busan haps iss 9

ceo: Ju Shin-hyeeditor in chief: Bobby McGilldirector of marketing: Michael Schneider art director: Russell McConnelldirector of public relations: Petra Jungmanaging editor: Jeff Liebschpublic relations: July Chai

contributing writers:Roy EarlyJohn BocskayAmber NewtonGus SwandaThomas BellmoreJ. LipskyBobby McGillMichael HendersonRon CieloJim BatchoJeff LiebschTory Mock

photography:Ben Weller (Cover)Mike DixonMathew GolemBmcSlade WaltersVanessa SmithSang Cho Stinkie Pinkie

contents

submissions:[email protected]: mikey.busanhaps@ gmail.comtranslation:

Y.P. KimHae Jeong Bae

october/november

THE ART ISSUEBritish sculptor, Henry Moore, once said, “There’s no retirement for an artist, it’s your way of living so there’s no end to it.”

Indeed, often forgoing financial reward, a sweet pair of Nike’s or the Captain’s Platter at Red Lobster, artists the world over do it for nothing more than the inspira-tion which compels them. And it is this drive, this sheer will to express that which flows within the deep wells of the human soul, that has given us such wonderful expression through the ages.

This issue of Busan Haps is dedicated to those that go that extra kilometer to make it yours to cherish: The artists. Be it painters or sculptors, free-form jazz play-ers or those who bring it all to the forefront, a mere 40 pages seems absurdly inadequate to give them their due. But hey, we tried.

Enjoy,

04 BUSANHAPS_october/november 2010

features

guides

reviewlocal food on the silver screen 26 secret reunion 32

regularsevents 05 short stuff 28 survival korean 30 subway map 36

art spots 16 on the beaten path 18 restaurant guide 33 bar guide 34

spotlightthe man in the middle 08 interview: haeundae mayor 10 the sole of busan 12 the scene behind the scene 26

the art of noise 06 im gook 20 artist profile 22

Pain

ting

by D

a-In Kim

events

2010 october/november_BUSANHAPS 05

october/novemberbusanhaps.com/calendar

Global Gathering 2010

Oct. 31, Haeundae APEC

Naru Park

www.globalgathering.or.kr/

Busan Live: Battle of the Bands Nov. 13 - Dec 11 Kyungsungdae, Vinyl Underground Facebook: ALL LIVE for more information

Prêt-à-Porter Nov 23 - 27, BEXCO, Busan www.pretaporterbusan.com


If you’re searching for the heart of the Busan jazz scene, you can narrow it down to one singularity in the space-time con-tinuum: Tuesday nights at Monk. It’s not the beginning or the end, but it is the place to start. While other jazz clubs in Busan have come and gone, Monk has survived. Another survivor is its long-time Tuesday night inhabitants Page One, led by gui-tarist Choi Sung Joon (최성준) and featuring Gordon Bazsali Jr. on trumpet and Choi Chang Geun (최창근) on saxophone.

Page One is, quite simply, the most talented gathering of musicians you will find in the city. Every performance is not only an education in jazz tradition, it’s a journey through the collective experience of musical performance and appre-ciation, with experts guiding you every step of the way. In a single set, they may blister through a Coltrane tune, funk up some Herbie Hancock, and swim through the warm, slow currents of a Dexter Gordon ballad. It’s a band that feeds off of improvisation and experimentation. Every player knows his instrument with such intimacy and skill that soloists are free to not only soar above the clouds, but change things up mid-flight.

While the American jazz tradition is steeped in urban folk-lore, Page One’s story—and in fact the story of the current Busan jazz scene itself—begins in the halls of academia. Choi Sung Joon, a music professor at Busan Arts College, started the project almost 12 years ago as an opportunity for his best students to gain live playing experience. Many of those players have gone on to success leading their own bands or becoming music professors. In the process, Page One has evolved into an outfit comprising some of the best performers the city has to offer.

Bazsali Jr. entered the picture 10 years ago. Fresh off the plane from Chicago, he wandered into a Nampo-dong jazz club called 천년후에 (1,000 years) to find Page One playing there. “I told them during their break that I thought they were

THE ART OF NOISE

By Jim Batcho Photography Mike Dixon

great and that I’m a trumpet player,” he recalled. “They said ‘OK, bring your horn next week.’ So I brought my horn and I’ve been playing with them ever since.”

“Them” is actually now down to “him.” Since he joined, the band has gone through so many changes that at this point Bazsali Jr. and guitarist/bandleader Choi Sung Joon are the only original members left. Two years ago, Sung Joon did a major reshuffling effort which led to the band’s current line-up. One of the new members is actually an old disciple of his, saxophonist Choi Chang Geun. “I was his student in college. I was the only one who could play saxo-phone well at that time. I didn’t know what jazz was at the time. I was classically trained. He said ‘You play saxophone, that’s it. Come with me,’” he recalled.

Chang Geun, who prefers to go by his family name “Choi,” played in the band briefly before moving to Vancouver, To-ronto and New York City to soak up the jazz scenes there. Upon his return to Busan in 2007, he got a job teaching at Busan Arts College and soon found himself reunited with Choi Sung Joon and Bazsali Jr. in Page One. The band has been consistent ever since, albeit not as active as one might hope. Tuesday nights at Monk is the band’s only gig. “I just do it for fun now,” Bazsali Jr. says. “Music is not my bread and butter. But if I didn’t do it, I’d go nuts.”

I saw down with Choi and Bazsali Jr. one Tuesday night to talk about Page One and jazz music in Busan.Busan Haps: Tell me about how the jazz scene has changed in the city since you guys have been playing.Gordon: About five years ago, there were at least five or six places that had jazz regularly. (In Kyungsung) there was Fly Me To The Moon. In Gwanganli, a place called...Choi: ...Giant Steps.G: Right. And another place called Jazz Styles and two clubs in Nampo-dong. So that’s five clubs right there. Plus Monk, which was in the same building, but in a different lo-cation. And now it’s pretty much just this place (Monk) as far as I know. There are no other places that have regular jazz.BH: Why did that happen?G: About five or six years ago, there were a ton of students, a ton of players. So you needed places to play. A lot of those guys recently have decided to go to Seoul to play.C: Everybody wants to go to Seoul. Here in Busan, there aren’t many bass players or drummers.

HAPSMUSIC


G: They haven’t all left. Some of the guys who do play in Seoul also play here at Monk. A lot of guys go back and forth. We both did that for a while.BH: Have either of you ever thought of moving up there?C: Not at all. For me, it’s all about the people here. I just want to play with these guys here like Gordon, the best trumpet player in Korea right now.G: Stop it.C: I’m serious!BH: You all seem to have a really good vibe on stage to-gether.G: Every gig is different. We never play a song the same way twice. That’s just the nature of jazz.C: We don’t practice at all.G: We get together right before the gig and work out the beginnings and endings. That’s it. What happens in between is jazz.BH: Choi Sung Joon is not only a great guitar player, he’s the band leader. Can you talk about him a little?G: The way I see it, he’s become the glue that holds the scene together. Without him, we wouldn’t have a scene. He leads by gently guiding us along and letting us just get on with it. If there’s any confusion or there’s a conflict, he’s the last word.C: He’s the boss.BH: Gordon, what’s it like being the only foreigner in the band?G: (laughs) It’s great. He (Choi Sung Joon) never yells at me. I want to think it’s because I’m doing the right thing, but I’m also protected a bit because I’m a foreigner. I’ve known him for so long. We’ve been friends for 10 years. I think we un-derstand each other well.BH: Since Monk is really the only legitimate jazz spot in Busan now, can you talk about the club and the owner?G: Dr. Yang. (양돈규) He is a jazz aficionado. He’s written at least one book on jazz. He’s the man. I can’t imagine the jazz scene without him. This place books jazz every night. They bring in bands from out of town and outside of Korea as well.BH: Any last thoughts?C: Come by and see us play!G: And if you’re a musician, come out to the club. Monday nights are open mic. There are always chances to play.

HAPSMUSIC

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE


HAPSSPOTLIGHT

BH: Where are you from?CJ: I was born in Seoul, but our family moved to the States when I was 9. I’ve lived in Los Angeles most of my life.

BH: Do you have family here?CJ: I have one aunt and three uncles on my dad’s side, two uncles and two aunts on my mom’s side. They are all here in Korea. Most of them live in Seoul. My uncle on my mom’s side live the closest in Daegu. Unfortunately, it’s hard for me to see any of them during the season.

BH: Did you play baseball?CJ: I played baseball all my life. I played in all the summer leagues when I was little, high school baseball at Glendale HS, col-lege baseball at Cal State Los Angeles and professional baseball with the Haitai Tigers in Korea. I was a pitcher.

BH: How did you get into the job of translating? When?CJ: This was something that was totally unexpected. I was happily working for the Los Angeles Dodgers when this opportu-nity came along. I was in charge of scout-ing in Asia (Korea, Japan and Taiwan) for the Dodgers. Jerry got the offer to manage

the Lotte Giants in the winter of 2007. Af-ter that, we had many conversations about Korea, Korea Baseball Organization, Lotte Giants and whatever else he was curious about. I even recommended some names for the position I have now. Unfortunate-ly....or fortunately for me none of those guys worked out and they ended up offer-ing me the job. After much deliberation, I accepted the job in early January of 2008 and came to Korea about a week later.

BH: How long have you been translating in baseball?CJ: If you grow up bilingual in Los Ange-les, you’re going to have some interpreting experiences. It was a natural progression when I got into baseball. I interpreted for my Korean teammates and coaches with the Haitai Tigers when we would train in Hawaii. I also helped out the Tigers front office during my playing days. My first year with the Dodgers was in 2000. That wasn’t my official role, but it sure came in handy. Los Angeles has a huge Korean commu-nity, which we were active in. The Dodg-ers also had a lot of dealings with people from Korea. In most cases, I was involved with all of those events/dinners/meetings,

When you see Lotte Giants’ coach, Jerry Royster on the field having a few choice words with an umpire, it is Curtis Jung who actually has to speak the manager's mind. Not only to umps, but players, the bosses and the media.

Photography by Bmc

etc. I also interpreted for executives and scouts that would make a visit to Korea. Tommy Lasorda visited one year, which was fun and nerve-wracking at the same time. I also interpreted for Choi Hee-Seop and Seo Jae-Woong during their time with the Dodgers.

BH: It must be interesting translat-ing the times when Jerry is argu-ing a call with the umpire. Consid-ering Confucian etiquette, do you tone down Jerry’s words or do you give it like it is? Can you give us an example?CJ: I guess “interesting” is one way of putting it. Using an interpreter is an art. You have to know not to speak for too long and give the in-terpreter a chance to interpret. Jerry is very good at speaking through an

interpreter and he and I are in sync....most of the time. Some-times that can all go out the window when the conversation gets a little heated. But there is no need for me to tone anything down. Jerry’s voice might go up a notch or two, but he doesn’t get out of line or cross the line. But a lot of times, I will yell alongside Jerry. An umpire told me once to stop yelling and that I didn’t need to get excited like the manager. But sometimes, I get caught in the moment and I find myself yelling just like Jerry.

BH: What is the biggest difference between baseball here and back in the States?CJ: Wow....let me think for a minute. I think the cultural differ-ences impacts the game differently. I love the Korean culture, especially the sunbae/hoobae relationship. And in baseball, you are always someone’s sunbae or hoobae. A fraternity might be the best way to describe it to someone from the States. Ev-eryone is everyone’s brother. And baseball is a very tight-knit fraternity in Korea. I think this is a big part of the reason why you don’t see a lot of the physical plays you can see in the States. You rarely see a runner crashing into the catcher at homeplate. You rarely see a runner taking a hard slide into second base to break up the double play. You don’t see a lot of pitchers brush-ing back the hitters to get a message across. In the States, all of the plays mentioned are expected from both teams and they don’t think twice about it after it happens. But if a physical play like that happens here, it can be talked about for days.

BH: How would you compare Jerry’s coaching style with that of other coaches in the KBO?CJ: Well...let’s just say that they are very different. I think cul-ture has a lot to do with this also. The emphasis on age is very important in Korea and there are certain social guidelines to follow. Along with the great knowledge of the game and ex-perience, Jerry also has the advantage of not having to follow these guidelines. I think this helps him tremendously in form-ing special relationships with the players and make it easier to teach. The Korean players would never think to approach their managers and joke around with them like they do with Jerry.

BH: What do you see yourself doing five years from now? Still in baseball or something else?CJ: Sitting at home polishing my Lotte Giants championship rings? I’m not sure exactly what I see myself doing in five years. But I’m pretty certain it would be something in baseball. I’ve been in baseball all my life and the only real jobs I’ve had are in the baseball industry. If I’m not working for the Lotte Giants, I imagine I would be working for a Major League Baseball team somewhere.

"in baseball, you are always someone’s sunbae or hoobae. A fraternity might be the best way to describe it to someone from the States. Everyone is everyone’s brother."


HAPSSPOTLIGHT

INTERVIEW: HAEUNDAE MAYOR

By Bobby McGillTranslation by Y.P Kim & Hye Jeong BaePhotography by Matthew Golem

Though a native of nearby Changwon, three-term Haeundae Mayor Bae Duk Kwang came to Busan in 1967 working as a tax collector, and has overseen the rapid development of an area that is becoming one of the premiere cities in Asia. His honor sat down with Busan Haps for a talk about what Haeundae was like in the past, and what he sees for it in the future, including his plan to turn the area into a marine sporting ‘Mecca’ and the highly anticipated move of the entire Korean film industry into Haeundae--a move that will bring upwards of 30,000 new jobs to the area. Busan Haps: Haeundae developed relatively late com-pared to other cities in Korea. What was it like before the development?Mayor: It was like a fishing village back then, with vast pine forests. I’ve lived in Busan quite a long time, but actually back then, I didn’t go to Haeundae. Perhaps this was because I thought it was just a calm resort area with only the beach and hot springs. BH: Did people not want to live near the beach? Why was it so late to develop?Mayor: At that time, Haeundae’s infrastructure was not ade-quate when compared to today’s Busan. It was too dangerous for investors to invest in the area because the environment was very wild and natural, so I believe the growth was later than that of other cities. BH: In your six years as mayor, what are you most proud of?Mayor: For the last six years, I believe I have instilled pride in Haeundae’s 420,000 citizens in that they can feel like first-class citizens of the world. I’m very proud of that fact. BH: Haeundae has 12% of the popu-lation of Busan. How important is the economy of Haeundae for the city overall?Mayor: Haeundae is the leading center of Busan in all areas, including politics, economics, society, and culture. BH: Are there any new developments coming to Haeudae?Mayor: I am focusing on making Haeundae the world Mecca for marine sports that people from all over the world can enjoy. We are going to invest 3 trillion won ($2.6 billion) in developing a tourist resort and rebuilding the Suyeong Yacht Club, as well improving Suyeong River, Dong-baek Island, and Song jeong Beach. So, we’re expecting Haeundae to be a global marine sports Mecca that everybody comes to enjoy by 2014. I’m also planning to develop ‘Moontan Road’ (on Dalmaji Hill) to make it a pleasant walking area and a landmark that is supe-rior to Montmartre of France. BH: The film industry will be relocating completely from Seoul to Haeundae along with the government agencies involved. How many jobs will that create for the area?Mayor: Yes, that’s true. The ‘Korean Film Council’ is going to come down to Centum City. Moreover, about a thousand related companies will move here, so we predict that approxi-mately 30,000 new jobs will be created. However, what I’m most concerned about is the rise in real estate prices. As you

know, it is high-priced even now. The more popular Haeun-dae becomes, the more housing prices will be increased. Of course, I’m so happy about the fact, but I also feel uncomfort-able as a mayor. BH: Ok, enough business. How about a couple questions about you. What was your first job?

Mayor: My first job was a tax collector. I worked for 30 years doing that and finally I became the superintendent. BH: When you were a young boy, what was your dream job?Mayor: I’ve wanted to be a successful public official since I was young. BH: What do you like to do to relax in your free time?

Mayor: I usually do hypogastric breathing. It’s like a Korean form of yoga. BH: This issue of Busan Haps is focusing on local art. Do you have a favorite artist?Mayor: I love to collect Oriental paintings and Korean tradi-tional paintings. Park Saeng-gwang (박생광) and Heo Baek-ryeon(허백련) are some of the artists I like. BH: Here is a tough one. What is your favorite place in Busan other than Haeundae?Mayor: I think it would be Suyeong where I lived for a long time and Gwangan Beach. Those are the places I think are the most recommendable for tourists. BH: Any closing statement you would like to say to Busan Haps readers?Mayor: You know, Haeundae is surrounded by a beautiful river, the ocean, mountains, and hot springs. These are four very precious assets. So, I wish Haeundae would be well pro-moted by the readers to their friends and family, so that many Europeans and Americans will visit Haeundae and enjoy its beauty.

"I am focusing on making Haeundae the world Mecca for marine sports that people from all over the world can enjoy."


HAPSSPOTLIGHT


In 1980, about three million people lived in Busan. According to the Footwear Industrial Promotion Center of Busan, one million found work somewhere in the shoe industry. It seems everyone must have been getting some kind of discount at ABC Mart.

In 1977, the first pair of Nike shoes rolled off an assembling line in the Sasang-Gimhae area of what was then known to the world as Pusan. In the first month, the Sam Hwa factory produced 10,000 pairs of shoes. By the end of the year, it was producing 100,000 pairs. That was just the beginning of the Nike factories that produced footwear in the city.

From the mid-seventies until the mid to late eighties, Busan reigned as the shoe capital of the world. Everyone set up factories here. From big players like Adidas, Converse, and Reebok, to a myriad of never heard of brands that supplied department stores and small-time labels all over the world, 80 percent of shoes were manufactured in this little city by the sea. The other 20 percent originated in Taiwan and China, respectively.

Busan ruled more than just the world of shoe manufactur-ing. They also held court over the materials that went into shoes. Before a portion of those million shoe industry work-ers put the shoes together, the other portion found them-selves busy creating the components for the footwear. In shoe lingo, components include things like outsoles, insoles, uppers, lowers, eyelets, tongues, shoelaces, and so much more. In many cases, this meant designing them out of raw textiles.

During this time, many of the biggest shoe innovations sprang from Busan minds. Do any of these sound familiar: Nike Air, the Reebok Pump, or Air Shox? These are just a few of the more well-known innovations developed here. Some-what ironically, that Rocker Bottom shoe that is so popular in Korea was actually first designed by a Swiss company called Masai Barefoot Technology.

Eventually, cheaper labor markets evolved and by the end of the 80s, Busan unwillingly relinquished its position as the

THE SOLE OF BUSAN

shoe leader of the world. Tai-wan and China flip-flopped factory ratios with Busan. However, while factories left Busan, ownership of the fac-tories did not. Korean com-panies simply moved to the lower labor cost cities and opened facilities. Though in reality, these days Korean and Taiwanese companies actu-ally own close to 90 percent of the shoe factories in China.

1990 - The year the shoe industry in Busan nearly died

The Korean government noticed the manufacturing base fleeing and took action. Realizing they could not compete with Chinese labor prices, they chose other ways to keep the industry alive. They did this through tax incentives, but also by pumping money into research, development and educa-tion. One of the more interesting things was the opening of the Korea Institute of Footwear and Leather Technology. Lo-cated in Busan and more commonly known as the ‘Shoe High School,’ enrolled students for reading, writing and arithmetic and shoes, shoes and more shoes.

The government’s strategy succeeded. By the turn of the century, Korea, specifically Busan, began establishing itself as a new kind of industry leader. Now, according to an indus-try insider, “Korea is known for producing (designing) the best materials in the world.”

The company Treksta (headquartered in Busan) stands as one shining example of this new dominance. Treksta distrib-utes the number two selling outsole in the world. They also designed the world’s first lightweight hiking shoe. At this point, they are the number one selling hiking shoe in Japan and Korea. Treksta can be found in just 30 countries and

From the mid-seventies until the mid to late eighties, Busan reigned as the shoe capital of the world.

By Roy Early

ranks number fifteen worldwide in sales. They just entered the U.S. market this year.

When asked about Treksta’s long-term goals, company president Kwon Dong-chil confidently expressed the foot-wear company’s plans: “To be ranked in the worldwide top ten by 2011, top five by 2014, and the number one by 2016,” he said. He comes across as a confident man running a company with a realistic goal

Busan’s Jinhae Free Economic Zone bustles with shoe ac-tivity. What starts as an idea there makes its way around the world in the form of new materials, designs and ultimately, better footwear for the world.

In 30 years, Busan grew by a million people. The shoe in-dustry grew in ways only feet can measure.


Settling down halfway around the globe, the last thing you might expect is to stumble upon proper entertainment that can hold a candle to the accustomed festivities of your for-mer turf. In Busan, those preconceived notions vanish in a flash. The plethora of homegrown ear and eye candy coupled with internationally touring artists that thunder through have planted this city on the map.

The boom of creativity bestowed upon Busan is due to dar-ing breakthroughs actualized by underground promotional teams. Here are four unique organizers that coordinate the events of the expat entertainment scene: RAD CITY!, allive, Better Magic Music Company, and Super Color Super.

The art-music coalition of a RAD CITY! experience, with sensory stimulation previously uncommon to Busan, lures herds of heady fans into Kyungsung. The brains behind the operation, Rhylon Durham, devised his master plan at the be-ginning of this year. “Some of us were having a keyboard jam session at a friend’s house, and realized that we wanted to do stuff like that all the time. We threw a show for some musician friends going away and had art displayed. It grew from there.”

RAD CITY! highlights musicians, paintings, photography, zines, video, graffiti, and collaborative on-site art creation from the crafty community of Busan. Anything that pushes the boundaries of these creative forms is embraced. Local acts perform alongside guests that fly in from other parts of the world on their tours of the East.

Along a similar thread, allive (aka Busan Live), delivers “Everything from stand-up comedy to theater productions, and live music acts - local, national, and international,” according to one of three founding members, Russell McConnell.

He works side by side with Paul Ostrowksi and David Khimasia, united by their sincere love of quality music. McConnell thinks back on the evolution of allive: “We started around a year ago with Busan Live: Battle of the Bands, and that was the catalyst for what you see allive doing today. Ideas and opportunities have been springing up ever since.”

Allive’s incessant dedication to the scene has resulted in jam-packed venues scattered throughout the nightlife centers of Busan. The Battle of the Bands series, which has the atmosphere of a music festival rather than a competition, is returning for a second year. Keep your eyes peeled for five rounds of foreign and Korean talent hitting local stages on Saturday nights through November and into December.

Allive went international in September, promoting the Busan leg of the Handsome Furs Asia Tour at Vinyl Underground. McConnell believes, “It was a huge sucess,

and it was growth across the board for us in all areas.”McConnell is enthralled with the current state of entertain-

ment in Busan. “We’ve been fortunate enough to have a group of guys who love live music and work hard to promote it. One example is the DJ’s the Better Magic Music Company brings in.”

Better Magic Music teams up to perform killer sets at the clubs in Busan, and they recruit turntablists and electronic artists from the eastern and western hemispheres to join in on their shenanigans. They’ve spun records with the prestige of YACHT, Danger, and most recently DJ Craze.

The foursome of Geoff DeGrasse (Brucie Russell), Vince McKelvie (Smiley), Pete Neonakis (Splitkick Sound Machine) and Gabriel Ulfan (Big Boy Gibbs) throw parties, make music, sample other people’s work, and create visual art and graphic design. They were all active musicians, designers, or artists before they started The Company.

“We were friends first, and things just came together from there. We all had similar interests in music and art, and it just made sense for us to put our heads together and make some-thing happen that satisfied those interests,” Big Boy Gibbs pointed out.

Gibbs goes on to mention, “We are doing this because

THE SCENE BEHIND THE SCENE By J. Lipsky

we are music lovers, first and foremost. We try not to take ourselves too seriously, and just have a good time doing this because we genuinely love it. The whole notion of being ‘pro-moters’ was something that came about in 2008. We never intended it to be that way, either. It can be stressful - and it has been - to promote events, but it’s been fun and we’ve learned a lot in the past two years.”

The Better Magic Music Company, RAD CITY! and allive routinely correspond with contacts in Seoul to direct touring artists and musicians down south for a splash of dates. The names that top that list are Sean Maylone and Christina Cho of Super Color Super.

Rhylon Durham explains, “Super Color Super has been very helpful with hooking up shows for Busan. They organize their events purely for the love of the music and purpose of hori-zon-broadening. They’re doing admirable and great work in Korea.”

Here’s how it goes down - Maylone gives a buzz to one of the local promotion groups, or vice-versa, and if the shoe fits, Busan wears it. According to Paul Ostrowski of allive, “Super Color Super brings in most of the international acts, and we’re the Busan leg of the operation.”

So how does Super Color Super snare these bands? Maylone jokes, “It’s always different. It’s like asking ‘How’d you get that shiner?’ minus the exciting fight. Every case is different.”

Maylone has quite a few tricks up his sleeve for Busan in October and November, with The Advantage (Nintendo cover band), Juiceboxxx, and Das Racist hitting town.

The majority of occasions a band tours Korea, Maylone tags along to make a stop in Busan. “I love it - chilled out, beach. I love when tours end in Busan and we can dwell, or use concerts as an excuse to go run around down there. I’m around it a lot for a kid living in Seoul, a lot of people know me.” The presence of Super Color Super is heavy here, aiding in the surge of audio and visual arts.

Not a week goes by with dead air in Busan. Foreigners remain here longer, and with that permanence comes inge-nuity. Russell McConnell points out that, “It has for all of us become our second home. It’s a place where we have met some great people and had some great times. We’d love to see this city mature into a place that you can come to and not be starved of quality entertainment.”

Sean Maylone declares that the ultimate goal is “to have the roots of a scene like Japan here - strong community, lots of freak-out bands, lots of good bands.”

Busan rivaling Japan. Who would’a thunk it?

For the latest updates on RAD CITY!, visit www.radcity.word-press.com, for Allive, search Busan Live or Allive on Facebook. Better Magic Music can be found at www.bettermagicmusic.com/ and Super Color Super is at www.supercolorsuper.com.

HAPSGUIDE

ART SPOTSBUSAN

Busan Museum of Modern Art (Haeundae) The largest and most widely recognized gallery in Busan, this sprawling complex has a little bit of everything for everybody. www.busanmoma.org

Gana Art Gallery (Haeundae) Part of a six venue gallery consortium throughout Korea, they focus on 20th century contemporary Korean and Western art. They are on the fourth floor of the Novotel Ambassa-dor on the beach. 051-744-2020 www.ganaart.com

AGIT (PNU) A funky co-op collective of local and expat artists nestled in the foothills of Geumjeong Mountain. www.agit7436.com

Korea Art Gallery (Dalmaji Hill, Haeundae) With an exhibition space designed by French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the 8,000 square-foot, four-story complex offers a wide range of art. 051-742-7799

Johyun Gallery (Dalmaji Hill, Haeundae) An exquisitely laid out gallery, Johyun focuses on works representing Korean and international contemporary art. www.johyungallery.com

Gallery Montmarte (Dalmaji Hill, Haeundae) Gallery Mont-marte is a private gallery opened in 2002 by Moon Young Sook, and is located near Royal Kingdom hotel. 051-746-4202

Gallery Mac (Dalmaji Hill, Haeundae) hosts various exhibitions such as oriental painting, western painting, prints and pottery. 051-744-2665


Kim Jae-sun Gallery (Dalmaji Hill, Haeundae) Another of the many galleries located on scenic Dalmaji Hill, it features contemporary art and a jazzy wine bar cafe. 051-731-5437 www.kimjaesungallery.com

Dongbang Art Gallery (Bosu-dong, near Jagalchi) The gallery displays classical books, old and rare books, paintings, modern art, western painting, and sculpture. 051-256-9673

Hangwang Art Gallery (Near Busan Station) Korean and modern art, calligraphy from the Chosun Dynasty era along with North Korean, Chinese and Japanese works that attract thousands of Japanese tourists each year. 051-469-4111

Suyeong Station Art Mediate Space (Suyeong) Located right in the subway station, offers local and expat artists a spot to display their work, including some of this issue’s featured artists.


HAPSGUIDE

ON THE BEATEN PATH

Mt. Geumjeong Cable Car (금정산) Those of you who have been to San Francisco may take issue with it being called a ‘cable car,’ but there is indeed a cable and it is a car, of sorts. It is actually more of a gondola that ferries you up the side of Geumjeong Mountain. The views on the five minute ride are fantastic, and once up top, you can trek around the centuries-old Geumjeong Mountain Fortress. Head out of Myeongnyun-dong Subway Station and go west. You will see it on the mountain side.

Hur Shim Chung Spa (허심청) A ginormous hot spring complex gives you a little bit of everything to soothe the senses with hot, tepid cold and even strawberry-milk filled baths. There is a sauna, a pool and an outdoor section. On the 3rd floor, there is a restaurant along with a beauty salon, and three ‘igloos’ heated to 81°C, 51°C and 0°C. And if you are hip to being light-headed, there is also an oxygen room. It’ll run you 7,900 won plus 1,000 more for the jjimjilbang on Sunday/holidays. Go out Oncheonjang Subway Station Exit 1, cross the street and head for the Hotel Nong Shim. There are signs in English at the spa for the non-Korean savvy.

Bye-bye beach season! There’s gonna be a chill in the air soon, so what are you going to do? Here are a couple of picks for places to check out this fall.

HAPSGUIDE

Busan Museum & UN Cemetery (부산시립박물관) Offers a great introduction to local history with seven regular exhibition rooms. The museum is home to relics ranging from the Prehistoric Age to the modern period with over 6,000 items from excavations in Busan and the Gyeongnam area. Contemporary Busan starts with photos of refugees flooding into the city during the Korean War and ends with a winding ramp down to a gift shop and special exhibitions hall. From the exit, it’s a short walk through the grounds to the UN Cemetery, with 2,300 bodies buried from twelve nations. It’s about a 10-minute walk from Daeyeon Station. www.museum.busan.go.kr

Nakdong River Bird Estuary (낙동강하구에코센터) Seasonal home to 15 orders, 46 families and 212 species of migratory birds that pop in for a visit in the spring and the fall. At the mouth of the river, there are sand dunes and deltas and many small islands. There are many rare birds such as white-naped cranes, black-faced spoonbills, and white-tailed eagles that stop here on their migratory routes at the tail end of the Nakdong River’s 525 km journey to the sea. There is also an indoor viewing center complete with info about the estuary and its inhabitants. Take Subway Line 1 to Hadan. Exit No. 5 to the bus stop and take the 58 or the 58-1 and get off at Eulsukdo. www.wetland.busan.go.kr

A man that famed film director, Park Chan Wook, told the New York Times was his favorite Korean painter.

Im Gook

HAPSFEATURE


By Michael Henderson Photography by Ben Weller


The first thing that strikes you when meeting celebrated Korean artist Im Gook is his stature, which can best be described as diminutive. After spending time with him however, one quickly realizes that his small frame contains a talent verging on the gargantuan. Painter, sculptor, film maker and businessman, Im is truly a man for all seasons.

Born in 1965 in Seoul, Im spent his early childhood in Germany with his family before returning to Korea in 1979. After graduating from the Seoul High School of Art and Music in 1986, he moved back to Germany to study graphic design at a time when layouts were still done by hand. Four years later, he entered the Saarbrucken Academy of Fine Art, earning a Diploma of Fine Art in 1996.

A resident of Busan since 1997, the artist is wilfully obtuse about his work and perhaps dissembles slightly when he says, “no artist can define his own work perfectly.”

Resisting easy categorisation, Im prefers to provide an image often with no intrinsic meaning, with which the viewer must form his own opinions and conclusions.

A study in contradiction, in Im Gook’s world, things are what they seem and are not what they seem, things are what the eyes see and not what the eyes see. A contradiction by every meaning (or lack of meaning) of the word.

Although fiercely socialist and a pas-sionate advocate of former President Noh Moo Hyun, Im resists including any political agenda in his work saying, “the world is bad enough without por-traying it in art.”

If there is a thread which connects his oeuvre, it is humor. To Im, humor is an essential ingredient in all his work. It comes as no surprise then to learn his actors of choice include comedians Benny Hill and Leslie Nielsen, and that Chou Seung Chi’s ridiculously surreal Kung Fu Hustle is amongst his favorite films.

From the lyrical whimsy of his more narrative early works to the scatological Dog Debate (oil on canvas), humor is the tie that binds. In life as in art however, humor often has a darker side, and works such as We are different (oil on canvas), Melancholy Nuclear Submarine (oil on canvas), City Version Submarine (oil on canvas) and Bow Wow (oil on canvas) have a lynchian quality to them, whereby the mundane is imbued with something more than slightly sinister. It is perhaps fitting then that Park Chan-wook, the lauded director of the internationally acclaimed ‘Oldboy’, recently named Im Gook as his favorite painter in a New York Times interview.

With the acquisition of studio space near Busan National University, Im’s canvases have become larger and more graphic. Refreshingly unpretentious in his approach, Im

treats his studio as a playground, where artworks are never planned, but happen by happy accident. Im feels that “daily life is completely planned, so art shouldn’t be.”

The accidental artist can spend up to an hour mixing the oils, a process akin to meditation where he clears his mind before taking brush in hand. In his art as in his music, Im’s

mantra whilst working is “improvise, improvise, improvise”--a freedom afford-ed to him by the use of slow-drying oils.

In his most recent pieces, the texture and feel of the canvas take precedence over any narrative meaning. The resulting works, although often deconstructed to basic graphic forms of trucks, tanks and legs, have an immediate visual impact and a sense of movement often absent from his earlier works. The artist states that “If my earlier paintings were sweet

little cakes, my present works are steaks....raw steaks.” Although the images are, as often as not, purely decora-

tive, this in no way takes away from the art. According to Im, “I would be most happiest if they were hung in a salaryman’s kitchen so that he can be happy when he eats.”

Im has dubbed his latest works ‘Eco-paintings’--a nomen-clature derived from his method of cleaning brushes on a secondary canvas, thus obviating the need for washing out the oils and adding pollutants to the ecosystem, a hidden benefit from a medium he loves. Im states that working in oils is more organic than the acrylics he used in earlier works. Sometimes laying aside brushes, he uses his fingers to paint, the feel and the smell of the media lending itself to an altogether more physical experience.

Im will often paint and repaint a canvas, creating a layer cake in oils before finally settling on a final image plucked from his subconscious. What is hidden becomes as imp-ortant as what is revealed, and as art imitates life, in the impromptu world of Im Gook, what you see is not always what you get.

in Im Gook’s world, things are what they seem and are not what they seem, things are what the eyes see and not what the eyes see

ARTISTPROFILE

Britt Kee Irvine grew up in a small Southern town, however identified as belonging to an “eccentric urban family” in her youth, as her par-ents were once Broadway actors. Though she started out in college flirting with a degree in Criminal Justice aspiring to be a juvenile judge, she eventually changed her degree to Art Education and felt perfectly at home.

As her parents excelled at motivating her in her artist endeavors, Irvine is a natural at motivating people to take chances with their art and assisting them no matter what their outlet of expression, much to the advantage of the elementary students she taught in the States.

She currently has a solo show on at SSAM, where a number of her most recent paintings and sketches are on display. The shows under-lying theme is based on her travels in Asia and since she has been in South Korea. They were all created at her studio in the AGIT Indie Art Space since May 2010.

Irvine has gone through a fundamental stylistic switch since she has moved to Korea, as her work is more abstract than literal, and driven by emotions, varying textures and organic shapes. She has mastered the skill of transforming her spectrum of sentiments into art, and is continuously rediscovering herself as an artist, yet hasn’t lost her knack in supporting the growth of other artists.

Britt Kee Irvine

Robin Kimmerling grew up in hippie commune and attended a Waldorf school, which strongly emphasizes the importance of creativity in education through daily art classes in a variety of different mediums and technical skills.

Both of Kimmerlings’s parents were very encouraging of him as an artist, and he later went on to study Architecture at the University of Colorado, from which he received his M.A.

He has an extensive history of work experience in the arts, having been employed at an architecture firm, for an artist do-ing photography and installation, and six years of teaching art at an NGO in the States. He also ran a print business, where he printed his own art and handmade books.

No doubt, Kimmerling, who has recently finished a limited edition photocopied book of drawings called “Future Ghost” which he bound by hand, is still utilizing this skill.

Prior to moving to Korea, he used scrap wood which he would pick up on the streets, as his artistic materials. He de-scribes canvases in Korea as “the new free wood”, and has been using them to collaborate his love of illustration and acrylics into simplistic, yet conceptual pieces of art, which demonstrate his advanced technical skills and attention to aesthetic detail. Observing even a small number of Kimmer-ling’s work is enough to leave any art appreciator wanting to see more.

Robin Kimmerling


By Amber Newton Photography by Ben Weller

Eric Anderson’s artistic genes have been flourishing since his move to South Korea. The young American musician and visual artists creativity and attention to aesthetics was first stimulated by the generations of visually-minded individuals in his family, whom have a variety of artistic interests ranging from graphic and industrial designers, ceramics and black-smithing studios, textiles, and vintage furniture collectors.

Eric AndersonThough he did not receive much formal training to sup-

port his artistic adventures, he has been developing his skills in printing with ink and painting at his studio in AGIT, an art space that supports independent artists, where he has been the recipient of much positive energy and attri- butes his recent creative blossoming to.

Anderson also has just closed his solo art exhibit at SSAM (Suyeong Station Art Mediate Space), and anticipates the possibilities of another show there this winter. It will be exciting to watch Anderson’s art evolve as inspiration continues to flow off the “tip of his brain” and takes artis-tic risks with new mediums. Keep an eye out for this artist- - he’s on the loose.

Conor Murphy describes art as a predominant part of his life growing up, as his father was an architect and older brother an award-winning artist.

In school, Murphy’s art grades could be relied on to boost his GPA and he ascribes this to having kept him out of trouble. Occasionally, he regrets not continuing to study art in university, however permits himself complete freedom of expression.

Currently, Murphy is working on large-scale portraits of people that have “struck a cord” with him in his life. He takes inspiration from Francoise Nielly, Terry Bradley and Takenobu Yanagita, and is returning to his love for imagery of a darker nature, which contrasts striking and intense bursts of colors manifesting itself in a portrait.

This young Irish artist is not only a painter, he also is a musician performing frequently in gigs around Busan, and is currently an actor in a short film. Luckily, he doesn’t require as much sleep as the average human being, as he plans on having an exhibition of his work in November of this year in Busan. continued next page

Conor Murphy


HAPSFEATURE

Since Da-in ‘Dee’ Kim was little, she spent much of her time drawing and painting. Her mother is an artist who encouraged her to observe the world and visually record what she saw on paper.

When she was a teenager, she moved to England with her family and since then has always been on the move. Kim’s travels have influenced her art significantly, as she became interested in painting herself in different places and situations.

“It was more about me being a stranger everywhere I went,” says Kim. However, over time she began painting other people as she realized their significance in her everyday life.

“Wherever I go, whoever I meet, I think communication is the most important thing in life,” she explains, as she uses dis-torted figurative drawings to represent a variety of people com-municating in one way or another.

Kim shares a studio with another local artist near PNU, and is currently preparing an underlying theme and narrative for a solo exhibition which will be held at SSAM this coming November.

Da-In Kim

HAPSMUSIC

HAPSSPOTLIGHT


Most Busan moviegoers will know that our fair city has sometimes been used as a film location, most famously in Haeundae and Chingu, where the stories were also set in Busan. What may not be so well-known are the little local places that have appeared in popular Korean films.

Those of you who have seen Old Boy will remember the sequence where Daesu (played by Choi Minsik) is searching for the source of the fried mandu he was fed for years as a

key to solving the mystery of his imprisonment. He visits several Chinese restaurants to taste their fried mandu, tick-ing them off his list one by one until he finds the right one.

Jang Sung Hyang on Shanghai Street, across from the Busan train station, is that restaurant that served up the long-sought fried mandu that had Choi Minsik obsessively scouring the city. The owner, Kim Hyun-mi, says that Mr. Choi did like the mandu, even though he had to keep spitting it out after every take during the Old Boy shoot. You, however, will not want to spit it out, as the dumplings are made fresh by a Chinese chef, and are quite tasty and are lighter on the oil than most places. This reviewer liked it a lot, and after eat-ing a dish of fried dumplings, I followed the delivery boy to a secret prison and single-handedly demolished the private army of a local warlord using only a claw hammer.

Another more recent film was also shot at Jang Sung Hyang: Nae sarang nae gyeot’ae starring Ha Ji-won, whose signature now hangs on the wall among those of a few other Korean celebs. According to Mrs. Kim, Ha Ji-won really liked the yangjangpi (a dish of mixed vegetables), and she offered some to her co-star Jeong Eui-chul, who refused because he was on a diet, to which Ms. Ha replied, “If you don’t try it, you will regret it for the rest of your life.” He relented and dug in, partly because it was a diet-friendly vegetable dish and partly because any young heterosexual male would have to be a total idiot not to do exactly what Ha Ji-won tells him to do. I’ll let the reader take a wild guess as to whether he said he liked it or not.

If you’re in town for PIFF and you’re in the mood to follow the gustatory footsteps of the stars, take your appetite and your movie star dreams to Jang Sung Hyang. Who knows: maybe one day other people will get excited that you ate there. For now, the pleasure is yours.

To get there: Take Line 1 to Busan Station. Walk out Exit 1 and make the first right at the red Chinese-style gate. Make the first left onto Shanghai Street; Jang Sung Hyang will be about 30 meters up on the right. The sign is in Chinese; look for the red brickface building with two slim red dragons on the window. Phone 051-467-4496, Cell: 011-598-7022.

LOCAL FOOD ON THE SILVER SCREENBy John Bocskay

HAPSSHORTSTUFF

28 BUSANHAPS_october/novemebr 2010

Adam Cave, a business professor at Kyungsung University, was recently honored for his research by the Korean Aca-demic Society of Business Administration. Cave, a native of Ottawa, Ontario co-wrote his thesis titled, “Differences of Learning Mechanisms and Absorptive Capacity in Inter-national Equity Partnerships: International Joint Ventures versus International Acquisitions” with Prof. Park Byung-il, of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Busan Haps sends out a hearty congrats to professors Cave and Park, if for nothing else, for putting together one helluva title.

Flash! Boom! “Ahhhhh.” There you have it, a summary of the annual Busan International Fireworks Festival, which is on track to be the biggest yet. Since it started in 2005 for the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting, it has grown into one of Busan’s most anticipated events on the calendar.

Starting Thursday, October 21st and running through Sat-urday the 23rd, this year’s program includes two high-tech multimedia shows and a celebration concert at Gwangan-li Beach.

Special guest and Busan Tourism Ambassador Choi Ji-woo highlights Thursday night’s schedule with an opening ceremony and autograph event. For those of you not in the know, Choi Ji-woo is an actress and model who has starred in Korean dramas such as Winter Sonata and most recently, Air City. There will also be a concert starting at 7:00 pm for those of you looking to get your K-Pop on.

Friday night’s theme is “World Fireworks Day”, with a show featuring fireworks from China, Italy and Portugal. The event starts at 8 p.m. and runs through 9 p.m.

Saturday’s main event is the Busan World Fireworks Festi-val. The 50 minute show offers a whopping 85,000 fireworks filling the night sky with a dazzling array of light and sound. Along with a state-of-the-art laser show and music, the Gwangan Diamond Bridge becomes the backdrop for what is usually the busiest night of the year at the beach. Get their early, last year saw an estimated 1.5 million people gathering for some oooo’s and ahhhh’s on the beach.

The Fireworks Festival is Back

Local Scholar Done Good

The wind in your hair, the chilled, sticky feel of saltwater splashing in your face. Sounds like a helluva day. From Octo-ber 26 through the 31st, Haeundae will host the 2010 Busan Women’s Match Race. The international event will take place right off the small peninsula that houses the APEC center, of-fering race watchers a great view of the action.

Match racing is considered the most exciting type of sail-ing event for spectators. Best known as a “regatta,” the race involves two boats racing around a course. Depending on the event, there are slight variations in the rules and large varia-tions in tactics.

Busan’s match race will draw women competitors from all over the world, as it continues to grow its prestige. Looks to be a good event to watch from the shore over a nice picnic. Pick a favorite boat and cheer to your lungs content. Who knows? Maybe they will hear you over the splashing.

2010 Busan Cup Match Race in October


with Professor Gussurvival koreandriving in Korea

BUSAN, South Korea - With the 15th Pusan International Film Festival soon underway, we find ourselves immersed in a catalogue of films that help define the astute tastes of cinema lovers from all over the world. Some of the Korean selections are seeing their world premier on one of the grand-est stages ever to grace Asia’s prominent film society, while others are well-established pieces of entertainment that have already seen a successful run in Korean cinemas this year. Taking a film from the latter category, I am pleased to see that director Jang Hun’s Secret Reunion (also known in some in-ternational markets as Brothers) will be treating international audiences to screenings on October 8th, 10th, and the 14th.

The films opening sequence is nothing short of remarkable, announcing the arrival of its lead characters with a whizz-bang action spectacle that sets the bar unusually high. Such an opening would make it difficult for the rest of the film to live up to the palpable excitement and tension on display, but for the most part the narrative follows through.

Actor Kang Do-won plays Ji-won with stylish empathy, a North Korean spy sent to infiltrate South Korea for a series of assassination missions. When his cover is nearly blown due to a grand public display of violence, he is forced to live in exile in South Korea, cut off from his wife and child residing in the North. Ji-won’s boss is known as Shadow, played with vicious efficiency by Jeon Gook-hwan, who is tasked with leading the assassinations of all North Korean traitors and defectors. Upon witnessing the “rain of blood” that Shadow revels in, Ji-won’s emotional state is clear; he despises the nature of his mission, but refuses to betray his country on a matter of principle. While living in exile in Seoul, Ji-won is free to make a living to the best of his ability, but is plagued

with the threat to the life of his family who is trapped on the other side of the DMZ.

Ji-won’s opposition comes in the form of Lee Han-kyu, Song Kang-ho’s NIS agent who is disgraced and cast out of his agency as a result of his failure to apprehend Shad-ow. Song Kang-ho is, without question, the standout per-formance here, channeling the guilt Han-kyu now shoulders resulting from the loss of life during the mission, and also nursing his ego, bruised from a divorce and lack of contact with his young daughter. Six years after the incident with Shadow, Han-kyu is making his living as a private investiga-tor. Han-kyu is still clinging to the past, and hasn’t forgotten the glimpse he caught of Ji-won’s face at the scene of the crime. Through happenstance Ji-won and Han-kyu meet, and thus begins an uneasy relationship between the two. Han-kyu seizes this opportunity to re-initiate the investiga-tion into Shadow, using his new friendship with Ji-won as leverage to regain the confidence of his agency.

Secret Reunion has as little to do with North/South Korean politics as possible. This is not a film that intends to make any kind of statement regarding black ops programs run by either side, nor is it a parable on the mindset of North Korean spies or defectors. At its core lies the story of two men who hap-pen to be on opposite sides of the DMZ, and their patriotism is clearly define from the outset. They are men of principle, especially Ji-won who refuses to betray anyone who is loyal to him, and would not risk endangering the life of his wife and young child as a result of helping a South Korean agency. As their friendship develops, we see the complexities of these two characters, always at odds with each other, yet grow-ing and learning from one another as their mistrust begins to weaken. The fantastic thing about Jang-hun’s direction is that his character study always remains at the forefront of a very rich and entertaining narrative, despite the occasional hiccup in tone (usually a missed gag involving a Vietnamese gangster).

The film is sweet-natured in its earnest attempts at drawing these two characters closer together in a sort of brotherly bond. They are victims of circumstance, thrust against a vile political backdrop that dictates that they should treat each other as enemies, and as a result of their moral principles, they are offered little recourse. The narrative structure is at once entertaining and confident in its abilities to provide a thoroughly engrossing look at two extremely identifiable characters. As the film comes to a close, it will be up to the individual viewer as to whether or not the conclusion is satis-fyingly warranted, or overtly sentimental. I, for one, think that Secret Reunion delivers on its initial promise of an emotion-ally thrilling piece of cinema. It’s one of the better Korean films to be released this year.

SECRET REUNIONBy Thomas Bellmore

HAPSFILM


Felice - Possibly some of the

best Italian food in Busan.

The chef/owner is very dedi-

cated.

Saigon“Pho”-Vietnamese.

Across the street from Star-

bucks, just off the beach.

Solid.

Guess Who? - Everything on

the menu, reasonable pric-

es, good view.

Breeze Burns - Have a ham-

burger on the beach. It’s a

chain, but they do alright

with the burger.

10 Tables - Very cool spot to

eat and look out at the wa-

ter. Hamburgers are ok and

prices reasonable.

East Village Cafe - The cafe

is beautifully decorated.

Has great coffee, and hand

-baked pastries.

Korean Natural Food Restau-

rant - Vegetarian with a good

selection of various dishes.

Gwangan-li

PNUFish & Pork - BBQ Shell fish

is their specialty. Cheap.

Can sit outside. Exit 3 at

Subway go left.

Won Cho - “Real Korea”

feeling. Variety of traditional

Korean dishes. On the same

street as Basement.

Kebabistan - New owner,

mixed reviews. But still solid

Turkish food from our stand-

point.

Pho - Above Kebabistan.

Not the traditional, but close.

Real Vietnamese coffee.

Wazwan - Serious Indian

food, cooked by top chefs

from a family that cooks

around the world.

Taco’s Family - Personal fa-

vorite. Owner is awesome,

food good. Lard-free home-

made beans.

Marche - Two stops before

PNU in Lotte. Place has

got a bit of everything. Not

cheap, but quality.

Eva’s - Great burgers and

food go along with a great

selection of drinks. The Fry-

pan - Great chicken tenders

with real chips and gravy.

www.thefrypan.co.kr

Burger and Pasta - From the

owner of Thursday Party.

Great food, good prices.

Good wine.

Bae Dae Po - Korean BBQ

seafood and meat. Good

side dishes.

Eu Dae Di - BBQ pork.

Across from Thursday Party.

Menu is in Korean.

HQ Bar - Real American “cui-

sine” from Mutt’s kitchen.

Weekly specials and great

food.

Gogiya - Excellent meat res-

taurant right across from the

HQ bar. Great dinner sets

and friendly staff. Tom is

hot...in the kitchen

Kyungsung

Seomyeon

Florians’s - Across the street

from TGI Fridays. All you can

eat buffet. Good stuff.

Loving Hut - Vegetarian. Take

Seomyeon Exit 2, left across

from Outback.

Buffalo - Chicken chain. Pop-

ular with students. No buffalo

on the menu as yet.

The Pancakes - Great break-

fast menu, blueberry pan-

cakes, real French toast.

Heaps of syrup.

Hamkyung Myeon-Ok - Cold

noodle restaurant, excellent

during the humid summer

months.

Fuzzy Navel - Hit or miss with

service but some pretty good

Mexican food. Worth a stop in

if you’re nearby.

Check busanhaps.

com for more

listings

HaeundaeBlowfish - Voted Busan’s

Best Burger 2010.

Geckos Bar - Great Ameri-

can food on the beach.

Taco Senora - Near SFUNZ

on the way to the beach.

Left down the alley.

An-Ga - Some of the best

Korean BBQ in Busan. A

little pricey, but worth it.

Jagalchi Eel - BBQ eel in

a spicy sauce. Goes great

with soju.

Sharky’s Bar - American

food that everyone raves

about.

Ganesh - Small Indian

restaurant. Very fresh and

very tasty.

Starface - British and Indi-

an food. Good pizzas and

curry. Bazinga.

The Table - Mediterra-

nean food in Benecity. Top

notch, good desserts.

Hello Kimchi - Odd name

but fantastic tacos, burit-

tos, and enchilladas.

RESTAURANT

GUIDE

HAPSGUIDE

HAPSGUIDE

34 BUSANHAPS_october/novemebr 2010

Blowfish Surf Bar - Song Jeong

Beach. Busan’s only surf bar.

Club Maktum - Dancing, drinking,

gettin’ jiggy wit’ it.

Miami 88 – 2 locations near the beach. Pale

de CZ, Harbor Town.

24/7 Bar - A swank spot around cor-

ner from U2. Pool, and darts.

Fuzzy Navel – Fire shows, oh boy!

Near Sunset Hotel.

Rock n’ Roll House – Great spot, good view.

Across from the aquarium.

Geckos – The legendary spot now on

the beach. Pale de CZ.

Murpii Bar – Dance Club in Novotel.

Pricey but good times.

U2 Bar – Weekday chill out weekends

dance. Across from Novotel.

Thursday Party – Awesome chain with

great service.

Starface – On Dalmaji Hill. Live Music,

awesome staff. Chill.

Sharky’s Bar - Fantastic American

food. In Pale de CZ 2nd floor.

Club Elune - Busan’s one true super-

club. World class DJs.

haeundae

“Alcohol may

be man's worst

enemy, but the

bible says love

your enemy.”

~Frank Sinatra

Metal City - Good vibe, music, great

staff. Near Thursday Party.

Foxy - Dance club in the heart of Seo-

myeon. Jumps on weekends.

Fuzzy Navel - 2 locations. Decent staff,

Mexican food.

Rock n’ Roll Bar - Across from Lotte,

divey feel, great prices, pool.

Guri Bar - Right behind Lotte, long-time

popular for expats

Thursday Party - The formula works

at all the locations. Great staff, food

drinks. Asah!

Rock House - Good selection of beer,

occasional live bands.

seomyeon

gwangan-li

Thursday Party - Two locations right

on the beach.

Fuzzy Navel - Similiar to the one in

Haeundae. Fire show.

Holloway Road Pub - Located on

Beach has rooftop.

Enoch Mansion - A very hip place. Bo-

hemian feel all the way.

Hollywood Star - Classic American bar

off the beach. Pool.

Paris Cafe - Coffee 1st floor, great

view. Music upstairs & bar.

Club Realize - Real rock bar with

live shows. Metal, punk, grunge.

HQ - The best spot for sports,

great food, and trivia Thursdays.

Club Fabric - Great decor, live mu-

sic, art shows. Hip spot.

Foxy - Same owner as Fabric.

Great spot for dancing.

Thursday Party - Great spot for a

drink. Try the curry popcorn.

New York 88 - Same owner as Mi-

ami 88. Ricky gets it right.

Ghetto - Popular with the Korean

youth. Cheap, cheap drinks.

Ol’55 - A great spot for tunes,

amazing collection of vinyl.

Vinyl Underground - An absolute

legend for music. ‘Nuff said.

Eva’s - Good menu, with a variety

of western food. Eva’s real cute.

Kino Eye - Dark, cozy, cool. Movies

playing on the big screen.

Cafe Radio - Chill, quiet, with a

great atmosphere. Decent staff.

Zzu Zzu - Laid back, good spot to

carry on a conversation.

kyungsung

pnuSoultrane – Cozy spot beneath the

crossroads. Pool, live tunes.

The Basement – Most popular spot in

PNU. Pool, Darts & Matt.

Crossroads – Open Mic on Thurs. A

legend for chilling out.

Interplay – Live music, Jazz, Korean In-

die and punk.

Monks Bar - Good spot for Korean in-

die bands. punk, metal.

Red Bottle - Guiness on tap, chill atmo-

sphere. Near Crossroads.

BAR GUIDE

BUSAN HAPS GIANTS EXPAT NIGHTrock’n’rollrock’n’roll

househouseCheap drinks, fantastic music,great food and a beautiful venue

located in Haeundae051-742-5553

pub & grillpub & grill

busan haps iss 9

Documents

busan jazz scene

sole of busan

art spots

art of noise

jazz tradition

jazz clubs

issue of busan haps

michael schneider art