Asiana’s Lounge Recital Receives Popularity

“It was a great opportunity to see the fantastic recital at the Asiana Lounge before travelling. I think the recital gave a good impression towards all passengers before leaving Korea and especially for the foreign passengers gave a good impression of Korea. I would like to participate in the recital later on when opportunity allows me to.” Comments from Ms. Da-Eun, Jung passenger of OZ743 Incheon/Bangkok 10th of January.

“I stopped by the lounge every time during transfer and all I heard were people talking. This year is the best that I experienced in the Asiana Lounge. A great and comfortable concert was conducted so professionally by the local music school students.” Comments from Mr. Tse Chiwun, passenger of OZ222 Incheon/New York 12th of January.

Asiana Airlines (CEO: Young-Doo Yoon) in welcoming last year’s Christmas and year end holiday seasons, hosted the event at Incheon International Airport’s Asiana Airlines Business Lounge. The recital which lasted 4 weeks came to a close with receiving large popularity among customers.

The recital event started on the eve of Christmas and lasted till the 15th of January (23days) at Asiana’s Business Lounge located in Incheon International Airport. Customers were given the privilege to perform their own recital in which a variety of participants ranging from winners of music competitions, famous music clubs, and even 9 year old elementary school students participated. 51 participants (29 teams) participated in playing a variety of instruments ranging from Piano, Clarinet, Gayageum (Korean zither with twelve strings) and much more in performing high quality performances.

Especially on the 4th of January when sudden heavy snowfalls grounded many flights and many passengers were at the lounges than the ordinary, 2nd grade Elementary school student Ms. Yae-Jin, Hong performed a very cute recital in which the performance soothed the fatigue of the long waiting passengers. Even during other performers’ mistakes, customers at the lounges cheered the participants and showed remarkable support after each participant finished their recital by giving them a standing ovation.

The Asiana Lounge not only provide events like this but a Korea/France painters exhibition, Piano performance services, and Ensemble performance services are provided in bringing maximum comfort towards our customers. Also Asiana Lounge is a cultural area that brings our customers and airliner as one.

Meanwhile, Asiana Airlines announced that it will be showing the G-20 PR Video inside the cabins for all Asiana flights inbound to Korea. The airing of the G-20 PR Video inside the cabins is performed in support of Asiana’s best wishes of successfully hosting the G-20 summits in Korea this November.

The G-20 PR Video will show images of the representatives from the G-20 nations in meetings and Korea becoming elected as the host for the G-20 summits this year. The video will have a one minute and 27 seconds in running time.

Asiana will extend the showing of the PR Video to all of Asiana’s international flights starting from the 1st of February, in which Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese subtitles will be included inside the video for our foreign passengers.
In addition, Asiana Airlines enlisted as a member of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) last year’s 16th of December. Asiana plans to lead the way in promoting Korea of its social contribution to the international society and aid the G-20 summit’s successful hosting.

Asiana’s Holds a Greeting Event for the New Year Passenger

Asiana Airlines (CEO: Young-Doo Yoon) held a greeting event at Incheon International Airport’s arrival gate towards Ms. Mori Yukiko, Asiana’s first passenger to arrive in the year of the tiger. The event was held of January 1st 2010 at 12:30 am.

Ms. Mori Yukiko being Asiana’s first passenger for the year of the tiger 2010 left Tokyo Narita International Airport to Incheon where Chan-Man, Park, General Manager of Asiana Airlines Incheon International Airport greeted her with flowers and gave her free international Business Class round trip tickets upon her arrival.

Especially, this year it is the Visit Korea year so Ms. Yukiko’s greeting was more meaningful.
Asiana’s first passenger for the year of the tiger 2010 Ms. Mori Yukiko commented “I am very pleased to receive such a present for the new year and since it is the year of the tiger for both Korea and Japan, I wish all the best for the two nations.”

Asiana in celebrating the Visit Korea Year, will be handing out tourism leaflets and presents to all passengers arriving from New York on OZ221 at 4:40am and passengers leaving to Hiroshima on OZ161 at 11:20am.

Gyeongbuk Corporation signs MOU with Korea Foods Ltd to penetrate the European Market

On Friday 20th November a MOU ceremony was held between Gyeongbuk Corporation and Korea Foods Ltd in New Malden, England. This was the part of the Korea Foods company’s “Globalising Korean Food” scheme and the promotion for the Gyeongsangbuk-do’s products was followed until the 22nd November in the Korea Foods’ main store in New Malden and Golders Green’s Seoul Plaza branch.

During the MOU ceremony Lee Young-seok, Director of Division of international Relations and Trade at Gyeongsangbuk-do said, “We are pleased to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves as a trading portal with Gyeongsangbuk-do province, the largest of the nine provinces of the Republic of Korea. Established in Setember 1994 by the Gyeongsangbuk-do provincial govemment, we perform overseas marketing for small and medium-sized producers in our province so that they maintain their competitiveness by sharply reducing their export- related overhead costs. We hope British people enjoy our beautiful healthy products at a better price with a better service.”

Mr Bernard Suh, President from Korea Foods Ltd emphasised, “Established in 1999 Korea Foods has since grown to become the leading importer of Korean food in the UK. The company offers the widest range of Korean products in the UK and has an extensive range of Japanese, Chinese and Thai food. Our company is involved in a number of many different marketing activities. Our primary aim is to unveil Korean food as ‘Hidden Treasure….the next big thing’ in Europe. We will take on the role of Korean food ambassador and do our best to promote Korean food to the European market.”

After ceremony Gyeongbuk Corporation introduced several products at the Korea foods’ main store. Gyeongsan Dates, UiseongYellow Rice, Sobaek Goryo Red Ginseng, Youngyang Red Pepper Powder were most popular items amongst those products. During the promotion, many customers praised the quality and the package of the Gyeongsangbuk-do’s products.

A customer who purchased Red Ginseng said, “I did not know that Red Ginseng was more effective than normal ginseng in its medical efficacies. Also it is very interesting to find out that Red Ginseng is selected from good quality 4~6-year-old ginseng and steamed unpeeled and then dried either in the sun or mechanically many times and this biologically active substance is beneficial to our body and shows excellent pharmacological effects on various diseases.”

The 7th Asiana International Short Film Festival Opens

The seventh ‘Asiana International Short Film Festival (AISFF) kicked off its six-day run on November 5th, 7pm at CineCube located in Gwangwhamoon downtown Seoul.

The opening event was hosted by actor Joong-Hoon Park and attracted an array of Korean celebrities such as Sung-Khee, Ahn (Executive Committeeman/Actor), Son-Sook (Chairman of the Board of Directors/Actress), Jee-Eun, Kim (Jury/Director), Ye-Jin Son (Jury/Actress), Hey-sun Ku (Trailer Director/Actress) and others. Director Cecile Vernant’s ‘WU’, and director Santiago Bou Grasso’s ‘The Employment’ were the opening movies for this day

The 7th Asiana International Short Film Festival will run from the 5th of November until the 10th. A total of 2,027 short films from 82 countries have been submitted making this year’s event the largest short film festival. Every year, the Asiana International Short Film Festival receives more recognition and the competition becomes intense.

The Asiana International Short Film Festival is the first ever cabin film festival which is becoming substantiality successful and reliable international film festival. The film festival provides support towards preproduction for talented young film makers, and shows the selected short films inside the cabins popularizing short films to the public. The film festival supports talented young film makers’ preproduction costs, and popularizes the short films by showing them in the cabin. Overall, the AISFF is aiding the development of the movie industry.

During this year’s Asiana International Short Film Festival, a tribute will be made to classical short films. World renowned directors such as Jean-Luc Godard’s 1957 ’All the Boys are Called Patrick’and other classics will be shown. Other short films include movie ‘8’ directed by Ernest Wenders, Jane Campion, Gus Van Sant and other world renowned directors about 8 issues that the earth is currently facing will be shown

As a part of this years festival, a special exhibition introducing Brazilian movies will be held as well as a seminar in which young Brazilian film makers will interact with the audience.

An Evening with Korean Artists in the UK

I returned to the Korean Cultural Centre in London on Friday 16th of October 2009 to attend an evening of performances given by Korean artists in Great Britain.
Having seen the varied programme I really had an open mind as to how I would enjoy the experience. I was impressed at the diversity of talent that was displayed and the ability of the performers.
The programme opened with the Visual Art Project.
The five different artists’ work was surprising and interesting. Explanations of the various materials used together with the meanings and themes of the completed projects were presented.

Bada Song-Sculptor
She deals with contemporary issues of form and identity using sculpture, installation and painting and has exhibited on numerous occasions in the UK.

Sunju Park-Glass artist
Is a freelance glass artist and has recently completed commercial contracts. She specialises in fusing glass acid etching and painting in glass for free-standing sculpture.

Young-Shin Kim-bookbinder
She is a specialist in fine binding, book restoration and box making and was awarded the 1st prize and Mansfield Medal for the Best Book of the Year in the “Designer Bookbinders Competition” in 2003.

Soon Yul Kang-textile artist
She was awarded an MA at Goldsmiths College and has been a resident artist at the Kew Studio in Richmond since1998 returning annually to lecture at the Ewha Women’s University in Seoul. Her speciality is hand woven tapestries.

Kitty Jun-Im McLaughlin-painter
Kitty’s work is inspired by her experience of both British and Korean cultures. Layers of Korean Hanji paper embraces her Canvases.

Six performances then followed.

Poetry Reading by Hye Kyung Park
“The rain that fell in season”

A poem was read in Korean and English with a pictorial backdrop. The content was quite thought provoking.
Hye Kyung Park is an international writer, poet and columnist. In 2006 she published her first book of collected poems in Korea titled “Togijangi House” and is the recipient of awards from the “Overseas Korean Foundation”.

Daegun solo by Dong Yoon Hwang
“Sangyeongsan”

“Dance of Wind”

The first piece is from “Yeongsan Hoesang” which is an example of traditional Korean music of the 15th century.
Daegum is a traditional bamboo flute producing a rich sound and was suited to both contemporary and traditional music. Both pieces were beautifully played.
Dong Yoon Hwang studied the Daegum at Dong-Guk University in Korea and has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in 2008 and 2009.

Classical Vocal by Heimi Lee
“Qui la voce sua soave” from “I Puratani” by Vincenzo Bellini
“New Arirang” by Dong Ji Kim

Heimi Lee started training as a singer when she eleven years old. She attended Ewha Women’s University and was awarded an MA in Vocal Studies. In 2006 she enrolled at The Royal college of Music and her vocal studies. She then joined the Royal Academy of Opera in 2007 and has given live performances.
What a voice-I had forgotten that a human being could reach such perfect high notes.

Kayagum accompaniment by Ji Eun Jung with Dong Yoon Hwang and Sungmin Jeon (guitar)
“People of the Sea” –occupants of rural Korean towns-1970 to 1999

A series of photographs which were taken by Korean photographer Jung Hoi Jung were shown. He is Ji Eun Jung’s father.
A stunning selection of black and white stills which showed stark and uncompromising images of the hardship of daily life of people who rely on the sea for survival and for those living in rural communities. The music brought the poignancy of the situations depicted.
Ji Eun Jung is a professional Kayagum performer. She also studied at Ewha Women’s University in Seoul and furthered her education by being awarded an MA in Asian Music at Dong-Guk University.
Her performances in the UK include London City Hall and Oxford University. She has also given performances in Korea, Canada, USA, Hong Kong, Brazil and European countries.

Piano and vocals by Younee
“East West”
“True to You”
“Home to You”

What a change in style-These three songs took me by surprise. I didn’t expect the quality of music she produced. I am looking forward to seeing her perform live at the Pizza Express Jazz Club in Dean Street in London on 27th of this month.
Younee is an accomplished singer, songwriter and pianist- a classical pianist who plays rock as well as Rachmaninoff. A graduate of Yonsei University in Seoul she has performed with Grammy Award pianist Bob James. She has had two successful albums in Korea and has recorded “True to You” with UK producer Richard Niles. She is currently touring in this country.

Zen dance by Sunnee Park based on traditional choreography accompanied by musicians Therese Bann and Piero Pierini.

“Celebration of life”-read by Philip Gowman (The Events Presenter )
Emptiness
Velvet Dark and Serene/ Womb of Everything
You, a poor human being/Wake up!
Come, Come out of your self inflicted prison.
You are the World / The centre of the universe / The arena of this comedy
Hic et Nunc
Dawning, Beaming, Blowing /Vibrating, Crawling, Evaporating
Blossoming, Flowing, Flying / Whirling, Waning, Vanishing
What a Bliss!

A gong and drum producing strikingly simple sounds accompanied Sunnee Park as she ended the evening’s performances in a reflective mood-mesmerizing the audience with her fluidity of movement.
Sunnee Park was a member of a classical Korean troupe “Little Angels” from the age of eleven then became a member of the Korean Universal Ballet company. Having been awarded an MA in Dance and Music and a PHD in Korean Shamanistic Trance at Ochanomizu University she was a dance instructor in Tokyo and performed throughout Japan. She is currently studying for an MA in Dance Movement Roehampton, whilst working with children in London.

The evening was a resounding success and one to remember. The audience was given an insight of the talents of the Korean artists and performers in Great Britain.

2009 Thames Festival: A Scoop of Korea

I attended “A Scoop of Korea” on a sunny day on Saturday the 12th of September 2009 at THE SCOOP-next to City Hall in London-as part of the annual Thames Festival.

This was the third year the Korean Cultural Centre had participated in the Thames Festival-a celebration of London and its river.

Five different aspects of Korean culture were on display.

A selection of traditional dances was the first. They were colourful, aesthetically pleasing and performed beautifully with subtle movement. Groups of dancers in traditional Korean dress-Hanbok-were reminiscent of iridescent butterflies fluttering in a gentle breeze. When the tempo got faster the colours seemed to become more magnificent.

Another group in simple white costumes were as graceful and a marked contrast.

Elegant solo dancers showed their individual skills in their performances.

The FAN DANCE was choreographed with wonderful precision-the pink peony blossom decorated fans added to the charm and spectacle- and was without doubt the favourite of the audience. This whole programme of dance was well received.

The next display couldn’t have been more different. It was a demonstration of TAEKWONDO-Korea’s national sport-performed by the Korean National Sports University Taekwondo Team. Apart from being thoroughly entertaining it highlighted the skills of a group of superb athletes who at times seemed to have wings on their heels.

The performance consisted of board breaking and acrobatic manoeuvres. There was also a bout between two participants which demonstrated the reality of competition. The concentration level of the team was quite intense with precision and timing to the fore. A great deal of skill and technique was displayed. All this was accompanied by stirring music to accentuate the speed and skill of the athletes.

All the members of the display team were superbly fit-and had to be-to be able to take part in such a gruelling exercise.

This particular segment was also extremely well received with gasps of astonishment and spontaneous applause breaking out when particular acrobatic feats were performed. The audience was enthralled and rightly so.

Yet another change of pace followed. Han-sik a Master Class in Korean cooking took centre place. This was the preparation of a Korean dish by the gracious and elegant Professor Sookja YOON who is the Director of the Institute of Traditional Korean Food.

As an aside I must tell you that I have known Professor for a while and without doubt she and the Institute are leaders in the promotion of Korean cuisine in Korea and around the world.

An interpreter and an assistant were on hand to explain the ingredients, their preparation, the history and the benefits of the particular dish. The audience then had the chance to sample what they had seen being prepared.

This demonstration was preceded by a mock procession of the Emperor of Korea.

A marquee of the Institute with other dishes was close at hand giving members of the public to taste different Korean food prepared.

The fourth event was a variety show. Monsters Theatres could be described as different, somewhat quirky and certainly entertaining. SOREA-recognised as the leading creative music group of Korea-showcased a performance that pioneers the new age of Korean music and performing arts with traditional Korean instruments being used with unique musical arrangements.

The performers-known as “Jammers” included in this show comedy (with audience participation) break dancing and Taekwondo. Together SOREA and the Jammers provided another aspect of Korean entertainment which the audience enjoyed.

Last but not least was the open air screening of “The Good, The Bad and The Weird” directed by KIM Ji-won. This film was inspired by Sergio Leone’s “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”. The wilderness in Manchuria was the venue of some of the breathtaking scenes.

The Korean Cultural Centre is to be complemented on the diversity of the programmes of the event. Certainly there was plenty to suit all tastes.

The Thames Festival 09 was over the weekend of the 12th and 13th of September with “A Scoop of Korea” on both days.

Korean culture and food was introduced for the first time to a great number of people not only with the performances but with meals available to be purchased.

I enjoyed the experience as it brought back memories of Korea.

A Celebration of Korea’s Finest Cuisine 2009

Date: 8th July 2009
Venue: Banqueting House, Whitehall Palace

Understanding Korean culture begins by understanding Korean food. Korea is a nation of great depth and character with a people known for their tenderness, generosity, kindness and warmth. Hospitality is one of Korea’s oldest customs; where it is one of life’s simple pleasures to welcome friends, family and guests to share in and enjoy their food.
The celebration featured nine of Korea’s leading Chefs, each producing dishes that delighted the senses and offered an introduction to the culinary wonders of Korea. To accompany the creations of these Korean Chefs, the evening’s entertainment included a Hanbok fashion show displaying a selection of traditional national dress and a live cooking demonstration, revealing the secrets behind some of Korea’s favourite dishes.

Date: Friday 10th July; the first being held from 17:00-18:00 and the second from 19:00 – 20:00
Venue: Korean Cultural Centre, Grand Buildings, 1-3 Strand, London WC2N 5BW
Admission: Free (Booking Necessary)

Korean Cultural Centre UK announces the forthcoming workshop revealing some of the key skills behind Korean cooking. The event will be led by popular, Korean television Chef, Un Sook Yoon.

The workshop will be split into two sessions and held in the Hall of The Korean Cultural Centre on Friday 10th July; the first being held from 17:00-18:00 and the second from 19:00 – 20:00.

Both sessions will feature:
1) A Master Class with Chef Un Sook Yoon on how to cook the legendary and most popular Korean dish, Bul-Goggi (Sweetly marinated BBQ Beef).
2) An Introduction to Kim-chi and how it can best compliment a meal.
3) Q + A session with Chef Un Sook Yoon

The master class will also be followed by a tasting session, with dishes including:
Royal Chap Chae: A noodle dish featuring Asia’s popular Glass Noodle. The noodles, sliced vegetables and beef are gently stir fried in sesame oil and served with a sweetened soy sauce. This now staple of the Korean diet was first created in the 17th century for the 15th King of the Joseon Dynasty, Gwanghaegun.

Jeon: In Korean, Jeon refers to a style of savoury pancake; Jeon as with western pancakes can include a range of ingredients according to one’s taste. Pajeon, a green onion with seafood pancake will be served along with a vegetarian alternative.

Deokbokki: Is a heated Korean rice cake and served in a hot spicy sauce, for the food tasting the dish Royal Deokbokki will be served where the spices are replaced with a sweet soy sauce.

For more information about the Introduction to Korean Cooking Workshop and to reserve your place, please contact: info@kccuk.org.uk or phone 020 7004 2600.

ASEAN-Korea CEO summit handles joint strategy, green business

The ASEAN-Korea CEO Summit, which provided a chance for business representatives from Korea and Southeast Asian countries to mingle and exchange ideas, wrapped up its two-day session on Monday (June 1).

The summit, presided over by Sohn Kyung-shik, the chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce at Jeju International Convention Center on Jeju-do (Jeju Island) proved to be a success, with a resolve to work for the joint prosperity of the region. Some 700 business leaders participated in the event, as well as heads of state like Korean President Lee Myung-bak, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and others, to discuss ways to overcome the global financial crisis and realize joint prosperity through cooperation in the private business sector.

On the second day of the event, the issue of free trade agreements between Korea and ASEAN countries received a particular focus as a way to establish a combined, regional economy and realize green growth. Officials held in-depth talks on management strategy in this regard. Ahead of the closing ceremony, Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak pointed out that under the framework of ASEAN-Korea regional cooperation, there must be strengthened cooperation within the East Asia region and, toward that goal, a strategic partnership should be maximized. He went on to say that once a free trade agreement between Korea and ASEAN nations is signed, the framework of economic cooperation between the two sides would be completed and efforts will be made to extend investment in the service sector.

Korea Chamber of Commerce head Sohn agreed, adding that the clinching of the free trade agreement will be a systematic bridge to increase both the trade and investment of the two regions, drawing up a new blueprint of joint prosperity for both Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia. During the session “Corporate Growth Strategy amidst Changing Global Environment” Chaly Mah Chee Kheong, CEO of Deloitte Asia Pacific, stressed that a management strategy should be made up to prepare for economic decline. He called for the need to implement restructuring while adjusting to the changing economic climate, expressing doubts over the short-term management strategy of many corporations. Arin Jira, chairman of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, underlined the need to reestablish a sustainable information network and the efforts to fully understand government policy. He added that it is crucial the company understand its potential and possibility for strategic development.

In the session “Green Growth: Challenges for Governments and Businesses” Angela Cropper, the deputy executive director of UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) expressed support for Korean President Lee's East Asia Climate Partnership, which he proposed at the G8 meeting last July. The East Asia Climate Partnership calls for a joint green growth strategy between Korea and ASEAN countries. Kropper, suggesting the development of renewable energy and environment-friendly cars and buildings as main tasks for green growth, went on that each country should reform its budget and streamline financial resources to work on technology development and transfers toward that end. Brett Kimber, president of Linde Korea, said a new market and new opportunity is forming related to not just energy but things like renewable materials, management of waste and others. He noted measures to introduce an environment-friendly production system are proceeding fast, in line with change in customer demand and environmental conservation efforts.

Written By Kim Hee-sung (Korea.net Staff Writer)

For more information visit: ASEAN-Korea CEO Summit

TASTE OF ASIA 2009

Britain’s love affair with Asian cuisine continued at Taste of Asia, Potters Fields London between 29th and 31st May. Taste of Asia is the part of the Celebrasian festival and for the last three years the Celebrasian festival has received significant media coverage to millions of people. Asian Woman and B4U continued their partnership in 2009 with increased coverage alongside. Other partners included Taste of Asia magazine, Food and Travel magazine and Taste London.
The organisors of Taste of Asia announced the event also gave back to the community and the Child in Need Institute (CINI) who were their chosen partners for 2009; CINI works to break down the cycle of poverty, malnutrition and ill health and provides basic educational services to some of India’s poorest communities.

Cherie Blair opened the show and Celebrity chef Ross Burden again hosted the Rangemaster cookery theatre with chefs demonstrating how to cook amazing Asian dishes. There were cultural performances on stage with an excellent range of companies exhibiting throughout the show.

Visitors could get the chance to learn from the chefs’ demonstrations how to make great Asian cuisine including what ingredients and spices were best, what were the ideal utensils to use, what wines / drinks matched different dishes. Furthermore, these gave visitors a real feel for Asia and encouraged them to make Asia their next overseas holiday destination.

There were exhibitors from the food & drink companies, travel and cultural products as well as tourism boards. Exhibitors could choose from their own individual marquee or within a country zone. They could also be within a market-style environment.

Amongst them the Korea Food section, Taste of Korea, showed a spectacular exhibition. Under the catchphrase of “Globalising Korean Food Campaign”, Korean Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp, Korea Tourism Organization UK, Korean Cultural Centre UK, Asiana Airlines, CJ Corporate, Nongshim, Chongga Kimchi, OKF Corp and THE EAST produced a very well organised cultural show under the organisation of Korea Foods Ltd, the biggest Korean food whole seller in the UK.
OKF’s Aloe Vera juice and Nongshim’s Onion snack were most welcomed by the visitors.
The Korean cooking demonstration by Ms Heewon Jun, Marketing & PR Executive of Korea foods and Ross Burden received the most appreciative responses from the thousands of visitors on that day. During the show, Ms Jun cooked BULGOGGI with CJ Sauce by demonstrating how healthy and scientific Korean food was.

“Since this year, the Korean government has been spending so much time and efforts to globalise Korean food abroad. We are very proud of introducing the national treasury food, such as Kimchi in the UK and we hope this exhibition will give more chance for westerners to experience how healthy Korean food is. With a continuous campaign and exhibitions, we strongly believe that Korean food will be recognised as the world’s most healthy and famous food within 5 years as the Korean government and company work very closely under this scheme,” said an official from Korean Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp.

The Pinnacle of Music Festivals - Fuji Rock 2009

The Killers, Oasis, Franz Ferdinand, Basement Jaxx, Simian Mobile Disco and Ben Harper are among the acts already confirmed to play at this year's Fuji Rock (24-26 July) - one of the most extraordinary music festivals in the world.

The event has got bigger and bigger since it was first held in 1997 and today draws headliners from across the globe, with performers in previous years including Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Radiohead, Coldplay, Iggy Pop, Eminem and Bootsy Collins. First held at the base of the iconic Mt. Fuji, Fuji Rock now takes place amongst the foothills of Mt. Naeba.

Although it has grown over the years, the festival remains true to its principles of independence, respect for the environment, cooperation and great music - all with a Japanese twist.

This twist includes the chance to take a cable car almost 1,800m to the top of the mountain for a bird's eye view of the action, and the countryside beyond, or relaxing in a hot spring spa. There are many ways in which Fuji Rock is a little out of the ordinary.

As well as being perhaps the greenest festival in the world (the event is carbon neutral), it is also the cleanest with spotless toilets, showers and natural hot spring baths.

And instead of over-priced food, an array of vendors are on hand to provide a fantastic culinary selection - including Japanese specialities - at cheap prices, along with some quality Japanese beer.

On top of this Fuji Rock is full of ultra-friendly people.

InsideJapan Tours' seven night Fuji Rock Festival 2009 package includes three nights' hotel accommodation with breakfast in Tokyo, three-day festival tickets, camp site ticket, tent and sleeping mats (delivered to site), four-day rail passes covering all transfers within Japan and InsideJapan Tours' invaluable Info-Pack, from £839 per person.

Excludes international flights which can be booked through InsideJapan Tours from £469 with Finnair.

InsideJapan Tours can also tailor a trip around the festival to take climbs up Mt. Fuji.

Call InsideJapan Tours on 0870 120 5600 or visit http://www.insidejapantours.com/

Jeonju Int'l Film Festival to celebrate 10th anniversary

Jeonju, a city about three hours southwest of Seoul, is known for its welcoming citizenry, its signature dish bibimbap (mixed rice and vegetables with gochujang, red pepper paste) and some of Korea's loveliest surviving pre-modern architecture and folk culture.

In Korea's beautiful springtime, the city with the heart of a small town gets more cosmopolitan as it hosts the Jeonju International Film Festival, commonly known as JIFF.

The festival has made its name by sticking to its principle of focusing on promising digital, independent and experimental films, whereas most international film festivals usually boast their number of world or national premieres.

The festival celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The 10th Jeonju International Film Festival will be held from Apr. 30 through May 8, featuring 200 films from 42 countries. The festival will open with "Short! Short! Short! 2009," a digital omnibus film about Korean society being obsessed with money. The film, which intersperses humor with satire, was created by 10 up-and-coming Korean directors, including Kim Young-nam (previous work "Don't Look Back"), Choi Ik-hwan ("Life is Cool"), and "Yoon Seong-ho ("Milky Way Liberation Front").............

..........Tickets cost 10,000 won for the opening or closing ceremonies and 5,000 won for general screenings.

You can also buy tickets during the festival from May 1 onwards at JIFF Space and JIFF Service Center on Cinema Street, an arcade in downtown Jeonju set up for the festival.

For further information, call (063)-288-5433 or visit the festival's official website at:

http://eng.jiff.or.kr/main/index.aspx

Written By Han Aran (Korea.net Staff Writer)

Read full story here

Tongyeong Int'l Music Festival celebrates life of late composer

Tongyeong will be filled with artistic energy in late March with music fans from all around the world in attendance.
The 8th Tongyeong International Music Festival will be held from Mar. 27 to Apr. 2 in Tongyeong, Korea's beautiful port city on the southern coast.
Tongyeong International Music Festival began life in 1999 as a one-time recital to pay tribute to Yun I Sang (1917-1995), a world-famous Korean-born German composer who grew up in Tongyeong, but it has been held every season of each year since 2004.
The title of this latest festival is "East and West," named after Yun's work "Ost-West-Miniaturen" (A short piece of East and West) for oboe & cello (1994).
As the Asian Contemporary Music festival will be also held in Tongyeong during the festival, this spring's event is expected to present a more diverse program and be larger in scale than last year's festival.
The Munich Chamber Orchestra will be on stage to give the opening concert on Mar. 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the Main Hall of Tongyeong Arts Center.
Another must-see is the ACL Young Composers by the Asian Festival Ensemble on March 29 to mark the Asian Contemporary Music festival. The Asian Festival Ensemble is composed of young musicians aged under 30.
On April 2 there will be a solo cello recital by Bartosz Koziak and the Tongyeong International Music Festival Ensemble will perform the final concert to close the week-long event.

For more information about the concert schedule, visit here

Written By Yoon Sojung (Korea.net Staff Writer)

Human rights watchdog to make life easier for foreign investors

National human rights commission held a policy briefing for foreign investors in Seoul, Thursday (Mar. 12).

The meeting, organized by the Anti-corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), listened to the difficulties faced by foreign investors and provided them with the government's corporate policy guidelines.
The event was attended by 65 people, including the heads of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea and SIEMENS Korea.

President and CEO of AMCHAM Tami Overby and President of EUCCK Jean Marie Hurtiger, in particular, gave addresses about their business-related difficulties and their impressions of the Korean government's efforts to achieve corporate transparency.

The ACRC briefed the participants on its efforts for foreign investors in the past year since its inauguration (Feb 2008). The commission's public hearing is the second of its kind after the first one in December last year.
ACRC at the gathering explained its achievements in helping foreign investors. At the first hearing in December, the problem of submitting petitions was raised. Foreign registration numbers used to be almost useless when filing petitions with Korean government organizations, because they would accept Korean citizen numbers only.

The commission said it is now reviewing a total of 3,142 petition forms used by 16 government ministries so that the investors can file petitions using their foreign registration numbers. The forms used by investment-related ministries -- Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Ministry of Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs, National Tax Service, and Ministry of Public Administration and Security -- will be thoroughly reviewed first, according to the ACRC.
The ACRC also emphasized that physically impaired foreigners are also entitled to use specially-designated parking spaces with the use of a handicapped parking decal on their vehicles. But most expatriates in Korea, including investors, are not aware of this right, the commission added.
To solve this problem, the ACRC said it has asked the Welfare Ministry's cooperation in letting the information reach relevant people. Each and every district office is expected to take proper measures to promote the information sooner rather than later, the commission said.
Through the Q&A session that followed, participants said some measures should be taken to enhance the standard of foreign schools in Korea. They also expressed hope that the human rights commission would continue to provide an ombudsman function for investors in Korea.

Written By James Ro ( Korea.net Staff Writer)

Chongga sets to globalise its legendary Kimchi brand “Chongga Kimchi” with Korea Foods (Ltd) in the UK

Chongga, a leading South Korean Kimchi maker, announced that the company plans to promote its national flagship ‘Kimchi’ food by offering various promotions with Korea Foods Ltd (Unit 5 Wyvern Industrial Estate, Beverley Way, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 4PH) in the UK.

On 3rd March, the company invited around 160 local English students to introduce them to the real taste of Kimchi in Korea Foods (read full story here).

Currently, Chongga has announced an offer of a 30% discount for all the UK customers who purchase 15kg of Kimchi between 6th and 19th March in Korea Foods.

‘Chongga is our brand of Kimchi produced by Daesang FNF Corporation, a leading company in Korea with over 100 years of long tradition & quality. “Chongga” means the true heart of people who have the pride of making the best quality and taste. The aim is to promote the real taste of kimchi worldwide,’ says the company statement.

Kimchi is a traditional Korean pickled dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings. Kimchi has a reputation of being a healthy food. Kimchi is made of various vegetables and contains a high concentration of dietary fiber, while being low in calories. The magazine ‘Health’ named kimchi in its list of top five World's Healthiest Foods for being rich in vitamins, aiding digestion, and even possibly reducing cancer growth.

For more information about Kimchi or Chongga foods please visit:
http://www.chonggafood.com/

About Daesang FNF Corporation
Chongga has been trying to abide by traditional Kimchi recipes while it employed Ms. Hyesung Hwang, the royal dish specialist designated as one of Korea's intangible cultural assets, a the company's special adviser.
In addition, Chongga has been striving for technological innovation in Kimchi processing while utilizing the company's accumulated know-hows on fermentation.

Address: Gyeongyeong Bldg, 8th Floor, 101-2, Sinseol-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, Korea (130-110)
Tel: 82-2-080-8866
Fax: 82-2-3290-8889
Website: http://www.daesangfnf.com/
Email: ekwoo@daesang.co.kr

About Korea Foods Ltd
Established in 1999 Korea Foods has since grown to become the leading importer of Korean food in the UK. The company offers the widest range of Korean products in the UK and has an extensive range of Japanese, Chinese and Thai food. The main warehouse has been in New Malden since 1999. The retail division is called Seoul Plaza and has six shops in the UK, one shop in Slovakia and one shop in Germany -which has been an instant hit with the community there.

Address: Unit 5 Wyvern Industrial Estate, Beverley Way, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 4PH
Tel: 020 8949 2238
Fax: 020 8942 9882
Website: http://www.koreafoods.co.uk/
Email: info@koreafoods.co.uk

Tiffin Boys School Visits Korea Foods to Experience Korean Culinary Culture

On Tuesday 3rd March, 154 Students and around 10 teachers from Tiffin school visited Korea Foods Ltd (President: Bernard Suh) to experience Korean cuisine and culinary culture. The group met in Beverley way, the main site of Korea Foods, at 11am and started the tour after a short welcoming brief from Ms Heewon Jun, Marketing & PR Executive of Korea foods.

‘Our company is involved in a number of different activities. We are based in the heart of the Korean community of New Malden. Our main activity is in the wholesale of Korean, Japanese and Chinese foodstuffs. We deliver to over 400 customers all over the UK and continue to work hard to encourage the UK market to open up to Korean food,’ said Ms Jun.

‘Our primary aim is to make Korean food known as “Hidden Treasure” to “the next big thing” in Europe,’ she emphasized.

The Students and Teachers six different areas; ‘Warehouse’, ‘Retail Store’, ‘Tofu/Rice Cake section’, ‘Meat/Fish Section/Sushi Room’, ‘Food Tasting in Canteen’ and ‘Product Introduction in Showroom’.

‘The taste of Korean snacks is really good! I love Korean Snacks,’ the boys said ‘It is very nice to know how clever Korean people are in making healthy foods such as “Tofu” and “Rice Cake.”’

After an hour and a half’s tour all the groups were given gift packs sponsored by Nongshim, Daesang F&F Jongga Kimchi, OKF Corp and Korea Foods.
A Korean cake was also presented to celebrate one of the teachers birthday on that day.

About Korea Foods Ltd
Established in 1999 Korea Foods has since grown to become the leading importer of Korean food in the UK. The company offers the widest range of Korean products in the UK and has an extensive range of Japanese, Chinese and Thai food. The main warehouse has been in New Malden since 1999. The retail division is called Seoul Plaza and has six shops in the UK, one shop in Slovakia and one shop in Germany -which has been an instant hit with the community there.

Address: Unit 5 Wyvern Industrial Estate, Beverley Way, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 4PH
Tel: 020 8949 2238
Fax: 020 8942 9882
Website: http://www.koreafoods.co.uk/
Email: info@koreafoods.co.uk

About Tiffin School
Founded in 1880 and supported by funds from the seventeenth century Tiffin Foundation, the school has long provided education for the local community. Today it is a state maintained grammar school for boys and a performing arts college with intakes at 11+ as well as entry into the Sixth Form.

Address: Queen Elizabeth Road, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, KT2 6RL
Tel: 020 8546 4638
Fax: 020 8546 6365
Website: http://www.tiffin.kingston.sch.uk/

Email: office@tiffin.kingston.sch.uk

SURPRISE AND A SENSE OF FUN AT THE UK’S GATEWAY TO KOREAN CULTURE ON ITS FIRST ANNIVERSARY

It’s been a few months since I visited the Korean Cultural Centre, so I’m pleasantly surprised to be surprised by it again. I arrive to find stern armed guards in helmets staring at me. Larger than life. They are, it turns out, plastic models of Korean traffic cops. Just inside the door is an enormous lotus flower that inflates every few minutes.

Further inside, there are museum-like displays of plastic objects, disposable yet beautiful when grouped together: novelty toothbrushes, watches, an oystercard, a pen, a child’s shoes, a disposable cup. Most unsettling is a dream-like room with garish rubbery flowers on the ground that jerkily rise and fall like creatures from another planet, beside a cart of plastic cabbages, under flickering flower-covered chandeliers… It’s quite the most weird and wonderful thing I’ve seen in a long time.

These are all works by artist and designer Choi Jeong Hwa, and one of the themes is making art from discarded plastic objects. But, um, why are there such things as discarded Korean traffic police dummies? The man on the desk explains: they were used in a failed government attempt to get drivers to reduce their speed on highways in the republic. Now they’re getting people’s attention on Northumberland Avenue.

As the curator’s notes say: ‘You may feel slightly confused, or disturbed, but if you also feel surprise, and can feel a hidden sense of humour, then we can say that you have made a proper start to viewing this exhibition.’ The artist recently covered the Seoul Olympic Stadium with nearly two million pieces of discarded plastics, recycling seemingly worthless, non-biodegradable objects into something jewel-like.

I notice delightful objects everywhere. In the ladies’ loos are a Buddhist statue made of soap and models of children in hanbok. The centre is now open until six p.m. on weekdays, so a few people are drifting in from the street, while others are catching up on Korean soap opera downstairs. It also now opens on Saturdays from 11 til 5, when it sees the most visitors, very good news: my main worry about the centre when it opened on 30 January 2008 was its restricted hours. Since then, the KCC has hosted exhibitions of folk painting and antique maps as well as contemporary art and ceramics by Korean artists from the UK and Korea. It runs successful cinema screening programmes and Korean lessons, and has staged performances by B-boys and classical musicians.

It’s exactly a year since the centre opened, and the director, who’s kindly agreed to meet me at the end of the day, greets me warmly. Kyu-Hak Choi (no relation of the featured artist) has been at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the UK for three years, planning and opening this cultural centre, and he has almost accomplished his mission. In his words, the ‘hardware’ is now in place – it’s now a case of developing the ‘software’. It all started several years ago with a survey among over six hundred UK citizens.

‘It was an interesting result. There’s a difference among age groups in the perception of Korea. People over fifty remember the Korean War, demonstrations, North Korean issues – negative images. The under-forties have more positive images of Korea – 2002 World Cup soccer, IT products, Korean films.’

They came up with a strategy of targeting the younger generation from teenagers to forties through contemporary art and performance, to get people to open their minds to Korea.

‘With traditional culture, it’s too hard to compete with China and Japan – British people might think Korean looks like a sub-culture of them! But contemporary culture is clearly different, distinctive.’

Choi began negotiations in 2006 for the centre’s vitally important prime location – just south of Trafalgar Square, on the way to Embankment – and finished a year later with a fifteen year lease. In 2008, they received over 20,000 visitors, having projected for barely half that footfall – a huge success. Of those, over seventy per cent were Brits or tourists from other countries, with the Korean community and tourists from Korea accounting for a mere 21 per cent. So how have people found out about the Korean Cultural Centre?

‘They get information from the website, from emails. We’ve focused on groups such as the London architecture community to expand the email list. We participated in the Thames Festival, and the Dano Festival in Trafalgar Square. We invited cultural, tourism, sport organizations to the centre. We co-operated with Samsung to introduce Korean culture to their UK staff. The UK general public don’t know much about Korea. It’s a hard job to raise the Korean profile.’

And so much of what we hear on the news is negative. I mention the news item earlier in the day about the latest breakdown in the peace process between North and South.

‘Every news story makes our job harder. It’s been a challenging year. But we’ve made remarkable progress.’

This year will be much tougher, he says, developing programmes for the future amid serious budget concerns. So they’ll be focusing on making the best use of their space. There are plans to expand into other cities such as Nottingham and Manchester, and into Wales, collaborating with other venues to deliver Korean films and performances. They’ll reach out to the New Malden community by targeting families and schools through Korean manga and animation programmes. They hope to co-operate further with Korean artists and performers, contemporary and traditional, based in New Malden and Kingston.

The vibrant art exhibition for their first anniversary, ‘Shine a Light’, was chosen for its sense of fun and its accessibility. In fact, the same artist created the cool, funky interior of the centre. February will see classic Korean films from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s being shown each week, a Korean Night at the University of London, an exhibition in Portsmouth and a cultural documentary screening every Saturday. Coming in the next few months are a design exhibition, a fashion show, a Korean food festival, plus the Thames festival and the Edinburgh Fringe.

Have they succeeded in changing people’s view of Korea?

‘The first stage is to make non-Koreans more interested in Korea. It will take a long time to change their attitude. When they visit, they leave with some interest. They feel something. The Korean Cultural Centre is a place where people can get a feeling of Korea. It’s a gateway.’

There are also plans to expand the Korean language programmes for different levels of beginners.

‘I was so surprised – I thought not many people would be interested – there are so many on the waiting list! Some are UK people married to Koreans. Some are related to Korean business. Some are just the general public interested in Korea!’

With only five staff and the director, they’re very busy. Choi, who became a civil servant 25 years ago after graduation and has completed overseas missions in Hanoi and Los Angeles, has until August to finish his work before he returns to Seoul.

‘This is just the beginning of a long journey. We’ve laid the foundation. I am really proud. We did a really good job. But there remains the tougher task to raise the profile of the Korean Cultural Centre to the UK people. In the long run, when the general UK public think of Korea, when they are asked which is the premiere culture among Korea, Japan and China, we want them to say Korea is the most interesting!’

‘Shine a Light’ continues at the Korean Cultural Centre until 21 March.

Jennifer Barclay is the author of Meeting Mr Kim: Or How I Went to Korea and Learned to Love Kimchi (Summersdale Publishers, £7.99)

* This article first appeared on www.londonkoreanlinks.net

DULSORI GETS CHICHESTER JUMPING TO THE BEAT AT THE FESTIVAL THEATRE

I’m not sure the theatre staff were quite prepared when the drummer troupe led the audience dancing into the foyer, bashing gongs and drums in a frenzied finale to an energetic evening. Young and old, the Chichester crowd jumped, laughed and clapped to the beat until at last the band’s leader, shirtless and sweating under portraits of venerable British actors, leapt in the air and yelled, ‘We are Dulsori! From KOREA!’

At the start of the show we heard them advancing up the stairs as if approaching a village, rekindling the spirit of ancient Korean festivals. In their early twenties and mostly from Chollado region of southwestern Korea, these four women and two men dressed in white robes and red ribbons each play several instruments, so your attention is constantly being drawn to one unusual drum or horn or string after another.

The exciting show is full of power and energy, mixing rhythms in a way that can emulate the natural elements of a thunderstorm; the musical style known as pungmul uses crashing gongs and various drums, including the distinctive hourglass-shaped janggu where one arm moves back and forth with mesmerizing speed to beat both ends of the drum.

Most memorable are the huge buk or barrel drums that face the audience from at the back of the stage. At the climax all six drummers hit six drums each with alarming force from every conceivable angle – the exhilarating noise gets bigger and wilder like a train rushing headlong towards you. And just as you think it’s over, Dulsori invite you to join them.

Hanyoung Ryu, manager of the troupe, who came straight from performing in Chile and after the UK will be touring Germany, says:

‘European countries love it – once they see it, they are fans. Koreans too, but unless they see it, they don’t know. Modern Korea is very western now, and the traditions will all disappear unless we promote them. There’s not much opportunity to see and experience traditional music in Korea. In my opinion, Korean people like modern things.’

Do Korean people go to the theatre?

‘Yes, but only to see things like Mamma Mia. They think traditional drumming is old, from farmers.’

When I spent three months traveling around South Korea I found the people immensely proud of their culture.

‘Proud, yes, but not interested,’ laughs Hanyoung. ‘I was the same, I didn’t know anything about the music when I started working with Dulsori. I was surprised that it was very beautiful.’

This was Dulsori’s first appearance in Chichester, but judging by the standing ovation, it’s unlikely to be their last. A week before, Hanyoung told me English audiences tend to be more reserved. Chichester might have changed her mind.

If you missed them on the UK tour in January, you can see their clips on YouTube, or catch up with them in July at the Heavenly Planet festival in Reading. Further UK dates will likely be confirmed in the coming months, including the week-long workshop at SOAS in London.

Jennifer Barclay is the author of Meeting Mr Kim: Or How I Went to Korea and Learned to Love Kimchi (Summersdale Publishers, £7.99)
* This article first appeared on www.londonkoreanlinks.net

Visit Korea #7: Taebaek Snow Festival (THE EAST Campaign in Association with Korea Tourism Organization)

Period: 30.01.2009 ~ 08.02.2009
Address: Gangwon-do Taebaek-si Sodo-dong Mt. Taebaeksan Provincial Park Hwangji Pond or Jangseong area

Telephone: - Korea Travel Phone +82-33-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) - For more info +82-33-550-2081, 2828 (Korean)

Admission Fees: Children (7~12) : 700 won / Teenagers (13~18) : 1,500 won/ Adults (19~64) : 2,000 won

Home page: festival.taebaek.go (Korean, English)

Introduction
Since it was established in 1995, the Snow Festival in the city of Taebaek, Gangwon-do Province, has been a major winter event. Visitors can enjoy both the beautiful snow-capped landscape of Mt. Taebaeksan and take part in a number of hands-on programs. This year’s event is organized in connection with the local travel industry. Starting on January 26 with a snow street parade, the festival will feature a snow and ice carving exhibition as well as a variety of hands-on programs and performances.

Event Programs: A major attraction is the world of beautiful snow sculptures created by top sculptors around the world as well as from Korea. In addition to this, there are a variety of events including magic shows, music concerts, making a snowman and sledding. Near Jangseong, visitors can enjoy a fabulous hands-on ice fishing experience at the Geumcheon fishing spot and catch a smelt, which lives in clean water only. The special ‘National Naked Marathon’ is also a favorite, in which almost-bare naked contestants run over a plateau 800 meters above sea level.

Major Highlights: The large selection of hands-on programs attracts numerous visitors to the Taebaek Snow Festival. Try Korean folk games in the snow, or savor the traditional winter food favorites. These and other programs are sure to make your winter experience at Mt. Taebaeksan all the more exciting and enjoyable.

Korean NGO brings hope to Kenyan children via choir project

"Hakuna Matata" ("There are no worries" or "No problem"). This Swahili phrase may ring a bell with you. Walt Disney Animation Studios once used it as the title of a song from the animated feature film "The Lion King."

It is the theme of the Jirani Children's Choir which is currently on a performing tour in Korea. The choir from Kenya starts every performance with a shout "Jambo, Hakuna Matata!" (Hello, there are no worries!).

The Jirani Children's Choir has come all the way from Nairobi, Kenya, where it was founded by a world-renowned Korean NGO, Good Neighbors International, a Christian philanthropic organization that offers assistance to anyone in need, regardless of race, nationality, religion, or ideology. Jirani means "good neighbors" in Swahili.

The Kenyan children's choir consists of over 100 primary and secondary school boys and girls. But only 35 members -- 12 sopranos, 10 mezzo sopranos, and 13 altos -- are currently touring. Their favorites in the repertoire include African and Korean traditional folk songs which they sing in a semi-classic style, or more precisely in an African way.

Their families and neighbors have benefited from an increased sense of self-worth and hope that Jirani brings to these boys and girls. Theirs is a touching story and Jirani members sing songs of hope. Before joining the choir, the children used to live by foraging a garbage dump in the Korogocho-Dandora slum of Nairobi.

Rev. Rim Tae-jong, president of the Jirani Choir, was shocked in January 2005, when he watched the Kenyan children roaming in the garbage

dump in Korogocho slum district. He said, "I felt shocked by the scene and even pressured to decide to do something for them."
In December 2005, Rim started the Jirani Choir project to provide hope and a vision for a better future to children in the Korogocho-Dandora slum. Finally, the Jirani Children's Choir was launched after an inaugural prayer service was held in Nairobi in October 2006.

After its launch, the choir gave a debut performance at the National Theatre in Nairobi in December the same year. About 400 audience, including the Kenyan culture minister, attended its inaugural performance. The children gave a performance at the Dutch Embassy to Kenya on Koningsdag (King's Day) of the Netherlands in April 2007. The choir was invited to the State House in Nairobi to entertain the president of Kenya and his national guests for Independence Day celebrations.

The choir visited Korea for the first time for a performing tour from November 2007 to January 2008, during which the Kenyan children gave 25 concerts in 10 cities, such as Seoul, Incheon, Gwacheon, Daejeon, Iksan, Yeosu, Ulsan, and Busan, for a total of 52 days. At the time, the choir appeared on TV and radio programs over 10 times, and received much publicity from the press. It also visited the United States for a performance tour in June 2008.
The Jirani Children's Choir conducted by Kim Jae-chang, a baritone and an internationally known musician, also sing Korean traditional folk songs, such as "Doraji" (balloonflower) and "Arirang." The choir has been touring around the world under the mottos "Discover Jirani!" and "Recover Hope!" They claim, "The songs we sing are not heard anywhere else in the world."
Currently, the Kenyan children have been on a performing tour throughout Korea since early December this year for their second visit here. They have already performed in Seongnam, Seoul, Daejeon, Bucheon, Ulsan, and Busan, beginning with a concert at Hallelujah Church in Bundang, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province on Dec. 3.

The following are details on the schedule of concerts the Jirani Children's Choir is giving in Korea in late December and early January before it leaves for Kenya:

☆Dec. 24: 7 p.m. at Dongan Church (Imun 2-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul; telephone - 02-962-0727, http://www.dongan.org/); admission free

☆Dec. 25: 11 a.m. at Songnae Sarangui Church (Songnae-dong, Sosa-gu, Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province; telephones - 032-661-9191 and 032-661-9013/4, http://www.snsarang.org/); admission free

☆Dec. 27: 7 p.m. at Seoul Eunhyeon Church (Bukgajwa-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul; telephone - 02-375-1588); admission free

☆Dec. 28: 7 p.m. at Iksan Singwang Church (Ma-dong, Iksan, Jeollabuk-do (North Jeolla Province); telephone - 063-850-4114); admission free

☆Dec. 30: 7:30 p.m. at the Concert Hall of Seongnam Arts Center (Yatap-dong, Bundang, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province; telephone - 031-783-8000, http://www.snart.or.kr/); admission fees: VIP seat - 50,000 won, R seat - 30,000 won, S seat - 20,000 won, and A seat - 10,000 won

☆Dec. 31: 7 p.m. at Jeongeup Seonggwang Church (for more information, call the Jeongeup Shinmun daily in Suseong-dong, Jeongeup, Jeollabuk-do at 063-532-7600); admission fee - 10,000 won

☆Jan. 3, 2009: 7 p.m. at Bucheon Citizens Hall; admission fees: R seat - 40,000 won, S seat - 30,000 won, and A seat - 20,000 won (40 percent discount if you buy tickets by Dec. 28) For more information, call 032-220-7052/4.

For more information, contact Good Neighbors International, Mapo PO Box 7, Seoul (zip code: 121-600) or call 02-338-0114, or contact Jirani Cultural Project Foundation (02-3461-7200).

For Jirani Children's Choir websites, click http://www.jirani.net/ (Korean) and http://www.jirani.kr/eng/ (English).

For Good Neighbors International's websites, click http://www.goodneighbors.org/ (Korean) and http://www.gnint.org/ (English), and http://www.goodneighbors.org/jirani/www/main.htm (English for Jirani Children's Choir).

Written by Chung Myung-je (Korea.net / Chief Staff Writer)

Visit Japan #5: Kyoto Winter Special (THE EAST Campaign in Association with Japan National Tourist Organization London Office)

Following its great success in 2008, "Kyoto Winter Special" is coming back this winter, with more special deals and events for you to enjoy. From 1st December 2008 until 31st March 2009 you’ll be able to experience traditional culture hands-on, and savour exceptional Kyoto cuisine. In addition, special admission will be granted to normally restricted heritage sites, and there will be unique winter events and chances to receive special offers from world-famous hotels. With Kyoto Winter Special, the breathtaking beauty of winter in Kyoto awaits you!

Special Events
Kyoto’s cherry blossoms and fall leaves are a sight to see, but Kyoto’s magical winter is something special. There will be various events showcasing winter. Information on events from December to March are listed by month on the Kyoto Winter Special website. The main event during the Kyoto Winter Special is called “Hanatoro”. This event beautifies Kyoto’s nights, with elegant lanterns lighting up Kyoto’s famous spots. Adding a winter event into a visit to Kyoto is a great way to make your trip that extra bit memorable.

Special Openings
Only during Kyoto Winter Special 2009 - Hidden cultural heritage sites, normally not open to the public, will be open for viewing. Twelve spots will open their cultural heritages to the public for 9 weeks, from 10th January until 18th March 2009. All viewings are for culturally valuable items. This is a wonderful opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Kyoto's culture.

Special Experiences
During Kyoto Winter Special 2009, not only can visitors experience various aspects of Japanese culture, they can also enjoy meeting Japanese people. These include actual experiences of Japanese cooking, calligraphy, Zen meditation, and more. Some of the activities will take place in private homes in Kyoto City, which will give visitors an intimate experience of Japanese culture.

For more information please visit http://www.kyotowinterspecial.com/