June 14th 2004: Issue 11 This week, Subway Cinema's New York Asian Film Festival kicks off at the Anthology Film Archives in the East Village. I have to say that, as people I know personally, these guys are amazing. Subway Cinema consists of four guys, who put up the budget of the film festival out of their own pockets, market and host the festival, all while holding down regular jobs. I'm always impressed by their extensive knowledge of Asian cinema and always attend this festival because you can see their genuine love for the films and why they do it. Their recommendations are legit. In political news, I've heard rumors about an apparently impending mandatory military draft, similar to the one during the Vietnam era. Congress brought twin bills, S. 89 and HR 163 forward this year, the Universal National Service Act of 2003, "to provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons [age 18-26] in the United States...perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service..." I don't know how serious it is, but read more about it and decide for yourself. Also, I'll be celebrating my birthday this Friday (the 18th) at Flow, located at 150 Varick Street. We'll have the whole place. I'll be sending more info later this week, but basically it will be the first of a series of events with the theme "I Love the 90's". It's an homage to the era during the boom of the Korean clubs back in the early - mid nighties, during the days of Juliana and Niix. So come by and have a drink with your favorite Koreanxchange publisher. I'll buy... -ubn

FORUM Asian Americans and the 2004 Election Year Asia Society June 14th, 7:00pm - 9:00pm Asia Society and Museum 725 Park Avenue New York City $10 members, $15 nonmembers, $7 students www.asiasocity.org | 212) 517-ASIA Asian Americans from different levels of the political process convene to discuss pressing issues for the Asian American community in the upcoming 2004 presidential election. The Asian American Forum is a public program that features the participation of prominent Asian American cultural, political, media and business leaders who provide perspectives on contemporary issues concerning Asian Americans. Made possible with support from the Booth Ferris Foundation.

PERFORMANCE Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra Monday, June 14th, 8:00 pm Isaac Stern Auditorium Carnegie Hall 881 Seventh Avenue at 57th Street New York City FREE wellington.stanley@sbcglobal.net | 203) 432-4140 The Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra would like to ask for your assistance celebrating this exciting performance. Widely regarded as one of the finest orchestras in Korea, the Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra will celebrate its 20th Anniversary Season during its first United States tour. Under the baton of Maestro Shinik Hahm, the concert features the passionate Tschaikovsky 5th Symphony and Bruch’s Violin Concerto with world-renowned violinist Dongsuk Kang. This concert is free and open to the public.

TV SHOW The North Korean Freedom Act And The North Korean Human Rights Act Real Help for the north Korean people - or another name for regime change? Nodutdol Wednesday, June 16th, 8:30 - 9:30pm Channel 34 also simultaneous web streaming on www.mnn.org New York City www.mnn.org | luna@nodutdol.org There are two bills currently in Congressional committee that purport to aid the North Korean people but in fact, may endanger attempts to peacefully resolve the crisis between North Korea and the United States. Conservative groups in particular have been pressing for the North Korean Freedom Act (Senate) and the North Korean Human Rights Act (House), recruiting Korean Americans on college campuses with videos and speakers. Many groups across the U.S. and in South Korea and Japan are concerned about these bills and are speaking out against them - and in favor of greater negotiation and working towards a peace treaty. The Korea Peace Action Coalition, made up of eleven community and peace groups, held a press conference in New York on April 29th, 2004, and have produced a cable television talk show detailing the problems with these bills. These will air in the New York area in June. If you are interested in using this program in your area, please contact luna@nodutdol.org. The program consists of a half hour show in Korean language, followed by a half hour show in English.

BENEFIT DINNER The Korean American League For Civic Action Annual Benefit Dinner Korean American League For Civic Action Thursday, June 17th, 6:30pm Astoria World Manor Astoria, Queens www.kalca.org | info@kalca.org | 212) 633-2000 Korean American League For Civic Action cordially invites you to attend their Annual Benefit Dinner celebrating their fourth anniversary. Keynote Speaker: Honorable William C. Thompson, Jr. Comptroller, The City of New York Honorees: First Annual Kalca Community Service & Leadership Awards Honorable John C. Liu Council Member, The City of New York Kyung Hee Choi Founder & Executive Director, Korea Program Pascack Valley Hospital Margaret McHugh Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition Emcees: Juju Chang ABC News Correspondent Liz Cho ABC News Co-Anchor Featuring: P’ansori: Jindo Arirang Oak Joo Moon Recipient of the Presidential Award 1998 P’ansori & Traditional Arts Competition Poetry and Readings: Suji Kwok Kim Christine S. Park Sung Rno Guest Appearance: Souldout Entertainment In 2004, KALCA expanded its program priorities to include voter education and mobilization of the Greater New York area’s Korean American community for this year’s elections. KALCA has formed an alliance with other Korean and Asian Pacific American organizations including, Young Korean American Services & Education Center (YKASEC), Korean American Voters Council (KAVC), and Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund (AALDEF), to organize non-partisan get-out-the-vote efforts in districts with large numbers of Korean and Asian Pacific American voters. KALCA will collaborate with our partner organizations on voter education and other mobilization activities and conduct voter education forums on election issues and voting rights. Through our collective efforts, KALCA and our partner organizations hope to significantly increase Korean American and Asian Pacific American voter turnout rates in this year’s elections.

FILM FESTIVAL New York Asian Film Festival Subway Cinema Friday, June 18 - 27th Anthology Film Archives 32 Second Avenue at Second Street New York City www.subwaycinema.com The annual New York Asian Film Festival (popularly know as Asian Films Are Go!!!) is Subway Cinema's flagship event and America's leading showcase for popular Asian Cinema. We watch hundreds of recent Asian films and pick the fifteen or twenty that make the earth move and bells ring. Rowdy audiences pack these screenings from sun up to sundown -- they watch the movies, they win the prizes, they come back for more! The only criteria a movie has to meet to be in this festival? It has to be the best. The first two festivals featured over 30 films from 6 countries, including 2 International premieres, 5 North American premieres, 4 U.S. premieres, and 16 New York premieres. The 2004 New York Asian Film Festival will hit the Anthology Film Archives from June 18 - 27 and will feature 18 of the best movies you'll ever see in your life. They're from Korean, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and India and you can be sure that no one else will be showing these movies in New York. Advance sale tickets are available at SmartTix. Go to www.subwaycinema.com, or call SmartTix directly at 212-868-4444. "Of the dozens of annual film festivals that come to New York, few match the sheer fun of this paean to the latest in Asian cinema." —Economist.com

FILM Repatriation (Kim Dong-won, South Korea, 2003, 149m) Screening at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival Saturday, June 19th, 1:00pm Monday, June 21st, 1:00pm Tuesday, June 22nd, 8:00pm Walter Reade Theatre Lincoln Center 165 West 65th Street New York City www.hrw.org/iff In the spring of 1992 documentary filmmaker Kim Dong-won met Cho Chang-son and Kim Seok-hyoung, two North Koreans arrested by South Korean authorities years before. Convicted of spying for the North, they were incarcerated and spent thirty years as political prisoners. These men, and many others like them, underwent conversion schemes in prison that involved torture: those who renounced their communist beliefs were released from prison early. The others, known as “the unconverted,” served their full terms. None could return home to the North, however, until the turn of this century, when tensions between North and South eased significantly. Director Kim Dong-won followed these men for ten years, documenting how they survived – both physically and psychologically – the dehumanizing time spent in prison, and their quest, once released, to finally go home. Korean with English subtitles.

SHOW The Maritess and Darwin Grymoire, a Magic Drama with the Girliemagic Orchestra Friday, June 25th 10:00pm Friday, July 30th 10:15pm Friday, Aug 27th, 10:15pm Dillon's Supper Club 54th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue New York City $16 general admission $12 students and seniors with ID, and Dramatist Guild Members $10 food or drink minimum www.girliemagic.com | www.dillonslounge.com/home.html | 718) 328-8544 As the only female Asian Mentalist in history, and one of the few professional female magicians in the world, Maritess combines dramatic monologue with internationally award-winning sleight-of-hand, mind reading, and illusions. This true-life story tells of Zurbano's beginnings in the mean streets of Chicago, to the showrooms of Vegas, to the global stages of Asia and Europe, thanks to the unusual love and support of her womanizing and racist mentor, Las Vegas legendary magician Gary Darwin. Zurbano has become one of the world's most renowned female magicians, and owes her success to her lifelong apprenticeship to Darwin, a recognized master in sleight-of-hand and invention. See her show performed with the Girliemagic Orchestra with cellist David Preiser and sexy conservatory trained pianist Fiona Lee. The sovereign nation of Mykronesia www.mykronesia.com is personally opening the show. "Maritess is urban sophistication with an edge" —New York Newsday "With her street-smart stage presence, dazzling illusions, and great sense of humor, Maritess redefines magic for a hip new multicultural age." —David Henry Hwang

PERFORMANCE The 2nd Annual Youth Symphony Orchestra Festival presented by the World Projects The Seoul Arts High School Seoul Yego Youth Symphony Orchestra South Street Seaport Pier 17 Sunday, June 27th, 1:00pm Isaac Stern Hall Carnegie Hall Monday, June 28th, 7:30pm FREE www.yego.or.kr Program: Plays Symphony Number 2 by S. Rachmaninoff at Carnegie Hall Plays Overture from the opera Russlan and Ludmilla by M. Glinka Overture from the opera William Tell by G. Rossini, Korean Traditional Songs Stars and Stripes are forever at South Street Seaport Sponsored by KBS, Samsung Electronics, Ehwa Arts Foundation, New York Alumni Association of the Seoul Arts High School, Ministry of Culture & Tourism in Korea, The Korea Foundation, The Korean Culture & Arts Foundation, Korean Consulate General in New York, Korea Music Foundation, The Korea Times New York, Korea Cultural Service New York, Musepia Music Management. Profile of the Seoul Yego Youth Symphony Orchestra: The Seoul Arts High School (Seoul Yego) has been widely recognized as Korea's foremost pre-professional school for young musicians, dancers and visual artists because of its high quality of artistic and scholastic curriculum and the excellence of the faculties since it was established in 1953. The school has produced numerous Korean representative artists. Today the success of the Seoul Yego is our country's finest asset for young students in the arts. The Seoul Yego Youth Symphony Orchestra has established itself as the official representative of the Seoul Art High School, which continues to turn out leading musicians. The professional activities of the Seoul Yego Youth Symphony Orchestra began in 1972. In addition to giving many concerts throughout Korea, they have toured the world, including performances in Japan, Taiwan, England, Italy and American (Los Angeles, Hawaii, San Francisco, Chicago and New York), with continued high acclaim. In 1987, they won first prize for chamber music at the Aberdeen International Music Festival in Scotland, where they were invited to perform in 1994. In 1992, they performed at the opening concert at the Okayama Philharmonic Concert Hall in Japan. In January 1997, the Seoul Yego Youth Symphony Orchestra performed in San Jose, California and made their formal debut at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. In 2003, they gave the 47th annual concert at the Seoul Arts Center.

EXHIBITION Jean Shin AT MoMA QNS June 10th - September 27th MoMA QNS 33 Street at Queens Blvd Long Island City, Queens www.moma.org/press/project81/project_exhibitions.html Jean Shin was born in Seoul, South Korea. She recieved both her BFA (Painting, 1994) and MS (Art History, 1996) from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. In her work, Jean accumulates massive quantities of commonly discarded objects and transforms them into new forms that refer to the presence and the absence of the body. She is attracted to certain found materials ”like the excess fabric from altered pants, a single sock left behind in the laundromat, or stockings scarred with runs” because they embody a certain history of dysfunction, rejection and abandonment. Her work celebrates these imperfections as a natural part of life. With her chosen material, she undergoes a repetitive, labor-intensive process that often involves sewing, tearing, braiding or other intimate actions that reveal the hand at work. Conceptually, her goal is to preserve the identity of these everyday remnants, while bringing them into a new context within her art.