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Post by kiparang on Dec 7, 2006 13:13:28 GMT -5
Lucy, no problem with your humor (or with GC's). ;D As for your question about where they live, my guess is that it is modeled after one of the numerous towns that are located just outside Seoul. Seoul itself has been being developed at breakneck speed during the last thirty years, ever encroaching on the surrounding areas(Kyunggi Province), because of rapid economic development and Koreans' deep-seated mentality of "Seoul, by any means." (Many provincial Koreans believe that you have to go to Seoul if you want to succeed. If you didn't go in your generation, you have to send one or two of your children to Seoul by any means. Explaining this tendency would require a page or two. So many towns just outside the Seoul Perimeter are being rapidly urbanized to accommodate the ever expanding Seoul population. Some of these towns could be a hodgepodge of a rather shabby residential areas, new condominium complexes, and a commercial district, with vast rice paddies and fields just next to them. Most of them are serviced by the railway system and the bus lines that connect its residents to Metropolitan Seoul within an hour or two. Hope the above help explain the area they live in.
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Post by Soju on Dec 7, 2006 13:43:48 GMT -5
They occasionall say what town they live in. I was going to try to find it on the map once, but got distracted
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Post by Lucy on Dec 7, 2006 14:06:47 GMT -5
Kiparang, fascinating and illuminating. Thank you! Where are you located, by the way? If Chicago, are you from Korea? Also, what does your name mean? I keep thinking it means something to do with "waiting," then I remember that's "kidarida."
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Post by kiparang on Dec 8, 2006 12:58:38 GMT -5
Yes, Soju. It's quite possible that they are using a real town as the background. Lucy, I am a Korean national currently residing in a city on the West Coast. I have been trying to do my bit as a member of this delightful board for some time. ;D As for the meaning of Kiparang, it is the name of a "Hwarang," who was mentioned in, or rather the subject of, a well-known ancient poem composed by another "Hwarang." What is a "Hwarang?" A Hwarang is a member of the elite corps of aristocratic youth of the Kingdom of Silla(57BCE--935CE). (Koguryo and Baekje were the other kingdoms during the Three Kingdom Period.) It was an organization somewhat similar to the knigthood of the West, but still quite different. Great emphasis was put on cultural refinement as well as on military skills such as swordmanship. The Hwarang organization produced many prominent people who shaped the Silla society:political leaders and generals, scholars, buddhistic monks, even kings. Kiparang, as portrayed in the poem, was obviously a man of great integrity and of noble soul. The writer of the poem (he later became a prominent monk) was in such awe of him that he described him as the ideal man one can only aspire to be. But for some reason, Kiparang was never mentioned in historical records or legends or stories about Hwarang. So he remains a mythical figure to Koreans. Not that I am remotely similar to Kiparang but one can have aspiration, can't one?
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Post by Soju on Dec 8, 2006 15:02:55 GMT -5
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Post by Lucy on Dec 8, 2006 15:43:39 GMT -5
Yes, Soju. It's quite possible that they are using a real town as the background. Lucy, I am a Korean national currently residing in a city on the West Coast. I have been trying to do my bit as a member of this delightful board for some time. ;D As for the meaning of Kiparang, it is the name of a "Hwarang," who was mentioned in, or rather the subject of, a well-known ancient poem composed by another "Hwarang." What is a "Hwarang?" A Hwarang is a member of the elite corps of aristocratic youth of the Kingdom of Silla(57BCE--935CE). (Koguryo and Baekje were the other kingdoms during the Three Kingdom Period.) It was an organization somewhat similar to the knigthood of the West, but still quite different. Great emphasis was put on cultural refinement as well as on military skills such as swordmanship. The Hwarang organization produced many prominent people who shaped the Silla society:political leaders and generals, scholars, buddhistic monks, even kings. Kiparang, as portrayed in the poem, was obviously a man of great integrity and of noble soul. The writer of the poem (he later became a prominent monk) was in such awe of him that he described him as the ideal man one can only aspire to be. But for some reason, Kiparang was never mentioned in historical records or legends or stories about Hwarang. So he remains a mythical figure to Koreans. Not that I am remotely similar to Kiparang but one can have aspiration, can't one? Oh my gosh, Soju, that's amazing! I can just see Haraboji toddling across the tracks. I had no idea they were supposed to live so far from Seoul, and so close to the DMZ. Kiparang, you certainly are making a wonderful contribution to the board. I have already learned so much. I'm also learning about the Three Kingdoms period from "Dae Joyoung." I can't seem to concentrate when reading about history, for some reason, but if I read some and then see a movie or other visual presentation, it all makes better sense. So I've managed to retain the names Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje now. I would like to see a drama about the Hwarang, now that you tell us about them. It would be nice if those qualities were still prized and set apart to the extent that we had organizations to inculcate them in "the best of the best." It sounds a bit like the Yangban of later times, but that was the Confucian period, wasn't it? Thanks to both you gents for enlightening us.
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Post by BAE on Dec 8, 2006 18:21:56 GMT -5
Soju, you were quite determined to find out where they lived, I guess! KiParang, I was wondering if you know of any sites about the Hwarang Fighters. I tried so many times through google to find out more about each individual member, like Yoo Ji and Chang and the others, to no avail...
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Post by kiparang on Dec 9, 2006 14:12:26 GMT -5
So they are using a real town as the background of this drama. I have read many news reports about Paju(containing Geumchon) being deveoped as a major urban area. For example, the whole publishing industry is being relocated from Seoul to "The Book Town" being built in the Paju area. Some industries are building research centers there. An "English Town" was built to accommodate the English-mad Korean nation's thirst for spoken English ability: Here students spend a week or two practising English in real situations and they should speak only English (in class rooms, the post office, hotels, etc.) ;D
Lucy, I think the next phase of the Korean historical dramas could be more dramas about Silla and Baekje. Earlier this year there was a drama called "Seo-dong-yo" depicting the real romance between a Baekje prince and a Silla princess. There are so many fascinating stories and legends about Hwarangs that drama producers/writers will surely use them sooner or later.
BAE, by "Hwarang fighters" are you referring to some cartoon characters based on Hwarangs? I cannot help you in this matter because I don't read "manhwa" (Korean cartoons). Sorry.
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Post by BAE on Dec 9, 2006 14:28:51 GMT -5
Cartoons? LOL Nooo! I learnt a little bit about the H-fighters through a Wiki article.. But then again, Wiki's not always so reliable...
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Post by mikey on Dec 9, 2006 17:22:05 GMT -5
I would like to see a drama about the Hwarang, now that you tell us about them. Coincidentally, it appears that new SBS historical drama we’ve been casually discussing elsewhere (“Yeon Gae So Mun”) is centered around the Hwarang of ancient Shilla, as the show’s lead character emerges from slavery to become the head trainer of the Hwarang.
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Post by kiparang on Dec 10, 2006 14:44:09 GMT -5
Yesterday Mikey wrote to the gist that "it appears that the new SBS historical drama 'Yeon Gae So Mun' is centered around the Hwarang of ancient Shilla, as the show's lead character emerges from slavery to become the head trainer of Hwarang." When I read the above I was so surprised that I nearly fell off my chair. Because as far as I know Yeon was never in the Kingdom of Silla during his life. I immediately started to google in Korean to find out where Mikey got this strange impression, since I regard him as one of the most intelligent posters around, very knowledgeable about things Korean. (I very much enjoyed his rational debate with a Japanophile poster at another board.) And I found out that huge distortion of historical facts were going on on both "Yon Gae So Mun" and "Jumong" to attract fans and to win the cut-throat ratings war, and that, because of that, both of the dramas were being harshly criticized on the internet by quite a number of fans. SBS even went further than what Mikey implied. Yeon was being depicted as being a slave to the household of Kim Yu-shin, later falling in love with one of his sisters. ;D Now Kim Yu-shin is probably Silla's most famous general and political leader of that time, his efforts contributing greatly to eventual unification of the Korean peninsula under Silla. It is as ludicrous as claiming that, say, Abraham Lincoln during his youth was a (white) slave to the plantation of the household of Jefferson Davis(the eventual president of the Confederate States), falling in love with one of his sisters and leading an elite Southern forces in the Mexican War, before escaping to the North. SBS claims that they based the story on certain ancient fiction and on liberal interpretation of a certain historian's view who lived during the Japanese Colonial Period. But of course it does not hold water. Mikey, it seems that you have to take the story of YGSM as portrayed in the drama with a grain of salt (or lots of salt, in this case). Hope that I am not ruining the fun you have in watching the show. ;D But I could not just let SBS's blatant distortion of historical facts pass before unsuspecting American fans.
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Post by mikey on Dec 10, 2006 17:42:39 GMT -5
Wow, thank you, Kiparang, for all this information! While I’m gratified that you consider me somewhat knowledgeable about Korean history, the fact is that most of what I’ve learned has come from (ahem . . .) watching Korean TV dramas. And yes, I was beginning to wonder just how much of “Yeon Gae So Mun” was factual, since even I was suspecting that the writers were stretching things a bit. Well, I guess they were stretching things A LOT! (“Jumong,” of course, is pretty openly admitted to be mostly fantasy - but I was hoping that YGSM would be more by-the-book). Your historical overview really helped clear up some of the questions I had about the show. Thanks again!
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Post by kiparang on Dec 11, 2006 11:54:54 GMT -5
Mikey, you are too modest. Anyway, I am glad to hear that my post helped you to get a better picture of the YGSM drama. BAE, I am sorry about the cartoon thing. But I wonder where you got names such as "Yoo Ji" and "Chang." By "Chang" do you mean "Kwan-chang," the 16-year old Hwarang who sacrificed his life for his country?
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Post by ginnycat5 on Dec 11, 2006 12:10:28 GMT -5
Soju, a belated thanks for the maps and photo! I never would have guessed it's real nor so far from Seoul. Ujeong works in Seoul? I wonder how long his commute is? Maybe they have fast trains, like Japan and Europe?
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Post by cyuser on Dec 12, 2006 11:00:44 GMT -5
20miles ... mostly driving on the highway .. not that far
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