**Last updated on: 15 October 2020**
In my blog post dated 6 May 2017 on Korean banknotes, you may learn more about some famous Korean historical figures through their portraits on the banknotes. In fact, you also have the chance to do so when you’re walking around in South Korea – some of the roads are named after some great Korean historical figures. In this blog post, I will share some examples with you. Continue reading
With the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics drawing near, there are special exhibitions held to celebrate this great event in South Korea. Apart from the tiger-related special exhibition held in the National Museum of Korea mentioned in my blog post dated 28 January 2018, a special exhibition entitled “Korean Sports, a History Written in Sweat” is currently held in the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History until 4 March 2018. Continue reading
If you have been to Cheonggyecheon (or Cheonggye Stream) in Seoul, have you noticed the mural (an extract of which is shown in the above photo) between the Gwanggyo Bridge (광교) and the Samilgyo Bridge (삼일교)? The mural is an extract from the Uigwe (의궤 – literally means “a model for rituals”), the Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty. The Uigwe was inscribed into the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 2007. Let’s talk about the valuable Uigwe in this blog post. Continue reading
In the past couple of weeks, I watched some of my favourite Korean TV dramas aired sometime ago again, and one of them is the “Queen In-Hyun’s Man” (인현왕후의 남자). In this TV drama, the male protagonist, a scholar supporting the reinstatement of the deposed Queen In-Hyun in the Joseon Dynasty time-travelled to the 2012 Seoul, and fell in love with an actress who was cast as Queen In-Hyun in a TV drama. The male protagonist read the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty (the “Joseon Annals”) in 2012 Seoul to learn about the history of his time, and time-travelled back to the Joseon Dynasty to use this knowledge to beat his political opponents. In fact, the Joseon Annals are the only extant dynastic annals in South Korea – they are designated national treasure of South Korea and are inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. Let’s learn more about them in this post. Continue reading
One popular theme in Korean TV dramas is travelling to the past. While we do not have the time machine to help us do so, there are some good places in Seoul where you can experience and learn about the past Korea through different means. In fact, the history is an important part of a country’s culture, and if you are interested in Korean culture, it is worthwhile to go to these places to learn more about the Korean history. Continue reading
**Last updated on: 15 October 2020**
Question: What do Korean King Sejong and Leonardo da Vinci have in common?
Answer: Both are men of many talents and great inventors.
Leonardo da Vinci is well-known as a painter but he is also an inventor, sculptor, mathematician and engineer. Like da Vinci, Korean King Sejong also had talents in many fields and with the help of his subordinates, had introduced a large number of inventions with huge impact on the society not only during his reign but even today. Continue reading
**Last updated on: 15 October 2020**
Question: How is the famous Korean Admiral Yi Sun-shin (이순신) like David, the shepherd boy who defeated Goliath?
Answer: Like David, Admiral Yi Sun-shin confronted and defeated a giant.
The story about the defeat of the giant, Goliath, by David is well-known. In South Korea, this summer, the blockbuster movie ‘The Admiral: Roaring Currents’ has reminded people of a similar story about the Korean national hero, Admiral Yi Sun-shin. Continue reading
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