Nov 6, 2013 / Issue No. 605
Korean-to-Russian, Korean-to-English Translators Wanted
Seoul Selection is looking for an a) Korean-to-Russian translator, preferably one with a knowledge of taekwondo, and b) a Korean-to-English translator, preferably one with a knowledge of Buddhism, and especially Won Buddhism. If this sounds like you, send a resume to atoz@seoulselection.com.
Health and Medicine Writer Wanted
SEOUL Magazine is looking for a contributor who can write on health and medicine subjects. Those interested should send a resume to hankinseoul@gmail.com.
Taking in the Autumn Colors
Where to go to enjoy those reds, yellows and oranges
The autumn colors are in full splendor right now throughout much of Korea. Even in Seoul, the hillsides are ablaze in gold and red—a fact that would perhaps be better appreciated if the weather were a bit better. We here at Weekly SEOUL point you in the direction of some of our favorite spots to enjoy the autumn colors.
Jeong-dong
The Deoksugung Stone Wall Road makes for one of Seoul’s most charming autumn strolls—it’s like walking under a canopy of orange and gold. The charm is upped a notch when the leaves start falling. There are some pleasant cafes and eateries in the area, too. Be sure to check out the Jeong-dong Observatory on the 13th floor of Seoul City Hall’s Seosomun Annex for a bird’s eye view of the neighborhood (best enjoyed over a cup of coffee).
Samcheong-dong
The road along the eastern wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace is lined with golden ginkgoes and other splendid trees. The museums on the right side of the road are worth checking out, too. A rather lovely spot is the garden in the Jeong-dong Public Library. It goes without saying that if cafe culture is your thing, the main drag of Samcheong-dong is your place. This writer, however, likes Coffee Barn (right next to Jeongdok Public Library) and Cha Masineun Tteul, a traditional teahouse in Bukchon Hanok Village.
Buam-dong
Seoul’s little mountain town is best known for its museums, galleries and cafes. This writer really likes the Yun Dong-ju Literature Hall and the Whanki Museum, both of which are architectural works of art in their own right. The historic Seokpajeong Villa—now part of the Seoul Museum—is well worth the KRW 9,000 price of admission, too, as the surrounding hillsides are a riot of color. Check out Woonbo Kim Ki-chang’s paintings of the life of Jesus while you’re there, too.
Changdeokgung Huwon Garden
Changdeokgung Palace’s UNESCO’s registered gardens represent the pinnacle of Korean landscape architecture. In autumn, the colors are truly spectacular, although there is a catch—you need to reserve a spot on a guided tour to enter. The bad news is that there are very, very few available spots over the next week, and none in English. You can try your luck here (Korean only), though.
New York Wholistic Care Promotion
Thru Nov 30, New York Wholistic Care is offering one month free membership when you sign up for a three-month group pilates membership.
Around the Web
A miscellany of high-quality hyperlinks from the week, courtesy of SEOUL editor-in-chief Robert Koehler.
– Is the Korean Wave sparking a cultural rivalry in Asia?
– Google’s Eric Schmidt talks about Korea in Seoul.
– Yours Truly took some time to take in the autumn colors of Jeong-dong.
Events
Seoul Lantern Festival
One of the capital’s flagship events, the Seoul Lantern Festival is a visual feast of tens of thousands of lanterns handcrafted by domestic and international artisans. The festival site covers the 1.5-kilometer waterway stretch from Cheonggye Plaza to Samilgyo Bridge. This year’s lanterns will pay tribute to “The 1,000 Year-Old Dream of Baekje,” namely the ancient kingdom that thrived in the Seoul area before moving southward in the sixth century.
VENUE: Cheonggye Plaza
PERIOD: Thru Nov 17
BUY: Buy your own lantern for KRW 3,000 and make a wish with the lantern before setting it afloat in the stream.
SEE: A large lantern structure of the Seoul Fortress Wall will be set up to promote the municipal government’s effort to get the wall designated on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
MORE INFO: seoullantern.visitseoul.net
GETTING THERE: City Hall Station (Seoul Subway Line 1, 2), Exit 4
Blue Eye Pak Yeon
The Seoul Performing Arts Company is presenting the dance theater “Blue Eye Pak Yeon” based on the story of Jan. Janse. Weltevree who is regarded as the first naturalized Westerner to Korea. Weltevree was a Dutch sailor who arrived on the shores of an island off Joseon’s west coast in 1627 in a shipwreck. The Joseon Dynasty at that time maintained an isolation policy, so the captured foreigner could not leave the country. Weltevree took the name Pak Yeon. He became an important government official and aided King Hyojong with his keen knowledge of modern weaponry. He married a Korean woman and had two children.
PERIOD: Nov 10-17
VENUE: Sungnam Arts Center Opera House
ADMISSION: KRW 40,000–80,000
MORE INFO: T. 02-523-0986, www.spac.or.kr
Sister Mokran
Mokran is an accordion artist and singer from a state conservatory in Pyongyang. But her newfound life in South Korea as a defector is tormented between profound conflict in ideology and the reality of the two Koreas. Written by playwright Kim Eun-sung, the drama was selected for the Artists Incubator Program of Doosan Art Center, and named one of the best three drama productions of 2012 by the Korea Association of Stage Critics.
PERIOD: Nov. 11-Dec. 29
VENUE: Doosan Art Center Space111
ADMISSION: KRW 30,000
MORE INFO: T. 02-708-5001~3, www.doosanartcenter.com
GETTING THERE: Jongno 5-ga Station 종로5가역 (Line 1), Exit 1
Herbie Hancock Live in Seoul
American jazz giant Herbie Hancock is returning to Korea for a concert, the first since he performed in Seoul in May 2011. With an illustrious career spanning five decades and 14 Grammy Awards, including the 2007 Album Of The Year for “River: The Joni Letters,” he continues to entertain audiences. Throughout his musical journey, he has transcended limits and genres while maintaining his unmistakable voice.
DATE: Nov. 8, 8 p.m.
VENUE: Chungmu Art Hall Grand Theater
ADMISSION: KRW 77,000–150,000
MORE INFO: T. 02-337-3277, www.cmah.or.kr
GETTING THERE: Sindang Station 신당역 (Line 6), Exit 9
Ballet Nacional de Espana
Ballet Nacional de Espana, Spain’s premier ambassador of flamenco with dozens of talented dancers, singers and musicians, will take on Korean audiences. The Spanish government launched the company in 1978 with flamenco icon Antonio Gades as artistic director. The group is undergoing a new creative period under the direction of Antonio Najarro. In Seoul, the troupe will present two brand new works, “Grito” and “Suite Sevilla,” tackling the genre with more depth and displaying the traditional aesthetics of Spanish dance.
PERIOD: Nov. 6–10
VENUE: LG Art Center
ADMISSION: KRW 40,000–120,000
MORE INFO: T. 02-2005-0114, www.lgart.com
GETTING THERE: Yeoksam Station 역삼역 (Line 2), Exit 7
RASKB: Early Western Learners of Korean: What Can They Teach Us?
In this lecture, Dr. Robert J. Fouser will discuss the lives and works of early Western learners of Korean language in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The discussion will focus on William George Aston (1841-1911), John Ross (1842-1915), Horace Grant Underwood (1859-1916), James Scarth Gale (1863-1937), Homer Hulbert (1863-1949), and Gustaf John Ramstedt (1873-1950), among others. Most were missionaries and are known today mainly for the place in the history of Christianity in Korea, causing their contributions to the history of Korean language education to be overlooked. Most of their work centered three areas: dictionary compilation, textbook/materials development, and translation of canonical texts. Through a close examination of the experience learning and, in some cases, teaching the Korean language, Dr. Fouser will discuss the relevance of their experience to contemporary issues in Korean language education, particularly as it relates to the controversial role of grammar and translation. Many of the primary sources of this lecture come from the RAS Library and *Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch*.
VENUE: Second floor Residents’ Lounge, Somerset Palace
DATE: Nov 12, 7:30pm
COST: Free (members), KRW 7,000 (non-members)
MORE INFO: See this link.
GETTING THERE: See link above.
Get Your College Entrance Exam Rice Cakes at Suyedang
Do you know somebody studying for the Korean university entrance exam? Gormet rice cake maker Suyedang has prepared gift sets of beautiful and delicious “university exam rice cakes.” Koreans believe that sticky rice cakes help students hang on to knowledge and get “stuck” to the university they wish to enter.
Suyedang specializes in “flower rice cakes” (hwagwaja). Crafted in the shape of fruits and flowers, flower rice cakes were originally served in the palace at a time when it was difficult to store fruit. Not only are they delicious, but they’re healthy, too, made from 100% organic ingredients.
You can find several kinds of university exam rice cake gift sets, from KRW 4,900 (three pieces) to KRW 19,000 (ten pieces). See Suyedang’s homepage (Korean) for more info.
Korea International School Open House
“You are cordially invited to learn more about KIS”
Korea International School is accepting applications for the 2014–2015 academic year. KIS Pangyo Campus serves students in PK–12, and KIS Seoul Campus PK–G6.
Pangyo Campus (PK–12): Thursday, November 14, 12:00pm at Conference Hall
Seoul Campus (PK–6): Thursday, November 21, 11:00am at Multi-purpose Room
To make a reservation, call T. 031- 789-0525 (Pangyo campus) or T. 02-3496-0510 (Seoul campus).
Everyday Koreans

Dosan Seowon

Lovely colors in Andong’s Dosan Seowon Confucian Academy. Photo by Robert Koehler.
*Click the photo to see a full-size version at our website.
NOTE: If you have a photo you would like to see in our Everyday Koreans section, please sent it to story@seoulselection.com. Photos should be AT LEAST 950px wide. Send a one-line bio, too.
Notifications
Tell Us About ‘Your Korea’: If you’re a longtime resident of Korea and would like to share your story in KOCIS’s KOREA Magazine, shoot an email with your story idea to book@seoulselection.com.
Looking for Translators – Seoul Selection is looking for a few good translators (Korean to English) for general translation work. Those interested should send a resume and cover letter to Kyehyun at trans@seoulselection.com. Experienced translators only.
Seoul Selection eBooks – You can purchase some Seoul Selection titles in ebook format via Amazon.com (for Kindle) and Apple’s iBookstore. Titles include Ask a Korean Dude, Moon Tides, Doing Business in Korea, Once Around the Sun, and seven volumes of our Korean Film Directors series: BONG Joon-ho, IM Kwon-taek, KIM Jee-woon, LEE Chang-dong, LEE Man-hee, PARK Chan-wook, and SHIN Sang-ok.
Send Your Event Info – If you would like to advertise any upcoming events you are organizing, please send us the press release material at book@seoulselection.com by the preceding Friday in order for it to appear in the following Tuesday’s issue.

Freelance Contributors WantedSEOUL Magazine needs writers who are fluent in both Korean and English. Writers should have a strong interest in Korean culture and be able to interview Koreans. Send your resume and writing samples to book@seoulselection.com.

We Buy & Sell Used Books – Seoul Selection buys and sells used books in English. Unlike our regular selection of publications that specialize in Korea-related topics, our Used Book section carries books on all subjects. It’s all part of our effort to make life easier for the English-speaking community.
SEOUL Magazine
SEOUL (November 2013)

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Publisher: Hank Kim / Editor: Robert Koehler
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