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For children and parents, special times to share

Illustration by Kang Yu-ri

May is known as family month in Korea. It’s that rare time of year when the organizers of leisure and cultural activities pay special attention to the young, giving out free gifts and offering shows and fairs for families with children. Here are some enticing options to entertain the family on Children’s Day, which falls tomorrow.
For Koreans who grew up in the 80s “Robot Taekwon V” is a special film. It was the first feature-length animation made in Korea. Released in 1976, it featured a robot fighting evil and it drew an audience of more than 180,000 people in Seoul alone.
The film, which has recently been digitally restored, will be screened at the Seoul Animation Cinema starting today, for 2 weeks, in celebration of Children’s Day.
Another film offered by the cinema will be the heartwarming animation “Mug Travel,” a film adaptation of a computer animated series from TV. The story is centered around Bebe, a young polar bear who gets to travel all over the world on Christmas Eve using a magical mug.
Other animated series will also be showcased over the weekend and the profits will be donated to help children suffering from heart disease. For information call (02) 3455-8315.
On screens across the nation “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” or “TMNT” celebrates the comeback of the reptilian heroes featuring the voices of celebrities including Chris Evans and Ziyi Zhang. “Meet the Robinsons” is a 3-D animation about a young boy who joins the search for his grandfather’s missing false teeth, along with his friends. Of course, if your kids refuse to watch animation because they think they are too grown up, there’s always “Spider Man 3.”

Children’s shows are being held everywhere. On Saturday a children’s museum inside the National Museum of Korea offers free admission to “An Exciting Journey to the Past,” an exhibition of traditional Korean lifestyles and history that includes homes, farming, music and past wars. There will be farming tools, the rituals of old villages, weapons and fortress walls from the past. The museum also features traditional printing techniques dating back to the Goryeo Dynasty, and images of Buddha and lotus flowers from traditional Korean art. Free admission is available between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to children under middle school age. Reservations are mandatory as there are limited tickets. Call (02)2077-9330 for details.

On Saturday and Sunday the Seoul Museum of Art will feature “Art Safari,” an outdoor exhibit consisting of art inspired by animal characters. Free face-painting will be available to children under middle school age, from 1 to 5 p.m. Call (02)-2124-8928 for details.
The Hangaram Museum, within the Seoul Arts Center, is featuring an exhibit of original prints and illustrations from children’s books. On Children’s Day the museum will give a free book to young visitors and will offer space inside the museum for kids to do some reading. While your children enjoy this event you can check out the paintings and prints on loan from the Musee d’Orsay including Millet’s “L’Angelus.” Call (02) 588-8421 for details.
For contemporary flair “Pop Family” is a hands-on silkscreen training offered to children at the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in Hannam-dong, which is currently featuring the Andy Warhol exhibit, “Andy Warhol Factory.” Admission is 35,000 won, and reservations are necessary for those who partake in the program. There will also be a school for children this weekend at the Geumho Museum as part of an exhibit called “Art within the Family” featuring seven artist couples.
For an activist edge, the Green Art Festival, an ecological event, is featuring a photo exhibit at the Eastern square of Coex. In past years the theme has been “Trees” and “Water.” This year’s theme is endangered animal species with photos taken by some of the world’s most noted documentary photographers such as James Balog and Hoshino Michio. For details call (02) 2011-4365.
Outside of Seoul, the Woojaegil Art Museum in Gwangju has put together “Imagination + Robot Friends,” in which children get to create art with a professional artist using everyday objects like batteries, light bulbs and nail clippers. At the World Ceramic Exposition in Yeoju and Icheon there is a clay workshop for children.
“The Lion King,” a blockbuster musical by Disney and Japan’s Shiki Theater Company, continues to capture the hearts of children and adults. The show, which has won major awards in the United States, including six Tony Awards and six Critics’ Circle Awards, features a giant cast of almost 700 performers, 232 puppets and 27 kite birds. For information call (02) 411-5083.

Everland is offering four different parades on Children’s Day. As a side event there is a flower festival that features tulips and roses.
The Seoul Musical Company has is offering the family musical “Peter Pan” over the weekend at the Universal Art Center, with an innovative flying technique adopted from the ZFX team based in Las Vegas. Call (02) 2204-1030 for details.
An adaptation of Lewis Caroll’s “Alice in Wonder Land” is being offered by the Seoul Ballet Theater at the Seongnam Art Center. The troupe is led by James Jeon and features a glamorous stage set and creative animal characters. For information call (031) 783-8000.
If you still haven’t seen “Quidam” by the famed Canadian circus troupe Cirque du Soleil, now would be a good time. The show, which is a non-verbal circus performance without animals, mixes conventional circus repertoires like juggling, fire breathing and tightrope walking with other unique techniques.
“Quidam” is being performed at Grand Chapiteau, the tent theater, near the south gate of the Jamsil Sports Complex. For more information, contact (02) 541-3150.

By Park Soo-mee Staff Writer [myfeast@joongang.co.kr]