korea travelpost

korean Artist Injoo Kang Fountain Art Fair(Exhibition)New York & Hong Kong Exhibition

2016-01-08T23:00:00.001-08:00

자신의 작품을 전시회를 한번 하기도 힘든다는데 강인주 화가는 매년 서울과 부산의 갤러리에서 1년에 한번씩 작품들을 시민들에게 볼수있는 기회를 제공해왔다. 그동안 수많은 작품들을 애호가들에게 보여 큰 호응을 얻는 국내 중견작가이다. 금년에도 프랑스등 국내외 몇개국에서 전시회를 가졌으며 이번 10월에는 서울, 미국, 홍콩 3개국 도시에서 동시에 작품전을 열고있다. 국내 전시 한번 하는 것도 힘든다는데 같은 일정으로 서울 코엑스와 미국 뉴욕 그리고 홍콩에서 동시에 열린다. 서울 코엑스COEX 전시회 2013년 10월 3일 -7일까지 KIAF/13 (공평아트센터) Hall A & B COEX Booth No.A-12 korean Artist In -joo Kang Fountain Art Fair(Exhibition)New York 2013 America Exhibition Affordable Art Fair New York city Fall 2013 2013 OCT.4 - 6 The Tunnel, Cheist 269 11th ave. New York. NY Hong kong Exhibition 2013 oct.4 - 6 * Asia Contemporary Art Show ( k&P갤러리) Room No.2808 JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong Pacific Place 27th - 30th Floors Artist Note (Kang, In -joo Kang) His knife is more delicate and precise than brush. Unique and natural touch is outstanding . The overlapped matiere radiates the material nature and depth of life. He approaches to the artwork with sharp kinfe as if arranging the up and down in the life. Artist In -joo Kang profile * graduated in occidental Painting , Hongik University in Korean *21 private exhibitions ( Seoul,Busan, Jinju in Korea and France) * Janpan salon Blanc Art exhibition ,2012 * St. Petersburg Exhibition 2011 Moscow, Russia) *kingston Invitation Exhibit 2012 ( England ) * Dijon individual invitation Exhibition 2012 ( France ) * The special Exhibition for the 8th Anniversary of the opening of the Acheon Art Gallery,2010 *Invitation Exhibit for the 17 year Anniversary of korea- China Amity 2009 ( Sangsang Gallery , Beijing) * The National Museum of Moden Art, Mongolia Special Exhibition ,2009 * Italy Sketch Exhibition for 26th birthday of the Art world ( The K Gallery) * Seoul Mordern art Show ( Yanggae Art center) * Present ; Korean Fine Arts Association , Seoul Fine Arts Association, Hanmonghoe , Ssiolhoe Contact Address : Gang in-joo arti. Samjeong- dong 657-11 , Gimhae-si , Kyeongnam-do , South Korea Phone : + 82-55-322-7478 Mobile : + 82-11-841-4812 E-mail : nife4812@naver.com

Artist Inju Kang in korea

2016-01-08T22:44:00.001-08:00

Artist Inju Kang Nature's wonder created by the tip of a painting knife Kang's works to be shown in prestigious international exhibitions 45 years of passion in western painting Layers and layers of matiere to express nature's wonder Born in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, Korea, artist Kang showed a great talent in painting since he was a little boy and he eventually majored in western painting at Hongik University (the top art university in Korea). But it was when he was discharged from military service that he started to develop his unique style and he has walked this single path for the last 45 years. The Korean art market was dominated by oriental painting due to its familiar application to folding screens and fans around the time Kang started western painting. Thanks to its unpopularity of the genre, Kang often had to exhibit his works at coffee shops and had to walk around the town to sell his paintings to medical doctors or had to work as a petty construction worker to feed his family. But he never lost his passion in painting. Kang's works are unique in a way that the style lies somewhere between representational and abstract but with profound color and texture expressed by the tip of a painting knife. His masterpiece 'The Sounds' for example is created with layers and layers of matiere and delicate color yet it shows powerful moments sequentially. One might cannot help but feel awed while appreciating the work. Developing unique style with a painting knife The artist of the age who's passion is in nothing but art Kang said "One day, I climbed a mountain, saw the sky and bowed my head down to the earth and found a wild flower. I felt that the flower was saying to me "I've been waiting for you in full bloom for a long time but what took you so long?". I went back to my studio starting painting in ernest." But instead of using a brush, Kang took a painting knife as the tool to express himself. Since his first solo exhibition in 1984, Kang has held 26 solo exhibitions including Lotte Department Store Art Hall, Seoul Kyungin Museum of Fine Art, Dijon Almari Gallery, New York Contact Gallery and participated in numerous international exhibitions including Moscow Saint Petersburg Exhibition, the UK Kingston Invitation Exhibition, New York Affordable Art Fair and Hong Kong Asia Contemporary Art Show. Saint Petersburg Exhibition in particular was participated by 50 artists but Kang was the sole artist who sold his work. As Kang was receiving more and more attention in art world, many people and organizations have asked Kang to start to give lectures but he has only focused on creating his own works. This might be one of the reasons that there have been an increasing number of people who wish to buy one of Kang's works. Unprecedented and unique, Kang's works are highly praised by the people who say that they cannot buy other works once possessing one of his works. "I want to create works that give the voice of nature" Continuous participation in international art fair Kang gave the name 'The Sound' to his showpiece because he feels that the painting delivers the sound of nature. Kang said "We had better live in harmony with nature and listen to the sound that cures one's wound. I just want to help them to hear it through my works." For this reason, Kang never sets a price for his works but the value is for the appreciator to decide. Kang continued "Artist is the hero of audience. Many people prefer to see beautiful mountains in four seasons but I think artists should rather be a lake that can give tranquility and rest." Kang is rather doubtful about the current trend of abstractionism because the important thing is one's own story but not a trend. Meanwhile, in order to broaden his way of communication with people, Kang is planning to participate in as many international exhibitions and art fair as possible. Power Korea hopes that Kang will spread his unique art style to the world over Korea. 강인주 프로필 개인전 26회(한국․프랑스․미국․홍콩 등) 초대전 2015 미국 텍사스휘스턴 아트쇼 2014 아시아 컨템퍼러리 아트쇼(Hong Kong) 2014 어포더블 아트페어(New York) 2013 파운틴 아트페어(New York) 2012 영국 킴스톤시 초대전 2012 프랑스 디종 개인초대전 2011 러시아 모스크바 상떼 페테르부르크전 2010 서울 모든아트쇼(양재AT센터) 2010 KOAS 미술세계 외도 초대전(인사아트센터) 2009 한․몽 수교19주년기념 특별기획 초대전(북경, 중국)

korean Artist Kang, In -joo, Fountain Art Fair(Exhibition)New York 2013

2013-03-02T06:10:00.003-08:00

korean Artist Kang, In -joo, Fountain Art Fair(Exhibition)New York 2013

Amorites Show (The Armory Show), held during the New York the Amorites Week Amory week period with satellite show opened, because prayer is the head of the whole city to see the flow of contemporary art Art Festival.

Korea shares the tenacity of the author other four (4) Exhibition will be held March 7 to 10, 2013.
Invited Artists ;
Kang, In-joo, Park, Ki-Soo, Park, Dong-youl, Kim, Won Kyung, Koo, Youn-Joo.

The Sound , 65.1 cm s * 50cm oil canvas 2012

Artist Note (Kang, In -joo) ;

His knife is more delicate and precise than brush.

Unique and natural touch is outstanding . The overlapped matiere radiates the material nature and depth of life. He approaches to the artwork with sharp kinfe as if arranging the up and down in the life.

Artist Kang, In -joo profile

* graduated in occidental Painting ,
Hongik University in Korean

*21 private exhibitions
( Seoul,Busan, Jinju in Korea and France)

* Janpan salon Blanc Art exhibition ,2012

* St. Petersburg Exhibition 2011
Moscow, Russia)

*kingston Invitation Exhibit 2012 ( England )

* Dijon individual invitation Exhibition 2012 ( France )

* The special Exhibition for the 8th Anniversary of the opening of the Acheon Art Gallery,2010

*Invitation Exhibit for the 17 year Anniversary of korea- China Amity 2009

( Sangsang Gallery , Beijing)

* The National Museum of Moden Art, Mongolia Special Exhibition ,2009

* Italy Sketch Exhibition for 26th birthday of the Art world ( The K Gallery)

* Seoul Mordern art Show ( Yanggae Art center)

* Present ; Korean Fine Arts Association , Seoul Fine Arts Association, Hanmonghoe , Ssiolhoe.

Contact

Address : Gang in-joo arti. Samjeong- dong 657-11 , Gimhae-si , Kyeongnam-do , South Korea.
Phone : + 82-55-322-7478
Mobile : + 82-11-841-4812
E-mail : nife4812@naver.com

Exhibition place

69th Regiment , Armory
68 Lexington avenue at 25th street
New York, NYC

Wide Busan As ‘Korea’s Manhattan,’ Centum City leads the way

2013-01-25T06:43:00.000-08:00

Centum City, often called “Korea’s Manhattan,” is a growth engine that is leading Busan into the future. Though it is leaving behind its role as a shipping and distribution hub, it is leaping into the world of international tourism and shopping.

Recently, major newspaper Hankyoreh’s economic magazine Economy Insight introduced Busan’s successful economic and cultural development through an eight-page special in its November issue. The cover story “Centum City proceeds, Pudong steps aside” objectively spotlights the city as it leaps ahead other Northeast Asian hubs like Shanghai and Tokyo.

“Centum City is a growth engine leading Busan into the future in international tourism,” the article emphasized. “Thanks to a remarkable increase in the number of cruise ships docking at Busan Port, more high-class consumers are opening their wallets in the city. Despite a recession, Busan City is full of ships and visitors.”

To support its claims, the magazine cited “excellent infrastructure for tourism, shopping and leisure” and added that “Centum City is the center of it.”

It is the first place cruise ship visitors go to after arriving in the city, mingling with industrial complexes, residential developments and commercial facilities.

Economy Insight’s November issue introduces Busan’s striking development that persists even during a recession. Pictured on the front page is a night view of skyscrapers in Centum City.

Shinsegae Department Store is also a top draw for tourists, according to the article, as the largest department in the world listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. The city also offers a line of towering skyscrapers that is a magnificent sight incomparable to any other in the world. These sights and other shopping and leisure facilities attract foreign visitors.

“Busan, located only a one-hour flight away from Asia’s major cities such as Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo, is no more Korea’s second city, it is a center of Asia,” the article concluded.

Korean traditional dress " Hanbok "

2012-12-05T14:32:00.003-08:00

Hanbok and Its History
Hanbok means literally “Korean dress,” the traditional clothing that Koreans have worn through the ages. Hanbok is also the national dress that Koreans often use to express their sense of identity. Thus, the hanbok is the “face” of the Korean people, embodying their characteristics and aesthetics.

The oldest form of hanbok can be seen in tomb mural paintings from the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.-668 A.D.). In these murals, both men and women wear an upper garment of the jeogori or “jacket” type over trousers or a skirt, though the cut of the costume differs noticeably according to social status or occupation. The basic feature of the hanbok from this period is that the male and female versions are similar, each comprising an upper and a lower garment.

In general, men wore a jacket and pants, women a jacket and skirt, while on formal occasions, both might wear a topcoat or gown over this outfit. The upper and lower garments were of different colors. An especially distinctive feature was the use of a wide band, darker than the main color, along the collar, front hem, and bottom hem of the upper garment. The same darker color might also be used for a belt that emphasized the shape of the upper garment and gave the wearer a geometrical look by dividing the body spatially.

There were many variations on this use of decorative lines, and sometimes a second, thinner line was added. From this we can infer that line decoration was used as an aesthetic element designed to make the upper garment stand out as a focus of attention. It may also have served a practical purpose in making the edges of the garment stronger and more resistant to soiling.

The fabric of the costume is depicted as decorated with dots in various designs, and these have been interpreted as simplifications of the decorative designs that were actually used on clothing of the period. Clothing in the contemporary kingdoms of Baekje (18 B.C.-660 A.D.) and Silla (57 B.C-668 A.D.) is believed to have been similar to that of Goguryeo Kingdom in basic shape, with some differences in size and fit, coloring, and headdress. In state ceremonies, the king, queen and officials wore the Chinese-influenced formal dress, but under this they wore traditional Korean clothing. The ceremonial dress of the king, and even the hat and shoes worn with it, varied with the nature of the ceremony. The status of other wearers was reflected in the design and coloring of their clothes. Dragon designs were restricted to the royal family: the five-clawed dragon could only be worn by the king and queen, the four-clawed dragon by the crown prince, and the three-clawed dragon by the crown prince's eldest son.

Officials, similarly, were differentiated by the designs embroidered on the front and back of their gowns: civil officials sported a crane, military officials a tiger, and the larger the number of cranes or tigers, the higher the rank of the wearer. Status was also symbolized by color. Yellow stood for the emperor, red for the king, and purple for the crown prince, while violet, blue, and green were used to distinguish the rank of officials.

Special Features

Though cut from flat cloth, when worn the hanbok takes on a voluminous three-dimensional quality. With its simple form and generous fit, it is flexible enough to accommodate any body shape and comfortable to wear while sitting on the floor, as is usual in a Korean house. Its ample folds impart an air of elegance and refinement to the wearer. For all its simplicity, the way it is worn determines its shape and produces creases that can also become an aesthetic element.

The generous cut of the hanbok gives it a flexible look that is enhanced by the flowing movement of the material. The gown, pants, and skirt are supple enough to flutter as the wearer moves or brushes against something. This pliability is achieved by the use of delicate materials such as silk, silk gauze, or glossed silk thread, and the jacket, skirt, and men's gown are often sewn in a single layer for a light and shapely appearance. Even ornaments, such as bridal headpieces, coronets, pendants, and fans, generally use delicate tassels and silver birds that quiver with the movement of the wearer.

The beauty of hanbok can also be felt in the harmony of straight and curved lines that shows a deep respect for nature.

The curved lines appear in the body of the wearer, the various parts of the jacket, and the mobile elements; but they appear in a different form in each epoch. In the early Joseon period, the lines flow naturally from the curves of the body; in mid Joseon, they follow the roundness of the body itself; and in late Joseon, they appear concretely in the lines of the hems, sleeves, collar, and pendants.

Many people think of hanbok as primarily white clothes. It is because of their fondness for white that Koreans have been known as the baegui minjok or “white-clad folk.” This white is known as sosaek or “cloth color,” meaning the natural coloring of the untreated material itself. Sosaek upholds the natural and excludes the artificial. As can be seen in a white gown of fine ramie, this color has both elegance and depth, which is perhaps why Koreans have been fond of using colors with a high optical value that remind them of white, such as light gray, pale jade, or yellow ochre.

On the other hand, striped cloth that represents the extreme in contrast of primary colors has been used for different reasons. A vibrant effect is created by using contrasting primary colors for the jacket and skirt, such as yellow and blue, yellow and red, or for a bridal costume, green and red. The vivid colors and designs that are worn for seasonal holidays and coming-of-age ceremonies similarly reflect the Korean liking for a bright and colorful image. An individual might express her personal taste by choosing, for everyday wear, a white gown and black hat over a blue skirt with dark purple breast-tie and a jade green jacket with blue cuffs, creating an orderly impression by using strong contrasts of both shade and hue.

Male and Female Hanbok

The women's hanbok consists of a jacket and skirt, the men's of a jacket and pants, both with an optional gown for added formality. The jackets of men and women are similar in shape, but differ in length and color scheme.

The men's jacket is made rather long with sleeves attached, and to prevent the front from coming open, the two sides overlap. The neck is gathered up into a collar with a white collar strip folded over it for a neat appearance. Breast-ties hold the two sides of the jacket together where one side is folded over the other. Until the mid Joseon period, the breast-ties were short and thin and served merely to fasten the two sides of the jacket, but in the late Joseon era, they became longer and thicker, showing that they had taken on a decorative aspect quite apart from their practical function. The male costume could include a gown similar to a topcoat worn over the jacket and pants, with various kinds of hat and coronet worn on the head for a truly dignified effect. The type of gown worn would depend on the occasion. Although the generous cut of the men's clothes accentuated the individuality of the wearer, the use of a belt framed the upper body for a tidy appearance.

The typical male costume of that period is the gentleman's outfit of white or jade green gown and black headwear. The harmony of black and white suggests a calm and rational intellect and a noble character. A multicolored girdle worn about the chest adds vibrancy to the contrast of black and white, which could otherwise look stern and forbidding.

The women's costume consists of a jacket and skirt with a sleeveless waistcoat and a gown worn when formality demands. Ceremonial clothes can be adorned with various ornaments including coronets, bridal headpieces, hairpins, and pendants.The upper garment fits neatly while the lower garment is more voluminous, and under it can be worn diverse kinds of underwear.

The women of that time attached great importance to chastity, and when they went out they covered their faces with a shawl or cloak to cut themselves off from the outside world. In their clothing and ornaments they used a variety of colors and designs, often symbolizing the cherished hopes of the age: long life and happiness, prosperity and posterity, loyalty and filial piety.

After Silla unified the peninsula in the 7th century, a new style of clothing appeared which combined indigenous Korean dress with elements imported from China. This Chinese style of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) became an international clothing style and was used for the uniforms of officials and for ceremonial dress. The most striking difference is that while the indigenous Korean style has a straight neckline, the imported style has a rounded one.

In the ensuing Goryeo (918-1392) and Joseon (1392-1910) periods, the hanbok went through various changes of fashion, and the form that has become standard today dates from Joseon. Koreans began to reflect seriously on their national identity in the Sirhak or “Practical Learning” movement of the 17th and 18th centuries, and in clothing as in other fields, whatever was imported was subsequently Koreanized.

In the Joseon period, clothing was largely standardized, and most Koreans came to dress similarly. Even so, differences in social status were reflected in subtle distinctions of design, material, and decoration, so that contemporary Koreans could indirectly discern the class, rank, educational level, and character of the wearer by his style of dress. Although the basic shape was relatively uniform, we can also identify the season depicted in paintings from this period by the type of material worn and the use of seasonal clothing.

The Korea’s largest game exhibition G-STAR

2012-11-13T23:12:00.000-08:00

Busan, a place of year-round festivals, has exciting festivals planned for the month of November as well, a month not typically popular with events. The Korea’s largest game exhibition G-STAR

G-STAR is a world of mobile and console games of all sorts
This year’s G-STAR will use BEXCO’s new exhibition hall as its main B2B (business to business) exhibition hall. BEXCO main hall will be used for B2C (business to customer) exhibition.

Convention Hall and Auditorium are transformed into game culture zone with a variety of events planned like e-sports contest, Korea-China Game Culture Festival and teenager creative game exhibition. One of the most noticeable changes to G-STAR is the entrance. The organization committee will distribute bar codes to the visitors and the visitors will scan the bar codes upon entering.

This is to keep track of the exact number of visitors in light of the recent surge in the expected number of visitors.

The entrance gate has increased to three so the waiting time can be reduced. The resting area within the exhibition hall has doubled to four from the current two.

More games will be revealed. Nexon, Blizzard and Neowiz, among others, will exhibition not only the current PC online games but also mobile games and console games so visitors can experience various platforms on which games can be enjoyed. Especially this year a wider range of mobile games will be introduced.
The nationally popular game Anipang’s developer Sundaytoz will also set up a booth. Anipang and Aqua Story will be on display at the highly anticipated booth. There are much to see on the consoles as well.

This year Nintendo is participating and preparing a Nintendo 3DS zone. Nintendo 3DS is a new portable game device which you can feel the 3-D effect without having to wear the glasses. More new games will also be introduced.

To maximize the benefits to be gained by the participants, there are various business events. The G-STAR Talk Concert and G-STAR Investment market will be introduced for the first time this year. G-STAR Talk Concert is a discussion panel where game industry leaders talk about the future of game, presenting a guideline where the game industry should be heading.

G-STAR Investment Market is a session for small- and medium-sized companies to attract investors and 11 investing companies from Korea and overseas will participate to stimulate the game industry and improve the competitiveness of the companies.

Busan Port Lighting Festival

2012-11-13T23:02:00.000-08:00

              Busan Port is colored with fancy lights
              Busan Port Lighting Festival (Nov. 9 to 18)
              Busan Port is lighting up with beautiful artistic colors of lights.

Busan City is hosting the 3rd Busan Port Lighting Festival from Nov. 9 to 18 near Dongsam-dong National Maritime Museum in Yeongdo District.

This year’s festival will take place at the National Maritime Museum which opened in July this year, presenting a beautiful harmony of sea and light. This year’s theme is “Soaring.” Dreaming of soaring up and presenting various light arts using sky and sea and earth in multidimensional ways is the concept of the festival.

At the Busan Port Lighting Festival, you can enjoy various art works related to light from various artists. At the Luminaire Square, a light square is lit up with ten thousands of light bulbs. Castle wall shaped spatella, tunnel shaped Galilei and pillar shaped risolati are just some of the various lights designed to fit the place, with exotic and fancy lights. In the light exhibition hall there will be Media Art, history of light, night view photograph and fancy light sculptures.

There are programs prepared such as air balloon performance, flying in air balloons lit up with colorful lights, which is expected to be a hit item at the light festival. Glow-in-the-dark face painting and drawing contest are some of the programs that families with children can participate together. There is also a wishing light event where people can write their wishes and float the small hope of light to the sky. There are also special concerts featuring famous singers as well as media art show, youth concert, night of jazz and party.

< Busan Port Lighting >

* Information: Busan Port Lighting Festival organization committee
(051-231-2537 /www.lightingbusan.org)

The eighth Busan Multi Fireworks Festival

2012-10-27T00:14:00.000-07:00

Picturesque fireworks set backdrop for lasting memories

The eighth Busan Fireworks Festival takes place at Gwangalli Beach and Busan Asiad Main Stadium from Oct. 26 to 27. This year, the theme is love. The goal is to make Gwangalli Beach in front of Gwangan Bridge, the main stage of the fireworks festival, a world-famous proposal spot.

October 27 - Fireworks concert
From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., there will be a fireworks concert at the Gwangalli Beach special stage. The police band’s drum group, a vocal ensemble, a Brazilian percussion performance and citizen cheering are scheduled, counting down the start of the fireworks show. The event is expected to be very exciting for all attendees and will hopefully create exciting memories that will last long into the future.

October 27- Busan Multi Fireworks Show

The Multi Fireworks Show, which is the highlight of the festival, takes place from 8 p.m. for 50 minutes. Roughly 1.5 billion won ($1.35 million) worth of fireworks, including 80,000 small and large pieces, will create a fancy spectacle under the theme of love. In terms of scale, it is nearly the same as the Harbor Bridge Fireworks Festival in Australia held every Dec. 31, the Fourth of July Fireworks Festival in United States celebrating Independence Day, Japan’s Omagari Fireworks Festival in August and the Canada Fireworks Contest.

Fireworks will shoot off from eight barges and also from Gwangan Bridge. This year, rainbow fireworks will be introduced for the first time in Korea. Colored half-moon-shaped rainbow fireworks will light up the center of Gwangalli Beach for one full minute. This type of firework was first presented in Dubai in 2010.

The world-class fireworks on display will include the classic one-kilometer Niagara, fireworks falling down like a waterfall from Gwangan Bridge, one of the highlights of the Busan Fireworks Festival. This year, the Niagara will be presented for one minute in two colors.

In between the fireworks show, there will be “proposal time” for one or two minutes. It is being introduced for the first time this year. During this time, sweet music with thousands of hearts, flowers and stars will add romance to the mood. The citizen of this year, students and neglected neighbors will press the button to start the fireworks show.

□Busan Fireworks Festival event schedule

Date                         Time                            Event                                      Venue

Oct. 26                  7-10 p.m.                 K-pop concert                       busan Asiad Main Stadium
Oct. 27                 3-6 p.m.                   Street parade                             Gwangalli Beach road
                             6-8 p.m.                   Fireworks concert                   Gwangalli Beach special stage
                             8-9 p.m.                 Busan Multi Fireworks Show     Gwangalli Beach

Best spots from which to admire the fireworks
The fancy fireworks festival is taking place again this year. So where is the best place to see the Busan Fireworks Festival?
1. Gwangalli Beach
The best place to see the fireworks is, of course, Gwangalli Beach. To secure a spot at the center of the beach, you need to bring lunch and come early. If you arrive two or three hours before the show, you might be able to find a spot at the corner of the beach, but if any later, it will be hard to find a place here. From Metro line no.2’s Gwangan Station, walk five minutes.

2. Millak Waterfront Park and Samik Apartment
The second recommended place is Millak Waterfront Park and the road next to Samik Apartment. Although it is not as good as the shore, you can see the fireworks up close. But you will be seeing the show from the side. From Metro line no.2’s Geumnyeonsan Station, take bus no. 108.

3. Mt. Geumnyeon
Mt. Geumnyeon is most popular following the Gwangalli shore. It is where you can see Gwangan Bridge and the beach at a glance. It is also preferred by photographers since they can catch a great angle. From Metro line no.2’s Geumnyeonsan Station, walk 20 to 30 minutes.

Warm clothes are a must when watching the fireworks festival
Participants should prepare warm clothes, snacks, and a camera or camcorder.
1. Warm clothes
While waiting for the festival to start and until the festival ends, you will need a thick, hooded shirt, comfortable pants and sneakers to endure the cold weather of late fall.

2. Simple snacks
The venue is cold, and it is hard to find something to eat there. Bring hot water or coffee in a thermos, and also bring along gimbap or pizza- something simple to eat when you get hungry.

3. Digital camera and camcorder
To take pictures of the moving fireworks in the dark night, use a digital camera or a camcorder with a tripod instead of a smartphone.

Tips ;How to get to the festival venue

1. By train (get off Busan Station)
*Bus: Take bus no. 40, 41, 42, 139, 1001, 1003; get off at the entrance of Gwangalli.
*Metro: Transfer to metro line no. 2 at Seomyeon Station → Get off at Geumnyeonsan or Gwangan stations.

2. By airplane (from Gimhae Int’l Airport)
*Limousine bus: Board toward Haeundae (15 minute interval) → Get off Namcheon-dong. (in front of Hwamok Mansion)
3. By intercity bus (from East Busan Terminal / Nopo-dong)

*Board metro and transfer to line no. 2 at Seomyeon Station → Get off at Geumnyeonsan or Gwangan stations.

*City bus : Take bus no. 49-1

4. By intercity bus (get off at Busan West Bus Terminal / Sasang District)
*Board metro → Get off at Geumnyeonsan Station (exit no. 3 or 5) or Gwangan Station. (exit no. 3 or 5)

*City bus : Take bus no. 62

5. City Bus
*Take bus no. 40, 41, 42, 139, 1001, 1003, 131, 131-1.

6. Metro
*Get off at Geumnyeonsan Station (exit no. 3 or 5) or Gwangan Station (exit no. 3 or 5) → Walk for 10 minutes.

7. By car
*Namhae Highway: West Busan Tollgate → Dongseo high-level road → Mt.Hwangnyeong Tunnel ramp → Daenam Underpass → Gwangalli Beach road → Gwangalli Beach

*Kyeongbu Highway: Guseo IC → Dosi Expressway → Suyeong Riverside road → Gwangan Bridge → Gwangalli Beach

The hills are aflame with autumnal tints of Seoknam tempe

2012-10-22T08:13:00.002-07:00

The hills are aflame with autumnal tints. so, i went to seoknamsa in Mt. gajisan to the scarlet in maple leaves thre.

The United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan Korea

2012-10-13T07:07:00.001-07:00

Here at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea, the only one of its kind in the world, rest heroic brave soldiers from a number of UN nations, who sacrificed their lives for world peace and freedom.

The Parliament of Korea, in order to honor the services and sacrifices made by the UN forces during the Korean War, volunteered this land for permanent use by the UN as a cemetery in August 1955. The General Assembly accepted the proposal and UN Resolution #977(X) to establish a United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea became effective in December of 1955.

Brief History of the UNMCK
* Jan. 18, 1951 Establishes a UN Command cemetery for fallen UN troops
* Nov. 7, 1955 Korean Parliament recommends to the UN to accept the land for its perpetual use as a
    sacred UN memorial cemetery
* Dec. 15, 1955 UN General Assembly passes a resolution to perpetually manage a UN memorial
    cemetery in Korea
* Nov. 6, 1959 Korea and UN sign the "Agreement between the United Nations and the Republic of
   Korea for the Establishment and Maintenance of a United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea"
* Feb. 16, 1974 UNCURK transfers the management of the UNMCK to the Commission for the
     UNMCK consisting of 11 member nations.

Change of the UNMCK's Korean Name
On March 30, its original Korean name, 재한유엔기념묘지 (jae.hahn.UN.ki.nyum.myo.ji), was
changed to 재한유엔기념공원 (jae.hahn.UN.ki.nyum.gong.won) in order to bring the cemetery
closer to the Korean public.

UN Support
After the war broke out in Korea on June 25, 1950, when North Korea suddenly invaded South Korea, the UN hurried to convene a meeting of the 2nd UN Security Council and decided on the 28th of June 1950 to dispatch UN troops to Korea. This remains, in the history of the UN, as the unique resolution where troops were dispatched in the name of the UN.

In all, 21 nations volunteered to assist under the UN flag to help Korea--16 nations provided combat troops, equipment and armaments, while 5 nations provided non-combat assistance by dispatching medical ships with staff and medicine.
16 Nations with Combat Aid : USA, UK, Turkey, Canada, Australia, France, Netherlands,
New Zealand, South Africa, Colombia, Greece, Thailand, Ethiopia, Philippines, Belgium
and Luxemburg
5 Nations with Medical Aid : Norway, Denmark, India, Italy and Sweden
During the Korean War (June 25, 1950 ~ July 27, 1953), there were 40,896 UN casualties from 17 nations including Norway.

Status of interred at the UNMCK
This is a holy site where the brave fallen of the 11 nations are interred. Approximately 11,000 were interred at the UNMCK between 1951~1954. There are currently 2,300 at the UNMCK, including Korean soldiers who fell as members of the UN troops. Most were repatriated home; Belgium, Colombia, Ethiopia, Greece, Luxemburg, Philippines and Thailand have taken back all of their expatriates. The USA, who had the highest number of casualties in the war, took all of their fallen home soon afterwards. However, 36 members of the UNC dispatched from the USA and stationed in Korea after the war, who died and wished to be interred at the UNMCK, also reside here at the UNMCK.

The national flags of twenty-one nations who participated in the war on behalf of UN and Korea fly everyday, as well as the interred from 11 nations.

93, UNPyeonghwa-ro, Nam-gu, Busan Metropolitan City

TEL : 82-51-625-0625, 82-51-625-0614

The Russian Novel - Film Information and Open Talk !

2012-10-10T23:23:00.000-07:00

    The Russian Novel

       COUNTRY : Korea, South
     CAST: KIM Insoo 김인수,KANG Shinhyu 강신효,KYEONG Seonghwan 경성환,KIM Jeongseok 김정석,
                        LEE Jaehye 이재혜,LEE Kyongmee 이경미,LEE Yoomee 이유미,LEE Bitna 이빛나,
                       CHEOUNG Hoonhee 정훈희
      MUSIC : KIM Shinill 김신일
      Running Time : 140min

The second installment of Shin Yeonsik’s middle-aged romance trilogy unfolds like a tragic Russian novel, in a visual monochrome with understated audio. A writer, who had lapsed into unconsciousness at the age of 27, miraculously regains consciousness after a 27-year coma and wakes to a world where he is a literary sensation, a prestige writer representing the period. The book, , has earned him legendary status. It just so happens he did not write the book. In a reflective scene near the end of the film a character explains the basics of the Russian novel: long, complicated and so many characters. The same can be said ofthe film. It has a relatively long running time of 2 hours and 20 minutes and a complicated narrative structure, unfolding in order. There are so many characters in the film that it’s impossible to remember them all. Although long, it is never boring; complicated, certainly, but never difficult; and packed characters, yes, but never to the point of distracting.

DIRECTOR : Younshick SHIN

Shin Yeonsik studied Spanish at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies before breaking into the film industry as a director’s assistant in 1997. His filmography includes (2009) and (2005).

** Open Talk !- Haeundae FIFF Villige

Whole Area of Namsan and Three Royal Tombs in Bae-ri, Gyeongju

2012-10-08T07:43:00.001-07:00

Whole Area of Namsan , Gyeongju

Mt. Namsan compries Mt. Geumo (486m high) , located to the south of Serabeol, the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom, and Mt. Gowi ( 494 m high ) , It streches 4km from the south to the north, and 8km in width from the east to the west, including over 40 mountain valleys, Thus , Namsab is often referred to as " an open air museum".and is the place where the breath of the Silla Kingdom is felt.

This mountain has numerous historic relics along with pre-historilcal relics: the Najeong Well, Jegendary brithplace of Bak Hyeokgeose ( 1st king of Silla ) : Namsan foress: King's tombs: and Poseokjeong . In addition, the mountain has countless Buddist remains. A resent research reveals that it has 122 temple sites. 57 stone Buddhas, 64 stone pagoas, and 19 stone lamps. these Buddhist relics born out of a marriage between Buddhist faith and the natural environment epitomize Bulgukto, the ideal Buddhist land of the Silla people
Location ; Bae -dong Gyeongju-si Gyeongsangbuk-do Korea

Three Royal Tombs in Bae-ri
There are the tombs of three Silla Kings : King Adalla (154~184), the 8th King of the Silla Kingdom: King Sindeok (912~917, Bak Gyeong-hui) , the 53rd King of the Silla Kingdaom; and King Gyeongmyeong(917~924, Bak seung-yeong) the 54th King of the Silla kingdom.

when bakje Attacked Silla and captured Silla people, King Adalla himself went to the battle and set Bakje prisoners of war free at the request of peace. The mound of his tomb is 58m in circumference, 18m in diameter, and 5.4m in height.

king Sindeok became a king when his father-in -law, King Hyogong, died without an heir. After he became a king, he constantly fought against the attacks from Gyeonhwon and Gungye. The mound of his tomb is 61m in circumference ,18m in diameter, and 5.8m in height, In 1953 and 1963, the tomb was excavated.

King Gyeongmyeong was the son of King Sindeok. He defended the attacked of Gyeonghwon from Later Bakje at Daeyaseong fortress. His attempt at establishing diplomatic ties with Later Tang in China ended in failure. The mound is 50m in circumference , 16m in diameter, anf 4.5m in height.

Singer PSY at crest of the Korean Wave "Gangnam Style" Who ?

2012-10-06T18:36:00.001-07:00

It would be a mistake to think that idol groups are the most popular performers at college festivals. The three most coveted musicians are not these K-pop stars. At No. 3 is DJ DOC, who takes the stage with a seemingly endless set list packed with hip-hop hits. The second favorite is Kim Jang-hoon, who is considered the living legend of live concerts. He says he is offered a shocking amount of alcohol for free after performing at college festivals.

But the indisputable and unchallenged champion is Psy. He asks for a reasonable fee for his appearance when performing at schools, and he instantly turns college campuses into wild parties. And Psy is always the last one to perform. The idol groups usually present two or three songs, but Psy typically performs seven or eight. If he is in the mood, he says “Let’s go all the way,” and goes on for hours. He may be the most cost-effective guest at college festivals.

Psy is a controversial figure, having been caught smoking marijuana and driving drunk. He was the center of controversy during his military service and ended up serving twice. But he is also a celebrity the Ministry of National Defense is grateful for. Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said that Psy agrees to entertain soldiers without hesitation, even after serving in the military twice. He would often refuse the fee and would throw a party at his own expense, ordering fried chicken for the soldiers.

Personally, I like his 2010 single “Right Now” better. It was a flop, as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family categorized the song as “not appropriate for 18 and under” because of the lyrics. However, the music video was freely distributed on YouTube with Japanese subtitles. Something is not right — perhaps the government ministry’s perspective on culture is skewed. Psy, who was considered non-mainstream in Korea, is sweeping the world, and Kim Ki-duk, who makes low-budget independent films with no government assistance, has won the Golden Lion for Best Film at the prestigious Venice International Film Festival. There is a wide gap between the government’s perspective and the global perspective.

Psy’s “Gangnam Style” is a mega-hit worldwide. The addictive rhythm and easy-to-follow invisible horse dance have swept the world. He is probably not the most handsome musician, but fans around the world are obsessed with the comic music video of the likable rapper. Koreans are impressed by the appearances of singer Hyuna and gagman Yoo Jae-seok, but foreigners go crazy over No Hong-chul dancing in the elevator and 7-year-old Hwang Woo-min in the playground.

psy’s sensational popularity falls right in with the trends of the time. “Gangnam Style” is spreading for free over the Internet and is reproduced through countless covers and parodies. When the paparazzi followed him in the United States, Psy said, “I may be the only musician with no portrait rights. You can take all the photos you want!”

It would not do him justice to say that Psy was just lucky and his success accidental. As he explained during a television interview, his concerts usually go on for about three hours, and after performing for two hours he “gets dehydrated” and has to “get oxygen.” “When my legs get cramps, trainers apply shots of acupuncture. Concerts physically exhaust me,” he said during the interview. His wit and charismatic stage presence are results of his career. When he taught the horse dance to Britney Spears, she asked if she needed to take her high heels off. He responded, “The mindset of this dance is ‘dress classy, dance cheesy.’ ” When asked by the paparazzi about the source of his energy, he simply said, “Alcohol.”

“Gangnam Style” has more than 250 million hits on YouTube. It is not a far-fetched dream for a Korean song to top the Billboard Charts or receive a Grammy. In “Right Now,” Psy repeatedly shouts, “I am going to run now. I am going crazy now.” Yes, let him run, go crazy and go all the way.

Barbara - Germany Film Information

2012-10-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

17th Busan International Film Festival / Barbara / World Cinema Film Information

* COUNTRY: Germany

*Running Time: 105min

* Color / Format : 35mm / Color COUNTRY Germany

is without doubt a masterpiece of Christian Petzold. His works share a distinctive style that the characters communicate their emotions through facial expressions and eye movement rather than dialogues. Barbara also demonstrates the psychology of Barbara who is planning to escape East Germany to West Germany through her face instead of lines exchanged between characters or events. Barbara set a plan to escape from the suffocating society of East Germany to West Germany. The first half of the film is filled with depiction of misery and sense of isolation that she feels living in East Germany. While preparing her escape, she meets Stella, a girl from a youth detention center who was forced to be hospitalized, and falls in love with a colleague doctor Andre. These people make Barbara’s decision changed. What if happiness is not in the land over the border but is what you create with people around you? Petzold does not plainly make his point. Instead, he wants the audience to look at Barbara’s situation in the scenes captured in long shot and hopefully empathize with her.

DIRECTOR : Christian PETZOLD

Born in Hilden in 1960, Petzold moved to Berlin in 1981, first studying German, literature and drama at the FU in Berlin, followed by studies at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin from 1988-94, during which time he was assistant director to Harun Farocki and Hartmut Bitomsky. Directing his first drama in 1995, his film (2000) received a Gold German Film Award. His films (2004) and (2006) have screened in the Berlinale’s Competition programme.

World Cinema " Beasts of the Southern Wild" United States Film

2012-10-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

17th Busan International Film Festival World Cinema section information .
The World Cinema section has allowed everyone to examine the general trend of non-Asian films of the year. This year, the section is filled with 74 films from 45 countries. A number of new works by the world-renowned filmmakers have been selected from Europe, where the nations with traditionally strong film industry are located. Among them, there are films presented or awarded at the world's three major film festivals, such as Michael Haneke's (France), Matteo Garrone's (Italy), Thomas Vinterberg's , the Taviani brothers' (Italy) and Christian Petzold's (Germany). There also are new works from the filmmakers like Jan Troell, Marco Bellocchio, Ken Loach, Volker Schlondorff, Olivier Assayas and Cristian Mungiu. France still ranks first in terms of the number of newly produced films, and Italian directors have been standing strong since last year. Vitality of German cinema is proven by the increase in the number of German films selected, as well as . European world premieres include Silvio Soldini's (Italy) and (Spain), characterized by its unique and mystical atmosphere.

The international premieres include (Denmark), (Netherlands), (Finland), a comedy called (France) and a revisionist western (Poland). There also are works by new European filmmakers: (UK) and (Ireland). Meanwhile, a large number of high-quality independent films are produced each year in North America. Particular attention is required for two films having their world premieres in Busan, (Canada) and (Canada). Ben Affleck's (US), a Hollywood film produced this year, has been selected from the USA to provide a unique and enjoyable experience. In 2012, the most noticeable trend of world cinema is the remarkable growth achieved by the film industries in Central and South Americas. Such a growth is demonstrated by the Best Director Award won by Carlos Reygadas and the meteoric rise of young directors including Michel Franco and Andres Burgos Vallejo. In particular, this year's significant growth of Chilean and Colombian films will be witnessed with (Chile), (Chile) ? a unique western which will have its international premiere, or (Colombia). As for African and Oceanian films, (Morocco), (Kenya), (South Africa) and (Australia) will prove their directors' skillfulness in Busan. The World Cinema films describe diverse aspects of human life, sometimes from a serious and critical perspective and other times within the framework of a particular genre. These films, which will travel long distance to visit Busan, reflect the lives of our contemporary global neighbors and therefore be all the more interesting.

World Cinema " Beasts of the Southern Wild" United States Film

* DIRECTOR: Benh ZEITLIN

* COUNTRY : United States

*   Date of Production : 2012

* Running Time 92min

* Color / Format DCP / Color

                                                      Film Information

A girl named, Hushpuppy, lives with her father in a distant land in the southernmost edge of the world. Animals die in her community, turning the “southern land” into a ruin. Even her father becomes ill and Hushpuppy is faced with a crisis.

The sequence of Aurochs, prehistoric animals that are ancestors of cow, travelling in an iceberg to come to Hushpuppy is stunning to see. This may be just a girl’s fantasy. Yet the scene where fantasy overlapping with reality, symbolizing the girl’s encounter with the Mother Nature, is photographed beautifully. The scene of the girl communing with Aurochs, which is shot with computer graphics, clearly demonstrates that the “southern land” represents today’s world that lost nature and human heart. Hushpuppy meets her mother, communes with Aurochs, embraces her father –a miracle-like happy ending to the girl’s journey to self-discovery.


DIRECTOR : Benh ZEITLIN

Benh Zeitlin began his career as a filmmaker at the tender age of 6 when he and a friend made a Batman movie. He continued making films as a child before attending Wesleyan University, where he majored in film. After graduation, he worked with elementary students in New York creating short films. His short films are (2005), (2006), and (2008). is his first feature.

Garden of Learning / Busan Biennale 2012

2012-10-01T22:47:00.000-07:00

Busan Biennale Is a comprehensive art festival that integrated three different festivals that had been in the
city : Busan Youth biennale, Busan sea festival, and Busan outdoor sculpture Symposium.
With a long history of serving as on art stronghold in Asia, Busan is a perfect place to host an art festival
for the region and beyond. The biennial art event was intrnded to presend to easy interpretation of the hard -to-understood contemporarny art and moke it more accessible to general public.

The fetival serves as an arena where locals con mingle with people from other countries and communicate with each other. Busan Biennale will be entrenched as reprsentative culture event Koreand, ultimately, achieve a worldwide recogniti on.

What is it about? Garden of Learning / Busan Biennale 2012 stems from a slow, largely improvised exhibition process involving around 80 people from Busan and wider Korea, a comparatively small number of artists and the Artistic Director. Collaborating closely in a body called Learning Council (LC), these people shared their doubts about the relevance of the Biennale-type exhibition, explored possibilities for reaching a wider community and learned about various artistic approaches to the realities that keep challenging us.

The main exhibition, also titled “Garden of Learning”, is being held at Busan Museum of Art. It is meant to look like a modest museum collection, and features around 41 participating artists. The decision to make a Biennale-type exhibition as a global museum collection was taken by the LC as away of reinforcing the dignity of public institutions in the face of both market forces and populist demands.

Garden of Learning is embedded in an educational program that is jointly conceived by the team. Mirroring the self-education processes that characterize LC meetings, this program tries to grasp and account for Busan’s many historical and contemporary layers. Questioning everyday matters, including topics such as cooking and schooling, the political is understood here as the normative way things are done.

The special exhibition is jointly organized by nine emerging curators under the title “Outside of Garden”. They seek to extend Garden of Learning beyond its museum premises by including spaces that resonate in Busan’s historical memory, including Busanjin Station, Busan Culture Center and Me World.

Biennale Urban Square is composed of smaller festivities and events where curators, artists, Learning Council members and general audiences meet in a causal way, enjoying the many niceties of Busan.
In addition, a Gallery Festival will be jointly celebrated by 19 art galleries in Busan.

Space – 2012 Rhythomos
Jun’s free-hanging sculpture was specially conceived for the museum’s entrance hall. This artwork is as monumental as it is light and airy. With it, the artist set out to achieve two things: first, to introduce a ready-made material with a strong, sculptural texture into the exhibition, and second, to use a material that the people of Busan would not only easily recognize, but also embrace as belonging to the port city and its history of labor.

Jun chose to work with used fishing nets in all their variety, including differences in strength, density, and color. The sculpture emphatically shares its space with visitors. It can even be gently pulled, thus offering a sensual experience. This is especially true for young viewers, who are more and more inclined to perceive their environment as merely virtual.

In a huge, dark gallery, white antlers – a whole flock of them – emanate from a blackish liquid covering the entire floor. The artist calls his work a “monument”, but what it is meant to commemorate? The antlers are made of porcelain; they are both fragile and precious. Their image, mirrored in the blackish liquid, only adds to their immaterial, almost ghost-like appearance. This looks more like a landscape of doom, even a graveyard than a monument, and yet this piece holds the secret to an extraordinary beauty.

The apparitional look of the antlers forms an afterimage, rendered in three dimensions, of a species that has been extinct since the late 1930s: Schomburgk’s Deer. A swamp deer that once roamed the central plains of Thailand (the artist’s home country), its antler was characterized by a flat, bushy look.
Sakarin Krue-On was once greeted by such an animal at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. He somehow felt drawn to the grace the animal betrayed, even as a padded thing, and a connection between past and present was made (this is, after all, what museums are for). The artist then learned that, much like today’s desperate masses of people, the deer had to flee the often flooded plains of Thailand. The animal was forced to move uphill in search of food, leaving it vulnerably exposed to predators. Schomburgk’s Deer came to realize much too late that the creatures following him were not fellow deer, but humans – hunters wearing antlers for better range and rifle accuracy.
The flooded plains, the people, the deer – all of these are present and connected in the Monument. And yet, given the history of the animal’s extinction, do we have to attribute the porcelain antler to the deer, or could it be the human – the hunter in disguise? Indeed, what is being commemorated here might not be Schomburgk’s Deer, but a human intelligence that facilitates not only the destruction of the world’s riches, but also and ultimately itself.

Global trade and industry are a ubiquitous presence in our daily lives (just look at the origins of consumer goods on supermarket shelves). But they are also highly abstract entities, particularly in terms of scale and with an eye to their miraculous logistics. Ships are a key facilitator of global trade. Their cargo fuels Korea’s export economy, for example, and delivers the raw materials necessary to sustain the country’s ongoing modernization.

Aranberri’s installation conjures a museological image of Korea’s modern condition. While it is impossible to grasp the monumental scale – and therefore actual impact – of the shipbuilding operation (statistical information and documentary projects have their clear limits, for better or worse), Perpetual Continent feeds the imagination with a display of hollow moulds. These forms are abstractions of abstractions. They are supplied by a shipbuilding company in Ulsan that builds ship models, or prototypes and replicas of actual ships for use in contract negotiations between the shipbuilding company and its client. But these ship models are no mere supplement. Their excessive shine and minute detailing puts them close to a fetish.

The hollow moulds, on the other hand, are difficult to idealize. The object that matters is gone, or so it seems; what they exhibit is mainly negative space. Still, this negative space points to more than just nothing or absence. Negative space is a key trope of early 20th century avant-garde art (in Malevich, for example). On the one hand, this trope encapsulates a gesture of radical nullification or tabula rasa: the negation of all traditions and established norms. On the other, it evokes a utopian promise: out of the negation of the old world, a new and better world will come.

Modernity’s utopian promise is becoming harder and harder to believe in. State socialist experiments failed horribly, and rampant capitalism causes ecological disaster. Could this be why Aranberri’s piece looks like a necropolis? Ibon Aranberri Perpetual Continent

The Gallery Festival will be held during the Busan Biennale 2012 and is intended to amplify the mood of the Biennale and vitalize the art market.
Period: Sep. 22 – Nov. 22, 2012 at Busan Museum of Art Venue: Galleries throughout Busan (19 galleries in 6 districts) Artwork: 409 works of art from 64 artists

Taegeukgi Korea's national flag

2012-09-30T08:55:00.001-07:00

National Flag - Taegeukgi

The Korean flag is called Taegeukgi.
Its design symbolizes the principles of the yin and yang in Asian philosophy. The circle in the center of the flag is divided into two equal parts. The upper red section represents the proactive cosmic forces of the yang. Conversely, the lower blue section represents the responsive cosmic forces of the yin. The two forces embody the concepts of continual movement, balance, and harmony that characterize the sphere of infinity. The circle is surrounded by four trigrams, one in each corner. Each trigram symbolizes one of the four universal elements: heaven, earth, fire, and water.

National Symbols of the Republic of Korea The National Flag - Taegeukgi Korea's national flag, Taegeukgi, consists of a taegeuk circle in the center and four trigrams - geon (heaven), gon (earth), gam (water), and ri (fire) - in each of the four corners, set against a white background.

The white background symbolizes brightness and purity and reflects Koreans’' peace-loving national trait. The taegeuk circle at the center symbolizes the harmony of yin (blue) and yang (red). It represents the concept that everything in the universe is created and developed through the interaction of yin and yang.

The four trigrams surrounding the taegeuk circle denote the process of yin and yang undergoing a spiral of change and growth, and are named geon, gon, gam, and ri.

These four trigrams, in combination with the taegeuk circle at the center, produce a harmonious, unified appearance.

As such, Taegeukgi, centered on the taegeuk design favored by the ancestors of Korea, embodies the ideals of the Korean people, who have long pursued creation and prosperity as universal principles.

The Korean thanksgiving day - Chuseok

2012-09-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

Literally meaning "autumn evening," Chuseok is one of the two major traditional holidays in Korea.
It is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, during the harvest season when the moon is full and the grains and fruits are all ripened.

Chuseok has long been the day on which Koreans thank their ancestors for the year's harvest by offering them rice, fruits and other things from the harvest bounty, and by sharing their abundance with family and friends. This day is also referred to as hangawi, which means the very middle of August, or August 15th according to the lunar calendar.

It comes when the moon is full and brightest, and it was picked to thank the ancestors because in traditional Korea, where farming was the main foundation of society, the moon symbolized the earth and the goddess of all life.

The practice of celebrating Chuseok dates back to the early Silla Dynasty (57 B.C. - A.D. 935).
In the year A.D. 32, King Yuri of Silla ordered women from six local towns in Gyeongju, the capital of the ancient dynasty, to be divided into two teams and to engage in a weaving competition over the period of one year from July 15 until August 14 the next year.

The team that had woven the most cloth by the date we now know as Chuseok was declared the winner.
The losing team would then prepare a large celebration - filled with dancing, eating and singing - for the victors. Although the outcome of the competition was for the winner to be served by the losing team, everyone enjoyed the feast, celebrating with songs and dance.

This year, Korea's most famous traditional holiday of Chuseok falls on September 14 of the solar calendar.
During the holiday, there will be a mass exodus from cities as millions of Koreans return to their ancestral hometowns to reunite with their families and to pay homage to their forebears.

People visit the tombs of their ancestors on Chuseok.On Chuseok day, people perform ancestral worship rituals early in the morning. The traditional ceremonies of beolcho, charye, and seongmyo are faithfully practiced by a large portion of the Korean population.

On the morning of Chuseok, songpyeon (a type of Korean rice cake prepared with rice or non-glutinous rice powder that is kneaded into half-moon shapes and filled with sweet filling) and food prepared from that year's fresh harvest are arranged to give thanks to the ancestors through the charye (ancestor memorial service). After the charye, the family members sit down together at the table to enjoy some delicious food.

Then, they visit the tombs of their ancestors and make a formal bow of gratitude, a practice known as seongmyo, and then they trim plants, cut the weeds and clean the area around the tomb, the practice called beolcho.

After the rites, people play folk games like ssireum, Korean-style wrestling, and tug-of-war during the daytime, while they do moon-greeting and ganggang-sullae dance (Korean circle dance) on Chuseok evening.

Ganggang-sullae dance In the ganggang-sullae dance, groups of girls form a circle and start moving clockwise and then counterclockwise around a solo singer who dances and sings the refrain, "ganggang-sullae," in the center of the circle, which means "watch your surroundings."

There is no clear record of how the circle dance began, but it has been circulated that it was created during the invasion of Korea by Japan in 1592.

Back then Admiral Yi Sun-shin ordered the women of a nearby village to build fires on the mountaintops and to dance in rings around the flames in a strategy to make the Japanese believe that the Koreans had a greater number of soldiers at hand than were actually present.

In a word, Chuseok is supposed to be the season of abundance, generosity and sharing.
To live up to that spirit of sharing and generosity, four major palaces in central Seoul, public parks with royal tombs, and other cultural sites are open at no cost during the holiday.

Also during the entire holiday period, entrance is free of charge at national museums for those wearing the traditional Korean costume, Hanbok.

Ahead of Chuseok slew of shows in store
Celebrating Chuseok, the Korean thanksgiving, many traditional performances and folk games are prepared in various parts of Busan.
At some of Busan’s main tourist attractions Mt. Yongdu Park, Geumgang Park and Busan National Gugak Center, there are Korean traditional folk performances prepared, providing an opportunity to enjoy Korean culture.

At Mt. Yongdu Park there is the Woori Garak Woori Madang performance and traditional folk plays on every weekend at 3 p.m. This is where tourists can experience the unique traditional cultural arts of Busan citizens.

As main performances samulnori (tradition instrumental music), Dongnaeyaryu, Dongnae Hakchum (crane dance), talchum (mask dance), pan gut, jazz and Korean traditional music, percussion concert are prepared. At the Busan Folk Art Center a traditional folk game hanmadang is prepared every fourth Sunday.

Just before Chuseok on Sept. 23, Oct. 28 and Nov. 25 the folk plays and games will be available. Busan National Gugak Center has prepared “Woori Sori Woori Chum” (“Our sound our dance”) Chuseok special performance at the main theater on Sept. 29 and 30.

At this performance Dongnae Hakchum, traditional instrument ensemble, gayageum (string instrument) ensemble and janggu (Korean drum) are included. Outside of the theater there is a zone where you can play the Korean traditional instruments, play traditional folk games and take photographs at Chuseok photo zone. The tickets are 8,000 won ($7).

Opening Film Information［ Cold War ］- 17 th Busan international film festival

2012-09-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a mole in the police waging a war on crime, tipping off a criminal gang. Then, why the mole communicates secretly with the gang? What is their purpose? Cold War talks about a story different from other typical crime films in the course of uncovering the inner enemy. It is difficult for the audience to predict what is the purpose of the mole and this is how Cold War announces the arrival of a new type of crime film made by young blood.

Five Hong Kong police officers are kidnapped. As the chief of police affairs is on business trip, two deputy chiefs, Sean Lau and M.B. Lee, set out to solve the case. They are in competition for the chief position and distrust each other. Lee first takes charge of the case as the acting chief but comes to a dead end. Lau, who then takes over the case, falls prey to a plot. The two end up being under ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) investigation. Although the case is solved after many twists and turns, war on crime still goes on. This film highlights the rivalry between Lau and Lee in the process of solving the case or how the case about external war is influenced by internal conflict. It is related to overconfidence, thirst for fame, and lust for power. In other words, this film closely looks into the conflict between human innate desire and conscience rather than the rivalry between good and evil. That is why Cold War is a well thought-out crime film and, at the same time, an excellent psychological film.

DIRECTOR * Longman LEUNG

Leung is an award-winning Art Director/Production Designer, whose credits include (2009) and (2010), while Luk is a sought-after First Assistant Director

with over 15 years of experience on films like (2006) and (2008). is their passion project. With internationally renowned producer Bill Kong shepherding the project, Leung and Luk have gathered together an impressive ensemble to collaboratively create the most exciting police action film to come out of Hong Kong in recent years.

DIRECTOR Sunny LUK / Longman LEUNG /COUNTRY Hong Kong, China / Date of Production 2012 / Running Time 102min / Color / Format DCP / Color

*BIFF Theater 10-04 19:00
* Haneulyeon Theater 10-05 19:30
* Megabox Haeundae M 10-08 10:00
* Megabox Haeundae M 10-11 19:00

Fun in Busan, Galmaet-gils for foreigners waves takes breath away

2012-09-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

Fun in Busan, Galmaet-gils for foreigners
                                          Scenery of pines and waves takes breath away

      How about taking a walk enjoying the beautiful fall of Busan.
                                                                    The photograph is tourists walking in Songdo.

There are roads where you can experience deep inside of Busan, which is Galmaet-gil. The word Galmaet-gil comes from the city bird galmaegi (seagull) and the word gil (road). Galmaet-gil is a road you can feel the “higher and wider” Busan like the flight of the bird. “Galmaet-gil 700 li” is made of nine courses, 20 divisions that add up to 263.8 kilometers (164 miles). As the autumn approaches nearer, here are some recommended Galmaet-gils for visitors to Busan.

# 1. Amnam Park~ Jeollyeongdo~ Taejongdaegil
( 17.8 kilometers, eight hours )

Start from the Amnam Park, which is famous for the natural forest, a gift of nature and coastal scenery you ill soon be walking along the Songdo Coastal Walk connected with Tech Road and pedestrian overpass.

The old pine trees and waves make up one fantastic scenery. Walk along the Songdo Beach, the Korea’s first beach opened in 1913 and pass by Namhang Bridge that recently opened.

The scene from Namhang Bridge is awe inspiring. Walk along the Jeollyeong coastal walk in the speed of Jeollyeongma a horse that is so fast that shadows are broken apart then you will reach Mt. Jungni and Taejongdae. While walking along the bended road up above the uniquely shaped rocks and the coastline, you will be fascinated by the breathtaking view.

Taejongdae is marvelous and fantastic, good enough to say that all the coastal scenery beauties of Korea are gathered here. The pedestrian walk is on 100-meter height under the Yeongdo Lighthouse. Pick up some boiled sweet potatoes as snack for the course and pay respect to the ancient scholar Jo Eom, who first brought sweet potatoes to Korea via Yeongdo after receiving them in Tsushima, Japan, during the Joseon Tongsinsa mission in the Joseon Dynasty.

* How to get there:
Take bus No. 9-1 or 71 to get to Amnam Park, where the course begins. From the end of the course,
take bus No. 101.

Korean sound and dance for your enjoyment at Busan National Gugak Center

2012-09-25T23:12:00.001-07:00

National Gugak Center exciting Saturday stage offers folk music concert

Busan National Gugak Center hosts the Saturday program “Our Sound Our Dance” every Saturday 4 p.m. at the main theater. The program is designed to help participants experience Busan’s intangible cultural heritage and tradition music through intangible culture asset No. 3 “Dongnae Hakchum( Cranes dancing rhythm) ” as well as other folk songs, pansori and court music.

This offers pride to the Busan City and South Gyeongsang region visitors and to provide unique and various items to foreign tourists. On Aug. 18 a song from Shimcheongga, or folk tale of a filial pious daughter, where Shimcheong drowns in the water, and its seven items such as the salpuri dance, or traditional shamanist dance, and gayageum duet are prepared.

                                          Dongnae Hakchum ( Cranes dancing rhythm)



On the fourth week creative pansori group Badaksori’s “Dream of ChickensFly” will be put on stage.

Tickets are 8,000 won ($7) for all seats. A 50 percent discount is available to teenagers, elderly over age 65 (with one company), disabled people (two companies) and children from multicultural families. Group visitors with over 20 people can receive a 20 percent discount.

* Information: Busan National Gugak Center (+82-51-811-0040)

Best film festival of Asia ,The 17th Busan International Film Festival

2012-09-24T05:06:00.000-07:00

The 17th Busan International Film Festival
will be held from October 4th to 13th

a) Period : Oct. 4 (THU) – 13 (SAT), 2012

b) Screening Venue
     * 37 screens at 7 theaters
             - Centum City: Busan Cinema Center, CGV, Lotte Cinema, Community Media Center,
                     Sohyang Musical Center
            - Haeundae: Megabox Haeundae
            - Nampo-dong: Megabox Busan Theater
c) Screening
     * Total of 304 films from 75 countries
     * 132 World & International Premieres
              - 93 World Premieres (66 Feature Films, 27 Short Films)
              - 39 International Premieres (34 Feature Films, 5 Short Films)
              - All New Currents and Flash Forward screenings are World & International premieres
     * 30 APM projects
    * Asian Cinema Fund (ACF)
              - 8 Script Development Fund projects, 6 Post-production Fund projects
              - 17 AND Fund projects

Korean Cinema Retrospective
      SHIN Young-kySpecial Programs in Focus

Special Programs in Focus
     The Eternal Travelers for Freedom: Sergei PARAJANOV and Mikhail VARTANOV      - afghanistan National Film Archive: The Rise from the Ashes
     - Poland in Close-up: The Great Polish Masters
     - Arturo RIPSTEIN : Four Stories of Captive Minds
     - Cinema Archaeology
     - Special Screening

Handprinting / Master Class

* Handprinting
           Each year the Busan International Film Festival selects distinguished film professionals for its
          handprinting ceremony to honor their outstanding contributions to world cinema.

         - SHIN Young-kyun / Actor / South Korea
         - WAKAMATSU Koji / Director / Japan
         - Arturo RIPSTEIN / Director / Mexico
         - Agnieszka HOLLAND / Director / Poland

* Master Class
         Note to the world-renowned directors' life and film philosophy
         - WAKAMATSU Koji / Director / Japan
         - ISOMI Toshihiro / Art Director / Japan
         - Arturo RIPSTEIN / Director / Mexico

Cinema Talk Beyond Cinema

Cinema Talk Beyond Cinema will provide a back-story for film history with the support of visual aids to

      enhance audience discussions.
     Tony RAYNS : The Secret History of Korean Cinema in the 1990s
     David GILMOUR: The Film Club: A Memoir
    JEONG Jae Seung : Cinema, Inspiration for an Scientist

Korean Classical Cinema Screening

BIFF Square in Nampo-dong will bring back meaningful Korean Cinema classics. Audiences have the opportunity to watch the oldest existing Korean film, Turning Point of the Youngsters (Cheongchun-ui Sibjalo), the first Korean musical film Hyperbolae of Youth (Cheong Chun Ssang Gog Seon) and Four films showing Busan in the 50s to 70s will be screened as well.

Screening Service for Kids and Senior Citizens

Six films for kids from 7-year-olds to elementary school students as well as special services for seniors (over 60-year-old) are programmed to provide enjoyable festival experience for all audiences in different age groups. Asian Film Market

Asian Film Market
Major Asian Sales Companies' Participation Most Asian major sales companies registered for the Asian Film Market: Toho, Toei, TBS, NTV, GAGA and Kadokawa from Japan, and Distribution Workshop, Golden Network Asia, Edko, Emperor from Hong Kong. Also, North American companies like Myriad Pictures, Cinema Management Group, and Cinemavault will hold their sales booth.Publication Contents Pitching Event - Book To Film

In order to link the publication and film industries, the Asian Film Market will introduce a Publication Contents Pitching Event. It will help diversify cinema content and help revitalize the market. KOFIC Industry Forum

Korean Film Council (KOFIC) will host the KOFIC Industry Forum under the theme of "International Co-production" during the Asian Film Market

Asian Cinema Fund

AND Publishes Asian Documentary Today
AND Partners with Al Jazeera English for a Workshop Project
AND Partners with Cinelan
World Documentary Exchange (WDE) Broadens Its Network

Busan Cinema Forum

BCF sails again for the critical understanding of the new world cinema. The theme of this year's edition is "Politics of Film Restoration and Preservation in the Digital Era." BCF will offer participants a grand networking platform by facilitating an in-depth discussion on cinema aesthetics and the film industry.

Asian Film Academy 2012

The Future of Asian Cinema Gathers at Busan
Asian Film Academy is a 18-day educational program, where the young film professionals from all around the world gather and participate. The fellows will take parts in various programs including two-short film production program and master classes with the invited masters and professionals from each field.
Launching of Asian Actors Academy
As a newly created sector of the Asian Film Academy (AFA), the Asian Actors Academy (AAA) is a project dedicated to producing global Asian actors through various acting lessons and training.

Sergei PARAJANOV Special Exhibition

Sergei Parajanov's film posters, his art-works and photos are showcased. This rare opportunity was assisted by the Parajanov museum in Armenia.. Busan Office 3rd Floor, BIFF HILL, Busan Cinema Center, 1467 Woo-Dong, Haeundae-Gu, Busan 612-020, Korea Tel. 82-1688-3010 Fax. 82-51-709-2299

Chungnyeolsa enshrined the soul of patriotic ancestors

2012-09-23T05:55:00.002-07:00

Chungnyeolsa Shrine in BUSAN enshrines the spirits of the patriotic forefathers who fell while fighting the Japanese invaders during the 1592 Japanese Invasion.

The beginning of the Chungnyeolsa is as follows : The Songgongsa was built on Nongju mountain to enshrine the Dongnae Magistrate, Song Sang Hyeon, by Magistrate, Yun Hwon in 1605. It became to be hold a memorial service annually to admire Song Sang Hyeon who sacrificed himself for his country in the Japanese Occupation(1910-45).

After then, the name of Songgongsa was changed to the Chungnyeolsa by a proposal of Lee Min Gu in 1624 ( the 2nd year of the reign of King Injo ). The Dongnae Magistrate, Yun Mun Geo insisted that its location was not right because the shrine was too small, damp and noisy. Thus it was moved into its present location in Allak-li. After then a large shrine was built with halls and eastern and western room. It was called Allakseowon. The yearly memorial service was not held permitted during the Japanese Occupation.
The Japanese thought that it encouraged Korean Independence. A memorial hall and Sau(room to enshrine ancestral tablets) were left in disrepair during the Japanese Occupation.

The ancestral tablets of 91persons, who fell in battle in the Busan area, were enshrined. Now a memorial service is held annually on May 25 by the citizens of Busan. Chungryeol Shrine was first built in 1605 (the 38th year of King Seonjo) by Yun Hweon, governor of Dongnaebusa then, to honor Sir Song Sang Hyeon, governor of Dongnaebusa, who died fighting Japanese invaders. The shrine was initially located on the Nongju Mountain near the south gate of Dongnae-eup Mount Fortress and was called Songgongsa Shrine, which kept Sir Song’s spirit tablet. People pay him respect by holding a memorial service every year.

Yi Min Gu, a government official, requested the king to change the name of the shrine, and King Injo granted his request in 1624 (the 2nd year of his rule) and changed Songgongsa to Chungryeolsa Shrine.

In 1652 (the 3rd year of King Hyojong) Yun Mun-geo, governor of Dongnaebusa then, felt the shrine was too small and damp and was too close to the fortress gate, being subject to too much noise. Also, he felt that it was necessary to teach young scholars the scholarship and fealty of Sir Song Sang-hyeon, which would remain exemplary to future generations. Out of these necessities, the shrine was moved to the current location in Anrak-dong. After the shrine was newly built, two additional buildings were built in the east and west for the purpose of holding classes, and the shrine was subsequently renamed Anrakseowon (Anrak School).

But during the Japanese occupation, Japanese rulers felt that the memorial services held in February and August every year as well as the education given at the school fostered the national spirit, and the Japanese interfered with the shrine activities. Over the period of 36 years of Japanese occupation, the shrine building and the sanctuary building in which the spirit tablet was housed were not maintained but fell into disrepair.

During the period of purification from 1976 to 1978 of Japanese influence, the shrine was renovated to the current condition. Ninety two tablets of the forebears who died or who rendered distinguished service to their country during the Japanese invasion in 1592 in Busan are venerated on May 25 by Busan residents in a memorial service.

In 1592, Japanese soldiers attacked the Dongnae-eup Fortress, demanding that Sir Song Sang-hyeong let them pass through, meaning surrender. Sir Song threw a wooden board at the Japanese, on which his statement was inscribed, “It would be easier to die fighting than let you have passage.” and fought till death.

Cultural property : Busan Tagible Culturl Property No.7
Designated on June 26, 1972
Location : 838, Anrak-dong, Dongnae-gu, Busan
Telephone number : 051-523-4233
Website : cys.busan.go.kr

Busan museum in Busan Metropolitan City

2012-09-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

Busan museum intraduce

Since its opening in 1978, our museum has grown oldwhen compared with other public museums in many places all over the country However, as time went by, the museum became inadequate to be a symbol of Busan which is growing into a global city. It became insufficient to be a pride of it's citizens due to its aged and limited facilities.

For this reason, in 2002, efforts were made to satisfy the citizens' desire for culture through new construction of 2nd exhibition building based on the relics that had been secured by means of excavations, donations and purchases, etc.

The remains collected and exhibited in the museum are important materials that show the character of history and culture of Busan from the prehistoric times to the present age. In addition to this, they are not only the evidences that shows us who we are but also the treasures that create the wisdom, revealing to us the path that we will proceed .

In the future, we will continue to make our museum achieve its function and roles as a comprehensive museum through collections, preservations, studies and exhibitions of traditional cultural materials related to our community. We will also runa program for a variety of educations and cultures that will satisfy the citizens. This way, we will make the museum as an open history and culture space that is favored by all of us.

By revitalizing the exchanges both home and abroad in various ways, we will also work diligentlyso that the museum may be the place matching its status of Busan, the largest port city in Northeast Asia.

Prehistory Room

Because of its natural and environmental factor surrounded by water on three sides, Busan area began to be inhabited since the Late Paleolithic Period (20,000～15,000 B.C.), and there are many relics and remains related to this. Many kinds of chipped stone implements have been excavated from the Jwa-dong and Jung-dong historic site throughout the entire area of Haeundae, including stone axe, jjikgae, milgae, geulgae, stone blade, etc., which can be assumed to be the ones that existed around 15,000～20,000 years ago, we can see that Busan area began to be inhabited at least since the Late Paleolithic Period.

Around 12,000 years ago, the glacial epoch ended and the Neolithic culture began to develop. From around 7,000 to 8,000 years ago, the Neolithic people began to live in the Busan area, along the coast where abundant marine resources were available. They left behind shell mound, settlement sites and tombs, and various artifacts including comb-patterned pottery, fish spear, fishing hook, stone axe, shellfish bracelet and era ring, stone and bone tools, etc., and the typical remains are the Dongsam-dong Shell Mound and the Beombang relic, etc.

Around 3,000 years ago from now, the new cultural factors focusing on Mumun pottery and bronze ware and rice farming came into the Busan area from the northern area, the rice agriculture was introduced into the region bringing about the Bronze Period. The people of this period, dwelling on river banks and on hilly districts, left behind many relics related to farming, which include the housing sites of Banyeo-dong, Oncheon-dong and Nopo-dong as well as the dolmens of Gamcheon-dong and Gadeok-do and Jo-do shell mound.

Samhan/Three Kingdoms Room
Around the latter half of the Bronze Age, because of the inflow of iron culture from China, the Samhan society(B.C. 2C～A.D. 3C) began to be formed. From this time, Busan area came into a full-scale historical age, and the Dokro kingdom was established, which was one of the Byeonhan 12 kingdoms. As the typical relics of this age, there are Dongrae shell mound and Naeseong relic, and the tomb relics are located in Bokcheon-dong, Guseo-dong and Nopo-dong. As for the cultural phenomena in this age, there appeared new earthenware called wajil earthenware and the deotneol tomb as well as the various instruments and weapons made of iron material.

Facing the turbulent era when the use of ironware was generalized and wars were happening frequently, the small kingdoms of Samhan united allied with other neighboring small kingdoms or unified with them. The Dokro kingdom in Busan allied with Gaya kingdom located in the Gimhae area, becoming part of Geumgwan-Gaya, sharing the culture from 4th century to early 5th century. However, after the 5th century, as the Geumgwan-Gaya declined and Silla advanced here, the Silla culture became established. All the relics of Three Kingdom era known to this date are tombs, including the Ancient Tombs of Bokcheon-dong, Oryundae, Dugu-dong, Imseok-dong, Danggam-dong, Hwamyeong-dong, Deokcheon-dong, Banyeo-dong, Goejeong-dong and the Yeonsan-dong Ancient Tombs.

Unified Silla Room
Silla that had unified the Three Kingdoms began to execute the Ju Gun and Hyeon System by reorganizing the local government system in 685(5th year of King Sinmun) for the purpose of centralized authoritarian ruling. As the local government system has been organized, the social atmosphere got to be different from the time before the unification.

Busan, which was in the outskirts of the unified Silla was incorporated into Dongnae-gun, a part of Yangju, and named Dongnae in 751(16th year of King Gyeongdeok), which is derived from Chinese characters. In connection with Busan, some records and stories came to us, including a record that the Silla kings visited Dongrae hot spring several times and a story that Choe Chi-Won came to Haeundae to rest there, who was frustrated when his suggestion to reform the political system was rejected by Qeen Jinseong. During this time, as Buddhism spread, Beomeosa (temple) was built in Busan, too, where are still the 3 Story Stone Tower and Stone Lamp, etc. Beomeosa, one of the 10 Hwaeom-sect temples, is said to be initially built in mount Geumjeong in 678(18th year of King Munmu) and rebuilt in 830(10th year of King Heungdeok). Around this time, the first roof-tiled building was built, too. The relics of Unified Silla that remain in Busan include many items related to daily life such as earthenware kiln, etc.

Goryeo Room

After the unification of Later Samguk(Three Kingdoms) by Goryeo(918～1392), Busan became a remote place far from the center of politics. As a result, when compared even with the neighboring area like Ulsan, Yangsan, etc., Busan became politically neglected in the early Goryeo era. The Dongrae-gun, which was a Ju Hyeon where was a local officer dispatched from the central government even in the Unified Silla, lost its status early in Goryeo, being incorporated into Ulju(Ulsan) in 1018(9th of King Hyeonjong), and the Gijang and Dongpyeong hyeon that belonged to Dongrae-gun was incorporated into Ulju and Yangju(Yangsan) respectively.

But after the middle years of Goryeo, especially under King Uijong's reign, Busan produced many relatively important persons such as Jeong Seo who composed Jeong Gwajeong-gok, the Song of Jeong Gwajeong', gradually becoming an important area in politics. Also according to its geographical condition, its approximation to coastal areas and a large river, the importance of Busan gradually emerged struggling through the periods of Mongol resistance, Sambyeocho(three units of remnant resistant Korean soldiers) resistance, and the Japanese invaders domination on the southern and western coasts. Thereafter in Joseon Dynasty, it emerged to the front of history as a gate for entering into friendly relations with Japan.

Joseon Room

From the end of the Goryeo period to the early Joseon period, the damage caused by waegu was very extreme. Busan, very close to Daema-do, the stronghold of waegu was located in the most important place, responsible for the defense at the forefront. For this reason, a jin (barracks) and Gyeongsang-jwasuyeong(Naval Headquarters of Gyeongsangdo Province) were established in Busanpo in 1397(6th year of King Taejo), and it emerged as a very important city militarily.

And a waegwan(Japanese trading and living quarter), an equivalent to today's trade mission, was set up in Busanpo as an important gateway to Japan for Korean-Japanese diplomatic relations. The waegwan was also established in Dumupo and Choryang later. And Busan was also the origin of the trip of the tongsinsa (mission) that was regarded as a formal diplomatic mission dispatched to Japan. Therefore Busan in the Joseon period served as one of the most important points for diplomacy and trade

The Dongrae, which was the center of Busan area, had various kinds of government office buildings in Eupseong including hotels, Dongheon, etc. And close to Eupseong, there were many education institutions like Siseoljae, Dongrae Hyanggyo, Anrakseowon, etc., and it had the function as the center of administration and education.

Korea-Japan Relationship Room

As the Japanese pirates, who had been rampant since the end of Goryeo period, continued to pillage the southern provinces, the Joseon government opened three waegwan(Japanese trading and living quarter) in 3 ports (Busan, Jinhae, and Ulsan) so that they could buy the daily necessities without looting any more. In waegwan, a variety of facilities were built including wharf, hotel, warehouse, etc., and the number of Japanese people staying for a long period gradually increased. When the control over waegwan by Joseon was reinforced, the Japanese in waegwan, who were dissatisfied with this, gave rise to the Sampo War in 1510 under the assistance of the chief of Daemado.

Thereafter, small and big battles occurred repeatedly and the tension between the two nations was intensified, and finally the Imjinwaeran(the Imjin War) broke out in 1592, with Japanese troops invading Joseon. Busan suffered a lot of desctructions for a long time as it was the place invaded by Japanese army for the first time, or passage for the diplomats to hold the meetings for peace talks, or the place for the Japanese troops to remain, or the invasion route of Jeongyujaeran, etc. After Imjinwaeran ended, both countries normalized the diplomatic exchanges with each other, and waegwan was provided for the diplomats and merchants of Japan to exchange with Joseon counterparts. Late in Joseon period, waegwan was provided only in Busan. Various kinds of facilities were built in Busan, which were necessary for diplomatic relations and trades with Japan, many Japanese diplomats and merchants visited Busan. When Joseon diplomats went to Japan, they left for Japan from Busan.

The role of the chief of Dongrae, who controlled over Busan, got to be important, and the role of the following officials became greater, including Jwasusa of Jwasuyeong who was responsible to defend the coast in this area and the Cheomsa who ruled over each Jin like Busanjin, Dadaejin, etc.

Living Culture Room

The Dongrae market is a 5 day interval market opening on every 2 and 7, which is in the center of the village, where many kinds of goods produced in neighboring villages for trading in Dongraebu are gathered. The main product of Dongrae was a tobacco pipe. There were many handicraft manufacturing places to make tobacco pipes in Dongrae, and such tobacco pipes from those manufacturing places were distributed all over the country through the market day. The famous goods in such market included seaweed and hair tail of Gijang, wild edible greens of Cheolma, pear and hemp cloth of Gupo, melon of Yeonsan-dong, bamboo goods of Geumsa-dong, anchovy of Haeundae, sweet persimmon of Yangsan, vegetables of Gimhae and dropwort of Eonyang.

The Dongrae merchants who worked based on the Dongrae market place were the most prominent big tradesman throughout the country together with the Gaeseong and Uiju merchants. They had control over the market with large capital and strong system, leading not only the commerce in Joseon but also the trade with Japan. However, they were gradually squeezed out of the market after opening of a port with a central place of Japanese people being created, of which business district being expanded during the Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Thereafter, the function of Dongrae market gradually decreased as its transportation service was inconvenient when compared with other markets.

Fork Room

The traditional folk culture in the Busan area have been carried on to today’s life of Busan citizens, but many of them have disappeared as the environment changed. Among them, some old artistic talents that are flower of folk ceremonies permeated with philosophy of life designated as intangible cultural properties for preservation and succession.

The songs that were sung in the sea while catching fish became the Jwasuyoung-eobangnori and Dadaepohurisori, and the song enjoyed while arduous farming in cooperation with one another became a folk game called Suyeongcheongnori. And the masque that is only in Busan, which prays for bountiful year and peace, Suyeong-Dongrae Yaryu was played. The Gutgeori rhythm and Deotbaegi dance became the base of folk games. The Gutgeori rhythm is free from short and rapid melody as if it reflects the thick line, the crude but easygoing character of Busan people, and the Deotbaegi dance is freewheeling only with standard big form.

The folklore of Busan has a dance rhythm that we can enjoy according to the beat having ties that can be fastened and loosened, leading the folk game to the peak. The folklore of Busan is the character that does not tolerate the illicit power as shown in the bitter satire of Yangban in the Deulnoreum.

Modern Times Room

Starting from the exclusive settlement developed immediately after the opening of the port in 1876, many facilities were developed to enforce colonial exploitation. Japanese people plundered the land and houses owned by the people of Joseon. The people of Joseon resisted the economical invasion in many ways, including the introduction of new education, revitalization of both modernization and national education, establishment of commercial system and banks, etc. But since the annexation of Joseon by Japan in 1910, the independent modernization by our people failed.

During the colonial ruling by Japan, they were gradually making Busan their colonial city through port reclaiming work, street planning, maintenance of road network and introduction of electric train, etc. In addition to this, they exploited the raw materials and labors by construction of modern industrial facilities. In the mean time, the Joseon people resisted the colonial ruling by Japan in many ways, including shouting for national independence, organizing laborer group for each industry as well as many kinds of social groups. The Imperial Japan violently oppressed the resistance of Busan people and fostered some pro-Japanese group to break up the Joseon people. The colonial education by Imperial Japan provided to achieve this purpose completely obliterated national education of Joseon to provide only their own education to make Joseon people as their own Emperor’s people.

Present-Day Room

The first 8 years from 1945 when Korea became independent from Japan’s colonial ruling to 1953 when the Korea War ended is a short period within the 5,000 years of Korean history, but its historical events imply that Korea was passing through a transition era which would last throughout the century. Before the overflowing excitement of liberation subsided, Koreans had to suffer a disruption by conflicting ideologies, a war, and then the fixation of the division of the land.

The division, unification, ideology and foreign power and others are the terms to which we are still accustomed, and those problems still remain unsolved. In the history of 8 years after liberation, Busan was in the center of changes. Our people felt firsthand the liberation of our own nation through the wave of repatriating people flowing into Busan port. In Korea War, which was the cause for the beginning of a full-scale division period after the chance to establish independent unified country came to an abrupt end, Busan was in the center of history, as the provisional capital and haven for the refugees who had gathered from all over the peninsula.

Ref: 옛부산에서 근대 부산까지의 흔적을 볼수있는 부산박물관

Paths of Empress Heo's Wedding

2012-09-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

Paths of Empress Heo's Wedding
We're on a search for places to the story of the marriage between Korea's King Kim Suro and the Indian-born Empress Heo. You are entering the "GaYa" period as you join this tour.

Portrait of King Kim Suro Portrait of Empress Heo

Sawangseok, with the mark of the statue of the Buddha with a cobra.

Storytelling

In 46 AD, King Kim Suro of Karak and Empress Heo of Ayuta in India were married.
Preceding the mythical love story of " Romeo and Juliet" by some 1,500 years, the story of King Kim Suro and his Empress is a happier one, as evidenced by their 10 sons and 2 daughters and the fact that they lived together for 145 years.

Lovers from around the world will be inspried by this romantic tale, as they visit Mangsando where the arrival of the Empress was eagerly anticipated, Heongguksa where the royal couple spent their first night together, and the tombs where the King and the Empress continue to lie side by side.

* Mangsando
Here is where Yucheongan rode his fastest to look out to sea to check whether a ship had arrived,
on the King's command .

-- way to Mangsando : You can get here by taking Metro Line 1 at Busan station, getting off at Hadan station and transfering to bus No.520 bound for Yongwon, in jinhae .

** Yujuam ( Yujugak)

It is said on that on object of the Empress was thrown overboard into the sea and became Yujuam.

*** Heongguksa ( Heongguk temple)

This is the place where the King and the Empress are said to have spend their wedding night after receiving
the blessing of the mountain god . It is also said that the King named the mountain " Myeongwolsan (Bright Moon Mountain)"by comparing her beauty with the moon and he founded " MYEONGWOLSA" around there. A stone figure showing a cobra supporting a statue of Buddha was discovered here.

**** Royal tombs of King Kim Suro and Empress Heo.
The Pasa Pagoda which she brought from Ayuta has been preserved here for 2,000 years. A twin fish pattern greets visitors at the gate of the tomb, encapsulating the mystery of ancient times.

Tomb of King Kim Suro

                                                          Pasa pagoda

       Looking around
     * Geoga Bridge and Busan New Port
     The port, a major logistics hub in North East Asia , and the Bridge/ Tunnel fixed link connecting
       Busan and Geoje Island, are symbols of Busan's dynamism and bright future.