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Take-a-break OCTOBER 20, 2013 13 Photo Travel Twilight Safari Photo by Baek Eok-seon NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA 100 HIGHLIGHTS T Yeonga Buddha his 16.2cm-high statue of Buddha is the oldest Korean Buddhist sculpture with an inscription showing the year of its production. The inscription carved on the back of the halo reads seventh year of Yeonga, which corresponds to 539 A.D. Yeonga is a previously unknown Goguryeo reign period. The inscription also records where and why the gilt-bronze statue was made, as well as who made it, providing valuable information for the study of ancient Korean Buddhist art. According to the inscription, the statue was made at a temple in Nangnang (present-day Pyeongyang) in the Goguryeo Kingdom and that it was the 29th of 1,000 Buddha images distributed by the temple. Designated National Treasure No. 119, this small statue, however, was discovered in 1963 in Uiryeong, South Gyeongsang Province, which was former Silla territory. The statue was found in amazingly good condition. The pedestal and halo remain almost completely intact and the statue gives a good idea of what Buddha images of the early sixth century looked like. The Buddha is dressed in a thick robe with flared hem and his face is rather slim, revealing the influence of China s Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). However, the faint smile, voluminous robe, thick lotus pedestal and halo embellished with a dynamic flame design show that it is a product of Goguryeo. * Source: National Museum of Korea
14 OCTOBER 20, 2013 Zoom-In Tourist Attractions Uirimji Reservoir Monorail at Cheongpung Lake A healing trip to Jecheon, center of herbal medicine Mountains, lakes and historic sites offer picturesque views of nature Located in the center of South Korea, North Chungcheong Province is the only lacklocked province in the country. In the middle of this mountainous area is Jecheon, an agricultural center with the wide flat Jecheon Plains spreading out between the mountains. A major producer of medicinal herbs, Jecheon is often called the land of healing. Boasting one of the top three medicinal herb markets in the country, the city is also a center of oriental medical tourism. At the Village of Oriental Medicine Doctors, visitors can receive medical treatment in a beautiful natural environment. To promote the excellence of Korean herbal medicine inside and outside the country, in 2010 Jecheon hosted the World Oriental Medicine-Bio Expo under the theme of Rediscovery of Oriental Herb Medicine. Jecheon is also a major transportation hub and railway junction, served by the Jungang, Chungbuk and Taebaek lines. It can be easily reached from Seoul by train or bus in a little more than an hour. The oldest artificial reservoir in Korea Dam. The lake and the adjacent Worak Mountain National Park are well known for their breathtaking scenery. A monorail goes to the top of 531-meter-high Mt. Bibong in the center of the lake, offering a panoramic view of the area. Lake cruises are also available and the roads encircling the lake make one of the best drive courses in Korea. The Cheongpung Cultural Property Complex near the lake features old structures, houses and other various relics retrieved from the area that was submerged with the construction of Chungju Dam. An SBS-TV film set, where many historical television dramas such as Jang Gil-san were shot, is also located within the complex. Other attractions include the set for the TV drama series Taejo Wanggeon, a reproduction of Byeongnando Port along the Yeseong River in Gaeseong, now in North Korea, during the era of King Taejo of the Goryeo Dynasty, and Cheongpung Land, a sports and amusement park that features a 62-meterhigh bungee jumping facility. Herbal medicine villages With fresh air, clean water and land free from industrial pollution, Jecheon produces some of the best medicinal herbs in the country. The laboratories and other facilities of colleges of oriental medicine and research institutes are scattered around the city, thanks to which Jecheon is called the city of oriental herbal medicine. The Village of Oriental Medicine Doctors, located on a hill 400 meters above the sea level, offers alternative remedies and medicinal food for stroke patients or those suffering from atopic and other chronic diseases. There are also several places that offer health tour packages to experience the effects of medicinal herbs and food. Sanyacho Village near Cheongpung Lake is a popular tourist spot that attracts over 10,000 visitors a year. There you can experience various aspects of rural and eco-friendly life, such as cooking or making soaps, cosmetics and teas with herbs and vegetables, and taste the Jecheon specialty Yakchaerak, a variety of bibimbap using medicinal herbs and vegetables. *Photos courtesy of Jecheon City With mountains, rivers and lakes, Jecheon has many scenic tourist spots such as Uirimji Reservoir and Cheongpung Lake. Uirimji is one of the oldest artificial reservoirs in Korea, whose history goes back to the Proto-Three Kingdoms Period (around 1C B.C.-3C A.D.) when rice began to be cultivated widely. It was designated as Provincial Monument No. 11 of North Chungcheong Province in 1976. Still supplying water to agricultural fields in the vicinity, Uirimji is surrounded by centuries-old giant pine, willow, fir, gingko and other trees and is famous for its scenic beauty. There are several old pavilions in the area including Yeongho, Gyeongho and Ureuk pavilions. Yeongho Pavilion on the southern bank of the reservoir was built in 1807 by Lee Jip-gyeong, demolished during the Korean War, and rebuilt in 1954 by his descendant Lee Beom-u, a patriot who led the liberation movement against Japanese colonial rule. To the west of the reservoir is Gyeongho Pavilion, a two-storied wooden structure with a tiled roof built in 1948. Cheongpung Lake in Jecheon is an artificial lake formed by the construction of Chungju Multipurpose The legendary hill Bakdaljae Pass Located in Baegun-myeon, Jecheon, Bakdaljae Pass is widely known as the subject of the popular Korean song Crossing the Teary Hill of Bakdaljae. It is also the site of a sad love story between a scholar named Bakdal and a maiden named Geumbong. According to the legend, Bakdal fell in love with Geumbong while staying in her house on his way to Seoul, where he was to take the gwageo, the highest-level state examination to recruit ranking officials in old Korea. Promising to return after passing the exam, he left the house, but when he failed the exam, he could not present himself before Geumbong out of shame. Geumbong eventually died of a broken heart. After time had passed, Bakdal came back to see her only to find that she was dead. He saw an image of Geumvong on a hill pass and fell off a cliff and died while trying to catch her. Since then, the pass has been called Bakdaljae. On the top of the pass are an octagonal pavilion, a spring, rest area and a small park. Nearby is the Bakdaljae Natural Forest created out of the natural landscape featuring 100- to 170-year-old pine trees, lush forests and attractive rock formations.
Window on Korea OCTOBER 20, 2013 15 The Taste of Korea Sagol gomtang, a favorite nourishing food for all seasons The nutritious soup helps keep you warm in winter and combat heat in summer Gomtang is the generic name for soup made with various cuts of beef and ox-bones. There are many varieties of gomtang depending on the cut used, but all of them are made by slowly simmering the bones and meat for hours, and even days, on low heat. The major varieties include sagol gomtang made with leg bones; kkori gomtang made with tail bones; seolleongtang made with bones and meat; galbitang made with short ribs; ujoktang made with the hoofs; and doganitang made with knee cartilage. Among them, sagol gomtang is an invigorating dish especially popular for its nutritious value and hearty taste. Gomtang dishes are served hot but are popular around the year. In summer, they help overcome fatigue from the heat and in winter keep the body warm. The soup is believed to be good especially for pregnant or breast-feeding women, fracture patients and other sick persons. Sagol is the Korean word for leg bones. Eight leg bones are obtained from a cow or an ox, and when boiled for hours on low heat they produce a milky broth. To make good sagol gomtang, it is important to use good bones and handle them properly. For this soup, the leg bones of male cattle are preferred since the bones of their female counterparts are presumably low in density as a result of pregnancy. The front legs are preferred to the hind legs as they are believed to be stronger considering their weight carrying function. In order to produce tasty broth, the bones should be soaked in cold water for many hours to completely remove any blood. Skipping or shortening this process may produce soup with an unsavory smell. For the same reason, the bones should be blanched before boiling them. Good thick broth can be obtained by simmering the ox bones in water for 12-24 hours. In this case, the used bones should be discarded. But if the bones are boiled for only five to six hours, they can be reused up to three times. You can get tasty broth when you reheat the soup again after chilling it to remove the fat. These days, to save all this trouble, sagol and other varieties of gomtang can be purchased in retort pouches. Following is a typical sagol gomtang recipe. Ingredients 400g beef flanks, 400g ox bones, 2 stalks of green onions, 2 garlic cloves, 100g noodles (optional) Sauce for beef: 2 tablespoons each of soy sauce and salt, 4 tablespoons of chopped green onions, 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, ground pepper, sesame oil Directions 1. Wash the ox bones and beef, soak in cold water for at least one hour to remove the blood, then rinse. 2. Put the bones and beef in a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes. 3. Turn off the heat and take out the bones and meat. Discard the water. 4. Rinse the bones and beef in cold water and place them in a clean pot. 5. Add water, green onions, and garlic cloves and bring to a boil over medium heat. 6. Boil for about 20 minutes, lower the heat, and simmer for about three hours. 7. Turn off the heat, take the beef out and boil the broth again with the bones. 8. Discard the vegetables from the soup, chill and remove the solid fat. 9. Slice the cooked beef and season with the sauce. 10. Reheat the bone soup, add the seasoned beef and boil for about 10 minutes. 11. Season with salt or soy sauce. 12. Boil the noodles and rinse in cold water. 13. Ladle the soup into a serving bowl and serve with chopped green onions, salt and ground black pepper. Korean Air s diverse soup menu Korean Air, which has led the development of Korean-style in-flight meals such as bibimbap (rice Sagol gomtang topped with vegetables), bulgogi deopbap (rice topped with beef) and samgyejjim (chicken stew), is offering sagol gomtang for passengers on higher classes on several routes. Other Korean-style soup and stew dishes on Korean Air s in-flight menu include hwangtae haejangguk (dried pollack soup), sogogi haejangguk (beef soup), dak gomtang (chicken soup), galbi ugeojitang (short rib and cabbage soup), deulggae beoseottang (perilla seeds and mushroom soup), haemul doenjangguk (seafood soybean paste soup) and seollongtang (beef and bone soup). All these soup and stew dishes are nutritious and easy to digest. The airline is continuously developing Korean-style in-flight dishes that will satisfy not only Korean customers but also foreign passengers. The Beauty of Korea Gama, an old vehicle carrying the bride to the groom s house Gama is a wheel-less vehicle that was used in old Korea for transportation. It generally consists of a small closed cabin with windows or an open cabin suitable for a single occupant and wooden rails that pass through brackets on the sides. Such palanquins were carried by two or four porters in front and behind using the wooden rails. The cabin often had a roof and four pillars and was decorated with curtains. There were several types of gama, both closed and open. Yeon was a royal palanquin carried by 20 porters. It had a roof painted blackish-red and decorated with a design in scarlet and gold, and red railings. Deong was a smaller version of the royal palanquin used by the princess, namyeo a sedan chair for low-ranking officials, and pyeonggyoja for ministers. Gama was a vehicle only for royalty and the nobility but commonerbrides were also allowed to ride kkotgama (flower gama), also called saingyeo (four-porter palanquin), for their weddings. Traditionally, the wedding ceremony took place at the bride s home. After the wedding ceremony, the bride would be taken to the groom s house in the flower palanquin. Adorned with flowers, the palanquin would be covered with a tiger skin to ward off evil spirits and bad luck.
15 Window on Korea Sagol gomtang, a favorite nourishing food for all seasons OCTOBER 20, 2013 l No. 349 www.skynews.co.kr News Tail cones for KC-46 aerial refueling tankers delivered K orean Air has launched full-scale production of tail cones for Boeing s new KC-46 aerial refueling tanker. A ceremony was held recently at the Tech Center in Daejeo-dong, Busan, to celebrate the first delivery of the aft fuselage structure for the KC-46 with officials of Korean Air and Boeing attending. The KC-46 is a state-of-the-art aerial refueling tanker being developed by Boeing and also a candidate for the aerial tankers that Korea will start importing in 2014. Korean Air will be the exclusive supplier of the tail cone until 2027 in a contract that is worth as much as 100 billion won (U.S. $93 million). Korean Air was able to successfully produce the tail cones for the KC-46 thanks to its know-how accumulated through extensive experience in making diverse commercial aircraft parts, such as the aft fuselage cone for the B787 Dreamliner, an aircraft made with advanced composite materials. The production of tail cones for KC- 46 tankers requires advanced technology such as the addition of a mounting structure for the electronic interference device, and changing the position of the auxiliary power unit (APU) doors required for mounting the refueling tanker. Korean Air has supplied the aft fuselage structure for the B767, the model preceding the KC-46, and succeeded in completing tail cones for KC-46 tankers composed of a total of 2,000 parts, by newly developing 690 of the parts used in the B767s. With its successful delivery of tail cones for the KC-46 aerial refueling tanker, the company has obtained world-class technology in the production of key components of aerial refueling tankers and commercial airliners. Korean Air is now supplying key components of next-generation commercial aircraft for Boeing and Airbus. It has also won international recognition for its superior technology and product quality in the field of overhaul maintenance of Korean and foreign commercial aircraft, and the maintenance of military aircraft of the Korean and U.S. forces. Korean Air provides enhanced air travel comfort for pregnant passengers K orean Air has launched a new dedicated service for pregnant passengers. Starting from Oct. 1, the airline provides a complimentary in-flight amenity kit for pregnant passengers traveling from Korea to all its international destinations as part of its efforts to differentiate in-flight service. The newly launched amenity kit for pregnant passengers contains organic blackberry foot cream, organic skin care cream, sleeping socks made of organic cotton, tea for relieving morning sickness and a bag accessory. All skin care products and sleeping socks are made of organic materials with consideration for the women s health, and the morning sickness tea has been selected from one of the most popular Korean organic brands, The Organic. Also, a special bag accessory has been added to the amenity kit to help passengers notify others of their pregnancy when in the early stage, while the pouch has been designed to deliver an environmental-friendly social message. In order to receive the amenity kit, passengers should notify the airline of their pregnancy at the time of reservation. Once onboard, the kit is presented by the cabin crew, who also provide dedicated service. With this new amenity kit, Korean Air hopes to lessen the fatigue of air travel for pregnant passengers. As a leading global carrier, Korean Air will continue its utmost efforts to provide innovative in-flight services. K NURTURING DREAMS WITH KOREAN AIR - An official of Korean Air is talking to children in a hangar of the company in Gonghang-dong, southwestern Seoul, on Sept. 27. Korean Air invites third- to six-grade students to its office twice a month to help them learn about the aviation industry. During the tour, the children observe several facilities such as the control center, a hangar and the training institute for in-flight attendants, and experience diverse services offered by the company. Korean Air offers Premium Arrival Shower Service for First & Prestige passengers orean Air has introduced the KAL Premium Arrival Shower Service, offering First and Prestige Class passengers arriving on international flights at Seoul (Incheon International Airport), complimentary use of the showers and saunas at the airport s Hyatt Regency Incheon Hotel. To take advantage of this service, available from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m., First and Prestige Class passengers take the free shuttle bus from Arrivals at Incheon Airport to the Hyatt Regency Hotel located a few minutes away. Large luggage can be left at the hotel s concierge desk. Passengers then proceed to Club Olympus (fitness center) on the second floor and present their identification and boarding pass. Both dry and wet far-infrared saunas are available with individual shower stalls, and cold and hot bathtub facilities for refreshment, rest and relaxation. Korean Air makes every effort to provide premium service to its passengers. KAL Premium Care Service for First Class passengers at Incheon International Airport includes a member of staff accompanying and guiding passengers from the check-in counter to the boarding gate. There is also a complimentary baggage wrapping service using plastic covers to protect baggage against potential damage and contamination.