From Tai Kwon Do to modern hip-hop, students and community members attending the annual Korea Night celebration Sunday in the EMU Ballroom were presented with a colorful showcase of Korean culture. Audience members partook in authentic Korean cuisine with a three-course meal before kicking off an evening of live performance and dance.
The annual event, hosted by the Korean Students Association in conjunction with the “Meet Korea in Eugene” program, featured entertainment ranging from a traditional fan dance performed by local Korean elementary school students to modern Korean hip-hop, performed by University group Main-Flow.
Korea Night at the University this year is unique in that it kicks off the month-long cultural program, “Meet Korea in Eugene,” which includes a Korean photography exhibit, a lecture series and a film festival. Community groups such as the Eugene Korean Association have been working in conjunction with student groups to make all the events possible.
Sunday evening opened with a dinner composed of “really typical, traditional Korean food,” said freshman Sojin Kim, member of the KSA as well as the event’s food coordinator. Appetizers included mandu and japachae, a traditional glass noodle vegetable stir-fry. The main course consisted of light teriyaki chicken or bulldog, a Korean beef dish. The dessert offerings included three different kinds of ttuk, a traditional rice cake filled with sweet syrups.
The evening’s entertainment began with a traditional Nanta performance, a comedic stage show set to traditional Korean rhythms. Nine performances followed and were intended to showcase the diversity of Korean cultural forms. The University Tae Kwon Do Club exhibited the now-famous martial art originally developed more than 20 centuries ago in Korea. Students also gave a Samulnori performance, a more modern form of music first performed in 1978 and conceptualized as a rhythm for promoting efficient work on Korean farms.
Another unique twist on the evening’s traditional feel was provided by Main-Flow, a Korean hip-hop group made up of three University students. Soebin Jang, John Lee and Peter Min have “shared an interest in hip-hop and rap for a long time,” according to Min. The three decided to form the group in order to perform at the 2000 Korean Karaoke Night, organized by the KSA three years ago.
Although for many, Korea Night is an opportunity for inclusion and education, the event did not transpire in a political vacuum.
“I have always been interested in different cultures,” said University senior Jessica Geller, who has a friend living in Korea. “Events like this help to understand other people’s experience.”
“Every Korean student is worrying,” KSA president Wankyu Lee said. “If there is a war, we may not stay here and study.”
Hee-jong Sohn, director of the “Meet Korea” program, also recognized the impact of the political situation in Korea.
“This is a special time for Koreans because there is great international interest in Korea right now,” she said. “It is important to make Korean culture and art open to the community, to understand on a civilian level, not just a political level.”
Organizers hope this month’s celebration of Korean culture will do just that. For more information on scheduled events, visit the program’s Web site at www.meetkorea.org.