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Hanbok (Traditional Clothing) |
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 Hanbok
is a comprehensive term used to describe Korean traditional clothing.
The most notable features of hanbok are the lines. Women wear an elegant
combination of a short jacket and long skirt while men wear loose trousers,
a jacket and a vest, all beneath an outer coat.The color, material and manner
of wearing hanbok differ according to the season and social status of the
wearer. Of late, hanbok design has been adapted to better suit modern living. |
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Kimchi |
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 < www.kimchi.or.kr >
A pungent, fermented condiment generally made of cabbage or radish and seasoned
with salt, garlic, red peppers, ginger and other ingredients, kimchi is
found at virtually every meal served in Korea. Kimchi is low in calories
and cholesterol and very high in fiber. Kimchi comes in a variety of types
ranging from delicately flavored versions to hearty stuffed cucumber kimchi.
To Koreans, any sumptuous meal is meaningless without kimchi. Kimchi contains
high levels of protein, calcium and iron that are derived mainly from the
seafood such as oysters, squid, shrimps and anchovies that are used for
flavoring. |
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Bulgogi |
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 Another
food that Korea is famous for is bulgogi. Usually translated as “Korean
barbecue,” the term literally means “fire meat.” Beef and pork are most
often identified with bulgogi. Whereas kimchi is served at virtually every
meal, bulgogi is usually a treat that Korean hosts enjoy sharing with foreign
visitors. Bulgogi tastes best when it is cooked on a pan that is placed
over a charcoal grill or gas range. |
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Bulguksa Temple |
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 < www.bulguksa.or.kr >
Bulguksa Temple is one of Korea’s best known temples, a testimony to both
the skill of Silla architects and the depth of Buddish faith at the time.
While most of the wooden buildings have been rebuilt over the centuries,
all the stone
bridges, trairways and pagodas are original. |
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Seokguram Grotto |
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 < www.ocp.go.kr >
Seokguram Grotto is one of the world’s finest Bugghist shrines, dating back
to the same period as Bulguksa Temple. Surrounded by Bodhisattvas and guardian
deities, the serene central statue of Buddha gazes out over the forested
hills and across the East Sea to the horizon. The carving of the granite
dome of Seokguram was a truly amazing architectural feat.
In 1995, Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto were added to UNESCO’s prestigious
World Cultural Heritage List. (Located at the edge of Mt.Tohamsan, Jinhyeon-dong,
Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do) |
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Taekwondo |
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 < www.koreataekwondo.org >
Korea’s traditional martial art taekwondo is a form of wholesome exercise
that has taken its place as a recognized sport in worldwide competitions.
But taekwondo is more than just a sport. It is also a performing art infused
with the Korean spirit. The artistic beauty is both stable and dynamic.
Stability is expressed in the contemplation that forms the mental component
of taekwondo training with its emphasis on stillness in repose. More so
than other sports or martial arts, the movement style of taekwondo places
mental cultivation above physical skill. It has less to do with offense
and defense than with the unity of mind and body that arises from the movement
itself.
When the body moves in union with the mind, we experience stillness in motionand
movement at rest. Within this movement lies a mind in repose.
Dynamism is the beauty that is manifested in movement. As movement of the
body expresses the thoughts of the mind, taekwondo is founded on the same
principle as dance.
The taekwondo uniform consists of a white jacket and pants tied with a belt.
The belt is an important part of the uniform and comes in five colors indicating
levels of achievement: white, yellow, blue, red, and black. Worn in different
variations, it forms a large tie-string for the pants.
The dynamic element in the technique of taekwondo lies in the basic movements
of the hands and feet. The fist and limbs are used in blocking, punching,
thrusting, and chopping, and the feet in kicking, each with various stance
postures.
Skill in taekwondo is measured by a grading system in which the learner
progresses from an ungraded beginner to a grade holder and then a holder
of a dan, or level of accomplishment. The grades are counted in reverse
from 10th grade (the lowest) to 1st grade (the highest), while the dan progress
from level 1 to level 9. The terms dan and dan holder are applied only to
competitors aged fifteen or older, while for younger students who have reached
the requisite level, the term pum is used instead. |
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Korea Insam (Ginseng) |
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 < www.insam.or.kr >
Ginseng is a root vegetable whose shape resembles the human body, and its
name (pronounced “insam ”in Korean) contains the Chinese characters for
“man.” Korean ginseng is also known by the names of Korea’s last two royal
dynasties: Goryeo and Joseon. Its scientific name is “Panax Ginseng C.A.
Meyer,” panax being a composite term formed from the Greek words pan (all)and
axos (medicine), which also give us the English word “panacea" .” Although
Korean ginseng belongs to the same botanical genus as the product grown
in Japan, China, the U.S., and Russia, substantial differences in quality
and efficacy have branded Korean ginseng as the best in the world. |
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Talchum |
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 The
masked dance drama that was popular during the Joseon period (1392~1910)
undoubtedly represents the pinnacle of Korean vernacular culture. As its
Korean name, talchum, implies, it is a form of play or dance (chum) performed
while wearing masks (tal). It is also a way of releasing pent-up frustrations
while concealing one’s identity behind a mask. By dressing up as a nobleman
or shaman, a wife or concubine, or a servant, the common people would find
fun in the tense situations of real life. As a result, there was no need
for professional actors like those of China or Japan. Masked dance dramas
are also quite different from the masked plays of other countries, which
make a clear distinction between the stage and the auditorium, as they are
open-air events in which performers and spectators mingle freely together.
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World Class Artists |
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 Paik
Nam June has led the world in pioneering the new medium of video
art. Since making his first work out of television sets in 1963, he has
held numerous exhibitions in New York, Switzerland, and Germany as well
as Korea, and has won critical acclaim for his creation of a new artistic
genre. In 1977 he presented his satellite television show, Good Morning
Mr. Orwell, and in 1993 he won the Golden Lion Prize at the Venice Biennale.
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In the field of music, composer Yun Yi Sang
has created numerous masterpieces including his opera Sim Cheong, composed
in celebration of the 1972 Munich Olympics; The Butterfly ’s Dream, composed
in prison; and Gwangju Forever, composed as the theme of the Gwangju Democratization
Movement of 1980.
Violinist Chung Kyung-Wha invariably captivates her
audiences with the explosive power and intensity of her performances,
and has been judged a once-in-a-century rare talent. The finest orchestras
of the world vie with each other to attract this outstanding Korean musician
as a concerto soloist. |
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 Chung
Myung-Whun ranks among the top maestros in the world. Though
he started out as a pianist, he became the principal conductor of the
Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra and went on to assume the role of resident
conductor for the Paris Bastille Opera.He has won the prestigious title
of maestro even in the home of Western classical music, Europe.
Violin prodigy Jang Young-Ju won the hearts of audiences
all over the world when she appeared as a soloist with top orchestras
after being singled out by conductor Zubin Mehta at the age of 9. Through
the dazzling successes of these brilliant artists at home and abroad,Korea
has begun to be recognized internationally as a land of art and culture. |
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