Good news for bookworms

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Sinem Betul

Photos = Seoul International Book Fair

The Seoul International Book Fair will run from June 14 to 18 this year.

Basically, a bookworm is the larva of a wood-boring beetle that feeds on the paper and glue in books. In 1580 the definition was first used to describe a person who was unusually devoted to reading and studying. Actually, I don't know why the word is used for reading-addicted people, but when I think about, it sounds great to describe a person who devours a book overnight.

From June 14 to 18, there will be an international book fair in Seoul that's organized by the Korean Publishers Association. The first book fair was held in October 1947, under the name of the Educational Book Exhibition. After that, the fair was held intermittently, but from 2008 it has been organized yearly.

In 2016, the Guest of Honor country was Italy.

Since 2012, each year a different country was designated as a Guest of Honor country at the book fair. The first was mainland China. This year, it's going to be Turkey. The reason for choosing Turkey is that 2017 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Ankara and Seoul.

In this 60-year framework, "The year 2017 was mutually declared as Turkish-Korean Culture Year, which will be celebrated through numerous cultural activities in both countries." If you want to learn more about it, you can read this and this.

At the fair, Turkey will host a range of events, lectures and seminars for publishing experts in Korea, and hopes that Korean and international readers will take a closer look at Turkish literature. There will be events promoting Turkish writers and also art performances, including the traditional shadow play “Karagoz,” and a display about traditional paper marbling, or ebru. 

Some important information about the fair

The venue for the fair is Hall A, B1 at the COEX convention center in southern Seoul. You can visit the fair from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The fair is free if you have a Visitor's Pass, if you're under 7 or above 65, or if you have a disability. For elementary, middle, high-school and university students, the entrance is KRW 3,000. For all others, it's KRW 5,000.

For transportation and accommodation information, you can click here. Most importantly, the program of the fair is just a click away. 

By the way, I almost forgot to share the official social media accounts for the book fair. The fair is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Naver.

It would be great if I could attend this event, too. To be honest, I'm not a bookworm, sadly, but as a person who loves to learn more about other countries, this is a perfect opportunity to learn a bit about them. 

See you there.

wisdom117@korea.kr

'Ayla,' a movie based on a heart-breaking 65-year-old real-life story

Suleyman, a Turkish soldier who fought in the Korean War, and Ayla, a Korean girl who lost her parents in the war, met by accident and became father and daughter. (Dijital Sanatlar)

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Sinem Betul
Video = Dijital Sanatlar

"Ayla" (2017) is the untold story of fatherhood, love, hope, friendship and, unfortunately, the scary face of war. It is strong evidence that the father-daughter relationship is quite possible, not only by blood but also in the heart. 

In 2016, it was announced that there would be a film about Sergeant Suleyman and his daughter Ayla. He was a Turkish soldier sent to Korea, a place he was not familiar with, far away from his homeland. She was a little Korean girl in her homeland, but in an unfamiliar situation.

When the cast of the film was made public, expectations rose because they were all professional actors, and the music would have Fahit Atakoglu’s signature. Not very long ago, Turkish Airlines announced that it would sponsor the movie. Most filming took place in Turkey, and it's assumed that it would be screened in October 2017. 

Sergeant Suleyman (left) and Cetin Tekindor, who plays Suleyman in the movie, sit together. (Dijital Sanatlar)

Here are some shots of the movie backstage.

A brief summary of the film

On Sept. 17, 1950, the Republic of Turkey sent a brigade of 5,090 soldier to Korea at the behest of the U.N. In General Tahsin Yazici's command was a Sergeant Suleyman Dilbirligi, aged 25, who was one of the thousands of Turkish soldiers who went to Korea voluntarily. 

One night after bloody fighting against the enemy, while Sergeant Suleyman and his squadron were on their way to base, they noticed some kind of movement behind the bushes. Was it an animal or the enemy? The movement was a 5-year-old girl who was glaring at Suleyman with her eyes due to extreme fear, and her hands were almost frozen. This was how Suleyman and Ayla first met. 

Since it was not possible for them to look for her family at that moment, they had no choice but to take her with them to camp. She had neither an identity card nor could she speak, so they gave her a Turkish name, Ayla, because of her facial appearance that was round and bright like a moon. The camp became Ayla’s new home and playground. Ayla was an orphan princess who was stuck right in the middle of war and of an army that consisted of only men. While she was playing games and enjoying her childhood innocently, the war was still going on with all its cruelty just a few kilometers away.

Suleyman and other Turkish soldiers take good care of Ayla. (MBC)

Day by day, Ayla got used to the soldiers, learned Turkish, acted as an interpreter and called Suleyman “Baba,” or, "Father," and other soldiers became uncles and brothers to her. Making the best of being a father now, Suleyman looked after Ayla for 15 months. When it was time to return home, Sergeant Suleyman did not know what to do. He was in a dilemma between two choices. He would either stay with her in Korea or go back to Turkey alone. Because of strict rules, he was not allowed to take her with him. In the end, Sergeant Suleyman decided to take the risk of abducting Ayla. He put her in a large box that was among his belongings, but unfortunately, he was caught red-handed.

“You are like a daughter to me. Do not ever forget me. I will never forget you, and I will patiently wait for the day when I can take you in my arms again!” 

Heartbreakingly, this was how they parted. 

How did they search for each other? Were they able to meet again? How did they live until then? We will learn the whole story after watching the movie. Until that time, to learn more about updates about the film, you can follow official social media accounts.

https://twitter.com/ayla_filmi
https://www.instagram.com/ayla_film

https://www.facebook.com/aylafilmi

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZJQAWi0bCoGS6FZBmSS-NQ

I would like to thank PiaPinar Ercan, social media coordinator at Dijital Sanatlar, for her help and kindness.  

The touching story of a Turkish soldier and a Korean girl is made into a film and is scheduled to be released in October 2017. (Dijital Sanatlar)

wisdom117@korea.kr