An American Æsthete in Korea

"In the West, old means traditional, national and worthy of pride, but in the East, especially in the modern times, old seems to be equal to bad, outdated and unworthy," says Peter Bartholomew — American eye cherishes beauty lost on Koreans. "Sometimes, it takes an outsider's eye to truly appreciate the value of a traditional culture."

The article informs us that Mr. Bartholomew is "known to the Korean public for his passion for 'hanok,' or traditional Korean houses," and that he "has studied related Korean laws to defend his home," of which he says:

Many dissuaded me from buying the house back then, telling me that it was just an old, uncomfortable building which would never be appreciated in the real estate market. However, this hanok has filled my life with peace and beauty for the last few decades, and this, I think, is the true value of a house.

He blames South Korea's modernizing military dictator, suggesting that "the present system of laws and the civil servant society were largely influenced by former President Park Chung-hee's ideas." He contin ues:

Back then, the government forced people to revere the new and the West, and to disdain the old and the traditional. Such decades-long disregard for the tradition has led to the Korean people's apathy and ignorance about their own cultural inheritance.