Pillaged National Treasure - A Lost Cause?

The French did it. The Germans did it. The Brits did it. In fact, anyone who was in the position to do so, probably has done so in the past. For that matter, museum curators probably would still do it if they could get away with it.

What am I talking about? Robbing a nation of its national treasures. Since I was on the subject of Hwaseong and uigwe a few postings back, I wanted to follow up with the knotty problem of recovering national treasures from the looters. There are many Korean treasures sitting in the vaults of museums or private collectors in Japan, the USA and Europe as a result of invasions, looting, smuggling and illegal purchases.

These figures were quoted in the JoongAng Daily: "According to the Cultural Heritage Administration in Korea, 107,857 pieces of Korean cultural properties were scattered throughout 18 countries as of the end of last year. Of these, more than 61,000 - by far the most - were in Japan, followed by about 27,000 in the United States and almost 4,000 in China. Only about 7,500 of the looted pieces have been returned to date."

An example of the beautiful banchado, illustrations in uigwe

  

Frustrated with the government's foot-dragging or tip-toeing around the issue, some civic groups from Korea have taken their own initiative to recover some of these artefacts. For instance, a group calling themselves Cultural Action have submitted their own  appeal to the French government to return 296 uigwe from the Joseon Dynasty. About 30 of them were specially produced for the royal family and so they are even more valuable as unique texts with no other copies of them.

The library in Ganghwado which the Joseon kings thought could provide adequate protection for the royal uigwe. How wrong they were.

The uigwe intended for the eyes of the Joseon kings were made of superior-quality materials and had illustrations not found in ordinary uigwe. Unfortunately they were stolen from Oegyujanggak, the library built by King Jeongjo when the French military overran Ganghwa-do in 1866.

 

The French soldiers had burnt most of the library and its contents but were impressed enough by the beauty of these Joseon protocol records meant for the kings to carry them back to France. Then less than 30 years ago, Park Byeong-seo, a Korean working at the French museum stumbled upon them among Chinese artefacts and since then, the Koreans have been crusading to recover these documents.

Join the queue, my friends.

The Greeks have been trying for ages to recover the Elgin Marbles ( did you know that "elginism" is the term given to the act of cultural vandalism?) ; the treasures of various Chinese dynasties are as widely scattered as Chinatowns over the face of the earth and the Egyptians have their own wish list of things they'd like to get back from various museums around the world.

I'm not suggesting that members of the Cultural Action give up their quest but I would humbly submit that their energy could be more constructively spent getting electronic copies of the uigwe in France, translating them into various languages for people around the world to appreciate and learn from the insights gathered from the minds of those who lived in the past. I know there are already digital copies put up on the Internet but I wonder when those who can't read the traditional Chinese script can benefit from this project.

 Kim Mun-sik and Shin Byung-joo's book, published in 2005 by Dolbegae, analyzes uigwe.

sources:

http://www.france24.com/en/20100407-cairo-archaeology-meeting-recover-national-treasures-nefertiti-rosetta-stone

http://www.elginism.com/definition/

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2917210

http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=762951
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2010/01/148_15229.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uigwe
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/archives_of_asian_art/v058/58.yi.html
http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/CU/CU_EN_8_4_5_5.jsp
http://www.museum-security.org/?p=3705
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2898272
http://www.koreabrand.net/en/now/now_view.do?CATE_CD=0028&SEQ=533
http://www.eapubc.net/books/?mode=recommendation&id=96&PHPSESSID=90fe67ad982a835f22c9e0dfdeef2110
http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~caplabtb/dprk/Korea_Report0708.doc
http://www.worldhistoryblog.com/2004/06/hwasong-fortress-in-suwon.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Campaign_against_Korea,_1866
http://www.hwasong.henny-savenije.pe.kr/

Kim Yu-na Skates To Brown-Eyed Girls

Seoul is a pretty happening place this weekend. Aside from YoYo Ma's Silk Road Project, there's also another musical collaboration going on with  Festa on Ice 2010 featuring Kim Yu-na. Kim and other ice-skaters from different countries  will be performing in the Olympic Gymnasium in Seoul Olympic Park between 16th and 18th April. Forget though about getting tickets. They are all sold out, apparently.

Look forward to seeing a posting on YouTube of Kim Yu-na skating to the music of Brown-Eyed Girls. Aprt from her favourite girl group's hit, Abracadabra, Kim will also perform to their other songs, Jump and Magic.  I only just saw the MV of this song lately and after more googling, am struck by the dramatic contrast in the appearance of the BEG ladies. What a difference two years,  changes in hairstyle and make-up can do. See for yourself with the two MVs below.



Now, brace yourself for a VERY DIFFERENT BEG ( if you haven't already seen this elsewhere which would surprise me).




Sources:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2919188
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut7bCEcRcnU&nofeather=True
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvBikv7PHJI&nofeather=True
http://www.korea.net/detail.do?guid=45401&thiscode=eng010003&mode=popup&TB_iframe=true&height=420&width=700

AirAsia X Gets Green Light for Seoul

Seoul, here we come! ( hopefully by October!)

Malaysians who are K-pop or Hallyu fans, rejoice! AirAsia X has finally got the rights to fly seven times a week to Seoul. Though the budget airline has yet to iron out details as to the actual date of its inaugural flight, it may coincide with the visit of the South Korean premier to Malaysia when both countries celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties.

The news may not just mean that more Malaysian tourists will soon be flying into Seoul to stock up on their supplies of ginseng, Nongshim instant noodles or Kpop music CDs. It could also mean more Koreans flying into Malaysia to take advantage of the lower fees for playing golf and the Malaysian sun to escape the winter blues. Great win-win situation for almost all but how will it affect the bottom lines for Malaysian Airlines and Korean Airlines?

Am assuming Air Asia executives are eyeing Incheon International Airport. I've got nothing against IIA - it's my favourite airport but can't help wishing Air Asia would consider flying a few times a week into Yangyang Airport in Gangwon-do. That way, it would be easier for visitors to get to Soraksan National Park more quickly. Not everyone may want the city lights and those in favour of flying into Seoul would dismiss this notion as impractical, etc. but I guess I'm in the minority. Still, I shouldn't be greedy - so once again, three cheers for Air Asia X and please do keep the airfares to Seoul encouragingly low.

source:
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/4/16/business/6065503&sec=business.

Yo Yo Ma Brings Silk Route To Seoul

Lucky Seoulites - Yo Yo Ma is performing with the Silk Road Ensemble on Sunday, April 18 at 5 p.m. at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall. The concert is part of the celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of his Silk Road Project. He's been collaborating with musicians from various musical backgrounds such as Uzbekistan, Iran, China and Korea in commissioned works to explore ways in which East and West can harmonize in terms of styles and instruments.

I had the good fortune once to listen to a solo concert by Ma but it would be wonderful to listen to him perform alongside other musicians. Been a fan of his for a long time - how many other musicians are as comfortable as he is, performing with the Muppets, Bobby McFerrin, an Argentinian tango band, Appalachian folk musicians and so on? He's always building musical bridges so I'm hoping someone can hop over to the Seoul Arts Centre Concert Hall this weekend to tell me exactly what I'm missing.

sources:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/ma.html

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2919130
http://www.sac.or.kr/eng/lab2004/yoyoma/

Which Korean Will Perform With David Foster For Michelle Obama?

Guess which 13-year-old Korean is going to perform alongside David Foster, Patti LaBelle, Brian McKnight, Charice and Ruben Studdard?

Hadn't heard of Jung Sungha before until I chanced upon an article in the Korean Times online. Those in the know are probably fans of acoustic guitar music because videos of him playing have been uploaded since 2006.

Sungha will be playing in a charity concert with First Lady Michelle Obama as a special guest. I just hope this talented child will continue to enjoy playing and growing artistically and not suffer burn-out like other child prodigies before him.







source:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IXa2pNGVj8&nofeather=True
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2010/04/178_64099.html

More Feasting Than Fighting, Hwaseong's North-east Pavilion

Here's another section of Hwaseong in Suwon built by King Jeongjo. The north-east pavilion, Dongbuk Gangnu, is perched  prettily on a hillock overlooking a pond named Yongyeon. Given the panoramic views which it commands, it's been more popular as a venue for picnics and feasting than as its intended purpose as a command post.

The graceful outlines of the pavilion seem even more elegant in this drawing featured in an uigwe detailing the construction of Hwaseong. Thanks to Henny Savenije for letting me reproduce this picture.

Beauty inspires many names. The north-east pavilion is also known as "gaknu" or "angle tower" as well as Banghwasuryujeong.

The view from this pavilion, may be regarded as one of the eight famous views of Suwon but the view OF this pavilion is quite impressive as well. If I had had more time in Suwon, I'd have packed a picnic basket and spent at least an hour there.  

Sources:
http://www.hwasong.henny-savenije.pe.kr/
http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=255802
http://www.ekoreajournal.net/upload/pdf/PDF4118
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hwaseong_Third_North_Secret_Gate_and_Dongbuk_Gangnu_-_2009-03-01.JPG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hwasgph2.jpg
http://eng.suwon.ne.kr/sub/travel_tour/travel_tour_01_01.asp?menuCode=0401
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/04/19/2009041900418.html

Don't Need No Black Day To Eat Jjajangmyeon!

Mark this on your calendar - April 14 is Black Day ( 14th Feb is Valentine's Day when girls in Korea give their boyfriends chocs, etc. 14th of March is White Day in Korea, and Japan when the girls expect the guys to reciprocate generously). So, the marketing people in Korea are smart or kind enough not to leave out those who are without any significant other.

But I don't need any special day or excuse to enjoy jjajangmyeon. Trouble is it isn't so easy to find a great place to enjoy this Korean-Chinese noodle dish made with black bean sauce. I still can't get over how great the dish was when I first ate it in a Chinese restaurant a stone's throw away from Seoul House some years back. It was Chuseok and most places were closed. Mum and I had just spent time walking around the Namsan Hanok Village and were looking for a place to rest and have a meal and fortunately we spotted this place near Seoul House. The dish was so flavourful, generous and satisfying, I still salivate thinking of it. Sadly, still haven't found another place which offers good jjajangmyeon in my neighbourhood. Tried making it but not very successful.

My White Day post had a video so I wondered if there was something on youtube for Black Day. Found this amusing video, so thanks to mongdori for posting this.



source:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh6SvbJIh-A&nofeather=True
http://www.forbes.com/2008/04/11/korea-black-singles-day-oped-cx_hra_0411singles.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSEO18852320080414
http://english.visitseoul.net/visit2007en/lodgingdining/fooddrinks/fooddrinks.jsp?cid=104&sid=1009

Janganmun at Hwaseong, Past and Present

Exterior view of Jangan-mun, the North Gate of Hwaseong

Many thanks to Henny Savenjie for giving me the green light to reproduce the first and second pictures here. They  came from a book  but he wasn't able as yet to find the publication details. To see bigger pictures in more detail, please click here.

Imagine, if you please, King Jeongjo making his grand entrance through Jangan-mun into Hwaseong from Hanyang.

According to one source, the word "jangan" means a capital, illustrating King Jeongjo’s intention to make Hwaseong a major city. But I'm puzzled - my very limited knowledge of Chinese suggests to me another translation -"Chang" meaning Long and  "An" meaning Peace, so could it be read as the Gate of Lasting Peace? Those who are familiar with Hanja, Chinese and Korean, please enlighten me.

I like this photo of Jangan-mun taken in the early 1910s. With its two-storeyed pavilion, Jangan-mun is the biggest of all the main gates in Hwaseong and is even larger than the unfortunate Sungnyemun ( Namdaemun ) in Seoul which was burnt a few years ago.

From another source, "water could be poured through five holes called oseongji on the upper side of ongseong (jar fortress- a semicircular outer gate) in case enemies tried to burn the gate." Remarkably this gate is the original one which survived many conflicts through the ages.

If you have the inclination and patience, you could check out this website with a blueprint and instructions  for constructing your own paper model of Jangan-mun. Good luck to you!

sources:
http://www.hwasong.henny-savenije.pe.kr/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2009-01-24_-_Portrait_of_King_Jeongjo_in_Unhangak.JPG
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hwaseong.Fortress-Janganmun.03.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Janganmun_of_Hwaseong_Fortress_in_early_1910s.jpg
http://shfes-eng.suwon.ne.kr/html/sub3_2_225.asp
http://cp.c-ij.com/en/contents/3152/hwaseong/index.html
http://english.visitseoul.net/visit2007en/activities/dattoursuggestions/dattoursuggestions.jsp?cid=38&sid=1911

http://magazine.seoulselection.com/index.php/articles/60-travel/211-hwaseong-fortress
http://www.knto.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264391&nearBy=tran

Reconstructing Hwaseong With Uigwe

Learnt a new Korean word and got sidetracked. Meant to write more about Hwaseong but when I heard about Uigwe, started to read up on them and learnt a few more interesting things along the way. It was a paragraph written by Professor Han Young-woo which started the ball rolling:

“In 1997, when UNESCO added Suwon’s Hwaseong Fortress to its World Heritage list, it was not only Hwaseong’s architecture that impressed the evaluation committee members. The Hwaseong Fortress, built at the end of the 18th century to fulfil the dream of King Jeongjo (1776 – 1800), is of course a beautiful and valuable cultural asset; however, the 1500-page Hwaseong Seongyeok Uigwe, a detailed account of the construction process, amazed the evaluators even more. This is because Russia’s St.Petersburg and the US capital of Washington, D.C., also developed at the end of the 18th century, do not have such detailed construction records.”

Uigwe is the term given to written and illustrated records of royal protocols first produced when the Joseon Dynasty was founded in 1392. The work of compiling the records was maintained up to the end of the dynasty in 1910. Professor Han concludes: “….those who have seen uigwe can only seriously reflect upon how greatly we fail to appreciate the Joseon Dynasty’s level of governance and culture of recordkeeping, and just how superficial today’s recordkeeping culture really is. We need to acknowledge that the secret to the Joseon Dynasty’s lengthy existence of 518 years was  undoubtedly related to its incomparable recordkeeping.”

Each time the royal house of Joseon had a marriage banquet, funeral, national ceremony or rites for the military or the envoys, a Dogam (都監), an ad hoc committee would be formed to direct the event. After the major ceremony was over, the Dogam became a Uigwecheong to put together all the relevant information regarding the event so that future Dogams could refer to the manual as a model to ensure continuity of important rites. “These records were written exclusively in Chinese characters, but combined both literary Chinese and the unique Korean writing system called idu, in which Chinese characters were borrowed to record the sound or meaning of Korean words.”

To appreciate the value of the uigwe, consider the example of Hwaseong Seongyeok Uigwe, the Archives of the Construction of Hwasong Fortress which is now stored in Kyujangha ( the Cultural Library of Seoul National University). It provides details about the process of construction of Hwaseong such as:

• the elevation plans of the fortress
•  explanations of the dimensions of the building
• illustrations of different machines used in the construction
•  materials and costs to build the machines as well as the fortress itself
•  the locations of the tiles and bricks produced and their costs
• a record of the building materials which were left over
•  daily records of wages paid to the construction workers AND
• a list of ALL the artisans involved, from stonemasons to plasterers to roofers including their names, addresses and days they each worked.

No wonder then that these records played a vital part when a reconstruction project of Hwaseong Fortress was undertaken in the last century.

Sources:

http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=762951
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2010/01/148_15229.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uigwe
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/archives_of_asian_art/v058/58.yi.html
http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/CU/CU_EN_8_4_5_5.jsp
http://www.museum-security.org/?p=3705
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2898272 map of K treasures held by other countries
http://www.koreabrand.net/en/now/now_view.do?CATE_CD=0028&SEQ=533
http://www.eapubc.net/books/?mode=recommendation&id=96&PHPSESSID=90fe67ad982a835f22c9e0dfdeef2110
http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~caplabtb/dprk/Korea_Report0708.doc
http://www.worldhistoryblog.com/2004/06/hwasong-fortress-in-suwon.html
http://www.hwasong.henny-savenije.pe.kr/

Connecting the Dots - Hwaseong, Painter of the Wind and Cheongyecheon

Jeongjo was a child when he begged his grandfather in vain to spare his own father’s life. He was dragged away from the terrible scene when his father, Prince Sado was pressed by King Yeongjo, to enter the infamous rice chest where he died some days later. Palace rumours of Sado plotting parricide had grown too strong for Yeongjo to overlook his spoilt and troubled son’s record of murdering palace slaves and others outside the palace. The king felt compelled to punish or get rid of his own son in this bizarre way as executing him directly would have made the monarch a criminal and compromised his right to rule. One wonders why he didn’t ask the Crown Prince to swallow poison for a swifter and more certain end. Instead, when poor Sado failed to strangle himself before his frustrated parent, the former was locked in the rice box and left to rot and expire in the summer heat.

Hwaseong - a loyal son's tribute to a wretched father

The incident left a deep impression on Jeongjo who grew up resenting the unjust treatment of his father whose mental illness had never been acknowledged by the grandfather. So when he became the 22nd king of the Joseon Dynasty in 1777, he was determined to restore honour to Prince Sado by moving the latter’s tomb to Suwon to a site deemed as the most ideal burial site in terms of geomancy and constructing Hwaseong Fortress there to commemorate and to give Sado the posthumous title of King Jangjo. According to Henny Savenjie, the project was also “an attempt to balance the power between various political partisans and to test the potential of a new center of national spirit, in short, an attempt to build satellite cities scattered along the outskirts of the capital Seoul. Jeongjo died before he could carry out any plan to relocate the capital.

TV drama series loosely based on the lives of Kim Hong-do and Shin Yun-bok

against a background of Joseon palace intrigue.

I wasn’t really connecting the dots until most recently when I realised that Jeongjo was the king who appointed Kim Hong-do and Shin Yun-bok to paint a portrait of his late father in the drama series, Painter of the Wind. Granted a lot of licence may have been taken with the real details of history, but the episode in which the artists reconstruct the image of Sado like a literal jigsaw puzzle, was fascinating to watch. Then again, I realised that I had also paused during my walk along Cheonggyecheon (stream) in Seoul to admire a mural near the Samil Building. It turns out the grand procession depicted in the mural was King Jeongjo’s 8-day journey to Suwon to perform rites to honour his father. The real Kim Hong-do may well have been one of the many palace artists who painted the original illustration. When I first saw the mural, I hadn’t any clue who the king was and what the whole procession meant. But now that names like Jeongjo, Sado or Jangjo and Kim Hong-do aren’t merely names, I’d like to go back to Seoul to pay closer attention to the Cheongyecheon mural.

As you stroll along Cheongyecheon, look for the mural reproduction  of King Jeongjo's visit to his father's tomb.

Sources:

http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=762951

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2010/01/148_15229.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uigwe

http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/archives_of_asian_art/v058/58.yi.html

http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/CU/CU_EN_8_4_5_5.jsp

http://www.museum-security.org/?p=3705

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2898272 map of K treasures held by other countries

http://www.koreabrand.net/en/now/now_view.do?CATE_CD=0028&SEQ=533

http://www.eapubc.net/books/?mode=recommendation&id=96&PHPSESSID=90fe67ad982a835f22c9e0dfdeef2110

http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~caplabtb/dprk/Korea_Report0708.doc

http://www.worldhistoryblog.com/2004/06/hwasong-fortress-in-suwon.html

http://www.hwasong.henny-savenije.pe.kr/

http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264204

http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/CU/CU_EN_8_5_1_54.jsp

http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=897541

Sombre Spring

The cherry blossoms are out in Jinhae but it may be a bittersweet sight for many, given the tragic loss of lives when the Cheonan naval boat sank. While some people may see the spring flowers as a sign of renewed life, the Japanese have had a long-standing fascination with the sakura as the blossoms symbolised the beauty and the brevity of life. The second view may prevail this season as a nation mourns the deaths of so many young men.

Caption from the JoongAng Daily: "Tourists admire cherry blossoms yesterday in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang, during the 48th Gunhangje, an annual cherry blossom festival. A number of events were canceled after the sinking of the Navy ship Cheonan. [NEWSIS]

source:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2918977

What Would Shakespeare Have Made Of Yongjo And Sado?

Bruce Cuming's book devotes more pages to King Yongjo, the monarch with the longest reign in the Joseon Dynasty than to King Sejong. Perhaps he wanted to highlight this particular individual to illustrate the Korean perception of "the ideal Confucian prince" but I suspect he also couldn't resist the high drama of his tragic relationship with his son and heir, Prince Sado who, unfortunately, embodied all the worst of the Korean royal system.

It has all the elements of tragedy - the sharp contrast and conflict  between a serious-minded and stern king who strove to be the best ruler possible at odds with a  spoilt son whose neurosis soon turned into schizophrenia; the son's wastrel ways degenerating into the habits of a serial killer; the mother who failed to make her husband acknowledge the son's mental illness - King Yongjo simply saw Sado as an unfilial son and so the desperate mother even once suggested  that the king sentence the son to death for all his crimes against court physicians, eunuchs, kisaengs and even Buddhist nuns. The poor woman was so burdened with guilt for even contemplating the possibility of encouraging the death of her own flesh and blood that she soon succumbed to illness and died.

As Cumings put it," To execute the son for his crimes would tarnish the royal family, and simply to kill him would be a crime." Apparently Yongjo had told Sajo: " If I die, our three -hundred -year dynastic line would end. If you die, the dynasty can be preserved. It would be better if you died." Sado failed to strangle himself in front of his father and "by early evening the king was tired of pleading: ' Aren't you ever going to kill yourself?' " So the solution seemed to be to persuade/ compel Sado to enter a large rice chest and to leave him there to die under a hot July sun thirteen days later.

These and other intriguing details such as Sado's attempts to delay his daily meetings with his father by changing his clothes continually and his inclination to sleep in a coffin-like box ( a sinister foreshadowing of his grim end), were noted by Sado's wife, who was betrothed to him at the tender age of ten and subsequently recorded by Lady Hong in her "Memoirs of a Korean Queen" ( translated and edited by Choe-wall Yang-hi, London, KPI, 1985).

Apparently this fascinating episode has been made into at least two mini-dramas. One of them is the rather clumsily-titled: Eight Days The Mystery Of Jeongjo's Assassination. Has anyone seen it?

Source:
Korea's Place in the Sun- A Modern History by Bruce Cumings ( W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1997).

Hwaseong,Suwon - A Fortress For A Father

Wish I had read Bruce Cumings' "Korea's Place in the Sun - A Modern History" before I visited Suwon. I would have appreciated Hwaseong fortress a lot more if I had a fuller picture of the sad Prince Sado then. As it was, it was a rushed visit to Suwon, coming at the tail end of my 2005 autumn tour. I'd taken the inter-city bus from Yongdae-ri into the city after spending a few peaceful days in Baekdamsa. Not exactly a wise move as the contrast between the idyllic setting in Soraksan National Park and the busy urban landscape was too jarring. Then it was a quick tour of the Korean Cultural Village just outside of Suwon before making the all-too-hasty decision to cover only the western half of the fortress wall as I was pressed for time.

Told myself that I'd complete the circuit in another visit. Ha - how optimistic I was. Now I have to be content to be an armchair traveller to revisit Hwaseong. Fortunately, there're a few interesting websites that I hope to explore more fully in the days to come. Plus, am re-reading the section from Cuming's book which describes how Prince Sado was forced to kill himself after his scandalous behaviour and how Hwaseong Fortress was eventually built by his son, Jeongjo, in memory of his late father.

Of course, the fortress isn't simply an elaborate shrine to commemorate one's parent. It was designed to repel invasions by the Japanese but it was also intended as an alternative capital. King Jeongjo evidently had a bone to pick with Seoul in more ways than one.

source:
http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/CU/CU_EN_10_4_3_1.jsp

The Scent of Spring...NOT !!!!

Here's a sign of globalisation - Koreans, or at least some Seoulites,  have learnt to appreciate durians and the fruits which have long been a favourite in South-East Asian countries are now available in Lotte Mart. Looks like the Thais have beaten the Malaysians in terms of cornering the Korean market. Like kimchi, durians are an acquired taste - the smell can be so offensive to some that they've been banned on train stations but the taste can be addictive.

Caption from the JoongAng Daily: Employees of Lotte Mart’s Seoul Station branch, in central Seoul, yesterday taste durians that are being sold at a 40 to 50 percent discount. Each durian will cost 14,800 won ($13.14). The durians were picked by Lotte Mart six months ago from farms in Thailand. [YONHAP]

source:

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2918754

Happy Arbor Day!

A pity that the 5th of April is no longer a public holiday in South Korea. It would be nice to think that  people in the country are still doing their bit for the environment on Sikmogil, 식목일 ( "tree planting day"), whether they are school kids, soldiers, civil servants or village ajummas.

April has been, traditionally, a good time to start planting given the agricultural roots of Korea but the communal  tree-planting event gained a greater urgency after most of the forests were removed during the Japanese occupation and destroyed during the Korean War.

Caption from Korean Times: "Arbor Day event: The Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) gives out tomato and garden balsams seeds to customers signing up for its deposit plans and credit cards on a first-come, first-served basis on the occasion of Arbor Day, which falls today. The event, which will last through the end of April, is designed to boost a tree-planting campaign. / Courtesy of IBK"

source:
http://www.korea.net/news.do?mode=detail&guid=45440
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2010/04/124_63631.html

Too Pretty To Eat

This tteok is too pretty to eat. Question is: Are the real cherry blossoms out yet in Yeouido Park in Seoul? Looks like springs and autumns are increasingly shorter and unpredictable in Korea.  Is this a result of global warming or El Nino?

Caption in KBS World Photo News:
Onlookers admire various types of rice cake that were on display at an event promoting the globalization of Korean rice cakes and local consumption of rice at Yeouido Park in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap News)

source:
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_photo_detail.htm?No=14669¤t_page=

Rent A Room In A Korean Palace To Impress Foreign Business Clients?

No it wasn't an April's Fool prank. The JoongAng Daily reported one day earlier ( 30th March)  that the Cultural Heritage Administration was planning to rent out space in a World Heritage Site to private companies or government bodies for meetings, conferences or lectures. Frankly, I'm shaking my head in bafflement. Is it really necessary to exploit Seonhyangjae, a room in Changdeokgung, formerly used as a study during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) for commercial  benefit?

The price tag for the privilege of brainstorming marketing strategies on palace grounds? "360,000 won ($317) for one hour, plus an additional 100,000 won in maintenance and service fees"  including ondol heating.

According to Choi Shin-young, an official with the CHA ( as reported in the JoongAng Daily), “If we receive positive feedback from users, we plan to expand the program to include other palaces, too. Wooden structures tend to be better maintained when they are frequented by people, although we will need to be extremely cautious.”  Indeed - remember what happened to Sungnyemun or Namdaemun  in January 2008?

( Caption from JoongAng Daily) "A group of employees from a local firm meet at Seonghyangjae, a room in Changdeok Palace, on March 12. The room will be available to the general public for rent under a pilot program that runs from April 6 to 10."

sources:

http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264348

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2918471

Anyone in Korea with B Negative Blood? Update on Yoo Woon

Latest Update from Marie Frenette:

I am terribly sorry to deliver bad news, but just around 6:00pm today YooWoon passed away. We almost lost him earlier today, and thought he was going to pull through, but he slipped away quietly a little while later.
We had an amazing show of support from the expats and Koreans a like. The... donations we received surely helped prolong his life, but there were factors beyond our control.

On behalf of YooWoon's family and myself, thank you once again for your tremendous support during this difficult time. You are in our prayers YooWoon!

Marie

Earlier posting:
Here's more on Yoo Woon who's suffering from  lymphoma and desperately needs blood donations from those with B- blood type ( see earlier posting)

Dear Friends,

I have received an update from YooWoon's father, and wanted to share it with you.

Dear Marie,
YooWoon still hasn't made any progress.
유운이의 상태가 아직까지는 호전되지 않네요.
Numerical value of platelets still stay 5000~6000, which is only 2% of normal person’s. If he didn’t get transfusion it drops to around 3000.
혈 소판 수치도 여전히 5,000~6000/ml 정도이구요.. 정상인 수치(300,000/ml) 의 2% 정도예요.. 그나마 혈소판 맞지 않는 날은 3,000까지 떨어지구요..
Three days ago, he got a nose bleed and it kept bleeding for 2 days.
3일전에는 코에 출혈이 있었는데, 2일간이나 멎지 않더라구요..
The doctor said he needs to keep receiving transfusions until he is able to produce white blood cells by himself. If possible, 2 packs a day. But there was only one day so far where he recieved 2 packs. It's really hard to tell how long it will take to get an appropriate number of donors.
주치의사도 유운이가 혈액에서 자체 생산하는 능력을 자질 때까지, 당분간 혈 소판을 계속 수혈받아야 한대요.. 가능하면 하루에 두개씩..

그런데 아직까지 두개 맞은 적은 하루밖에는 안되요..

얼마나 오래 되어야 할 지는 아직 예측이 안되네요..
In just 2 weeks YooWoon will start his second anti-cancer treatment, this time much stronger than the first. His condition must improve at least a little bit before then because the white blood cell count will decrease dramatically when the treatment starts. At this time his white blood cell count, platelets and hemoglobin are so low that we always have to sanitize our hands and cover our mouth when we are with him.

2주뒤에는 2차 항암치료를 좀 더 강하게 한대요.. 항암치료를 하면 혈액내의 모든 수치가 급격하게 떨어져요.. 2차 항암치료전 유운이가 어느정도 차도를 보여야 하는데.. 지금은 백혈구, 혈소판, 헤모글로빈 등 모든 피수치가 낮아 유운이 옆에서 간호할때도 수시로 손 소독하고, 마스크 하고 지내요..
Normally with lymphoma after 1 week after treatment you can see improvement, but YooWoon's Lymphoma has turned out to be a severe case.
일반적인 Lymphoma의 경우 1주일 정도 지나면 약간 차도를 보인다고 하는데, 유운이는 Lymphoma 중에서도 Worst case거든요..

However, thanks to the efforts of Marie and the foreign community, these days he gets a shot at least once a day. Our family is greatly appreciative.
그래도 마리 덕분에 유운이가 최근에는 하루에 최소한 한개씩 혈소판을 맞고 있어서 그나마 다행이예요.. 마리때문에 우리 가족이 얼마나 힘을 얻고 사는 지 몰라요..
We will keep you updated on his progress and greatly appreciate your support.
유 운이가 조금이라도 상황이 호전되면 마리에게 바로 알려드릴께요.. 아직까 지는 정확히 상황을 예측할 수는 없네요..
The news isn't great, but I think if we keep spreading the word and donating, we should be able to turn this thing around. We are starting to get some attention from the press and various groups in Seoul. I can feel things picking up steam!
I also started to think... Does anyone know anything about writing press releases? There must be other ways we could help the family out. If you have any ideas, please let me know!
Marie

Korean Cultural Village

The Korean Folk Village near Suwon is usually considered a pretty good introduction to traditional life particularly for those who can't spare the time to explore the real deals such as Hahoe Village, Andong or Nagan-eupseong Village near Suncheon.

I had visited KFV way before I went to the other two places so my response was more favourable than it would've been if it had been the other way round. Liked the variety of footbridges across the stream which flanked one side of the village. Also remembered the elderly gentleman at the paper-making mill who patiently demonstrated his skills and the impressive performances of the nori players. It was mildly interesting to observe from a distance a film crew at work, shooting another historical drama but aside from all that, I'm sorry to say I don't really remember that much of KFV.

A pity I hadn't checked out its useful website before making my visit. Click here for a KBS World Radio video clip that covers other entertaining aspects. For more information about admission charges, opening times and transportation link, click here.

Spring Gold and Fall Rubies

I didn't know what I was missing till I saw the latest Touring Korea videoclip produced by KBS World Radio - the footage of ajummas posing among low trees decked out in yellow, removing their socks to soak in spring waters laced with dogwood berries, enjoying tteok embellished with the dried fruits of Cornus officinalis, otherwise known as Sansuyu in Korea,  Japanese Cornelian Cherry or Shanzhuyu (Sour Mountain Date translated from the Chinese) was enough to make me regret giving this place a miss when I visited Korea in the spring of 2007.

I'd dismissed the flowers of this tree as dull in comparison to the magnolia, plum and cherry blossom but I   didn't realise until yesterday that the dried red berries that mum uses in her herbal soups and  steamed chicken dishes came from this specie. The photos of the Sansuyu Festival usually feature trees sprouting pale gold  blooms and after covering forsythia in one posting, I wasn't going to bother with another yellow flower. The red berries are only evident in fall or autumn, hence my failure to make the connection till yesterday.

Those of you in Korea who happen to be in Gurye county may want to go hunting for a tombstone in Sandong village. It's called ‘sansuyu simok’ and aside from the 28,000 sansuyu trees here, it is the sole evidence of the young Chinese girl from Shandong province who brought with her seeds of her hometown trees when she married a Korean here. Now the village produces about  60 percent of all the sansuyu fruit in Korea.

The fruit's not only useful as traditional herbal medicine but also has been mixed with other fruits and herbs for a local health drink and has even found its way into facial masks.

Emperor Qian Long of the Manchu Dynasty thought the sansuyu could increase longevity while many modern-day Koreans and Chinese still consume the dried fruit in various forms. If I get the chance to visit Korea in autumn again, I'll make it a point to visit Sandong Village and offer my services in helping to harvest these ruby-like berries in the hope of taking some freshly-picked sansuyu fruits for mum.


Sources:

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/cornus_officinalis.html
http://www.mdidea.com/products/proper/proper01304.html
http://www.freebase.com/view/en/cornus_officinalis
http://rki.kbs.co.kr/english/culturenlife/culturenlife_touringkorea_detail.htm?no=467
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2009/10/203_20685.html
http://world.kbs.co.kr/archive/tour/archive/archive_e/e_t030326.htm
http://csjfood.com/english/page2_2_06.html
http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/fruit_face_mask.html
http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/tomah/the_garden/blooming_calendar/Cornus_officinalis

Kim Jun-yin - The End of "Lost", Harmony and Marriage

Actress Kim Yunjin has been in the headlines more recently for three important milestones in her private life and her career. First, the TV series, Lost, through which she became famous in the USA and other places around the world, is coming to an end. Next, her Korean movie, Harmony, released earlier this year, has been doing pretty well in the local box office. More recently, she got married in Hawaii on the 29th of March.

I lost touch with “Lost” for a few seasons but managed to follow the penultimate season and am looking forward to seeing how many questions will be answered in this last season of the hit TV series. In one interview with TV.com, Kim revealed that her character didn’t even exist in the pilot but after she went in to read for another character, J.J. Abrams was so intrigued with the notion of having a character who pretended not to speak English. That lead to the addition of Kim’s character and subsequently the character of Jin was created.

Kim also reveals: “You are going to see a different side to Sun, and how she relates to... how do I say it? She's... hmmm... she still has the same intentions, she's there to find Jin on the island. But then there's a different storyline. We had flash-forwards and flashbacks, now we have flash-something else, and in this storyline, I have a very different relationship with Jin.” Can’t wait to see Season 6.

At the same time, I’m looking forward to seeing her new Korean movie which features an ( almost) all-female cast ( not unlike the other movie, The Actresses). The last time I saw her in a movie, it was way back when she played a North Korean agent in Shiri. Kim Yunjin plays Jeong-hye who is in prison after killing her abusive husband and is forced to give up her baby boy for adoption. She is determined to establish her own prison choir as the prison warden has promised her time with her son if she succeeds. Problem is, she’s tone deaf, hence the ironic title of the movie. After seeing a trailer of this new movie on youtube, I’m determined to watch Harmony with mum. Think both of us would need a box of Kleenex each.

Then on the 29th of March, Kim married Park Jeong-hyuk, the head of her entertainment company in Hawaii. They’ve been working together for eight years and dating since 2002. Park was described by his bride as a “humorous and caring” person who has supported her through good and bad times. Looks like Ms Kim will still be spending a lot of time in the States and balancing her acting commitments with her new role as wife as well as shuttling back and forth between two continents as she has  homes in both Seoul and Los Angeles.

Sources:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2918468
http://www.tv.com/yunjin-kim/person/289664/summary.html
http://www.tv.com/losts-yunjin-kim-expect-a-different-sun-in-season-6/story/21304.html?tag=news_list;21304
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2010/01/135_58855.html
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20100312/ent16/3120315/Lost-star-scores-another-hit-with-Harmony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GG5Q2b_0Sk

Beopjeong Inspires in Life and Death

When he chose to "abandon time and space", the picture of his coffin-less cremation in open-air caught my attention. I was curious to find out more about Venerable Beopjeong or Beopjeong Sunim, the spiritual Buddhist leader who passed away on the 11th of March. I'd never heard of him before but I was struck by the choices he made. For instance, his dying wish was not to be placed in any coffin or shroud for his own funeral - no colourful streamers, no banners, no pagodas to be erected in his honour.

He died as simply as he lived - he chose, in his own words, to live " in a place with no signboard and no address". He lived out his philosophy of "non-possession" or detachment from material things by living alone in Buril-am, a hermitage behind Songgwang-sa. He cooked his own meals, did his own farming, chopped firewood and did his own laundry. The English translation is somewhat awkward but as he put it so eloquently, "The goal of humanity must not be to affluently possess, but to abundantly exist." The idea isn't a new one but how many preachers practise what they preach?

Even when a devotee who was impressed by his teachings donated a  former kiseang house cum high-class Korean restaurant, Daewongak to the priest, Beopjeong Sunim never stayed in the converted temple which was named Gilsang-sa in Seoul. Instead he chose to make the trip back to his simple hermitage in Gangwon-do no matter how late the hour was.

Here's another anecdote he recounted that I also find striking:

" Some hand has pulled down the wind chime that was hanging from the empty space in the eaves of my cabin. Since an animal would come and go without leaving a trace, this certainly had the mark of a human's work. Since this is a mountain valley far from the sea, instead of real fish, there is a fish hanging from the chime. Even so, someone must have wanted to take it down, boil it and eat. If not, it may have turned into a dragon and taken flight. With the chimes having been missing for a while, this caused me to think about this and that. Wanting a chime like the one I had before, I searched for another but now, without one, I just go on without. I'm enjoying the desolation in the absence of the sound of the chimes."

It's not easy to live with, let alone enjoy, the desolation from the absence of loved ones. Many of us know this from personal experience and I am reminded again of  the recent sad losses of lives in Korea with the naval tragedy and the death of Choi Jin-young. Still, I'm grateful for the example of Beopjeong Sunim.

sources:
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/culturenlife/culturenlife_realfield_detail.htm?No=1989
http://www.koreanbuddhism.net/master/priest_view.asp?cat_seq=12&priest_seq=21&page=1
http://zendirtzendust.com/2010/03/19/venerable-beopjeong-passes/
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2010/03/15/201003150044.asp
http://rki.kbs.co.kr/english/culturenlife/culturenlife_realfield_detail.htm?No=1989
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/include/print.asp?newsIdx=34825
http://www.jc.go.kr/genbrd/genbrd/view.do
http://www.asianwindchimes.com/wind-chimes/korean-wind-chimes/types-of-korean-wind-chimes.html

Anyone in Korea with B negative blood?

22 April 2010 - Latest Update from Marie Frenette:


I am terribly sorry to deliver bad news, but just around 6:00pm today YooWoon passed away. We almost lost him earlier today, and thought he was going to pull through, but he slipped away quietly a little while later.We had an amazing show of support from the expats and Koreans a like. The donations we received surely helped prolong his life, but there were factors beyond our control.On behalf of YooWoon's family and myself, thank you once again for your tremendous support during this difficult time.
You are in our prayers YooWoon!
Marie



Just saw in my email this plea to help someone in Korea. I don't have the same blood type and I'm not residing in Korea but I hope some people who have and who are, will step forward to help. In case you're wondering why I'm labelling this post "Culture", well -I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the spirit of volunteerism and cross-community help is a strong part of the expat and local communities in Korea. Will be keeping my fingers crossed for you, Yoo Woon.

"Dear Friends,


I am writing this note with the hope that anyone living in Korea with a blood type of B rh negative (B-) would be willing to help a 19 year old boy who has recently been diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. I went to visit him in the hospital today, and now have specific information about him.

His name is YooWoon Jeon and he just graduated from high school in February. He has been sick since last October, but was just diagnosed last week. He will require 5-6 chemotherapy treatments, every three weeks. After each treatment he requires 6 doses of platelet, a part of human blood. The problem is, his blood type (B-), is not at all common in Korea. B+ is quite common, but B- is not. If a B+ person gets B- blood, it can create problems. Platelet has a storage life of only one week, so its not easy to ship it from other countries.

There are 100's of thousands of expats in Korea, teachers, business people, engineers, etc... B- occurs much more reqularly in foreign populations than in Korea. That is why I am reaching out to you! Korea has given me so much, and I often wonder how I can return at least a little bit of it. This is one way. I happen to have B- so I went to the hospital today, and am scheduled to give the platelet on Monday. I will just lie down and while I watch a movie or chill out, my blood will be pumped into a machine that will take out the platelet and put the rest of my blood back into my body. The pain is about the same amount as getting a needle.

YooWoon just graduated from high school, and his dream is to go to Yonsei University. Instead, he is in the Yonsei Severence Hospital. If we can all come together, we can help him get back on his feet and he can get back to studying!

Please ask your friends to pass this info around.

His father is called Jay John in English, his Korean name is Jeon Jeong woo ( 전정우). His father works for the Korean branch of Cray Valley, a chemical company. His English is very good, so you wouldn't have to worry about communication issues.

He can be contacted at:

Jay

010-5048-7678
jeongwoo.jeon@crayvalley.com

If you have any additional questions, feel free to call me directly, 010-6801-0731.
Thanks so much for your time and please spread the word.

For your information:
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer that begins in the lymphocytes of the immune system and presents as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. It is treatable with chemotherapy, and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable, depending on the histology, type, and stage of the disease (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphoma).

Platelet Donation
During a platelet donation, a small portion of your blood (less than one pint at a time), is drawn from your arm and passed through a sophisticated cell-separating machine. The machine collects the platelets and safely returns the remaining blood components, along with some saline, back to you. After the donation you can resume your normal activities, avoiding heavy lifting or strenuous exercise that day.

http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/types-donations/platelet-donation

from Marie"

The Late Choi Jin Shil's Brother Killed Himself?

What's going on? First the suicide of actress Choi Jin-shil and now her brother? The Korean Times reported that 39-year old Choi Jin-young may have hanged himself. Apparently he was taking medication for depression but he seemed to have recovered and had been looking forward to reviving his acting career. There was no suicide note, so the police are cautious about declaring it a suicide.

My sincere condolences to the family, in particular, the mother of these siblings who've suffered from serious depression. I can't imagine what she's going through now. I can only hope she finds the inner strength to deal with the latest tragedy.

Here's more information from The Korean Times:

"His death comes as a shock especially as his late sister, a popular actress, hung herself in a suicide Oct. 2, 2008. Last month, he had said that he will go back to acting. Choi started his acting career in 1993 in the popular drama "Our Heaven." His resemblance to his popular sister gave him a head start in his career, while his young image helped him gain recognition in various dramas, commercials and even films.

Choi's acting career floundered but in 1999, he returned to the stage as a singer using the name SKY. His first album "Final Fantasy" was a success with the popular number "Forever" topping music charts. He released his third and last album in 2004. In 2007, he returned to acting with a supporting role in the drama "It's Okay to Love," but failed to catch much attention.

Photos of him in tears clutching his sister's picture shook the nation, and fans wept with him as he led her funeral procession. Acting upon his late sister's wishes, he belatedly enrolled in Hanyang University to study acting last year. It was known that Choi had been suffering from depression and even tried to kill himself on his sister's birthday last year. He was sent to the hospital immediately and recovered after his previous attempt."

sources:
http://www.mb.com.ph/node/250288
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/03/117_63223.html

Korea's Own Orient Express?

Just stumbled upon this KNTO webpage which features a luxury train which also stops at Namwon in one of its tours. Click here for routes. I love train rides and have tried the mugunghwa service once from Gyeongju to Danyang and a faster train from Danyang back to Seoul.

Don't think I could afford this though - can only fantasise about winning a such a prize in some future contest!

Besides, I might just get too caught up checking out the lavish and luxurious facilities on board that I'd forget to look out the window!

Source:
http://www.knto.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=825410