Dragon Enthusiasts

2012 is the Year of the Black Dragon, which only comes once every 60 years.

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Dragons represent untamed ferocity, nature, and power.

A number of people in Korea are head over heels in love with these creatures.

Let's hear what they have to say about dragons.

In Korea, it's difficult to speak of dragons without mentioning this artist.

Over 10,000 dragons have been born through his brush stokes.

He is artist Jeong Dae-bong, who is recognized as the greatest expert in the world of dragon painting.

His boundless love for dragons is already well-known.

[Interview : Jeong Dae-bong, Master dragon artist] "I realized at a young age that dragons were magnificent creatures, and wanted to not just to draw them, but to create a dragon piece with just one stroke of a brush. That's how I began my studies on dragons, which I am still doing although I'm over 70".

Each dragon is drawn in a single stroke of a brush, which he does without breathing, lest he might disrupt the spirit and flow of the picture.

[Interview : Jeong Dae-bong, Master dragon artist] "Breathing while trying to draw a dragon makes my hand shake, and this ruins my work. So what I do is take a deep breath and hold it when I begin a dragon, and then breathe out again with a big shout when I finish the tail".

[Interview : Jeong Dae-bong, Master dragon artist] "Because I draw dragons in one breath, I can draw one in one stroke of a brush as soon as I get a mental picture of it".

From a flying dragon that is energetically thrashing about, to noble dragons that radiate dignity and elegance, thousands of unique dragons have come alive by his brushwork.

Although he's already 76 years old, Jeong plans to push ahead with his studies on dragons.

So what is it about dragons that makes them so appealing to him[Interview : Jeong Dae-bong, Master dragon artist] "They say that dragons represent all 12 Chinese zodiac signs. Even in historical dramas, one can see that the king's face is referred to as "dragon face" and his garments as "dragon clothes". In my opinion, dragons are the best creatures. So rather than drawing other animals like eagles and tigers, I've been focusing all my energy on drawing and studying dragons".

Here's another dragon enthusiast who devoted some 30 years of his life to studying dragons.

[SOV]
[Interview : ] "Hello, sir".

[Interview : ] "Hi. I'm Lee Hye-hwa, and I've been studying dragons for 30 years".

He is Lee Hye-hwa [이혜화], a Doctor of Dragon Studies.

He was the first to receive a Ph.D. degree in dragon studies.

What began as a hobby of looking at different meanings of the word dragon in different texts evolved into his studies on dragons.

[Interview : Lee Hye-hwa, Korea's first Doctor of Dragon Studies ] "Although we think we know everything about dragons, oftentimes we are not aware of their true identities and do not understand them fully, no matter how familiar they seem to us. So in my book "Mireu", I tried to offer in-depth research results on this creature that Korean people have known for a long time".

Recently, he published a book titled "Mireu" [미르], which is the culmination of thirty years of research.

The word "mireu" is a pure Korean word that literally means "god of water", meaning the dragon.

In his book, Lee interpreted the study of dragons from an anthropological point of view. After all, it was human beings who gave the dragons their meanings. He wanted to send a message to his contemporaries that it was important to stay rooted in reality rather than fantasy.

[Interview : Lee Hye-hwa, Korea's first Doctor of Dragon Studies ] "Everyone dreams of becoming a dragon. So it's safe to say that a dragon symbolizes the ultimate goal that all our dreams, hopes, and desires point towards. I realized that in order to achieve that ultimate goal, we needed to look at this desire to become a dragon from a social and philosophical standpoint".

Here's another artist who has fallen in love with dragons.

She is Jeong Hui-jeong [정희정], a folk art painter who excels in details.

Her devotion to dragons is goes beyond mere artistic passion.

What does she hope to get across through her dragon paintings[Interview : Jeong Hui-jeong, Dragon folk art painter] "Dragons are creatures of imagination. At first I saw the task of painting dragons as a way to return to my childhood. Whether I was painting them or writing a thesis on them, I was always excited and filled with a sense of mystique. Dragons are often thought of as sacred beings, and I wanted to bring this out through my work".

She wants to portray dragons not as mystical beings that appear in legends, but familiar creatures.

Every minute of her life is filled with thoughts about dragons.

[Interview : Jeong Hui-jeong, Dragon folk art painter] "In the next Year of the Dragon, which is 2024, I plan to create a piece that features a dragon 2024 meters long. By doing this, I aim to place a greater emphasis on dragons. On top of this, I'm also thinking about creating a dragon performance that people can enjoy with ease".

Dreaming of a dragon is considered to be a great blessing.

And 2012, the Year of the Black Dragon, has just begun.

How about spending this year getting to know about these dragons, the extraordinary creatures

[STUDIO]

Sometimes I wonder if people really did see dragons.
If they did I think they were probably leftovers from the dinosaur era.
Like crocodiles.
I'm not sure if we should be scared of them or comforted by them.
But in any case, the dragon motif is everywhere.
And I'm looking forward to 2012.