[KS] historical revisionism & western attribution of "Land of Morning Calm"

[Jim Thomas]

Dear Karls and Tobias,
Let's not outdo ourselves with historical revisionism.
Granted the name “Land of Morning Calm” may have served colonial and imperial interests, it never [referred] "to the popular reports from Korea since the first contact with visitors from the West, who described Korea as “the land of morning calm”.  While Koreans may have "[appropriated this discription] with positive associations"...its origin was most certainly not "from a colonial perspective which represents Korea as a passive, silent country" as one of you states. "Morning calm" is the English rendering of ChosOn. Problematic, yes. But do you have a better translation?
 
best,
jim 



Date: Sun, 27 May 2012 16:16:25 +0900
From: soratobutobi at yahoo.co.jp
To: koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws
Subject: [KS] Korea Week and Korea Film Festival at Tuebingen University from June 11th-20th 2012






Korea-Week Festival
"The End of Morning Calm" 


Dear students, colleagues and friends, 
we would like to invite you to the Korea Week Festival at Tuebingen from June 11th-20th 2012: "The End of Morning Calm". 



 
The Department of Korean Studies at Tuebingen University will be offering a series of cultural and academic events all over Tuebingen during the Korea Week. There will be Korean dance, music and ceremonies, as well as an opportunity to see a Taekwondo-Show with the internationally renowned Kukkiwan Taekwondo-Academy, and readings with contemporary Korean writers.
 
Furthermore, an academic symposium covering Korean themes will be held and a series of Korean films will be shown. From June 14th-20th, KINO ARSENAL will be screening current Korean films in the Tübingen Korea Film Festival. On June 12th and 13th Korean specialties will be served at the Mensa Morgenstelle, and on June 14th at the Mensa Prinz Karl. 
 
Also, as part of the Korean Week Festival, students can take part in the video contest by submitting a 5-10 minute video dealing with the theme “The End of Morning Calm”. “The End of Morning Calm” is the motto of the Korea Week Festival referring to the popular reports from Korea since the first contact with visitors from the West, who described Korea as “the land of morning calm”.  This description was appropriated by the Koreans themselves with positive associations; yet its origin is from a colonial perspective which represents Korea as a passive, silent country. 
 
Korea has changed dramatically and the end of the “silence” started long ago. The recent history of Korea is marked by intense dynamic forces: rapid economic growth as well as the democratization of South Korea. These events and processes have left their mark on the “silence” which is now a feeling of emergence: “The end of morning calm breaking dawn’s silence”! 
 
“Emergence” : this is the positive association that we would like to share with the city of Tübingen. The University of Tübingen and especially the Department of Korean Studies offer a unique cultural event for Tbingen with the diverse program of the Korea Week Festival, and hope that Tuebingen takes this opportunity to gain insight into a fascinating country. 
 
For more information: www.korea.uni-tuebingen.de (-> Aktuelles -> Korea-Woche) 




Forwarded by 
Scholl, Tobias 




-- 
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
Asien-Orient-Institut
Abteilung für Sinologie und Koreanistik
Sektion Koreanistik (http://www.korea.uni-tuebingen.de)
Anschrift: Wilhelmsstrasse 133; 72074 Tübingen
Email: tobias.scholl at aoi.uni-tuebingen.de
 		 	   		  
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