March 13, 2013 / Issue No. 571

Curious about Korean culture? Got a Kindle or Kindle reader for your computer/tablet? Well, your ship has come in—Seoul Selection CEO Hank Kim’s best-selling guide to all things Korean Ask a Korean Dude is now available in Kindle format from Amazon. The US price is $9.99 (prices in other countries may differ).

Amazon.com (US/India)

Amazon.co.uk (UK)

Amazon.de (DE)

Amazon.fr (FR)

Amazon.es (ES)

Amazon.it (IT)

Amazon.co.jp (JP)

Amazon.ca (CA)

Amazon.com.br (BR)

Reviews are not only welcome, but highly encouraged!

And in case you didn’t realize, Ask a Korean Dude is also available on iTunes.

Around the Web

Why aren’t there any Korean restaurants on S. Pellegrino’s list of Asia’s top 50 restaurants?

The “insufficient dress” rule goes viral.

The discovery of a Goryeo Dynasty stele in China has got scholars talking.

Seoul City is considering restituting foreign tourists who have been ripped off.

Check
out Love X Stereo’s video for “Soul City (Seoul City).”

The Seongsu Bridge at night.

The QiRanger goes to Incheon’s Chinatown.

Seoul Suburban explores Hangangjin Station.

So… what are the 12 best gay bars in Seoul?

Danyang’s Dodamsambong is one of my favorite views in Korea.

Events

Pink Martini, the famed “little orchestra” group from the US, will give a concert in Seoul on March 20. The 12-member band draws inspiration from music from all over the world, thus creating a repertoire that skillfully blends classical, jazz, and old-fashioned pop. Likewise, the band performs its multilingual repertoire on concert stages and with symphony orchestras throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. The Portland, OR-based band is characterized by its signature eclectic, acoustic-oriented sounds and is often associated with the neo-swing trend of the 1990s. While most neo-swing acts favored a combination of jump blues and early rock & roll, the diverse Pink Martini have offered a risk-taking blend of jazz (mainly swing), world music, cabaret, lounge, and classical film music.

VENUE: Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center

DATE: Mar 20, 8pm

ADMISSION: R: KRW 120,000, S: KRW 90,000, A: KRW 50,000

MORE INFO: T. 02-599-5743, www.sac.or.kr

GETTING THERE: Nambu Bus Terminal Station 남부터미널역 (Line 3), Exit 5. Transfer to shuttle bus, or green bus No. 4429.

Southeast Asia comprises various cultures and communities, many of which are indigenous, but some have been formed by unions between foreign traders and local women. This exhibition showcases the Peranakan culture, a unique hybrid culture in Southeast Asia. The Peranakan are descendants of Chinese traders who married women in Southeast Asia and settled in the region. On exhibit are Peranakan objects produced between the latter part of the 19th century and early 20th century, when Peranakan culture flourished. The objects were drawn from collections held by the Peranakan Museum, a component of the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore. Visit the ornaments, costume, ceramic ware, and portraits of the Peranakans and learn about their unique culture.

VENUE: National Museum of Korea

PERIOD: Mar 19–May 19

MORE INFO: T. 02-2077-9000, www.museum.go.kr

GETTING THERE: Take the underpass at Ichon Station 이촌역 (Jungang Line, Line 4).

Festival Bo:m is an international festival of performing and visual arts that is multicultural as well as multigenre in nature. The interdisciplinary show encourages experimentalism and challenging performances, with a strong emphasis on innovative and avant-garde works. The annual show strives to introduce artists with diverse cultural backgrounds, especially those from Asia, on the international stage. This year, a total of 26 art exhibitions and productions of dance, drama, and music will be featured at various venues throughout Seoul March 22–April 18. Six different lectures and workshops will also be held during the month-long event.

VENUE: Doosan Art Center, Sogang Univ. Mary Hall, and five other venues

PERIOD: Mar 22–Apr 18

ADMISSION: Ticket prices vary from free admission to KRW 110,000.

MORE INFO: www.festivalbom.org

Toronto native Claire Boucher, who goes by the stage name Grimes, will steal the limelight in a Seoul concert. Her music has been noted for its atypical combination of vocal elements as well as a wide array of influences, ranging from industrial and electronic to pop, hip-hop, R&B, noise rock, and even medieval music. The experimental Grimes draws upon vastly different influences and creates a mystical sound and feel with her haunting vocals. Grimes’ live show is sonically and visually appealing, with infectious beats, dancers, and improvisation. Don’t miss her live concert in Korea, where she will be appearing with her new setup, a full band.

VENUE: Rolling Hall

DATE: Mar 23

ADMISSION: KRW 54,000 (KRW 45,000 in advance)

MORE INFO: scstickets@gmail.com, http://supercolorsuper.com

GETTING THERE: Hapjeong Station 합정역 (Line 2, 6), Exit 5 or 6 or Sangsu Station 상수역 (Line 6), Exit 1

VENUE: Novotel Ambassador Gangnam

DATE: Mar 21, 4pm–9:30pm

MORE INFO: www.accessmba.com

GETTING THERE: Sinnonhyeon Station 신논현역 (Line 9), Exit 4

Celebrate the dazzling age of art deco and jazz!

Join ANZA for an evening of fine dining, live entertainment, and fabulous prizes in Art Deco splendour at the luxurious Conrad hotel.

VENUE: Conrad Seoul

DATE: Mar 16, 6:30pm–Mar 17, 2am

ADMISSION: KRW 245,000

MORE INFO: www.anzakorea.com

GETTING THERE: Yeouido Station 여의도역 (Line 5, 9), Exit 3 or 4

Jeonju, a bustling city of over 700,000, is the capital of Jeollabuk-do and the hometown of the Lee family that founded the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), as well as where the last living descendant of the royal family, Lee Seok, still lives. It has been designated by UNESCO as a City of Gastronomy and is considered the culinary capital of Korea, famed for its delicious local food.

DATE: March 16

COST: TBA

MORE INFO: See this link.

GETTING THERE: See link above.

Everyday Koreans

A view of the Hangang River from Ttukseom Resort. Photo by Arnab Sen.

Notifications

Seoul Selection via Ingram – Seoul Selection now has a direct wholesale distribution agreement with Ingram Book Group, the world’s largest wholesale distributor of publisher content. By choosing to allow Ingram to represent our material, we have opened our titles to a wider audience. Our titles will be available for order through Ingram at more than 35,000 distribution channels worldwide. Ask your local bookstore to have Seoul Selection titles available!

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.

March 5, 2013 / Issue No. 570

Around the Web

Might Dennis Rodman’s trip to North Korea change US policy?

Is oriental medicine on life support?

Hey, at least Sejong City has a nice private arboretum.

Steamed rice—it’s good for you.

Korea still needs bilingual professionals.

Chris Backe revisits the Bank of Korea Museum.

Seoul Fortress and Namsan Park at night.

Steve visits the Incheon Landing Memorial.

The changing Yeouido nightscape.

Yours Truly went to Bukhansan National Park and revisited Mt. Ansan.

Events

CORRECTION: On page 30 of the March issue of SEOUL, we gave some mistaken information regarding the Richard Clayderman concert. The Clayderman performances at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts (Gwanghwamun Station 광화문역, Line 5, Exit 1 or 8) will be on April 11–12 (8pm). Admission is 50,000–150,000 won. For more info, call 02-3463-2466.

Singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright is set to steal the limelight when he comes to Seoul for a concert. His musical style draws on classical music, opera, musicals, and pop, yet he cannot be pigeonholed into any of these categories. The American-Canadian artist was affectionately referred to by Elton John as “the greatest songwriter on the planet” and highly praised by the New York Times for his “genuine originality.” Some of his songs used as original sound tracks include “Across the Universe” for I Am Sam, “The Maker Makes” for Brokeback Mountain, and “Hallelujah” for Shrek.

Singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright is set to steal the limelight when he comes to Seoul for a concert. His musical style draws on classical music, opera, musicals, and pop, yet he cannot be pigeonholed into any of these categories. The American-Canadian artist was affectionately referred to by Elton John as “the greatest songwriter on the planet” and highly praised by the New York Times for his “genuine originality.” Some of his songs used as original soundtracks include “Across the Universe” for I Am Sam, “The Maker Makes” for Brokeback Mountain, and “Hallelujah” for Shrek.

VENUE: Uniqlo AX

DATE: Mar 16, 7pm

ADMISSION: 110,000 won

Tickets: http://ticket.interpark.com/global

MORE INFO: T. 02-563-0595

GETTING THERE: Gwangnaru Station 광나루역 (Line 5), Exit 2

In March of 2013, SongEun ArtSpace will present its second special annual project, titled France in SongEun: The French Haunted House. It will feature emerging promising French young artists who are showing for the first time in Korea.

The exhibition concept is based on a reflection to this moment of art history, when the focus of the avant-garde has moved from France to the United States. The exhibition will show that the “spirits” of modernity are now returning to haunt the practices of young French artists, who are getting rid of the “inferiority complex” in which France was plunged in recent decades, facing the commodification of art. The exhibition The French Haunted House will stage a certain idea of a flippant poetry in the visual arts field by following a bouncing scenario. The pieces of 12 young French artists will be presented, using visual echoes and surprise effects.

The French Haunted House will show the conceptual vivacity, strangeness, visual richness, but also the humor of the young French art scene. This exhibition will bring together well-recognized artists along with new emerging talents, and is already receiving great anticipation from universities and press alike.

Guest Curator: Gaël Charbau

VENUE: SongEun ArtSpace

PERIOD: Mar 15–Jun 8

ADMISSION: Free

MORE INFO: T. 02-3448-0100, www.songeunartspace.org

GETTING THERE: See first map here.

The City of Jeju is holding the 16th Jeju Deulbul Festival Mar 8–10. The site of the event is Saebyeol Oreum, a small crater formation west of the city. It is part of Korea’s agricultural tradition to set fire to farm fields in the early spring and thereby ready them for planting new crops by removing dead grass and destructive insects. The festival has evolved over the years and has now become an annual event that attracts thousands of tourists. Visitors place a note of their wishes in the burning bales of hay in hopes of their wishes coming true.

VENUE: Aewol County, western Jejudo

PERIOD: Mar 8–10

ADMISSION: Free

MORE INFO: www.buriburi.go.kr

GETTING THERE: Flight to Jejudo takes about 1 hour.

Check out the most expected bands of the year. Today Express 2013 will offer you ways of laughing, dancing, singing, enjoying TODAY more pleasantly. APPEARING: Crying Nut, Peterpan Complex, Monni, Motel Rose, Gogoboys, Soran, The Soulutions, Rock’N’Roll Radio, Bascussion, Common Ground, achime, The Electric Eels, Core Magazine, WHOwho.

VENUE: Club Soundholic City

DATES: March 8 (8pm), March 9 (7pm), and March 10 (6pm)

ADMISSION: 33,000 won

MORE
INFO: soundholic1@naver.com

GETTING THERE: Hongik University Station (Line 2), Exit 5

Traditional Irish music performances, storytelling, dancing lessons, the opportunity to try out Irish musical instruments, face painting, and balloons are all there for the children so bring out the whole family.

VENUE: D-Cube City

DATE: Mar 16, 11am–10pm

MORE INFO: T. 02-797-3698, www.facebook.com/events/347326432048332

GETTING THERE: Sindorim Station 신도림역 (Lines 1, 2), Exit 1

Celebrate the dazzling age of art deco and jazz!

Join ANZA for an evening of fine dining, live entertainment, and fabulous prizes in Art Deco splendour at the luxurious Conrad hotel.

VENUE: Conrad Seoul

DATE: Mar 16, 6:30pm–Mar 17, 2am

ADMISSION: 245,000 won.

MORE INFO: www.anzakorea.com

GETTING THERE: Yeouido Station 여의도역 (Line 5, 9), Exit 3 or 4

Hosted by the French and German embassies, the Institut Francais, and the Goethe Institute, Digital Peace is an artistic season oriented toward the celebration of peace and reconciliation, a series of events fitting into the historic continuity of this opening up of Korea. The program proposes a selection of Franco-German works, artists, thinkers, designers, expositions, schools, institutions, labels, and festivals—the common thread is the notion of peace expressed through the broadest variety of digital approaches, forms, and expressions. All the events are organized in collaboration, correspondence, or connection with Korean artists, galleries, institutions, schools, and labels.

VENUE: Platoon Kunsthalle

DATES: Mar 9, Apr 13, May 11, & Jun 22

MORE INFO: www.digitalpeace2013.com,

https://www.facebook.com/DigitalPeace2013?ref=hl#!/DigitalPeace2013

GETTING THERE: Hakdong Station 학동역 (Line 7), Exit 10. 10-min walk.

Jeonju, a bustling city of over 700,000, is the capital of Jeollabuk-do and the hometown of the Lee family that founded the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), as well as where the last living descendant of the royal family, Lee Seok, still lives. It has been designated by UNESCO as a City of Gastronomy and is considered the culinary capital of Korea, famed for its delicious local food.

DATE: March 16

COST: TBA

MORE INFO: See this link.

GETTING THERE: See link above.

Everyday Koreans

On the trail to Baegundae Park, Bukhansan National Park. Photo by Robert Koehler.

Notifications

Seoul Selection via Ingram – Seoul Selection now has a direct wholesale distribution agreement with Ingram Book Group, the world’s largest wholesale distributor of publisher content. By choosing to allow Ingram to represent our material, we have opened our titles to a wider audience. Our titles will be available for order through Ingram at more than 35,000 distribution channels worldwide. Ask your local bookstore to have Seoul Selection titles available!

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 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 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

(March 2013)

Myeangsim Bogam

Perfect Number

HORS LES MURS

Trois jours en automne

47 Korean Pronunciation for Foreigners 2

Poems of 3 Modern Korean Poets

Consumer Trend in Korea 2013

Paradox Circle

The Peach Tree

Almost Che (Iron Dae-oh: The Nation’s Iron Bag)

I AM: SMTOWN LIVE WORLD TOUR in Madison Square Garden

Fermentation Family