Learning about Korea the royal way

Diplomacy

Published: 17 Feb. 2009, 20:46

Learning about Korea the royal way

David Mason, left, a Kyung Hee University tourism professor, guides a tour group around Bukchon Hanok Village in Gahoe-dong, Jongno District, Seoul.

It wasn’t so long ago that Korea was a little-known Northeast Asian country of interest to few. Indeed, some say it was only after Seoul hosted the summer Olympics in 1988 that people all over the world sat up and took notice.

But one group of expatriates has long known about Korea, sharing their love of the country with other people for more than a century.

It’s the Korea branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, the oldest expatriate community in Korea outside of religious missionaries and one of the oldest in the nation. Founded in 1900, the group organizes lectures on Korea and local tours on a regular basis. The group has also published more than 25 books on Korea.

“The Korea branch has published a journal, every year, once or twice, and we have sent them out to people across the world and libraries across the world,” said Brother Anthony, chairman of the group’s publication committee, yesterday in a telephone interview.

Brother Anthony of Taize, a professor emeritus at Sogang University, was born in the United Kingdom and educated at Oxford. He became a naturalized Korean in 1994. Also a noted translator of Korean poetry, he has been with the RAS for around 20 years. “Mainly our work is helping people, mostly foreigners living in Korea, discover Korea,” he said.

Learning to play the janggu, a traditional hourglass-shaped drum, at a Korean culture class. Provided by RASKB

The Royal Asiatic Society, founded in 1823 in the United Kingdom, was originally a community of scholars and colonial administrators interested in Asian studies. It expanded to include several associate societies in Asia, including India, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong, all established in 1847. Two others - in Japan and Malaysia - were established about 20 years before the foundation of the Korean branch. According to Brother Anthony, there is also a branch in China.

“It is an old British tradition to explore the world,” he said. “Whether missionaries, diplomats or businessmen, they want to know more about the country they are in.”

To differentiate itself from other branches, the group here calls itself RASKB (the KB standing for Korea Branch). To help develop an understanding of Korean culture, the group organizes tours from January to July and August to September.

According to Brother Anthony, these are not tours in the usual whistle-stop, snapshot sense of the word. Rather, they are dapsa, which roughly translates as field exploration.

A tour group visits Cheomseongdae, an observatory built during the Silla Kingdom, in Gyeongju, South Gyeongsang Province.

The group also goes on more adventurous outings, such as mountain climbing, boat trips and picnics.

The Seoul Branch of the RAS holds lectures twice a month, inviting experts in various fields who are in the country to speak on a wide range of Korea-related issues.

Next Tuesday, Kim Yong-deok, a local history researcher, will give a talk on the dispute concerning Dokdo, the easternmost Korean islets which Japan also claims as its territory.

Brother Anthony said the group has frequently hosted lectures on historically sensitive issues.

“People need to understand what’s going on and the historical background,” he said. “It’s important for Korea to be clearly presented in a way that foreigners can understand.”

The Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch (www.raskb.com), which claims to have over 1,500 members in over 20 countries, is open to anyone interested.

By Moon Gwang-lip Staff Reporter [joe@joongang.co.kr]