I Love Korea! TheThe story story of of why why 33 foreignforeign tourists tourists fellfell in in love love with Korea. Korea. Co-plannedCo-planned by bythe the Visit Visit Korea Korea Committee Committee & & the the Korea Korea JoongAng JoongAng Daily Daily I Love Korea! The story of why 33 foreign tourists fell in love with Korea. Co-planned by the Visit Korea Committee & the Korea JoongAng Daily I Love Korea! This book was co-published by the Visit Korea Committee and the Korea JoongAng Daily newspaper. “The Korea Foreigners Fell in Love With” was a column published from April, 2010 until October, 2012 in the week& section of the Korea JoongAng Daily. Foreigners who visited and saw Korea’s beautiful nature, culture, foods and styles have sent in their experiences with pictures attached. I Love Korea is an honest and heart-warming story of the Korea these people fell in love with. c o n t e n t s 012 Korea 070 Heritage of Korea _ Tradition & History 072 General Yi Sun-sin 016 Nature of Korea _ Mountains, Oceans & Roads General! I get very emotional seeing you standing in the middle of Seoul with a big sword 018 Bicycle Riding in Seoul 076 Panmunjeom & the DMZ The 8 Streams of Seoul, and Chuseok Ah, so heart breaking! 024 Hiking the Baekdudaegan Mountain Range Only a few steps separate the south to the north Yikes! Bang! What?! Hahaha…an unforgettable night 080 Bukchon Hanok Village, Seoul at the Jirisan National Park’s Shelters Jeongdok Public Library, Samcheong Park and the Asian Art Museum, 030 Busan Seoul Bicycle Tour a cluster of Seoul Charm 548 km bike ride from Busan to Seoul, 086 Taekwondo thank you for the helmet-ful of Korean love Taekwondo is a friend of 20 years, and now I’m a Korean at heart 034 Jeju Olle Trail 092 Templestay I received a precious gift from this earth, I almost lost my knees doing the 108 bows, I feel 10 Years Younger thanks to the Olle trail barely kept my eyes open during the early morning service, 040 Hiking in Geojedo Island but I got to known a new side of Korea The Geoje Sanmaru-gil Road that I made, you will be shocked 098 The Gi (energy) Experience of Palgongsan Mountain 046 Migratory Bird Habitats in Korea One of my wishes was fulfilled that day “Arigato, Gatbawi!” I was mesmerized by the sight of migratory birds I saw in Suncheonman Bay, Haenam 052 Walking on Seoul's Namsan Mountain A life spent falling in love with the four seasons of Namsan Mountain, a life already 21 years old 058 Photo Journey of Korea The intoxicating orange light from the rising sun, I had fallen in love with the East Coast 064 Tour of Ulleungdo Island When you’ve missed the last boat, that’s when you get to see the generosity of Ulleungdo Island 104 Culture of Korea _ Hallyu & Passion 176 Tastes of Korea _ Nature, Health & Body 106 Tour of Busan 178 Jeonju Bibimbap It’s more affectionate because it’s loud and crazy. A spoonful of colorful ingredients, wow! Haeundae is a place you just keep wanting to go back to 184 Culinary Tour of the Namdo Area 110 Tour of Drama Filming Locations Food critic from Hong Kong can’t stop eating Namdo food Namiseom Island, Manjanggul Cave, East Sea Lighthouse… 190 Korean Street Food I came to see Bae Yong-joon, and I’m leaving with Korea in my heart I tried mandu, eomuk, gimbap, and… dak kkochi at a pojangmacha, 116 Korean Soccer and now I can’t forget the taste! I go to soccer stadiums to feel the “Real” Korea 194 Native Foods of Korea 120 Journey of Korean Literature Devotion beyond your imagination, Sonagi Village in Yangpyeong-gun I was humbled by seeing how gochujang is made and the Gwanghalluwon Garden in Namwon-si, 198 Tour of Traditional Markets Such a Romantic Korea There’s nothing that Moran Market doesn’t have, 128 Best Place to Propose and here I felt the warmth of Korea I proposed to my girlfriend at Lotte World, and she couldn’t stop crying 204 Food Culture of Andong-si 134 K-pop Live Spicy jjimdak for Lunch, Healthy heotjesabap for Dinner. Elementary English teacher during week, K-pop fanatic on weekends Fine dining from morning till night 140 Tour of the Korean Night Life Partying at clubs, noraebang, DVDbang, then relaxing at a jjimjilbang 210 16 Regional Areas of Korea + Must-see Routes 148 Exploring the Alleys of Seoul 246 Travel Information Experience the Depth of Seoul in the Small Alleys Between the Tall Buildings 152 Korean Popular Music I got to know Korean songs through Chu Ga-yeoul, and felt the Korean ‘jeong’ through Shim Su-bong 156 Busan's Sajik Baseball Park While Screaming for the “Busan Galmaegi” I too became a Citizen of Busan 162 Incheon International Airport See the Korean Wisdom at the Traditional Korean Cultural Experience Zone for Transit Travelers 168 Train Journey Romance in Public Transportation 012 | Korea | 013 A Unique Culture Based Four Seasons, on a Long History Four Different Settings Donggureung Royal Tombs ⓒKTO Dongnamgangnu Pavilion ⓒKTO Panmunjeom ⓒKTO Bulguksa Temple ⓒKTO Gyeonghwa Station ⓒKTO Jusanji Pond ⓒKTO Seonunsa Temple ⓒKTO Jirisan Mountain ⓒKTO Life was discovered in the Korean peninsula about With four distinct seasons, Korea belongs to the 700,000 years ago, and around BC 2000, Gojoseon, the temperate zone. Therefore depending on when you visit, first kingdom of Korea was born. As a country of 5000- a whole different setting will unfold before you. Koreans year history, Korea has many diverse cultures and relics, like to enjoy the changes of nature by going on trips as well as unique regional specialty products. Due to every season. Visit Korea and discover the colorful spring its proximity to the capital city of Seoul, Gyeonggi-do flowers, heart-warming summers, golden autumn leaves boasts a rich collection of royal heritage sites. Home to and snow-white winters. These four unique settings will the DMZ, Gangwon-do embraces the pains and sorrows keep your camera busy the whole time. of a still divided country, and it also has many beautiful mountains and temples. The Chungcheong-do region has many hot springs and resting areas, and the Jeolla-do region is known as the home of Korea’s tastes and flavors. The city of Andong, which is the noblemen’s village visited by Queen Elizabeth II, and the millennial city of Gyeongju are located in the Gyeongsang-do region, and the volcanic island of Jejudo has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage. 014 | Korea | 015 Korean Cuisine Korea at a Glance and Regional Specialties Location The Korean peninsula is situated Russia in the eastern tip of the Asian continent, and along with China and Japan is it part of East Asia. China Korea Japan 2 With a total area 222,135 km , 중국 South Korea occupies 99,461 km 2 (45%), and North Korea occupies 122,762 km2 (55%). North Korea is bordered to China along the Amnokgang River (Yule River), and to Russia along the Dumangang Baechu kimchi ⓒKTO Various types of kimchi ⓒKTO Jeonju traditional bibimbap ⓒKTO Heukdweji gui (grilled black pork) ⓒKTO River. South Korea is bordered by the East Sea and the South Sea, which separates is from Japan, and the Yellow Sea to the west. To most people, the first thing they think of when they Climate hear KOREA, is kimchi. The various flavors of the Korea is located in the northern hemisphere mid-latitude, and belongs to the temperate zone with four distinct seasons. The average temperature condiments used, and the hot and spicy gochugaru (Korea in spring runs between 15–19 (59–66 ), in summer around 30 (86 ), chili powder) are what make this dish so distinct and in autumn between 11–19 (52–66 ), and in winter the temperature is popular. The one thing that best describes a country’s about -6–7 (21–45 ). culture is usually its food. Korean food is highly affected by the country’s geography. Being a peninsula, Korea is History surrounded by the sea on three sides, and the northern The prehistoric age of Korea began 700,000 years ago, and with the inflow of the Bronze Age in BC 2000, the first Korean kingdom of Gojoseon was area is highly mountainous. The major ingredients of created. Gojoseon ended in BC 108 and was followed by the Early State, Korean food are wild vegetables gathered from the the Three Kingdoms Era, the Unified Silla Kingdom, and the Goryeo mountains, fresh seafood caught from the surrounding Dynasty. In the late 14th century, after the fall of Goryeo Dynasty, the waters, and grains grown in the fields. Therefore, by Joseon Dynasty rule the nation for 500 years, and between 1910 to 1945, trying Korean food, you can taste the mountains, the seas, Japan invaded Korea and thus was under Japanese rule. After gaining and the four seasons. freedom from Japan in 1945 the Republic of Korea was formed, but in 1950, the Korean War broke out and the country was divided. Gojoseon–Early State Unified Silla Kingdom Joseon Dynasty Republic of Korea (BC 2000–AD 180) (676–935) (1392–1910) (1945–) Prehistoric Era Three Kingdoms Era Goryeo Dynasty Japanese Rule (700,000 years (BC 108–AD 676) (918–1392) (1910–1945) ago–BC 2000) 016 Nature 017 Kathleen Stephens Davide Macullo Peter Walshaw Bicycle Riding in Seoul Jeju Olle Trail Walking on Seoul's Namsan Mountain of Korea – – – Roger Allan Shepherd Michael Eschenbach Leigh MacArthur Hiking the Baekdudaegan Hiking in Geojedo Island Photo Journey of Korea Mountain Range – – – Martin Sutherland Muroya Madoka Fujii Takashi Migratory Bird Habitats in Korea Tour of Ulleungdo Island Busan Seoul Bicycle Tour Mountains, Oceans & R o a d s Jirisan Mountain ⓒRoger Allan Shepherd 018 | Bicycle Riding in Seoul | 019 The celebration of Chuseok has changed since I first came to Korea many years ago; it no longer feels so connected with rural rhythms and harvests.