You may notice quite a few homeless people around Seoul Station. A lot of visitors ask me, “Why are there so many homeless people here?” One of the biggest reasons goes back to 1997, during the Asian Financial Crisis. In Korea, we usually call it the IMF Crisis . A lot of companies went bankrupt, unemployment rose very quickly, and many people suddenly lost their jobs and income. Some people eventually lost their homes as well. And many of them came to Seoul Station . Why here? Because this was one of the main places to find day labor and temporary jobs , and it was also the main railway station if they wanted to go back to their hometowns. But some had no money left and nowhere else to go, so they stayed around the station. That is one reason Seoul Station became one of the main gathering places for homeless people after the 1997 crisis. Then another thing happened. Once many homeless people were here, churches, charities, NGOs, and the government started providing help here. Th...
사유의 방 Among the most popular treasures in the National Museum of Korea, these two Pensive Bodhisattvas are probably the greatest highlights. They are more than 1,400 years old, and both are National Treasures. They are also the only objects in the museum displayed in their own independent gallery, called the Room of Quiet Contemplation . The room was designed by Korean architect Choi Wook. You first walk from a bright corridor into a dark passage. While your eyes adjust to the darkness, your mind also begins to calm down. Then you turn right and enter a large hall, but there are only two statues inside. Because there is so much empty space around them, you naturally focus on the statues. The floor rises slightly toward them, at an angle of about one degree. You may not notice it with your eyes, but your body can sense it, so you naturally walk more slowly. Above you are approximately 21,000 aluminium rods. Their different lengths and angles make the ceiling appear tilted and...