VOL.74/2024.09

 

[Korean Scholars ⑫]

Art Critic Professor Yu Hong-June

Steps Taken Alongside the Beauty of Cultural Heritage

 

2022.12.05

 

Korea has a long enough history for the world to be surprised. Its history dates back to B.C. 2333, when the first nation on the Korean peninsula, Gojoseon, was founded. For a long time, Korean ancestors left countless cultural heritages to their descendants, and people of the current era find a beautiful legacy and enjoy the mood and glimpses of the past. Professor Yu Hong-June, who has visited many historic sites and published books on them, is a representative art historian and critic of Korea. He is also renowned as the author of the best-selling humanities book series My Exploration of Cultural Heritage (Changbi). From 2004 to 2008, professor Yu served as the 3rd director of the Cultural Heritage Administration. He is now working as a professor of Art History at Myongji University. In addition to his My Exploration of Cultural Heritage series, he delivers the beauty of Korea to many readers through his diverse works. Let’s follow in the footsteps of professor Yu today.

 

 

Korea’s representative humanities book, My Exploration of Cultural Heritage

 

Professor Yu Hong-June, the writer of My Exploration of Cultural Heritage, a representative humanities book collection of Korea with more than 20 volumes in the series, got a Bachelor of Arts in Aesthetics from Seoul National University, a Master of Arts in Art History from Hongik University Graduate School, and a Doctor of Arts in Eastern Philosophy from Sungkyunkwan University Graduate School. Debuting in 1981 after winning a prize in art criticism in a prominent literary contest hosted by Donga Ilbo, he worked as an art critic. From 1985 to 2000, he held open lectures called Korean Art History for the Youth in Seoul and Daegu and was the director of the Korean Cultural Heritage Exploration Team. It was the time the journey for My Exploration of Cultural Heritage started. As soon as My Exploration of Cultural Heritage 1: Places to Go in South Provinces was published in 1993, the book became a best seller, breaking the record of 1 million copies for the first time as a Korean book on humanities. The book was also on the best sellers list for 60 consecutive weeks, leading to the nationwide location recce hype.
My Exploration of Cultural Heritage is a travelogue that not only covers Korea but also North Korea, Japan, and China, visiting cultural heritages and delivering relevant information, humanistic significance, and its meaning in the current era. There are twelve books on Korea, including editions on North Korea, five on Japan, and three on China. The most recent series is My Exploration of Cultural Heritage 11: Seoul (3) and My Exploration of Cultural Heritage 12: Seoul (4), released together last October. Professor Yu considers the My Exploration of Cultural Heritage series as an ongoing project. However, he did not forget to look back on the past as he republished five books launched in 2011 after thoroughly revising them. It is because adding newly found historical sites to the places he visited before and complementing books with new information is as crucial as visiting new areas.

 

 

While the series is loved by many, seeing that parts of it were included in school textbooks and quoted as college entrance exam questions, it is challenging for young children to read the voluminous series. Thus, professor Yu wrote My Exploration of Cultural Heritage in Cartoon (Noksaek Jipangyi) and My Exploration of Cultural Heritage for Teens (Changbi) series for students who might feel that history and culture are difficult to study. So now, it has become easy for young children and teen readers to meet Korea’s precious cultural heritage and beautiful nature and be proud of it. Professor Yu also published My Exploration of Cultural Heritage in 365 Days (Changbi) in 2021 while traveling shrunk due to COVID-19, looking forward to the day people can go traveling freely. The book is a diary and a travel guide that summarizes My Exploration of Cultural Heritage, and it includes 24 Korean tour destinations selected by professor Yu.

 

Korea’s beauty (美) shown through books

 

 

In addition to the My Exploration of Cultural Heritage series, serialized for more than 30 years, professor Yu introduced Korean cultural heritages and their beauty through various series. For example, the An Eye for Arts by Yu Hong-June (Nullwa) series, which consists of 3 books (Gookbo Soon Rae, Myeongjak Soon Rae, and Anmok), shows readers how to appreciate beauty and enjoy art pieces. All series are published in large-print versions to help the middle-aged and elderly read without issues. Another series by professor Yu is Lecture on Korean Art History by Yu Hong-June (Nullwa). The series has four books, easily explains the culture and common sense of Korean art history, and includes lively pictures and friendly explanations of the heritages along with an appendix, helping readers read the book without difficulty.
Besides these series, professor Yu also released books on diverse aspects of Korean culture. Chusa Gim Jeong-Hui (Changbi) is considered a piece that brought Joseon’s genius Gim Jeong-Hui back to life. He was considered the Korean Leonardo da Vinci for his talents in calligraphy, poetry, a bibliographical study of Chinese classics, and many others. Gim Jeong-Hui is the Origin of K-Wave as he captured the people of China and Japan around 200 years ago. In addition to historical facts, professor Yu’s engaging and touching writing style and Gim Jeong-Hui’s life mix well in the book and give people in the current era a deep feeling. Professor Yu also wrote diverse books, including Geumgangsan (Hakgojae), a book about the history and cultural heritage of the Korean peninsula’s most famous and beautiful Mt. Geumgang, and Munjadoe (Daewonsa), a book on folk paintings and paintings of characters from the Joseon Dynasty.

 

 

The reason books written by professor Yu, Korea’s representative art historian and critic, are loved so much is his writing style, which reflects his excellent talking skills. One thing to remember is that professor Yu is a hard worker who reads thousands of books and takes tens of thousands of photos to write a book. His witty descriptions, literary writing style, intellectual summary of academia, and endless passion that led him to walk ceaselessly have made professor Yu a best-selling author. Professor Yu takes the lead in promoting Korean cultural heritage to the general public through his 30 years of work, My Exploration of Cultural Heritage, and various writings. Let’s take a trip following his footsteps in his books as professor Yu shows his passion for literature and affection for cultural heritages. As you follow his kind guidance, you will find a strong passion growing in your heart without knowing.

 

 

---

Written by Choi Ha-Yeong