Lea Moreau began living in Korea when she settled in Gwangju, Jeollanam-do Province. Here, Moreau poses for a photo with the English edition of the travel guide she wrote for the province in 2016.
By Jung Joo-ri and Yoon Sojung
Photos = Lea Moreau
A YouTuber who posts videos about Korean heritage and traditions, the writer of a Jeollanam-do Province guide book, and an expert on travelling in Korea. Lea Moreau is all of these.
For the French 25-year-old, Korea is an inseparable part in her life.
Korea was an attractive country for her as she pursued adventures and follower her passion.
Since moving to Gwangju, Jeollanam-do Province, in 2016, Moreau has traveled to a total of 66 cities in Korea, including Seoul, Cheonan, Ulsan, Miryang and Busan. She also worked as a manager at a hostel in Gwangju where she wrote an English-language guide book titled “Jeollanam-Do.” She even shed tears in May when she explained the significance of the latest Inter-Korean Summit in a video posted to her YouTube account.
Korea.net had an email interview with Moreau who has been living in Geoje, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, since December. She replied in a sincere manner with thoughtful answers.
When questioned to describe Korea in one word, Moreau picked ‘jeong‘, a word that means ‘deep affection’ or ‘friendliness’.
– What made you decide to live in Korea?
I visited Korea for the first time in April 2014. I traveled to Korea three times after reading a book about South and North Korea off the book shelf of my grandfather when I was little. I visited many cities where my Korean friends lived. After that, I hoped to learn more about Korea. I wanted to discover the true sides of Korea that are hidden behind the scenery and learn more about Korean heritage and traditions. So I decided to settle here.
– It seems impressive that you wrote a English language guidebook for Jeollanam-do Province. Also, what made you become a YouTuber, to talk about information about Korea?
Two years ago, I worked as a manager at a hostel called Pedro’s House. I met many travelers who asked for local information about the region that couldn’t be found in general travel books. That’s why I wrote a guidebook for Jeollanam-do Province. I also opened two YouTube channels – “Leadventure” and “Jeolla Go” — to introduce the beauty of the province and Korea to non-Korean tourists.
– What cities would you recommend Korea.net readers visit as they prepare for their trip to Korea?
I would say Gwangju in Jeollanam-do. The city is the cradle of democracy in Korea, and it’s also full of cultural and historic assets. I hope more travelers can feel the warmth of Gwangju citizens and the charms of Mudeungsan Mountain National Park. .”
– It has been two years since you moved to Korea. You seem to know what Korea and France have in common.
In my view, the first thing Korea and France have in common will be their love for their cuisines.
This is because the peoples of the two countries are strongly interested in their local specialties and their alcoholic beverages, such as wine and makgeolli rice beer. Another common feature will be their abundant creativity. Both countries show excellent creativity, especially in terms of architecture, design and fashion.
– You shed tears when you explained the meaning of the latest Inter-Korean Summit to your followers on YouTube. Why was that?
I got emotional when I saw the meeting between the leaders of the two Koreas. That reminded me my Korean friends who have relatives in North Korea. So I decided to make a video on YouTube to tell people about the importance of the meeting. The Inter-Korean Summit is a historic meeting that showed the common will of South and North Korea for the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula.
– Do you have any dreams you hope to come true while living in Korea?
I hope I can host a documentary that guides people to many places around Korea and introduce the hidden charms of the country. If I can become a Korean travel expert, I hope to work with local government entities in order to develop local tourism programs for non-Korean sightseers.
Lea Moreau is featured as a ‘tour-tainer’ for Seoul City, a combined tour guide and entertainer, in the show ‘People, Peoples’ aired on state broadcaster KBS in July 2017. The program shows her creating a video where she experiences Seoul first-hand and promotes the city’s tourism sites.
etoilejr@korea.kr
