Day 2, We Visit a School

So its our second day here, and after breakfast at the hotel we get on a bus to go to Korea University for our first 3 lectures. The university is in a beautiful park-like setting, and we have to hike awhile to get to our building. We have been warned that Korean lecturers are not like those in the US - they are not animated, they read from scripts, may be hard to understand, etc. But ours are great. The first is a woman who explains Hanguel, the Korean alphabet, to us. I follow for awhile, but she loses me when explaining the consonant sounds. I am trying to get my computer connected to the internet, and although my iPhone logged on just fine, my laptop won't. One of the young girls who is a Korean Society employee and is helping us, notices that I am having trouble and brings over a young Korean University guy who messes with the settings on my computer and fixes everything. So now I can look up some of what the lecturers are talking about.
The second lecture was Korean economics from Park's coup in the 60s up to the present. I had forgotten that the current president is Park's daughter. We learn about the move from agricultural, primary economic activities to Korea's inclusion in the 20-50 club in 2012: $20,000 per capita GDP and 50 million population. Only 7 countries worldwide have attained this status.  The lecturer also talks about the demographic decline, and how some municipalities are paying couples for a third child.  The push for the top has left Korea without enough people to do the dirty/dangerous jobs.
The third lecture is on Korean education.  The woman introduces the lecture with a 15 minute video, then we ask questions and she talks about the Korean system.  There is so much stress on the students, many of whom go to school for 15 hours every day.  They have school, plus after-school study schools and private tutoring, because they want to gain entry into one of the 3 top universities.  If they don't, it will bring shame upon their family.
We eat lunch at the university, a delicious buffet.  I remember my Korean manners, and when the professor we are sitting with pours us all a little wine for the toast, I pour his - it is rude to fill your own glass here.  Dr. ___ is very widely traveled, I find out.  He is off to Peru next , and then is going to NYC and Washington, DC.  He works with LDCs to help them develop the economy of their countries.
Our lectures and lunch have run past the alloted time, so we hurry to the bus and drive to Goyang Foreign Language High School, a private, Christian school where everybody studies from 7 am to 11 pm.  When we arrive we are lead into the auditorium-type room, where our student guides are waiting. We listen to introductions, watch a short video, then our guides take us on a tour, and then to the room where we will teach a short lesson.
Jina is the only one whose name I know and we are now fb friends.  She's a junior, and studies ALL the time.  Her friends said she's real smart.  She lived in San Francisco for awhile, her dad was working there - he's a doctor, I think she said.  Jina said school in SF was easy, she was at a gifted school, but when she came back to Korea she was far behind, and had to study all the time for 2 months to catch up.
That says wonders for our system of education.....
Teaching the class was fun - me and a teacher from Miami split the 30 minutes we had with them, and we all laughed the whole time.  She had a Miami Heat hat, and of course I am a Spurs fan, so we started with that.  The students were  not any different than American kids at heart - the class clown, the smart one who knows all the answers, etc.  I had a great time talking with them about Texas, and learning some about Korea.
Korean students stay in one classroom all day, just like in China, and the teachers rotate through the rooms.  There were no science labs.... although to be fair, the school focuses on foreign language: Spanish, English, French, Chinese.  The students have a countdown going for how long it is to the state exams that determine college admissions: 132 days.  All hearts and minds are focused on that.  At this school students take 10 classes a day, and then spend 2 1/2 hours in the evening after supper studying in a room with 50+ students and I teacher, no questions allowed, no talking, just studying.
On a side note, the girls all thought the Koreas should be reunited.  We didn't have time to get into any depth, but they were passionate in their sincerity.
We drove back to the hotel in evening traffic, and were going to go out, but after taking to subway trains to the "happening" area, we were too tired to do much besides eat and go home.  But I know the place to be if you are a 20-something Korean single person, because they were all there.
Enjoy the pics - click the little on to get the big ones.  They're all from the iPhone - my bag was too full to carry my camera.

Walking in Seoul

So we met in the hotel lobby this morning at 10 to begin our walking tour of Seoul.  We took the subway to the palace, watched the changing of the guard, walked through the courtyard and to the Folk Museum.  I had seen all the places in 2009, so I went to the museum gift shop and bought a couple things, then sat outside and people watched.

the area around the Blue House is pretty fancy, and we found a little place to eat Tteokdokki, a dish cooked in a little wok at your table.  Very tasty.

This evening we have a formal dinner at 6, and tomorrow lectures in the morning and teaching at a school in the afternoon - busy day.  

Enjoy the pics.

We Made it to Korea!

So I'm here, at a Best Western Hotel in downtown Seoul.  It was a very long and tiring journey involving numerous planes and lots of new friends.
I started at 2:30 am Tuesday morning in Charleston, SC., where I had been visiting the grandbabies.  I got to the airport at 4, and had to wait half an hour for US Airways to open the ticket counter so I could check my enormous bag.  I met a man who was starting his journey home to Zimbabwe, and we talked for awhile about developing countries and the Westernization of the world.  It never ceases to amaze me how much western and American culture creeps into isolated, poor places around the world.  The cultures are changing so much due to the influence of TV, movies, and music - what will be left of them in another 50 years?  Will everybody be the same everywhere?
I eventually checked my bag through to JFK, and after waiting awhile longer we walked downstairs, out onto the tarmac, and climbed aboard a little bitty plane bound for Charlotte.  Of course, no window seat for me.  I tried to sleep, but it was such a short flight - 35 minutes or so.  Landed in the big city, and boy - that's a big airport.  I had to walk almost 20 minutes to the gate for my flight to NYC.  Made it just as they were boarding, and off we went.  I slept the whole flight.
JFK was easy to get around, so after collecting my enormous bag I took the Airtrain to Terminal 1, checked in at the Korean Airlines desk, checked the big bag, and went to the gate.  There were lots of the teachers already waiting.  People from Maryland, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New York.  So we introduced ourselves, and talked during the 2 hour wait for our flight to board.
The flight itself was uneventful - but 14 hours in the air was awfully long.  I was on an emergency exit row, so I had leg room, but no window again.  I managed to sleep quite a bit, but it wasn't very restful.  Watched the Keira Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice, one of my fav movies.  I know, it doesn't follow the book, but its so good.  Interestingly, the airplane version cut the final scene of the American version - I'm not sure why.
So after deplaneing, going through customs, getting bags, we find our hosts and the bus, and ride the 45 minutes into Seoul from Incheon.  The teachers wandered around yesterday evening, and our little group found some soju and pnjun, and returned to the hotel around 10.  I didn't sleep well, and found myself up in the middle of the night watching Federer flame out in the second round of Wimbledon.
We are staying at a nice Best Western hotel, with wired Internet in the rooms and wireless in the lobby.  It's almost time to go downa dn meet up for the walk around town.
More later,
rem

I Spoke too Soon

Talks between the two Koreas have been called off, allegedly by the North.  Meetings in Pan Mun Jom were held over the weekend in order to set the agenda for what was to be Wednesday's meeting in Seoul.  But, according to reports, North Korea wanted to send low-level bureaucrats to meet with South Korea's Minister of Unification. That, of course, is unacceptable - meetings must occur between bureaucrats of the same level.  So the talks are off.
Bloomberg reports that all this was a ruse, anyway:

The announcement of North Korea’s initial proposal for talks with the South was significant, coming a day before the Obama-Xi summit, Korea University’s Yoo said.
“North Korea was trying to create a facade of eased inter-Korean tensions, hoping to relieve the pressure the U.S. and the Chinese have been levying on Pyongyang,” Yoo said. “Instead, Obama and Xi reinforced their aligned commitment to continue pressuring the North, which led to Pyongyang seeing no need for inter-Korean dialogue.”

A South Korean soldier works at a check point on the road linked to North Korea, near the Demilitarized Zone in Paju, South Korea.

It's Perfectly Safe - See?

Just like other Fellows that will be going on the trip, many colleagues' eyes widened when I said Korea.  They were aware of the rockets and nuclear bomb tests, and the increasing drumbeats of, if not war, then at least heightened tensions on the peninsula.  But yesterday good news broke out, instead of war!
The two Koreas have agreed to talks on several issues, including reopening the factories at Kaesong, inside North Korea.  All of the (formerly) increasingly angry and defiant bluster from Kim Jong-un was just that - talk.  Most of it seemed designed for internal consumption - See?  I can stand up to evil America! - to consolidate the new leader's shaky grip on power.
Kaesong is a complex of factories where 123 South Korean companies employ 53,000 North Korean workers.  Their wages are paid directly to the DPRK government, and are its main source of foreign currency.  When the new leader came to power, and North Korea ratcheted up the tension between the 2 countries, the complex was shut down by DPRK in April.  Now that the government needs money, and apparently Mr. Kim has consolidated his power, there will be talks to reopen the factories.
Where will these talks be held?  Pan Mun Jom, of course!

Pyongyang unexpectedly offered Thursday to discuss the possible re-opening of the Kaesong industrial complex, a jointly run factory north of the border that was shuttered in April amid heightened tensions. It also proposed discussing the resumption of cross-border tours to the North's Mount Kumgang resort. South Korea halted visits there after the 2008 shooting death of a South Korean tourist by the North's troops. (VOA)

So don't worry, South Korea is a safe place to be.  And it just got better.

Oh The Places You'll Go!

On my last (and only) trip to South Korea I did not have the opportunity to visit any of the southern portion of the Korean peninsula.  We stayed in Seoul except for a one day trip to the DMZ and Pan Mun Jom.  This time I am looking forward to seeing much more of the country.  The following are a few of the sights I hope to see.
 The Janggyeong Panjeon in the Temple of Haeinsa

The temple complex here, on Mount Gaya, is home to the Tripitaka Koreana.  The Tripitaka are 80, 000 woodblocks carved in the early 13^th century.  They contain the most complete collection of Buddhist texts, laws, and treaties that exist. 

The Haeinsa Tripitaka woodblocks were carved in an appeal to the authority of the Buddha in the defense of Korea against the Mongol invasions. They are recognized by Buddhist scholars around the world for their outstanding accuracy and superior quality.

UNESCO

The buildings which house these engravings were built in the 15^th century.  The construction is such that a constant temperature and humidity is maintained, and the carvings are safe from rodent and insect damage.  For over 500 years the monks of the Jogye Order have cared for and protected these national treasures.  The site was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995.  

We’ll also be going to Yangdong village, another UNESCO site.  This Joseon dynasty village was founded in the 14^th-15^th century.  The Neo-Confucianism of the Joseon dynasty is reflected in the siting, layout, and architecture of the buildings. 

The village is a clan village, which

developed and flourished in the Joseon dynasty which consolidated its absolute rule over Korea, encouraged the adoption of Confucian ideals in Korean society, (which had been introduced to Korean Peninsula in the first century), absorbed Chinese culture, and, through prosperity founded on trade, fostered classical Korean culture, science, literature, and technology.

             UNESCO

Pungsu, or geomancy, is evident in the layout of the village.  The Wind-Water-Earth Principles theory was first developed in Korea in the late 900s by Doseon-guksa, a Buddhist master in the Seon, or Zen, tradition. 

Pungsu-jiri-seol can be defined as the Korean style of divination performed according to topography, or as a Korean theoretical system that evaluates various features of land, mountain, and water, and then connects them to human fortune / misfortune, peace / calamity, and advancement / decline.

http://www.san-shin.net/Pungsu-jiri.html

This ancient system is connected to the old mountain gods of Korea.  Emphasis is placed on the spiritual and material energies of mountains and their effects on the destiny of families, communities, and nations.

Four Goryeo-Dynasty Confucian scholars of the 12th Century (an era when concern over and speculation about the national identity was very popular), led by Kim In-jon and Bak Seung-jung, wrote a book entitled "Haedong-Pirok" [Secret History of Korea] that repeated and extended Doseon's theories, and that remains the oldest Pungsu-jiri text we now have.  In the middle of the Joseon Dynasty, scholar Yi Jung-hwan (1690-1752) surveyed the entire peninsula in both geographic and geomantic terms, and then wrote Taengni-chi, a book giving advice on the best places to live -- both social morality and the Pungsu-jiri ideas were clearly central to his Neo-Confucianist judgments.

http://www.san-shin.net/Pungsu-jiri.html

Gi (Chinese Chi), or life force, is said to emanate from the mountain range which forms the backbone of the Korean peninsula.  It is very important, therefore, to help this force flow properly through citizens and the country. 

Another important place we will visit is Pan Mun Jom.  I was there on my first visit in 2009, and I am looking forward to returning.  This is the site of the armistice signing that ended the fighting in the Korean conflict.  A peace treaty has never been signed. 

The small building on the left was where the armistice was signed.  The large building in the background is in North Korea.

The scary-looking soldier came out and stood on the covered porch as we climbed the observation tower.

I known there are many more places I will see during my fellowship.  I intend to take numerous pictures, and write about as many as I can.  It's a beautiful country, and I want to share it with you.

Silla and the Silk Road

Silla and the Silk Road: readings from the Korea Society website.

Modern Korea is a mix of many influences.  Many of the ideas that contributed to modern Korea arrived via the trade route known as the “Silk Road.”  Silk, writing characters, architecture, Buddhism, and Confucian ideology all arrived on the peninsula which anchored the eastern end of a trade route that covered the entirety of Asia, and parts of Africa and Europe.  Korea eagerly adopted the new ideas, creating a vibrant and rich culture of their own.  In turn, Korea passed these innovations along to the island nation of Japan.

In 668 CE the Silla Kingdom, one of 3 on the peninsula, united Korea and ushered in what has come to be called the Golden Age of Korea.  This kingdom maintained ties with both China and Japan.  By doing so the kingdom accrued many benefits from the Silk Road trade.  These advances can be divided into two categories – religious and social ideas, and trade goods and technology.

By far the most important influence from Asia was Buddhism.  Brought to Korea in 372 CE by the Chinese, this religion is still a major force in Korean society.  In early times Koreans, like many other groups, practiced shamanism.  Local practices blended easily with the new religion, and many temples and shrines were built on hilltops, home of the shamanistic Mountain gods.  Buddhism remained the dominant influence until the rise of the Joseon dynasty in the 1300s.  It was repressed until the late 16th century, when Buddhist monks helped repel a Japanese invasion.

Blending of local customs and a new religion – the Last Supper with a Peruvian specialty –viscacha, 
Cuzco Cathedral, Peru

When Buddhism arrived in Korea, the society practiced a social order known as Bone-rank.  This ranking was predetermined by birth, and had rigid rules regarding social interactions.  With its belief that all people had an equal chance to reach Nirvana, Buddhism changed all of that.  Women’s rights expanded, and several important rulers during this time were women.  The rigid social system was also challenged by Buddhist teachings.

Confucian teachings were also known in Korea, and competed with Buddhism for the loyalty of scholars.  However, it remained in the shadow of Buddhism for many years.  Buddhist monasteries gained land and riches, and enjoyed many privileges.  By the 10^th century there were civil service exams for government positions, but monks competed with Confucian scholars during the examinations.  

By the end of the Goryeo dynasty in 1392 the lower classes were pushing for land reform, and the Buddhist monasteries lost power to the Neo-Confucianists.  This group blended Confucian teachings with Taoism and Buddhism.  They emphasized ethics and the moral authority of the government.  The new rulers implemented land reform and redistribution of wealth, and criticized the excesses of the Buddhist clergy.  They also restricted the rights of women.  Buddhists lost power, and remained inconsequential for many years.

Trade goods and technology also traveled the Silk Road to Korea.  Of course, one of the first things they acquired was silk, and silkworms.  Silk was used as a sacrifice for the gods, as gifts for royalty, and as payment for services.  High-ranking Korean ladies introduced silkworm production to Japan in the 300s CE.  Iron-working techniques, court titles, and field measurement systems all entered Korea and then traveled to Japan.  The Chinese writing characters were adopted by the Koreans (Hanja), and used until the Joseon dynasty when they were replaced by Hangul.  Other technologies that were introduced into Korea included canal- and pond-digging techniques, law codes, and types of stoneware.

The Korean word Hanja (Chinese script) in Hanja (red) and Hangeul (blue).

 Cultural diffusion and trade both helped and hurt Korea.  New technologies and trade allowed easier lives, especially for the upper classes.  But the increasing concentration of wealth among the rulers left the peasants hungry and upset.  The Confucian ideals that eventually overtook Buddhism lowered the status of women, and they were at the mercy of their parents and husbands.  However, Korea did prosper, and the inflow of new ideas gave life to amazing art and architecture. 

Korea Fellowship

Ink Bamboo, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
Yi Jeong (Korean, 1541–1622)
Hanging scroll; ink on silk; 115.6 x 53.3 cm
Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation

I’ve been awarded a Fellowship by the Korea Society, and as part of the preparation for the trip I have to do some reading and writing.  I also watched some videos, mainly on Korean art and Confucianism.  So as reflection on the learning, I thought it might help me to blog about it, in order to clarify and summarize my thoughts on what I’ve learned.

The first piece I watched was a video on Choson (Joseon) art from the Korea Society website.  Dr. Kumja Paik Kim, Curator Emerita of Korean Art at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, spoke about Confucian influence on Choson dynasty art.  Because I knew next to nothing about Confucianism, I learned a great deal:

• There are 3 bonds
• Ruler/subject
• Father/son        
• Husband/wife
• And 5 relationships ( Oryun)
• Morally right – ruler/subject
• Affection – father/son
• Distinction – husband/wife
• Order – elder/younger
• Trust – friend/friend

These are important foundations of Confucian philosophy.  The Choson painters reflected these ideals in their paintings, using 4 plants and their symbolism:

• Plum blossoms – because they grow on seemingly dead branches while its still cold, they symbolize perseverance, courage, trust, and hope
• Orchids – grow in rocky places in the mountains, and represent modesty, refinement, and courage in the face of difficulties
• Chrysanthemum blossoms – symbolize a life of retirement from political intrigue, simple living
• Bamboo – because it is green throughout the winter, is stands for strength and courage – it bends but does not break, it is constant and tolerant

Munja-do  is the painting of 8 characters on 8 panel screens to represent  

1. Filial piety
2. Brotherly love
3. Loyalty
4. Trust
5. Propriety
6. Righteousness/justice
7. Modesty/integrity
8. Sensitivity/or feeling shame

Other facts about the art:  there is no use of "Western" perspective to show depth of field in paintings until the 1700s; the king was never depicted, but rather represented by his throne and screen.  The screen is behind his throne and has the sun, moon, and 5 mountain peaks.

 The throne is in Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea.  I took this picture in 2009, and I am really excited to be returning this summer.