UNSRC Korean Cultural Society

KOREA TIMES
05-14-2010 18:24

Clash of culture? ‘Sannakji’ angers US animal activists

By Jane Han
Korea Times correspondent

NEW YORK ― For many Koreans, “sannakji” is a special delicacy. There’s nothing like devouring a stamina-boosting baby octopus that’s perfectly seasoned with sesame oil.

But apparently, there’s something about this traditional dish that got the world’s largest animal rights group squirming ― the fact that the ocean animal is alive, or at least looks to be.

“The arms of octopuses are sheared off bit by bit, and the animals are served and consumed while they’re still alive and writhing in agony … They try desperately to crawl away, only to be dropped back onto the burning surface again and again.”

This is how People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) describes the way sannakji is served at two Korean restaurants ― Sik Gaek and East Seafood ― in New York. And many other New Yorkers seem to view it the same way as PETA says it has been “flooded with complaints, e-mails and phone calls” from people concerned about the restaurants’ practice of animal cruelty.

Taking matter into their own hands, two dozen PETA members staged a protest in front of the Korean eateries late last month, waving pickets that said “Octopus: Dismembered ALIVE.”

The group even called on Queens District Attorney Richard Brown’s office to file charges against restaurants that prepare and serve live animals.

“Octopuses are complex, intelligent animals who have a rich life, the ability to learn quickly from observation, and highly evolved brains similar to those of vertebrates. They possess sophisticated nervous systems and experts agree that they feel pain,” according to PETA.

But for the Korean restaurants, the sudden cloud of controversy is only baffling.

“Sannakji is part of Korean culture,” said a representative of Sik Gaek. “All this attention and criticism seems over the top. Besides, the octopus isn’t technically alive.”

He’s right. Sannakji is killed before being served but the animal’s nerve activity is what keeps the tentacles writhing on the plate.

“There’s nothing barbaric about eating what’s already dead,” the official said.

Will Son of East Seafood argued against PETA’s protest, too.

He said everyone has the right to choose his or her own food and if they don’t like it, simply don’t eat it. But for those who appreciate sannakji, the dish will remain on the menu.

Whether it be a clash of culture or clash of taste, the standoff between PETA and Korean businesses is expected to continue as the animal rights group is calling on more people to speak out against sannakji.

“Please join PETA in insisting that these restaurants take live animals off their menus for good,” PETA wrote on its site, providing mailing addresses of the two businesses at the center of attention.

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KOREA TIMES
05-13-2010 18:29

By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff reporter

U.S. President Barack Obama and Korean President Lee Myung-bak may toast with “makgeolli,” the nation’s representative traditional rice wine, along with other heads of state at the G-20 summit in November.

The Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MIFFAF) said Thursday that it had proposed the cloudy wine as an official beverage for the meeting, which will bring a large number of political leaders, bureaucrats and business people to Seoul.

“We have delivered a list of the best makgeolli products available to the organizing committee of the G-20 meeting. We hope that makgeolli will be picked as the official wine of the gathering,” ministry official Kim Jong-sil said.

“It is not certain yet whether the heads of state will have a toast at the G-20 event. But if they do so, in my view, the traditional wine of Korea would be a perfect fit.”

There is a concern that makgeolli, the milky white drink, would not be in line with international protocol of using a transparent wine for the toast. Yet, the ministry muted those worries.

“We have a knack in producing makgeolli. Instead of the pale white color, we can make it transparent so that it looks like regular white wine. Remember that we have even created makgeolli champagnes,” Kim said.

Makgeolli has already debuted in the official diplomacy of Asia’s fourth-largest economy quite successfully. Last October, when the Korean presidential couple hosted lunch for Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and his wife, Miyuki, the menu included makgeolli.

They toasted with the rice wine. Although other Western wines were also available, Hatoyama proposed to proceed with makgeolli, which is also enjoying soaring popularity in Japan, according to presidential spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye.

In the past, the traditional wine was highly favored throughout the country thanks to its rich taste as well as inexpensive price. Its popularity waned in modern times as Koreans turned to Western wines and spirits such as whiskies or simply stuck to soju.

Its drawback was that many complained of terrible hangovers the day after drinking it due to low quality ingredients.

Yet, such criticism is almost gone now as makgeolli makers use better ingredients. This has prompted a renaissance as an increasing number of people here, including the younger generation are enjoying the traditional drink more frequently.

These days it is all the rage and the popularity seems to be contagious as more and more people turn to the drink even in neighboring countries such as Japan.

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KOREA TIMES
05-13-2010 18:37

The writer is a professor of religion at the Academy of Korean Studies. ― ED.

By Kim Jongmyung
Contributing Writer

At Bulguk Temple in Gyeongju, southeast of Seoul, the 8th-century twin Pagoda of Multiple Jewels and Pagoda of Sakyamuni Buddha stand in front of the Hall of Great Hero, the Buddha. The temple is a registered UNESCO world heritage.

However, it is said that the names of Dabotap and Seokkatap (alternate designations) are not their original names, but those designated in the latter period of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). As far as extant sources are concerned, they had no names when they were established. According to a record of the eleventh century, Dabotap was called the “Stone Pagoda to the East of Buddha Land Monastery,” or the “Bulguksa dong seoktap,” and Seokkatap was named the “Stone Pagoda to the East of Buddha Land Monastery.” Another record of the 11th century indicates that Seokkatap was also called the “Pagoda of Pure and Clean Scripture,” or the “Mmugu jeong gyeongtap,” in the early period of the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392). However, this title is not a proper noun, but a common one that means a pagoda inside which copies the “Scripture of True Words of Pure and Clean Light” (Mugu jeonggwang tae darani gyeong). The “Scripture” is about gaining merit by establishing pagodas and memorizing dharma (the true word) or the essence of Buddha’s teaching. Therefore, the exact names of these twin pagodas are not yet known and we will follow their conventional names, i.e., Dabotap and Seokkatap in this writing.

Pagoda is a changed form of “stupa.” Stupa was of pre-Buddhist origin in India and the emblem of great persons and symbolized Buddha’s death in Buddhism. Its shape was hemispherical and composed of three parts, which signify the three physical parts of the Buddha: head, middle body, and lower body. These three parts again symbolize the Buddhist paradise, the path to paradise, and earth on which man is undergoing suffering due to evil thoughts represented by the three poisons of craving, hatred and delusion, which are derived from his ignorance of the nature of existence. This tradition was transmitted to East Asia.

However, in East Asia the stupa, its meaning and structure were altered to a pagoda, a symbol of enlightenment and its vertical style. The initial pagoda form emerged as a multi-story wooden structure shaped like a watch tower in third-century China ― the oldest extant pagoda there is dated to 523. The Chinese tradition of pagodas was transmitted to Korea and Japan. However, over time, these wooden pagodas were replaced by brick structures, constituting a model for Chinese pagodas in later periods. Korea is home to more than 1,000 granite pagodas, which include the Pagoda of Multiple Jewels and Pagoda of Sakyamuni Buddha. In contrast, pagodas of Japan were made of wood.

Including these two, major historic pagodas in Korea include the seven-story Pagoda on the ruins of the Mitreya Buddha Temple (Mireuk Temple), which is located in Iksan, dating from 600, and the oldest of its kind in Korea; the three-story brick-shaped stone pagoda at the Flagrant Emperor Temple (Bunhwang Temple), which is in Gyeongju built in 634 and the oldest of all Silla (57 B.C.-935 C.E.) pagodas; and a product of the seventeenth century and the tallest pagoda in Korea, the Hall of Eight Phases of Buddha’s Life (Palsang jeon), which is the five-story wooden structure, at the Temple of Dharma Residence (Beopju Temple) in Boeun.

Among these, the Pagoda of Multiple Jewels and Pagoda of Sakyamuni Buddha are two of the finest in Korea and none of the some thousand stone pagodas scattered across nationwide excel the two for profound philosophical depth and aesthetic charm.

Pagoda of Multiple Jewels

Constructed in 751 and designated as National Treasure of Korea No. 20, this pagoda is considered one of the finest structures in East Asia. Some 10.4 meters tall, this highly decorative pagoda’s fame comes from its extremely complex and delicate structure. At the base are four sets of steps, which lead to four lion guards, symbolizing wisdom in Buddhism. Above the lions are a number of well-fitted granite blocks. The pillars stand on an elevated platform approached by four staircases, each with ten steps signifying the ten perfections (p?ramit?s in Sanskrit), which are the ten virtues in “Mahayana” ― literally “the greater vehicle” ― Buddhism, to which Korean Buddhism belongs, including precepts, meditation, and wisdom. However, this pagoda had an unfortunate history: It was disassembled by the Japanese for repair in 1924, when Korea was under colonial rule; but, when this grand-scale project was underway the lack of a thorough examination resulted in the sarira ― bead-like relics left by high monks whose bodies were cremated after death ― caskets were lost.

Pagoda of Sakyamuni Buddha

This three-storied structure represents the finest style of Korean Buddhist pagodas. It is also called the “Pagoda Without Reflections” (Muyeongtap), denoting the sad legend of the Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C.-A,D.660) mason Asadal, who built the pagoda with his wife Asanyeo. Constructed in 751 and designated as National Treasure of Korea No. 21 as the “Three-storied Pagoda at the Buddha Land Monastery” (Bulguksa samcheung seoktap), it is 8.2 meters tall and admired for its proportions and simple but graceful style, symbolizing the teachings of the Buddha. For example, the number three in the pagoda refers to the three jewels of Buddhism, i.e., the Buddha, his teaching, and the Buddhist community.

The Pagoda was dismantled for repair in 1977 and at that time a collection of precious treasures was found inside, including a set of reliquary for sarira and a paper scroll of the “Scripture of True Words of Pure and Clean Light.” The “Japanese Scripture of True Words of One Million Pagodas” (Hyakuman to darani kyo), which was published in 770, had been regarded as the oldest extant xylographic print in the world. However, the discovery of the “Scripture of True Words of Pure and Clean Light” brought forward a refutation against this theory. In particular, Korean scholars have argued that the scripture was printed between 706 and 751, thus being the world’s oldest extant xylographic print. However, an objection from Japanese academic circles was brought up on the ground that the actual copies of printed material could be found only after the ninth century. Therefore, the date of the world’s oldest such print is still in debate among scholars worldwide.

Underlying Thought

Unlike other artifacts whose esthetic features are valued, Buddhist pagodas are an outer expression of doctrine. The ideological underpinnings of the Pagoda of Multiple Jewels and the Pagoda of Sakyamuni Buddha are said to be based on the “Lotus Scripture” (“Beophwa gyeong” in Korean) and the “Flower Garland Scripture” “Hwaeom gyeong” in Korean). For example, conventional scholarship has argued that the complexity of the Pagoda of Multiple Jewels symbolizes the manifestation of Prabhutaratna Buddha who appears to hear Sakyamuni Buddha preach the “Lotus Scripture.” However, this argument depended on an eighteenth-century record, and is thus lacking in reliability.

Korean pagodas are composed of three parts: upper, middle, and lower, each symbolizing the heaven, air, and earth. This means that sentient beings on earth undergoing the suffering need to cultivate both spiritually and physically to live an ideal life. However, lack of textual evidence makes it difficult to understand the ideological characteristics behind these holy structures. The “Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms” (Samguk yusa, ca. 1280), a treasury of rich Korean Buddhist culture which was published by the monk Ilyeon, serves as the most significant source for research on the Buddha Land Temple, the Pagoda of Multiple Jewels, and the Pagoda of Sakyamuni Buddha. However, it has very few reliable contents pertaining to the temple and the pagodas.

In conclusion, the Hall of Great Hero and its precinct, including the Pagoda of Multiple Jewels and the Pagoda of Sakyamuni Buddha, occupy the central area of the Buddha Land Temple. This means that 8th-century Korean people valued the teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha, the teachings of how to live rationally and ethically. Therefore, the significance of the twin pagodas for the betterment of our modern life lies not in their aesthetic beauty, but in their expression of Buddhist teaching.

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