December News Round Up
The Concerts at Pungam Lake Close for Winter
The final curtain came down on the Pungam Lake (풍암조수지) Concerts for 2012 at the beginning of last month (November 3). Seo-gu’s District Office put on these concerts to provide local residents with a nice backdrop to the relaxing atmosphere at the lake every Saturday starting in April. To keep up an eclectic mix, 25 different groups have represented pop, dance music, Korean traditional percussion music and instrumental ensembles throughout the year. An average crowd of 500 came to each show with a total of 13,000 people enjoying the entire series this year. Due to increased participation from residents, artists and members of amateur clubs, 13 extra concerts were held on weekdays this year. This series was the only one held every Saturday in Gwangju and contributed to a rebirth of local music and satisfied the residents’ growing demand for a cultural outlet. According to one Seo-gu official, “These small concerts present the joy of becoming one with nature. Because this year’s concerts were so popular, the music will continue in 2013.” For those interested in playing next year, contact Seo-gu at 360-7596 for more details.
Mount Mudeung Yellow Bus Goes into Hibernation
The City announced the suspension of the Yellow Bus that runs around Mount Mudeung at the end of November. It will resume service in March 2013 but has stopped service for the upcoming winter. At the announcement city officials cited the risks of accidents during the winter and low demand as reason to suspend winter service. Service will resume in March, when it picks back up the bus will run every weekend starting from the Gwangju Station. Notable stops along the way are Chungjangsa, Soswaewon and Jeungsimsa. In all, there are 23 stops and it takes 2 1/2 hours at a cost of 2,000 won. A tour guide also tags along for the ride to provide commentary (Korean) with folktales, history and hiking routes of Mount Mudeung.
Free Library in Pungam Lake Open for Business
Our next story takes us back to Pungam Lake, where the Seogu District Office has announced that an unsupervised library has opened for residents. This will serve as the only library of its kind in Gwangju and is said to be available year-round for everyone. This library contains around 300 titles including children’s books, essays, novels, etc. Seo-gu is taking donations from residents to help promote the materials available at the library and to spread the culture of sharing. Donations can be made through Seo-gu Office Culture Sports Division or the Eco-Learning Library. Another way is to personally add to the list of donations by simply leaving books at the library. A Seo-gu official said that he “hopes residents will use this library and make it a precious place where people can meet through books.”
International Astronomy Olympiad 2012, Korea Wins First Place
The 17th International Astronomy Olympiad was held at the Honam Small Business Training Institute and Korea took first prize with three gold, one silver, and two bronze medals with all representative students receiving prizes. In this year’s tournament 93 students from 22 countries took part, and after the final medal tally, Russia finished second and Romania came in third place respectively. The tournament took place over nine days and included competitions in theory, observation, and other work related to astronomy. There were also a variety of programs that introduced Korean culture and industry to foreign students and spectators. Astronomy figures from around the globe – along with Korean experts – took part as judges and this rendition of the Olympiad made the fifth time that Korea took first prize. The country has participated since the 8th Olympiad in Sweden. 2013’s version of the International Astronomy Olympiad will take place in Lithuania and the competition is set to begin on September 5.