63rd Meeting - Hanja, Art of DPRK, and Korean history

<Meeting summary by Aditi>

Place: Marie Raey Teaching Centre, ANU

Participants: Matthew, Vivien, Kimi, Aditi, Vienna, & 100.

We discussed a range of topics in this meeting. First, Vienna presented her ‘Hanja Mindset’ site to us, which was very exciting. The site, though not fully finished yet, was extremely well-done. We really enjoyed looking at the different sections of the site as Vienne explained how it works and a few of us volunteered to be beta testers for the hanja course later on.

Next, Aditi spoke a little about the book ‘Printed in North Korea: The Art of Everyday Life in the DPRK’. The book is a beautiful collection of North Korean artwork accompanied by small descriptions and interspersed with propaganda messages from North Korea regarding art. Aditi explained that these messages, while clearly propaganda, were also interesting to consider when removed from their context. She also presented some of her favourite artworks, briefly stating why they stood out to her. More than anything, this short presentation was a visual treat.

Lastly, 백선생님 did a fascinating presentation on his family history, linking it to the larger history of Korea and providing some interesting details about Korean history that many of the members were unfamiliar with. Though complex, 백선생님 presented this history in an engaging way.

The meeting ended with a brief discussion regarding the formation of a book club to read Han Kang’s ‘The Vegetarian.’