K-pop motivates foreigners to learn Korean

May 7th, 2012
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By Yi Whan-woo

Nearly 60 percent of the 524 Korean language learners from 65 nations responded that K-pop influenced them to learn the language, according to a survey by Kyung Hee University’s Institute of International Education.

The respondents said K-pop also raised their interest in Korea, with 18.8 percent of them visiting the country.

About 11 percent of the respondents said they became favorable toward Korean culture, while 11 percent also became fans of certain Korean pop stars.

A number of foreigners were first acquainted with Korean pop music through YouTube or their respective television broadcasts, followed by Korean television programs or Facebook.

Some 37.9 percent of respondents picked dance as the most fascinating factor of Korean pop that distinguishes the genre from other pop music.

Over one out of three pointed to the catchy melodies as another strong point of K-pop, and 27.4 percent regarded the rhythm as attractive.

Noraebang, a Korean-style karaoke room, was the general way to enjoy K-pop, as more than two out of five international music fans responded so. How they enjoy the music depended on the region, as East Asian fans said they go to concerts, whereas the Europeans or the supporters from North and South Americas said they listen to music on YouTube.

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Korea promotes kimchi for UNESCO heritage list

May 7th, 2012
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KOREA TIMES
Korea is seeking to obtain United Nations world heritage status for kimchi and three other cultural assets, officials said Friday.

The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said it will soon file applications with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to have kimchi and an annual kimchi making and sharing event called kimjang, designated as a UNESCO Memory of the World.

“Yeondeunghoe,” a lotus lantern festival held by Buddhists, is also a candidate for UNESCO Memory of the World designation, the administration said.

It also said that “Nanjung Ilgi,” a war diary written by Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) Admiral Yi Sun-shin, and the archives of “Saemaul Undong,” a new community movement of the 1970s, will be presented to the UNESCO to be added to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Kimjang is one of the major traditional events in Korean households, dating back to a time when fresh vegetables were scarce during the long cold season. Each fall, families gather to prepare various types of kimchi and then share the spicy dish with neighbors after the symbolic event.

Yeondeunghoe initially started as a Buddhist tradition held on the day of Daeboreum, the first full moon of the lunar calendar, in the Shilla Kingdom (57 B.C.-935 A.D.). The religious ceremony has now become an annual event to celebrate Buddha’s birthday in downtown Seoul where a lantern parade and street fair take place.

Admiral Yi, who played a key role in destroying the Japanese army during the war in the Joseon Dynasty, documented detailed strategies and tactics. The collection of nine diaries is considered very rare as the commander in chief documented strategies and tactics in detail, the CHA said.

Saemaul Undong, launched in the 1970s by then-President Park Chung-hee, is the government-led campaign spearheading the modernization the then-rural South Korean economy.

In addition, the CHA said, the traditional Korean folk song “Arirang” will be again submitted for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status next month, after its initial attempt failed in 2009. (Yonhap)

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Medical Tourism Growing at Over 30 Percent Per Annum

May 7th, 2012
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The number of foreign patients visiting Korea has been soaring at an annual rate of over 30 percent since 2009. The figure rose 35.9 percent from 60,201 in 2009 to 81,789 in 2010, and is estimated to have exceeded 110,000 last year, up 34.5 percent, according to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.

The target for this year is 150,000 medical tourists, marking growth of 36 percent, it added.

American patients topped the list with 32.4 percent in 2010, followed by Chinese (19.4 percent), Japanese (16.8 percent) and Russians (7.7 percent). Foreign patients spent an average of W1.31 million per person on medical expenses here (US$1=W1,133).

“Attracting three to four patients with serious illnesses creates a comparable economic effect to exporting a Hyundai Sonata,” the institute said.

People from Kazakhstan paid the highest medical bills, or W3.78 million on average, followed by Russians with W2.97 million and Mongolians with W2.58 million, as many of them came for expensive treatments for cardiovascular or other serious diseases.

Japanese patients spent the least amount of money, or W840,000 on average.

U.S. patients visited Korea largely to undergo medical check-ups or seek treatment from dentists, while most Chinese patients got treated by beauty therapists or plastic surgeons, and Russians sought cardiovascular or orthopedic surgeons.

Japanese mostly sought herbal and skin treatments. They accounted for 76 percent of the total number of foreign patients visiting Oriental medicine clinics, and 35 percent of those seeking dermatologists.

“Many Japanese want to receive simple treatments like acupuncture or skin care during their short visit” to Korea, said a director at the institute.

Meanwhile, Chinese patients, mostly women in their 20s or 30s, accounted for 66 percent of the total number of foreigners visiting plastic surgeons in Korea.

“Recently, an increasing number of older Chinese visitors have also been coming to get medical check-ups here as part of tour programs,” the director said. “As Korea begins to be recognized for its advanced medical skills, the number of foreign patients with serious conditions is on the rise.”

In the southern port city of Busan, Russian patients account for 35 percent of foreign patients visiting clinics. Many hail from the eastern region of Vladivostok and show symptoms of cardiovascular, hip or disk diseases, the institute said.

englishnews@chosun.com / Apr. 02, 2012 11:15 KST

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