Korean Culture Club
The aim of the UT Korean Culture Club is to unite people interested in Korean culture. We hold various events such as workshops, movie nights, lectures, etc. to introduce different aspects of Korean culture and society at the university. Our events are free and are open to everyone.
The events for the 2024/25 spring semester can be found below.
UT KCC Korean Traditional Art Experience
Date: February 21
Time: 6 PM
Location: Lossi 3 - 319
Join us for a unique and creative journey into the world of Minhwa, the vibrant and symbolic traditional art of Korea! Whether you're an art enthusiast or just looking for a fun and relaxing activity, this event is for everyone! You will be able to learn a bit about the history and significance of this artform, known for its colourful and expressive depictions of nature, animals, and folklore! Then you can let your own imagination flow as you create your very own Minhwa-inspired artwork using watercolours. No experience? No problem! We’ll guide you step by step. By the end of the event, you can take home your own piece of artwork.
All materials will be provided and the event is free! However, limited spots are available. You can reserve your place now via this link (https://forms.gle/Fk4Eire5dcisChNQ6) and experience the joy of Minhwa. The event is limited to 20 participants and participation may not be guaranteed without registration. If you are unable to make it to the event, please cancel your participation either by contacting the moderator or emailing ut.kcc2014@gmail.com.
Moderator: Anna Maria Laumets
UT KCC Norigae Workshop pt. III : Learn Korean traditional knotting!
Date: March 21
Time: 6 PM
Location: Lossi 3 - 319
Oops!... I Knotted Again
That's right, our Korean traditional knotting workshop series is back and better than ever!
In this third installment, we will dive into previously unexplored territory, learning several new types of beautiful traditional knots to make norigaes with.
And as always, materials will be provided, and whatever you make, you can take home with you!
If you missed the previous workshops, no worries, there will be a complete beginner's group (suitable also for those who did attend previously, but want to follow the path of least resistance).
And for the more seasoned and craftier crowd, we will have something a little more challenging in store as well.
Moderators: Katri Vesi, Tuule Tars, Teele Tars
(P.S. If you have a norigae or another project from the previous workshops that you would like help finishing, feel free to bring it along!)
A Girl at My Door (2014)
Date: March 5
Time: 6 PM
Location: Lossi 3-326
The debut film of one of South Korea’s most critically acclaimed young filmmakers, July Jung, A Girl at My Door tells a complex story of a small seaside community that starts to unravel after a new female police chief (played by Bae Doona) comes to work there. The film challenges the viewers to reflect on their own capacity to empathize with others despite their behaviour and circumstances. Offering no straightforward answer to it is what makes the film effective and also distinguishes it from much of contemporary Korean cinema.
Trigger warning: the film deals with violence against children.
Microhabitat (2017)
Date: April 9
Time: 6 PM
Location: Lossi 3-326
Similarly to much of Korean cinema, Microhabitat depicts the situation of hopelessness that many young people face due to societal issues like loneliness, housing, and work crisis. The film’s main character Miso gives up her rental flat to instead stay with her former bandmates from college. As Miso moves through their lives, the band members and their families are shown to be a cross-section of Korean society. This allows Jeon to depict various societal issues in a unique way that emphasises the intersections between them.
Lucky Chan-sil (2019)
Date: May 7
Time: 6 PM
Location: Lossi 3-326
An independent film, Lucky Chan-sil is a film about filmmaking and the relationship between the creator and the creation. The film focuses on a middle-aged film producer Chang-sil (played by Gang Mal-geum), who is lost after the famous director whose films she worked on dies. This allows Lee, who herself has produced films of famous Korean director Hong Sang-soo, to depict the interactions between investors, producers, actors, and crew members in a realistic way. However, there is also playfulness and an element of fantasy in the film’s cinematic references which range from Yasujirō Ozu to Christopher Nolan.
Korean Cafe - Let's meet UT KCC!
Date: October 4, 6 PM
Place: Lossi 3-319
Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/1UOnDxYjL
Event description: To celebrate the start of a new semester and the upcoming Hangeul Day, we invite you to hang out with fellow students and get to know one another. We have set up a café where we learn simple phrases in Korean. We learn to talk about ourselves, our hobbies, and what we like about Korea.
During the event we will also refresh our Hangeul knowledge by playing a quiz. To make this event even more enjoyable, some games related to the Korean language are played as well.
PS. No prior knowledge of Korean is necessary to partake in this event. Romanisation and translations to all the learning materials are provided.
Moderators: Teele Tars, Katri Vesi
UT KCC Movie Marathons: Women Directors in New Korean Cinema - Take Care of My Cat (고양이를 부탁해) (2001)
Date: October 9, 6 PM
Place: Lossi 3-326
Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/2h0F2oUG9
Event description: One of the classics of New Korean Cinema that's directed by Jeong Jae-eun, Take Care of My Cat tells the coming-of-age story of a group of young women who are just beginning their independent lives after graduating high school. Each of the women faces different challenges, be it family or money, but they are united in their wish to try new things and to be taken seriously. The plot traces several stories at once but highlights the conflicts its protagonists face both among themselves and within a society that largely overlooks them.
Moderator: Ester Suur
Norigae workshop: Learn Korean traditional knotting!
Date: October 25, 6 PM
Place: Lossi 3-319
Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/CnRtHjZAe
Event description: Maedeup (매듭), aka decorative knot making, is one of the many beautiful traditional art forms of Korean culture. It has been used throughout eras to add a decorative flair to all sorts of everyday items. Perhaps its most common use is in decorative pendants called norigae (노리개), which are worn as a part of women’s hanbok and often include decorative stones or other ornaments.
At this event, you can make YOUR VERY OWN norigae to take home. You can also make a bracelet, keychain, or bookmark if that’s more up your alley.
And if you’re unsure about your crafting skills, fear KNOT. There will be something for every skill level.
Moderators: Tuule Tars, Katri Vesi, Teele Tars
UT KCC Movie Marathons: Women Directors in New Korean Cinema – Waikiki Brothers (와이키키 브라더스) (2001)
Date: November 13, 6 PM
Place: Lossi 3-326
Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/2lv6NmupR
Event description: The film, directed by Yim Soon-rye, chronicles the fate of a shoddy nightclub band called Waikiki Brothers. The plot realistically explores the lack of opportunities for the younger generation of Koreans of the time and the following feeling of aimlessness. Despite its initial commercial failure, the film's relatability for young people has helped it to develop a devoted cult following since its release in 2001.
Moderator: Ester Suur
UT KCC Lecture Series: Mini Lectures Duo
Date: November 22, 6 PM
Place: Lossi 3-319
Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/2rKwPTB02
Event description: UT KCC welcomes all who are interested in another instalment in the club's lecture series. This time, we present two 20-minute lectures on different topics as well. In her lecture, Shuang Qi will introduce Korean university culture, share information about the Korean Language Center, bachelor, master and doctoral application information, and foreigners' experience of living in Korea. After that, Anni Arukask is going to speak about Han Kang’s award-winning novel “The Vegetarian” and its upcoming translation into Estonian. As she is talking about translating into Estonian, Anni’s presentation will also be (mostly) in Estonian. If any of these topics seem interesting to you, join the UT Korean Culture Club in exploring them together!
Moderator: Ester Suur
UT KCC Movie Marathons: Women Directors in New Korean Cinema – The Way Home (집으로...) (2002)
Date: December 11, 6 PM
Place: Lossi 3-326
Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/2gWbKgHAe
Event description: The film shows life in rural South Korea by telling a heartwarming story of a boy and his grandmother. While Lee had already made a name for herself with her debut feature Art Museum by the Zoo (1998), The Way Home is the movie that cemented her as the most commercially successful Korean female director at that point. However, by highlighting the world of difference that exists between rural and urban Korea and issues such as unemployment, the film also tackles more serious topics. This combination of a heartwarming story mixed with real-life issues has made the film a crowd favourite.
Moderator: Ester Suur
Cosy Board Game Hour - Ending the year with UT KCC
Date: December 6, 6 PM
Place: Lossi 3-319
Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/1vYX8vwMF
Event description: With snow falling and cold weather outside it is the perfect time to gather together with others, enjoy a cup of tea and play a few games. UT KCC invites you to the final main event of 2024 - Cosy Board Game Hour. In this event we play, well, board games. But there is a twist! In the rotation, there are games that have a deep-rooted history in Korea and have been enjoyed by families for decades, such as yutnori. Then we added modern board games that have gathered widespread popularity all over the country such as Halli Galli.
During the event, you can play various games with fellow participants, strategise with team-mates, strategise even more, and enjoy some quality cosy time together. Feel free to bring a friend or two along as well!
Moderator: Katri Vesi
We started the academic year with a guided tour through Tartu Botanial Garden, where we focused on plants that can be found on the Korean peninsula. During both semesters we had an event that focused on learning the Korean language and hangeul - during the autumn semester we learned hangeul with the lyrics from well-known Korean songs and during the spring semester we further refreshed our knowledge on the Korean alphabet. We continued with our regular lecture events - on both semesters we held mini-lecture events, where speakers held short lectures on topics related to Korean culture and society. Lastly, we also held game events in both semesters - in the autumn semester we focused on traditional Korean board games, and in the spring semester we played games that are often played during variety shows in Korea.
The club also started organising regular movie nights. During the 2023/24 academic year, we held 12 movie nights - 6 on both semesters. The movie nights were collected under the name Korean Cinema 101, where we focused on the classics of Korean cinema. During the autumn semester we focused on classic films from the 20th century and watched The Housemaid (1960), An Aimless Bullet (1961), March of Fools (1975), Seopyeonje (1993), A Single Spark (1995), and Joint Secutiry Area (2000). On the spring semester we watched contemporary classics from the 21st century - My Sassy Girl (2001), The King and the Clown (2005), The Host (2006), Moonlit Winter (2019), Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 (2019), and Escape from Mogadishu (2021).
We started the academic year with an event celebrating Chuseok. We continued with our lecture events - during both semesters we held events where club members introduced their Korea-related academic research. We also held workshops related to Korean culture - in the autumn semester we held a workshop on Korean traditional painting (minhwa) and in the spring semester we explored the art of tea ceremony and made our own jogakbo bookmarks.
During the spring semester, we focused on deepening our knowledge of the Korean language by holding a two-part workshop, which focused on learning Korean with the help of webtoons. The first workshop focused on speaking skills and the second one on reading and translating. We also held a movie night during both semesters - in autumn semester we watched Scandal Maker (2008), and in spring semester Korean animated film Leafie, A Hen into the Wild (2011).
