Located in the city of Gyeongju of Gyeongsangbukdo Province, South Korea, Cheomseongdae is the oldest living observatory in the world. It stands as one of the most monumental sites that reveal the importance of astronomy and astrology on the ancient Korean civilization. Roughly translates to the ”star-gazing tower (Atlas Obscura)” or the ”reverently regarding the…
Hallyu, also known as “The Korean Wave” is a term used to describe Korean music (K-pop), dramas, food, beauty and many more. Usually Hallyu is referred to Korean music (K-pop) or Korean dramas. Korean dramas and K-pop started gaining popularity throughout Asia during the mid-1990s. In the early 2000s, Korean dramas had a surge in…
Recently, K-pop and the Korean Wave has been becoming popular around the world and a lot of people have been taking an interest in the culture and also to learn the language. Korea has its own writing system “Hangeul.” The Korean alphabet, also known as Hangeul was created in 1443 by King Sejong the…
Do you know about the legendary March 1st Independence Movement that happened in Korea in 1919? The March 1st Movement was the biggest independence protest in the peninsula and thousands of people were involved in spreading the spirit of Korean independence. However, the independence movement was active well before the March 1st Movement of 1919.…
When you imagine a Korean freedom fighter, what kind of person comes to mind? The people that participated in the Korean independence movement came from various backgrounds and walks of life. Independence activists arose from all societal classes. These classes ultimately came together and strengthened Korea’s national consciousness. According to The National Independence Hall of…
Since September 2019, VANK has begun Global Petition and Global Poster Project by targeting the world’s largest petition site (change.org) with 400 million subscribers. VANK is trying to announce the global community the issues about Korea and global issues such as hatred and racism towards Asians in the West. The very first Global Petition…
In 2016, the Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced 17 ocean heroes, who defended the nation during Korea’s 5,000 years of history. The majority were male, such as kings and well-known generals who defended the country in times of national crisis. A surprise was the inclusion of a women diver group called Jeju Haenyeohoe…
Korea annually celebrates Ocean Day on May 31. May 31 is the day when General Jang Bogo of Silla established the Cheonghaejin garrison. Naval hero Jang Bogo safeguarded Silla’s international trade by building Cheonghaejin on today’s Wando in Jeollanamdo and sweeping pirates from the sea. He was regarded as the king of the ocean because…
In ancient Korean history, there was a king who had a large influence on China and Japan. It was King Geunchogo, the thirteenth king of Baekje, who used the ocean to expand its economic and cultural influence across the region. Several Chinese and Japanese history books describe how Baekje influenced their kingdoms with its naval…
An old Korean history book series about Goryeo titled Goryeosa includes a story about the founder of Goryeo, who built a unified kingdom by controlling the sea. The story is about the Battle of Deokjinpo where Goryeo’s founder Wang Geon took control of a strategic seaport. The name Korea originated from Goryeo. In 912, Wang…
