Korean American Film Festival New York will be held next month. Below is their press release.
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Now in its fifth year, the annual Korean American Film Festival (KAFFNY) is the only New York based independent film festival showcasing Korean American and Korean diasporic perspectives in film. Since 2006, KAFFNY has broadened its programming to include international films and videos by Korean and as well as non-Korean filmmakers.
For its fifth anniversary, KAFFNY presents New York audiences with a challenging and innovative program ranging from groundbreaking early Korean cinema to the most current emerging Korean American films.
This year KAFFNY honors the veteran documentary filmmaker Dai-Sil Kim-Gibson with a retrospective of six pioneering films that powerfully capture the complexities of the Korean diaspora. Special guest and long-time collaborator Charles Burnett will join Dai Sil Kim Gibson for a discussion about the LA Riots, 19 years later, after the screening of her documentaries SA-I-GU and WET SAND: VOICES OF LA.
KAFFNY’s opening night presentation features a live re-score of the seminal Korean Golden age drama MADAME FREEDOM (1956) by Paul Miller aka DJ Spooky with virtuoso violinist Sean Lee and acclaimed cellist Okkyung Lee. KAFFNY will screen over 14 feature films and more than 25 short films by emerging and established Korean American, Korean and international directors.
FESTIVAL LOCATIONS
Chelsea Clearview Cinemas: 260 West 23rd St, New York, NY 10011
White Box: 329 Broome Street. New York, NY 10002
Big Screen Project: 6th Avenue between 29th and 30th Streets
All programs at White Box will be live streamed to the Big Screen Project in the public plaza behind the Eventi Hotel at 30th and 6th Ave.
Please visit www.kaffny.com for program updates and final schedule.
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After the jump, the roster of films and more information.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Starting with Number 34, this ranking is moving into Tier 3 - artists who had a strong impact on shaping Korea's pop music scene. Tier 3 begins with...
34. Dongbangshinki [동방신기]
Also Known As: DBSK, TVXQ.
Years of Activity: 2004-present
Members:
Choigang Changmin "Max" [최강창민] - Vocal
U-Know Yunho [유노윤호] - Vocal
Yeong'ung Jaejung "Hero" [영웅재중] - Vocal (until May 2010)
Micky Yucheon [믹키유천] - Vocal (until May 2010)
Xiah Junsu [시아준수] - Vocal (until May 2010)
Discography:
(Regular albums only - there are 39 singles unlisted here.)
하루만 니 방의 침대가 되고싶어
Just for one day I wish to be the bed in your room
더 따스히 포근히 내 품에 감싸 안고 재우고 싶어
Warmer and softer, I wish to put you to sleep in my arms
아주 작은 뒤척임도 너의 조그만 속삭임에
For the smallest rustle, for your little whisper
난 꿈속의 괴물도 이겨내 버릴텐데
I will defeat the monsters in your dream
내가 없는 너의 하룬 어떻게 흘러가는 건지
How your day without me goes
나를 얼마나 사랑하는지 난 너무나 궁금한데
I am so curious how much you love me
너의 작은 서랍 속의 일기장이 되고싶어
I wish to be the diary in your little drawer
알 수 없는 너의 그 비밀도 내 맘속에 담아둘래 너 몰래
I will hold in my heart that unknowable secret of yours, you wouldn't know
하루만 너의 고양이가 되고싶어
Just for one day I wish to be your cat
니가 주는 맛있는 우유와 부드러운 니품안에서
With the delicious milk you give me and in your soft arms
움직이는 장난에도 너의 귀여운 입맞춤에
Your cute kiss given even when you are teased
나도 몰래 질투를 느끼고 있었나봐
I must have been secretly feeling jealous
내 마음이 이런거야
That's how my heart is
너밖엔 볼 수 없는거지
I cannot see anyone but you
누구를 봐도 어디 있어도
No matter who you see, no matter where you are
난 너만 바라보잖아
I am only looking at you
단 하루만 아주 친한 너의 애인이 되고 싶어
Just for one day I want to be your very close boyfriend
너의 자랑도 때론 투정도 다 들을 수 있을 텐데 널 위해
I will be able to hear all your boasting and complaining, for you.
In my heart in my soul
In my heart in my soul
나에게 사랑이란 아직 어색하지만
For me love is still awkward but
이 세상 모든걸 너에게 주고싶어 꿈에서라도
I want to give you everything in this world, even in a dream
내 마음이 이런거야
That's how my heart is
지켜 볼 수만 있어도
Just being able to look at you
너무 감사해 많이 행복해
I am so thankful, very happy
나 조금은 부족해도
I may not be much but
언제까지 너의 곁에 연인으로 있고 싶어
I want to stay by your side as your lover forever
너를 내 품에 가득 안은채 굳어버렸으면 싶어 영원히
I wish I could turn into stone, holding you in my arms forever
Translation Note: The portion written in English in the original is marked blue. Is it just me, or is it normal to projectile vomit while translating?
In 15 Words or Less: The peak of K-pop's global domination.
Maybe they should be ranked higher because... They will easily win the award for "Most number of death threats sent to the Korean by their fans for not ranking them #1." That counts for something, right? Right?
Maybe they should be ranked lower because... A huge apology to gay readers of this blog, but there is just no other way of saying this: DBSK is the homoest homos who ever homoed. They are responsible for ingraining "Korean men are gay" stereotype around the world. And that's before talking about their pile of diarrhea music. (Actually, come to think of it, does that make DBSK even more influential? Ugh.)
Why is this band important?
Why is DBSK important? Because they have a screaming horde of fans around the world, that's why. Does the Korean understand why there is a screaming horde of girls (AND grown women) around the world? No. But they are there, and they create influence.
The Korean is being glib, but that's really it. The current influence of Korean pop culture over Asia began with Korean dramas in the late 1990s and early 2000s. While there were certain pioneers (discussed later in this list,) K-pop as an international force was not yet to be.
Then DBSK came around, and their international popularity was unlike anyone that preceded them. To be sure, influence via the fans can take many forms. For example, no one can deny that Nirvana is one of the most influential pop musicians in the last 20 years. But there is just something about thousands of screaming girls at Justin Bieber's concert that the quiet, reverential homages to Kurt Cobain do not have. Same with DBSK -- there had been other K-pop artists who were successful outside of Korea, but not like DBSK. No one brought out a cloud of screaming girls all across Asia quite like DBSK. For many people around the world, DBSK is the first meaningful contact with Korea and K-pop. If for nothing else (and there really is nothing else,) DBSK deserves its spot here.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
In previous parts of this series, we took a look at the core concepts of Confucianism. How did these Confucian concepts affect Korea, and how are they affecting Korea now? The rest of the series will deal with the answers to those questions. This part will discuss Korea's historical interaction with Confucianism.
Confucianism reached Korea as early as the 4th century, and has always been a major part of Korean traditional philosophy. But it was hardly the only part, or even the most dominant part. Shamanism and more indigenous beliefs (which were sometimes co-opted into other philosophies, including Confucianism) have been a major part as well. Buddhism was the most dominant part of Korean traditional philosophy for more than a millennium.
This would change in the 14th century, when Joseon Dynasty replaced Goryeo Dynasty. This change in dynasties -- really, a revolution -- is very significant in the history of Confucianism in Korea. Joseon Dynasty was explicitly based on Confucianism and rejected Buddhism, which was the official religion/philosophy of Goryeo Dynasty. The revolutionaries of the late Goryeo Dynasty believed that Buddhism contained the core of everything that ailed Goryeo Dynasty, and decided that Confucianism (more specifically, the newer version of Confucianism espoused by Zhu Xi) would be the more suitable ideology by which a kingdom would be run. In other words, Joseon was the first Korean dynasty that was explicitly a Confucian state. We will proceed by examining three different aspects of the way in which Confucianism was used in Joseon, the Confucian state: as a governing philosophy, a tool for deeper and more raw political power struggle, and a system for social order.
Confucianism as a Governing Philosophy
From the very beginning, Joseon Dynasty made clear that Confucianism justified its birth. Shortly after the first king of Joseon ascended to the throne, he declared:
하늘이 백성을 낳고 임금을 세운 것은 임금으로 하여금 백성을 길러 서로 살게 하고 백성을 다스려 서로 편안하게 하도록 하기 위함이다. 그러므로 군도에는 득실이 있고 인심에는 복종과 배반함이 있으니, 천명이 떠나가고 머물러 있음은 여기에 달려있다.
That the heaven gave birth to the people and established a king is for the king to raise the people such that they live together, and to govern the people such that they comfort each other. Therefore, the king's way has gains and losses and the people's heart has obedience and betrayal; the departure and presence of the heaven's mandate depends on this.
This statement is very important toward understanding how Confucianism works as a governing philosophy, as it explicitly connects the people's heart to the heaven's mandate. If the people's hearts do not obey, it means that the heaven's mandate has left the king. Because such king no longer deserves to be a king, a revolution is necessary to establish a new king.
More after the jump.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
My family and I are moving to South Korea within the next month to teach English. Someone told me that they do not pierce the ears of young children and that my 2-year-old daughter's earrings would be offensive or, at best, looked down upon. Do you have any insight into this matter? If they are offensive, we will remove them. Otherwise, they are staying put.
Brandy
Dear Brandy,
It is definitely true that in Korea, ear piercing for girls does not happen for young children; it usually happens around middle school and high school, and sometimes as late as college age. Earring is like makeup in Korea -- if you put them on a little too early in a girl's life, it's considered trashy.
But that's not your question. Your question is -- will Koreans look down on your daughter's earrings? And that question implicates an important, general point that all non-Koreans who are interested in Korea must know.
In general, Koreans do not expect foreigners to follow Korean custom. In fact, Koreans don't even expect that foreigners know anything about Korean custom. If a non-Korean displays even a tiny bit of knowledge about Korea and Korean custom, Koreans generally find it surprising. Call this "the Foreigner Rule" -- i.e. Korean customs do not apply to foreigners. Hence, Koreans are not likely to look down on your daughter's earring. They would just think, "Those crazy foreigners, they will do what they do," and move on.
Of course, this is just a general rule and there are always exceptions. If you are more integrated into Korean society (e.g. being married to a Korean spouse and living in Korea,) you would be expected to follow more and more Korean rules. As Korea is becoming more prominent around the world, fewer Koreans find it totally surprising to find that non-Koreans know a great deal about Korea. So if you are trying to make Korea your long term home and live in Korea like a Korean would, the earrings would have to go. But regardless, the Foreigner Rule is still very much alive in Korea.
This means that if you are a non-Korean, you don't have to worry so much about offending the locals. Of course, you have to use your common sense -- if you are drunk in broad daylight and pick fights with anyone who passes by, that will still be pretty damn offensive. But you don't have to worry much about unknowingly violating small obscure rules. Koreans know you don't know those rules, and they will let it go.
But one demographic presents a tricky problem -- Korean Americans, especially second generation and beyond, or adoptees. How do Koreans react to people who look like Koreans, but know little about Korea's manners? That will be a topic for another post.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Friday, February 18, 2011
According to the new WHO survey, Koreans are the 13th heaviest drinkers in the world. The survey broke down the types of alcohol into beer, wine and spirits, and Koreans lead the world in per capita spirits consumption. Ah, the wonders of soju.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Absolutely incredible video on getting a haircut in North Korea, among other things.
As always, Mr. Joo Seong-Ha does not disappoint. His latest installment on comparing the democratization trend in the Middle East with North Korea is translated below. (Please note that Mr. Joo's regular job is an international desk reporter at a major Korean daily.)
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Observing the successful citizen revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, many may have held a strand of hope that such citizen revolution could occur in North Korea as well. A considerable number of news articles in fact tried to analyze that link. But I am the opposite: seeing the Middle Eastern citizen revolution made me believe even stronger about the difficulty of toppling a true dictatorial regime. Without having to discuss any kingdoms, Libya is an excellent example. Libya is situated between Tunisia and Egypt, but not even a weak breeze of democracy can be felt. Actually, there is no way to tell from the outside whether there is even a breeze or not. Why?
Considering many aspects such as deification, oppression, isolation and information control, Libya as a dictatorial state is at a different level from Tunisia and Egypt. Muammar al-Gaddafi has been ruling for 42 years, much longer than Tunisia's Ben Ali (23 years) or Egypt's Hosni Mubarak (30 years). In Libya, even foreigners have to call Gaddafi the "Leader." Libya is a step beyond with respect to political oppression also. In Tunisia and Egypt, one can at least find out where the arrested person went; in Libya, once you disappear, that's it.
But the most prominent difference between Libya and Tunisia/Egypt is its isolation. Libya is different from Tunisia, which is considerably Westernized, and Egypt that welcomes millions of tourists every year. Though Libya began to improve its relationship with the West in 2003 by abandoning weapons of mass destruction, it had been under America's economic sanction for more than 20 years.
This is similar to North Korea and Cuba. North Korea and Libya also share other similarities, such as long-term dictatorship, deification, attempt at succession, oppression of political dissidents and control of the press. They also share similar themes, such as pursuit of socialism, one party system, anti-Americanism, support of terrorism and development of weapons of mass destruction. What is more, both regime sent their heir apparent to Switzerland to study.
But it is difficult to compare the level of authoritarian-ness between North Korea and Libya, which are both ruled by two dictators who were both born in 1942. North Korea has been a dictatorship for 66 years, since the times of Kim Il-Sung. It chugs along with three-generation succession. Libya does not have political prisons that hold hundreds of thousands, nor does it have guilt-by-association system like North Korea does. Libya's political prisoners are estimated at several hundreds, and several thousands at most.
Libya's isolation is no isolation at all compared to North Korea's. Nearly all Libyans have Internet access, and social network services like Facebook are fairly widespread. Libya also has more than a million foreign workers. It also has more than ten times per capita GDP. It is vastly different from North Korea, in which Internet and social networking are nonexistent, no foreigner can be seen outside of Pyongyang and beggars are all over the country.
It appears that the more apt comparison to Libya is Romania, whose authoritarianism fell with Nicolae Ceaucescu's execution in 1989. Regardless of the strength of Romania's dictatorship, it was deeply tied with its sponsor, the Soviet Union. The change in the Soviet Union meant change in Romania. Also, Eastern European countries had a close relationship at the communist party level, and ran their politics in a similar manner. Thus, they could not avoid the democratization dominoes.
But in Romania, the secret police (equivalent to North Korea's Security Bureau) fired indiscriminately to the protesting public in Bucharest. In just a few days there were 1142 dead and 3138 injured. Secret police's gunfires only ceased after the news of Ceaucescu's execution. Luckily, Romanian military did not shoot the protesters, as the head of the military withdrew the soldiers against the orders to suppress the protests. Some lower-ranking soldiers interpreted this to mean that it was ok for them to join the protesters, who then waged a battle against the secret police. If that didn't happen, how many citizens would have died? Especially if the military shot at the civilians? Even so, Romania had to pay a dear price of blood. This is how difficult it is to topple a true dictatorship.
In North Korea, which has much more sophisticated and ruthless dictatorship system and secret police than Libya or Romania, citizen revolution is that much more difficult. In fact, one can say there is no citizen to join the revolution. Nonetheless, if the flames of citizen revolution spreads to Libya, one may be able to have a feint hope on North Korea. One can recognize that even a strong dictatorship cannot avoid the wind of change if such wind reaches Libya.
But if Libya stands tall amidst the gusts from Tunisia and Egypt....
This past weekend, the Korean Parents had their friends visiting from Korea -- a couple in their late 50s. Unfortunately, the wife of the couple suddenly suffered a stroke on the second night staying with TKParents. TKParents called 911 and rushed them to the nearby hospital. The doctor there recommended going to UCLA Medical Center immediately, because the larger hospital had more sophisticated equipments and better doctors.
The couple refused. Why? Because they had previously lived in America, and they knew that going to UCLA Medical Center without an insurance meant spending upwards of $10,000. (The bill from the nearby hospital was several thousand dollars already.) They were fairly well-off in Korea too -- they would easily qualify as a middle class in the U.S. also. But $10,000 on top of whatever they owed already was a lot of money. So they elected to immediately return to Korea when, for all they know, the lady could be having a brain hemorrhage. She could hardly speak, move her arm or walk. TKParents pleaded that their friends go to the hospital, but to no avail.
They spoke to their doctor in Korea before boarding the plane -- luckily, the doctor thought she would be safe to fly. When she landed, the doctor was waiting for them in an ambulance at the airport. Then she was taken immediately to Asan Medical Center, one of the finest hospitals in Korea, and received MRI scan and treatment. The whole thing -- your doctor waiting at the airport, ambulance, MRI, medicine to clear the clogged arteries at a top-5 hospital in the country -- cost less than $600.
Please, spare the Korean of the politics. If you think America's healthcare system is just fine after reading this story, please try and explain how it is normal for a middle-class woman who just went through a stroke would rather fly 13 hours to receive treatment instead of going to one of the best hospitals in the world. If you are callous enough to suggest that the couple should have purchased travel insurance, the Korean will have you know the lady had no prior instance of stroke and really was very healthy previous to this episode.
The Korean is fucking enraged right now. He is embarrassed and pissed off. This is America. We are the richest and greatest country in the world. And the family friends decided to board the plane after a stroke rather than to trust an American hospital to save her life while not bankrupting them. That shouldn't be too much to ask. It should not be too much to ask America to take care of people's lives as much as Korea does. This is fucking disgraceful, and we Americans should all feel embarrassed.
The Korean, apparently, is big time nowadays -- he is receiving free new books from publishers in hopes of having them reviewed on the blog. Life as a Z-list celebrity is sweet.
So far the Korean has received several novels, but he did not really review any of them. Truth is, the Korean is not much of a novel reader at all. When he does, he only reads canonical texts for the sake of being more educated, not really for the sake of being entertained. Because of that, the Korean is not very capable of giving a good review of a novel.
But the most recent novel sent to the Korean was different. Your Republic is Calling You is a translated Korean novel. See, the Korean may not be a good novel reader, but he is a pretty damned good translator. So he may not be able to give a good novel review, he can give a solid translation review.
Korean original of Your Republic is Calling You
So the Korean went out and bought Korean version of Your Republic is Calling You, which is actually called 빛의 제국 (“Empire of Lights”). For the first half of the two books, the Korean first read a section of 빛의 제국, then read the same section in Your Republic is Calling You. Then for the second half, the Korean read through and finished 빛의 제국, then read through the entire second half of Your Republic is Calling You.
But first, a little bit about the novel itself. Kim Young-Ha is a promising young novelist in Korea, and this is his fourth novel. 빛의 제국 was originally published in 2006, and the English version was published in late 2010. The translator is Kim Chi-Young.
Kim Young-Ha
Your Republic begins with main character Kim Ki-Yong, a 42-year-old who runs a small movie import business in Seoul. He is married to his wife Ma-Ri who is a saleswoman at Volkswagen dealership. The couple has a daughter Hyon-Mi, a bright high school student with typical teenage angst. Ki-Yong leads a peaceful if lethargic life, until one morning, a mysterious email directs him to Order Number 4: “Liquidate everything and return immediately.” Now Ki-Yong, a North Korean spy who had been undercover for 21 years and received his last orders more than a decade ago, has one day to undo his life of two decades. On that same day, Ma-Ri and Hyon-Mi go through their own unusual, personal adventures.
“Kafkaesque” is the word that is often used to describe the tone of the novel. That description is fair, in a sense that Your Republic sterilely narrates events that appear to be manipulating individuals beyond their control. But with Kafka, it does not really matter where the story was set. The value of The Trial endures because the aspects of the modern legal system (or more generally, the modern state) identified in the novel resonates universally. In contrast, Your Republic is completely dependent upon the stage. Unlike the story of Josef K., Ki-Yong’s story can happen only in the context of the two Koreas.
Therein lies the translator’s challenge. The events and emotions attendant to that story may be very familiar to Koreans, but not necessarily so for non-Koreans. Like most translations are, it is not simply about conveying meaning -- it is also about conveying the emotions evoked by the meaning. So how did our translator do?
More after the jump. WARNING: many, many spoilers after the jump.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Discography:
(Regular albums only; "special" or "best" albums are too numerous and disorganized to trace.)
Sunrising Day [해뜰날] (1975)
The Looks [모습이] (1976)
20 Songs from Song Dae-Gwan [송대관 20곡집] (1976)
Song Dae-Gwan Solo [송대관 독집] (1977)
Me [나] (1977)
Myeongdong Vagabond [명동 나그네] (1978)
If You Go [당신이 가신다면] (1978)
Mi, Where are You [미야 너는 어디에] (1979)
With the Wife [아내와 같이] (1979)
Because of Jeong [정 때문에] (1989)
Who Are You To [네가 뭔데] (1991)
92 Song Dae-Gwan [92 송대관] (1992)
93 Song Dae-Gwan [93 송대관] (1993)
The Wife's Birthday [아내의 생일] (1994)
Song and Life [노래와 인생] (1998)
Memorial Album for Best Artist Award [최고 가수상 수상 기념] (2000)
Collection of Jo Dong-San [조동산 작품집] (2001)
Sorry I Loved You [사랑해서 미안해] (2005)
New Beginning [새출발] (2006)
For a Long, Long Time [오래오래] (2008)
Good Vibe [분위기 좋고] (2009)
Representative Song: Four Beats [네박자] from Song and Life
네박자 Four Beats
니가 기쁠때 내가 슬플때 누구나 부르는 노래
When you are happy, when I am sad, the song that everyone sings
내려보는 사람도 뒤를 보는 사람도 어차피 쿵짝이라네
A person looking down, a person looking back, after all they are all koong-jjak
쿵짝 쿵짝 쿵짜자 쿵짝 네박자 속에
Koong-jjak, koong-jjak, koong-jja-ja koong-jjak, in the four beats
사랑도 있고 이별도 있고 눈물도 있네
There is love, there are partings and there are also tears
한구절 한고비 꺾고 넘을때
Each refrain, each peak, as it is repeated and climbed over
우리네 사연을 담는
Carrying the stories of us
울고 웃는 인생사 연극같은 세상사
The crying and laughing matters of our lives, the matters of the world like a play
세상사 모두가 네박자 쿵짝
All the matters of the world, just four beats koong-jjak.
쿵짝 쿵짝 쿵짜자 쿵짝 네박자 속에
Koong-jjak, koong-jjak, koong-jja-ja koong-jjak, in the four beats
사랑도 있고 이별도 있고 눈물도 있네
There is love, there are partings and there are also tears
짠짠 짜라라라 짠짠짠 짜리 짜리라라 짜라짠
Jjanjjan Jjararara Jjanjjanjjan Jjari Jjarirara Jjarajjan
나 그릴울때 너 외로울때 혼자서 부르는 노래
When I am longing, when you are lonely, this song that we sing alone
내가 잘난 사람도 지가 못난 사람도 어차피 쿵짝이라네
A person who's so great, a person who is not so, after all they are all koong-jjak
쿵짝 쿵짝 쿵짜자 쿵짝 네박자 속에
Koong-jjak, koong-jjak, koong-jja-ja koong-jjak, in the four beats
사랑도 있고 이별도 있고 눈물도 있네
There is love, there are partings and there are also tears
한구절 한고비 꺾고 넘을때
Each refrain, each peak, as it is repeated and climbed over
우리네 사연을 담는
Carrying the stories of us
울고 웃는 인생사 연극같은 세상사
The crying and laughing matters of our lives, the matters of the world like a play
세상사 모두가 네박자 쿵짝
All the matters of the world, just four beats koong-jjak.
쿵짝 쿵짝 쿵짜자 쿵짝 네박자 속에
Koong-jjak, koong-jjak, koong-jja-ja koong-jjak, in the four beats
사랑도 있고 이별도 있고 눈물도 있네
There is love, there are partings and there are also tears
짠짠 짜라라라 짠짠짠 짜리 짜리라라 짜라짠
Jjanjjan Jjararara Jjanjjanjjan Jjari Jjarirara Jjarajjan
Translation Note: Koong-jjak is an onomatopoeia for the sounds of a drumbeat. It has no meaning otherwise.
Interesting Trivia: Song Dae-Gwan's grandfather was Song Yeong-Geun, a registered Independence Movement Patriot recognized for serving as a regional leader in the March 1 Movement in 1919. He was imprisoned and tortured by Imperial Japanese authorities, and died a few months after he was released from prison.
35. Tae Jin-Ah [태진아]
Years of Activity: 1982-present
Discography:
(Regular albums only; "special" or "best" albums are too numerous and disorganized to trace.)
Representative Song: Okgyeong-i [옥경이], from Tae Jin-Ah 2
옥경이 Okgyeong-I
희미한 불빛 아래 마주 앉은 당신은
You, sitting across under the dim light
언젠가 어디선가 본 듯한 얼굴인데
The face seems familiar from somewhere some time
고향을 물어 보고 이름을 물어봐도
Try asking her hometown, try asking her name
잃어버린 이야긴가 대답하지 않네요
Might be a lost story, she does not answer
바라보는 눈길이 젖어 있구나
The gazing eyes are moist
너도 나도 모르게 흘러간 세월아
The time that flowed away without you or me noticing
어디서 무엇을 하며 어떻게 살았는지
Where, what, how have you lived
물어도 대답없이 고개 숙인 옥경이
Asked, but Okgyeong hangs her head without an answer
바라보는 눈길이 젖어 있구나
The gazing eyes are moist
너도 나도 모르게 흘러간 세월아
The time that flowed away without you or me noticing
어디서 무엇을 하며 어떻게 살았는지
Where, what, how have you lived
물어도 대답없이 고개 숙인 옥경이
Asked, but Okgyeong hangs her head without an answer
Translation Note:Okgyeong is an old-school woman's name. It is actually the name of Tae Jin-Ah's wife.
Interesting Trivia: Tae Jin-Ah is a stage name constructed by taking one letter from three prominent trot singers -- Tae Hyeon-Sil, Nam Jin and Nah Hoon-Ah.
In 15 Words or Less: The twin pillars of trot that kept the genre alive.
Maybe they should be ranked lower because... How much does trot mean in the K-pop scene today? Is it any more than a novelty act?
Maybe they should be ranked higher because... Longevity counts when it comes to influence. There might be only one or two other artists who had a 30+ year run of success like these two.
Why are these artists important? As discussed previously in this series, trot has an awkward place in Korean pop history. It has very obvious roots to Japan's colonization of Korea, which evokes many bad memories. The music itself is thoroughly unoriginal, with its cheesy lyrics, unimaginative use of the same instruments (punctuated by the dreadful beats from mechanical drum boxes,) and the same goddamn one-two beat that just does not change no matter how many different songs are "composed." Instead of an expression of artistic endeavor, titles of trot albums read like an automobile model. ("Have you heard the 2005 Tae Jin-Ah yet?")
Young K-pop fans who follow the pretty faces like DBSK or SNSD consider trot to be decrepit. The too-serious K-pop aficionados (the Korean himself included) consider it to be hackneyed, stale, unoriginal. But the haters of trot must face this inevitable, uncomfortable truth that in Korea, trot simply refuses to die. One can talk about all the flaws of trot as a music until one's face turns blue, but trot fans of Korea will only turn up the volume.
So forget all your high-brow theories of what makes music great. Forget all the bullshit about conveying wrenching emotions or using innovative new sounds. And just listen to the music. Better yet, watch a performance live. Then you can understand why artists like Song Dae-Gwan and Tae Jin-Ah survived as celebrities for more than three decades. The one-two beat may be overused, but it's still catchy as hell. The lyrics are cheesy, but they still contain a sharp bit of satire or a maudlin piece of melancholy. It is so easy to bop your shoulders, so natural to sing along. (And another thing -- look at their clothes. They're pimps! Is there any other K-pop genre that comes with such surreal, over-the-top fashion sense?)
In fact, surviving is the perfect term to describe the career of Tae and Song. Korea in the 1970s and 80s was a very, very different place from Korea today. People liked different things back then. Yet Song Dae-Gwan and Tae Jin-Ah somehow churn out seemingly the same music year after year for more than three decades, and they keep showing up on TV while the younger, prettier faces change every month. And Korean people of 2010s are still attending their concerts, still buying their records. Even the younger generation is slowly returning to the fold, as Song and Tae act as a producer for a new generation of younger trot singers. Say what you will about their music, but there is no denying their influence.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
By now, you know the drill. First, the updated annual rant.
Dear Commissioner Goodell,
Do you want to spread football to other countries? Then bring a goddamn franchise to Los Angeles.
Do you know how many Koreans watch MLB as Dodgers fans because Dodgers brought Chan-Ho Park? Do you ever wonder why there are 1.6 billion Houston Rockets fans? It is thanks to this guy named Yao Ming. Manchester United, the world's most successful sports franchise, opened up a whole new market by signing Park, Ji-Sung. Do you see a trend?
Currently Pittsburgh Steelers is probably the only NFL team that any Korean knows because Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward is half-Korean. Thanks to Hines Ward, this Super Bowl featuring the Steelers will surely be broadcast live on Korean television, and Korean people will stay up late to watch it. Think about how amazing that is. Your league has made zero efforts to advertise in Korea, but people in that market are watching NFL, even though they know practically nothing about the sport.
A hypothetical LA team would naturally recruit heavily on Asian and Hispanic population to appeal to the local demographic. Even if it does not, it will attract Asian American and Hispanic American fans, who will naturally transmit their love of football through their frequent traffic with their homelands. Sooner or later, people in Asia and Central/South America would be watching football! It's that simple!
You somehow seem to be married to the idea of spreading football in Europe. The Korean has to ask: Why? Why obsess over that London game, when 16 years of NFL Europa plainly showed that Europeans do not care about football? Both MLB and NBA realize that Asia is the future of professional sports. Asia has an up-and-coming economy, and its people are receptive to new forms of entertainment.
The Korean will repeat: BRING A FRANCHISE TO LOS ANGELES. It will pay off in more ways than you can ever imagine. The Korean will write the same rant every year until you comply.
Sincerely,
The Korean
The Korean cannot be happier with this year's Super Bowl matchup. Because of the lack of an NFL team in Los Angeles, the Korean has no NFL team to be a fan of. So he aimlessly casts about his allegiance to any NFL team that might give him a hook, and Steelers and Packers are as good as any. On one hand, Steelers has Hines Ward, the greatest Korean American athlete in American pro sports. On the other hand, Packers are led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the greatest QB in California Golden Bears history who surely reached superstardom through this impressive playoff run. As a bonus, Packers also has linebacker Desmond Bishop, another graduate of Cal. No matter which team wins, the Korean has already won.
Can you come back to play for the Golden Bears
for just one season Aaron? We freakin' suck without you.
A fun tidbit about Rodgers. The Korean went to Berkeley the same time Rodgers did. At the time Rodgers was on the Cal football team, the team's punter was an extremely good looking blond Australian with a kicking accent. The joke around the school was that Cal was the only school where the punter gets more girls than the quarterback.
But the greatness of Rodgers is no joke. Packers' excellent corps of receivers will thrive in the domed stadium in Dallas, and Packers' underrated defense will shred the gimpy Pittsburgh O-line.
The Korean's pick: Packers 24, Steelers 20.
The Korean's Glorious History of Super Bowl Picks That Are Never Wrong Was Wrong Only Once Because Peyton Manning Chokes Like a Bitch
First of all, happy new year of the Rabbit for you and everyone. Today is the Lunar New Year's Day. (Please don't call it Chinese New Year. Koreans, Vietnamese, Mongolians and other Asian countries also celebrate the Lunar New Year.)
The Korean already explained Korea's traditions surrounding Lunar New Year in this post. But this question is about the name by which Koreans call Lunar New Year -- gujeong. Why is this word interesting? Because the word means "old new year." Then what is the "new new year"? Why is there an "old new year" and "new new year" in the first place?
Answer: Japan. Traditionally, Korea has celebrated the Lunar New Year. But Japan celebrated the solar new year by 1910, when it annexed Korea. After the annexation, Japan imposed the "new new year" -- what is now referred to as shinjeong. (By now, you might have guessed that gu means "old," shin means "new" and jeong means "new year.") After the liberation, majority of Koreans went back to celebrating the "old new year," although some number of families remained celebrating the "new new year."
Again, happy new year to everyone! Here is a nice bowl of tteokguk (rice cake soup) for the occasion.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? email away at askakorean@gmail.com.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Americans are the fattest people in the industrialized world, while Koreans are the slimmest. There are many reasons for this, but one huge factor is diet. The Korean will have a post about the healthiness of Korean diet, but the most important point, for the Korean, is this: Koreans eat less. Portion size served in restaurants in Korea is anywhere between half to two-thirds of portion size in America.
Now, American government seems to have taken notice, which is a good news.
The Korean is a Korean American living in Washington D.C. He lived in Seoul until he was 16, then moved to Los Angeles area. The Korean refers to himself in the third person because he thinks it sounds cool.
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