Hanji is the name of traditional handmade korean paper made from laminated sheets of mulberry tree bark. Because Hanji paper is famous for its color and extreme durability, koreans have used hanji paper for over a thousand years to make beautiful paintings, historical scrolls, paper fans, lanterns, household objects, and even paper flowers to decorate Buddhist temples.

During my trip to South Korea, I was awed by its natural beauty which inspired this first scene; and I highly recommend visiting South Korea during the spring cherry blossom season. Cherry blossoms are of particular personal significance to me as it was the backdrop where I proposed to my wife. It was also during that trip to South Korea that we made the hanji lamp¹ together at the Hanji Chueok Workshop in Insadong. My work was so clumsy that my pink flowers are unrecognisable compared to the more refined red flowers drawn by our hanji art teacher.

Anyway, definitely visit South Korea for its stunning natural beauty and I highly recommend Jeju Island, Changwon’s Cherry Blossoms, Nami Islamd, and Seoraksan National Park, just to name a few.

The second scene consists of two old coins², the first being a Dang 1 Jeon coin with the inscription Sang Pyong Tong Bo. This type of round copper or bronze coin with a centre square hole was used in Korea for more than 250 years (1633-1891 AD) which was longer than any other coin in Korean history. This coin was first cast by King Injo, the sixteenths king of the Joseon Dynasty which ruled Korea for nearly five centuries. The 500 year Joseon period has left a substantial legacy to modern Korea as much of modern Korean language, culture, etiquette, norms, and Confucian values derive from the culture and traditions of Joseon.

The next coin is from the modern Korean coinage era which denominated its currency in won (원). This 50 won coin by the Bank of Korea (1959~1975) depicts the famous "Turtle Ship" (kobukson 거북선 龜船) of Joseon naval commander Admiral Yi Sunsin (李舜臣), the famous war hero who fought multiple battles against Japan. The inclusion of this coin is to also represent the many wars and subsequent occupation of Korea by Japan, who's actions have caused lasting geopolitical tensions to this day.

The third scene is a painting depicting the South Korean flag (aka Taegukgi) which was adopted when Korea gained independence from Japan on 15 August 1948. The red blue circle in the flag's center represents balance in the universe. The red half represents the positive force of yang, and the blue half represents the opposing negative force of um (yin in chinese). The yin and yang together form the to (tao in Chinese), signifying the perpetually changing opposite yet complementary forces or principles embodied in all aspects of life: light and darkness, good and evil, active and passive, masculine and feminine. The thick round part of each comma represents the beginning of all things and the tail section represents the end so that where the yang begins, the yin disappears and vice versa.

The fourth scene depicts Hahoe masks³ which have been designated as a South Korean national cultural treasure. The Hahoe mask often portray human faces to represent stock characters in the ritual dance drama called the Ta'l Nori. There are 12 original masks from which I have chosen two, the male Yangban Tal (Aristocrat mask) and the female Bune Tal (Young Woman mask). The Yangban Tal painted with eyes closed, deep eyebrows and wrinkled smile is used to portray the character with the most wealth and power which for me in modern Korea would represented the handful of wealthy Chaebol families (like owners of Samsung) who control the majority of the South Korea economy. The Bune Tal has a slender faced with crescent-shaped eyebrows, high nose and a small mouth. This meets all the conditions of classical female beauty by traditional Korean standards hence the Bune Tal is used to portray an attractive female. I chose the Bune Tal mask to highlight the extreme competitive beauty standards in South Korea, where societal pressures cause 1 in 3 young women to undergo plastic surgery. Correspondingly, Seoul is often called the plastic surgery capital of the world.

The fifth scene uses a painting of the hanbok (traditional korean dress) above a wave to represent Hallyu (literally meaning "wave of Korea"). Hallyu refers to the phenomenal growth in global popularity of south korean culture driven by K-pop and K-dramas but encompassing everything from entertainment, movies, to online games. This has made South Korea one of the world's leading global exporter of culture, alongside American, British and Japanese culture. This form of soft power, the Hallyu effect has boosted the Korean economy in particular the tourism and creative industries.

The sixth scene uses stickers from Kakao and LINE, two messaging super apps founded by Korean companies to highlight everyday emotions of people. Cony (white bunny from LINE) has to work late into the night because her boss has not left the office yet. Even after working late, Muzi (yellow radish bunny from Kakao) has to go for "mandatory" drinks with her colleagues. South Korea’s work culture is notorious for its rigid hierarchy, demand for obedience and loyalty, and work hours which sometimes lead employees to "gwarosa" death by overworking.

Brown, the bear mascot from LINE is meant to represent the tech industry of South Korea, which ranks as one of the world's most innovative nations. This is especially remarkable considering that for the first half of the twentieth century, Korea was an agrarian Japanese colony and a massive battle ground. Using a top down government emphasis on forging strong ties between government, academia, and industry, South Korea has transformed a poor agricultural society ravaged by war into a high-tech developed economy with a highly skilled workforce. South Korea which consistently spends a larger share of GDP on R&D compared to other countries, now leads the world in many areas of tech such as robotics, consumer electronics and semiconductor technology.

Ryan, Kakao's most popular mascot which looks like a bear but is suppose to be a lion, is depicted eating Korean fried chicken. This is included to represent Korean food in general which is amazing, from their grilled meat, rice cakes, spicy stews, and pickled vegetables, just to name a few. Korean food is traditionally served at a low table with people sitting on the floor and eaten with flat stainless steel chopsticks. Korean food also stands out from other cuisines with the many side dishes (banchan) that are served during meals.

Last but definitely not least is the Taekwondo Soju shot glass⁵ on top of the lamp, which highlights the world renowned martial art and South Korea's drinking culture. Taekwondo is South Korea's national sport characterized by its punching and kicking techniques with emphasis on head-height kicks, jumping spinning kicks, and fast kicking techniques. Taekwondo also has a distinctive ranking system using coloured belts, with junior ranks wearing white belts with promotions to yellow, green, blue, and red belt. The senior ranks are the black belts typically made of nine degrees called a dan.

In Korea, drinking is an essential element of socializing as they believe it helps people open up, unwind from stress, and form better friendships. The most popular alcohol by far is soju, a clear, colorless spirit distilled from rice or grains. Apart from the fact that soju is cheaper than bottled water, drinking is popular in Korea because it is part of the work culture. Managers often organise after work dinners with lots of soju, in which non-attendance is frowned upon. Koreans also have rules of etiquette when drinking such as respecting elders, never pouring your own drink, and downing the first shot offered. Fun Fact: In the morning, korean pigeons love to feast on the piles of human upchuck vomited the night before, leading to wasted twitchy pigeons slamming into walls.

Reference: (1) Hanji lamp made at the Hanji Chueok Workshop in Insadong; (2) Old Korean money found in Changdeokgung Palace Souvenir Shop; (3) Hahoe Masks found in Namdaemun Market; (4) Kakao & LINE stickers found online; (5) Taekwondo soju shot glass found in Incheon International Airport.