Pungmulpae (Traditional Korean Percussion Troupe)

Pungmul is a form of traditional Korean folk music and performance, originally part of the Namsadang Nori (a traditional traveling performance troupe). Today, it is more commonly referred to as nongak (farmers’ music) and is performed during traditional holidays, ceremonies, and festivals as a lively, rhythmic expression of communal energy.

Festivals serve as a refreshing tonic amid the grind of daily life, injecting vitality and color into our routines. More than just celebrations, festivals are gatherings—spaces where strangers come together to share joy and express individuality, while simultaneously finding a common rhythm that unites them.

The Pungmulpae lanterns reflect a global flash-mob fashion phenomenon that draws inspiration from traditional Korean culture. This style modernizes Korean traditional dress, combining white trousers (symbolizing the "white-clad people" of Korea) with stylish blue shirts and hats, creating a uniquely vibrant look.

At large festivals around the world, young people have embraced pungmul-inspired fashion, donning modernized nongak outfits and even using pungmul performances as flash mobs—sometimes purely festive, and other times as a form of political expression.

The free-spirited movements, bold fashion statements, and dynamic dance gestures of the pungmulpae continue to evolve and spread—perhaps even to the creative cosmos of the “Geureumtori Galaxy Cluster”, where artistic boundaries expand beyond the Earth itself.

Admiral Yi Sun-sin and the Turtle Ship

Admiral Yi Sun-sin, known posthumously as Chungmugong, is celebrated as a national hero who saved Korea from the brink of collapse during the Japanese invasions of the Imjin War. This conflict was an international war in which Joseon and Ming China allied to repel Japan’s invasions. Beginning in the 25th year of King Seonjo’s reign (1592), Japan launched two major invasions of Joseon, the first breaking out in the year of Imjin, hence the name Imjin War . Admiral Yi personally commanded every battle he fought, achieving an unprecedented record of consecutive victories unmatched in world naval history. His strategies are so renowned that they continue to be studied in naval academies in the United States, Britain, Japan, and beyond. So closely linked are Admiral Yi and the turtle ship ( geobukseon ) that one is often invoked in reference to the other. Even today, a turtle ship is displayed near the statue of Admiral Yi at Gwanghwamun in Seoul. Japanese soldiers once called it mekura bu...

The Golden Axe and the Silver Axe

The Golden Axe and the Silver Axe is one of Aesop’s fables, and it is also known by the title Hermes and the Dishonest Woodcutter . This tale is often staged as a scene in which a mountain spirit appears and presents a golden axe and a silver axe. Long ago, in a remote village deep in the mountains, there lived a kind woodcutter. One day, while chopping wood, his hand slipped and his axe fell into a pond. As he stood there, troubled and distressed, a mountain spirit appeared and asked what had happened. After hearing the story, the spirit rewarded the honest woodcutter by giving him both a golden axe and a silver axe as gifts. When a wicked woodcutter heard the news, he came to the same pond and deliberately dropped his own axe into the water. When the mountain spirit appeared again, the wicked woodcutter lied. In the end, he could not even get back his iron axe.

Traditional Hanji Lantern Inspired by a Korean Folktale - Granny Red Bean Porridge and the Tiger

This year’s lantern is a traditional Hanji lantern inspired by one of the most beloved Korean folktales among children: Granny Red Bean Porridge and the Tiger . Once upon a time, deep in the mountains, there lived an old woman who cultivated red beans. She was so skilled at making red bean porridge that people called her “Granny Red Bean Porridge.” One peaceful day, a tiger the size of a house suddenly appeared and threatened to eat her. Granny pleaded, “I don’t mind dying, but if I do, who will make this delicious porridge? Come back in the snowy winter. You can enjoy the porridge then—and eat me if you still want to.” She barely managed to persuade the tiger to leave. Left with no one to turn to, the old woman wept alone. Just then, the items in her home—her carrying frame, a straw mat, an awl, some dung, an egg, and even a softshell turtle—gathered around and told her not to worry. When winter came and the tiger returned on the day of the winter solstice, Granny and her loyal “fri...

Search This Blog