Review of Korea 2019
From the top dramas to a controversial moustache, here’s a look back over 2019!
JANUARY
It’s cold. Let’s watch TV!
The hugely popular film Extreme Job became the second-highest-selling movie in Korean history. (A police drug squad end up running a fried chicken shop)
And there were some goodies on Netflix too. I was teaching an intensive winter course at the time and all my university students were watching the drama Sky Castle. And I was strongly recommended to watch it! (It won best drama award this year)
It’s about the shenanigans that ambitious, wealthy mums are prepared to go through to make sure their kids get into the TOP university – Seoul National University, of course. (Nothing else will do). It seems extreme, but I was assured that it’s actually a pretty realistic representation! Blimey.
Another great Netflix show early this year was the fusion historical drama with zombie twist: Kingdom. It was exciting and beautiful (even the zombies!) and the silhouettes of the Joseon outfits raised awareness in the international audience to the fabulous world of Joseon HATS.
See this Korean Joongang daily article for info about the Joseon hats
FEBRUARY
The Year of the Golden Pig
I wrote 10 exciting facts about pigs in Korea and discovered that there were pig toilets in Jeju. Don’t read this while eating though…
In politics, after all the hype, the second summit meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi ended in no agreement…
MARCH
demonstrations and sex scandals
2019 had a lot of pro and anti- government marches and demonstrations. I happened to be walking past a rally supporting President Moon one evening and saw a a huge crowd in festive spirit. There was music and singing and then a magician appeared on the large screen to perform some magic tricks…
March 1 2019 (Samiljeol) marked the 100 year anniversary of Korea’s declaration of Independence from Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945).
In K-pop, Burning Sun Gate sex scandal erupted at the beginning of the year. And on International Women’s Day (March 8) there were street protests in Gangnam. Several K-pop stars have been arrested for sex crimes, including Seungri who had to retire from the entertainment industry this month.
APRIL
the blossom appears
Every spring, there’s a risk of fire in the mountains of Gangwon in the north east. This year was the worst fire yet and thousands of people had to be evacuated. Many celebrities and companies donated money to help the injured and those who had lost their homes. There were other fires around the DMZ as well.
(April was the month that Notre Dame in Paris had the big fire too.)
In sport, there are more Tottenham Hotspur football fans in Korea now with the success of Son Heung-min. In April he became the first player to score at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
By the end of the year, he had broken the record for the most goals ever scored by a Korean player in European football.
MAY
Buddha’s Birthday and Green Tea festivals
This month it was announced that Queen and Adam Lambert will come to Korea in January 2020.
When the film was released here at the end of last year, the film Bohemian Rhapsody became a massive hit. There were over 9 million tickets sold. Sing-along cinemas allowed cinema-goers to join in with the songs!
Freddy Mercury was certainly a topic of conversation in lots of my classes in 2019, as young people who had never even heard of Queen were introduced to their music for the first time!
It’s amazing to think that the song Bohemian Rhapsody was originally banned in Korea for having ‘violent lyrics’. Freddie Mercury’s lifestyle would also not have been acceptable back then either, no doubt.
How things have changed.
The Korean film Parasite was released this month and became a contender for an Oscar. I wrote a review of Parasite here.
related posts:
Korean Buddhism Book Review: Polishing the Diamond
The Lotus symbol in Korean Buddhism
Who was Great Master Samyeong?
Book Review: The Compass of Zen by Zen Master Seung Sahn
JUNE
June is the month when lavender is in bloom
This year I went to a rice cake-making class for Dano Day, the start of summer.
The lavender fields in Gangwon (in the north east) are in bloom for a couple of weeks every June.
I saw a man in a lavender t-shirt posing for a photo on the lavender painted tractor. And I wondered if he colour-coordinated his outfit for the visit or if it was just a happy coincidence…
Some visitors clearly had prepared their outfits (think Laura Ashley) and props (parasols or push bikes with baskets on the front) The shop has a range of whimsical hats, if you forget to bring yours.
Anyway, it’s an Insagramer’s paradise, if you like that sort of thing. But get there early.
see more from dramasrok about life in Korea on Facebook Pinterest and Instagram
JULY
July is the month of the rainy season and poknal
In the middle of summer we went for a walk in the cool, tree-lined mountain red soil path.
In Art, finally a book was published in English about Korean calligraphy. Beyond line: The Art of Korean Writing
2019 was a year of celebrity divorces too starting with the shock announcement of still newlyweds Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo who starred in the drama Descendants of the Sun (2016).
related posts:
5 reasons why people eat pancakes on a rainy day
AUGUST
cold noodle dishes and summer holidays
This summer we took a trip to Yeosu in the south of Korea where there are beaches and parasols and dried squid drying on clothes lines tied up with blue string.
For a taste of summer, I tried mugwort pastries from the bakery.
Relations with Japan took another hit as Japan removed South Korea from its white list of countries given preferential treatment in exports. Japan had already changed regulations on the exports of materials needed for semiconductor chips. Protests and boycott of Japanese products have gone on for the rest of the year. (So flights are cheap!)
related posts:
What are the flavours of a Korean Summer?
SEPTEMBER
Chuseok, Harvest Festival
Working at a government officials training centre the day before Chuseok, we were served this adorable harvest moon hash brown potato with a tomato hat. The sauce was exceedingly sweet though, like sweetened ketchup. It’s a main course and dessert in one.
We took a trip to Hokkaido during the autumn break. With relations with Japan still bad and travel there and products boycotted, I got ready to enjoy an empty plane. (Some people have told me that they want to go to Japan on holiday but can’t right now because other people will judge them!)
But…
Au con·traire!
The plane was packed.
Otaru in Hokkaido became a popular destination for Korean tourists after the popularity of the Japanese film Love Letter (1995). Maybe it was a plane full of romantics. ❤️ 💕
related posts:
4 places to see the autumn leaves
What presents do people give at Chuseok?
OCTOBER
October 9 is Hangul Day and a national holiday
There’s a trend now for dressing up in rented bright hanboks and going out and about on Hangul Day! (Some men are wearing ladies’ hanboks just for fun, too!)
In politics, there have been weeks of protests after President Moon appointed university professor Cho Kuk as justice minister.
Disgruntled students gathered outside Seoul National University to protest when it was revealed that the new minister’s daughter had got unfair privileges – like university scholarships despite failing her exams – thanks to her elite family status. This month, Professor Cho finally resigned and his wife was arrested on corruption charges.
The K-pop world was in shock this month as star Sulli was found dead in her apartment of suspected suicide. There was more sadness to follow her.
related posts:
What are the different hangul script styles?
NOVEMBER
November is Kimjang, kimchi-making season
Art work by Kim Whanki (1913-1974) sold for a record-breaking $10 million at auction.
The release of the controversial film Kim Ji Young Born 1982 has been causing issues with couples grappling to deal with feminism.
The argument over who should be exempt from doing military service continues. If you win a medal at the Olympics you don’t have to go to the army, but K-pop stars still have to go – even BTS!
And just like every year, we made kimchi…
related posts:
Kim Ji Young Born 1982 (the novel)
Seoul Kimchi Festival: Giving to Charity
DECEMBER
winter lights on the Cheongyecheon stream
Santa’s beard might be ok, but facial hair is still a no-no here.
So the US ambassador’s new moustache even made the international papers when it was deemed ‘disrespectful‘. (The ambassador’s Japanese heritage seems to be part of the issue though.)
Finally, if you’re looking for a new drama to watch, I’m now into Crash Landing on You (on Netflix) starring Hyun Bin and Son Ye jin. Set in North Korea, Hyun Bin’s character is in the North Korean military when a South Korean woman literally comes crashing over the border.
Love both the leads. And it’s very interesting to see how North Korean life is represented in the drama. I binge-watched the first five episodes and am now twiddling my thumbs waiting for episode six…
See you in the New Year! ❄️ ⛄️