Korean Pianist Jin-Sang Lee Lookalike Scores In World Cup Against Russia!

Here is another variation on my ongoing series of classical musician lookalikes. 

If you happened to watch the World Cup 2014 match between South Korea and Russia, you would not fail to notice that Korea's goal (generously fumbled into the net a la Rob Green by Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev), was scored by substitute Keun-Ho Lee, who happens to be a dead-ringer for Korean pianist Jin-Sang Lee. 

Its such a funny goal that its worth a second look!

Here's another look at the two virtuoso Korean Lees.

On the same note, does anyone think that Brazil's Paulinho bears a remarkable resemblance with Singaporean Pyramid Show host Darryl David? The latter, of course, is the son of famous Singaporean Elvis-impersonator Wilson David (below).

INTERNATIONAL INCIDENTS INVOLVING THE WRONG FLAG / History repeats itself in Britain

It came close to an international incident at the 2012 Olympic Games at Edinburgh when the North Korean women's football team was introduced but the South Korean flag was inadvertently displayed beside images of the players. This led to a walkout by the North Korean team in protest until the right flag was found. International sensitivities came to a head because the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North) is still technically at war with its neighbours the Republic of Korea (South). Incidentally, the North Koreans, spurred on by righteous indignation,  beat Colombia 2-0.    

A similar incident took place at the 2006 Leeds International Piano Competition but in reverse. Some person (presumably not Dame Fanny Waterman) had the swell idea of displaying the national flags of all the pianists below their names in the programme book. This resulted in all eight South Korean pianists having a North Korean flag accompany them throughout the entire competition (see above). Spurred on by righteous indignation and musical inspiration, three South Koreans made the semi-finals, with Sunwook Kim and Sunghoon Kim winning the 1st and 5th prizes respectively. An audience member later remarked to me, "I did not know they had such a great musical conservatory in Pyongyang!"

This was not the first incident involving the Leeds International Piano Competition. In 1984, the Chinese jury member Ding Shande (composer of the Great March Symphony) threatened to quit the competition when the Taiwanese flag (Republic of China, above left) was displayed instead of the Chinese one (People's Republic of China,  above right). 

So its back to Geography, Geo-Politics, History and International Relations 101 classes for the Brits! 

CD Retail Therapy in South Korea

H.J.Lim's Beethoven sonata cycle
on EMI was the in-thing to get in 2012!

Our trip to South Korea was not meant to be a musical holiday, but it is hard to resist finding out what kind of music shops exist in this most musical of lands and the range of classical CDs available to the public. I was not to be disappointed. For starters, South Korea has its own classical recording industry that produces its own CDs of Korean artists on international labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, EMI Classics, Sony Classical and Warner. The prices were very reasonable, about W15000-16000 for full-priced CDs and W24000-26000 for double-CD albums. Even imported CDs were not too expensive, about W4000-5000 more per CD.

Korean artists were rightly given pride of place in every shop I visited, with CDs by Myung-Whun Chung, Kyung-Wha Chung, Sumi Jo, Kun Woo Paik, Julius Kim, Hai-Kyung Suh, Son Yeol-Eum, Lim Dong Hyek, H.J.Lim, Sarah Chang, Han-Na Chang and many more widely available. It is hard not to fall in love with these wonderful  musical emporia, big or small. The best CD shop, according to my friend Pete Song of Universal Music, was Poong Wol Dang, somewhat inconveniently (for me) situated in Gangnam. Perhaps the next time! Meanwhile, these were the CD shops that I visited, with the damage amounting to hundreds of thousands of Korean won.  

KYOBO HOTTRACKS is attached
to the humongous Kyobo bookstore,
at the basement of Kyobo Building in Gwanghwamun.
Very conveniently located and
can be accessed by the Seoul Metro.
The Classical section has a central shrine erected to the
conducting supremo Myung-Whun Chung.

The only time I ventured south of the Han River
was to COEX Mall, where one will find
EVAN RECORDS.
Its Classical section is a true piece of art. 

Another view of the wonderfully serene
 (other than the classical videos
blaring in the background)
classical section of Evan Records.
One could just spend hours here.

Much smaller is this outlet of MusicKorea at Itaewon.
Curiously, half of the shop-space
is devoted to women's cosmetics.
You know which side I went.

A small but quite respectable Jazz and Classical section
at MusicKorea with many titles by Korean  artists,
including Kim Daejin, Kim Soovin,
Clara Kang and the ubiquitous Sumi Jo.

Jungang Underground Shopping Mall in Jeju City
is your usual centre with long corridors,
populated mostly by boutiques and fashion outlets. 

Jungang Mall's only music shop is BONO RECORD,
which also has a small but satisfying classical selection.
Kun Woo Paik's Beethoven  Piano Sonata cycle
and Myung-Whun Chung's recording of
Mahler's Second Symphony
are available here. 

The high esteem accorded to Korean musicians
may be found in this waxwork display at
Jeju's International Peace Centre at Jungmun Resort.
Sumi Jo and Myung-Whun Chung
are on display along with other Korean greats
like Kim Dae Jung, Park Se Ri, Baek Yong Jun,
Hwang Myung Bo and Guus Hiddinck.  

This Japanese sushi restaurant (Backsa Sushi)
in Jeju City chooses to display  a large  photo of
Kun Woo Paik and his famous actress wife
Yun Jeong-Hie as its most illustrious patrons.

A piano tuition centre in a side-alley of Jeju City.
There are probably more all over the cities of Korea.
Little wonder South Korea produces
so many wonderful pianists!

The Royal Palaces of Seoul, South Korea

Gyeongbokgung Palace: Geunjeongjeon throne hall) and the Geunjeongmun (gate).

The main cultural attractions of Seoul are its royal palaces, dating from the Joseon Dynasty that lasted from the 14th century to the early 20th century, with the Japanese annexation of the Korean peninsula. Unlike Tokyo where you can only peer at the palace gate and moat, one actually gets to enter each of the palaces and walk where the emperors (and his consorts) walked and imagine what it was like during the glorious old days. There are five major palaces, with the massive Gyeongbokgung Palace receiving the most visitors. The Changdeokgung Palace and Jongmyo Royal Shrine have been designated as UNESCO Heritage Sites, while the Changgyeongung and Deoksugung Palaces are relatively quiet despite being located in such a bustling city such as Seoul. All the palaces have received major restoration (after all those palace fires and Japanese vandalism), and therefore appear pristine and somewhat artificial to the visitor. Who cares, as these sites are a major source of pride for the Koreans.

A major inducement to visit is the low price of entry, just W3000 for each of the major palaces and W1000 for Deoksugung and Jongmyo Shrine. Alternatively, one can buy a passbook for all five palaces for W10,000, which is valid for up to one month.

Gyeongbokgung Palace: the gate and perimeter wall just behind the throne hall.

Gyeongbokgung Palace: the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion (royal banquet hall), built on the edge of a little lake is Seoul's answer to Beijing's Floating Pavilion.

Gyeongbokgung Palace: perhaps its most picturesque site is the Hyangwonjeon Pavilion, built on an artificial island and connected by a wooden foot bridge. 

Changdeokgung Palace: the Injeongjeon (main throne hall).

Changdeokgung Palace: the Buyeongji Pond and Juhamnu royal library, part of the Huwon Secret Garden. Entry  to this part of the palace is strictly by language-specific group tours at designated times.

Changdeokgung Palace: a truly intimate setting within the Secret Garden.

Jongmyo Shrine: the Jeongjeon is the larger of two shrines where according to Confucian  beliefs, the spirits of past emperors and emperesses are honoured. Every year in early May, an elaborate ceremony of pageantry and music is conducted to the most stringent details and customs. 

Changgyeonggung Palace: located just east of the Changdeokgung Palace,  this  quiet  palace is a rare oasis of tranquillity .

Deoksugung Palace: right smack in the centre of Seoul's business district, this palace has  a unusual  combo of traditional Korean and more modern neoclassical Western architecture. The grounds also house the Museum of Modern Art.

Panoramas from Seoul and Around, South Korea

A fantastic view of central Seoul from the 18th floor terrace of the Eastgate Tower Hotel, located within the shopping district of Dongdaemun.

Here are some shots from Seoul and the few places we visited outside the capital city of the Republic of Korea. As stated previously, Korea is a very visitor-friendly nation with great culture and many worthy tourist attractions, and one would have a hard time not having anything to do here.

The little palace of Unhyeongung is besieged by students and tourists, not surprisingly since its located  very near the shopping district of Insadong.

A view of the infamous Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) from the vantage point of Imjingak. Seen in the centre are the new Unification Bridge that leads into North Korea and the old wooden Freedom Bridge, on which returning POWs walked upon after the Korean War.

A relic of the Korean War, the bullet and shrapnel-ridden locomotive that was abandoned in the DMZ.

The Janganmun (northern gate) of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, a wall that encircles the heart of the city, located 30 km south of Seoul. 

Perhaps the most picturesque part of the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress wall is the Hwahongmun (water gate), through which the Suwon creek flows.

The Hwaseong Haenggung, the palace within the city walls of Suwon, and site where the Korean drama Jewel in the Palace (Dae Jang Geum) was filmed. Looming in the background is Padalsan, Suwon's highest point.

For the young and young at heart, the frivolous fancies of Lotte World theme park. 

Panoramas from Jeju Island, South Korea

The waterfront riviera of Jeju City.

Pianomania did not exactly go AWOL but took a short break from the rigours family medicine and music with a holiday to the Republic of Korea, also referred to as South Korea. Originally, it was supposed to have been the lamadom of Tibet, but ridiculous visa rulings from the murderous occupying Chinese government put paid to that notion. Anyway, Korea as a destination is totally recommendable for its general loveliness, relative convenience of travel (its 6 hours from Singapore but Korean Air is quite excellent), friendly people, delicious spicy food, good shopping and some stunning scenery.

First stop was the resort island of Jeju, off the Korean peninsula's south coast, a curious cross between the big island of Hawaii, Bali and believe it or not, Penang. Its the island of honeymoon couples and theme parks (there are at least three sex theme parks to speak of), and rugged and truly beautiful volcanic landscapes.

      

Another view of Jeju City's low-rise skyline from the breakwaters.

The Mokgwana, the original  governmental seat of power in Jeju during the Joseon dynasty.

Probably the most photographed site in Jeju, the Yongduam or Dragon Head Rock, formed by volcanic  activity and the might of the sea.

Another geographically important location, Jusangjeolli near Jungmun resort on the south of the island, was formed by hexagonal basalt columns, not unlike the Giant's Causeway in Ireland.

A great view of Seongsan from the volcanic tuff cone of Seongsan Ilchulbong, also known as Sunrise Peak on the easternmost reaches of Jeju Island.

The verdant caldera crater of Seongsan Ilchulbong, the reward of a strenuous uphill climb of over 200 metres.

The enjoyable Gimnyeong Maze Park, located very near the Manjanggul lava tubes.

FIFA WORLD CUP 2010: Day 16 (26 June 2010)

Second Round:

URUGUAY 2 - SOUTH KOREA 1

Clinical finishing from Luis Suarez ensures the progress of Uruguay's best ever team in the modern era of the game. His second goal was a peach, while the first resulted from dodgy Korean defending, as always. The Koreans got their goal off a free-kick, as always. This Uruguayan might very well make the semi-finals, their first since 1962!

GHANA 2 - USA 1

(After extra time)

The American dream is over. Against the sole survivors of Mama Africa, the "Comeback Kids" fell short of the mother of all comebacks, supported by former US President Bill Clinton. As always, the Americans gifted an early lead to the opposition, gratefully accepted by Portsmouth's FA Cup final penalty misser Kevin Prince Boateng. Landon Donovan led the charge, and won the equaliser through a penalty. Asamoah Gyan's solo effort, shoving away two defenders, was worthy to win any match. Ghana's secret to their success: a resolute defence and rock-solid goalkeeper Kingson. Arsenal could learn something from this. Rating: 4/5

FIFA WORLD CUP 2010: Day 12 (22 June 2010)

SOUTH AFRICA 2 - FRANCE 1

URUGUAY 1 - MEXICO 0

GROUP A:

You don't need to be French to understand the word "catastrophique", one term bandied in interviews following the French debacle at the hands of Bafana Bafana. From the outset, Les Bleus appeared deflated and after Gourcuff's tough sending off, South Africa made it 2-0 by halftime. The second goal was pure comedy, aided and abetted by a French defence comprising Abou Diaby, Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna and William Gallas, all Arsenal players. Arsene Wenger, be afraid, very afraid. Raymond Domenech: the ultimate sore loser. He 's just a loser, period. Mexico, for not even making an effort, will meet Argentina in the Second Round. Another automatic exit beckons. Rating: 3.5/5

SOUTH KOREA 2 - NIGERIA 2

ARGENTINA 2 - GREECE 0

GROUP B:
Argentina wrap up Group B in style and maximum points. Two late goals sealed a well-deserved victory, and Greece hardly challenged. Strangely at the 79th minute of both matches, all 4 teams were in a chance for qualifying. Even Nigeria, whose chase for a third goal proved ultimately fruitless, were not out of it. All 4 goals in the Korea-Nigeria match were from poor defending. Yakubu's howler from 3 yards has to be the miss of the tournament. As for the Korean sweeper Kim Nam Il, known as the "vacuum cleaner", he's just a sucker. South Korea gets Uruguay in the Second Round with some hope in their hearts. Rating: 4/5