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                                   All we need is a cure for midnight depressions...

                          Here is the second part of our interview with Yu Kyung!

        We also went a Korean restaurant in Rotterdam. You should find a Korean restaurant and try these immediately. In order:Kim Bap with soy sauce, Tuk Bok Gi, Kimchi and Hae Mool Pa Jeon.(If you are wondering, just ask and I can tell you more...)

Korea is in the top ten list who sells their culture to the world successfully. K-pop has an important role on this. What about the differences between admiration to k-pop and the western pop?

The sound of the k-pop is really addictive-catchy. That is the big reason to get lots of attention from the other parts of the world. They are enthusiastic compare to western pop because people who loves k-pop usually memorize the lyrics and very excited.

Furthermore South Korea is very popular with horror movies. How about your favourite Korean directors and movies?

I’m not interested horror movies in Korea but I like Saw. When I first saw it, I really really interested. A little bit horrible but I like it. In Korean movies, I usually watch drama or romance kind of this one but I think there is still lots of things to develop.

I personally know that you’ve been in London, Cambodia and now you’re living in Rotterdam. Are your thoughts change about your country?

At first before going abroad, I didn’t know about lots of countries. I went to Cambodia as a volunteer. I spend only ten days for teaching children and playing with them. When I saw them, they are really innocent, really cute. After going to Cambodia, where I live is really good and comfortable compare to them. If I have a chance, I want to go back to Cambodia once or twice to help them. When I arrived here in Rotterdam, I went to city hall to register myself several times!  It took lots of energy and effort for me. In Korea dealing some documents or dealing some problems is very fast compare to Europe. Also in Korea, I usually go out at night, it’s really natural thing but in Rotterdam there are no people in the streets after six. I have to buy my food before six, before closing the stores. I think that’s the main problem for me. I went to London last month. At that time I felt like going out late in London is really safe. There are also lots of people. I felt like the Seoul where I live in Korea.

In most of the countries, dominant religion that believed by citizens influences the culture. In Korea there are lots of Christians, Buddhists, Atheists and also many other beliefs. How can you separate culture and religion like that? In other words, what’s the secret of this balance?

People just want to depend on something like God. If there are some problems or difficulties, people just want to find the God to deal with the problems. I think to choose our religion, it depends on person’s situation or person’s personality. For example, my parents believe in God, I just followed them. There is no significant reason to choose my religion. In Korea there is no one spesific religion like Muslim. We can believe Buda, Christianity or other things. I think there is no restrict about our religion. Korean culture… For example there is worship for trees or animals at the past. It can affect on our culture and our life style.

Do you have a politic view?

I don’t have a politic view. I don’t have a chance to think about it. I think I prefer open- minded party. Now, conservative party is in the Korean’s parliement. The president is from the conservative party. Next month in december there will be election. I don’t know who will be elect.

Psy’s Gangnam Style is very popular and also break the record of most viewed video. In North Korea it’s banned. What do you think?

Actually, I have never heard about the news that North Korea forbid the Gangnam Style to be broadcasted. I think it can be because North Korea don’t want their citizens to get lots of information about South Korea. They have communism in North Korea. They want to control their citizens. The people who live in North Korea can’t access Internet because when people access to Internet, they can get lots of information from the world. High ranking officers thinks that it’s not good for their power to control their citizens. If the citizens have different thinking, lifestyle or know what they’re doing, they can’t control them easily.

Which channels of social media are you using?

I only use Facebook because I can share my feelings, photos by using Facebook. I use Facebook only for sharing with my friends not for learning from other culture.

Liquid Lights

                              Meet with owner of that hand, meet with Yu Kyung! 

    Hi Yu Kyung! First of all, there is an age situation with you. In Netherlands, you said that you're 21 but in South Korea you’re 22. What makes this difference?

I think there is not a main belief behind this age situation but in Korea when I was born I started with 1. So we just calculate our age +1. There is no specific belief behind age. I don’t know it is because of calendar but Japan, China and other countries in East Asia use the same way.

Is it true that age means power in Korea?  What is the affair between East culture, conservatism and family on this?

I also think age is really really important in Korea. It can be affected by conservatism from east culture. In Korea we usually respect the eldest and we think the sayings of eldest's are always right because they learned and experienced a lot compare to us. We always respect them and we usually try to follow them.

In Korea mostly, families decide their children’s future job. Do you think that families can handle this issues well?

I think they cannot handle their future successfully. (laughs) But it’s true that many Korean parents want their children what they want them to be. In my case my parents also suggest me about my future. When I was child, they didn’t insist me like “you have to do like that”. They just suggest like “I think you can  be announcer or diplomat” like big- like wonderful job. In real, it’s very difficult to be diplomat and announcer. Parents always want their children to be doctor, lawyer like a huge job. I think it’s normal in Korea. One of my friend took university enterance exam for four times because his parents wanted their child to become a doctor. He failed four times to become a doctor so he took the enterance exam four times. Finally, he couldnt pass the exam and he changed his way.

Outside of future plan issues, how is the general family-child relationship?

At the past, children raised to obey their parents. They always listen to their parents’ sayings carefully but nowadays it’s not like that. Nowadays, there is only one or two children in a family. Families loves them so much. So with love children are not force to obey their families.

You have busy working schedules before university enterance exam like sixteen hours in a day. What is the impact of this situation on your culture and childhood?

At that time I thought it was not difficult for me because everybody it do like that. Everybody studied, everybody went to the academy to learn more. At that time I think that’s the natural. I thought everybody in the world do like this-not me. I don’t have any complain about that but now some part of my childhood can be destroyed... I didn’t have lots of chance to enjoy my spare time.

In Korea, education system divided to genders, it changed in 1990s. Now, coed schools are raising but there are still separate classes. What do you think about the reason behind this? What is the role of this situation on the development of relations between girls and boys?

I think it’s really from conservatism from east culture because at the past, all the generation thought that if there are girls and boys together in a classroom and they will not concentrate on their studying. They will interest others like girls interesting boys. So they will not develop their studies well because of that the old generation separated our classroom like boys class, girls class. I think it’s not a good way because when we are teenagers we can develop our personality. So I think separate classes have big influences on their personality and the way of grown. It’s really important. Now there are lots of mixed rooms -not separate rooms.

In schools there are smoking rooms just for male teachers. What about women? Is there anything sexist that you see in society?

Actually, this problem is really caused by conservatism. Also in my university there is only women lounge for resting. There is no place for men to rest. We usually go there together with girls to rest and sometimes we can sleep in there for a few minutes. I don’t know why but many people think women are weaker than men that’s why there is only female lounge.