COMMUNITY

Music CD: Asian Journeys $15.95 buy now

Travel Writers: South Korea - the Land of Writings

Location: South Korea

The gentle and fluid, but precise body movement can be transposed onto mulberry paper with the simple stroke of a traditional bamboo brush. Korea has been known as the Land of Writings to its neighbours since ancient times. It was this passion for intellectual, philosophical and religious exploration that drove Koreans to develop a script that was uniquely theirs. A yangban - a traditional Korean nobleman - would have mastered the art of philosophy and critical thinking, and their expression through calligraphy for the benefit of social welfare and order. Sitting in the candlelit "sarangbang", inner room, in lotus position, he rubs the ink stick meditatively in circular motion against the flat rock slab made for that purpose. Once the ink has been softened and mixed with water in the right proportion, it is ready for writing. A scroll of refined ivory mulberry paper rolls open before him, he pensively dips the bamboo brush into the ink, raises his right forearm parallel to the writing surface, allows his wrist to drop like a pianist, never letting go of the undetectably technical grip around the bamboo brush. Meanwhile, he reaches across his chest with his left hand to hold back and prevent his right silken sleeves from falling upon the open canvas. Nightfall signifies the intimate context of his creation – the scholar is writing to his beloved pupil.

Rather than conventional script; however, he chooses to paint a landscape, infused with hidden meaning of sorts that could only be deciphered by an apprentice after his own nature and tutelage. With a single, vertical brush stroke and a few accompanying taps, he draws a bamboo tree representing the vibrant intellectual promise of the beloved pupil. To the right of the bamboo tree, the close proximity symbolizing intimacy and affection, he characterizes himself as a taller pine tree in two brushstrokes. The first stroke rises from bottom to top and stands solidly as the tree trunk. The next brushstroke tops the trunk as a long and thick horizontal brush line that extends and tapers from left to the far right. Traditional Korean calligraphy parallels traditional dance movements and rhythms. Like the pine tree, the yangban stands rooted, but gently extends his right arm in front of him, from far left, across his chest, opening his entire body, and ending to the far right, pointing his closed fan to the Eastern horizon.

The sweeping horizontal direction symbolizes dominating Western winds, the force of his own love and loyalty for the Empire that exiled him to the farthest Southern tip of Korea, separating him not only from his disciples, but excommunicating him from the decision-making imperial courts. From ancient times, even up to the unifying Silla Dynasty, leading intellectuals where exiled to the South for freedom of expression or dissent. Isolated from the ruling class and surrounded by the bounties of nature, these scholars had the unsought respite that subsequently proved crucial for the development of the innovative political and philosophical thoughts and writings that would feed the minds of the pupils that would in turn grow to influence and control imperial affairs. Despite the humble agricultural surroundings of the South, brain power, or, "grey matter", is irrevocably recognized in Korean heritage as having been a powerful, albeit through informal or illegitimate scholarly institutions, movement in the South. The leaning of the pine tree towards the North East symbolizes his longing to return to imperial service, the commitment and loyalty with which he awaits the day in which his charges will be absolved and he will recognized back to service.

Removed to the background next to the pine tree, the scholar paints his own house, providing his pupil with insight of his life in exile. For the times, this represents quite an unconventional behaviour, that is, to reveal one’s personal realm to others, especially someone in a different Confucian social order, in this case, of different seniority. It is quite a feat of political change that it breaks traditional social boundaries, leading to social transformation. An interesting aspect of his otherwise humble South Korean cottage is the circumference of the gate or door, which in this picture serves as a subtly architectural and most important political tie to China. Through his minimalist painting, the scholar advises his pupil about what he holds crucial to the success of the Empire, a friendly alliance with its neighbour. With a heavily burdened and nostalgic heart, the scholar offers this simple painting, infused with symbolic flavours, to the one pupil who remains loyal to him despite his unfortunate political circumstance, and faithfully, at the risk of his own innocence, continues to envoy the forbidden books that have nourished the scholar during his languished days of isolation.

A crucial and uniquely South Korean element fuels the core of their relationship and society to this day. Without this native seasoning ingredient, a dish would not be of its own name. There is no exact translation for "Jung" it is a combination of affection, love, loyalty, forgiveness, depth, wisdom and self-control. It is expressed, for example, by a yangban’s voluntary and silent placement of a morsel of the most prized side dish over a child’s rice bowl. It is with "jung" that complete strangers at a restaurant may at times greet other fellow diners before and after the meal, especially in the South. Of course, jung has also been interpreted according to one’s political interests. It is in the name of jung toward the falling Baekjae Empire that 3,000 imperial court maidens, or civil servants, holding on to the abounding body of their traditional silk dresses, jump off a cliff, one after another, disappearing forever into the lake below, rather than surrendering to the forces of the attacking Silla Dynasty. It is also with jung that this very Baekjae Emperor creates an advanced canal system to transport water over hundreds of kilometres through barren lands to the artificial lake upon which he built an open air temple under whose elaborate shade he planned to court his wife in privacy. Believe it or not, it is jung that links the traditional scholar to the present day hyperactive, Seoul-living, super-powered cell-phone on steroids attached to the hip, hair slicked up with gel, dazzling Armani suit and artsy designer glasses-wearing young South Korean professional. A puzzling aspect of jung, in fact, is that it cannot be understood. It can only be experienced and learned. Jung is never announced. It is only realized after its after-effects have taken hold of one’s awareness; when the heart feels full and warm, when the mind feels humbled and enlightened at the receiving end. Once one experiences jung, then it is possible to begin to see, take-in and appreciate South Korea's beauty.

© Min Kim