The Smiles of the Baby Buddha has been published with the idea that it might serve as a guide to both the beauty and the faults of Kyŏngju, and by extension, an introduction to Korean culture. This book also serves as a good guidebook for foreigners visiting Kyŏngju, and foreigners who come to understand Korean culture and the innate spirit of the People.Whereas many works on Korean cultural sites are little more than guidebooks, Prof. Yu’s work provides the reader with a deeper perspective, explaining each site’s significance instead of merely listing unrelated facts.

From the Publisher
This book was designed to allow foreign visitors to have an authentic experience of Kyongju during a two or three-day itinerary. With this in mind, the book has been divided into two sections: Introduction as guide for first-time visitors, and three parts as a collection of essays. This is an excellent choice for those who seek to have deeper insights into the unique features of Korean and Kyongju

About the Author
Yu Hong-june / Author

As an art historian and critic, he has led the way in introducing Korea’s cultural heritage to bothe Koreans and foreigners. He presently works as a professor at Yongnam Univ. and has been the director of the Museum of Yongnam Univ.(1996-99) In order to promote cultural awareness among the general population, Prof. Yu also acted as a representative in the Association of Cultural Heritage Explorers from 1989 to 1999.

Charles M.Mueller / Translator

In 1992, Mr Mueller completed his B.A. in philosophy at Seoul National University, followed by an M.A. in oriental philosophy at Hallym University. He then served as a consultant and editor for the Korean compendium Project at Australia National University’s Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies. He presently works as a Korean Instructor at DLI.