French Tease
By Mollie Coyne
Korean
Paris.
Occasionally
I will write about how you can seek out other cultures in Paris. This week, take a minute to discover
Korea. In The Grub Hub, we've eaten at
Bong, a great little Korean restaurant in the 15th. If you'd like to taste authentic Korean
cuisine on a fun non-béarnaise sauce night out, then head there.
For
the rest of the time, head up to the 16th arrondissement to the
Korean Cultural Center. Much like the
Irish Cultural Center on the Left Bank that we discovered a few weeks ago, this
place offers a comprehensive cultural experience.
The
cultural center, near Square Thomas Jefferson, always has some sort of ongoing
art exhibit. Currently it's photography
by Kim Sungsoo, a Korean portrait photographer who lives in Dijon. Also always on is the library and media
center, which is a must-do for Asian culture enthusiasts.
The
library has several thousand Korean books, but also a very large
English-language section containing books about Korea and translated Korean
literature. (There are also French
language books.) Library membership is
free and it's free to check books out.
The media center has almost 200 Korean films, which you are free to
watch on one of their computers. They
also have a bucket load of Korean music that you can listen to.
The
cultural center also gives concerts, lectures, readings and film showings, most
of which are free. They also offer
Korean language courses, including how to write in Korean, and calligraphy. Several workshops are conducted throughout
the year for such things as watercolor painting, paper folding and knotting
(which is called maedup).
The
Korean Cultural Center is only open on weekdays (occasionally Saturdays for
special shows). For more information,
visit them on the web here. You can also find information about Korean
concerts around the city that aren't physically at the center, such as the
famed Korean hip-hop dance group, Last
For One, which will be on stage at the Musée du Quai Branly in June.
The
Korean Cultural Centre is located at 2, rue d'Iléna in the 16th.
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