뉴스레터

The term 'cliché' is used in cinema to collectively refer to conventional expressions, characters, or cinematographic styles that have been overused and lost their originality over the years. By definition, any characteristic that tends to recur in the absence of criticism can be said to be 'clichéd.'

To those who have never been to Dokdo, the island is presented in perhaps 'clichéd' images. Countless pictures of Dokdo can be found by simple keyword searches on the Internet. They were taken in overused locations and at overused angles, and have been endlessly replicated and exposed to people.

The same goes for developing ideas about Dokdo and attaching meaning to it. We Koreans acknowledge that Dokdo is Korean territory, of course. But our 'acknowledgement' is not rooted in a well-established concept but perhaps 'clichéd.' The best way to appreciate the real Dokdo instead of its clichéd images is to go and see it yourself, set foot on it, and breathe on it.

Korean Territory’ Engraved
on the Rock Face in
Southeastern Dokdo

Film Directors as Excited as Children to Visit Dokdo

'A Field Trip to Ulleungdo and Dokdo for Artists and Cultural Professionals,' organized by the Northeast Asian History Foundation to help the artists understand the true significance of our land Dokdo, was held from the 11th to 14th of October in 2015. This trip was participated by a group of twelve film directors affiliated with the Director's Guild of Korea, including such leading Korean film directors as Lim Sun-rye, Jeong Yun-cheol, Jang Cheol-su, and Bong Man-dae, as well as by the artists and staff affiliated with the Korean Artists Welfare Foundation, and the employees of NAHF-related organizations. The participants gathered together in a place for lodging in the city of Donghae at about 6 p.m. on October 11. After a brief introduction, the participants wished each other a safe trip. That night, the artists and cultural professionals couldn't sleep because were as excited as children on the night before a picnic. The next morning, our group boarded a ferry at the port of Donghae.

During the four long hours of voyage, some of the directors suffered from seasickness for the first time in their lives. The agony of dealing with an upset stomach is not exactly conducive to the mission of looking stylish that is important to the film directors. Exhausted as they were when they landed at the port of Jeodong in Ulleungdo, the directors were refreshed by a bowl of clear squid viscera soup. Meanwhile, our group had been informed that visiting Dokdo would not be possible due to adverse weather conditions. There was a change of plan, and we instead went to the Naesujeon Observatory from which Jukdo could be seen. Jukdo felt familiar to me probably because of the episode of KBS 1 TV documentary ‘Screening Humanity’ about a newly wed-couple living in Jukdo that I had watched a few month earlier. Our group took a walk along the path around Ulleungdo, with Jukdo to its right, for about two hours, and that concluded the first day of our trip on the island.

That night, the artists and cultural professionals gathered together with the participants affiliated with the Northeast Asian History Foundation, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Unification, and talked about Dokdo, 'comfort women,' and various other subjects of Korean history. It is said that a story begins with life and ends with death. And our story takes place between that beginning and that end, and we share our story of life with one another with an open heart. A field trip is like fertile soil for the honest stories of participants to blossom. In that sense, the first day of our trip was centered on people rather than Ulleungdo, the place of the trip.

Our second day on Ulleungdo was very clear, but the sea was still rough and wouldn't allow us to visit Dokdo. The local guide had said that getting to visit Dokdo on the very day of arrival at Ulleungdo was like winning a lottery. I was beginning to understand what he meant.

Our group decided to spend the second day exploring the interior of Ulleungdo, and started off from the beach loop road and went toward the Nari Basin by way of the location of the monument erected by inspector Lee Kyu-won (from the Joseon Dynasty). The Nari Basin viewed from the Nari Observatory was in its original condition at the time of its formation in ancient times. The Nari Basin was like an oasis in the wild environment of the volcanic island, and we were basked in its heartwarming presence. I felt peace as if I were comfortably curled up in a mother's womb. The artists and cultural professionals talked to each other about how this was exactly the kind of place they would love to stay and do their creative work.

After a tour of the Seongbul Temple, our group visited the Dokdo Museum and looked around at the exhibits. Here, the artists and cultural professionals felt that Dokdo was Korean territory, like never before anywhere else, and that Dokdo was no longer a clichéd image but being established as a special presence in each of us. Since we film directors were always looking for new stories, we found the story of Ahn Jeong-bok particularly fascinating. The second day of our trip concluded with a walk along the road by the sea.

The Excitement of the Moment of Setting Foot on Dokdo: A Breathtaking Experience

On the third day, our group finally left for Dokdo. After about two hours of voyage aboard the patrol boat provided by the Office of Uljin-gun, our group arrived at Dokdo at last. 'Breathtaking' is the word that I would choose to describe my experience at that moment. Have you ever felt touched by the land of your country? Have you ever felt inspired by the land of your country? As a film director, I have travelled and experienced many places across the country. But none of that experience is as unforgettable as the thrill that ran down my spine when I finally stood on Dokdo. Any Korean would share that same heart-racing experience. It is in the Korean DNA. After a long and arduous climb of the stairs, I and the rest of the artists and cultural professionals in our group reached the Dokdo Observatory. I was busy taking pictures, my camera clicking away, when I suddenly realized that the pictures that I was taking were as clichéd images of Dokdo as ever. However, the presence of Dokdo that had been established inside me was no longer a clichéd image. It is a 'genuine' presence, a whole piece of Korean territory in my heart.

Our last stop was at the monument of those who died in their line of duty guarding Dokdo. Expressing our gratitude to them from the bottom of our hearts, we finished our four-day trip to Ulleungdo and Dokdo. Again, I want to express my gratitude to the Northeast Asian History Foundation for the opportunity for the artists and cultural professionals to take the genuine meaning of Dokdo to heart.