KF뉴스레터-August-October 2005

August-October 2005

Survey of Korean Art Collections at Overseas Museums
The Foundation is undertaking a survey of major overseas museums that do not maintain an independent Korean gallery but house Korean artifacts or play an important role of introducing Korean culture in the region. As part of the survey project, which is designed to examine the feasibility of setting up additional Korean galleries, experts have been dispatched to museums of Asian art or folk craft in Greece, Portugal, Sweden, and the Netherlands, on two occasions in August and September. Based on the survey results, the Foundation will consider the provision of support for the establishment of an independent Korean gallery in the surveyed museums.

Workshop for Korean-Language High School Teachers in Japan
The Foundation invited 15 Korean-language high school teachers from Japan to a workshop organized by the Language Education Institute, Seoul National University, from August 1-13, in an effort to enhance the effectiveness of classroom instruction.

Support for International Conferences
The Foundation extended support to three international conferences including the 15th international conference of the International Association for Korean Language Education (IAKLE) held on August 6-7. Attended by scholars from Korea and eight foreign countries, including Lyle Bachman (UCLA), Angela Lee-Smith (Yale University), Kim Young Gon (University of Toronto), Ogoshi Naoki (University of Tokyo), and Goksel Turkozu (Ankara University), the IAKLE conference provided an opportunity to address problems in Korean language education and contribute to heightening the academic profile of Korean language instruction.

Performance of Korean Mask Dance in China
The Foundation provided assistance to the Institute of Korean Aesthetics for its touring performance of traditional Korean mask dance, lectures, and seminars in the Yanbian area and Heilongjiang Province, from August 8-22. Bongsan Mask Dance and a creative dance "New Dawn" were staged five times during the tour, which has been annually organized by the Institute and the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture since 2001.

Workshop for Korean Language Educators in Japan
The Foundation organized a workshop on Korean language education at the Campus Plaza Kyoto in Japan. 41 Korean language educators at universities and other language institutions in Japan participated in this workshop (August 9-14).

13th Korea-Japan Forum
Together with the Japan Center for International Exchange, the Foundation held the 13th Korea-Japan Forum at Seogwipo, Jeju Island, from August 28-31. With the participation of 41 leaders and professionals from the fields of politics, security, business, trade, society, and culture from Korea and Japan, the forum addressed such topics as recent changes in domestic politics and society and the impact on Korea-Japan relations; various aspects of history- and territory-related issues; Korea-Japan cooperation to build an East Asian community; and Korea-Japan exchanges on the occasion of Korea-Japan Friendship Year. While acknowledging the existence of disagreement and friction over the issues of Dokdo and rightist-oriented history textbooks, the forum participants adopted a "Jeju Statement" that called for a mature partnership to realize closer Korea-Japan relations in the 21st century.

Exchange Exhibition of Korea-Japan Contemporary Art
The Foundation supported the exchange exhibition of Korea-Japan contemporary art, "AniMate," that was presented at Sungkok Museum of Art in Seoul (September 9-October 30). Organized by Nanjo and Associates of Japan, the exhibition was previously held at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum in Japan from February 3-March 29. The exhibition featured animation-related creative artworks, including painting, architecture, and animation features by Lee Dong-gi, Sasa, Choi Ho-cheol, and Mun Gyeong-won of Korea, and Makoto Aida, Minako Nishiyama, MR, and Zon Ito-Ryoko Aoki of Japan.

Korean Theater Tour of Central America
With support from the Foundation, Yohangza Theatre Company staged a touring performance of "A Midsummer Night`s Dream" in Cuba and El Salvador (September 11-25). The company participated in the Havana International Theater Festival in Cuba, in addition to introducing Korean theater to audiences of Central/South America.

Korea-Germany Joint Dance Performance
(Asia-Pacific Weeks Berlin)
The Foundation provided support for the Korea-Germany joint modern dance performance, "Let Me Change Your Name," staged at the House of World Cultures in Berlin on September 20-21. The joint performance was a collaborative effort of Ahneunme Company and German dancers to commemorate the designation of Korea as Focus Country of Asia-Pacific Weeks Berlin.

Visit of Next-Generation Leaders from Eastern Europe
The Foundation hosted the visit of next-generation leaders from the fields of government, international relations, and academia from ten Eastern European countries, including the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Poland, Estonia, and Lithuania. During their stay, from September 21-28, the invitees met with their Korean counterparts in relevant fields and visited cultural and historic sites to forge personal networks for future exchanges with Korea and to enhance their understanding about Korea.

Performance of A-Soon Dance Company (Year of Korea 2005)
The Foundation supported the performance of A-Soon Dance Company in Germany as part of the events of Asia-Pacific Weeks Berlin. Invited by the House of World Cultures in Germany, the A-Soon Dance Company staged "11th Shadow" and "Circle-After the Other," which presented traditional themes in a modern style to about 400 viewers on September 23-24.

Exhibition of Ancient Korean Printing Techniques in Germany
The Foundation provided support for the special exhibition of ancient Korean printing techniques held in Frankfurt, Mainz, and Hamburg, Germany, from September 28-November 20. To commemorate Korea`s designation as Guest of Honor at Frankfurt Book Fair 2005, the exhibition, organized by the Cheongju Ancient Printing Museum and Cheongju University Research Institute, introduces Korea`s printing heritage, which has been registered as a Memory of the World. Together with this exhibition, there was also an international symposium on the theme of Korea`s movable metal type printing culture and comparison of movable metal type printing techniques between the East and the West, as well as demonstrations of using movable metal type by state-designated holders of movable type techniques.

Chinese Association for Korean Language Education and Research
The Foundation provided support for the annual conference of the Chinese Association for Korean Language Education Research, which was held at Fudan University in Shanghai. The session included the attendance of 120 Korean language professors from universities in China, 20 professors from Korea, and one each from Japan, Taiwan, and Mongolia.

Performance of Korean Modern Dance in Japan
With assistance from the Foundation, the Modern Dance Promotion of Korea and the Foundation for Child Well-being of Japan co-organized a Korean modern dance performance, "Korea Dance Museum," that was staged at Aoyama Round Theater in Tokyo, Japan, on October 1 and 3. The performance, in commemoration of the Year of Korea-Japan Friendship, was jointly choreographed by ten Korean dancers, including Yook Wansoon.

Korean Food Festival in Portugal
The Foundation provided support to the Korean Food Festival held in Portugal from October 1-10. During the ten-day festival, Korean chefs were invited to Portugal for cooking Korean cuisine. The festival was the first large-scale event to introduce Korean food to Portugal.

Korea-Japan Secondary School Educators Exchange Program
As part of joint efforts with the Japan Foundation, the Foundation provided Korean and Japanese secondary school teachers of history and social studies with an opportunity to enhance their understanding about each other`s country.
Under this program, 25 Korean educators visited Japan from October 5-18, while their Japanese counterparts visited Korea from October 26-November 9, to participate in seminars on each other`s history, society, and culture. The participants also visited local schools and sites of cultural and historic significance.

Exhibition of Contemporary Korean Art in Germany
The Foundation supported the contemporary Korean art exhibition, "Parallel Life," held at Kunstverein in Frankfurt, Germany, from October 5 through December 4. Jointly organized by the Frankfurt Book Fair Guest of Honor Organizing Committee, Art Sonje Center, and Kunstverein, the exhibition features the works of 27 Korean and German artists including Kim Beom, Park Jun-beom, and Jason Dodge.

Visit of Next-Generation Leaders from Central and South America
The Foundation invited to Korea next-generation leaders in the fields of government, international relations, and journalism from ten Central and South American countries, including Argentina, Panama, Uruguay, Colombia, and El Salvador. During their eight-day stay in Korea from October 6-13, the invitees met with their Korean counterparts at relevant organizations and visited cultural and historic sites, for the purpose of forging personal networks for future exchange with Korea and enhancing their understanding about Korea.

Seoul Motet Choir Concert Tour (Year of Korea 2005 in Germany)
The Foundation provided support to the Seoul Motet Choir for its concert tour of various German cities, including Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, Bonn, and Leipzig, from October 11-20. The choir performed a diverse repertory that included works of Germany`s Bach, Schubert, and Brahms, as well as Korean songs of Lee Geon-yong, Park Tae-jun, and Hyun Je-myeong, and Korean folk songs.

Exhibition of the Ancient Culture of Eurasian Steppe
The Foundation extended assistance to an exhibition of Siberian Bronze Age relics co-organized by the Seoul National University Museum and the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The exhibition was held at the special gallery of the Seoul National University Museum (October 11-November 19) to introduce Korean viewers to the ancient culture of Eurasian Steppe. The displays featured various bronze weapons; everyday vessels of clay, stone and bone; ornaments; and ritual items.
The exhibition provided an excellent opportunity to broaden the scope of Russia-Korea cultural activities, which have been mainly focused on the arts thus far, to history and academic areas.

Traditional Korean Music Concert at Frankfurt Book Fair
The Foundation supported the Korean traditional music concert at the Hochshule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst and the Museum für Kunsthandwerk in Frankfurt on October 12 and 14. At the concerts, 12 Korean classical songs, gagok, were sung by the members of the Traditional Gagok Society, led by Kim Cheon-heung (designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property), along with Jongmyo ritual music, and Cheoyong dance. Held in conjunction with Korea`s designation as Guest of Honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the performance helped to introduce little-known aspects of Korean culture to German audiences.

Performance of Rock Musical "Line 1" in Germany
The Foundation provided support to Hakchon Theater for its staging of the rock musical "Line 1" in Germany. At the invitation of Grips Theater and the Guest of Honor Organizing Committee of the Frankfurt Book Fair, the performance was presented in Berlin (October 14-16), and in Frankfurt (October 20-23). An adaptation of "Linie 1-Das Musikal" by Volker Ludwig, Hakchon`s "Line 1" portrays the life of people in Seoul through the eyes of a girl from Yanbian. As such, this is considered a representative example of Korea-Germany cultural exchange.

7th Workshop for Korean Art Curators
The 7th Workshop for Korean Art Curators was held under the theme "Architecture of Korea" in Seoul and various local cities from October 17-28, with the attendance of 31 curators from leading museums and art galleries of 11 countries.
The workshop participants attended lectures by experts on Korean architecture, undertook field trips to sites of architectural significance in Seoul, Gyeongju, Andong, and Suwon, and took part in an international seminar on Asian architecture organized by the Foundation. Of note, the seminar held at the Korea Foundation Cultural Center on October 26 provided the participants with a rare opportunity to enhance their understanding about Korea`s architectural culture based on comparisons of the architecture of China and Korea.

Visit of University Student Delegation from Japan
The Foundation invited 30 Japanese university students to Korea from October 18-27 to provide them with an opportunity to enhance their understanding about Korea. They experienced various aspects of Korea by visiting universities, including Sookmyung Women`s University and Pusan University of Foreign Studies, as well as cultural and historic sites in Seoul, Jeonju, and Suncheon, and home-stay with a Korean family.

Korean Studies Workshop for Chinese Secondary School Educators
The Foundation invited 30 Chinese secondary school educators of history and social studies to a Korean Studies workshop, co-organized by the Chinese Ministry of Education, to provide them an opportunity to learn about Korea through firsthand experience. During their stay in Korea from October 18-27, the Chinese educators attended lectures on Korea`s educational system, Korea-China relations, and other related subjects. They also visited local schools and cultural sites, such as Gyeongju and Andong.

1st Workshop for Overseas Librarians
As a joint undertaking with the National Library of Korea, the Foundation organized the first Workshop for Overseas Librarians (October 23-30). A total of 24 librarians in charge of Korean collections from five countries of North America, Europe, and Oceania participated in the workshop, which featured lectures for enhancing their knowledge of Korean collections and visits to relevant organizations.

Scholarships and Fellowships
Under the Fellowship Program for Graduate Studies 2005-2006, the Foundation awarded scholarships to 50 graduate students in North America, Western, Northern and Southern Europe, and Japan, and another 31 second-semester students currently enrolled in Korea: Seoul National University (12), Yonsei University (10), and Korea University (9).
To expand the scope of its graduate fellowship support, the Foundation has recently agreed to sign program agreements with five additional Chinese universities: Yanbian University, Nanjing University, Shandong University, the Central University for Nationalities, and University of International Business and Economics. As of November 2005, a total of 60 fellows from 36 countries have studied the Korean language here under the Fellowship for Korean Language Training, along with 35 from 20 countries who have conducted on-site research in Korea under the Fellowship for Field Research, respectively.

한국국제교류재단

August-October 2005

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August-October 2005

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