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III Delphic Games 2009
Celebrating Global Culture in Jeju
As if Jeju Island weren't already the perfect place to spend an idyllic week in September, the revival of an ancient festival is about to make it even better. Seoul's hosting of the Olympic Games in 1988, it appears, was just the beginning of the Korean-Ancient Greek relationship. Now, 21 years later, Jeju is set to welcome international competitors for another resurrected Mediterranean event---the Delphic Games. One of the four cyclically recurring competitions collectively known as the Panhellenic Games, the Delphic Games were held in honor of the god Apollo. This autumn's gathering on Jeju Island is the third Delphic Games of the modern era. The games were recreated as "the Olympics...for the arts or of the spirit," in the words of founding member of the International Delphic Council and music pedagogue Divina Bautista. They are based on three elements: competition, presentation and exhibitions. The first Delphic Games of the modern era were held in Moscow in 2000, and the second in Kuching, Malaysia, in 2005. The Delphic Games will feature no fewer than six artistic categories, opening the door for a mind-bogglingly broad spectrum of talents to be displayed by their global participants. Music and acoustic arts; performing arts; lingual arts; handicraft, design and visual arts; communication and social arts; and architecture and ecological arts---no cultural stone has been left unturned, and the judges at the Games can look forward to a busy week. For more information, call (02) 3789-4005 or visit www.delphic2009.com. |
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- Good tours of the DMZ are conducted by the USO (795-3028) and TOURDMZ (755-0073). For more information on their tours, click here (USO) and here (TOURDMZ). - The Seoul City Bus Tour is a great way to explore the city of Seoul, especially if you're new to town. For more information, click here or call 777-6090. - The Royal Asiatic Society conducts entertaining and informative tours to some of Korea's most historic sites. Click here for more information, including schedule. - Every fourth Sunday between March and October, the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture conducts English-language tours to interesting neighborhoods of Seoul. For more information, click here or call 3290-7000. - For self-starters, the Seoul City Tourism website has several walking tours and self-directed tours. You can also give them a ring at 2171-2461. - The Korea Tourism Organization website is another great place to get information. If you're on the road, just call 1330 for up-to-date tourist information.
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 The Chaebolization of the Korean Music Industry, Part III In the West, if people want to be musical performers, they'll typically begin playing or singing, perhaps with people that they know, and begin at ground level by performing at places like clubs or weddings, and work their way up. In Korea, if you want to be famous, and not just an underground act, then you basically have to successfully audition. There's a show called "Superstar K," which is like the shows "American Idol" and "Britain's Got Talent." Those who fail to audition their way into the first round are invariably in tears, for they know that their dreams been shattered. [1] If you are accepted as a trainee by one of the large music companies, you'll be trained for years before debuting. A result of this is that Korean performers, such as BoA and DBSG (a.k.a. TVXQ) have world-class singing and dancing skills, while Westerners are better at writing music, which in turn results in Westerners creating new music genres. It's not surprising that Korean musicians have often been accused of plagiarism. [2] This dates back to when Seo Taiji used Cypress Hill's "Insane in the Membrane" as a template for his huge hit "Come Back Home." [3], [4] Due to dramatically decreased music sales, Western performers now make more money selling concert tickets than albums, since tickets are many times more expensive and you can also sell merchandise, such as tee shirts. This is not an option for many Korean musicians, since they don't have enough material for a full concert. For example, the Wonder Girls, one of Korea's most successful groups, has only released one full-length album, shortly after their debut in 2007. Since then, they've only released mini-albums which contain two or more remixes of the same song. [5] They are a perfect example of how a group can become famous upon the strength of, literally, only a few songs. Performances are usually only one or two songs, performed on music shows such as Inki-gayo, Music Bank, and Music Core. The importance of these shows is evidenced by the fact that, when they were cancelled in the week following the death of former president Kim Dae-jung, two major artists, G-Dragon and 4 Minute, delayed all promotional activities for one week. [6], [7] However, that's not to say that these artists aren't busy, because they certainly are. They just aren't busy performing full concerts. They appear on all kinds of TV programs that have nothing to do with music (such as slapstick comedy), do photo shoots, and endorse everything under the sun (e.g. air conditioners, stationary, fried chicken, clothing lines, etc.). They have so many appointments that some have been injured, or even killed, in traffic accidents that occur as their managers rush them from one place to the next (called "manager driving"). [8] In the West, appearing in too many commercials is seem as overexposure, selling out, or being a has-been. In Korea, it's a cash cow for celebrities, even those whose movies are box office flops and who rarely appear on TV. [9] Since Korean celebrities have a very short "shelf life," so to speak, it's understandable that they try to make as much money in as short a time as possible. In the West, it's relatively rare for a singer to act in movies (e.g. Beyonce Knowles) or vice-versa (e.g. Russell Crowe). However, in Korea, they're almost interchangeable. This weakens the idea that to be a musical performer requires specialized skills. This situation is likely to continue, at least until more Korean artists adopt the mindset of Motorhead's Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister. When told that they could reach a wider audience if only they cut their hair, his response was, "That's it then, I guess we are not going to reach a much broader audience." [10] Related Topics: * The Chaebolization of the Korean Music Industry * The Chaebolization of the Korean Music Industry, Part II Written by Richard Stansfield (smaug1004@hotmail.com). The writer has been living and teaching English in Korea since 1996. |
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Korea in the 1960s and 70s: a country in the middle of a breakneck journey to economic development, encountering change after change. The subsequent speed and extent of industrialization and social transformation make these heady decades seem even further behind us, with many of the material goods and buildings that characterized them now confined to the dustbin of history. Now, however, the outdoor space by the National Folk Museum of Korea has been rearranged to feature a "Memory Lane" exhibition to bring back Mom and Dad's childhood memories. A barber's shop, a dressmaker's, a tea room, a comic reading cafe; and even a Hyundai Pony---a landmark in modern Korean history as the first car to be entirely assembled and produced in the country (starting in 1974)---all appear along the lane. A fascinating glimpse of how different life was in Korea as recently as forty years ago. Getting There: Anguk Station, Line 3, Exit 1 or Gyeongbokgung Station, Line 3, Exit 5. Walk along Samcheong-dong Street. The museum is located on the left. Green bus No. 11 is available.
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Check out the Platform in Kimusa exhibit (thru Sep 25) at the old Defense Security Command building next to Gyeongbokgung Palace. The old building, a place of intrigue during the dark days of Korea's military dictatorship, is currently being remodeled as an annex of the National Museum of Contemporary Art. In the meantime, some 101 artists from Korea and abroad are trying to breath life into the old structure in a festival of contemporary art. Given the history of the venue, much of the work selected is appropriately dark. Admission: 8,000 won. You must use a guided tour during the day (2pm, 3pm and 4pm), but you can walk around freely from 5 to 9pm. More Information: Tel. (02) 733-8945, Homepage: www.platformseoul.org. Getting There: Anguk Station, Line 3, Exit 1 or Gyeongbokgung Station, Line 3, Exit 5. Walk along Samcheong-dong Street. The museum is located on the right
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See the musical Rent at KBS Performing Arts Hall thru Sep 20. This will be one last chance for those in Korea to see the hit performance with its original Broadway cast. Rent tells the story of struggling musicians and artists in New York's Lower East Side during the 1980s AIDS crisis. Admission: Peak---VIP: 200,000 won, R: 130,000 won, S: 90,000 won, A: 70,000 won, B: 40,000 won / Regular---VIP: 180,000 won, R: 120,000 won, S: 80,000 won, A: 60,000 won, B: 40,000 won. More Information: Tel. 1566-1369. Getting There: Yeouido Station, Line 5, Exit 3. Take a cab from there.
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Jekyll & Hyde the Musical -is playing at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts thru Sep 20. Based on the famous tale by Robert Louis Stevenson, Jekyll & Hyde the Musical features American theatrical star Brad Little in the title roles. Admission: Peak---VIP: 140,000 won, R: 120,000 won, S: 99,000 won, A: 66,000 won, B: 22,000 won /Gwanghwamun Station, Line 5, Exits 1 & 8. Regular---VIP: 130,000 won, R: 110,000 won, S: 88,000 won, A: 66,000 won, B: 22,000 won. More information: Tel. (02) 6925-0013. Getting There: Gwanghwamun Station, Line 5, Exits 1 & 8.
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Join the Royal Asiatic Society for a tour of the lovely Andong/Gyeongsangbuk-do region on Sep 12---13. Highlights of the trip include the beautiful Buddhist temples of Buseoksa and Bongjeongsa (home to Korea's oldest wood architecture), the Confucian academy of Dosan Seowon and Hahoe Village, a preserved Joseon-era village that is famous as home of the mask dance. Click here for more information, including reservation information.
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Korea --- Latin America Artists Exhibition will be held at the Korea Foundation Cultural Center from Sep 9 through Sep 17. The annual event is a special exhibition by the Hanwool Artists Group, which is composed of female alumni of the College of Fine Arts at Seoul National University, with artwork by Latin artists added to the exhibition this year. About 70 artists --- 60 from Korea and 17 from the six Latin American countries the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Chile, Cuba, Paraguay and Peru --- will showcase 100 art pieces, which are to include Oriental and Western paintings, sculptures, ceramics and textiles. The exhibition will be open from 10am to 6pm Monday through Saturday (Wednesdays through 9pm, and closed on Sunday). Admission is free. For further information, please contact (02) 2151-6514 or visit www.kfcenter.or.kr.
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| These are just some of the diverse events taking place in and around Seoul. SEOUL Magazine's ever-expanding events section is colorfully designed and jam-packed with the latest information. For the complete round-up pick up a copy of SEOUL Magazine at any of the quality bookstores in the city and you'll never have to spend another month in the dark. |
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Relaxing in the Countryside
Visiting the wonderful Rakkojae guest house in Andong. Photo by Ryu Seunghoo.
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Cancelled Festivals - Due to fears about H1N1 influenza, several festivals have been cancelled. These festivals are the 2009 Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival (Sep 25-27), Seoul International Fireworks Festival (Sep 26) and Gwangju Kimchi Cultural Festival 2009 (Oct 26-Nov 1). SEOUL's Next Top Model - SEOUL, Seoul Selection's monthly travel and culture magazine, is looking for people who'd like to show off themselves in their favorite Seoul backdrops. You name the place and pose, and we'll do the photographing. If we like what we see, we'll put your photo in the magazine. If this sounds fun, send an email (with a photograph of yourself) to sense@seoulselection.com. Both foreigners and Korean nationals are welcome. 
Learn Korean Traditional Dance - Chumsae Dance School is offering lessons on Korean traditional dance. Morning (10:00---11:30, Tue Thu), afternoon (4:00---5:30, Mon Wed) and evening classes (7:30---9:00 Tue Thu) available. Classes are limited to 10 persons each. Tuition is 200,000 won a month. For more information, call (02- 762-7731).
Language Exchange Club - LEC, the multilingual language exchange club, has had great events every month like barbecues, Thanksgiving, Halloween, hiking, swimming, snowboarding and rafting. This month they will be going snowboarding and skiing --- contact discgolf@naver.com for more information. The nonprofit club, located in Myeong-dong, is for people who are interested in exchanging languages and culture as well as making good friends from all over the world. KFCC Films - The Korea Foundation Cultural Center runs regular screenings of both Korean and foreign films, with subtitles. In September, the KFCC will be screening films under the theme "Rising Gradually." Click here for more information. Korean Language Classes - The Korea Foundation Cultural Center Offers free Korean language classes for foreigners residing in Korea. The classes, led by Korea Foundation volunteer teachers, are held at 7:00-9:00 pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (two classes at 4:00 and 7:00 on Wednesdays). Anyone interested in learning Korean language and willing to participate in the language class is welcome to join. For more information, click here. Calling all photographers - SEOUL WEEKLY could use your help with our Everyday Koreans photo section. If you have a camera and enjoy snapping shots capturing everyday scenes in the Republic of Korea, send your photos in along with captions and a brief, one- line bio. Send Your Event Info - If you would like to advertise any upcoming events you are organizing, please send us the press release material to reporter@seoulselection.com by the preceding Friday in order to appear in the following Tuesday's issue. Advertise in SEOUL magazine - Advertisement space available in SEOUL magazine and weekly newsletter. For rates, click here. For more information, please contact at 734-9567 ( ad@seoulselection.com, selector@seoulselection.com). Freelance Contributors Wanted - SEOUL magazine needs writers who are fluent in both Korean and English. Writers should be able to interview Koreans and also have a strong interest in Korean culture. Send your resume and writing samples to reporter@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 Selection Looking for Partners Abroad - Seoul Selection is looking for overseas partners who can sell English books on Korea, Korean language learning books, Korean movie DVDs and Korean music CDs. Since Seoul Selection has links to local publishers and DVD/CD production companies, we can provide the best prices possible. Please contact Hank Kim at selector@seoulselection.com for details.
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Publisher: Hank Kim /
Editor: Robert Koehler /
Designer: Jun Shinwook / Website Manager: Hong Hyeon-chan
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Seoul Selection reserves all intellectual property rights on information provided in this newsletter. Some event information has been provided by the Korea Foundation. The IPRs are protected by pertinent laws.
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Seoul Selection Web Site: http://www.seoulselection.com e-mail: hank@seoulselection.com tel: 734-9567 fax: 734-9563 |
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