Korean
Events
NOTE:
Please check with event organizers to verify event time, location,
and details before making any travel
arrangements.
EVENTS IN
KOREA
Tobeki Storm - Year
Round
Cheongdo Bullfighting
Festival - March
Pusan (Busan)
International Film Festival - October
Royal Guard Changing
Ceremony - March - December
Poryong Mud Festival
- July
Puchon International
Fantastic Film Festival - July
Nanta (Cookin' in
English) - July-December
Celadon Cultural
Festival - Late July
Seoul International
Cartoon & Animation Festival -
August
Andong International
Mask Dance Festival - Sept 29 - Oct 8
Baekje Cultural
Festival - October
Gwangju
(Kwangju) Kimchi Festival - Mid-October
EVENTS IN THE UNITED
STATES
San Francisco Korean
American Film Festival - Feb 7 - Feb
12
Soccer - South Korea
National Team vs. Los Angeles Galaxy - Feb
8
Soccer -
Woongjincoway Invitational World Cup Class Soccer
South Korea
National Team vs. Costa Rica - Feb 11
Soccer - South Korea
National Team vs. Los Angeles Galaxy - Feb 15
Eun-Sun Lee
Violin Recital - Feb 16
Yangsan Province
(Yangsando): Korean Film Screening & Discussion
-
Feb 23
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EVENTS IN
KOREA
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TOKEBI STORM
When: Year
Round
Where:
F1 Gyeonghyang Daily Bldg.,
Jeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
‘Tokebi Storm’ is a nonverbal music performance based
on pungmul, a beloved folk tradition in Korea. Tokebi are not
ghosts; rather, they are imaginary characters and since ancient
times, Koreans believe that they bring fortune to the virtuous and
punishment to the bad. In this show, the tokebi characters are
adapted to a modern and more sophisticated style. An important
element of the show is the satire, humanism, and talent expressed
by the tokebi characters. In August 2001, the show received the
Herald Angel Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the
world’s largest performing arts festival.
Website:
http://www.tokebistorm.com (opens new window)
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events
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Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival
When:
March
Where:
Cheongdo Bullfighting Ring,
Cheongdo, South Korea
The Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival is far from this image of
matador challenging a bull. This is no battle of human wit against
animal aggression. This is a fair fight, head-to-head,
horn-to-horn, bull against bull.
Bullfighting in Korea is a 1000-year old tradition. Nowadays
bullfighting is an immensely popular sport in Korea. The Cheongdo
Festival is the biggest of Korea's bullfighting events. 150,000 are
expected to attend and will witness bouts between the bulls and
their handlers, some lasting as long as an hour. It is not all
about strength and aggression - these carefully trained bulls are
awarded points, in much the same way as martial arts, for such
recognised moves as pushing, head attack, and neck
attack.
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Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival
When:
October
Where:
Pusan (Busan), Korea
This annual international film festival was first held in 1966 and
shows over 200 films from over 50 different countries. Almost
200,000 people are expected to attend.
Website:
http://info.piff.org/ (opens new window)
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events
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Royal Guard Changing Ceremony
When:
Mar – Dec (daily
except Mondays)
Where:
Changdeokgung Palace,
Seoul, Korea
Visitors can experience a re-enactment of Korean military tradition
- the changing of the Royal Guards - at the Changdeokgung Palace in
Seoul. This ceremony has been reenacted since 1996. In traditional
costumes, the sentries change the guard at the main gates of
Gyeongbokgung, Deoksugung and Changdeokgung Palaces in central
Seoul. Palace gate guardsmen end their sentry duty, present arms
and parade.
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events
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Poryong Mud Festival
When:
July
Where:Taechon
Beach, Poryong City, South Korea
Korea's Poryong Mud Festival promises to bring out the mucky child
in everyone. Mud has long been known to be a marvellous treatment
for skin and Koreans know this only too well, so smear yourself in
mud and make your skin shine. The mud festival takes place every
summer, during which mud packs are applied to the entire body. The
mud from Poryong apparently contains important minerals which
reduce wrinkles and remove excess oils from the skin surface. Aside
from the general mud bathing, there are also plenty of other
ceremonies taking place during the festival; Mud Body Painting
Contests, a Mud Beauty Contest, Mud Massages and even a Mud
Sculpture contest!
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events
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Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival
When:
July
Where:
Puchon, Korea
PiFan (as the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival is known
for short) is cinematic festival involving science fiction, horror
and fantasy.
Website:
http://www.pifan.or.kr/ (opens new window)
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events
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NANTA (COOKIN' in English)
When: July -
December
Where:
Jeong-dong A&C,
Jeong-dong 15-1, Jung-gu, Seoul
Literally meaning random drum-beats, ‘Nanta’ is a non
verbal performance based on the rhythms of samullori (traditional
Korean percussion) unique to Korea. Debuting in 1997, the show has
drawn the largest audiences in the history of performing arts in
Korea. Winning international acclaim, it also became the first
Asian show to stage a long off-way Broadway show in February 2004.
Nanta has been hailed for successfully adapting the Korean
percussion tradition to modern performance styles. The show is
designated as one of the ‘Ten Things to See in Seoul’
by the Korea National Tourism
Organization.
Website:
http://www.nanta.co.kr (opens new window)
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events
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Celadon Cultural Festival
When: Late
July
Where:
Gangjin
Koryo celadon is one of Korea's unique cultural assets that enjoys
international acclaim. Its aesthetic patterns and jade color, in
particular, are admired for their sublime beauty. For those who
want to see for themselves the secrets of making Koryo celadon, a
trip to Gangjin, the birthplace and a major production base of
Koryo celadon in South Cholla Province, during the Celadon Cultural
Festival is expected to be a memorable experience.The festival held
in late July offers visitors various opportunities to enjoy
cultural experiences and fun at the same time. Programs will
include workshops, exhibitions, performances of traditional and
contemporary music, dance and other artistic genres as well as
``do-it-yourself’’ events.
Website:
www.gangjinfes.or.kr (opens new window)
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events
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Seoul International Cartoon & Animation
Festival
When:
August
Where:
Seoul, Korea
This
annual event started in 1997 and encompasses features and shorts,
TV-commissioned and internet films, all animated. It will de
running at the Coex Center for six days.
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events
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Andong International Mask Dance Festival
When: September 29
– October 8
Where:
Andong and Hahoe
Village
The theme of this year's festival, the tenth of its kind, is
“stylishness and excitement of yangban.” Yangban refers
to Korea's ruling elite, especially during the Choson Kingdom
(1392-1910). In old times, direct criticism of the yangban was
strictly forbidden, so the lower classes satirized them while
wearing masks, and the performances developed into various mask
dances in different regions. All these mask dances, designated as
important intangible cultural assets, are performed at the Andong
Festival, along with famous mask dances of other nations. Visitors
will have an opportunity to learn how to perform mask dances of the
world and make masks. Various folk events are also to be held,
including the Chajon Nori in which about 5,000 people will
participate.
Website:
http://www.maskdance.com (opens new window)
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events
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Baekje Cultural Festival
When:
October
Where:
Buyeo-gun & GongJu,
South Korea
This is one of the biggest cultural festivals in South Korea. It
remembers and celebrates the achievements of the Baekje (or
Paekche) civilization which flourished in Korea from 18BC-660AD.
Widely acknowledged by scholars to have been an apogee in the
history of Korean art and culture, its influence on Japan is also
well documented.
The Festival is held in alternate years in the cities of GongJu and
Buyeo. These cities were the capitals of the ancient Baekje
kingdom.
The Baekje Festival attracts more than 10,000 people. Spectacular
performing arts are staged - there is a Baekje Spirit Fire Torch
Ceremony, Shamanistic Rituals, a King's Parade, a Lotus Lantern
Parade by Buddhist monks in orange robes as well as masked dances
and the Flower Crown Dance.
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events
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Annual Gwangju Kimchi Festival
When:
Mid
October
Where:
Gwangju, Korea
This annual event spans several days highlighting Korea's kimchi
culture. Visitors can watch several cultural-events (traditional
wedding, folk music, clothes), participate in contests (kimchi
making, singing), and, of course, see and buy many different types
of kimchi and other types of fermented foods.
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events
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EVENTS IN THE UNITED
STATES
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San Francisco Korean American Film Festival
When: February 7
– February 12
Where:
San Francisco Bay
Area
The 4th annual San Francisco Korean American Film Festival is the
largest Korean international festival in the United States. This
year’s event will be the largest festival to date with many
South Korean guest such as Director Kang Je kyu (Taegukgi and
Shiri) as well as Korean American film makers and forum panelists
from Notre Dame, SFSU, Stanford and others.
Website:
http://www.mykima.org/ (opens new
window)
Information:
415-776-2388
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events
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Soccer - South Korea National Team vs. Los Angeles Galaxy
When: Wednesday,
February 8
Where:
Home Depot Center, Carson,
CA
Watch the Korean National Team take on the MLS Cup Champions in an
international exhibition match. Korea Republic's match against the
Galaxy is part of an eight-game tour that will see them play in the
United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and the
USA.
Tickets:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/ (opens new window)
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events
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Soccer - Woongjincoway Invitational World Cup Class Soccer
South Korea National Team vs. Costa Rica
When: Saturday,
February 11
Where:
McAfee Coliseum, Oakland,
CA
Watch the Korean National Team play the Costa Rican National Team
in an International friendly match leading up to the 2006 World
Cup. The Korean Republic's match is part of an eight-game tour that
will see them play in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Hong
Kong and the USA.
Tickets:
http://www.ticketmaster.com (opens new window)
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events
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South Korea National Team vs. Mexico
When: Saturday,
February 15
Where:
LA Coliseum, Los Angeles,
CA
Watch the Korean National Team play the Mexican National Team in an
International friendly match leading up to the 2006 World Cup. The
Korean Republic's match is part of an eight-game tour that will see
them play in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and
the USA.
Tickets:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/ (opens new window)
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events
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Eun-Sun Lee Violin Recital
When: Thursday,
February 16, 2006, 7 pm
Where:
Korean Cultural Service New
York
A renowned violinist, Eun-Sun Lee, will be holding a violin recital
at the Korean Cultural Service New York. Eun-Sun Lee received her
Bachelor and Master Degrees from The Juilliard School in New York
City, where she was a scholarship pupil of Dorothy Delay. In 1994,
she received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University
of Southern California as a a teaching assistant to Eudice Shapiro.
Ms. Lee has performed in world class venues such as the Carnegie
Hall, Kaufman Concert Hall at the 92nd Street Y, and Lincoln
Center, to name a few. This event is co-organized by The Korea
Music Foundation.
Program includes Sonata IV in D
Major (Handel), Romance for Violin (Zwilich), and Sonata in D
Major, Op. 94a (Prokofieff). Piano accompaniment by Fabio
Parrini.
Free admission. Please make a reservation at 212-759-9550 /
Korea Music Foundation at 212-942-5978
Website:
http://koreamusicfoundation.org (opens new window)
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events
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Yangsan Province (Yangsando): Korean Film Screening &
Discussion
When: Thursday,
February 23, 6:30 pm
Where:
Korean Cultural Service New
York
Directed by Ki-young Kim, Running time: 90 mins.
This classic tale by director Ki-young Kim revolves around the
touching tale of Soo-dong and Ok-ran who are bound by a marriage
pledge made by their parents. The arranged marriage falls apart, as
a new gentleman suitor attempts to steal away the bride just before
the wedding. This film is one of Director Kim's earlier
works-filmed in 1955. Director Kim is known as the originator of
Korean cult classics in Korea's movie industry. Guest Speaker Ms.
Hyun-Ock Im will briefly introduce the film and lead a discussion
after the end of the movie.
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events
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