A Cultural Observation, and brief compilation

South Korea unquestionably takes pride in its culture. Even though its history is as troubled as any, it still seems able to reflect on its past in ways very different to my own experience of western culture, particularly nowadays. One way they do this is by the designation of intangible cultural heritage, which they allocate to skills and activities and artisan expertise. Perhaps we have something similar in the UK, but if we do, I haven't been touched by it.

Singing is something also that pervades; not all the time but quite naturally, in different settings. I've not included a music piece for a few posts, but here is an example of a song which is part of a series of 'immortal' songs, meaning in this case, I like to think, as having enduring resonance. This song, I think it is contemporary, conveys the idea of a forward looking determination in spite of hardships, the universal idea of harbouring a positive outlook. I think you can see from the audience reaction that they take meaning from it.

And here are two links to other specific cultural examples, curated as part of a wider series by the V&A:

Lacquer craft

Mother of pearl and lacquer inlays

A natural step beyond intangible cultural heritage status looks to be earning designations for UNESCO World heritage status. Without looking into the details, perhaps there are western examples, such as speciality food designations, I sense that whilst western leanings of this sort are to prevent copying, South Korea's purpose is to show origin, which they take pride in, along with happiness in sharing.