"Who are the best in their fields that the heart must come before ability, honor and money... "
"The attitude should be wholehearted and truthful."
-Bae Yong Joon-

Saturday, February 1, 2014

[Book|Editor's Review & VOD] "A Journey In Search of Korea's Beauty"

" For those who have not read this book and may want to know the reviews about this book (before buying or reading it) ^^v. This is the editor's review. Enjoy!!" ^__^
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source: hanbooks

Author: Bae Yong Joon
Translator: Sora Kim-Russell
Publisher: Hollym
Softcover | 432 pages | 17*22cm


About the Author: Bae Yong Joon

Bae Yong Joon is one of East Asia's foremost actors and an ardent supporter of intercultural communication and exchange. For Bae Yong Joon, staying in conversation with our past is important for the future of humanity, and this book is a creative and heartwarming record of what he has gained from that conversation.
Bae Yong Joon made his acting debut in 1994 on the KBS television series, Salut D'Amour (Love Greeting), and rose to stardom with his role in the 1995 series, A Sunny Place of the Young. Having established his acting career through a number of movies and television shows, Bae Yong Joon became an international megastar with his role as Jun-sang on the 2002 series Winter Sonata.


Editor's Review

Value of Traditional Culture

Although Korean traditional culture is a world-recognized unique and scientific heritage, we often take it for granted just because it's around us in our everyday routine. That might be the reason we can't clearly introduce what it's like to foreigners when we're asked to do so. Bae Yong Joon also was in that position and came up with the idea of necessity to look further inside ultimate beauty of Korea.

To know something also means to know that some things are unknown. Never forgetting that some things are unknown or unknowable seems to be good for us. It makes us humble and pure. And it makes us try harder. It fills us with the desire to learn. Too much and we are made fools, too little and we are made arrogant. But in the right amount, the unknown can be good for us. (p. 280)

Travelling helps us to become more mature beings. People get to know themselves better and figure out new things on the way. Especially, an attempt looking for origin gives us the chance to value the true beauty in itself. This journey for traditional culture supports to find real beauty of Korea. It fills in our sprit and empties our mind from abundance at the same time so we can stand on the firm ground as a whole. Every step Bae Yong Joon took to the past resembles Korean culture which implies rustic simplicity and exquisite taste. This book concentrated more to spiritual heritage than tangible assets. It is remarkable that Bae Yong Joon actually tried to make kimchi and had a meal at a temple to show how the process worked out.

Beauty of Daily Surroundings

Bae Yong Joon reified his wish to reconnect cultural beauty of past and present through this book. A Journey in Search of Korea's Beauty vividly delivers photographs he took himself that show his accurate observation and fertile imagination. He devoted himself to every single step of the whole process with sincerity. In this book, you will see how different he seems at the end of his journey. It also includes routes he traveled, in his wish to share the experience and to promote cultural visits.  

The very advantage of this book is that it contains whole process of certain parts of our heritage which cannot easily get attention nor be experienced around us. Bae Yong Joon put it on record for us to develop empathy with real beauty of cultural heritage and to preserve tradition. Thanks to his enthusiasm, we can indirectly experience the genuine beauty of Korea without actually having participated in the process.

Good books let readers follow and agree to the writer while reading. They also should linger in readers' minds and encourage them to move forward after reading. Page after page, I was amazed how shallow my knowledge about Korea was and I definitely wanted to pack and leave for a cup of Donjeongchun right at the moment. But if you're in Korea, take a good look around you before you leave and you'll find something right there as well. I have learned that fact from A Journey in Search of Korea's Beauty.

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2 comments:

  1. I remember the day when I received this book in the mail ... I rode the bus home and could not resist - opened the book and began to read ... I can not say that I know English perfectly. But my knowledge is enough to understand the meaning of written . The first thing I read was the introduction to the book. When I read the foreword , written by Mr. Park Dong - Chun , I began to laugh softly , so lively and interesting , he described his first impressions of Bae Yong Joon . Surrounding could not understand what I was - this could read that without restraint chuckled in public transport. )))) It was fun and a little crazy! )))) I am delighted with the book. Written interesting , bright, fun , informative and a great love for the country. Recommend to everyone !

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  2. Thank you so much sis Galina for sharing your experience with us in here. I'm also very delighted read this book. So yes!! I agree with you, it's highly recommended for everyone!! ^__^v

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