My South Korea

Annyeong-haseyo. That's good morning/good afternoon/good evening in Korean.

I think the fact that I would be retiring early in the next year enabled me to attend the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) World Libraries International Conference (WLIC) in August 2006, in Seoul, South Korea. I joined the Persatuan Pustakwan Malaysia or Librarians' Association of Malaysia programme so that everything from flight, accomodation, etc., would be taken care of and I could happily tag along like a tourist. Well, not quite, because it was official, and so I had to attend all the various sessions during the Conference and write a report about it. But it was not all work and no play!

Our group of 26 flew on Korean Air to 'the land of morning calm' and landed at Incheon Airport. On our way to our accommodation Seoul Residence in North Seoul, when we stopped by the Presidential Palace area (for photos), I was more interested to see that the policemen supervising the traffic there were on roller blades! We also went to the National Folk Museum of Korea within the Gyeongbokgung Palace to get an overview of  Korean civilisation; their lifestyle from the prehistoric age to the Joseon Dynasty.

Traffic policemen on roller blades near the Presidential Palace.
Nice legs, peewit! (CNB 2006)

Diorama of the life and customs of Goguryeo at the
National Folk Museum (CNB 2006)

Diorama of women preparing vegetables for kimchi,
Korea's famous pickled dish (CNB 2006)

The IFLA WLIC opening ceremony was held at COEX World Trade Centre and the surprise keynote speaker was Kim Dae Jung, ex President and recent Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Kim Dae Jung delivering the keynote address (CNB 2006)

With the Chairman of the Organising Commitee and his wife.
She is wearing the national costume, the hanbok (2006)

Two Korean participants, one in Western clothes,
the other in a hanbok (CNB 2006)

With young Korean performers at the Opening Ceremony (2006)

With the amiable President of IFLA, Alex Byrne (2006)

Receiving funds from the US Library Disaster Relief,
for rebuilding libraries in Aceh, a LAM initiative (2006) 

Seoul has been the centre of politics, economy, culture and transportation of Korea for six centuries since King Taejo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty moved his capital here in 1394. This dynasty lasted more than 500 years till 1910. Many kings including the last king lived in the Deoksugung Palace (one of five palaces in Seoul) and today the re-enactment of the Royal Guard Changing Ceremony takes place almost daily at the Daehanmun gate.

Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (CNB 2006)

Deoksugung Palace entrance (CNB 2006)

Parade of Palace Guards (CNB 2006)

For the very modern contrast, below is the City Hall building and skyscrapers, just across from Deoksugung Palace.

The City Hall, Seoul (CNB 2006)

The food we had in Korea was a treat. There was healthy Korean cuisine of  a variety of seafoods, meats and vegetables including that internationally famous spicy fermented dish of kimchi. (The main vegetables in kimchi include radish, cabbage and cucumber, soaked in brine and mixed/stuffed with seasonings of red pepper powder, sliced green onions, crushed garlic, ginger, and many more other seasoning and garnishing. Koreans eat this with every meal). We also ate at Wazwan 'taste of India',  Ashoka Indian restaurants and Usmania international restaurant, in the Itaewon area. The food was good, though Indian, not Korean. Itaewon was quite cosmopolitan, with lots of restaurants and food outlets of international cuisines. Another restaurant we had dinner at was Pasha, a Turkish vegetarian restaurant. Turkish vegetarian? I thought it odd as well. Nevertheless the meal was enjoyable, especially the very puffy bread.

Korean broth and side dishes, including kimchi that I had at a
 Korean eatery with RB & Arlene Cohen (U of Guam) (CNB 2006)

Wazwan, Indian Restaurant, in Itaewon (CNB 2006)

Food art/sculpture: food for royalty, exhibited at the
National Library of Korea (CNB 2006)

We went on the Han River cruise while enjoying a seafood buffet spread onboard. There were many bridges spanning the river, each one quite different architecturally. There was a beautiful sunset as we set out but the sun was really fast going over the horizon! So I could not get any satisfactory photos because the boat did a u-turn at the dock and I was on the wrong side!

With Malaysian colleagues before the Han River cruise (2006)

Dusk on the river (CNB 2006)

We were most privileged to attend the cultural performance at the National Theatre. Although flash photography was not allowed, the audience (read: foreign delegates of the IFLA Conference) were not able to contain themselves and snapped/flashed away at the spectacular performance. (I did restrain myself and only took one picture during performance and one of the final curtain.)

Dances were courtly or community, and spectacular (CNB 2006)

The final curtain of a very splendid performance (CNB 2006)

On one of the evenings, the handsome, young Mayor of Seoul held a welcome reception for Conference delegates and I did have a photo opportunity with him. He mingled around with his guests and portrayed a very friendly public persona.

With Mayor Oh of Seoul (His bodyguard 2006)

With the usherers at the Mayor's welcome reception (2006)

Delegates were also able to visit libraries of their choice, and as always I chose the National Library. The National Library of Korea was a beautiful one and well laid out. The staff had especially laid out a Korean food exhibition for us and among these were the beautiful food sculptures.

At the National Library of Korea, with Italian friend Luigina
Orlandi of the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (2006)

Before we left South Korea, we had to visit the demilitarised zone or DMZ, the border area between the two Koreas. It has been more than 50 years since the Korean War, and the ceasefire line that created the DMZ is said to symbolise both war and peace, and division and unification. It was a shame that a people became two separate countries, but their history had been such. We did the DMZ tour of Panmunjeom village, the only place visitors are allowed. In one of the UN buildings there, both sides monitor the rooms, and you do come away with a sobering experience.

Freedom Bridge at Imjingak (2006)

Imjingak Park, Paju City: I am all for the unification of the Koreas! (2006)

At the Dorasan Station, near the South Korean side of the DMZ.
This station once connected the Koreas, and now restored for tourists (2006)

Pretty flowers at a village near the DMZ. I don't know what
they are but they are definitely not the Rose of Sharon,
the national flower of South Korea (CNB 2006)

Now for some glad tidings. Seoul is a shoppers paradise. There are numerous shopping centres and markets all over the city. Under the Conference venue was the COEX Mall, with shopping, dining, entertainment and culture outlets. In popular Itaewon, the shops are found along the streets, on the streets and in basements! There are more than 2000 shops selling accessories, jewelry, hats, t-shirts, leather goods, clothes, shoes, souvenirs, etc, etc.  The Nam Dae Mun market, near Seoul's ancient Namdaemun/South Gate, is a traditional open air market selling all kinds of merchandise. But modern shopping centers have sprung up in the area. The Dongdaemun Market area is packed with small shops and big malls, selling lots of goods, mainly clothing. Here you can't help but buy Korean silk materials. I got some at the Kwang Jang silk market (Eastern Gate).

Koreana wear (CNB 2006)

Nam Dae Mun Market gateway (CNB 2006)

I bought steel chopsticks at Nam Dae Mun Market (2006)

Apart from travelling by bus to and fro the airport at Incheon and the DMZ, our main transport from our accommodations to the Conference venue was by the very efficient subway trains. I found it easy to travel on the subway because signage was in both Korean and English. My South Korean experience was indeed most interesting because both new and old/ancient coexist well in this country.

Korean passengers in subway train (CNB 2006)

August 2006