UNSRC Korean Cultural Society

Take a stroll along the fortress wall of Seoul that stretches from Mt. Bugak, Mt. Naksan, Mt. Namsan and Mt. Inwang. / Korea Times File

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

For tourists, Korea is full of undiscovered places with interesting histories ― and one of those neighborhoods is Seongbuk-dong.

Located in the northeastern part of Seoul, Seongbuk-dong has hidden treasures and attractions, some historical, others cultural.

Take a break from work, and stroll along the Bugak Skyway or enjoy tea at one of the oldest cafes in Seoul.

Historic Visits
The Fortress Wall of Seoul

The fortress wall of Seoul was built during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) and was aimed at protecting the city from invasions. The wall was built over Mt. Bugak, Mt. Naksan, Mt. Namsan and Mt. Inwang and was originally 18.2 kilometers long.

In 1899, parts of it were destroyed and now only 10.5 kilometers remain.

The fortress originally had four grand gates ― Dongdaemun, Doneuimun, Sungnyemun and Sukjeongmun. Dongdaemun and Sukjeongmun still stand today, while Doneuimun has been destroyed. Sungnyemun is currently under reconstruction after being destroyed in an arson attack last year.

Visitors can find various flora and fauna along the wall, and also explore its wonders and beauty. Etchings on the stones show the construction process, from the date to the builder’s name.

The fortress wall and area around Mt. Bugak were closed to the public for 38 years due to security reasons, but were finally reopened to the public in 2007.

As it is near the Blue House, you may be asked to show identification, so be prepared. The fortress wall opening hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the Cultural Heritage Administration offers tours most days except Mondays.

To get to the wall, leave by exit 2 of Anguk Station on line 3, take the green bus No. 02 and get off at Sungkyunkwan University. For more information, visit www.bukak.or.kr.

Sukjeongmun Gate

Sukjeongmun gate is located at the northern part of the wall and was built as a secret passageway between Yangju and Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. As it was known to have negative energy and also represent water, it was not commonly used by the public, and was only open during droughts and closed during floods. Entry had been prohibited to the public after armed spies attacked the area, but it has now been reopened. The gate visitors see today was reconstructed in 1976.

Jeongbeop and Kilsang Temples

Jeongbeop Temple is located in the eastern part of the neighborhood and is the oldest temple in Seongbuk-dong. No historic records have been found regarding the temple, but historians presume that it was built during the early 1920s after recovering and dating the temple bell and paintings. Although the temple is located in the busy district of the neighborhood, it is famous for its tranquility and also numerous paintings of Buddha and other religious artwork. For more information, visit www.jbtemple.org.

Kilsang Temple is famous for the Kilsang Seonwon, or Seon Center, which is used for meditation. It was built in 1997, and although it is not big in size, it offers various activities, from concerts and meditation sessions to temple stay programs. For more information, visit www.kilsangsa.or.kr.

Cultural Insights
Seongnakwon

Seongnakwon is one of the Joseon Kingdom’s representative and few remaining, villas in Seoul. Famous for its beauty and the impeccable detail of its buildings, Seongnakwon was originally used as the villa for Minister Shim Sang-eung under the rule of King Cheoljong (1831-1863). It was then used as a detached palace for King Uiwang (1877-1955). A forest of zelkova, pine, oak and maple trees, along with a waterfall, garden and lake, surrounds the villa.

The Old House of Yi Tae-jun and Choi Sun-u’s Hanok

The old house of Yi Tae-jun, also known as Suyeongsanbang, is the first traditional teahouse that was renovated from an ordinary hanok, or a Korean traditional house, in Korea. Yi’s granddaughter was in charge of the renovation, and although the teahouse is not spacious compared to other modern cafes around the neighborhood, it holds an important tradition, both in teahouses and also in respect to the famous writer. There are a total of six tables where visitors can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Mt. Bukak and its surroundings.

Yi is considered one of the writers who established modern Korean literature, making his debut in 1925 with his novel “Omongnyeo.”

To get to the teahouse, get off at Hansung University station on subway line 4. Leave by exit 6 and take bus No. 85. Get off at Taego Temple and walk straight.

Choi Sun-u, the former director of the National Museum of Korea, lived in a hanok that was built in the 1920s, complete with the main building and an annex house facing each other. The main house resembles the Korean letter “ㄱ,” while the annex looks like the letter “ㄴ,” making the hanok resembling “ㅁ” as a whole. The front yard displays various flowers and trees, along with stoneware and traditional household appliances used by the owner and his family, perfectly preserved. The traditional house was at the verge of being destroyed after the owner’s death, following the trend of demolishing traditional houses and renovating them as Westernized, but the National Trust Cultural Heritage Fund, Korea, bought the buildings. As the first cultural heritage preserved by citizens, the house is a perfect spot to explore how Koreans lived traditionally in the modern world.

The house is located near Hansung University on subway line 4, exit 6. Take the 1111 or 2112 bus and get off Hongik middle and high school.

Samcheonggak

Samcheonggak was originally a famous salon employing gisaeng, or Korean female entertainers, where behind-the-scenes political meetings took place during the 1970s and ’80s. In 2000, the Seoul metropolitan government designated the area and the buildings as cultural facilities and transformed them into a cultural haven. Samcheonggak became a traditional performance hall ― with various performances and events being held every day ― a meeting hall, a restaurant and teahouse. To get there, take the Seoul City Bus that stops at Deoksugung Palace, the Seoul Press Center, Kyobo Book Store, Insa-dong and Gyeongbok Palace. For more information, visit www.3pp.co.kr or call (02) 765-3700.

Bugak Skyway

The Bugak Skyway is a spiral shaped road that follows the ridges of Mt. Bugak. First opened in 1968, it takes about 30 minutes from start to finish by car, but the road can be much better appreciated on foot. Visitors can enjoy the beautiful scenery the road offers, which is a rare opportunity in a metropolitan city. Walking along the sidewalk constructed by the Seongbuk-gu Office, you can get a glimpse of Mt. Bukhan, the Han River and Seoul.

sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

News Clippings

From the Los Angeles Times
By Ju-min Park

But there has always been one indelicate matter: how to mask the garlicky and often offensively pungent odor.

Instead of being insulted, Kim went to work on a novel culinary concept that in this country was about as revolutionary as the seedless watermelon: She wanted to take the funky odor out of her beloved kimchi, which ranks among odoriferous global foods such as Limburger cheese and China’s “stinky tofu.”

The ambitious curly-haired woman had already been named by the South Korean Food Ministry in 2007 as the nation’s first kimchi master, a designation that honors her mastery of the dish. Working with a team of food experts, she set to work to come up with a new type of freeze-dried pickled cabbage that doesn’t smell even after water is added, appealing to both foreigners and the fussiest Korean eaters.

“When it soaks in water either hot or cold for a few minutes, it will become just like ordinary kimchi,” says Kim, the owner of Han Sung Food in suburban Seoul.

Koreans are crazy about kimchi, the ubiquitous dish that is served with every meal and is available as both entree and appetizer. There are kimchi pancakes, soup and fried rice. Even Western restaurants here offer the dish. And there’s a kimchi museum in Seoul.

As kimchi folklore goes, Koreans began eating the pickled dish about 1,300 years ago. Making kimchi is often a family affair: Parents and children pickle the Chinese cabbage harvested in the fall so it will last year-round. Most South Korean households have a special kimchi refrigerator to keep the odor from contaminating other foods.

Yet in a nation that has set a goal of establishing its cuisine as among the world’s five most popular by 2017, kimchi’s odor has always been a stumbling block. According to a survey by the Seoul-based Corea Image Communication Institute, the unique smell of Korean food is the biggest barrier to globalizing the cuisine.

Even in South Korea there’s a social no-no known as kimchi breath — the whiff of cabbage seasoned and fermented in chili, garlic and ginger that can send listeners reaching for their handkerchiefs.

Kim, who has run her own kimchi factory since 1986, isn’t stopping with freeze-dried cabbage. She says the concept can be used in beer and wine, and for making such snacks as dried kimchi dipped in chocolate.

“Crispy but yummy!” she says. “Also, it’s full of fiber.”

But not everyone here is convinced that less stinky means better. Food critics suggest that the pungent smell is a fascinating part of the blood-red dish.

“Some people who like freshness could dislike” dried kimchi, says Cho Jae-sun, a food science professor at Kyung Hee University. The dish, an acquired taste, isn’t the same without its telltale aroma, Cho says.

Kim shrugs off such doubters and says she has already taken one order from Japan, even though her product has yet to go into mass production.

Twists on kimchi have come — and gone — in South Korea. There was the kimchi burger and kimchi risotto, both now footnotes in the history of the nation’s cuisine.

Kim hopes that her new odorless kimchi will create more global fans of the food.

She’s ready to start her campaign but manages to stop long enough to have her picture taken. She smiles and, as the camera flashes, utters her favorite word in the Korean language.

“Kimchi,” she says.

Park is an assistant in The Times’ Seoul Bureau.

News Clippings

Korea Times
07-22-2009 18:16

With the typical four seasons of a temperate zone, Korea produces a variety of seasonal food ingredients ― such as grains, beans, vegetables and seafood. By using them, main dishes and side dishes, as well as storable fermented foods such as sauces, kimchi and salt-pickled seafood, have been developed.

And, with the custom being to share these foods with neighbors, seasonal and festival foods have also thrived, and regional foods made with native products have been developed. As the topographical character, mountains and fields spread out over the country, and three sides of the land are surrounded by sea, Korea has an abundance of marine products, and agriculture techniques for rice cultivation among others were developed at an early age.

During the Joseon Dynasty, when Confucianism prevailed, based on the conception of devotion to parents, serving ancestors in the patriarchal system emerged as most important. This is what established the traditional Korean dietary lifestyle.

The culture of Korean foods, harmonized with nature, and social and cultural environments, has developed foods to promote seasonal features and regional characteristics, which are as follows:

1. Main dishes and side dishes have been developed independently. Main dishes including rice, porridge and other flour-made dishes are accompanied with a side dish to provide a balanced meal.

2. There are various types of dishes and recipes. Korean dishes have various cooking methods, including cooked rice, soup, steamed foods, grilled foods, salad, and fried and braised foods.

3. A varieties of tastes and appearances are on offer. During cooking, various seasoning is added to heighten traditional Korean tastes. And lots of different garnishes made of ingredients such as nuts, eggs and mushrooms decorate dishes to make them more visually appealing.

4. There are two notions about foods. Based on the doctrine of “eumyangohaeng,” or of the five natural elements of the positive and negative in Asian philosophy, five-colored ingredients or garnishes are employed in foods, and the concept of “yaksikdongwon,” which means “food and medicine are of the same origin,” can be found in the recipes.

5. All dishes are served at the same time. Prepared dishes are served on one table at the same time. There are three-, five-, seven-, nine- and 12-course table setting rules, but all of them are basically for one person.

6. Regional, seasonal and fermented foods have been developed. There are various special native products from every region of the country. Regional and seasonal foods made with native ingredients have been enjoyed, and several fermented foods made as a seasonal specialty ― such as soy sauce, soybean paste, salt-pickled seafood and kimchi have been developed.

7. Korean food is characterized by an intricate table setting and a rigid set of table manners. Under the influence of Confucianism, festival and ritual foods for various ceremonies for first birthdays, marriages, funerals and memorial services have been developed.

News Clippings