| | | xKorean Culture Korea is a fascinating country with a 5,000 year history with so much to offer -- very healthful foods, very hot films winning international awards, beautiful traditional attire and music, awesome heroes, the world's best alphabet (according to linguists), an inspiring tea ceremony, powerful martial arts, ancient wisdom, etc. Korean culture is very "hot" in many parts of the world now. The article under "Korea Wave" below points out: Thousands are taking Korean language and cooking classes worldwide, and the Korean native dress (hanbok) was the highlight of a Paris fashion show. It is so much fun exploring this rich, fascinating culture! This page presents the following key features of Korean culture. 
Korea Wave Korea is making an impact around the world through its films, food, fashion, music, etc. This is part of what is known at the "Korea Wave".
See the 6:45 minute video called Dynamic Korea at: http://www.korea.net/kois/eng_vns_read.asp?movie_no=123
Click "Download" and "Open" on the site. 
The following is an excerpt from http://fusionbrand.blogs.com/ : The Korea Wave has been going on for so long that a backlash is emerging. But the reasons for the Wave, and how it was promoted and sustained, provide interesting lessons for branding in both Asian and Western countries. The Korea Wave, referred to as “hallyu,” is shorthand for the flood of Korean TV shows, movies, comic books, fashion and video games that has been sweeping across Asia since 1999. The Korean drama “Jewel in the Palace,” a historical drama about a cook in Korea’s ancient royal court, was at one time the most popular program in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. As many as 20% of Japanese TV viewers tuned into the Korean drama, “Winter Sonata,” which has megastar Bae Young Jun standing by his first love through 10 years of car accidents and amnesia. Scroll through the MP3 of any Asian teen, and see more songs from Korean “K-pop” artists than American music stars. Other countries have not been immune. The Korea Wave is the latest trend sweeping the Middle East. Korean dramas are among the most popular in Mexico, whose own soap operas are among the most watched in the world. The Korean movie, “The Host,” is an international blockbuster. Even in the US, the Korean pop star Rain sold out Madison Square Garden twice. Daniel Dae Kim from the hit show “Lost” was one of People magazine’s “Sexiest Men Alive.” The benefits to Korea have been substantial. Tourism to Korea has soared, reaching a record 6.15 million in 2006 – not bad for a country still technically at war with a nuclear-armed neighbor just over the horizon. Exports of film and TV programs is approaching $2.5 billion. Even the sale of comic books has grown from a miniscule $240,000 in 1999 to $3.26 million in 2006. Korean movies are winning top awards at Cannes and other film festivals. Thousands are taking Korean language and cooking classes worldwide, and the Korean native dress (hanbok) was the highlight of a Paris fashion show. About 150,000 attended a Hallyu Expo. Matchmaking services promise to find Korean husbands, and many have plastic surgery to look “more Korean.” 
Hanbok
See the inspiring video at: http://www.koreanhero.net/video/playvideo.html?name=hanbok_e.wmv
 
Hanbok and hangeul are hot in fashion now as shown at: http://www.korea.net/korea/kor_loca.asp?code=K1002
Music
See the site at: http://www.korea.net/korea/kor_loca.asp?code=H0104.
Martial Arts 
Korea Town NYC
See http://www.newyorkcitywalk.com/html/interactive_KoreaTown.html for a view of the Korea town in Manhattan.
Films about South Korea
South Korean Films
Tourist Sites
See the 7:50 minute video called Dynamic Korea, the Hub of Asia at: http://www.korea.net/kois/eng_vns_read.asp?movie_no=22. Click "Download" and "Open" on the site. 
Korea has four distinct seasons -- a lovely spring and fall; a hot, muggy summer; and a very cold winter. Map Seoul Incheon Mt. Soraksan Pusan (Busan) Jejudo Island
Map 
Seoul
Below are photos of Seoul in the fall from: http://www.travellereyes.com .  
Korean History
Korea has a fascinating 5,000-year-old history as shown in this timeline. 
For more information on Korean history, see:
Korean Heroes For info on six important Korea figures, see the site at: http://www.aasianst.org/EAA/connor.htm The NY Diamond Sutra Recitation Group gave the Brooklyn Heights Dahn Yoga center several copies of their new book called King Sejong The Great. Two Brooklyn Heights students, Zaida Concepcion and Christina Zureta, were deeply impressed by the book and the life of King Sejong, Their interest sparked the idea of the Dahn Yoga Korea Club. In 2006, the NY DSRG released a book about Admiral Yi Sun Shin, the first in its annual series about Korean heroes.  
King Sejong King Sejong is the only monarch whom Koreans call "The Great". He invented the Korean alphabet called "Hangeul" and was an amazing ruler both for his many outstanding accomplishments as well as his sterling character. He is arguably one of the greatest monarchs in the history of the world -- if not the greatest. His story is quite inspiring. King Sejong ruled in the 15th century during the Chosun (also called "Joseon") dynasty which ended in 1910 when modern Korea was established. He is known for his devoted and enlightened commitment to the betterment of the living standards of Korea as well as his humble Buddha-like or Christ-like character. He is a true hero for all times and places.  
See the following sites to discover more about King Sejong:
Admiral Yi Sun Shin (or "Sunsin")
Admiral Yi is considered the greatest admiral in the history of the world for many reasons. He was undefeated in 21 battles at sea -- an unequaled record. With just 13 ships he defeated the Japanese navy which had 330 ships! He built the world's first armored battleships (called "Turtle ships") 200 years before the West. He was a man who was much misunderstood in his time but who devoted his life to protecting Korea, a hero of remarkable character -- uninterested in fame, power, or fortune.
http://www.koreanhero.net/en/NationalHeroOfKorea.htm
TV Drama In 2005, Korean TV aired a remarkable 36-hour series on the life of Admiral Yi! The DSRG has generously offered to bring the Korea Club excerpts from these DVDs! We hope to show this inspiring mini-series in 2008. The story is so compelling that it can easily keep you up at late at nights! The acting is superb and the photography is outstanding!
http://www.hanbooks.com/imyisoshkbst.html
 Historical drama centered on the famous Korean Admiral Yi Soon-Shin (1545-1598), who saved Korea and China from conquest by Japan in a string of brilliant naval victories. Yi used iron-clad war ships more than 260 years before the Battle of Hampton Roads in the US Civil War (the Monitor vs. the Virginia). The drama deals with his life from childhood to his death in the midst of his final victorious battle against the Japanese, and shows the contributions made by his support staff and ship's crews.
Based on the life and actual diaries of Navy Admiral Lee Soon Shin (or Yi Sun Shin) this historical epic television series follows the man who would become a legend and hero in Korean history. During the Choseon Dynasty, Lee Soon Shin was responsible for constructing the Geobukseon, or Turtle Ships, and turning the tides of the Seven-Year War against Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Japanese fleets. The historical epic television series depicts his life, from his early days struggling to become a magistrate to his final battle against Japan. Through a diverse ensemble cast, the story also shows life for the royal families of Korea and Japan, and civilians during that era.
The statue of Admiral Yi shown below is one of the landmarks of Seoul.
  
See the wonderful video clip at: http://www.koreanhero.net/video/video.html?name=Kobukson01.wmv which shows the terrified response of the Japanese navy when they first encountered Admiral Yi's "Turtle ships"! For more information on Admiral Yi, see:
Korean Names For more information on Korean names, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_name A Korean personal name consists of a family name followed by a given name. In most cases, the family name consists of a single syllable, and the given name of two syllables. When using European languages, some Koreans keep the original order, while others reverse the names to match the Western pattern. In Korea, a married woman does not change her family name to her husband's. Basically middle names are not recognized in Korea in the Western sense, in which there is a clear differentiation from the given name. Despite the fact, entering one of the two syllables of the give name in place of middle name on non-Korean document is common, due to either the lack of understanding or just for convenience.Only about 250 Korean family names are in use. Of these, Kim, Lee, and Park are the most common. However, most holders of a particular name are not closely related. Current family names have their origin in the lineage system used in previous historical periods. Each clan is associated with a specific place, such as the Gimhae Kim. In most cases, such a clan traces its origin to a common patrilineal ancestor. Each family name is divided into one or more clans (bon-gwan), identified by the clan's city of origin. For example, the most populous clan is Gimhae Kim -- the Kim clan from the city of Gimhae. Like other East Asian cultures, Korean women traditionally keep their family name after marriage, but their children take the father's name. According to tradition, each clan publishes a comprehensive genealogy (jokbo) every 30 years. 
In English speaking nations, the three most common family names are often written and pronounced as "Kim" (김), "Lee" or "Rhee" (리, 이), and "Park" (박). A family name such as "Lee" may also be found spelled "I," "Yi," "Rhee," and "Rhie." In Korean pronunciation, the name usually romanized as "Park" actually has no 'r' sound at all. Its initial sound is a cross between English 'p' and 'b'. The vowel is similar to the 'a' in father. For this reason, the name is also often represented as "Pak" or "Bak." Traditionally, given names for males are partly determined by generation names, a custom originating in China. One of the two characters in a given name is unique to the individual, while the other is shared by all people in a family generation. Therefore, it is common for cousins to have the same character in their given names in the same fixed position. In North Korea, generational names are no longer shared across families, but are still commonly shared by brothers and sisters. The usage of names is governed by strict norms in traditional Korean society. It is generally considered rude to address anyone by their given name in Korean culture. This is particularly the case when dealing with adults or one's elders. This is often a source of pragmatic difficulty for learners of Korean as a foreign language, and for Korean learners of Western languages. A variety of replacements are used for the actual name of the person. It is acceptable among adults of similar status to address the other by their full name, with the suffix ssi (씨) added. However, it is inappropriate to address someone by their surname alone, even with such a suffix. Whenever the person has an official rank, it is typical to address him or her by the name of that rank (such as "Manager"), often with the honorific nim (님) added. In such cases, the full name of the person may be appended, although this can also imply that the speaker is of higher status. At Dahn Yoga, students are addressed by their first names with "Do-oo-nim" (honored friend on the sacred path) added, as in "John Do-oo-nim". To understand the meaning of that wonderful honoric title, you need to know a little bit about Korean naming conventions as well as a little bit about the Tao. See Korean Religions.
Korean Holidays This information is from: http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Calendar/holidays.cfm Early Korea used a lunar calendar, as did most agrarian societies. As the rest of the world encroached on Korea, it eventually went to the solar calendar. Yet much of the country still uses the lunar calendar to keep track of births and deaths and some traditional holidays. Many people celebrate their birthdays according to both calendars, and the first days of each calendar are national holidays. Solar Lunar  Note: Hangul Day is on October 9 and celebrates the creation of the Korean alphabet by King Sejong in 1443. See Korean Language. "Chuseok" is also called "Hangawi" (like the name of the restaurant in Koreatown in Manhattan). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuseok  Chuseok, also sometimes spelt 'Chusok', is a major holiday in Korea, celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar Korean calendar. It is a thanksgiving feast and is also called Hangawi (한가위) (from "han" = "great" and "gawi" = "middle", i.e. "a great day in the middle of the autumn"). Hangawi is known at least since the early period of the kingdom of Silla (57 BC - AD 935), where it originally grew out of a month-long weaving contest between two teams. Come the day of Hangawi, the team that had woven more cloth had won and was treated to a feast by the losing team. Nowadays on Chuseok, there is a mass exodus of Koreans returning to their hometowns, since hometowns are not only where one was born and raised, but where the spirits of one's ancestors are enshrined. People perform ancestral worship rituals early in the morning. They often visit the tombs of immediate ancestors to trim plants and clean the area around the tomb, and offer food, drink, and crops to their ancestors. Harvest crops are attributed to the blessing of ancestors, and Chuseok offers Koreans a unique opportunity to refresh their memory and gratitude to their ancestors. One of the major foods prepared and eaten during the Chuseok holiday is Songpyeon (송편), a crescent-shaped rice cake which is steamed upon pine needles. A variety of folk games is played on Chuseok, but these vary from region to region. A lion dance is performed in the north-west, a tug of war in Jeolla and Gyeongsan provinces. Other regions hold wrestling and archery contests. For all games, in all regions, a Nongak band performs. Dates for Chuseok on the Gregorian calendar
Chuseok as well as the days before and after it are legal holidays in South Korea.- 2007: September 25
- 2008: September 14
- 2009: October 3
- 2010: September 22
- 2011: September 12
- 2012: September 30
South Korean Flag and National Anthem Korean Flag: Taegukki (태 극 기) 
The South Korean flag (called “Taegukki” which means "great extremes”) was adopted in 1950 to symbolize the thought, philosophy, and mysticism of the Far East and to represent the three essential elements of the nation. The white background represents peace and purity and is symbolic of the land. The circle represents the people, and the four trigrams reflect the government and the forces of nature.
The Yin-Yang symbol represents the absolute, essential unity of all being which is composed of opposing forces. It represents the belief that all things in the universe have two, opposite aspects that cannot exist without the other. The (red) Yang (positive) and the (blue) Yin (negative) elements represent duality of opposites and balances. Examples of duality are heaven and hell, fire and water, life and death, good and evil, night and day.
The four trigrams that surround the central circle are from the I Ching and also indicate duality. In the four groups of three long and short black bars (called “kwae”), the broken bars symbolize Yin (dark and cold) and the unbroken bars symbolize Yang (bright and hot). The upper left trigram represents Heaven. The lower right trigram symbolizes Earth. The upper right trigram is the symbol of Water. The lower left trigram represents Fire. The kwae trigrams are placed in such a way that they balance one another. Heaven is opposite Earth, and Fire is opposite Water.
The famous 2004 Korean film called Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War is based on the name of the Korean flag. It is a compelling must-see DVD about the Korean War in the 1950s in which North Korea fought South Korea and will be shown later by the Korea Club. See a preview at: http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Tae_Guk_Gi_The_Brotherhood_of_War/70012788?trkid=189530&strkid=1222396124_6_0 
National Anthem Hear the national anthem at: http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=301907307&channel=240043696 
Korean Currency: Won Use the currency converter at: http://www.seoulsearching.com/money/currencyconverter.html
 See South Korean currency at: http://www.seoulsearching.com/money/currency.html
King Sejong the Great is shown on the 10,000 won note below. 
This site was last updated 05/25/07 |