February 2023
Global Korea
New and Rising Artist Support Program:
Jazz Orchestra of Its First Stage
On Dec. 3, the Korean Cultural Center New York held a jazz performance by ¡°The Jihye Lee Orchestra,¡± the first participant in the ¡°Young Korean Artists Series¡± program.
Jihye Lee, a composer, arranger and jazz artist who was called ¡°a unique, personal, bold storyteller and captivating composer¡± by GRAMMY Magazine, led the ¡°Jihye Lee Orchestra¡± consisting of a total of 18 members. In this performance, a total of nine tracks, starting with ¡®Relentless Mind¡¯, a representative track from the album ¡°Daring Mind¡± released in 2021, garnered enthusiastic applause.
¡°Young Korean Artists Series¡± is a support program for new creators. It first began to discover up-and-coming Korean performing artists with exceptional talent and potential who were active in New York.
Exhibition and Experience Event for Hanbok
The Korean Cultural Center in Hong Kong held a Hanbok exhibition in the exhibition room on the 7th floor of the Cultural Center from Oct. 13 to Nov. 26. Hanbok by artist Jeong Myungjo, photos of Hanbok by the Korea Tourism Organization, large backdrops of Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon for photo shoots and a Hanbok experience zone were exhibited. Locals from Hong Kong in particular expressed a great deal of interest in the work of artist Jeong Myungjo, who used the hyperrealism technique to depict the back of a woman wearing a Hanbok.
Along with the exhibition, the cultural center set up a Hanbok-wearing experience zone to provide visitors with an opportunity to try on Hanbok. Visitors learned how to properly wear Hanbok with the assistance of the staff at the experience zone, and were able to try on Hanbok themselves.
Hungarian Students Who Experienced Korean Culture
About 30 students from the Budapest Business School (BBS) who took the 2022 Korean language course on Nov. 30 and Dec. 2 visited the Korean Cultural Center in Hungary and carried out a visit-experience program, following students from universities in Hungary.
The students were thrilled to be able to try on Hanbok, which they had previously only seen in books or on screen. They were also intrigued to learn that different Hanboks are worn depending on a person¡¯s gender, age and circumstance.
The Korean Cultural Center in Hungary plans to meet more locals in line with the growing interest and demand for Korean culture by operating visit-experience programs for local institutions and schools in the future.
Why Busan is the Best City to Host the 2030 World Expo
When I heard that Busan is bidding to host the 2030 World Expo, I planned a trip to see what makes it stand out from other Korean cities.
First, Busan is easy to access for both Korean and non-Korean visitors. I took the Busan City Tour¡¯s Loop Bus conveniently available near Busan Station. Transferring from one line to another was also easy with a minimal fee.
Initially, I visited Busan to see its famous beaches and scenery but its peaceful waters, uphill villages and cutting-edge infrastructure created a more diverse image of the city. Busan is far more than just a provincial city and thus it should host the 2030 World Expo.
* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Laarni Calpo from the Philippines. The full text is posted on Korea.net.
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