UNSRC Korean Cultural Society

KOREA HERALD

It was rise and shine before 8 a.m. yesterday for Sengway Lim, his wife and two daughters in order to head down to the historically rich city of Gyeongju, about 370 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

The family from Singapore was among the first bus load of foreign visitors to experience the newly launched free shuttle bus service yesterday running from Seoul to two of the country’s historically significant cities — Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province and Jeonju, the capital of North Jeolla Province.

The free shuttle bus program was organized by the Visit Korea Committee, a body under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, designed to promote travel to Asia’s fourth-largest economy from 2010 and 2012. The government hopes to expand foreign visitors’ horizons of Korea and widen their interest to other regions, as most tend to focus on Seoul.

Visitors to Seoul pose for a photo Tuesday before they get the first free limousine bus ride service to Gyeongju and Jeonju from Seoul. Kim Myung-sub/The Korea Herald

“Since most tourists are focused on Seoul during their visit to our country, we thought offering this free shuttle bus service to other regions would put other parts of our country on the international travel radar, while contributing to promoting regional development,” said Park Sang-sub, manager of the Visit Korea Committee’s public relations team. “Providing this convenient travel service would encourage more foreign travelers to explore other parts of the country, and their experience would help promote these other regions through word of mouth.”

The free shuttle buses to Gyeongju and Jeonju are available at 8 a.m. every day except Mondays. The two buses leave from the Gwanghwamun area in downtown Seoul, a major stop also for Seoul City tour buses. Each bus seats only 28 people, so there could be competition for places. The same free bus program to the same two destinations will be made available from Busan, Korea’s second-largest city, starting July 1.

All users must be of non-Korean nationality. Prospective passengers must sign up in advance through the Visit Korea Committee official home page at www.visitkoreayear.com.

Organizers said visitors to Korea could be informed of the free shuttle program through travel agencies, accommodation facilities and relevant online sites.

“We learned about this free shuttle bus service from the manager of the Namu Guest House, which is where we are staying,” Lim told The Korea Herald. “The manager encouraged us to go and see historical places not in Seoul, so we look forward to seeing something different from the city.”

Lim and his family opted for a two-day trip to Gyeongju. They are in Korea for a week-long trip.

To make the travel experience even more memorable and comfortable, passengers will be escorted on a top-quality limousine bus complete with first-class service. These include Internet connection, a DVD system and personal ear phones, and various tourist paraphernalia.

Gyeongju, in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, is celebrated for its rich historical sites going back to the Shilla Kingdom (B.C. 57 to A.D. 935). It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea and is recorded as one of the longest-lasting dynasties in Asian history.

Jeonju, the capital city of North Jeolla Province, is known for its cuisine, particularly teh bibimbap, a dish featuring rice with mixed vegetables and meat. The city also boasts of housing historic architectural sites, ancient relics, and traditional festivals.

Reflecting its serious agenda to promote the country as a global travel hot spot, the Visit Korea Committee has embraced an international workforce.

Saiki Sumika, a Japanese national proficient in Korean, was hired as a full-time employee to manage the Japanese version of the Visit Korea website.

Sumika says she also plays a role in letting the word out about Korea to her compatriots, while helping out tourists from her country.

“I think this free transportation service is a very good idea and will be used by many visitors,” she said.

By Yoo Soh-jung   (sohjung@heraldm.com)

News Clippings

JoongAng Daily

	Makgeolli-making experts participate in a competition hosted by the Food Ministry on May 10 at Korea House in central Seoul. By Oh Jong-taek

A dozen Korean ladies outfitted in pink aprons roll up their sleeves and sterilize their hands with cloths soaked in soju liquor. Then they spend 10 minutes hand-blending steamed sticky rice, yeast dissolved in water and azalea petals, before pouring the mixture into plastic containers. “Don’t forget to put it in the cool shade and stir it every morning and night with a spoon for a week. Think of it as like growing a plant. Those of you who are successful will have your own makgeolli,” said the instructor at the podium.

The group of women - the wives of Korean diplomats - were taking a three-hour lecture on traditional Korean rice wine at the Institute of Traditional Korean Food in downtown Seoul last Tuesday afternoon. What they were making was azalea sticky rice makgeolli.

They volunteered to register for the class to learn more about the beverage, which is now gaining in popularity. Some of the students will soon leave for overseas posts with their husbands.

	Colorful cocktails were part of the Lotte Hotel’s “Amazing Makgeolli Bar” last month. Provided by the Lotte Hotel

Lim Sook-do, leader of the diplomat wives’ society, says she intends to show the people at her husband’s future post how to make the milky, lightly carbonated drink.

“What we’ve learned today is going to be very useful overseas,” she said, “just like the lectures I took here years ago about tteok [rice cakes].”

The group lecture provided by the decade-old private institution is just one part of the effort by the public and private sectors to push the regional makgeolli craze sparked last year to a global scale.

According to Lee Su-kyoung, a spokeswoman with the institute, makgeolli-making lectures for individual groups have become quite popular. Two days after the diplomatic wives’ visit, a delegation of Samsung Electronics workers took the same course. “We usually don’t have male students since we are a culinary institute, but men take special interest in makgeolli lectures because they are the actual consumers,” she said.

	Lee Sang-kyun, center, a traditional drink specialist, teaches a group of spouses of Korean diplomats how to make makgeolli at the Institute of Traditional Food. By Seo Ji-eun

And it’s not just Koreans, either. In recent months tourist agencies are increasingly booking the rare experience for their clients.

“Before, the majority of tourist groups were Japanese, but the nationalities are getting diverse now. We had a group of scientists from Boston a few days ago,” she said. Any group of 10 to 20 members can apply for the lecture, she said, with each paying 35,000 won ($29). Teachers who speak English or Japanese are available.

Crazy for makgeolli

Makgeolli is made from rice or wheat flour, water and yeast. Its name comes from the Korean words for rough, mak, and filtered, geolli. It was long considered a drink for farmers, laborers and country bumpkins due to its relatively cheap costs, but came into fashion in a serious way last year.

Exports have exploded. In March, $1.53 million worth of the drink were sent overseas, displacing the previous record high of $1.2 million from December 2009, according to the Korea Customs Service. Compared with the same quarter a year earlier, exports of makgeolli in the first three months of this year more than tripled. A flurry of products made of makgeolli have been invented - from cocktails to ice cream, soap and vinegar. In view of the trend, the Samsung Economic Research Institute, a leading private think tank, designated makgeolli one of Korea’s hit products of 2009.

Domestic consumers only caught on to the trend after makgeolli found startling success in Japan, where the Hallyu boom of Korean pop culture has remained strong since 2002, said Hur Si-myung, a travel writer and alcoholic beverage critic. Domestic media coverage and industry-wide efforts to promote the drink followed.

Hur claimed the popularity of the rice wine can be traced back to its vaunted health benefits, which include a massive amount of lactic acid bacteria - 500 times the levels in yogurt - and dietary fiber, both thought to aid digestion. Tourists from Japan, females in particular, were attracted to light and sweet yet tangy taste.

“Those female Japanese tourists who love Korean food tend to prefer mild alcoholic beverages. That’s probably why they took interest in makgeolli rather than the much stronger soju,” Hur said.

Beer typically has an alcohol content of 4 to 6 percent, while soju is about 20 percent and Western wine is 12 percent. Makgeolli is on the lower end, at 6 percent alcohol content.

Optimistic about the prospects for the drink’s continuing popularity, Hur opened a “makgeolli school” for adults last October in Daehangno, where a diverse audience learns about the drink, visits well-known breweries and tastes different types. Those registered for the 10-week course include restaurant and bar owners, alcohol exporters, housewives, university students and even Koreans living abroad.

“Makgeolli is attractive in that it tastes different every time you drink it - just like kimchi does. It’s an organism. Adults in Korea spend so much time drinking alcohol, you need to know more about what goes through your body,” he said.

Over the past year, makgeolli bars have sprouted like mushrooms even in Seoul’s trendiest areas, such as Cheongdam-dong, Apgujeong-dong and Hongik University. Even five-star hotels have jumped onto the bandwagon.

The Lotte Hotel, for example, opened an “Amazing Makgeolli Bar” at its Sogong-dong branch in central Seoul last month, serving makgeolli made from black bean and sweet potato in addition to colorful flavored makgeolli in strawberry, banana, melon and Korean black raspberry varieties. Bartenders have grown bolder and bolder in concocting makgeolli cocktails, adding ginger, ginseng and various liqueurs, such as peach and plum.

The rise of derivative makgeolli products has created a whole new market. While a regular plastic bottle of makgeolli from traditional producers, such as Seoul Takju’s Jangsu Makgeolli, costs 1,000 to 1,300 won, those made by master artisans at fine breweries like Baedari, or by mass producers of alcoholic beverages such as Kooksoondang, Jinro or Baesangmyun Brewery, can cost around 10,000 won or more per bottle.

“High-priced makgeolli has expensive ingredients like domestically grown quality rice, or they have costly packaging. Although rice makgeolli has become fashionable these days as the government encourages drink producers to consume more rice, the majority of existing mass-produced makgeolli is made of [wheat] flour,” said Lee Sang-kyun, a traditional drink specialist and lecturer at the Institute of Traditional Korean Food.

Those people accustomed to flour makgeolli say rice makgeolli tastes stale because the former is seasoned with sweeteners like aspartame in the final stages of production, the expert said. “Originally, the harmony of bitterness and sweetness was the true virtue of well-made rice makgeolli,” he said.

But dragging the cost of makgeolli up to the level of pricey drinks such as sake, wine or whiskey may not be realistic, he added, because makgeolli is highly perishable.

	Hur Si-myung, left, opened his Makgeolli School last October. The 10-week course includes field trips to breweries. By Jeon Min-kyu

‘Drunken rice’

The Korean government has long been concerned about the difficulty Westerners have in saying Korean words, and the effect that might have on their appetite for Korean food. Last year, for example, it officially renamed tteokbokki, the spicy rice cake popular at street vendors here, as topokki.

The ambitious drive to push makgeolli outside Asia included a similar initiative, and when the results were announced last Wednesday they caused a stir.

The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries held a public contest to develop an official English-language nickname for makgeolli, and last week it announced the winner: “Drunken Rice.” In second and third place were “Makcohol” and “Markelixir.”

The ministry said in release earlier that the nickname should be easy and fun for foreigners to pronounce, and pledged to use the winning name in its marketing activities.

Soon after the results were released, however, the ministry’s Web site was bombarded with postings criticizing the move.

“Unlike in Korea, where alcohol drinking is generously accepted by society, the English word ‘drunken’ conveys considerably negative connotation. Besides, would you find it easy to understand wine if its origin countries called it ‘drunken grape’?” wrote Choi Hae-su.

Another citizen, Lee Jae-hong, wrote, “I live in Japan and nine out of 10 Japanese here know makgeolli as it is. Why are you trying to give it an English nickname when it is gradually gaining recognition?”

In response to the outcry, the ministry backed off, saying it won’t adopt the nickname after all, since “the event was meant to fan the makgeolli craze further among the general public,” according to a government official.

Instead, the Presidential Council on National Branding will come up with a simplified romanization of the word by the end of June, the official added, without providing details.

The writer and critic Hur proposed in a recent publication titled “Makgeolli, Who Are You?” that brewed makgeolli should be cataloged in terms of the bitterness, sweetness, sourness and cloudiness; that a makgeolli research center be established; that some 780 small and large breweries nationwide be developed as tourist attractions; and that makgeolli sommeliers be trained. Hur also said it was necessary for Korea to come up with an official topographical map of the flavors of makgeolli - like the diagrams used on wine bottles.

It’s a critical stage in the makgeolli boom, Hur said, and he’s optimistic. “Trends come and go. But makgeolli has the potential to go beyond ending up as just another fad.”

By Seo Ji-eun [spring@joongang.co.kr]

News Clippings

JoongAng Daily

	The Chollipo Arboretum in Taean, South Chungcheong, considered Korea’s first private arboretum, has about 12,000 species of plants - the most of any single arboretum in the country. [JoongAng Ilbo]

When you need a distraction from your daily routine, maybe you meet a few friends and chat with them over a nice cup of tea, go to the movies, or have fun at an amusement park. But this time of the year, perhaps you should consider heading outside, to enjoy Seoul’s arboretums and botanical gardens at the peak of their seasonal beauty.

Season of the iris

In particular, you could head out to see the iris, which is in full bloom in May and June. As its name, which means “rainbow” in Greek, implies, the iris comes in a nearly endless palette of colors. And there’s a staggering variety on display at the Seoul Iris Garden, nestled between Mount Dobong and Mount Surak in northern Seoul. The garden, operated by the Seoul city government, stretches over 52,000 square meters (560,000 square feet) and is home to 130 species of iris, 78 species of herbs and 57 species of trees.

The facility celebrates its first anniversary on June 7.

“When we just opened, the visitors were mostly residents of this neighborhood, but these days there are an increasing number of outside visitors, particularly those who visit this area for mountain climbing,” said Lee Yeon-jung, the Seoul government official in charge of managing the garden.

“Here you can see not only irises, but also various kinds of herbs, which is why we have a group of school kids coming to learn about the diversity of plants and nature.”

	At Yoo Botanic Garden, a variety of trees and plants are arranged according to themes, stretching from the bottom of a slope up through the hills. But the focus is on the iris. [JoongAng Ilbo]

Yoon Pyung-hee, 64, described the Seoul Iris Garden as a haven for those weary of the busy city life.

“I have been a regular visitor here since its opening last year, and today I have brought some of my friends to show them there is a nice place like this,” said Yoon, a resident of Dobong, who visited the garden late Thursday afternoon with several friends her age after climbing Mount Dobong together.

“I’m glad that we have such a place as this in Seoul. I had lived in Jamsil until I moved to this area a couple of years ago, and I just love this area with mountains and places like this where I can enjoy nature,” she added.

“Our first official event since the opening last year was the Iris Festival, which was held last weekend. While there are no other events currently in the pipeline, we will come up with more diverse events in coming years to let more people know about this place,” said Lee at the Seoul Iris Garden.

Though the Iris Festival has ended, visitors will still be able to enjoy the splendid flowers near the garden’s ponds until late June. The best way to reach the garden is by subway. It’s located right across the street from exit 2 of Dobongsan Station, lines No. 1 or 7, and it’s open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call (02) 954-0031.

No longer members only

The Chollipo Arboretum in Taean, South Chungcheong was established in 1970 by the late Min Byung-gal, an American who was naturalized as a Korean in 1979. It was designated as an arboretum of merit by the International Dendrology Society in 2000, the first in Asia and only the 12th in the world.

The arboretum has about 12,000 species of plants - the most at any single arboretum in the country. Chollipo, considered Korea’s first private arboretum, was opened to members only until March 1 last year, when its doors were opened to the public.

Still, the areas non-members can view are still quite limited, and can be seen in an hour-long stroll. Commanding views of Manlipo Beach can be had from the arboreteum’s observation platform.

One of the species worthy of note here is the magnolia, which recently finished blooming, and the weeping willow, a number of which stand beautifully around a water garden inside the arboretum.

The facility is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the year except public holidays. Admission is 7,000 won ($6) on weekdays and 8,000 won on weekends. There is even a guesthouse, divided into four-person rooms, where you can stay the night for 100,000 won. For more information, call (041) 672-9982 or visit www.chollipo.org.

A vast, nurtured ecosystem

The Hantaek Botanical Garden in Yongin, Gyeonggi, opened seven years ago and is the largest botanical garden in the country, covering 600 square kilometers including the 230-square-kilometer East Garden, which is open to the public. Because of the size, visits need to be carefully planned.

Kim Jin-bong, an official at the garden, said, “I advise you to head east starting from the hill in the west of the garden.”

There are two must-see locations inside Hantaek - the Children’s Garden and the Ecology Park. The Children’s Garden is actually eight different flower gardens with various themes, and it has a place for kids to learn about nature while playing. The nearby Ecology Park, which could be called the heart of Hantaek, includes about 1,000 species of rare, wild plants carefully tended on sloping hills, including the flower in the anemone family known in Japan as the azumaichige. Each plant’s surroundings have been carefully created to fit their respective needs. At the top of the garden, there is a trail leading to Mount Bibong, 370 meters above sea level.

The botanical gardens are open from 9 a.m. until sundown throughout the year. Ticket sales end at 6 p.m. Admission is 8,500 won. For more information, call (031) 333-3558 or visit www.hantaek.co.kr.

The subtle scent of the iris

The Yoo Botanic Garden in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, is, like the Seoul Iris Garden, dedicated to the iris, and since it opened in summer last year, the garden has already acquired a startling variety from around the world. With about 1,000 different species of irises on 200 square kilometers of land, Yoo surpasses its Seoul counterpart in terms of both its area and diversity.

“We have about 70 percent of all the species of iris from around the world,” said Yoo Sang-hyuk, the owner of the garden. Thanks to his dedication to the flower over the past two decades, Yoo’s garden now has its own hybrid irises, which number around 500.

Cross a white iris and a violet iris, Yoo said, and you will get a pink iris - that’s why there are irises of so many colors. There is even a festival showcasing irises of new colors held every spring in Europe and, according to the gardener, the flowers vary in scent as well as hue.

“Blue irises have the smell of the sea, while chocolate-colored irises actually smell sweet,” he said.

The Yoo Botanic Garden is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is 5,000 won. An advance reservation is required. For more information, call (031) 536-9922 or visit www.yoo
garden.com.

Preserving Korea’s botanical heritage

The Korea Botanic Garden in Pyeongchang, Gangwon is unique in that it cultivate only flowers and trees native to Korea. Here you can see the species Iris odaesanensis, which exists in the wild only on Mount Odae and nowhere else in the world, along with many endangered species of plants, most of which call the more frigid, remote corners of the peninsula home.

Besides a special preservation facility for rare specimens, there is a spacious garden of 100,000 square meters along one side of Mount Odae where you can take in a sweeping landscape of native flowers, stretching like a natural trail up the side of the mountain. In summer, the Aster koraiensis, or Korean starwort, are in full bloom, turning the foot of the mountain into a vast sea of lavender and green. There is also a garden of poisonous plants, including noxious herbs actually used in nefarious plots during the Joseon period.

The garden is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April 1 to Oct. 31. Admission is 5,000 won. For more information, call (033) 332-8069 or visit www.kbotanic.co.kr.

It may be hard for the layperson to tell the difference between an arboretum and a botanical garden, since both have flowers and trees. However, there is a difference: An arboretum serves primarily as a research center, while plants in a botanical garden are there first for viewing purposes. That’s why Korea’s arboretums fall under the jurisdiction of the Korea Forest Service, while its botanical gardens are operated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

A private garden of 3 hectares of land or more with over 1,000 species of plants is categorized under the law as a private arboreteum, which is why the Hantaek Botanical Garden and Korea Botanic Garden are classified as arboretums despite their names. There are now about 31 arboretums registered with the Korea Forest Service around the country.

By Park Sun-young, Son Min-ho [spark0320@joongang.co.kr]

News Clippings