On September 30, 2009, Minji Kim, traditional percussionist, dancer, and a Republic of Korea 2009 Korean Traditional Artist-in-Residence, performed an evening of folk music on the changgo, an hourglass drum at the heart of traditional Korean music. The night's program began with an introduction by Dr. Ju-Yong Ha, composer and ethnomusicologist, who also provided commentary before each of the three musical selections: a kayagum sanjo, a duet for haegum and changgo, and a solo percussion piece for changgo. Minji Kim was accompanied by Gee Sook Baek on the kayagum and Lee Kyung Kang on the haegum.

Listen Now:

On September 9, 2009, Don Southerton, author, Korean business expert, and president and CEO of Bridging Culture Worldwide, shared his insights into the Korean car industry with the members of The Korea Society, and explained how Hyundai and Kia Motors made their amazing drive to the top of the market.

Listen Now:

On September 21, 2009, His Excellency Lee Myung-bak, 17th President of the Republic of Korea, spoke in New York at a program presented by The Korea Society, Asia Society, and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Listen Now:

On June 24th, 2009, James Person, coordinator of the North Korea International Documentation Project (NKIDP) at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, spoke to The Korea Society about the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's complex and frequently misunderstood relations with the People's Republic of China. His presentation drew on newly obtained archival documents that shed light on past and present challenges to the Sino-North Korean alliance.

Listen Now:

On July 21, 2009, Joseph V. DeMarco, a partner at DeVore & DeMarco LLP, who specializes in counseling clients on information privacy and security, theft of intellectual property, computer intrusions, online fraud, employee malfeasance and crisis management and response, sat down with The Korea Society's Daniel Levine to share his perspective on evolving trends in cybercrime in the context of recent attacks targeting U.S. and South Korean government and commercial Web sites. He explained how developments on both sides of the law have forever affected the way businesses, individuals and criminals interact in the global economy, and how the U.S. and the Republic of Korea can learn from the other in addressing the challenges presented by the darker side of the digital revolution.

Listen Now:

South Korean star director Park Chan-wook (JSA, Old Boy), has thrilled both critics and audiences in his native country for a decade. His "vengeance" trilogy brought international recognition, including a Cannes Film Festival Grand Prize (2008) and a Jury Prize (2009), and established Park as a virtuoso filmmaker with a thoroughly original artistic vision. On July 24, 2009, The Korea Society recorded a special interview with the director in which he spoke about his influences, his meteoric ascension into the pantheon of internationally celebrated directors, and his latest film, Thirst.

Listen Now:

On April 14, 2009, Doojin Hwang, the principal of Doojin Hwang Architects and author of Where is your Seoul? and Hanok is Back, spoke to The Korea Society about the theory, design, and methodology behind the "creative restoration" of Korean cities. Known for his introduction of traditional Korean houses to a new generation of Koreans, Hwang recently conducted a lecture tour of the United States, which included presentations at Harvard University and the LA County Museum of Art, in addition to this address at The Korea Society.

Listen Now:

On May 7, 2009, Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee, author of Eating Korean: From Barbecue to Kimchi, Recipes from my Home, visited The Korea Society to speak about about her latest cookbook, Quick & Easy Korean Cooking (Chronicle Books). Lee is also the author of several travel guides and her writing has been featured in Food and Wine, Eating Well, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, the Whole Life Times, the Asian Pacific American Journal, and Korean Culture magazine.

Listen Now:

On June 9, 2009, Ambassador Stephen W. Bosworth, Special Representative for North Korea Policy, addressed members and supporters of The Korea Society at the organization's annual dinner in New York City. Ambassador Bosworth is introduced by Evans J.R. Revere, the president of The Korea Society.

Listen Now:

On April 29, 2009, William J. Milani, Steven Swirsky, Robert S. Groban, Jr. and Michael A. Levine, attorneys at Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., spoke at The Korea Society about the legal challenges facing Korean employers doing business in the United States. They explained the labor and employment law changes expected during the Obama administration, focusing on unionization, workforce reduction, discrimination claims, wages, and immigration.

Listen Now:

On May 5, 2009, Don Baker, Associate Professor in the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia, spoke about the history of Christianity and religion in Korea with Fred Carriere, The Korea Society's Executive Vice President. The interview is in support of 'Missionary Photography in Korea: Encountering the West through Christianity,' an exhibition opening on May 19 at The Korea Society Gallery.

Listen Now:

On March 18, 2009, The Korea Society hosted 'Pojagi: Cloth, Color and Beyond,' a panel discussion on the art and history of Korean wrapping cloths. Lee Talbot, assistant curator of The Textile Museum; Seta K. Wehbé, assistant collection manager of the Antonio Ratti Textile Center at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; and fiber artist Chunghie Lee spoke at the program, which was presented in support of Unwrapping the Secrets of Korean Textiles: An Exhibition of Pojagi, on display at The Korea Society gallery.

Listen Now:

On February 25, 2009, Henry Seggerman, manager of Korea International Investment Fund, the oldest offshore fund invested in South Korea's stock market, spoke to The Korea Society about what he sees as the "perils of protectionism" and the challenges Korea faces attracting foreign investment.

Listen Now:

On March 13, 2009, Yi Jong-Goo, standing commissioner of the Republic of Korea?s Financial Services Commission, spoke at The Korea Society about the current state of the Korean economy and South Korea?s game plan for navigating the global recession.

Listen Now:

On Sunday, March 1, 2009, Evans J.R. Revere, president of The Korea Society, hosted a panel discussion entitled "The Obama Administration and Korea: What?s in the Cards?" on an episode of Asian America TV on New York's NYC-TV-25. Joining Revere was Jeffrey Shafer, vice chairman of Global Banking for Citi, and Professor Donald Zagoria of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. The panel discussed the challenges facing the Obama Administration with regards to the United States' relationship with South and North Korea.

Listen Now:

On February 10, 2009, The Korea Society hosted a talk with Scott Snyder, director of the Center for Korea Policy at The Asia Foundation and author of China's Rise and the Two Koreas: Politics, Economics, Security. Snyder spoke about recent developments in China?s relationship with both North and South Korea with John Delury, associate director of Asia Society's Center on U.S.-China Relations.

Listen Now:

On December 4th, 2008, Lee Jae Oh, Senior Visiting Scholar at the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University, former Grand National Party Supreme Council member, and campaign manager for Lee Myung-Bak's successful presidential run, spoke with the members of The Korea Society about President Lee's governing philosophy and vision for the future of the U.S.-ROK alliance and partnership.

Listen Now:

On February 28, 2008, critically acclaimed composer and komungo player Yoon-Jeong Heo gave an enthralling performance and lecture to The Korea Society, where she presented traditional and modern pieces, discussed her compositional style and shared the secrets of the Korean zither.

Listen Now:

On June 12, 2008, Joe Fuller, co-founder and CEO of Monitor Group, a leading international consulting firm, spoke to The Korea Society about issues of global governance and strategy that will impact the future development of Korean international competitiveness.

Listen Now:

On June 23, 2008, a distinguished panel of experts featuring Scott Snyder (The Asia Foundation/Pacific Forum CSIS), Charles K. Armstrong (Columbia University), David Straub (Stanford University) and Youngshik Daniel Bong (American University) convened at The Korea Society to assess the first months of Lee Myung-bak's presidency. The panel took a close look at what has been a tumultuous period in Korea's domestic politics and addressed the implications of the current crisis for political stability in the Republic of Korea, the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, and U.S.-Korea relations.

Listen Now:

On April 10, 2008, The Korea Society hosted a panel discussion on the blogging cultures of the United States, Korea and Japan and their relationships with participatory democracy. The program was a joint initiative of The Korea Society, Japan Society and The Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, and featured David Weinberger, author and fellow of the Harvard Berkman Center for Internet & Society; Wendy H.K. Chun, associate professor of modern culture and media at Brown University; Tobias Harris, journalist and blogger at ObservingJapan.com; Stuart Thorson, professor of political science at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs; and Samuel Jamier, blogger and senior program officer at The Korea Society.

Listen Now:

On January 30, 2008, Ha-Joon Chang, professor of economics at the University of Cambridge, spoke at The Korea Society about his latest book, Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism. Professor Chang argues that policies imposed by developed countries and international organizations have led to slowing growth, rising inequality and greater economic instability in the developing world.

Listen Now:

On April 15, 2008, His Excellency Lee Myung-Bak, the 17th President of the Republic of Korea, addressed the members, friends and guests of The Korea Society at the organization's 2008 annual dinner. Stanley C. Gale, chairman of Gale International, and a co-chair of the dinner, introduces president Lee.

Listen Now:

On Tuesday, April 15, 2008, members of New Beginnings, a nonpartisan policy study group made up of former senior U.S. officials, academics and other experts on Korea, released their recommendations for updating and strengthening the U.S.-South Korea alliance at a press conference at The Korea Society in New York City.

Listen Now:

On April 1, 2008, Evans J.R. Revere, president of The Korea Society, moderated a panel with Zarin Mehta, president and executive director of the New York Philharmonic, Daniel J. Wakin, culture reporter for The New York Times, and Chuck R. Lustig, director of foreign news for ABC News, in which they discussed the New York Philharmonic's February performance in North Korea, as well as the events that led to the historic event.

Listen Now:

On February 7, 2008, Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park, an assistant professor in the Department of Film, Television and Theatre at the University of Notre Dame, delivered at lecture at The Korea Society entitled "Our Toys, Our Selves: Robot Taekwon V and South Korean Identity." The lecture was in support of "Toy Stories: Souvenirs from Korean Childhood," an exhibition of toys from 1970s and 1980s Korea, showing at The Korea Society gallery, and available for travel around the United States in 2008.

Listen Now:

On Thursday, November 29, 2007, author Cullen Thomas spoke to The Korea Society's Samuel Jamier about his prison memoir, "Brother One Cell," a literary account of a journey at the edges of Korean society.

Listen Now:

On Tuesday, February 12th, 2008, Hazel Smith, professor of international relations at the University of Warwick, delivered a presentation at The Korea Society titled "North Korea: Market Opportunity, Poverty and the Provinces." She provided data and insights into how various groups in the DPRK adapted to survive the famine of the mid-1990s.

Listen Now:

On Monday, January 28th, 2008, General B.B. Bell, commander of United States Forces Korea, spoke to The Korea Society about the U.S.-R.O.K. alliance and its evolution from Cold-War paradigms to a long-term bilateral partnership based on shared interests in East Asia.

Listen Now:

On January 16th, 2008 The Korea Society hosted a panel discussion titled "How and Why We Remember The Korean War." Far from being forgotten, the Korean War has been brought into renewed focus by the recent publication of The Coldest Winter, a reappraisal of the conflict by Pulitzer-winning author David Halberstam. Panelist Bruce Cumings, a professor of history at the University of Chicago, spoke about Halberstam's book, while Evans J.R. Revere, president and CEO of The Korea Society, spoke about the continuing impact of the war on inter-Korean politics. Panelists Thomas McGrath, Yung Duk Kim and George Drake --all veterans or witnesses in the conflict-- shared their first-hand experiences of this turbulent era.

Listen Now:

December 20th, 2007, 24 hours after Lee Myung-bak won the presidential election in South Korea, Donald P. Gregg and Evans J.R. Revere, the chairman and president of The Korea Society; Don Zagoria, project director of the Northeast Asia Projects at the National Committee on American Foreign Policy; and Leon Sigal, director of the Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project at the Social Science Research Council, analyzed the election and its consequences at an informal panel discussion.

Listen Now:

On November 6, 2007 The Korea Society hosted a lecture titled "The Case of Arirang: How the Anthem of Korean Resistance Became a Japanese Pop Hit" by E. Taylor Atkins, an associate professor of history at Northern Illinois University.

Listen Now:

On Friday, August 23rd, Samuel Jamier, The Korea Society's senior program officer for contemporary issues and corporate affairs, sat down with Robert R. Cagle, assistant professor of cinema studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, to talk about the future of the Korean Wave and his research on melodrama.

Listen Now:

On August 8th, 2007, Donald P. Gregg, chairman of The Korea Society, gave a lecture entitled "Two Koreas, Past and Present" to a group of educators assembled for one of the Society's regular teachers' courses on Korea. Gregg, who served as U.S. ambassador to South Korea from 1989 to 1993, recounted the complex history of America's relationship with Korea, including its role in Korea's division in 1945. Gregg also spoke about the current movement towards rapprochement between North and South Korea, and what it might mean for their respective futures.

Listen Now:

On July 26, 2007, The Korea Society hosted a lecture by Dr. Laurel Kendall, an anthropologist at the American Museum of Natural History. Held in conjunction with the opening of a new exhibition of Korean funerary figures at The Korea Society Gallery, Kendall's lecture detailed the structure and importance of the ancient Shamanic rituals that Koreans traditionally perform for the dead.

Listen Now:

On August 9, 2007, The Korea Society hosted a contemporary issues presentation by Jack Pritchard, president of the Korea Economic Institute and former State Department special envoy to the DPRK. Pritchard spoke on the subject of his new book, Failed Diplomacy: The Tragic Story of How North Korea Got the Bomb. Pritchard shared his perspective that North Korea's recent acquisition of nuclear weapons directly resulted from a series of failures in U.S. foreign policy. Following his presentation, Pritchard sat down for a Q&A session with journalist and author Don Oberdorfer.

Listen Now:

Yuni Cho and Samuel Jamier preview the 7th Annual New York Korean Film Festival, opening this week in New York City.

Listen Now:

On April 3rd, 2007, Yoo Jang-hee, a professor of international studies at Ewha Women's University, delivered a lecture titled "The Korean Economy in the New Industrial Revolution" to a group of American educators touring Korea as part of The Korea Society's 2007 Spring Fellowship in Korean Studies program.Professor Yoo spoke about Korea's role in the increasingly knowledge-based global economy. Surveying Korea's advantages-such as its highly trained workforce and advanced information infrastructure-and what he sees as its disadvantages-low levels of R&D funding and an unproductive education system-Yoo concluded that the Korean government needs to resume pro-growth policies and encourage private-sector initiatives in order to compete in this world's new industrial revolution.

Listen Now:

On May 8th, 2007, The Korea Society hosted a contemporary issues program on the recently published novel "A Corpse in the Koryo." This is the first English-language murder mystery set entirely in North Korea, which is known officially as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or the DPRK. Written under a pen name by a senior U.S. intelligence official with decades of experience working with the DPRK, "A Corpse in the Koryo" follows Inspector Oh, a North Korean detective, as he navigates the country's murky byways in the course of investigating a highly unusual death. A panel of experts made up of the Republic of Korea's ambassador to the United Nations Choi Young-jin, Fletcher School dean Stephen Bosworth and international lawyer Lucy Reed - all veteran visitors to the DPRK in their early work with the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization known as KEDO - discusses the novel and the policy issues that it deftly raises between its lines.

Listen Now:

On April 2nd, 2007, The Korea Society sponsored a lecture titled "The Problem of North Korea in the Era of Terrorism" by Professor Ahn Byong-Man, chairman of the Korea Fulbright Foundation. The lecture, which took place in Seoul as part of The Korea Society's Korea Fellowship for Educators program, addressed the unique security challenges that North Korea poses to the world community and recounted previous American and South Korean attempts to ease tensions with the North.

Listen Now:

On April 5th, 2007, The Korea Society hosted an Arts program titled "How Did Korea Become a Land of Apartments?" with Valerie Gelezeau, associate professor of Geography at Marne la Vallee University in France and author of The Republic of Apartments. Gelezeau explained how South Korea has transformed from a country of single-unit housing to one where apartment living is the dominant paradigm. Gelezeau believes that in addition to economic and demographic factors-such as a growing population and a shortage of buildable land-this change has been driven by cultural factors.

Listen Now:

On March 28th, 2007, The Korea Society co-sponsored a Young Professionals Forum titled "Investing in Korea" with the Columbia Business School Asian Alumni Club of New York. Moderated by Professor Ronald Schramm of the Columbia Business school, a panel of experts discussed South Korea's current macro- and microeconomics, perceptions that the country is becoming more hostile to foreign investment and the regulatory and tax frameworks any investors should know before getting into the South Korean market. Panelists included Donald Hanna, global head of emerging markets at Citigroup; John Lee, a director at Lazard Asset Management; Eric Yoon, partner at the law firm of White & Chase and Kaz Parsch, a senior manager of international tax services at Ernst & Young.

Listen Now:

On February 9th, 2006, The Korea Society hosted a presentation titled "Hungry For Peace: International Security, Humanitarian Assistance and Social Change in North Korea" by Hazel Smith, a professor of international relations at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom and a consultant to major NGOs providing relief to North Korea. Taking issue with the popular notion that North Korea's state secrecy makes accurate information on North Korean society impossible to come by, Smith argued that much information was available-and it indicates that important but largely unnoticed social changes are underway.

Listen Now:

On February 27th, 2007, The Korea Society hosted a special screening of Korean director Bong Joon-ho's new monster movie The Host, followed by a Q&A session with Bong, at the IFC Film Center in New York. At the Q&A, Bong Joon-ho discussed The Host's implicit social commentary and political satire. Bong also discussed how, as a director, he wanted The Host to be a hybrid of several genres: the monster movie, the action film and the black comedy. In response to audience questions, Bong Joon-ho discussed his inspiration for The Host (which included the big-budget blockbusters of director Steven Spielberg) and the differences in Korean and American movie production. The Host opens nationwide in the U.S. on March 9, 2007.

Listen Now:

On March 6th, 2007, The Korea Society and The Japan Society co-organized a forum at which Ambassador Chris Hill, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, discussed the recent breakthrough at the Six-Party Talks and the next steps in America's diplomatic engagement with North Korea. Ambassador Hill was introduced by Evans Revere, president of The Korea Society.

Listen Now:

On February 22nd, 2007, The Korea Society hosted a contemporary issues presentation titled Inside Kumgang and Kaesong: Models for Economic Cooperation with North Korea by Walter Keats, founder and president of Asia Pacific Travel, Ltd. An expert in tourism, Keats discussed his experiences traveling to North Korea's two special economic zones, the Mount Kumgang resort and the Kaesong Industrial Complex. Jointly run with South Korean firms, Keats believes these zones represent the future of economic reforms in North Korea.

Listen Now:

On April 11th, 2005, The Korea Society hosted a lecture titled "Contemporary Russian Policy Towards the Korean Peninsula" by Alex Vorontsov, head of the section for Korean Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences. Vorontsov recounted the history of Russian relations with North Korea, from close alliance at the DPRK's founding, to distanced after the collapse of Soviet Communism, to the present, as president Putin is striving to re-establish and strengthen Russia-DPRK ties.

Listen Now:

Part 1 of 2. On July 25th, 2005, The Korea Society hosted a lecture titled "The Origins of Koreans and Their Culture" with Mark Byington, a post-doctoral fellow in Korean Studies at Harvard University. The lecture-which was given as part of The Korea Society's continuing education program for teachers-addressed the important early sources of Korean language, art, religion and custom.

Listen Now:

Part 2 of 2. On July 25th, 2005, The Korea Society hosted a lecture titled "The Origins of Koreans and Their Culture" with Mark Byington, a post-doctoral fellow in Korean Studies at Harvard University. The lecture-which was given as part of The Korea Society's continuing education program for teachers-addressed the important early sources of Korean language, art, religion and custom.

Listen Now:

To mark the opening of an exhibition of Korean dragon paintings, author and folklore specialist Heinz Insu Fenkl, director of the Interstitial Studies Institute at SUNY New Paltz, lectured on dragon symbolism in both the East and West.

Listen Now:

Part 1 of 5 Panel presentations. The 2006 midterm elections transformed the political dynamic in Washington and in the near term, they may also shake-up the U.S. government's approach to North Korea. Don Zagoria, trustee for the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, will speak about China's role and influence.

Listen Now:

Part 2 of 5 Panel presentations. The 2006 midterm elections transformed the political dynamic in Washington and in the near term, they may also shake-up the U.S. government's approach to North Korea. Leon Sigal, director of the Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project at the Social Science Research Council, offers an assessment of North Korea's receptivity to policy changes.

Listen Now:

Part 3 of 5 Panel presentations. The 2006 midterm elections transformed the political dynamic in Washington and in the near term, they may also shake-up the U.S. government's approach to North Korea. Gerald Curtis, professor of Political Science at Columbia University and a top U.S. expert on Japan, weighs in on the role that nation will take on.

Listen Now:

Part 4 of 5 Panel presentations. The 2006 midterm elections transformed the political dynamic in Washington and in the near term, they may also shake-up the U.S. government's approach to North Korea. Evans Revere, a Korea expert at the State Department and a Cyrus Vance Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, discusses the new movements of US and international setniment.

Listen Now:

Part 5 of 5 Panel presentations. The 2006 midterm elections transformed the political dynamic in Washington and in the near term, they may also shake-up the U.S. government's approach to North Korea. Aleksandr Ilitchev, a senior political affairs officer at the United Nations, sees signs that Washington's approach may soon change as the Six Party Talks are on course to resume.

Listen Now:

A talk by Marion Creekmore. When Jimmy Carter went to Pyongyang in the summer of 1994 on an unofficial, last-ditch mission to negotiate a solution to the nuclear impasse that was threatening to engulf the Korean peninsula in war, Marion Creekmore went along as a top aide. Speaking about his recently published book on Carter's trip-A Moment of Crisis: Jimmy Carter, the Power of a Peacemaker and North Korea's Nuclear Ambitions-Creekmore, now a distinguished visiting professor of history and political science at Emory University, related the lessons Carter's surprising diplomatic success might have for leaders still trying to curb a nuclear DPRK.

Listen Now:

Cathy Spagnoli, a professional storyteller from Seattle, narrates seven tales of Korea. Spagnoli has traveled extensively through India, Pakistan, Thailand, Japan and Korea gathering indigenous stories and music. During her numerous trips to Korea, she has met with an extensive network of storytellers and collected a wide range of stories that beautifully illustrate Korean culture. TALES OF KOREA, PART II. The twelve tales in this selection are appropriate for older students (grades 6-12). Several of these stories are folktales illustrating long-held Korean values of cleverness, filial piety, friendship and fidelity. Others present mathematical brainteasers. Some are true-to-life and based on history, from the pages of the diary of a 16th century admiral, to the poetry of war crimes committed on the peninsula during the 20th century, to the autobiographical account of a Korean American immigrant. What all of these tales share is the wit, verve and love of all things Korean. This Part, 2B, includes: Admiral Yi Sun-shin, A Wise Monk, "Suni's Thimble" by Itsuko Ishikawa, Sad Memories, A Silent Debate, Quiet Odyssey, excerpts from the book by Mary Paik Lee.

Listen Now:

Cathy Spagnoli, a professional storyteller from Seattle, narrates seven tales of Korea. Spagnoli has traveled extensively through India, Pakistan, Thailand, Japan and Korea gathering indigenous stories and music. During her numerous trips to Korea, she has met with an extensive network of storytellers and collected a wide range of stories that beautifully illustrate Korean culture. TALES OF KOREA, PART II. The twelve tales in this selection are appropriate for older students (grades 6-12). Several of these stories are folktales illustrating long-held Korean values of cleverness, filial piety, friendship and fidelity. Others present mathematical brainteasers. Some are true-to-life and based on history, from the pages of the diary of a 16th century admiral, to the poetry of war crimes committed on the peninsula during the 20th century, to the autobiographical account of a Korean American immigrant. What all of these tales share is the wit, verve and love of all things Korean. This Part, 2A, includes: Kim Sondal & the River, The Farmer & the Tokaebi, The Stone Bell, A Faithful Dog, A Cup of Rice, The Extra Won.

Listen Now:

Cathy Spagnoli, a professional storyteller from Seattle, narrates seven tales of Korea. Spagnoli has traveled extensively through India, Pakistan, Thailand, Japan and Korea gathering indigenous stories and music. During her numerous trips to Korea, she has met with an extensive network of storytellers and collected a wide range of stories that beautifully illustrate Korean culture. TALES OF KOREA, PART I. The seven tales in this selection are appropriate for younger students (grades 1-5), and include: Grain of Millet, Green Frog, The Two Brothers, A Trick or Two, Princess Pyongkang and Ondal, Abandoning the Old Ones, and The Serpent's Revenge. This selection gives a glimpse of Korea and Korean values through the art of storytelling. For example,"Grain of Millet" demonstrates delightfully how cleverness with a little luck can turn into fortune. Other popular Korean themes presented include: filial piety, geomancy, diligence, kindness rewarded vs. greed punished, and revenge vs. gratitude. All of these stories are fun to listen to and are fun to learn from. For example, students gain insight into another culture through Korean animal sounds (Korean dogs bark "mong, mong," not "bow wow"), and learn a few vocabulary words from a talking turtle. This Part, 1B, includes: Princess Pyongkang and Ondal, Abandoning the Old Ones, The Serpent's Revenge

Listen Now:

Cathy Spagnoli, a professional storyteller from Seattle, narrates seven tales of Korea. Spagnoli has traveled extensively through India, Pakistan, Thailand, Japan and Korea gathering indigenous stories and music. During her numerous trips to Korea, she has met with an extensive network of storytellers and collected a wide range of stories that beautifully illustrate Korean culture. TALES OF KOREA, PART I. The seven tales in this selection are appropriate for younger students (grades 1-5), and include: Grain of Millet, Green Frog, The Two Brothers, A Trick or Two, Princess Pyongkang and Ondal, Abandoning the Old Ones, and The Serpent's Revenge. This selection gives a glimpse of Korea and Korean values through the art of storytelling. For example,"Grain of Millet" demonstrates delightfully how cleverness with a little luck can turn into fortune. Other popular Korean themes presented include: filial piety, geomancy, diligence, kindness rewarded vs. greed punished, and revenge vs. gratitude. All of these stories are fun to listen to and are fun to learn from. For example, students gain insight into another culture through Korean animal sounds (Korean dogs bark "mong, mong," not "bow wow"), and learn a few vocabulary words from a talking turtle. This Part, 1A, includes: Grain of Millet, Green Frog, The Two Brothers, A Trick or Two.

Listen Now: