RESUME for David A. Mason
EDUCATION:
**** - ** ********* */** with a Masters' Degree in Korean Studies
from the GSIS of Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea.
Focus was on the History of Korean Culture, Religion and Philosophy.
1981 Graduated from California State University, San Francisco,
with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in {Oriental} Philosophy.
PUBLICATIONS:
Oct. 2011 “The Ancient Forest Culture of the Baekdu-daegan: Spiritual and Folk
Heritages along Korea’s Grand “Tiger’s Spine” Mountain-System”
Booklet published by the Korea Forest Service and distributed at the United
Nations Conference to Combat Desertification held in Changwon City.
Sept. 2011 my research-paper “The Significance of the Trend of Samseong-gak
Shrines Replacing Sanshin-gak Shrines in Korean Buddhist Temples” was
published in the International Journal of Buddhist Thought & Culture
(Dongguk University, Seoul), Vol. 17, pages 29-53.
April 2011 My research-paper on the Baekdu-daegan Region as Korea's green
multi-faith Pilgrimage-Tourism Destination was published by the United Nations
World Tourism Organization in its "Religious Tourism in Asia and the Pacific",
a major book-length research-report
November 2010 New Book published by Korean Buddhism Promotion Foundation
The Colors of Korean Buddhism: 30 Icons and their Stories
2010.07 “Baekdu-daegan Trail Guidebook: Hiking Korea’s Mountain Spine”
by Roger Shepherd and Andrew Douch, with David A. Mason as Contributing Editor,
published by Seoul Selection Books. 450 pages. This is the first publication about
the Baekdu-daegan and its hiking-trail in English, ever. Distributed / sold
internationally. ISBN# 978-89-91913-67-7. See: http://www.amazon.com/Baekdu-
daegan-Trail-Hiking-Koreas-Mountain/dp/899*******/
and http://www.baekdu-daegan.com/guidebook-promotion.html
My associated book on Baekdu-daegan history & cultural assets is coming in 2012.
Spring-Summer 2010 Series of articles in The Korea Times newspaper on
"The Greatest Icons of Korean Buddhism".
December 2008 research paper: “Analysis and Development of Korea’s Baekdu-
daegan Trail as an Adventure Tourism Destination: Suggestions for
Stakeholders” was published in the Tourism Research Journal
(Gwan-gwang Yeon-gu Jeo-neol), Vol.22 #4, pp.169-183, by the
Korea Tourism Research Association (KTRA).
November 2008 paper with photos: “Shinseon Paintings on Temple Walls” was
published in the Korean Heritage Quarterly, Vol. 1 #3 Winter 2008,
pp.35-38, by the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea.
November 2008 research paper: “The Burgeoning of the Baekdu-daegan Trail
into a New Religious-Pilgrimage Tourism Asset of South Korea” was
published in the Journal of Tourism and Leisure Research (Gwan-gwang -
Rejeo Yeon-gu), Vol.20 #4, pp.425-441, by the Korean Academic Society
of Tourism and Leisure (KASTLE). Co-authored with Prof Chung Moo-Hyung.
March 2008 research paper “The Relationship between Korea’s San-shin and
Dan-gun Deities, and their Iconography” [“도상학에 나타난 한국의
산신과 단군과의 관계”] was Published in the Journal of Korean Spirits
Studies Vol. 1, 2008.03 pages 51~94, by the Korean Society for
Studies of Spirits [한국 귀신 학회], Seoul.
August 2007 research articles “Appreciation of Korean Green Tea and its
Cultural History, Parts I & II” were published in Lotus Lantern, the
English magazine of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, Spring &
Summer 2007, Vol. 29 & 30, pages 16~19 in both.
July 2007 research paper Jiri-san: Sacred Aspects and Assets published
in the Tourism Research Journal (Gwan-gwang Yeon-gu Jeo-neol), Vol.21 #2,
pages 407~422, by the Korea Tourism Research Association (KTRA).
May 2007 research paper Sacred Aspects and Assets of Taebaek-san
was Published in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea:
Transactions Volume 81, 2006, pages 111~132.
Sept. 2005 Passage to Korea best-selling coffee-table book with photos
by Marc Verin and long essays & captions written by myself, by Hollym.
May 2003 산신 the translation into Korean of SPIRIT OF THE MOUNTAINS
by Hollym International Publishing Corp., Seoul and New Jersey.
Sept. 2001 Academic Article: "The Revival of San-shin as a Key Figure in
Korean Religious Culture" presented to the KICKS 2001 conference at Keimyung
University of Daegu City; published in their volume of the proceedings Exploring the
Origin of Homo Koreanus, Academia Koreana, Daegu-shi, Dec. 2001.
Spring 2001 Contributing Editor of Riding Through History on Seoul Subway
(a book translating and explaining the names of all 500 stations) by Prof. Jeremey
Seligson of Hanguk University of Foreign Studies. Not yet published in full.
2000 Major feature article: "Taebaek-san and Its Ceremony to Heaven"
published in the Winter 2000 issue of the academic journal Korean Culture,
by the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles, CA.
1999 Major book: SPIRIT OF THE MOUNTAINS:
Korea's San-shin and Traditions of Mountain-worship,
by Hollym International Publishing Corp., Seoul and New Jersey. Researched
and written 1988-1999. Reviewed and reported on in many media. Awarded as
"Best Book on Korean Culture" by Korea's National Academy of Sciences, in 2002.
1997 Korea a comprehensive Travel-Guide, 4th Edition, by Lonely Planet.
co-authored with Robert Storey; written in late 1996. No longer in print.
1993 KOREA: A Sensory Journey, essays on Korea by David Mason with
photos by Marc Verin; published by Woojin, Seoul. Still in print.
1991 Researched and wrote academic journal article on the history and
significance of the Sam-hwangje Baehyang, a 300-year-old Korean Neo-Confucian
Ceremony (first study of this subject, ever). Published in the Korea Journal,
Autumn 1991 edition, UNESCO, Seoul.
1987 Researched and wrote two textbooks: POSCO Business English published
by the Pohang Steel Company in August 1987; and Modern Hotel English,
published by Hollym Publishing, Seoul, in July 1988 and re-printed 8X since,
used by Hotel-service college-level programs all over Korea.
EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE:
2005 - 2012 Full-Time Professor of Korean Cultural Tourism
for Kyung Hee (Gyeonghui) University, Seoul, in
the College of Hotel and Tourism Management
2011 ~ Promotional Ambassador of the Baekdu-daegan Range
(Korea’s mountains), appointed by National Government
of the Republic of Korea
2007 ~ 12 Korean Tourism & Buddhism Advisor for The Korea Times
2007 ~ 10 Promotional Ambassador of Mt. Samgak-san,
appointed by Gangbuk-gu District in Seoul
2005 ~ 12 Teaching “Korea’s Cultural History” intensive course
for the International Summer Program of Konkuk University, Seoul.
2001 ~ 8 Proofreader and a Contributing Editor (part-time)
for Lotus Lantern (their magazine in English) and some other
publications of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, Seoul.
2005 Editor for the Korea National Tourism Organization (KNTO).
2005 Communications and P. R. Director for the
UNWTO ST-EP Foundation headquarters office in Seoul.
2003 - 2005 Adjunct Professor [Gyeomin-gyosu] of Korean Tourism
for Hanyang University's Graduate School of International Tourism
2001 - 2005 Tourism & P.R. Consultant for the,
Korean Government,
Project Team for Visit Korea Years 2001-2002, the
Ambassador of Tourism and Sports, and the
Korea Culture and Tourism Policy Institute.
I worked on the Promotion of Inbound Tourism, writing original content for web-sites
and brochures, writing speeches and articles, answering interviews,
correspondence, arranging events and promotional projects, researching tourism
conditions and reporting on them, recommending improvements, guiding tours for
foreign tourists to Korean cultural & historic sites, educating Korean tour-guides,
editing & proofreading of all written productions from these offices.
1990 - 2005 Many lectures and guided tours nationwide on the history of Korea,
with strong emphasis on cultural and religious development, for: the
Royal Asiatic Society - Korea Branch, the Korea Youth & Student Travel
Service, Fulbright Education Commission, the Korea International Education
Development Organization, Hanyang University Graduate School of Tourism
Management, and the Lotus Lantern International Buddhist Center -- all in Seoul.
1999 - 2000 Yonsei University, Maeji Campus, Wonju City, Kangwon
Province, Korea: Assistant Professor in the Department of English Literature.
Responsible for curriculum design, text-creation / selection, class planning,
instruction in beginning and intermediate English Conversation and Writing (9-15
hours per week), and evaluation of student progress.
1988 - 1997 Kangwon National University, Chuncheon City,
Kangwon Province, Korea: Assistant Professor in the Department of English
Education. Responsible for curriculum design, text-creation / selection, class
planning, instruction in beginning and intermediate English Conversation and
Writing (12-15 hours per week), and evaluation of student progress. Also, Senior
Lecturer for the Kangwon Provincial Teacher's Training Institute in
Chuncheon and Gangneung (providing intensive Refresher and Upgrade Courses
for Middle and High School Teachers, every Summer and Winter).
1987 Pohang Iron and Steel Company [POSCO], Pohang City, Korea:
Training Institute; Responsible for curriculum design, text-creation / selection, class
planning, instruction in beginning and intermediate Business, Tourism, and
Conversational English, and evaluation of student progress.
1986 Kyeongju Tourism Training Institute, run by the Korea National
Tourism Organization (KNTO), Kyeongju City: Teacher of Tourism English.
Authored new Hotel English textbook for school use.
1984 - 85 North Star Center, run by North Star Education Foundation, at Harbin
Hot Springs in Middletown, California: Lecturer on Oriental Philosophy and Culture;
also resort manager.
1981 - 83 Various English Conversation teacher jobs in Seoul and Taipei, Taiwan.
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Member of the Board of Directors of the Royal Asiatic Society -- Korea Branch, Seoul
(founded in 1900), from 2001 to 2008. Served as Chairman of the Tours Committee,
and guide on several of their tours. I have been an active member of RAS-KB since 1987.
Member of the Research Association on Korean Shamanism, now also the
Korean Society for Studies of Spirits, affiliated with the National Folk-Culture
Museum of Korea, since 1997.
Appointed by the Mayor of Gangbuk-gu to its Advisory Commission in 11/07,
and as its P.R. Ambassador of Samgak-san in 2/08.
PERSONAL:
USA Citizen, Permanent Resident in Korea with F-5 Visa
TEL # 010-****-**** E-mail: abqs2f@r.postjobfree.com
About David A. Mason
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