By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
The Yeol Foundation, a non-profit, volunteer organization, has recently unveiled its 2010 lecture series on Korean culture and history for foreigners at the Seoul Museum of History in downtown Seoul.
Since 2003, the organization has presented some of Korea's most prominent scholars, experts and intellectuals in the fields of Korean art, culture and history as lecturers.
On the first Tuesday of every month ― except during the summer and winter holiday seasons (July, August and December) ― Korean culture enthusiasts gather in the seminar room of the museum to discover and experience new insights on Korean culture.
This year's lectures will deal with architecture (hanok), ceramics, tea culture, the rise of women artists in the modern era and a British view on the Korean War 60 years later.
This season's first lecture, "Seoul Story" by Hwang Doo-jin, an architect, will highlight Seoul's urban uniqueness in architecture on March 2. While Seoul is one of the largest megacities in the world, it can also be viewed as a city made up of small and medium-size “pixels” resulting in idiosyncratic urban sprawl, often baffling even to its 10-million or so citizens. Hwang will illustrate the uniqueness of the capital city of Korea and also speak about the architectural and urban projects that he and his office have completed in Seoul over the last 10 years.
Brother Anthony, professor emeritus at Sogang University, will give a lecture titled “The Korean Way of Tea: Past and Present” on April 6. Tea first came to Korea and Japan along with Buddhism more than 1,500 years ago from China, where it had been consumed for thousands of years.
In Korea, as in China, tea became an important part of the refined culture in the royal court and in aristocratic circles. In temples, tea was made by monks, using leaves from tea fields around the temples, and offered ritually to Buddha. This lecture will cover the history of tea in China and Korea and the ways in which tea is brewed and served today.
On May 4, “Windows to a Lost Culture: The Structure of Joseon Korea Interpreted Through Its Architecture” will be explored by Peter Bartholomew, president of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch. Korea’s architectural heritage during the Joseon Kingdom (13921910) stands as one of the most significant in Northeast Asia from the point of view of its stylistic uniqueness ― multi-discipline philosophies woven into the structures and spatial relations ― as well as the antiquity of its 2,000 years of historical development. This lecture will explain how Joseon looked and was organized toward the end of its reign of power as interpreted through its architecture.
"The Battle of the Imjin River: A Korean War Tragedy" will be addressed by Andrew Salmon, correspondent for The Times and The Washington Times on June 1. On April 22, 1951, the largest offensive of the Korean War was launched as 305,000 communist troops stormed south. At the epicenter of this massive attack stood the Anglo-Belgian 29th Infantry Brigade. Over three nights of battle, the brigade held the line, but at a terrible cost in losses. Nearly 60 years later, it remains the bloodiest action fought by the British Army since World War II. This lecture will cover the war up till April 1951 along with the aftermath, and what survivors think of their experiences.
Carolyn K. Choo, professor emeritus at Chung-Ang University, will deal with the topic of “Science and Art in Traditional Korean Ceramics Culture” on Sept. 7. Traditional Korean ceramics have a long and rich history resulting from interactions with China and Japan on one hand, and, indigenous creative forces on the other. Korea was the first country to import porcelain technology from China in the 9th and 10th centuries and successfully developed it into a unique culture by combining imported elements with traditional techniques from dark grey unglazed wares, known as “togi.” In this lecture, ceramics are analyzed as a product that combines human expression with artistic and technological creativity and reflects the economic social demands of its period.
“Walking Lecture of Joseon Dynasty Seoul” by Peter Bartholomew, president of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch, will take place along the routes from Deoksu Palace, Jeong-dong, Gyeonghi Palace to Gwanghwamun, central Seoul on Oct. 5.
On Nov. 2, Chung Hyung-Min, a professor at Seoul National University, will lecture on “The Rise of the New Woman at the Threshold of the Modern Age in Korea.” The first half of the 20th century was a period when the “modern” social ideology and visual culture was imported to Korea. Among the significant changes that took place during this time of modernization was the rise of women’s social position and the emergence of women artists ― two cultural and sociological phenomena that are viewed as intimately connected. This lecture will give a brief outline on the changes and discourse that took place on women’s social position during that early modern age and will introduce women artists.
The Yeol Foundation was formed to foster and promote interest in Korea's rich cultural heritage and ways to preserve it. Its programs include educational outreach in the form of lectures, field trips, publications, and funding efforts to protect and restore damaged cultural properties. All lectures are held on the second floor of the museum, except the walking tour.
The fee is 10,000 won per lecture or 50,000 won per year for seven lectures, payable in advance or on entrance. The lectures will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. For registration, send your name and contact details to yeol400@paran.com.