Originally written in 1978, Korean writer Cho Se-hui’s novel The Dwarf (2006, ISBN-10 0-8248-3101-2) isn’t an east grasp for westerners. The story represents characters in black and white, and the tale, of workers vs. management, is didactic. Two things helped us here at WoWasis through this otherwise well-crafted novel, translator Bruce Fulton’s afterword, and the […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Korea' Category
Top 5 palaces and shrines in Seoul, South Korea
Seoul’s palaces represent fascinating, colorful, and artistic elements of Korean culture
Read the rest of this entry »Only one day in Seoul? Visit ‘Biwon’ the Secret Garden at the Changdeokgung Palace
Maybe you’ve only got one day in Seoul, a common occurrence for people who find themselves with a free day between layovers at Incheon Airport. If you’ve got a day or even a few hours, the one thing you don’t want to miss is the Secret Garden, located in the back of the Changdeokgung Palace. […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: ‘Brother One Cell,’ Korean prisons by Cullen Thomas
Cullen Thomas’ Brother One Cell makes for compelling reading on both Korea and prison life
Read the rest of this entry »Jeju Top 10: the Best Museums and Sites on Korea’s island of Jeju
Going to Korea’s Jeju Island? You’ll be astounded by the wealth of museums, parks, and historical sites on the island, all within a half-day’s driving distance of each other. In terms of museums alone, Jeju’s offerings constitute the largest concentration of outstanding museums that we here at WoWasis have seen in Asia, and many of […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: ‘Land of Exile: Contemporary Korean Fiction’
If you’re going to delve into the genre of Korean fiction, the Expanded Edition of the compilation Land of Exile: Contemporary Korean Fiction (2007, ISBN 978-0-7656-1810-8), translated and edited by Marshall R. Pihl and Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton, is a pretty good place to start. There are sixteen short stories in this book of 336 […]
Read the rest of this entry »A magnificent stroll through Jeju Art Park on Korea’s Jeju Island
Korea’s Jeju Island has a wealth of outdoor experiences, so many, in fact that it’s easy to miss several good ones. Here at WoWasis, we feel that the Jeju Art Park is something you shouldn’t miss. The Art Park has more than 160 art works by Korean sculptors, laid out over a large 430,000 square […]
Read the rest of this entry »Walk Korea’s spectacular Yongmeori Coast on Jeju Island
There’s lots of magnificent coastline in Korea, but for us here at WoWasis, the Yongmeori Coast in southwestern Jeju Island is hard to beat. Its rock formations are vivid and particularly colorful with the afternoon sun. To get here, you cross the highway from Sanbangsan mountain and walk a few meters to the ticket booth. […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Sung Bum-Young’s ‘The Spirited Garden’ (Korean Bonsai Culture)
Sung Bum-Young founded ‘The Spirited Garden’ on Korea’s Jeju island, in 1968. The garden is a world-renowned bonsai venue, and is in Jeju’s Top Ten attractions. You simply can’t miss seeing it when you’re there. What every visitor yearns to discover is how this garden was built. This book, The Spirited Garden: The Story of […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Brenda Sunoo’s ‘Moon Tides: Jeju Island Grannies of the Sea’
One of the most compelling cultural elements of Korea are the haenyeo, women who free-dive in the sea to catch food and capture seaweed. There are two books currently available on the haenyeo. One of them, Mother of the Sea: the Jeju Haenyeo, is also the subject of a WoWasis book review. Brenda Paik Sunoo’s […]
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