deadline. So when my work was accepted, I don't think my work was in accordance with the publisher's expectations.

How do you feel after you write a book and then it's accepted by a publisher and published?

"Therapy" is my first novel, so I'm really proud of it.

Indiastuti is a university student majoring in literature. She's a 21-year-old woman who fell in love with all things Korean about six years ago, and she's a big fan of the pop group Super Junior, especially Kyuhyun.

Starting out as a hobby, reading Korean books in translation and reading some fan fiction, both became interested in writing Korean fiction. 

That's a short chat with two young authors. They were both winners of the Publisher Searching for Authors #3 competition in 2015. It was jointly organized by the Korean Cultural Centre in Indonesia (KCC), the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) and Hanin Post, all working together with the Indonesian publisher Grasindo. It took place alongside the Indonesian international book fair in 2015, where Korea was the guest country of honor.

According to the contest regulations, the winning stories are then published. Maybe if young people read a lot of Korean books, they'll get interested in writing their own stories related to Korea. 

Based on the conversation with both authors, that their love for Korea encouraged them to start writing Korean fiction. They both loved to read Korean books and fan fiction, and that helped them decide to write and create stories with Korean themes.

The world of writing needs authors with strong imaginations to create stories that give inspiration and impress their readers.

I think Korean novels have increased the enthusiastic writing of Korean fiction among Koreaphiles in Indonesia.

Just like them, I love to read Korean novels, too. I also like to write stories, and I love Super Junior. We can see how Kyuhyun and Super Junior had a great effect on the fans, encouraging them to develop their hobbies, in this case, writing Korean fiction.

This can be a positive thing for Koreaphiles. Give them a chance to find their talent, right?

How about you? Are you interested in writing Korean fiction, too?

wisdom117@korea.kr

Asian, African literacy week 2017

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Siti Martina

Photos = Korean Cultural Center Indonesia

In commemoration of the anniversary of the 62nd Asian-African conference, the literacy Asian-African week was held back in March at the Museum Konferensi Asia Afrika (MKAA) in Bandung, West Java, in Indonesia.

Running from March 17 to 19, this was the fourth such event since 2014. The show was filled with a variety of literacy activities, such as exhibitions, a book bazaar, movie screenings, and talks and discussions about the contents of the books. 

Meinarti Fauzie, the head of the museum, said that the purpose of this activity was to increase interest in reading among the public, especially among students.

The event also promoted the MKAA Library. The opening ceremony was attended by the chairman of West Java, along with the consul general from Korea and the vice provincial and city governor from the city of Bandung itself.

The first day of the event received a warm welcome from the public, especially the students. This can be seen from the crowds of enthusiastic visitors who were curious about the wide range of products and services on display.

The event also involved the cultural centers from different countries. One of the exhibitors was Korea. The Korean Cultural Center in Indonesia (KCC) took part in the event and made it quite lively. 

 

The KCC was set up in Gallery 1, along with an exhibition of books from the libraries at the Korean National Assembly, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ali Alatas Center, the Institute for Preservation of Cultural Values in West Java and a museum text of the Indonesian proclamation of independence. 

The performance troupe Hanbapeh performed in the opening ceremony on March 17. On March 18, there was a screening of the movie "The Royal Tailor" (상의원) (2014) and there was an explanation about Hanbok in the audio visual room.

Literacy Asian-African week this year tried to embrace everyone, including people with special needs, making it easier for them to participate in the event. There was a special booth for disabled people, and besides some books written in braille, the booth also provided some training for people who have physical limitations.

The event aims to increase public interest in reading and its three days were quite successful in this regard. The initiative seeks to contribute to the intellectual life of the nation, especially to the younger generation, helping them to become the nation's next generation of insightful citizens.

Source: Korean Cultural Center Indonesia, Nusantaranews.co, Mediakatakita.com, Jabar.tribunnews.com, M.ayobandung.com

wisdom117@korea.kr