Witness to History “Taegeukgi: The Korean Flag Throughout History” presents the story behind Korea’s national banner in an easy-to-read way
To mark the 70th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from colonial rule and to learn the lessons of the past so that history’s mistakes are never repeated, Seoul Selection has released “Taegeukgi: The Korean Flag Throughout History.” The accordion book is a collection of 42 historical images of the Korean flag collected by U.S.-based IT specialist and Korean flag collector Lee Byung Kun, who has amassed a collection of roughly 800 Korean-flag related items.
Fluttering against the backdrop of the blue sky, the Korean flag, or Taegeukgi, evokes feeling of not only respect and joy, but also sadness. Born as a symbol of national independence at a time when Korea was being threatened by imperialist invasion in the late 19th century, the flag, along with the people it represents, witnessed the rise and fall of the Daehan Empire, the theft of national sovereignty by Imperial Japan, the independence movement, liberation from colonial rule and the Korean War.
Ensemble DITTO celebrates its ninth season with a musical journey into the world of Austrian composer Franz Schubert. On the program is Schubert’s string quartet Quartettsatz and Piano Trio No. 2, as well as the composer’s last piece of chamber music, a string quintet completed two months prior to his death. L.A. Philharmonic violinist Johnny Lee will make his return to the ensemble, accompanied by two newcomers, pianist Steven Lin and cellist Jay Campbell. Brought together by star violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill in 2007, Ensemble DITTO has reintroduced Korea’s classical music scene to a younger, hipper audience with music videos, street performances, photo shoots and participation in television soundtracks. Their annual festivals sell out quickly, so get your tickets today!
VENUE: Seoul Arts Center DATE: June 30 MORE INFO: T. 02-580-1300, www.sac.or.kr ADMISSION: KRW 30,000-100,000 GETTING THERE: Nambu Bus Terminal Station (Line 3), Exit 5. Transfer to shuttle bus, or green bus No. 4429.
Contemporary Cuban Film Festival
See the best of Cuban contemporary cinema at Korea’s only festival dedicated to Cuban film. The festival features eight films in several different genres – including Cuban science fiction film “Omega 3” – and one animated film. The Sunday (Jun. 28) screening of “Habanastation” (4 PM) will be preceded by a performance by a Cuban arts troupe.
VENUE: Cinematheque KOFA PERIOD: June 27-July 5 MORE INFO: See this link (Korean) ADMISSION: Free GETTING THERE: See this map.
Enjoy Dragon Hill Spa Coupons for June
One of Seoul’s leading tourist destinations, the Dragon Hill Spa is giving KRW 6,000 coupons to all those who enter during the month of June.
MORE INFO: See this link. GETTING THERE: Exit 1, Yongsan Station (Line 1)
Patrons of Buddhist Art
While exhibitions of Korean Buddhist art are nothing new, this exhibit makes use of a wide array of Buddhist artworks – sculptures, craftworks, paintings and scriptures – to shed light on the activities and aspirations of the patrons behind the art. Throughout Korean history, and particularly during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), when Buddhism was the state religion, support for the Buddhist faith was a socially all-encompassing activity – everyone, from the king and nobility to low-born peasants, gave generously to Buddhist temples, motivated by both spiritual piety as well as more mundane concerns. The exhibit features some 431 artifacts, including two beautiful gold Buddhist statues and a box for relics taken from a pagoda at Gyeongju’s ancient Hwangboksa Temple.
VENUE: National Museum of Korea PERIOD: Thru Aug. 2 MORE INFO: T. 02-2077-9483, www.museum.go.kr ADMISSION: Free GETTING THERE: Take the underpass at Ichon Station ì´ì´Œì— (Jungang Line, Line 4).
31 Experiments on Light: Intimate Rapture
Held in the comfy confines of Seoul’s historic former main train station, this exhibit seeks to have us ponder the meaning of “light” by presenting the realm of luminosity in new and unfamiliar ways. Some 143 works by 31 teams of artists from eight countries are on display, including works of painting, photography, installation art, video, interactive media, mixed media and furniture. The exhibit also includes performances and hands-on programs based on six light-related themes.
VENUE: Culture Station Seoul 284 PERIOD: Thru July 4 MORE INFO: T. 02-3407-3500 ADMISSION: Free GETTING THERE: Seoul Station ì„œìš¸ì— (Line 1, 4 or AREX), Exit 2
10cm’s Season Concert
Korean indie band 10cm, the acoustic duo behind the ear-worm “Americano,” will be performing at Hannam-dong’s Samsung Hall. With their signature folk-pop vocals and djembe, a West African drum, 10cm have sung their way to become one of Korea’s most successful indie acts. Their last series of concerts, held in 2014 to mark the release of their third album, sold out completely.
VENUE: Samsung Hall, Blue Square PERIOD: July 3-5 MORE INFO: T. 1544-1591 www.bluesquare.kr ADMISSION: KRW 77,000-88,000 GETTING THERE: Hangangjin Station í•œê°•ì§„ì— (Line 6), Exit 2 or 3
RASKB Excursion: Walking Tour of Korea University Museum and Campus
Have you ever wondered about the globe clock pictured on the 10,000won note? Would you like to see what Seoul’s Eastern Palace originally looked like? Are you interested in learning about the distinctly Korean foundations of one of Korea’s famous SKY universities? If so, join the RASKB for an afternoon visit to the beautiful campus of Korea University, in the northeast of Seoul.
VENUE: Seoul Arts Center DATE: July 5, 2PM to 5PM MORE INFO: See this link. ADMISSION: KRW 20,000-25,000 GETTING THERE: See link above.
EVERYDAY KOREANS
Three lovely young women in Korean traditional dress, or hanbok, in Bukchon. Photo by Robert Koehler.
NOTIFICATIONS
Survey on Korean language learning – Jini Shim, a visiting graduate student at the Academy of Korean Studies, is conducting a survey on the user preference of Korean language study methods. If you have a few moments to spare, please click on over to the surveys and fill them out: English/Korean.
Seoul Selection’s Free Book Giveaway – Our free book give-away continues! Check out the list in last week’s newsletter here.
Seoul Selection Offline Bookshop Sale –One of the greatest repositories of Korea-related English-language books anywhere, Seoul Selection is offering a 10% sale on any and all books published by Seoul Selection purchased from our OFFLINE bookshop next to Gyeongbokgung Palace.
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 atoz@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 pubco@seoulselection.com by the preceding Friday in order for it to appear in the following Tuesday’s issue.
Freelance Contributors Wanted – SEOUL 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 english@seoulselection.com.
https://magazine.seoulselection.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Seoul-logo.png00rjkoehlerhttps://magazine.seoulselection.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Seoul-logo.pngrjkoehler2015-06-27 07:13:382015-07-18 17:15:29SEOUL Weekly: Witness to History
While exhibitions of Korean Buddhist art are nothing new, this exhibit makes use of a wide array of Buddhist artworks – sculptures, craftworks, paintings and scriptures – to shed light on the activities and aspirations of the patrons behind the art. Throughout Korean history, and particularly during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), when Buddhism was the state religion, support for the Buddhist faith was a socially all-encompassing activity – everyone, from the king and nobility to low-born peasants, gave generously to Buddhist temples, motivated by both spiritual piety as well as more mundane concerns. The exhibit features some 431 artifacts, including two beautiful gold Buddhist statues and a box for relics taken from a pagoda at Gyeongju’s ancient Hwangboksa Temple.
Held in the comfy confines of Seoul’s historic former main train station, this exhibit seeks to have us ponder the meaning of “light” by presenting the realm of luminosity in new and unfamiliar ways. Some 143 works by 31 teams of artists from eight countries are on display, including works of painting, photography, installation art, video, interactive media, mixed media and furniture. The exhibit also includes performances and hands-on programs based on six light-related themes.
Hanbok Promenade