A recent symposium examined the strengths and possibilities offered by Jeju’s rich mythology. Experts say the island could couple the stories with new technological advances to help them reach a wider audience. Mike Balfour reports.

Report

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Pokemon Go is a global sensation

Focusing on the screen of your device, you find, hunt and catch Japanese monster characters for the Pokemon Go game.

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New possibilities in intersection of myths and IT

The Pokemon Company has created a fever all around the world, earning 53 trillion won worldwide from cartoons, films, musicals and games.

Chinese gaming companies have recently released similar games in which monsters of Chinese myths appear.

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International Academic Symposium for Jeju Studies (Oct. 7)

The IT-myth graft is in the international spotlight as a marketable item.

Jeju, the island of myths, is also drawing attention.

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‘Jeju myths play important role in cultural history, literature’

(조동일) Jo Dong-il, professor at the National Academy of Sciences who has linked ancient myths to contemporary literature emphasized that Jeju's myths are important assets to world cultural history study as well as literature.

He argued that Jeju’s myth culture is valuable to researching general myth history because the island’s myths are relatively less affected by religion or politics.

Recorded
Jo Dong-il / Professor, National Academy of Sciences
I believe that, to some extent, what has happened in Jeju is a reflection of the the world's common history.
[녹취 조동일 / 대한민국학술원 교수 ]
" 제주도에서 일어난 일은 세계 전체에 공통된 변화의 모습을 우리가 눈으로 보고 있다고 (해석가능합니다.) "

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‘Jeju myths preserved intact’

He pointed out that a number of old myths, including the stories of Grandma (설문대) Seolmundae and shamans have been preserved intact and that those myths are worth in-depth study.

INTERVIEW
Heo Nam-chun / Professor, Jeju National University
Jeju is nicknamed the "treasure island for myths" because it has a bounty of stories.
[ 인터뷰 허남춘 / 제주대 교수 ]
"제주신화가 이렇게 다양하고 풍부하기 때문에 신화의 보물섬이라고 말씀하신 겁니다."

[REPORTER] Mike Balfour
[CAMERA] Kim Seung-cheol

Jeju, the island full of old stories, is surprisingly under the spotlight due to modern IT.

Mike Balfour, KCTV