An evening embellished with royal traditions took place on March 5 at the National Museum of Korea, delivering the essence of Joseon royal court culture, imbued with delicacy and elegance.
The event is organized by the Presidential Council on Nation Branding, “Joseon Reawakens” presented diverse Korean cultural assets including a reenactment of a royal wedding, along with Korean traditional court music and dance. The encounter with the highest forms of traditional Korean culture was held in celebration of the return of the Oegyujanggak Joseon royal archives last year. The event also marked an opportunity for Korea to express its gratitude to France and offer a special moment to appreciate the beauty of Korean culture to an international audience.
(above) Heonseondo, a Korean traditional royal court dance which represents the offering of a legendary peach that ripens every 3,000 years to the king for his longevity and good fortune (below) Jinehchanan, a reinterpretation of the royal banquet
Over 200 participants enjoyed an evening of fashion, music, and gastronomic delights, which was also attended by Minister Choe Kwang-shik of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Director Kim Young-na of the National Museum of Korea, alongside foreign ambassadors and other dignitaries of the diplomatic corps dispatched to Korea.
Starting with the traditional Korean court ritual music, sujecheon performed by Ewha Gugak Ensemble, the program of the day was packed with an abundant variety of colorful and sophisticated attractions as well as the reenactment of a royal wedding and a Hanbok fashion show. “Joseon Reawakens” showcased royal ceremonial performances such as Heonseondo (literally, “presenting the legendary peach”), and a royal banquet called “Jinehchanan,” reinterpreted by a well-known master of the royal cuisine of the Joseon Dynasty, Han Bok-ryo, after the banquet held for the 80th birthday of King Gojong in 1887.
The return of the Oegyujanggak from France served instrumental in reviving royal wedding traditions, the undoubted highlight of that evening. The Korea Royal Costume Research Institute reproduced the scenes of the ceremony as depicted in Banchado, a documentary painting of a royal wedding procession compiled into the recently returned royal protocol books.
During a congratulatory speech, Minister Choe Kwang-sik (right) extended his deep sentiments, while recollecting his involvement with the return of the Oegyujanggak manuscripts as former director of the National Museum of Korea and administrator of the Cultural Heritage Administration. The minister also paid homage to Dr. Park Byung-sun, an ethnically Korean researcher who passed away last November after greatly contributing to the return of the collection, considered to be one of Korea’s most important archives of documentary heritage.
A royal wedding was a national event: the marriage of a king, crown prince, or the king’s eldest grandson that ensured continuation of the royal lineage, involving several months of preparation and thousands of people. The ceremony of the day unveiled some of the major procedures of the wedding, such as Chaekbi, a coronation ceremony for the future queen, along with the actual marriage ceremony, Chinyeong, and consummation rite, Dongrae.
In part two, the stage was beautified by another Hanbok fashion show put on by one of Korea’s leading designers of royal court costume, Kim Hye-soon. Kim, who has held numerous fashion shows overseas including “The King of Joseon in New York” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last year, reinterpreted the royal celebration with a modern touch and sense of dignity. Actor Park Sang-won and Actress Chea Shira modeled the traditional apparel of a Joseon king and queen in the reenactment of a royal wedding, receiving a round of applause for their special appearance.
Hanbok fashion show
The Presidential Council on Nation Branding has continuously strived to introduce and promote various aspects of Korean culture and traditions both home and abroad. In November last year, they hosted a Hanbok fashion show in France featuring the reenactment of a royal wedding as part of France-Korea Week 2011, garnering a positive response from the local community.
“As I observe the global popularity of K-pop and Hallyu (Korean wave), I have come to realize that Korean culture is no longer alien to the eyes of those around the world,” remarked Lee Bae-yong, chairwoman of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding. “Hallyu is more than just pop music and culture; it also includes high and traditional culture.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched a new agency for the promotion of Hallyu on January 30 in an attempt to seek ways to appreciate Korea’s cultural heritage and encourage the diversity of Hallyu into the larger arena of Korean culture. Since the official launching ceremony, the agency has been responsible for the implementation of cultural policies that will facilitate collaboration among related organizations aimed at wider diffusion of the Korean wave overseas.
For more photos of the evening, click: www.flickr.com/photos/koreanet.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
New brand 'eclectic'
The men’s dress jacket has survived many changes over time and maintained its status as a wardrobe staple. Over a white shirt or a designer t-shirt, it remains one of the simplest ways to complete a look.
As stylish as they are, however, these traditional outfits can be cumbersome. The fine fabrics are difficult to keep, and the garment’s complex structure restricts movement. In hot, stuffy weather, it is the first thing to go.
Franck Malegue, fashion industry veteran and entrepreneur based in Paris, believes he has found a solution to these problems. With the jackets and coats from his menswear brand, eclectic, he says, you can keep both practicality and style in a single outfit ― though he would prefer you buy more than one.
It is now possible not to worry about your evening jacket under the unexpected rush of rain, for example, thanks to the waterproof materials used in Malegue’s creations.
His idea became reality over several years. The first jolt of inspiration happened three years ago when he had just relocated to northern Italy from Japan. The juxtaposition of these two successive surroundings gave birth to the brand.
“Japan had a strong impact on my creativity, the way I developed my concept,” said Malegue in an interview Monday. “Innovation and tradition are … deep in Japanese culture, also the attention to detail. I wanted the revival of the old know-how in a contemporary way.”
During his two-year stint in Italy, he saw a connection, quit the post and prepared over 13 months to open his shop in the fashionable Marais quarter in Paris last May.
“I spent two years in Italy working with designers specializing in extreme sportswear, on the other hand with traditional tailors,” he said, pointing out the coincidental combination that gave way to his enterprise.
In hindsight, it is easy for observers to write off this mix as a no-brainer, but there is a reason why eclectic is an unprecedented effort.
“The biggest problem using the technical fabrics is that they react in a different way from the traditional fabrics that tailor the jacket,” said Malegue. “You have to rethink about the whole process. Needles were broken. Some sewing machines were broken. We spent a lot of time reengineering the whole process and adapting to the new fabric.”
The result is a series of imaginative recipes, like lining a cotton jacket with micro-perforated membranes for better air movement and pairing wool with fleece for comfort. He compared it to the continuing evolution in shoes, where the classic, the avant-garde, the formal and the casual have pushed each other’s boundaries.
Potential customers may shrug their shoulders at a price tag that ranges from 600 euros ($793 or 886,000 won) to 880 euros. But Malegue begs to differ. He says the price is reasonable for the product’s exceptional quality, made in a single atelier outside Treviso in Italy’s northeastern tip best-known for its craftsmanship. The headquarters of clothing retailer Benetton, home appliance manufacturer DeLonghi and bicycle maker Pinarello are also located in the city, and not too far in Sacile finds the factory of world-famous piano producers Fazioli.
“All the fabrics are done by hand. (They are) artisanal,” he said. “I’m offering a very good price for value. Customers are paying for what they’re getting. For big brands, the price tag is 30 percent for advertising and another 30 for real estate.”
Furthermore, the origin of every component of the finished product is traceable, a rarity in this globalized day and age.
“Traditional fabric comes from Italy or England, the technical fabric from Italy or Switzerland. The buttons come from France, and the threads come from Germany.”
While the roots are European, Malegue’s priority markets are Japan and Korea.
“(The two) markets are mature. Customers can appreciate the intricate work behind my products.”
His first overseas order did come from a Japanese distributor. Malegue’s jackets and coats will go on sale in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya from July.
The first Google search for the words “technology” and “jacket” may yield results for better-known outdoor gear for now, but eclectic should climb up that ladder soon.
Monday, March 5, 2012
HALLYU idols shine in Okinawa concert
The influence of Korean pop culture has reached the southernmost island of the Japanese archipelago, resulting in a concert that showcased not only just K-pop idol groups like KARA and 2PM but also the soundtracks of Korean dramas.
“World Music Festival in Okinawa” took place Sunday in a two-part format at the Okinawa Cellular Stadium in Naha, the island’s capital.
The first half saw soundtrack composer Oh Joon-sung of “Boys over Flowers” and “Prosecutor Princess” fame performing his biggest hits with an orchestra. The scenes from those dramas were displayed on a screen in sync with the music. R&B trio Monday Kiz also sang their renditions of Oh’s hits from the likes of “Goodbye My Princess” and “Paradise.”
The second half brought together six K-pop idols: KARA, 2PM, Infinite, Rainbow, Secret, and ZE:A. The groups all performed their biggest hits.
Beginning as an event to mark the 40th anniversary of Okinawa’s return to Japanese sovereignty in 1972, the music festival will become an annual event at the 30,000-capacity baseball stadium, best-known as where the Yomiuri Giants’ train.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
MY SASSY GIRL OF KOREA WILL BE MARRYING SOON
Jeon Ji-hyun will marry the grandson of renowned hanbok designer Lee Young-hee at a hotel in Seoul on June 2,
The groom-to-be is currently working at a Korean branch of an American bank. The couple have reportedly known each other since they were children but only became romantically involved about a year ago. In a press release, the agency indicated that Jeon will continue her acting career after she ties the knot by stressing how much she appreciates her fans' continued support.
After her debut as a fashion magazine model in 1997 while still a high school student, Jeon has appeared in several films such as "Il Mare," "Windstruck," "Daisy," and "My Sassy Girl," with which she gained fame across Asia. In 2009, she made it to Hollywood in "Blood: The Last Vampire." She also played one of the leading roles in "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan," directed by Wayne Wang last year.
The groom-to-be is currently working at a Korean branch of an American bank. The couple have reportedly known each other since they were children but only became romantically involved about a year ago. In a press release, the agency indicated that Jeon will continue her acting career after she ties the knot by stressing how much she appreciates her fans' continued support.
After her debut as a fashion magazine model in 1997 while still a high school student, Jeon has appeared in several films such as "Il Mare," "Windstruck," "Daisy," and "My Sassy Girl," with which she gained fame across Asia. In 2009, she made it to Hollywood in "Blood: The Last Vampire." She also played one of the leading roles in "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan," directed by Wayne Wang last year.
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble is back
World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma will bring his Silk Road Ensemble to Seoul with a unique program that features traditional instruments from different corners of the world.
Since launching in 1998 under the auspices of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the Silk Road Project has leaped over geographical and cultural barriers to make and transport music. The troupe will return to Korea March 12 for a concert at Seoul Arts Center.
The Silk Road Project takes inspiration from the historical Silk Road trading routes, employing the Silk Road as a modern metaphor for sharing and learning across cultures, art forms and disciplines.
Over the years, composers have written many new pieces for the Silk Road Ensemble.
“The music we play does not belong to just one culture or even to only the Silk Road region,” Ma, the founder and artistic director of the nonprofit arts and educational organization, said in a statement. "We rely on the readiness of composers to write and arrange for our distinctive group. Perhaps because they support experimentation and innovation, our commissioning workshops have a remarkable record of producing successful works for our repertoire."
Featuring traditional instruments from different corners of the world, from Korea and China to Peru, the ensemble has fused Eastern and Western classical music with folk melodies, popular rhythms and other sounds into experimental harmony.
Russian, Mongolian, Argentinean and American composers have written original pieces for the Silk Road Project. During their upcoming concert, they will perform a piece called "Love Carved into a Stone" by Korean composer Kim Dae-seong, alongside a couple of world premieres of "Kasida" by Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky; and "Suite from Book of Angels" John Zorn.
The Silk Road Ensemble is a collective of musicians, composers and performing artists from more than 20 countries.
Many of the musicians first came together under the artistic direction of Ma at a workshop at Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts in 2000.
The Silk Road Ensemble has performed to critical acclaim throughout Asia, Europe and North America and has recorded five albums. The Ensemble’s most recent recording, "Off the Map," was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album in 2011.
Ma serves as the artistic director of the Silk Road Project. He is also a creative consultant to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a member of the President's Committee on the Arts & Humanities, and a recipient of the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom. The 15-time Grammy winner maintains a balance between his engagements as soloist with orchestras throughout the world, his recital and chamber music activities, and his recording projects.
Tickets cost from 30,000 to 170,000 won. Call (02) 580-1300.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Saju: Marital harmony
One of the most frequently asked questions during a saju reading is about married life. Some wonder about love because their spouses do not satisfy their yearning to be loved, or the other party is not faithful. Others are concerned about happiness. Happiness is a major desire, which is fulfilled sometimes by financial stability. But most importantly, it is realized more by sentimental intimacy. It is a chemical connectedness, not a physical bonding. A marital relationship is not easy to describe only with superficial conditions. The seemingly abundant environment, such as a nice house, wealth, prestigious cars or prospective jobs does not always lead to devoted love between a husband and wife.
In reading “gunghap,” or the marital compatibility of a couple, saju masters differentiate superficial harmony (“geot gunghap”) from inner one (“sok gunghap”). The sok gunghap is often described as what their partners are like in bed in its secular meaning. However, its actual significance is the inner or true compatibility of a couple compared to the superficial external conditions. It could mean a sexual chemistry in some sense, but it’s more about the couples’ true love.
When, a party’s saju is plotted, it can be read what one’s spouse is like, because there is an element that refers to one’s spouse. Meanwhile the day pillar itself explains married life.
For example, if a woman’s day master is a wood element, her husband is metal, which is the element that restrains the day master.
On the other hand, if a man’s day master is wood element, his wife is earth, which is the element that is restrained by the day master.
The next step is to compare the year branches of the couple and read the day pillars.
Traditionally people have read their gunghap by the zodiac signs of their birth years.
Especially the relationships between sheep and rat, cow and horse, rooster and tiger, rabbit and monkey, pig and dragon, and snake and dog are most shunned in marriage.
Rat years 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996
Cow years 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997
Tiger years 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998
Rabbit years 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999
Dragon years 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000
Snake years 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001
Horse years 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002
Sheep years 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003
Monkey years 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004
Rooster years 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005
Dog years 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006
Pig years 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007
If you pay a little attention, you may easily figure out that there is a four-year difference in good gunghap, while five years difference in bad gunghap. This simple concept of gunghap, however, cannot tell the real truth of a married life. So we may call them just geot gunghap, or superficial compatibility. If you want to know more about reality, you should read the letters in your partner’s day pillar and see if they make good relations with those in your saju. Other than the above branch relations, there are good combinations between day masters (heavenly stems)
Yang wood (gap) Yin earth (gi)
Yin wood (eul) Yang metal (gyeong)
Yang fire (byeong) Yin metal (sin)
Yin fire (jeong) Yang water (im)
Yang earth (mu) yin water (gye)
The geot gunghap can be seen by the birth years (or your ages) however sok gunghap can only be read by heavenly stems and earthly branches of your day pillars. You may confirm if your counterpart, which can be your friends, business partners as well as spouse, have those compatible letters for your saju.
And the other factors you need to confirm is whether the other party has some favorable energy that you need. For example, if your saju is too cold, you need someone whose saju is warm. If you are lacking wood element, it is recommended that you meet someone who has fluent wood energy. It is just like you design your fengshui that may improve your fortune. Marriage is a turning point in your life, by which your destiny may go in either a fortunate or unfortunate direction.
Info : Are you interested in learning more about the ancient Chinese teaching about the “Four Pillars of Destiny”? For further information, visit Janet’s website at www.fourpillarskorea.com and contact Janet at 010-5414-7461 or email janetshin@hotmail.com.
In reading “gunghap,” or the marital compatibility of a couple, saju masters differentiate superficial harmony (“geot gunghap”) from inner one (“sok gunghap”). The sok gunghap is often described as what their partners are like in bed in its secular meaning. However, its actual significance is the inner or true compatibility of a couple compared to the superficial external conditions. It could mean a sexual chemistry in some sense, but it’s more about the couples’ true love.
When, a party’s saju is plotted, it can be read what one’s spouse is like, because there is an element that refers to one’s spouse. Meanwhile the day pillar itself explains married life.
For example, if a woman’s day master is a wood element, her husband is metal, which is the element that restrains the day master.
On the other hand, if a man’s day master is wood element, his wife is earth, which is the element that is restrained by the day master.
The next step is to compare the year branches of the couple and read the day pillars.
Traditionally people have read their gunghap by the zodiac signs of their birth years.
Especially the relationships between sheep and rat, cow and horse, rooster and tiger, rabbit and monkey, pig and dragon, and snake and dog are most shunned in marriage.
Rat years 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996
Cow years 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997
Tiger years 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998
Rabbit years 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999
Dragon years 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000
Snake years 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001
Horse years 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002
Sheep years 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003
Monkey years 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004
Rooster years 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005
Dog years 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006
Pig years 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007
If you pay a little attention, you may easily figure out that there is a four-year difference in good gunghap, while five years difference in bad gunghap. This simple concept of gunghap, however, cannot tell the real truth of a married life. So we may call them just geot gunghap, or superficial compatibility. If you want to know more about reality, you should read the letters in your partner’s day pillar and see if they make good relations with those in your saju. Other than the above branch relations, there are good combinations between day masters (heavenly stems)
Yang wood (gap) Yin earth (gi)
Yin wood (eul) Yang metal (gyeong)
Yang fire (byeong) Yin metal (sin)
Yin fire (jeong) Yang water (im)
Yang earth (mu) yin water (gye)
The geot gunghap can be seen by the birth years (or your ages) however sok gunghap can only be read by heavenly stems and earthly branches of your day pillars. You may confirm if your counterpart, which can be your friends, business partners as well as spouse, have those compatible letters for your saju.
And the other factors you need to confirm is whether the other party has some favorable energy that you need. For example, if your saju is too cold, you need someone whose saju is warm. If you are lacking wood element, it is recommended that you meet someone who has fluent wood energy. It is just like you design your fengshui that may improve your fortune. Marriage is a turning point in your life, by which your destiny may go in either a fortunate or unfortunate direction.
Info : Are you interested in learning more about the ancient Chinese teaching about the “Four Pillars of Destiny”? For further information, visit Janet’s website at www.fourpillarskorea.com and contact Janet at 010-5414-7461 or email janetshin@hotmail.com.
Facts about Korea : The Unwanted Guest
In the late 19th century it wasn’t uncommon for Westerners to encounter women — grandmothers and mothers — wandering the streets with small sick children on their backs. The women spoke softly, in honorific Korean, to their small ward in an attempt to quiet their cries of discomfort and misery, and not to excite the wrath of the demon that plagued them. The demon was smallpox —the unwanted guest.
Smallpox was one of the deadliest diseases in Joseon Korea (1392-1910). One Western missionary wrote that “Koreans place this disease in the foremost rank of all the evils to which flesh is heir. It is more to be feared than cholera or any other complaint, for it is always present in the community and its results are very fatal.” It was especially deadly to children.
According to Horace Allen, one of the first Western doctors to live in Korea, up to 50 percent of Korean children died from smallpox before they turned five years old. So prevalent was the disease that many Korean parents fatalistically refrained from naming their children until they had contracted and survived the disease. It was almost as if smallpox was a rite of passage.
But not all Koreans were willing to acquiescence to the unwanted guest’s visit. Some placed thorns over the main gate or the eaves of their houses in the belief that the thorns would discourage smallpox and other malignant spirits from causing disease and misfortune to fall upon the household but, as one contemporary book notes, “no matter how the people tied thorns to their roofs, the ghost of smallpox swept from house to house, snatching away the lives of many.”
Once smallpox arrived, it was important to not aggravate it for fear that its wrath would exact an even greater toll of lives.
While smallpox was in the home, the residents were to refrain from bringing purchases home, wearing new clothes, sweeping the house, wall-papering, doing laundry or even combing their hair for fear that the smallpox spirit would be offended and retaliate by causing congestion in the nose. No sewing was to be done for fear that the needle passing through the cloth would “cause intolerable itching for the patient.”
Even food was regulated. The household plagued by the disease was to eat only white rice with no beans in it. To do otherwise would cause the victim’s face, if he recovered, to turn black. It was also important not to offer sacrifices in the home to the other guardian spirits for fear their arrival would deprive the smallpox spirit of the attention it demanded.
The killing and butchering of animals near the patient’s home was forbidden because it was feared that the animal’s flowing blood, would incite the spirit to cause increase itching in its victim leading to severe scratching and the flow of blood. Even the flow of water could incite the demon. During the winter it was important to leave channels blocked with ice alone — to unplug them would cause the spirit to render its hapless host’s face horribly pocked.
The actions of the neighbors could also provoke the spirit. Cutting wood or hammering nails would result in the victim’s face being horribly scarred and, if the neighbors should roast beans, the smell or smoke would cause the victim to suffer blindness.
Thirteen days after the unwanted guest’s arrival, a “mudang” or shamaness would come to the home and urge the guest to leave quietly and with as little fuss as possible. Food, money and a small wooden horse were provided as incentives. Even after the departure of the “guest” the family refrained from hammering nails and papering their walls for three months — afraid of inciting a return visit.
Smallpox was one of the deadliest diseases in Joseon Korea (1392-1910). One Western missionary wrote that “Koreans place this disease in the foremost rank of all the evils to which flesh is heir. It is more to be feared than cholera or any other complaint, for it is always present in the community and its results are very fatal.” It was especially deadly to children.
According to Horace Allen, one of the first Western doctors to live in Korea, up to 50 percent of Korean children died from smallpox before they turned five years old. So prevalent was the disease that many Korean parents fatalistically refrained from naming their children until they had contracted and survived the disease. It was almost as if smallpox was a rite of passage.
But not all Koreans were willing to acquiescence to the unwanted guest’s visit. Some placed thorns over the main gate or the eaves of their houses in the belief that the thorns would discourage smallpox and other malignant spirits from causing disease and misfortune to fall upon the household but, as one contemporary book notes, “no matter how the people tied thorns to their roofs, the ghost of smallpox swept from house to house, snatching away the lives of many.”
Once smallpox arrived, it was important to not aggravate it for fear that its wrath would exact an even greater toll of lives.
While smallpox was in the home, the residents were to refrain from bringing purchases home, wearing new clothes, sweeping the house, wall-papering, doing laundry or even combing their hair for fear that the smallpox spirit would be offended and retaliate by causing congestion in the nose. No sewing was to be done for fear that the needle passing through the cloth would “cause intolerable itching for the patient.”
Even food was regulated. The household plagued by the disease was to eat only white rice with no beans in it. To do otherwise would cause the victim’s face, if he recovered, to turn black. It was also important not to offer sacrifices in the home to the other guardian spirits for fear their arrival would deprive the smallpox spirit of the attention it demanded.
The killing and butchering of animals near the patient’s home was forbidden because it was feared that the animal’s flowing blood, would incite the spirit to cause increase itching in its victim leading to severe scratching and the flow of blood. Even the flow of water could incite the demon. During the winter it was important to leave channels blocked with ice alone — to unplug them would cause the spirit to render its hapless host’s face horribly pocked.
The actions of the neighbors could also provoke the spirit. Cutting wood or hammering nails would result in the victim’s face being horribly scarred and, if the neighbors should roast beans, the smell or smoke would cause the victim to suffer blindness.
Thirteen days after the unwanted guest’s arrival, a “mudang” or shamaness would come to the home and urge the guest to leave quietly and with as little fuss as possible. Food, money and a small wooden horse were provided as incentives. Even after the departure of the “guest” the family refrained from hammering nails and papering their walls for three months — afraid of inciting a return visit.
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