9th Seoul Silver Grass Festival – October 16th to 24th

The 9th Seoul Silver Grass Festival will take place at Haneul Park, located within the Seoul World Cup Park, from October 16th to 24th.

This time in October signifies the changing seasons when autumn colors are at their peak, and Haneul Park will transform into a magnificent sight with waves of silver waves of silver grass (Eulalia). Normally closed in the evenings to protect local flora & fauna, the park will extend operating hours during the festival (until 22:00) allowing visitors to take in night views of the Hangang River while enjoying a stroll along the lighted paths.

The list of events include an opening ‘Lighting Ceremony of Melody of Light’ followed by kickoff performances. Also, under the theme ‘Walking on the Sound’, a range of performances will be held every night through the 22nd including Gukak, Jazz, Folk, classic and a cappella. Other interactive programs such as an astronomy class, a photo exhibition of local plant life, and a special presentation comparing Eastern & Western constellation mythologies will take place during the week.

This year, the festival presents a new program entitled, ‘Walking on the Moonlight Eulalia Path’ where participants can follow a 4.4km, diamond-shaped trail passing through the main sites of Haneul Park. This program will take place at 19:00 on October 22nd.

Noeul Park, located next to Haneul Park, will also open for extended hours until 22:00 during the festival. Noeul Park has ten works of art on display and also offers a golf course, camp site and nature preserve. Visitors can also check out the silkworm culture experience center for a unique hands-on activity. 

Little Korea in Kochi(India)

They are neither bored nor desperate housewives. They are the can-do homemakers. Enterprising, energetic and exciting three Korean women, K.S. Lee, J.H. Kim and Lee Sook, from the city, have started their new venture, Korean Spicy Chicken in Jawahar Nagar.

A fun eatery, the perfect fast food joint, it serves, the most popular Korean dish- Spicy Chicken, as K. S. Lee will tell you. In Korea she explains that many stand-alone food outlets or restaurants sell specific dishes, like ‘only chicken' or ‘only fish' kinds. “This is somewhat on the lines of KFC,” adds her son Hanee Jang.

Being the first Korean cuisine eatery and just a week young, Spicy Chicken draws the curious and the adventurous food buffs. Lee who put together the idea of this restaurant, says, “We are still in the trial and error stage.” Lee is a writer too and has a philosophic side to her. Food and the enterprise are philosophically interpreted.

Quoting Victor Hugo she says that he refers to woman as being weak but the mother as being strong and so as mothers the three women aspire to provide healthy and hygienic food to the diners. “That's our motto,” she says with a kind look from behind her spectacles.

As it is perfection that the women aim for in the food and in their venture they have begun on a small menu of only chicken dishes and the famed Korean cabbage salad - Khimchi.

Their kitchen makes no use of trans-fats (only sunflower oil) and the chicken is dressed and cut to shape by Kim, their chef. Chicken Kangjung is sweet and has Ginseng in the sauce, which is herbal and healthy and yummy of course.

They work immediately on the feedback they receive from their clients. The most common request they have been receiving is of introducing rice or chapatti or bread with the chicken as that's what customers feel will complete the meal. The change is on the cards, says Lee.

With their spouses into full fledged businesses here they are happy to introduce Kochiites to the cuisine of their land. “Very little is known about Korea here. People generally confuse the cuisine with other oriental cuisines like Chinese or Thai.

Almost no oil

The main difference is that Korean food uses, almost no oil”. So the notion that Khimchi is Korean food and Korean food is Khimchi is far from true. The favourite dish - spicy chicken is deep fried and coated with a ‘special sauce', “of course a trade secret.”

Kim handles the spanking new kitchen, while Sook is in charge of the accounts. Lee meanwhile attends to the running of the restaurant, her nine years of living in Kochi giving her the added advantage of familiarity and experience. They source most of the ingredients “now locally,” except for some sauce powders from Korea and the cabbage for Khimchi comes from Ooty.

The small menu is reasonably priced, which is attractive for families and students. It is perfect on-the-run food and the ideal hangout where one can enjoy crispy chicken over cups of Sujeonggwa, a typical Korean drink. Literally translated, it is ‘crystal water' made from an infusion of ginger and cinnamon. Along with food and business it is her writing that keeps Lee going. Her essays on Kochi, ‘Venus Rises In The Evening' have been published in Korean language in Seoul, from where she comes.

She concludes about her new venture in infancy, “we are not like a still lake, but like little streams ready to change course.” This she says referring to their willingness to incorporate the suggestions of their clients and reach perfection, the ultimate satisfaction for their guests. Korean Spicy Chicken is on Subhash Chandra Bose Road, Jawahar Nagar. The contact no is – 4014050.

source:the Hindu

Foreigners no longer a fear for Koreans

*Korean companies are changing to such an extent that they are dominating the global market in many fields and with that, they are feeling no worries or embarrassment in aggressively pursuing new markets. In this three-part, 10th anniversary special series, the Korea JoongAng Daily will examine various aspects of Korean corporate culture and how it is becoming a recognized force in the global industry.


It hasn’t been long since Korea opened up its market to foreign competition, and in recent years, companies such as Samsung Electronics and Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction have been spreading their presence abroad with large investments and aggressive mergers and acquisitions.

Many Koreans were uncomfortable with sudden changes in the past, especially with foreign investments entering the country, feeling a sense of xenophobia. But now the tables have turned.

The “corporate DNA” of Korea is changing, with an increasing number of Korean companies dominating international business. And conversely, a large number of foreigners are now coming to Korea to work. 

Xenophobia has largely disappeared, with Koreans being much more accepting of other cultures and business practices. Koreans no longer fear foreigners and are proud of “Koreanizing” the global market. 

Korea’s hosting of several international events, especially the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 2002 World Cup, has spurred even more change. Adding to that, the upcoming G-20 Summit will bring the world’s most powerful political and business leaders to the country, putting Korea even more squarely on the international stage. 

Korean businesses are now playing a much more significant role in international markets, which has helped boost the country’s confidence. 

“In recent years, Korean companies have become strong on the global stage in terms of business deals, and much of the xenophobia that existed in Korea in the past has practically disappeared,” said a representative of Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, who did not want to be named. 

“This is because the fear has gone away, as companies have become more financially powerful and also have recruited many employees with experience in various global corporations.” 

The Doosan employee said that the increasing number of employees with experience in international firms, such as global consulting, have given companies the upper hand and confidence since employees now know the workflow of international firms.

The excitement in terms of business growth has played a role in the changes.

“Since businesses are close to China and Southeast Asia, Korea is a fascinating balcony, a front row seat to exciting growth,” said Jean Baptiste Roques, senior vice president of Samsung Total Petrochemicals.

“Korean businesses have increased their investments and have developed new projects [globally] while the world is still downsizing, and these days, it’s really the right place to be,” he said.

Even one of the world’s most powerful men, U.S. President Barack Obama, showed up in July at the groundbreaking event of LG Chem in Holland, Michigan, a company that only a few years ago considered closing its electric-vehicle battery unit.

Samsung Electronics, which has become a major player in the mobile phone industry - especially with its Galaxy smartphones - and Korea National Oil Corporation have made their presence felt by recently taking over London-based Dana Petroleum and by making investments in various other locations around the world. 

Now, many foreign companies are rushing to sign deals with Korean companies. 

Korea’s presence is being felt in other areas as well. 

Makgeolli, a traditional Korean rice wine, was once considered exclusively a Korean drink, one which Koreans felt foreigners would never take to. However, with smart marketing that included promoting the traditional aspects of the country, the drink has gained popularity overseas and recently entered the U.S. market. Fans of makgeolli are popping up all over the globe. 

Hangul, the Korean language, has become well known in the fashion industry as well - fashion pieces with Hangul printed on them have attracted international attention. When Lie Sang-bong introduced a clothing line with stylishly designed Hangul characters printed on them at the 2006 Who’s Next fashion exhibition in Paris, he drew praise in the fashion industry. 

This has also led to an increasing number of Korean people favoring Hangul design instead of the various foreign brand names or characters printed on items including cell phones, clothing, cigarette cases and coffee cups. Koreans are now more proud of Hangul characters used in various designs.

For some business workers, such trends have gone a step further - the way some people print English characters on their business cards has changed. The general rule was to have the first name and last name printed, as it would be done in Western countries. But an increasing number of Korean workers are now changing their business cards so the last name is printed first, followed by the first name, which is the normal Korean name order. 

Jung Ji-hee, a senior clerk at the Industrial Bank of Korea recently changed her name order so that her last name comes first in her business card. 

More foreign professionals are coming to Korea to work and experience the culture. Compared to a decade ago, foreign professionals - including office workers, researchers, technical specialists, professors and English teachers - have more than doubled in this decade, according to government statistics. The number has grown from 18,470 in 2000 to 44,412 in September of this year.

“While professional foreign workers in Korea have been steadily increasing in recent years, the number of professors especially has shown a large increase, almost doubling from 1,200 in 2007 to 2,300 in this year,” said Ahn Gyu-seok of the Korea Immigration Service.

The entire infrastructure of the country has changed as well, leading to more openness. 

“When I first got here, I was in culture shock because I didn’t know where to buy things or how to get around since there were no signs in English, and I didn’t know the language,” said Joe Kostoss, a senior consultant at Doosan Heavy, who has been living in Korea since 1991. “One of the biggest changes to the country is in its infrastructure - highways, railways, even shopping.”

Korean food, which foreigners are generally known to have difficulty enjoying due to its and strong flavors, have gained popularity.

“Since living in Korea, I have been enjoying the food; I love to eat bibimbap (mixed rice bowl) and budae jiggae (hot pork soup with ham and sausages),” said Phil Dembowski, who works for Dow Corning Korea. “Now, I find myself adding hot pepper even to Western food to make it spicier.”

Another company executive found the same thing happening to him. 

“The most significant change in me has been my eating habits, with much more rice and soup, more spicy food; and I like the community sharing of dinner,” said Dwenell Mills, GM Daewoo Auto and Technology’s vice president of product planning. 

Korea’s distinctive culture is also gaining the attention of foreigners. 

“I am getting better appreciation of the competitiveness of the Korean society,” said Chris Carpenter, a professor at Ewha Womans University. “Even my students compete with each other to succeed under such a competitive environment.”

“The Korean people have a passion for success and a drive for excellence. These aspects of the Korean culture translate very well to the international business world,” added Dembowski.
source:joongang daily

Traditional performance at Gyeonghoeru Pavilion in Gyeongbokgung Palace

The Cultural Heritage Administration and Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation will host a traditional performance in Gyeongbokgung Palace from 13th to 28th this month. The cultural event sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will be held a total of eight times at the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion in the palace.

The Gyeonghoeru Pavilion was the place where performances were held for the royal family and diplomatic delegations from abroad in banquets during the Joseon Dynasty. Thus, considering this spatial characteristics, the traditional performance is to be held at the second floor of the pavilion, resembling the past events.

Along with the explanation about the pavilion, the royal music and dances as well as important intangible cultural heritage will be performed during the event. Oh Jeong-hye, a famous actress, will emcee the event, and Yeominlak (Music for the People), Daegeum (large bamboo flute) Sanjo, and Pansori Epic Chant will be played by renowned musicians without charging the guests.

Only 80 to 100 people are to be allowed to enter the pavilion per event for safety reasons and the CHA will select invitees for every performance; it ranges from the culturally-neglected class (Oct. 13, 22), foreigners (Oct. 20), and artists and sponsors of cultural heritage (Oct. 15, 28). For ordinary citizens, it will be performed on October 14, 21, and 27 and only the elderly over 65 can apply for participation in advance.

Based on this year’s event, the CHA will try to find ways to promote this performance by commercializing it for government agencies, companies and other organizations which hope to provide such performances to state guests, VIPs and tourists in special occasions.

This is the first time that a traditional performance in Gyeonghoeru Pavilion is commercialized after a few events held sporadically in the pavilion. In 2005, Sujecheon (Long Life as Eternal as the Heavens) was played there when the pavilion was open to the public for the first time in 44 years. 

National Museum of Korea holds exhibition of Goryeo Buddhist paintings

The National Museum of Korea is holding an exhibition titled, "Masterpieces of Goryeo Buddhist Painting - A Long Lost Look after 700 Years" from October 12 to November 21.

This is the largest exhibition of Goryeo Buddhist paintings ever held, and most of works are being introduced to modern Korean audiences for the first time. The exhibition includes 108 Goryeo- era artifacts, including 61 Goryeo Buddhist paintings from Korean, Japanese, North American, and European collections.

(Photo: The National Museum of Korea)

Goryeo Buddhist paintings are religious art that expresses the prevailing culture of the Goryeo era, and are treasured for their graceful shapes, vivid colors, and strong lines. Unfortunately, many of the works have been in public and private collections in far-flung locations such as Japan, the US, and Europe, and inaccessible to a broader Korean audience. One of paintings in the exhibit, "Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara," has been housed at Senso-ji temple in Japan, and has never been on display for the public.

The exhibition is divided by themes. The first section, "Buddha: The Enlightened One," focuses on depictions of the Buddha. "Amitasamjondo," usually housed at Samsung Leeum Museum, shows the Buddha approaching the dead to welcome them into paradise.  

"Bodhisattva: Savior of Sentient Beings," displays paintings of Avalokiteshvara and Kshitigarbha, important beings who vow to help all sentient beings achieve nirvana. The "Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara" from Senso-ji appears in this section. 

(Photo: The National Museum of Korea)

The "Five Hundred Arhats" series was painted in 1235 and 1236 and is displayed in the third section, "Arhat: Paragon of Spiritual Practitioners." Seven of the 14 works in this series are housed at the National Museum of Korea. Three more pieces were borrowed from collections in the US and Japan, bringing together almost all of the known paintings. 

"Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in Neighboring Countries," exhibits Chinese and Japanese Buddhist paintings from the same historic period. Through these works, visitors are given an overarching view of Buddhist art in East Asia. Three Western Xia Buddhist paintings from the 12th and 13th centuries from State Hermitage Museum in Russia, which were excavated from Khara Khoto by the Kozlev expedition of 1909, will be on display. Together with the "Amitasamjondo" from the Samsung Leeum Museum, they help contribute to a wider view of the Buddhist culture in the period. 

"Inheritance of the Tradition," is the last section of the exhibition concentrating on the transition from Goryeo Buddhist paintings to those of the Joseon era, especially Buddhist paintings from the royal house in the early Joseon era. Two works from the "Yaksasamjondo," a series of 400 Buddhist paintings by Queen Munjeong to celebrate the rebuilding of Hoeam Temple in 1565, will be on display in this section.  

Adult admission is 3,000 won, while students up to age 18 receive reduced admission prices of 1,000 won, and students between the ages of 19 and 25 are admitted for 2,000 won.  

For more information, please visit http://www.museum.go.kr/EngMain.do

The Fascinating World of Hangul Calligraphy

 

Are you familiar with calligraphy?

There is a growing interest for hangul (the Korean alphabet) not only as a set of alphabets but also as an artistic theme. Known for its highly scientific and pragmatic nature, now hangul is being re-discovered as calligraphy (the art of fancy lettering) as well as applied as a fashion component.

In calligraphy, letters transform into something unique, one-of-a kind, and creative that reflects the emotions of the particular theme that the words denote. Used in the poster for “Festival” (a film directed by Gwon-Taek Lim), hangul calligraphy is now used everywhere, far and wide, from movie posters, book jackets, record covers, to product advertisements etc.
  

Calligraphy on the Web

Calligraphy is gaining popularity in the online world as well. Breaking away from the uniform Microsoft fonts, web users are now turning to more original letterings and do not hesitate to make a purchase for calligraphies to use for their blogs and homepages. It is estimated that annual volume of font purchase is over KRW 10 billion.

Cyworld, the widespread web site that offers mini homepages, sell 20,000 fonts daily, and introduces new fonts everyday that are customized to meet users particular wants and demands. Fonts that apply the handwritings of celebrities such as Yuna Kim are particularly appealing to the customers.

People Love Hangul-themed Fashion
  

  

(photo courtesy of Kyunghyang Newspaper)  

Lie Sang-Bong is one of the most well-known Korean fashion designers who is especially acclaimed and recognized for his hangul-themed works. His range of work includes not only clothes, but accessories, electronics, and home appliances as well. Lie incorporates hangul usually written vertically, aptly conveying traditional Korean flavor at the same time as keeping it modern and suave.

Hangul-themed design is gaining further vitality with the efforts of Dong-Eui University in Busan, which established “Han Fashion Center” in 2006 with the support from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.

The Han Fashion Center launched its own brand called “Hooga” and undertakes various activities such as exporting design carpets abroad and supporting some 130 local companies that lack design capacities. The center aims to create design products that capture the characteristic beauty of hangul – the harmony between its lineal and curved lines. 

Hangul, created by King Sejong, is now being re-created in the hands of designers.

As you may have noticed, last October 9 was Hangul Day in Korea. It was a day for us to ponder the value and beauty of the great Korean alphabet, especially in these times where there is an unbridled deluge of foreign languages, ugly slangs and obscure jargons in our everyday communication. 

Benefits of Red Ginseng

Autumn is here now in full swing. As the saying goes, you can see “the sky getting higher and horses getting plump.”

In these crisp, pleasant days, are you one of those people who feel always sleepy and somewhat lethargic, dozing in the bus and missing your stop?

If you are, then I’d like to introduce you to a certain health food: Red ginseng.
   

(photo courtesy of Hankuk Ilbo)

Red Ginseng Prevents Swine Flu

When the H1N1 swine flu virus swept the nation last year, the sales of ginseng and red ginseng skyrocketed as well. People believed there is nothing more effective than Korean ginseng in increasing immunity against flus. Not totally ungrounded, but still there hadn’t been sufficient scientific study to back up such an argument. 
  

Now, more about ginseng has been unveiled at the 10th International Symposium on Ginseng held on September 15. The results of a research on the effectiveness of ginseng in preventing H1N1 were announced. According to the study, the group who took ginseng along with vaccination had a 40% higher survival rate than the group who took only vaccination. Red ginseng, in particular, was found to boost up defense against not only H1N1 but seasonal flus as well.  

An experiment was conducted with 227 participants at three medical offices in Milan, Italy. Half of them were given ginseng at a dosage of 100mg daily, the other half placebo. The results showed a significant decline in the frequency of colds and flus in the treated group compared to the placebo group (15 versus 42 cases).

Red Ginseng Also Reduces Fatigue and Prevents Cancer

Other benefits of red ginseng include reducing fatigue, improving blood circulation, and getting rid of fat and cholesterol.

    

<2010 Punggi Ginseng Festival held from Oct. 1 through 6 in Yeongju>

Red ginseng also helps quench thirst, especially for diabetics who urinate a lot to get rid of the extra sugar in their blood. Also, red ginseng is good for enhancing your stamina in general. Those who often catch cold and never have enough energy might as well give it a try!

The size of the domestic red ginseng market, currently, is about KRW 1 trillion. And with the increasing consumer demand, it is expected to further grow, as much as six-folds within a few years. In addition, as an increasing number of foreigners are taking interest in the benefits of red ginseng, there is to be a lot more export and branching out into global markets.

Well, it seems like red ginseng is all that is good! Why not brace up ourselves against the vicious seasonal flus with some help from red ginseng? :)