Author: Kalbi

Let’s “Go-Green” Together in Korea

Kalbi Eco-friendly culture, Travel , , , , , , ,

 

In my recent trip to Seoul in December 2019, I found the above advertisement in the subway train – it is about saying “No’ to paper receipts in the shops and this is supported by big names like Lotte, Shinsegae, Emart and Home Plus.  In fact, South Korea has been implementing other eco-friendly policies, for example, waste sorting for both household and commercial entities. Recently, the South Korean Government has tightened up the policies against the use of plastic products and single-use products.  In this blog post, we will discuss some of the policies which may impact on the places where tourists usually visit. Continue reading →

Two Korean Festivals to Enjoy at Night in November!

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**Last updated on: 15 October 2020**

If you are going to Korea in November, there are two annual festivals which you could enjoy at night, one in Busan and another in Seoul.  However, due to Covid-19, depending on the circumstances, these festivals may be postponed or cancelled in 2020. You may refer to the respective websites mentioned below for the updated information.  For the purpose of this blog post, I would use the information based on the festivals held in 2019. Continue reading →

Korean Embroidery – Jasu

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In my last blog post dated 24 August 2019, I have talked about one of Korean traditional crafts, najeonchilgi (mother-of-pearl craft works), in this blog post, let’s talk about another Korean traditional craft, embroidery, or in Korean, jasu (자수). You could also often see products decorated by jasu in shops selling traditional Korean handicrafts. Continue reading →

Najeonchilgi – Mother-of-Pearl Craftwork

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Mother-of Pearl Decorated Products

When you walk around some shops selling Korean traditional craft products in South Korea, you may notice some products with radiant inlay.  They are mother-of-pearl craft works called najeonchilgi (나전칠기), which has more than 1,000 years of history in Korea.  Let’s discuss about this Korean traditional craft in this blog post. Continue reading →

Road names – Another way to know great Korean historical figures

Kalbi History, Travel , , , , , , , , , , ,

**Last updated on: 15 October 2020**

In my blog post dated 6 May 2017 on Korean banknotes, you may learn more about some famous Korean historical figures through their portraits on the banknotes.  In fact, you also have the chance to do so when you’re walking around in South Korea – some of the roads are named after some great Korean historical figures.  In this blog post, I will share some examples with you. Continue reading →

Korean “방” (“Bang”) culture

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**Last updated on: 15 October 2020**

In Korean, “방” (“bang” – pronounced as “bahng”) means “room”.  In the Western world, “room” usually refers to some private spaces used by restricted groups of people, e.g., dining room, bathroom, bedroom and living room at home or conference room at the office. However, in South Korea, you can find a lot of “방” (“bang”) which are places for public entertainment. Let’s talk about some of them in this post. Continue reading →

Seollal : Differences between the two Koreas

Kalbi Festivals, special days and rituals, Gift giving , , , , , ,

Seollal (the Korean Lunar New Year), which is an important festival among the Koreans, has just passed.  While the people living in North Korea and South Korea share the same ethnic origin and may have similar customs, there may be some cultural differences between people living in the two Koreas mainly due to the differences in their political systems.  Let’s discuss some key differences in the Seollal-related customs between the two Koreas in this blog post. If you want to know more about the Korean customs for Seollal in South Korea, you may refer to my blog posts dated 18 February 2015 and 23 February 2015, respectively. Continue reading →