Landscape Architecture Australia — February 2018

Landscape Architecture Australia — Could

you tell us about the journal you edit?

Jeoungeun Kim — Landscape Architecture

Korea (LAK) magazine was founded in 1982

and has published 354 issues (as of October

2017). LAK pursues three visions for the

advancement of Korean landscape

architecture culture: firstly, a public sphere

that could lead the development of

landscape architecture culture; secondly,

a field of social communication where

landscape discourses and critiques could

be produced and shared; and thirdly, a

vanguard base where global

contemporaneity as well as regionality

are discovered and accommodated.

LAA — Which edition has been your most

successful?

JK — A special issue titled “Bicycle City – A

cit y t hat encoura ges c ycling” (no. 32 4, Apr il

2015), which comprises various articles

about cycling, city and culture. Han Gyeol

Jo’s article “Riding to work in Seoul,” based

on real-life experience, received a very good

response from many readers.

Another special issue, titled “Growing up as

a landscape architect” (no. 315, July 2014),

also received a lot of attention from readers.

Five questions were given to thirty Korean

Landscape

Architecture

Korea

—
Published Seoul, South Korea
Founded 1982
Editor Jeoungeun Kim,
senior editor (below)

landscape architects in their thirties. By

introducing their diverse life histories and

v isions, we wa nted to show t hat non-sta r

landscape architects can also grow and

function professionally.

LAA — What are the most controversial

projects or articles you have published?

JK — We published two special issues on

the Seoullo 7017 Skygarden (Seoul Station

overpass park) designed by MVRDV. The

first issue (2015) dealt with the results of the

international competition, including

several critiques. The second issue (2017)

dealt with the final outcome of the park’s

construction, including critiques and

interviews of major players. As there was a

great deal of controversy regarding

preservation of the overpass and MVRDV’s

design scheme, it attracted a lot of attention.

The Candlelight Rally [a political protest]

held at the downtown Seoul Gwanghwamun

Plaza was attended by more than fifteen

million Koreans from the end of 2016 to

early 2017. We published a special issue on

the plaza [with a focus on its] meaning as a

space and its cultural meaning. Public

attention on the plaza was very high and the

topic was controversial.

LAA — Which Asian works or designers do

Landscape Architecture Australia speaks to the editors of

two Asian landscape architecture magazines – Landscape

Architecture Korea (South Korea) and Landscape Architecture

Frontiers (China) – to explore the trajectory of landscape

architecture in their respective countries.

COMMUNICATING

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

IN ASIA