One, two, three, kimchi!

The 19th (& 14th) K-Pop Academy: A journey through Korean culture with the KCCUK - and beyond!

[onetwothreekimchi]

Week 3: Korean language in the Korean Wave

I’m a lover of languages (even if I’m not very good at learning them) so this week’s topic was absolutely my cup of tea. I don’t have time to write up what Dr. Jieun Kiaer (University of Oxford) covered during her riveting talk, but here is my homework from this week - an exploration of vocabulary often found in Kpop, specifically that of onomatoepoeic words (words that sound like what they are describing).

[onetwothreekimchi]

Week 2: Contemporary Korean Art

I admit it - I’m an uncultured swine. Which is why this week’s pearls of Korean art history wisdom was probably wasted upon me. That said, I couldn’t help but find our lecture on Korean modern art utterly fascinating, especially with its intersection with politics, popular culture and social commentary.

Lee Soojin, art historian and Assistant Professor at Hongik University started her seminar by introducing abstract masters such as Lee Jung Seop, Park Su-geun and Kim Hwan-gi, all of whom in the 1950s, paved the way into ‘western’ painting via their use of oil paints, forgoing the traditional ‘eastern’ techniques of ink and brush. 

Above: Kim Hwan-gi in his New York studio in 1972. Photo © Whanki Foundation-Whanki Museum

The Dansaekhwa (’single colour painting’) movement came about in response to continuous tenures of Korean dictatorships masquerading as presidencies, leading artists such as Kwon Yong-Woo and Ha Chong-Hyun to highlight the stifling political atmosphere through muted and heavily restrained techniques such as repetitive mark making and fixation on creating textures. Professor Lee stressed that for avant-garde artists like Lee Ufan, the process of creating art was as important as the final product. They saw themselves not as ‘artists’ but as ‘mediators’ who created ‘incidences’ and not objects of art.

A theme that jumped out at me from artwork in this era was the liberal use of the colour white, which turns out to be no coincidence. Professor Lee introduced us to us to the self-conceptulisation of Koreans as baekui minjok (백의 민족) or ‘white-clothed people’, a term coined by Japanese art critic Yanagi Muneyoshi when he first visited Korea in 1916 and was enchanted by the white hanbok that many Koreans wore at the time. At the historic ‘Five Korean Artists, Five Kinds of White’ exhibition held in Tokyo in 1975, considered the first exhibition where Dansaekhwa was introduced internationally, negative space was celebrated as much as the brush strokes and textures placed upon blank canvas.

As such, I’ve decided to document my own ‘Five Kinds of White’ via photos of everyday objects of significance. More specifically, these photos are of items that were especially meaningful during the COVID-19 lockdown many of us have been, and are still experiencing. Like members of the Dansaekhwa movement, I focused on subtle details, such as the textures and play of light on surfaces.  Through this series, I’m hoping to capture the ‘incidence’ we’ve all found ourselves in during this global pandemic.

From left to right: toilet paper roll, uncooked rice, the inside of a surgical mask, bubbles in a sink and a blister pill packet.

Toilet paper roll: at the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, people started to stockpile toilet tissues, among many other daily necessities. Shelves were eerily empty and people queued up for hours just to buy groceries.

Rice: a staple of many Asian countries, I grew up eating it every day. In fact, Koreans, like many other neighbouring countries, use variations of ‘have you eaten rice?’ as a greeting. A steaming, hot bowl of this stuff is the ultimate comfort food.

The inside of a surgical mask: while these are now mandated by law, at the beginning of the pandemic, I was extremely hesitant about wearing masks not because I doubted their efficacy, but having personally experienced the rise in abuse towards people of East Asian descent (I was shouted at in the street), I was worried about being harassed again in public.

Bubbles in a sink: hand washing every time before I eat and as soon as I return home will most definitely be one of the habits I will continue even after the pandemic.

A blister pill packet: working from home has definitely caused all sorts of painful postural issues for many people, myself included. Headaches from the increased amount of time spent in front of a screen has also lead to this empty packet of ibuprofen.  

* * * * *

(Professor Lee’s seminar also covered the socio-political movement of Minjung art that pushed back against the aforementioned western art influences - which many considered too high-brow and elitist - but that deserves a whole other post!)

[onetwothreekimchi]

Week 1:  Understanding Korean History

To say I was excited to join the first session of the KPA was an understatement - I had my notebook, coffee and highlighters at the ready like a nerdy highschooler on her first day at school (yes, I was that girl). After a round of introductions from fellow KPA-ers, we kicked off Week 1 with an in-depth lecture from Dr Anders Karlsson (Senior Lecturer in Korean at SOAS, University of London) who took us on a whistle-stop tour through Korea’s illustrious history. 

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find ancient history a bit…inaccessible (*ahem* boring). So I thought I’d combine this week’s homework of presenting a (very) brief outline of ancient Korean history with a passion of mine: K-dramas, specifically that of historical Korean dramas or sageuk (사극). Maybe it’s the sumptuous costumes, the swashbuckling sword fights and horse riding scenes, or just my overly-romantic notion of the past, but it’s a genre that I’ve consistently been drawn to.

Prehistoric Korean history Dr Karlsson mentioned that most records of Korea’s early history have been destroyed, making it difficult to pinpoint when exactly these early civilisations came to be. However, it has been noted that even all the way back in 2000 BC, rice cultivation was already well-established around the Korean peninsula. The Bronze Age came to the tribes in the area at around 700 BCE and then, around 300 BCE they moved into the Iron Age, as noted in Chinese records for the first time.

Dramas set in this era are extremely uncommon - and probably for good reason. In fact, the only one I know of is Arthdal Chronicles starring Song Joong-ki which turned out to be…a bit of a train wreck. It’s supposed to be a fantasy drama (think Korean ‘Game of Thrones’) that happens during the Bronze Age and is ‘loosely based’ on the creation story of Dangun, the son of a heavenly prince and a bear-woman. Legend has it he goes on to build and rule the kingdom of Gojoseon (‘old Joseon’) in 2333 BCE, but Dr Karlsson points out those timings don’t seem to add up with historical records.

Three Kingdoms Period (57 BC - 668 AD) Around this period, the Korean peninsula was mostly dominated by tribes but by 57 BC, the kingdom of Kingdom of Silla emerged, followed by the founding of Goguryeo in 37 BC by Jumong (there’s an old but much-loved drama by the same name) and finally with the founding of Baekje in 18 AD by Jumong’s wife and her sons. These three kingdoms were heavily influenced by Chinese civilisation, especially with the spread of Confucianist thought and Buddhism which arrived in the 4th century.

The only drama set in the Silla period that I’ve briefly dabbled in is Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth which stars an A-list cast (Park Seo-joon, Go A-ra and Park Hyung-sik) but I’m sure is simply an excuse to put a bunch of very pretty looking boys in warrior uniforms. (I mean, hwarang literally translates as ‘flowering knights’ so case in point.)

Goryeo (918 - 1392) We fast forward to the founding of Goryeo which brought about ‘true national unification’ through centralisation of power, bringing under it the aforementioned three kingdoms as well as the northern kingdom of Balhae. One of the most well-known dramas set at the beginning of this era is Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (starring IU and Lee Jun-ki) which, thanks to its stellar acting but unsatisfactory ending is equal parts loved and hated among the drama watching community. (I just realised this is another drama with another all-star cast of very pretty men - are you spotting a pattern here? Haha!)

Joseon dynasty (1392 - 1910) The majority of sageuk that I know of are based somewhere within the 500-odd years of the Joseon dynasty. There is a wealth of material to work off - be it the kingdom’s relationship with the neighbouring Ming dynasty, various Japanese and Manchurian invasions, as well as Neo-Confucianism taking over as the new state ideology. 

It was also a time of great progress - the Great King Sejong created hangul, the native Korean alphabet in 1443, as sweetly depicted in one of my favourite fusion sageuks, Splash Splash Love, starring cute-as-a-button Kim Seul-gi and idol actor Yoon Du-joon. It’s just a 2-episode mini drama, but manages to pack in so much cross-dressing and time travelling hijinks, as well as incredibly well-fleshed out characters.

After fighting off a Japanese invasion (1592 - 1598) and Manchu invasions (in 1627 and 1636), late Joseon saw itself as a bastion of civilisation and successor to a waning Ming dynasty. However, the West soon came knocking at its doors. Another time-travel drama, the recently completed Mr Queen, is a gender-bending portrayal of the titular Queen Cheorin (1837 - 1878) set towards the end of the Joseon era. While this wacky but highly enjoyable drama is blatantly inaccurate historically, it references the Donghak movement, a Neo-Confucian philosophical ideology which came about in response to seohak (‘Western learning’) which arrived to Korean shores via Catholic missionaries.

The influence of Western ideology on late Joseon is further explored in Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung through a minor story line involving a Jesuit priest who disseminates his medical knowledge of vaccinations to combat smallpox, a disease rampant at the time. While Goo Hae-ryung, a female historian, is a historical impossibility and thus purely a work of fiction, her awareness of the importance of history and the accuracy in which it is recorded is summed up beautifully in this moving soliloquy, delivered whilst on her knees, with sword at her throat:

“Even if you slash my throat, our brushes will not stop writing. If I die, another historian will take my place; if you kill that historian, another will take their place. Even if you kill every historian in this land, and take away all the paper and brushes, you won’t be able to stop us. From mouth to mouth, teacher to student, elder to child, history will be told. That is the power of truth.”

As such, our first lesson on Korea’s ancient history was such an important one - it gave us the context in which to understand Korean culture as an accumulation of struggle, war, peace and progress through millennia. The fact that its history can be enjoyed so thoroughly through sageuk is just another of the many reasons why I’m a lifelong fan of K-dramas…not that I needed any excuses to watch them in the first place!

[onetwothreekimchi]

And they say lighting doesn’t strike twice...

Back in the balmy summer of 2018, by some miraculous stroke of luck, I was accepted into the notoriously oversubscribed ‘K-pop Academy’ organised by the KCCUK. Hardly believing my luck, the weeks floated by in a whirlwind of traditional Korean music, taekwondo, a heated cooking competition, and of course, K-pop.  

Nearly 2.5 years later, with odds that are surely slimmer than securing tickets for a BTS concert, I’ve been selected again to go on another 3-month journey through Korean culture, only this time with classmates from all around the world.

I never thought I’d come back to this blog, but given the amount of exciting materials and activities (oh, and homework!) that I know will be covered, it’s only fitting to dust off this blog and pick up where we left off. Here’s to another 10 weeks of Korean culture! 가자!

[onetwothreekimchi]

Week 9: K-pop choreography

A few weeks ago, we were asked to vote for a K-pop song we wanted to learn the choreography for. A quick browse on Youtube through the shortlist quickly narrowed it down - not because any of the songs were better than the others, but simply because there was not a chance I’d be able to learn most of the intricate, gravity-defying moves these idols were performing while singing!

Thankfully, one of the songs whose moves I could just about manage was Super Junior’s Lo Siento. Maybe because of it’s catchy Latin-inspired beat and Spanish lyrics, it’s actually featured quite heavily on my playlist through the summer. Interestingly, as it features US-based Leslie Grace, it’s also a prime example of a growing trend among Korean groups to feature American artists, probably in a bid to increase their exposure in the international music charts.

So for our last ever session, we had Tammy from London-based dance crew LOKO teach us the choreography for the chorus of Lo Siento. We started with an energetic warm up to stretch out (”What? This is only the warm up?! I’m exhausted already!”) and Tammy ran us through the dance moves bar by bar. As patient and as thorough as she was, I just didn’t seem to be able to remember all the steps! This only made me all the more appreciative of the actual idol groups who are often asked to learn choreography in a very short time frame due to their tight schedules. The whole section we were taught was only probably less than a minute long, but it was only after two very sweaty hours that I felt confident enough to perform on our own. The class ended with a bit of a dance-off - apologies again to everyone on my team that I have two left feet!

As a self-confessed dance dummy, there’s most definitely photographic and video evidence of me messing up my steps. In fact, it’s a small miracle I didn’t twist an ankle or injure anyone with my flailing arms during the session. But while I will never be good at dancing, the most important thing was I had so much fun, and it’s inspired me to sign up for some K-pop dance lessons!

[onetwothreekimchi]

Week 8: Hanbok (한복)

As a K-drama fan, I have to admit part of the allure of watching a saeguk (사극) or historical drama are the gorgeous, sumptuous traditional costumes. So for two hours last week, we lived in a bit of a Joseon fantasy as we were let loose on the stunning hanbok (한복) collection that the Korean Cultural Centre owns. And while we might all be grown ups, we were definitely not too old to play ‘dress up’!

Our guest speaker, Dr. Lee Juntaek from SOAS, in his full hanbok regalia, began his talk by referencing the modern interpretations of hanbok, namely the updated styles as worn by BTS in their ‘IDOL’ music video. K-pop stars have always had a huge influence in fashion choices of the public, so it’ll be interesting to see if the hanbok, often overshadowed by its Japanese counterpart, the kimono, will gain exposure and popularity around the world.

We were also given a quick glimpse into the history of the hanbok and its influences from Ming dynasty China. The hanbok as we know it, originates in the Joseon era (around the late 14th century) and usually consists of 2 parts - a top (jacket) and a bottom (skirt for women, trousers for men). These beautiful yet complex garments not only served as practical yet fashionable outfits, but also embodies Neo-Confucian principles of propriety, courtesy and decorum.

So for homework, I decided to design a hanbok that encapsulated my experiences of the K-pop Academy thus far. I can’t believe it’s already the penultimate week already (sob!), but this design will hopefully remind us of all the wonderful experiences we’ve had!

[Week 2: Samulnori] The model wears an accessory on her skirt that features a ‘janggu’ drum - one of the four instruments of Samulnori, the Korean percussion ensemble.

[Week 3: Hallyu] Traditional hanbok were often extravagantly decorated, and this outfit is no exception: the bottom hem of the skirt features a ‘wave’ pattern that alludes to the Korean wave or ‘hallyu’ - alluring and irresistible!

[Week 4: Taekwondo] In homage to the belted uniform of taekwondo athletes, unlike traditional jackets that are fastened with a ribbon at the chest, this hanbok features a fabric belt around the waist to give the outfit a more shapely, cinched-in silhouette.

[Week 5: Hangul] The beautiful Korean script of Hangul features on this outfit subtly in the print of the fabric.

[Week 6: the Korean War] The Korean War (1950-1953) tore a nation apart and it remains separated into North and South to this day. Traditionally, a fabric hair ribbon (daeng-gi / 댕기) was used to secure and decorate women’s braided hair. The white and light blue colours of this ribbon references the ‘unified’ flag used in the Winter and Asian Games by the combined North and South Korean team this year, with hopes that the Korean peninsula can re-conciliate and remain peaceful for years to come.

[Week 7: Hansik] The theme of Korean food is represented in this whimsical ‘bibimbap’ bag (’bibimbag’!) design. Colourful geometric shapes represent a variety of different ingredients (fried egg, carrots, bean sprouts, courgette, beef, etc.) usually found on this dish.

[Week 8: Hanbok] This hanbok carefully incorporates many of elements of traditional designs. The 2-piece outfit of jacket (jeogori) and skirt (chima) has remained relatively unchanged for many centuries and this design pays homage to this time-honoured tradition. The skirt’s hemline has been raised slightly for reasons of practicality, but also for a fresher, more youthful feel. 

The light and dark blue combination of jacket and skirt is also chosen especially to reflect the colours of the K-pop academy logo.  

The sleeves feature ‘obangsek’ or the 5 colours of the traditional Korean colour spectrum. Each colour represents an element (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) and together they signify completeness and balance. As a result, this colour combination is seen in all facets of Korean life, including on architecture, clothing and even food.

The boots are a modern interpretation of the traditional white socks or ‘booties’ worn under shoes. It also has detailing at the heel that retains the aesthetic of the traditional beosun socks, a shape that features heavily throughout Korean architecture.

Hope you like this design as much as I do!

(Top photo credits: kpa_london instagram account)

[onetwothreekimchi]

Week 7: Hansik (Korean cuisine)

Whoever came up with the advice “don’t live to eat, eat to live” has clearly never tried hansik, or Korean cuisine - how can you not want to spend the rest of your life eating this stuff when it’s so darn tasty? Thankfully, that’s exactly what our instructor this week, Chef Yim Hyungsoo, a Korean food researcher, has dedicated this life to doing.

We started by learning briefly about the main process of preservation used in Korea - that of fermentation. It is thanks to this magical process that Korea derives most of its flavours: kimchi, ganjang (Korean soy sauce), doenjang (Korean bean paste) and gochujang (spicy fermented bean paste).

Sensing our impatience, Chef Yim moved on to demonstrating several dishes including a tofu (or dubu) salad, fresh ‘ínstant’ kimchi (bae chu gut juri), a seared beef fillet salad (anshim pyunchae), and my all-time favourite, the seafood pancake (haemul pajeon). Somehow, he managed to prepare and cook all of these amazing dishes within half an hour while we sat there salivating at the wonderful smells and beautiful colours of the dishes. We didn’t need to be asked twice when the food was ready to be tasted: the food was so delicious many of us went back for seconds!

The problem was, it was then our turn to cook, and that it would be a competition... MasterChef style! After being paired up, we were given ingredients to recreate the tofu salad and the seafood pancake Chef had made. I have never been in a professional kitchen before, and it was daunting to say the least - the heat from the hobs was immense, and with only 30 minutes, the pressure was on. After a lot of running around, sweating (and maybe even some swearing!) we just about made it on time, and placed our dishes on the pass for the verdict.

The judging from Chef Yim was taken very seriously as he looked carefully at presentation and checked the food was cooked properly, After lots of constructive feedback and a few embarrassed laughs, the winners were announced: my partner and I came 2nd runner up! We honestly weren’t expecting to win anything, but we were gifted a box of doenjang and a bottle of ganjang, both of which I am looking forward to using when I next cook a Korean feast for my friends and family!

For homework, I chose to cook a Korean dish I’ve never cooked before. As I’ve drastically decreased my meat consumption since the start of this year, I looked for a quick and easy vegetarian dish: hobak jeon or courgette fritters.

호박전 Hobak Jeon

Recipe adapted from kimchimari.com: Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes

1 courgette

1 large egg

30g flour

sea salt

vegetable oil/olive oil

1 tbpn soy sauce

1/2 tbspn rice vinegar

sprinkle of sesame seeds

Method:

1. Slice courgette into 5mm rounds, lay onto a plate and sprinkle with salt. Leave for 5 minutes.

2. In the meantime, add flour to a plate and in a bowl beat an egg with a pinch of salt.

3. Make the dipping sauce by mixing soy, vinegar and sesame seeds

4. Heat a pan with a generous amount of oil.  Coat courgette in flour on both sides, shaking off excess.

5. Dredge each piece of floured courgette in the beaten egg, and add to hot pan. 

6. Fry courgette slices, around 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown.

6. Dish up and best served hot!

[onetwothreekimchi]

Week 6: The Korean War

I’ve never been a history buff, but this week we had the once-in-a-lifetime honour of meeting Brigadier (Retd) B.A.H.  Parritt CBE, a British Korean War veteran who fought as part of the Allied troops. His story of devastation, terror and heroism will stay with me for a very, very long time. 

(As his talk deserves a whole separate post, here’s my homework for this week for now...)

A (very) brief timeline of Modern Korean History (1900 - now)

[1910 - 1945] Imperial Japanese rule: The Empire of Japan defeats the Chinese Qing Empire and Russian Empire over ambitions for Mancuria and Korea. However, the end of World War II effectively ends with bomb dropped by the United States on Hiroshima and Japan announces its surrender to the Allies. Orders from Washington sees the divide the Korean Peninsula into Soviet and U.S. occupation zones via the 38th parallel.

[1945 - 1948] Division of Korea: In 1948, Syngman Rhee is elected as South Korean president and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) is established. A month later, Democratic People's Republic of Korea established in the North. Despite its name, the government, established by the Soviet Union, is a communist one lead by Premier Kim Il-sung.

[1950 - 1953] Korean War:

Believing he could capture South Korea in 27 days, Kim Il-sung seeks Stalin's support for an invasion with China available for reinforcement.

The Korean People's Army (KPA) crosses the 38th parallel to invade the South and reach the outskirts of Seoul by June 1950. 

The UN Security Council approves the use of force to help South Korea, prompting President Truman of the United States to send nearby U.S. Naval and Air forces. 

However, having underestimated the North, the KPA swiftly advance South, forcing UN forces to retreat within the ‘Pusan Perimeter,’ a 140-mile (230 km) defensive line. 

After amassing troops and supplies at the port of Pusan, the UN forces launches a counterattack at Incheon and by 25 September 1950 Seoul is recaptured by South Korea. 

Several phases of offensive attacks from the North continue over several months as Chinese involvement intensifies via the People's Volunteer Army (PVA) and the continued support of Stalin.

Suffering large-scale losses on both sides, stalemate is reached and armistice negotiations begin on 10 July 1951 and last on-and-off for two years.

A final peace treaty agreement is signed on 27 July 1953 at Panmunjom with the 38th Parallel reset as the boundary between North and South Korea, also known as the demilitarized zone (DMZ).

[1954 - now] Modernisation of North and South Korea: 

After a military coup in the 1960s and several changes in leadership throughout the 1970s, fast-paced changes, both political and economical, happen in the South.

Starting with the constitution changing to allow direct election of the president in 1981, the 1980s saw South Korea’s swift technological advancement through investing in electronics and the computer industry.

In North Korea, post-war efforts were largely supported by the Chinese and governments. However economic expansion and increasing living standards came to an end in the 1970s when due to mounting debt as N. Korea decided to decrease its dependence on its neighbours’ aid

North Korea remains largely secluded from the rest of the world, both in terms of its foreign policy and trade relations. As a communist government with a hereditary succession of leadership, Kim Il-sung remained the supreme leader until his death in 1994, after which his son, Kim Jong-il took power. Kim Jong-il's son, Kim Jong-un, is the current leader, after his father's death in 2011.

2018: Looking to the future...(of reunification?)

From the impeachment of former S. Korean President Park Geun-Hye in October 2016 due to charges of corruption to the landslide victory during elections of current President Moon Jae-in, the past two years has seen a huge thaw in the relations between the two Koreas.

2018 has especially been a momentous one in the history of North and South Korea. As a sign of things to come, after months of diplomatic negotiations, it was agreed that at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, North and South would march together in the opening ceremony and put forward a united women's ice hockey team.

Then, the unthinkable happened: on 27 April 2018, after decades of antagonistic relations, Kim Jong-un became the first ever North Korean leader to enter the South to meet President Moon for a peace talks summit in the South Korean zone of the Joint Security Area. The world held its breath as the two shook hands across the demarcation line, followed quickly with a subsequent sigh of relief as both leaders greeted one another with smiles, not to mention an unexpectedly heart-warming moment when Moon was seen to be helping Kim over the threshold.

The summit was declared a successful one, with both countries pledging to agree to end hostile actions and work towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. Symbolic changes continued after the summit, starting with North Korea adjusting its time zone to match the South's on 10 May 2018. At the same time, S. Korea also began removing propaganda loudspeakers from the border area.

Following the summit in Singapore between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in June of this year, things continue to look positive for the possibility of reunification with both sides taking active steps in improving relations. So far, we’ve seen the reunification of families separated for decades since the Korean War in August, as well as North and South Korea competing as ‘Korea’ for several events over the summer at the 2018 Asian Games. Most recently, President Moon also became the first ever S. Korean leader to address the N. Korean public at the Arirang Festival on 19 September.

With so many historic firsts happening just within the past few months, I can only imagine they will continue well into the future. I wholehearted wish both North and South Korea the best in their continued effort towards a peaceful Korean peninsula for years to come.

[onetwothreekimchi]

Five K-drama phrases you should (but probably already) know

If you’re anything like me, most of your Korean will be absorbed via K-dramas or TV shows - after all, what better way to learn a language than to listen to it being spoken, hours on end, by native speakers? (Of course, it helps that #KdramaIsLife)

Here are 5 that you should, and probably already know...I just wanted an excuse for some fun gifs!

1. O-mo! (오모)

Used almost exclusively by younger people, this is pretty much the Korean equivalent of ‘OMG’ used to express surprise, incredulity, disbelief. Not to be confused with 아이고 (aigoo) which has more of a negative connotation, used more to express exasperation, or pity towards others.

2. 어떻게? (ottoke)

Translates as ‘how?’ or ‘what to do?’ and can be used to express uncertainty or a request for help, but equally likely to be used in a ‘cute’ way as a rhetorical question when the speaker is feeling overwhelmed (e.g. How is this kitten so cute? 어떻게?!)

3. 잘 가요 (jal gayo) 

Literally translates as ‘go’ (가) and ‘well’ (잘), this expression is used to say ‘goodbye’ to someone, but only when the other person is leaving.

4.   여보세요? (yeoboseyo)

This is ‘hello?’ but not be confused with the normal greeting of 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) as it is used only when answering the phone.

5.  괜찮아? (gwaen-cha-na?)

Probably one of the most commonly used phrases in those ‘oops! I tripped’ scenes where the dashing male lead swoops in to catch the heroine as she trips over (cue eye roll). This version of ‘are you okay’ is used between friends, but when speaking to a stranger or someone of higher status, ‘괜찮아요’ needs to be used to show respect.

And there you have it. Just for kicks, here’s one last ‘goodbye’ gif (from a drama you’ll all recognise):

[onetwothreekimchi]

Week 5: Hangeul and Seoye (Korean Calligraphy)

Oh, be still my beating heart: as a self-professed literary nerd, this week’s topic was right up my street! I love nothing more than to geek out over the etymology of words and the history behind how languages came into being. On my trip to Seoul three years ago, one of the highlights was definitely the King Sejong Story museum at Gwangwhamun Square - arguably, it was where my obsession with the Korean language started. I spent *hours* poring over the ancient manuscripts containing hanja and corresponding hangeul letters, endlessly fascinated by all the artefacts and explanations.

Luckily for us, we had the inimitable Professor Yeon Jaehoon from SOAS give us an extremely informative crash course on the Korean language. He covered the possible origins of the Korean language, how its script, hangeul (한글), came into being, and the subtle differences between how the language is used in North and South Korea. I listened in rapt fascination as he explained various theories of the Korean language’s origins, one of the most widely debated being that it might have roots in Altaic languages (which comprises of the Turkic, Mongolic and Tungusic languages). 

Prof. Yeon was careful to emphasise that ‘Korean’ and hangeul are not the same thing - the language spoken in the Korean peninsula had existed for thousands of years before King Sejong developed the script in 1443, making hangeul one of the youngest writing systems in the world. Prior to that, only a privileged few could read and write ‘Korean’ using hanja - Chinese characters that would record meaning, but not necessarily the sound of the language or its grammar.  

Having learned Korean for several months now, I’ve found hangeul to be systematic and elegant to use - in fact, people often joke that although it might take many years to become fluent, it is possible to learn the Korean alphabet in a few hours. The development of the script was also extremely scientific and philosophical: the symbols for the consonants approximate the shapes the mouth makes when pronouncing them, whereas the vowels are derived from the Confucian elements of ‘heaven’, ‘earth’ and ‘man’.

We were then introduced to seoye, Korean calligraphy, for the second part of our session. Having grown up in Hong Kong, I’ve briefly dabbled in Chinese calligraphy over the years, but this was the first time I’ve written hangeul with ink and brush. There’s something endlessly satisfying about seeing brushstrokes flowing across the page, especially when I think about how our ancestors have been mark-making in a similar fashion for thousands of years.  

On a complete unrelated note, I managed to sneak in a quick peek of a current exhibition at the KCCUK named Dawns, Mine, Crystal by South Korean artist Yunchul Kim. He’s been nominated as KCCUK’s Artist of the Year 2018 and it’s easy to see why - his installations that feature glass and light are hauntingly beautiful. It’s on show until November 3rd, so get yourself down there for a bit of a gander!

[onetwothreekimchi]

Week 4: Korean Sport - Taekwondo

I’ve been so excited about this week’s activity in part because I’ve never done taekwondo before, but also because I’ve always wanted to try on the crisp, white uniforms (dobok) worn for the sport.

With our white (beginner) belts strapped on comfortably, we were given a brief history of taekwondo by Master Kim, our instructor for the day. He explained that together, the words tae (foot), kwon (fist) and do (’the way of’) describes ‘the way of kicking and punching’ that has roots as far back as the Korean ‘Three Kingdoms’ era about 2,300 years ago. Modern taekwondo, as we know it however, has a surprisingly short history as it only came into existence in 1955 when a group of martial art masters came together to unify their various styles, and it only been an official Olympic sport since the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Master Kim wasted no time in putting us to work, starting with a high-intensity warm up (I was already drowning in sweat at this point) before demonstrating a number of drills that required us to punch, kick and block. The five principals of taekwondo - respect, honesty, humility, perseverance and self-control - were apparent in the ceremonial acts of standing at attention, bowing to the teacher, and punching in unison, giving us a glimpse of the amount of discipline required to train in the sport. Bringing together everything we learned, we ended the session with several really useful self-defence moves that involved combinations of kicks and punches to throw our opponent off-balance. The class was a real eye-opener - I left the session super sweaty, but buzzing off an endorphin high from all the fun I was having.

This week’s homework got me thinking about the representation of women in sports as portrayed in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, a coming-of-age drama based loosely on the real-life story of Korean weightlifting Olympian Jang Mi Ran. Actress Lee Sung Kyung plays Kim Bok Joo, an aspiring weightlifter with a tomboy-ish and bubbly personality who, along with her tight-knit weightlifting team at her sports college, muddles through the growing pains of being a young adult. On first impression, I was pleasantly surprised that both genders are equally represented - there’s a male and a female coach, and Bok Joo’s team is an equal split between men and women too. There’s a great sense of camaraderie between the athletes as they’re often shown eating and training together, cheering each other on.

However, while Jang herself was consulted during the script-writing process, being a romantic comedy meant that weightlifting as a sport actually takes a bit of a backseat in the show. Instead, as I was watching, what I couldn’t help but notice was that Bok Joo’s identity as a weightlifter actually served to magnify the issue of body confidence, and the intense scrutiny that surrounds women’s bodies in South Korea.

For starters, the media was abuzz around how Lee gained more than 5kg for the role. Some media outlets and netizens criticised the casting of Lee for the role because despite her weight gain, she her slim build still wasn’t representative of real female weightlifters such as Jang, who competed in the +75kg category. At the same time, it was also seen as a risky career move for Lee, a model-turned-actress, as she would have to sacrifice her figure for what would be her first lead role in a drama. Luckily, it was a gamble that eventually paid off, as the drama aired to critical acclaim, winning two MBC Drama Awards and gaining a huge cult following among young viewers. 

Interestingly, the issue of weight is an ongoing theme in the drama itself when Lee’s character, Bok Joo develops a one-sided crush on a doctor at a weight loss clinic. She signs up for his slimming program in secret just so that she can continue to meet him, which obviously starts affecting her lifting as she needs maintain muscle. A particularly poignant scene at the end of episode 9 sees Bok Joo’s secret exposed in the most painful way - halfway through a weightlifting competition, she spots her doctor crush cheering for her in the audience. She narrates: “We lift heavy lumps of metal. In that moment, we can’t help but show our veins popping out, our faces getting red, our double or triple chin, and our belly fat sticking out from the belt. It’s so ugly. It’s not something we want to show the guy we like.”

The raw look of conflict on her face is especially heartbreaking, because despite completing her lift successfully and winning the tournament, her tears came from a place of humiliation and embarrassment. It’s not that she’s ashamed of her own strength, but at that moment, she firmly believed that to follow her dream as a weightlifter would also means giving up the hope of ever appearing attractive in front of someone she likes. Sadly, Bok Joo’s belief is still a deep-set one in many parts of Asia: that being muscular and athletic is at odds with being attractive and feminine. For many women, especially in South Korea, there’s a huge pressure to conform to a set of very narrow beauty ideals: namely, that they should be tall, slim and pale. What Bok Joo doesn’t realise is that her strength is precisely what makes her special and lovable.

As such, I felt this drama was groundbreaking in many ways. It’s probably the only K-drama or K-movie that I can think of that has female protagonist specialising in such a male-dominated sport. Weightlifting is portrayed as a profession that both men and women can participate in, and that women are respected for their physical strength (not in spite of it) and treated just like their male counterparts. I was also impressed with how they tackled the issue of body confidence in a very positive way. Unlike other K-dramas like Oh My Venus and 200 Pounds Beauty which features plus-size female leads who only find love and happiness after losing weight, Bok Joo finds someone who loves her for her strength and her athleticism. More importantly, she also learns to love herself for who she is, muscular thighs and all - and that’s probably a lesson in body positivity we should all be learning too.

[onetwothreekimchi]

A K-pop lover’s guide to Central London

Of course New Malden (a.k.a. London’s Koreatown) remains the most obvious choice for all things Korean, but have you every found yourself in the middle of Central London craving a bowl of bibimbap or wondering where you can catch a Korean film screening? Lucky for you, London is full of pockets of K-Culture: you just need to know where to look!

Korean Food

Tottenham Court Road has always been the go-to for hansik - you’ll find more than 30 restaurants within a 500m radius of the station alone. But a new wave of trendy Korean relaxed dining and street food offerings like On the Bap, Kimchee and Jinjuu are popping up all over London. Those looking for late-night entertainment can try their hand at noraebang (karaoke) at Superstar BBQ, while Seoul Bakery is a favourite of cash-strapped students who want to buy some K-pop trading cards while they wait for their takeaway kimbap.

Korean Culture

The centre of it all is of course the Korean Cultural Centre (KCCUK) which houses contemporary art exhibitions, runs educational programmes (like this one!), hosts musical performances and film screenings, just to name a few. Every year, the KCCUK run the London Korean Film Festival which runs throughout November. This year, screenings are held at the Regent Street Cinema.

Those of you into fine art will find yourself immersed in the exquisite pieces (like the binyeo or hairpin, above) at the Han Collection. If you’re hungry again though, the School of Wok offers cooking classes where you can learn to recreate Korean street food favourites at home. Finally, to work off all that eating, throw some shapes with DGC Dance classes where you can learn the latest K-pop dance routines.

Korean Supermarkets

Korean snacks are indispensable, especially when you’re having a binge-watching session of Running Man. Thankfully, chains such as H-Mart, Oseyo and Centre Point are popping up all over London, meaning you can easily pick up a few pots of Shin Ramyun for your K-drama marathon later that evening.

Korean Beauty

All you Korean beauty junkies can rejoice - Debenhams and Selfridges now stock quite a decent selection of skincare and beauty products in-store. If you’re looking for somewhere dedicated solely to the pursuit of ‘glass skin’ however, look no further than P2bus in Chinatown.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the Korean-related goings on in Central London, but they’re all places I’ve visited personally and would definitely be returning to to get my fix. Have I made any glaring omissions though? And what is your favourite Korean hangout? Let me know!

[onetwothreekimchi]

Week 3: Hallyu of Today and Tomorrow

You don’t have to be a die-hard koreaboo to have noticed the infiltration of Korean culture into mainstream media here in the UK over the past few years. From trendy Korean supermarkets popping up in Central London, to the ‘wellness influencers’ extolling the virtues of kimchi on social media, hallyu (or the ‘Korean wave’) has well and truly arrived at our shores. As I missed the first week of the Academy, I only received my ‘welcome pack’ last weekend - and to say it didn’t disappoint would be an understatement. Apart from a super-cool tote bag, it contained an Inspire Me Korea subscription box filled with Korean snacks, cute bits of stationery (Mr.Donothing is my spirit animal), and every K-beauty aficionado’s staple product, the sheet mask.

I thought the subscription box perfectly encapsulates what we learned during this session: how Korean food, beauty trends, and entertainment are being consumed by international audiences at an unprecedented rate. This phenomenon, known as Hallyu (한류/韓流), was first coined by the Chinese media in the late ‘90s to describe the increasing popularity of South Korean culture in Asia at the time, but has since become an global trend, thanks to, what else but the Internet and social media. 

Our guest speaker, the wonderfully knowledgeable Dr. Um, walked us through the different ‘waves’ of Hallyu, the first of which began in the mid-1990s with the export of Korean dramas to neighbouring Asian countries. As someone who grew up in Hong Kong in the early 2000s, I experienced first hand what Dr. Um called ‘Hallyu 1.0’: every local family (mine included) was glued to their TVs at dinner time, tuning into Cantonese-dubbed versions of Winter Sonata and later Jewel in the Palace which, thanks to its widespread appeal, sparked a tsunami-like craze for all things Korean across much of Asia.

The late-2000s to mid-2010s (‘Hallyu 2.0’) saw the large-scale dissemination of Korean entertainment, namely K-pop, via platforms such as Youtube, to a much larger international audience. With their catchy tunes, perfectly choreographed dances and bright, bubblegum pop aesthetic, songs like Girls’ Generation’s Gee and Super Junior’s Sorry, Sorry (see above) became instant viral hits. And who can forget the summer of 2012 when we collectively galloped to Psy’s Gangnam Style as every local radio stations across the world played it on repeat?

Surprisingly, despite boasting a music industry worth a staggering $5 billion, we learned that for the individual artists and producers, K-pop isn’t as profitable as we originally thought, most likely due to the proliferation of free streaming services. What shocked me was that the Korean gaming industry was estimated to be worth an impressive 83 billion won ($76.2 million) in 2016, and accounts for 14.9% of the global gaming market. In a country where gaming is known as ‘e-sports’ and pro-gamers who make 6-figure salaries are lauded as celebrities, it’s easy to see why.

What we’re living through now, the late-2010s, is Hallyu 3.0. By now, K-beauty has taken the global beauty industry by storm with its cute packaging (adorable panda hand cream, anyone?) and adventurous ingredients (I’m looking at you, snail slime). And with BTS winning the Billboard Music Award ‘Top Social Artist Award’ last year, K-pop is no longer seen as a niche interest, but a serious contender as a musical genre in itself. The 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, in which K-pop featured heavily as a soundscape for the event, furthered South Korea’s position as a major influencer of global culture.

Dr. Um explained that the rise of K-pop was no accident: capitalising on its success overseas, since the late 2000s the Korean government has strategically promoted contemporary Korean culture as a form of ‘soft power’ - as opposed to ‘hard’ military power traditionally used to negotiate national security. I found this really fascinating - as someone who often views Korea through the rose-tinted lens of K-dramas and K-pop, it’s not often that I think about the huge ‘branding’ project behind the shiny, stylised version of the Korean entertainment business presented to us by its media.

So, what of the future of Hallyu? Well, if Netflix snapping up K-dramas is anything to go by, I don’t see it abating any time soon. And as a hopelessly obsessed casualty of the Korean wave, that can only be a good thing.

[onetwothreekimchi]

Week 2: Samulnori (traditional Korean percussion music)

Last week, we arrived to see the KCCUK transformed into an elegant space where we explored traditional Korean music; specifically the genre of Samulnori which translates literally as ‘four objects play’ due to the four percussion instruments involved:

Kkwaenggwari (꽹과리): a small, hand-held brass gong 

Jing (징): a larger gong also made of brass

Janggo or Janggu (장고 / 장구): an hourglass-shaped drum 

Buk (북): a barrel-shaped drum

Our teacher explained that together, these four instruments play a central part in Pungmul, an ancient Korean folk tradition that involves drumming, dancing and singing to accompany festivals and shamanistic rituals in farming villages, such as to ensure a good harvest.

She also explained that each instrument’s unique sound represents a different weather condition: the rhythmic Janggu represents the beating of the rain, the metallic crash of the kkwaenggwari is akin to thunder; the resonant jing sounds like the wind, and the deep reverberations of the buk is reminiscent of clouds.

Each instrument also performs a distinctive role within each sequence. For example, the Kkwaenggwari leads the other instruments, while the job of the Buk is to keep the beat like a bass drum. 

While some of the rhythms were deceptively simple, it required immense concentration to play in time, let alone how challenging it was to play together as an ensemble! (I think we practised solidly for close to 2 hours before we were even able to perform a short segment without any mistakes...)

Towards the end of our session, our music teacher also taught us how to sing a very famous Korean folk song, Arirang. It’s so well-known that Koreans often consider it their unofficial anthem.  As I’ve chosen to research this beautiful song for my homework (yup, there was homework!) you can read more about it below:

It was such a memorable experience to have a go at these unique instruments, and I can honestly say a real sense of achievement was shared between all the students at the end... as well as the laughs we had too!

This weekend, we explore the worldwide phenomenon of...hallyu, the Korean wave! As a hopeless casualty of this unstoppable force, tomorrow can’t come soon enough! :) 

[onetwothreekimchi]

Korean literature: Beauty Looks Down on Me

Even though I was absolutely gutted I couldn’t attend the 1st session of the K-pop Academy, that doesn’t mean I’ve been slacking off - I finally finished reading Beauty Looks Down on Me by Eun Heekyung for the Korean Literature Night book club that the KCCUK hosts every month. The debate was fierce over this collection of short stories, with the majority of people disliking the writer’s style and her almost too mundane take on modern life. On the the other hand, I found myself relating to the ordinariness of her characters and their attempts to find the extraordinary in their everyday lives. I also enjoyed her whimsical portrayal of the protagonists, such as the overweight man who suddenly starts on a keto diet on his 35th birthday, or the young man who is entirely consumed by his somewhat-irrational belief about being attacked by bears during a hiking trip. What fantastical experiences will the K-pop academy inject into my otherwise all-too-ordinary life, I wonder?

[onetwothreekimchi]

14th K-pop Academy @ KCCUK: One, two, three, kimchi!

Hi there! My name is Tina and as you can probably tell from the photo above, I have a problem - I left my heart in South Korea when I visited for the first time in 2015. At first, I fell head-over-heels for its vibrant cuisine, its enchanting traditions and stunning scenery. But as my obsession grew, k-pop, k-dramas and k-beauty infiltrated my everyday life, as did my appreciation for its language and Korea’s contemporary literature scene.

Which is why I applied for the 14th K-pop academy organised by the Korean Cultural Centre here in the UK...and by some miracle, secured a spot!  

So for the next ten weeks, stay tuned as I sing, dance, and taekwondo kick my way to k-pop stardom. Well, not quite. I expect the next few months will be less Produce 101 and more cultural immersion via cooking, learning Korean musical instruments, learning about its fascinating history, and yes, even a taekwondo class...and I can’t wait!