March 27, 2013 / Issue No. 573

We are looking for writers to pen the Korea Essential 2013 series, a cooperative project between the Korea Foundation and Seoul Selection. We’ve published 12 volumes so far, which you can find on Seoul Selection’s online bookshop. This year, we plan to release four volumes: Hanbok and Korean Fashion, Taekwondo, Korean Traditional Medicine, and Korean Dance. Each volume is about 20,000 words; manuscripts should focus on providing readers fun, easy explanations rather than excessively technical content.

If you are interested in writing, please send a resume and writing sample to the appropriate supervisor below:

Hanbok and Korean Fashion: Hye Young Park pubco@seoulselection.com

Taekwondo: Hwa-pyeong Kim word@seoulselection.com

Korean Traditional Medicine: Eugene Kim planner@seoulselection.com

Korean Dance: Jin Lee publisher@seoulselection.com

Planning a visit to Korea? Already live here but would like to see more of what the country has to offer? Pick up Seoul Selection’s critically acclaimed guidebooks “Seoul” and “Korea” as a set. Not only does this get you two great books, but at KRW 55,000 for both, it lets you save KRW 6,000 in the process (down from KRW 61,000 you’d need to buy them separately).

Celebrate April by getting out of the house with a copy of SEOUL, Seoul Selection’s monthly travel and culture magazine. In this issue of SEOUL, we explore some great outdoors activities in Seoul (hiking, rock-climbing, running, paragliding, walking, biking) with suggestions from knowledgable residents, walk Goesan’s historic and scenic Old Sanmagi Road, talk with Korean rock bank Galaxy Express (back from their third SXSW appearance) and much, much more. And don’t forget our Goings-On Around Town section, your guide to the month’s festivals, performances, and events.

Around the Web

Korean pop culture giants cross paths in Australia.

Margaret Cho, her tats and the jimjilbang.

New York Times Style Magazine looks
at Seoul’s reincarnation.

Soo Joo Park doesn’t want to be typecast as an Asian model.

The Korean Zombie would like fellow UFC fighter Georges St-Pierre to stop wearing the Rising Sun.

Baengnyulsa Temple has a great significance in Korean Buddhism.

Samseong-dong’s COEX at night.

QiRanger goes to Incheon’s Yonggungsa Temple.

Suwon’s spectacular Janganmun Gate.

What to do around Jangseungbaegi Station. And yes, there are really jangseung there.

Events

When Jinhae turns into a virtual sea of pale-pink blossoms from some 340,000 cherry trees each spring, Jinhae Gunhangje Festival (also known as the Naval Port Festival) kicks in. This year, it will last 10 days beginning Apr 1, and over one million are expected to flock here from all over the country. The largest of its kind in Korea, the flower festival also commemorates Korea’s famous Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who saved the country from Japanese invaders. The cadets marching band from the Korea Naval Academy will join the festival to add more excitement to the floral spring festival. A full-size replica of Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s 16th-century turtle ships will be on view at the Naval Academy’s dock.

VENUE: Jinhae, Gyeongsangnam-do

PERIOD: Apr 1—10

ADMISSION: Free

MORE INFO: 055-225-2341, http://gunhang.changwon.go.kr

GETTING THERE: From Seoul Nambu Bus Terminal, take an intercity bus to Jinhae. Travel time is 4 hours 20 minutes. Or, take a KTX train to Masan Station and continue to travel aboard local bus 162 or 760 to Jinhae terminal. Estimated travel time: 4 hours.

Violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill is one of the very few violists ever to receive an Avery Fisher Career Grant as well as a Grammy Award Nomination (Best Soloist with Orchestra). A Universal Classics Recording Artist, he has made four solo albums that have sold well over 100,000 copies. Much in demand, he was recently appointed to the roster of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center as an Artist of the Society, becoming the third violist in the Society’s history.

VENUE: Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center

DATE: Mar 31, 2pm, 7pm

ADMISSION: R: KRW 100,000, S: KRW 80,000, A: KRW 50,000, B: KRW 30,000

MORE INFO: T. 1577-5266, www.sac.or.kr

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

Pop-up books—you loved them when you were a kid. Check out rare pop-up books from top collectors and works by the pop-up book masters. Around 400 books are on display.

VENUE: Hangaram Design Museum, Seoul Arts Center

PERIOD: Mar 31–May 19

ADMISSION: Adults: KRW 12,000, Youths: KRW 10,000

MORE INFO: T. 02-730-4360, www.sac.or.kr

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

Yeongdeok produces some of Korea’s tastiest snow crabs. They aren’t cheap, but during the Yeongdeok Crab Festival, you can enjoy this delicacy at more reasonable prices. While you’re in the neighborhood, check out the Yeongdeok Blue Road, one of Korea’s most pleasant walking trails.

VENUE: Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do

PERIOD: Mar 28–Apr 1

ADMISSION: Free

MORE INFO: T. 054-730-6114, http://crab.yd.go.kr

GETTING THERE: It takes four and a half hours to get from DongSeoul Bus Terminal to Yeongdeok by express bus.

Located in Jincheon County, North Chungcheong Province, Sewang Brewery is one of Korea’s oldest continuously functioning breweries. Built in 1930, and run by the same family for three generations, the beautiful wooden brewery—built of pine cut from the forests of Mt. Baekdusan—was so perfectly designed for its task, that when repair work was done in 2006, it was discovered its framework hadn’t rotted at all. The clay jars in the fermentation room are from the 1930s, too. The brewery even got featured in cartoonist Huh Young-man‘s serial in the Dong-A Ilbo, “Sikgaek.” If you’re a fan of makgeolli, you won’t want to miss this excursion—Sewang Brewery produces some of the finest makgeolli in the Republic of Korea, along with a wide variety of other interesting yakju (medicinal liquors). We’ll be trying some of its firewater at the brewery’s recently built tasting center and gallery.

PS: I’ll be leading this tour.

DATE: March 30

COST: 65,000 won for members and 78,000 won for non-members

MORE INFO: See this link.

GETTING THERE: See link above.

Everyday Koreans

Scenic seashore of Byeonsanbando National Park. Photo by Robert Koehler.

Notifications

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