When the Present Meets the Past: Nami Island, BTS Fandom & Korean Folk Paintings

On Thursday, the students traveled an hour outside of Seoul by bus and ferry to visit Korea's beautiful and serene, Nami Island (남이섬). Nami Island is a human-manufactured island that resulted from the construction of the Cheongpyeong Dam. It is a half moon-shaped isle that holds the grave of General Nami who led a great victory against the rebels in the 13th year of the 7th king of the Joseon Dynasty, King Sejo. Today, Nami Island is commonly used as a site to film popular Korean films. Students explored the island by foot, bikes, and electric scooters, appreciating the lush bushes and towering trees that easily encircles the many tourists visiting from neighboring countries such as Japan and China.

After a full day discovering the natural treasures of Nami Island, Seoul Navigators devoured dinner at Laundy Pizza--the famous site where K-Pop boy-band BTS shot their album cover, "Love Yourself: Her."  Before students could even get to the crust of their pizza, they were roaming the restaurant snapping photos of their favorite band members and replicating Vogue-like poses in selective locations. We also had a suprise in store for the birthday girl, Olivia, who couldn't be more excited to celebrate her Sweet Sixteen in the birth country of her beloved BTS. This is sure to be a birthday that she will never forget!

On Friday, the group visited Insadong's Gahoe Museum which exhibits various kinds of ancient Korean folk paintings. Students learned about the deep symbolism of the paintings: the strength and protection of the tiger, the bird that brings wealth, and the rooster which invites success. Each student had the opportunity to paint a replication of a folk drawing on a personal fan made out of Korean traditional paper, Hanji (한지). They left the museum not only equipped with a rich understanding of ancient Korean beliefs, but also a strong defense against the fierce Korean summer sun.