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67 The full contents of Mr. Bae Yong Joon’s message in ‘Talk Box’ BOF 2008-08-19 37


Hello everybody. I hope that you have been doing well.

Even though the weather was unpleasant today, I thought that the cool breeze was
refreshing. The cold rain and wind also seemed to suggest a change of seasons.
I realized that time had passed very quickly and a sense of urgency began to take over. You
see, while resting I had made a mental note of all the things I wanted to do. And so I now
write this letter to you.

First, I would like to apologize for causing you to worry about me. My surgery was a
success and there were no complications. After spending a few days in the hospital, I am
now recovering from the operation. My recovery has been progressing very quickly and I am
now able to sit in front of my computer and write this letter to you. I promise that I will never
cause you to worry like this again, and I am very grateful for your support. I hope that you
will always take care of your health.

Among the things that I would like to do, there is one idea that I would like to share with you
now.

I once mentioned that I would like to create a book that introduces Korea to the reader.
I admit that part of the reason behind my book idea is my love for taking pictures. However,
for a while now I have also wanted to exhibit the beauty of Korea.

I understand that many of you in Asia began to show interest in Korea at the time you began
to support me. Some of you even visited Korea. However, I have wished for some time that
your travel destinations included more sites which are not related to drama filming locations.
I wished that there was some way to say the following to you and other tourists who were
able to experience some of the greatness of Korea but who then had no choice but to leave
the country due to a lack of relevant information:

“Even for Korean citizens who have lived in Korea their whole lives, exposure to Korea’s
natural landscape, culture, and history is a moving experience. Please capture the beauty of
Korea with your camera. This is where I was born and where I grew up. This is the beauty
of Korea which was shown in the dramas and movies I appeared in.”

This made me think about picking up my camera and starting a journey myself. Then I got the
idea of making a book which would share the beauty of Korea through my photographs of the
country.

I started to think about places which I would recommend to tourists. But I could only think
about famous places and the few sites that I have personally visited. And I know that there
are many wonderful places which I have either not visited or do not know about. To make
matters worse, I could not find any satisfactory and helpful sources of information. Then I
realized that I could try asking you for help! I was wondering what you thought about making
the book together with me.

What do you think? Please give me your thoughts.

Please tell me about the various places you have visited in Korea. Any information, whether
in the form of a letter or photograph, would be greatly appreciated. Even an old traditional
restaurant in the countryside or a sunset you witnessed while stretching outside of your car
would be suitable for the book. I would even like to hear about the fun episodes that
occurred while you were here in Korea. I would also like to hear from those of you who live
in Korea and who have had the opportunity to experience the true value of our country during
your journeys.

Perhaps you are curious about Korea and you haven’t actually visited the country. That is
good for the book too. Please tell me which aspects of Korea you would like to know more
about, which places you would like to visit, what types of food you would like to eat …

I will use all of my efforts to focus on the creation of this book after listening to all of your
ideas. I hope that the book will cause people who are interested in Korea to want to stay in
Korea for a long time.

My camera, notebook, and pen are now ready to start the project. As soon as I hear from
you, I will pack my bags. For now, please send your emails to webmaster@byj.co.kr. Later,
I will try to set up another method of receiving your ideas.

It feels good to finally write down what I have been thinking about for the past few weeks.
I now will wait with great anticipation for your input. I will carefully study everything you
send.

Please remain healthy and happy.

Love,

Bae Yong Joon

August 19, 2008