Have you ever wondered what the first Korean-made car was?

The Hyundai Pony was the first Korean-developed car in the world, built in 1975. Being also the first car to be exported out of Korea (to Ecuador in 1976), the Pony helped South Korea become the fifth largest producer and sixth largest exported of automobiles in the world.

The Hyundai Pony in the photo above is a second generation 2 door pick-up model built around 1980. It’s been modified to be used as a nicknack store on wheels. I took the photo above in the Gangnam district of Seoul.

Traditional Korean dance. Women dancing in circular arrangements.

Really interesting:

This dance originated as a military tactic in the Joseon Dynasty when women and their daughters dressed in hamboks and danced in circles on mountain tops to intimidate Japanese invaders. I suppose when the Japanese were looking up at a mountain-top with a constant stream of women dancing, there was no way for them to gauge the population of their village or city. Hence, the Japanese would be confused in estimating the size of the opposing Korean military force.

Today, masters of traditional Korean dance are considered “national living treasures.” While Korea was occupied by Japan between 1910 and 1945, the knowledge of traditional Korean dance was secretly kept alive despite attempted “cultural genocide.“  The more I learn about Korean history, the more I realize why there’s so much tension between Korea and Japan still today. I wrote a post on the history of Korean pottery a while back, uncovering what was a similar political situation between Korea and Japan during the Pottery Wars.

While I was eating at a Korean restaurant earlier today, I noticed the same patterned dance at a Chuseok festival on the news.

Chuseok is a celebration of harvest and usually brings Korean families to their traditional roots. Family gatherings during this holiday are often in the countryside where their families originate.  Families pay tribute to their ancestors by visiting their graves and holding memorial services.

Some women spend days preparing and cooking traditional foods.  Some Korean food typically served include songpyeon (a rice cake that is most representative and particular to Chuseok), bulgogi, and of course kimchi. Many of the foods originally prepared for Chuseok used newly harvested food such as rice.

Hamboks are traditionally worn. Big payday for kids – the elderly give money to them.

Common Chuseok gifts include:

-Spam and cans of tuna. The most common gift exchanged. An indication of how poor Korea was not too long ago.  Both items are protein sources that require no refrigeration. I was unaware until my arrival in Korea that South Korea was one of the poorest countries in Asia, with North Korea being the economic powerhouse pre-World War 2. A complete reversal of today.

-Bonuses from employers. Eunmi mentioned she received a $1,000 deposit for Chuseok when she was a designer for Cyworld, the Korean equivalent to Facebook or Myspace. Eunmi also mentioned that employee bonuses for Chuseok were originally meant to enable everyone to have enough money to visit their families for the holiday.

-Olive oil. Primary oil used for cooking.

-Expensive Western liquor. Ballantines seems to be the pinnacle of liquor in Korea. If you want to impressive someone, you buy them the oldest bottle of Ballantines whiskey you can find and present it in gold gift-wrap (gold is the most desirable color for gift-wrap in Korea) – that goes for any special occasion.

Typical gift package of Spam and cooking oil. I couldn’t stop laughing when I first saw this, until Eunmi explained to me everything.

A whole array of gift packages with Spam, cooking oil, cans of tuna, and coffee available at your local Home Plus.

Behold, the new 50,000 won Korean Note!! Just put into circulation, I exchanged my 600 Chinese Yuan from my trip to Shanghai for two of these babies.

These are the highest denomination notes by five-fold, just put into circulation this week. For almost 40 years, the 10,000 won Korean note has been the highest denomination bill, which is worth less than 8 US dollars.  You basically have to walk around with stacks of bills if you need cash for traveling, or if you want to buy anything over a couple hundred dollars with cash.

Several interesting features about the new 50,000 won note:

-First Korean note to feature a woman – the great Shin Saim-dang from 16th century – famous painter and author, but most notable as the mother of the philosopher Yul-goke

-Heightened security with an anti-counterfeit metallic strip that runs across the top and bottom of the bill (in the photo I took above, notice the metallic strip along the left side of the first bill)

-Slightly larger in size than the 10,000 won note

-Looks very similar to a 5,000 won note which has almost the same colors and almost the same numbers – has already drawn many complaints

-Issues with the security strip separating at the end of the bill – possible problems with ATM machines

-Issues with small shops needing to keep more change for the higher denomination bill

-Current surge in demand for counterfeit note detectors

My opinion of the new 50,000 won note? I think it’s terrific. Much easier to keep count of my cash, and my wallet just got a lot thinner!

source 1, source 2

The picture above is of the JSA, or Joint Security Area. I took the photograph from the South facing North. The blue buildings are always guarded. The buildings were last used this past December for negotiations between the two countries. Prior to that meeting, it had been over 10 years since the blue buildings were used for negotiations.

The gray building is a North Korean building. If you look closely, you can see a North Korean soldier in an olive-colored suit at the doorway. We were instructed by our US Army guide to never under any circumstances point or gesture to the North Korean side. The US Army soldier yelled at me when I tried taking pictures of all the cameras pointing at the North Korean side on top of the South Korean building. The soldiers in the green uniforms are Korean MP’s. When they stand their post, they don’t move an inch. They almost look like wax figures because they stand so still.

The video above is of me inside the JSA (the blue building). After Sam had filmed me, I turned the camera and got up really close to the Korean MP to show you that he is in fact alive. You can see his eyes blinking at the end of the video. Also interesting, I am actually standing on the North Korea half of the building.

In the photo above, you can see Korean soldiers standing in front of the Korean MP, facing the North. Notice the MP’s stance. That is a Tae-Kwon-Do pose.

The picture above is what the JSA looks like with no tourists. It is dead still and dead silent with no movement from the MP’s. At least that’s what we’re told. Maybe they goof off. They must be really good at staring contests.

My security badge for the JSA.

The video above is of a South Korean soldier waiting next to his vehicle.

That’s me walking down to what is called Tunnel 6. This is the sixth tunnel discovered, burrowed by the North Koreans. You can tell all the tunnels are drilled from the North to the South by the markings on the walls.  With information from defectors and South Korean intel, it is estimated that there are 20 tunnels made by the North Koreans, with each successive tunnel being more and more advanced (i.e. issues of flooding in the tunnels being resolved). When North Korea was questioned about this particular tunnel, they responded by saying that they were coal mining. It was discovered that the North Korean’s had simply PAINTED THE WALLS BLACK to make their claim.

The site of the Axe Murder Incident in 1976. Two US soldiers were trimming trees to improve visibility of the area. North Koreans ordered them to stop, but the situation escalated into the deaths of two US soldiers.

The famous Bridge of No Return. The rusty sign reads, “Military Demarcation Line.” Crossing that line would be a mistake.

Thats the best I could focus on some of the buildings in the North Korean side. The large structure is North Korean flagpole. South Korea built a flag polo that was 328 feet tall.  Not to be outdone, almost immediately, the North Koreans responded by constructing  what is now the tallest flagpole in the world, standing at 528ft tall. The flag is so huge it barely moves in the wind.

The buildings above are on the North Korean side. They are merely shells of buildings. We know this because the lights are dimmer in the bottom windows than the top windows. Another clue…… all the buildings lights turn on and off at the same time.

Did you know that kimchi is a low-calorie cancer fighter, with 4x the valuable lactic acid bacteria of yogurt?

I recently visited the Kimchi Museum located at the COEX Mall in Seoul, South Korea.  I didn’t realize there was so much information about kimchi available.  Most of the information I have gathered below is from the museum.

6 Powerful Health Benefits of Kimchi

1) Kimchi contains lots of vitamin A and C, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Antioxidants in kimchi bolsters our immune system in addition to age-delaying and cancer prevention. At one point, kimchi was being considered as a possible cure or treatment for the Asian flu (although this has been disputed).

2) Kimchi is a low calorie food with lots of fiber in the vegetable ingredients. A particular element called “capsicine” in the red pepper of red kimchi helps weight control by burning fat.

3) Kimchi contains loads of lactobacilli(lactic acid bacteria) produced from the fermentation process. Lactobacilli cleans the intestines – helps prevent large intestine cancer.

4) Different agents present in kimchi also are proven to lower LDL-cholestrol.

5) In one part of the Kimchi Museum exhibit, they explain the “Efficacy of Lactobacilli in Kimchi.” Lactobacilli, or commonly known as ‘lactic acid bacteria,’ is a powerful micro-organism that helps our body fight off toxins. The same micro-organisms are found in yogurt and cheese from the fermentation process of producing such foods.  The sourness, which is also found in yogurts and cheeses can also be tasted in kimchi,  contributes to its unique flavor. It is during this fermentation process that harmful bacteria and micro-organisms die off, and health-preserving micro-organisms such as lactic acid bacteria are formed.

6) Kimchi has four times as much lactic acid bacteria as yogurt! Lactobacilli helps clean the colon, prevents other harmful bacteria from growth, prevents cancer cell growth.

Wanna live longer and healthier?

Eat kimchi!!!

Today, Sam and I ventured to Insadong where 40% of all South Korean antique stores are located (Frommer’s South Korea). It is also claimed to be the cultural center of South Korea since the the late 1300’s.

I felt the pottery in particular was amazing in Insadong.

During what was known as “The Pottery Wars,” the Japanese destroyed almost all Korean pottery and kidnapped thousands of Korean potters during their invasion of Korea in the late 1500’s. Yi Sam-Pyong, who is regarded as the “father of Japanese pottery” was NOT a Japanese potter, but a Korean potter who was kidnapped from Korea during The Pottery Wars. Numerous internet sources mention Japan’s knowledge of ceramics and pottery is borrowed and perhaps could be more accurately stated, “stolen,” from Korea.

No sources clearly indicate information about the reasoning behind “The Pottery Wars,” but I would imagine Japan committed these crimes for economic reasons.  Korean pottery was regarded as the best in Asia at the time, and the Japanese knew that Korean-grade pottery  would remain high in demand. I’m starting to understand why there is so much tension between Korea and Japan.

Below are some photos of Korean pottery and ceramics in Insadong shops…..

Lots of pottery in this shop. I like how half of this store’s inventory is green pottery. It would be interesting to find out how she keeps inventory.

Unique Korean tea-pot design. I like the big handle…..makes more sense than a little handle you can barely put your finger through.

Some sort of green Korean ceramic containers. The little green duck is cute.

Lots of ceramic Korean tea sets. I would like to watch their potters make one of the teapots with the large handles.

Massive outdoor pots. Maybe kimchi pots? I would love one for my place but unfortunately, it would take up the entire space of my tiny place. There isn’t enough room at my place in Seoul for both the pot and me (somewhat kidding).

Interesting large brown pots with floral patterns. The texture of the surface of these pots are different for some reason.

Small and medium sized Korean ceramic pots. Simple and elegant design.