LBC

Just around the corner from my office building is a very interesting and unique establishment: LBC, which stands for Lecture & Broadcasting for Culture. It is the brainchild of Rim Cheol-Woong, a multifaceted man whom I will try to characterize.

Rim was born in a small town in Jeollabuk Province, although he has lived in Seoul most of his life. He graduated from Hongik University in 2003, at which time he immediately began his mandatory two-year military service. While off defending South Korea, Rim first created LBC. Same acronym, but different meaning—Luxury Brain Club. The primary purpose was to get fellow soldiers to refrain from engaging in gratuitous corporal punishment, inflicting pain on those of lower rank. That in itself was a significant paradigm shift because bopping privates was a long-accepted practice.

Back in the civilian world, Rim worked as a researcher at a couple of information technology companies before starting his own firm, Taewoong Infotech Co. He spent four years there but was not entirely satisfied. He and his long-time girlfriend had broken up, and he wanted to do more meaningful work. Rim was a skilled speaker and had a knack for persuading and even counseling others. He thought there had to be a way of helping people individually and bringing them together. Numerous artificial walls separate people in Korean society, and Rim sought methods of overcoming them.

He bought some electronic equipment and recorded his first podcast in January 2012. The response was encouraging, although what he was doing was technically illegal. In the USA, we would call it “pirate radio.” But pirate radio is not necessarily bad; it is often respected and beneficial to its listeners. At any rate, Rim registered with the government in March 2013 and now carries a card that identifies him as the president of LBC Academy Co., Ltd.

LBC, composing the ground level of a five-story building, is many things. In front is a converted garage where people sit and consume drinks and coffee made by Rim’s mother, Lee Gyeong-Hae. (Her ice latte is delicious, I can tell you.) Inside you will find a series of paintings hanging on the white walls. In the back is where the action takes place: the LBC studio. Rim and his assistants do podcasts and radio broadcasts that cover a wide range of issues. There is advice about love and dating, rendered with a dollop of humor. You can hear restaurant reviews, and get information about art exhibits, musical performances and festivals in Seoul. There are podcasts about sports, Japanese education, English education (in which I am involved), webtoons, travel, fashion and more. There is a lady who comes weekly and gives a ukulele class, and LBC is essentially the headquarters of my NGO, the Committee to Bring Jikji Back to Korea. Rim is one of the three Co-Directors thereof. I do not say if but when Jikji is returned from France, our celebration party will take place there.

Speaking of parties, every month about 40 of Rim’s friends, listeners and students—he teaches classes at Konkuk University’s Chungju campus—gather on the rooftop of the building. This is a convivial group, and Rim is always at the center of things. He cooks Korean barbecue and mixes jokes with advice. Got a problem in your love life? Ask Rim. Thinking about starting a business? Talk to him. Have strong political views, whether left or right? He can engage you, and he always does it with a smile.

Korea is the most wired country on earth, and Seoul dominates in that realm as well as just about all others. People have the latest smart phones and applications, and that's who Rim is in contact with daily. We live in such a vast city, I would hesitate to say there is not another such radio station/coffee shop. Surely there are others, and if so then fine. But it seems unique to me. LBC is an organic institution that tries to bridge gaps between people and groups. Rim and his assistants—such as Park Do-Dam, Lee Jae-Min, Choi Dae-Gun, Kim Min-Gu, Yoon Ok-Moon (a.k.a. "Meriel") and Song Woo-Jin—are often there. Or the ukulele teacher, or somebody starting or finishing a podcast. It’s a happening place.