“I had mixed feelings about taking this job,” says National Geographic Korea editor So-young Lee. “Even though I had been working in the industry for a while, running a magazine was new to me. I guess I’ve been doing alright, though; I haven’t been fired yet.”
Despite early apprehension, Lee and her staff of ten have turned the magazine into a South Korean success story, attracting 54,000 subscribers since the January 2000 launch. “That’s pretty good in Korea,” she adds. “We don’t sell on the newsstand, so they are all guaranteed readers.”
And what do Korean readers want? “They’re more interested in other countries and cultures,” Lee says. “But they feel closer to the magazine when there is a Korean connection to a topic.” To keep them coming back, the editor tries to include a Korea-related sidebar to accompany at least one major article. Subjects such as nature, the environment, and culture are also covered in a column called “Korea Up Close.”
As with most publications, meeting deadlines and maintaining high quality in content and production is challenging. And Lee’s magazine is no different. But above all else, finding good photographs is the biggest problem. “Like the U.S. edition, our magazine is also driven by photographs,” she says. “We try to find good ones first and build the story from there. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t.”
|
|
 
We offered Lee another challenge: Choose five favorite South Korean destinations. Here’s what rose to the top:
1. Songni-san National Park
“This is one of those must-see places that help visitors gain an understanding of Korea’s past, which is heavily rooted in Buddhism and Confucianism. The park is in the middle of the country, high in the mountains and east of the city of Taejon. The scenery is stunning with lofty peaks and lush vegetation. Beopju-sa Temple is tucked into a closed canyon at one end of the park. Buddhists have made pilgrimages to the temple since the eighth century, when it was popular among pilgrims from China. Because of the location, it’s best to visit the park between May and October when the weather is pleasant and getting around is easier.”
2. Kyongju
“This was the capital of the Silla dynasty, which ruled from 668 to 935 and unified the Korean Peninsula. The rulers’ influence is strong in and around the city, located in the southeastern part of the country. Visitors shouldn’t miss the mound tombs of the Silla rulers, a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are more than 670, and they reach as high as 82 feet (25 meters). Inside are a number of artifacts, including weapons, pottery, and ornate gold and clay figurines. Kyongju National Museum houses a collection of about 80,000 such artifacts from the Silla period.”
3. Sorak-san National Park
“Located in the mountains on the northeastern coast of the country, Sorak-san offers spectacular scenes of craggy peaks, waterfalls, and pine and hardwood forests. Visitors have the option of taking leisurely strolls along groomed paths or indulging in strenuous treks up mountain trails. The best time to visit is in October when the leaves change color. But try to avoid going on a weekend or holiday; this is Korea’s most popular national park, and it gets pretty crowded. If you like seafood, any of the several restaurants in the nearby fishing village of Sokch’o serve delicious seafood dinners at the water’s edge.”
4. Kyongbok Palace
“King Taejo, the founder of the Chosun dynasty, began building this palace in 1395. The Japanese destroyed it in 1592. For more than 250 years it remained in ruins until Chosun rulers rebuilt it. Today it is surrounded by one of the busiest sections of Seoul. Recent reconstructions have returned all of the buildings in the complex to their original condition, but visitors can still see sections of buildings, walkways, gates, walls, and other structures that date back to the Chosun era from 1392 to 1910. The National Folk Museum, built on the palace grounds, exhibits a wide selection of ceramics, weapons, adornments, tools, and other artifacts from the Chosun period as well as other Korean cultural and historical treasures.”
5. The Demilitarized Zone
“Contrary to what you might assume from the name, the Demilitarized Zone is one of the most heavily armed areas on earth. Visitors with special interest in the Korean War will be fascinated by this 2.5-mile-wide (4-kilometer-wide) strip of land, half of which is on either side of the Demarcation Line that divides North and South Korea. It extends the breadth of the peninsula and passes by Seoul only 30 miles (48 kilometers) to the north. Visitors can see man-made obstacles such as tank traps, concrete overpasses that can be charged with explosives and blown up to prevent enemy tanks from invading South Korea. The presence of all that hardware has become somewhat softened, however. Without development, the DMZ has been allowed to grow naturally. It is alive with all kinds of plants and animals.”
|
|
| Photographs (from left) by Chris Lisle, Kevin R. Morris, and Agence France Press. |
 |
|
