Jo Hyun Jae

I’m a Catholic and I love churches.  Everywhere I go on my travels, I make a point of visiting churches (Christian and Orthodox)….and temples…..and mosques.   All these places of worship are sacred and awe-inspiring.  I always say a prayer for my family and friends, and for Jo Hyun-Jae.

Before I watched Jo Hyun-Jae’s “Love Letter”, I had no idea catholicism is so widely practised in Korea.  According to Wikipedia, there are over 5.1 million Catholics in South Korea – over 10% of the population. South Korea (and by extension the Catholic Church in all Korea, north and south) has the fourth largest number of saints in the Roman Catholic Church (since 1984) by nation. There are 15 dioceses including three archdioceses of Seoul, Taegu and Gwangju.

I haven’t been able to find out how many Catholic churches there are in Korea, but during my recent visit to Seoul I came upon five, two within walking distance from my hotel in Myeong Dong.  Three of these are used as settings in “Love Letter” and the other two used as a backdrop in certain scenes.  (Please see our 8/7/09 post “Further adventures in JHJ country (2)”.)

Junglin-dong Yakhyun Catholic Church

This is the church that is the setting for the very first scene of “Love Letter” when Andrea is ordained as a priest (also in the last episode when the ordination is finally complete.)  This very elegant church, built with bricks, is just 32m. long, 12m. wide and has a 22m. high bell tower. It has no complicated ornamentation but it evokes a feeling of solemnity, and has become the model for Korean church construction. Some information on Junglin-dong Yakhyun Catholic Church: Designation: Historic site no. 252. Period: Joseon Dynasty 1892. This is the first western-style cathedral to be built in Korea. “Yakhyun” is the name of the hill between Malli-dong and Seoul Railroad Station. Long ago the area was covered with fields of medicinal herbs, “yakhyun” meaning “full of medicinal herb fields”, hence the name of the church.

Pungsuwon Catholic Church

Copied from an inscription on the grounds:

Kang-won-do Tangible Cultural Property No.69

This is the first gothic-styled Catholic church built in Kang-won-do Province.  It stands on the site of the fourth oldest Catholic church in Korea, started in 1888, the 27th year of the reign of King Kojong (r.1863-1907), by a French priest, Father Louis Le Merre (Korean name: Yi Ryu-sa) in a room of a thatch-roofed cottage.  Catholics took refuge in this area in the wake of the government oppressions of 1801, 1866 and 1871, the latter two being repercussions of the French and American attacks of these years.

The church was designed by Father Le Merre’s successor, Father Chong Kye-ha (Augustin, 1863-1943), and built in 1906-7 with the technical advice of Chinese artisans and the labour of the whole congregation.

Pungsuwon Catholic Church is used extensively in “Love Letter” and appears in many episodes from beginning to end.  It is Andrea’s uncle, Father Peter’s parish church.  In the drama there appears to be an orphanage attached.  The grounds are beautiful and the interior of the church is simple but serene. This is the place where Andrea grows up and where he and Eun-Ha discover one another.   And this is also the refuge that Eun-Ha returns to when she discovers her illness.

Small Church

There is a small church that is used in Episodes 3 and 4 (when Andrea and Eun-Ha return from university) and again in Episode 12.  I do not know its name or designation, just that it is 20 minutes’ car ride from Pungsuwon Catholic Church.   It is not as grand as the other two, but there is a rustic quality about it that is very endearing.  And of course it has that famous bench on which JHJ sat.

(Yes, that’s the bench!  I had to sit on it, and the other one too.  Imagine the pastoral scene without the cars [and me!] and you can feel its peacefulness and serenity.)

NOTE: All photos taken by yours truly.  Feel free to transfer article and photos (and please have the courtesy to credit http://jo-hyun-jae.com.)   BUT don’t you dare take my original photos and stamp your website’s name on it!  (It’s been done before.)

Since the beginning of 2009 the Korean government has stopped providing duty-free cigarettes for its military.  As a result, the smoking rate among the Korean officers and soldiers has fallen to below 50%.  If they want to smoke now, Korean officers and soldiers have to buy their cigarettes at market price.

According to data provided by the Korean Department of National Defense, last year the smoking rate among soldiers has fallen to 49.7%.  In 2004, it was 63%; 2005 – 59%; 2007 – 50.7% — dropping gradually.  In five years, there has been a significant decrease.  Since the Korean army was established in 1948, this is the first time the smoking rate among its soldiers has fallen below 50%.

However, this rate is still higher than the average smoking rate among Koreans males, which currently stands at 40.9%.  The Health Unit of the Department of National Defense is trying to encourage more soldiers to quit smoking, so as to be on a par with the national average.

You all know Jo Hyun-Jae quit smoking in early 2009.  Just look at those pearly whites and that milky skin in the photo above — the Korean army should make him its spokesman for this Quit Smoking campaign.

(Information source: http://cn.joins.com/big5; http://hyunjaelove.jp; www.johyunjae.hk.  Thanks!)

Every time you feel a little out of sorts, or sad, or lonely, or lost, a little JHJ will do you good (prescribes Dr. wuljohyunjae — on call 24/7.)

(Credit for MV: Hiro of everjohyunjae.co.kr.  Thanks!)

When my brother from England visited me a few years ago, I entertained him with Korean movies and dramas.  And he fell in love with Jun Ji-Hyun of  “My Sassy Girl” fame (and a couple of other Korean actresses too.)  He asked me where they find all these beautiful girls and handsome men and do they all look like this in Korea.  I said some looks might be manufactured but there is no doubt Korea has a wide array of beauties, both female and male.

Every time I visit Seoul, I am struck anew by the physical attractiveness and vitality of its youthful population, especially in the bustling areas like Myeong-Dong and upscale districts like Cheongdam-dong around the Galleria and trendy areas like Shinsa-dong, Samcheong-dong, and Hongdae.   All these places have lots of restaurants, clubs, cafes and bars for young people.   Some streets are dotted with cafes with interesting themes, and the interior designs of some of the restaurants and cafes are very striking.  There are many beautiful people in these places but I have not seen any movie stars.  Without exception the young women are better-looking than the young men.  Someone like our JHJ is one in a billion.

On this visit I noticed in particular that all the girls have long hair and short skirts — ultra-short skirts or hotpants, whether they have great legs or not (many have!)  I sat next to one such girl on the flight to Seoul.  She was wearing a halter and hotpants, and even before the plane took off, she had to ask the flight attendant for a blanket because it was freezing in the cabin.  Korean girls also wear very high heels, mostly sandals, and it amazes me to see them flitting by in those stiletto heels.

In Myeong-Dong there are many hawkers selling these high-heeled sandals, as well as flip-flops, hats, sunglasses, T-shirts, socks, sun umbrellas (as distinguished from rain umbrellas), cell phone accessories, etc.  One thing that fascinates me is: dog tunics — every brand name is represented, so you can dress your dog in Chanel or Gucci or LV, etc.  There are also food stalls that sell (among other things) sausages and other snacks (all deep fried so I can’t see what they really are), chips (very artistically arranged in a sort of spiral), hot pudding (fried), and fruit on a stick (the pineapple is so sweet!)

As I walk back and forth in Myeong-Dong every day, I can’t help but notice many big stars advertising a variety of products, mostly cosmetics.  I don’t know who thought up this clever idea of having a man advertise cosmetics for women.  But Bae Yong-Jun is the face of quite a few cosmetic lines (he is everywhere!), a life-size Kwon Sang-Woo stands in front of a tea-house/cafe, and Rain also sells cosmetics and even yogurt!  And of course there is Song Hye-Kyo who seems to be much in demand to advertise all sorts of beauty products. These are the ones I recognize; there are many more that I know are movie stars but whose names I can’t recall.  And I think of our JHJ who only wants to be a “pure actor”.

Seoul may be very advanced but, like many big cosmopolitan cities, it has its homeless.  In the pedestrian walkways under the metro stations the homeless take up their nightly positions as early as 8 p.m., with their makeshift cardboard shelters.  Every time I see them, I think of the JHJ character Jung Eun-Sup in “Sunshine” who has to spend a night among the homeless to escape from his father’s henchmen.

And every time I see those pedlars of assorted wares on the metro, selling everything from coloured stockings to torchlights to raincoats (on a fine day – most incomprehensible) to (my favourite) a plumbing gadget to unclog drains, I think of the Song Hye-Kyo character Ji Yeon-Woo in “Sunshine”.  This JHJ drama really reflects certain aspects of Korean society — art mirrors life.

Also on the metro and long-distance buses I see a lot of soldiers out on leave.  Every time I see one, I try to make out the insignia on his uniform.  For no reason at all, I am reminded of those flighty younger Bennet sisters in “Pride and Prejudice” whose hearts are set a-flutter at the sight of a military uniform.  And here this ajuma is staring at these young soldiers, all because of one called JHJ whom she will never see (in uniform.)

And every time I visit a church in Seoul or its outskirts, (and I’ve been to a few this time), all because of “Love Letter”, I say a prayer for our favourite soldier JHJ who is halfway through his tour of duty.  May God keep him in good health and good spirits through the remaining ten months of his military service!

Korea, I’ll be back!

In Episode 7 of “Love Letter”, Andrea leaves Korea for Italy where he spends the next few years in a seminary training as a priest and as a doctor.  The setting used for this Italian retreat is actually in Seoul — St. XXXXXX Village.  (Please see our 8/9/09 post “Further adventures in JHJ country (3)”.)

It is a beautiful and peaceful place, and I would like to share more pictures with you.  One part of it is called Aaron’s Retreat, but to me it is Andrea’s Retreat.  As I mentioned in my 8/9/09 post, I took loads of pictures, everywhere where our JHJ might have left his footprints.  Suddenly I discovered on a little hill somewhere a plaque: “Father Andrea’s house”!  There is a date under his name: (1821 -1846).  I don’t know whether that means Father Andrea lived there during these 25 years or whether he only lived such a short life.  In any case, what a coincidence!

Let the pictures tell the story of this place.

Father Andrea’s house

If you like my photos, feel free to use them.  But please credit: http://jo-hyun-jae.com

In the early 90s of the last century when I was living in the U.S.A., someone I knew bought a Korean car Hyundai and received a lot of ribbing from his friends.  In defence he said that was all he could afford; in other words, it was cheap.  How things have changed in less than 20 years!  Today a Hyundai is as good as a Toyota or a Honda, and better than many American cars, and better value for money too.

Korea has made leaps and bounds in the last couple of decades, especially in the field of technology.  Many people I know who used to swear by their Nokia and Motorola have now switched to Samsung and LG cell phones.  I just bought a Samsung LCD flatscreen TV to replace my good old Sony.

It has taken Korea more than 50 years to emerge from the shadow of 40 years of Japanese rule (officially 35.)  Now Korea is as advanced and developed as Japan in every field.  Every visit to Korea confirms this.  I first visited Korea in 2003, never having any inclination to visit the country before that.  I have been to Japan “N” times but Korea has never been in my orbit.  Somehow it “seems” a little backward, a little cheap (all those counterfeit goods), a little colourless.

In 2003 my best friend fell in love with Lee Byung-Hyun’s “All in” and strong-armed me into joining her on a 7-day tour to Seoul and Jeju.  We had (barbecued) pork for practically every meal (cheap – beef is expensive!) which gave me a sore throat.  I remember fondly our afternoon tea at the Lotte Hotel on Jeju (at our own expense – very expensive but very classy!)  I remember not so fondly being pushed on the streets of Seoul by beefy Korean men and bellicose Korean women (even though they’re not much bigger than me.)  I do not recall seeing any Korean man who remotely resembles Lee Byung-Hyun or any Korean woman who reminds me in the least of Song Hye-Kyo.  We went to a couple of the locations of “All in” — that bluff with the chapel is real but the chapel is just a facade, and it is so windy there we could not stay for more than a few minutes.  So much for my Korean experience!  I had no desire to re-visit anytime soon.

To go back to the love-hate relationship between the Koreans and the Japanese.  It is a fact that the Japanese have always felt superior to the Koreans (and to many other races too, for that matter!)  The Japanese might have conquered Korea once, but now they have been “conquered” by Korea on another front.  Korean dramas and Korean actors have swept Japan ever since Bae Yong-Jun’s “Winter Sonata” melted the heart of every Japanese ajuma.  The Korean conquest is gentle and pervasive, and the Japanese surrender is total and unconditional.  In this Korean “invasion” of Japanese, our Jo Hyun-Jae has also played a part.

In the last 12 months I have visited Korea four times, all because of some actor called Jo Hyun-Jae.  And with every visit, I learn to appreciate the country and its people more.  The one thing that leaves a lasting impression on me is this — the Koreans are a very polite and friendly race!  Instead of being pushed on the streets, all I have to do now is look lost and some kind soul will come up to me and offer to help.  They may not speak English (well), but they always manage to bring or point me to my destination.  Once we almost took the metro in the wrong direction, but an alert gentleman who overheard us speaking the name of our destination steered us to the right track.  Things like this happen every day, and every time I feel so grateful.

From watching Korean dramas I feel Koreans and Chinese have many things in common.  We share a lot of values, like importance of family, filial duties to parents, respect for elders (especially teachers), etc.  Many of these are universal values, which is one reason why Korean dramas are so popular in Asian countries (almost without exception) and people of Asian ancestry.

But in one respect I think Koreans are different from Chinese — Korean men still feel superior to women, though I won’t go so far as to say Korea is a male-dominated society (because I don’t know.)  Let me give a few examples of my personal experience from my latest visit to Seoul a couple of weeks ago.

1) On the airport train leading from the arrival gate to immigration/baggage at the arrivals hall at Incheon Airport, there were 4 seats in the car I was in.  I was in one seat and a family of four occupied the other three.  There were the parents and two boys, aged 13/14 and 10.  Guess who was standing with all the hand luggage?

2) Early one morning in Myeong Dong, I was walking on one of the main streets and I saw some workers paving the road in front of a shop.  When I got nearer, I was surprised to see that the 6 or 7 workers squatting on the ground spreading/smearing the cement were all women.  The lone man stood there with his arms akimbo, lording over them all, presumably the supervisor.

3) I wanted to post a card to JHJ, so I went to the hotel concierge.  The young man took one look and said: “1,000 won.” (Korean money = approx. US$1)  I said it was 400 won the last time I mailed the same thing.  He insisted it was 1,000 won because “this is a special card”, meaning not a postcard.  I said: “Yes, this is a special card for a special person, but the postage should be regular, not special.”  We argued back and forth until a young lady (guest relations officer) happened to walk by, and this young man said something to her.  She took my card (presumably to weigh it, which the young man should have done but did not do) and came back and said: “390 won.”   No, I did not say: “I told you so.” because the young man already looked crestfallen.

Korean men could be too sure of themselves.  Now all Korean taxis have GPS (global positioning system.)  All the driver has to do is key in the address and the GPS will direct him to the destination.  So you will never get lost, right?  Wrong!  The younger drivers perhaps are more proficient in the use of the GPS, but many of the older (read: more experienced) drivers prefer to rely on their own expertise, as a result of which several times we’re “led round the garden” (Chinese saying meaning: going in circles.) The ironic thing is: in the end they still have to resort to using the GPS, but we have to pay a higher fare because it takes longer time and covers more distance.  I resist the wicked thought that that is their ploy for fleecing tourists.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

(Credit for photo: CarpediemKOREA.  Thanks!)

After he finished filming “Untold Scandal” and “Love Letter” in 2003, Jo Hyun-Jae did a photo spread for the Korean magazine Vogue Girl (October issue.)

We know these photos are a little overwhelming, especially the second one.  But since some of our readers are always asking for the full size, so here it is.  Happy?

(Credit: http://hyunjaelove.jp; http://cafe.daum.net/hyunjaehome; carpediemJapan’s Param.  Thanks!)

Thoughts of you just flutter by

as gently as a butterfly,

leaving me with warm and happy smiles.

How I wish you are as close in miles as you are at heart.

I Miss You

Here’s another card that we sent Jo Hyun-Jae recently.  A bit mushy, we know.  But we do miss him!

JO HYUN JAE had 50 NGs in “SEO DONG YO”  (3/22/2006)

I came here to re-post the translated article and additional comments I gathered about the “Seo Dong Yo” shooting system… what the Korean fans call “Noh Dong Yoh” (Slave Labor Camp!)

I’m still ‘mourning’ the ending SDY right now, but meanwhile, thought of doing something else. It’s an interview with Rujin [Editor's note: Rujin plays Giroo in SDY], but he talks so much about JHJ… who hates interviews BTW, that I figured I’d translate this instead. 

To let you know how much all the cast suffered after the shooting of this drama… In an interview with Lee Bo-Yong, she said that she didn’t even have time to change her make- up… so she had to run everywhere with it… And then, she said she wouldn’t do period dramas for, like… 3 years…? (she thought it might take her this long to forget this one.)

Rujin said the same thing… no period dramas for a while. JHJ, in another interview, mentioned he wanted to give up so many times during the shooting, but he’s proud he didn’t!  And that he couldn’t go to the bathroom. Then, he said he didn’t want to do a period drama for a while too!

His management also said he hasn’t decided on his [next] project yet, but that he just wants to rest for at least 2 months… (he didn’t have time to rest after ONLY YOU, since he had to jump into the 8 months shooting of SDY right after) and that he’ll most probably do a movie. Now, the fans want to know: Will he be in next week’s Seo Dong Yo SPECIAL?

[Editor's note: JHJ did appear on the SDY Special.  Please see our 6/23-6/28/09 posts "SDY Special, Parts 1-6.)

Oh well... here's the article...

Rujin, “Jo Hyun Jae acts as if nothing, even after making 50 NGs!”
*Translated by Priscilla

Actor Rujin (Sataek-Giroo in “The Ballad Of Seo Dong,” (SDY)  describes his colleague Jo Hyun Jae as an actor who can make 50 NGs and continue acting as if nothing happened.

However, “I can understand [how that happened].” He added that Jo Hyun Jae doesn’t need to apologize after making 50 NGs because the fault lies in the abusive Seo Dong Yo shooting-system they worked in.

For example, he would get a 200 page-script full of his scenes to be shot on the same day, with extensive dialogues he had to memorize.

Rujin’s older colleague Jung Wook commented to him before that “Seo Dong Yo” is a joint effort made up of many talented and outstanding artists. A prominent writer and a prominent producer, and actors who are able to internalize the extensive script in just a day. If we want to fix the shooting system, I think we must get rid off all these people!” (Laughter)

For the “Seo Dong Yo” team, getting the scripts felt like getting their criminal records. After receiving the script for the day, Rujin would hear Jo Hyun Jae grumble that it was too long, but at the end of the day, he would be laughing to himself and murmuring strange things. (Laughter) “We can all understand why he’d make constant NGs.”

Then, he added: “Jo Hyun Jae’s a genius. I’d like to applaud him and all the rest of the cast for giving lives to their characters under such strong pressures. I myself am very proud of this.” “In fact, I think the shooting system was easier during my debut years. I’d get the script earlier, so I’d have enough time to practice before shooting. Nowadays, the scale of shooting dramas increased so much, and we have improved in so many other ways, but the working system for the actors did not improve much.”

Regarding the working conditions of the dramas, Rujin added laughingly that “the acting skills and the speedy ways of adapting of the Korean actors should be recognized worldwide.”

To the younger Jo Hyun Jae, who has to worry about enlisting  in the army, Rujin advised him: “The army’s a piece of cake. It will be easier than filming ‘Seo Dong Yo.’”

[Editor's note: JHJ enlisted in the army on August 5, 2008.]

In addition, Rujin did not forget to thank all the Jo Hyun Jae’s fans who sent lunch boxes for 6 people faithfully on every shooting day.

Photo/ reported Choi Eun Hee
Reported Lee Yang Ae (lya@epg.co.kr)

(Credit: Translated from Korean into English by Priscilla (priscilla4U).  Thanks!  Edited by wulijohyunjae.)

You all know that during the break in filming of “G.P.506″, Jo Hyun-Jae took on an unusual assignment.  He was the lead male model in the Andre Kim Fashion Extravaganza which was staged in Wuxi, China, on July 12, 2007.

That was the first time JHJ set foot in China (not counting Hong Kong) but, hopefully, not the last.  His legion of fans are growing with the showing of “Only You” on Hunan TV in November-December 2008.

My favourite part of the Andre Kim fashion show is something that I call “Love Story”.  There is definitely a story in there somewhere (in the video at the start of this post), acted without words and accompanied by a haunting song.  You have to exercise your romantic imagination.  The clothes are beautiful; the music is beautiful; above all, the lovers are beautiful, especially our JHJ.