Cultureㆍ Art - Museums and Theaters

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Culture and the Art of Korea

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Museums and Theaters

Views 1841 Votes 0 2009.06.14 18:10:50

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▲ National Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul Grand Park

Korea abounds in cultural facilities of all levels and categories where people can enjoy exhibitions and stage performances throughout the year. These places offer an on-the-spot glimpse into the cultural and artistic achievements of Koreans past and present, regarding both traditional and modern trends and tastes. From internationally recognized museums to small theaters where performers and spectators can casually mingle and interact, these facilities vary in type and scale to satisfy the diverse interests and penchants of their target audiences.

There are 358 museums in Korea, with 31 being funded and operated by the central government, including the National Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum located in downtown Seoul. Others are located in provincial cities, some of which were the capitals of ancient kingdoms. In particular, Gyeongju and Buyeo are treasure houses of historic relics that reveal the cultural brilliance of their respective regions. As such, each museum features a unique historical flavor.

▲ The National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul

In addition to the national and public museums as well as college and university museums, there are more than 155 private museums in Korea that have been established by private citizens, religious organizations and business enterprises.

In most cases, their collections consist of cultural artifacts which involved a lifetime of dedicated efforts to gather. The collections range from folk paintings, books, religious objects, furniture and embroidery to traditional costumes.

Museums with unusual collections have appeared including a museum specializing in kimchi, Korea's trademark pickled cabbage and radish.

▲ Kimchi Field Museum in Seoul's COEX Mall

Korea has about 80 multi-purpose theaters. The National Theater, founded in 1950, is located at the foot of Mt. Namsan in the heart of Seoul. With a goal of preserving and developing traditional culture and contemporary performing arts, it has gone through a half century of hardship and change and is now rightfully proud of its four resident companies who stage some 35 regular productions annually.

The four include the National Drama Company, National Changgeuk (Korean musical drama) Company, National Dance Company and National Traditional Music Orchestra. These companies frequently present special tour performances overseas and across Korea. Besides the four resident companies, three others were quite active ― The National Opera Company, The National Ballet Company and The National Chorus. These three were reborn as independently-run companies residing at the Seoul Arts Center in February 2000.

▲ Sejong Center, central Seoul

The National Museum of Contemporary Art, located in a scenic park in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, features an extensive collection of Korean and Western art works of the 20th century.

The number of art galleries has greatly increased in the past two decades amid growing public interest in fine art.

Galleries of varied sizes and character are clustered in such areas as Insa-dong, downtown Seoul; Sagan-dong near Gyeongbokgung Palace; and Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul.

One of Korea's largest multi-purpose theaters is the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, located in the center of Seoul. Affiliated with this municipal arts center, opened in 1978, are the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the Seoul Metropolitan Korean Traditional Music Orchestra, the Seoul Metropolitan Choir, the Seoul Metropolitan Theater Company, the Seoul Metropolitan Musical Company, the Seoul Metropolitan Dance Company, the Seoul Metropolitan Opera Company, the Seoul Metropolitan Boys and Girls Choir and the Seoul Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. The center's main hall can seat 3,800, while its pipe organ is one of the finest in the world.

▲ The Opera House and Seoul Arts Center Complex

The Seoul Arts Center, located in southern Seoul, was Korea's first multi-disciplinary art and cultural center. The Center, covering a total land area of over 234,385 square meters and a total floor space of 120,951 square meters, opened in three stages from 1988 to 1993.

With its beautiful architecture, the Opera House has three separate theaters. The Opera Theater, with 2,278 seats, is equipped to host grand operas, ballets and more. Towol Theater, which can seat 669, is a medium-sized theater for plays, smaller-scale operas and modern dance. The Jayu Theater, which can accommodate a maximum of 350 people, is for experimental and avant-garde performances.

▲The center of Daehagno, Marronnier Park,
has frequent live performances by aspiring entertainers.
Daehagno is one of the popular theater districts in Seoul.

The Concert Hall, with 2,600 seats, is a large hall for full orchestras, while the Recital Hall, which can accommodate up to 380 seats, is for solo or chamber orchestras. And the Center has an art gallery, calligraphy hall, arts library, open-air theater and film archive.

Since its completion, Seoul Arts Center has been recognized by artists from a number of disciplines as a unique place for fostering, promoting and staging creative works. As a world-class institution, the Seoul Arts Center now plays a role in leading Korean culture into the next century.

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No.	Subject	Views
Everything you ever wanted to know about Korean surnames When this author mentioned that he would be moving to Korea, he was told that he would soon have lots of friends named "Kim." Due to lack of prior contact with Korea or Korean people, he had no idea what this meant, but shortly after arrival on the peninsula the full reality became clear. According to Korean government sta... Views 1637
Life Style: Religion Unlike some cultures where a single religion is dominant, Korean culture includes a wide variety of religious elements that have shaped the people's way of thinking and behavior. In the early stages of history in Korea, religious and political functions were combined but they later became distinct. Historically, Koreans lived under ... Views 2372
Life Style: House ▲ Ondol: In modern usage it refers to any type of underfloor heating of a room that follows the traditional way of eating and sleeping on the floor. Hanok, traditional Korean houses, remained relatively unchanged from the Three Kingdoms period through the late Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Ondol, a unique Korean underfloor heatin... Views 1812
Museums and Theaters ▲ National Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul Grand Park Korea abounds in cultural facilities of all levels and categories where people can enjoy exhibitions and stage performances throughout the year. These places offer an on-the-spot glimpse into the cultural and artistic achievements of Koreans past and present, regarding both ... Views 1841
Drama and Movies ▲ Daejanggeum [2003, MBC] Based loosely on a historical figure depicted in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, the show focuses on Jang-geum, Korea's first female royal physician While music and dance play an integral role in all traditional theatrical performances, Korean drama has its origins in prehistoric religious rites. A good e... Views 1848
Music and Dance ▲ Ensemble of national classical music performing Sujecheon [Long Life as Eternal as the Heavens] Music and dance were means of religious worship and this tradition continued through the Three Kingdoms period. More than 30 musical instruments were used during the Three Kingdoms period, and particularly noteworthy was the hyeonhakgeum... Views 1889
Painting ▲The figures on the walls of Muyongchong [the Tomb of the Dancers] from the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C. - A.D. 668) Although Korean painters showed a certain level of accumulated skills from the time of the Three Kingdoms, most paintings have been lost because they were drawn on paper. As a result, it is only possible to apprec... Views 2594
Literature Yongbieocheonga: ▲ The work eulogizes the virtue of the ancestors for the House of Yi, the founding family of the Joseon Dynasty, likening them to a deep rooted tree and a spring of deep waters Korean literature is usually divided chronologically into classical and modern periods. Korea's classical literature developed against the... Views 1884
Fine Arts Though people started living on the Korean Peninsula in the Paleolithic Age, existing remains indicate that the origin of fine arts dates back to the Neolithic Age (c. 6,000-1,000 B.C.). Rock carvings on a riverside cliff named Ban-gudae in Ulsan on the southeast coast feature vivid descriptions of animals and are noteworthy ... Views 1725
Life Style - Culinary Culture : Table Manners and Table Settings Table Manners and Table Settings From ancient times, Koreans have used spoon and chopsticks as their eating utensils. The spoon was for scooping steamed rice, soup, and stew, and chopsticks were used to eat a variety of prepared side dishes. Koreans are trained to use the spoon and the chopsticks correctly from childhood. Using ... Views 2129
Life Style - Culinary Culture : Ceremonial Food During the Joseon period, ceremonies were an important part of every family household and as a consequence, special foods for those ceremonies were developed. In particular, on the occasions of marriage and Hwan-gap, a special table-setting was arranged, which featured a variety of foods stacked up to about 30 to 50 centimeters high... Views 1910
Life Style - Culinary Culture : Kimchi Kimchi is a uniquely pungent mixture of fermented vegetables and its variations amounted to roughly 80 kinds of dishes during the Joseon period. For spring, summer, and fall consumption, kimchi was cured in a small quantity, but for the winter months, large quantities were made so that it could be eaten over three or four months.... Views 1981
Life Style - Culinary Culture History of the Development in the Culinary Culture Korea's culinary culture has been shaped with by its natural environment. Korea is located in the mid-altitude of the Northern Hemisphere, and belongs to a cold-temperate zone. Korea is surrounded by water on three sides, where both cold and warm currents cross each other, ... Views 2548
Life Style: Festivals In bygone days, festivals were lavish religious observances. It was during the Confederated Kingdoms period that harvest thanksgiving festivals began to be observed officially. They included the yeonggo (spirit-invoking drums) of Buyeo, dongmaeng (worship of the founder) of Goguryeo, and mucheon (dance to Heaven) of Dongye. Usually, festi... Views 2840
Life Style: Names Korean names have almost invariably consisted of three Chinese characters that are pronounced with three Korean syllables. The family name comes first, while the remaining two characters form the given name. However, this old tradition no longer remains intact. Of course, the majority still follow this tradition, but more and more... Views 2514
Life Style: Family Life In traditional Korea, the typical family was large with three or four generations usually living together. Because infant mortality was high and a big family was thought of as a blessing, having many children was desired. However, the rapid industrialization and urbanization of the country in the 1960s and 1970s were accompanied by an... Views 2645
Life Style: Overview It is generally surmised that Paleolithic man began to inhabit the Korean Peninsula about 40,000 to 50,000 years ago, although it has yet to be confirmed if they were the ethnic ancestors of present-day Koreans. Some Paleolithic men lived in caves, while others built structures on level ground. They lived on fruit and edible r... Views 2521

No.

Subject

Views

Everything you ever wanted to know about Korean surnames file

When this author mentioned that he would be moving to Korea, he was told that he would soon have lots of friends named "Kim." Due to lack of prior contact with Korea or Korean people, he had no idea what this meant, but shortly after arrival on the peninsula the full reality became clear. According to Korean government sta...

Views 1637

Life Style: Religion file

Unlike some cultures where a single religion is dominant, Korean culture includes a wide variety of religious elements that have shaped the people's way of thinking and behavior. In the early stages of history in Korea, religious and political functions were combined but they later became distinct. Historically, Koreans lived under ...

Views 2372

Life Style: House file

▲ Ondol: In modern usage it refers to any type of underfloor heating of a room that follows the traditional way of eating and sleeping on the floor. Hanok, traditional Korean houses, remained relatively unchanged from the Three Kingdoms period through the late Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Ondol, a unique Korean underfloor heatin...

Views 1812

Museums and Theaters file

▲ National Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul Grand Park Korea abounds in cultural facilities of all levels and categories where people can enjoy exhibitions and stage performances throughout the year. These places offer an on-the-spot glimpse into the cultural and artistic achievements of Koreans past and present, regarding both ...

Views 1841

Drama and Movies file

▲ Daejanggeum [2003, MBC] Based loosely on a historical figure depicted in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, the show focuses on Jang-geum, Korea's first female royal physician While music and dance play an integral role in all traditional theatrical performances, Korean drama has its origins in prehistoric religious rites. A good e...

Views 1848

Music and Dance file

▲ Ensemble of national classical music performing Sujecheon [Long Life as Eternal as the Heavens] Music and dance were means of religious worship and this tradition continued through the Three Kingdoms period. More than 30 musical instruments were used during the Three Kingdoms period, and particularly noteworthy was the hyeonhakgeum...

Views 1889

Painting file

▲The figures on the walls of Muyongchong [the Tomb of the Dancers] from the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C. - A.D. 668) Although Korean painters showed a certain level of accumulated skills from the time of the Three Kingdoms, most paintings have been lost because they were drawn on paper. As a result, it is only possible to apprec...

Views 2594

Literature file

Yongbieocheonga: ▲ The work eulogizes the virtue of the ancestors for the House of Yi, the founding family of the Joseon Dynasty, likening them to a deep rooted tree and a spring of deep waters Korean literature is usually divided chronologically into classical and modern periods. Korea's classical literature developed against the...

Views 1884

Fine Arts file

Though people started living on the Korean Peninsula in the Paleolithic Age, existing remains indicate that the origin of fine arts dates back to the Neolithic Age (c. 6,000-1,000 B.C.). Rock carvings on a riverside cliff named Ban-gudae in Ulsan on the southeast coast feature vivid descriptions of animals and are noteworthy ...

Views 1725

Life Style - Culinary Culture : Table Manners and Table Settings file

Table Manners and Table Settings From ancient times, Koreans have used spoon and chopsticks as their eating utensils. The spoon was for scooping steamed rice, soup, and stew, and chopsticks were used to eat a variety of prepared side dishes. Koreans are trained to use the spoon and the chopsticks correctly from childhood. Using ...

Views 2129

Life Style - Culinary Culture : Ceremonial Food file

During the Joseon period, ceremonies were an important part of every family household and as a consequence, special foods for those ceremonies were developed. In particular, on the occasions of marriage and Hwan-gap, a special table-setting was arranged, which featured a variety of foods stacked up to about 30 to 50 centimeters high...

Views 1910

Life Style - Culinary Culture : Kimchi file

Kimchi is a uniquely pungent mixture of fermented vegetables and its variations amounted to roughly 80 kinds of dishes during the Joseon period. For spring, summer, and fall consumption, kimchi was cured in a small quantity, but for the winter months, large quantities were made so that it could be eaten over three or four months....

Views 1981

Life Style - Culinary Culture file

History of the Development in the Culinary Culture Korea's culinary culture has been shaped with by its natural environment. Korea is located in the mid-altitude of the Northern Hemisphere, and belongs to a cold-temperate zone. Korea is surrounded by water on three sides, where both cold and warm currents cross each other, ...

Views 2548

Life Style: Festivals file

In bygone days, festivals were lavish religious observances. It was during the Confederated Kingdoms period that harvest thanksgiving festivals began to be observed officially. They included the yeonggo (spirit-invoking drums) of Buyeo, dongmaeng (worship of the founder) of Goguryeo, and mucheon (dance to Heaven) of Dongye. Usually, festi...

Views 2840

Life Style: Names file

Korean names have almost invariably consisted of three Chinese characters that are pronounced with three Korean syllables. The family name comes first, while the remaining two characters form the given name. However, this old tradition no longer remains intact. Of course, the majority still follow this tradition, but more and more...

Views 2514

Life Style: Family Life file

In traditional Korea, the typical family was large with three or four generations usually living together. Because infant mortality was high and a big family was thought of as a blessing, having many children was desired. However, the rapid industrialization and urbanization of the country in the 1960s and 1970s were accompanied by an...

Views 2645

Life Style: Overview file

It is generally surmised that Paleolithic man began to inhabit the Korean Peninsula about 40,000 to 50,000 years ago, although it has yet to be confirmed if they were the ethnic ancestors of present-day Koreans. Some Paleolithic men lived in caves, while others built structures on level ground. They lived on fruit and edible r...

Views 2521

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