Passport to Korean Culture, Summaries of Korean Language and Literature

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Passport to

Korean Culture

Korean Cluture and Information Service

Ministy of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Popular Culture andHallyu

• 10. The “Korean Wave” and Pop Stars
• 11. TV Dramas
• 12. Chungmu-ro and the Film Industry
• 13. Korean Pop Songs outside Korea
• 14. Taekwondo
• 15. Football and the Red Devils
• 16. B-boys andNamsadang
• 17.Samullori and Nanta
• 18. Koreans at Leisure Leisure
• 19.Norae-bang andJjimjil-bang
• 20. Tourist Attractions
• 21. Seoul City Tour Seoul City Tour
• 22. Museums

Part 2 Korea in History

(^) In Pursuit of the Korean Heritage 1.Hanbok 103

2. Major Holidays 106
3. Traditional Life Experience 110

(^) Elegant Tastes of the Korean People

4. Classical Music 115
5. Traditional Dance 119
6. Graceful Pottery 123

Contents

Enjoying Life in Korea

1. Currency and Prices
2. Shopping
3. Efficient Public Transportation
4. Housing
5. Special Days

Korean Food

6. Unique Flavors ofKimchi
7. Koreans and Rice Cakes
8. Table Manners
9. Five Dishes Non-Koreans Like Best

Popular Culture andHallyu

10. The "Korean Wave" and Pop Stars
11. TV Dramas
12. Chungmu-ro and the Film Industry
13. Korean Pop Songs outside Korea
14. Taekwondo
15. Football and the Red Devils
16. B-boys andNamsadang 17.Samullori and Nanta

Leisure

18. Koreans at Leisure 19.Norae-bang andJjimjil-bang
19. Tourist Attractions

Seoul City Tour

21. Seoul City Tour
22. Museums

Part I Korea Today

(^) Currency and Prices

The Korean currency is called the Won (), and Korean money consists of banknotes in four denominations (1,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 50,000) and coins in six denominations (1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500). However the 1 and 5 coins are virtually unused today because of their very small value. Historical fig- ures, cultural treasures and important symbols are featured on the notes and coins.

The Appearance of Korean Money

Sin Saim-dang was the mother of Yi I, one of Korea's most famous Neo-Confucian scholars). She was an accomplished artist who was partic- ularly famous for her paintings of nature sub- jects such as flowers and insects. Her image graces the largest-denomination Korean bill, 50,000-won note, for her adorable motherhood and faithful wifehood. King Sejong (r. 1418-1450), the 4th monarch of the Joseon kingdom (1392-1910) appears on the 10,000 note. He is credited with the invention of the Korean native script, Han-geul, a project that was carried out with the help of selected scholars. He was also very much interested in the promotion of science, and many important inventions were created during his reign, includ- ing a rain gauge and sundial.

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Enjoying Life in Korea 9

The portrait of Yi I (1536~1584, pen name: Yulgok) appears on the 5,000 note. He was one of the most prominent scholars in Joseon and an accomplished statesman who is acclaimed for his tireless efforts to fight political corruption in his time. The person who appears on the 1,000 note is another great Joseon philoso- pher, Yi Hwang (1501~1570, pen name: Toe-gye). He was a leading scholar in the study and development of Neo-Confucianism. The Manchurian crane, a symbol of longevity, wealth and fame, is depicted on the front of 500 coin, while the 100 coin features the portrait of Admiral Yi Sun-sin (1545~1598). He brought key victories to Korea during the Imjin War (1592~1598), utterly defeating invading Japanese naval fleets with his "turtle ships," the world's first iron-clad war vessels. The obverse of the 50 coin bears the image of a rice stalk, emphasizing the importance of Korea's agrarian tradition. Dabo-tap, a four-storied stone pagoda at Bulguk-sa (tem- ple in Gyeongju) is on the face of 10 coin. The pagoda is consid- ered one of the finest examples of stone masonry from the Silla king- dom (57 BCE-935 CE), was desig- nated Korean National Treasure No. 20, and was included on UNESCO's World Heritage list in

Korean Housing and

Transportation Expenses

Housing is rather expensive in

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Apartment: typical housing

(^) Shopping

Shopping is one of the great pleasures awaiting travelers to Korea. Shopping venues are diverse, including the traditional open markets, fish markets and department stores. People go to these places not only to shop but also to discover the latest fads and trends.

Variety of Markets

No trip is complete without a visit to the local marketplace. Traditional markets that carry local specialties are always tourist attractions for their uniqueness, unlike the modern discount stores or department store.

Gyeongdong Shijang

The massive (some 100,000m^2 ) Gyeongdong Shijang (Market) is in Seoul's Jegi- dong (District). This market formed in 1953, after the Korean War, with vendors coming together spontaneously to buy and sell hot peppers, garlic, wild greens and herbs. As such, it became a center for buying ingredients for Oriental herb medi-

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Ingredients for Oriental herb medicine at Gyeongdong Market

cine. One of the great benefits here is the low prices. Pricing is not set, and people can still haggle on unit prices and get volume discounts. This is a place where you can feel the warmth of common folk, Koreans of the most genuine kind.

Namdaemun Shijang

East of Namdaemun (the Great South Gate in Seoul) is a huge marketplace, visited each day by some 450,000 to 500,000 people. On a site of more than 40,000m 2 are 58 buildings that collec- tively house over 9,000 shops, with 97,000m 2 in total floor space. Here you can buy clothes, fabrics, kitchen uten- sils, home appliances, foodstuffs imported goods and many other items, retail or wholesale, at very attractive prices. Shoppers are not only local but also from America, Europe, Southeast Asia and elsewhere. A major item found here is children's clothing; in fact 90% of all the children's clothing in Korea passes through here. The advantage for buyer and seller is the elimination of middle men, meaning lower prices without compromis- ing quality. The market opens at 11: AM and closes at around 3:00 AM the following day. Late at night, the place remains crowded with retailers and wholesalers from all over the country; the hustle and bustle is a memorable experience for any visitor.

Dongdaemun Fashion Town

The area near the Great East Gate (Dongdaemun) has long been a popular

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Enjoying Life in Korea 13

Dynamic and lively Namdaemun Market

Buying clothes at Dongdaemun Market

the "Gyeongseong Fish Market" at Uiju-ro, near the Seoul Railway Station in 1927. Some 370 dif- ferent marine products, including live or frozen fish, are sold wholesale through auction. The products are delivered from all parts of the coun- try. The auction starts at 1:00 AM for shellfish, 1:30 AM for fresh fish and 3:00 AM for live fish. People can also buy individual fish for cooking or sashimi at low prices. The daily transaction vol- ume averages around 330 tons of marine prod- ucts, worth some 1 billion. More than 30,000 people and 5,000 vehicles visit the market daily, and some 100,000 tons of products are sold here annually.

Traditional Moran Market

The market at Seongnam-dong in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province is held every fifth day, on the 4th, 9th, 14th, 19th, 24th and 29th of each month. This is probably Korea's most popular "5-day market," drawing some 50,000 people each time it opens. The merchants total about 2,000 (1,200 registered members and some 800 non-member vendors). The market is divided into several sections that specialize in medicinal herbs, garments, flowers, grain, shoes, marine products, vegetables, food, pet dogs, poultry, and sundries. Visit the food section and you can eat gener- ous portions of traditional rice soup with blood sausage, noodles and pork head in a simple yet inexpensive setting. Sometimes you will also be treated to street entertainment reminiscent of traditional times.

Yongsan Jeonja Sang-ga

The Yongsan Electronics Mall (Jeonja Sang-ga), in Yongsan-gu, deals in person- al computers, computer peripherals and other electronic and electric goods. Clustered together in this area are large buildings (Jeonja Land, Seo-in Sangga, Terminal Jeonja Sangga and others) with multiple vendors. Computer buffs can

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Enjoying Life in Korea 15

Market Websites : Gyeongdong Market: http://www.kyungdongmart.com Dongdaemun Fashion Town: http://www.dongdaemunsc.co.kr Noryangjin Fish Market: http://www.susansijang.co.kr Moran Market: http://www.moranjang.org/ Other Shopping Centers

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either have their own PCs assembled here or purchase do-it-yourself parts.

Department Stores & Other Large Retailers

Koreans around the country today fre- quently shop at large retailers that carry everything from food and clothes to home appliances, and consumer electronics at attractive prices. They are usually conve- niently located near public transportation and offer plenty of parking space. The sales area is spacious and pleasant, and the stores remain open till late evening. Some of the better-known ones are E- mart, Lotte Mart and Home Plus. Department stores (Lotte, Hyundai, Shinsegae, Galleria and others) are for high-end luxury goods.

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Yongsan Electronics Mall

Department store

provide information on the estimated arrival time of each bus. The low fare is another reason why bus ride is so popular. You also receive a discount on the basic fare as well as on transfers between bus lines, or bus and subway lines.

Rapid Subway Service throughout

Greater Seoul

The Seoul Metro offers fast, inexpen- sive and convenient services via 11 lines that connect virtually every destination. For instance, Line 1 is connected with Line 2 at Seoul City Hall Station; Lines 1 and 4 intersect at Seoul Railway Station, and Lines 5 and 9 serve the international and domestic air terminals at

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Subway information is available on Seoul Metro homepage. (http://www.seoulmetro.co.kr/)

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Inside a Seoul Metro train

Seoul Metro platform

Gimpo. The subways are safe and reliable, unaffected by road traffic congestion. The basic rate starts at 1,000-1,300. The subway will get you to most tourist attractions downtown as well as throughout the Greater Seoul Area, extending as far as Soyosan in the north, Yangsu in the southeast and Sinchang in the south. On the subway you pay only half what a regular train costs; for example, the subway takes you to Onyang Hot Springs for only 3,500. The Seoul Metro is a truly attractive way to get around on weekends to areas within the Seoul city limits as well as out into Gyeonggi and Chungcheong Provinces.

Multiple Taxi Types

Taxis are readily available in Korean cities. The basic fare starts at 2,600, and the meter increases at 100 increments. The cost of taking a taxi in Korea is much lower than fares charged in most other countries. You may catch taxis on the street or call them to come to your location (in which case you pay an additional 1,000 won if the total fare is less than 10,000). The fare can be paid in cash or with either a transportation card or credit card. A free interpretation service is available for communi- cation with taxicab drivers. In Seoul, "water taxis" also run on the Han River, providing shuttles during rush hour or used by individuals or families for tourism or fun.

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Enjoying Life in Korea 19

Using International Taxis International taxis are fast becoming popular among foreign visitors in Seoul. The drivers speak English, Japanese and/or Chinese, providing friendly service. You may reserve an international taxi by contacting the Call Center (1566-2255) one hour in advance, any time, 365 days a year. For more information, log onto www.internationaltaxi.co.kr

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Regular taxi