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End-of-Year Potlatch
Share Your Goods, Food and Ideas
Join Seoul Selection in welcoming in sending off 2009 and welcoming in 2010 with a revival of the indigenous American tradition of potlatch, a festival of sharing. Have an old iPod you don't need? Maybe some old books? Well, whatever it is, bring it to the auditorium of the Korean Publishers Association Building, right next to Gyeongbokgung Palace (in fact, Seoul Selection bookshop is located in its basement --- see map below) on Dec 4 (6:00pm to 9pm) and barter it, sell it, or give it away. Don't have anything to part with? Share a song, a dance, a poem, or just a good idea. Seoul Selection will join the spirit of sharing by donating some of its books --- including copies of our newly released guidebook to Seoul and " Missionary Photography in Korea" --- to be given away through lucky draw, and providing some simple food (like gimbap!) and soft drinks. If you'd like to bring food to share with others, by all means, do! Some of SEOUL magazine's advertisers and sponsors will be on hand as well with goods and services, both donated and for sale. There's more on the program, too --- Robert Koehler (a.k.a. me), the author of "Seoul" guidebook, will be signing copies of the book (which will be on sale, of course!), Oriental medicine specialist Dr. Raimund Royer will be providing winter health tips, and more. If you'd like to join, send an email to
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to let us know who is coming and what you're bringing. If you have an idea you'd like to share during the potlatch, we'll allow on a selective basis time for a five-minute presentation. See this file (.pdf) for a list of participating companies (and what they're donating). Participating Sponsors (as of now) Dongju Mode, Eunha BNC, Gyedong Mananim, Jaseng Hospital of Oriental Medicine, Le Saint-Ex, Somerset Palace, Yoon Moonyoung Image: Watercolor by James G. Swan depicting the Klallam people of chief Chetzemoka at Port Townsend, with one of Chetzemoka's wives distributing potlatch. See here for full image. |
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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. - 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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 A Tale of Two Singers Recently, two singers, Park Jae-beom and Kang-in, from the boy bands 2PM and Super Junior respectively, were involved in scandals. What struck me most was the different ways they were treated, in light of what they did. Park Jae-beom is an ethnic Korean who was born and raised in the United States. After a successful audition with JYP Entertainment in the United States, he moved to Korea to train to become a singer/dancer. It was around this time that he wrote to his friends in the U.S. via MySpace. Last month, some of these four-year-old comments resurfaced. They provoked intense ire, since they included comments like, "korea is gay," "I hate koreans," "i wanna come back [to the United States]," and "korea is whack." While these comments are undoubtedly ill-mannered, immature, and rude towards the country that he was living in, we should take several things into consideration. At the time, he was an 18-year-old who was living in a foreign country and culture. He was suffering from culture shock and loneliness, since his friends and family were still back in America. Lastly, his future was uncertain, for it was very possible that his attempt to become a professional entertainer might end in failure. As criticism mounted, Jae-beom decided to come clean. He admitted to writing the comments, tried to explain himself, and apologized profusely. [1] He revealed himself to have matured a great deal in the previous four years. However, some netizens refused to be satisfied, and anger continued to rise to the point where one online group began a petition that demanded that Jae-beom commit suicide. Soon afterward, Jae-beom bowed out of 2PM and returned to his family in America. [2] About a week later, Kang-in, another singer, was booked by police for participating in a bar brawl. [3] Evidence included video and eyewitness accounts. [4] The next month, Kang-in again visited the police station, this time to admit to driving under the influence of alcohol and being involved in two hit-and-run incidents. [5] Some netizens criticized Kang-in, and others defended him, but at no time was there any evidence of the kind of groundswell of outrage that Jae-beom suffered. I am perplexed by this. Jae-beom was very rude, but being rude is not a crime. Yet he was driven out of Korea, almost literally, by an Internet mob. Contrast this with the reaction (or lack thereof) towards Kang-in, who committed not one, but four criminal offenses (physical violence, driving under the influence, and two hit-and-runs). How can this be contradiction be reconciled? I suppose that the message is clear: Commit crimes if you will, but don't ever call Korea "gay." Written by Richard Stansfield (
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). The writer has been living and teaching English in Korea since 1996. Note: The views of the writer do not necessarily reflect the views of Seoul Selection. |
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Korea's one and only competitive international short film festival, the Asiana International Short Film Festival (AISFF), will be held at Cine Cube on Nov 5---10. This year, some 2,027 films from 82 countries were submitted to the festival, marking a new record. A particularly unique program is the "In the Air Program," in which selected films from the International Competition are shown to passengers aboard Asiana flights. It's a great place to experience cinematic trends and cinematic diversity. Admission: Depends on program. More information: (02) 783-6518~9, www.aisff.org. Getting There: Gwanghwamun Station, Line 5, Exit 6. Walk 5---10 minutes.
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Latvian virtuoso violinist Gidon Kremer and his Kremerata Baltica chamber group are joined by violin and piano duo Aleksey Igudesman and Richard Hyung-Ki Joo for a night of great music and high comedy at Seoul Arts Center on Nov 10 (8pm). This is actually a two-part show, with Kremer starting things off with a classical performance, to be followed by a comic (and musical!) look at his life by Igudesman and Joo, whose performances have earned over 15 million hits on Youtube. This is definitely not your father's classical music concert. Admission: R: 150,000 won, S: 120,000 won, A: 80,000 won, B: 40,000 won. Admission: (02) 318-4301. Getting There: Nambu Bus Terminal Station, Line 3, Exits 4 & 5. Walk 5---10 minutes or take shuttle bus, bus No. 12 or bus No. 4429.
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See American jazz singer Patricia Barber at Goyang Oulimnuri Arts Complex in Goyang on Nov 7 (7pm). The New York Times called Barber's voice "a low-vibrato alto on perpetual rhythm and timbre alert," while Time Magazine called her personality "a cross between Diana Krall and Susan Sontag." In Korea for the second time, Barber points the way forward for 21st century jazz, breaking the musical straitjacket that has confined jazz vocals since Ella Fitzgerald with her own unique and poetic style that crosses the spectrum from swing to bop. She will be joined by her band, the Patricia Barber Quartet. Admission: R: 70,000 won, S: 50,000 won, A: 30,000 won. More Information: 1577-7766. Getting There: Wondang Station, Line 3, Exit 4. Walk in the direction of the underground motorways. Turn left and walk 15 minutes through the alley of Oulim Apt.
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American jazz pianist Ronn Branton will be performing at the Sejong Center on Nov 8 (3pm). A long-time resident of Korea, Branton is renowned for his contemplative and intellectual performances. In this concert, he will be playing jazz interpretations of Korean campus favorites from the 1970s and 80s, including "Morning Dew," "In the Flower Garden," "Fire Fly," "One-sided Love," "Bobbed Hair" and "Desert Island." Admission: R: 50,000 won, S: 30,000 won, A: 20,000 won. More information: (02) 888-2698. Getting There: Gwanghwamun Station, Line 5, Exits 1 & 8.
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The Royal Asiatic Society will be visiting two of Korea's greatest Buddhist temples, Haeinsa and Tongdosa, on Nov 7---8. Located about 60 km north of Busan, Tongdosa occupies a scenic valley beneath Yongch'wisan ("Holy Eagle Mountain"). Founded in 646 to house relics of the Buddha brought to Korea by the monk Chajang, the temple was home to thousands of monks in its 14th century heyday, a fact evidenced by two hollowed-out logs once used as rice bowls by the inmates. Still the largest temple in Korea, 13 associated hermitages dot the nearby peaceful hillsides. Haeinsa is famed for its copy of the Tripitaka Koreana. The Tripitaka refers to the "three Baskets" of Buddhist scriptures: the Vinayas or monastic rules; the Sutras or teachings; and the Abhidharmas or commentaries on the teachings. Originally there were two Tripitaka Koreana but the first was destroyed by the invading Mongols in 1231. The Tripitaka Koreana at Haein-sa consists of 81,258 wooden blocks engraved with Chinese characters on both sides. The preparation of the wood blocks for the purpose of preservation took twelve years and the actual engraving process took 16 years. The work was completed in 1251. The blocks are stored in two library buildings that were constructed in 1488 so that a constant temperature of around 20 degrees C. is maintained, thus preventing the wooden blocks from warping. You will have the opportunity to purchase selected prints made from the wooden blocks of the Tripitaka Koreana. Admission: Cost of the tour is 189,000 won for members and 209,000 won for non-members and covers transportation, entrance fee, three meals (Sat. dinner and Sunday breakfast and lunch) and Korean/Western-style accommodation. Tour participants should bring a picnic lunch on Saturday, or purchase food at a rest stop on the way. For more information, click here.
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The photo exhibition "El Mapuche con Buenos Ojos" (Mapuches with good eyes) is the photographer Lincoyan Parada's project, who tries to reveal the ordinary life of the Mapuche people. It is worth mentioning that the Mapuches are an indigenous community who are concentrated in Regions VIII and X of the Republic of Chile. The exhibition is a social and anthropologic document that aims to spread information about the Mapuche's culture. Hosted by the Embassy of Chile, the exhibition will be held at the Korean Foundation Culture Center thru Nov 10. Lincoyan Parada was born in Santiago in 1947. He is a recognized photographer who has carried out many exhibitions in Chile and around the world. The photos on display have already been featured in several exhibitions in art galleries and cultural institutions in Chile. A documentary on Chile will be shown additionally during the exhibition. For more information, please contact the Embassy of Chile in Seoul (02-779-2615) or the Korea Foundation Culture Center ( www.kfcenter.or.kr, 02-2151-6500).
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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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Green Tea
Women care for the green tea bushes at the Boseong Dawon Tea Plantation in Jeolla-do. Photo by Leana Divine
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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
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. 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
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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 November, the KFCC will be screening black comedies, Hungarian films and movies from Argentina. 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
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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 Shin Jiwon at
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or Hank Kim at
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. Of you can give us a ring at (02) 734-9567. 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
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. 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
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for details.
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Publisher: Hank Kim /
Editor: Robert Koehler /
Designer: Jun Shinwook / Website Manager: Ray Hong
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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:
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tel: 734-9567 fax: 734-9563 |
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