The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Friday March 31, 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

HOT NEWS

Ahn Cheol-soo is on a hot pursuit after Moon in election race.

Please visit:-

http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=3448

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Invitation:

Now there are only 9 days left to the tour of the Gaya Culture Festival onSundayApril 9, 2017 organized by The Korea Post!

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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Special notice!

There is what is known as YubiTongsin (literally, Rumor Mill News), which is confidentially circulated among the prestigious news media editors in Korea. As former Cultural Editor of The Korea Herald and Publisher of The Korea Post media, Chairman Lee Kyung-sik of The Korea Post duly has real-time access to this confidential news sources.

Any Excellency wishing to share this ‘Rumor Mill News,’ please send his/her private (confidential) email address to: edt@koreapost.comto the attention of the Publisher.

Publisher Lee will share the confidential news with the Excellencies interested in learning the ‘true’ situations developing in Korea.

After all, the ‘rumor news’ shared among them have been proven to be over 90% true and genuine!

Chairman Lee’s cell phone number is 010-5201-1740 which could be used for direct conversation

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What’s ticking in Korea today?Here is a quick roundup of important news stories from the major Korean news media today:


KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)

Court Issues Warrant to Arrest Impeached ex-President Park

Impeached ex-President Park Geun-hye was arrested on Friday over her alleged wrongdoings in connection with a massive influence-peddling scandal. Hours after reviewing the prosecution’s request to detain her, the Seoul Central District Court early Friday morning issued an arrest warrant for the former president, acknowledging the possibility that she will destroy evidence or flee.

9 Malaysians Held in N. Korea Return to Malaysia

Nine Malaysians who had been held in North Korea after the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s half-brother Kim Jong-nam arrived in Malaysia on Friday.AFP reported the nine Malaysians, made up of three employees of the Malaysian Embassy in Pyongyang and their family members, arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport early Friday morning.

Kim Jong-nam's Body, N. Korean Suspects Arrive in Beijing

Two North Korean suspects in the apparent murder of Kim Jong-nam arrived in Beijing on Friday morning en route to North Korea, after the Malaysian government allowed them to return their home countries .

Seoul Plans Meeting to Promote Agri-food Trade with Southeast Asian Nations

The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced on Thursday that it will hold a meeting on Friday that will seek ways to expand the trade of agricultural products between South Korea and Southeast Asian countries.

Foreign Ministry: N. Korean Provocations Highly Likely in April

The Foreign Ministry believes there is a high likelihood that North Korea will engage in strategic provocations, including another nuclear test, next month.The ministry’s spokesman, Cho June-hyuck, revealed the assessment to reporters on Thursday, citing that next month will see a U.S.-China summit and will mark the birthday of the North’s founder, Kim Il-sung.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yonhap(http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

Parties show mixed reactions to Park's arrest

Political parties showed mixed reactions after former President Park Geun-hye was arrested Friday in connection with a corruption scandal that led to her removal from office.Park's Liberty Korea Party released a written briefing saying the arrest is "truly regrettable" and voiced hope that such a "painful history" won't repeat itself.The Democratic Party, which was the main opposition party before Park was ousted on March 10, said the court decision was a "natural result" based on the strictness of the law and principles."Everyone is equal before the law," said Youn Kwan-suk, the party's chief spokesman.

N.K. unveils memoir justifying dual policy of nuclear, economic development

North Korea on Friday released a lengthy memoir marking the fourth anniversary of the country announcing the adoption of the dual pursuit of nuclear and economic development.Four years ago, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared that the country will seek the development of nuclear weapons in tandem with boosting the economy, commonly known as the "byongjin" policy, as the ruling party's official policy line.

S. Korea's Signal Entertainment signs MOU with Bunim-Murray

Signal Entertainment Group, a South Korean television production company, said Friday it has forged a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. production company Bunim-Murray Productions for future collaborations.

S. Korea's industrial output shoots up 6.6 pct in Feb.

South Korea's industrial output jumped at the fastest pace in nearly four years in February, government data showed Friday.Production in the mining, manufacturing, gas and electricity industries moved up 6.6 percent last month from a year earlier, marking the highest on-year gain since January 2013, when it posted a 9 percent rise, according to the data by Statistics Korea.

Semisubmersible ship carrying Sewol ferry departs for Mokpo

A semisubmersible ship carrying the ferry Sewol departed for South Korea's southwestern port of Mokpo on Friday.The semisubmersible ship was to arrive at Mokpo around 2:30 p.m. where the ferry is set to be put in dry dock next week. Once in dry dock, authorities plan to carry out a search for the missing people whose bodies may still be inside.

Trump-Xi summit crucial test for U.S. commitment to S. Korea amid Chinese bullying over THAAD: Washington Post

Next week's summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is a key test of whether the U.S. will stand up for South Korea against a series of Chinese retaliatory measures over Seoul's hosting of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system, the Washington Post said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)

Park arrested over corruption scandal

Former President Park Geun-hye was arrested and sent to a detention facility early Friday morning on the corruption charges that led to her removal from office three weeks ago. “It is acknowledged that there is a reason and need for the arrest as (Park's) key charges were clarified and there is a risk of evidence being destoryed,” the Seoul Central District Court said in a statement.

Future cars take center stage at Korea’s largest motor show

An auto extravaganza kicks off Friday in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, offering a glimpse into various features of future cars that will change not only the traffic landscape but also urban lifestyles. Under the slogan “Design the future, enjoy the moment,” the Seoul Motor Show has invited 27 car brands from around the world to Kintex. Nearly 300 vehicles, including two world and 42 Korea premieres, will be displayed at the event's 11th outing.

Ahn surges to narrow gap with Moon

With the clock ticking toward the May 9 presidential election, centrist AhnCheol-soo is quickly emerging as the candidate to challenge liberal front-runner Moon Jae-in. While Moon of the main liberal Democratic Party of Korea maintaided a steady lead, Ahn of the People’s Party narrowed the gap, beating Moon’s in-party rival South Chungcheong Province Gov. AnHee-jung to come in second in local polls.

NK designates drug production as crime subject to execution

North Korea has added illegal cultivation of opium and drug production to a list of crimes subject to execution, a report by a South Korean think tank showed Thursday.North Korea has designated such acts as one of eight crimes that are subject to capital punishment through the 2013 revision of penal codes, according to the report on North Korea's human rights by the Korea Institute for National Unification.

Musk diving into minds while reaching for Mars

Not content to reach for Mars and dethrone fossil fuels, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk on Tuesday is turning his focus to delving into people‘s minds.In a message fired off Tuesday on Twitter, Musk appeared to confirm he is creating a startup called Neuralink devoted to enabling brains to interface directly with computers, accessing processing power and perhaps even downloading memories for storage.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

PARK GEUN-HYE ARRESTED

Former President Park Geun-hye was detained early Friday after the court accepted the prosecution's request to arrest her on multiple charges, including bribery, abuse of authority, coercion and leaking government secrets.

Sewol to leave for Mokpo Friday

Recovery crews are putting in last-ditch efforts to move the Sewol ferry to Mokpo New Port, South Jeolla Province, today, before favorable weather conditions end later in the day, maritime authorities said Thursday.

Samsung expects Galaxy S8 to outsell S7

Samsung Electronics expects its new Galaxy S8 smartphone to outsell its successful predecessor, the S7.The new handset is drawing rave reviews after it was unveiled Wednesday (local time) in two different models — the standard S8 with a 5.8-inch display and a larger Galaxy S8 Plus with a 6.2-inch screen.

Private high schools to accept foreign students

Seoul's private high schools that accept students through application are planning to take foreigners next year, according to a new Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education policy announced Wednesday.

Fine dust from China kills 30,000 a year

Korean consumers' concern about fine dust, which is believed to come from China, seems to be legitimate as confirmed by a report published Thursday in the peer-reviewed international journal Nature.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DongAIlbo (http://english.donga.com)

Naver unveils its autonomous car at Seoul Motor Show

Korea’s most-visited web portal operator Naver unveiled its self-driving capabilities at the Seoul Motor Show on Thursday. Showcasing a self-driving car currently under development at the press day event at the Seoul Motor Show held at KINTEX, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Naver said that it has Level 3 autonomous driving tech based on the standards of the Society of the U.S. Automotive Engineers.

China builds navy’s biggest amphibious assault vessels

China has started to build “Type 075 Amphibious Assault Vessels” capable of carrying 30 helicopters, the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday.On Tuesday, HudongZhunghua Shipbuilding, a Shanghai-based shipbuilder, announced that China’s Navy Commander Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong visited the company.

Drone technology to be used for fine dust up in the air

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is now reviewing to make use of drones (unmanned aerial vehicle) to reduce fine dust, which has increasingly become a serious environmental problem. It has decided that previously-utilized countermeasures such as controlling old diesel cars or absorbing road dust have their limits in resolving the ever-growing problem of fine dust.

Samsung finally unveils Galaxy S8

Samsung Electronics revealed its latest flagship smartphone GalaxyS8 and GalaxyS8 Plus Wednesday (local time) at Lincoln Center in New York, its first strategic phone after killing off fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 in October last year.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ChosunIlbo (http://english.chosun.com)

Park Goes to Jail

Ex-President Park Geun-hye was arrested early Friday after a court granted prosecutors’ request for a warrant on a slew of charges including bribery, abuse of power and leaking government secrets. The Seoul Central District Court accepted that her arrest is necessary to "hedge the risk of Park fleeing or destroying evidence."

More Elite Graduates Switch to Vocational Schools

Record numbers of university graduates are switching to vocational colleges as they confront an ever more competitive job market.The Korean Council for University College Education said Tuesday that 1,453 freshmen at 118 vocational colleges this year were university graduates. The number has risen from 1,379 in 2015.

When Fried Rice Cakes with Flowers Heralded Spring

As the weather becomes milder, a warm breeze blows and the field turn green, Koreans traditionally eat hwajeon, a flat rice cake decorated with flower petals to fully satisfy all senses.

Azaleas were the most popular choice of flower. According to "Dongguksesigi," a book about seasonal customs from 1849, people pick azalea flowers on samjinnal, a festive day that marks the arrival of spring and falls on the third day of the third lunar month.

Customs to Confiscate Rich Tax Dodgers' Luxury Purchases

Rich tax dodgers will have the luxury goods they buy on overseas trips confiscated at the airport starting next month, the National Tax Service said Wednesday.

The measure will affect some 32,816 people who have owed more than W300 million in taxes for more than a year (US$1=W1,114).

N.Korean Missiles Target U.S. Reinforcements

The short-term objective of North Korea's frantic missile development is to prevent U.S. troop and weapons reinforcements from reaching the Korean Peninsula in the event of war, analysis suggests.

North Korea launched 46 missiles since leader Kim Jong-un came to power in 2012, often at high angles or in groups.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HanKyoRehShinmoon (http://english.hani.co.kr)

Seongju residents fighting back as equipment trucks arrive at THAAD deployment site

It was around 1 pm on Mar. 29, and elderly women were blocking the road in front of the Soseong village center in Chojeon, a township in North Gyeongsang Province’s Seongju County. Four 4.5-ton trucks and one 5-ton truck were stuck, unable to reach the former LotteSkyhillSeongju Country Club golf course site.

Is North Korea planning a sixth nuclear test?

The North Korean media have been repeatedly arguing for the legitimacy of the North’s possession of nuclear weapons. Since this coincides with a series of reports in the foreign media about ongoing detection of activities presumed to be preparations for another nuclear test at North Korea’s nuclear test site in Punggye Village, there is increasing speculation that a sixth nuclear test may be imminent.

South-North Korea leaflet propaganda battle heating up again

The “leaflet battle” between North and South Korea, which had been quiet for a while, seems to be revving up again.

Between 11 pm and midnight on Mar. 28, Fighters For Free North Korea, a group of North Korean defectors, carried out a surprise release of balloons filled with propaganda leaflets denouncing North Korea‘s assassination of Kim Jong-nam, half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Operation at SK Innovation factory in Beijing halted, apparently due to THAAD

Operation of an electric car battery factory jointly established in Beijing by SK Innovation was halted early this year, it has been belatedly learned.

The suspension of all operations at the Beijing Electronic Holding & SK Technology Co., Ltd. (BESK) is seen as very likely to have been in retaliation for South Korea’s decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, raising fears that China’s economic retaliation measures might have already spread from tourism and logistics into manufacturing.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JoongAngIlbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)

Court decides to arrest Park

Former President Park Geun-hye was arrested on Friday in connection with a corruption scandal that led to her removal from office. The Seoul Central District Court issued a warrant to detain Park on charges of bribery, abuse of authority, coercion and leaking government secrets, after a marathon hearing the previous day.

Samsung’s hopes pinned on Galaxy S8

Samsung Electronics on Wednesday unveiled the eagerly-awaited Galaxy S8, which is jam-packed with new features from facial recognition to an artificial intelligence assistant named Bixby, whose Korean and English are top notch.

Coast Guard may need to be brought back to life

In her first national address a month after the April 16, 2014 Sewol ferry tragedy, former President Park Geun-hye tearfully blamed herself and her government for the botched rescue operation, solemnly admitting they hadn’t done their best.

A fireworks finish for the Lotte World Tower

Lotte is celebrating completion of its landmark World Tower in the Jamsil area of southern Seoul with a fireworks display on Sunday.The spectacle will start at 9 p.m. and last 11 minutes, which the company claims is longer than the famed New Year’s Day fireworks shows at Taiwan’s Taipei 101 and Dubai’s BurjKhalifa. A total of 30,000 firework tubes will be used for the show, and the amount of gunpowder inside will weigh more than 4 tons.

Posco honors social giants in Cheongam Awards

An olfactory scientist, a social enterprise founder, a battery researcher and a middle school in Daegu - these were the recipients of steelmaker Posco’s annual Cheongam Awards, in which the company recognizes individuals and organizations that contribute to the fields of science, education, public service and technology.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The KyungHyangShinmoon(http://english.khan.co.kr/)

Government Set to Transport the Hull, Neglects Sediments That May Hold the Remains

Articles such as shoes have been discovered in the sediments from the Sewol, but on-site measures to preserve such findings are practically nonexistent. The government and the salvaging company have not controlled access to the sediments due to operations to transport the Sewol, and they have neglected the deposits, which may hold remains.

The Difference Between THAAD and the Cuban Missile Crisis

About two years, I posed a question to a Chinese professor I met on a business trip to China. "Why is China so sensitive to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system?" The placement of the THAAD missiles on the Korean Peninsula was hot potato back then as well.

Possibility of Destroying Evidence and Fairness with Accomplices, Factors to Determine Arrest Warrant for Park Geun-hye

On March 30, former President Park Geun-hye will appear in court for a review of her arrest warrant, which the prosecutors requested on charges of bribery. The arrest of the former president will be determined by the court's judgment after a review of the possibility of Park destroying evidence and of the gravity of her crime.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Korea Economic Daily (http://english.hankyung.com/)

Former President Park Finally Goes to Jail

The Seoul court has granted prosecutors' request to arrest former president Park Geun-hye at 3:03 am on March 31. Park was taken to a detention facility in Uiwang in the southern outskirts of Seoul. It has been 21 days since the impeachment motion against her was approved by the Constitutional Court.

AI Assistant "Bixby" the Biggest Attention Grabber in Samsung's Galaxy S8

"Bixby, capture the current screen on my smartphone and send it to Kim Hyung-wook by message." It took less than 0.5 second for the Samsung Galaxy S8's artificial intelligence voice-to-task function to capture the screen and activate the message app to send the capture image. But it was kind enough to leave the decision to press the send button to the user. Galaxy S8's Bixby is not just an app but something that can run several apps to perform certain voice commands.

No. of Bank Tellers and Branches on Steep Decline

As online and mobile banking is gaining rising popularity, the number of bank tellers, branch offices and ATM's is declining at a rapid pace. According to the Financial Services Commission on March 28, the number of employees hired by the nation's banking industry totaled 114,775 as of the end of 2016, down by 2,248 from a year ago. This was the largest annual decline in six years since 2010 (2,372).

Lotte Rent-a-Car Signs Agreement with GM Korea to Offer Chevy Bolt EV to Its Rental Car Customers

Lotte Rent-a-Car has signed a partnership deal on March 29 with GM Korea for the supply of its Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle. The latest agreement was intended to share the experience in electric vehicles. Lotte will offer Bolt EV rental cars through various arrangements such as long-term and short-term rental and car sharing.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)

Disgraced ex-president Park faces grueling court battle on her arrest

South Korean police beefed up security around the house of ousted president Park Geun-hye Thursday as hundreds of flag-waving supporters gathered for sit-down protests opposing her imprisonment.

N. Korea nuclear test sites shows sudden change in activity: 38 North

North Korea's nuclear test site showed no visible movements after heightened activity for several days in a sudden change that could mean either test preparations are done or Pyongyang is trying to deceive the world, according to 38 North.

S. Korea's ousted leader Park sent to prison for trial

South Korea's ousted leader Park Geun-hye was sent to prison Friday after a court issued an arrest warrant for her active role in a corruption scandal that sparked months of political turmoil.

She became the third ex-president to be placed behind bars in South Korea's political history that brought a misfortune to former national leaders starting with Rhee Syngman, the first president who ruled from 1948 to 1960.

'Mad Tea Hatters' protest against 'Article 50' being triggered

Protesters depicted as 'Mad Tea Hatters' demonstrate against 'Article 50' being triggered, outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, 29 March 2017.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)

Samsung Elec Galaxy S8 packed with best and newest features to impress and reassure market

Underscoring its pressure to impress and reassure consumers at the same time, Samsung Electronics on Wednesday released Galaxy S8 series packed with its best and newest specifications featuring voice-activated personal assistant and iris, face, and fingerprint recognition on a spacious curved display in a follow-up to the ill-fated Galaxy Note7.

Hyundai Motor expresses confidence in its connected car technology

South Korea’s largest automaker Hyundai Motor Co. hopes to lead the future vehicle market through its connected car platforms, said a top executive during the 2017 Seoul Motor Show.

A connected car refers to a vehicle that interacts with a home, office and city equipped with cutting-edge technology including vehicle control, artificial intelligence (AI), network and security.

Naver unveils its autonomous car at Seoul Motor Show

South Korea’s leading Internet company Naver Corp. showed off a Level 3 self-driving car with a person at the driver’s seat for emergency backup at the Seoul Motor Show 2017 that kicked off Thursday in Kintex in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province.

FSS to launch special audit for Samsung Biologics on accounting fraud allegation

South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) is set to conduct a special audit on Samsung BioLogics Co., a biopharmaceutical business unit of Samsung Group, for allegation that the company had committed accounting fraud to go public last year.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What’s ticking around the world at this second?

See what the world media around the world have to report:

USA Today www.usatoday.com aallman@gannett.com

The New York Timeswww.nytimes.com inytletters@nytimes.com

Wall Street Journalwww.wsj.com support@wsj.com ,service@wsj-asia.com

Financial Times www.ft.com ean@ft.com

The Timeswww.thetimes.co.uk help@timesplus.co.uk

The Sun www.thesun.co.uk talkback@the-sun.co.uk

Chinese People's Dailywww.people.com.cn kf@people.cn

China Dailywww.chinadaily.com.cn circulation@chinadaily.com.cn

GwangmyeongDailywww.gmw.cn webmaster@gmw.cn

Japan's Yomiuriwww.yomiuri.co.jp japannews@yomiuri.com

Asahi www.asahi.com customer-support@asahi.com

Mainichiwww.mainichi.jp

Lemondewww.ilemonde.com

Italy rarepupeul Rica www.quotidiano.repubblica.it vittorio.zucconi@gmail.com

Germany Frankfurter AllgemeineZeitungwww.faz.net anzeigen.ausland@faz.de

SüddeutscheZeitungwww.sueddeutsche.de forum@sueddeutsche.de

Australia Brisbane Times www.brisbanetimes.com.au syndication@fairfaxmedia.com.au

Sydney Morning Heraldwww.smh.com.au

Colombia Reportshttp://colombiareports.com

Bogota Free Planethttp://bogotafreeplanet.combfp@bogotafreeplanet.com

El Universalhttp://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english

ANDEShttp://www.andes.info.ec/en

ECUADOR TIMEShttp://www.ecuadortimes.net

The Jordan Timeshttps://www.jordantimes.com

LSM.lvhttp://www.lsm.lv/en

The Baltic Timeshttp://www.baltictimes.comlithuania@baltictimes.com , estonia@baltictimes.com, editor@baltictimes.com

El Paishttp://elpais.com/elpais/inenglish.html

PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRERhttps://www.inquirer.net

Daily News Hungaryhttp://dailynewshungary.com

Budapest Timeshttp://budapesttimes.hu

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To preserve the local culture as an outstanding world cultural asset

Gimhae City hosts a gala Gaya Culture Festival on April 9

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

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INVITATION

Your Excellency and Madam are cordially invited to the 2017 Grand Gaya Culture Festival on Sunday April 9

Your Excellency and Madarm are cordially 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.)

저작권자 © The Korea Post 무단전재 및 재배포 금지