Korean Sashimi

Thick cut and delicious Korean sashimi (raw fish) is a gastronomic delight.



Eat at Jagalchi Fish Market in Busan or at numerous specialist fish restaurants in Seoul, Korean raw seafood is a culinary adventure.

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Korea Seoul

KTX

서울

The KTX is one of our favorite trains. It has a very elegant shape - sleek and refined.

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Korean trains Seoul train

Korea Headlines September 27

Korean families in rare reunion

BBC

Japan PM Hatoyama to visit Seoul October 9

Korea Herald

After School Girl Band Harassed by Rowdy Bikers

Korea Times

Korea 'to Host Next Year's G20 Summit'

Chosun Ilbo

Previous Korea news

Pusan International Film Festival

Pusan International Film Festival in Busan will take place this year from October 8-18 on Haeundae Beach in the southern port city of Busan.

PIFF is Asia's largest film festival and began life in 1996. Cinemas for screenings are MegaBox Haeundae 5 and Busan Yatching Center Outdoor Theater.

2009 PIFF
Annex 2-1, Yachting Center
1393 Woo1-Dong
Haeundae-Gu
Busan 612-797
Korea
Tel: 82 51 747 2684
Fax: 82 51 747 2694


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Busan PIFF

Korea Headlines September 20

North Korea ready for nuclear talks.

BBC

Charges pressed over Imjin flood deaths

Korea Herald

Koreans Fighting Obesity

Korea Times

Three Men Arrested for Illegally Uploading 'Haeundae'

Chosun Ilbo

A Succession Saga Goes Silent

Washington Post

Previous Korea news

Dongdaemun Gate

동대문

The Dongdaemun or "Great East Gate" has stood on its present spot in Seoul since 1396 though the present structure dates from 1869.



Dongdaemun Market is the major tourist attraction in the vicinity.

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Dongdaemun Seoul

Eating Korean: from barbecue to kimchi, recipes from my home

Eating Korean: from barbecue to kimchi, recipes from my home

by Cecilia Hae Jin Lee

John Wiley & Sons

ISBN: 0-7645-4078-5
272 pp

This book is an excellent introduction of the delights of Korean cooking. Written by a first generation Korean-American and award-winning chef, the book covers the standard favorites of Korean cuisine such as bulgogi, bibimbap and kimchi as well as offering recipes that may not be so well-known to a Western audience.

Among the one hundred plus recipes presented are plenty of hot soups, vegetable dishes, noodles and those saucy, hot Korean dips.

The author interweaves the recipes with personal stories about her large extended Korean family as well as interesting cultural insights into Korean food and culture. Highly recommended for those wanting to try Korean food at home with a useful list of US suppliers of Korean ingredients listed by state.

Buy this book from Amazon USA I UK I Japan

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Korea Books Korean Food

Korea Headlines September 13

Ruse or reality in North Korea's uranium admission?

BBC

Exhibition showcases Korean medicine

Korea Herald

Book Highlights Essence of Korean Temples

Korea Times

More Foreigners Take Korean Proficiency Test

Chosun Ilbo

South Korea says supports U.S. talks with North

Washington Post

Previous Korea news

Seoul Puns

The fact that the word "Seoul" has the same pronunciation as the English words "soul" and "sole" is a punner's and headline writer's dream.

In English "soul" can mean spirit or individual, sole is the bottom of your shoe, a type of fish or can have the meaning of only as in 'the one and only'. Then there is the soul music genre.

Here's a list of our favorite Seoul puns - add yours in the comments section below.

Soul Seoul - spirit, individual

Seoul Brother(s), Seoul Sister(s), Heart and Seoul, Lonely Seoul, Wandering Seoul, Lost Seoul, Seoul Food, Seoul Searching, All Seoul's Day, Rest His/Her Seoul, Seoul Mate, Set My Seoul On Fire, Seoul To Seoul, Seoul Eater, Seoul Dust, Seoul Kitchen, Body and Seoul

Sole Seoul - as in instrinsic, one and only

Seoul Trader, Seoul Survivor, Seoul Application, Seoul Purpose

Soul Seoul - the music

Seoul Classics, 1960s Seoul, Black Seoul, Seoul Man, Soul Lyrics, Seoul Train, Seoul Asylum, Seoul Singers, Seoul Hits, Seoul Music, Seoul Kitchen

Sole Seoul - as in the shoe

Rubber Seoul, Leather Seoul, Double Seoul

Or how about Dover Seoul, Seould Out?


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Korea Seoul

Japan Korea Flights

Flights to Korea from Japan have become much cheaper over the years and with the present exchange rate making the Won good value against the Japanese Yen, there is no better time to fly over the East Sea (Sea of Japan) and enjoy a visit to the Land of Morning Calm.

As well as a number of daily services from the big airports such as Narita, Haneda, Osaka, Fukuoka and Chubu International, there are regular flights to both Incheon International Airport and Busan from smaller, provincial airports in Japan, including Hiroshima.

English language newspapers or your travel agent are a good place to find cheap flights and good value package trips on tours. These will include airfare, hotel and usually a bus tour and last usually for 3 or 4 days. Recent prices quoted include 17,000 yen from Tokyo, 18,800 yen from Osaka (KIX).


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Korea flights Seoul flights

Korea Headlines September 6

North Korea enters final phase of uranium enrichment

BBC

Korea beat Australia 3-1 in football friendly

Korea Herald

Foreign Investors Flocking to Kosdaq

Korea Times

Report Predicts Older, Multicultural Korea on Stilts

Chosun Ilbo


Previous Korea news

South Korean Provinces

For administrative purposes, South Korea is divided into 8 provinces (도,道,do), 1, Special self-governing Province, 1 Special City and 6 Metropolitan Cities.

The 8 provinces are: Chungcheongbuk, Chungcheongnam, Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongsangbuk, Gyeongsangnam, Jeollabuk and Jeollanam. The 1 Special self-governing Province is Jeju. The 1 Special City is the capital Seoul and the 6 Metropolitan Cities are Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwanju, Incheon and Ulsan.

Gyeonggi is the largest province in terms of population with Busan the largest Metropolitan City, though, of course, smaller than Seoul - the Special City.

Gyeonggi-do Province includes the capital Seoul, though Seoul has its own administration. The provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do is Suwon. Other provincial capitals are Chuncheon (Gangwon), Cheongju (Chungcheongnam), Daejeon (Chungcheongnam), Jeonju (Jeollabuk), Muan (Jeollanam), Daegu (Gyeongsangbuk) and Changwon (Gyeongsangnam).

Municipal level divisions are slightly similar to those in Japan: Si (city), Gun (county), Gu (district), Eup (town), Myeon (township), Dong (neighborhood), Ri (village).


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Korean provinces

Moon Handbooks South Korea

Moon Handbooks South Korea

by Robert Nilsen

Moon Handbooks

ISBN: 1-5669-1418-3
860 pp

If you are considering a stay of a few weeks or more in Korea, then Robert Nilsen's excellent Moon Handbooks South Korea, should be one of the first things you pack. Full of detailed travel, historical and cultural information on Korea's main cities and often hidden places of interest, this book takes you well off the normal traveler's well-beaten track.

The clean black and white design and decent maps are a bonus, as are the well-penned and informative history and language sections. A great background resource for the long-term traveler or resident, but in need of a sharper edit on more precise travel information for the hungry or lost, casual Seoul-searching tourist.

Buy this book from Amazon USA I UK I Japan

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