A Dream destination - Korea
North Korea may be out of the question, but try its southern neighbour
- Published: 25/04/2010 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: Brunch
Yin and yang - the blue and red circle at the heart of the South Korean flag - neatly symbolises not only the divided Korean peninsula, but also the fluid mix of ancient and modern aspects of the country officially called the Republic of Korea (ROK). For the vast majority of visitors, a trip to this part of the world means spending time in South Korea.
Unfairly overshadowed by the headline-grabbing antics of its bad-boy neighbour, South Korea is a dream destination for the traveller, an engaging, welcoming place where the dazzling benefits of a fully industrialised, high-tech nation are balanced alongside a reverence for tradition and the ways of old Asia.
Academics still quibble over whether the Land of the Morning Calm (a term coined by travel writer Percival Lowell in 1885) is an accurate translation of the old Chinese characters by which all of Korea was once known. Dive into Seoul, powerhouse of Asia's third-largest economy, and calm is likely the last thing you'll feel. This round-the-clock city is constantly on the move, its work hard, play hard population the epitome of the nation's indefatigable, can-do spirit.
Dubbed the world's Design Capital in 2010, Seoul is midway through an ambitious frenzy of re-invention that promises grand architectural statements, greener spaces and cultural rather than industrial targets. Softer 21st century aspirations aside, the 600-year-old city is founded on a bedrock of tradition that manifests itself in the daily pageantry of the changing of the guard at its meticulously reconstructed palaces and the chants of a shaman on a hillside.
You can hardly turn a corner without stumbling across a tourist information booth, an underground station or a taxi that can smooth your way to the next discovery in this multifaceted metropolis.
South Korea's excellent transport infrastructure and compact size mean that within an hour of the urban sprawl more tranquil moments are achievable atop craggy mountain peaks enclosed by densely forested national parks threaded through with picturesque, challenging hiking trails.
KOREA: Available from all good bookshops for 995 baht.
Get further off the beaten path than you could believe possible by sailing to remote islands, where farming and fishing folk will welcome you into their homes and simple seafood cafes. Or sample the serenity of a Buddhist temple retreat where the honk of traffic is replaced by meditation and the rhythmic pre-dawn chants of shaven-headed monks.
If all this sounds a little too peaceful for your travelling tastes, rest assured the ROK also knows how to rock. A countrywide itinerary of lively festivals and events means there's almost always a celebration of some sort to attend. If nothing else your taste-buds will be tingling at the discovery of one of Asia's least known, but most delicious cuisines. Friendly Koreans will happily share this and other aspects of their culture with you, regardless of language barriers.
FOOD AND DRINK
Korean food is robust, gutsy and unapologetic, an enthusiastic assault on the senses that marshals many flavours at once. At times it can be a baffling conflation of flavours from across the spectrum - sweetly spicy with one mouthful, salty with a dash of sour the next. Often it is simply spicy - potent enough to trigger sweat or tears. At no time will it be bland, unless you forgot the kimchi or dipping sauce (both are served on the side, but are fundamental to the meal).
Most people associate Korean food with kimchi and barbecue, which exhibit some certain quintessentially Korean flavours - the ripe tartness of fermented leaves, the delicate marinade of grilled meat. But that's just the starting point. While the basic building blocks of the cuisine are recognisably Asian (garlic, ginger, green onion, black pepper, vinegar and sesame oil), Korean food strikes out on its own in combining them with three essential sauces - ganjang (soya sauce), doenjang (fermented soya bean paste) and gochujang (hot red pepper paste).
The other distinctive feature is that the main course is always served not only with bap (steamed rice), soup and kimchi, but also a procession of banchan (side dishes) trooping out of the kitchen. Above all, Koreans see mealtimes as an occasion to feed both the body and the spirit, by eating with family, friends or colleagues - always convivial, with the group; rarely, if ever, alone.
All told, a Korean meal is an embarrassment of flavours, full and unrepentant. There's some talk of watering down the more feisty recipes to make them more palatable to foreigners, but that would be a real pity when it's precisely those aggressive flavours that make Korean food so memorable - and addictive - in the first place.
This is an edited extract from 'Korea', by Simon Richard et al. Lonely Planet, 2010.
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