Third annual Korea Festival features folk art, food, fashion and more Oct. 19-24

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The Auburn University Office of International Programs and the Auburn-Keimyung King Sejong Institute will present the third annual Korea Festival Oct. 19-24. The festival will feature a cinema class, food tasting, hands-on folk art workshops and a gala fashion show featuring traditional Korean clothing. All events are free and open to the public.

"When we opened the Korea Center, as the Auburn-Keimyung King Sejong Institute was known in 2012, we knew Auburn had a unique opportunity to help our community bridge two cultures," said Andy Gillespie, assistant provost for international programs. "But we could not have anticipated the immensely positive response we've received from both the local and Korean communities. This year's festival again brings into focus the relationships we are forging as we help to internationalize the campus and the region."

Four visiting artists from Seoul will display a variety of traditional Korean arts, including paper crafts, glass art, puppets, lacquer works, calligraphy and hanbok, or traditional Korean dress. Items will be on display in the Foy Hall lobby Oct. 22 from 2-7 p.m. and Oct. 23 from 2-4 p.m. The exhibit will also be displayed Oct. 24 from 3-5 p.m. at the Auburn United Methodist Church Annex, 137 S. Gay St. in Auburn.

The Hanbok Fashion Show, scheduled for Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. in the Goodwin Recital Hall, is this year's signature event. Featuring 40 examples of traditional Korean dress for women, men and children, the fashion show will offer attendees the opportunity to see exquisite examples of traditional Korean dress in a runway-style show. Seating is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees are advised to arrive early.

Additional festival events include Korean cinema classes on Oct. 19 and 20. These free classes will explore examples of modern Korean filmmaking and the themes that make Korean film unique. Gwanghae (masquerade) will be the subject of the Oct. 19 class, while Sunny will be explored in the Oct. 20 class. The cinema classes will be held in 203 Foy Hall from 5-7 p.m.

The Auburn University Korean Student Association will hold a K-Pop Party Oct. 21 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Foy Hall auditorium. The student-run event will feature song and dance performances set to some of Korea's most popular modern music.

The Taste of Korea food festival Oct. 22 from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. will offer free samples of a variety of popular Korean dishes on the Student Center Concourse.

Participants will also have the opportunity to try their hand at traditional paper arts in two folk-art workshops. On Oct. 22 from 2-4 p.m. on the Student Center Concourse, participants will make hand mirrors. On Oct. 23 from 2-4 p.m. in the Foy Hall lobby, participants will make decorative paper slippers. The artists also will teach a workshop to students at Drake Middle School on Oct. 23.

More information about the festival, including a complete schedule of events, is available at http://www.auburn.edu/academic/international/kc/festival.php.

The Auburn-Keimyung King Sejong Institute, part of the Auburn University Office of International Programs, provides credit and non-credit courses in Korean language, as well as cultural events and other Korea-related programming. The Institute, a partnership between Auburn and Keimyung University, is partially funded by the government of South Korea. The institute seeks to enhance cultural understanding between the local community and the Korean community in East Alabama, a result of the explosive growth of the Korean automotive industry.

Profiles of visiting artists

  • Doyeon Pyon is a Korean paper or hanji artist from Seoul. Pyon's works have been displayed at the National Museum of Turkmenistan, Hamburg University in Germany and in more than 100 other exhibitions around the world. Pyon has received many prestigious awards includeing the Max-Oscar-Arnold Award (Germany) and the Prime Minister's Award (Korea). Pyon is the president of the Korea Dak Paper Doll Association.
  • Sunyoung Park is a glass crafts artists from Seoul. Park is a graduate of South Seoul University with a degree in glass art studies. Park has been awarded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Award among other honors.
  • Gumjoo Jung is the president of Jung Gumjoo Hanbok Boutique, designing exquisite, traditional Korean dresses called hanbok. Jung holds a master's degree from Konkuk University in traditional clothing design. Jung's designs have been featured in multiple fashion shows and exhibitions.
  • Namrye Lee is the president of Lee Namrye Boutique, specializing in the design of beautiful, traditional Korean dresses called hanbok. Lee was named an Intangible Cultural Treasure by the city of Seoul. Lee's many honors include the Korea Apprentices Competition bronze medal in 2008.

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