[Korea] SPECIAL EVENTS - Interactive Movie '안녕[Annyeong]' feat. 2PM & Miss A

Hi..have you enjoyed the interactive movie '안녕[Annyeong]' featuring 2PM and Miss A?
If you have no idea what it is, please read this previous post.


What do you think about the interactive movie?
It brought you to know Korea closer, didn't it?


Personally, I enjoyed seeing the movie since I felt like I was in the movie with the Korean artists!


Now, here comes another interesting info about the interactive movie!!!
I Buzz Korea are celebrating release of this movie with special events!

EVENT 1

Event1. Watch the movie 안녕[Annyeong], take the quiz!

Once you watch the movie, the 3 quiz questions can be easily answered.
Those who participate in this quiz will be awarded iPad & LOTTE Hotel complimentary accommodation voucher (Deluxe-club).
The increase winning chances, answer the quiz and spread buzz KOREA event through your SNS tools!

EVENT 2

Event2. Write comments on the buzz KOREA site!
Let’s chat about our vivid adventures in Korea and write comments on the buzz KOREA site.
The highly active i buzz will get LOTTE Hotel complimentary accommodation voucher
(Deluxe-club) & Korea PASS (worth 100,000)!
Don’t let go of this chance sharing how i buzz around the world experience Korea.

EVENT 3 (click the picture for larger image)

Event3. Invite your friends to buzz KOREA!
Invite your friends to buzz KOREA where to share vivid stories of Korea’s wonderful stories.
The more your friends are invited, the higher chances to win iTunes gift card($15) are.

How is  it? It's great, right...

Please hurry up and visit this link below to see detailed info and don't forget to take the quiz to unlock the hidden gifts on buzz KOREA!

http://www.ibuzzkorea.com/eng/event/sns/?sn=400

The period of event is till Sunday, December 11, 2011!

So, what are you waiting for???

Good luck ^^

PS:

Korea Wave Week Concert:

Come and see kpop stars who are heating up the world like 2AM, B2ST, and Miss A!
Please give your huge attention to Korean Wave Week Concert!
For more information on Korean Wave Week Concert,
visit http://www.ibuzzkorea.com/eng/global/view.html?intSeq=89.

Yummy seafood!

[Korea] Beautiful Autumn - Busan

Silla University - Autumn 2011

Hidup di negara tropis yang hanya punya dua musim, panas dan hujan, memberikan pengalaman yang berbeda ketika tinggal di negara empat musim. Musim semi menjadi musim yang sangat dinanti setelah beberapa bulan dalam suhu yang rendah, bersalju dan pohon-pohon sepi tanpa daun-daun dan bunga. Musim semi memberi suasana yang baru dengan munculnya kuncup-kuncup bunga.

Musim panas juga punya karakteristik tersendiri meskipun cuaca panas, berkeringat dan bahkan suhu di Busan bisa lebih panas dari suhu di Surabaya! Kulit terasa lengket, lembab dan tidak nyaman rasanya. Tapi justru di musim panas inilah gaya pakaian bisa serasa waktu di Indonesia, celana pendek, kaos, sandal jepit...^^ Pantai juga jadi tempat sasaran waktu musim panas tiba. San jadi sibuk ikut sepak bola, pertandingan atau pun hanya latihan dan bermain saja. 

Beautiful color of autumn in Silla University, Busan

Musim panas yang begitu panas menjadi sejuk ketika musim gugur tiba. Nyaman sekali rasanya. Setelah tiap hari penuh keringat, pasang AC atau buka jendela lebar-lebar supaya angin masuk ke rumah, kedatangan musim gugur menjadi suatu hal yang menyenangkan. 

Suhu pun mengalami fluktuasi, naik, turun. Siang panas sekali, malam dingin sekali. Sampai bingung ketika pakai baju :p... pakai baju rangkap2 kepanasan, pakai baju cuma 1 lapis kedinginan waktu malam menjelang. Seru lah!

Silla University Main Gate

Musim gugur dimulai ketika warna daun-daun mulai berubah...wah cantik luar biasa...ada pohon yang masih tetap hijau daunnya, ada yg kuning, ada yang merah, ada yang kecoklatan. Awwww...kayak yang di film-film itu! Seperti yang di kalender2 itu...Sekarang terpampang di depan mata! 

Paling dramatis dan romantis kalau pas lagi jalan pulang dari kampus, melewati deretan pohon2 yang sudah berubah warna, angin bertiup pelan dan daun berguguran...cieee...seru dah! Asli kayak adegan film ^^

Setelah daun-daun itu berguguran, menutupi trotoar atau jalan setapak, suara kresek-kresek daun yang terinjak kaki menjadi bagian yang tak terpisahkan. Warna-warni daun yang berjatuhan menjadi pemandangan yang menarik sepanjang perjalanan pulang dan pergi ke kampus. 

Tapi semua tidaklah lama. Dalam waktu singkat, hanya beberapa helai daun yang bertahan pada dahannya. Daun-daun yang berjatuhan di jalan dan trotoar pun tersapu bersih petugas kebersihan. 

Musim dingin tak lama lagi.

Langit cepat sekali menjadi gelap akhir2 ini...Musim gugur yang cantik mulai pergi, musim berikutnya sudah tiba.

See you next year, beautiful autumn!

Silla People Love Indonesia

I heard that Silla University will have a volunteering service in Indonesia by the end of this year. They will go to Jakarta for the service. I saw the advertisement which informed the students about the recruitment of volunteers to Indonesia. 

The university will support students for the flight tickets and accomodation but students still have to pay some amount of money. I found that the cost students need to pay is very cheap compare to the cost you have to spend for more than 1 week travellin in Jakarta by yourself or by tour. 

Apparantely the recruitment has finished and they seem are preparing things for their trip. I saw the booth set up in front of Internation Building. They encouraged Silla University students to give their love to Indonesia through donation. They were selling popcorn and cotton candies. As the payment, students can donate any amount of money to the box provided.

They plan to go to indonesia in December, 2011. This kind of volunteering service reminds me for COP (Community Outreach Project) done by Petra Christian University which I joined in 2002. It was really a great time to be able to meet many people (our team is Indonesia-Hongkong team), served and worked together. What a great memory! Until now, we still maintain a good relationship and will celebrate our reunion next year in Indonesia (exactly 10 years after the program). I wish I could join them at that time. 

You can donate any amount of money you want. 

Knowing other people care and love my country makes me ask myself what I have done to my country...

Morning Walk

 I love a morning walk with you,

only two of us.

It was autumn,

how pretty was the color!

Hand in hand,

talking and laughing.

Talking about God's creativity,

mixed autumn colors so wonderfully.

Laughing at us,

when we were making noise,

stepping on the falling leaves.

I love autumn, 

more than that...

I love you.

2011.11.03

[Korea] Online Event - 2011 K-POP World Festival in Changwon

Do you like K-Pop?
You can join this event and win a prize!

There are 3 events provided for you:

Event 1 --> Be an international K-pop fan.
How to do that? Join the page on Facebook and select friends on your friends list who might like to attend the event. The more you invite your friends, the more your chance to win.

Event 2 --> Cheer for the K-pop contestants.
There are 17 K-pop teams (43 contestants) from 15 countries.
Send your support message to them!

** Indonesia has two representatives among the 17 contestants. Yoohoo...Support them! ^^

Event 3 --> Select and vote to win prizes.
This event will be started on 21 November. So, just wait!

Click the link below and you can start joining the event!
http://kpop.korea.net/html/index.asp

[Korea] Food - Live Octopus for Dinner

After a visit to the museum, we had this Korean food for dinner.
It is 'San Nak Ji Jeongol'.

The word 'San' here means 'live'. "Nak Ji' means octopus.
Huh? Live octopus?
Curious?

First of all, the big pan was put on the stove and heated. It was only contained of vegetables, onion, shrimp, etc. No octopus in it. So where was the octopus?

After a few minutes, the 'ajumma' came back and bring three live octopuses! Yes, they were still alive, moving here and there inside the pot. She quickly moved the three octopuses to the boiled tasty hot soup. Then, she took a scissors and started cutting the octopuses into pieces.

We ate it with rice and not to be forgotten...the side dishes!
The soup was spicy but delicious, especially for eating it in fall season like this. 

Prof and my friends kept asking me if it was okay for me to eat it because of I ate it slowly. 

It was not because of the spicy soup, I was trying to chew the octopus hehehe...^^

A walk to Library...

[Korea] Monet to Warhol - Busan Modern Museum of Art

Monet to Warhol Exhibition 

(Materpieces from the Saint-Etienne Museum of Modern Art)

is still open till 11 December, 2011.

Place: Busan Museum of Modern Art, Haeundae

Entrance fee: 11,000 won

I couldn't take pictures inside the exhibition, though. Before you enter the entrance gate at 3rd floor, the exhibitor offers you audio device so you can hear the explanations about certain artworks with audio sign next to the artworks.

I saw a guide accompanied and explained a group of pregnant mothers touring through the exhibition halls. I guess guide is available for group visitor, but you better check it first if you would like to do so. 

  

The exhibition was divided into 4 big exhibition rooms and 2 small ones.

The rooms & themes were divided into :

1. Modernism / Avant Garde / Informal

2. Pop Art / Nouveau Realism

3. Minimalism / Arte Povera

4. Contemporary

Artworks: 

A total of 112 works of arts by Monet, Picasso, Joan Miro, Fernand Leger, Jean Dubuffet,

Gilbert and George, Andy Warhol, Tom Wesselmann, Stellar, Lichtenstein, Yves Klein, Yves Tanguy,

and so on.

Apparently, looking at the poster below, it has an education program by directly making arts projects, too. For more information, visit the website below:

http://www.busanmoma.org/main/

[Korea] Busan Museum of Modern Art

I had been waited for a long time for a visit to Busan Museum of Modern Art. I have visited many places near the museum such as Shinsegae (based on Guiness book of world records in 2009, it is the world largest department store), Bexco, Olympic Sports Center, Busan e-FM office, etc but not this museum.

There is an exhibition going on in this museum and it made me wanted to pay a visit this time. It is 'Monet to Warhol' art exhibition. One day I saw an announcement in the University Arts Department bulletin board. It was mentioned that whoever wants to go to the exhibition can apply to the assistant. 

I applied and found that my Prof would go there with us. Visiting the museum is free but to see the sppecial exhibition, the ticket fee is 11,000 won. I got a free ticket from Prof! Thanks a lot, Prof. Finally, I can visit the museum and visit the exhibition, too!

I really like the arts shop in the museum. The shop really sells many artistic things. Look at the umbrella hanging in front of the shop. The designs are special ones, you would not find anything like this in another shop. The price is between 34,000 - 38,000 won.

Notebooks and sketch books with famous paintings as its covers. 

On the basement floor, we can find Kids Museum. There is a special program for kids where they learn to see and feel through hearing sounds. Confused? You have to visit the museum to have a real experience. 

Translation of the Korean words:

Hello!

My name is "Listening by eyes, Seeing by ears"

Even though you close your eyes, you can see through the 'sound'

Even though you close your ears, you can listen through the 'speaker and cable'

(Don't touch me!)

JoSH's birth story in Busan (1)

Waiting for delivery

Sudah lama sekali pingin cerita tentang kelahirannya baby Joshua Songmin, tapi karena banyak urusan lain, posting2 yang lain, sampai Joshua umur 1 tahun lebih belum juga ditulis nih :( Sebelum lupa cerita kelahiran Joshua harus cepat2 ditulis deh...

Sempat bingung mau tulis pakai bahasa Indonesia, atau bahasa Inggris. Maunya tulis pakai bahasa Inggris supaya teman2 yang lain bisa ikut baca, tapi bahasa Indonesia lebih bisa mewakili isi hati deh...^^

Kalau sempat ngikuti blog ini, ada beberapa posting singkat seputar lahirnya Joshua, bisa dibaca di sini, dan di sini.

Sejak masuk minggu ke-37, kami sudah 'ngarep-ngarep' (baca: berharap) si baby bisa lahir di bulan Agustus apa engga ya? San dan aku lahirnya bulan Agustus, tanggal pernikahan juga di bulan Agustus. Wah kalau si baby lahir bulan yang sama, bisa seru nih bulan Agustus...semua2 dirayakan bersamaan.

Minggu ke-38 semakin berharap baby bisa lahir bareng ultahku apa engga ya? Seru juga kali ya kalau ultahnya bisa barengan mama & anak. Ternyata terlewatkan juga.

Minggu ke-39 awal, kami jalan-jalan belanja di E-Mart. Setelah belanja, sambil menunggu San mengambil tas di locker, aku duduk di bangku. Eh ternyata di depan tempat aku duduk itu ada small photo studio dan...ada foto gratis untuk pregnant women!

Woohoo...ga pernah foto di studio selama hamil, di Indonesia kayaknya waktu itu lagi seru2nya pregnancy photo session, di Korea harga foto di studio mahalnya ajubile...

Tanya2 deh kita, dan ternyata iya, beneran gratis untuk 1x foto aja. Foto2 yang lainnya kalau mau diambil juga baru bayar...

So, kita buat appointment di akhir minggu itu buat foto, sesudah aku placement test untuk masuk kelas bahasa Korea minggu berikutnya, which is waktu masuk 40 weeks!

40 wks hamil mulai kuliah? Iya... >.<'

Waktu placement test bhs Korea aja, banyak yang ngelihatin deh...hahaha...mau ngapain ini ibu hamil gede banget badannya, jalannya juga susah gini, duduk 2 jam ikut ujian bahasa Korea. Habis gitu harus nunggu giliran interview bahasa Korea juga...

Karena sepertinya bakal lama nunggu dan punya janji untuk foto, aku tanya ke asisten guru, jam berapa aku interview-nya. Oh oh! Karena aku anak beasiswa, giliran interview setelah anak2 yang lain, dan diantara anak beasiswa, aku yang paling terakhir! Sebelum pergi foto harus ketemu International Student Staff juga untuk briefing...Wah...gimana dong...

Akhirnya aku ketemu International Student Staff dulu, dan dia bilang 'maybe it's ok for you not to take the interview, so you can go'. Aha...ya uda deh, cabut!

Akhirnya bisa dapat foto ini di hari2 terakhir mengandung.

39 wks pregnancy

...to be continued...

[Korea] Interactive Movie 안녕[Annyeong] featuring 2PM & miss A

Hi Hi!

I found it very interesting! It is an interactive movie titled  안녕[Annyeong] which will enable you to have a three-day interactive trip with 2PM and miss A. You should try it! I have tried it myself!

As I said, through the interactive movie 안녕[Annyeong], you will have a three-day interactive trip with 2PM and miss A. A variety of experiences, such as tasting Korean food, going around Samcheong-dong, making your korean style fashion, and taking photos with 2PM & miss A, would make your  Korean tour stories perfect! 

In the movie 안녕[Annyeong], YOU are the main character and can have diverse experiences in Korea. 

You will be in the movie, together with 2PM and miss A! Wonder how it can be? Just give it a try.

▶ Here is the link where you can watch the interactive movie 안녕[Annyeong]:
http://www.ibuzzkorea.com/eng/interactive/annyeong.html

Feel free to share it with your friends, too. Let them also have the experience with 2PM & miss A!

Autumn - A View from 미술관...

[WSK 5th] 2011 Makgeolli Expo - Korean Traditional Rice Wine

Makgeolli Expo will be held in COEX next week!

See below for detail information:

http://www.makgeolliexpo.co.kr/ 

- Period : 9 Nov (Wed) ~ 12 Nov (Sat) 2011, 4 Days
- Venue : Hall A,B,C,D COEX, Samseong-dong, Seoul 

But, what is Makgeolli?

Makgeolli is known as Korean wine, the oldest liquor in Korea. It was made starting from long time ago in Korean history. 

I found that this article below (Makgeolli, Rediscovered) is interesting to know about Makgeolli. I have tried few times, only few sips of makgeolli because I was curious about the taste. 

The taste is not so strong, and different compare to soju (another typle of Korean wine). The ones that I tried were in white color, but interestingly nowadays makgeolli is introduced in many colors such as what the article below explained (makgeolli cocktail). Even, people has tried to combine makgeolli with other ingredients such as garlic makgeolli or barley makgeolli.

Since Makgeolli is made from rice, it can match any kind of foods. Korean people would like to eat it with pajeon or meat, but the expert in the article below said that it tasted good with cheese, too!

Curious about Makgeolli?

-----

``Makgeolli,'' a representative Korean traditional wine, may well be the oldest liquor in Korea. The pale white drink saw its heyday back in the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) and again in the 1970s and `80s for its rich taste, cheap cost and the food that went with it, but sales and popularity dwindled as wine, sake and soju reigned. 

However, with growing interest in new and trendy products, many makgeolli makers have added twists to the milky liquor recently, garnering both young and old fans all over again. 

The History

The first document that refers to local rice liquor is the ``Jewangun-gi,'' or the ``Rhymed Records of Emperors and Kings,'' written in 1287 during the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392). Being an agricultural society, the first alcoholic drinks would have been based on grains such as rice and barley. 

Yoon Jin-won, the head of the Korea Liquor Culture Institute (KLCI), an expert on makgeolli and also the head of traditional food and liquor restaurant Dduktak, reminds that before you taste makgeolli, you must know its roots. 

``Makgeolli holds an important meaning in not only Korean liquor history, but also in culture, business and Korean history,'' he told The Korea Times during an interview at the institute in northern Seoul. 

Yoon is the first person to invent what is now called a ``makgeolli cocktail," the colorful drink mixed with various fruits that is currently a big hit among young women.



``There were more than 350 varieties of liquor in documents that date back to the Joseon Kingdom. But with the Japanese invasion, we lost the will and power to manufacture our traditional drinks, and that was when the tragedy of makgeolli began," he said. 

Due to the Liquor Tax Law and the Japanese law preventing Koreans from preserving their own culture, the latter were not given the right to freely make their own traditional liquor, and this continued until independence. Not having a proper preservation plan, local drinks lost their heritage and potential to grow in the market, resulting in foreign liquors dominating market shelves. 

``During the Joseon Kingdom, many houses had their own distinctive way of making makgeolli and other types of liquor, and this formed into its own culture called the 
``gayangju culture,'' or the culture of home-brewed liquor,'' Yoon Sook-ja, the president of the Institute of Traditional Korean Food, writes in her book, ``Our Beautiful Liquor.'' 

This tradition still stands in some households, but much of it has been lost, and the recipes have been altered due to a lack of traditional ingredients and the importing of Western spirits. 

``Tradition and liquor experts have realized the importance of reviving makgeolli, and this is what we have been doing for the past years,'' makgeolli expert Yoon said

The Twist 

Yoon invented the makgeolli cocktail in 2005, realizing that it was the younger generation who had the power to bring back the glory days of the traditional wine. 

``We came up with the cocktail to revive makgeolli. We already knew how to make the best makgeolli and we wondered how we could attract the younger crowd. We added fresh fruits such as peach and kiwis, and it became a hit instantly,'' Yoon said. 

There are 15 different types you can choose from at the restaurant Dduktak, including strawberry, peach, blueberry and even raspberry. 

``A lot of young students and women enjoy the cocktails. They are different, light, pretty, tasty and go well with any type of food. Some of the most popular are the peach, strawberry and pineapple,'' Yoo Gwang-il, the manager, told The Korea Times, while receiving an order from a customer Thursday evening. 

Many complain that makgeolli makes them feel nauseous the next day, and also gives them headaches. But this, according to Yoon, is a common misconception.

``If you have a splitting headache or a stomach ache the day after drinking makgeolli, it probably means that the makgeolli was not made with the proper ingredients. The sad reality is that 97 to 98 percent of the makgeolli sold today is made with imported rice, and some with flour. In order to accelerate the fermenting process, some even use other ingredients as well,'' he pointed out.



Although he invented the colorful makgeolli cocktails, Yoon said he still enjoys the original and that he has stopped drinking other liquors all together. 

At the restaurant, however, more than half of the customers, many of them female, ordered the cocktails. 

``I never enjoyed makgeolli before. I usually drank what a lot of young people do now ― soju, beer and especially wine ― but I discovered the taste of makgeolli a few weeks ago, by coincidence. It's sweet, refreshing and very tasty. It's like rice yogurt with a hint of alcohol,'' Lee Yoo-mi, 24, told The Korea Times while pouring a glass of blueberry makgeolli.

Other liquor makers have joined in the trendy phenomenon, using distinctive ingredients that are abundant in their regions. Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, came up with a barley makgeolli, while Mungyeong Brewery in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province offers an omija berry makgeolli. You can also find garlic makgeolli in Namhae county, South Gyeongsang Province and sweet potato makgeolli in Haenam, South Jeolla Province. 

Makgeolli Tips From an Expert 1. Check the Ingredients: Makgeolli tastes best when it is made with local goods. Be sure to check if the drink is made in Korea with local ingredients. 2. Check the Temperature: Keeping the yeast alive is important. Keep makgeolli at a temperature of about 5 degrees Celsius or lower. "You can drink it again after you have opened it. Makgeolli can last from five to even 10 days after it has been made if you keep it at the right temperature,'' Yoon said. 3. Enjoy with Any Side Dish: Koreans tend to believe the liquor is only good with jeon, or Korean-style pancakes, but Yoon said he enjoys it with cheese. ``Rice is a very tolerant ingredient, thus any type of food can be a good match. Try makgeolli with sushi or pork, you won't feel stuffy the next morning.'' 4. Proper Glasses: Use porcelain or ceramic glass when drinking makgeolli as they prevent the coolness from escaping and are environmentally friendly.

source:

Makgeolli, Rediscovered
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter 

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2011/03/203_50412.html

[WSK 5th] Let’s Go for Some Apples!

http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10122960181

Red apple is very luscious enough to make everyone eager to have one bite. Perhaps it might be natural that the witch of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs chose the apple to fascinate the snow white.

(Picture: FlickrⓒMuffet)

Well, thanks to the technological development, we can see apples at any season of the year. There are some people who don’t even remember which is the apple season. What do you think it is the season? The answer is “Autumn” that sunshine paints all the fields gold and apples red. Shall we go for some apples with family? Pick out the apples and enjoy the local attractions.

(Picture: Flickrⓒedenpictures)

By the way, did you know there is an event that let you pick those delicious apples? You can have hands on experience from the end of October near Mt.Sobaeck, Yeongju. You can buy the apples you pick at a discount, too. All the apples will be harvested by the early November, which means it’s better to reserve the event as soon as possible. If you bring your children, they will learn the value of labor.

Moreover, Yeongju has more wonderful attractions to visit other than the apples. It has many cultural legacies around Mt.Sobaek such as Buseok temple, Sosu shrine, Seonbi village and Jukryoung old road. There are many things for families to do in Yeongju.

Especially, Buseok temple is one of ten greatest Buddhist temples in Korea. It has five national treasures and six national valuables including Murayangsujeon. You may want to lean on the pillar ofMurayangsujeon. There is another attraction called Sosu Seowon which is the first Confucius educational institutes named by the King. Many leaders of Joseon were the students of this Seowon. It has a lot of precious materials and documents as well.

Now, let’s take a walk along the national treasures. It is the old road of Jukryoung which is 696 meters high from the sea level located between the second Younhwa peak and Dosol peak. The road was used for 2000 years but it was abandoned for tens of years because of the advancement of transportation system. However, the Yeongju city government restored the road of 2.5 kilometers from Hibangsastation to Jukryoung jumak in 1999. Take a walk along the old road and take a breath of forest with your family, looking at autumn foliage. Are you ready ?

Pick Munkyoung Apples and Enjoy festival!

Munkyung is one of the best places for planting apples because the location and the climate are  just perfect. Grown in the limestone soil of Mt.Sobaek, apples become very hard and sweet. Although the very wide daily temperature range, and the low temperature at night, plants control their own nutrients, so that they are very sweet, juicy, colorful and aromatic. In addition, Munkyeong apples are very popular for its wonderful climate, rich soil and clean natural environment.

(Picture: FlickrⓒWxMom)

There will be an apple festival around Munkyeong provincial park until the end of month. The title of the event is “Munkyeong apple festival beloved by Snow White”. It sounds like they already have all the delicious and pretty apples to fascinate us.

Once you enjoyed the Picking Apples program and festival, we strongly recommend you the trip toMunkyoung Sae Jae.

Munkyoung Sae Jae is Jo Ryoung mountain ridge used for TV drama shooting spot. It is so steep that there is a word saying “Even birds cannot fly over the mountain”. There are electric cars specially made for children and seniors, which shows the efforts of Munkyoung city government to clean the Mother Nature. Munkyoung Sae Jae Park provides tourists with various things to see. It’s good to walk along the road of old time’s national examination which was chosen as one of 100 beautiful roads in Korea. You can enjoy hiking barefoot there because yellow soil starts from entrance gate to the peak. Children are likely to smile with tickling the soles of their feet. Moreover, there are many other things to enjoy such as a tower of wish, old tavern, and waterfalls. Munkyoung has something that your family would love.

Pick Yesan Apples and Enjoy Festival!

Grown first in 1923, Yesan apples have been well known for hardness and juice produced by the fall sunshine and daily temperature range in rich soil. A variety of apples such as Shinano sweet and Fujiare grown in Yesan. Apple pick-out is available from late September to middle of November. Yesanapple pick-out program attracts many people because it is major producer and located near Seoul metropolitan area.

(Picture: FlickrⓒBryan Maleszyk)

Plus, the Apple Wine festival is held in early November every year. Can you imagine the taste of apple wine? I’ll tell you one thing. Yesan apples are very fresh. You can make it on your own and taste it, too. 

Why don’t you refresh yourself in nature forest and pick out some apples in Yesan? Opened in 2007,Bongsusan natural forest has a variety of accommodation for rest. Natural and artificial forests are harmonizing together and many wild life species are existing. Besides, beautiful scenery with Yedangresevior will attracts your mind. 

The Hiking course in forest is various from one hour to three-hour course. Hiking course is not tough so it is easy to walk on. You can smell the pine trees with the forest bathing. There are many amusement sites such as houses, children’s park, square and the hand-on hall. These are the rest places for families and group tourists. In addition, tourist can travel Deoksan spa, Sudeok temple,Chungeui temple and a house of Kim Jeong Hee near the forest. What a travel!

 (Picture: FlickrⓒAdam E. Cole)

Take a fresh air, have a delicious food and experience a variety of culture on this coming weekend.

[WSK 5th] World Leader in Research of Stem Cells

http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10122958655


Recently, the International Stem Cell symposium was held in Korea. The stem cell research of Korea has drawn the attention worldwide. If the stem cell treatment can be developed successfully, we human can overcome a lot of diseases.

 World’s First Stem Cell Treatment will be Released within the Year

The prominent “Stars” of the stem cell area visited Seoul last month. The third international stem cell symposium was held on September 29 in Seoul for two days. The world famous 25 researchers participated at the symposium including Dr. Nishigawa Shinichi who developed IPS for the first time in the world. The recent news on the stem cell development by the life engineering company in Korea and its world’s 4th approval of medical test drew a big attention in the academic world.

(Source: Donga Ilbo)

The experts expect that the 'mesenchymal stem cells' treatment would be available first for commercial use. The mesenchymal stem cells are adult stem cells obtained by bone marrow, fat and so on. A leader of business application group of cord blood stem cells in Seoul National University says that mesenchymal stem cells are safe because the immune rejection response, which attacks organs or cells that transplanted, is less and also it can be made into the cells we want. A company in Korea developed the medicine for arthritis and acute myocardial infarction and completed the third clinical trials for human last January and July. The medicine would be the first stem cell treatment in the world if it passes Korea food & drug administration’s assessment and be released within this year.

Kim Dong Uk, the business application research group leader, said that the first generation treatment was adult stem cells and the second generation treatment would be the stem cells divided into various tissues. He expected that more research would be done for the second generation treatment. Embryonic stem cell and iPS are regarded as the second generation treatments. The embryonic stem cell is derived from the embryo formed by combination of sperm and egg. IPS, which is reverted from somatic cells, is a stem cell quite similar to embryonic stem cell. Embryonic stem cell and IPS can be divided and formed into a variety of organs.

< Researchers in the 3rd international stem cell symposium > (Source: Donga Ilbo)

Kim said that Zeron, US life engineering company, started a trial using embryonic stem cells for the first time in the world and within five to ten years embryonic stem cell treatment would come out. However, there would be controversy for the time being because the treatment has ethical issues.

< Healing process with stem cell treatment > (Source: MoneyToday)

Tasks Still Remained

Meanwhile, IPS found in 2006 doesn’t have ethical issues but the research is insufficient. Natalie Dewit, director of Korea Pateur research center, expected that IPS would go into clinical trial phase late 2010s. The thing that IPS is randomly divided has to be solved in order to get the cells we want. Kim Gwang Su, a director of stem cell research center, said that the technology dividing IPS into brain cell has a big progress but for some other cells, there is still a long way to go. “The research is in progress.” He added.

Experts expect that IPS would be firstly applied to the experimental animals. The findings, which measure the medical efficiency converting iPS of the schizophrene into the nerve cells, were reported in Nature last 14th. Stem cells, which are developed from IPS obtained by patients, have the same conditions as human cells so they can be measured more accurately for new medicine.

Many people will be free of diseases once the stem cell treatment is developed. There are still many patients waiting for the positive results. Let’s hope for the success of stem cell research.