12th Spark – Sarah Moon the leader of Gulleongsoe CASE
You may or may not see big and round iron hoops strolling around the BHA soccer field. If you are Korean, and If you have had a chance to learn Korean traditions, you might have recognized the hoops. But most of you will think: What are these hoops and sticks for? Sueshin Sarah Moon from Grade 11, who has the strong affection for the hoop ever since she was a kid, will now explain about the hoop, officially-called Gulleongsoe, and the aesthetics of it. I guarantee that you will be wanting to play around with the rings once you finish reading the interview.
Hi Sarah. The first and foremost question is, What is Gulleongsoe (굴렁쇠)?
Sarah:
Gulleongsoe is a Korean traditional game which is also known as hoop rolling. You simply need a stick and a hoop(Gulleongsoe) to play it. You can grab a stick and push the hoop forward with a stick so that Gulleongsoe can be rolled.
Sounds simple and straightforward!
Sarah:
Sounds easy, right? If you actually play Gulleongsoe, you’ll find it pretty hard to balance the hoop. But don’t worry, once you get used to it, you’ll be fine.
Photo Courtesy: http://theme.archives.go.kr/next/photo/olympic03List.do?page=3
Although it has a long history, Gulleongsoe was brought to people’s attention in 1988, when the Olympic Games were held in Seoul, Korea. During the opening ceremony of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, a young Korean boy rolled Gulleongsoe to celebrate the start of the 1988 Olympics. This was broadcasted worldwide, leading the world’s attention to the boy and the hoop, Gulleongsoe.
Although it’s a Korean folk game, it is difficult to get a chance to learn how to play Gulleongsoe in these modernized, highly technologic days. How come you entered the world of Gulleongsoe?
Back when I was grade 1 in elementary school, my school selected a grade representative for an inter-school relay competition.
I was selected as the relay runner at first. My elementary school was also invited to the Gulleongsoe competition held annually by my city, Suwon. I was automatically elected to a Gulleongsoe representative because I was the fastest runner in my school.
I am not sure if the city still holds the competition though... Anyhow, since then, I participated in the competition every year as a school representative. Being a Gulleongsoe representative of school was so memorable experience that I can even recall the date and the atmosphere until now. We had the competition on the first friday of June, and I still remember me practicing Gulleongsoe every afternoon, during lunchtime. I even skipped lunch to practice. I think this pretty much explains how I loved Gulleongsoe.
You said being a representative of your school was how you were drawn in to the world of Gulleongsoe. Then what aesthetics and aspects make you to hold your interest in Gulleongsoe? How would you describe the beauty of Gulleongseo?
To me, Gulleongsoe is a way of releasing my stress. Since I am a student studying in Korea, I often feel overwhelmed by the academic life and the workload. Through Gulleongsoe, I am able to get rid of the stress. When I was in elementary school, it is a way for me to get along with friends and even teachers.
Moreover, the rolling of Gulleongseo influenced me so greatly. Although I used to be a highly competitive athlete, Gulleongsoe taught something very valuable, which is controlling my mind. I’ve learned that, when my mind goes far behind, the stick will go up and miss the hoop: If you hurry and lose your mind, the hoop also loses its stability. The hoop won’t be rolled then. To balance the hoop perfectly, you must need perseverance and patience. Thanks to the perseverance and patience that Gulleongsoe gave to me, I can persevere with I am doing, including but not limited to academics and co-curriculars. If it’d not been for the perseverance, I couldn’t keep up with my work.
I also agree that Gulleongsoe helps to develop a sense of balance, and thus, perseverance. However, there are many other plays which people can grow their perseverance. What makes Gulleongsoe distinctive from other sports?
Gulleongsoe is very unique, beautiful and different from other sports because of its localness. The fact that it is a Korean folk game makes Gulleongsoe very distinctive from other sports.
Not only that, it contains a profound meaning. For our ancestors, Gulleongsoe served as a mean of enjoying their life. In the past history, there was nothing for them to play with. The simple stick and hoop would have definitely provided joy and a chance to get along with neighbors. To this day, Gulleongsoe is a still good start to build connection with others.
You are currently attending an international school, which provides a relatively limited opportunity to burrow into Korean traditions in depth than a typical Korean high school. How are you, as a Korean as well as a Gulleongsoe-lover, continuing your interest and passion towards Gulleongseo at BHA?
Frankly speaking, I’ve always wanted to play Gulleongsoe. Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to play Gulleongsoe because, as you all know, the opportunities are somewhat limited for Korean public school students.
As I came to BHA, I noticed that the school offers a range of sport activities to the students. I was able to see how students carry their initiative on their own. I was surprised and inspired by the liberal and student-initiated atmosphere here. That’s how I decided to share my talent of playing Gulleongsoe by leading a Gulleongsoe team as a CASE. At first, I was worried whether international students would be interested in the local game. Surprisingly, more than 20 students applied to the Gulleongsoe CASE. I am receiving requests from students who are waiting for me to accept them to the Gulleongsoe CASE team! I was totally amazed at how interested BHA students are in this sport.
On that note, starting from Term 3, I’d definitely want to teach them what Gulleongsoe is and how to play it. But my ultimate aim is more than that: I’d like to go further and teach the value of Korean culture and the ways to preserve it. I hope BHA students, most of whom are Korean, to acknowledge the importance of preserving our own culture - If We, Koreans, do not appreciate and preserve the tradition, who would? who could?
Once the program is settled, I would like to provide this opportunity not only to middle school students but also to Junior school students. I hope I can preserve this wonderful culture of Korea within our school, which mainly focuses on western education. I also hope we can pass this wonderful tradition down to the future generation. Lastly, I hope both the present and future generation can respect our ancestors who created this wonderful sport.