Old Korean-Persian Ties
By Choe Chong-dae
Recently, Korean ``pop culture" has reached almost every corner of East Asia and has even landed in parts of the Middle East. From clothes and hairstyles to pop music and TV dramas, the ``Korean Wave" has affected the lives of many Asians, and it has now reached Iran. Many Iranian people have expressed particular interest in ``Jewel in the Palace,'' a hit Korean soap opera recently aired on a major broadcast station there. The drama is about a cook who overcame numerous hardships to become a royal palace physician during the Joseon Dynasty. Consequently, three of Iran's seven major networks have since broadcast Korean TV series, attracting a large number of viewers who seem to relate emotionally to the characters.
Actually, this shouldn't be so surprising. Korea and Iran have had a very close and cordial relationship since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1962. In fact, in 1976 during a Teheran mayor's visit to Korea, the two cities signed a sisterhood agreement. Following the accord, a major street in Teheran was renamed ``Seoul Avenue" and a major street in Seoul's Gangnam District was renamed ``Teheran Avenue".
To historians and even myself, it's hard to think of present day Iran without thinking of the Great Persian Empire, a united Persian kingdom that originated in the region now known as Fars, a province located in Southwestern Iran. From the 6th century B.C to the 7th century A.D, it was a vast empire, reigning over an enormous territory that extended from the highlands of Iran to Central Asia. Persian civilization and its culture have made important contributions to the history of world.
I surmise that the first cultural exchanges between Korea and Iran probably date back 2,000 years. There is evidence that the ancient Shilla Kingdom may have traded with Persian merchants along the ancient Silk Road connecting the East and West. Some Persian and even Roman style artifacts, including pottery, glassware, decorated daggers and clay figures have been discovered in ancient Shilla tombs. Many of these artifacts reveal artistic techniques, which were directly influenced by the Hellenistic culture left by Alexander the Great.
However, it was during the Sassanid Empire (224-651), the most influential period of ancient Iran, that Persian culture reached its highest point, spreading its culture to Western Europe, Africa, Central Asia, China and Korea. Persian merchants amassed great wealth through trade activities along the old Silk Road, aiding the spread of Persian culture.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see a special exhibition called ``Glory of Persia'' at the invitation of the Korean Society of Museum Studies. The exhibition, which encompasses 7,000 years of Persian culture, civilization and history, is being held at the National Museum of Korea from April through August. Some 204 unique and impressive historical relics from the 5th millennium B.C to the end of the Sassanid Dynasty in the 7th century were culled from four regional Iranian museums (Reza Abbasi, Azarbijan, Persepolis) as well as Iran's National Museum.
At the exhibition, many people irrespective of age or gender have shown great interest in the gold artifacts from the Persian Empire, which truly represent the culmination of Iranian civilization. The sophisticated craftsmanship of precious gold artifacts from ancient Persia such as the ``Cup in the shape of winged lions" from the Achaemenid Dynasty (559-330 B.C.), Gold Bowls, Necklaces, and the ``Bracelet with lions head terminals" are inspiration for tales of the ``Glory days" of ancient Persia and Iran's civilization of great power.
Persian culture enamors anyone who recognizes beauty, elegance, dignity, morality and inspiration. Few cultures in history have had such a far-reaching and bewitching effect on people in both the East and West, irrespective of their political, scientific, religious and social value.
One distinguished example is Johan Wolfgang Goethe, the fabulous German poet who was so fond of Hafez Shirazi, the legendary 14th- century Iranian poet that he devoted his ``Western-Eastern Divan (Poetry)" to Persian literature sprouted by Hafez.
During a recent visit to Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Shilla Kingdom, I visited Gwaerung (the ancient tomb of Shilla's 38th King Wonseong), and, while standing in front of the magnificent stone guardian statue, which was deeply influenced by Persian culture, I began to imagine the days of old and the splendor of ancient Persian civilization.
By unlocking the mysteries of ancient Persia, the ``Glory of Persia" exhibition in Korea will surely promote a greater understanding of Iran and the Middle East, thereby enhancing the bilateral relationship between Korea and Iran.
The writer is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and the Korean representative of Compagnie Cotonniere of Paris, France. He is also a longtime director of the Korean-Swedish Association. He can be reached at dkic98@chol.com.