Gongju National Museum

My next post about great time that I spent with guys from Korea Brand Expedition

Gongju National Museum was established in 1934 as the Gongju Historic spot Preservation Society.

It is located closely to Tomb of King Muryeong.

Our group has a task to visit the museum. For me it was the first experience in attending excursion WITHOUT English translation!!! Oh, it was hard, but thanks to Mrs. Hye-Yeong Lee, I understood practically everything !!

By the way, you can watch an interview with Mrs. Hye-Yeong Lee by KOBRA team~

*All rights belong to iamksh88*


Well, in the museum you can see lots of artifacts and belongings of the royal family.

King Muryeong

up: Golden Diadem Ornaments, national treasure No.154

 

above: Gilt-bronze shoes 

Golden Earrings, National Treasure No. 156 

Royal gold shoes

Stone Seated Buddha, National Treasure No.979

 The statue of Buddha you can find in Gallery 2, where ancient culture of Chungcheongham-do is exhibited.

This galleries are of great interest for historians, archeologists and those who are interested in Korean ancient history. But is science is not your cup of tea or you visit  the museum with children, I strongly recommend you a special gallery, where you can "try" traditional culture~
*for curious foreigners it's also a must*

find this banner in the museum

Gongju best Kalbi

Korea Brand Expedition. Day 3. Gongju

 We arrived to Gongju to visit the Tombs of King Muryeong and try Gongju kalbi (Chungcheong-do is famous for this~)

We chose this restaurant:

The service was perfect and meal was veeery delicious~

We interviewed Mrs. Kim Hye-sik, the owner of the restaurant (she is, moreover, talanted poet and photographer. Thanks for splendid photo-book!!)

Mrs. Kim Hye-sik is cutting kalbi especially for foreign guests (Poland and Russian)

<My dream is to make my restaurant the best in Gongju>

Interior

1. Since when did you run the restaurant?

I run this restaurant as my mother started cook gukbapjip. in the market. It was 65 years ago... We restarted our restaurant after Korean War. I'm the second generation who run this business. Moreover, I moved the restaurant to a place where it's intensive traffic.

2. What are the most important that restaurants do?

I'm sure you liked it. Also able to experience the local culture with a restaurant that is very good.

3. Where the best thing you ever been the boss of the restaurant?

Why have small-area restaurant I like to stick to food culture. It represents the region's food to guests from other regions and foreigners.

4. When do you feel worthwhile?

The most worthwhile is that making a food I represent our city - Gongju. Eating out late and go to college has also studied management.

5. Why do you think of food seokgalbi representative?

Nowadays to serve guest with just kukbab is not enough. They prefer to order some meat, I,e. bulgogi or kalbi. They just want to enjoy lots of different menus and to make a choice. So I think, I we should offer wider range of Korean food. That's why we specialize in seokgalbi. Additionally, this are very popular dished abroad. Simply, seokgalbi is a kind of adventure to fit the taste and trend of people.

6. What is your final dream?

In Japan traditionally restaurant is family business: from father to son, from one generation to another. There are restaurant with 200 years history restaurant. I think that we should run our business in the same way. I'd like my daughter to continue running our restaurant.

Mrs. Kim Hye-sik with Korea Brand Expedition from Korea and Poland and a manager Kang Dong-sik from Presidential Council on National Branding

7. Finally, you'll read this article, Please say a few words to foreigners.

The food itself is treated as a tourism sight itself recently. Foreign travellers usually pays attention to sights and cultural treasure, but I think that cuisine helps to understand culture deeper.

Mrs. Kim Hye-sik with Korea Brand Expedition team

KBE: "I want to keep on making hanbok"

Korea Brand Expedition: day 2.

We made for a hanbok street. (Hanbok is a Korean traditional apparel)

hanboks for couple~



price: 95 000 Won (appr.$ 82)

 Having dropped in one of thousands shop,

we asked several question to the owner, craftsman Jo Han Bae (51)

Jo Han Bae:

"I want to keep on making hanbok"

1. How did you first start making Hanbok?

 It was not there was a special occasion to quit the business, should we, what do you think about it in the ointment is the central market, let's well done here. I regret that Koreans do not wear hanbok in their everyday life, but only on such holidays like Chuseok Seolnal.

2. Do any effort to protect the hanbok nowadays in the area ?

Some elementary schools once a month the day wearing hanbok on principal events. that could be made to the traditional beauty of Korea. Parents, student responses are good. It just helps the pain of what lives on. All of this help us to protect traditional culture and show a beauty of Korea.

3. What do you think the appeal of Costume?

 Think of the pomp and color curves. Hanbok, opposite to modern skinny clothes is

wide and its sleeves are long, so you feel comfortable wearing hanbok. Moreover it looks so gorgeous and elegant. Colours of hanboks reflected the perfect sense of taste.

 4. In modern society, in order to improve the style of Hanbok for practical uses some things were changed. What do you think about this?

Traditional hanbok is beautiful, but it's a bit inconvenient in everyday life. That's why traditional style was simplified, namely sleeves and skirt's length was shorten. If Koreans keep on wearing anbok only on special days like holidays, festivals, wedding ceremony, someday hanbok may disappeared.

5. What do you think about the phenomenon that Koreans don't feel like producing hanbok?

 I guess it unique phenomenon. I try to do my best to recover traditional culture - costumes, music and social atmosphere. In a era of globalization Hallyu helps Korea to promote and protect traditional culture and hanbok as well.

6. When do you feel that you work is worthwhile?

Worthwhile? To me when a family comes to buy a hanbok I feel that my job is useful. In this case children of those parents who wear hanbok will do it when they become adult. So, the tradition will be protected.

7. Could you please say something to foreigners?

I think hanbok appeals to foreigners. Even though it seems to be difficult to put and inconvenient to wear, having try it, everyone can realize that it's very convenient and wonderful indeed. Foreigners will like hanbok.

8. What is your the final dream?

Well, I dream that someday hanbok became famous worldwide. For this I keep on making traditional Korean clothes.

9. What do you think is needed for the globalization of hanbok?

K-pop, k-drama is getting popular abroad. So foreigners will be interested in traditional culture of Korea and hanbok will be promoted too.

Actually having tried to wear hanbok I got that it's really convenient and suits everyone. I like the desing, color combination and hand-made decorations. When you put hanbok you can feel a spirit of Korean traditional culture.