Behind the Myth: The Many Invasions of Korea
How often has Korea really been invaded?
Tag: c. adam volle
Behind the Myth: General Douglas MacArthur
Was General Douglas MacArthur worthy of worship?
Remembering the Gwangju Democratic Uprising
Texas has the Battle of the Alamo. Israel has the Siege of Masada. Greece has the Battle of Thermopylae. And the people of Gwangju – along with every Korean who identifies with them – have their memories of May 18-27, 1980.
Swastikas: The Wheels of Time
As with so much else, the swastika, or man (Hangul: 만, from 만자) is said to have arrived in Korea with the Buddha, who supposedly bore the sigil upon both his heart and his feet.
The Color of Nirvana
The pitcher was small and stoneware, but it was green celadon, what Koreans call cheong-ja (청자), and an antique besides, over five hundred years old – crafted in an era of Korean history as renowned for its ceramics as the European Renaissance is for painting.
Buddha’s Birthday
May 28th afforded 2012’s best opportunity to contemplate the father he’s been, as the lunar calendar declared it once again Buddha’s Birthday (부처님 오신 날, lit. “The day when the Buddha came”), on which he became 2,575 years old. Or possibly 2,636. Unless he’s 3,900.