All Blog Posts (Korea related and others)

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1) Subways and culture

Yesterday, Busan Mike saw an attempted groping incident on the subway for the first time, and in full sight of a half-full carriage at that. Fortunately, I’ve yet to ever see anything like that myself, but I imagine that just like in his case, I too would find it difficult to know what to do about it exactly. After all, it was only an attempt, and Mike and his wife weren’t sure that the man and woman weren’t a couple until the latter switched seats.

Have any readers also ever seen or experienced anything like that in Korea? What did you do?

Update: By the way, what is “groping” in Korean exactly? My wife says it is seong choo-haeng (성추행), and that certainly did produce a lot of articles on Korean search engines. But according to the dictionary, that term actually covers a multitude of sins, including “sexual molestation, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and rape” and so on. Any ideas, or is it just academic really?

Meanwhile, Gord Sellar ponders what to do about the vocal minority of elderly Koreans who shout and swear at pregnant women for sitting in “their” subway seats (see #5 here for the original story), in the Korean case a traditional Korean deference to old people buttressing the universal human impulse not to get involved.

2) Everything you wanted to know about room salons

Provided by a former addict in an interview by The Three Wise Monkeys. On the bright side, no condom means no sex in any “second rounds” that occurred later in a hotel, unlike for the vast majority of Korean women who seem to feel that they have a virginal reputation to maintain.

Meanwhile, see Korea Beat for more on the perspective of the room salon workers themselves.

3) Female economic activity lowest in 10 years

Unfortunately, these latest dismal figures are quite predictable: not for nothing have I repeatedly described the post-1997 period as a “lost decade” for Korean women (see here, here, and here), even before they were overwhelmingly targeted for layoffs in the recent financial crisis.

4) Dressing up as a Korean woman

Last week, I learned that not only it is so important for Korean women not to show their bare faces in public that even their fiances may not have seen them without make-up, but also that, counter-intuitively, many married women will get up extra-early to ensure it stays that way; see #6 here, and it also has rather ominous implications for their sex lives. Now, HiExpat also has a list of what else they must do in the morning if they want to look hot, but far from being particularly Korean, is it really just a matter of degree rather than difference? And why do it in the first place? Pondering the latter question over at Sociological Images, one sociologist answers:

…I would argue that the reason women, on average, spend more time on their appearance is because (1) the bare minimum for looking presentable is different for women than for men and (2) the social costs for neglecting their appearance is greater for them than it is for men.  It is not biology, nor socialization, but the realities of social interaction that draw women out of bed earlier than men.  We learn that our appearance matters to others and that others — strangers a little bit, friends more so, and bosses and lovers especially — offer rewards and punishments related to how well we conform to their expectations.  So we make a measured choice.  We primp and preen not because it’s natural, or because we’re socialized robots, but because it’s worth it or, conversely, we don’t want to pay the cost accrued when we do not.

With apologies for quoting so much of that short post, but there is also much to be learned from the 91 comments!^^

5) Every band has a “cute” member

Having so many members in Korean bands these days does mean that few of them get to actually sing, but then that’s not really the idea anyway, and on the plus side the more members, the more chance fans have of identifying with one of them (see #5 here). Which by coincidence, I’ve just read is also the case for Japanese bands, and probably provided the model. As AKB48 members Rino Sashihara and Tomomi Nakatsuka explain in Japanese School Confidential:

“There aren’t just lots of girls in AKB48, there are lot’s of different types of girls,” Rino says. Tomomi, decked out in a tracksuit and sneakers, chimes in. “Yeah, there are cute girls, beautiful girls. Everybody is different. I think that’s really what makes the group unique.” Tomomi, for example, likes manga and video games, and Rino’s hobby is eating udon noodles. Scan the profiles of other AKB48 members and you’ll find girls into professional wrestling, horror movies, or anime. It’s an idol smorgasbord where fans can find at least one idol to his or her taste. The music might be what draws folks in as listeners, but it’s the girls who turn them into fans. (p. 34, emphasis in original)

And hence as allkpop explains:

…cute members of female groups tend to generate widespread interest and bump up a group’s popularity singlehandedly. Every member has their own individual role in the group, and every group has a member in charge of being the ‘cute’ one. In Korea, fans call this certain member “Kui-yo-mi (귀요미),” meaning “the girl with the cute image (귀여운 이미지를 가진 이).”  This member is in charge of garnering fanboy love with her cute/lovable/girly charm, which will result in a bigger fanbase for the group.

6) Actor finds empathy in homosexual role

If I had been worried about my image I wouldn’t have taken this role. I hope that the lives of homosexuals will be acknowledged and be a little bit happier through this drama of ours

See The Korea Times for an interview of Song Chang-ui (송창의), currently playing one of the first ever homosexual roles in Korean television (see #8 here for some background).

7) Yes, unmarried Koreans sometimes have children too

With the news that YG Entertainment head Yang Hyun-seok (양현석) has just had a daughter with long-time (secret) partner Lee Eun-ju (이은주) of the ex-girl band Swi.T, I’ve decided that I’ll no longer report on the fact that Koreans are generally fine with couples of marriageable age having premarital sex, with the important proviso that the participants do actually have plans to get married. Hardly an enlightened modern attitude either, it’s actually been that way for centuries too: see #5 here for more information. (source, right)

8) Officials in Japanese community play Cupid online

As explained at The Boston Globe:

The coastal region of Fukui has Japan’s biggest share of dual-income households, the highest ratio of working women, and the lowest unemployment rate. What it does not have is enough babies.

This month, the provincial government is starting the Fukui Marriage-Hunting Cafe, a website for singles, to help stem the falling birthrate. Couples who agree to marry will get cash or gifts, said Akemi Iwakabe, deputy director of Fukui’s Children and Families division.

“Many of our single residents were telling us that they wanted to get married, but couldn’t because they weren’t meeting anyone,’’ she said.

Japan’s first online dating service organized by a prefectural government follows national measures to extend parental leave that have so far failed to convince women to have more children…

Hey, it certainly can’t harm, and is positively inspired compared to the Korean Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs (보건복지가족부), in charge of raising the country’s birthrate, insisting earlier this year that its employees go home at the shockingly early 7pm on the third Wednesday of each month, all the better to have sex with their partners and have more babies.

9) “One of the most radical feminist performers working today”

Popmatters has a long article on Korean-American performer Margaret Cho.

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10) André Kim and attitudes to LGBT in Korea

Michael Hurt ponders the recent passing of Korean fashion designer André Kim (앙드레 김) at Scribblings of the Metropolitician, in passing mentioning public attitudes to his homosexuality:

There is the constant denial of his gayness — which anyone who interacted with him closely knew to be a fact, and not a vicious slur or accusation, but a mere fact — which continues today. In the end, it is additionally a tragedy that someone who was obviously gay, or at least someone out-of-sync with a cultural of heavily enforced heteronormativity, was never able to “come out” lest he pay a heavy social price. He was never able to see a Korea that would accept him for whom he truly was, however he might have defined that identity-wise. Or perhaps he was quite lucky, in that he fit well inside the stereotype of the harmless gay male fashion designer, which allows everyone to kinda “know” but not have to talk about it in polite company.

Filed under: Korean Gender Reader Tagged: André Kim, 성추행, 송창의, 앙드레 김, 양현석, 이은주, Lee Eun-ju, Song Chang-ui, Yang Hyun-seok

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When it comes to partying, Hongdae or Itaewon are the two areas that come to mind. They cater to foreigners, offer cheap drink specials, and are the places to see lots of other foreigners. If you're tired of being catered to, however, here are 5 areas where the locals go to get their party on.

As a general rule, you won't stay out partying all night unless you're in Hongdae or Itaewon. Enough of those places stay open until the subways start up again, but few places in other areas will. If you're deadset on taking the first morning subway home, however, it can be done. Another thing to remember: most places will have tables and booths for groups. A couple will be fine, but you'll have a better time with a larger group - say, 4 to 6 people.

Kondae - AKA Konkuk University

A university area like Hongdae, the area offers a little bit of everything. Plenty of young people are dressed to party, while some are just there to hang out with friends. Street food, vendors, and saju / tarot (fortune telling) tents are set up right across from Dunkin Donuts and Adidas stores. The sidewalk along the main street is crowded and uneven, so be careful walking. A shortening of 'Konkuk' and 'Daehakgyo', or university, Kondae wins lots of points for one of the best selections of restaurants in Seoul outside of Itaewon. As with other places, street walking offers some of the best entertainment - and views. Dance clubs are rare (try Gaephan - turn right out of exit 1), but most seem happy enough walking around, meeting up, and eating or drinking the night away.

Get away from the main road to find dozens of restaurants and watering holes. Donzzolla offers reasonably-priced Korean food, albeit with an emphasis towards cutlets of different kinds. Somri Chicken is out to please, Little Beijing offers some good Chinese, but a place called Oxen wins the 'best display' award - few things in life beat seeing a life-size cow on display. Being a drinking area, greasy 삼겹살 (samgyeopsal) and 돼지갈비 (dwaeji galbi) are also commonly found. Be aware that some places require a minimum number of servings to be dished out at a table - usually the signs will be the best indicators, so keep your eyes open. Konkuk University subway station, line 2, exit 2, - make a U-turn, then turn right to find the side road.

Nowon

Northern Seoul isn't to be left out - afterhours restaurants and street vendors take over the sidewalk in some places. It's not the place for clubs or dancing, but the people watching is excellent on the culture street nearest exit 1 or 2. Alternatively, walk out exit 9 or 10, grab some street food, and meander around the shopping areas. Get off the main road and you'll find some of the restaurants and bars. There isn't a 'must-visit' place, but the area as a whole makes for good exploring. Just don't get too far away from the subway station or you'll find yourself in an apartment concrete jungle.

The occasional performance resonates from a street stage, where crowds make the sidewalk their sitting area. A foreigner-friendly bar is also in the area (exit 1, turn right once at street level, first left just before Buy The Way, walk 50 meters and look right for the Metropolis sign). You might not stay out all night, but you might be having so much fun that you'll miss the last subway. There's plenty of buses and taxis in the area, though. Nowon subway station, line 4, exit 1.

Jonggak

The downtown area by City Hall is a great place to take in flashy lights, neon signs, and more than enough restaurants or watering holes. The crowd tends to be older and more likely to wear a suit, but there's plenty of younger people around as well. The underground shopping district can be interesting, but that closes a bit earlier than the subway does. A few 24-hour restaurants are around, although you're unlikely to stay out all night partying. Make this a stop along the way to Dongdaemun's all-night shopping zone. Jonggak, line 1, exit 4, turn right after the Dunkin Donuts.

Hyehwa / Daehangno

One of the best places in Seoul to take a date, the ubiquitous coffeehouses and restaurants eventually give way to the dozens of theaters and performances (all in Korean, of course). While you'll see a foreigner or two walking the main street towards the rotary, get away from the main drag to explore what the locals see. Few bars and no dance clubs means you'll probably catch the subway home instead of party the night away. The crowd is young, however, and lots of couples call this area a favorite to meander. If you'd rather drink coffee than beer, this may become a favorite place. The theaters don't offer much in English, but buy a ticket for a theater performance and try to figure out what's happening - or make up a story as the show goes on. Hyehwa station, line 4.

Sincheon (Jamsil)

You may be familiar with the Sinchon area near Ewha and Yonsei, but Sincheon is on the opposite side of line 2, a stop away from Jamsil. Plenty of restaurants, arcades, and bars will offer a good time for your hard-earned won. Don't mix Tekken 6 with beer, though - most arcades frown on drinking while playing. If you're looking to stay out all night, there's a handful of restaurants open 24 hours - along with a good selection of love motels. If interested in people-watching, this is an entertaining place to watch bikki (club advertisers) work their 'magic'. Sincheon station, line 2, exit 4.

Honorable mention goes to Bucheon - a mere two subway stops from Seoul's western border, the city has a lot of life once you get away from the shopping area surrounding the subway station. Take yourself to Bucheon station (line 1), take exit 2, then hop on bus 23-2 or take a taxi to the main bar / club district, not far from Bucheon's City Hall. Several blocks worth of neon run parallel to the main road. If you like chicken and beer, there are more than enough to satiate your craving. The foreigner-friendly Rhythm and Booze (some excellent food, by the way) is around, but if trying to find a party gets to be more work than it's worth. Unless you live on the western side of Seoul, a taxi ride may be more expensive than a night at a nearby love motel. There aren't many around, but they're nice. Bucheon station, line 1, exit 2.

© Chris Backe - 2010

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This post was originally published on my blog, Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.

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I listen to so much verbiage in a given weekday commuting to my worthless say job. I need to dump the pearls of wisdom.

1. For Good Reason: Massimo Pigliucci: How to Tell Science from Bunk

Massimo Pigliucci talks about whether people believe in science too much or believe in science too little. He describes to what extent areas on the frontiers of science, such as transhumanism and life-extension, merit open-mindedness. He explains why he is skeptical of artificial intelligence, and why the skeptics movement generally dismisses transhumanism and why he does not. He talks about the responsibilities of the skeptics movement regarding public education about global warming, and why so many high profile skeptics are skeptics or deniers of global warming, including Penn and Teller, Michael Shermer, James Randi. He explores how the libertarian skepticism of big government may fuel global warming denialism. He describes the perils of the pleasures of skepticism. He argues that to be a skeptic means two things: first, a commitment to furthering critical thinking among the general public, and second, a defense of science. And he reveals the criteria for distinguishing pseudoscience, fringe science, and consensus science, and why some pseudosciences, while theoretically unsound, may be have more empirical evidence for them than some widely-accepted theories of consensus science.

Put this Pigliucci interview and Hitchens video in a blender, quaff it quickly, and you’ll feel as high as I do right now.

2. Here’s comes the hangover – Glenn Beck’s war on reasoned discourse! What I like is, that Zaitchik avoids smugness. But, then he just gets depressing when he explains how impossible it is to engage Beck earnestly. I felt like this in the early naughts. I couldn’t talk with conservatives who were starting with irony punctuated with full-boiled outrage. I’m enraged, but it turns to moral pomposity, and ends with humility. Do we have to wait for this man to self-destruct? In the meantime, how can we get back to expressing ourselves – rage, mawkishness, errors, warts, and all!

3.   How to kick Bonaparte’s ass. I should report more on this excellent podcast, but my views on Bonaparte are complicated. This particular episode, though, reveals Bonaparte’s tactical prowess, ethical judgment, and diplomatic skill with verve.

4. Taleb on debt: don’t do it!

5. How I stopped fearing China, and learned to love watching some other state struggle with hegemony!

Filed under: Business/Economy, East Asia, Globalization, History, LF-Recommended, Podcasts, Science Tagged: china, glenn beck, massimo pigliocci, napoleon bonaparte, nassim nicolas taleb, prc

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Don’t you just hate it when a N.Korean MiG-21 crashes in your neighborhood?

Intelligence sources in Beijing believe the pilot crashed the plane in an attempt to defect but have not ruled out mechanical failure.

A diplomatic source in Beijing said, “Staff from the North Korean consulate in Shenyang arrived at the scene of the crash, and the plane was not attacked by the Chinese military, so it is still unclear whether the crew were defecting or experienced technical problems.”

The South Korean military is apparently analyzing the crash. A South Korean military source said, “Our radars identified the aircraft taking off from an airbase near the North Korean city of Sinuiju on Tuesday afternoon and tracked its movement through our air defense systems in Osan.”

Mike Saunders also speculates about the dearth of burnt earth. Where the pilot could have been panning to land is uncertain.

Filed under: East Asia, Korea Tagged: china, defection, dprk, mig-21, north korea, prc

Printer-friendly versionAs my wife and I entered the subway carriage I was so wrapped up in role-playing my impending potential immigration interview that I paid no attention whatsoever to my fellow passengers. The upshot of this was that when she asked me about the man and woman sat opposite us I actually had to look to understand what was going on.

A young woman wearing quite high-cut shorts was facing me with her legs crossed away from a man around the same age who was staring straight at us with the same type of vacant yet menacing eyes which witnesses often attribute to the perpetrators of mass shootings. But it was the placement of one of his hands which had drawn the attention of my wife - it was at the side of his leg, on the seat, in the place the woman's bare flesh might have been if she hadn't had her leg raised and crossed over the other. The man's hand was, as a consequence, slightly under her leg, though not touching it.

"I don't think they're together" my wife stated, to which I replied after another glance that they must be, surely. I've had a lot of Japanese friends over the years and you hear about things that go on their crowded trains, but the idea of something happening so blatantly in front of me - in Korea - never seriously crossed my mind, even if they did introduce women-only carriages in Seoul a few years ago.

My wife was convinced his hand was moving closer to her but short of staring at him and his hand - which could be incredibly rude if they actually were together, I didn't detect any movement as I stole glances. Finally, his apparently fixed yet slightly spaced-out stare, which had quite possibly never deviated from us, provoked me into staring back at him and his hand - now I was sure his hand was getting further under her leg. My wife was beginning to mutter abuse while giving him increasingly dirty looks said that if the woman moved, then our suspicions would be confirmed.

The woman got up and moved to a seat further down the carriage, while the man remained impassive and emotionless, confirming our worst suspicions. Then we were both free to stare at the man more obviously. He got off the train a couple of stops later, looking for all the world like any other normal university student or young professional. But, after all, 20% of sex criminals in Korea are college graduates, so what does that prove?

It's easy to look back in retrospect and think of all the things we could have done or said, but we couldn't be certain there was anything improper taking place until the woman moved. My wife felt that after we sat down the man had actually touched the woman but stopped when we started to look. It's a pity the woman didn't make a scene because she would have had two willing witnesses, and someone I'm convinced was seriously mentally disturbed beneath an otherwise disturbingly normal façade could have been taken to task.

What was rather chilling about the whole affair was the number of people sat in the carriage even before we entered - the seats weren't full but it was far from empty, and yet in full sight of everyone he did what he did. If he'd been an old Korean man - not that this excuses it (unless you're a Korean judge) - you might have put it down to alcohol or simple desperation, but the fact that this was a young guy in his early twenties suggested to me - coupled with the look on his face I'm not going to forget in a hurry - that he has a promising career as a serial killer in front of him.

So after almost three years of riding the Busan subway this is the first time I've seen anyone being sexually harassed - in fact it's the first time I've seen any kind of harassment taking place, and it's a shock. But it's not as though there aren't a lot of sex crimes taking place in Korea, because there really are according to official figures, especially against children, and one suspects the figures would probably be much higher if women were prepared to call it out when it happened rather than being burdened with hundreds of years of cultural shame in such situations. Unfortunately even though 76% of Korean women have been sexually harassed in the workplace, 55% of them did nothing and just put up with it, according to a recent survey.

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I have wanted to go to a water park in Korea for a long time. The first year I was very excited and on a hot September weekend I figured it would be a great way to escape the heat. Apparently I was wrong. The water parks are only open in July and August like the beach. Sometimes there feels like there are no rules in South Korea and other times like this there seem to be a whole bunch of pointless rules. The water park is the best example of this. You have to wear life jacket any time you go in water even if it is ankle deep. The wave pool is the only place that gets deep. It goes to a depth of 2.4 meters, which would have been nice for swimming. The life jacket policy is no good. The life guards were asking people to do up their vests while in line for rides. I guess you can drown on the land. You also have to wear a hat or swimming cap, supposedly for hygiene, or to boost the sale of California Beach hats. It is also super packed at the park leaving you with waits of at least thirty minutes per ride. The rides are good and if you like water parks you should enjoy your time there.

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While in town for the Gangjin Celadon Festival, the Lady in Red and I decided to meander our way through the tiny county in Jeollanam-do. It's technically an 읍 (eup, or rural county), and with a mere 41,000 people living there it's far from densely populated. As usual, we started from the bus terminal and peeked at the tourist information / map to help us decide where to go.

It turns out there is a quasi-trail linking a number of historical sites together. While they're not the sexiest or most exciting sites in the world, it's a good chance to get off the beaten path.

The picture above is of 사의재 (Sauijae), the first house of Dasan, or Jung Yak-yong, while he lived in exile. Born in 1762 in present day Namyangju (Gyeonggi-do), he passed the governments' civil service exam in 1783 with the highest score. After passing a higher-level test in 1789, he worked for King Jungjo for 12 years. After the king's death, a number of political parties backing Confucian and Buddhist beliefs banished Jung for his Silsagusi idealogy, which supported of introducing western culture to Korea. A plaque (in Korean) explains how he moved around to three other places within present-day Gangjin.

A bronze statue of Dasan and his wife.

From here we saw a pavilion and walked up to it. That led us to our next place we stopped: a brand-spanking-new war memorial:

One list shows the veteran cops, while another shows the veterans of the war. The left-most panel shows soldiers of valor, while the right-most panel shows more names from the Vietnam War as well.

Just a few of the people from this area killed during the Korean War (the 6.25 you see).

It was at this point that the signs seemed a bit confusing. They're new, but it's hard to match up the right place with the right name. I'm pretty sure this was 금사당 (Geum-sa-dang), or a mausoleum. The only other clues are the Chinese characters that name the buildings, and I have even less ability to read them.

Just to show you how few tourists this place gets, the entry to the bell was completely unguarded; not even a rope prevented anyone from ringing it to sound for miles around.

I'm always impressed by the detail in these huge and heavy bells.

The last stop was the birthplace of 'Yeongrang', (영랑생가) or Kim Yun-sik. Born in 1903, he participated in independence movements in 1919 as a high-schooler. After being caught carrying an announcement of independence, he spent 6 months in jail. That didn't seem to stop him, as he became a leader of the independent movement for the Gangjin area after 1945. He started a literary magazine called Cheongu, though he was better known for his writings in Poem and Literature. Most of his poems published in the 1930's, many of which were focused on nature, animals, and so on. After being wounded during the Korean civil war, he passed away in 1950. The house was restored in 1992 by some of the poet's descendants, and is a reminder that traditional Korean houses don't always or necessarily date back hundreds of years.

If you're coming to the area and have some time to kill, these sights are all within a short distance of each other and the bus terminal. Make this a stop along the way towards somewhere else - there's not much else to check out in this tiny town.

Ratings (out of 5 taeguks):
Ease to arrive:

Foreigner-friendly:

Convenience facilities:

Worth the visit:

Directions to Gangjin: Buses headed directly to Gangjin leave from Seoul six times a day, and take about 4 1/2 hours to arrive. Alternatively, take a train from Yongsan station to Gwangju (9 times a day) and catch a frequent intercity bus to Gangjin from there. Once in Gangjin, turn left out of the bus terminal and head up the hill. At the T 400 meters away, turn right and look for the brown sign pointing left to Yeongrang's birthplace.

© Chris Backe - 2010

This post was originally published on my blog,Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.

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KMK Forum Bonanza Contest Hello dear readers and readerettes! It’s been quite awhile since Kiss My Kimchi held a contest so I thought what better way to promote the new forum I added on the site than to kick things off with a free give away! The Rules here are simple: First: Register as a [...]

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When I read in the Korea Herald that four Peruvian children had died from vampire bat attacks, I figured it was another example of bad reporting.  However, it appears the report is correct although the bats are not the ultimate cause of death:

Rabid vampire bats have attacked more than 500 indigenous people in Peru’s Amazon, according to foreign news reports.

At least four children are believed to have died in an outbreak of the disease, the Peruvian Health Ministry said Sunday.

Rabies.  Those poor bastards.

From CBS News:

The authorities are trying to battle an outbreak of rabies spread by the bat bites, and have given vaccines to more than 500 people attacked by the bloodsucking mammals.

I gotta say, I learned a lot in preparing this short post. Mostly, I learned, once again, not to jump to conclusions.  Much to my surprise, I might not, in fact, be smarter than everyone writing this story.

As my second example, I thought vaccines only work if given before infection.  In this case, if given before being bitten.  Apparently not (From the CDC):

Rabies vaccine is given to people at high risk of rabies to protect them if they are exposed. It can also prevent the disease if it is given to a person after they have been exposed.

I was also surprised that a vaccine actually existed for rabies.  I had thought treatment was entirely post-infection.

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Between where I stand and the mountain on the horizon is Gwanghwamun. The front gate to Gyeongbokgung has been under renovation since 2006, but the wait is over - and with it is the wait to appreciate Korea's foremost palace in its entirety.

The event also celebrated Liberation Day (also called V-J day if you're from the UK), or August 15th as it's known elsewhere. If you're from the US, you might be familiar with September 2nd as 'V-J day'; if you're studying holidays you don't get off of work or school, check out this Wikipedia article for more information.

Also happening near Gwanghwamun (the front gate) and Gyeongbokgung (the palace) was a Mugunghwa festival. English speakers may know Korea's national flower as the Rose of Sharon or the Hibiscus syricus L. if you speak the language of science.

Along the sidewalk were ample opportunities to take part in a number of craft programs. Above, a kid uses a pressed mugunghwa flower to decorate a fan.

Tie-dying, anyone? A few thousand won separated you from owning your very own tie-dyed handkerchief / sweat rag. Especially useful during those hot days.

More than a few plants were created in the form of other things. The one did a passable job of looking like Korea. Think of the east and south branches as the islands (Jeju to the south, Ulleungdo and Dokdo to the right).

Oh yeah - the gate! First constructed in 1395, it has experienced its own share of Korea's ups and downs. After being destroyed during the Japanese invasion of 1592, reconstructed in 1867, torn down during the Japanese occupation in 1926, moved to the east side of the palace, destroyed during the Korean war in 1950, rebuilt incorrectly in 1963, renovated starting in 2006, and finally finished for the world to see. If you're interested in more history, see the Wikipedia page for Gwanghwamun or Robert Koehler's excellent review.

The ceiling of one of the three entrances. Each ceiling is different - not pictured are turtles and horses on the other two.

Me getting fancy with the camera - the light during the daytime seemed relatively harsh, but transformed into black and white (and a little selective blur), it looks a bit more interesting.

The palace offered free admission, which brought part of the huge crowd in for a fresh look around - one without 'under construction' signs in the way of beauty.

Admiral Yi Sun Shin standing guard over Gwanghwamun Plaza and the lit-up fountains.

Being one of Seoul's foremost tourist attractions, it's going to be lit up for the crowd to see.

If you're living in Korea and it's been awhile since you've seen Gyeongbokgung, make it a point to visit soon. Unlike most sights that can be seen and reasonably understood in one visit, Gyeongbokgung has more to see now than it ever has before. It really does look different without all the 'under construction' signs and wraps around.

Ratings (out of 5 taeguks):
Ease to arrive:

Foreigner-friendly:

Convenience facilities:

Worth the visit:

Directions to Gwanghwamun: Take line 5 of the Seoul subway system to the Gwanghwamun station. Take exit 2 to street level, then walk straight down the plaza to the gate and palace. You can also reach the palace via Gyeongbokgung station (line 3, exit 5). You'll emerge on the side of the palace - look right to see the shiny new gate, or left to enjoy the palace.

© Chris Backe - 2010

This post was originally published on my blog,Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.