The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

South Korea: three ideas to take the country's new tempo

2022-06-27T05:19:47.640Z


Omnipresent on the cultural scene in the last decade, the land of the Morning Calm belies its nickname. Three proposals to take the pulse of this nation on the move.


artsy capital

As a cutting-edge megalopolis, Seoul confirms its position as the new Asian mecca for style.

Exit the sumptuous Gangnam and the Korean Wall Street of Yeouido, we head for the Bukchon district, a traditional part of the city where the hanoks defy time.

These houses, built according to the architecture of the Three Kingdoms (– 57 to 668), now welcome passing visitors who, each evening, unroll their yo (type of futon) before lying down on the floor.

During the day, we discover the capital from an arty angle.

You can choose between a visit to the Leeum Museum, renowned for its collection of contemporary Korean art, or a stroll through the Starfield Library, which has become the darling of Instagram for its spectacular architecture.

Les Maisons du Voyage

(Tel.: 01 40 51 95 15).

From €1,745 for a 7-day/5-night stay, with flights from Paris, transfers and 5 nights in a luxury hanok with Korean breakfast.

At the school of K-pop

At Nacel, language lessons are combined with singing and dancing sessions to reproduce the choreographies of popular music groups.

Nacel / Press service

The international enthusiasm for Korean culture seems exponential.

As long as we have watched K-pop clips, pop music produced in Korea, that we revel in bibimbap, that we are a fan of manhwa (comics), that we are passionate about the phenomenal Squid Game series or whether we watch the films of Bong Joon-ho, multi-award-winning director of Parasite, the wave seems to have spread to all sections of society.

Faced with this phenomenon called "Hallyu", literally "Korean wave", the language travel specialist Nacel has inaugurated a new formula dedicated to K-pop.

On the program, language lessons associated with singing and dancing sessions to reproduce the choreographies of popular music groups.

Cultural activities related to K-pop,

visits to museums and introductions to Korean gastronomy and rituals are also offered to participants.

Lessons (all levels, from beginner to advanced) take place at the Rolling Korea school in the student district of Hongdae.

The ideal place to take a bath of youth and immerse yourself in the Seoul frenzy.

Nacel

(Tel.: 05 65 76 55 25), from €1,329 per week, accommodation in an apartment, 18 hours of Korean lessons, 4 singing and dancing sessions and 3 hours of activities related to K- pop included (flights not included).

Accessible from 16 years old, no visa required.

Between the lines

The work of Frédéric Ojardias.

Ateliers Henry Dougier / Press office

Who are the South Koreans really?

There's Ko Dong-bin, the professional gamer;

Kang Mi-jin, the North Korean refugee in Seoul;

Im Sun-rye, the leader of the new cinematographic wave and other writers, entrepreneurs, artists... Under the pen of Frédéric Ojardias, former correspondent of the newspaper La Croix in Seoul, 22 protagonists tell their stories and depict unexpected facets of this people.

Under the high-tech and westernized varnish, we find it as

"lyrical, juggling and emotional"

as Nicolas Bouvier described it in 1970. A hard-hitting work like a declaration of love to a country mistreated by History - Japanese colonization, the Korean War, a destructive division – and to its fire-hardened women and men.

The South Koreans

, by Frédéric Ojardias, Ateliers Henry Dougier, collection “Lines of life of a people”, 144 p., €14.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2022-06-27

You may like

News/Politics 2024-01-31T02:48:51.840Z

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.