KOREA FOUNDATION

INTERVIEW

Cultural Geographers of ASEAN CountriesProfessor Kim Yi-jae

It is the tradition in Korea to eat tteokguk(rice cake soup) on New Year’s Day, as Koreans believe that they age a year only after eating the soup. Koreans also meet family, relatives, and friends, and share New Year’s greetings and hopes. ASEAN members also hold festivals and eat special foods to greet the New Year.We had a talk with cultural geographer Kim Yi-jae, who has spent more than two decades studying the cultures and geographies of ASEAN countries.

Nice to meet you. Please introduce yourself to the readers of the ASEAN Culture House Monthly.

Hello, I am Kim Yi-jae, and I am a geographer who has visited over one hundred countries around the world. I teach social science at Gyeongin National University of Education. I started studying Southeast Asia in the Area Studies Department Division 1 of the Graduate School of International Studies at Seoul National University in 1997, which has been 25 years this year.

I heard that New Year’s celebrations are different in each religion and culture in ASEAN. How did these differences come about?

The religion and sphere of culture matter more than the nationalities. They lead to differences in the timing of the New Near and the meaning of events. For example, Muslims living in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand follow the season according to the Islamic calendar. In particular, Ramadan, a month-long fasting period, and Idulfitri, the festival that follows, are the most important holidays for Muslims.

Please tell us about the New Year’s celebrations in ASEAN. Is there something similar to Seollal(Lunar New Year) in Korea?

Countries with large Buddhist populations, such as Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Thailand, celebrate the New Year according to the Buddhist calendar, and hold exciting water festivals. It is officially a three-day holiday, but they return to their hometowns and enjoy food and drinks with family and relatives for a week. Overseas Chinese in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore celebrate the Lunar New Year as we do. In Indonesia, where Muslims amount to 87% of the population, the Lunar New Year observed by the Chinese is designated as a public holiday called Tahun Baru Imlek to uphold religious freedom and diversity.

What do you feel is the most interesting or impressive New Year’s tradition in ASEAN?

In Indonesia, where more than 17,500 islands coexist with a variety of races and cultures, Bali’s New Year celebrations are particularly special. Through an event called Nyepi, they perform a ritual to cleanse the whole island. The time changes each year slightly according to the Hindu calendar, but usually falls around the end of March. Balinese people celebrate the New Year with a pious heart, adhering to the prohibition of four taboos: do not make noise, do not turn on lights, do not go outside the house, and do not seek pleasure. It’s a ritual to encourage evil spirits to leave Bali by making them think that the island is abandoned.

Lastly, do you have any New Year wishesfor the readers of ASEAN Culture House Monthly?

“A person who opens the calendar in the New Year is behind time. The one who opens the map will lead the next 100 years”, said the late Dr. Lee O-young. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has calmed down, I recommend that you open up a map and explore the various countries of ASEAN in 2023. Perhaps you could learn the reasons behind their reputation for warmth and friendliness, and find new opportunities for success.