Horoscope for December

Horoscope for December



Do you feel the winds of change? It will take you to a new and exciting place. Embrace the future and don’t get stuck in the past, but don’t try to actively to enact change on your own, just let it take you forward.


Planning on an early weekend? You might be tempted to go out dancing and drinking. But it might be better to stay home, so mix up some margaritas and throw a dinner party - think the first half of “Hotel California.”


It is not too difficult for you to make a new friend and influence people. Put on your sharpest outfit and go bargain with a sales person. Continue to do what you do, and if necessary, give advice to people you care about.


If you want to make cupcakes on your birthday, you have to share with the entire class. They might be too delicious to share, but all this was impossible without the help of others. Give credit where it is deserved.


Today is the day when everything just goes perfect for you. If it is clear that you are on a lucky streak, go get a lottery ticket or ask out the cute bartender. But beware, your luck won’t last forever.


You might need some of that change you saved for some unexpected expenses. Tread carefully now. You don’t want to drain your savings because you accidentally dropped your phone in the toilet.


If you are thinking about your future, start planning now. Relationships might need to be evaluated and your career could need some examination. You don’t have to make a decision now but at least start thinking.


You have worked hard to get where you are today, so enjoy the rewards you’re receiving now. But continue to do your best so you can earn more in the future. Just be confident because you’re heading in the right direction.


When was the last time you read some classic literature or saw major play? You could learn a lot about love by delving into the arts of the past. You might be inspired by the famous love stories from years ago.


Keep your family close today. Call your relatives for dinner at a cozy restaurant have a get together at your place. Meanwhile, keep your co-workers at bay. You don’t want them interfering in your life right now.


Are you planning on making a big purchase? Perhaps you want to get a new car or phone, but think before you just go out and buy something. You might be just bored and simply wanting a new distraction.


Craving for mental peace? That strong desire for internal calm might be quenched if you go about your day the right way. Try to stay relaxed at work and home and get some rest. Things should quiet down.

Korea music awards end with mixed reviews

Korea music awards end with mixed reviews

The Mnet Asian Music Awards, the first Korean pop music awards ceremony held in a foreign country, garnered high attendance but mixed reviews on Sunday at the Venetian Hotel’s Cotai Arena in Macau.

The highest honors of the night went to the girls. YG Entertainment’s 2NE1 won the most awards, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Female Group and Best Music Video, while JYP Entertainment’s Miss A won Song of the Year, Best New Female Artist and Best Dance Performance by a Female Group.

The awards ceremony drew more than 10,000 fans from all over Asia.

But despite the high attendance, event organizer Mnet, a Korean cable channel, is facing criticism that the awards were not distributed fairly.

Musicians that participated in the ceremony were from only two management companies - JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment - with the exception of D.J. D.O.C.

In addition, awards for four artists that could not attend the event - CN Blue (Best New Male Artist), 2AM (Best Vocal Performance by a Group), BoA (Best Female Artist) and Jo Kwon and Ga In (Best Collaboration) - were not mentioned during the awards ceremony.

The primary reason for the artists’ absence appears to be related to the underlying friction between Mnet and SM Entertainment, whose artists did not attend Sunday’s ceremony.

Gwangju Pungnamni Toseong

Gwangju Pungnamni Toseong

This earthen fortress is one of the last remaining relics of the Baekje period within the boundaries of modern Seoul. The circumference of the fortress once measured 4 kilometers, but due to urbanization it has been reduced to approximately 2.7 kilometers. Due to excavations conducted in 1966, the Seoul National University Archaeology Department was able to conclude that a civilization that continued between prehistoric times and the early Baekje period flourished in the present-day area.

Gwangju Pungnamni Toseong

Yukhoe, Steak Tartare

Yukhoe, Steak Tartare

Raw meat. It’s not common, but neither is it unique to Korea since there are few parts of the world where it’s not enjoyed in some shape or form. Beef tartare dishes abound in Europe and have never lost their popularity. We’ve all heard the old joke of the unwitting tourist in France ordering steak tartare for the first time only to be horrified upon being served raw beef.

That said, I think I can safely choose yukhoe as my definite favorite in this family of foods. It’s basically a dish of thin strips of raw beef tossed with soy sauce, sesame oil and pear juice and served with pine nuts and slices of pear. As well as being ridiculously easy to make, it captures the real flavors and taste of Korea and has a distinct personality.
The thing that sets yukhoe apart for me is the pear. The sweetness and texture are perfectly matched with the other ingredients and give the dish an identity of its own. Pine nuts are another surprise—I had always classified them as an “Italian” ingredient never to be seen anywhere else, let alone Korea. The addition of gochujang (red pepper paste) gives it that unforgettable Korean heat.


I’ve heard that you can get this dish made with horsemeat in Japan, but I’ll leave that particular gastronomic treat for the braver souls among us. Koreans will sometimes use raw beef liver, tripe and other offal in the same way. I once tried this variant of yukhoe in a small restaurant close to Gyeongdong Market. As I recall, it took a lot of soju to digest the 1 cm square pieces of raw liver. Whatever the final cut, consider having a bottle of soju handy as the perfect complement for this tasty dish.

More information about [ Yukhoe, Steak Tartare ]and restaurant info

For carmakers, G-20 is about more than diplomacy

This week’s G-20 Summit in Seoul is not just about diplomacy. For companies, the global gathering is an opportunity to promote their businesses to some of the world’s leading officials.

Among industries using unique marketing techniques to make their businesses stand out at the Seoul’s diplomatic event is the automobile sector - and it has been one of the busiest of them all. Carmakers are making their products, and their brand images, as visible as possible on the city’s streets.

Five automakers - Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, Audi Korea, BMW Korea and Chrysler Korea - were selected by the event’s organizing committee in September to provide premium sedans for country leaders, their spouses and heads of international organizations.

A total of 240 vehicles will be used to shuttle dignitaries around the capital this week.

Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, the nation’s two largest automakers by sales, have provided 172 cars, including the Equus Limousine, Mohave, Grand Starex and Grand Carnival.

“Sponsoring the [G-20] will enhance our global brand and help the Korean automotive industry boost its global competitiveness,” said Chung Eui-sun, vice chairman of Hyundai Motor, at last month’s ceremony to deliver the cars to the Presidential Committee for the G-20 Seoul Summit.

Hyundai Motor’s Equus, which will be provided to officials of the world’s leading economies, is the most luxurious vehicle made by a local automaker. The 146 million won ($130,000) limousine can put out 400 brake horsepower, has an engine displacement of 5,038 cubic centimeters and fuel efficiency of 8 kilometers per liter (18.8 miles per gallon). The sedan is more spacious than the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and has a seat massage function.

Not everyone will be in the official G-20 cars.

United States President Barack Obama will arrive with his Cadillac, which is made by U.S.-based General Motors. It is worth more than 600 million won. The U.S. president will also bring with him two additional customized, bulletproof Cadillac limousines.

Russian president Dmitry Medvedev will also bring in his own personal limousine made by Mercedes-Benz.

Leaders’ spouses will be provided with BMW’s high-end 750Li, which costs 180 million won and is the most expensive vehicles of the official G-20 cars, and Audi’s newly launched A8 sedan that costs 140 million won.

BMW sponsored the Asia-Europe Meeting held in 2000 in Seoul and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in 2005 in Busan.

Chrysler Korea’s 300C Signature sedans, with diesel engines and worth 65.8 million won a piece, will be used by heads of international organizations.

The G-20 meeting will also promote the green-car industry.

Local electric vehicle makers will heavily promote their cars since the electric automobile industry in Korea has lagged behind other developed nations.

According to industry sources, CT&T and AD Motors are the major “green” automakers making the most use of the summit to introduce their products to leaders and officials, looking for export opportunities.

CT&T erected a large advertisement outside a building near Samseong-dong in southern Seoul, where the summit takes place. The ad emphasizes its eco-friendly image. Its products will also be used to escort leaders’ spouses when driving short distances in Seoul.

AD Motors is participating in a smart grid exhibition taking place in Jeju, where global officials will meet to discuss ideas to reduce carbon emissions. The company will display five of its electric vehicles.

“The [G-20] is an opportunity for us to let the world know about the technology that Korea has developed in the electric vehicle industry, which hasn’t been known globally as of yet,” said an industry official.

“It can lead Korean electric automakers to export their products to developed regions such as Europe, the largest electric vehicle market.”

Lee Min-Jung Is The New Model For

Lee Min-Jung Is The New Model For…




The actress, most recently seen in the hit movie “Cyrano Dating Agency“, has shot a commercial for the shampoo/conditioner line. Shampoo commercials are considered to be a big deal in both the Korean advertising and entertainment fields. Only top Korean actresses snag such endorsements.

Korean free Online Lectures

Korean free Online Lectures

Seoul city provided their own Online Lectures to purblic.
It is absolutly free to use.
Take this oppertunity and prove yourself!

Click to Korean free Online Lectures

Socializing with your Korean Coworkers

Socializing with your Korean Coworkers

Can karaoke(no rae bang)really get me a raise?
Should I socialize with the people at work?

The webmaster is quite convinced that he once got a nice raise (the very next work day!) because he went out singing with the boss and other administrators. In some cultures, after-work socialization is very important (it is in the Western world too - isn't it?).

Because of the great cultural divide, it is quite useful to socialize with your coworkers - on their terms and in their ways - to help them get to know you. Make an effort and actually sing if asked. By the way, nobody cares if you sing well, it's only that you make the effort! And, once you do it a few times, you'll love it!

Socializing with Coworkers?

Why not? You did back home, didn't you? For most people their long-term friends are people they met at one workplace or another.

Do it just to be polite. But also be open to finding some new friends.

Be careful, however, of getting sloppy drunk or becoming too familiar with members of the other sex until you know your coworkers a bit better - and the culture a bit better. You don't want to start off on the wrong foot.

Now get out there and SING!

Rent an iPhone for free with iTour Seoul!

Rent an iPhone for free with iTour Seoul!



How to rent an iPhone and Use the i Tour Seoul Mobile web and Application
Step1. Upon arrival at the airport, visit the SHOW Global Roaming Center to rent an iPhone and to start using i Tour Seoul.
Step2. While traveling around Seoul, you can utilize the i Tour Seoul Application and the Mobile Web service.

Get more detail and information

Hiking Trails Connecting Seoul's Inner and Outer Mountains are Now Open

Hiking Trails Connecting Seoul's Inner and Outer Mountains are Now Open



A 1200-m stretch of Bukhansan Dulle-gil from Bugaksan (Mountain)'s Haneul Maru skyway to Bukhansan (Mountain)'s Hyeongjaebong Intersection has been connected and is now open

Bukhansan Dulle-gil trail is a path in the form of a concentric circle, surrounding the foot of Bukhansan (Mountain) and Dobongsan (Mountain). Now that the trails have been joined together, one can hike from Namsan to Bukhansan, Dobongsan to Suraksan, Seooneung to World Cup Park, and other pathways.

Dulle-gil trail is one of three sections of a larger 200-km-long trekking course that will allow citizens and tourists to walk along a hilly trail that highlights culture, history and the landscape of Seoul while Seoul Seonggwak (Fortress Wall) trail is a 20-km-long trekking course that connects Seoul's four inner mountains of Bugaksan, Naksan, Namsan and Inwangsan.

Now that Bugaksan and Bukhansan are connected, hiking the 4.1-km-long stretch from Bugaksan's Waryong Park to Bukhansan's Dulle-gil, for example, would take about 1 hour 40 minutes to complete.

The Korea National Park Service plans to open the rest of the 26 km of the Dobongsan Dulle-gil trail in the first half of next year. According to the KNPS, the Dulle-gil trail is expected to help reduce damage to the natural ecosystem.

Sundae (순대): Korea’s Answer to Black Pudding

Sundae (순대): Korea’s Answer to Black Pudding



When it comes to blood sausages, the Germans have their blutwurst, the French have boudin noir, the Spanish have morcilla, and we Irish (and, let it be said, the English) have black pudding. Having heard then about sundae from my Korean friends, the chef in me was immediately curious. Coming from a country where very little of the pig is left on the butcher’s floor, I couldn’t wait to try Korea’s take on this international delicacy.

Sundae is generally made of potato starch noodles, barley and pork blood. There are versions that have soybean paste, rice, kimchi and other ingredients added, but like many Korean recipes you will be hard-pressed to get two people to agree on the “original.” Just to muddy the waters even more, there are a lot of regional variations of sundae reaching as far as Jeju where squid bodies or fish bladders take the place of pork intestines depending on the province.

“Sundae Village” in Sillim-dong, located near Seoul National University, is the spiritual home of this Korean dish and offers an endless assortment of sundae dishes. It’s said to form 50% of students’ diet with alcohol picking up the other 50%. They take it very seriously here, even running a Sundae Festival to celebrate the joys of the blood sausage. A walk down one of these streets will give you the chance to try it in every shape and style: plain, in soups, (순대국 sundaeguk), stir-fried (순대볶음 sundae bokkeum), and various other combinations.

Hangeul (Korean)

Hangeul (Korean)

It is typical character of Korean language which consists of 24 letters; 14 consonants and 10 vowels. It was invented by the Great King Sejong in 1443 with the name of Hunmin-jeongeum and proclaimed in 1446. It has got its name of Hangeul in 1910s and the name Hangeul has been generalized in 1928. Hangeul has been adopted as an official character of Ciacia language of Indonesian minority race, the Ciacia tribes in 2009. Hangeul belongs to alphabetic writings among phonograms.

Get more information about Hangeul(Korean).

Try to learn Hangeul(Korean) for free

Choo Choo, Out of this world

Choo Choo, Out of this world



Choo Shin-soo looks on after belting a solo home run in the third inning to give Korea a 3-1 lead over China in its Asian Games semifinal match at Aoti Baseball Field yesterday. Korea went on to win, 7-1, and will play in the gold medal game today at 5 p.m.

In Japan, the Girls rule, big time

In Japan, the Girls rule, big time



The Girls, who were giving a press conference at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents Club, had those gathered at the event whispering that they were the embodiment of “cute”: with their beaming smiles and their hugging of one another during the interview. The Girls are getting press coverage outside the country because their presence of just two months in Japan is at the forefront of what is now being called the “second Korean wave” - and they are enjoying every minute of it. “We believe that we’ve been able to enter the foreign market because those who came before us did so well,” said leader Tae-yeon.

In the time since they debuted in Japan, the group’s popularity has risen - along with their chart rankings in the country. “Gee,” the group’s second single, shot to No. 1 on Japan’s highly-trusted Oricon daily singles chart. The group also made history for landing in the weekly “top 3 ranking” on the famous Japanese chart, something that hasn’t been done by a foreign female artist since 1980. The rankings are determined by artists’ record sales and popularity ratings gathered from its Web site. “This is the happiest news we’ve had recently and we believe it has provided a great chance for us to try even harder,” Tae-yeon said of the group’s success.

Another Social Media in Korea: Yozm

Another Social Media in Korea: Yozm

Korea’s second most popular search engine, Daum is preparing to launch its own Social Network Service called Yozm (http://yozm.daum.net).

Various modification of a Twitter-like services have developed in Korea to better serve Koreans’ socializing habit, needs and interest:
-me2day(www.me2day.net by NHN Naver), Twitter-like service instead offers 150 words
-sfoon(www.sfoon.com by Nurien), Connects your twitter, Me2day, Flickr, You Tube accounts in one viewing convenience
-itgling(www.itgling.co.kr by Mediare), socializing with people who share similar web surfing/using pattern rather than choosing to follow or request to be friends

So, how is Yozm different from the rest?

Well, first of all, Yozm, meaning “nowadays” in Korean, allows the user to select/type in
- What you like
- What you dislike
- What you are good at
- Where you go often to find friends.

Under each category, the user can enter up to three things, which can be changed at anytime.
This function, not offered in Twitter and Me2day allows the user to quickly socialize by allocating and becoming friends with people who share similar taste and lifestyle.

Seoul's Flea Markets

Seoul's Flea Markets

Seoul may be home to some of the world’s most voracious brand name shoppers and whole districts full of über-chic boutiques to support their habits, but that hasn’t stopped the city from developing its own selection of flea and other markets for those that appreciate the random charm of the second hand and the unusual. The following is just a selection of some of the city’s ever diversifying markets – great places for both the committed shopper and the idle weekend stroller.



A bustling Sunday market in Hyehwa-dong dubbed “little Manila” is a popular place for curious Koreans and foreigners alike to attune themselves to Philippine cuisine and hard-to-find imported goods. Seoulites can shop for cheap second-hand cell phones, international calling cards, CDs, books, toiletries, and a plethora of imported canned, bottled and fresh fruits and vegetables that you won't find at your local E-Mart. You can also sample freshly cooked food at the market. A popular Philippine variant of everyday street-meat is balut, which at first glance appears to be an oversized egg---but inside is an underdeveloped duck fetus. It is a Philippine delicacy, though to many Westerners it is seen as an extreme cuisine gross-out. For my Filipino-Canadian friend Carmella, the market is a place of nostalgic indulgence. She recommends adobo (vinegar-fried chicken) and dinuguan (pork blood stew). Enjoy one of these hot exotic entrées for 5,000 won while sipping on a chilled San Miguel for 2,500 won.

Get more information about Seoul's Flea Markets

Bongeunsa

Bongeunsa

Bongeunsa Temple is one of only a few traditional Buddhist temples found in the city. It is quite a pleasant surprise that a temple of this size could be located in the busy, fast-paced part of the World Trade Center area. Established in 794 during the Silla Kingdom, the temple was originally called Gyeonseong-sa which literally means "seeing true nature." Although the temple fell into decline during the late Goryeo era, it was reconstructed in 1498 under the patronage of a Choson Kingdom queen who renamed it Bongeunsa, or "offering benefit." Not to be missed is the Great Statue of Maitreya Buddha. Built in 1996, it is the tallest stone statue (23 meters) of Maitreya Buddha in Korea.

Songpyeon

Songpyeon

Songpyeon: Half Moon Rice Cake



When the full moon appears, we call it “borum” in Korean. There are 2 major "borum" days. These are “daeborum” and “hangawee”. “Daeborum” is usually on January 15 and “Hangawee” is on August 15 (lunar calendar). “Hangawee” is also called Chuseok, and is the biggest festive day in Korea. The representative food for Chuseok is half moon rice cake.
Half moon rice cake is made of rice flour dough and a various fillings such as sesame seed paste, chestnut, sweet potato, pumpkin, mung beans and so on. Although the rice cake itself is half moon shaped, the filling should be rolled or cut into a full moon shape. The reason of this shape is related to Korean traditional superstitions. In those days, people believed that their wish would come true if they pray to the moon, and they did so to get a fruitful harvest. We can also add beautiful colors songpyeon when using various vegetables when making the rice dough. The favorite natural colorings are wormwood (green), pumpkin (yellow), cactus (pink) and sovereign (pink).

Half moon shaped rice cakes made of rice flour dough stuffed with various fillings. A traditional festival dish served on Chuseok, the Korean "Thanksgiving Day."

Ingredients and details of how to make Songpyeon

Japan to return Korean artifacts

Japan to return Korean artifacts

Japan will soon return historic artifacts it took from Korea during its 1910-45 colonial rule of the peninsula, as the two countries signed a pact resolving one of the thorny issues in their diplomatic ties, officials here said Sunday.

During their summit held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Japan, President Lee Myung-bak and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan reached an agreement that Tokyo returns some 1,205 volumes of historic archives to Seoul within six months.

The accord was later signed by the foreign ministers of the two countries.

The pact will play “an important role in further improving the ties” between the two countries, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said in a statement.

Antique Hunting in Seoul

Antique Hunting in Seoul

There’s a theory that tourists in foreign countries are always on the lookout for “authenticity.” When it comes to shopping, this translates into a search for antiques. Seoul contains its share of valuable old objects for sale, but walking away with a piece of Korean history is not a simple matter.

Where to go

Dapsimni---home to Korea’s largest single concentration of antique shops in four large buildings.
Great both for wandering around and for serious shopping. Shops vary in content from antique Korean furniture and pottery to Chinese reproductions, Chinese-style items, antique agricultural machinery, stone carvings, paintings, and plenty more. Age and quality vary wildly. For old wooden chest-type furniture, SEOUL recommends Jung Dea-young’s Donginbang shop, located at #154, 154 Samhui-dong, Dapsimni.
Getting there: Dapsimni Station, Line 5, Exit 2. Head one row of buildings from the main road and you’ll find the buildings of the antique market.

Insa-dong---Perhaps Seoul’s most famous center of “authenticity,” this is, unlike Dapsimni, at the heart of the conventional tourist trail. The main thoroughfare and several streets leading off it are home to various antique shops. If it’s real, it will definitely be expensive here. Try Tongmungwan for ancient books and documents, Dongmundang for old paintings and calligraphic works, and Gayajae for stone Buddha figures and tiles.
Getting there: Anguk Station, Line 3, Exit 6. Walk straight ahead for 50 meters, then turn left down Insa-dong’s main street.

Itaewon---Seoul’s most famous “foreigner neighborhood”
Itaewon used to have plenty of antique shops, but only a handful remain. Try Chosun Antique (02-793-3726), or Koreana Antique, both of which offer high-quality replicas of classical Korean and Chinese furniture. The lighter-grained pieces here appeal more to the tastes of foreigners who want something that is beautiful and at the same time can fit in and function as a useful piece of furniture in a modern home. Expect to pay from 200,000---300,000 to several million won.
Getting there: Itaewon Station, Line 6, Exit 2. Walk straight ahead until you come to the corner opposite Chosun Antique.

Sung-kyun-kwan University

Genre : Drama
Cast : Yoo A-in, Song Joong-ki, Park Min-young, Park Yoo-chun

Nation’s highest educational institute and the oldest university in East Asia that has distinguished history of 500 years; it is Sung-kyun-kwan University. But if you are thinking of Sungkyunkwan as a boring study place, you underestimated it. It is the place full of vitality, where youthfulness is flowering, and the school where you learn to be harmonized! And there is a young Confucian scholar Kim Yoon-hui, who gets into this forbidden place for women, hiding her gender. Yoon-hui’s father, Kim Seung-hyun was a scholar at Sungkyunkwan and also a good friend of the Crown prince. King Yeongjo calls him before the day of his death and asks him to hand down his secret book Kum-deung-ji-sa across the generations. However, Kim Seung-hyun gets killed by the opposing faction and the book has disappeared. Yoon-hui was only 7-year-old when her father got murdered. Yoon-hui has a talent for writing, which had inherited from her father. She starts to stay at Sungkyunkwan and meets three good friends: Seon-joon, Jae-shin, Yong-ha. And Yoon-hui slowly gets fascinated by King Jeongjo’s vision and becomes to understand what her father truly dreamt of.

Matter of age in Korea

Matter of age in Korea!!

When I first came to Eaglebrook School as a seventh grader, I immediately noticed it was very different from the milieu I had been used to at an international school in Korea called SIS. Because this school was mostly composed of students who had previously lived in the United States, most of my friends were brought up and educated like American students. Expecting a similar environment at Eaglebrook, I at first acted like I did at SIS. As expected, my way of approaching people helped me befriend other American students, but I found out that this wasn’t the case with other students from Korea.

The Koreans that went to Eaglebrook had all attended Korean public schools. As a result, they were all used to the Korean tradition of hierarchy based on age. In Korea, your elder had absolute authority over you, and even a difference of a few months could decide your status within the hierarchy.
Not knowing this, I treated Korean students at Eaglebrook like I would those at my old schoolas equals. I had never experienced any conflict stemming from age differences until that point.
But the eighth and ninth graders, and even the other seventh graders, considered me a strange kid who was clueless about the hierarchy. My lack of a sibling further amplified this ignorance. Most of the other Koreans had older siblings but my being an only child had not prepared me for this hierarchy. To make things worse, all the other seventh graders were a year older than me, apparently expecting me to treat them like superiors as well. I eventually caught on to what was happening, but it was already too late to reverse the damage I had done to my reputation. This got me thinking.

I knew I had blown my first impression and although I wanted to socialize with the Koreans more naturally, I couldn’t bring myself to agree with this anachronistic hierarchy. I couldn’t understand why the difference in age had to come between possible friendships, but I decided it was time that I tried.

Seoul Road Closures during the G20 Summit

Seoul Road Closures during the G20 Summit

On November 11th and 12th, due to the G20 Seoul Summit, Seoul’s public transit system will operate under some alternate procedures, and some roads around Coex in the Samseong district will be subject to traffic restrictions.

On these two days, 58 extra trains will run on subway lines 1 to 9 during rush hour at intervals of 2 to 2.5 minutes. Also, 428 extra city buses will be deployed.

On November 12th from midnight to 10 pm, sections of road between Coex intersection and Bongeunsa-ro and Bongeunsa-ro and Asem-ro (the Hyundai Department Store intersection) will be closed off completely. However, one lane of each road will be open to local residents and commuters. Also, the section of Yeongdongdae-ro from Samseong Station intersection to Gyeonggi High School intersection, and the section of Tehran-ro from Samseong Station intersection to the Hyundai Department Store intersection will be half-closed.

Also, on November 12th from midnight to 10 pm, trains on subway line 2 will not stop at Samseong Station. Additionally, bus numbers 342, 640, 3411, 3412, 3418, 4431, and the Gangnam 01 bus will make detours along Samseong-ro or turn around once they reach nearby stops, such as Cheongdam Park intersection or Gyeonggi High School intersection.

Also, Coex Mall will be closed to the public on November 12th.

Jogyesa Religious Place

Jogyesa Religious Place


The headquarters of the Jogye Buddhist Order, Jogyesa Temple is an oasis of spiritual peace in the heart of bustling Seoul. Built in 1910, Jogyesa is the only traditional temple located within the four gates that delineated old Seoul. Located nearby is Insadong, a major tourist street of teashops, restaurants, art galleries and traditional craft shops.

More info and pic about Jogyesa

Haejang Guk (해장국)

Have a hangover? Try this!! It is really good for relieving hangovers.

Haejang Guk (해장국) - Korea’s Ancient Tradition of Hangover Soup



Korea is a country sometimes known for hard drinking. Few visitors and even fewer foreign residents leave without taking back at least one or two potent memories of soju and makgeolli. Less well known are the many hangover cures and remedies dating back to early Korean history. These range from a trip to a hot spring to a hearty bowl of hangover soup, or even the desperate solution of haejang sul (해장술), known in the West as “the hair of the dog.”

Koreans from all walks of life enjoy hangover soup or haejang guk (해장국), and ajusshis (middle-aged men) are not the only ones who order it. The main types of haejang guk are popular enough that just about every neighborhood has at least one establishment for it. Each restaurant uses slightly different recipes, preparation techniques, and ingredients, so it’s worthwhile to sample a favorite kind of haejang guk in different cities, or even in different neighborhoods.

Regardless of its name, one does not need to be hungover to enjoy haejang guk. And because there is a wide range of hangover soups it shouldn’t be hard to find a soup that fits your taste. The most loved and hated haejang guk would have to be sunji soup, which usually doesn’t appeal to the western palate. It must be kept in mind, though, that even many Koreans shudder at the thought of ingesting congealed cow or pig blood!

Typically, a bowl of haejang guk will cost W5,000. To sample the genuine article for a wildly cheap price, consider making a trip to Chungjindong Haejang Guk (청진동 해장국), a quality chain restaurant. One location is across the street from exit 3 of Gireum Station in northeast Seoul. There you’ll find tripe and sunji soup for W4,000 (recommended), as well as sunji, pork spine, and bean sprout soup, each for W3,000.

A final recommendation is Chungdo Haejang Guk (청도 해장국), near Seoul National University. The able cooks here prepare spicy tripe and sunji soup, dried pollack, and pork spine soup for W4,500, while the signature sunji offering is priced at W3,500. From exit 4 of Naksungdae Station, head towards Naksungdae Shrine. The restaurant is on the right side of the street.

more information and types of Haejang Guk

Korean Language School information

Korean Language School information

Recently, there has been an increasing number of individuals interested in Korea, so there has been an increasing interest in learning the Korean language and Korea’s culture. The best way to learn a language is to be at the country. Various language schools will be introduced in this piece.

■ Types of School
■ Introduction of schools according to time purpose
■ Procedure until Starting Courses

Korean language suffers as Konglish takes hold

Korean language suffers as Konglish takes hold

When an American man went to Seoul’s Yonsei University to study Korean years ago, the textbooks and the teachers were both full of Konglish which, in its simplest terms, is the use of English words and phrases in a Korean context.

He complained to his teacher, and she just said, “If you want to hear pure Korean, go to North Korea.” Hmm. Now, there’s an idea.

No language is free from the influence of foreign words. In France, there exists the state-funded Academie francaise to help protect and preserve the French language, and in Singapore the government publicly discourages people from the use of “Singlish.”

In South Korea, there appears little concerted government efforts to keep the Korean language pure. Korean newspapers churn out more Konglish each day, adding word after word to an already staggering warehouse of lexicon.

Many of these words, bandied about under the general rubric of “Konglish,” have murky origins in non-English-speaking countries, and came to South Korea via Japan, according to linguistic experts.

King Sejong of Korea’s last kingdom, Joseon (1392-1910), introduced the Korean script, known as Hangeul, roughly half a millennium ago to boost literacy and decrease reliance on burdensome Chinese characters.

Consequently, South Korea has one of the highest literacy rates in the world, significantly higher than that of the United States.

But communication is often muddled.

Bak Sun-me, who works “areubaiteu” (meaning part-time, via “arubaitu” from Japan, originally from “arbeit,” to work in German) in a clothing store in Gangneung, says, “The people with whom I work all use Konglish so much it’s driving me crazy. I asked them to stop. They just looked at me as if I were strange. I think people in Korea use Konglish without thinking. They have no idea what they are really saying, if anything.”

This tendency to adopt English loan words has everyone confused.

When Korean media reported on a recent typhoon that cut across the Korean Peninsula, they all wrote that its name “Kompasu” is a Japanese word meaning “compass” in English. But Kompasu is not pure Japanese. It’s obviously Janglish, a mixture of Japanese and English. The true Japanese word for compass is “rashinban.”

All people pepper their speech with loan words from other languages. Just read the New York Times where one easily finds words such as de rigueur and laissez-faire. As one long-term expat, who asked to remain anonymous, said, “Overuse French words in English and you sound pretentious. Misuse them and you sound stupid.”

Using foreign words to denote objects and concepts imported from other countries is one thing, but to substitute English words for Korean words that already exist is excessive.

But with Konglish words borrowed, diced and spliced together to form new words, and with them new meaning, English language speakers can probably guess what gametigen and fastaurant are supposed to mean, but can rural Korean villagers understand “saieunseu buhreeping” (science briefing), which appeared in a recent local media report? These are words that pose problems to many people.

Why do newspapers choose to use words such as “hub,” when the word jungshim in Korean already exists? It is a bit of a quandary.

But most people see words such as “hub” as a kind of “branding tool” that can help Korea enter the global market. “Business hub,” “financial hub,” hub this, hub that, etc., etc. But many people agree that excessive or improper use of Konglish hurts any and all attempts at globalization.

While Konglish definitely makes communication easier for foreigners in some regards, there are some words that some people think never should have been invented.

One such word is “laysheeng geol,” displayed on the website of a prominent newspaper. This word, the Korean phonetic adaptation of “racing girl” refers to the women found on the Formula One circuit, and shows why the Roman alphabet, not Hangeul, is still the best way to represent English sounds.

Experts have lists of Konglish vocabulary a mile long. What is difficult to predict is what exactly Konglish really is, or where Konglish is going.

A person who answered the phone at the National Institute of Korean Language, when pressed for insight as to the future of Konglish, said this: “Konglish is used mostly by the older generation. The younger generation, hopefully, will stop using Konglish as English education in South Korea improves. That’s my personal opinion, and not the thoughts of the institution at which I work.”

Korean star Kim Hyun-joong to sing Guangzhou Asian Games theme song

Korean star Kim Hyun-joong to sing Guangzhou Asian Games theme song

Korean singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong will sing the theme song for the Guangzhou Asian Games set to open in the southern Chinese city next week, his agency said Wednesday.

The leader of the boy band SS501 will go onstage at the opening ceremony on Nov. 12 with four other singers from China and other Chinese-speaking countries to sing the Games' official song, "Sunshine Again," KeyEast said.

The opening extravaganza is expected to draw about 100,000 audience members and will be broadcast across Asia.

"Kim Hyun-joong received a proposal from the Asian Games organizing committee to sing the title song at the opening ceremony and he accepted," the agency said in a press release. "Kim will sing the song in Chinese," it added.

The 24-year-old star gained wide popularity throughout Asia for his role in the 2009 Korean hit television drama series, "Boys Over Flowers."

English? Konglish?

English? Konglish? (Korean + English)

The new restaurant’s signature dish in the busy area of Samseong-dong in southern Seoul is a "well-made" hamburger. The term "well-made" implies "well-made" or "well put together" and is often used as a reference to anything newly constructed.

In this instance, it seems a little out of place. The idea is right in that the restaurant prepares all the "fixings" for the perfect burger, but the meaning is no less than comical. The end result has more to do with flavor and taste rather than construction or design.

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Seoul (Namsan) Fortress - Hanok Village Course

Seoul walking tour : Seoul (Namsan) Fortress - Hanok Village Course



This is a very interesting walking-route that will give you good impressions of Korea's dynamic history, including sites of the Joseon Dynasty to modern times. Climbing up the steep slopes of Mt. Namsan in the center of Seoul, you will also enjoy some beautiful and photogenic scenery.

Walking this route through the Namsan Park area offers you some good education about Korea's ancient and modern history, featuring many sites of architectural interest, some very pleasant urban forest and rest-stops with some great views of the city. It begins at Jangchung-dan Park, which is right next to Dongguk University (Korea's oldest and largest Buddhist university, an interesting place to visit in itself) and easy to get to from the Dongguk University Metro Station (Dongdae-ipgu in Korean, on Orange Line #3). This small urban park contains several interesting historical monuments including the Jangchoongdan Monument in itself, and also the beautiful and architecturally-advanced Supyo Bridge. The route proceeds past an authentic old section of the Namsan Fortress Wall, past Korea’s prominent National Theater and then on up the mountain through a lovely dense patch of forest. Near the summit you can visit the ancient Fire-signal Station and the modern Seoul Tower, the most visible symbol of Seoul. Descending to the northeast, your final stop will be the Namsan-gol Hanok Village, a charming group of authentic Joseon Dynasty houses and pavilions arranged around a well-landscaped park, where you can take some rest and refreshment before returning back into the city through its front gate.

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Spicy Chicken Stew Dakdori Tang

Spicy Chicken Stew Dakdori Tang

The day I first encountered this ultimate Korean winter dish, I was out in the middle of Korea looking at some incredible small-scale chinaware workshops. Around noon the boys told me I was in for an amazing lunch. After some time driving in what can only be described as the most remote countryside in Korea, we came upon a little farm house. Out in the back yard was a large fenced area for chickens to run around in. It must have been -5 degrees Celsius, and our teeth were chattering by the time we were invited inside. The second I came through the door, the smell of the savory chicken stock hit my nose. What a treat was waiting for us!



Dakdori Tang is a spicy chicken stew brimming with a whole chicken (bones and all), big pieces of potato and carrots, some onions, and of course a wallop of gochu jang (red pepper paste). Can you imagine a heartier winter dish? Preparing the ingredients for the dish doesn’t take that much time, but be prepared to wait a while for the stew to cook fully. Overall, if you want something that’s easy to make but with great results try this one out.