The Dessert of the Tartars

A bit like Nessie or Buzzati's fabled Tartars, we kept waiting for it every year but it never showed up. And all of a sudden, it just landed. 

Korea's first Nobel Prize in literature. 

The prestigious award didn't crown a veteran in the HWANG Sok-yong, YI Mun-yol or KIM Hoon tradition (the poet KO Un has long been metooed out of the race), but a confirmed 50-something author who (sorry KIM Young-ha and Co., but that makes it even better) happens to be female. 

After her 2016 International Booker Prize and last year's Prix Medicis, HAN Kang completes a powerful global hat trick.

Great to see a modern author claim the spotlights - I'm sure other sides of the highly diverse Korean literature will also receive the exposure they deserve.

This sweet victory comes right after Korean cuisine brilliantly showcased its incredible diversity and creativity through Netflix's droolingly addictive 'Culinary Class Wars'.

As K-pop faces growing signs of 'K-fatigue' and the local movie ecosystem struggles, it's really refreshing to see Korean literature and cuisine grab the headlines... In case you needed positive answers to the question "Can Korea sustain its cultural leadership?"...

If you love Korean food, don't miss CCW. Fantastic dishes, amazing chefs, and a fun jury duet combining PAIK Jong-won (not always that demanding for his own venues) with ANH Sung-jae (merciless but fair)

Not a HAN Kang miracle; yet another prestigious international nod

Sorry boys, you lost these Literary Class Wars. Gotta up your game for Season 2!

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Sustainable and Smart Tourism in Korea - a SWOT analysis

My presentation at last week's 2016 Sustainable and Smart Tourism Forum can be downloaded there. As the title suggest, "Sustainable and Smart Tourism in Korea - a SWOT analysis", provides an overview of Korea's Strenghts, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats regarding this hopefully future-proof approach of tourism. It starts with simple definitions, and a focus on the 'Korean Wave Dependence' that illustrates how a cultural asset can become a liability*.


Thank you again, Catherine GERMIER-HAMEL, for organizing the event, and best wishes to all participants, particularly to the younger generations of innovators in sustainable solutions.  

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* that section echoes my 2013 presentation at the first World Congress for Hallyu, "Heralding cultural diversity - a stronger and more sustainable Korean wave" (Part I, Part II, Part III). 

What's cooking, Korea?

In a recent focus on the decline of home made banchan in Korea*, Korea Joongang Daily mentioned busy schedules, and the boom in HMR (Home Made Replacement) products, new online services (e.g. The Banchan, about to be purchased by food major Dongwon Group), or restaurants proposing home food (jipbap).

Korea's tradition of homemade banchan is vaning. Many new products and services indeed (20160810 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/763151485890809856)

To me, even more than the arrival of hypermarkets, the emergence of SSM or Super-SuperMarket  (dominated by the same oligopoly: Lotte Super, HomePlus Express, E-mart everyday) accelerated changes in HMR variety and packaging, particularly when it comes to targeting specific demographics, like single households. And as all the major producers seeked for differenciation, the HMR offer evolved from classic dishes to more creative recipes. 

Yet that creativity has yet to emerge for banchan in the Korean distribution, even online.

If theBanchan is more a food market before than a banchan specialist, it does offer a wide range of banchan, but without revisiting the classics. Furthermore, big food groups taking over this kind of potentially disruptive players doesn't bode well for diversity in the future.

I'm less worried about fewer Koreans preparing their own banchan - a logical trend - than about Korean palates being exposed to fewer kinds of banchan. And over the past few years, the decline in diversity for side dishes offered in Korea's mom and pop restaurants has been very spectacular. If it's linked to their struggle to stay in business in these times of crisis, old customer habits don't help: many remain reluctant to pay a fair price for Korean food (yet ready to pay way too much for mediocre Foreign food). 

The good news is that Korea, as usual experiencing societal changes at bballi bballi speed, seems to be rediscovering cooking way sooner than other nations. And not just young girls asking family recipes from their halmoni: people of all ages opening creative eateries, granddads venturing into the kitchen, food becoming a key driver in the startup ecosystem...

So be not afraid, Korea, and keep surprising us!

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* "Rise of pre-made banchan may herald end of an era: Busy schedules deal blow to culture of Korea’s quintessential side dishes" (KJD 20160810)

Bleu Blanc Rouge

In case you're missing it, Korea and France are celebrating 130 years of diplomatic ties (1886) through series of events promoting Korean culture in France (Sept 2015-Aug 2016) and French culture in Korea (March-December 2016).

"Annee France-Coree 2015-2016" is the occasion to display the cultural diversity* of both nations, beyond the usual suspects (K-pop, pansori, food, fashion, chanson...). And to reach nationwide. Here's part of the program for this week:

To follow Annee France Coree: 

• Website: anneefrancecoree.com 
• Facebook pages: facebook.com/anneeFranceCoree (fr), facebook.com/anneecoreefrance (kr)
• Twitter: @FranceCoree.
• browse list of events
• on the new Frenchcast channel (Naver TVcast): tvcast.naver.com/frenchcast

Frankly, I've never seen so many Korean artists exhibited across Paris. From KIM Jungman in Cernushi to Chung Hyun's "L'Homme Debout" in Palais Royal, they ROK the town on or off the festival. Korea's performing arts, cinema, food get more reviews than ever in the media, and its literature also stars at the Salon du Livre or at Etonnants Voyageurs.

Monumental: Kim Jungman vernissage at Musee Cernuschi Paris, ahead of tomorrow's Nuit Blanche (twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/650042178367025152)

The Taegukgi pops up everywhere, but in a peaceful and festive manner; on posters (like this one on Seoul, or that one merging the Arc de Triomphe with Gwangwhamun), on the streets during the Techno Parade...

Ad in Paris subway for Séoul Hypnotique event - of course on a Samsung screen! @FranceCoree #ForumdesImages — Seoul Village (@theseoulvillage) twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/650585597153832960

Seoul Bam at the Technoparade - Photo Institut français / Thibault Chapotot

 
Jean-Paul Gaultier at the DDP (BTW RIP Zaha)? King Sejong francisbaconized by Castelbajac? conferences, debates and expos here and there? check the program for the next events in France or Korea!

At Grand Palais in Paris, experiencing #TasteOfParis with Pierre Sang Boyer's gimchi with lentils (20160212 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/698143345361743872)

Warning: Onde Sensuelle to ripple over Seoul next week. M in concert! (20160314 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/709326600668459009)

King Sejong framed by JCDC (20160329 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/714639719087218688)

Economy and innovation being part of culture, they're also included in the program. And the collaboration between both nations shall bear more fruits thanks to the recently inaugurated French Tech Seoul: frenchtechseoul.com

http://tvcast.naver.com/v/799391


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* a must for Korea, who keeps overselling k-pop and k-anything (see my conference: "Heralding cultural diversity: a stronger and more sustainable Korean wave (1st Congress - WAHS)"). 

Cheong Alive, Jeonju Kicking

Last week, we had a fantastic time in a Jeonju blessed with a perfect weather... 

Autumn in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do - 20141010
twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/520443719456026625

... and a perfect alibi for returning to that lovely city: the 2014 Jeonju International Sori Festival (see links below).

Official poster of the 2014 JISF (Oct. 8-12) - sorifestival.com

I was specially looking forward to watching 'Cheong Alive', the opening concert:

Cheong Alive (淸 ALIVE), the inaugural concert

I knew that PARK Jechun and Miyeon would give their best, not only for Jeonju and Korea, but also for the country's younger generations and for the future, particularly in the wake of the Sewol tragedy. They delivered such an incredibly powerful creation that we came back the following night to watch it again, this time with 600 Korean kids in the audience.

'Cheong' is the SIM Cheong of Simcheongga, a great pansori classic that had already been adapted and updated in countless ways (some of which quite stimulating, like in "Bitter, Sweet Seoul"). In the story, the daughter of SIM sacrificed herself for her father, but comes back from the depths of the sea to become an Empress.

It took guts to cast only young pansori singers for the opening ceremony of such a prestigious festival, but the young talents were up to the task, and 'Cheong Alive' follows on from a long tradition, without forgetting to honoring pansori greats. Master KIM Cheong-man, the janggu player in that amazing 'Yeourak' Super Session (see "In the zone with Miyeon and Park Je chun"), even chaperons the younger generation during a multisensorial experience that's much more than a concert, an opera, and a musical wrapped in one. Bridging generations and lifting pansori to new territories, Miyeon's music claims you from the first to the last second, and keeps haunting you long afterwards.

'Cheong Alive', an amazing pansori musical for the Sori Festival opening ceremony in Jeonju. Bravo Park Jechun and Miyeon!
20141008 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/519813170731315201

*

Mind you, I also crave for more traditional pansori, and loved KIM Yeon's take at another one of the five surviving great stories of pansori, Heungbuga, where humor plays a much larger role.

*

But the Sori Festival is not just Korea's best festival for traditional music, and if Songlines lists it among the 25 best in the world, that's also because it is truly international, and proposes very high quality music that don't often reach Korean shores (that's all about heralding cultural diversity, remember?*). I'm sure Jechun loved the incredible percussionists in these Iranian and Armenian groups:

From Iran, Sialk Ensemble - 20141010 twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/520444186571460608

Duduk music from Armenia - 20141010 twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/520592506069594113

*

The beauty of having festival venues, cultural assets, and great eateries scattered across the hanok village is that you can always find quiet or busy spots, depending on your mood:

Visitors and characters from all horizons roaming Jeonju hanok village. Sori Festival full throttle - 20101009
twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/520057631625314304

Aaah Jeonju... special mention for the doenjang (with the zucchini leaves, bottom left) - #koreanfood - 20141010 twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/520373873405988864

*

Of course, beyond the festival and the hanok maeul, there's a lot to see in Jeonju. 


The Nambu market deserves a triple visit for its outdoor street along Jeonjucheon, its covered section, and its trendier upper floor.

Jeonju Nambu Market - 20141010 twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/520480117097644033

*

On the other side of the river, Dongseohak-dong is evolving into a arty neighborhood full of new cultural hotspots, but like in many other parts of the city, original vintage shop signs are preserved, and sometimes old trades, such as this time-capsulesque cushion puffing place:

One of Korea's few surviving cushion puffing services, in Jeonju - 20141011 twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/520717462656937988

*

We went on to an amazing trip across Southern Korea, but more about that later.

I'm very glad I could enjoy Jeonju with old and new friends, and wish Chip were there as well, to taste the makgeolli we prepared together last July for the festival inauguration:

Preparing makgeolli with friends last July (see "Soriju seems to be the sweetest word")

*

See all posts related to Jeonju and to the Sori Festival, including:

• on Jechun, Miyeon, and the festival: "In the zone with Miyeon and Park Je chun" (May 2014)
• on the hwimori flashmob: "World Cup v. Korean Keg" (June 2014)
• preparing the makgeolli for the festival: "Soriju seems to be the sweetest word" (July 2014)

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* talking about waves and shores, see "Heralding cultural diversity - a stronger and more sustainable Korean wave (Part I)", Part II, Part III

Soriju seems to be the sweetest word

Back to Jeonju's hanok village for the 'soriju' making event, 100 days ahead of the opening ceremony for the 2014 Jeonju International Sori Festival (October 8)!

Of course, 'sori' played a central role in an afternoon filled with pungmul, pansori, court music (classic with gayageum, ajaeng, and saenghwang - plus a modern take with piano), and even a contemporary ajaeng-janggu duet.

A rare chance to listen to saenghwang
twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/484001876002623488

But we were also here to make the 'soriju', the official makgeolli for the opening ceremony, mixing rice with malt and water and sealing the jar with our good luck wishes.

twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/483879732212011008

And because everything was perfectly organized, we could quench our thirst with the delicious 'soriju' prepared 60 days earlier specially for the occasion!

In Korea like in Gaul, a great day ends with a feast and songs. This perfect one* was crowned by a fantastic pansori singer (BANG Sumi, feat. PARK Jechun as her pansori gosu, chopsticks style).


 

A good place, good friends, good food, good music... Total bliss!

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* started by a victory for France at the World Cup!

I love the smell of napalm in the evening

To start with, a BBQ is not the healthiest thing on Earth. But a welding torch...?



Sometimes, bballi-bballi Korea goes a bit to fast for me...

P.S. (so much for Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore): no, it didn't smell of napalm, and yes, it tasted great. Not as much as the lamb stew, though - no flamethrowers involved there.

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Gangwon-do Battlefield - 강원도 전쟁터 (무): Mu, The Lost Continent?

Gangwon-do, Autumn 2009. A field in the middle of nowhere, antropomorphous freak radishes left behind by the farmer. A surreal battlefield.

For a sunday special, a short video* of this limb limbo:



No radishes were harmed in the making of this video.

See other videos on Seoul Village's YouTube channel.

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* "Gangwon-do Battlefield - 강원도 전쟁터 (무)"

Hop on!

Seoul and Korea provide more and more tourist friendly services, and if I never used their bus programs, I'm quite impressed by their dynamism. Two new exciting routes are just starting these days.

At the national level, a new free shuttle bus for foreigners between Seoul and Jeonju will start tomorrow to celebrate the Visit Jeonbuk Year (for 26 weeks, see links and details below). All you need is: to bring your foreign passport, to book online, and to be among the lucky lottery winners (). And if you're too lazy to even plan ahead your trip, know that you land in Jeonju Hanok Village, in Wansan-gu, the historic center. If you missed this great city (great not only for Korean cuisine lovers), you have no excuse now. Even if you don't win the lottery, go!

Seoul-wise, Seoul City Tour Bus inaugurated its Traditional Markets Tour on February 22*. Double deckers will start every 35 mns for a 105 mn journey, and you can hop on and off at any of the 15 stops:

• 37. Departure from Doota (Dongdaemun Doosan Tower)
• 38. Bangsan Market (and its baking street, all the ustensils), Jungbu Market (dried fish and food)
• 39. Lotte Young Plaza (opposite Myeongdong's NOON Square, and next to Lotte Dept Store - if you don't want to shop "traditional market" all the way)
• 40. Seoul Station Bus Terminal no. 6
• 41. Namdaemun Market
• 42. Myeong-dong
• 43. Jonggak (and Bosingak)
• 44. Tapgol Park, Insadong
• 45. Sewoon Electronics Plaza 
• 46. Gwangjang Market
• 47. Pyeonghwa Market - Dongdaemun fashion town
• 48. Dongmyo shrine, Dokkaebi Market (Banghak-dong), Pungmul Market (flea market, Sungin-dong)
• 49. Yangnyeong Market (oriental medicine)
• 50. Majang Market (meat and livestock, Majang-dong)
• 51. Jungang Market (Singdang-dong)

This service is not free, but KRW 12,000 max (for adults), that's a fantastic deal to discover Seoul's main traditional markets in one day (from 9:30 to 18:30), particularly when you don't know the city: seats are equipped with audioguides and screens, and there's even an interpreter on board (ENG/JAP/CHN) to help you decide where to stop and what to do... which may include cultural visits (eg Dongmyo, Insadong, Tapgol, Bosingak), and should include snacks in every market. Why not have your fix at Gwangjang (see "(Gimbap) Drug Wars in Gwangjang Market"), try "Kalguksu alley and Gamegol mandu (Namdaemun market)", eat dry squid in Jungbu Market, red meat in Majang Market?... I should hop off now, before I drool all over the keyboard.

Seoul-Jeonju free shuttle: jeonju.chesstours.co.kr - email: visitkorea@chesstours.co.kr - Tel: +82.2.1577.2507. Departures 3 times a week - Friday, Saturday, Sunday -, between March 1st and August 25. Check also K-Shuttle lines (k-shuttle.com), and Jeonju City website (jeonju.go.kr).
Seoul City Tour Bus: seoulcitybus.com (NB: much more detailed on VisitSeoul) - Tel: +82.2.1544.4239 (Traditional Markets Tour), +82.2.777.6090 (Seoul City Courses)
... and always: VisitSeoul.net - VisitKorea - Korea Travel hotline: 1330

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* the fifth course after "City Circulation" (26 stops across Gangbuk with all major highlights), "Cheonggyecheon-Royal Palaces" (13 stops), and 2 non-stop "Nighttime Courses" that include the Han Riverside.

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20130228 UPDATE

Just received this ad by email (links to VisitSeoul):

East Village (Seoul)

If you want Korean cuisine with a modern twist, you can try Itaewon's "East Village".


East Village means the Hannam side of Itaewon, and a lower-to-mid-east Manhattan touch. And indeed, I was at the same time the only non-Korean customer this Saturday evening, and feeling more in NYC than in Seoul.


In this part of main street Itaewon, you're neither in the Western "traditionnally international" end, nor in the Eastern "newly Gangnamized" end (which definitely feels "Californian" to me). The restaurant is located a little before Cheil building when you come from the West, and in this more urban and less pretentious buffer zone, you'd almost expect to see front stoops along the sidewalk. Typically, there's a fun-looking place named "Hulk" where they serve simple Korean food in a basement, a perfect spot for non-chaebol local youth to get their invigorating fix.


I guess East Village is targeting more demanding palates - and thicker wallets - who are tired of alternating between fine Western restaurants and prestigious hanjeongsik tables. There is a need for modern high end Korean cuisine, and different ways to achieve this ambition. Where "The Gaon" pushed traditional Korean cuisine to perfection, "East Village" tries to instil new flavors or seasonings in the classics without denaturating them.


Of course, the chef (a different Kwon than the Ed operating further eastwards at "The Spice"), doesn't always succeed in surprising us, and the main bemol would be the end of the meal: by no means a "dragon head, snake tail" experience, but the last dish and the dessert were not up to what came before. The mandu soup and green tea ice cream were good, but not to die for, and save for one caramelized walnut, not very very original.


But by the time you reach that part you've already been satisfied, starting with a Hanwoo tartare in an endive leaf, fresh takes at Noryangjin's fishes of the day, or a Damyang style ddeok galbi.


I'm happy to see this kind of ambition in a Korean restaurant, and even happier to see Korean patrons embrace it.


East Village (restaurant)
736-9 Hannam-dong (214-1 Itaewon-ro), Yongsan-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel +82.2.790.7782


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UPDATE 20120806 (card)