London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

Celebrate Chuseok with the Anglo-Korean Society

Celebrate Chuseok this Friday with the Anglo Korean Society. Note that this event is for AKS members and their guests only. You need to pre-book (and also pre-pay) using the form at the bottom of this post.

CHUSEOK CELEBRATION

With a screening of “The Arch of Enlightenment”

Friday 28th September 2012
6.30pm for 7.00pm

Korean Cultural Centre UK, Grand Buildings, 1-3 Strand, London WC2N 5BW
(Entrance on Northumberland Avenue)

Our event coincides with the celebrations of the Korean national holidays surrounding Chuseok a traditional harvest Moon festival on the 15th day of the Eighth Moon according to the lunar calendar. Usually described as a thanksgiving for a good harvest. This is a family occasion when Koreans visit their hometowns, enjoy a traditional Korean meal and pay respect to their ancestors.

Ganggangsullae - a traditional Chuseok dance
Ganggangsullae – a traditional Chuseok dance

At this year’s Chuseok event, Dr Charlotte Horlyck will explain the meaning of Chuseok, and will introduce the screening of the ‘The Arch of Enlightenment’ in which she appears. She lectures in Korean Art History at SOAS and formerly curated the Korean collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The screening will be followed by a Korean buffet with wine.

Made by the British documentary film-maker Dr Howard Reid, ‘The Arch of Enlightenment’ is an hour long film about the recent reconstruction of Gwanghwamun, the famous main gate to the Royal Palace of Gyeongbok in Seoul.

Its world premiere, at the Curzon Mayfair in January 2011, was attended by HRH The Prince of Wales, whose Charitable Foundation was among those supporting the project.

The gate was destroyed during the Japanese invasions of the 16th century, then rebuilt in the 19th century, only to be moved during the Japanese occupation in the early 20th century to make room for the Japanese Governor-General’s building. Later the wooden structure was badly damaged during the Korean War and its base rebuilt with cement.

In 2006 the ROK Government began a major restoration of Gwanghwamun. It carried out this work with staggering historical accuracy with regard to the materials and traditions used, and moved the gate back to its original location. This fascinating and beautiful documentary follows this careful project, now completed, charting the history of this famous gate and highlighting the historical importance attached to restoring it to its former glory.

Cost: £15.00 per person

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