Unfledged yet Earnest Record of a Journey in Search of Korea's Culture

"A Journey in Search of Korea's Beauty" was a yearlong project that Bae Yong Joon undertook in order to learn more about traditional Korean culture from the unfledged yet earnest point of view of one Korean, and to record in a down-to-earth way what he learned and felt in the process.He chose 13 subjects he has been interested in out of the traditional Korean culture and folded into six categories. This book is intended not only for foreign readers who would like to learn more about traditional Korean culture but do not have easy access to it, but also for Korean readers as well who are in search of this country's beauty.
 
<각 챕터별 간략 소개>
1. Staying: In this chapter, the author introduces Koreans' staple food, including bap and kimchi, and emphasizes the beauty of hanbok, the traditional clothing, often quoted as beautiful lining. Not only that, he focuses on colors of the hanbok and guides the readers to the world of natural dyeing he has experienced.
 
2. Leaving: Along with 10,000 year lasting lacquer craft and 1,000 year lasting hanji (the Korean traditional paper), we learn about traditional pottery making and about Buddhism that holds crucial part of Korean history. The writer meets artisans and monks to seek craftsmanship and courtesy that handed down through ages.
 
3. Letting Go: On an empty site, once enjoyed great honor of the great Kingdom, we reconsider past and present and make plans for future.
 
4. Contemplating: King Sejong the Great hoped for all the people to be able to read and write. We recollect dreaming King's invention, hanguel, and tangible assets from National Museum of Korea.
 
5. Returning: Compared to world famous wine, Korea's traditional wine takes no lower position. We take a look at traditional liquor and hanok, the traditional Korean housing which is built based upon human engineering.
 
6. Leaving, Once Again: The last chapter contains beautiful photographs taken by Bae Yong Joon during his journey.

Foreword
Lee O-Young, Korea’s first Minister of Culture | Park Dong-chun, Research Institute of East Asian Tea Culture | Choe Kwang-shik, National Museum of Korea
 
The Journey Begins

Staying
01 Home Cooking | 02 Kimchi | 03 Hanbok and Housekeeping

Leaving
04 Black Lacquer | 05 Temple Stay | 06 Tea | 07 Pottery

Letting Go
08 Hwangnyongsa and Mireuksa Temple sites

Contemplating
09 Hangeul and King Sejong the Great | 10 Gyeongbokgung Palace and an Ancient Map of the Sky | 11 National Museum of Korea
 
Returning
12 Wine and Song | 13 Hanok

Leaving, Once Again
14 Landscape

Letters from the Road
Jeon Yong-bok, Iwayama Lacquer Art Museum | Venerable Jeongnim, Gilsangsa Temple |
 Lee Hyo-jae, Hanbok ddesigner

The Journey Ends

Routes & Maps
Seoul | North Gyeongsang-do Province |
Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do Provinces | South Jeolla-do Province

TIP