Foreign cultural figures try Korean mask dance

Leading cultural figures from around the world participating in this year’s Culture Communication Forum visited the National Hangeul Museum Monday to learn about the Korean alphabet and experience talchum, the traditional Korean mask dance.

A total of 23 participants, including Australian barista Paul Bassett, Turkish dancer Behan Murphy and American jazz vocalist Tim Stong toured the museum that traces the history of Hangul, the Korean alphabet system.

“There are only two countries in the world where an alphabet has originated and survives, used as the official language to this day,” Kim Chul-min, the director of the National Hangeul Museum, said in a speech welcoming the visitors.

After the tour, dance troupe Talmud gave a demonstration of the Bongsan Talchum, a traditional Korean mask dance performed in the Bongsan region in Hwanghae Province in today's North Korea.

The forum participants then donned the traditional long sleeves required for the dance and danced to the beat of the janggu, the traditional Korean drum.

Chef Pierre Sang, who was born in Korea and adopted in France at the age of 7, said he was excited and “very proud” to be participating in such events here. Sang is the owner of two restaurants in Paris.

“French people are more and more curious about Korea,” said Sang, who has previously worked at French restaurant Le Saint-Ex in the Itaewon area.

“Korea has become more famous with K-pop and K-food. And the young generation here seems very nice,” he commented.

The CCF 2016, where cultural ambassadors from around the world will discuss cultural communication, takes place Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt Seoul. It is hosted by the Corea Image Communication Institute, an organization led by Choi Jung-hwa and devoted to promoting Korean culture abroad.

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)