1982年在惠特尼美术馆我第一次见到了白南准，翌年初夏，我在他的工作室为他拍摄了肖像。1984年新年之际，这张照片在《纽约时报》一经刊登就有几个博物馆给我打来电话。南准对此像也给予了高度评价，认为与其他摄影师拍摄的他的肖像相比，这是最好的一幅，他的褒扬令我欣慰。
　　后来，他把我介绍到许多重要艺术家和博物馆馆长的聚会中。从此以后，每当南准因为太忙而无法亲自布展的时候，都由我来协助他安装展览作品。1986年，南准通过环球卫星在纽约PBS13号频道现场直播了行为表演“再见吉普林（Bye-Bye Kipling）”，我作为协调者参与了该项目。
　　南准希望我留在纽约与他合作，但我还是于1988年回到了韩国，在一所大学当了教授。同他在Soho的最后一天，南准给了我两封信，在写给他姐姐Yong Duk Paik的信中，他问姐姐能否让我在首尔为她工作。第二封是写给一家知名韩国画廊的信，向这家画廊推荐我的摄影作品。
　　2000年，我得到了一个机会回到纽约，在富布赖特奖学金的资助下在纽约大学教学一年。期间，我参观了一个在古根海姆博物馆举办的名为“白南准的世界”的回顾展，并观看了他最后一次正式的公共行为表演。“纪念夏洛特•摩尔曼”,他坐在一把轮椅上拉小提琴，同时播放从ABC电视台的脱口秀节目中截取的摩尔曼表演。表演之后，时隔四年未面的他一眼就认出了我，我们彼此问候，高兴地握手，这是我们最后一次见面—太仓促了。2001年，我回到韩国，他推荐我为京畿省白南准博物馆的董事成员，这令我感到突如其来。
　　白南准离开了我们，他是个热心人，从不为自己的痛苦责备任何人。出席他葬礼的众多悼念者包括莫尔赛•库宁汉（Merce Cunningham）和大野洋子（Ono Yoko）。他们进行了行为表演“切片”，正如白南准出于对约翰•凯奇的尊敬与仰慕而在他葬礼上进行的表演一样。灵柩中的白南准仿佛看到了朋友们的表演而面带悦色。
　　白南准到底何许人也，无人知晓。
　　对世人来说，他是深不可测的单纯天才吗？
　　或者，他至始至终都打算让自己的意图看起来像偶然的事件—一个与世界开玩笑的人？
                                                                                 2006年8月2日
                                                                                      韩国首尔
                                                                                       林吟均
　　I first met Nam June Paik at the Whitney Museum in 1982.It was one year before I photographed him at his studio in the early simmer of 1983.The portrait was then published in the New York Times on New Years Day, a year later, in 1984. After the photograph appeared in the New York Times, I received calls from a few museums and was happy that Nam June had spoken highly of my work and praised the portrait done by me as the best among the number of other portraits taken of him by other photographers.
　　He later brought me to parties where I was introduced to many important artists and museum directors. After that whenever Nam June was too busy to do it himself, I helped install his artworks for his exhibitions. In 1986, when Nam June performed “Bye-Bye Kipling” live through worldwide satellite on PBS Channel 13 in New York, I serve as coordinator for the project.
　　I came back to Korea in 1988 for a professor at a university, even though Nam June had asked me to work with him in New York. On my last day in Soho with him, Nam June gave me two letters. In the first one, he asked his old sister, Young Duk Paik, If I could stay with her in Seoul. The second one was a letter of recommendation to well known gallery in Korea. In that letter, Nam June suggested they should purchase my photos.
　　In 2000, I had an opportunity to return to New York for a year on a Fulbright Scholarship then teach at New York University. During that time, I attended a retrospective exhibition called The world of Nam June Paik at the Guggenheim Museum and was able to witness Nam June’s last official public performance.
　　“Memory of Charlotte Moorman” in which he sat in wheel chair and played the piano while projecting Moorman’s performance taken from a talk show on ABC TV. Right after the performance, he recognized me even though four years had gone by. We greeted each other and joyfully shook hands. It was the last time I saw him. It ended too soon.
　　When I came back to Korea in 2001, It came as a surprise that he had recommended me as board member for Nam June Paik Museum in Kyunggi Province.
　　Nam June Paik, who was genuinely warm and never blamed anyone for his suffering, has left us. Included at his funeral among the many grievers were Merce Cunningham and Ono Yoko. They performed “Cutting A Necktie” just like Nam June had once performed on John Cage out of respect and admiration. From his casket, he seemed to be beaming while watching his friends perform.
　　No one could be sure who Nam June Paik really was.
　　Was he an innocent genius unfathomable to those in this world?
　　Or did he plan from beginning to end to make his intentions seem like accidents – the man who played his joke on the whole world?
　                                                                              August 2.2006
                                                                                  Seoul,Korea
                                                                                  Liu YoungKyun