Unsung Heroes
The anthem of the May 18 Democratic Movement has become divisive.
Tag: korean history
홍익인간 弘益人間 (Hong Yik In Gan)
What is the meaning of the ROK’s formal motto?
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.
A History and Use of Ondol: Korea’s Traditional Heating System
The ondol, Korea’s traditional underfloor heating system, has not only heated the houses of Korea for thousands of years, it has also, by its very use, shaped and landscaped Korean culture and lifestyle as we witness and experience it to this very day.
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.