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226. Chuncheon Mime Festival to Open in May 27
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Author : U.E.C.
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 The entertainment of body motions, 2007 Chuncheon Mime Festival, is to be held from the 27th to June 3rd at Chuncheon¡¯s Mime House, Bomnae Theater, and Goseumdochi Island.
This year will be its 19th festival under the theme of ¡®New Circus¡¯, and over 80 mime theatrical companies and groups will be attending including 10 from abroad and 13 from Korea, in order to present a colorful display of body language.
Also, there will be open-air markets including ¡®Asura¡¯s Grounds¡¯, ¡®Crazy Friday¡¯, a goblin market, an artist¡¯s flea market, Lee Oi-Soo¡¯s Muajigyeong, and goblin train programs. An academic event and Russia¡¯s innovative performance group, ¡®Derebo¡¯, will be invited to open up a workshop in order to get a look at Australia¡¯s performing arts of the present and the future.
Accompanying events awaiting visitors will include mascot drawing, a 3-category circus competition, goblin mask-making, nature learning, a mime desire yard, a mime time capsule, a mine post office, ceramics making, ¡®A Tree and Friends¡¯, and balloon art.
A Chunchun Mime Festival correspondent stated, ¡°This a combination of performances and an open-air market representing Asia that goes hand-in-hand with the International France Mime Festival and England¡¯s London Mime Festival.¡± He continued by saying, ¡°We will develop this festival to become Korea¡¯s representative festival for all ages to enjoy.¡±
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Monday, 28 May 2007, at 12:40 pm
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225. Midsummer Night's Dream to Open from June 15
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Author : U.E.C.
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 Finally, a chance for foreigners in Seoul to enjoy local theaters.
The theatre company Yohangza presents a Korean take on Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream." The play will be performed at Arko Arts Theatre next month from June 15- July 8 with English supertitles.
Although English or Japanese supertitles are not uncommon for Korean musicals like "The Last Empress" or performances like "Nanta,¡± this is the first time for a local drama theater to provide foreign supertitles on its own.
"The supertitled performance will be given every Friday, Saturday and Sunday,¡± Lee Soo-yeon at the promotion division of the theatre said in a telephone interview with Korea.net Friday (May 18). "We chose Shakespeare's play as it has already gained a wide understanding by international audiences."
In the play, the king and queen of fairies, Oberon and Titania, appear as the king and queen of "Tokkebi" (Korean goblins known for their harmless pranks on humans). Moreover, the couple reverse roles in the Korean version: Instead of the king tricking his queen into falling in love with donkey-headed Bottom, the queen tricks the king into falling in love with a country woman searching for sansam (wild Korean ginseng) on a mountain. The Puck character also appears as twins in this tale.
"The costumes reflect not just Korean but Chinese and Japanese designs as well, reflecting Asian values as a whole," Lee added.
The play has already established a reputation abroad having attracted over 70,000 viewers on tour in 38 cities in 11 nations since first taking off in 2002. It won standing ovations at the 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, followed by praises at the London Barbican Center, the Sydney Festival and the Hong Kong Arts Festival the following years. The writer/director of Yohangza Yang Jung-ung also won Best Production at the Cairo International Festival of Experimental Theater in 2003 and Korea's Best Young Playwright of the Year Award.
The theatre plans to make active promotion of their plays at various foreign cultural centers, embassies, hotels and foreign magazines in Korea.
Arko Arts Theatre
Preview Friday, June 15/ June 15 (Friday) ~July 8 (Sunday), Mondays Off
Tuesday ~Friday 8pm, Saturday 4pm/8pm, Sunday 4pm
Performed in Korean with English supertitles on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Tickets: Interpark 1544-1555 interpark.com / sati.or.kr /artstheater.arko.or.kr
Inquiry: 02-3673-5580 (Korean) 010-6474-6582 (English)
For more information please refer to: http://www.yohangza.com/
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Article courtesy of Korea.net
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Friday, 25 May 2007, at 10:34 am
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224. From 'Mild' to 'Hot,' Find the Kimchi Just Right for You
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Author : U.E.C.
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 Korea's signature spicy pickled vegetable dish kimchi is already popular in China and Japan and gaining global recognition thanks to its nutritional benefits. But some would-be consumers, Korean children and patients as well as foreigners, have problems selecting a kimchi just right for their tastes and needs.
With over 30 kinds of kimchi on the market, consumers find it hard to choose which one suits their tastes without opening the package.
But in the near future, consumers can buy the kimchi right for them, thanks to a kimchi flavor system developed by the Korean government.
Created by the Korea Food Research Institute and commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, the kimchi taste level system announced Sunday (May 20) indicates a manufactured kimchi product's level of spiciness and fermentation. According to the institute¡¯s system, each kimchi product will be labeled as ¡°mild,¡± ¡°slightly hot,¡± ¡°moderate hot,¡± ¡°very hot¡± or ¡°extremely hot" to indicate spiciness. It will be also classified as "non-fermented," "moderate fermented" or "over-fermented," based on the level of fermentation.
Food experts predict that consumers will quickly zero in on the kimchi suitable to their tastes once the system is in full use in one or two years.
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Article courtesy of Korea.net
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Wednesday, 23 May 2007, at 11:06 am
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223. Changgyeonggung, Free Traditional Tea Etiquette Event
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Author : U.E.C.
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 Yeongchunheon was the dwelling place of King Jeong-Jo at Changgyeonggung Palace, where he learned the significance of showing the most utmost respect and obedience for his mother, Hyegyeonggung Hongssi. Also, it was a place where beginners were able to experience traditional tea etiquettes, and now is the location for the Traditional Tea Etiquette Event until October 20 on the first and third Saturdays of each month.
Changgyeonggung Palace¡¯s Yeongchunheon today stands as a great symbol of filial piety, being where King Jeong-Jo studied ethics and showed the utmost obedience to his mother, Hyegyeonggung Homshi. This place now serves as a place of tea etiquette training for children, as well as foreigners, symbolized in history for filial piety, etiquette, and virtue.
The Traditional Tea Etiquette Event will give the opportunity to experience a variety of etiquette lessons in ancestor-memorial services, wearing a Hanbok (traditional Korean clothing), and bowing. Traditional tea drinking ways will be taught as well, along with other tea-related events.
Beginning this year, a Dasik(a kind of pattern-pressed candy) making experience will be opening with the tea etiquette event, which makes for a lovely coupling as they go well together.
[Detailed Information]
€·Event Title: Tea Etiquette Experience
€·Event Period: April 7, 2007~October 20 (First & Third Saturdays of every month 14:00 / 15:30)
€·Event Location: Yeongchunheon·Jibbokheon (where Jeong-Jo resided) inside Changgyeonggung Palace
€·Event Information
- Filial piety, tea culture understanding and basic etiquettes
- Tea etiquette training (tea ceremony training)
- Dasik making
€·Participation Fees: Free (Just need to pay for the entrance fee in to Changgyeonggung Palace)
€·How to Participate: E:mail koreatea@unitel.co.kr
€·Information Needed in the E-mail:
1.Name 2.Nationality 3.Telephone Number
4.Number of Participants 5.Preferred Date of Attendance
6.Necessary Translation (English/Japanese/Chinese) Requests
[Related Article] Changgyeonggung Royal Birthday Ceremony Reenactment
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Friday, 18 May 2007, at 10:55 am
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222. Changgyeonggung Royal Birthday Ceremony Reenactment
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Author : U.E.C.
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 How did they celebrate the birthday of a king, queen, or a Royal family member during the Joseon period?
On May 13, 2:00pm, the Foundation for the Preservation of Cultural Properties, Korea held a reenactment of Joseon¡¯s 21st King Yeong-Jo¡¯s 50th birthday ceremony, ¡ºBirthday Ceremony of a Joseon King ¡», at Changgyeonggung Palace¡¯s Myeongjeongjeon Hall.
With the support of Korea¡¯s Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Cultural Heritage Administration, encores will take place at 2:00pm every Sunday until September 30. The reenactment follows records of King Yeong-Jo¡¯s birthday ceremony dated September 16, 1743, taken place at Changgyeonggung Palace¡¯s Myeongjeongjeon Hall.
The palace ceremony consisted of a huge collection of guests and there was a congratulatory ceremony by officials, an offering of alcohol by the crowned prince, a traditional dance performed by the Royal Court, and an escorting of the king by soldiers.
The reenactment¡¯s main feature is the Royal Court¡¯s dance performance in the order of Hyangbal-mu, Cheoyong-mu, Cheongseonggok, Abak-mu, Unrak, and Mugo-mu. Tourists will get their fill of the charming palace clothing and colors with attendees such as the king, crowned prince, and military officials from Joseon¡¯s ancient palace times
This ceremony is a great experience for anyone wanting to attend, whether you¡¯re a child, or a foreigner wanting to witness the cultures of a Royal family household.
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Wednesday, 16 May 2007, at 10:53 am
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221. Outdoor Festivals Peaking in May
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Author : U.E.C.
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 There seems to be no end to festivities in May, adding even more to the month's naturally sunny mood.
Cheonggyecheon Plaza has its own open, free festival throughout May, sustaining the fervor of Hi Seoul Festival 2007 which ended last weekend.
This Saturday and Sunday (May 12 -13) from 10 a.m. the plaza will exhibit some 400 potted flowers, attesting to the fact that the spring has fully sprung. Also on Sunday there will be a painting competition, face painting, balloon event starting at 2 p.m. and a speed-walking race at 4 p.m.
On the following Saturday (May 19), there will be a Funny Band Show, magic performance, singing contest and cheer leader practice, respectively, starting from 2 p.m.
For night time fun, there's also the large lantern parade down Jongno in central Seoul to honor Buddha's Birthday: the parade of lanterns starts at Dongdaemun Stadium at 7:30 p.m. and winds up in front of Jogyesa Temple at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 20.
On Thursday (May 24), during the holiday to celebrate Buddha's Birthday, people will be greeted by another culture festival; an electric string quartet performance at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
A fusion gukak (Korean traditional music) concert will highlight the end of the Cheonggyechen festival on the final weekend of May. The Saturday (May 26) festival will begin at 1 p.m. with gut (shaman ritual) performance by college students followed by a fusion gukak performance at 6 p.m. Sunday (May 27) will start with police band music followed by an encore fusion gukak performance at 2 p.m. A percussion performance and dramas will entertain young viewers from 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan has set up its own outdoor festivals to lure more visitors: On Saturday (May 12) a Taekwondo dance and children's song performance will be featured at 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. outside the museum.
The following Thursday (May 24) will feature Korean Buddhist dances such as seungmoo to commemorate the birth of Buddha twice at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
The tight rope walking performance of living human treasure Kim Dae-gyun will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday (May 27).
Article courtesy of Korea.net
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Tuesday, 15 May 2007, at 11:10 am
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220. Drink & Be Happy - Korean Traditional Liquor Festival
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Author : U.E.C.
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 Be happy, alcohol lovers, it's liquor festival this week.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will host traditional liquor festival "Meeting with Traditional Liquor and Food 2007: A Festival of Korean Flavor and Fragrance of 5000 Years" at the Namsan Hanok Village in Pil-dong, near Chungmuro, in downtown Seoul on Thursday and Friday (May 10-11) from 10 a.m. -6 p.m.
A total 248 kinds of traditional liquor will be presented at the event under five themes: Beauty (good complexion etc.,), Circle (healthy blood circulation), Power (stamina drinks), Sleep (for those needing rest), and Noble (special drinks for past kings and the nobility).
The festival will present 100 kinds of home-made liquor, another 100 kinds of farmer's liquor and 48 kinds of rare liquors specially brewed by traditional liquor experts in Korea designated as living national treasures.
Also appearing at the festival will be 364 kinds of traditional food composed mainly of side dishes that go well with each drink. For those who drink too much, nearly 100 kinds of hangover remedies like haejangguk (broth) and haejangtteok (rice cake) will also be available.
"The purpose of this festival is to recover and globalize our traditional food and drink that has remained forgotten for a long time." Kim Young-man, Manager of the Agro-Fisheries Trading Division at the agriculture ministry said, adding this is the fist time the various traditional liquors and side dishes have been presented in one place.
The ministry has already extended invitations to the foreign community through embassies, chambers of commerce, culture centers, businesses and press clubs.
Visitors can sample over 100 kinds of liquor and some 20 kinds of traditional dishes all for free. They will also be encouraged to brew traditional liquor themselves as well as make royal rice cakes and traditional cocktails and stomp on yeast. Admission is also free.
Meanwhile Kim also pointed out the successful marketing of Korean traditional liquor could also help local farmers cope with the shock of market opening due to free trade agreements and other World Trade Organization measures. He stressed that he would continue to promote Korean food culture abroad by holding an agriculture show this fall and produce a documentary piece on Korean cuisine for the National Geographic Channel later on.
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Article courtesy of Korea.net
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Thursday, 10 May 2007, at 9:49 am
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219. Enjoy Your Summer with Hodo Bikini Party
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Author : U.E.C.
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 For summer fun, visit Hodo Island near the city of Boryeong and enjoy the Hodo Bikini Party, the latest edition to the annual Boryeong Mud Festival, which runs for a week from July 14-18. Visitors to the festival can enjoy all kinds of events, including music, sliding on mud-covered slides and drinking cocktails on Hodo Island¡¯s white-sand beach.
The Hodo Bikini Party, which starts every night after sunset, will feature a world famous DJ who will get you into the party groove with hundreds of other revelers. 2007 marks the first year visitors have been invited to the secluded island of Hodo, and the event is guaranteed not to disappoint.
Direct transportation from Seoul to Daecheon Port will be made available to participants. Those departing from Seoul will join the Boryeong Mud Festival during the day and then take a ferry to Hodo Island for the all-night beach party. Accommodation will be provided to guests who make reservations.
How to get there:
* Take a train from Yongsan Station ¡æ Daecheon ¡æ Take a shuttle bus to Daecheon Ferry Terminal ¡æ Take a Ferry to Hodo Island
* Take a shuttle bus from Exit 4 of Jongno Station ¡æ Daecheon Port ¡æ Transfer to ferry to Hodo Island
(Train: 11,500 won, Ferry: 9,500, Shuttle Bus: 35,000 won)
Detailed Info:
Tel: +82-6900-9194~8 (Korean, English, Japanese / Hodo Tour)
E-mail: info@tiktourservice.com, lisa@tiktourservice.com
Homepage: www.tiktourservice.com
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Thursday, 10 May 2007, at 9:47 am
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218. Come Learn Korean During Summer Break
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Author : U.E.C.
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 Korean universities are offering a wide variety of programs giving foreigners a chance to experience the Korea during the summer. Yonsei University and Korea University, in particular, have been offering Taekwondo (Korean martial arts), classes in cooking Korean food, internships, and other opportunities for foreigners to experience the Korean culture first hand, rather than only suggesting the regular Korean language classes. These programs are attracting the interests of foreign students to experience Korea as a whole, while spending a fulfilling and productive summer.
The 2007 International Summer Campus program, for Korea University, is six weeks long from July 3 to August 9, and classes are taught four times a week from Mondays to Thursdays. Classes that are offered aside of beginning, intermediate, and advanced Korean are Korean Cinema and Visual Culture, Korean Economy and Business in the Globalizing World, Modern History of Korea, and other areas of studies related to Korea in political science, business administration, and international relations. Students are allowed to choose up to a total of three classes to attend for the summer program.
The registration deadline is Thursday, May 31, and the homepage for the International Studies Department is http://iie.korea.ac.kr. After opening the website, fill out an application form by going to Registration => International Student => Application Form.
E-mail contact : iie@korea.ac.kr
Inquiries by Telephone: 82-2-3290-1595/6
For a Detailed List of Courses and Syllabi, click here.
If you would like additional information, please click on the following link.
International tudies Department Homepage
Yonsei University¡¯s summer program is from June 27 to July 31. Not only do you learn Korean through this program, but students are also given the opportunity to experience Korea of the past and present, personally, by attending an optional field trip to Yong-in Korean Folk Village, Kyungju, and Ulsan Hyundai Motors Factory. After the morning Korean classes, electives such as Taekwondo, Oriental Painting, Korean pottery, and Korean cooking classes are being offered, just to name a few. Korean classes are held 5 days a week (Monday – Friday 9:00am to 1:00pm) for 5 weeks (a total of 100 class hours).
The registration deadline is Tuesday, May 15.
E-mail : stop@yonsei.ac.kr
[Schedule]
If you would like additional information, please click on the following link.
Yonsei
University Korean Language Institute
Other universities offering Korean summer programs are: Sungkyunkwan University (August 2 – August 23) with the registration deadline on July 25; and Hanyang University with their summer program lasting from June 11 to August 21.
¡æ Go to the Sungkyunkwan University
¡æ Go to the Hanyang University International Language Institute (Seoul)
¡æ For more information on the Korean Language Study Programs
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Monday, 7 May 2007, at 8:28 am
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217. A World Nat'l Heritage as an Int'l Tourism Treasure
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Author : U.E.C.
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 Korea Tourism Organization (President, Kim Jong-Min) is in the midst of actively promoting a World National Heritage as an International Tourism Treasure. KTO has recently developed a travel package including the Jongmyo Royal Ancestral Rite (registered in UNESCO¡¯s 2001 World National Heritage listing) visit, which will start on May 6, to attract foreign tourists.
The Kinki-Nihon Tourist (a contracted public corporation and M.O.U. as of last year) is planning to include the recently opened Sukjeongmun gate, and Cheonggyecheon stream, Seoul¡¯s tourist attraction of beauty, in their Jongmyo Religious Ceremony Tour. This tour is estimated to attract a total of 1,000 Japanese tourists.
The Jongmyo Royal Ancestrol Rite performed at the World Cultural Heritage of Jongmyo, existing as Asia¡¯s sole Royal Shrine, has found a sense of significance as an intangible cultural asset. Also, this is an opportunity to witness the Confucianism culture at its finest. This event comes only once a year, and is rated very highly due to the rare opportunity to witness the authentic beauty and art of the Jongmyo Royal Ancestral Rite rituals.
KTO believes that this is a great opportunity to show Korea¡¯s expansion and development over the recent years and yet still able to preserve some Confucian values of loyalty and filial piety. KTO is not only planning to emphasize Jongmyo¡¯s ceremony to the influential foreign media, but is also planning to include Changdeokgung Palace, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, Seokguram Grotto, and Bulguksa Temple as well in order to promote the tour as ¡°Korea¡¯s World Cultural Heritage¡±.
A development that is underway is a brand name called 'Han Style', which features the culture of the Royal family household through traditional Korean-style houses (Hanoks), Korean-style food (Hansik), the Korean alphabet (Hangeul) and Korean music. This promotion is receiving a lot of attention since it is about the Korean Royal Court. In addition, they are also planning to register the Gangneung Dano Festival (an International Intangible Cultural Asset) as a World Cultural Heritage Treasure.
KTO officials stated, ¡°In order to keep the preservation of our World Cultural Heritages and attract more attention, we are putting forth more efforts to prevent any problems that may occur through the developments that are taking place through conferences with the Cultural Properties Administration.¡±
¡æ For more information on the Jongmyo Daeje Royal Ancestral Rites
¡æ For more information on the Jongmyo Shrine
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Thursday, 3 May 2007, at 9:02 am
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