HALLYU Magazine No. 66

HALLYU halloween idol inspired dress up

rain hidden singer

HANOK destinations VIRTUAL CHUSEOK

What is HALLYU?

HALLYU Magazine is Korean Entertainment &Culture Magazine. All in English and Beautiful Quality Since 2011.

We provide honest and respectful content to our readers with consideration of privacy to the Artists. We are run by dedicated members who are fellow fans of the industry.

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HALLYU Editor-in-Chief Head Manager

FAMILY Nadezhda Hope Dina Piven

USA Representative June Saladino Photographers

Media Team

June Saladino Soizic Cistac(Europe) Theresia Sylvanny Yasmine Febrina Gazali Angela Pham Ryann Ellis Oktantri Putri Anindya (Indonesia Head) Frisanty Marissa Yasmine Febrina Julie Thai

Layout

Nadezhda Hope Lilian Calulot Tracy

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Asel Sadekova

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Lee Shin-Yon

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Contents H A L L Y U Autumn 2020 Issue Number 66

4

58

AAIFF43 BTS Billboard Rain Hidden Singer 6

Fashion KINGS & QUEENS Halloween Idol Dress Up

CHUSEOK 76

HANOK Destinations Virtual Gatherings Beolcho & Seongmyo

facebook.com/aaiff

twitter.com/asiancinevision

instagram.com/asiancinevision

youtube.com/asiancinevision

twitch.tv/asiancinevision

**Information & Image Credits: https://www.aaiff.org | https://www.facebook.com/aaiff

P

resented by Asian CineVision, the 43rd Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF43) is announcing their full lineup, which in addition to the previously announced feature films includes 14 short film blocks and over 16 workshops, masterclasses, and special events. Tickets can be purchased or reserved at https://www.aaiff.org/.

Every day of the festival will feature over 3 hours of live-streamed panels, Q&As, and performances, all accessible as payas-you-wish programs. Highlights include a conversation with director Andrew Ahn and the cast of DRIVEWAYS, and a Filipino Filmmaker Roundtable to kick-

off Filipino American History Month.

The festival also introduces a two-part conversational series on the urgent issue of anti-racism in storytelling - Anti-Racism: Storytelling in Education and Awareness and Online Activism Campaigns. The complete lineup of events is available at https://www.aaiff.org/events/.

Two special events celebrating the various forms of storytelling make a return this year. Music Night Out interweaves musical performances and our official music video selection to highlight the collaboration of API musicians and filmmakers, while Comedy Night offers performances by top API stand-up and sketch comedians.

The 72 Hour Film Shootout is a worldwide competition in which filmmakers have 72 hours to write, shoot, and edit a short film. The projects in the Top Ten Selection are based on the theme “Going Viral” and the mystery prop “Toilet Paper.”

Since 2004, the CUNY Asian American Film Festival (AAFF) has recognized and awarded over $12,800 in cash prizes to student filmmakers enrolled at the City University of New York, including City College, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, Lehman College, College of Staten Island, and Queens College. The CUNY AAFF helps to promote the artistic visual talents and stimulate communication among CUNY students who are separated by the different campuses and serve as a central location to display their creative works. Asian CineVision and AAIFF43 are excited to showcase these amazing student filmmakers.

afighting

chance

109 mins

We are told how we handle life’s obstacles is a measure of strength and character. The fighters in these short films not only surprise us with their gumption, persistence, and deceit, they show us that obstacles come in all shapes and sizes—from war trauma and battling corrupt justice systems to money and home issues. Opening with CHA, a colorful animation that recounts experiences during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India, we are led to stories, like MELT and SHADES OF JADE, that reminds us that friendship and connection can sometimes be found in the silver lining.

crush or be crushed love stories

102 mins

d

Is it better to crush or be crushed? From facing the challenges of the New York dating scene while wearing hearing aids in SUPER SONIC, to exploring love and sexuality as a grandmother in KEEP WARM, or experiencing the crushing heartache of love lost in WEDNESDAYS and SOREJYA TAKA, these shorts capture what it feels like to seek connection and to stumble upon love as it surprises us in all its varying forms. These stories present us love through more than just rose-tinted shades — unlikely, awkward, messy, even deeply sad. Like all things, they are interrupted by the social, historical, and political forces moving around us. Romance finds a way.

e

pisodic

c

49 mins

The “Golden Age of Television” may be over but it’s just beginning in the API space. Experience this mix of pilots and episodes that showcase up and coming API episodic storytellers.

moment

99 mins

in the

Join us as we intimately experience fire breathing on the hawker-lined streets of Saigon, the waters of Manila amidst the Philippines’ drug war, and Filipino karaoke in a beloved restaurant in National City, California.

While the short film EPHEMERAL takes an experimental approach using archival footage from the 70s to create an expansive look at a past Vietnam, A TRIP WITH MOM uses traditional narrative to explore the complexities in caring for the aging.

These films illuminate the quietness in each moment to create portraits of family, places, and connection.

&

lost found

100 mins

These films are about the physical and emotional distance that can be necessary to cross as a result of emigrating from home.

We see the consequences of moving to a new land, and the vagaries about home and the self that are created. Through these films we can see that assimilation is not relegated just within immigration and being forced into another culture. It can also include others’ idea of who you should be physically or behaviourally, in any place. These films are about losing and then finding oneself.

made

in

NY

102 mins

This program offers a diverse cross section of New York City presented

by NY-based storytellers. An unlikely friendship develops between an aspiring actress and shopkeeper; a Chinese American father in Brooklyn faces challenges while raising his black son; and a young woman finds community and inspiration in the queer Asian dance party, Bubble_T. These are narratives that could only unfold in New York, as stories in and of the city.

under 21

filmmakers

ones to watch:

filmma

akers under 21

parental

guidance

96 mins

e

Parenthood is equally as demanding as it is enriching. These films don’t shy away from some of the more difficult aspects of parenting. Whether it is the mental anguish of losing a child in THE PREGNANT GROUND, a mother in MOM FIGHT doing whatever she has to do to get her child a prized action figure, or the multi-layered feelings of inadequacy in SECOND PARENT, we can see that child rearing isn’t a role to be taken lightly.

special delivery:

shorts that

spark joy This section of shorts will have you laughing, smiling, and crying tears of joy. From Bollywood superstars, Canadian celebrities, and notable Asian figures, we have it all.

OVERSHARE will have you relating to your everyday Lyft ride, ASMR BOYFRIEND will give you a comedic take on Asian parent pressure, and much more. It’s time to sit back, relax and bathe in joyful stories.

112 mins

through

practice documentary shorts

114 mins

The word practice encompasses many meanings—it could be the repetition of a skill, application of an idea, or one’s profession. Through their own practice, the individuals in these films show us how each of these definitions inform the other as they explore how their philosophy of life has been shaped by their dedication to their chosen profession. As we witness how a storied career in Bharatanatyam becomes a fight against conservatism in HOW SHE MOVES, the study of pottery interrogates the melding of two cultures in OBJECT OF MERIT, and the pursuit of music prompts personal reflection on connection in BETWEEN THE NOTES, we are called to reflect on what it means to fully define ourselves through practice.

truth and realness queer shorts

95 mins

A selection of shorts that celebrates queer Asian storytelling and expression. From an Indian American drag performer’s fusion of cultural influences to a young trans artist’s impassioned manifesto, these poignant accounts—of queer love, joy, heartbreak, and resilience—explore what it means to “be gay as in queer and gay as in happy.”

vr & digital shorts

waters

uncharted

28 mins Bring your virtual reality headsets if you’ve got ‘em!

In the 360° animated world of LUTAW, a young inventor shows us how locals boat between islands in the Philippines, before we are guided into further uncharted virtual and twodimensional waters to experience humorous, dark and eclectic stories of heartbreak and discovery.

We end on YANG SONG: FLY IN POWER, an important and powerful short film that illuminates the intersection of sex worker advocacy and migrant labor rights.

BTS

at

billboard

B

TS’s “Dynamite” rose to new heights on Billboard’s charts and proved their global success once again!

Billboard has announced that in addition to “Dynamite” hitting No. 1 again on the Hot 100 chart this week, it’s also taken the top spot on the new Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts.

Article by Soompi

On the Global 200 chart for the week ending in October 3, BTS’s “Dynamite” grabs No. 1 for the first time. Its success was fueled by 92.1 million global streams and 58,000 global downloads.

Meanwhile, the song remains at No. 1 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart for the second week. It garnered 78.9 million streams

and 27,000 sold in territories outside the United States.

During the broadcast of the latest episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”, when BTS performed “HOME”, a commercial was shown for the 2020 Billboard Music Awards that shares that the group will be performing at the ceremony!

BTS is in the running for two trophies at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards: Top/Duo Group and Top Social Artist. They became the first Korean artist to win the Top/Duo Group award last year, and it was their third year in a row being crowned as Top Social Artist.

@billboardcharts

This is the third year in a row that BTS has performed at the Billboard Music Awards, after they premiered “Fake Love” at the 2018 event, becoming the first Korean artist to perform at the ceremony.

They then performed “Boy With Luv” with Halsey at the 2019 show.

RAIN Hidden SINGER 6 Article: misskim321@osen.co.kr | Translation by Soompi

T

he JTBC variety show features a famous singer competing against contestants who say they can do a perfect impersonation of the singer’s voice.

After they perform behind curtains, the audience tries to guess which singers are the impersonators so they can vote them out.

Rain appeared on the September 4 episode, and MC Jun Hyun Moo said that Rain was the most competitive artist they’ve had on the show yet. “I’m not going to be eliminated,” vowed Rain in his pre-filming interview. “I will definitely win.” In the studio, he shared how he’s always wanted to come on the program.

“My voice is hard to imitate,” he said.

“Since I’ve used 90 percent air and 10 percent sound since I was born. Let me assure you, there’s no way someone could be similar to me.” He added, “If I get voted off first, then I’ll head home.”

The show started with his song “Bad Man” as the performance for the first round, however Rain wasn’t actually performing with the contestants.

Jun Hyun Moo and the panel had no idea, so they kept looking for him.

When they realized he’d been watching from the audience, the panel said, “I got goosebumps” and asked, “Who were No. 1 and No. 2?” Rain said, “Even I

agree that No. 1 and No. 2 were similar.”

He added, “I realized that I could possibly be eliminated if I make a mistake.”

the first time that I thought, ‘I want to do that.’ That’s why I changed my dream to being a singer.”

The second round featured his track “Love Song,” and the impersonators all earned praise for their sweet voices and similarity to Rain’s singing.

Rain shared that he’d seen Shownu 10 years ago when he was a trainee. “He told me about his dream,” he said. “I’m proud because it seems like he’s made it come true.”

After the performance, the contestants were revealed. Rain was No. 2, and impersonator No. 4 turned out to be MONSTA X’s Shownu! While his group members Hyungwon and Kihyun were on the panel that day, Shownu hadn’t been able to tell them because of the show’s rules. The panel joked, “You could be a singer.”

Shownu was thought to be an impersonator by enough of the voters that he was eliminated. Rain ended up coming in second in that round with three votes.

It was shared that Shownu had been No. 6 in the first round.

Shownu then introduced himself as a “Wannabe,” a word play on Rain’s Korean stage name that sounds like “Be.” He shared that he’d changed his dream because of Rain and added, “I personally applied when I found out that there was going to be a Rain episode.”

“I was preparing to be a swimmer,” Shownu explained. “While I was in training, the music video for Rain’s ‘Bad Man’ came out. It was

Shownu said, “It’s an honor to be standing on the same stage as you. Please buy me a drink next time.”

During the show, Shownu also danced to Rain’s “Bad Man”!

Rain narrowly made it through the third round of “How to Avoid the Sun” before the final round of “Love Story.” This final round of the show includes the audience voting for who they think is the real singer.

Before the first and second places were announced, Rain said, “I’ve made it to the place I’d wanted. I’ll be satisfied even if I’m eliminated.” In the end, the win went to performer Kim Hyun Woo, and Rain praised him for doing a great job.

Rain said, “I wanted to be on ‘Hidden Singer’ but I wondered if there would really be someone who’s similar to me.

I saw so many of them today.” He then shared that all the performers that day were role models to him and he promised to make them proud as a singer and performer.

FASHION King & Queen

MIU MIU Lace Top and Long MacramĂŠ Rose Skirt AVOUAVOU Jacket and Skirt

seo ye ji

JENNIE

Chanel S/S 2020 Paris https://www.vogue.co.uk/

MINO

Louis Vuitton Spring 2020 Image: Filippo Fior | gorunway.com

kai

Louis Vuitton’s Resort 2019 https://www.vogue.com/

park na rae

https://www.biztribune.co.kr/

dress up like idols this halloween

The8 as Jack Skellington

get the look

get the look Apply a pale shade of foundation all over your face Apply blue shadow to your left eyelid and red eye shadow to your right Smudge the colors toward your lower lash line and cheekbones then apply several coats of mascara Apply bright red lipstick and use liquid eyeliner to draw a heart on your cheekbone

Kyulkyung as Harley Quinn

get the look

Chenle as Pennywise

Taeyeon as Annabelle

get the look

smtown

get the look

Heechul as Elsa

mireum photography

get the look

Doyeon as Jasmine

twitter.com/SY_Lullaby

Siyeon as Joker

get the look

smtown

Yoona as Mathilda

get the look

Dahyun as Genie

twitter.com/eagle_fish9899

Hanok

DESTINATIONS Information Credits: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/

Bukchon HANOK VILLAGE

Surrounded by Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine, Bukchon Hanok Village is home to hundreds of traditional houses, called hanok, that date back to the Joseon dynasty.

The name Bukchon, which literally translates to “northern village,� came about as the neighborhood lies north of two significant Seoul landmarks, Cheonggyecheon Stream and Jongno. Today, many of these hanoks operate as cultural centers, guesthouses, restaurants and tea houses, providing visitors with an opportunity to experience, learn and immerse themselves in traditional Korean culture.

**Image Credits: http://hanok.seoul.go.kr/

HANOK VILLAGE

Namsangol

**Image Credits: https://www.hanokmaeul.or.kr/

Namsangol Hanok Village opened in 1998 on the northern side of Namsan Mountain in the center of the capital. This village has five restored hanok (traditional Korean house) premises, a pavilion, traditional garden, performance arts stage and a time capsule plaza, making it a perfect spot for both locals and tourists to take a leisure walk. Upon entering from the front gate, visitors will get a taste of Korea’s traditional life while escaping from the bustling city life of modern times. The traditional garden with its pavilion and old houses creates a peaceful ambiance before the forested Namsan Mountain. A time capsule commemorating Seoul’s 600th anniversary was buried in 1994 at the highest point of the village and is scheduled to be reopened 400 hundred years later in 2394.

The five hanok premises at Namsangol Hanok Village once belonged to aristocrats and government officials of the Joseon dynasty. Each house was originally located in different neighborhoods, but they were all moved to this area and restored to their original form. The houses were rebuilt using their original materials, except for one house, which the materials were too old and deteriorated to be reused. The premises were carefully restored and replicated according to their original form to depict the owners’ social class and personality. These buildings are now used as an exhibit to portray the living environment during the Joseon dynasty as well as a venue for educational and cultural programs for children and tourists.

Some of the noteworthy programs and activities to participate in include wearing hanbok, folding hanji (traditional Korean paper), writing in Korean, traditional tea ceremony, traditional etiquette school and herbal medicine experience. There are also taekwondo demonstrations and other various performances held around the village. Visitors can also try traditional games such as yunnori (traditional board game), or understand more about the area through a tour guide.

Jeonju HANOK VILLAGE

Jeonju Hanok Village is located in the city of Jeonju and overlaps Pungnam-dong and Gyo-dong.

There are 735 traditional Korean hanok houses. While the rest of city has been industrialized, Hanok Village retains its historical charms and traditions.

The charm of Jeonju Hanok Village lies in the hanok buildings’ unique roof edges, which are slightly raised to the sky. Hanok houses are generally divided into two sections, anchae and sarangchae.

Sarangchae is where the men dwell. Because men and women had to remain separated, anchae is situated deep inside the house so that it is secretive and quiet.

Another trait of hanok is that all the houses are heated with ondol, a unique floor heating system.

Since Koreans enjoy sitting, eating, and sleeping on the floor, it needs to remain heated. To experience what hanok is like, visitors can either book a hanok accommodation or visit the Hanok Life Experience Hall.

**Image Credits: http://hanok.jeonju.go.kr/

**Image Credits: http://www.gongju.go.kr/

Gongju HANOK VILLAGE

Gongju Traditional Korean Village is located between the Tomb of King Muryeong and the Gongju National Museum in Gongju, which is often referred to as ‘a roofless museum’ due to the preponderance of historic sites. Opened as a hanok stay on a 30,000m2 site in 2010, the Village, which is entirely composed of tiledroof hanok houses and thatchedroof houses, offers attractive hanok accommodation that combines traditional and modern styles, and has rooms equipped with a Korean floor heating system (gudeul), as well as a pavilion.

It also runs diverse experience programs relating to the history of the Baekje Kingdom. It comprises six group accommodation buildings and ten individual accommodation buildings. The group accommodation buildings, which are recommended for group workshops and school trips, have individual locker rooms and shower rooms, while the individual accommodation

**Image Credits: http://www.gongju.go.kr/

building, which is recommended for families and small groups, has four economy-type rooms which share a communal space, and five general-type rooms and two high-class rooms that are equipped with a Hinoki cypress bathtub. The rooms can be opened and locked using a card-key system for guests’ convenience and security. The Village also runs a number of popular experience programs including Storytelling of Baekje Tea, a tea ceremony

program coupled with a story about Baekje royal tea, and a Gongju chestnut cookie making experience that offers guests an opportunity to make tea confectionery by mixing chestnut powder and mixedgrain powder with honey. It also runs various programs relating to the history and culture of Baekje, including programs in which participants can wear a Baekje royal costume, learn how to bind books in the Baekje style, and make Baekje relics.

Gangneung HANOK VILLAGE

**Image Credits: http://ojuk.gtdc.or.kr/

Gangneung Ojuk Hanok Village, Gangneung’s representative cultural space, exhibits the excellence and simple beauty of the Korean traditional house known as the ‘hanok’. Based on Ojukheon, the birthplace of Yi I (one of the two most eminent Korean Confucian scholars of the Joseon Dynasty), it was built to spread the ideas of Yi I and promote the excellent features of the Korean hanok to the world through a variety of traditional cultural experience programs. The village is situated next to Ojukheon House, where Yi I and his mother Shin Saimdang were born. It is also near Gyeongpo Lake, one of the most famous tourist attractions in Gangneung, and is only 1.8km away from Gangneung Olympic Park, which served as the ice sports venue of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. Gangneung Ojuk Hanok Village has a total of 51 guestrooms, including a separate house, a detached house, a duplex-type with an upper floor (numaru), and other types of rooms. In particular, “Aeilje” is the only house with a bed and amenities designed for the physically disabled, including an entrance ramp and a spacious toilet and bathroom for wheelchair users. “Samuljae” (a lecture hall with a capacity of 40 persons) is also available to guests for up to two hours free of charge. Moreover, “Geoga” house, which is a hanok-type passive house, is an energy-saving structure equipped with a solar-paneled roof.

**Image Credits: http://ojuk.gtdc.or.kr/

Gochangeup FORTRESS HANOK VILLAGE

**Image Credits: http://고창읍성한옥마을.kr

Gochangeupseong Fortress Hanok Village located in Gochang-gun, Jeollabuk-do is comprised of seven houses with tiled roofs.

Built by Gochang-gun Office in July 2014 and managed by a company commissioned for the maintenance of the estate, it’s designed after the traditional Korean house with guestrooms attached to the government office within Gochangeupseong Fortress. The seven standalone buildings make sure that the guests have some privacy during their stay. There are a total of 11 rooms. The first building, called “Moyangjigwan”, is designed after the old guestroom for high-ranking officials and foreign envoys passing through the region. It has two rooms, which are called “Junghwaje” and “Gunjajeong”. The second building, called “Binpungdang”, is a traditional Korean house designed after the main building of an actual traditional Korean house that served as the residence of the official in charge of the region. This also has two rooms called “Muilje” and “Binaje”, both of which can accommodate between two and three people.

The third one, called “Sugwidang”, has two rooms named “Uhaje” and “Sungdeokje”.

**Image Credits: http://고창읍성한옥마을.kr

**Image Credits: http://고창읍성한옥마을.kr

The fourth building, called “Eunyangdang”, has two rooms named “Yongdeokje” and “Yuseongje”, which can accommodate between two and three people each. The “Yongdeokje” is furnished with a bed. The last three houses, called “Agwanjeong”, “Dongnijeong”, and “Dongbaekjeong”, are standalone buildings, and each can accommodate up to three people.

The buildings and rooms are clean, and are characterized by their shiny wood. There is an open space with wooden floor between the rooms called “daecheongmaru”, and a yard in front of the buildings. The rooms are furnished with a bathroom, TV, air conditioner, refrigerator, built-in closet, Wi-Fi, and cable TV. Right next to the Hanok Village is a pottery workshop and emobroidery workshop for visitors to experience traditional Korean art. There are a number of tourist destinations in the vicinity of the Hanok Village, such as Gochang County Art Museum, Gochang Culture Center, and Gochang County Library, which is within Gochang Culture Center.

Another must-visit is the Gochang Pansori Museum, where various pansori materials donated by a number of pansori masters from Gochang are on display.

HANOK

VILLAGE

Yeongam Gurim

**Image Credits: http://왕인박사마을.com

Nestled at the foot of Wolchulsan Mountain’s western side in Yeongam-gun, Jeollanam-do, Yeongam Gurim Hanok Village has a 2,200 year-long history, stretching from the Three Han States to Proto Three Kingdom Period. The village is abundant with various historical stories and features, offering plenty of cultural tourism resources.

The village includes 12 pavilions including Hoesajeong Pavilion and Gukamsa Shrine, traditional houses, stone walls,

and old oak trees. Especially, 96 Korean-house accommodations including Anyongdang, Wolindang, Gukamsa, and Anhyeongung are located for tourists to stay in a traditional Hanok as well as to offer various traditional programs like paper craft, traditional wedding ceremony, rice cake-pounding, straw craft, catching fish, water activities and others. Also, Wangin Cherry Blossom Festival and Chrysanthemum Festival are held here every year.

**Image Credits: http://blog.daum.net/san256/12869837

Ganggol

TRADITIONAL VILLAGE

Ganggol village is one of the few remaining hanok villages from the Joseon dynasty that has maintained its original look. Most of the houses in the village were built by the Gwangju Lee Clan after the 19th century. About 30 houses stand closely together with Obongsan Mountain located

behind the village.

Old cherry blossom, magnolia, and pomegranate trees stand throughout the village, protecting the houses. Stone walls between the houses are covered with ivy and bamboo. With all the scenery, the village retains the atmosphere of a typical Korean old town.

CHUSEOK GOES VIRTUAL COVID-19 triggers shifts in traditions as South Korea celebrates thanksgiving Article Excerpt from: https://www.aljazeera.com/

South Korean tourist police officers wearing face masks hold up social distancing signs at the Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020. Officials have called for citizen vigilance ahead of the Chuseok harvest festival that began Wednesday and continues through the weekend. (AP)

S

outh Koreans will give up some of their most cherished traditions as they celebrate Chuseok, the country’s biggest holiday, as the coronavirus forces people to reconsider plans to return to their hometowns, and change the way they honour their ancestors.

@yonhap_news

Authorities have urged people to avoid travel and follow physical-distancing guidelines during the five-day break, which starts on Wednesday. Millions usually visit their hometowns during the autumn holiday and the government is concerned mass travel will risk spreading the virus.

“We’d like to ask everyone to build family bonds and say hello to each other in a noncontact manner during this year’s Chuseok for the safety of your families and all of us,” Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said at a recent virus briefing. “We can have video calls with each other or use video conferencing for family gatherings.”

The country reported 113 new cases on Wednesday, September 30 – the first time the number has been in triple digits for five days – following a resurgence of cases in the Seoul area that began in mid-August, and forced physical distancing and other measures to be strengthened. “(We) are observing Chuseok at a difficult time,” President Moon Jae-in said in a video message released for the holiday, which begins on Thursday and continues until Sunday. “The government will surely repay the people who have endured difficulties by succeeding in controlling the virus and protecting the economy.”

Moon Haeng-ja is one of the many elderly settling for a virtual reunion with their family members during the festival. (AFP)

Banners in Cheongju, South Korea, urge people to refrain from visiting their hometowns, along with other messages, during the Chuseok thanksgiving holiday period. (AP)

Beolcho&

Seongmyo Sustaining age-old customs:

ANCESTRAL GRAVE VISIT https://folkency.nfm.go.kr/ | https://www.chuseok.info/customs

V

isiting the ancestors’ graves on major holidays such as Chuseok and Hansik (the Cold Food Festival in early spring) to tend to their burial sites and perform memorial rites is called seongmyo. This custom has been practiced over the ages as burial grounds are perceived to be sacred places where one’s ancestors reside both in body and spirit.

Beolcho refers to the grass-cutting ceremony that takes place on the ancestors grave sites. It involves clearing up debris, weeds, trimming the grass, and tidying

up the areas around the deceased. Families take turns bowing to their ancestors at the cleaned grave site, which is referred to as Seongmyo, on the day of Chuseok.

Looking after the ancestral graves where the bodies are buried has been traditionally considered as important as holding ancestral rites in honor of the ancestal spirits. The custom of visiting the graves on Hansik originated in the Tang period of China (618907). In the Goryeo dynasty of Korea (9181392), the royal court performed memorial rites at Jongmyo (Royal ancestral shrine) and the royal tombs, while the general public traveled to the burial sites of their ancestors.

The custom of seongmyo refers not just to the physical act of tending the burial site but rather a combination of caring and paying respects to the ancestors with ritual bows.

**Image Credits: koreana.or.kr

At Chuseok, people travel to the ancestral grave sites after holding the memorial rites at home. They refurbish the site in preparation for the coming winter by cutting or plucking out weeds and bushes that have grown during summer after Hansik. In the past, when memorial rites were performed at the graveside in October, people did not hold the rites at Chuseok. These days, however, people generally conduct the graveside memorial rite at Chuseok also, as few can afford the time for another trip. Visiting ancestral graves and observing the rites there on Chuseok is of particular importance as the new crops of the year are first offered to the ancestors on the day as a symbolic gesture.

HALLYU

HAPPY HALLYU-WEEN