The slow rise of the Pavilion of a united Korea

By the end of last year, South Korea ranked 13 on the population index with 32 South Koreans having made Auroville their home. Though the figure is well behind that of countries such as India (1080), France (377), Germany (244), and Italy (150), South Koreans rank first among those who are actively working to establish the national pavilion of their country in the International Zone.

It all started in 2004, when the Koreans organized a Prayer for Peace gathering in Auroville. While many concentrated on peace in the world, the aspiration of most Koreans was for peace in their own divided country. This was the beginning of the idea to actively start working for the Korean Pavilion.

“The Mother has spoken clearly about the meaning of Auroville and the real purpose of the national pavilions. But for us, there is an additional motivation: the Pavilion would be a symbol for the reunification of our country,” explains Hye Jeong. “We plan a ‘Korean Pavilion’, the Pavilion of a united Korea, not ‘the Pavilion of South Korea’, and we hope that in an occult way, this would contribute to the reunification and help bring Korea the peace which has escaped it for so long.” Korea lost its independence more than a century ago. From 1910 to 1945 it was occupied by the Japanese; after the Second World War it was split into two countries which are still in a state of war as only an armistice was signed. For many Koreans, the present political situation is very alarming.

The Korean group started studying Korean culture to understand the particular genius of Korea and what it has contributed to the evolution of mankind. They looked at Korea’s place in the group of nations known as ‘East Asia’, comprising Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan and Mongolia; they started introducing Korean culture to Auroville; and they began thinking about how the Korean Pavilion could reflect the essence of Korean values and become a bridge between Korea and Auroville.

“It is difficult to define what Korea has contributed to the evolution of mankind. It is too broad to specify,” says Hye Jeong. “For the time being it is more important for us to focus on how the Korean community can contribute to Auroville and how the Korean Pavilion could reflect the best essence of Korean culture.”

Korea is a mountainous country, with many Buddhist temples hidden in the forested valleys and countryside. They draw large numbers of people, who come not only to meditate but also to experience the peaceful settings – for many of these temples have energy fields of more than a hundred years old and vibrate calmness and emptiness and a deep connection with nature. “Korea has these two characteristics, the high dynamics you find in the big cities versus the contrasting tranquil and slower paced countryside. Both are reflected in the personality traits of many Koreans. For them, going to the mountains or visiting a temple to experience inner and outer peace is a refuge from the over-dynamic movements of the city,” says Hye Jeong. Other aspects of Korean culture that should be reflected in the Korean Pavilion are the refined sense of subtle beauty and its ‘soul quality’ sense of collectivity– the collective mind, the collective attitude, a less individualized approach.

“It’s an architect’s challenge,” admits Hye Jeong. “Last year, we invited Ganesh [an Indian-origin Auroville architect who has agreed to design the pavilion, eds.] to Korea to give him an idea about our country and its customs. He was stunned. It was different from anything he had experienced before.” A Korean professor of architecture will collaborate with Ganesh to express the essence of Korean beauty in the pavilion and convey the connection with nature through its landscaped gardens. Some first sketch designs have meanwhile been made.

“The Auroville culture is a unique mix of Indian and Western cultures, but very different from Korea’s,” says Hye Jeong. She recollects that when she first came to Auroville, she had great difficulty in understanding the mindset. “I was wondering why I had to spell out everything in detail, why couldn’t they understand? In Korea, people understand what isn’t said explicitly.” This experience made her realize a special value of Korean culture: the refinement of manners – “an area,” she says a bit mischievously, “where many Aurovilians could improve.” The tactful attitude and approach of being able to put oneself in the situations of others and connect emotionally to them is something Hye Jeong wishes to introduce to Auroville.”In Korea we have the concept of ‘man is Heaven (God) and therefore all men shall be treated as one’. We believe that this will bring world peace and unity. It will be the hallmark of the Korean Pavilion,” she says.

The North-East Asia Centre

The Korean Pavilion will be located opposite the Language Laboratory in the North-East Asia part of the International Zone. Ganesh has finalized a proposal for the Master Plan of this section which evolved from several months of early morning Dreamcatchers meetings, in which nationals of all East Asian countries participated – except for Mongolia, as there are no Mongolian residents in Auroville. The North East Asia master plan is now under study by the Town Development Council.

There have been historical conflicts and hostility between Taiwan and China, and between Korea, Japan and China. The North-East Asia Centre should be an occult help to resolving the conflicts between these countries. This building will house all common facilities: an event hall, a multi-media centre, a museum, an Asian kitchen and restaurant, workshops and boutiques, and a hostel. While the Pavilions will serve as educational and as cultural centres, and will be visited by people who want to study these topics, the North-East Asia Centre will host all events and be open to day-visitors.

“It was interesting to experience how unified the approach of all these different countries was,” says Hye Jeong. “For example, we all agreed that bamboo forests should be planted around the pavilions to hide them from direct view – a meandering pathway would lead to each pavilion. We also agreed that we need running water streams; and that we do not want large pavilions, but smaller ones.”

Korea and Auroville – a two-way bridge

Over the years, the Koreans have brought many aspects of their culture to Auroville, from Korean shamanic dance to Korean Buddhist meditation and Korean cuisine. But it has become a two-way traffic, as Auroville has also something to share with Korea. A Korean liaison group has introduced Auroville to Korea in several events and the lessons that can be learned from Auroville have not gone unnoticed. The government of South Korea’s capital Seoul in particular has shown interest.

The chair of the Governance Committee of Seoul expressed concern that Korea is losing its values and that many Koreans feel like refugees in their own country. They have left their home towns in the countryside to find work in the big cities, at the loss of their community lives. They interconnect with their smartphones, but are lonely in their high rise apartments where they often don’t even know their neighbours. Many of these displaced Koreans would like to return to their home village after retirement, but often cannot because of economic and social circumstances. For these people, community structures have to be created and it is in this field that the Seoul government is interested to learn from Auroville.

Another problem is the influx from guest workers, in particular from countries such as Vietnam, China and the Philippines. Korea has very much a mono-culture; guest workers are still not universally welcome and intermixed marriages are often frowned upon. “Korean society is generally not good at embracing differences,” says Hye Jeong, “and there is a certain amount of racism and lack of integration in Korean society. Here too, Auroville is an example.”

Last, there is the unenviable position of young Koreans. They are products of an educational system that many consider as having failed. The educational rat-race, the intense competition for socially-respected jobs and the high rate of unemployment make their lives very stressful. Their generation is known as the ‘three-renunciation’ generation who have neither the time nor resources for dating, marriage or children. Here too, life in Auroville can show the difference.

“Many Koreans are longing for social change and a better society; for them, such a new community like Auroville would be very interesting,” says Hye Jeong.

It will take time for the Pavilion of a united Korea to manifest. But beginnings have been made, a mutually beneficial interaction has begun and funding has come in sight. “With the establishment of the Korean Pavilion, there will be an interface between Auroville and Korea and which can contribute to the development of Auroville,” predicts Hye Jeong. “I hope our work would be a stimulus for other countries to start materializing their pavilions; more importantly, it would be a small step toward world peace.”