The Korean daily media headlines and humor
Monday March 27, 2017
Your Excellency:
Here are The Korea Post notices and a roundup of important headlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media of Korea today:
Very Respectfully Yours
/s/
Lee Kyung-sik
Publisher-Chairman
Korea Post Media
Invitation:
I hope Your Excellency and Madam will not miss the most interesting
The Gala Gaya Culture Festival of Gimhae City on Sunday April 9, 2017!
--Chairman Lee of The Korea Post media
Ambassadors and Madam are invited to the famed 2017 Grand Gaya Culture Festival of the Gimhae City on Sunday April 9, 2017.
As the suzerain state of six Gaya Kingdoms and royal capital of Geumgwan-Gaya founded in 42 A.D., Gimhae is the cradle of the Gaya culture. These small ancient states include Ara Gaya, Goryeong Gaya, Dae Gaya, Seongsan Gaya, Bihwa Gaya and Geumgwan Gaya, which formed a confederation dominated by Geumgwan Gaya. With a 500-year long history, Gaya Kingdoms created ingenious and brilliant pottery and ironware culture based on affluent iron products and outstanding iron-making technology. Taking geographical advantages, these Gaya Kingdoms actively traded with China, Japan and Nakrang as the center of international trade in Northeast Asia. Active international marine trade and exchange of these ancient states with foreign countries can be well explained by the international marriage between King Suro, the founding king of Geumgwan-Gaya, and Princess Heo Hwang-ok of Ayodhya Kingdom in India. (Scroll down to the bottom for more information and invitation.)
Royal procession of King Suro of the Gaya Kingdom.
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What’s ticking in Korea today? Here is a quick roundup of important news stories from the major Korean news media today:
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
No good military options on N. Korea
No good military options exist on North Korea and the best way to deal with the provocative regime is to increase cooperation with China, former U.S. nuclear negotiator with North Korea Christopher Hill said Sunday. Talk of pre-emptive strikes against the North have gained traction after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said earlier this month that diplomacy failed to disarm the North and the United States is considering a new range of options, including military ones.
Senate resolution calls for investigation into N.K's involvement in U.S. citizen's 2004 disappearance
A U.S. senator has introduced a resolution calling for an investigation into North Korea's possible involvement in the unexplained disappearance of an American citizen from China more than a decade ago. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) proposed the bipartisan resolution last week renewing concerns about the 2004 disappearance of David Sneddon, noting that the communist North has a track record of kidnapping foreigners to train spies in languages and culture. Seven senators co-sponsored the resolution, including Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Cory Gardner (R-CO).
N.K. claims S. Korea's unification ministry should be disbanded
North Korea on Monday condemned South Korea's unification ministry for the strained inter-Korean ties and confrontation between the two Koreas, saying that it should be disbanded. A spokesman at the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea issued a statement claiming that the ministry handling inter-Korean affairs cannot avoid its responsibility for the frayed relations between the two Koreas.
Malay police enters N. Korean Embassy to question suspects in recent assassination
Malaysian police entered the North Korean Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to interrogate three suspects in the recent assassination of the North Korean leaders' half brother last month, a Japanese news report said Sunday. Four Malay officers went into the embassy premises and conducted an investigation there for about two and a half hours before coming out, the report by Kyodo News said, quoting Chinese news outlet China Press.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Ahn, Yoo lead primaries; Democrats’ first result due Monday
With 44 days left to the May 9 presidential election, political parties are jockeying to finalize their presidential candidate. In the centrist People’s Party’s race, Ahn Cheol-soo is leading. Although it is too early to judge the final outcome, Yoo Seong-min appears increasingly likely to be chosen as the single candidate of the conservative Bareun Party. The liberal Democratic Party of Korea, home to the two most powerful contenders, Moon Jae-in and An Hee-jung, is to report the outcome of its first regional primary Monday.
Crucial preparations complete to relocate Sewol to shore
Preparations have been completed for the retrieved Sewol ferry to be delivered to a port in Mokpo, where its insides will be searched for the nine passengers still missing, authorities said Sunday.
“It looks like there will be no significant risk in transporting the ferry to shore from now on, since it is safely placed on the balanced deck of the semisubmersible vessel,” Yoon Hak-bae, the Oceans and
Fisheries vice minister, told reporters Sunday.
Vehicle movement detected at NK nuke site: think tank
A fresh batch of vehicles has recently been found at North Korea‘s nuclear test site, shoring up speculation that the country may be preparing for another underground detonation, a US think tank said Sunday, citing satellite imagery. The 38 North, a blog run by the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University, said that four or five vehicles or trailers were present at the entrance to the North Portal, where the communist state carried out four rounds of nuclear tests.
Prosecutors question senior CJ executive over compromising videos of Samsung chairman
Prosecutors have recently questioned a senior CJ Group executive as part of a probe into whether the conglomerate was involved in the recording of compromising videos of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee, a prosecution source said Sunday. The videos leaked to the media in July 2016 indicated Lee bought sex five times between December 2011 and June 2013 at his homes in southern Seoul. CJ, run by Lee‘s relatives, was part of Samsung before it broke off in 1993. At the time of the recording, the two groups were locked in a legal dispute over assets left by Samsung founder Lee Byung-chull.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Sewol set for last voyage
The Sewol ferry was fully raised out of the water and placed onto a semisubmersible ship Saturday, exposing its entire hull nearly three years after it sank in the waters off the southwestern island of Jindo. The giant transport vessel will haul the Sewol to Mokpo Port by Tuesday at the earliest or Thursday at the latest, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Sunday. Salvage crews are speeding up the work to drain the remaining water and oil from the ferry, with the draining expected to take between two and four days. An additional 12 hours will be needed to take the ship 87 kilometers to the port at safe speeds no faster than 10 kilometers per hour.
Chung calls for dialogue with N. Korea
South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun has called for reopening dialogue with North Korea to stop its provocations. Chung said it is important to acknowledge North Korean leader Kim Jung-un as a negotiation partner. "Given his experience and other aspects, it is difficult to consider him a dialogue partner. But we don't get to pick our partners," he said during a recent interview here.
S. Korea, U.S. drill targets N. Korean chemical weapons
South Korea and the U.S. have conducted an exercise on destroying North Korean chemical weapons, according to American military forces in Korea Sunday. The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said troops participated in an exercise to remove the lethal nerve agent sarin at a shooting range in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday and Wednesday. The drill was part of the annual joint Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises.
Leaving home? The world's best cities for expats
Leaving home for a posting in a foreign land is certainly exhilarating, but rarely straightforward. It's easier if you're young, free and single but something of a challenge with a family in tow. Perhaps your partner has landed a plum position in the reassuring environment of a multinational office, leaving you to sink or swim in the cultural deep end, haggling for groceries and negotiating rental leases with barely a word of the local lingo.
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DongA Ilbo (http://english.donga.com)
U.S. imposes additional sanctions on 9 Chinese firms
The U.S. administration has imposed additional sanctions on Chinese and North Korean individuals and entities over North Korea’s nuclear threat. The US House of Representatives introduced a bill on Tuesday cited as the Korean Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act that bans the export of crude oil to North Korea by China. The Trump administration began to impose further sanctions targeting both China and North Korea.
Advance royalties of Murakami’s new novel expected to reach 3 billion won
The Korean publisher to translate and release Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami’s new book “Killing Commendatore” will be decided before Wednesday at the earliest. Publishers in Korea have already submitted their proposals for the Korean edition before last Friday’s deadline of the deal and publishing insiders said that they will receive the result before Wednesday when the author goes on an overseas trip. More than five large and mid-sized publishing companies applied for the publication of the Korean version, and it is said that the Japanese agency is comparing three publishers as promising candidates.
Ex-N. Korean waitresses become college students in S. Korea
It was found that most of the 12 North Korean waitresses who defected in groups from a North Korean restaurant in China have become college students in the South. "More than half of these defectors received a special admission this year," said a government official. "As most of them were in their early or mid-20s, they wanted to receive college education in order to soft-land in the Korean society." The Ministry of Unification also updated the news by stating during their regular briefing last month that "though no specifics can be commented upon their request for privacy, they are currently studying."
'LG G6 batteries never explode under harsh environment,' says LG
LG Electronics has unusually opened the entire process of battery safety evaluation and quality test, and the production line of its new flagship phone LG G6. The company aims to bring up its sales volume by stressing the quality safety of the phone. Having started its domestic sales on March 10, the LG G6 is now up for the battle against Samsung Galaxy S8, which begins its domestic pre-orders on April 7. A multi-functional manufacturing complex in Pyeongtaek,
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Over 2 Million Households Can't Meet Loan Repayments
One in five indebted household in Korea is unable to repay loans on time, according to a study by credit rating firm Korea Investors Service. That is more than 2 million households, raising serious concerns of a financial crisis in Korea. KIS said Tuesday that the number of so-called "marginal households," whose debt-to-disposable income ratio stands at over 40 percent, accounted for 19.9 percent or 2.16 million households out of the 10.9 million indebted households last year. That was up from 17.6 percent in 2013.
Parents Spend More and More on Private Tuition
Average monthly spending on private crammers for schoolkids have hit a fresh record since the government began tallying statistics in 2007. Total spending had been declining due to a decrease in the overall number of students, but even that was reversed last year. Even the recession was unable to still the growing hunger for private tuition as public schools seem less and less able to meet the needs of their charges.
Chinese Court Rules in Favor of Apple in Patent Disputes
A Chinese court has ruled in favor of Apple in design patent disputes between the Cupertino, California company and a domestic phone-maker, overturning a ban on selling iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus phones in China, Xinhua news agency reported. Last May, a Beijing patent regulator ordered Apple's Chinese subsidiary and a local retailer Zoomflight to stop selling the iPhones after Shenzhen Baili Marketing Services lodged a complaint, claiming that the patent for the design of its mobile phone 100c was being infringed by the iPhone sales.
Gov't to Pump Trillions More into Daewoo Shipbuilding
The government and creditors have come up with an additional W5.8-trillion bailout package for ailing Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, which has posted four straight years of losses as it teeters on the brink of bankruptcy (US$1=W1,123). The government and lenders have already injected W7 trillion into the shipbuilder since mid-2015, when it posted losses of W5 million. State-run Korea Development Bank, which owns the controlling stake in Daewoo Shipbuilding, and lead creditor Export-Import Bank of Korea announced Thursday a W2.9-trillion debt-to-equity swap in conjunction with KDB and commercial banks. KDB and Export-Import Bank of Korea will also provide W2.9 trillion in fresh funding.
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HanKyoRehShinmoon (http://english.hani.co.kr)
A sixth North Korean nuclear test could be imminent
North Korea is in the final stages of preparation for carrying out another nuclear test in a few days, Fox News reported on Mar. 23. “The [sixth] test could come as early as the end of the month,” Fox News quoted one US government official as saying in the report. Pentagon officials said they had acquired evidence that North Korea has finished excavating a new tunnel near its nuclear test site at Punggye Village, Kilju County, North Hamgyong Province. Before it can carry out a nuclear test, the officials added, the North still needs to bring in a few more pieces of equipment to the test site.
Former Foreign Minister suggests using THAAD as leverage in N. Korean nuclear issue
On Mar. 24, former South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon proposed delaying the operational deployment of the THAAD radar to which China is so opposed in exchange for China asking North Korea to freeze its nuclear weapons and missile programs. Song said that THAAD should be used as leverage to motivate China to play a more active role in connection with North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles.
South Korea strongly protests historical distortion in Japanese high school textbook review
On Mar. 24, the South Korean government sharply protested the results of Japan’s review of high school textbooks that contain unilateral territorial claims to Dokdo (called Takeshima in Japan) and demanded that Japan immediately correct those claims. With the deadlock in the two country’s relations in its second month since Japan recalled its ambassador to South Korea because of the instalment of a comfort woman statue in Busan, there’s unlikely to be a breakthrough in bilateral relations anytime soon.
Korean-Japanese went from not speaking Korean to emceeing Wednesday demonstrations
Yang No-ja, 48, who was named secretary-general of the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (Jeongdaehyeop) last month, is a third-generation Korean-Japanese. Born in Kyoto, Japan, Yang learned to speak Korean after entering university. She’s now proficient enough to be able to emcee the demonstrations that Jeongdaehyeop holds every Wednesday in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul.
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JoongAngIlbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)
Retrieved ferry prepares to head home
The Sewol ferry rose from the water in one piece on Saturday evening, showing itself in full view to the families of the 304 victims, nine of whom are still missing, for the first time in nearly three years.
Lying on its port side on a semi-submersible ship, as it did for 1,072 days on the seabed 44 meters (144 feet) below the water’s surface, the ferry was scratched and corroded but showed no signs of a collision on its exterior, though much of its structures on the prow and deck appeared destroyed or missing.
Lotte pleads to Chinese shoppers
Lotte Group, the largest Korean retailer affected by Chinese trade restrictions after Seoul approved deployment of a controversial U.S. missile shield in Korea, has stepped up efforts to assuage Chinese consumers, going as far as telling them that the company will “wait” for them to return. Over the weekend, a large sign was posted on one of the windows at Lotte Department Store in Myeong-dong, central Seoul, with the words, “Because we understand you, we will wait,” in Chinese. Several others were posted at Lotte Young Plaza across the street.
Japanese carmakers eye comeback with hybrids
German automakers have long dominated Korea’s import market, but ever since Volkswagen’s emissions scandal broke out two years ago, their sales have taken a hit, giving Japanese companies an opening to make a comeback with their own hybrid models. Though German brands with diesel engines still top the import market, Japanese automakers saw their sales improve slightly last year as more Koreans have begun questioning the reliability of diesel engines and younger consumers are showing a growing preference for more environment-friendly and fuel-efficient vehicles.
Real estate funds look abroad for big returns
In Korea, public offerings of foreign real estate funds are often sold out as soon as they reach the market. The main buyers? Local investors eager to make a sizeable profit from their high returns. Mirae Asset Global Investments on March 6 posted an Australian real estate fund called Mirae Asset Maps that was sold out within two days. The fund is connected to the Australian government’s education ministry building in Canberra.
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The KyungHyangShinmoon(http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Where Are the 9 Missing Victims? Likely to Be Inside the Cabin
The hull of the Sewol revealed itself for the first time in three years, and now all eyes are on how the government will inspect the hull and in what condition the missing victims and the keepsake of the deceased left behind in the hull will be. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries held a press briefing in front of the Jindo Gun Office in Jeollanam-do on the morning of March 23 and announced, "The special act for the committee to investigate the Sewol hull was announced in the cabinet meeting on March 21.
The People Waited 1,073 Days While the Government Did the Calculations: 3 Years of Lost Time
Why did the Sewol resurface after three years when the majority of the citizens had waited to see the ferry afloat as soon as possible. The government explained that it was because of the harsh weather conditions in the Maenggol Channel and technical problems concerning the salvage operation. Some experts argue that under the surface lie the irresponsible attitude of the Park Geun-hye government, which simply treated a national disaster as a money issue, along with the people who took advantage of such a government interfering with any progress.
The Time of Truth Has Approached
Yesterday, operations to salvage the hull began 1,072 days since the Sewol sank. Following a test, which involved raising the hull about one meter, workers are currently engaging in operations to salvage the hull completely out of the water. Perhaps now, albeit belated, we may expect to ease some of the sorrow of the families of the missing victims, who have been residing in a temporary shelter inside a container box at Paengmok Port for nearly three years, desperately trying to find their loved ones. We hope for a successful salvage operation, since we have already gone through much difficulty to launch the operation.
South Korea Koreas Tension
South Korean army soldiers shout slogans against the North Korea during a ceremony to commemorate South Korean soldiers killed in three major clashes with North Korea in the West Sea, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 24, 2017. The South Korean government has designated the fourth Friday of March as the commemoration day for the fallen soldiers in the clashes, including the North's torpedoing of the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan in 2010, which killed 46 sailors
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The Korea Economic Daily (http://english.hankyung.com/)
NPS Refuses to Contact with Daewoo Shipbuilding and Korea Development Bank for Debt Adjustment Plan
The National Pension Service, which holds the key to recovery of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, has refused to contact with officials of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Korea Development Bank, the shipbuilder's largest shareholder. Due to this, the process of debt readjustment for Daewoo and new fund injection may be delayed further. A Korea Development Bank official said on March 26, "We tried to contact officials of the National Pension Service several times to explain the necessity of Daewoo's debt adjustment but were unable to meet them. We have no appointment with any of the NPS officials until the end of this month."
ING Life Insurance to Be Listed in May
ING Life Insurance is expected to be listed in the Korean stock market within May, with its initial public offering value estimated at around 1.34 trillion own, the second trillion-won-level IPO this year behind Netmarble Games. This would be the first of its kind in Korea’s IPO history in light of the fact that it is 100-percent owned by a private equity fund. ING Life Insurance submitted an IPO plan to the Financial Services Commission on March 23.
Target Price on Samsung Electronics Shares Soars to Record High Level
The target prices of the Samsung Electronics shares, presented by domestic securities firms, surged to 2.9-million-won level amid expectations that Samsung's annual operating profit would rise by 70 percent to about 50 trillion won this year. On March 23, Samsung Electronics' shares closed at 2.09 million won, down 33,000 won or 1.55 percent from the previous day. Samsung Electronics’ short-term rally temporarily stopped and caught its breath. Nevertheless, expectations are growing that its share price would continue an upward trend.
Korea Caught in a Nutcracker again between China and Japan
A recent research report said Korea's industrial competitiveness and growth potential are way behind those of Japan and China. This is a situation again in which Korea is caught in a nutcracker between China and Japan. According to a report "Evaluation of Industrial Competitiveness of Korean Industry Based on Export Big Data" published by the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade on March 26, the industrial competitiveness of Korea in the world has moved up from 16th to 13th for the past 20 years.
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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)
S. Korea to donate rice to poor countries through international treaty
South Korea will join an international treaty to provide rice in economic assistance to poor countries as rice prices continued to drop due to dwindling consumption, oversupply, rising stockpiles and bumper crops. The agriculture ministry said cabinet members endorsed South Korea's participation in the Food Assistance Convention which entered into force in January 2013. So far 14 countries including the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia and the European Union have joined the treaty.
S. Korea football coach calls for improvement in away matches
South Korea football coach Uli Stielike said he will try to improve the team's performance away from home after suffering a painful defeat to China in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. South Korea, ranked 40th in the FIFA rankings, fell 1-0 to 86th-ranked China at Helong Stadium in Changsha, China's Hunan Province, on Thursday. In the final regional qualification, South Korea are in Group A, along with Iran, Uzbekistan, Syria, China and Qatar. With four matches remaining, South Korea are in second place with 10 points after collecting three wins, one draw and two losses. They are four points behind the group leaders Iran.
Samsung to shut down unrecalled Note 7s by blocking battery charge
A top Samsung executive voiced concern about China's ambitious push for microchip production, saying South Korea should accelerate the development of technologies while trying to stop an outflow of technology. Samsung is the world's largest microchip producer but its status has been challenged by Chinese firms which are spending billions of dollars on their push to catch up with top players in the industry.
US burger chain Shake Shack to open fourth outlet in S. Korea
Boosted by its dramatic success in less than a year, US burger-and-fries chain Shake Shack will open its fourth outlet this year in South Korea's saturated fast food market. SPC Group, a leading food and confectionary producer which has an exclusive license deal with the US chain, said it would open the fourth Shake Shack outlet in Seoul's southern satellite town of Bundang following the opening of the third one on April 6 near the center of Seoul.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
FSC to take punitive action on Deloitte Anjin for colluding in DSME’s accounting fraud
South Korea’s second largest auditor Deloitte Anjin LLC will be banned from signing new contracts with listed companies and unlisted financial firms for a year as punishment for colluding in the accounting fraud of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (DSME) in 2013 and 2014. The Securities and Futures Commission of the Financial Services Commission (FSC) decided to take the disciplinary action on Deloitte Anjin on conclusion that the auditing firm assisted DSME in cooking up is financial figures.
Chiefs of Samsung Group’s financial units retain their posts
Samsung Group’s financial affiliates including Samsung Life Insurance Co., Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co. and Samsung Card Co. decided to retain their heads for another term to stabilize management as the group is facing unprecedented leadership vacuum following the arrest of its de facto leader Jay Y. Lee on bribery charges. The group’s insurance arms Samsung Life and Samsung Fire & Marine held a regular shareholders’ meeting last Friday and approved the plan to retain the respective chief executive officers Kim Chang-soo and Ahn Min-soo. The both chiefs, promoted to the position in 2014, will continue to head the Korea’s largest life and non-life insurers until March 2020.
Scandal-ridden FKI vows massive reform
The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), the largest lobby group for Korean conglomerates, pledged a massive reform to improve transparency. “We will only concentrate on our role as an organization for the nation’s economy,” Huh Chang-soo, chairman of the FKI said when he announced a reform plan last Friday. The Korean name of the federation will also be changed, though its English name has not been decided yet.
Samsung Electronics hints delay in reorganization
Samsung Electronics Co.’s plan to demerge it into separate holding and business establishments may not happen this year, the company’s Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun hinted, citing possible adverse effects from a hasty transition. “Current conditions make it difficult for progress in the transition,” said Kwon who doubles as the chairman of the board of directors during the 48th general shareholders meeting held in Seoul on Friday.
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To preserve the local culture as an outstanding world cultural asset
Gimhae City hosts a gala Gaya Culture Festival on April9
Invites Ambassadors and Madams to grace the Opening Ceremony on April 9, 2017
As the suzerain state of six Gaya Kingdoms and royal capital of Geumgwan-Gaya founded in 42 A.D., Gimhae is the cradle of the Gaya culture. These small ancient states include Ara Gaya, Goryeong Gaya, Dae Gaya, Seongsan Gaya, Bihwa Gaya and Geumgwan Gaya, which formed a confederation dominated by Geumgwan Gaya. With a 500-year long history, Gaya Kingdoms created ingenious and brilliant pottery and ironware culture based on affluent iron products and outstanding iron-making technology. Taking geographical advantages, these Gaya Kingdoms actively traded with China, Japan and Nakrang as the center of international trade in Northeast Asia. Active international marine trade and exchange of these ancient states with foreign countries can be well explained by the international marriage between King Suro, the founding king of Geumgwan-Gaya, and Princess Heo Hwang-ok of Ayodhya Kingdom in India.
Royal procession of King Suro of the Gaya Kingdom.
In an effort to preserve the Gaya culture as one of world cultural heritages and widely publicize excellence of the ancient culture, the Gimhae City government has been hosting the annual Gaya Culture Festival since 1962 on the occasion of the memorial service for King Suro in spring. As ever, the municipal government will host the 41st Gaya Culture Festival for 5 days from April 7th to 11th, 2017 to include the memorial service for the King set to be held on the last day of the Festival. With the concept of ‘Gaya in the World and United Gimhae’, the Festival will be highlighted by the ‘tug-of-war’ game and ‘procession parade of King Suro’.
Different teams of the Gaya farmers’ bands are reading to present demonstrations.
Colorful programs will be provided during the Festival at the Daeseong-dong Ancient Tombs, Gimhae National Museum and Tomb of King Suro. In addition to the tug-of-war game and king’s procession parade, programs will include folk art performances, experiences of ancient ironworks, voyage routes sailed by King Suro and Princess Heo Hwang-ok, excavation of historical relics and riding on rare horses, as well as art installation events, performance of martial arts on horseback, wish lamps with Gaya patterns, and multi-cultural social gatherings of youths. Among others, visitors will have an exotic experience of boarding a traditional Indian boat ‘Dhoni’ by sailing the voyage routes taken by King Suro and Queen Heo.
A tug of war joined by hundreds of citizens.
In connection with the Festival, a number of other events will also be held simultaneously, including a local foods fair, international conference on Gaya history, contest of native foods, and folk arts festival of Gyeongsangnam-do region. The regional folk arts festival will include performances of intangible cultural property holders and performances of traditional art troupes from sister cities in Korea and other countries.
Gimhae Stone Fight is now a favorite game of merriment.
To help visitors have more enjoyable and exciting experiences, the festival organizing committee will deploy advanced information and communication technology installations in the venue. Using their smart phones or tablet PCs, visitors and tourists can get access to detailed information, statistical data, publicity materials and results of survey on the Festival by searching its QR code at information centers. It will also introduce an augmented reality (AR) game ‘Royal Capital of Gaya GO’, similar to ‘PocketMon Go’ game. If any visitors find out various historical treasures or relics through the game, they will be rewarded with due gifts.
Grand Rite of Chaste Woman Chunhyang offered to King Suro of the Garak State and his Queen Heo
The 40th Gaya Culture Festival held in April last year attracted as many as over 1.45 million visitors from Korea and other countries, and the Festival in this year is expected to attract even more visitors thanks to addition of varied new programs. The Gimhae City government seeks to register these cultural heritages as UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritages.
Night view of the Old Tombs in Daeseong-dong Village and the Daeseong History Museum. A grand opening ceremony is held at a special stage at the Daeseong-dong Tumuli.
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INVITATION
Your Excellency and Madam are cordially invited to the 2017 Grand Gaya Culture Festival on Sunday April 9
Your Excellency areMadarm are cordinaly invited to the above festival.
For details of the Festival, please visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=3007.
It is a bit far, but a deluxe KTX Train travel is much more comfortable than bus ride. Here is the schedule:
0845 hours: Meet at the Seoul Railroad Station VIP Room, 3rd Floor of the Main Building.
0905-1147 hours: Move by Deluxe KTX train from Seoul to Gimhae.
1200-1230 hours: Move to the Ice Square Hotel for luncheon.
1230-1400 hours: Attend welcome ceremony, presentation of Plaques of Appreciation.
1400-1430 hours: Watch mounted Gaya Warrior performances, have personal experience in horse-riding.
1510-1700 hours: Join the Gimhae Tug-of-War match
1700-1800 hours: Watch traditional Korean music-dance performances based on Intangible National Cultural Properties
1800-2040 hours: Move from Gimhae back to the Seoul Railroad Station.
(A slight change could occur to the schedule depending on the traffic situation of the day.)