Road Trip in Jeju............could be exciting journey for lifelong.......what do you say !

Jeju beach with emerald tints and peculiar living rocks are very beautiful like the fine paintings. You can have beautiful scenery by just pressing a button on your camera. In addition, driving the offshore will make you refresh your mind.

You will realize that time flies so fast when dropping by some attractive places while driving the offshore road. Now we will introduce you the must-go places in Jeju island.

Dive along the Green Forest!

The road which will be now introduced is 516 Forest Road Tunnel that was built for the first in this island. It is a shortcut from Jeju city on the South to Seogwipo city on the North of the island, crossing Mt. Halla. It definitely reduced the travelling time and is quite faster than the other ways. The road is rather zigzag, however, once you pass the Sungpan Rest Area, you will meet the trees that just look like a tunnel. While passing the tunnel we will feel as if the trees were greeting you.





(Source : AsiaToday)



On your diving, you will see the Sancheon-dan altar for Mt. Halla and Sungpanak, the tracking course. Suak vallley is made of clear water from Baeknok-dam, the lake located on the top of the Mt. Halla. It ia connected by thick forest and azure sky.it's virgin forest and it's changed by the season. The road is lined up with Jeju typical trees and there are grazing ponies, too. 516 Forest Road Tunnel is thickly wooded and keeps the cool temperature even in summer. When you pass the tunnel, turn off the air-conditioner and open the car window to feel the beauty of nature.

Sagye Coastal Road

Sagye (four seasons) Coastal Road is an absolutely wonderful road which will surround you by the sea breeze and wind. As the Mt. Sanbang and Mt. Songak are located at each of the end of the seashore, the driving course is even peaceful and comfortable. Drivers can get the full view of the sea as well. Everyday many visitors are passing this beautiful coastal road to see the harmonized seashore, mountain and roads and all the beautiful sceneries around with its breath-taking sunset



(Source: Korean Tourism Organization)


We can see not only the Sagye seashore not only the Brothers islands guarding the South Sea, and away from here, we can also see the Gapa island and southernmost island, Mara island. Recently, the Sagye Coastal Road was designated as "One of the most beautiful 100 roads in Korea" by the Ministry of Construction and Transportation. After 50 minutes of driving along the No.95 local road from Jeju city, you will reach at a town which is the entrance of the Sagye-ri harbor. Then, go toward the beach about 5 minutes, and you will be dazzled by the coolest sea in front of you.


This area is also famous for the Asian-first human’s footprints fossil of the Old Stone Age. There are other footprints of the elephants, dears and birds as well. Archeologists said this geographical strata was created in the fourth stages of the Cenozoic era 50,000 years ago. Since it was reported on the news, a number of tourists are continuously visiting here to see the fossils by themselves. However, since the Cultural Heritage Administration designated this area as one of the state-designated natural monuments, it has been impossible to enter the area.

Some people leave their car and take a walk around the area to see the Mt. Sanbang, Brothers islands, Gapa island , Mara island, and Mt. Songak. We hope you enjoy the road trip on Sagye Coastal Road.

Cedar Forest

Well, driving along the coast would be so good, but there is other driving course you would also be excited. It is the 27.3 km-long Rd. No.1112, which connects Gujwa-eup Pyongdae-ri and the Rd. No.516. The way ahead is full of cedar.




(Source: Munhwa Ilbo)



This road was awarded a grand prize by the Ministry of Construction and Transportation in 2002. It's very exotic as if you were in somewhere in north-American forests. Actually, this place appeared in many of CFs, movies and TV dramas. About 2,570 typical Jeju trees are growing wild here and make us feel refreshed when driving through or walking through the road.



Jeju driveways are full of blue water, beautiful estuary, cedars and secondary volcanoes. Why don't we leave for Jeju this Summer?

We are Civil Diplomats

Generally, diplomat is a representative of a country, and mainly works for his own country. But do we call those who only pursue the national profit 'Diplomats'? No. Diplomats could be those who care and help others to make them happy. Reputation of the person would be coming after.

In Korea, many volunteer organizations have been very active in overseas for a long time.




(Source: COPION)



Civil Volunteer Organizations

The word, "Relief Organization" first appeared after the Korean War. A relief organization, World Vision was born in the war-torn Korea 60 years ago. World Vision which grew up with the Korean economy, witnessed that Korea turned into giving nation from receiving nation. World Vision Korea is the first and only official cooperation organization which belongs to WEP(World Food Programme) among other domestic NGOs, being recognized its professionalism.



Its business varies on area, field, international business, etc. Domestic ministry is helping the community to live on their own, which is their ultimate goal.



At present, World Vision Korea became one of the members of World Vision International, which is one of the largest civil international organization in the world and has about 40,000 staff members in nearly 100 countries. Accordingly, World Vision International obtained the consultative status from UN-ECOSOC(Economic and Social Council).



INCOPION, the overseas volunteer organization, mainly dispatches Korean volunteers abroad. Since its establishment in 1999, many youth from Korea have been dispatched to about 143 local NGOs and non-profit organizations in Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America twice a year. Especially, COPION has removed age and education limit from 2003, which has broadened more opportunities for not only youth but also over 36 year-old senior volunteers.





(Source: Good People)


COPION is also recruiting the short and long term volunteers with a background knowledge, such as in computer, music, Korean martial arts to teach the poor family and children.



Good People is a volunteer medical organization which cares about neighbors around the world who are mostly vulnerable to poverty, disaster, and disease due to the social isolation, and also provide health care to them. They started to give a professional help and make their hope come true with every single help from all over the world. Good People engages in various activities to develop the isolated regions, such as poverty eradication, child protection, education, prevention and treatment of disease, and emergency relief, which are especially conducted in distant and less favored areas heavily populated by ethnic minorities with no government protection or civilization.



Lastly, Good News Corps is a very young organization. Like the slogan, "Boys are our future and hope.", they try to communicate with the children in the world and provide education and exchange each culture. The members learn leadership, humble mind, and a new culture. They are quite confident at learning the new language naturally within four months during their activities.


To Raise the National Value

Many would agree that lots of overseas volunteer organizations contribute to raising the national brand. Based on the understanding, the Korean government last 2009 integrated all overseas volunteer projects of each government ministry into WFK (World Friends Korea).



Three volunteer groups, KOICA(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade), IT Volunteer Group(Ministry of Public Administration and Security), College Students for Volunteering(Ministry of Education, Science and Technology) were firstly integrated in 2010, and mid and long term advisors(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade), Retired Professionals(Ministry of Knowledge Economy) and the World Taekwondo Peace Corps(Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) started to work under the name of WFK.



Please give a big applause of encouragement to those who deliver the world peace and love even at this moments.



(Source: Good News Corps)

Namaste Korea showcase Indian culture

An Indian traditional dance during the opening ceremony of Namaste Korea at the Sejong Center in Seoul.

The opening ceremony of “Namaste Korea,” a festival celebrating Indian culture, was held on June 30 at the Sejong Center in Seoul. It is the first in a series of events celebrating 2011 as the “Year of India” in Korea, which was agreed to at the Korea-India summit in 2010. The first event was held in March in New Delhi, India.

The ceremony was attended by several figures from the cultural and diplomatic fields, including Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chung Byoung-gug, President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Karan Singh, and India’s Ambassador to Korea Skand R. Tayal. Performances included Indian traditional music and classical dances by Ranjana’s Odissi Dance Company, lead by renowned dancer and artist Ranjana Gauhar.




Right: Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chung Byoung-gug, President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Karan Singh and Indian Ambassador to Korea Skand R. Tayal lit candles to celebrate the festival opening on June 30.

At the opening ceremony Minister Chung remarked, "This festival is the starting point for more active cultural exchanges between India and Korea. With the statue of Tagore, which was erected in Seoul in May, and a number of Indian cultural performances being held in this year, the two countries will become even closer."

Gauhar, who recieved an award from Indian Academy of Music and Drama in 2007, performed a variety of traditional and contemporary dances with her team, and also incorporated traditional Indian instruments into the show, such as tabla, dohlak, and pakhawaj.

On July 1, a second ceremony was held for the opening of the Indian Cultural Centre in Hannam-dong, Seoul. The center was established by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), an entity of the Government of India responsible for promoting India's relations through the culture and art. It will run a variety of programs for people to learn yoga, traditional dance, contemporary Bollywood dance, Indian cooking and Hindi.



Left:Indian traditional dance performed by world-renowned Odissi dancer Ranjana Gauhar,during the opening ceremony of the Indian Cultural Center in Korea. Right: The ribbon cutting ceremony.

During the opening ceremony, ICCR President Karan Singh said, "Korea and India are ancient civilizations known to each other through the ages. The formal inauguration of the center is another major step designed to deepen India-Korea cultural ties. I hope that the center will gradually develop into center of intellectual and academic interaction for Korean scholars on all aspects of life in India."

Ambassador Tayal said, "The center has been built in response to growing interest among the Korean people in traditional and modern Indian arts like dance, yoga, and music.”

As part of the Namaste Korea festival, the modern Indian art exhibition "Giant Elephant" is also being held at Gong Artspace in Insa-dong in central Seoul. The exhibition, which focuses on the works of young Indian artists, will continue until the end of July.

In addition to the events in Seoul, other performances by Indian artists have been scheduled throughout the year around the country, including Busan and Jeju.

For more information, please call 02-792-4257 or email, iccseoul@gmail.com, or visit the center’s homepage at http://www.indoculture.org.


Source: Korea.net

Jangseogak reopens

From Joseon royal library to global archive, Jangseogak reopens on July 5


The Jangseogak Archives which hold the time-honored royal records of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) will reopen on July 5 in a new building at the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province. This is the first time for Jangseogak to have its own building since its inception.

King Gojong attempted to establish a royal archive to house some 100,000 volumes of books scattered around various institutions around the nation, which included the annals of the past kings and other royal house-related records under the name of the “Imperial House Book Collection” in 1908. However, as Korea was forcibly annexed by Japan one year later in 1910, the project was abandoned.

In February 1911, a new government agency called “Iwangjik” was created by the Japanese colonial government and took over the management of the Imperial House Book Collection. In June of the same year, the library department of Iwangjik set up a library named “Iwangjik Jangseogak,” and was housed inside Changdeok Palace in 1915. All books held by the institution were relocated to this four-story building, located southeast of Nakseonjae in the palace. The library was named “Jangseogak” from 1918, when a wooden tablet bearing the name was hung on the front of the building. The Jangseogak collection was moved to Changgyeong Palace in 1936.
Then, the library was relocated permanently from the Cultural Heritage Administration to its present address in the AKS in 1981 but it still didn’t have its own building.


Since then, the library has performed the dual function of preserving and managing invaluable classical texts from the royal archives of the Joseon Kingdom and carrying out research on those texts in order to disseminate historical knowledge to a broader audience.
The records and documents stored in the Jangseogak archival collection deal with the full spectrum of activities of the royal court of the Joseon Kingdom, ranging from writings on the culture of the nobility and royal power to edicts and state policies.

The collection encompasses over 90,000 classical texts from the royal court, along with some 40,000 texts from the private sector.
Now, the collection has been moved to the new space and is ready to reopen with better preservation facilities. The construction of the new building began on April 6, 2009 and was completed in May this year with some 22.6 billion won in construction costs.



The reopening of Jangseogak is meant to recover its dignity as a royal library after it experienced the vicissitudes of Korean history.
Jangseogak is the second largest archive that houses royal documents after Gyujanggak. However, it is different from the latter in that it holds more private material which is a key factor to show the life and culture of the noble class beside the royal clans.

Since the 1990s, the academy has focused on collecting the private material from the Joseon noble clans nationwide and currently it holds some 40,000 texts. Private owners have donated ancient documents, which have been handed down from their ancestors to the archive in the hope that the material will be used for further research.




“We’re different from Gyujanggak because we have a large collection from the private sector. Although the royal documents are priceless, the private collection that displays the historical value of the then elite class through the old documents without filtering is as important as the royal manuscripts and we can study them from various perspectives,” Yi Wan-woo, director of the library, said in an interview with The Korea Times.

He pointed to the “Jijeong Jogyeok” (Zhizheng Tiaogeor Code of the Yuan Dynasty), the original copy which was recovered in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in 2002. Highly valuable as an academic resource and cultural property, it is also an important historical reference for an analysis of daily life and the study of the legal system, customs, and language of Joseon as well as Goryeo, under the influence of Yuan.



“The collection of Jijeong Jogyeok is the biggest achievement of our institution. Without our efforts to recover and preserve the private collection, such an invaluable asset might have been buried somewhere and remained unnoticed,” he said.

Along with the reopening of the library, the director said he will launch the “21st-Century Jangseogak Research Project” this year.
“If the construction of the new building of Jangseogak is the reinforcement of the hardware, this project will be the supplement of the software. This project will include finding ancient documents scattered around the world and ultimately lead to the establishment of a global archive by digitalizing them so that scholars researching Korean studies worldwide can have easier access to original content,” he said.

Along with the globalization of the digital archive, the academy will also make them familiar to the public for education and use them as other cultural sources.

For the project, Yi said that two billion won will be put into the project annually for the next five years, totaling up to some 10 billion won. “This is the largest project ever taken by our academy,” he said.

As mounting interest in Korean culture has been ignited from the K-pop boom in Europe, it is necessary to build up the basic resources of humanities studies and spiritual ground to maintain the trend.

“To share our products and solid roots of Korean traditional and historical culture with people, I hope we develop our studies and research,” he said.

Jangseogak collection

Uigwe

Registered as a UNESCO Memory of the World, the royal protocols document state rituals and proceedings of various events held at the royal court of the Joseon Kingdom. In beautiful bindings, colorful paintings, illustrations and calligraphy show the essence of the Joseon Royal Court’s culture. The archive includes “Gyeongmo Palace Uigwe” (The Royal Protocols of the Gyeongmo Palace Shrine) created in 1777-1800 as a handwritten manuscript and a series of uigwe records documenting protocols observed during rituals held in Gyeongmo Palace, a shrine dedicated to the memory of Prince Sado, during the reign of King Jeongjo.

Dongui Bogam

Listed as the UNESCO Memory of the World, “Dongui Bogam” (Principles and Practice of Eastern Medicine) is an encyclopedic medical book written in 1613 by a court physician, Heo Jun. It was published by the Medical Center for the Royal Family of the Joseon Kingdom. The academy currently holds 25 woodblock print volumes, along with its “hangeul” (Korean alphabet) script version. It was republished in Japan and China, during the 18th century and thereafter.

Royal genealogy of the Joseon Kingdom

The genealogical records of the Joseon Royal House are the main reference for the identification of the lineages of its kings and queens and their relatives, and the reconstruction of their family trees. Currently, 1,256 books on the genealogy of the Joseon Kingdom are found in the collection of Jangseogak. These include “Seonwollok” (Record of the Wellspring of Fine Jade) and the sole extant copy of “Donnyeong Bocheop” (Royal Genealogy of the Joseon Dynasty), “Seonwon Gyebo Giryak” (Royal Genealogy of the Joseon Kingdom) written in 1882-1897, “Jongbusi” (Office of the Clan Register) and genealogical records of Joseon rulers from King Taejo to King Sunjong, including King Taejo’s fourth to first-generation ancestors.


Kings’ writings and calligraphy

The writings and calligraphy by the kings offer special glimpses into the learning and scholarship of the past rulers of Joseon, and their literary and calligraphic taste and levels. “Yeolseongeopil” (Handwritings of Past Kings) in 1722-1723, Gyoseogan (Office of Editorial Review) edition, rubbings and an album of handwritings by 11 Joseon rulers, including King Munjong, King Sejo and King Sukjong, are the examples.

Code of the Yuan Dynasty

This is a code of law created in Yuan China during the reign of Emperor Zhizheng. The code of law was brought to Korea during the late Goryeo period and was used throughout the Joseon Kingdom, as a reference in legislative activities and diplomatic affairs. The copy in the collection of Jangseogak is currently the only surviving copy of this code of law in the world, and was discovered among old family documents of the head house of the Gyeongju Son Clan.


Classical novels in Hangeul

Classical novels in Hangeul, previously housed in Nakseonjae inside Changgyeong Palace, were the narrative genre widely read among court ladies. They often have a beautiful binding and are written in fine calligraphy. “Nakseongbiryong” (The Falling Star and the Flying Dragon) is a handwritten manuscript while a classical novel telling the epic account of the life of a Chinese hero, written in typical palace-style hangeul calligraphy are representative of the collection.

Source: Korea Times or http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2011/06/135_89485.html

Korea shares development knowledge through WFA program

Since 2009, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has been carrying out the “World Friend Advisors” (WFA) program as part of its comprehensive development assistance program, “World Friends Korea,” which integrates international cooperation projects from government organizations into one single group.

Under the WFA program, KOICA has been sending retired government officials and experts overseas to share their knowledge and experience with developing countries in order to contribute to economic and social development.

Last year, KOICA sent a total of 45 overseas for the WFA projects.

In the first half of 2011, KOICA selected 14 people to spend five days at KOICA’s training center in Yangjae in southern Seoul for training in international development cooperation, IT education, cultural understanding and adapting to local cultures.




After completing the education program, the participants will head to El Salvador, Tanzania, Mongolia, Ecuador, Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Bangladeshi, Rwanda to provide help and advice in various sectors, including education, agriculture, energy, urban development, forestry, vocational training, human resources management, election management, health and welfare and local development.

The members of the delegation include a former university professor, a retired doctor, a researcher, retired government officers and a former military officer.

In a June 12 interview with the Weekly Gonggam, published by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, delegation member Ahn Pyeong-guk, a retired officer of the National Election Commission, said he always wanted to share his knowledge with others.

Ahn said he was happy for the chance to go to Mongolia because he decided to share what he has with others in return for all that he has received as a citizen of Korea. In preparation, he has been studying English and Chinese.


Oriental medicine doctor Han Gyu-eon currently teaches at the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka through the WFA (Yonhap News)
Meanwhile, Yonhap News reported on June 14 that another WFA member, Oriental medicine doctor Han Gyu-eon, has been teaching medicine in Sri Lanka.

Han was firstly dispatched to Sri Lanka by the Korean government in 2004 and worked there for six years. After a short trip back home, he again headed to Sri Lanka in November last year and has been teaching acupuncture at the University of Colombo ever since.


During his first stay in Sri Lanka, Han taught acupuncture to more than 100 local doctors for six years while working at the Korean Clinic at the National Ayurvedic Teaching Hospital in Colombo. He also treated more than 120,000 patients.

Ayurveda is a traditional medical practice that originated in India. In Sri Lanka, a doctor’s license in Ayurveda requires six years of study, including a five-year university course and a one-year internship.

In a telephone interview with Yonhap, Han said Korean acupuncture is playing a “bridging role” between Korea and Sri Lanka, as more Sri Lankan government officials and local Ayuvedic doctors expand their understanding of acupuncture.

Source: Korea.net

Blow Away the Heat in Caves!

It was unusual that temperature in May recorded 28 degree in Celsius. It made us really worried about the coming summer. Well, it was right. Why don’t we go on a trip to a cool place? Where can be a better place rather than the ocean or a mountain that has many things to see and even has the freshness of early autumn?
Today we would like to proudly introduce the Korea’s beauty, Caves. There have been a lot geographical changes in this peninsula, which formed many magnificent sites in Korea. It might be a privilege for all of us in Korea to be able to enjoy it.
There are several kinds of caves. Limestone caves are formed by the rainwater which dissolves the limestone layer. Sea caves are formed by abrasion of the ocean wave. Lava caves are formed by lava flow. Artificial caves are formed on a specific purpose. There are more limestone caves and sea caves in Korea. Stalagmites, stalactites and stone pillars are so beautiful that more and more people keep visiting the caves. And this will guide you to explore the caves which are the gifts from the Mother Nature. Let’s take a look.


Korea’s only theme cave, Hwaam




(Source: Kookmin Ilbo)

Hwaam Cave located in Jeongsun, Gangwon-do is recognized as one of the great caves in Korea. It was listed in 1980 as the monument No. 33. Most of all, it is highly recognized for its beauty and it is also one of the eight beauties in Jeongsun, Gangwon-do. It is the only themed cave. The theme presents the ‘Meeting of the Gold and the Nature’. What makes it unique is that, Hwaam Cave has both coal mine and natural cave. To get to the starting point of the cave, you should take a shuttle train. You will truly feel the theme of the ‘Meeting of Gold and Nature’.
The tour length of Hwaam Cave is 1,803 meters and the tour takes approximately one and half hour. You can see some chapters in the cave. The chapters consist of ‘History’, ‘365 along with Gold Line’, ‘Wonderland’, ‘Gold world’, ‘Nature Wonder’. The cave was discovered while mining the gold, so there are many displays and exhibits inside are connected with Gold mine. You can see the times of mining gold and a gold vein. It is quite interesting to see gold bars. In addition, there are some displays showing various kinds of gold mines, the use of gold and the history of gold. It is already beyond the museum. For the children who easily get bored, there is a chapter of ‘Gold Ghost and Silver Ghost in Wonderland’ which are mascots of this cave. The Wonderland shows how to mine gold and make gold products from the children’s perspective. Actually, there are more family visitors in a cave tour.
You can also enjoy a geological beauty. Hundreds of stalactites hanging on the ceiling are spectacular. It looks like a curtain hung over the cave. It is not fair just to say “beautiful”, but it is natural to say “beyond the expression”.


Mystic geologic cave, Gosu




(Source: Newsis)

Many people said this Gosu Cave, located in Danyang, Chungcheongbuk-do, is genuinely the best of all. Because there are many beautiful rocks, stalagmites, stalactites and stone pillars.
Gosu cave made of limestone layers is listed No. 256 as a natural monument. There are various creatures by the cave, which has high academic value. It is 1,200 meters long. However travelers have an access only to 600 meters inside for environmental conservation.
However, once you enter, you will definitely be amazed. It is so beautiful that you won’t be disappointed at not seeing the whole cave. Stalactites and stalagmites which grown up and down for a long period of time finally has become the limestone pillars. With that, you will feel the eternity of time.
The ‘Gom Bawi (Bear rock)’ that looks like a roaring bear is a mystic nature itself which makes you keep looking at it. ‘Cheondang SeongByeok (the Wall of the Castle of Heaven)’ has beautiful stalactites, which are very popular among many travelers who want to take a picture of them. In fact, it is very amazing to know that it takes 5 years and even 10 years for stalactites to grow up to 1 cm. Gosu Cave is made 5.4 million years ago. Once again, you can feel the eternity of time. During the journey, you will see a rock called a statue of the Virgin Mary. The rock looks like the Virgin Mary holding hands, kneeling and praying.
Before you go to Gosu Cave, there are several things you should remember. As the entrance road is very narrow, you have to be careful. A pathway inside of the cave is very narrow and steep. It is also very humid, so you might feel as if you were in the rain. It has 95 percent to 97 percent humidity, so that you’d better prepare the raincoat.


Hwanseon Cave, the undiscovered jewel in Asia




(Source: Yonhap News Agency)

“The largest limestones cave in Asia”. With this one sentence, we can recognize the magnificent status of Hwanseon Cave.
Hwanseon cave is located in Dei-ri, Samcheok, Gwangwon-do. Dei-ri means big ears. There are six caves in Dei-ri region. Only two caves, Daegeum Cave and Hwanseon cave, are open to travelers.
It takes long time to get to Hwanseon Cave. For this, they equipped mono rail for visitors, which used to take 30~ 40 minutes on foot. If you want to take a breath of mountain, walking is also recommended.
Hwanseon Cave is much bigger than any other caves. It has many valleys like small falls here and there uplifting a very unique atmosphere. Cave coral is the most popular place. It is hard to find anywhere in the world, so that many foreigners visit the Cave. There is an English information sign. Cave coral grows up on the wall where water comes out. Cave coral is also called Cave Popcorn since it has a similar look. Many people capture the splendid scenery that looks like a King’s throne. We hope you to take a close look at this throne.
The cave is good for travel in both summer and winter. Cool in summer, warm in winter. How about watching magnificent view and relaxing your mind in cave tour during the summer that made us tired and stressed?

Animals in Korean folklore

Animals are more than just creatures of the forests, fields and mountains. They have a long an important symbolic connection to the land and the people of that land, and they have a prominent place in Korean folklore.


tiger
Even Korea’s most prominent creation myth gives animals a central role. According to legend, the lord of heaven, Hwanin, sent his son, Hwanung, to earth to teach humans laws, agriculture, and other skills. Hwanung was approached by a bear and a tiger who both wished to become humans. He told them that if they wanted to turn into humans, they would have to sequester themselves in a cave for 100 days, staying out of the sunlight and eating only garlic and mugwort. The tiger gave up and left, but the bear did as told and was turned into a human woman, who then married Hwanung and gave birth to his son, Dangun. Dangun later became king. The legend probably stems from the totem animals of different Korean tribes.

Tigers show up a lot in Korean folklore, sometimes as dangerous and terrifying figures but also as foolish or funny animals. In the story of how the sun and moon came to be, a tiger eats the mother of two children, then tries to trick the children into letting the tiger inside their house. The two children climb up a tree and then are rescued by a magical rope that descends from the heavens, where they turn into the sun and moon. The tiger tries to follow them, but the rope breaks and the tiger falls to its death.

Another story is about a very hungry tiger who eavesdrops on a woman and her baby. The young mother kept telling her baby to be quiet, saying that many dangerous animals were outside the house, but the baby kept crying. First the mother says “There’s a bear!” Next she says, “There’s a tiger!” Finally, she says “Fine! Here’s a persimmon!” The tiger, not knowing what a persimmon was, thought it was something even more dangerous than itself, and ran away frightened.



Foxes are also popular animals in Korean stories, especially magical foxes like the gumiho. The gumiho is a legendary fox with many tails (usually nine.) The gumiho can change its shape, and often turns into a beautiful woman to try and seduce men so it can eat its favorite snack – human livers!

Koreans have special sayings about magpies. Supposedly, if a magpie sits on the roof of your house in the morning and sings, you’ll be visited by a good friend. If the magpie comes in the afternoon, it won’t be a friend who visits, but they will eat a lot! The most dangerous is when magpies visit at night, which means a thief will come.



Rabbits are often seen as clever, trickster animals. One of Korea’s pansori songs is about a dragon king who lives under the sea. The dragon king fell ill, and was told that he needed to eat a rabbit liver if he wanted to live, so he sent out one of his turtle minions to go bring one back. The turtle found a rabbit, and tricked it into coming with him by promising he would live in a beautiful palace under the sea. When the rabbit figures out what the turtle really intends, he lies and says he left his liver back in the forest. The turtle turns around and takes the rabbit back to get the liver, and the rabbit runs away to safety.

Source : The Korea Blog