Touch Korea

How well do you know Korea? Come and meet the charms of Korea at Touch Korea! You are warmly invited!

Touch Korea

How well do you know Korea? Come and meet the charms of Korea at Touch Korea! You are warmly invited!

Touch Korea

How well do you know Korea? Come and meet the charms of Korea at Touch Korea! You are warmly invited!

Talchum

A photo of a korean cultural presentation
KoreaImagesComeTrue

Admiral Yi Sun-shin

KoreaImagesComeTrue

Seokguram Grotto

Photo of the Seokguram Grotto
KoreaImagesComeTrue

The Beautiful South Korea

Hope you enjoy watching this....   http://twitvid.com/0696D

Asean Handicraft Promotion and Development (AHPADA)

I just had the chance to visit the Asean Handicraft Promotion and Development Trade Exhibit (AHPADA) which was held in Manila, Philippines from October 26 - 28. Although it was supposedly meant for Asean countries only, non-Asean countries such as Japan, China, and Korea were invited to have a booth or pavilion to showcase their products and services. This year's product focus is fiber.

Here are some of the photos I took during the Opening Ceremony.

 

 

Hope you like the pictures...

Hanbok

I’ve always admired the beauty of the Korean traditional dress, the Hanbok. It’s simple, yet very elegant. And it is very versatile that you can use it as a semi-formal or formal attire during celebrations and festivals. And, recently, new designs have been created to transform the hanbok to a more suitable and comfortable everyday wear, the more it has contributed to its versatility. The beauty of the hanbok lies in the harmonious blend of its color and design as well as the straight and curved lines.

The woman’s outfit consists of a jogori, which is a short blouse with a long sleeve and a chima or a wrap around long skirt . It also has a dongjeong, or a white collar attachéd along the rim of the neckline and an otgoreum, or a cloth string, which is an ornamental piece which hangs vertically across the front of the chima.

While for men, the hanbok comprises of a baji, a baggy pants tied at the ankle, and also a jogori, but in a shape of a vest. Both hanboks can be topped by an overcoat called durumagi.

In the past, only the nobles are allowed to use brightly colored hanboks which were made of plain and patterned silk, while the commoners were restricted to using white, pale pink, light grey colored hanboks made of hemp and cotton. Now-a-days, white colored hanboks are used only by people who are in a state of mourning.

When it comes to price, hanboks are quite expensive though, it can start at around US$175 and cost more depending on the design, quality of the silk used, embroidery and decorations.

If in Korea, and your budget allows it, the hanbok would be a very good souvenir item from the Land of the Morning Calm.

Just like kimch, hanbok is an indelible symbol of Korea.

Kimchi

Talk of Korean food and I’m pretty sure that the first thing that will come to your mind is kimchi. Kimchi is the most popular food associated with Korea. Kimchi is a fermented vegetable dish which comes in different varieties, more than 160 varieties to be exact, and is prepared differently depending on the ingredients used, the time of year it was made, and, what region it came from. It is a regular mainstay in every Korean meal and is the most common pancham or side dish. However, kimchi is more than a side dish as it is combined with other ingredients to make other popular Korean dishes, such as kimchi jjigae, kimchi pancakes and kimchi fried rice.

Accordingly, the name kimchi is believed to have evolved from the word ji, which then became chimchae, literally meaning soaked vegetables, then dimchae, timchae, jimchi, and finally kimchi.

During the ancient times, kimchi was made of only cabbage and beef stock, a far cry from what it has evolved into these days, it was only during the 12th century that people begun adding several spices and seasoning. And in the 18th century, the red chili pepper finally became a major ingredient in kimchi.

A lot of vegetable can be made into kimchi, but the most popular variety is that made of cabbage or what they call baechu. Standard seasoning for kimchi include brine, scallions and seasonings. Other seasonings such as ginger, onions, fish sauce and fresh seafood are the most commonly used.

Although kimchi can be found in the entire Korean peninsula, its taste and appearance differs from region to region. Kimchi from the northern part tends to have less salt, less red chilli and usually no brined seafood for seasoning, and its consistency is more watery as compared to that of the other regions. While kimchi from the southern part is usually the opposite of how they prepare it in the north, it uses more salt, chili peppers and brined seafood (it may be brined anchovy or brined shrimp which is allowed to ferment).

Chungcheong is said to have the greatest varieties of kimchi while the saltiest and spiciest kimchi comes from Gyeongsan.

During the early parts of winter, Koreans celebrate what they call Gimjang, an age-old tradition of making kimchi for the coldest winter months. Usually done during the latter part of October or early November, it is considered a big event that close relatives, several neighbor housewives, and men help in this activity.

A Kimchi Festival is also held annually in Gwangju. Started in 1994, the festival highlights Korea’s kimchi culture and is usually conducted every October or November. During the festival, which lasts for several days, visitors are given the opportunity to make, taste, and buy kimchi products. Cultural presentations are also part of this festival.

Due to its health benefits, the popularity of kimchi has been steadily growing worldwide. Since it is made of various vegetables, kimchi is low in calorie yet rich in dietary fiber. It is also rich in Vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), C, calcium and iron, and also contains lactic acid.

Kimchi, definitely a Korean dish.

A foreigner's view on korea

It is almost impossible to talk of Asia and not to mention South Korea at least once in that same discussion. Indeed, for over the past decades now, Korea has proven to be an economic powerhouse in East Asia. Their products are heralded as among the best in the world, even proving superior to their American and European counterparts. Just a mere mention of the brand names Samsung, Kia, Hanjin, Hyundai, LG, iRiver, Cowon, and the first thing that would come to ones mind are high technology gadgets, the leader in its field, and all the superlatives one could actually use to describe a particular brand or product. Even in the world of sports, Korea has produced world-class athletes such as KJ Choi, Se Ri Pak, Park Tae Hwan, Park Ji Sung, just to name a few.

Hard to believe, that 56 years ago, this country was ravaged by war. A war which is more commonly referred to as 6:25 or the Forgotten War, a major conflict of the 20th century that gets far less attention than World War II, which came before it, and the Vietnam War, which came after it. From the meager resources that they had left, they devised and implemented a success formula that caused a major turnaround, politically, socially, and economically. True to form, Korea is now one of the largest economies in the world. Much has been reported and written concerning this blueprint for development and growth, particularly in the realm of politics and economy. I, however, feel that this country’s transformation owes a lot to the efforts and attitude of the Korean individual. Citizens, from all walks of life, from the poorest and most deprived up to those holding sway to power have come together to accomplish a common vision of peace and prosperity. They have done this, knowing that more than a few sacrifices would have to be made. Such a display of selflessness, duty and singleness of purpose is what strikes me about Korea.