I was back at the Honam Training Institute of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, in Gwangju, for the first time in a long while. This was a special lecture for soldiers of the 31st Division. The topic: “Joseon History Through the Film ‘The King’s Warden.’” I built the full package: a film screening plus a lecture. (The Face Reader + The King’s Warden) A staff member at the institute got in touch after finding our past lecture records. I found that oddly moving. It made me feel that nothing really disappears; it stays somewhere.
The fee was half my usual rate, but I packed my bags as if I were heading off on a trip to the Honam region. Looking at the soldiers in the lecture hall, I noticed that many had fathers my age. They all felt like kids to me, so I handed out more coffee coupons than usual. I had a great time, the most in a long while, and it recharged me.




27 May 2026
[ Instructor: John Kim ]