▶ Interview
Landscape Architect YoungSun Jung
YoungSun Jung has been a first-generation landscape architect in South Korea, the first female professional engineer in urban planning, and the first South Korean recipient of the Geoffrey Jellicoe Award, often referred to as the 'Nobel Prize of Landscape Architecture.' She is also an iconic figure encapsulating the 50-year history of landscaping in South Korea. From the prehistorical era, when the concept of landscape was absent in South Korea, to date, she has led the direction of landscape design at the center of this field. We met Mrs. Jung, who received the 34th Distinguished SNU Members Award, to hear about the landscape design world and philosophy she has pioneered.
I believe that my job as a landscape architect carries weight whenever someone entrusts me with a landscaping project. Thus, I strived my best to produce the best results. Even after completing a project, I would spend time exploring the landscape space I had designed. I proceeded with my work by sustainable management and unlimited responsibility. After all, I practiced continuous management, rather than one-off business. I think that my devotion to landscape with a humble attitude has led to my present good reputation.
I am grateful to the exhibition directors for holding such a large exhibition. The visitors at the exhibition told me that I had engaged in so many projects. However, as the architect of those projects, the list of projects fills me with a sense of regret: Is this all I did? I could have engaged in more meaningful projects.
Nothing particular. Despite occasional minor setbacks, I have never encountered anyone who treated me carelessly during my work as a landscape architect. It may be a human thing to become upset occasionally, in which I would better let go of such trivial issues. The first and foremost thing in work is to have an honest attitude toward tasks. Logical persuasion is possible only when you are honest with yourself. In retrospect, in the early years when I started my landscape projects, there was a high level of trust in customers.
I do not have any preferences as to which projects are more important. All projects are equally essential. Nevertheless, my memory dates back to the early years of my job, when I had to make important decisions. It was when the country was hosting the Seoul Olympics in 1988. The government gathered good trees from all over the country, intending to lead our country in a new direction. The government experimented with various landscaping techniques for locations such as the Asian Games Village and the Olympic Park. In retrospect, these efforts were possible because leaders were able to respect each other and integrate their opinions with the people involved.
I make it a rule to visit the land itself as many times as possible in each season. For example, we should closely investigate the land itself, depending on the weather, whether it is rainy or hot. Regardless of the project I initiate, I make sure to visit the site several times. I repeatedly visit the site until I master the traits of that place. I first observe the site and then devise a plan. How great would it be if that could just happen? Because the target of a landscape architect is land, I observe the inside and outside of it in detail. I observe the land to determine how water flows in the ground, what insects live there, and what characteristics it has. It includes what types of grasses are native to that area.
Landscape architecture is the integration of opinions from all experts in architecture, urban planning, hydrology, and entomology, “into the land as expression.” In landscape design, unexpected problems can arise in all fields, including ecology, urban construction, and civil engineering. In this case, a landscape architect plays the role of a facilitator, who connects and combines various elements and derives a single work from them. Creating a garden involves more than just planting flowers and nurturing trees. This work aims to construct space and time to communicate with and care for nature in addition to a place where healing and recovery occur. I believe that another role of a landscape architect is to enable the true nature of the land to flourish in a more beautiful manner and pass it down to descendants.
Both awareness and interest in landscape architecture have increased compared to the past. Landscape planning is included in all construction projects, including buildings, roads, industrial complexes, and residential spaces. In this respect, please make sure that all related fields, such as urban planning, civil engineering, and landscape architecture, are important. As briefly mentioned above, some people tend to think that landscape design is about planting flowers and trees. I am eager to let people know the scope of landscape architecture, which protects mountains and rivers, creates a city and land that is beneficial to live in, and passes it on to the future generations.
I hope that aspiring landscape architects will learn to cherish even a single bug and realize the raison d'etre of living things. I hope they will appreciate the value of nature and the land. I recommend they develop an eye for seeing the country beautifully. This is because landscape architecture is more than just decorating a space, much like makeup. Our country’s land is as beautiful a place as a landscape painting. As time passes, and apartments, buildings, and roads are placed, the beauty of our country is gradually disappearing. Until the last day of my career as a landscape architect, I am eager to strive my best to preserve the beauty of our country’s nature and spread its invaluableness widely.
