Kkakdugi University

Hip hop, R&B, electronic dance and etc. has originated from the Western cultures, yet these genres have been interpreted by Asian sentiments in Korea and developed a unique style of pop music. It then has been introduced back to the global market; it is pop music but from Korea. A recent research on K-pop video views statistics on YouTube, a global video-sharing website, well illustrates this phenomenon.

The Korea Daily (Korea Joongang Daily USA) totaled the views of K-pop video clips on YouTube of year 2010, which counts those of netizens from 229 nations. 923 video clips of Korean pop-stars who belong to Korea’s top three major entertainment management agencies were analyzed and 793,570,000 was its total hits; by continents, views from Asia was 566,270,000, Northern America 123,470,000 and Europe 55,370,000. While Asia showed the largest number of views yet an increase of those in the US is shown: the number, 94,870,000 views in total, ranked third following Japan (113,540,000 views) and Thailand (99,510,000 views).

In fact, this is not that surprising if we take a look to rising K-pop starts receiving attention overseas. Recently Wonder Girls, a representative K-pop girl group success example in the overseas market, performed on the legendary funk band - Earth Wind & Fire’s 40th debut anniversary opening stage receiving favorable response from the audience.

Wonder Girls earlier performed the opening stage of a mega concert of which top musicians of America including Stevie Wonder had participated; there they received enthusiastic response for their songs Nobody and Tell Me while some fans following their song and dances. With their hit song Nobody, Wonder Girls became the first K-pop start to have their song ranked on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2009 and as well had been introduced by Chicago Tribune, one of the 10 major newspapers in the US, on their daily paper and online site.

After the success of Wonder Girls other K-pop singers has been active to enter the overseas music market. JYJ a boy group of three members separated from the previous Dong Bang Shin Ki is planning to release their first regular album in the US. In fact they are the first Korean singer to make a contract with Warner Music, one of the top three major recording labels in the world; Warner will produce and distribute JYJ’s first US album and Kanye West, a renowned musician and producer will be participating. For such reasons even before its release this album received great attention introduced on the main page of Billboard magazine online.

In addition, BoA, who already has a bigger fandom in overseas as a singer will this time play the main role in Duane Adler’s – a renowned screenwriter of ‘Step up’ and ‘Save the Last Dance’ - new film as an actress.

Why K-pop?

Actually America has much more variety of popular culture; then what makes it possible for K-pop seem to do quite well while American pop world has been dominant? We hear from one American fan, Savannah Daniel who visited Korea to meet her favorite K-pop star G-dragon (a member of Big Bang, a K-pop boy group). She explains her fondness for K-pop is the powerful rhythm and the passion of dances compared to American pop. Last December 26, she finally met her favorite K-pop star happily leaving back to America.

Song Gi-chul, a pop music critic explains the rising popularity of K-pop overseas due to its matching musicality to American pop while discovering more talented singers. According to Song, for such reasons K-pop was able to attain positive attentions from overseas.

K-pop video hits on YouTube is increasing not only in America but also other countries, which it fact indicates possibilities of K-pop to be successfully introduced to other parts of the globe, besides Korea and besides the States this time. For example, people from Middle East countries e.g. Egypt (630,000 views), Kuwait (414,000 views) and other relatively exotic countries e.g. Montenegro (220,000 views), New Caledonia (140,000 views) and Guadeloupe (10,000 views) were even watching some K-pop videos on YouTube.

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 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.

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 HumanityHalf 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.

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.

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.

Celebramos el poderosisimo cumpleaños de la hermana menor de SARA, o sea a Gaby =P. Pues para celebrarlo divertido sus amigos, Gaby, Sara y Yo juntos.Nosotros fuimos a comer a T.G.I. Friday's a pues a pedir los combos baratos de Corea que venden ahi, porque de lo contrario solo una sentada son como 40 dolares.....IMAGINENSE!! 0_0. Ahi le cantamos feliz cumpleaños le pues compartimos con ellos, pasamos platicando y luego de eso que terminamos de comer quedamos en que iriamos a comprar un pastel para volverle a cantar a ella, y pues el plan era paris baguette pero terminamos iendo a Baskin Robbins.

Algo curioso que paso en la planeacion del cumpleaños de Gaby es que.....pues termino siendo como a mi se me habia imaginado que iba a ser. jajaja ^-^

En fin fue muy divertido y la pasamos muy bien, hoy solo espero mi cumple en febrero wuhuuuuuuuu.....=P

Jajaja.....mi Dia 31 de diciembre fue medio cansado. Primero que tenia un examen de la clase que estoy llevando en este interciclo de las vacaciones de Invierno. Luego de eso salir rapido a la terminal de buses que esta cerca de mi U que me lleva a Seul.Al llegar a Seul pues el fin era no pasar solito fin de año asi que pase el fin de Año con SARA ^-^v. Bueno primero que la iglesia donde asiste ella le habian dicho que participase en un estudio biblico para celebrar el fin de año pues fuimos juntos, pero no solo eso sino que tambien tenian una Pizza Party compraron muchas pizzas de Papa John's que por cierto es la mas cara de todas las pizzerias que estan en corea. Ahi estuvimos con otros miembros de la Iglesia donde Asiste Sara, que por cierto ya conocia a algunos.

La otra parte era que ibamos a hacer para las 12 aparte de orar para agradecer un poderosisimo año mas. Pues entre tantas cosas que elegimos fue ir a ver una pelicula al cine....jajaja pero el cine que se encontraba mas cerca a la Universidad Nacional de Seul solo tenia una funcion mas de una pelicula que los 2 acordamos querer ver que era TRON el problema es que era a la 1:40am o sea casi 2 de la madrugada. Pero de todos modos en el edificio donde estabamos, tenian ciertos locales abiertos donde vendia cafe, alguna que otra chucheria y pues el arcade del lugar estaba abierto hasta las 2am asi que fuimos a disfrutar un juego que se llama Taiko no Tatsuji.
Pero esperamos a que dieran las 12am para poder orar. Ya despuesito de eso ^-^ a jugar un rato en el arcade y de ahi a tomar un cafe. Luego fuimos a ver la pelicula estuvo recontramegaultrasuperdupergenialistico 0_0!! Pero mas que todo porque la musica fue lo mejor de todo o(>v<)o se los recomiendo para quienes no lo han visto. Despues de eso nos quedamos pensando.....y yo dije: Hey! Yo me regreso a Daejeon y Sara al Dormitorio, pero tanto los buses como los subways no funcionan hasta las 5:30am. En otras palabras que hacer?, pues la respuesta que se me ocurrio comamos Samgyeopsal En la estacion del subway de Nakseongdae hay un lugar que vende samgyeopsal que resulta hasta donde yo se esta abierto casi las 24 horas sino que las 24 horas del dia. Asi que fuimos a comer carne de cerdo, para hacer tiempo hasta que comenzaran a trabajar buses y trenes. Lo malo es que tooooooooooooooodo el dia estuvo haciendo un frio 0_0!!. Pero en si fue un bonito Fin e Inicio de Año jajaja.