This is a story of one of the most respected families in Korea, the Choe family. The “Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations” adage exists for a reason, showing that retaining wealth can be even more difficult than creating it. However, the Choe family managed to pass the family legacies
Hwatu is the Koreanized version of Japanese hanafuda, which is believed to have been introduced to Korea in the late Josoen Dynasty era. The name of cards changed from hanafuda, meaning ‘flower cards’ to hwatu, meaning ‘flower fight.’ The Japanese letters on the cards were replaced by Korean words.
In some traditional tea houses, you will have complimentary snacks served with the tea. In others, you can order snacks from their menu. Typical snacks include dried persimmons, walnuts and pine nuts, and traditional sweets made of rice and oil. Sometimes, a plate of grilled rice cake bars will come
In the heart of Yeouido, Korea’s financial center as well as political arena, is a small park named after the capital city of Turkey. Ankara Park was created in honor of the sisterhood affiliation of Seoul and Ankara in 1971. Inside the park is a house from a traditional Turkish vineyard, called Ank
The healthy, nutritious, delicious ginseng chicken soup, or samgyetang in Korean, is one of the best-known Korean foods to foreign tourists. Made of a whole young chicken stuffed with rice and garlic and cooked in broth with ginseng, it used to be a special treat for the hottest period of the summer
Easily found in traditional markets are small stores, or snack bars or stalls, selling steamed buns and dumplings. Menus are very simple. Steamed buns filled with sweetened red bean paste, and steamed dumplings with various stuffing, including kimchi dumplings and meat dumplings, are stacked in stea
Sujeonggwa is fragrant traditional drink, usually served after the meal. It is made by brewing cinnamon and ginger, then adding honey or brown sugar, cooling the drink, then adding dried persimmon. It has long been loved for its clear deep color and unique harmony of two different flavors. A favorit
Makgeolli, Korean rice wine, goes best with some traditional dishes, first of which is pancake, called ‘jeon’ in Korean. There are many various kinds of pancakes of various sizes, and a dish of assorted pancakes is both good to taste and good to look at. Other conventional accompaniments to makgeoll
Naengmyeon is a Korean dish composed of noodles in a cold, meaty broth. Easily one of the most popular dishes among Koreans seeking a way to cool down during the hot summer, the best naengymeon is traditionally found in the North Korean capital of Pyeongyang, but as few people are able to visit the
Seoul Art Space Sindang is housed in an underground shopping arcade in Sindang-dong, an old neighborhood in Seoul. Unused or abandoned shops in the arcade, which had once thrived with bed clothing and traditional dress shops, were remodelled into workshops for young artists of design and craft, as a
Seoul is Korea’s the only Special City. The Hangang river runs through the city from east to west, roughly dividing the land into parts: gangbuk (north of the river) and gangnam (south of the river). Seoul City is divided into 25 administrative districts, of which 14 are in gangbuk, and 11 in gangna
Bulgogi is made of beef. There are restaurants serving pork bulgogi, but that is a different food. Thin slices of beef are marinated in a soy sauce-based mixture. Recipes may vary from region to region, from restaurant to restaurant. Marinated beef is traditionally cooked on grill, but pan-frying is
