Enjoy the beauty of the Korean landscape through the photographic pilgrimage of Bae Yong-joon, a major Hallyu star. With the launch of his book, "Journey in Search of Korea's Beauty", Bae talked about how "the journey" began. “When asked by a foreign reporter to recommend some famous sites around Korea, I was embarrassed that I couldn't answer the question."
Rather than simply enjoying the sights, Bae began his journey with the aim of better understanding the true essence of Korea: its culture, arts and tradition. He explored 13 different themes on his journey, met with the masters of each theme and tried it out for himself. His documentation of his adventures is written so candidly that it's almost as if the reader can hear Bae's voice telling the story. As a major Hallyu star familiar with a variety of different cultures, Bae was able to pinpoint 13 themes of Korean culture that many Koreans could identify with.
The text includes topics such as Gimjang (making Kimchi), Gajeongsik (home-made meals), and Cha (tea), which bring new light to Korea's food culture. The book also provides easy explanations on themes like Chil (Korean lacquering), Dojagi (porcelain), and Hanok (traditional Korean house), which are quite tricky for even native Koreans to explain. In the book, Bae also elaborates on his thoughts on topics like the Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Museum of Korea, and Temple Stay: the culminations of Korean culture. The book is available in both Japanese and Korean.
Bae also joined the commencement ceremony of “2010-2012 Visit Korea Years” at Tokyo Dome on September 30th as a goodwill ambassador, giving a presentation on the beauties of Korea.