HyunCheon Kim
Translated by SoYeon Lee

To introduce Korean cultural to international students and Boston residents, 2011 HKS Korean Cultural Festival was held at Harvard, which attracted more than 300 paticipants.

On 25th of Friday at 6pm, the event, sponsored by Harvard Korea Society, included Korean film screenings, traditional wedding costumes and percussion experience, Korean food and Korean Liquors tasting. HKS specially prepared the exhibition of Dok-do, Island in dispute between Korean and Japan, Old East Sea maps to expand the awareness that Dok-do belongs to Korea.

The most popular part of the event was Korean food and Mak-Gul-Li tasting. Bul-go-gi and jap-che were already gone at the beginning of the event and Mal-Gul-Li, introduced the rice wine as the most popular thing among international students. They expressed the wine as “Sweet”, “Fantastic taste”.

Iranina student, Dicsh, who had tasted Mak-Gul-Li said “I never have tasted something like this before”and “Korean food is delicious and Koreans seem nice. Very impressive”.

Ji-Yeon Kim who brought 15 of her foreign friends including ESL teachers commented said “everyone was interested in Korean food and culture, and really liked it. It gave me a feeling of proud as a Korean”. She also said that “Korean traditional costume experience, informing Dok-do, Korean film screening were less popular due to large attract of Korean food.” 85 year old elderly ESL teacher expressed Soju as sweet and delicious Korean Vodka.

Meanwhile, Many of Chinese students showed great interest in Korean Traditional wedding dress. It only spared a small area at the event so relatively few visitors stopped by. But Chinese students found Hanbok’s beautiful color and materials admiring and photographed themselves in the dress.

A Chinese student, Peichen said she was familiar with Hanbok from Korean TV shows and curiously asked “why a bride Yeon-Ji-Gon-Ji, a traditional Korean wedding make-up that is put on a bride’s cheeks and forehead.”

At the film screening, more than 20 Old East Sea maps were exhibited to confirm that Dok-do is our territory. The maps were provided by the London based International Map Collector’s Society’s Korean division President, Tae-Jin Kim. But many complaint that there was not any explanation or guide books. Ji-Yeon Kim expressed her disappointment and said “it would have been better if there was a short introduction of Dok-do issue and maps before the film screening.”

Many parents who had brought their children couldn’t hide their disappointment when they found out that the event wasn’t performance oriented. Min-Jung Kim who has been in America for 10 years said “I thought there would a performances to show my kids but only instruments were displayed.”

On the day of the event, many crowds were gathered at the Gund Hall to taste Korean food as soon as the event began. The building was too crowded as people lined up to taste Bul-go-gi and Jap-Che. On the side of the building, a video of introducing Korean food was playing.

At 7pm, at the Piper auditorium, a film of Hwang-Jin-Yi and a documentary of the tears of North pole were shown. Both of them were sponsored by the Korean Foundation and the Korean Trading Association.

Many of the Korean students at the event said that the continuity of informing Korean Culture made them proud and said that they hope this movement continues.

The President of HKS, Yui-Hun Lee said the event wasn’t as efficient as he hoped since the event was ran by only volunteers and wished they could’ve provided food for all the participants if the budget allowed them to. He also added that “If universities in Boston gathered together to hold a Korean Cultural Festival, it would be more efficient and a great way to promote Korea to people in Boston.”

At the event, Jong-Wuk Ju, Former Korean Ambassador to China and Korean Consul So-Yeong Park of the Korean Consulate General in Boston also attended.

ⓒ 보스톤코리아(http://www.bostonkorea.com), 무단전재 및 재배포 금지