Members of this year's team of Korea.net honorary reporters pose for a photo after receiving their appointment certificates from KOCIS Director Park Younggoog (center), at the National Hangeul Museum on Dec. 11 in Seoul.

Members of this year’s team of Korea.net honorary reporters pose for a photo after receiving their appointment certificates from KOCIS Director Park Younggoog (center), at the National Hangeul Museum on Dec. 11 in Seoul.

The fifth group of Korea.net honorary reporters has begun promoting Korea. The 76-strong team of writers, hailing from 29 countries, held its induction ceremony at the National Hangeul Museum in Seoul on Dec. 11, its first official act.

The reporters and bloggers gathered at the venue early in the morning to attend the ceremony. Despite differences in sex, age and nationality, they chatted with each other about the one topic of common interest: Korea. They shared their experiences of the country and smiled as they recalled tales of Korean traditions, food and life.

KOCIS Director Park Younggoog (right) presents an official certificate of appointment to Korea.net honorary reporter Sophie Bowman during the induction ceremony at the National Hangeul Museum on Dec. 11.

KOCIS Director Park Younggoog (right) presents an official certificate of appointment to Korea.net honorary reporter Sophie Bowman during the induction ceremony at the National Hangeul Museum on Dec. 11.

KOCIS Director Park Younggoog who presented the certificates to the honorary reporters said, “From today, they will begin their activities as honorary reporters by writing about Korea, and sharing their experiences and news about Korea, on social media accounts and blogs.”

“Throughout your year-long appointment, I hope you can introduce the charms of Korea, of which even many Koreans themselves do not know, and share your various stories with us, from all around the world,” he added.

The first item on the new honorary reporters’ itinerary was to visit Jeonju, the capital of Jeollabuk-do Province (North Jeolla Province). They arrived there in the evening and nobody was that tired, so they had a chance to look around Jeonju’s famous neighborhood of Hanok homes and traditional attractions, the Jeonju Hanok Village.

The reporters enjoyed a dinner of Jeonju bibimbap mixed rice and then headed over to the Nambu Traditional Market for some night shopping. They explored every corner of the night market, a venue that really livens up after dusk. They tried out the street snacks and looked around the market, all while enjoying the fun and affection of others, typical elements found in traditional markets. Some of the writers enjoyed a live show in the center of the market and danced together with local shoppers.

Clad in traditional Hanbok attire, Aaron Snowberger (right) and his family enjoy the <i>neolttwigi</i>, or seesaw, at the Jeonju Hanok Village on Dec. 12.

Clad in traditional Hanbok attire, Aaron Snowberger (right) and his family enjoy the neolttwigi, or seesaw, at the Jeonju Hanok Village on Dec. 12.

Korea.net honorary reporters play <i>tuho</i>, a traditional arrow-throwing game, at the Jeonju Hanok Village on Dec. 12.

Korea.net honorary reporters play tuho, a traditional arrow-throwing game, at the Jeonju Hanok Village on Dec. 12.

The next day, the reporters enjoyed kongnamul haejangguk or bean sprout soup for breakfast and the sun was shining through a deep blue sky. The morning allowed them time to explore more of the Jeonju Hanok Village. They tried on traditional Hanbok attire, according to their tastes, and tried their hands at traditional games like neolttwigi, a seesaw, and tuho, an arrow-throwing game, all while filling the whole neighborhood with laughter.

The next stop on their itinerary was the Gyeonggijeon Shrine located in the middle of the neighborhood. There, the reporters learned more about the founder and first king of Joseon, Yi Seong-gye (1335-1408), who was from Jeonju. They were busy taking photos and videos to upload their memories to their blogs and social media accounts. The shrine was decorated with bamboo forests and autumn foliage, despite the onset of winter. After walking around the shrine, they headed to the Omokdae Pavilion where they had a bird’s-eye view of the Jeonju Hanok Village.

This year's team of Korea.net honorary reporters pose for a group photo at the Omokdae Pavilion where they had a bird's-eye view of the Jeonju Hanok Village, in Jeonju on Dec. 12.

This year’s team of Korea.net honorary reporters pose for a group photo at the Omokdae Pavilion where they had a bird’s-eye view of the Jeonju Hanok Village, in Jeonju on Dec. 12.

While walking around the neighborhood, crowded with weekend visitors, the Korea.net honorary reporters were even asked to pose together for photos. They were enraptured by the unique atmosphere of the village, driving them to keep taking photos.

Photographer Paul Jung Estabrook from the U.S. said, “I enjoy seeing how the modern and the traditional kind of mix in Korea. I think it’s a really exciting time as a photographer and as a person. I want to share that, because I don’t see that happening in other places.”

Bradley Kirby from Canada said, “Many people think of Seoul when it comes to travel in Korea. For me, however, Jeonju is fantastic and I love it. The food here is much better.”

Korea.net honorary reporters try out <i>dadeumijil</i>, a traditional method of smoothing fabric, at the Changpo Traditional Village in Wanju, North Jeolla Province, on Dec. 12.

Korea.net honorary reporters try out dadeumijil, a traditional method of smoothing fabric, at the Changpo Traditional Village in Wanju, North Jeolla Province, on Dec. 12.

Though it was only an overnight trip, the reporters did more than just look around, try on traditional robes or get a taste of Korean tradition.

At the Changpo Traditional Village in Wanju, they watched and listened to the sounds of dadeumijil, a traditional method of smoothing fabric and clothes. Traditions such as this cannot be easily accessed these days, even in big cities. The rhythm of the dadeumijil beating, where six women create a beautiful sound with no actual musical instruments, awed the honorary reporters as they swooned back and forth with the beat. Some of the writers were able to try dadeumi first-hand for the first time, all while learning about the sound and music that is embedded in the emotions of modern Korea’s ancestors.

Korea.net and its team of honorary reporters pose for a group photo at Sejong Lake Park in Sejong City on Dec. 12.

Korea.net and its team of honorary reporters pose for a group photo at Sejong Lake Park in Sejong City on Dec. 12.

As the final item on their itinerary, the Korea.net honorary reporters visited Sejong City, the Korean government’s administrative center located near Daejeon. They looked around the new city and the cluster of glass and steel administrative buildings was a far cry from the traditional architecture of the Jeonju Hanok Village.

Finally, the reporters posed for a group photo at the Sejong Lake Park where they vowed to promote news and stories from Korea and to talk about Korean traditions throughout the next year.

By Jeon Han, Yoon Sojung
Photos: Jeon Han
Korea.net Staff Writers
hanjeon@korea.kr