Korean Culture Report Essay - 1118 Words

KOREAN CULTURE REPORT - HUMOR I was the â€Å"funny guy† in my clique of high school friends. Ever since I learned to read English, I enjoyed reading and collecting joke books. I exhausted every single joke book from the small community library in town. Riddles, jokes about animals and wildlife, reasons why I didn’t do my homework, lawyer jokes, and later on, ethnic jokes. I knew they were funny, but I wanted more. Perhaps it was my lack of physical achievements that made me obsess with a need to entertain my peers. My return to Korea in the summer of 2001 was nothing short of a culture shock. I was in a country I thought I had learned by heart. It was the country I always rooted my identity and pride from. I wasn’t ready for the shock. I†¦show more content†¦Talchum is a type of Korean dance performed with a mask, miming, speaking, and singing. It is loosely choreographed in the traditional sense of a dance, and organized more towards theatre. It was a farcical caricature of its contemporary era, with a sick twist of vicarious humor, from its very roots traced back to the era of ancient Three Kingdoms of Korea (37 BC-668 AD). The leading appeal of Talchum has always been the biting satire and vicarious ridicule it pointed at apostate Buddhist monks, decadent upper classmen, and incompetent shamans. It is interesting to note that the aggressive nose-thumbing was towards the upper class, religious leaders, and generally figures higher in the social rung. The farcical, burlesque aspects of Talchum as our cultural heritage did not translate very well into modern culture in Korea, but the satire of authority figures did. For example, watch Infinite Challenge, a highly successful Korean television entertainment program (highest non-drama viewership since November 2006). Six members appear regularly on the show, each member revolving around a certain archetype. Yoo Jae-suk, the leader. Park Myeong-su the elder brother and entrepreneur. Jeong Jun-Ha the obese, Jeong Hyeong-don the awkward, HaShow MoreRelatedThe Democratic People s Republic Of Korea1328 Words   |  6 PagesPeople’s Republic of Korea is a nation of isolation and mystery. I will be looking at the atmosphere of North Korean Human rights, whether it is defined by its culture or is the culture what defines the countries human rights. Are the practices culturally viable and how do the human rights of the democratic people’s republic of Korea compare to human right s as defined by American culture? â€Å"Little is known about North Korea in the United States, or in the world for that matter; except for the rareRead MoreShould Company XYZ Go to South Korea?1539 Words   |  7 PagesSituation This report was created to give the employees of XYZ Corporation information to form a decision about going to South Korea. 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