Yeah, I’ve been back to (South) Korea, within five years after I graduate from Busan Asian Film School (AFiS)! This trip, however, sent me/us to Seoul for our advanced arts education course in last December. Out of my sheer curiosity, I had applied for the basic course back in September and was selected to attend this physical program, among the top twenty artists and/or arts managers. If you have followed my latest posts, you may describe me all too well as an “arts manager” or, simply put, “film producer or educator”! So why did I affiliate artistic souls with this cosmopolitan city? Read the following paragraph through the end, if curious 🙂
1- Korean Soft Power
Virtually every Cambodian from teenage to adulthood agrees that K-Culture has influenced our ways of life in the last two decades. Surprisingly, 2NE1 was my favorite girl band back then. All I knew lately was that only CL remained active in her singing career as a leading K-Pop star. No surprise Seoul gathers those finest souls and showcase their achievements as Korean subtle or soft super power across the globe, including Cambodia, especially through ever-popular boy bands like BTS!
2- Sense of Order and Systemization
It remains true that Korean citizens keep their daily life in order and rigorous systems! Punctuality matters, especially when you commute from place to place in Seoul. Needless to say, we, fellows, were often alerted to get in the bus five minutes before departure. Although you could hardly spot the police offers in your neighborhood, on our last night, we found a pop-up patrol for drunk drivers near our hotel!
3- Arts Education Mainstreaming
Through all the lectures we attended, I learned that arts education has been mainstreamed in Korean student’s life at a young age. During our second tour, to the ancient palace, I spotted two lines of kindergarteners ready for such eye-opening visits, just like us! In a particular session, the lecturer told us how some of her students went on to take over their careers in music or acting later on in their lives.
4- Conducive Facilities
The place that illustrated this supportive system most to me was K-Arts, where even some prominent Cambodian government officers graduated. What impressed me most was the equipment and studio available for their students to practice their crafts in both shooting and acting. As long as the students come up with their ideas, they can ask the administrator for such technical support. Let alone government funding for their movie projects!
5- Public Engagements
Not all cultural sites in Seoul involve the audience in their very performances. Yet, two were most memorable to me. One was the library projection inside a supermarket, which caught us fellows by surprise, thanks to timely arrangements by our tour organizers. The other referred to our simulations in selected studios of KBS, where we each could act out our “news” anchor or animation dubbing.
6- Traditions Vs Integration
I thought our arts education program in Seoul was closed with our graduation in Korean Culture House. Yet, even at the airport, we could witness organized dance and circus performance of traditional Korean youngsters. Still, the catch was, this act near our boarding lounge ended with some break dance, taking our breathes away. Thus, I couldn’t resist posing with these talents so I could spread such creative combo to my fellow Cambodians!
As much as I appreciate Busan as the city of film and culture, Seoul embodies a wide range of artistic expressions. I admit that Cambodia has a long way to catch up. Yet, some practices such as art education mainstreaming in our curriculum can be initiated as it requires fewer resources. I for one am now working on an online cultural show, initiated by several SFA alumni, because “Cultures define who we are”.
PS: Does this shot define us as Korean?!
PPS: For more throwbacks, check out my clips on TikTok!
