Kimchi varieties

  Kimchi varieties   Kimchi, a tradithional Korean food made from various vegitables fermented with seasonings, is always served at the restaurants in Korea. People often think Kimchi is very spicy but some Kimchi are mild and make it easy fo foreigners to enjoy.   Baekchu KimchiKkakdugiBaek kimchiChonggak kimchi most popular Kimchi made with cabbage…

Hanbok Clothing

  Hanbok Clothing   The Hanbok is the traditional outfit of the Korean people. Koreans nowadays wear this outfit only on festive days or special anniversaries, however it was worn daily up until just 100 years ago. It is a kind of traditional formal dress and most Koreans keep a hanbok for these special times.…

Taekwondo

  Taekwondo   Taekwondo is a martial art form and sport that uses the hands and feet for attack and defense. The focus of Taekwondo is on training and disciplining the mind along with the body. For those learning the martial art it plays four different roles.   First, Taekwondo as an Exercise Taekwondo is…

Han Ok(Traditional House)

  Han Ok(Traditional House)   Hanok, traditional Korean houses, are environment-friendly establishments as they are built with materials readily available in nature, such as wood, earth, stone, straw, clay (for ceramic roof tiles), and paper. The two major types of hanok are giwajip (houses with tiled roofs) occupied by the nobility and chogajip (houses with straw-thatched roofs)…

Joseonwangjosillok

  Joseonwangjosillok   Annals of the Joseon Dynasty The annals of the Joseon Dynasty comprise 1,893 books covering 472 years (1392 -1863) of the history of the Joseon Dynasty, from the reign of King Taejo, the founder, to the end of the reign of King Cheoljong. Thick extensive set of records is considered to deal…

Joseon upper-class clothes come to life

  Joseon upper-class clothes come to life   During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), young male intellectuals, known as seonbi, would think that their clean, proper attire reflected their pure dignity and their courtesy as a virtuous scholar. Taking place these days in Seoul, there is an exhibition that allows visitors to get a glimpse of one of…

Alcohol in Korean life 1

  Alcohol in Korean life 1   Sul, the general purpose Korean word for all types of alcohol, is a much more romantic and culturally meaningful word than its English language equivalent, alcohol. Sul implies a culture, a sharing between friends, whereas the English “alcohol” can be somewhat scientific or cold, or even damning. “A pint,” in the…