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도 자 기 Future of Ceramics Inspired by History Korea’s representative traditional craft seeks new directions Travel Danyang, Where History and Nature Come Alive Special Issue The Eurasia Friendship Express

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Future of Ceramics Inspired by History

The Eurasia Friendship Express

Poetess Heo Nanseolheon

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Film Poster Painter Park Tae-gyu

Vintage Railroad Renaissance

Travelling to the Forbidden Zone

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Embroidery Artist Son In-sook

President Meets UK Foreign Secretary and IOC Chief

Music that Resonates

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Danyang, Where History and Nature Come Alive

The Value of the Arts in Our Daily Lives

Udo Island: Small and Sensational

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Taekwondo Spirit

Entertain Your Ears Anytime, Anyplace

Grilled King Prawn

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Comedy for an Audience Worldwide

A Royal Ritual to Strengthen Old Ties

Cover Story

PEOPLE 1

PEOPLE 2

TRAVEL

SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT

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September 2015

SPECIAL ISSUE

CURRENT KOREA

Summit Diplomacy

POLICY REVIEW

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

GREAT KOREANS

MY KOREA

MULTICULTURAL KOREA

NATURE

FLAVOR

GLOBAL KOREA

Publisher Park Young-goog, Korean Culture and Information Service Executive Producer Han Seong-rae E-mail webmaster @ korea.net Magazine Production The Book Company Editor-in-Chief Lee Min-jeong Production Supervisor Kim Min-kyung Copy Editor Gregory C. Eaves, Hwang Chi-young Creative Director Oh Seong-min Head Designer Kim Se-ryeong Photographers Moon Duk-gwan, Hong Ha-yan Printing Kumkang Printing Co,.Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission from KOREA and the Korean Culture and Information Service.

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Cover Story

Future of Ceramics Inspired by History Korea’s representative traditional craft seeks new directions.

Written by Cheong Kyu-young

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The Baekja Cheonghwasongha Inmulwigimundo from the Joseon period was auctioned at the Seoul Auction’s Hong Kong Sale in May as the highest recorded item for that day. The piece, revealed to the public for the first time in 80 years, was sold for approximately USD 1.14 million. © Seoul Auction

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he highlight of Seoul Auction’s 15th Hong Kong Sale on May 31 was a blue and white porcelain jar from the Joseon period (1392-1910).The Baekja Cheonghwasongha Inmulwigimunho was adorned with a scene of Taoist hermits under a pine tree. It had not been shown publicly since it was displayed at an exhibition in 1939. The piece sold for KRW 1.357 billion, approximately USD 1.14 million.This may seem an exorbitant price for a piece of porcelain, but it shows that Korean ceramics are highlyprized throughout the world. Previously, another piece of Joseon porcelain, the Baekja Cheolhwa Yongmunho, sold for USD 8.42 million, a record price for ceramics at

the time, at a Christie’s auction in New York.

Koreans first learned how to make ceramics from the Chinese. Korean ceramists developed their own styles and forms over the centuries, including celadon porcelain (cheongja) from Goryeo (918-1392) and white porcelain (baekja) from Joseon.

Choe Sun-u (1916-1984), former director at the National Museum of Korea and an esteemed art historian, once said, “Korean art has shown, throughout time, the country’s traditional beauty. It is even more apparent in sculpture than in painting, more so in architecture than in sculpture and more so in craftworks than in architec-

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ture.” According to Choe, ceramics, along with wooden craftworks, best represent “Korean beauty.”Today, numerous ceramic artists are carrying on the tradition while producing more contemporary works.

Moreover, high-end tableware and other household items are produced by a number of popular porcelain makers, and they are not only satisfying domestic demand but are exporting their wares all around the world.

Elegance and simplicity

It is believed that pottery was first made on the Korean Peninsula during the Neolithic period, around 10,000 years ago. People

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formed clay into objects and fired them at high temperatures. Through the centuries, they started to glaze earthenware and fire the pieces several times. Korea’s first porcelain dates back to Goryeo, when greenblue celadon (cheongja) was made in the early 10th century. The royal family and aristocrats enjoyed drinking tea from Chinese ceramics. During the rule of the Five Dynasties and the Ten Kingdoms from 907 to 960, China experienced great tumult.

The flow of Chinese ceramics to Korea then largely ceased, forcing the country to produce its own teapots and cups. Korea began making ceramics much later than China, where the first celadon was made in about the 3rd century, but it was still one of the first countries to do so. Japan produced its first ceramics in the 17th century, and Europe did so only in the 18th century.

The first ceramics made in Korea were mere imitations of Chinese ceramics.

However, Goryeo ceramists eventually developed their own methods, such as bisque firing and inlaying, and their ceramics were later recognized for their quality even by the Chinese.

One of the most iconic pieces of

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Robert Moore, a collector of Korean antiquities, says that “Korean antiquities are simple and elegant and not artificial.” © Yonhap News

Goryeo’s blue celadon was recognized by many Chinese for its beautiful color and form achieved through techniques such as bisque firing and inlaying.

The popularity of Korean traditional ceramics at art auctions increase every year. © Seoul Auction 7

Goryeo celadon is the Cheongja Sanggam Unhangmun-maebyeong, National Treasure No. 68. It was discovered and appropriated by the Japanese dur ing colonial times (1910-1945), but was bought back home by art collector Jeon Hyeong-pil in 1935. It is now on display at the Kansong Art Museum in Seoul. This work of celadon has a small mouth, short neck, round shoulders and narrow waist. It is adorned with inlaid designs of 69 cranes flying among the clouds. The beautiful jade-green color was achieved by the process of bisque firing and was especially admired by the Chinese.

The heyday of Goryeo’s blue celadon ended with its demise in 1392. Afterward, dur ing Joseon, grayish-blue ceramics (buncheong ware) were widely used. They were made with relatively coarse clay, painted with white slip and covered in a green-tinted glaze. This bold and dynamic form of ceramics represented a transitional phenomenon that was solely Korean. It was, however, considered too experimental and whimsical for the Joseon royal family and ruling classes that upheld Confucian values. The tradition of wearing white clothes produced an overwhelming demand for white porcelain. Compared to Goryeo celadon, white porcelain was rather simplistic, but it required more complex techniques. The basic for m was a

round pot with no decorations, called a Moon Jar. Choe Sun-u has stated that it resembled a “generous eldest daughter-inlaw in a rich family.” It represents comfort and affability as it has a plain exterior and is slightly crooked on the side.

Many different techniques were developed for embellishing white porcelain.

Cobalt-blue decorations (cheonghwa), ironbrown decorations (cheolhwa) and copperred decorations (jinsa) were very popular, along with the previous celadon inlays.The Cheonghwa Baekja Cheolchaedongchae Nangukchochung Munbyeong is a representative work of Joseon white porcelain. A variety of decorating techniques were applied to it to render wild chrysanthemums, an orchid and bugs along its round body.

White porcelain declined in popularity in the later Joseon years, as it failed to

Lee Su-gyeong uses ceramic shards to create her works of “translated ceramics.”

survive competition against Chinese and Japanese ceramics. A long hiatus in ceramics making lasted through the decades of colonial rule and the Korean War (19501953). In the 1960s, modern technology allowed for the mass production of ceramics, which revived the popularity of traditional earthenware. Today, original processes of porcelain-making have been rediscovered, and potters and ceramists have combined traditional methods with moder n technolog ies to make more unique and elegant products.

Tradition welcomes a modern touch

The best Joseon white porcelain maker was in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do Province. A kiln operation based in the town produced tableware for the royal family. This and

An auction participant looks closely at the Cheongja Sanggam Unhangmunpyo kettle and saucer. © Yonhap News

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Potters fire celadon porcelain at the kiln inside Gangjin Celadon Museum. Š Yonhap News

other such producers became defunct in the late 19th century before the onslaught of imports and cheap machine-made ceramics.

Today, traditional production methods are making a comeback. Ceramist No Yeong-jae has dreamed of reviving original Joseon white porcelain since a young age.

He searched the area around the historical kiln in Gwangju with his grandfather and ceramics master Ahn Dong-o. They managed to recover shards of white porcelain.

He settled at the old site in 2003 and has since strived to recreate authentic royal Joseon ceramics. He established an exhibition hall to show his exquisite works of white porcelain to the public and created a cooperative of local potters and ceramic artists. No’s passion is apparent in his pieces.

His works of white porcelain are known for elaborately carved embellishments and they are highly-prized in Japan.

Kim Si-yeong is another ceramic artist who is carrying on traditional methods. He specializes in black-glazed ceramics (heu-

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gyudogi). His career in ceramics began 30 years ago, when he happened to discover a shard of black ceramics while hiking with his college hiking club. Over the next ten years, he worked the clay and fired pieces every day, but repeatedly failed to achieve the desired results. His work almost took his life on several occasions because the extreme heat of the kiln caused him to suffer from apnea. Unlike celadon and white porcelain, black-glazed porcelain comes out in slightly different colors depending on the temperature and the way it is fired. It is difficult to make, but has great potential for development. After endless experimentation, Kim found his own way to produce black-glazed porcelain, and his works have been recognized for their excellence.They are often offered as gifts to foreign heads of state visiting Korea. In the

Cheongja Sanggam Unhangmun-maebyeong, National Treasure No. 68, is the most iconic piece of Goryeo celadon. Jeon Hyeong-pil bought the piece to protect it from being sold to Japan. Š Kansong Art and Culture Foundation 9

Zen Hankook continues innovating in the realm of ceramics.

It was the first company to make large sealed containers and frying pans out of ceramics. Now, it is working together with an electronics company to make ceramic wireless speakers.

For 30 years, ceramic artist Kim Si-yeong has been carrying on the traditional method for making black-glazed ceramics dating back to Goryeo period. © Khalifa Gallery

Yu Ui-jeong adds pictures such as Micky Mouse and Nike and Starbucks logos to recreations of iconic pieces. He focuses on the transition of crafts to art. © Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture 10

1990s, one of Kim’s teacups was appraised at JPY 1 million, approximately USD 8,000, in a Japanese directory of artworks.

This book is an authoritative reference for Japanese auction houses when appraising items for sale.

Other ceramists employ more unconventional methods, reinterpreting traditional processes in their personal styles.Yu Ui-jeong frequently visited royal palaces when he was a child, and he now uses ceramics as playful objects. One of his representative works is his recreation of the iconic Cheongja Sanggam Unhangmun-maebyeong, but he decorated the exterior with Micky Mouse in inlay instead of with cranes. He then named the piece, the Cheongja Sanggam Unhak Mickymun-maebyeong. He has said that, with this piece, he wanted to mix tradition with modernism and Asia and the West.

Lee Su-gyeong’s “translated ceramics” are closer to contemporary art than to ceramics. She takes shards of ceramics and uses them to make collages. Lining the shards’ edges in gold is an elegant touch.

Having studied painting, Lee found that putting together 2-dimensional shards into a jar is easier and more comfortable. She received wide recognition in 2012 when she accepted the Artist of the Year award from the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul.

Lee Seung-hui is both a ceramist and contemporary artist. Instead of typical 3-D forms, his works are more like relief sculptures and are merely three millimeters thick. It is difficult to classify his pieces as either conventional ceramics, sculpture or painting. Lee creates his pieces by pouring

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a light white slip over a 2-D image of ceramics on a flat clay board and then drying it. He repeats this process 70 times to achieve the 3-mm thickness. He then decorates the image, covers it with a glaze and fires it to complete a planar ceramic canvas.

Ceramics in unexpected contexts

Makers of ceramic tableware have been adding fresh touches to age-old traditions in collaboration with artists and fashion designers. Hankook Chinaware introduced a line of tableware bearing well-known paintings by Gustav Klimt. More recently, the company worked together with upand-coming pop artists to launch a new brand,Yap. Haengnam, another ceramics company, works with a different fashion designer every year for its Designers Collection line, encouraging customers to regard its products not just as tableware but

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Entertaining Ceramics Festivals Numerous ceramics festivals of various sizes are held throughout the country as the everyday use of ceramics increases.

Among them, Icheon Ceramics Festival and Yeoju Ceramic Festival are popular spring festivals where visitors can purchase high quality celadon porcelain, white porcelain and grayish-blue ceramics, and participate in various pottery games and events. These events include pottery competition for families, making pottery using a spinning wheel with local potters, and learning the traditional pottery making method. Rare pieces used in the royal court or priceless works of art can be seen at Icheon Ceramics Festival, whereas ceramics for everyday use such as bowls and tea sets can be found at Yeoju Ceramic Festival. The Royal Ceramic Festival is held every year in Gwangju in Gyeonggido Province where 316 historic kiln sites have been discovered.

Various events with a traditional flare can be enjoyed at this festival ranging from traditional ceramics competition to performances such as royal dance, traditional fan dance and gugak music.

Ceramics festivals offer fun events for visitors of all ages.

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also as interior decoration items.This year, the company invited designer Lie Sang Bong and he created geometric designs on its products using a lattice pattern. Another company, Kwangjuyo, collaborated with world-renowned chefs, including Thomas Keller and Corey Lee, to make products better suited to users’ needs. This year, the company launched a webpage (www. en.ekwangjuyo.com) to facilitate international sales. Finally, Zen Hankook is seeking to expand beyond tableware.The company developed the first large ceramic sealed containers and ceramic frying pans.

It is now working together with a consumer electronics company to make ceramic wireless speakers.

Ceramics have evolved and improved tremendously over the years. In Gyeonggido Province, there are several theme parks for those who want to explore the past, present and future of Korean ceramics. At Icheon Cerapia, visitors can see artists working on their pieces. They can also try making ceramics themselves with the help of the artisans. Throughout the park, visi-

As a growing number of people take up pottery as a hobby, more workshops and stores specializing in ceramics are becoming available.

tors can sit and rest on ceramic benches and enjoy artists’ works displayed outside. The Gonjiam Ceramic Park in Gwangju is located near the kilns that produced the ceramics for the Joseon royal family.There is a ceramics museum on this 160-acre park and a sculpture park that hosts tours and hands-on activities year-round. The Yeoju Dojasesang is a museum and a shopping mall housed in traditional Hanok buildings.

This park presents permanent and special

Ceramic ware reflects a simple and subtle beauty that cannot be seen from plastic or glass products.

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exhibitions throughout the year, and some 6,000 different ceramic products produced across Korea are available at affordable prices. For a complete experience of all three parks, visitor s must go to the Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale, held every other year since 2001.The most recent biennale was in April and May 2015.

Numerous ceramic artists, experts and enthusiasts converged in the area to share their ideas and insights.

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interview

Ceramics Around the World Jeong Hye-jeong, a designer from Haengnam shares new trends in ceramics.

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part from ceramics as art, ceramic tableware has always been used on the dinner table. Haengnam is a representative maker of ceramic tableware, established in 1942. The company has been producing stylish yet practical tableware for families using traditional bone china techniques.

Jeong Hye-jeong, a designer at Haengnam, says, “Many families today have no more than three members, and the number of single-person households is rapidly growing. Our latest product, Bombom, was designed to suit the needs of those who live alone.The bowls and plates can be stacked on top of one another into a sphere-shaped container to save storage space, and the container itself is also a very nice interior decoration item.”

The company has also introduced more creative, inventive products. “We recently released a lighting product, Goyowolhang, inspired by the white porcelain Moon Jars, and it has been a big hit.We also incorporated cartoon characters into our products, such as the Kakao Friends, the Moomins and Pokémon characters, as they are quite popular even among adults,” says the designer. Regarding her company’s collaboration with artists and fashion designers, she added, “Haengnam has been doing collaborations since 2004. Our products in the Designer’s Collection make for excellent decoration, in addition to being table-

ware. We wanted to work together with fashion, photography and industrial design experts to create fresh, trendy designs for ceramic tableware and to set a trend,” says Jeong.

The products on which the company has worked with world-renowned industrial designers, such as Karim Rashid and Arik Levy, show the excellence of ceramic tableware.“The collection that we did with fashion designer Lie Sang Bong bears cal-

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ligraphy in Korean and is on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It is the museum’s first permanent collection of Asian ceramics. Ar ik Levy’s ‘Fluid’ received an overwhelming response in Europe, especially when it was shown at the Maison and Objet trade fair in France,” says Jeong. Haengnam exports 40% of its products, and its primary markets include Europe and the U.S. The company naturally plans to expand its presence abroad.

PEOPLE

Movie Poster Painter Park Tae-gyu Park continues to work for all who let their imagination fly in front of painted movie posters.

Written by Hong Hea-won Photographed by Moon Duk-gwan

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here is certainly something anachronistic about painting a poster for a movie in an age when receipts double as tickets at movie theatres. Nonetheless, a number of people are keeping their old profession alive, including Park Tae-gyu. Park has a studio at the back of the Gwangju Theatre, established in 1934 and one of the oldest movie theatres in Korea. “Back in the day, every movie theatre had a poster room where we painted the posters. Today, the Gwangju Theatre is the only one that still has one,” explains Park.

Learning the ropes of poster painting

Park’s studio sits quiet like an abandoned room, but it used to be quite busy and crowded. Park studied art at Honam University in Gwangju. After graduating in 1991, he started working at the Gwangju Theatre to paint the “big picture.” Movie poster painting requires strong colors and intuitive expression. It was a skill he had desired to learn because of his keen interest in the socio-political art movement at the time, known as “people’s art.”

“When I first came here to work, I thought that I could learn it easily because I had studied art in college, but that just wasn’t the case. The theatre had an art department, and it was run as an apprenticeship. I was later told that my instructor had expected me to quit after just a few days. I managed to stay, but I was only responsible for writing text. After two or three years of writing words, I slowly grasped the feel of painting posters,” recalls Park.

Poster painting was much more delicate and arduous than Park had previously imagined. Painting with enamel paint on such a large canvas had to be done fast.

Funds were limited, so he was only given red, blue and yellow paint, and he could not paint in layers as he did with oil paint.

What he learned about painting in college did not help him much. He had to learn

Park is the last member of the art department at the Gwangju Theatre.

Each time he picks up his brush, he wonders if it will be his last.

Due to limited funds, he could only work with red, blue and yellow paint, and he could not paint in layers.

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painting film posters from scratch. “Poster painting is time-consuming. It could easily take up to three days to complete just one poster. Still, in the old days, these posters were important.They represented the films and were an important factor in whether or not someone would watch a film. They also showed the unique style of each painter. For example, some posters were very colorful and others were more expressive. They may seem quaint compared to the various ways that filmmakers promote their movies today, but they have their own unique qualities that print materials could never have,” says Park.

A poster painter or an artist?

As the last member of the Gwangju Theatre’s art department, Park wonders if each poster will be his last. He no longer has so much work that he has to stay up all night to finish it.The studio at the Gwangju Theatre is more of a symbolic place, and the actual painting work is done only once or twice a year. Away from the theatre, Park spends his time showcasing his work at the Gwangju Biennale and holding exhibitions. Perhaps he should now be considered an artist instead of a painter of merely movie posters.

“Even when this job was popular and well-respected, we did not represent ourselves as movie poster painters. I have tried through the years to find my identity, between being a poster painter and an artist. I then concluded that I am just someone who paints for a living. I paint pictures about things that everyone can relate to, not just film lovers,” says Park.

The Gwangju Theatre will run a special exhibition for Park in September in celebration of its 80th anniversary. A wide range of his work, including film posters and other paintings, will be on display.With a paintbrush in his hand, Park finds joy in entertaining and comforting people with his work.

PEOPLE

Embroidery Artist Son In-sook Son steps onto the global stage with her works of embroidery.

Written by Yoon Se-eun Photographed by Hong Ha-yan

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rom a distance, Son’s embroideries appear to be paintings or photographs.

Bright colors, contrasts of light and dark and strong compositions readily draw in the viewers. A closer look at the pieces, however, reveals the fine and intricate needlework on the canvas. Instead of paint and paintbrushes, Son uses thread and needle.

She refers to her art as silgeurim, painting with thread, a unique type of traditional embroidery. “Thread painting is not just about embroidery. Thread can create an infinite number of things. The canvas can be anything. Pieces of clothing, accessories, duvets and small pouches are especially good materials,” says Son. She explains that the level of creativity is the distinguishing factor between thread painting and traditional embroidery.

Embroidered artwork of the “Hwaseongneunghaengdo” picture from 1795.

Embroidered artwork of Shin Yun-bok’s “Portrait of a Beauty”

Linking tradition with creative methods

Son is heading to Paris in September for an exhibition, celebrating the 130 years of diplomatic relations between Seoul and Par is. The exhibition will run for six months at the Guimet Museum of Asian Art. In 2013, Sophie Makariou, president of the museum, proposed an exhibition of Son’s work after seeing her work in Korea.

“Sophie said she felt as if she had discovered the treasure in ‘One Thousand and One Nights.’ I don’t think there would be much interest in my works if they were simply embroidered, with which everyone is familiar. She complimented my works for both their contemporary style and traditional roots. She saw the pieces not as craftwork but as a form of fine art,” says Son. S o n ’s e x h i b i t i o n a t t h e G u i m e t Museum is titled “Fragrance of the Women’s Quarters.” Her works of fine embroidery on items commonly found in the women’s quarters, such as skirts, duvets, folding screens, accessories and picture frames, will be on display there. Son’s own Hanbok dress will also be showcased at the exhibition. “I wore this dress as a young

Thread painting is the art of creating a world with thread and needle. girl. I decided to put a few things on this dress for my granddaughter to wear,” says Son with a smile. The beauty of Son’s thread painting will soon be enjoyed in Paris by the whole world.

Joy of thread painting

Son did not become a prolific artist until she reached her 40s, but she had begun doing embroidery at the tender age of ten under the guidance of her mother, who did embroidery all her life. Son has created so many works that she has long since lost count of them all. About 250 pieces will be on display at the Guimet Museum. “I have great hopes for my exhibition in Paris. I’m excited to see how the French will perceive my work. I will be representing Korean art in France,” says Son.

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After Paris, her exhibition will continue in the U.K. “I hope that my exhibition will not be a one-off event. I want to hold exhibitions across Europe. Through my style of art and aesthetics, I want to show the world the beauty of Korean art,” says Son with conviction.

Son established the Yewon Silgrim Art and Culture Foundation to preserve her art and to show her work to the public. Lee Gi-su, former president of Korea University, is the foundation’s chairman. He has been working by her side to help her focus on her artwork. “I believe that all artists should constantly contemplate what to create and what to show next, to inspire viewers.True artists should always communicate with their fans,” says Son. Son says that the char m of thread painting comes from the joy she feels when completing a work of art.The embroidery process may be laborious and time-consuming, but she feels utter joy when she sees her finished work. This has kept her going through the years. Now, she hopes to share the joys and thrills of her art with the world.

TRAVEL

Danyang, where history and nature come alive Enjoy the scenery and exciting outdoor activities.

Written by Yoon Se-eun Photographed by Moon Duk-Gwan

Danyang is popular among paragliders for its exhilarating views.

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anyang in Chungcheongbuk-do Province is most famous for its eight scenic sites. The Namhangang River and the Sobaek Mountains offer breathtaking views across this idyllic valley. During Joseon times, scholars such as Yi Hwang (1501-1570) and painters such as Kim Hong-do (1745-1806?) were mesmerized by the sublime beauty of the mountain peaks and rock formations. This natural beauty continues to attract tourists to Danyang every year.

Relishing in nature, however, is not the only thing that visitors can do in Danyang.

They can hike Sobaeksan Mountain, explore quiet Buddhist temples nestled on the slopes, go on a cave tour or visit the country’s largest freshwater aquarium.They can also enjoy recreational sports, including paragliding and whitewater rafting. Bicycling around the area is a great option, too.

Public bicycles are available 24/7 from March through November.

The fall is considered the best season to visit Danyang. It is great to hike the mountain, bicycle along the river or enjoy water and air activities.

The Dodamsambong Peaks and the Seongmun

These are two of the eight scenic sites of Danyang. The Dodamsambong Peaks are three rocky outcroppings in the middle of the Namhangang River. The biggest is called Janggunbong, which means “Husband Rock;” the rock on the left is called Cheobong, which means “Wife Rock;” and, the one on the right is called Cheopbong, which means “Mistress Rock.” The names come from a folktale in which the wife turns away from her husband when he invites his mistress into their home. The views of the three peaks change throughout the day. In the morning, visitors can see

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A towering rock and the calm of the river offer a magnificent view throughout the year at the Sainam Rock.

wet fog over the water. In the afternoon, cruise boats along the river offer another picturesque view. Early Joseon politician Jeong Do-jeon (1342-1398) was so captivated by the view of the three rocks that he took his pen name,“Sambong,” from them.

The Seongmun, which means “Stone Gate,” is a 10-minute walk from the Dodamsambong Peaks.Visitors can trek to this natural landmark to see the r iver through the stone arch and to walk along the riverbank. Cruise boats and speed boats take visitors on tours around the three peaks and the gate.

jocheon Stream. Hoary pine trees line the top, making for another astonishing sight.

Joseon scholar Kim Jeong-hui (1786-1856) praised the natural beauty and grandeur of the rock saying that it was a gift from heaven.The Sainam Rock was named after the great Goryeo scholar Wu Tak (12621342). He had served in a public position,

called a sain, and then retired to his hometown of Danyang where he started teaching.

A legend about Joseon artist Kim Hong-do claims that he spent a year contemplating how to capture the beauty of the Sainam Rock before he was able to paint it. In the summer months, the Sainam Rock is a popular spot for a picnic. In the fall, the pine trees and colorful foliage are not a sight to be missed.

The eight scenic sites of Danyang also include the Gudambong Peak, the Oksunbong Peak, the Haseonam Rock, the Jungseonam Rock and the Sangseonam Rock.

The Sainam Rock

Another one of the eight scenic sites, the Sainam Rock is a rugged outcropping that rises 70 meters above the deep blue Nam-

The Gosu Cave The Gosu Cave was designated as a natural monument because it is very well-preserved.

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Designated as a natural monument, this limestone cave is by far the best-preserved

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of its kind. The cave is about 1,300 meters underground and is believed to have been formed some 150,000 years ago. It features a var iety of spectacular speleothems, including the Lion Rock, the One Hund re d S t o r y Pa g o d a a n d t h e G o l d e n Column. The roughly 120 stalactites and stalagmites here are rare and important to researchers.The cave receives the most visitors during the summer, as the interior remains a cool 14°C or so year-round.Visitors can explore up to 1.7 kilometers of the cave’s 5.4-kilometer total length.

Guinsa Temple

This Buddhist temple is strikingly located on the steep slopes of Sobaeksan Mountain, squeezed into a narrow valley. Unlike other temples across Korea, Guinsa Temple has a one-of-a-kind vertical layout of tall structures. The most distinctive feature is the impressive five-story main sanctuary with beautiful decorative coloring and which can accommodate up to 100,000 worshippers. Looming over the temple is Yeonhwabong, which means “Lotus Flower Peak.”

This is why the temple is sometimes referred to as Yeonhwaji. Guinsa Temple offers accommodations and brief educational sessions that include 24 hours of instructional ceremonies, hikes and meditation sessions, as well as a bed for the night.

The Yangbaeksan Mountain Observatory

The astronomical observatory at the top of Yangbaeksan Mountain is busy all day with people enjoying the sweeping view over Danyang. For the more adventurous, paragliding is another great way to experience the breathtaking scenery while feeling the cool breeze up in the sky. There is one runway for paragliding on Yangbaeksan Mountain and another on Dusan Mountain.The one on Yangbaeksan Mountain is closer to downtown Danyang. Before flying, novices are given basic training by skilled professionals. Other recreational sports available in the area include riding quads, flying in a motorized hang glider and whitewater rafting.

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Where to Stay The Daemyung Resort is just a 10-minute drive from the Danyang Intercity Bus Terminal. It is a family-friendly resort with a water park and a spa, and is also close to all the major attractions in Danyang. Usanjeongsa and Bosangjae are excellent bed and breakfasts in traditional Hanok homes, for those who want a more traditional experience. There are also a number of more budget-friendly guesthouses along the main streets.

What to Eat The Jangdari Sikdang (5-8 Jungang 2-ro, Danyang-eup, Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do; Tel. 043-423-3960) is famous for garlic dishes that feature a garlic salad, fried garlic and pickled garlic. Popular items on the menu include steamed pork (suyuk), seasoned raw beef (yukhoe), pan-fried fish and a range of soups. The freshwater snail Semisulcospira libertina is another healthy delicacy from Danyang. A popular dish at the Daegyo Sikdang (9 Jungang 2-ro, Danyang-eup, Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do; Tel. 043-4234005) is spicy soup with freshwater snails, curled mallow and chives. The restaurant uses only fresh snails from the Namhangang River and homemade soybean paste (doenjang).

Park U-jae performs in his concert “Morphosis” at Culture Station Seoul 284. © SeungYull Nah

Getting There It takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes from the Dong Seoul Bus Terminal to the Danyang Intercity Bus Terminal. Buses run every weekday from 6:59 a.m. through to 6 p.m. Bus fare is KRW 13,300 (approximately USD 11.50) per person.

The Dong Seoul Bus Terminal also operates buses straight to Guinsa Temple. The ride is about 3 hours.

To take the train, go to Cheongnyangni Station in Seoul and purchase tickets along the Mugunghwa or ITX-Saemaeul lines bound for Danyang. There are nine trains per day. The ride takes about 2 hours. The Mugunghwa train costs KRW 17,000 (approximately USD 14.50) and the ITX-Saemaeul train costs KRW 15,900 (approximately USD 13.50) per person.

Seoul

2 hr

Danyang

Busan

Soaring mountain peaks accentuate Guinsa Temple’s mystique.

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SPORTS

The Taekwondo Spirit The traditional martial art is attracting great interest around the world.

Written by Kim Nae-on

The 2015 World Taekwondo Culture Expo was held from July 11 to 14, 2015.

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uju in Jeollabuk-do Province was filled with the shouts of young taekwondo students as the World Children’s Taekwondo Culture Festival 2015 began on August 7. Some 3,000 students from 31 countries under the age of 13 gathered in one place to show off their skills.The children’s festival picked up the baton from the World Taekwondo Culture Expo, which ended on July 14. Here, young students shared the “taekwondo spirit,” that they have cultivated through years of training, as they took part in individual competitions and family events.

Techniques based on a philosophy

Taekwondo is a traditional martial art that involves the use of only the hands and the feet. In 2000, it became an official Olympic sport at the Summer Olympics in Sydney.

It strongly emphasizes enhancing one’s spirit and life through training of the body and mind. Many parents send their children to taekwondo schools at an early age to help them build physical strength and character.The techniques they study and practice are not for attacking others, but for defending and disciplining themselves.This

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is why the series of movements designed to be practiced even without the guidance of an instructor, known as the pumsae, attracts more interest than spar r ing or boardbreaking. The fact that Korea won all five gold medals in the pumsae events at the 28th Gwangju Universiade in July suggests that perhaps the sport should shift its primary focus away from sparr ing. These movements perfectly represent the ideals and philosophy of the sport.

The ultimate goal of taekwondo is for the practitioners to learn, through prolonged training, self-discipline and control by

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understanding its philosophical principles.

The “taegeuk” move, for instance, conveys the laws of the universe, symbolizing eight natural elements: sky, water, fire, thunder, wind, water, the mountains and the Earth.

In performing this move, a practitioner expresses the strength and calmness of the wind, the flow of the water, the stability of the earth and other such phenomena. The “goryeo” move represents honesty and nobility, and the “geumgang” move represents strong determination. The “hansu” move symbolizes the birth and growth of a new life, and tolerance. By the time students learn the highest move, the “iryeo,” they realize that humans and nature are one.This helps them become more altruistic and broad-minded.

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An Iranian Taekwondo athlete competes at a pumsae event at the 28th Gwangju Universiade in July 2015.

Why we need the taekwondo spirit

Taekwondo respects and promotes peace and justice. This is why the taekwondo spirit is often cited when protecting or helping those oppressed and marginalized in society. The “I Love Taekwondo” program that started in 2012 is an excellent example of the taekwondo spirit being put to good use in public campaigns.The program initiated several campaigns, including an anti-violence movement in schools to prevent bullying and stereotyping. It plans to engage in more activities by holding concerts and organizing volunteer work.

Taekwondo students learn how to respect others and discipline themselves as they practice different moves, such as the front kick, the spin kick, the wrist punch and the elbow strike.

Young practitioners compete with each other at the World Children’s Taekwondo Culture Festival 2015.

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According to the Korea Taekwondo Association, taekwondo is an international sport that is practiced by some 80 million people around the world. Following the World Children’s Taekwondo Culture Festival, Muju will continue to share the taekwondo spirit as it hosts the World Cadet Taekwondo Championships from August 23 through 26. In May 2017, it will host the World Taekwondo Championships, which began in 1973 in Seoul.

Developing a strong mind and body and self-discipline, as taekwondo teaches, could help people who are looking for ways to self-actualize. The word “taekwondo” is composed of three parts: tae which means foot, leg, or to step on; kwon which means fist, or fight; and do which means “the way” or “discipline.” Put together, it could mean, “the right way to use all parts of the body to create a healthier body and mind, and a more peaceful world.” Once people understand the values represented by this ancient martial art, they will acquire a more positive attitude about life, appreciating even the smallest things around them.

ENTERTAINMENT

The Ongals entertain the audience with their toddler-like dress and physical stunts, such as juggling, miming and doing magic tricks.

Comedy for an Audience Worldwide The Ongals comedian ensemble can make any audience laugh without words.

Written by CHUNG DA-YOUNG

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our men dressed in colorful baby playsuits and bibs waddle onto the stage and stare at the audience with bewildered expressions.They have white makeup running along their upper lip to show that they all have a runny nose. The appearance of the supersized toddlers alone makes the audience laugh as they wait to see what these four adult babies will do next. No actual words are spoken during the comedy performance. Rather, the men communicate in incoherent gibberish as they juggle and mime on stage. One of them does

sound effects and emulates a beatbox. For the next 70 minutes, the comedy quartet, the Ongals, entertained the audience of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with their acts and tricks.

THE GLOBAL LANGUAGE OF BABBLING

Most comedians entertain the crowd by telling jokes or funny stories. Comedy acts that do not require verbal communication, such as slapstick or musical comedy, make people laugh with exaggerated physical action and musical instruments. Normally,

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an audience must understand the language or culture of the comedian to follow the humor. The Ongals, however, have found common ground regardless of nationality or age, without speaking any actual words.

They communicate by babbling.

The Ongals are the only non-verbal comedy troupe in Korea. The only sounds they make are when they babble and beatbox.The group’s name means “babbling” in Korean. The members dress and act like toddlers on stage and they have truly mastered infantile behavior. As the Ongals play

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with an endless array of everyday objects pulled from their seemingly bottomless yellow toy box, it is obvious they have closely studied how infants play with objects and with other infants.

The audience is enthralled by the way the Ongals create on-stage magic with the most mundane, domestic objects, without the need to hear any words. The other highlight of the act is when they beatbox.

One of the comedians uses his formidable vocal percussion sounds and beatbox skills to inspire the others to reach ever-increasing, often heart-stopping levels of action while juggling or performing circus acts.

His vast range of beatbox sound effects include a drum, disco music and a racing motorcycle.The juggling routines are performed with astounding dexterity. One routine is performed at dizzying speeds and another leaves the audience holding its breath as a member juggles sharp objects.

Their acts are not just comedy. They are physical performances mixed with humor.

Hence, the name of their show, the “Babbling Performedian Show.”

KOREAN COMEDY ON THE WORLD STAGE

The four original members of the group— Jo Su-won, Chae Kyeong-sun, Choi

Ki-sup and Cho Jun-woo—were all comedians on KBS’s “Gag Concert,” a popular TV comedy show. In 2007, they had a fourminute section called “Ongals” that was a similar concept to their current act. They got the idea of performing their act for non-Koreans after performing at a hospital for disabled children.They found that they couldn’t communicate verbally with those children who had hearing disabilities. So instead of speaking, they babbled, did magic tricks and mimed. Their comedy made the children laugh, even though all they said was gibber ish. The four men learned that if they could make children laugh without words, then they could entertain an international audience. They headed overseas to see how people from other countr ies would react to their comedy.

There are no words spoken on stage.

Only babbling.

The Ongals started with four members but now have eight.

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The Ongals’ first overseas performance was in Osaka in 2007.They were invited to perform in Beijing the following year.The group received their first global recognition in 2010 when they were invited by the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to perform.

They won rave reviews with their highenergy comedy and won critical acclaim with five-star accolades, ranking in the top 12 out of 2,600 teams. The team returned to Edinburgh in 2011 and received another five-star rating.The prestigious Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) also invited the Ongals in 2013, and again in 2014 and 2015. They received a Special Commendation Director’s Choice award in 2014 at the MICF. The team is scheduled to perform at the Kuala Lumpur International Arts Festival later this year, and they have just opened an Ongals theater on Jejudo Island in August. Jeju locals and tourists will now be able to see their performances year round.

The team’s ultimate goal is to perform in Las Vegas and to open their own theater there.

Next year will be the tenth anniversary for the comedy ensemble. Here’s hoping that this is just the beginning of a long career for the Ongals and for Korean comedy.

The Ongals have been invited by arts and comedy festivals from around the world to perform their funny and easy-to-understand acts.

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Special issue

A large Korean national flag, made from 1,000 pieces of fabric written with messages hoping for unification, was featured during the closing ceremony of the Eurasia Friendship Express. © Yonhap News

The Eurasia Friendship Express The Eurasia Friendship Express connects Korea and Europe Written by Julianna Chung

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h e E u r a s i a F r i e n d s h i p E x p re s s reached its final destination—Berlin—on August 2, 2015, marking the end to a 20-day, 14,400km transcontinental train journey through 10 cities and five countries. Everyone who was on the Eurasia Friendship Express expedition gathered in front of the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of German unification, to participate in the

final events to wish for a peaceful unification of Korea.

The Eurasia Initiative

Part of President Park Geun-hye’s “Eurasia Initiative,” aimed at linking energy and logistics infrastructure across Asia and Europe, involved the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Korea Railroad Corpora-

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tion (Korail) hosting the Eurasia Friendship Express, demonstrating Korea’s desire for unification with North Korea and for peace and cooperation between Asia and Europe. It also laid the blueprint of President Park’s “Silk Road Express,” a planned train line that would connect Korea and Europe, starting in Busan, via North Korea, China and Russia.

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A railway between the two Koreas was briefly connected for cargo in 2007 when a mood of reconciliation prevailed, but was severed in late 2008. No trains are presently allowed to run through the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), so the expedition participants travelled in two groups: one started in Beijing and the other in Vladivostok.They united in Irkutsk to head onward to their final destination, Berlin. The Eurasia Friendship Express ran on sections of the Trans-Siberian Railway, the main logistics line between Asian and European Russia, the Trans-Chinese Railway and the TransMongolian Railway.

through which they were travelling. They also visited historical sites related to independence movements and unification. Key events included an academic seminar in Beijing, a visit to the war memorial in Ussuriysk near Vladivostok, a "Eurasian festival" in Irkutsk, a seminar on rail transportation in Novosibirsk and a celebration of 25 years of diplomatic ties between Korea and both Russia and Mongolia.

The highlight of the expedition was in Berlin, the final destination of the journey.

The symbolic meaning of the city is significant to the entire expedition. When the

One Dream, One Eurasia

Expedition participants included public officials, businessmen, academics, descendants of Korean independence activists, artists and students. For every spot on the train, there were 11 applicants. The team included the great-grandson of Yi Jun (1859-1907), an emissary and patriot who went to the Second Peace Conference in The Hague in 1907 to declare the invalidity of Japanese rule over Korea, and a niece of Korean independence activist Ahn JungGeun (1879-1910), who assassinated the for mer resident-general of Korea and pr ime minister of Japan following the coerced signing of the Korea-Japan Treaty of 1905.The grandson of Sohn Kee-chung (1914-2002), the first medal-winning Korean Olympian, at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, also participated in the train trip.

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se joined the Warsaw-Berlin leg of the journey. The entire expedition ran under the banner of “One Dream, One Eurasia.”

The Eurasia Friendship Express began its journey from Vladivostok, Russia and Beijing, China and ended at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany.

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Berlin Wall was erected in 1961, the Brandenburg Gate was the only gate that was opened between East and West Germany.

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, thousands of people gathered in front of the Brandenburg Gate to witness the end of division. The gate hence became a symbol of Germany’s unification.

After arriving in Berlin on July 31, the participants marched along the 2-kilometer road leading from the Victory Column to the Brandenburg Gate hoping for the peaceful reunification of the two Koreas.

The participants sang the Korean song “Our Wish is Unification” as they marched together. Berlin citizens and members of the Korean community residing in Berlin joined the march.

Kang Ji-won, the youngest participant of the expedition said, “To sing a song of unification in this city that is a symbol of unification was a very emotional experience. I truly believed that reunification is not a far future, but a task that we must realize.”

When the march ended at the Brandenburg Gate, the samulnor i g roup, a Korean traditional percussion ensemble,

The Expedition

To boost Korea-Eurasia friendship and to raise awareness of the pressing need to establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, expedition participants attended seminars, festivals, town hall meetings, concerts and exhibitions to celebrate diplomatic and cultural ties with the countries

A march led by a Korean folk band took place in Brandenburg, Germany in hopes for Korea’s unification. © Yonhap News

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that was leading the march, performed at the plaza. The performance was followed by the finale ceremony later that evening.

As part of the ceremony, a concert was held by a Korean-German orchestra consisting of 70 members representing the 70th anniversary of Korean independence from colonial rule. Other artists and musicians that performed during the ceremony were soprano Sumi Jo, pianist Baek Gunwoo, and Kim Duk-soo and his samulnori quartet.

At the finale ceremony, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se gave the congratulatory remarks celebrating the successful completion of the expedition while reemphasizing Korea’s desire for unification with North Korea.

“There is no better place than Berlin for the Eurasia Express to wrap up its excursion, given its aspiration to close the 70-year history of separation of the two Koreas and move forward into the grand future of unification.While Germany celebrates the 25th anniversary of its unification, the Korean Peninsula is still suffering from the pain of separation. Throughout our journey, what we did not forget for a second was the day of unification on which the people of the two Koreas will blend together, sharing freedom and peace.”

A debate was also held on Korean uni-

The Eurasia Friendship Express headed for unification. © Yonhap News

fication between Korean and German college students to raise public awareness of Korea’s wish for reunification. Students shared their thoughts on what unification meant to each other. Some 150 participants of the expedition also held a debate to discuss on subjects including “Efforts and tasks to overcome division and preparing for unification” and “Evaluating Germany’s peace of 25 years as reference for unification of the Korean Peninsula.”

Expedition participants and locals dance together at the “Eurasia festival” in Irkutsk, Russia on July 19. © Yonhap News

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Disbandment Ceremony

On August 17, the Eurasia Fr iendship Express expedition members reunited back in Seoul to attend the “Road to Unification: Eurasia Express” event - a disbandment ceremony for the Eurasia Friendship Express project.The members boarded the DMZ train at Seoul Station to head to Dorasan Station - the northernmost train station in Korea located 700 meters from the DMZ. The location of the ceremony renewed attention to the division of the Korean peninsula that blocked the Eurasia Express from traveling through the northern half of the Peninsula.

The disbandment ceremony featured various meaningful programs including a screening of a video of the Eurasia Friendship Express journey, presentations by expedition members on their reflections about the project, and a celebratory performance by the 119 Boys and Girls Choir. A dedication and donation ceremony of a large Korean flag, which was signed by more than 1,000 people including the Eurasia Express members and unveiled in Berlin, was also held. The flag will be placed at the Independence Hall of Korea.

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Three Themes

Communication & Cooperation

Future & Creativity

Peace & Harmony

• Integrate Eurasia to build an intermodal transportation and logistics network

• Establish foundation for future cooperation among citizens and governments

• Enhance people-to-people exchange in celebration of the 25th anniversary of KoreaRussia and Korea-Mongolia diplomatic ties and the 25th anniversary of German unification

• Create new economic growth engines through corporate cooperation

• Establish Trustpolitik by combining the TrustBuilding Process on the Korean Peninsula, the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative and the Eurasia Initiative

• Make Eurasia a continent of creativity

• Lay the groundwork for Korean unification in celebration of the 70th anniversary of Korea’s independence

• Facilitate cultural exchange and mutual understanding between countries

• Connect the Eurasian continent as one

Dates

Passengers

July 14 – August 2, 2015 (20 days and 19 nights)

Political, economic and academic figures, and selected citizens

550 km, 6 hours

Berlin

1,311 km, 18 hours

Warsaw

Moscow

Yekaterinburg Novosibirsk 1,778 km, 28 hours

1,525 km, 21 hours

Irkutsk

3,340 km, 62 hours

1,850 km, 29 hours

Khabarovsk

1,113 km, 24 hours

Ulaanbaatar

767 km, 13 hours

1,356km, 27 hours

Vladivostok

Beijing Seoul

Busan

Mokpo

Travel Routes

Incheon International Airport

Arrival Departure

Arrival Departure

Vladivostok

Khabarovsk

Irkutsk

Novosibirsk

Yekaterinburg

Moscow

Warsaw

Berlin

Tue, July 14 Wed, July 15

Thu, July 16 Thu, July 16

Sun, July 19 Tue, July 21

Wed, July 22 Thu, July 23

Fri, July 24 Sat, July 25

Sun, July 26 Tue, July 28

Wed, July 29 Thu, July 30

Thu, July 30 Sat, August 1

Beijing

Ulaanbaatar

Tue, July 14 Wed, July 15

Thu, July 16 Fri, July 17

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CURRENT KOREA

Vintage Railroad Renaissance Powering Old Railways with Pedal Power Written by Sean Lim

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romantic journey awaits rail travelers traversing the beautiful Korean countryside by train. A trip by today’s highspeed rail, however, is far too fleeting to leave a deep impression. The mind may want to get to its destination faster, but the heart yearns to linger and to take in the scenery while suspended on the tracks.

The nation’s 632 kilometers of retired railroad tracks are a casualty of human progress. By 2018, the total length of idle railway is expected to grow to 821 kilometers and cover an area six times the size of Yeoido Island in Seoul. Under a bold government initiative announced in August,

more of these unused railways will be converted to leisure facilities to stimulate regional development.

Indeed, already nearly 25 percent of old railways have been converted to tourist attractions, and they draw in 370,000 visitors and millions of dollars in revenue every year. The most popular attraction is pedaling your way on a rail bike. Open at various times during the year, you can spend a few hours hopping from station to station along an established line and take in the breathtaking scenery while propelling yourself down the tracks. Here are some of the most popular routes.

Jeongseon Rail Bike: Leisurely ride in Gangwon-do

Take a 7.2-kilometer journey by the Auraji Rail Bike from Seoul to a former coal town in Jeongseon, Gangwon-do. You can choose either a two-person bike or a fourperson bike. Reservations can be made at the Korail bike website at www.railbike. co.kr, only in Korean.Your ride will start at Gujeol-ri Station, next to a café made out of old railcars in the shape of grasshoppers.

Coasting along at a leisurely pace of 15-20 kilometers-per-hour affords you time to truly enjoy the mountains, rivers and tunnels. After about an hour, you will arrive at

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Auraji Station where there is a café shaped like two large fish.You can take some time for a refreshment, try a local restaurant or head directly back to Jeongseon via a return track.

Samcheok Ocean Rail Bike: Seaside adventure on the East Coast

If pedaling while taking in an ocean view is more to your liking, head over to Samcheok on Korea’s east coast where your 5.4-kilometer journey starts. The course runs between Gungchon Station and Yonghwa Station. It takes you through groves of pine trees, past beautiful beaches and by laser light shows as you go through each tunnel. For this estimated 40-minute trip, bikers have the opportunity to take a break at the Chogok Rest Area. During uphill climbs, a small motor assists with the pedaling. Go to www.oceanrailbike.com to make a reservation.

Seomjingang Train Village: Capturing the history of train travel

Over in Jeollanam-do Province at the Seomjingang Train Village, there is a true tribute to the bygone days of rail travel.Visitors can ride a steam locomotive built to the exact specifications of the one that used to transport passengers many years ago.

Even the station platform is authentic to the time period. The ride lasts 15 minutes

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and takes you along the river for 10 kilometers, from the train village to Gajeong Station. Trains run three times a day on weekdays and five times a day on weekends and holidays.

Rail bike fans can also pedal their way a l o n g th e S eo mjin ga n g River f ro m Chimgok Station to Gajeong Station. The route circles around a park and a rose garden that reportedly has 1,004 different varieties of rose from all around the world.

Near the rose park is an observation platform. The village is also a popular filming location for period films such as “Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War” (2004).Tour the

film sets or visit the petting zoo if you have young children.You can also rent a place to stay at a special train bed & breakfast in the village. Find more information at www. gstrain.co.kr.

Yeosu Ocean Rail Bike: Tour the rocky coast

You can zip southward by KTX to the ocean-side city of Yeosu, host of the 2012 world exposition. Once there, you can hop aboard a rail bike to see the majestic rocky coast up-close. The 3.5-kilometer open track is short enough to tackle at a slow pace.

Yangpyeong Rail Bike: Observing meandering streams

1 - T he Gokseong Station area was transformed into a train theme park after trains stopped coming through the station. © KTO 2 , 3 - S amcheok Rail Bike is lined with plenty of things to look at. © KTO, Yonhap News 4 - A n abandoned railroad is transformed into a walking path. © Mokpo City Hall

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Not too far from Seoul is the leisure sports community of Yangpyeong. While many may take to the thrills of jet skiing on the region’s river, others take a 6.4-kilometer rail bike tour of the streams and inland scenery. Expect to spend an hour on the bike plus a 20-minute rest stop. www. yprailbike.com With many families feeling the strains of urban life, a rail bike excursion allows a slower pace and the opportunity to connect to one another by talking and pedaling together.With more conversions of discontinued rail lines to leisure facilities, expect to see even more innovation in this niche tourism industry. It’s certainly worth a trip.

SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

President Park Geun-hye (right) meets with Philip Hammond, British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, at Cheong Wa Dae on Aug. 11 Š Cheongwadae

President Meets UK Foreign Secretary and IOC Chief President Park Geun-hye discusses peace on the Korean Peninsula and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in separate meetings with UK foreign secretary and IOC president.

EXCERPT FROM KOREA.NET

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President meets UK foreign minister

President Park Geun-hye met with Philip Hammond, the British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on Aug. 11 to discuss bilateral cooperation.

They also exchanged opinions on global issues, such as climate change, and regional issues, including the Korean Peninsula.

President Park told the U.K. foreign secretary that, “Bilateral cooperation has been greatly expanded, backed by the comprehensive, creative partnership between our two countr ies.” She said that the volume of bilateral trade, which hit a record-high of USD 13.2 billion last year, needs to be further expanded.

Secretary Hammond agreed with her and said that Korea and the U.K. have already almost achieved the goal that both countr ies initially set to double their volume of bilateral trade by 2020. He added that Korea and the U.K. should set a more ambitious goal.

Secretary Hammond expressed his gratitude for the Korean navy, which helped British citizens evacuate Libya last year. He noted that many U.K. citizens

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September

were surprised to find that the Korean navy was operating in the Mediterranean Sea. He added that it showed Korea’s willingness to contribute to responses to global issues.

In regard to issues on the Korean Peninsula, President Park said, “Seoul will continue to push Pyongyang, based on the strong deterrence we maintain against provocations from North Korea, such as the burying of land mines, while continuing to make efforts to resume dialogue.”

Secretary Hammond expressed his condolences to the two wounded South Korean soldiers injured in recent land mine explosions. He condemned the North, saying that this was a violation of the ceasefire agreement.

President Park explained to the U.K. secretary that, “If the Abe administration clearly states that it will follow the historical recognition shown in the Kono and Murayama statements of former Japanese leaders, which enabled the development of Korea-Japan relations over the past 50 years, it would be a firm foundation for the advancement of bilateral relations in a future-looking manner.”

President Park and Secretary Hammond exchanged opinions on global issues, such as climate change, and regional issues, including the Korean Peninsula.

President Park meets IOC head, U.S. senator

President Park Geun-hye and IOC President Thomas Bach discuss preparations for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics 2018. © Cheongwadae

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President Park Geun-hye met with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and separately with Cory Gardner, U.S. senator and chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, both on Aug. 19 in Seoul.

President Park and the IOC president discussed cooperation and support measures to ensure the successful hosting of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics 2018.

President Bach said, “Remarkable progress has been made, backed by the support of President Park and the Korean government.” He praised the ongoing preparations for the upcoming Olympics, while assuring that there would be a successful hosting of the games.

President Park asked for the cooperation of the IOC president so that more Koreans could enter into the international sports sector, and President Bach accepted her request.

On the same day, President Park met Cory Gardner, senator for Washington, D.C., who serves as chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

They discussed the Korea-U.S. relationship, including the bilateral summit scheduled for Oct. 16, and issues involving the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.

POLICY REVIEW

The Value of the Arts in Our Daily Lives Kim Dong-ho, chairman of the Presidential Committee for Cultural Enhancement, shares the importance of preserving and promoting Korean arts and traditions.

Written by Kim Hyeon-tae Photographed by Hong Ha-yan

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he ter m “cultural enhancement” refers to a vision of creating happier, richer lives for all by using the value of the arts as a guiding principle for the economy, social welfare and national development. Since its establishment in April 2013, the Presidential Committee for Cultural Enhancement has put its best efforts into bringing about social unity and in leading national development by realizing the value of the arts in every aspect of life.The committee’s chairman, Kim Dong-ho, has been playing a central role in promoting the arts over the past five decades. He was formerly the vice minister of culture and head of the Korean Motion Picture Promotion Corporation, the predecessor of the Korean Film Coun-

cil. He coordinated the Busan International Film Festival for its first 15 years. Kim believes that it is his calling to unite the government and the people through the arts.

Promoting the arts during economic crises

At a time when governments around the world are primarily focused on economic and financial difficulties, cultural enhancement may seem unnecessary. Kim Dongho disagrees.“Cultural enhancement, more than anything else, is essential for our future.The latest trend around the world is to combine different fields. In other countries, people have been using the arts and

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humanities in conjunction with cuttingedge technologies. Over the past several decades, Korea, too, has achieved remarkable social development, but has failed to develop and to promote the arts. In other words, we have strong hardware, but weak software.” In fact, the arts create balance and happiness in life, and can be an excellent growth opportunity to overcome slow economic growth and high unemployment, he says.

According to Kim, the current administration has been increasing its budget for the arts. “In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the gover nment’s funding for the arts exceeded 1% of its total budget for the first time. As a presidential candidate, President

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Park Geun-hye promised to increase arts funding to 2%.This year, the Park administration allotted 1.7% of its budget to the arts and may increase that to 2% by the end of her term. It may not seem much, but it actually translates to about KRW 5 trillion, approximately USD 4.2 billion.” In prior administrations, presidential spouses generally have taken a greater interest in the arts than the presidents themselves. President Park, on the other hand, has been deeply involved in her administration’s arts policy, says Kim. “Our committee is overseen directly by the president. President Park considers the arts to be of such great importance that she has made cultural enhancement one of the four primary goals of her administration. Our committee has the best experts from the country’s creative industries. The ministers of Science, ICT and Future Planning, and of Culture, Sports and Tourism also take part in our activities for policy support,” says Kim. Enjoy the arts on Culture Day

One of the Park Geun-hye administration’s representative programs for the promotion of the arts has been Culture Day. “On the last Wednesday of every month, admission to palaces, museums, galleries and movie theatres is discounted or is free of charge.

The places are open later into the night so that people can go after work. Ever y month, more companies and organizations are participating in this program. I hope that nothing hinders people from enjoying the arts,” says Kim. There are about 1,300 participating organizations. On Culture Day, a movie ticket is discounted from KRW 8,000 to KRW 5,000, and Seoul’s royal palaces and the Jongmyo Shrine offer free admission.

Another program is the Creative Crazy Camp, hosted by the Korea Creative Content Agency.The purpose of the camp is to discover and support hidden talents and their underlying ideas.At the third Creative Crazy Camp held in June on Jejudo Island,

participants of all ages and backgrounds shared their ideas about the arts, sciences, and sports and games, speaking with different experts during mentoring sessions.The camp was well-received as it encouraged people with innovative ideas to create new content.

Like the days of King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo

Having been in the vanguard of cultural enrichment for decades, Kim fully understands the benefits and shortcomings of Korea’s arts policies. He says that the government started moving to develop the arts only in the 1970s. A five-year plan for the promotion of the arts and culture was announced in 1971, and a government organization for the arts was established in 1973. “The government’s primary purpose at the time was to preserve and develop ancient traditions, and the policy was devised strictly according to the government’s perspective. It was necessarily limited in developing and in driving the arts and society forward,” says Kim.Today, how-

1 - K im Dong-ho is chairman of the Presidential Committee for Cultural Enhancement.

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2 - C reative Crazy Camp was held in Jejudo Island from May 18 to 23.

Participants from diverse areas including arts, science, and sports gathered together to organize various cultural contents.

3 - S ince January 2014, the last Wednesday of every month has been designated as Culture Day. 3

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ever, Korean arts and traditions are becoming ever more popular around the world.

Numerous Korean artists and entertainers are expanding their presence in many other countries. Some critics express concern that such popularity is focused too heavily on pop culture, and say that high culture should also be promoted globally. “Of course, the country’s arts policy should be well-balanced. However, we cannot overlook the fact that Korea’s pop culture, including music, movies and soap operas, are very competitive. In July, the artists of SM Entertainment held concerts in Osaka and sold over 40,000 tickets for each show.

I think that pop culture could also be a great channel to resolve difficult diplomatic issues. The government has also worked hard to promote Korea’s traditions. A good example is the King Sejong Institute, an overseas educational institution that teaches the Korean language and Korean traditions,” says Kim. Kim says that Korea most effectively promoted its arts and culture during the reigns of King Yeongjo (r. 1724-1776) and

The song ‘Arirang’ has been featured in many films, plays and musicals.

his grandson King Jeongjo (r. 1776-1800).

“Others may have a different opinion, but I think the level of cultural enhancement today is only 70-80% compared to the time of King Yeongjo or King Jeongjo. We can do much better. I understand that some are worried about the heavy focus on pop art, but the popularity of Korean pop music and soap operas will pass. It started with TV shows such as “Winter Sonata” and “Dae Jang Geum” in the early 2000s. Pop music then took over the spotlight. Next will be the arts in general.We should start developing a diverse range of content, and it is encouraging that we have a large pool of artists to do so,” says Kim. ‘Factory Complex’ and ‘Arirang’

Kim speaks passionately about the young filmmakers he discovered at the Busan International Film Festival. “Last year, the festival showed a documentary film titled ‘Factory Complex’ by Im Heung-soon.

The film deals with women’s labor issues in Korea,Vietnam, Cambodia and other Asian countries.We were hesitant at first because of the delicacy of the issues, but we decided that society needed to see this. The film won the Silver Lion at the 56th Venice

“In other countries, people have been using the arts and humanities in conjunction with cutting-edge technologies.”

Biennale in May this year, and was shown at the National Art Center Tokyo in July.

The Silver Lion is a monumental win for Korean art. We need to create an environment that encourages such young artists to tap and apply their creativity. That is how we can continue discovering new Korean artists and promoting Korean art and society,” says Kim. France electrified the international film scene in the 1950s and ‘60s with directors from the New Wave, and a group of British artists, known as the Young British Artists, took the art world by storm in the 1990s with their shocking, fearless works.

Sooner or later, a similar phenomenon

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could happen in Korea.To make it happen, the government needs to take appropriate measures and coordinate the efforts. In Kim’s office, there is an engraving of artist Kim Whanki (1913-1974). “He is my favorite artist.The works by Korean artists from the early 1900s through to the 1970s were outstanding. However, the country did not have the means to introduce them to the world. As I pointed out earlier, the government steered our cultural policy in those early year s. Now, the public is involved in the policy as a consumer of content. This is thanks to many officials who worked so hard behind the scenes,” says Kim. What is one thing that a leader of cultural enhancement wants to share with the world? “It is difficult to choose just one. If I had to, I would pick the song ‘Arirang.’ It is a folk song that represents the true Korean sentiment. The melody and rhythm are very easy to follow. The song was the subject and title of a 1926 silent film by Na Un-gyu. Sadly, the original film has been lost, but I believe that many more future works about ‘Arirang’ will touch the hearts of people from around the world,” says Kim.

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interview

New cultural venues planned for Seoul, Gyeonggi

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he capital region is set to receive new entertainment and tourism complexes.

First, a large traditionally-themed complex will be built on a site near Gyeongbokgung Palace in central Seoul, giving people the chance to experience first-hand many aspects of Korean traditional architecture and art. Second, on the other side of Seoul the Olympic Gymnastics Stadium will be remodeled into a performance hall specifically for pop music.

“The government will form a ‘culture and creativity fusion belt’ and spread culture among people’s daily lives,” said Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Jong-Deok on Aug. 18 as he announced the new set of “cultural prosperity” policies aimed at traditionally-themed tourism and pop music. The so-called “K-Experience Center” will be constructed at the site in Songhyeon-dong, in Jung-gu, Seoul, that was formerly allotted as a residency for U.S. Embassy staff. At the planned center, tourists will be able to see both traditional and modern aspects of Korean art and architecture, enjoy pop music and dine at cafés and restaurants. A network of pedestrian walkways will be built overtop the tile-covered Hanok rooftops to connect the popular Insa-dong shopping street and the neighborhood of Bukchon, known for its traditional homes.Visitors will be able to enjoy the waves of tile-covered roofs as they

Minister Kim Jong-Deok announces the government’s new ‘directions and detailed plans for cultural prosperity,’ at the Government Complex Seoul on Aug. 18.

spread into the distance. =A plaza, a roundabout and walkways will connect the surrounding neighborhoods. When completed, the plan is to have moving images projected onto the façade of the new buildings. Across the Hangang River in southern Seoul, the Olympic Gymnastics Center will be rebuilt into a pop music performance hall with a total of 15,000 seats. The new arena will be the first of its kind in Korea, and every seat will have a direct view of the stage. It will have a steel roof and moveable banks of seats, allowing it to host a range of concerts at any time. It will also have some of the most advanced sound and lighting facilities in the country.

Also in Seoul, this November a “culture and creativity startup center” will be opened at the former Korea Tourism Orga-

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nization building in Jung-gu. It will have a production studio and a perfor mance venue and allow visitors to sample Korean food and to shop for local products. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is currently recruiting 140 companies that will move into the center. Also, a “culture and creativity academy” will open temporarily at the center in March next year to train people specialized in “fusion content.”

Finally, by February next year, the government plans to commence construction of its so-called “K-Culture Valley” in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do Province. Upon completion in 2017, it will allow people to produce pop music, soap operas and films and it will become a “fusion cultural content complex” along with shopping and other facilities.

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

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entertain your ears Anytime, anywhere Wireless audio is changing the way we enjoy music.

Written by Hong Hea-won

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here was a time when people were very envious of their neighbors who had expensive, high-quality sound systems at home.Today, however, having an elaborate sound system in the living room is fast becoming a thing of the past. Even audiophiles who collect vintage, analogue Hi-Fi music players conveniently pull out a smartphone from their pocket to play their favorite hits.

The latest trend in audio equipment is undoubtedly wireless audio. The headphones or speakers look neater and sleeker with no cables, and users can play their

music whenever and wherever they want.

The market for wireless audio systems has been expanding at an accelerating rate.

According to recent research by IHS Technology, the market for conventional audio systems will have declined by 50% between 2013 and 2016. The same research also forecasts that the production of wireless audio equipment, including wireless speakers and sound bars, will increase at a compound annual rate of 88% and to reach 66 million units by 2018.This would be a tremendous increase from only 1.5 million units in 2010.

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Satisfying customers’ needs

The high growth of the wireless audio business has been driven by the widespread enjoyment of digital music through portable devices. Music streaming services are the primary force in shaping the music business landscape today. As the quality of music on streaming services improves, more and more people opt for high-power, wireless speakers. Audio equipment manufacturers around the world have responded by introducing a wide range of powerful, stylish products.

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Wireless audio systems allow music lovers to enjoy their favorite music anytime and anywhere.The competition for better quality music and more stylish design should continue to push market trends.

Competition heats up

The leading player in the wireless audio market today is U.S. consumer electronics company Sonos. Having anticipated the popular embrace of music streaming services even well before the first iPhone, the company released its first wireless audio product in 2003. It accounts for nearly 90% of the entire market, but experts expect powerful players in electronics and technology, including Google, Samsung and LG, to muscle their way into the market.

Last year, Samsung and LG released wireless sound bars for television, and the products were, respectively, the best-selling and third best-selling such wireless products

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around the world.

Samsung’s Wireless Audio 360 is an omnidirectional speaker. Unlike traditional speakers, this egg-shaped speaker emits 3 clear sound in all directions, giving any listener a truly immersive audio experience regardless of their location. Users can connect the speaker to external devices, such as televisions and sound bars, with the Multiroom App and play music through up to ten devices simultaneously.The devices can be controlled via a smartphone or tablet without additional hardware.

LG, the first company in Korea to sell radios, in 1959, has recently expanded its lineup of wireless audio products to seven

this year, from four last year. Its smart audio system offers a seamless listening experience, playing music when a call or a text message arrives on the phone. Users can use online radio and streaming services even when the phone is tur ned off. A unique feature of LG’s home-entertainment system is HomeChat, a platform for texting smart appliances to change their settings or to diagnose a problem. It is powered by popular messaging apps, including KakaoTalk and Line.

Digital audio player maker iRiver has also joined in the competition against the technology giants. It shifted its focus away from the portable player market and introduced its first high-end, wireless audio player this year.The AK T1 is an all-in-one sound system that combines a Mastering Quality Sound (MQS) player, a hybrid amplifier and a three-way, six-unit speaker.

It’s a complete Hi-Fi audio system, and no other equipment is needed.

1 - S amsung’s Wireless Audio 360 was unveiled at the new product presentation event held at Rockefeller Center in New York on April 2nd.

2 - L G’s Smart Audio can stream music even with the phone turned off.

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3 - T he AKT1 by iRiver is an all-in-one sound system.

GLOBAL KOREA

Jongmyo Jeryeak will be performed on September 18-19 at the Théâtre national de Chaillot in Paris, in celebration of the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France. The performers rehearse for the opening ceremony.

A Royal Ritual to Strengthen Old Ties Jongmyo Jeryeak, the royal ancestral ritual music from Joseon period, will open celebrations to the 130 th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France.

Written by JON DUNBAR

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orea’s Joseon Dynasty may have ended over a century ago, but an elegant ceremonial ritual keeps its memory alive.

Performed annually since ancient times, the Jongmyo Jerye ceremony and its associated music continue to venerate the Joseon monarchs who ruled the Korean Peninsula between 1392 and 1910.

Fast forward to the 21 st century, and Jongmyo Jeryeak is gaining more and more attention globally. In 2001 the ancestral rite was added to UNESCO’s List of Intangible Her itage of Humanity, along with its

accompanying r itualistic court music, known as Jongmyo Jeryeak.The ritual and its music are traditionally performed on the first Sunday of May at Jongmyo Shrine, a huge, peaceful pavilion located on the edge of downtown Seoul, but the court music was briefly performed overseas three times, first in Japan in 2000 and again in Italy and Germany 2007.

The fourth overseas performance of Jongmyo Jeryeak is scheduled for this September 18-19 at the Théâtre national de Chaillot in Paris, in celebration of the

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130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France. It is the opening ceremony to the Years 2015-2016 Korea-France Bilateral Exchanges, which will offer over 100 cultural programs in both participating countries, bringing the citizens of both countries together.

AN ANCIENT MUSIC REVIVED

“Jongmyo Jeryeak possesses the essence of all Korean traditional arts together,” said National Gugak Center Director Kim Hae-sook, during a press conference on the

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literally historic performance.

Jongmyo Jerye is a ritualistic ancestral worship ceremony preserving the memory of Joseon monarchs, and the accompanying Jongmyo Jeryeak music is solemn, graceful, and otherworldly.The Jeryeak is performed by 64 court musicians, sounding flat notes by striking a bell, which are maintained for several seconds before raising sharply at the end with the help of wood flutes. It is performed along with the dance known as parilmu (eight-line dance), which has eight rows of eight dancers adding up to another total of 64, compounding the traditional East Asian lucky number of eight.

This style of music came to Korea from China during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), but King Sejong the Great composed new, distinctly Korean music for it in the mid-15th century. The ritual and its music and dance have been accurately revived in modern times, designated locally as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 1 before becoming Korea’s first cultural property to be acknowledged by UNESCO’s List of Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Following cultural changes in China in the 20th century, the Korean ritual is likely the oldest existing musical style of its kind.

June 1986 marked the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France. Cho Joong-hoon (right), chairman of Hanjin Group and head of the organization committee shakes hand with Jean Bernard Ouvrieu, French Ambassador to Korea.

Jongmyo Jerye is a ritualistic ancestral worship ceremony preserving the memory of Joseon monarchs, and Jongmyo Jeryeak is the music and dance performed during the ceremony.

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Courant, who would become known as the father of Korean studies in France.

Around 1890, the Joseon citizen Hong Jong-u moved to Marseille where he established the first exhibit on Korean art and culture.

Ties between the two countries were interrupted by the growing Japanese influence in Korea and the occupation, only being restored in 1949. The first ambassador sent to South Korea was caught by surprise in the Korean War, taken prisoner by North Korea and held until the end of hostilities in 1953. The Korean War strengthened the overall relationship between France and South Korea. In total, 3,200 French soldiers participated in the war, suffering 270 casualties but consecrating a blood bond between the two nations.

2015 finds South Korea and France as longtime allies, and compared to that rocky period in the mid-19th century, Korea now has 103 canonized saints, the fourth-highest number in the world. This landmark 130th anniversary, celebrated through the latter part of 2015 and throughout 2016, offers an opportunity for both nations to start afresh, to get to know each other again for the first time.

HISTORIC RELATIONS OF 130 YEARS

Korea first came into contact with France in 1836, during King Heonjong’s third year of rule, with the arrival of French missionary Father Philippe Maubant. In 1866, fearing the growing numbers of Korean converts to Catholicism, Joseon massacred French missionaries and Korean converts by the thousands. In response, France invaded and temporarily occupied Ganghwado Island.

It was a rocky start, but in 1886 the two countries finally formalized diplomatic relations with the signing of a treaty of friendship, commerce, and navigation. In 1887, France sent its first official representative to Korea, Victor Collin de Plancy accompanied by his translator Maurice

The dance and music of Jongmyo Jeryeak attracts spectators and tourists at every outdoor performance.

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GREAT KOREANS

Heo Nanseolheon appears calm and composed in this portrait.

Poet Heo Nanseolheon She was a gift to the world.

Written by Kim Hyeon-tae

H

eo Nanseolheon was born in 1563, when Confucianism was the guiding philosophy governing nearly every aspect of life. It was especially apparent in the patriarchal family structure. An ideal woman would humbly serve her husband and was a compassionate mother to her children. It was difficult for women to stand up for themselves or to speak their minds. However, the poet found her own way to circumvent some of the strictures of Confu-

cianism through writing. She wrote not just of herself and her life but also about social issues. She proudly showed that women were capable of much more than what was expected of them.

Family as her biggest supporter

Heo Nanseolheon has her family to thank for letting her literary talent shine.The Heo family was a prominent political family during Joseon times (1392-1910). Her

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father, Heo Yeop (1517-1580), was a civil official and neo-Confucian scholar who kept close relations with colleagues who held more practical views.This helped him offer the same educational opportunity to his daughter as he did for all his sons. His second-eldest son, Heo Bong (1551-1588), noticed his sister’s writing skills and recommended that she and his youngest brother, Heo Gyun (1569-1618), be taught by his friend and poet,Yi Dal (1539-1612). Under

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Blue sea soaks its way into a sea of marble, A blue phoenix leans upon a phoenix of light.

Twenty-seven cotton roses fall on the ground, Cold they lay on moonlit frost.

Genius Poet Revisited

Part of the original copy of “Nanseolheon Jip” is on display at the Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon Memorial Park in Gangneung, Gangwon-do Province. © Yonhap News

the tutelage of Yi Dal, the two Heo siblings’ potential was fully realized. In fact, Heo Nanseolheon was recognized as a prodigy at a very young age with some of the poems she wrote.

Marriage and a new challenge

Heo was a poetic genius, but she was not permitted to assume any distinguished position in society due to rigid sex barriers.

When she turned 15, she had to marry the son of a civil official. Her marriage was unhappy, marked by constant struggle as her husband’s family was much more conservative than her own. Heo’s parents-inlaw frowned upon her reading and writing.

Being from a prominent family meant nothing to them. Her husband was generally overwhelmed by her talent and stayed away from her, pursuing other women.

Even in the midst of such hardship, Heo never stopped writing poetry, but things went from bad to worse. Her father died suddenly, and her brother, Heo Bong, was sent into exile. Her two beloved children died in infancy from infectious diseases, and she miscarried a third child. As her life as a daughter, sister and mother slowly began to crumble, she was devastated both physically and mentally.

Heo Nanseolheon said she regretted having been born in Joseon, born a woman and not having an exceptionally literate and well-read husband.

She wrote a poem about herself in which she seemingly foresaw her own death. Like the cotton rose that fell cold on the ground, she died at only 26 years old and asked that all of her works be burned. However, Heo Gyun, her younger brother and author of a famous novel, “The Story of Hong Gildong,” decided to write down her poems that he had memorized and to collect the ones she left behind. He then showed this collection, known as “Nanseolheon Jip,” to the ambassador from Ming China. The ambassador took the manuscr ipt back home and published “Heo Nanseolheon Jip” in 1606. Heo’s poetry became popular and highly acclaimed across China, and some of the works in the collection were later published in Japan in 1711. Joseon writers eventually saw Heo’s works in a new light and she was posthumously recognized as the greatest poet of her time.

Heo Nanseolheon’s birthplace is in Gangneung, Gangwon-do Province. © Yonhap News

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my korea

Travelling to the Forbidden Zone The DMZ Train takes travellers to the most militarized border in the world.

Written by gp NGUYEN Illustrated Kim Dong-jin

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ven though it’s only half-past seven in the morning on a Saturday, Seoul’s central train hub is already bustling. I find myself queued up to claim my roundtrip DMZ Train tickets. I hand over my ticket confirmation and my passport. The clerk and I exchange smiles, and I think to myself, “ K RW 1 7 , 8 0 0 i s re a l l y c h e a p f o r a roundtrip train ride to the most militarized border on the planet.”

The train waiting at the platform was painted to resemble a post-war era steam locomotive, and it aroused a sense of curiosity within me that I hadn’t anticipated.

The interior is just as unique as the journey on which I’m about to embark: floor-toceiling, the carriage was adorned with decorations, setting the atmosphere apart from a typical commuter train. I found the images of Korean wildlife and historical relics of particular interest, given our destination.The train staff were dressed in adorable post-war era uniforms and guided me to my seat. I was on my way to a place that captured the interest of culture and history buffs all over the world.

The ride itself was well-paced and quiet enough to hold a conversation with a normal, indoor voice. I was relieved to hear that instructions and historical facts were being relayed in both Korean and English.

For most of the brief hour-and-twentyminute ride, I stared out the pleasantly large windows, mesmerized at the juxtaposition between the peaceful far ms and small

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towns we passed through at the beginning and the barb wire fences that sandwiched the train as we approached Imjingang Station. We crossed the Imjingang River, the site of a pivotal three-day battle that claimed the lives of thousands of young men nearly six and a half decades ago, and the train staff pointed out that the Bridge of Freedom was in full view. Everyone on board marveled at one of the lasting signs of goodwill that remains between the two Koreas.

At Imjingang Station we were asked to briefly disembark for a quick ID check. It was a welcome break to stretch my legs,

and when we re-embarked we were joined by three uniformed soldiers who accompanied us to our final destination: Dorasan Station, the closest train station to the 38th Parallel.

Upon arriving at Dorasan Station a few minutes later, I was presented with two options: roam freely around the area until my return train, or join a quick sightseeing tour for KRW 9,200. Since there was enough time to do both, I snatched up a sightseeing tour ticket and hopped aboard one of the tour buses waiting outside the small but modern train station.

Seven minutes after getting on the tour bus, I arrived at the Third Tunnel of Aggression. Prior to entering the tunnel, my tour group was given a very condensed history of the Korean War in the form of an eightminute movie trailer-like informational video. The video was far more immersive than I had anticipated, and I was slightly less embarrassed about how little I had researched the history of the Korean War and its aftermath.

Mandatory hard-hats were a reminder that we were headed some 73 meters underground . We descended the 358 meters of the tunnel that visitors are allowed to explore. The infor mational video shown beforehand stated that 30,000 men could traverse the tunnel per hour. I found that hard to believe since it took me 20 minutes to traipse a quarter of the tunnel’s full length with nothing but a water bottle.

After the tunnel, I got back on the tour bus for another equally short trip to our next stop: Dora Observatory, the northernmost point of the DMZ open to civilians.

Once there, we were afforded a brief but rare glimpse into North Korea itself. A line of binoculars at the observatory, closely watched over by military personnel, was awaiting us. Through the binoculars, I experienced a minute fraction of North Korea that brought the entire day’s journey

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full-circle. I witnessed the North Korean flag waving high above all of the surrounding trees and buildings, and I could not help but acknowledge the lack of color and technology, something with which all visitors to Seoul are greeted. It was quiet and surreal, and it lived up to my expectations, yet still, somehow defied description.

The final bus ride took us to Dorasan Peace Park. I snapped some final pictures there, but not of myself.This time, I focused my lens on the wall of tiles painted by school children hoping for unification in their lifetime.Their messages and drawings represented a viewpoint that could only come from a youthful generation of a people divided.Then, finally, I stepped back onto the train from which I came and was back in Seoul before I knew it, the proximity of the DMZ and the capital leading me to almost question whether the entire day had happened at all.

For those interested in experiencing this all firsthand, the DMZ Train departs daily from Seoul Station, with two train times to choose from on weekends. The entire exper ience costs KRW 27,000: KRW 17,800 for roundtrip train tickets and KRW 9,200 for the sightseeing tour, which lasted half the day.Tickets are easy to purchase via the Korail website. All you need is a method of payment and a passport, which you have to bring with you on the journey.

I should also mention that this isn’t my first train trip in Korea. I had the opportunity to go on the Wine Train, a must for all wine and retro Korean music enthusiasts, and I’m currently planning a trip on the O-Train loop, which runs through the scenic mountain ranges of three provinces with some close friends. There’s really no shortage of train tours from which to choose, and if you’re looking for a place to start, I highly recommend taking in a definitive part of Korean history with the DMZ Train.

MULTICULTURAL KOREA

Music that Resonates Professional gayageum player Jocelyn Clark brings the music of this Korean traditional instrument to new audiences.

Written by CHUNG DA-YOUNG Photographed by HONG HA-YAN

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J

ocelyn Clark, an Alaska-born professor of East Asian studies at Pai Chai University, had her first solo gayageum concert in 2011 in the Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul.

The concert garnered media attention as it was the first time for a non-Korean to play the instrument in front of a public audience. Many non-Koreans study gugak, Korean traditional music, and learn to play traditional instruments, but Clark has played the gayageum for over 20 years and is a true virtuoso.

A gayageum is a zither with twelve thick str ings stretched over movable bridges.The wooden body is made of paulownia wood and is normally 160cm long.

It is placed on the player’s lap while sitting cross-legged on the floor. Similarities are often drawn between the gayageum and other Asian instruments, including the Chinese zheng and the Japanese koto. It was these similarities that drew Clark to the gayageum and to Korea.

Clark visited Japan and studied Japanese as a student and majored in Japanese and Chinese studies at Wesleyan University.

She spent a year in China as part of an undergraduate exchange program and went on to enroll at the Nanjing Academy of Arts. Dur ing her years in Japan and China, Clark learned to play the zheng and the koto. It was in Japan where she became interested in the gayageum. “I remember hearing a recording of a sanjo, that is a gayageum performance accompanied by a drum.

It was a very short piece, but I very much enjoyed it. I then wanted to compare the music of the three zithers of Korea, Japan and China in terms of esthetics and sound.

So I came to Korea in 1992 to study at the National Gugak Center,” says Clark.

Korean traditionals. Since she was still learning to speak Korean at the time, it was th a challenge to learn both 19 century lyrics and how to play the gayageum at the same time.

“In a way, you could say that I learned Korean through singing. I would say the words or phrases I learned in the lyrics during normal conversations. My teacher would make fun of me, saying that I sounded like a grandmother,” says Clark with a smile.

However, aside from the language difficulties, Clark admits that she struggled to play the gayageum at first.“I didn’t know the

Clark continues to look for ways to share the sound of gayageum.

A NEW SOUND

At the National Gugak Center, Clark studied both gayageum sanjo and gayageum byeongchang, a genre where the performer sings while playing the instrument. The songs are forms of pansori, a traditional narrative singing style that relays folk tales and

Gayageum is made with twelve strings stretched over movable bridges.

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rhythm or the beat of traditional music. I couldn’t understand the sound of the gayageum as it was similar and yet very different from the other instruments I had learned to play before.” Clark persevered and hasn’t stopped playing ever since. “When the gayageum and the janggu, a drum, are played together, they sound like human voices.

The gayageum is played by plucking one string at a time and muting the others, so it’s like a singing instrument. It’s very humanistic, and I think that all gugak can be described similarly.”

SHARING THE MUSIC

Because of her love for the gayageum and for Korean traditional music, Clark went back to the U.S. to continue her studies in East Asian languages and history. She was awarded a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2005. Her dissertation was an oral and literal study of pansori. After finishing her studies, she returned to Korea and has been teaching East Asian Studies and Ethnomusicology at Pai Chai University in Daejeon ever since.

Clark is also a member of the musical ensemble IIIZ+, pronounced “three zee plus,” which she co-founded in 2001. Each quartet member plays a traditional Asian instrument: there are the three zithers from Korea, Japan and China, the gayageum, the koto and the zheng, and then a Korean drum. IIIZ+ has performed in the U.S., Europe, Asia and recently at the Seoul Arts Center for the first time. Clark commissions new pieces for the ensemble and continues to look for ways to share the sound of the gayageum with new audiences, both far and wide.

Clark will start teaching a class on world music at Seoul National University in the fall, and she has concerts lined up throughout the year. Even as a professional, she still visits her teacher once a week for lessons. “I like traditional music and the way it expresses things. I want the music to touch people the way it touches me.

Korean music resonates within me.”

nature

Udo Island: Small and Sensational Written by Isaac Colson

The shape of the island resembling a cow lying down gave name to the island as ‘Udo.’ Udo Island is said to be the island where the true charms of Jejudo Island can be seen.

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he ever-wise philosopher Master Yoda once said, “Size matters not… Judge me by my size… you should not.” His words ring true concerning Udo Island.

Off the northeastern coast of its much larger neighbor, Jejudo Island, Udo Island should not be judged by its small size.

While Jejudo Island is visited by millions of tourists every year and the air route from Seoul to the island is one of the busiest in the world, Udo Island has a myriad of natural wonders and tourist activities of its own.

Abundance of Nature on ‘Cow Island’

The interesting natural wonders start with the shape of the island. The contours are said to resemble the outline of a cow lying down. Some imagination is required, nonetheless “Udo” is literally translated as “Cow Island.” Similar to the topography of a cow pasture, the island is mostly flat with fertile plains used for small crops: peanuts, barley, sweet potatoes and garlic. Due to the scarcity of topsoil and the strong wind off the sea, the popular Jeju tangerines are absent from the island.

Most tourist information about Udo Island includes a list of its top eight scenic sights.They are located along the periphery of the island, along the north, southeast and west.The sights include, but are not limited to, high vantage points, panoramic views of the ocean, cliffs, sandbars and caves. Other natural wonders include the mysterious Popcorn Beach, designated as Natural Monument No. 438. The mystery lies in the popcorn shaped “sand” that constantly grows. It is not in fact sand, but a type of white coral. The white coral with the emerald blue sea in the background is a must-see.

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September

Paying KRW 25,000 for a scooter rental is another great way to see the island. Hiking enthusiasts may prefer to hike around the island. One course is a 13-km beachside track that starts at the Popcorn Beach and ends at the Dongangyeonggul Cave. A second is only a 2-km path from Udobong Peak to the Lighthouse Museum and it ends at Jeonjingwansan Mountain. For the less adventurous, bus tours are also available throughout the day.

There is even an underwater tour via the Udo Island Submarine. Travelers can see the Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the protected waters around the island. The submarine has different routes at different depths, the deepest being 3o meters. The submarine may even pass by one of the famous diving female sea harvesters, the haenyeo.

If you like being above the water rather than under it, jet ski rentals are available, as are speedboat rides. Fishing trips are also possible around Udo. Mackerel, cutlass fish and abalone are the most abundant seafood in these waters.

To protect the beauty of nature and to promote maritime tourism, the island’s two designated ports, Udo Port and Haumokdong Port, as well as the sea surrounding the island, are all protected areas. In January 2001 the entire area was designated as the Udo Maitime Park.

Udo Island and the protected sea surrounding it make for a great day-trip destination for visitors on Jejudo Island. Despite being a fraction of Jeju’s size, the island has no shortage of beauty and activities. “Size matters not.”

Activities galore

Thanks to the island’s small size, traveling to places like Popcorn Beach or to one of the eight scenic sites can be accomplished quite easily. Bicycles can be rented, as well as tandems and quads, all at a low price.

Some 600 families live on the island, mostly farming and fishing.

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FLAVOR

Grilled King Prawns Written by CHUNG DA-YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOON DUK-GWAN COOKED AND ST YLED BY KIM YOUNG-BIN

T

he season for king prawns, known as daeha in Korean, has begun. An enormous seasonal catch of fully-grown king prawns is taken from September to December from the Yellow Sea along the west coast of Korea. Numerous prawn festivals are held on Anmyeondo Island and at Namdang Port, and other locations along the coast promote the freshly-caught jumbo shrimp.

Visitors can catch the animals themselves and take part in other activities, but the

highlights of the festivals are numerous savory king prawn dishes. They can be eaten raw with soy sauce, steamed with thinly sliced colorful vegetables on top or deep fried in thick batter.

The most popular way to appreciate the true flavor of prawns is to grill them over a thick bed of coarse sea salt.The juice and flavor of the meat is not lost but retained in the shell, leaving the prawn moist and succulent.

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This method of grilling over salt, called sogeum gui, can even be enjoyed at home.

Wash the prawns under running water and cut off the antennae and tail with a sharp pair of kitchen scissors, leaving the shell on.

In a large pan, lay a thick bed of coarse sea salt over aluminium foil and place the prawns on top. Grill over medium-high heat until the prawns turn pink.

In Korea, people eat songpyeon on Chuseok.

한국에서는 추석마다 송편을 먹어요.

Hangugeseoneun chuseokmada songpyeoneul meogeoyo.

Mingming, try to eat this.

밍밍 씨, 이것 좀 먹어 보세요.

Mingming ssi, igeot jom meogeo boseyo.

Narae, what is it?

나래 씨, 이게 뭐예요?

나래

Narae ssi, ige mwoyeyo? 밍밍

It’s called songpyeon.

In Korea, people eat songpyeon on Chuseok.

송편이에요. 한국에서는 추석마다 송편을 먹어요.

songpyeonieyo. Hangugeseoneun chuseokmada songpyeoneul meogeoyo.

Thank you. I’ll enjoy this.

고마워요. 잘 먹을게요.

gomawoyo. jal meogeulgeyo.

나래

밍밍

‘–아 / 어 / 여 보다’

‘마다’ The particle ‘마다’ is attached to nouns to indicate inclusion of each or every noun without exception.

Let’s practice!

Try to make conversation using the following vocabulary.

Example :

In Korea, people eat songpyeon on Chuseok.

한국에서는 추석마다 송편을 먹어요.

‘–아 / 어 / 여 보다’ usually takes the past tense form such as ‘–아 / 어 / 여 봤어요.’ In statements it expresses the experience, and in the imperative sentences it expresses advice or suggestion for the listener to try something. ‘–아 / 어 / 여 보 세요.’ means ‘Give doing ◯◯◯ a try.’

–네요 The pattern ‘–네요’ is added to verb or adjective stems to show that one is surprised or impressed.

Hangugeseoneun chuseokmada songpyeoneul meogeoyo.

Try some songpyeon.

basic form

송편을 먹어 보세요.

songpyeoneul meogeo boseyo.

speaker’s experience form (–아 / 어 / 여 봤어요)

eat songpyeon 송편을 먹다

I have eaten songpyeon. 송편을 먹어 봤어요.

songpyeoneul meokda

songpyeoneul meogeo bwasseoyo.

myeongjeol holiday in Korea

What do you do?

Try to eat songpyeon. 송편을 먹어 보세요.

한국의 명절

무엇을 해요?

songpyeoneul meogeo boseyo.

추석 chuseok

설날 seollal

*the first New Year’s Greetings

eat songpyeon 송편을 먹다 songpyeoneul meokda

play Ganggangsullae 강강술래*를 하다

I have played Ganggangsullae. 강강술래를 해 봤어요

ganggangsullaereul hada

ganggangsullaereul hae bwasseoyo.

play Ganggangsullae 강강술래를 하다 Ganggangsullaereul hada eat tteokgug 떡국을 먹다 tteokgugeul meokda to bow 세배*를 하다 Sebaereul hada

Try to play Ganggangsullae. 강강술래를 해 보세요

ganggangsullaereul hae boseyo. listen K-pop 한국 가요를 듣다

I have listened K-pop. 한국 가요를 들어 봤어요.

Hanguk gayoreul deutta

Hanguk gayoreul deureo bwasseoyo.

Try to listen K-pop. 한국 가요를 들어 보세요.

Hanguk gayoreul deureo boseyo. *강강술래 Ganggangsullae is Korean traditional dance. In particular, Ganggangsullae is mainly done by women at night on the day of chuseok.