Jang Yoon Soo giving an introductory performance. Photographed by Kim Sun Min

On October 30, Korea University (KU) Pioneer Village hosted the fourth Dynamic Active Lecture (DAL) in π-Ville, with the topic of “Learning Magic” to fit the month of Halloween. Ko Gwang Myeong, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KS Edu & Company, was invited to KU along with Jang Yoon Soo, one of the magicians of the firm, as a guest speaker to show and teach magic to students of KU.

Ko and Jang began with simple yet surprising magic tricks that involve using rings and ropes to introduce themselves. Ko tried to break the ice with a variety of performances that induced an enthusiastic response from the audience and encouraged an interactive atmosphere. During the lecture, Ko asked the audience what they thought magic was, to which they responded with phrases and words such as “a trick of the eye,” “performance,” or “art.” Ko asserted that magic is “the act of making the impossible seem possible.”

Before commencing the latter part of the lecture, Ko also explained, “Magic is like clothing. The person performing has to find the method that fits to his or her personality, just as one would when shopping for clothing.” He emphasized that there is no winner or loser in the magic show between the entertainer and the audience, that the performers do not have to defeat them by their tricks while the spectators do not have to win by finding out the secret behind each magic trick. After that, the lecture proceeded to the latter part in which KU students had an opportunity to actually learn magic in the interactive class.