Korea & UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

Korea takes great pride in being recognized by UNESCO for its cultural heritage. As for right now, 1 January 2018, the UNESCO World Heritage Center lists South Korea as having 11 world heritage sites, 1 natural heritage site, and 16 more on the tentative list.

As for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in South Korea, at present there are 19 elements inscribed, one classified as ongoing (2018), and 25 on the backlog nomination list. 

19 Intangible Cultural Heritage elements inscribed:

2016: Culture of Jeju Haenyeo (women divers)
2016: Falconry, a living human heritage
2015: Tugging rituals and games
2014: Nongak, community band music, dance and rituals in the Republic of Korea
2013: Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea
2012: Arirang, lyrical folk song in the Republic of Korea
2011: Jultagi, tightrope walking
2011: Taekkyeon, a traditional Korean martial art
2011: Weaving of Mosi (fine ramie) in the Hansan region
2010: Gagok, lyric song cycles accompanied by an orchestra
2010: Daemokjang, traditional wooden architecture
2009: Namsadang Nori
2009: Yeongsanjae
2009: Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut
2009: Ganggangsullae
2009: Cheoyongmu
2008: Royal ancestral ritual in the Jongmyo shrine and its music
2008: Pansori epic chant
2008: Gangneung Danoje festival

Jongmyo Jerye & Jeryeak ... royal ancestral ritual in the Jonmyo shrine and its music

Pansori epic chant ... with a story-telling singer and a drummer
perhaps this pansori singer is singing the famous Arirang, another intangible heritage

One on-going nomination (not inscribed so no links as yet)

2018: Ssireum, traditional wrestling in the Republic of Korea

25 backlogged nominations (not inscribed so no links as yet)

2013: Yeondeunghoe, lighting lantern festival
2012: Korea's programme for documenting intangible cultural heritage (ART18)
2012: Music of Daegeum and Piri, traditional Korean wind instruments
2012: Music of Gayageum, a traditional Korean string instrument
2012: Craftsmanship of Gat, men's horsehair hats
2010: Hakyeonhwadae-hapseolmu, the crane and lotus flower dance
2010: Hahoe Byeolsingut Tallori, mask dance drama of Hahoe
2010: Gyeonggi-do Dodanggut, tutelary rite of Gyeonggi province
2010: Bawijeol village funeral rehearsal play
2010: Naju Saetgolnai, cotton weaving of Naju
2010: Gasa, narrative songs
2010: Sagijang, ceramics
2010: Seokjang, stonework
2010: Jasujang, embroidery
2010: Chiljang, lacquer craft
2010: Gakjajang, calligraphic engraving
2010: Mokjogakjang, wood sculpture
2010: Yundojang, making geomantic compasses
2010: Wanchojang, sedge work
2010: Yeomsaekjang, dyeing with indigo
2010: Somokjang, wooden furniture construction
2010: Seonjajang
2010: Munbaeju, Munbae liquor
2010: Myeoncheon Dugyeonju, Dugyeonju liquor of Myeoncheon
2010: Gyeongju Gyodong Beopju, Beopju liquor of Gyodong, Gyeongju

a musician wearing a gat (horse-hair hat) playing the gayageum, a zither-like instrument

Concerns Regarding Upcoming Olympics at Pyeongchang

The following article "Pyeongchang Legacy May Be Huge Piles of Debt" was taken from Korean JoongAng Daily, Novermber 9, 2017. Already the government is worrying about the unexpectedly low number of tickets to the Olympic games being sold to help pay for the venue and construction are still unreserved. 

According to another article I read about a month ago, the government is said to have expected 1 million people to pay for tickets to the Olympics, with 750,000 of those being Koreans who live in country. However, those projected numbers are far from being achieved! 

France is boycotting the Olympics, North Korea at the time still didn't hadn't had their qualification games so their attendance was uncertain, and then the international community had issues with attending. South and North Korea are heavily featured in the news and the political situation between the two countries is unstable, making visitors to South Korea very nervous. International communities also held campaigns against coming to S Korea also because South Koreans eat dog; petitions circulated with international people signing to boycott the Olympics because of, not really the practice of eating dog, but because of how dogs were killed in order to achieve maximum flavor in the vigor-embewing dog meat. Other petitions also circulated boycotting the South Korean winter Olympics because South Korea destroyed a 500+ year old sacred forest where the king's meat was once procured in order to build a ski-jump for the Olympic competitors. There were other sites in S Korea where the ski jump could have been built, slightly below optimum elevation but still acceptable to meet Olympic regulations, but S Korea opted to destroy a sacred forest that the government had designated as sacred less than 10 years previous. International communities were outraged, particularly on the grounds that the host countries of the Olympics must comply with environmental standards in order to (1) be hosts of the Olympics, and (2) get compensatory funds by an Olympic foundation. Obviously South Korea broke the rules and this was loudly aired online via outraged international communities.

This information is just background for readers to understand a bit more some of the dynamics affecting the low number of tickets sold thus far to people to watch the games first-hand. From this article, it's apparent that there are post-Olympic financial consequences of hosting the Olympics also.

As the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics rapidly approach, experts are increasingly voicing concerns that the legacy of the games may not be the passion and unity that the organizing committees are promising, but instead the costly, unused facilities that are likely to dot the northeast of the country.  

Four Olympic venues are yet to come up with post-Olympic plans, raising concerns that the Winter Olympics will join a growing list of international events that have ultimately gone on to cost Korea huge amounts of money.  

When the Asian Games was hosted in Incheon in 2014, about 1.72 trillion won ($1.54 billion) was spent on building 16 new venues. The majority of that is still left as debt, and Incheon has to pay between 10 billion and 150 billion won every year from 2015 to 2029.  

Not only that, the Korean Grand Prix, hosted for the first time in 2010, had to stop in 2013 as the accumulated deficit stacked up to 190 billion won.  

Excluding the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremony will be held, there are a total of 12 venues for the Olympics. Of those, six of them are newly constructed and the remaining six were repaired, with the total bill racking up to about a trillion won. Including the newly-built Jeongseon Alpine Centre, which cost 203.4 billion won, Gangneung Ice Arena, costing 134 billion won, and Gangneung Oval, costing 126.4 billion won, five of the venues cost more than 100 billion won each.  

But three venues - Jeongseon Alpine Centre, Gangneung Hockey Centre and Gangneung Oval - are yet to announce a post-Olympics plan. Originally, the Gangneung Oval was expected to be broken down after the Olympics, but last year, Gangwon and the organizing committee agreed to maintain the facility.  

Daemyung Group, owner of the Daemyung Killer Whales Ice Hockey team, was originally going to take charge of the Gangneung Hockey Centre, but the company dropped out once it was revealed that the facility had a five-year operating cost of 10 billion won.  

At the Jeongseon Alpine Centre, 55 percent of the facility is expected to be restored back to its natural state. Since it’ll no longer be able to be used as a ski resort, it’s more difficult to come up with a post-Olympics plan.  

According to the Korea Industrial Strategy Institute Foundation, the annual maintenance cost of the main venues is expected to be 31.3 billion won. The foundation projects the facilities will be able to earn about 17.1 billion won a year, leaving a 14.2 billion won deficit.  

The PyeongChang Olympic Stadium is going to be the biggest problem. It cost a total of 63.5 billion won to build the stadium but it will be broken down after only four days of use throughout the Olympics and the Paralympics next year. This means that the stadium cost 15.8 billion won per day.  

Upon completion of the event, only 5,000 seats of 35,000 seats and three of seven floors will be kept. Though there hasn’t been a set plan for post-Olympic usage, the stadium is expected to be transformed into a concert hall or memorial park.  

Since Gangwon hasn’t come up with post-Olympics plans, they are asking the central government to manage the venues. To do so, they are pushing for a revision in the National Sports Promotion Act.  

“There’s a high possibility that the government will once again have to deal with the negative effects from the local government hosting such a big event,” said Lee Dae-taek, professor of physical education at Kookmin University. “Gangwon needs to be more responsible.”  

Chung Hee-joon, a sports sociology professor at Dong-A University, also pointed out that, “Hoenggye, where the Olympic Plaza is located, is a small town with only a population of 4,000. It’s difficult to make a post-Olympics plan.”  

To fix this, the organizing committee may have to study the success of low cost and high-efficiency events like the Gwangju Universiade and 6th CISM World Games Military Games, Korea.  

The 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju was by far the most successful event in Korea financially, as they only constructed three of the 69 facilities and used existing venues for the remaining events.  

The podiums were provided by the Incheon Asian Games organizing committee at no cost and the seats at the stadiums were folding chairs. Rather than flower bouquets, winners were awarded the event’s mascot dolls and tents were used as waiting rooms for players.  

This allowed savings of 199.9 billion won in operating and equipment expenses.  

The 6th CISM World Games Military Games in Mungyeong installed 350 caravans as athletes’ accommodation. Throughout the tournament, the total budget was 165.3 billion won with equipment expenses of 18.7 billion won. 

BY SONG JI-HOON, PARK RIN [kang.yoorim@joongang. co.kr]

Sanko Lewis and the Philosophy of Taekwondo

Sanko Lewis is an English literature professor who has a special passion for poetry. He writes, edits, is a martial arts instructor, and just recently, he got his PhD in the philosophy of martial arts. No, he did not have to spar physically to get the degree, just verbally.

His research centered around the East Asian philosophy of martial arts—Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Moism, Bushido (the Way of the Warrior aka the Samurai Code) — and his interest is in their philosophies, their morals, and how both of these might have influenced their individual development of martial arts. 

Sanko Lewis

While Sanko is familiar with tangsudu, Brazilian jiu jitsu (which by the way originated from Japanese jiu jitsu), and parkour or urban free-running, his primary focus and bulk of knowledge is on Korean martial arts. He has a fifth-dan in taekwondo, a third-dan in hapkido, practices taekyun, as well as does some yulsu (sp?) (a type of Korean wrestling). He says that martial arts aren't only about fighting but are also the embodiment of the culture. 

How do martial arts change a person physically?

• taekwondo and other quick-moving martial arts are more for developing long, lean muscles that are very flexible for quick kicks

• jiu jitsu and other grappling martial arts create a more bulky body with strong core muscles, bigger shoulders and arms, more back strength

How do martial arts change a person mentally (the more interesting question)?

According to Sanko, there are three words that translate to martial arts in Korea: 무술, 무예, and 무도, and each of these words functions as a paradigm of one's growth in the "arts." Basically, the stages of one's growth. (무 translates as "military")

• 무술 — learning the "military skills/techniques" and this takes years

• 무예 — when the movements become intuitive and the actions flow, the person is now achieving the level of "military art"

• 무도 — when the military art has become a lifestyle and a symbol of life, it has become like "Dao", the Way. (도 stems from Dao)

Sanko was first introduced to taekwondo in South Africa. He and his brother watched a lot of kungfu movies as teenagers and wanted to learn, but there were no places to learn kungfu. However, they did come across a taekwondo school. Not knowing what it was, they found in the newspaper it was referred to as "the best of the best" which alluded to a movie that came out in the 1980s. It sounded good and they wanted to learn a martial arts so enrolled. 

The guy who ran the school was a South African who had learned from another South African. The latter South African had obtained a textbook on taekwondo from some unknown place and ended up, traveling to Singapore to learn the art. In Singapore he studied under Rhee Ki Ha, first Grand Master of taekwondo. (Most of the Grand Masters of taekwondo are still living, as is Rhee who currently lives in England.)

The student of Rhee Ki Ha returned to South Africa in 1976, bringing taekwondo skills with him, and the first taekwondo school in South Africa was opened. So basically, Sanko's taekwondo education is an inheritance of the Grand Masters. (Choi Hong-hee, who was a general in the Korean military, was the founder of taekwondo.)

________________________________________________________________________

This summary comes from his June 21, 2016 KBS radio interview.

Sanko Lewis also blogs on taekwondo under his Korean name, Soo Shim Kwan 水心館수심관.

Opening of First Archery Gallery in Seoul

The first archery gallery in Korea just opened at Hwanghakjeong, near Sajik Park and walking distance from the great imperial palace Kyoungbokgung. It's about time that a gallery was established to laud one of Korea's oldest sports and ways of life. Currently there are 8 archery ranges in Seoul and 360 within the country but this is the first gallery that looks at the history of the great sport, the sport that almost literally defines the spirit and essence of the righteous Korean man. The establishment and opening of the gallery is due to the sponsorship of the Korean government, the Seoul city government and the district office and the cost for its construction was about W700,000,000 (US645,000). 

Kyoungju has a Hwarang Educational Center where young people are taught public speaking, poetry, archery and martial arts (taekwondo). This center is modeled after the concept of the Hwarang ("Flower Youth") of the Silla Dynasty. The original Hwarang were elite bands of aristocratic youth who trained in martial arts and military maneuvers as well as philosophy, poetry and even dance. But it is at this educational center where the modern-day elitist in archery goes for more training. And it will be at the Hwanghakjeong in Seoul where archers and visitors may now come to get a broader glimpse of the rich history or archery in Korea.

On the outskirts of Kyoungju is a statue of Yoo Shin Kim, a Hwarang captured in silent motion portraying the eternal stance of the Korean archer "pushing against the mountain" just after simultaneously "pulling the tiger's tail".  (source)

A glimpse at the rich history of archery in Korea

Archery has been a male sport and tool of war since early times. A few stories in which archery has played a significant role in history are as follows:

After the Three Kingdoms period, the Silla dynasty rose to power but was attacked by their allies, the Chinese Tang army, who had helped Silla overthrow the two armies of the Three Kingdoms. For years they battled with both armies suffering successes and losses until finally in 735 AD, the Tang army finally retreated.

Another critical battle in which Korean archers played a vital nation-saving role was when the Japanese under Hideyoshi invaded Korea in the late sixteenth century (1592-1598). After devastating battles fought on both sides, the Japanese were finally thrust back. One reason for their loss is the Japanese were disadvantaged by the lesser range of their bows. The Korean bows were far superior in distance shooting and lighter in weight and therefore easier to maneuver and transport, especially in war. 

One much more recent attack on Korea where bows and arrows were vital for repulsion of the enemy was in the nineteenth century when invaders (mainly from France and the United States) tried to forcefully open a port in Korea. In 1866, the United States sent the ship "General Sherman" to forcibly establish a port; however, Koreans strongly resented and rejected the "invasion", raining the ship with arrows and setting the ship ablaze. Soon afterwards, Catholics in Korea were massacred so   France sent a squadron to Ganghwado, where like the Americans they were repulsed by Korean units. However, it was only inevitable that the doors of Korea would and did open, especially as the archers could not compete against the superior firing power of the west.

Pictures of arrow development (Hwanghakjeong Gallery display)
(top) arrows for horse-riders during the Goguryeo dynasty
typical arrow during the Goguryeo dynasty
during the Baekjae dynasty
during the Silla dynasty

Now in times of peace, Korea focuses on archery as a form of meditation and sport, and indeed Koreans excel at the sport in the Olympics. A notable percentage of top-ranking archers herald from Korea. They not only gain monetary benefit and world prestige but they also disseminate Korean traditional philosophy and training related to the martial art.

Philosophy of Korean Archery: "Movement of Tranquility"

In defining the essence of Korean archery as a martial art, balance and concentration are the two key elements as they encompass the entire act of meditation. But what are the underlying motivations for practicing "the movement of tranquility"?

• a means to improve one's self
• Emperor Kojong gave a command for encouraging archery for the cultivation of the mind and body of the people
• the uniting of movement and tranquility to help the mind to relax and focus

Korean traditional archery was founded upon traditional values, much like those of the Hwarang of the Silla Dynasty.  

The Nine major PRECEPTS of Korean archery: 

The precepts read vertically from right to left and below they are transcribed and their concepts translated into English.  (source) 

1. In Ae Duk Haeng
   Be seen as a model of love and virtue
2. Sung Shil Gyum Sohn
   Act with humbleness and honesty.
3. Ja Joong Jul Jo
   You should solidly protect your integrity through discreet behavior.
4. Ye Eui Um Soo
   Be courteous.
5. Yum Jik Gwa Gahm
   When in a position of power, act with integrity and bravery.
6. Sub Sa Moo Un
   Don't speak while there is shooting.
7. Jung Shim Jung Gi
   Have a straight mind and straight body.
8. Bool Won Seung JaDon't resent someone who wins.
9. Mahk Mahn Tah Goong
   Don't touch another person's bow.

Eight principles of Korean traditionary archery:

1 and 2:  To observe the topographical situations carefully and then the force of winds
3 and 4:  To make the firm stance, and concentrating a strong force upon the stomach while the chest is relaxed
5 and 6:  To push the jumson, the pushing hand, as you push the mountain and to pull the gahkjison, the pulling hand, as you pull a tiger's tail. (Both hands must maintain the perfect balance of the force.)
7 and 8:  To look into your own mistakes when you fail rather than out at external rhythms.

An archer shoots over the black stone with Chinese characters that basically translate  "Right mind, right body" and which means to be silent while shooting in order to have the right mind to be right in body.
The Korean archer does not shoot alone but waits till others gather to take turns and be right in mind and right in body collectively. This archer waited until he was joined by four other archers before stepping down in the range shooting area restricted only to archers.

Gallery paintings and folklore with archery:

The famous picture 동래부 순정도 (dongraebu sunejoldo) painted in 1760 is a depiction of a battle in the Imjin War (1592) when Korea was sadly defeated by the Japanese. The picture shows the Japanese attacking and breaking down the fortress wall around a fortified town in Pusan. The Japanese had archers as well as western guns. They also far out-numbered the Koreans with their 14,700 invaders against the 4000 Koreans armed with only bows and arrows. 

original   (source)

a section copy of the original -- the section shows the both the Japanese and the Korean with their weapons
(displayed in the Hwanghakjeong gallery)

The  famous 복새선은도 picture shows the means and method of testing generals in the remote testing ground. Of interest, generals had to be even more skilled than other archers and so their tests were more rigorous. Following is the famous picture as well as the type of arrows generals were supposed to shoot during their exam.

복새선은도 (1664)   (source)
depiction of an archery field (1621-1691)
Boksaek is the name of an old forest village now in North Korea (renamed 함경도)
Boksaek literally means in the far northern part

Different style of arrows for different types of archers (Joseon dynasty)
(top) for learners
typical arrow for archers - 112.5 grams
arrows for the exam for generals - 225 grams

And of course folklore painter Kim Hong Do (1745 - 1806) is represented in the new gallery -- his famous pen and ink sketches of an archer. Actually the whole picture is a composition of three sketches depicting the carrying of arrows in an arrow case, the bending and forming of a gakgung (Korean traditional bow), and the shooting of the bow and arrow under scholarly instruction.

활쏘기

Hwanghakjeong under King Kojong (1852 - 1919)

In 1876 the Japanese forced entry into the ports of Korea and demanded trade relations. The Americans, French and other countries soon followed. With westernization suddenly upon the formerly "hermit nation" reforms were suggested to "get the Koreans up to speed" on trade and interacting in a more open-minded manner. And like the Japanese had established the Meiji Reforms (started in 1866 with new and on-going changes through 1912) which radically altered Japan's political and social structure and helped them to emerge as a modernized nation in the early 20th century, Korea was expected to adopt similar reformation measures. Thus, the Gabo Reforms. The Gabo Reforms (1894 - 1896) were not as well accepted in Korea and were cut short before the initial five-year program was to be completed. Yet, in that time measures had been enacted to reduce the bow as an out-dated weapon, and thus began the quick decline of Korean archery. By the late 19th century the use of the Korean bow was a virtually obsolete martial art and the Gabo Reforms of 1894 removed archery from the gwageo (Military Service Exam), and until Emperor Kojong patronized it a few short years later, archery saw a rapid decline on the peninsula.

In 1899 Prince Heinrich of Prussia, who had a fascination with the Korean archery style, suggested that Emperor Kojong make a sport of it. Impressed that a foreigner was charmed by a previously treasured art, Emperor Kojong decreed the establishment of an archery range for the cultivation of the mind and body of the people. Of course in the Confucian society, hierarchy was very important, so as to still maintain class structure, different targets were to be used on the range by the different classed people. (I think Emperor Kojong borrowed the target image concepts from China.)

boar - non-statused commoners
deer - high-ranking officers
bear - king
tiger - emperor, so only Emperor Kojong and his son Emperor Sunjong (Korea proclaimed itself an empire in 1897)  

I thank Shin Dong-Sul, the Director of the Archery Gallery, for giving Stephen Wunrow, photographer for the American-based Korean Quarterly, and myself a guided tour, and I give a special thanks to Cho In-Souk, PhD in Architectural History for being such an interesting and patient translator. Cho In-Souk is also a member of the Hwanghakjeong guild.

The art of constructing traditional Korean bows was designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property in 1971.  Director Shin Dong-Sul says he doesn't know well about the craftsmanship, but he is certainly very good at bending bows for members to shoot. (Traditional bows are stored unstrung and so they curl back into a relaxed position. To leave a bow taut at all times would be to weaken its springiness.

References:

http://www.atarn.org/korean/IA_kr_1.htmhttp://www.journalscape.com/kenny/2004-08-23-09:57

Hwanghakjeong Archery Tour

On the lower slopes of Inwangsan and looking off to the east is Hwanghakjeong, the royal archery range founded by King Gojong. It is slightly higher on the mountain than Sajik Park in Chongno-gu and within easy walking distance of Kyoungbokgung, one of the five royal palaces of Korea. This archery range is considered the royal range, easily recognizable since the range colors are red and gold, and only a king could use such colors. Though Korea does not have a royal family anymore, the colors for the king's range remain.

Opened by King Kojong in 1898 and originally located at Gyeonghuigung, another of the royal palaces, Hwanghakjeong was moved to its current location in 1922 during a restructuring period in the Japanese colonial period. It is the only Daehan Empire-period archery range still in existence and remains a functioning range to this day. The tour in and around the Inwangsan area was led by Robert Koehler, writer-photographer for both a Seoul-based culture magazine and a freelancer who also writes the popular blog The Marmot's Hole. Cho In-souk, holding a PhD in architecture as well as being an avid Korean historian and member of Hwanghakjeong, gave "tour" information while at the range. She presented particularly fascinating information about Korean archery as a meditative martial art, the principles behind the mind control for being a good archer, and then explained to us English speakers the practice requirements before being inducted as an amateur archer. 

Learners must practice in the room designed for shooting. On the walls of the room are various styles of traditional handmade bows and their natural materials. 

After an explanatory video on the principles of archery, the making of the bows and arrows, and an attempt to practice shooting a bow in the practice room, Cho In-souk then guided us to the archery range above the practice room. Only learners who have taken lessons and practiced for a minimum of three months are allowed to shoot in the archery range above. Until that time one must practice-practice-practice in the practice room to perfect one's breathing, strength and form all while meditating. One reason amateur archers are not allowed to practice in the range further up the mountain is respect for others as the arrows, if not pulled back strongly enough for them to hit the distant range, would rain down on others walking the trail up to the range. The other reason is strength as only those who have trained regularly can have the strength to pull the bow back enough to hit the distant range. With the three targets 145 meters away, a lot of strength is needed. 

On this particular day we were given the rare privilege of witnessing a jipgungnye, an induction ceremony for novice archers. Several men and a couple of women, having practiced a minimum of three months for attaining the sufficient strength and for being considered proficient in their meditative form, were being inducted as amateur archers. 

Officiator standing by the "court" musicians.

The officiating judges are now arriving. Most if not all of the judges have played a huge role in the development of Korea, e.g. a former mayor, a famous bridge architect, a high-ranking officer from the Korean war, to list a few.

The officiating judges have arrived and been seated seated. The bows for the ceremony have been prepared in advance, as well as the covers for the bows which are in the royal colors of the guild - red and gold.

Now the archers for being inducted file in. Notice they aren't wearing any color as yet.
They represent the peasant who has yet to obtain any kind of guild status.

The archers to be inducted line up as "attendance and participation" is called. Once the registered number is verified, archers are asked to sit in unison.

The archers then respectfully seat themselves.

Many other of the guild archers were in attendance, and one particular fellow wearing his thumb and forefinger guards was taking video of the performance. The guards are important to prevent the bow string from causing too much friction. Of note is the fact that Korean archers do not pull the bow string back with the fingers but rather with the thumb. With this method the Koreans are said to easily attain 145 meters instead of the more typical 70 meters with the western bow.  

The respectful bow, performed by each newly inducted member to show heart-felt thanks and appreciation to the older "Confucian" man.

For some odd reasons all the new archers went down to the range prior to taking any shots.

The new archers line up to demonstrate their strength. Before they shoot, three of the officiating judges or officials took representative shots at the distant targets to start off the more practical side of the ceremony.
A comment on the usage of space here. Two of the reporters in black were actually rude and incorrect as only a qualified archer is to go down the stairs to the shooting platform. Visitors and non-participants MUST stay silent and must NOT position themselves any where near the shooting platform. This rule applies at all times.

No matter how well or how poorly anyone shoots, the archer whether experienced or an amateur must remain reflectively silent and not be visibly proud or disappointed. These are fundamental rules of Korean archery - reflection and meditation.

Once the experienced archers have shot, the amateurs one-by-one take their shots. I believe each member shot either three or 5 arrows. Another rule in Korean archery:  No one is to shoot simultaneously with another, but rather to lend one's patience and non-verbal encouragement on doing one's best to each archer in turn.

Manufactured arrows. Handmade arrows are W30,000 each or more! 

Two of the officiators (forefront) among several "court" musicians.

As recognized archers the newly inducted can now go to the range for shooting their arrows, but one of the many rules when shooting is to never shoot alone. Therefore, archers must wait until at least two or three others have arrived before using the archery range space. Though a meditative sport, it is to be done with a collective spirit.

The archery range, Hwanghakjeong, gets its name from the large wooden arbor-building where the ceremony was held. The arbor-building was originally built in 1898 (2nd year of Gwangmu) to the north of Hoesangjeon of Gyeonghuigung Palace. Hwanghakjeong was relocated to its current site of Sajik-dong in 1922. This was because the official resident of the Monopoly Bureau of the Japanese Government General in Korea was built on its original site after the demolition of Gyeonghuigung. The current place where the building now stands is the site of Deunggwajeong, one of the five bow arbors in Seochon. Following the Gabo Gyeongjang Reform in 1894, bows were excluded from the weaponry of the military and almost all of the bow arbors disappeared from across the country. However, Emperor Gojong gave an emperor's command to encourage archery for the cultivation of the mind and body of the people. Following this command, Hwanghakjeong was built in the royal palace, and it was opened to the public. It is said that Emperor Gojong often visited Hwanghakjeong and personally enjoyed archery. Homi, the bow used by Emperor Gojong, and his quiver were kept at Hwanghakjeong (the range) before they were transferred to  Korean Army Museum at Korea Military Academy. As an example of bow-shooting arbors, Hwanghakjeong is a historical site, and archery events continue to be performed in continuance of Korea's long tradition of archery.