Traditional art : Ceramics

A celadon incense burner from the Goryeo Dynasty with Korean kingfisher glaze

The use of earthenware on the Korean peninsula goes back to the Neolithic. The history of Korean Ceramics is long and includes both Korean pottery a later development after the traditional use of coils and hammered clay to create early votive and sculptural artifacts. During the Three Kingdoms period, pottery was advanced in Silla. The pottery was fired using a deoxidizing flame, which caused the distinctive blue grey celadon color. The surface was embossed with various geometrical patterns.

In the Goryeo period jade green celadon ware became more popular. In the 12th century sophisticated methods of inlaying were invented, allowing more elaborate decorations in different colours. In Arts of Korea, Evelyn McCune states, "During the twelfth century, the production of ceramic ware reached its highest refinement. Several new varieties appeared simultaneously in the quarter of a century, one of which, the inlaid ware must be considered a Korean invention."[6] Neither the Chinese nor the Japanese had produced inlaid celadon, which was unique to Goryeo wares. William Bowyer Honey of the Victoria and Albert Museum of England, who after World War II wrote, "The best Corean (Korean) wares were not only original, they are the most gracious and unaffected pottery ever made. They have every virtue that pottery can have. This Corean pottery, in fact, reached heights hardly attained even by the Chinese."[7]

White porcelain became popular in the 15th century. It soon overtook celadon ware. White porcelain was commonly painted or decorated with copper.

With the Japanese invasions of Korea in the 16th century, many potters were abducted to Japan where they influenced Japanese ceramics.[8][9][10] Many Japanese pottery families today can trace their art and ancestry to these Korean potters whom the Japanese captured by the thousands during its repeated conquests of the Korean peninsula.[11][12][13]

In the mid Joseon period (late 17th century) blue-and-white porcelain became popular. Designs were painted in cobalt blue on white porcelain. With the growth of Japan's hegemony on the peninsula towards the end of the 19th century, the tradition of porcelain declined as Japanese pottery flourished and eclipsed its Korean counterpart.

Application for 2011 Government Scholarship Program

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is recruiting '2011 Government Scholarship Students'. For more details, please refer to the following information.

1. Qualification : Applicants must meet all the following conditions:
a. Applicants must be 2nd or 3rd or 4th year undergraduate students.
b. GPA for the last semester must be over 80 out of 100.
c. Applicants must pass a minium fourth level in the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK).

※ Students who have already received scholarships from the Government of Korea or other institutions are NOT
allowed to apply. (ex. Students who have received scholarships from foreign governments or Il-Woo
Foundation or 4 year scholarships are NOT allowed to apply)

2. Quota : Total 200 international students from all universities in Korea

3. Scholarship
a. Amount : Annually KRW 6 million per student (KRW 0.5 million X 12 months)
b. Winners of the Scholarhip will receive the money over an year.

4. Application
a. where to apply : International Center, Inha University
b. Application Deadline : 17:00 Mar. 2 (Wed) 2011
c. Application Documents :
1) Application Document
2) Copy of Passport
3) Certificate of Enrollment
4) Official Tran
※ Tran must be officially issued by Inha University. GPA should be converted into the percentage in the tran.
Transfer students must also submit trans of all universities attended.
5) a Proof of Proficiency of Korean (TOPIK) / It should be issue after Mar. 1 2009
6) a letter of self-introduction and study plan
7) a letter of recommendation
※ A letter of recommendation must include personal information of both recommender and recommendee and
a signature of the recommender. It should be sealed by the recommender.
8) Other Documents (ex. proof of English proficiency, proof of other achievements or awards)

5. Important Things
a. Applicant's English name must be identical to the one shown in the passport
b. All the application documents must be A4 size
c. tran must be officially issued by Inha University.
d. application documents must be properly sorted out and submitted.
e. If the application documents are false, the applicant is NOT eligible.
f. If an student wins the scholarship but later drop out of school, the scholarship is stripped off.
g. Application documents will NOT be returned
Link to download application form : http://eng.inha.ac.kr/intro/notice_view.asp?pIdx=460&pGroup=01

បញ្ហាអតិផរណា​គំរាមដល់​សន្ទុះ​កំណើន​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង​

លោក​ប្រធានាធិបតី​​កូរ៉េខាងត្បូង​​ Lee Myung Bak

សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង​ដែល​ស្គាល់​សន្ទុះ​កើនឡើង​ខ្លាំង​ក៏​ ដោយសារតែ​មាន​ការ​ទិញដូរ​ហូប​ចុក​ផ្ទៃក្នុង​និង​ការ​នាំទំនិញ​ចេញទៅលក់​ក្រៅ​ ប្រទេស​មាន​សន្ទុះ​ខ្លាំងក្លា​ ​ ទោះបីជា​នៅឆមាស​ទី២​ឆ្នាំ២០១០​បាន​ស្គាល់​ការធ្លាក់​ស្រុតចុះ​បន្តិច​ទៅវិញ​ ក្តី។​ សម្រាប់​ឆ្នាំ២០១០​ទាំងមូល​ ​ សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង​បាន​ស្ទុះកើន​ឡើង​៦,១%​ដែលជា​កម្រិត​មួយ​ដ៏សែន​ ខ្ពស់​ពុំដែល​កើតមាន​ចាប់​តាំងពី​ឆ្នាំ២០០២​មក។​ ក៏​ប៉ុន្តែ​បញ្ហា​អតិផរណា​អាច​នឹង​គំរាម​ដល់​កំណើន​នៃ​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​កូរ៉េ​ ខាងត្បូង។



ក្រោយពី​បាន​ឋិត​នៅ​ក្នុង​ចំណោម​ប្រទេស​ដែលបាន​រើ​ខ្លួន​ចេញផុត​ពី​វិបត្តិ​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​និង​វិបត្តិ​ហិរញ្ញវត្ថុ​នៃ​ឆ្នាំ២០០៨​មុនគេ​ ​ អត្រា​នៃ​កំណើន​ផលិតផល​សរុប​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង​បាន​កើនឡើង​០,៥%​នៅ​ត្រីមាស​ទី៤​ឆ្នាំ២០១០​បើ​ប្រៀប​ផ្ទឹម​ទៅនឹង​ត្រីមាស​មុន។​ កំណើន​នេះ​ជា​កំណើន​ដ៏​តិចទាប​ បើ​ប្រៀបផ្ទឹម​ទៅ​ត្រីមាស​ទី១​និង​ត្រីមាស​ទី២​ឆ្នាំ២០១០​ដែល​មាន​ដល់ទៅ​២,១%និង​១,៤%។


លទ្ធផល​ដ៏​ល្អ​ដែល​សម្រេច​បាន​ដោយ​ប្រទេស​មហាអំណាច​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​ទី៤​នៅ​អាស៊ី​ឬ​ ប្រទេស​មហាអំណាច​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​ទី១៣​​ពិភពលោក​ដែល​មាន​ប្រាក់​បំណុល​ពុំ​លើស​ពី​២៤%​នៃ​ផលិត​ផល​​​ដុល​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​ឡើយ។​ ហើយ​អត្រា​នៃ​អ្នក​ឥត​ការងារ​ធ្វើ​ទៀតសោត​ក៏​នៅ​តិចទាប​ ពោលគឺ​មានតែ​៣,៧%​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ​នៃ​ចំនួន​ប្រជាជន​សកម្ម​សរុប។​ ទាំងនេះ​ក៏​ដោយសារ​តែ​ការនាំ​ទំនិញ​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង​ចេញ​ទៅលក់​ក្រៅ​ប្រទេស​មាន​ថាមពល​ខ្លាំងក្លា​ ជាពិសេស​ផលិតផល​អេឡេចត្រូនិក​និង​រថយន្ត​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង។

ការនាំ​ចេញនេះ​មាន​សន្ទុះ​ខ្លាំង​ ក៏​ដោយសារ​តែ​តម្រូវការ​ពិភពលោក​មាន​ថាមពល​ខ្លាំង​ ​ ជាពិសេស​ពី​សំណាក់​ប្រទេស​ចិន​ដែល​ជា​អ្នក​ស្រូប​ទិញ​ផលិតផល​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង​ដល់ទៅ​ប្រមាណ​១/៤​នៃ​ការនាំ​ចេញ​សរុប​របស់​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង។​ ហើយ​កត្តា​មួយ​ទៀត​ដែល​ធ្វើឲ្យ​ការនាំ​ចេញ​របស់​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង​មាន​សន្ទុះ​ខ្លាំង​គឺ​តម្លៃ​រូបិយប័ណ្ណ​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង​ពោលគឺ​ប្រាក់​Won នេះឯង​តែ​ម្តង​ដែល​មាន​តម្លៃ​ថោក​ដែល​ជា​កត្តា​មួយ​ដ៏​សំខាន់​ក្នុង​ការ​ជួយ​រុញច្រាន​ការនាំ​ចេញ​របស់​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង​ឲ្យ​មាន​សន្ទុះ​ខ្លាំង។

កត្តា​វិជ្ជមាន​មួយ​ទៀត​សម្រាប់​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង​គឺ​ការ​ស្ទុះ​កើនឡើង​ក្នុង​ការ​ទិញដូរ​ហូប​ចុក​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​ដែល​បាន​កើនឡើង​០,៣%​នៅ​ត្រីមាស​ទី៤​ឆ្នាំ២០១០​ ​ ហើយ​បាន​កើន​ឡើង​៧%​សម្រាប់​ឆ្នាំ២០១០​ទាំងមូល​ ​ ក្រោយពី​បាន​ស្គាល់​ការ​ដើរថយ​ក្រោយ​-៣,៨%​នៅ​ឆ្នាំ២០០៩។​ ហើយ​នៅ​ឆ្នាំ២០១១​នេះ​ ​ អត្រា​នៃ​កំណើន​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង​អាច​ឋិតនៅ​ចន្លោះ​៤,៥%​និង​៥%។

ទស្សនវិស័យ​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​កូរ៉េ​​ខាងត្បូង​នេះ​ក៏​ចង​ភ្ជាប់​មក​ជាមួយ​នូវ​ក្តីបារម្ភ​កាន់តែ​ខ្លាំងឡើងៗ​ ​ ដោយ​ហេតុតែ​មាន​បញ្ហា​ទំនិញ​ឡើងថ្លៃ​ដែល​អាច​គំរាម​ដល់​សន្ទុះ​កំណើន​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​នៃ​ប្រទេស​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង។

អត្រា​អតិផរណា​ដែល​មាន​២,៩%​នៅ​ឆ្នាំ២០១០ក៏​ដោយ​ហេតុ​តែ​ការទិញ​ដូរ​ហូបចុក​ផ្ទៃក្នុង​មាន​សន្ទុះ​ខ្លាំង​ហើយក៏​ដោយហេតុ​តែ​តម្លៃ​នៃ​វត្ថុធាតុ​ដើម​បានកើន​ឡើង​ថ្លៃ​ខ្លាំង​ ​ ក៏​ដូច​គ្នា​អ៊ីចឹងដែរ​សម្រាប់​តម្លៃ​ចំណី​អាហារ​ដែល​បាន​កើន​ឡើង​ថ្លៃ​២១,៣%​នៅ​ឆ្នាំ២០១០​ពីព្រោះ​តែ​ការ​ប្រមូល​ដំណាំ​ភោគផល​ពុំ​បាន​ល្អ​ប្រសើរ​ ​ ​ ហើយ​និង​ជ្រូក​មាន​​ជម្ងឺ​ពង​បែក​ក្នុង​មាត់​ដែល​បាន​នាំ​ឲ្យ​គេ​សម្លាប់​សត្វ​ជ្រូក​ចោល​អស់​ជិត​៣លាន​ក្បាល​ដែល​ស្មើនឹង​១៥%​នៃ​ចំនួន​សត្វជ្រូក​សរុប​ដែល​ចិញ្ចឹម​នៅ​ប្រទេស​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង។

តម្លៃ​ទំនិញ​ឡើង​ថ្លៃ​ខ្លាំង​ជាពិសេស​តម្លៃ​ចំណី​អាហារ​បាន​ធ្វើឲ្យ​ប៉ះពាល់​យ៉ាងខ្លាំង​ដល់​ប្រជាជន​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង​ដែល​មាន​ប្រាក់​ចំណូល​ខ្សត់ខ្សោយ។​ ដូច្នេះហើយ​ ​ បានជា​ក្រសួង​ហិរញ្ញវត្ថុ​និង​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង​បាន​ចាត់​វិធានការ​ធ្វើ​សង្គ្រាម​ប្រយុទ្ធ​ប្រឆាំង​នឹង​បញ្ហា​ទំនិញ​ឡើងថ្លៃ​ ​ ដោយបាន​ដាក់​កំហិត​ឲ្យ​តម្លៃ​ភ្លើង​អគ្គិសនី​និង​តម្លៃ​ឧស្ម័ន​ឲ្យ​ឋិត​នៅ​នឹង​ថ្កល់​មួយ​រយៈពេល។​ ចំណែកឯ​តម្លៃ​សម្រាប់​ចុះឈ្មោះ​រៀន​នៅ​មហាវិទ្យាល័យ​វិញ​ក៏​ដូច​គ្នា​អ៊ីចឹងដែរ។

ដោយយល់​ដឹង​ពី​គ្រោះ​ថ្នាក់​ពី​បញ្ហា​ទំនិញ​ឡើងថ្លៃ​ដែល​អាច​គំរាម​ដល់​សន្ទុះ​កំណើន​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​ ​ ធនាគារ​កណ្តាល​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង​បាន​សម្រេច​កាលពី​ថ្ងៃទី​១៣មករា​កន្លងទៅ​ធ្វើការ​ដំឡើង​អត្រា​ការប្រាក់​នាំមុខ​របស់​គេ​ប្រមាណ​០,២៥ពិន្ទុ​ឲ្យ​កើនឡើង​ដល់​២,៧៥%​ដែលជា​ការ​ដំឡើង​លើកទី៣​ក្នុងរយៈកាល​តែ​៦ខែ​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ។សេចក្តី​សម្រេច​ចិត្ត​របស់​ធនាគារ​កណ្តាល​កូរ៉េ​ខាងត្បូង​នេះ​បាន​ទទួល​ការ​យល់ស្រប​ពី​សំណាក់​អ្នកជំនាញការ។

សូមបញ្ជាក់ថា​ ​ លោក​ប្រធានាធិបតី​កូរ៉េខាងត្បូង​Lee Myung Bak បាន​សន្យាថា​ ​ នឹង​រក្សា​ឲ្យ​អត្រា​អតិផរណា​ឋិត​នៅ​រវាង​៣%​នៅ​ឆ្នាំ២០១១នេះ៕
Link : http://www.khmer.rfi.fr/korea/20110128-បញ្ហាអតិផរណា%E2%80%8Bគំរាមដល់%E2%80%8Bសន្ទុះ%E2%80%8Bកំណើន%E2%80%8Bសេដ្ឋកិច្ច%E2%80%8Bកូរ៉េ%E2%80%8Bខាងត្បូង%E2%80%8B

1st Week of Korean Air Global Internship Program in Winter Vacation

Traditional arts : Crafts

Lacquer drawer with mother-of-pearl inlay, at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul

There is a unique set of handicrafts produced in Korea. Most of the handicrafts are created for a particular everyday use, often giving priority to the practical use rather than aesthetics. Traditionally, metal, wood, fabric, lacquerware, and earthenware were the main materials used, but later glass, leather or paper have sporadically been used.

Ancient handicrafts, such as red and black pottery, share similarities with pottery of Chinese cultures along the Yellow River. The relics found of the Bronze Age, however, are distinctive and more elaborate.

Many sophisticated and elaborate handicrafts have been excavated, including gilt crowns, patterned pottery, pots or ornaments. During the Goryeo period the use of bronze was advanced. Brass, that is copper with one third zinc, has been a particularly popular material. The dynasty, however, is renowned for its use of celadon ware.

During the Joseon period popular handicrafts were made of porcelain and decorated with blue painting. Woodcraft was also advanced during that period. This led to more sophisticated pieces of furniture, including wardrobes, chests, tables or drawers.
Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Korea#Painting

ជំងឺ​​រាតត្បាត​ថ្មីៗ​​គំរាម​​តំបន់​​អាស៊ីអាគ្នេយ៍

ជំងឺ​ថ្មីៗ ដែល​ខ្លះ​អាច​ក្លាយ​ទៅ​ជា​ជំងឺ​រាតត្បាត កំពុង​តែ​លេច​ចេញ​មក​គំរាម​កំហែង​តំបន់​អាស៊ី​អាគ្នេយ៍។ នេះ​បើ​តាម​ការ​សិក្សា​មួយ​ចេញ​ផ្សាយ​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​អង្គារ​ទី ២៥​មករា នេះ​ពី​ទីក្រុង​បាងកក។ ការ​ឡើង​កម្តៅ​នៃ​ភព​ផែនដី ជា​មូល​ហេតុ​មួយ​ ក្នុង​ចំណោម​កត្តា​ជាច្រើន​​ដែល​​ជំរុញ​ឲ្យ​តំបន់​ជួប​​នឹង​ជំងឺរាតត្បាត​ថ្មីៗ​នេះ។

បច្ចុប្បន្ន​ មាន​ប្រជាជន​ប្រមាណ​ជាង​៦០០​លាន​នាក់ រស់​នៅ​ អាស៊ី​អាគ្នេយ៍ ​ទំនង​ជា​តំបន់​មួយ​ដែល​ងា​យ​នឹង​ទទួល​រងគ្រោះ​ពី​​ជំងឺ​ឆ្លង និង​ជំងឺថ្មីៗ​ទៀត​ណាស់។ ជំងឺ​ឆ្លង​ដែល​អាច​មានសក្តានុពល​ក្លាយ​ជា​ជំងឺ​រាត​ត្បាត។ ជា​ពិសេស​ជំងឺ​ឆ្លង​ពី​សត្វ​ទៅ​​មនុស្ស​ ព្រោះតែ​មនុស្ស​យើង​រស់​នៅ​ច្របូល​ច្របល់​​នឹង​សត្វ​​ខ្លាំង​ពេក។ ​នេះ​បើ​តាម​របាយការណ៍​របស់​ទិនានុប្បវត្តិ​វេជ្ជសាស្ត្រ​ The Lancet។

សូម​បញ្ជាក់​ថា​ ការ​ព្រួយ​បារម្ភ​បាន​រីក​ធំធាត់​ជា​លំដាប់​តាំង​ពី​ឆ្នាំ ២០០៣​មក ឆ្នាំ​ដែល​មាន​លេច​ជំងឺ​ផ្លូវ​ដង្ហើមធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ​ ​SRAS។ ជំងឺ​SRAS ដែល​កាលណោះ​បានសម្លាប់​ជីវិត​មនុស្ស​អស់​ជិត ៨០០​ ​នាក់ នៅ​លើ​ពិភពលោក។ បន្ទាប់​មក​ គឺ​ការ​រាត​ត្បាត​នៃ​ជំងឺ​គ្រុន​ផ្តាសាយ​បក្សី។

បើ​តាម​The Lancet ដដែល កំណើន​ប្រជាជន​ ការ​ធ្វើ​បន្លាស់​​ទី ការ​បង្កបង្កើនផល​កសិកម្ម​ និង​​ចិញ្ចឹម​សត្វ​កាន់​តែ​ច្រើន ការ​កាប់​បំផ្លាញ​ព្រៃ​ឈើ និង​ជា​ពិសេស​ ការ​ឡើង​កម្តៅ​នៃ​ភពផែនដី អាច​ចាត់​ទុក​ថា​បុព្វហេតុ​មួយ​ងាយ​នឹង​បង្ក​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​រីក​រាលដាល​នៃ​ជំងឺ​ឆ្លង​លេច​ឡើង​នៅ​ក្នុង​តំបន់។ អាកាសធាតុ​កាន់​តែ​ក្តៅ​ បូក​ជាមួយ​​ទឹក​ភ្លៀង​​ វា​កាន់​តែ​អនុគ្រោះ​ដល់​ពពួក​សត្វល្អិត និង​មូស​។

ដូច្នេះ​ដើម្បី​ប្រយុទ្ធ​ប្រឆាំង​​និង​ការ​ពារ​សុខភាព​សាធារណៈ​ គឺ​ទាមទារ​ការ​តាមដាន។ អ្នក​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​បាន​ទទូច​សុំ​ឲ្យ​ប្រទេស​ក្នុង​តំបន់​ទាំង​១០​​ (ឥណ្ឌូនេស៊ី ហ្វីលីព្វីន ឡាវ ប្រ៊ុយណេ ម៉ាលេស៊ី ភូមា សិង្ហបុរី កម្ពុជា ថៃ និង​វៀតណាម) ដំឡើង​កំរិត​រៀប​ចំ​ប្រុង​ប្រៀប​ឲ្យ​បាន​ប្រសើរ​ឡើង។ កង្វះ​ព័ត៌មាន​​ទាក់ទង​នឹង​ជំងឺ​រាតត្បាត​ ដែល​តែង​កើត​មាន​ជា​ទូទៅ​នៅ​អាស៊ីអាគ្នេយ៍​ រំខាន​យ៉ាង​ខ្លាំង​ដល់​ការ​ការពារ​បង្ការ​ជាមុន។

ទន្ទឹមនឹង​ជំងឺ​ឆ្លង​រាតត្បាត​នេះ អ្នក​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​ក៏​បាន​អំពាវ​នាវ​ឲ្យ​តំបន់​ចាត់​វិធានការ​ជាបន្ទាន់​ប្រឆាំង​នឹង​​​ជំងឺ​មហារីក ព្រោះ​វា​​ជាភា្នក់ងារ​សម្លាប់​ជីវិត​មនុស្ស​ដល់​ទៅ​៦០%៕
Link : http://www.khmer.rfi.fr/asia/20110125-ជំងឺ%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Bរាតត្បាត%E2%80%8Bថ្មីៗ%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Bគំរាម%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Bតំបន់%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8Bអាស៊ីអាគ្នេយ៍

Traditional arts : Dance & Painting

Dance

Jinju geommu

As with music, there is a distinction between court dances and folk dances. Common court dances are jeongjaemu performed at banquets, and ilmu, performed at Confucian rituals. Jeongjaemu is divided into native dances (hyangak jeongjae) and forms imported from China (dangak jeongjae). Ilmu are divided into civil dance (munmu) and military dance (mumu).

Religious dances include all the performances at shamanistic rites (gut). Secular dances include both group dances and individual performances.

Traditional choreography of court dances is reflected in many contemporary productions.

Painting

A scenery on Dano day

The earliest paintings found on the Korean peninsula are petroglyphs of prehistoric times. With the arrival of Buddhism from China, different techniques were introduced. These techniques quickly established themselves as the mainstream techniques, but indigenous techniques still survived.

There is a tendency towards naturalism with subjects such as realistic landscapes, flowers and birds being particularly popular. Ink is the most common material used, and it is painted on mulberry paper or silk.

In the 18th century indigenous techniques were advanced, particularly in calligraphy and seal engraving.

Arts are both influenced by tradition and realism in North Korea. For example, Han’s near-photographic "Break Time at the Ironworks" shows muscular men dripping with sweat and drinking water from tin cups at a sweltering foundry. Jeong Son’s "Peak Chonnyo of Mount Kumgang" is a classical Korean landscape of towering cliffs shrouded by mists (source : "The New York Times",.[5] Sisters Duk Soon Fwhang and Chung Soon Fwang O'Dwyer who fled to the United States in the late 1950s avoid overtly political statements, and render seemingly benign subjects of nature—flowers, birds, fields, insects, mountains—as tempestuous and emotionally charged zones of conflict.
Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Korea#Dance

A gift from a Korean friend

Gift given by a Korean friend named Yari ( Book in Korean )

Today, I met Korean friends whom I have known for nearly two years at Poupyong Station. Yari treated other friends and me to eat Pizza. It was very delicious with the salad. Besides this, I went to a bookstore in Seoul with brother Yari and Sister Jihae. Yari bought this book for me as a gift. Thank you big big, Yari for both Pizza and book. I will start to read this book from today. I don't know how long it gonna take me to finish reading this book because it's written in Korean; however, the content of this book really attracted me as soon as i saw its tittle. I am going to read it when i am on the bus or subway on my way to Korean Air Building during my internship there so that I won't feel boring or waste my time sleeping on the bus or subway anymore.


Book in English

Traditional arts : Music

Pansori


Pungmul

Apart from the instruments used, traditional Korean music is characterized by improvisation and the lack of breaks between movements. A pansori performance can last for over eight hours during which a single singer performs continuously.

Rather than contrasting different speeds as it is common in Western music, most traditional Korean music begins with the slowest movement and then accelerates as the performance continues.

Korean court music, called jeongak, is closely related to the literate upper-class, and has a strong intellectual emphasis. Jeongak is played at a very slow pace, with single beats taking as long as three seconds. The beat matches the speed of breathing rather than the heartbeat as in most Western music, and feels static and meditative.

The tone of Jeongak is soft and tranquil because the traditional instruments are made of non-metallic materials. String instruments have strings made of silk rather than wire. Almost all wind instruments are made of bamboo.

Pungmul is Korea's folk music and is full of expressions and emotions. This kind of traditional music is closely related to the lives of common people. As with the Jeongak, improvisation is common in Minsogak.

Traditional Korean musical instruments can be divided into wind, string, and percussion types. Wind instruments include the piri (cylindrical oboe), taepyeongso (metal-bell shawm), daegeumsaenghwang (mouth organ) and the hun (ocarina). Traditional string instruments include zithers such as the gayageum, geomungo, and ajaeng, and the haegeum, a two-stringed fiddle.

A great number of traditional percussion instruments are used including the kkwaenggwari (hand-held gong), the jing (hanging gong), buk (barrel drum), janggu, (hourglass drum), bak (clapper), and pyeonjong (bell chimes or stone chimes), as well as the eo (tiger-shaped scraper) and the chuk (wooden box).
Link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Korea#Traditional_arts

Success of 'Secret Garden' Continues to Grow

The massive popularity of the SBS hit drama "Secret Garden" is still reverberating even after the weekend series came to an end. Deals have been worked out to export the drama to several countries, and it is expanding its reach to other fields including music, film and theater.

SBS Contents Hub said on Thursday that it has sold broadcasting rights for 13 countries so far, including Japan, China and Thailand, at record-high prices for a combined US$3.5 million. It also recently signed a contract with a U.S. website which will offer the series as video-on-demand.

"We expect more profits once exports of merchandise such as dolls, comics and diaries begin sooner or later," an SBS Contents Hub spokesperson said. "The Japanese terrestrial channel that will broadcast the series expects the same blockbuster success as 'Winter Sonata' there."

Meanwhile, the soundtrack of "Secret Garden" is sweeping the pop charts here. The album has sold more than 30,000 copies, and a song from the album by main actor Hyun Bin has topped various online music charts.

The film industry also hopes to see ripple effects, as the movies "Late Autumn" and "Come Rain Come Shine" starring Hyun and "Sector 7" with the series' lead actress Ha Ji-won are soon to hit cinemas.

"Secret Garden" may be heading to the stage as well. "We had thought about making it into a musical, and thanks to its great popularity we've been inundated with proposals," said an insider at Hwa & Dam Pictures, the series' production company.
Link : http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/01/21/2011012101080.html

Exhibit Shows Zimbabwean Sculpture in Seoul Subway Station

Gyeongbokgung Station on Seoul Subway Line No. 3 is hosting an art exhibition titled "Shona Sculptures: Spirit of Africa" until Thursday.

Shona is the name of several tribes who make up Zimbabwe's largest indigenous group. The renowned stone sculptures in the exhibit display the spiritual world of the Shona people.

The exhibition can be viewed from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to make a small donation to help starving children in Africa.
Link : http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/01/19/2011011901173.html

Seoul City Bolsters Tour Information on Web Portal

Information on 19 cultural sites and walking tours of Seoul can now be found on the city's online portal.

The city is strengthening the foreign language services on the portal (gis.seoul.go.kr) in an effort to cater to overseas travelers here.

The website provides maps and other information on facilities and locations around the city in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese.
Link : http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/01/19/2011011901179.html

គ្រួសក្នុងតំរងនោម

មនុស្ស​ប្រមាណ​ជា​១០%​ ដែល​បរិភោគ​ទឹក​មិន​គ្រាប់​គ្រាន់ ជា​ជន​រង​គ្រោះ​នៃ​ជំងឺ​គ្រួស​ក្នុង​តំរង​នោម បុរស​ទទួល​រង​គ្រោះ​ខ្លាំង​ជាង​ស្ត្រី​ដល់​ទៅ​ទ្វេ​ដង។ ជំងឺ​នេះ​នឹង​បង្ក​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​ឈឺ​ចាប់​យ៉ាង​ខ្លាំង​ជា​ញឹកញាប់។ ហើយ​បើ​អ្នក​ជំងឺ​ណា​ធ្លាប់​បាន​កើត​ជំងឺ​នេះ​ម្តង​ហើយ នោះ​គាត់​ងាយ​នឹង​លាប់​ឡើង​វិញ​បាន​ក្នុង​រយៈពេល​១០​ឆ្នាំ​ក្រោយ។ តើ​អ្វី​ទៅ​ជា​ជំងឺ​គ្រួស​ក្នុង​តំរង​នោម ? គ្រួស​នោះ​មាន​លក្ខណៈ​ដូច​ម្តេច និង​អ្វី​ជា​បុព្វហេតុ​ដែល​បង្ក​ឲ្យ​មាន​គ្រួស​នេះ ? សូម​អញ្ជើញ​ស្តាប់​ការ​ពន្យល់​បំភ្លឺ​របស់​លោក​វេជ្ជបណ្ឌិត លឹម សុជន់ គ្រូពេទ្យ​ឯកទេស​ជំងឺ​តំរង​នោម ​តាម​រយៈ​បទ​សម្ភាសន៍​ជាមួយ​នឹង​អៀង សុខម៉ិញ។

គ្រួស​ក្នុង​តំរង​នោម មាន​ច្រើន​ប្រភេទ​ណាស់ វា​មាន​សភាព​រឹង​ដូច​ជា​គ្រួស​ធម្មតា​នៅ​ខាង​ក្រៅ​ដូច្នោះ​ឯង។ គ្មាន​គ្រួស​ណា​មួយ​ដែល​បង្ក​ឡើង​ដោយ​សារធាតុ​តែ​មួយ​មុខ​ទេ។ គ្រួស​ដែល​គេ​ជួប​ប្រទះ​ញឹកញាប់​ជា​គេ​ជា​គ្រួស​បង្ក​ឡើង​ដោយ​សារ​ធាតុ​ កាល់ស្យូម។ កាល់ស្យូម​បូក​ជាមួយ​នឹង​សារធាតុ​អុកសាលាដ កាល់ស្យូម​ជាមួយ​នឹង​ផូហ្វ័រ ឬ​ផូស្វ័រ​ជាមួយ​នឹង​អាម៉ូញាក់ និង​ការ​បូក​ផ្សំ​ជាច្រើន​ផ្សេងៗ​ទៀត ...
មូល​ហេតុ
- កត្តា​ទី​មួយ ៖ ការប្រតិបត្តិ។ គ្រួស​វា​បង្ក​ឡើង​ដោយ​សារ​ទឹក​នោម​របស់​យើង​មាន​ផ្ទុក​ទៅ​ដោយ​សារធាតុ​មួយ​ ចំនួន​ដែល​មិន​រលាយ។ បើ​សិន​​យើង​មាន​កំរិត​ទឹក​នោម​តិច- ទៅ​បត់​ជើង​តូច​តិចតួច​ពេក ព្រោះ​តែ​បរិភោគ​ទឹក​តិច​ពេក នោះ​សារធាតុ​ដែល​បង្ក​ជា​កំហាប់​ក្នុង​ទឹក​នោម​ មាន​ជា​អាទិ៍​ កាល់ស្យូម អុកសាលាដ អាស៊ីត​អុយរិក ព្រម​ទាំង​សារធាតុ​មួយ​ចំនួន​ផ្សេងៗ​ទៀត ក៏​មាន​ខ្ពស់​ ដូច្នេះ​គ្រោះ​នៃ​ការ​បង្ក​បង្កើត​ជា​គ្រួស​ក៏​មាន​ច្រើន​ទៅ​តាម​នោះ ដែរ។ និយាយ​ឲ្យ​ខ្លី​ស្រួល​ស្តាប់ បើ​ទឹក​នោម​មាន​កំហាប់​ខ្ពស់ គ្រោះ​មាន​គ្រួស​ក្នុង​តំរង​នោម​ក៏​ខ្ពស់​ដែរ។ សរុប​សេចក្តី​មក​ គឺ​ការ​បរិភោគ​ទឹក​មិន​គ្រប់​គ្រាន់​ជា​កត្តា​មួយ​ដែល​បង្ក​ឲ្យ​មាន​គ្រួស​ ក្នុង​តំរង​នោម។
- កត្តា​ទី​ពីរ​ ៖ បញ្ហា​បុគ្គល។ មាន​ជំងឺ​រលាក​ ឬ​ជំងឺ​ផ្សេង​ទៀត​នៅ​តំរង​នោម ​នៅ​ផ្លោក​នោម​ញឹក​ញាប់ ក៏​​អាច​ប្រទាញ​ឲ្យ​ងាយ​ជួប​នឹង​គ្រោះ​កើត​ជំងឺ​គ្រួស​ក្នុង​តំរង​នោម​ដែរ។ បុគ្គល​ខ្លះ​ទៀត​ គាត់​មាន​សំណាង​មិន​ល្អ ធម្មជាតិ​បាន​បង្កើត​គាត់​មក​ជាមួយ​នឹង​ទំរង់​មិន​ធម្មតា​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​គាត់​ងាយ ​នឹង​កើត​គ្រួស​នេះ។

រោគ​សញ្ញា

គ្រួស​ក្នុង​ តំរង​នោម​បាន​បង្ក​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​ឈឺ​ចុក​ចាប់​ យ៉ាង​ខ្លាំង មិន​អាច​ទ្រាំ​បាន នៅ​ម្តុំ​ចង្កេះ តែ​ម្ខាង​ទេ និង​ឈឺ​ពោះ​សំយ៉ុង​ចុះ​មក​ប្រដាប់​ភេទ។ ការ​ឈឺ​ចុក​ចាប់​នេះ​បណ្តាល​មក​ពី​គ្រួស​នៅ​ក្នុង​តំរង​នោម វា​ធ្លាក់​ ឬ​ចេញ​មក​ស្ទះ​នៅ​តាម​បង្ហួរ​នោម ដោយ​ប្រការ​ណាមួយ​ ជួន​កាល​ដោយ​សារ​ការ​ធ្វើ​ដំណើរ​ឆ្ងាយ មិន​បរិភោគ​ទឹក​គ្រប់​គ្រាន់ អុក​ រលាក់។ នៅ​ពេល​បត់​ជើង​ អ្នក​ជំងឺ​អាច​មាន​ទឹក​នោម​លាយ​ឈាម​ក៏​មាន។ ប៉ុន្តែ​ពេល​ខ្លះ​គ្រួស​ក្នុង​តំរង​នោម​ មិន​បាន​ផ្តល់​ជា​រោគ​សញ្ញា​អ្វី​ឡើយ ជាពិសេស​បើ​គ្រួស​ស្ថិន​នៅ​ក្នុង​តំរង​នោម​តែ​ម្តង។ គេ​អាច​ដឹង​បាន​ ថា​មាន​គ្រួស​ តាម​រយៈ​ការ​ថត​ឆ្លុះ ឬ ថត​អេកូ។ ក្នុងករណី​ គ្រួស​ក្នុង​តំរង​នោម ដែល​គ្មាន​ផ្តល់​រោគ​សញ្ញា​នេះ គ្រោះ​ថា្នក់​អាច​មាន​លក្ខណៈធ្ងន់​ធ្ងរ​ខ្លាំង ព្រោះ​គ្រួស​វា​ចេះ​តែ​រីក​ដុះ​ធំៗ​ឡើងៗ នោះ​នឹង​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​អ្នក​ជំងឺ​មាន​តំរង​នោម​ខ្សោយ​។ គ្រួស​ធំ​ពេក​មិន​អាច​ចេញ​តាម​​​បង្ហួរ​នោម​កើត មធ្យោបាយ​​មាន​តែ​មួយ​គឺ​ត្រូវ​​ធ្វើ​ការ​វះ​កាត់​ ហើយ​ពេល​ខ្លះ​ត្រូវ​កាត់​យក​តំរង​នោម​នោះ​ចេញ​តែ​ម្តង​ក៏​មាន។

ទឹក​ស្អាត

ទឹក ​​មាន​ចំណែក​ខ្លាំង​ណាស់​ក្នុង​ការ​ជួយ​បង្កា​រ​កុំ​ឲ្យ​មាន​បញ្ហា​គ្រួស​ ក្នុង​តំរងនោម។ ដូច្នេះ​ទឹក​សំរាប់​បរិភោគ គឺ​ជា​ “ទឹកស្អាត”។ ព្រោះ​ ទឹក​សុទ្ធ​​​ដែល​ដាក់លក់​នៅ​លើ​ទី​ផ្សារ​ ទឹក​ខ្លះ​ មាន​សារធាតុ​អ៊ីយ៉ុង​ច្រើន​ ដូច​ជា កាល់ស្យូម ច្រើន ទឹក​ប្រភេទ​នេះ ត្រូវ​ប្រើ​តែ​ចំពោះ​បុគ្គល​ណា​ដែល​ខ្វះ​ជាតិ​កាល់ស្យូម​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ។ ឯ​ចំណែក​ទឹក​អណ្តូង ដែល​ប្រជាជន​ខ្មែរ​ភាគ​ច្រើន​ប្រើ​ប្រាស់​វិញ​ ជាទឹក​ដែល​សំបូរ​ទៅ​ដោយ​សារធាតុ​រឹង​ច្រើន ដូច​ជា​កាល់ស្យូម កាល់កែរ។ បើ​ទឹក​នោះ​សំបូរ​ទៅ​ដោយ​ជាតិ​កាល់ស្យូម​ នោះ​នឹង​ធ្វើ​​ងាយ​រង​គ្រោះ​កើត​គ្រួស​ក្នុង​តំរង​នោម​ដែរ។

ផល​វិបាក​ដែល​បង្ក​ឡើង​ដោយ​គ្រួស​

-​ មាន​ការ​ឈឺ​ចុកចាប់​យ៉ាង​ខ្លាំង​មិន​អាច​ទ្រាំ​បាន ព្រោះ​តែ​​​គ្រួស​​ចេញ​​មក​​ក្រៅ​ គាំង​នៅ​​​តាម​បង្ហួរ​នោម។
- ​ ខូច​តំរង​នោម។ គ្រួស​ខ្លះ នឹង​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​ស្ទះ​បង្ហួរ​នោម នោម​លែង​ចេញ ឬ​ចេញ​បាន​តែ​បន្តិច​បន្តួច​ ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​ទឹក​នោម​ឡើង​ចាល់​ពេញ​តំរង​នោម ពេល​នោះ​តំរង​នោម​នឹង​ឡើង​ប៉ោង​។ យូរៗ​ទៅ តំរងនោម​នោះ​នឹង​ចុះ​ខ្សោយ ហើ​យ​បើ​គ្មាន​ការ​ព្យាបាល​ទាន់​ពេល​វេលាទេ​ អ្នក​ជំងឺ​នឹង​អាច​ជួប​គ្រោះ​ថ្នាក់​ខូច​​តំរង​នោម​ម្ខាង។ ការ​ខូច​តំរង​នោម​ដែល​ពេល​ខ្លះ​គ្រូពេទ្យ​ត្រូវ​តែ​ធ្វើ​វះ​កាត់​ចោល​តែ​ ម្តង។

Concerts, Play Open Throughout Seoul

Seoul is celebrating the new year with a variety of cultural events around the city.

On Jan. 1 the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra performed a New Year's Concert at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, while last Saturday the Seoul Metropolitan Youth Orchestra held a "Winter Classics" concert at the same venue.

This Saturday and Sunday a concert performed by famous Korean traditional and classical music artists will be held at the Dream Forest Art Center.

Left: Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's New Year's Concert; right: Science magic show

Seoul Namsan Gugakdang music hall's first production of the year will be "The Farting Lady," a musical play produced jointly by the Sejong Center, Sadari Theater Company, and Moby Duck Theatre Company from the U.K.

Based on a Korean traditional fairy tale, the musical features traditional mask dances and outdoor performances, mimes and puppet shows. It opens for a month-long run on Jan. 28.

For more information, visit the Seoul Metropolitan Government website at http://english.seoul.go.kr.

Park in Gwanghwamun to Promote Hangeul

The city of Seoul plans to develop an area nearby Sejong-ro into a cultural tourism hub in a bid to promote Hangeul or the Korean alphabet as a global cultural product.

The city said it will build the hub on a 470,000 sq. m site. It will offer diverse facilities and cultural programs, such as a park, guest rooms, and Hangeul and brush-writing classes, as well as cultural events and international conferences.

Before construction heads into full swing, the city will build a Hangeul garden in Sejong-ro Park, near the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, in the first half of this year.

The garden will feature 11,172 characters that can be made by using the 24 consonants and vowels of Hangeul. These letters will be carved by 11,172 people on individual stones, which will then be laid on the garden’s floor.

By the end of July, the city hopes to launch a one-hour program to teach foreigners how to read Korean. It also plans to expand existing programs offered in Gwanghwamun in which foreigners can have their family mottos and names written in Korean by brush.
Link : http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/01/18/2011011800990.html

The Stories That Shook Korea in 2010

As 2010 draws to a close, it is time to take a look back at an eventful year, which saw South Korea experience both sporting and economic successes and devastating challenges to national security, like the sinking of the Navy Corvette Cheonan and the North Korean artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island on Nov. 23.

◆ Korea-U.S. Reach Deal on FTA

Korea and the U.S. finally reached a deal in renegotiations of their bilateral free trade agreement on Dec. 3, clearing a major hurdle for ratification of the FTA which was signed on June 30, 2007 but has been stuck in the legislatures since. But the revision faces opposition here for conceding too much to the U.S., signaling more tough times ahead for the bill in the National Assembly.


◆ N.Korea Shells Yeonpyeong Island

North Korea launched an artillery attack on South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island on Nov. 23. It was the first attack on South Korean soil since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War and resulted in the deaths of two South Korean civilians and two soldiers. The attack involved the firing of around 170 artillery shells on the island in two separate barrages.

Sixteen Marines were injured. South Korea responded with artillery fire using K-9 howitzers, but the extent of the damage to North Korean targets remains unclear. On Dec. 20, South Korea resumed live artillery drills that were interrupted by the attack.


◆ N.Korea Unveils Uranium Enrichment Facility

North Korea unveiled a massive uranium enrichment facility equipped with hundreds of centrifuges to a visiting U.S. nuclear expert in early November. Experts believe North Korea unveiled the facility to pressure the U.S. to return to the stalled six-party talks.

In 2002, North Korea apparently confessed to operating a highly enriched uranium program, but it quickly reversed the admission and had since then adamantly denied it. Uranium enrichment facilities are easier to conceal than plutonium extraction facilities and can be moved around easily. Some 2,000 centrifuges are enough to produce one nuclear weapon a year. South Korea and the U.S. believe North Korea has three or four more clandestine facilities in addition to the one in Yongbyon.


◆ Seoul Hosts G20 Summit

The G20 Summit took place on Nov. 11 and 12 at COEX in southern Seoul. It was the first time that an emerging country hosted a summit of the world's top 20 economies. Held at the height of a global currency war, it produced an agreement containing current account balance guidelines and steps to improve governance at the International Monetary Fund. The summit also saw pledges by advanced countries to support the growth of developing nations. In the international press the event was widely seen as boosting Korea's global status.


◆ N.Korea Makes 3rd-Generation Succession Official

The feudal succession of the North Korean regime became official when leader Kim Jong-il's third son Jong-un was appointed a four-star Army general on Sept. 27 and vice chairman of the Workers Party's powerful Central Military Commission on Sept. 28. The appointments were made during the first extraordinary party congress in 44 years.

The regime created the position of "vice chairman" specially for Kim Jong-un (27). But it remains to be seen whether the dynastic succession will be successful, which depends a lot on how much longer Kim Jong-il has to live, according to experts.


◆ 46 Sailors Dead in N.Korean Torpedo Attack

The 1,200 ton Navy corvette Cheonan was attacked by a North Korean torpedo and sank near Baeknyeong Island in the West Sea on March 26. Of the ship's 104 crew, 46 died. An investigative committee of 73 experts, including 24 from the U.S., Australia, the U.K. and Sweden, announced on May 20 their findings that the Cheonan sank due to an attack by a North Korean CHT-02D torpedo fired from a small submarine.


◆ Kim Yu-na Rewrites Figure Skating History

Kim Yu-na not only became the first Korean figure skater to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics but also rewrote figure skating history with her record score in Vancouver, Canada. Kim earned a combined score of 228.56 points for her short program and free skating performances, the record since a new scoring method was introduced in 2004. Mao Asada of Japan came second with 205.50 points.

Link : http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/12/31/2010123100296.html

Jeju Launches Campaign for New 7 Wonders of Nature

More than a hundred journalists, politicians and business leaders attended an event on Thursday to mark the launch of Jeju Island’s campaign to be named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

With 300 days left until people around the world choose the final seven from among 28 finalists, the island is making an all-out effort to garner global support.

The chairman of the national New 7 Wonders of Nature committee and former Prime Minister Chung Un-chan said the beauty of Jeju is yet to be discovered and called for support from voters worldwide.

He pointed out that Jeju is the world’s only place to have been named a biosphere reserve (in 2002), a World Natural Heritage site (2007) and a Global Geopark (2010).

Jeju Governor Woo Keun-min said the campaign will be a chance to boost awareness of the island’s natural beauty among foreigners.
Link : http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/01/14/2011011401071.html

Would you like a bowl of Ttukbaegi?

Onggi, a traditional Korean pottery has a significant role as a container preserving food in Korean food culture. In fact, among this time is when we remind of the rows of kimchi and doenjang (soybean paste) jars that used to be stored in the house yard. Nowadays as plastic and stainless containers became popular and the housing environment has changed Onggi lost its popularity in daily life of Koreans. However, recently the cultural value and identity of Onggi has been acknowledged. Books written in English to promote a global use of Onggi have been published followed by attempts of contemporary interpretation on the traditional pot. Let’s take a closer look.


Onggi, traditional Korean pottery of daily life

Onggi, in Korean means earthenware or pottery with a dark brown glaze, which is a native Korean pottery of daily life. Often used as a kimchi jar, for its cheap price and long-durability has been generally used by Koreans. Onggi Folk Museum in Ssangmun dong, Seoul, possesses a variety of Onggi; the big ones mostly used for preserving soy sauce, doenjang, kimchi and water and others used in a more wide range of use e.g. chimneys, candle bottles, lamp-oil containers, Gi-wa(roof tile) and tea pots.

The biggest Onggi made in Oe-gosan Onggi Village, height 229cm, girth 520cm

The common use of Onggi can be explained with the characteristics of the Korean food culture. Onggi perfectly suits to preserve fermented food. Made from coarse sand-mud, its breathing holes allows air to enter but block water out that helps the preservation of the food for a longer duration. It also removes toxic substance of foods and reduces the smell. By enabling effective flow of air that helps the fermentation and preservation of the food, Onggi is perfect to store doenjang, soy sauce, kimchi and Jeotgal (salted seafood) keeping it fresh until the following year.

Especially, Onggi is a ‘pot from nature,’ that when cracked or broken to be thrown away it is simply back to earth as soil. The pot is made of soil, water, fire and wind that are harmless to our body. It is eco-friendly but also has traditional Korean scientific logics embedded, no surprise it was selected as one of ‘100 Cultural Symbols of Korea.’ Last year ‘Onggi Expo Ulsan Korea, 2010’ was hosted by Ulsan Oe-gosan Onggi village, the biggest Onggi trading center of Korea.

‘Onggi Expo Ulsan Korea, 2010’ under its theme ‘Onggi the Mirror of the Future’ introduced Onggi featuring the meanings found in its materials and decoration technology and also offering events to experience the difference between Onggi and other potteries from the world. It was the first international expo on traditional Onggi and especially its event for visitors to make their own Onggi was a great success.

CHA publishes an English edition book on Onggi

The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH), Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea published a book entitled as ‘Onggi’ written in English to introduce the Onggi culture to the world. In order to help the orientation of foreigners lots of visual images are included for explaining the production process of Onggi. The process is introduced by three themes – earth, fire and spirit, which are the essential elements for making the pot throughout the history. Among the three, spirit is the most critical that contains the heart of the artisan who made the pot.

This book will be distributed overseas through Korean Culture and Information Services and other related organizations. Also the PDF version will be available at the (NRICH) homepage (www.nrich.go.kr). In addition, NRICH based on their research on intangible cultural heritage of Korea, will continue to publish other English books for foreigners.

Due to the change of housing environments and industrial progress, there are less people who use Onggi in daily life, especially with the invention of kimchi refrigerator in Korea. A significant effort to establish the identity of Onggi culture inheriting its excellence as a traditional container for fermented food, and its historic and cultural value as deriving from the early pottery of human history, should be continued. To develop Onggi suitable for practical use in contemporary life or application to interior design can be one idea. Through a long-term and specific plan, a spread of traditional Onggi culture of Korea across the world is hopefully to be expected.
Link : http://blog.daum.net/korea_brand/959

Sharing Intangible Heritage of Korea with the World

Cultural Heritage can be divided into tangible and intangible heritage. Cultural assets with forms e.g. a palace or ceramics would belong to the former category, while formless assets such as music, dance, drama, and recreations would belong to the latter one. Especially the legacy of intangible cultural assets has been continued by the people throughout history until now, being re-created by time contributing to the diversity of culture.

UNESCO has well acknowledged the importance of intangible cultural heritage. In 1997, at the 29th UNESCO general assembly it has adopted ‘Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’ in order to protect intangible heritage which has been under threat to cease to exist by industrialization and globalization.

In 2003 ‘Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage’ was adopted by UNECO and it designated an ‘Urgent Safeguarding List’ and ‘Representative List’ of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. In 2001, 19 assets have been assigned as intangible cultural heritage and the list of it is on increase since then. Last October the food culture of France and Mexico was added to the list receiving lots of attention.

CHA produces DVD on Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity


Half of cultural assets inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List are those of Korea, China and Japan; Kabuki theater of Japan, the Dragon boat festival and Acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine of China. Korea has eleven assets on the list; the Royal Ancestral Ritual in the Jongmyo Shrine and its Music, the Pansori Epic Chant, the Gangneung Danoje Festival, Cheoyongmu, Ganggangsullae, Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut, Namsadang Nori, Yeongsanjae, as well as Daemokjang (traditional wooden architecture), Gagok (lyric song cycles accompanied by an orchestra), and Falconry the last three recently added to the list.

The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH), Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea produced contents with foreign language services introducing the eleven assets distributed by this month. A video clip on five assets inscribed on 2009 (Cheoyongmu, Ganggangsullae, Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut, Namsadang Nori, Yeongsanjae) is as well produced in three language editions with Korean, English and French. The clip includes a brief introduction on each relevant item that will be a useful resource for foreigners interested in Korean culture.

To promote active use of it, NRICH will distribute those video clips to relevant organizations and researchers in Korea and overseas, as well as providing online access to the material at NRICH homepage. High-quality contents on the intangible cultural heritage of Korea acknowledged by UNESCO is planned to be developed, produced and distributed every year. Such attempts is expected to improve a worldwide recognition on those heritages of Korea that has been under-promoted, despite of its value and significance representing the history, culture and identity of Korea.

The Intangible Cultural Heritage, the dwelling place for the Korean Spirit

Namsadang Nori, No.3 Important Intangible Cultural Properties of South Korea

Let’s take a closer look to the five cultural assets featured on the DVD produced by NRICH.
Namsadang Nori is the no.3 important intangible cultural properties of South Korea. Literally meaning ‘all-male vagabond clown theatre,’ it is a traveling entertaining theater troupe consisted of forty to fifty men enjoyed by the common people.

Kkokdusoe (the head of the group) leads the group followed by gombaengisoe, tteunsoe, gayeol, ppiri, and jeoseungpae performing the six sessions of nori (recreation) that are Pungmul, Beona, Salpan, Eoreum, Deotboegi, and Deolmi. Its origin derives from late Joseon. It was to wish peace and wealth for the villages and deliver joy to the common people through various music and performance.

Ganggangsullae, the no.8 important intangible cultural properties of South Korea, is a more familiar traditional recreation of Korea. The tradition comes from the South-western area of Korea performed to wish good harvest and fecundity.

Especially a grand Ganggangsullae used to be performed on the night of Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving), which origins back from the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592. Admiral Yi Sun-shin lighted up torches on the hill and gathered women to play Ganggangsullae to fake the size of the army to the enemy and later the play continued to sing joys and sorrows of life.

Ganggangsullae, No.8 Important Intangible Cultural Properties of South Korea

Cheoyongmu is the final dance of Narye and Yeonre, successive national royal events of Korea. It is the only royal dance performed with human face masks. The narrative of the dance is about getting rid of misfortune based on the principle of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. Through its dazzling and confident movements the dance delivers great energy and vigor to the audiences.

Yeongsanjae is a kind of 49 jae (a Buddhist memorial ceremony held on the 49th day of one’s death). It is a ceremony for spirits to attain eternality based on the Buddhist faiths. It cultural value is recognized for reproducing Young-san Hwe-sang, reminiscences of preach Sakyamuni has performed on Vulture Peak Mountain; also called as Young-san jak Bup, a representative providence ceremony of Buddhism.

Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut is a kind of haenyeo gut (haenyeo means female diver, gut is a type of exorcism) that is part of the unique cultural heritage of Jeju along with haenyeo and folk religion. It has a cultural meaning as a cultural festival embracing the local community and encouraging mutual understanding between the people living on Jeju Island.

To preserve these inherited cultural assets of Korea an active promotion on the international stage should be continued. An active support and participation from the Korean people preserving and promoting their cultural heritage should be followed as well.
Link : http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10101088018

Sol-nal - Korean New Year

You might have noticed that many of the nations located in East Asia threw big New Year celebrations to welcome the arrival of the year 2000. It is true that most countries have adopted the Gregorian calendar and mark the passage of time in accordance with the solar year. But many countries, the Republic of Korea included, also pay respect to the traditional calendar based on the lunar year. Thus, across the Land of the Morning Calm, New Year's Day will be celebrated twice-once according to international convention, and once according to the lunar calendar.

This year, the Korean New Year, or Sol-nal, will fall on our February 5, the first day of the first month of the new lunar year. Also considered the first day of spring, Sol-nal is a day for renewing one's place in the world by honoring ancestors and reestablishing family ties. Koreans try to return to their family homes on this day to participate in New Year's rituals and festivities.

On New Year's Eve, people place straw shovels, sieves or rakes on their doors and walls to protect their families from any evil spirits arriving with the new year. The New Year's day ceremonies begin in the morning with the donning of formal dress (hanbok) by family members. The first component of the day's activities is the rite of charye, or the honoring of the past four generations of ancestors. Food and drink (the exact form of which varies according to regional and family traditions) are offered on a ritual table (charye sang). It is common to see foods arranged according to color (for instance, red food may be on the east side of the table, with white food on the west side of the table). Typically, the food is arranged in the order that it would be eaten during a meal--fruit is placed closest to the living supplicant, to be eaten last (as a dessert) by the ancestral spirits. Rice would be placed on the opposite side of the table as the living, to be eaten first by the ancestors.

Incense is burned, and the living bow before the ancestors in order of family rank. The eldest male makes two deep bows, then a third shallow bow, offering the food and drink to the spirits of the ancestors. The rest of the family follows suite according to rank. It is respectful to turn away from the offerings after this, allowing the ancestors to enjoy the feast without interference. Then the food is cleared and water is offered up.

After this act of reverence is completed, it is time to pay one's respects to the living elders of the family (saebae. This takes the form of younger family members bowing deeply to the elders, first to the grandparents, then the parents, then the uncles and aunts. The bow is accompanied by the New Year's greeting "Sae-hae boke mahn-he pah-du-sae-oh." Usually, the elders give something to the people offering saebae: food, money, drink or something similar. In the old days, these rituals would have been performed door to door, but in today's Korea, family is quite spread out, so Sol-nal offers a family a good excuse to travel back home.

Finally, it is time to sit down to the traditional breakfast, a meal which almost always includes ttok-guk. Ttok-guk is a thick beef broth with thinly sliced rice cakes that have been topped with green onions and other colorful garnishes. Some people eat ttok-guk mandu guk instead, which is ttok-guk with mandu dumplings. Tradition dictates that this food must be eaten in order to turn one year older. This is very important as Korean age is calculated on the New Year. Everyone becomes one year older on New Year's Day.

The rest of the day is dedicated to play, especially for the children. The boys in particular take to kite flying, while the girls see-saw. A favorite game for the day is yut nori (a stick game), and often you will see a "farmer's dance," during which gongs and drums are played to encourage enthusiastic dancers. Sometimes itinerant dance troupes will appear in a rural town to get things moving.

Sol-nal, like New Year's everywhere, is an opportunity to celebrate family and tradition. Through ritual and play, Korean families can put their lives into perspective, realign themselves with their heritage, and prepare themselves mentally for their next year of life.
Link : http://www.2camels.com/korean-new-year.php

យុទ្ធនាការ​ចាក់​ថ្នាំ​បង្ការ​ជំងឺ​មហារីក​មាត់​ស្បូន​ដល់​យុវតីខ្មែរ

តាំង​ពី​ឆ្នាំ​១៩៩៤​មក សមាគម​គ្រូពេទ្យ​កម្ពុជា​នៅ​ប្រទេស​បារាំង​បាន​រៀប​ចំ​កម្មវិធី​ផ្សេងៗ​ ដើម្បី​ជួយ​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា មាន​ជាអាទិ៍​ ការផ្តល់​សម្ភារៈ​បរិក្ខា​រ​ពេទ្យ ថ្នាំ​សង្កូវ ការ​ពិនិត្យ​​ជំងឺ​ដោយ​ឥត​គិត​ថ្លៃ នៅ​តាម​តំបន់​ផ្សេងៗ​​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​ ទៅ​តាម​តម្រូវការ​ដោយ​ផ្ទាល់​នៅ​កន្លែង និង​ទៅ​តាម​លទ្ធភាព​នៃ​ការ​ប្រមូល​ជំនួយ​ពី​ប្រទេស​បារាំង។ ឆ្នាំ​នេះ សមាគមបាន​​​បើក​យុទ្ធនាការ​ចាក់​ថ្នាំ​បង្ការ​ ជំងឺ​មហារីក​មាត់​ស្បូន​ដល់​សិស្សានុសិស្ស​ នៅ​អនុវិទ្យាល័យ​ចំនួន​៩​អនុវិទ្យាល័យ នៅ​ទីក្រុង​ភ្នំពេញ។ យុទ្ធនាការ​ចាក់​ថ្នាំ​បង្ការ​នេះ មាន​រយៈ​ពេល​៥​ថ្ងៃ​ចាប់​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ចន្ទ​ទី​១០ ដល់​ថ្ងៃ​សុក្រ​ទី​១៤​មករា​ឆ្នាំ​២០១១។

គ្រោះ​ថ្នាក់​សំខាន់​មួយ​ដែល​ស្ត្រី​ទូទៅ និង​ភាគ​ច្រើន​ ព្រួយ​បារម្ភ និង​អាច​ជួប​ គឺ​ជំងឺ​មហារីក​មាត់​ស្បូន។ វីរ៉ុស​ papillomavirus HPV16 et HPV18 ដែល​ជា​ភ្នាក់​ងារ​បង្ក​ជំងឺ​មហារីក​មាត់​ស្បូន​ (៧០%) ពេល​ខ្លះ​បាន​មក​តោង​ជាប់​ក្នុង​ខ្លួនមនុស្ស​ស្រីយើង​​ តាំង​ពី​នៅ​ក្មេងមិន​ទាន់​គ្រប់​ការ ហើយ​វា​អាច​សំងំ​រហូត​ដល់​២០​​ឆ្នាំ​ មុន​នឹង​រីក​រាល​ដាល​ចូល​ដំណាក់​កាល ជំងឺ​មហារីក។

ហេតុ​ដូច្នេះ​ហើយ​បាន​ក្រុម​អ្នក​វេជ្ជសាស្ត្រ​បាន​ណែ​នាំ​ឲ្យ​គ្រប់​ស្ត្រី​ទាំង​អស់​ ដែល​មាន​អាយុ​ចាប់​ពី​ ២៥​ឆ្នាំ​ឡើង​ទៅ​ អញ្ជើញ​ទៅធ្វើ​ការ​ត្រួត​ពិនិត្យ​ស រាល់​ពីរ​ឆ្នាំ​ម្តង ការពារ​ក្រែង​មាន​ជំងឺ​មហារីក​មាត់​ស្បូន។ ព្រោះ​បើ​គេ​ដឹង​ និង​រក​ឃើញ​កាន់​តែ​ឆាប់ នោះ​គេ​នឹង​មាន​លទ្ធភាព​ជួយ​សង្គ្រោះ​ និង​ព្យាបាល​បានជា​សះ​ស្បើយ​។

មធ្យោបាយ​មួយ​ទៀត គឺ​ការ​ចាក់​ថ្នាំ​បង្ការ ! ថ្នាំ​បង្ការ​ដែល​អង្គការ​សុខភាព​ពិភពលោក បាន​ណែនាំ​ឲ្យ​ចាក់​ជូន​ដល់ កុមារី និង​យុវតី ដែល​ពុំ​ទាន់​មាន​ទំនាក់ទំនង​ផ្លូវភេទ ទើប​មាន​ប្រសិទ្ធិភាព​ល្អ។ កុមារី ចាប់​ពី​អាយុ​៩ រហូត​ដល់​ពេញ​វ័យ​អាយុ​២៦​ឆ្នាំ អាច​ទទួល​ថ្នាំ​បង្ការ​នេះ​បាន។ ទោះ​បី​គ្មាន​ទំនាក់ទំនង​ផ្លូវ​ភេទ​ក៏​ដោយ ប៉ុន្តែ​បើ​ស្ត្រី​ម្នាក់​មាន​វ័យ​ចំណាស់​បន្តិច​ទៅ​ហើយនោះ ការ​ចាក់​ថ្នាំ​បង្ការ​ពុំ​សូវ​​មាន​ប្រយោជន៍​ និង​ប្រសិទ្ធិភាព​ទេ។ ចំពោះ​ថ្នាំ​បង្ការ​នេះ ក៏ដូច​ជា​ថ្នាំ​បង្ការ​ផ្សេងៗ​ទៀត​ដែរ វា​អាច​ការពារ​បាន​តែ​៧០%​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ។ ដូច្នេះ​កុមារី និង​យុវតី ដែល​បាន​ទទួល​ថ្នាំ​ការពារ​ហើយ ក៏​ត្រូវ​តែ​អញ្ជើញ​ទៅ​ពិនិត្យ​ស​ នៅ​ពេល​មាន​ទំនាក់​ទំនង​ផ្លូវ​ភេទ និង​ចាប់​ពី​ពេល​មាន​អាយុ​២៥​ឆ្នាំ​ឡើង​ទៅ។

ដោយយល់​អំពី​គ្រោះ​ថ្នាក់​នៃ​ជំងឺ​នេះ ទើប​ក្រុម​គ្រូពេទ្យនៃ​សមាគម​គ្រូពេទ្យ​ខ្មែរ​នៅ​ប្រទេស​បារាំង​ សហការជាមួយ​នឹង​​សមាគម​មិត្ត​និស្សិត និង​ឱសថសាស្ត្រ​ខ្មែរ​នៅ​ប្រទេស​បារាំង ព្រម​ទាំង​សមាគម​ក្រុម​គ្រូពេទ្យ​ និង​ឱសថ​សាស្ត្រ​នៅប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា ដែល​មាន​លោក​ សុង សេង ហុង ជាប្រធាន​សមាគម​ បាន​អញ្ជើញ​ទៅ​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា​ជា​ថ្មី ដើម្បី​​បើក​យុទ្ធនាការ​ចាក់​ថ្នាំ​បង្ការ​ ជំងឺ​មហារីក​មាត់​ស្បូន​ដល់​សិស្សានុសិស្ស​ នៅ​អនុវិទ្យាល័យ​ចំនួន​៩​អនុវិទ្យាល័យ នៅ​ទីក្រុង​ភ្នំពេញ។ យុទ្ធនាការ​ចាក់​ថ្នាំ​បង្ការ​នេះ មាន​រយៈ​ពេល​៥​ថ្ងៃ ​ចាប់​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ចន្ទ​ទី​១០ ដល់​ថ្ងៃ​សុក្រ​ទី​១៤​មករា​ឆ្នាំ​២០១១ និង​ចាក់​ជូន​ដោយ​ឥត​គិត​ថ្លៃ និង​ដោយ​មាន​ការ​យល់​ព្រម​ពី​ឪពុក​ម្តាយ ដល់​កុមារី អាយុ​ពី​៩ ដល់​១៤​ឆ្នាំ៕
LInk : http://www.khmer.rfi.fr/Vaccin%20womb%20in%20Cambodia

How to keep feet soft and odorless in winter

Many women hesitate when ushered into a room with floor-seating instead of to a table when having dinner at a Korean restaurant, especially in the winter.

Sure, it could be because they are wearing skirts that are too short or boots that are too much trouble to take off and put back on. But frankly speaking, those might not be the only reasons.

“I never say it out loud, but I am worried that my feet might smell or my toes might have bored holes into the stockings. Especially when I have been wearing boots all day long, because I don’t know what might have happened inside them,” said a 25-year-old office worker who asked to remain anonymous.

Women accuse men of having smelly feet all year long. But during the cold season, well, it is possible that they are the smellier ones.

According to a 2009 survey by Novartis Korea of 1,000 men and women aged 18 to 54 who live in Korea’s four metropolitan cities, 51.5 percent of the women said that they have experienced foot fungus in the winter.

Not a surprise, knowing how they fussily pamper their precious feet in the summer but often completely forget about them as soon as they disappear from sight, tucked deep inside a pair of boots.

For all who feel guilty, here are some basic steps to make your feet soft and odorless again.

‘More than half of Korean women had athlete’s foot’

One, wash them smartly

Your feet could easily get sweaty and callused in the winter because they are stuck inside extra warm shoes for most of the day. Such shoes, including boots, are most likely made of non-breathable materials that trap heat and moisture which can cause calluses that lead to dermatitis like athlete’s foot and bad odor.

Some recklessly try to scrape the calluses off with something sharp, like a knife or a paper cutter. This can be even more dangerous than it sounds because doing so could cut off some of the healthy skin and infect that too.

The smart way to remove calluses is to soak your feet in warm water for a while, rub them with a soft towel or brush, wash them with soap and dry them completely. If water remains on the feet, it could be another cause for bad odor.

“It is okay to use foot exfoliating tools or cream if the calluses are too thick, but you should avoid using too much force to scrape them off especially when your feet are wet. Not everyone needs to get rid of calluses and excessive exfoliation could irritate the skin even more,” said Park Ji-young, dermatologist at ArumdaunNara Dermatology Cosmetic Surgical Center.

Two, give them extra care

After cleansing your feet thoroughly, slather on foot lotion or cream that contains callus softeners. Doctors say that moisturizers are always good for the feet. If your feet still feel too dry and chapped, cover them up with plastic wrap or gauze for the night and you will find them much softer in the morning.

If time and money permits, visiting a nearby foot massage center or a pedicure shop would be refreshing. Your feet deserve a full-course treatment from scrubs and massages to shiny pedicures from time to time, even in the winter.

If you think you have a fungal infection, make sure you see a podiatrist. Young women are often too ashamed to admit that they have foot problems and refuse to go see a doctor. But doctors warn that it may bring on secondary infections or other serious complications if not treated soon enough.

“Athlete’s foot sometimes gets naturally cured when the season changes, but that is only if the condition is not too bad. In worse conditions, the germs can move on to fingernails and toenails. Then the treatment gets more complicated and it can spread to other people as well,” said Park.

“High humidity is a major cause of athlete’s foot. Winter is a better season to treat the problem than summer because it is relatively drier. But even if you get cured for now it does not mean that you are cured for good. It requires continuous care.”

Three, watch out for boots

As warm as they are, tall and tight boots impede blood circulation and provide a perfect playground for bacteria to breed. Calluses, corns and modified toenails may even follow as well, if the boots come with killer heels.

Uggs, which have been highly popular among women for several years now, are loose and comfy but also provide a perfect germ-breeding environment. So those who prefer to have nothing between them and their sheep-skin boots so that they can best enjoy the cushiony wool lining should know that it is not such a good idea.

“When wearing boots barefoot, the sweat will remain inside and increase the possibility of developing athlete’s foot. It is much better to wear cotton socks that can absorb sweat instead of wearing stockings or going barefoot,” said Park. Insoles that have moisture-absorption and antibiotic functions can also come in handy.

A good idea is to prepare a pair of slippers at work and change into them on days you are wearing boots. Avoid wearing the same pair of shoes, any shoes, for several days because it takes at least a day for them to dry.

When you get home, spray the insides of the boots with anti-fungal spray and air them out. Stick in a roll of newspaper when you do not wear them to prevent odor and germs. Tossing in a green tea bag could also help. Deodorant sprays could be effective for a while but regular perfumes could worsen the smell and even taint the boots.
Link : http://www.koreaherald.com/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110112000710

Ski jumper Pungertar wins FIS Continental Cup title in PyeongChang

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- Matjaz Pungertar of Slovenia beat fellow countryman Zima Rok and Germany’s Julian Musiol to claim his first career title at the PyeongChang FIS Continental Cup title Wednesday.

The 20-year-old had the day’s longest effort of 134.5 meters on the K-125 hill and followed up with a 128-meter leap to win the title with a total of 249.5 points at the Alpensia ski jump stadium.

“I’m really happy. This is my first career victory in the international level,” Pungertar said in a press conference.

“The slope was good, weather condition and everything was good,” he added.

Musiol jumped 129.5 meters in his first attempt, but his second jump of 121.5 meters left him 22.7 points behind the winner. And Rok Zima cleared 123 meters and 128 meters to finish in shared second place.

Korean national team Choi Heung-chul jumped 119 meters and 116.5 meters to finish in 12th place with 196.4 points, while Kim Hyun-ki came in 14th position with 195.3 points.

Korean national team ski jumper Choi Heung-chul soars through the air during the FIS Continental Cup ski jumping competition on Wednesday in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province. (Yonhap News)

National team manger Kim Heung-soo said he was disappointed about the team’s performance, and blamed it on a lack of practice.

“We were not allowed to practice at the Alpensia Resort. So our players had only the 10-day practice session in Europe before this competition,” Kim said.

“It’s pity that we had to go abroad. I hope we can use the facilities for the upcoming Winter Asian Games,” he added.

The ski jumping competition continues through Thursday.

The two-day competition is aimed at raising awareness of ski-jumping here. Through the event, PyeongChang is trying to grab worldwide attention in a bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Link : http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110112000984

Samsung Electronics Global Scholarhip Program for Masters Studies, Korea

GSP-SNU(Samsung Electronics Global Scholarship Program for MS Degree in Computer Science and Electronics Engineering in Korea)
Study Subject: Computer Science and Electronics Engineering
Employer: Samsung Electronics
Level: Masters

Samsung Electronics announces the launching of the Global Scholarship Program at the Seoul National University (GSP-SNU Program) for receiving the Master of Sciences Degree. This program is oriented toward brilliant students majoring in computer science, engineering, physics, and mathematics.

The GSP-SNU Program is meant for students willing to receive the Master of Sciences Degree in Computer Science and Electronics Engineering. The education is conducted for 2 years at The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science of the Seoul National University.

The Faculty of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering has six departments:
Information, Telecommunication, and Radio Science
Control, Instrumentation, and Automation
Semiconductor Devices and Integrated Circuits
Computer and Very Large Scale Integration Systems
Electrophysics and Lasers
Electric Energy Systems

Benefits
Samsung Pays for Admission and Tuition
Samsung Grants Money Allowance (USD 1,000 per month)
Samsung Provides Dormitory for Living
Samsung Annually Pays for Airfare (Moscow-Seoul, Seoul-Moscow [once a year])
Samsung Internship is Available after Passing 75% of the Studies
Samsung Offers a Position in South Korea after Graduation for 2 Years
Samsung Offers a Position in Moscow after Work in Korea

Required Majors
Computer Science
Applied Mathematics
Cybernetics
Electronics Engineering
Radio Engineering
Radio Physics
Communications Engineering
Telecommunications
Semiconductor Physics
Microelectronics
Physics
Optics
Optics Engineering
Laser Physics
System-on-Chip Design
Circuit Design
Systems Engineering
System Design
Mechanical Engineering
Robotics
Automation Engineering
Material Science
Chemistry

General Requirements
B.Sc. or M.Sc. Degree
Major in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or Mathematics
Grade Point Average (GPA) more than 4.8
Excellent Knowledge of English
Possibility to present 2 references

Any citizen of the Russian Federation may apply for the GSP-SNU Program.

Scholarship Application Deadline: February, 2011

Admission Requirements

In order to apply for the Samsung-Sponsored Scholarship Master of Science (MS) Program in Computer Science and Electronics Engineering (GSP-SNU) 2011, applicants must send us their complete CV / resume (GSPCurriculumVitae.doc) in English by email MSc@samsung.ru (with the subject line: “MS-Program-2011″).

After successfully passing the preliminary CV / resume screen, the applicants will be invited to the Samsung Electronics Moscow and St. Petersburg Offices in February ~ March 2011. During the Career Forum, the applicants will learn more about Samsung Electronics, GSP-SNU (MSU Program), Korean Lifestyle, and Real Experiences from Graduates of Samsung-Sponsored Educational Programs. After that, the applicants will be invited to personal HR interviews with Samsung Electronics experts.

The complete application process and full list of application documents are described below.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

1) CV / Resume in English

Applicants must submit their complete CVs / resumes in English with the description of their personal data (such as the name, date of birth, place of residence, marital status, contact points), educational background (such as the name of the university, faculty, department, period of studies, GPA), professional experience, and list of awards (if applicable). The CV / resume file should come named as as the applicant’s Name_Surname.doc.

2) Academic Degree (in year 2011 [higher priority] or 2010)

Applicants must have a bachelor degree (such as BS) or a higher degree (such as Specialist, MS, or PHD) from a recognized institution. Applicants must send us the scanned copies of their diploma(s) together with the lists of marks. These documents can be submitted either in Russian or in English (otherwise, translated copies are needed). The files should come named as follows:
Name_Surname_BS_Diploma.jpg,
Name_Surname_BS_Marks.jpg,
Name_Surname_MS_Diploma.jpg,
Name_Surname_MS_Marks.jpg,
Name_Surname_Specialist_Diploma.jpg,
etc.

If the applicant is graduating from his / her university in year 2010 and has no diploma at the moment, he or she can also apply for the MS Program before graduation. In this case, the applicant must receive an Academic Reference from the university and Grade Extract from the Examination Book. After receiving his / her diploma in year 2011, the applicant will have to submit it to us.

3) Letters of Recommendation

Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation from current or recent supervisors who can attest to the applicant’s scientific abilities and academic potential. The letters should come as two scanned files named as Name_Surname_Recommendation_01.jpg and Name_Surname_Recommendation_02.jpg.

4) Electronic Photo of You

Applicants must also send us their electronic photo. The file should be namded as Name_Surname_Photo.jpg.
Please, send the application to e-mail MSc@samsung.ru with “MSc-Program-2011″ note in the subject field of your e-mail.

APPLICATION DEADLINES FOR FALL 2011

Application deadline is February, 2011.

For more information, please, call us at the phone number: +7 (495) 797 24 00

Source:
http://edu.samsung.ru/ms/

Koreans Growing Taller, Thinner, Study Shows

Koreans are getting taller, lighter and thinner, according to a study released Thursday by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards. The agency studied the physical characteristics of Koreans in their 20s and compared them to other age groups.

As Koreans grow taller, their legs are getting longer in proportion to the body. Of two Korean men, one in his 20s and one in his 50s both 175 cm tall, the younger man's legs are 1.22 cm longer, measuring 80.15 cm. The legs of women in the same age group were around 2 cm longer than those of their middle-aged counterparts, measuring 72.08 cm. Overall, the legs of 20-somethings were around 2 cm longer than those of the older group.

Given that 20-somethings tend to be around 6 cm to 8 cm taller than those in their 50s, young Koreans are taller and thinner, more closely resembling western physiques. The average ratio of total body length to head length is 7.2:1 for Koreans in their 40s but for those in their 20s 7.3:1. "Koreans have grown taller while the size of their heads remains the same," a KATS spokesman said.

An increase in dieting has caused the number of underweight people to rise in all age groups. In 2003, 11.5 percent in their late 20s were underweight. This year, that rose to 15.7 percent. In contrast, the ratio of obese people has decreased. Among people in their 50s, 50.3 percent were obese in 2003, but this year the ratio fell to 39.4 percent.

But the proportion is growing among younger men. Yoo Jae-woo, a professor at Kangnam University who headed the study, said, "The rate of obesity among Korean men in their late 20s and early 30s has increased significantly because they spend more time in front of the computer and less exercising."

Overall height seems to have reached a ceiling in 2003, with men on average 174 cm tall and women 160.5 cm. Among women the speed of growth slowed down at the age of 12 and at 15 for men, resulting in only between 4 cm to 5 cm in additional height afterwards. "Until the end of the 1990s, Koreans' overall height continued to grow thanks to better nutrition. That it has remained at the current level since 2003 seems to be due to ethnic reasons," the spokesman said.

The survey involved 14,016 men and women between the ages of seven and 69 using three-dimensional body scanners.
Link : http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/12/17/2010121700749.html

그여자 That Woman - 백지영 Baek Ji Young (시크릿 가든 OST)

한 여자가 그대를 사랑합니다
그 여자는 열심히 사랑합니다
매일 그림자처럼 그대를 따라다니며
그 여자는 웃으며 울고 있어요
얼마나 얼마나 더 너를
이렇게 바라만 보며 혼자
이 바람 같은 사랑 이 거지 같은 사랑
계속해야 네가 나를 사랑 하겠니
조금만 가까이 와 조금만
한발 다가가면 두 발 도망가는
널 사랑하는 난 지금도 옆에 있어
그 여잔 웁니다
그 여자는 성격이 소심합니다
그래서 웃는 법을 배웠답니다
친한 친구에게도 못하는 얘기가 많은
그 여자의 마음은 눈물투성이
그래서 그 여자는 그댈
널 사랑 했대요 똑같아서
또 하나같은 바보 또 하나같은 바보
한번 나를 안아주고 가면 안 돼요
난 사랑받고 싶어 그대여
매일 속으로만 가슴 속으로만
소리를 지르며 그 여자는 오늘도
그 옆에 있대요
그 여자가 나라는 건 아나요
알면서도 이러는 건 아니죠
모를 거야 그댄 바보니까
얼마나 얼마나 더 너를
이렇게 바라만 보며 혼자
이 바보 같은 사랑 이 거지 같은 사랑
계속해야 네가 나를 사랑 하겠니
조금만 가까이 와 조금만
한발 다가가면 두 발 도망가는
널 사랑하는 난 지금도 옆에 있어
그 여잔 웁니다

Seoul aims to join top 5 countries in renewable energy sector

The Korean government recently revealed a plan to become one of top five countries in renewable energy sector by 2015 as part of the government's policy vision of "low carbon, green growth."

As part of the green growth policy, Korea aims to transform the country's existing fossil fuel-based, environment-threatening economic growth structure into a clean energy-based one.

Currently, the international renewable energy market has had an average annual growth rate of 28 percent. The international renewable energy market recorded $162 billion in 2009. The Korean government predicts it will grow more than $1 trillion in 2020, equal to the current volume of the worldwide automobile industry.

The Ministry of Knowledge Economy announced a set of renewable energy development strategies and blueprint to become one of leading countries in renewable energy sector in October last year. According to the plan, the ministry will invest a total of 40 trillion won by 2015 to become one of top five countries in the renewable energy sector. According to the government's forecast, Korea's renewable energy industry will become one of Korea’s leading industries, worth $40 billion in 2015, up from $4.6 billion in 2009.

Korea's renewable energy industry has developed rapidly in recent years, with the government contributing nearly two trillion won over the last three years, with the government budget for the sector exceeding one trillion won for the first time ever in 2011.

Mt. Maebong Wind Power Plant, Gangwon Province

* Seoul to invest in solar, wind energy

According to research by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Korea had a total of 146 renewable energy enterprises as of 2009. Among them, 79.5 percent are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 53 firms are start-ups, contributing to job creation.

The Korean government's renewable energy development strategy is focused on incubating solar energy, wind energy and fuel cell industries.

The government plans to nurture the solar energy sector into a leading industry, just as they have nurtured the semiconductor industry. The government will concentrate on developing core technology, parts and materials at lower prices to make up for a late start in the secotr.

Korea also aims to become one of leading countries in wind power industry, backed by the country's world-leading shipbuilding and plant industries. The country supports the localization of core parts and materials so firms can focus on the large-scale marine wind power businesses.

* Seoul aims to achieve co-growth among SMEs and large firms

The Korean government plans to inject 20 billion won to build up to five test-beds to develop the solar and wind power industries by the end of 2011. It also plans to build 100-megawatt marine wind power complexes in Buan and Yeonggwang in Jeolla Province by 2013. Additionally, it aims to incubate up to 50 promising enterprises in order to achieve its goal of $100 million worth of exports in renewable energy industry by 2015.

To successfully become one of the top five countries in the renewable energy industry, Korea needs to develop core original technologies to dominate the global market.

For this reason, the government will select ten core original technologies and invest 1.5 trillion won in them by 2015. To further strengthen the development of core parts and materials for the sector, the government will increase the volume of its support by more than 50 percent by 2012 from its current level.
Link : http://www.korea.net/news.do?mode=detail&guid=52533