Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Chapter 2
Traditional Culture
039_Korean Folk Village
045_Let’s Look at a Hanok!
046_Samulnori
049_Korean Folk Games
050_Insadong
052_Traditional Village
055_Representative Hanok Villages
056_Graceful Hanbok
058_Delicious Korean Food
060_Folk Tale: The Brother and the Sister Who
Turned into the Sun and the Moon
Chapter 3
Gyeongju, a Historic City
067_Cheomseongdae
070_The National Museum of Gyeongju
071_The Gyeongju National Museum at a Glance
075_The Divine Bell of King Seongdeok the Great
078_Relics at the Gyeongju National Museum
080_Bulguksa Temple and Seokgulam Grotto
082_Let’s Learn about Bulguksa Temple
086_Korea’s History at a Glance
096_Folk Tale: The Fairy and the Woodcutter
Chapter 4
Education and Royal Palaces
100_Respect to the Eldely
106_IT Powerhouse
108_Korea, an Economic Powerhouse
110_Daehangno
114_Changgyeong Palace
118_Royal Palaces
120_The Korean Wave
122_Folk Tale: The Tiger and Grandma’s Red Bean Porridge
Chapter 5
Remarkable Economic Development
126_A Divided Nation
134_The World Cup Stadium
136_Beautiful Ecological Park
140_Korea in the World of Sports
142_World Renowned Artists of Korea
144_Folk Tale: The Bride
Who Openly Farted
A letter from Marina
A letter from Carlos
Meet Ara and her friends
8
Bukchon Traditional
9 Village
Hanok
Ara hurries to her grandmother’s guesthouse. It’s going to be
one busy week for Ara since she will be hosting some very
special guests.
“Grandma, I’m here!”
“Good to see you, Ara. But where’s your uncle, Hyunsoo?”
Scenes of Seoul Grandmother shouts toward uncle’s room. The guesthouse is
Seoul is the capital of
Korea. The River Han flows located in historical Bukchon, the heart of the ancient capital.
through the capital, dividing
Seoul into southern and Grandmother’s guesthouse is famous for her beautiful flowers
northern parts. Korea’s
capital since 1394, Seoul and the guests here call the place the Big Garden.
has been the center of
Korea’s politics, economy, “Please, Mom. The flight is supposed to arrive at 10
industry, culture and trans-
portation. o’clock. We still have a lot of time,” Hyunsoo answers.
10
Bukchon Traditional
Hanok Village
Located in Seoul, Bukchon
village is home to traditional
Korean houses where early
Koreans used to live. The
Metropolitan Government of
Seoul has built a pavilion to
showcase how Korea’s
upper class Yangban used
to live.
11
“I used to teach them Korean in the Korean language club.
I’m going to see if they forgot what I taught them.”
“Why are they bothering to learn Korean in the first place
anyway?”
“It just shows how Korea is becoming popular nowadays,
uncle!”
“Well, I admire their effort.”
It was almost 11 when Ara could finally see her friends.
Marina came all the way from Germany while Carlos, who
still attends the Beijing International School flew in from
China. Marina and Carlos introduced themselves to Ara’s
12
Incheon International
Airport Passenger
uncle in Korean. Terminal
13
that I feel reinvigorated.”
The thought of bibimbap made Marina’s mouth water once
again.
“The airport here is simply awesome!” said Carlos as he
Tourist info center at
Incheon International looked around the airport. All along, Carlos had thought that
Airport
the biggest and nicest airports were those in his home country.
But the sheer size and the state-of-the-art facilities at Incheon
International Airport changed his view completely.
With all the signs marked in English, it was easy to get
around as well. Ara’s uncle spoke looking into the eyes of the
three children.
“Call me your captain for the week. I’ll be taking you to
every corner of Korea.”
Inside Incheon
International Airport
As Korea’s gateway, most
of the international flights
to and from Korea operate
via this airport. It s been
ranked the world’s number
one airport of the year for
four consecutive years in
the airport service evalua-
tion conducted by the ACI.
14
Let’s Learn about Korea!
Gangwon
Province
Seoul Metropolitan
City Ulleungdo
Incheon
Metropolitan City N. Chungcheong
Gyeonggi Province
Province Dokdo
Daejeon
Metropolitan N. Gyeongsang
S. Chungcheong City Province
Province Daegu
Metropolitan City
N. Jeolla Ulsan
Province Metropolitan
S. Gyeongsang City
Gwangju
Province
Metropolitan City
S. Jeolla
Province Busan Metropolitan
City
Jeju Island
15
Seoul International City
The vehicle picked up speed on the long express-way. After a
while, the streets of Seoul came into sight.
“There are so many people and high-rises!” said Carlos.
Cheongwadae
Korea’s Presidential Office “Seoul is rapidly growing and is quikly emerging as an
and Residence in Jongno,
Seoul. The name “Blue international city. As the capital, Seoul is the center of Korea’s
House” comes from the
main building’s blue roof. politics, economy and culture. Seoul is home to the
Presidential Office, Cheong Wa Dae, and many government
offices, as well as financial institutions, museums, art galleries
and other various cultural institutions.”
“I remember seeing Seoul on TV.”
Night scene of
Seoul
16
Seoul Olympics
Korea hosted the 24th
Summer Olympics in 1988.
Korea was the second
country in Asia and the
16th country in the world
to host the global sporting
gala.
Marina opened her bag and took out her digital camera.
“Before coming to Korea, I went to Dubai. I heard that
Koreans were building a 160-story skyscraper there!”
Startled by what Marina said, Ara asked her uncle.
“Captain, is this true?”
“That’s right. It’s called Burj Dubai. It means Tower of
Dubai and is going to be the tallest building in the world when
completed. It’s supposed to be higher than 810 meters tall. A
17
Korean construction company is taking part in one of the
world’s largest special engineering projects.”
Carlos looked into Marina’s digital camera with curiosity.
Ara thought to herself that she would also like to visit the
building with her uncle.
“There’s the Han River!”
A long and wide river appeared before the children’s eyes.
Han River Some people were fishing and others were riding bicycles
“Han” means great, large,
long in Korean. There are listening to music with their earphones on. Everyone seemed
more than 20 bridges over
the Han River. They serve a to be enjoying themselves.
crucial role in Seoul’s trans-
portation.
River Han at night
nlight
in under moo
ta
w foun
Rainbo
Festival on th
e Han Riverfront
er
n the Han Riv
to
re boa
Pleasu
Swimming p
ool at the Ha
n River bank
Seoul Forest
Ara, Marina and Carlos shouted after seeing water spewing
out from the ground fountain. Several children were running
between streams of water, drenched to their skin.
The Ground Fountain “When you think of big metropolises, you usually imagine
dull grey cities packed with tall buildings, right? But Seoul is
different. Along the banks of the Han River flowing through
Seoul, we have 12 beautiful public parks.”
“There are 12 parks like this?”
“Yup. This is the Seoul Forest created in Ttukseom in 2005.
Seoul Forest It’s divided into five major sections with special themes like
The Seoul Metropolitan
Government created a mas-
arts and culture, ecological woods, learning shelters, wetlands
sive urban forest in the
Ttukseom sports complex
and park areas along the banks of the Han River.
area, benchmarking Central
Park in New York City. The
Approximately 420,000 trees consisting of 110 different
Seoul Forest is home to five
theme parks that represent a
natural forest.
species emit fresh oxygen year round. People come and visit
Seoul Forest whenever they like, and here they can learn
something about nature while enjoying various outdoor activi-
ties.”
Carlos really liked the Han River. He thought that it would
be really cool to feel the fresh breeze after playing a game of
basketball there.
“Now, shall we go and feed some deer?”
“Deer?”
“Yes, deer. You can feed them yourself in the ecological
woods section.”
“I can’t wait to see them! Deer!” Marina couldn’t hide her
excitement
21
“And that’s not all. In the culture and art section,
there’s a water fountain that dances to music.”
Carlos couldn’t believe his ears. It sounded like
The N Seoul Tower the park was a magical place with surprises hid-
den at every corner.
Namsan Mountain
Soon as dusk set on the Han River, lights on
the bridges and buildings along the riverside
began to light up. Bridges over the Han River
looked even more beautiful with lighting.
“Now, we’re going to the heart of Seoul, Namsan
Mountain.”
“I can see the whole city from here.”
“Originally, the N Seoul Tower was Korea’s first radio
tower and was one of Korea’s tallest structures. Today, it’s
more famous as a tourist site for its beautiful night view of
Seoul.”
Looking out the window at the N Seoul Tower, the kids
stood speechless. The Captain pointed at the soaring structure
and told them that it was the 63 Building. He explained that it
was one of Korea’s tallest structures with an observatory, 63 Building
Located in Yeoido, Seoul,
aquarium and a cinema complex. He added, however, that a it is the third tallest building
in Korea. With an observa-
100-story building will soon be built in Korea. tory, aquarium, movie the-
ater and other various
“Isn’t it difficult to speak Korean?” asked the Captain all of entertainment facilities, the
63 Building is popular
a sudden. among tourists.
“It was at first, but now that I learned the basics, it’s actually
quite simple. One sound per syllable. Once you learn the 14
consonants and 10 vowels, it s really fun to learn Korean.”
23
“Actually, that’s true. Many world renowned linguists have
praised the Korean alphabet as a brilliant language system.
Oxford University in Britain once evaluated diverse lan-
guages of the world and it ranked Hangeul, the Korean alpha-
bet, as the most scientific, rational, creative and pragmatic of
Namsan Mountain
The 262 meter-high Nam-
all alphabets.”
san Mountain is located
between Seoul’s Jung-gu
“I want to improve my Korean more, so that next time I
and Yongsan-gu. Covered
with various types of trees,
visit Korea, I can bring my family with me and be their
Namsan provides a green
view in the heart of Seoul.
guide.”
People can get an open
view of downtown Seoul
“If you keep practicing, your Korean will improve quickly.
from atop it. There is the N
Seoul Tower, cable cars,
Anyway, shall we go down now? Your grandmother called
botanical garden and a
library at the Namsan Park.
just a while ago and told me that dinner’s ready.”
The Captain and the kids walked to the parking lot.
Namsan Beacon
Tower
An ancient means of com-
munication to signal an
emergency or enemy inva-
sion with smoke during the
day and fire at night.
Let’s Learn Korean!
Many languages are written with foreign alphabets: English uses Roman
letters, Mongolian uses Cyrillic. Early Koreans used only Chinese characters.
But in the 15th century a Korean king ordered the creation of a new alphabet
to make it easier for people to read and write Korean words. King Sejong the
Great worked with court scholars to make Hangeul, the Korean alphabet. The
vowels are drawn from three shapes — for land, | for man, and . for sky.
The consonants shapes reflect the position that the tongue, lips and teeth
are in for those sounds.
Note 1
Note 2
Note 1
e.g
Note 2
e.g
25
Map of Seoul
26
Dobong Mountain
Surak Mountain
Korea National
Training Center
Bukhansan
National Park
Deoksu
Palace Namdaemun
Seodaemun Market Dongdaemun
Gate Prison Cheonggyecheon
Stream
Namsan Hanok
Village Amsadong
National Prehistoric Site
Assembly
N Seoul Tower
Seoul Forest Seoul Children’s
Grand Park
Seoul Station
National Museum
63 building of Korea
Apgujeong Lotte World
Jamsil
Stadium
Seoul National Supreme COEX Olympic
Cemetry Court Park
Seoul Arts
Center
Seoul National
University Citizen’s Forest
27
Gwanak Mountain
28
Tourist Sites in Seoul
Dongdaemun Market(above) This is a fashion mecca with various entertainment facilities. Many tourists, especially
from Japan and Southeast Asia visit here.
Myeong-dong(below) This is where the latest trends can be spotted. Also it has Korea’s most famous Catholic church
Myeong-dong Cathedral.
30
Fabulous Seoul Plaza
Gwanghwamun Plaza
A symbolic plaza in Korea with statues of Admiral Yi Sunshin and King Sejong the Great. It is located in front of the Sejong
Center for the Performing Arts.
This is That s
One upon a time, there lived two old men mine! mine, too!
each with a lump on his cheek. One was a
good man and the other was greedy. The
greedy old man was very mean.
Oh, my...
My beautiful
voice comes
I'm going to
from my song get rid of my
pouch. lump, too!
32
The greedy old man went to the empty
Would house and sang as loud as he could so
you like my that the goblin could hear him. Finally, the
song pouch, goblin showed up. But he was very angry
too? because he had learned that the lump
was not really a song pouch.
You liar!
Please,
give me gold
and silver!
33
Chapter 02
34
The Suwon Hwaseong
35Fortress
It was still early in the morning, but the guesthouse was already
bustling. During breakfast Carlos was telling his friends about
an interesting dream he had the night before. He said that he
somehow turned into a goblin when returning home. The story
of the goblin and the old men with a lump probably left a strong
impression on him. Ara and her friends left Suwon and headed
to the Korean Folk Village. After about an hour’s ride, they
could see the walls of a fortress.
“What’s that castle we see?”
36
“Oh, that’s the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress. It’s one of Korea’s
most representative fortresses and is registered at UNESCO as a
World Cultural Heritage.”
“Like China’s Great Wall?” The Suwon
Hwaseong Fortress
Ara remembered climbing up the Great Wall with her friends Built in the 18th century by
Jeongjo, the 22nd king of
at the international school in China. She remembered how tough the Joseon Dynasty, it was
designed to serve political,
it was for her to get to the top, especially on such a windy day. commercial as well as mili-
tary functions. Equipped
“Well, it’s a little different. The castle here’s kind of like a with scientific facilities and
a pragmatic structure, it is
town where the king and the people used to live together in early a fine example of Asian
fortresses.
37
Bangwhasuryu
Pavillion
The pavilion with the best
view in the Suwon Hwa-
seong Fortress. It is one of
the best examples of
Joseon architecture with
exquisite engravings on
the stone base. Bangwha-
suryu means the pavilion
that pursues flowers and
willows.
38
Korean Folk Village
The Korean Folk Village was bustling with people though the
place had opened only an hour before. With a variety of tradi-
tional games like neolttugi, jegichagi, samulnori staged during
the day, the folk village is a popular tourist site.
There were clusters of thatched cottages and at the gate of the
village stood a totem pole that s supposed to ward off evil spirits.
The children walked into a thatched cottage like the ones early
Koreans used to live in.
That s called a thatched cottage. Early Koreans used clay to Korean Folk Village
entrance
build walls and thatched straw to make roofs. There are many Opened in 1974 in Yongin,
Gyeonggi Province to
showcase Korea’s tradi-
tional folk life. There are
representations of Korea’s
ancient government build-
ings and houses of the
nobility and commoners
from different regions of
Korea.
39
rice farms in Korea so they had plenty of rice straw.
Wouldn t the roof leak when it rained?
Actually, it doesn t. Did you know that thick layers of rice
straw provide protection against the cold in the winter and heat
in the summer? They replaced the old straw with new straw
Totem Poles every two years. And the used straw was used as fertilizer after-
Posts made of wood or
stone with paintings or wards.
carvings of faces stood at
the entrance of a village to Recycling roofs! What a great idea!
guard against evil spirits.
Carlos carefully looked around the cottage. He noticed lumps
of fermented soybeans hanging beneath the eaves.
Straw-thatched
cottage
40
But Captain, how
did they keep them-
selves warm? There s
no fireplace, said Carlos.
Come on over here.
The Captain took the kids to the kitchen and pointed at the Soybean Malt
Soybeans are boiled and
furnace. stone-ground and then
formed into blocks. The
This is where they lit the fire using firewood. blocks are then exposed
to sunlight or warmth for
But, this is the kitchen where they cooked. fermentation.
That s right. They cooked with the fire here but the heat and
smoke of the fire was used to warm the floors of the rooms.
Furnace
Used for cooking by putting
an iron cauldron over it and
heating by channeling the
heat and steam through
flues beneath the rooms.
chimney
furnace
floor of the room
flue of an ondol
41
Under the floor, Koreans built special flues to channel the heat
from the low-lying kitchen stoves. This unique heating system is
called ondol. That way, they could save energy while keeping
themselves warm in the winter.
Tile
Construction material made After taking a thorough look at the folk village, the children
of clay or cement to build
roofs. walked along the unpaved path. Soon, they spotted the grand
mansions where upper class nobles lived.
They learned that an entire cluster of houses with black tile
Tall Gate roofs was for a single family. The houses had numerous rooms.
The gate at a nobleman’s
house. It’s easy to spot as
the tall post stands out,
symbolizing the status of
the owner.
42
Wooden door frames
covered with Hanji.
43
Ha-ha! Some naughty children must have done it to look
inside the room.
Wouldn t the floor rip if paper is used?
No worries. Soybean oil is painted over it to make it shiny
and durable.
Carlos touched the floor wondering how that s possible. As he
lay on the main floor of the house, he felt as if he could smell the
soybean oil.
Wooden floored hall After visiting the hanok, Ara and the kids began teeter-totter-
A big main hallway located
at the center of a hanok. ing on a seesaw.
The wooden floor keeps
people warm in winter and What was unique about this korean seesaw (neolttugi) was that
cool in summer. On hot
summer nights, Korean instead of sitting on it, the riders had to stand at each end and
families would sit in a cir-
cle and have a chat and take turns jumping.
some even fell asleep lying
on the wooden floor.
Let’s Look at a Hanok
Hanok refers to traditional Korean houses like straw-thatched cottages or houses with
tiled-roofs, built according to traditional Korean architectural style. Hanoks can be
either residences for the upper classes or small homes for commoners, depending on the
style.
annex detached building
water closet
water
closet
cowshed
45
Samulnori
Ara and her friends heard a boisterous sound as they were hav-
ing fun on the long Korean swings.
It must be the samulnori! Let s go and take a look! shouted
Ara.
Everyone turned around to see where the sound came from.
Donning white traditional costumes with colorful bands
around their shoulders and waists, the samulnori players were
creating a festive mood. Some of the elderly in the crowd joined
Samulnori the group and began dancing along.
It is a folk percussion
ensemble. It literally means Is it okay to just jump in and dance with the performers?
playing with four instru-
ments: buk (barrel drum), asked Carlos.
jing (large metal gong),
janggu (hourglass-shaped Samulnori is all about mingling with other people. It s sup-
drum) and kkwaeng-gwari
(small metal gong).
46
Samulnori
performance
It first began as a band for
farm music in 1978 but is
now widely known both at
home and abroad.
posed to make people feel happy and reenergized. Come on, feel
free to join them, said the Captain.
No, thank you. It s kind of embarrassing, said Carlos.
Even though the Captain encouraged Carlos, he felt too shy to
join the crowd. When the twelve players began spinning their
hats with long ribbons, Carlos started clapping. The ribbons
attached to their hats were several meters long. Yet they could do
such amazing things like rope-jumping with their hats on. All
the onlookers got excited and began clapping to the rhythm too.
Isn t it exciting? Samulnori has been invited to
the World Performing Arts Festival and the
players won global recognition for their
performance.
When the performance was over, rounds of applause echoed
in every corner of the village. Afterwards, the children watched a
47
Traditional Wedding
Many marriages in early
Korea were arranged by
parents through mediators.
Based on the ranks of the
family, education and per-
sonality, the parents picked
their children’s spouses. In
many cases, the bride and
the groom did not even get
to see each other before the
wedding day.
48
Korean Folk Games
49
Insadong
Giggling at the pictures they had taken over at the Korean Folk
Village on the way back, the children didn’t realize that they had
already arrived at Insadong in Seoul.
“Let’s all hop out for another adventure!”
The sight of a long side street with small shops full of interest-
ing goods resembled the site of a market place back in early
times.
Insadong
Ever since various antique
and craft shops opened up
in the region in the 1980s,
Insa-dong has become
Seoul’s mecca for tradition-
al art and culture. Sitting
right in the center of down-
town Seoul, it is easy to
access by public trans-
portation.
50
Seoul during the Joseon Dynasty. There are traces of old govern-
ment buildings and houses of famous people here. But what
makes Insadong so famous is the lines of shops with hand-
crafts, explained the Captain. Chorengi
51
Traditional Village
What were ancient Korean schools like? What about the blacksmith s shop?
Where did the classical scholars study?
Take a peek at this traditional village for a look at the daily lives of ancient
Koreans.
52
Seongyojang
A nobleman’s house with 99
rooms in Gangneung, Gangwon
Province. It has been designated
as Important National Folk
Heritage #5.
Blacksmith s shop
Government office
Village school
Straw-thatched cottage
53
Andong Hahoe Folk Village
Known for its preservation of traditional folk culture and architec-
ture, it is home of the Ryu clan, which has produced many high-
ranking officials. Initially, the village was said to have been estab-
lished by the Huh clan and the famous Korean traditional mask
Hahoe are also said to have been created by them.
54
Representative Hanok Villages
Andong Village
Yangdong
Folk Village
Naganeupseong
Folk Village
55
Graceful Hanbok
Hanbok refers to Korea s traditional clothing. Combining straight lines with
curves, Hanbok is known for its visual harmony and beautiful colors. The
women s Hanbok consists of a short jacket and full skirt, while men s Hanbok is
comprised of a jacket and a pair of pants. Nowadays Koreans wear Hanbok
mainly on holidays or special occasions.
56
57
Delicious Korean Food
As a peninsula surrounded by water on three sides and fertile farmland inland,
Koreans have always had easy access to fresh seafood and vegetables. The
availability of such ingredients allowed for the creation of a wide variety of
dishes. Most notably, Koreans developed various fermented condiments such
as soybean paste and pepper paste.
58
Bulgogi
Beef barbecue cooked with vegetables and soy-
bean sauce. Bulgogi is popular all over the world
now.
Samgyetang
Traditional Korean broth usually served in the summer to stimulate the
appetite and re-energize. A whole chicken is boiled in water with
chestnuts, jujube, ginseng and glutinous rice stuffed inside it.
Nutritious Bibimbap
Typically made by mixing rice with various vegeta-
bles, some meat and an egg. Pepper paste can be
added for those who prefer a spicier taste.
59
Folk Tales
at Grandma's
Knee
Woo!
Please
spare
me!
Let’s hop
up the
children, a boy and a girl ran out to the
tree!
backyard and climbed up a tree.
60
Oh, God!
Help us. The tiger tried to climb the tree. The
brother and sister prayed to God,
asking for a life line to be sent. Then,
a thick rope suddenly came down
from the sky saving the brother and
the sister.
The tiger also prayed for a And the brother and sister became the sun
rope. But this time, a rotten and the moon in the sky.
rope came down and when the
tiger tried to cling to it, the rope Oh, no~
snapped. Down fell the tiger
and died.
Bang!
Help me,
please!
61
Chapter 03
62
It’s already our third day here in Korea.We had a great time at the
Korean Folk Village yesterday. It’s amazing how early Koreans used
paper and rice straw to build houses. I was really surprised to learn how
koreans developed the ondol system to keep themselves warm in the win-
ter. I think people around the world could take advantage of the ondol
system because it can help protect our environment.
Today, our Captain is taking us to the city of traditional culture, Gyeongju.
63
The National Museum of Gyeongju
The children woke up to the smell of food that filled the entire
house. Grandma was preparing picnic food called kimbap for
the kids. Grandma spread rice evenly on a piece of dried black
seaweed that looked like paper and then put various vegetables
on top of it, all different colors. Then she rolled up the seaweed
paper with the rice and vegetables in it.
“Is it going to be a long ride?” asked Carlos with water drip-
ping from his hair as he came out from taking a shower.
“Yes. There’s lots to see in Gyeongju so take a good look at
the ancient city, children,” said Grandma.
64
Monument at the
Gyeongju World
Culture Expo
The city of Gyeongju host-
ed the world’s first culture
expo showcasing diverse
cultures of various coun-
tries. An 85-meter monu-
ment has been built in its
commemoration.
Gyeongbu
Expressway
Expressway connecting
Just when Carlos was about to get a bite of kimbap, the Seoul and Busan (A metrop-
olis in Korea’s southeastern
Captain rushed back into the house, returning from a gas station. province of S. Gyeongsang
Province. Busan is Korea’s
“Kids, the car is filled to the brim with gas and everything’s second largest city after
Seoul and has the nation’s
set. Get ready now and meet in front of the gate by 8 o’clock. greatest trading port.)
65
Gyeongju
It sits on the southeastern
end of N. Gyeongsang Pr-
ovince. With a population
of 270,000, it is a city that
has both urban and rural
aspects. Nicknamed a
“museum without walls”,
Gyeongju is home to many
historic and tourist sites.
“It’s a city that’s kept the history of Silla intact. Silla is the
name of a kingdom that once ruled Korea. Gyeongju was the
capital of Silla for one thousand years from (BC 57-AD 935).
There are only few cities throughout the world that had been the
capital for such a long time: Athens in Greece and Rome in Italy
are two examples.
Many relics have been unearthed in Gyeongju and it has been
designated as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO,”
explained the Captain.
“So in other words, it’s a treasure city,” said Marina.
“Ha-ha, that’s a good way to describe it. It’s like an enormous
living museum!”
66
Cheomseongdae
Unlike Seoul, Gyeongju seemed
quiet and peaceful. Ara and her
friends walked into a dark forest.
Soon, a small pagoda appeared and the
Captain stopped. Cheomseongdae was built 1350
years ago to observe the movement of the uni-
verse to help farmers prepare and plan their
farming.
Marina was actually a little disappointed
at the sight of Cheomseongdae. It sort of
looked like stones piled up in the shape of a
Coca Cola bottle. But when she found out
that the number of stones and the stories
used in the pagoda symbolized the number
of days and months of a year, Marina was
startled at the mathematical knowledge
of the people of Silla. Carlos thought to
Cheomseongdae
himself that an astrologer might have lived inside
Cheomseongdae.
After passing age-old willows, zelkova and maple trees, a
crystal clear lake came into sight.
“ This is where the ancient palace of Silla Kings used to be. A
grand and splendid palace was built to greet foreign ambas-
sadors and hold banquets for national VIPs. There was a water-
way between buildings and small boats floated along at night.
From the boat, the guests could look at the animals on the artifi-
Anapji
A pond in Gyeongju, N.
Gyeongsang Province.
Created inside the king’s
palace, it served as a nat-
ural habitat for various ani-
mals and plants. National
celebrations and banquets
for VIPs were held in front
of the lake.
68
Sumyeonwa from
Anapji
Sumyeonwa is a type of
tile that’s placed at the
edge of eaves. Created in
the shape of a beast’s
face, they are believed to
ward off all evil spirits and
misfortune.
69
The National Museum of Gyeongju
The National Museum of Gyeongju was divided into several
exhibition halls. There was an antique gallery showcasing relics
of the people of Silla, Anapji gallery with relics from Anapji and
an art gallery with exquisite art works of the Silla dynasty.
Statue of Buddha
Ara and her friends first headed to the antique gallery. Marina
Exhibited at the Gyeongju
National Museum. Buddha
couldn’t take her eyes off the gold crown and ornaments.
is one of the world’s four
major sages. Born as a
“They used to call Silla the land of gold. In fact, a total of six
prince in Nepal, Buddha
left home at the age of 29
gold crowns have been excavated in and near Gyeongju,”
and gained spiritual awak-
ening at the age of 35. The
explained the Captain.
granite statue is sculpted
in Unified Silla’s typical
realistic style.
70
The Gyeongju National Museum at a Glance
At the National Museum of Gyeongju there are many different kinds of relics
showcasing the Three Kingdom Period. It’s better to plan your tour in advance. I
recommend that you look at the antique gallery first, then the art and Anapji
gallery before going to the outdoor exhibit to save time.
Hours: 9 AM - 6 PM
from Tuesday - Sunday
3. Anapji Gallery 1. Antique Gallery
(Closed every Monday and
Splendid relics from Ancient relics like gold crowns, armor
on January 1st)
the destroyed palace and chinaware are exhibited.
at Anapji Pond are
exhibited here.
4. Outdoor
Exhibit
Pagodas and
other various
works of stone
fill this outdoor
exhibit area.
71
Gold waistband and ornaments
Hwarangdo
An elite group of young men
in Silla. Members of this
group were called Hwa-
rang. They received educa-
tion in academic and martial
arts. They were trained to
fight with loyalty for justice,
the king the nation, and their
friends.
73
Hwarangs also learn taekwondo?”
“Ha-ha. No, taekwondo is a sport that came about much later.
But I think the spirit of the Hwarang has been passed on to taek-
wondo in that its goal is to protect the weak in a just way,” said
the Captain.
“I learned taekwondo, you know?” said Carlos, getting into
the primary stance.
Then, Ara jumped out with a big shout and posed as if she was
getting ready for a match.
Taekwondo
Its origin dates back 2,000
years. Taekwondo is the
Korea traditional martial
art that has become a
global sport today. It was
selected as an official
Olympic sport during the
2000 Sydney Olympics.
Taekwondo is known for its
philosophy of combat only
for self-defense and its use
of bare feet and hands.
Taekwondo can be translat-
ed into “the way of foot and
fist” or “the way of kicking
and punching.”
74
The Divine Bell of King Seongdeok
the Great
After looking at statues of Buddha and other various relics from
Anapji Pond, Ara and her friends left the museum and headed to
the place where the Divine Bell of Seongdeok the Great stood.
Marina and Carlos were curious to find out about the bell’s
secret that Ara had talked about earlier.
“Ara, tell us about the secret behind this bell.”
“ There’s a really sad story behind this bell, nicknamed the
75
76
Emille Bell. It’s said that the bell they had made did not toll at
first. That is, it didn’t make any sound. Then one day, a Buddhist
monk had a dream telling him that for the bell to toll, a baby had
to be melted in there. And so a poor mother who had nothing to
pay her dues had no choice but to give her baby away. That’s
why the bell makes this mournful sound emille, emille which
means mom.”
Marina and Carlos seemed saddened to hear the story.
“Well, they say people came up with this story because they
were greatly moved by the bell’s beautiful yet melancholy Details of the
interior
sound,” added Ara. It has a graceful and ba-
lanced shape with delicate
“I want to hear the bell toll,” said Marina. and beautiful decorations.
At the top of the bell, there
“ You will, in a bit. The museum tolls the bell every hour,” is a hook called “yongryu”
which is left empty so that
said Ara. it filters noise.
77
Relics at the Gyeongju National Museum
78
Tiles with a human face
They’re also called “smile of a Sillan ”
Tiles used at the edge of eaves had var-
ious shapes from human faces to gob-
lins.
Image of a thinking
Buddha in gilt bronze
Sitting cross-legged with a
solemn face, the statue rep-
resents the image of Buddha
meditating as a prince before
entering priesthood.
80
Four Devas
The four heavenly guardi-
an gods protecting the
nation at the four points of
the compass, Jiguk Hea-
venly King to the east,
Jeungjang Heavenly King
to the south, Gwangmok
Heavenly King to the west
and Damun Heavenly King
to the north.
81
Let’s learn about Bulguksa Temple
Bulguksa Temple was created as an imaginary world in which Buddha lived.
In the front court, the Seokgatap and Dabotap monuments symbolize the
body of Buddha. They are Korea s representative pagodas showcasing
Korea s excellent architectural skill and beauty.
82
Figure of seated Amida Buddha
in gilt bronze
National Treasure #27. The oldest Buddha statue in
Korea.
Dabotap
As if made from clay, the stone is exquisitely crafted
with each and every piece assembled carefully.
With its unique shape with various designs, the
pagoda is a good example of how different aspects
create a balanced harmony with consistent length,
width and thickness.
Seokgatap
Pagoda made with layers of squarely cut and filed
stone. A simple yet sturdy stone pagoda.
83
As we walked further up Toham Mountain, we came to
Seokguram Grotto, a temple made of stone. Surrounding the
grotto were 14 sculptures. Even Ara looked at the exquisite stat-
ues with awe. But the most remarkable sculpture of them all was
the Bonjon Buddha, the main Buddha.
It was a majestic and dignified figure, yet it had the face of a
View of the
Seokguram Grotto generous and benevolent grandpa.
As Korea’s representative
temple in a stone cave, it Marina felt as if the Buddha statue would move its lips and
has been designated
National Treasure #24. talk to her. Ara, who had read about these statues and relics only
This work of art in stone
was also designated a in books, was also surprised to see them first hand.
World Cultural Heritage by
UNESCO in 1995.
84
Bonjon Buddha
(Principal Image of Buddha)
A round-faced image of Buddha with
arched eye brows, long squinting eyes,
well-defined lips, plump cheeks. Unlike
many other formalized statues, it shows an
ideal and gentle image of Buddha.
85
Korea’s History at a Glance
Gojoseon
Gojoseon is the first nation ever to be founded on the Korean
Peninsula. A tribe in the northern region called cheongdong (bronze)
which used metal, came down south and conquered many tribes and
founded the first nation. Gojoseon made weapons and ornaments with
bronze.
Plain earthenware
Dolmen
A stone grave representative of the bronze age.
Dolmen were used for men of power and wealth
in ancient times.
86
* The Foundation Myth of Gojoseon
Long ago, Hwanung, the son of the King of heaven, descended from the
skies to Taebaek Mountain. One day, a bear and a tiger went to
Hwanung and begged that they be turned into human beings. Hwanung
promised that he would do so if the bear and the tiger lived only on
mugwort and garlic for one hundred days in a dark cave.
So the bear and the tiger tried to do what Hwanung had told them. But
the tiger got impatient and ran out of the cave. Even though the bear
also wanted to leave the cave with the tiger, it didn t because the bear
really wanted to become a person. Finally, after 100 days, the bear
turned into a beautiful woman. Called Wungnyeo, she got married to
Hwanung and had a baby. The baby was Dangun, the founder of
Gojoseon.
87
Three Kingdoms Era
After the fall of Gojoseon, different tribes created small tribal
states. Among them, three emerged as powerhouses that conquered
neighbors and saw progress in civilization. Laws and systems were
instituted to govern the people. These three became the kingdoms of
Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla.
88
Unified Silla
With the help of the Tang Dynasty in China, Silla overthrew Goguryeo
and Baekje and unified the three kingdoms. Unified Silla built a new
palace in Gyeongju and devised a new system to better govern its
people and expand its economy and culture.
Toyongdo
Carved figures of clay put inside tombs. They indicate the kind of clothing and
daily lives people had in that period.
Three-Story
Earthenware with seal patterns Goseonsa Stone
Pagoda
National Treasure #38
housed at the Gyeongju
National Museum.
Balhae
After its collapse, Goguryeo s territory came under the rule of Silla as
well as China s Tang Dynasty. Many people from the former Goguryeo
were forced to live difficult lives under Chinese rule. Among them was
a man named Daejoyoung who became the leader of the former
Goguryeo people and established a new nation, Balhae, in Manchuria and
the northeastern part of the Korean Peninsula.
Dragon head
ornament
A pair of lion statues
made of stone. They
were symbolic guards of
Balhae’s capital. The
black one looks more
like a bulldog ready to
bite someone.
90
Goryeo
The royal family and nobility in Unified Silla continued to struggle for
power, and many discontented forces in the country revolted. The
country was divided into small kingdoms again, Wang Geon, a descen-
dant of Goguryeo, founded Goryeo and then reunified the nation.
Tripitaka Koreana
Buddhist scriptures carved into
more than 80,000 wooden print-
ing blocks. It is the world’s most
comprehensive and oldest intact
version of the Buddhist canon.
Goddess of Mercy
14th century
(Hunminjeongeum)
Theoretical Explanation of Han-geul,
the Korean Alphabet
National Treasure #70.
Farming
Painted by Kim Hongdo, a famed Joseon artist,
the picture depicts peasant farmers taking a
break.
Geobukseon (Ironclad war
ship in the shape of a turtle)
The world’s first ironclad warship
created by Admiral Yi Sunshin ahead
of the Japanese invasion in 1592.
92
White porcelain
decorated with
maewha blossoms
Birds, bamboo
patterns. National
treasure #170.
Courageous tiger
Daedong Yeojido
The biggest and most comprehensive map of Korea
in its day. National Treasure #850.
Sundial
A device measuring the passage of time by detecting
the movement of an object’s shadow.
93
Japanese Colonial Period
Japan forced Joseon s last king. Gojong, to step down and gradually
began assuming authority. In 1910, Japan completely took over
sovereignty of Joseon and colonized it. Many
Koreans struggled to regain independence and Jubilant Koreans on
established a provisional government in Liberation Day
Shanghai, China.
While many Koreans struggled to regain
sovereignty from Japan, World War Two
broke out. Japan surrendered on August 15,
1945 and retreated from Korea after 35
years of rule. Koreans were liberated and
regained their independence.
94
Prosperous Modern Korea
After gaining independence, there were two different political forces on
the Korean Peninsula. Influenced by the United States, people in the
south wanted to establish a democratic government. People in the north,
however, wanted a communist government based on socialism, like in the
former Soviet Union. And in 1950, the North attacked the South and
thus began the Korean War.
At the end of the Korean War, the Prosperous Seoul
entire nation was in ruins and
people suffered from poverty and
hunger. But Koreans, with over
5000 years of history, knew that
they could rebuild the nation if
they worked tenaciously. Koreans
built ports, expressways, factor-
ies and apartments on the devas-
tated land.
95
Folk Tales
at Grandma's
Knee
When the youngest fairy realized that she After some time had passed, the
couldn t fly back home, she cried out aloud. woodcutter confessed to the fairy that
That s when the woodcutter went up to her and he had stolen her robe of feathers.
proposed that she live with him. The fairy was so upset that she put
on her robe of feathers and flew
back to heaven.
I miss my
home!
Where is
my robe of
feathers?
My darling,
please don t go!
96
You stupid
The woodcutter kept on crying. Then a
woodcutter, why
bucket came down from the sky to didn t you do as
draw water from the pond. I told you.
When the bucket came down, When the fairy and the children saw the woodcutter, they
the woodcutter quickly jumped welcomed him and hugged him out of happiness, and
into it. they lived together happily ever after.
I'm sorry.
Let's stay
I missed you! together
forever.
97
Chapter 04
98
Today is the fifth day that I’ve been taking Ara and her
friends around Korea. It’s strange how we got so used
to each other over the past week. I’m really happy to see
Marina and Carlos enjoy Korea’s cultural heritage.Today, I’m
going to take the kids to Daehangno and Changgyeong Palace.
99
Daehangno
Respect to the Eldely
Ara and her friends hopped on Subway Line #2 to go to the
COEX. It was easy to read the subway map since the lines were
marked with different colors. Also, the transit system was rela-
tively simple with directions marked at every corner. But there
was something that seemed very strange. People in the subway
Subway line map cars were standing when there were empty seats right in front of
Korea’s subway system
has nine lines and is safe, them.
clean and easy to use.
Captain, why don’t those people sit down? said Marina.
Oh, those seats are reserved for the disabled and the elderly.
That’s why most people don’t sit there. But even those who do
sit down give them over to the elderly when they get on the sub-
Subway
Subway Line #1 in Seoul
first opened in 1974. Line
#9 which opened in 2009,
runs from Gimpo Airport to
Gangnam (the southern
part of Seoul).
100
Asem Tower
The 41-story tower with
four levels underground is
equipped with cutting-
edge facilities and houses
many multinational corpo-
rations and IT startups.
way. Senior citizens over the age of 65 can even ride the subway
free of charge. In Korea, we have a long tradition of showing
respect to the elderly, said the Captain.
Koreans are really so considerate and kind.
Carlos, all of a sudden, thought of his grandmother. A few
months ago, she had sprained her ankle when the bus she was
standing in made an abrupt stop.
A forty-minute ride on the subway took the kids to Samseong
Station near COEX mall.
COEX was full of people right from the entrance.
Conveniently located in Seoul’s IT and venture capital district,
the Captain explained that COEX has emerged as a hub of
global business, equipped with the latest IT and communica-
tion infrastructure. It’s also known to be Asia’s hot tourist
spot for shopping and exhibitions. It first opened in March
Aquarium
COEX also houses the
biggest aquarium in Korea
with over 40,000 sea crea-
tures of 500 species on
display. It first opened in
May 2000.
102
Hosted by foreign universities, embassies and their culture
centers in Korea, the purpose of the fair was to provide informa-
tion to Korean students and parents interested in overseas
schools. All the booths were full of people seeking consultation.
It’s amazing how Koreans are so enthusiastic about educa-
tion, said Marina.
Koreans are known for their passion for education. Korea has
six years of mandatory elementary and three years of secondary
education. And then you spend another three years at high
school before going on to a college or university for a degree
that takes between two to six years. Korean parents are really
Korean parents
devote themselves
to their children s
education
They attend various semi-
nars and lectures to attain
and exchange educational
information.
103
committed to providing the best education they can for their
children, explained the Captain.
Look at her! She’s speaking in English, said Marina, refer-
ring to an elementary school student speaking to a foreigner.
You know, there’s this so-called ‘English fever’ in Korea.
Many parents in Korea today teach English to their children as
soon as they learn Korean. And when they go to elementary
school, many of them spend summer and winter vacations at
overseas English camps in the United States, Canada and the
Philippines, explained the Captain.
And that’s not all. We also take a number of extracurricular
classes in art, music, math and science after school, added Ara.
Boy, that must be really tough. But I have to say, Korean
104
children usually do really good at math and science. They seem
to learn things very quickly, said Carlos.
That’s all because of the good education they get. Korean Children studying
hard
parents know that education is the key to prosperity and that’s Koreans are among the
first when it comes to their
why they’re so devoted to providing the best education they can passion for education. As
a small country with few
for their children, said the Captain. natural resources, Korea
focused on the develop-
Still, it’s tough on us, you know. So much to do even after ment of human resources
to enhance its national
school, complained Ara. competitiveness. Korean
students are especially
Marina and Carlos giggled as Ara complained to her uncle. known for their excellent
performance in math and
science.
105
IT Powerhouse
At the other exhibit hall, an IT fair was underway. People at the
booths were busy trying out new gadgets. The images on LED
TV screens were so vivid and real that the animals shown on the
screen were almost jumping out of the monitor. The kids tried
on the mobile phones worn on their wrists like watches. Coming
in various colors and designs, this new mobile phone is said to
be the world s first 3G video phone.
These latest mobile phones seemed like gadgets of the future
that appear only in movies. They said that people could not only
Game Shows
Korea is ranked number
one in the online gaming
industry. Korea exports
much of its content and
programs to China, Japan
and South-east Asia, as
well as the U.S. and
Europe.
106
Mobile phone worn
on wrists like
watches(left)
Tele-medicine
systems(right)
Doctors discussing tele-
medicine system at the
Seoul Asan Medical Cen-
ter.
watch movies and listen to music with the system, but even
operate vehicles.
Tele-medicine systems that enable people to get medical treat-
ment at home without paying a visit to the doctor were
also very popular.
There was such a wide range of prod-
ucts to view from home appliances and
communications to office products.. And
the kids had a difficult time choosing
what to see first.
Marina marveled at Korea s IT
industry once again.
107
Korea, an Economic Powerhouse
Korea is the world s 12th largest economy.
Korea was ranked the world s 10th largest exporting country during the first half
of 2009. Korea s representative export items are semiconductors, memory chips,
mobile phones, LCDs, MP3 players, and automobiles. Korea s steel and shipbuilding
industries are among the world s best.
Shipbuilding technology
Korea boasts the world’s number one
shipbuilding industry. Generally, it
takes about three years to build a
large ship. Korea has the world’s best
technology in shipbuilding.
108
Mobile phone technology
It’s easy to spot Korean mobile phones
the world over. Samsung and LG Elec-
tronics are competing for 2nd and 3rd
places in global mobile phone market
share.
Various street
performances held
at Daehangno
110
Marronnier Park
It has a playground, small
pond, outdoor stage, foun-
tain and kiosk. The outdoor
stage is a popular venue for
performing artists. Many
small theaters are located in
and around the park.
111
Look over there! yelled Carlos when he saw a group of B-
boys performing at Marronnier Park. Several young boys were
showing off their skills, dancing to the music.
They are professional break dancers. Korean B-boys are
B-boys becoming more famous throughout the world and have already
B stands for break dancing
and B-boys refer to profes- won major international B-boy battle awards, said the Captain.
sional break dancers. B-
boying has become a new When the performance was over, people gave the group a big
code of culture worldwide
and is gaining popularity as round of applause. Carlos stepped up and even took a picture
a type of sport. Korean B-
boys are acclaimed as the with one of the B-boys.
best in the world today, win-
ning four major battle The Captain took the children to Saemteo Parangse Theater,
awards including the “Battle
of the Year” in Germany and which has performances for children.
“UK B-boy Champion-ship”
in England.
Changgyeong Palace
Beyond the busy streets, there was a path along the stone wall.
Carlos ran along the path saying that it looked like a nobleman s
house with 99 rooms at the Korean Folk Village.
The Captain began talking about Changgyeong Palace to
Marina and Ara.
King Sejong the Great, who created the Korean alphabet
Hangeul, ordered the construction of Changgyeong Palace for
his father. Though smaller than Korea s representative palaces like
Gyeongbok and Changdeok, it has its own charm. It s a shame it
had to be rebuilt after the war with Japan during the Joseon
Changgyeong Palace
Palace in Seoul built during
King Seongjeong’s rule in
the Joseon Era. Changdeok
Palace stands to its west,
and Jongmyo to its south.
114
Okcheon Bridge
Okcheon means “water flow-
ing like glass beads.” Since
the palace is made of wood,
they always made a water-
way called “Geumcheon”
around the palace in case of
fire.
115
The sculptures are there to ward off bad spirits from entering
the palace, said the Captain.
Oh, that s what they are. They look kind of cute, now that I
take another look at them, mumbled Carlos.
Embarrassed, huh? teased his friends.
When they crossed Okcheon Bridge, there was a wide garden
covered with white stones. At the end of the garden was
Myeongjeong Hall, known to have been the place for politics.
Myeongjeong means good politics, proper politics and wise
politics, said the Captain.
Myeongjeong Hall It took quite a long time to tour every structure beyond
Designated as National
Treasure #266, Myeong- Myeongjeong Hall. The four of them decided to rest by the pond
jeong Hall is the oldest
part of all the five major that reflected the clear sky.
palaces of the Joseon
Dynasty. It is a single-story
wooden structure built on
stone, covered with a half-
hipped roof.
Chundangji
at Changgyeong
Palace
117
Royal Palaces
The palace was the residence for the king and the royal family. A
symbol of national authority, the palace was the center of politics.
Many palaces were constructed in Seoul when it was chosen as the
capital of Joseon. The main palace, Gyeongbok Palace, was the biggest
in size and the king lived there and took care of national affairs.
118
Traditional religious ceremony
Every May, a traditional religious ceremony is held in memory
of the kings and the queens. Sacrificial rituals are also enac-
ted then. This traditional religious ceremony was designated
as Korea’s important Intangible Cultural Asset #1 by the gov-
ernment in 1964. UNESCO also designated it as an Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Music performance at
ceremonial rites
119
The Korean Wave
Korea s pop culture began gaining popularity in China and Taiwan as well
as many Southeast Asian countries in the late 1990s. Korean dramas
have become increasingly popular among Chinese people, and Korean
dance groups and singers created a sensation in Taiwan.
Daejanggeum Nanta
Korean drama series based on Korea’s royal cui- Korea’s own non-verbal performance has been
sine. It was so popular that the drama series has staged more than 14,000 times for over 4.8 million
been exported to over 60 countries in Europe, the audiences worldwide since its debut in 1997.
Middle East and Africa as well as Southeast Asia.
120
Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF)
The non-competition international film festival began in 1996 and is
held every fall in Korea’s port city of Busan. The most prestigious
international film festival in Asia, PIFF is known for screening new
films of various genres and regions while serving as a venue where
filmmakers can experience different perspectives on new trends in
world cinema.
121
Folk Tales
at Grandma's
Knee
Once upon a time, there lived an old grandma. I m going to eat you up
She was working on her red bean farm when a if I finish weeding your
tiger suddenly jumped before her. The tiger sug- red bean farm first!
gested that they play a game and said that
it would eat her up if she lost.
Please
spare me!
The tiger finished weeding the farm in a blink Grandma was worried that it will soon be fall and
of an eye and was about to gulp Grandma the tiger would come again. One day, she heard a
down. Then the Grandma suddenly offered to shelled chestnut drop while making the red bean
make red bean porridge for the tiger once she porridge.
harvested the red beans in the fall.
If you give me a
bowl of that red
bean porridge, I
will save you from
the tiger.
Oh,
I guess the help yourself.
tiger would
come and eat
me in the fall.
122
Soon thereafter, a turtle, a piece of dog poop When night fell, the tiger came to eat up the
and a gimlet came along asking for a bowl of red Grandma. As the tiger headed toward the
bean porridge as well. Then a mortar, straw mat kitchen in search of a light, the shelled chestnut
and a carrying rack followed suit. Grandma gave struck the tiger s eyes. And when the tiger
everyone a bowl of red bean porridge. reached for some water, the turtle bit the tiger s
paw. Startled, the tiger stepped on the dog
poop and slipped, falling on the gimlet.
Oh, no! It s
so hot!
Errrrrrrr!
The tiger fell on the straw mat when the mortar You saved
dropped from the shelf. Then, the straw mat rolled the my life!
tiger up and placed it on the carrying rack. Then the
carrying rack took the tiger to the river and dropped
him in.
Help me
please!
123
Chapter 05
124
Today is the last day of their trip here in Korea. So
I’m going to try and show them a little about
Korea’s modern history. They’ll be able to see how hard
Koreans worked in the aftermath of the war, to accomplish
what they have today.
125
Panmunjeom
A Divided Nation
“DMZ? What is it, Ara? Is it a fun place to be?”
Carlos asked as he munched on a cob of corn when he heard
that they would be going to the DMZ, the Demilitarized Zone,
the following day. He couldn’t understand why they would visit
such an odd place.
Ara looked at her grandma. Grandma’s hometown is
Pyongyang in North Korea. But she has never been able to go
back to her hometown ever since she left Pyongyang when she
was eight. What she could do, however, was to visit the DMZ,
Tunnel #3
The North Korean army
secretly dug a tunnel under
the DMZ to infiltrate into
South Korea.
126
Pieces of paper with
wishful writings for
unification hung on
barbed wire at the
border
127
Demilitarized Zone
According to the cease-fire
agreement after the Korean
War, the country was divided
into two parts, the South and
the North, along the 38th par-
allel. Two kilometers south
and north of the truce line,
comprise the Demitarized
Zone, which runs across the
peninsula. Since the DMZ
was off limits for 40 years, it
became a natural habitat for
wildlife.
“That is, only if you get special permission from North Korea.
And not everyone is eligible, either. Besides, even with special
permission, you can only go to places designated by the North
Korean government,” said Ara.
“Do we have permission to travel to the DMZ then?” asked
Carlos.
“We’re only allowed to visit the DMZ on the South Korean
side. We can’t go to the North Korean side at all. The DMZ is a
cease-fire region. South of the DMZ, there is a region where
civilians are prohibited from entering. Left untouched for
128
decades since the Korean War, that region has turned into a nat-
ural habitat for wildlife.”
Ara remembered everything she had seen on a special TV
documentary about the DMZ.
Marina and Carlos got curious about the DMZ after hearing
what Ara had told them.
Imjingak national
The following day, the bus to the DMZ set out early in the tourist site
It has become a security
morning. After about an hour and a half, the bus arrived at sightseeing spot, with a
unification park, North
Imjingak. There were many brochures about the Korean War Korea memorial hall and
various monuments.
and the guide explained about the Korean War.
Unification Pond
An artificial pond was cre-
ated inside Imgingak in
hope of unification. Mea-
suring 12 meters wide and
36 meters long, the pond
covers approximately 35
square meters. It is the
largest pond created in the
shape of the Korean
peninsula.
129
“See over there? That’s Unification Lake. The bridge over it is
called Freedom Bridge. South Korean and UN soldiers who
were taken as POWs (Prisoners of War) by North Korea had to
cross that bridge to return to the South,” said the guide.
According to illustrations on display, the Korean War, started
by North Korea on June 25, 1950, lasted until the ceasefire in
July 1953. In support of the South, a total of 16 countries,
including the U.S., Great Britain and Turkey, fought in the
Korean War as allied UN forces.
“It must have been quite a big war with so many countries tak-
ing part,” Carlos spoke to himself.
“Imjingak was built so that people could see North Korea
from here. That’s why a lot of separated families come here
130
Freedom Bridge
A temporary bridge built
for POW exchanges in
1953 after the ceasefire.
131
Scenes of separated
families at a reunion
event “I guess that’s probably why U.S. President Barack Obama
Many Korean families were
separated during the Kor- made a speech saying that countries in Africa should try to emu-
ean War. A total of 10 mil-
lion Koreans are estimated late Korea’s Saemaeul Movement, or the new community
to have been separated.
movement that helped its country move from rags-to-riches.”
With everything destroyed, the black and white pictures of
Korea taken 60 years ago had a bleak image. Marina couldn’t
believe that Korea completely transformed itself in just 60 years.
“I feel a little depressed today, talking so much about unhappy
events,” Ara said to her uncle, sighing.
“Me, too, but that’s all a part of what Korea is, Ara,” said her
uncle to cheer her up.
“When Korea becomes reunified, I’m going to invite my
132
Panmunjeom
Located 50km north of
Seoul, Panmunjeom is a
joint security area, guard-
ed by the UN and North
Korean soldiers. Panmun-
jeom is the venue for inter-
Korean and military talks.
Now a famous tourist des-
tination for foreign visitors,
Panmunjeom is a historic
site for Koreans, symboliz-
ing the tragic Korean War.
Figure built in
commemoration of
the 2002 World Cup
134
Red Devils
Official cheering squad for
Korea’s national football
team. Many Koreans wore
red shirts with ‘Red Devils’
printed on them and car-
ried red scarves to cheer
on the Korean team during
the 2002 Korea Japan
World Cup games. Seoul
Plaza was always filled with
Red Devils at the time.
135
above, the stadium resembled the shape of Korea’s traditional
shield kite.
The four of them sat in the stands for a World Cup
quiz game.
“Now, the first question! How far did Korea make
it during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup?” said Ara.
“I know, I know! To fourth place!” shouted Carlos.
“I knew it, too!” sighed Marina.
Being a soccer fanatic, Carlos answered four of the five
questions and won the quiz. He got a football as a prize.
136
World Cup Park
The park was made in
commemoration of the 17th
World Cup games. To
highlight the eco-friendly
nature of the World Cup
held in Seoul, it was creat-
ed as an ecological park
with five themes consisting
of wetlands, flower garden,
pond, dock and an un-
paved marathon path.
137
“Wow! So garbage can be
turned into energy?” said Carlos
in awe.
“That's right. What's more, a
thick layer of good soil was
used to cover the garbage dump.
And a miracle happened. Life
began to bloom there with plants, trees and even animals,” said
the Captain.
Pyeonghwa (Peace)
Park The four of them passed by Pyeonghwa Park and began hik-
It is within World Cup Park.
Inside, there is a 28,000- ing up the hills of Haneul Park, which almost seemed to be up in
square-meter UNICEF
Plaza, Nanji Lake (measur- the sky. They felt as if the birds and the lush trees all cheered
ing 24,000 square meters),
Peace Garden, Forest of them on during the hike.
Hope and World Cup Park
Gallery.
Haneul (Sky) Park
At Haneul Park, there are
several wind turbines. The
energy generated here is
used to light the street
lamps and the info desk
inside the park.
cars.
Marina and Carlos stared at the lights for a long time as if they
didn't want to forget the beautiful night view of Seoul.
139
Korea in the World of Sports
The 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup
Korea co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with Japan. Team Korea scored 3 wins, 2
draws and 2 defeats out of a total of 7 matches held. It was the first time for
Korea to make it to the semi-finals at a World Cup since its debut at the global
soccer gala 48 years ago. Korea is also
the first country in Asia to have made it
that far at the World Cup.
Jisung Park
Jisung Park is a Korean football player who
plays in England’s professional league for
Manchester United. Manchester United is
one of the world’s three most successful
professional teams.
140
The World s Best Archery Team
Korea’s archery team is second to none in the world. The
Korean women’s team won gold medals at the Olympics 6 con-
secutive times. The news of Korean archers’ arrows breaking
the camera behind the bull’s eye twice at the 1996 Atlanta
Olympics aroused greater interest in the field.
142
Nam June Paik
A Korea-born video artist widely known as the father of
video art. Paik gained fame in the early 1960s through his
exhibitions. He received the Golden Lion Award at the
Venice Biennale in 1993.
Han Na Chang
A world-class Korean cellist deemed among the most
important musicians of her generation. At the tender age of
11, Chang won First Prize as well as the Contemporary
Music Prize at the 5th Rostropovich International Cello
Competition in 1994.
Sumi Jo
Korea’s representative soprano Sumi Jo is the first Korean
to perform at all five major opera theaters of the world. The
world-acclaimed soprano has won many awards, including
a Grammy in 1992 and a Puccini in 2008. Her voice was
described as “the voice of the century” by Herbert von
Karajan.
143
Folk Tales
at Grandma's
Knee
What s
bothering you
dear? You don t
look well.
Well, it s
Our because I
daughter-in-law haven t farted
is such an angel. since marrying.
She is so pretty,
too.
I m going to fart
now. Prepare
yourselves! Boom!
144
The daughter-in-law began passing the
gas that she had been saving for the
past three years. The sound of the fart
was like thunder and had a toxic smell.
!!
om
!
ess
Bo
n
ood
m yg
O h,
I wish I could
quench my thirst
with that pear.
Our
I ll get daughter-in-law s
the pear farts bring good
for you. fortune to our
family.
145
Dear Ara,
Hi, Ara!
I can t belie
ve it s been
a week alrea
fun times I dy since I le
had with yo ft Korea. I m
u, Carlos an iss the
family and I d th e Captain. Ye
looked at m sterday, my
y pictures fr
happy to see om Korea. M
Korea, thou y parents w
gh only thro ere so
I used to th ug h p h otographs.
ink that Ko
rea was just
have a comp a small cou
letely differe ntry in Asia
nt view now , but I
Korea s cult that I got to
ure firsthand see and expe
. Though sm rience
so much to K all in size, I
orea. I was s realize that
urprised to s there s
Korea was, ee how mod
while cheris ern and dev
hing its ages eloped
The scenes -o ld c ultu re and tradit
of big mans ion.
ions with b
Folk Villag lack-tiled ro
e, the neat ofs at the K
little handic orean
breath-takin rafts I saw
g view of S in Insadong
eoul s night and the
are still vivid skyline from
in my memo the N Seoul
ry. Tower
But what I m
iss the most
is Korean fo
bulgogi still od. The thou
makes my m ght of
outh water.
146
ith
k bulgogi w
oo
y mom to c
km
g oi n g to as en
Im
a v e m e. a d e me ev
ug s m
c ipe yo mer ha
th e re
re a thi s su m
e rm ined to m y family
o de t rin g
p to K nd I m I can b
My tri K o re a , a
e I v isi t,
to such a
n
te d i n xt t im g m e
nteres the ne invitin xt
more i ard so th a t
n k y ou fo r
rm any ne
n h o th a sit G e
Korea want t and vi
study e. A r a , I co m e
e th eir guid h y d on t you
and b try . A nd w the historic
un ou
te re s ting co and show y
in y
n d G erman
er ? aro u
summ o t a ke you
t
happy
I d be .
ountry h!
sites in
m y c
kee p in touc
d
ta k e care an
Well ,
147
Dear Captain
!
Thanks again
for your hos
pitality and
so much fun for making
. I had such our trip to K
a great time orea
by in the bli in Korea tha
nk of an eye t ten days p
. assed
Yesterday, I
told my frie
nds here abo
were so env ut my trip to
ious. Korea and th
ey
I feel like I v
e become an
expert on K
I was so imp orea already
ressed by th .
e B-boys da
I ve done a ncing in Dae
little search hangno that
of my own b
club in my to ack at home
wn and have . I found a s
decided to jo mall
I m going to in it.
be busy now
, with the B-b
This trip to oy club and
Korea got m taekwondo.
e more inte
diverse cultu rested in th
res. e world and
its
I want to tra
vel around th
e globe and
like you, Ca gain lots of
ptain. experience
Captain, if K
orea gets to
host another
invite me to World Cup,
Korea again please
.
148
.
ea m Korea
n T
cheer o
D ev ils an d
ep in touch!
Red ske
to join the g ain so let
e ou a
I d lov o seeing y
d t
forwar
I look
149
Korea for Kids
2009 Edition
Copyright 2009
Published by
Korean Culture and Information Service
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism