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Take-a-break MARCH 8, 2015 13 Photo Travel Salted Waterway Photo by Park Byeongjin NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA 100 HIGHLIGHTS Celadon Roof Tiles Sumaksae, Ammaksae T his pair of roof end tiles, sumaksae (convex tile) with a peony design and ammaksae (concave tile) with a vine design, displays some of the characteristic features of the Goryeo celadon ware of the 12 th century. The translucent jade-green glaze of the celadon tiles would have set off the beauty and elegance of palace architecture in the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). According to Goryeosa (History of Goryeo) published in the 15 th century, King Uijong built a royal villa named Yanguijeong with celadon roof tiles in 1157. The celadon fragments discovered at the site of the Goryeo royal palace at Manwoldae in Gaeseong, capital of Goryeo now in North Korea, provides some evidence to the above record. A celadon tile was also found at an old kiln site in Sadang-ri, Gangjin, South Jeolla Province. In 2009, the National Museum of Korea restored a celadon-roofed pavilion in the museum as part of its celebrations for the centenary of the first museum in Korea. * Source: National Museum of Korea
14 MARCH 8, 2015 Zoom-In Tourist Attractions Maehwa Village Gwangyang Bay A city of spring with plum trees, azaleas and royal azaleas Gwangyang in South Jeolla Province boasts traditional scenery of Korea Spring starts in March in Korea. Although the weather is still chilly, the plum blossoms are already blooming in the southern parts, heralding the coming of warmer days. A symbol of early spring, plum blossoms (maehwa in Korean, ume in Japanese) flower in March to early April in Korea. With varying shades of white, pink, and red, the flowers cover the fields and mountains in many southern villages. Among them, Gwangyang on the southern coast of South Jeolla Province is especially famous for its beautiful plum-blossom scenery. Located along the Seomjin River, one of the cleanest rivers in the country, Gwangyang is best known for its green plums (maesil). Maehwa Village in Dosa-ri was originally called Seomjin Village until the 1990s but was renamed when it became famous as a producer of maesil, a favorite ingredient for liquor and juice. Maesil farming started in full scale here some 40 years ago when a housewife started a maesil farm. Now the entire village is covered in plum trees as maesil farming has become the city s major form of agriculture. The snowy plum blossoms are found all over the village in early spring, producing spectacular scenery. The village hosts an international plum blossom festival every March when the flowers are at their peak. This year s event is held from March 22 to 30. During the festival period, visitors can take walks beneath the plum blossoms and sample and purchase maesil products. Village of traditional beauty Maehwa Village is a popular filming location for television dramas and films as the beautiful scenery of the traditional Korean countryside is well preserved thatched-roof houses, tiled-roof houses, earthenware Cycle path along the Seomjin River jars in gardens, bamboo forests, and of course plum trees. The poster for the 2002 film Chwihwaseon, the story of the great painter Jang Seung-eop (1843-1897), was shot here. Mt. Baegun in Gwangyang, which borders the Seomjin River to the north and Mt. Jiri to the south, is another place famous for its spectacular spring scenery. Around the time the plum blossoms begin to fall, Guksa Peak is colored pink with azaleas. When the azaleas wither, royal azaleas start to bloom on the hillsides, eventually covering the entire mountain in pink. Mt. Baegun, standing 1,218 meters high, is an ecological repository. The forest on the mountain is home to around 980 rare plant species, second only to Mt. Halla on Jeju Island. Around the mountain are many visitor facilities, including the Baegunsan Recreational Forest with lodging facilities and camp sites, and a beautiful cycle path that runs 37.7km along the Seomjin River from the Subyeon Park in Gwangyang. The longest suspension bridge in Korea Gwangyang Port is an industrial center featuring The Seomjin River meets the sea after passing through Gwangyang. The river offers special foods for spring, including jecheop, which are small freshwater clams living in the sands of the rivers. Jecheop used to be found in many parts of Korea, including the Nakdong River and the Yeongsan River, but these days they are found only in the Seomjin River area. The clams taste best in April as they fatten around this time before spawning. Jecheop are used to make a clear soup called jecheopguk, known for its refreshing taste. Jecheophoe is boiled jecheop meat seasoned with a POSCO s Gwangyang Steel Works, the largest facility of its kind in the world. It is also at the center of development for the Gwangyang Bay Area Free Economic Zone (GFEZ), due for completion this year. For its geographical location central to China, Japan and Russia, the GFEZ focuses on port container handling and shipbuilding as well as steel production. Now filled with large container ships, Gwangyang Bay is also where Admiral Yi Sun-sin fought his victorious battles against the Japanese invaders in the 16 th century. Over the sea is the world s fourth longest suspension bridge, connecting Gwangyang and Yeosu, another industrial port in South Jeolla Province. Named after the Joseon Dynasty hero, the Yi Sunsin Bridge opened in February 2013. It is a four-lane bridge with a main span length of 1,545 meters. The number 1,545 corresponds to the year Admiral Yi was born. Many scenes from the 2014 mega-hit film Myeongnyang ( The Admiral ), which depicted a major sea battle led by Admiral Yi in 1597, were filmed in Gwangyang Bay, making it a popular tourist attraction. Specialty foods of Gwangyang sweet and spicy sauce. The Seomjin River also produces a rare freshwater oyster. Called beotgul, these oysters are found only at Mangdeok Port in Korea, where the river meets the sea. Beotgul are about five times larger than common oysters and are usually eaten grilled rather than fresh. Gwangyang is also famous for its bulgogi (marinated barbeque beef) cooked on a bronze charcoal burner. Gwangyang bulgogi is marinated at the table just before grilling, unlike other varieties of bulgogi which are usually marinated several hours beforehand. *Photos courtesy of Gwangyang City & KTO
Window on Korea MARCH 8, 2015 15 The Taste of Korea All-time favorites, galbijjim and galbi gui Beef short ribs are one of the most expensive food ingredients in Korea Cattle were among a household s most important assets in traditional Korea, an agricultural society. Farming was heavily dependent upon the cow, from plowing land to milling. Cows also provided precious beef, which is still one of the most expensive and popular ingredients in Korean cuisine. Koreans eat all cuts of beef, literally from the head to tail, including the bones. Galbi, or short ribs, is the favorite, however. Koreans love short ribs and use them in various dishes galbi gui (grilled short ribs), galbijjim (braised short ribs), galbitang (short-rib soup) and tteokgalbi (grilled minced short ribs), to name a few. Galbi gui is probably the most popular short rib dish. The ribs are usually cut into pieces about 10cm long. The meat is cut into thin strips and both sides are scored diagonally across the surface to create a diamond pattern. The ribs are marinated in soy sauce seasoned with pear juice, rice wine, sesame seeds, sesame oil, sugar, crushed garlic and pepper. In restaurants, the meat is cooked at the table on in-built grills sets, often by the customers themselves. At home, however, short ribs cut in thin slices across the bones are popular as they are easier to handle and eat. Beef ribs cut in this manner are called LA galbi as Koreans living in Los Angeles were reportedly the first to eat short ribs in this style. Grilled short ribs are enjoyed by all Koreans. There are numerous restaurants noted for this dish across the country, but Suwon and Pocheon in Gyeonggi Province are especially famous for their ribs. The capital of Gyeonggi Province, Suwon used to have a large cattle market and naturally became Grilled short ribs famous for its galbi, especially wang galbi gui, which literally means king grilled short ribs. As the name indicates, the ribs are of considerable size. Idong galbi of Pocheon, on the other hand, is famous for its sweet taste as the ribs are marinated with fruit juice and sweet seasonings. It is always served with dongchimi, a type of watery kimchi made with radish. Another popular beef rib dish is galbijjim, which is usually eaten on festive days or at parties. It can be made with beef, pork or chicken ribs but the beef version is the most popular. The meat is extremely soft and melts in the mouth as it is cooked for hours on low heat. As it also contains vegetables and nuts, galbijjim is nutritionally balanced. Galbijjim is mild and sweet tasting for it is cooked in seasoned soy sauce. But a hot and spicy variety has gained popularity in some parts of the country recently. For example, there is a galbijjim street in Daegu where restaurants serve hot and spicy galbijjim. It is said the dish originated from a restaurant here in the 1970s. Following is a typical recipe for galbijjim. Ingredients Beef short ribs, radish, carrots, dried shiitake mushrooms, chestnuts, jujubes, ginko nuts, ginger, fried egg strips, and pine nuts For marinade: pear juice, sugar, soy sauce, mirin, green onions (chopped), garlic (crushed), sesame oil, roasted sesame seeds, and pepper Method 1. Soak ribs in cold water for 1-2 hours to remove blood. Remove fat and score the meat. Braised short ribs 2. Prepare marinade by mixing the ingredients. 3. Boil the ribs for about 10 minutes and wash and marinate for 2-3 hours. 4. Cut radish and carrots into the size of chestnuts and round off the edges. 5. Soften shiitake mushrooms in water and split in half after removing stems. 6. Put the ribs in a pot, add water and boil over medium heat. 7. Add radish, carrots, and mushrooms when the meat starts to soften and boil. 8. When the sauce is reduced to half, add jujubes, gingko nuts and chestnuts. 9. Remove from stove when there is almost no sauce left. Serve on a plate and garnish with egg strips and pine nuts. The smell of raw beef can be removed with bay leaves or red wine. To make a spicy galbijjim, add red chili pepper powder and hot fresh peppers. Galbijjim makes a good main dish in Korean-style meals served by Korean Air for its passengers. *Photos courtesy of KTO The Beauty of Korea Ancient Korean makeup for healthy and natural looks Korean women of the past were no different from women today in their quest for beauty. Murals from the 5 th and 6 th centuries depict women wearing makeup on their faces. During the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, female entertainers (gisaeng) and court women tended to wear thicker makeup, a practice that later spread to upper-class women. The first goal in wearing make-up was to produce a flawless white face. To this end, women made their own face powder at home with grains such as rice, seeds, or clamshells. These powders did not spread well on the face, so they removed fine facial hair with twisted silk strings. They also made a paste with the home-made powder and applied it to the face. Then women colored their cheeks and lips and drew their eyebrows. Eyebrow ink was made from plant ash or charcoal. Cheeks and lips were colored with yeonji, which is a rouge extracted from safflower. To keep the hair healthy and shiny, past Korean women washed their hair in water boiled with sweet flags and also applied camellia oil and castor oil. *Photos courtesy of the National Museum of Korea
15 Window on Korea All-time favorites, galbijjim and galbi gui MARCH 8, 2015 l No. 385 News www.skynews.co.kr Korean Air further expands its network in China K orean Air will expand its network in China by launching four new services in the first half of 2015. The airline will launch Incheon-Hefei on March 30, Incheon-Nanning and Jeju-Guiyang on May 11 and Daegu- Shenyang on June 22, meaning Korean Air now flies to more cities in China than any other airline from Korea. Flight KE813 will depart from Incheon every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and arrives in Hefei at 10:10 a.m. the same day. The return flight departs from Hefei at 11 a.m. and arrives in Incheon at 2:40 p.m. Hefei is the capital of the Anhui province and is close to the picturesque old village of Ahnui and one of the most famous mountains in China, Huangshan. The flights to Nanning depart from Incheon every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:55 p.m. and arrive in Nanning at 10:50 p.m. The flights to Guiyang depart from Jeju every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:55 p.m. and arrive in Guiyang at 00:45 a.m. next day. Nanning is known as the Green City because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage. Starting in June 2015, Korean Air will also be launching a new service between Daegu and Shenyang. The flights depart from Daegu every Monday, Thursday and Saturday at 10 a.m. and arrive in Shenyang at 11:10 a.m. For flights to Hefei, Nanning and Shenyang, Korean Air will deploy B737-800 aircrafts equipped with AVOD(audio/video on demand) inflight entertainment systems. The Korean national flag carrier is committed to social responsibility and has supported the Dream Library project to present libraries to Chinese elementary schools since 2010. Korean Air has also been involved in tree planting projects in China s largest desert, Kubuqi, and has been selected as an airline much loved by Chinese for six years in a row since 2009. Grand Hyatt Incheon offers a fun night out on Wednesdays Jin Air inaugurates Incheon-Osaka route and resumes Busan-Jeju route V y Bar & Karaoke, located on the lobby level of the East Tower at the Grand Hyatt Incheon, is offering a Wednesday Madness promotion. For the cover price of only KRW 29,700 (inclusive of 10% VAT) per person, guests can enjoy unlimited wine, beer, cocktails, soft drinks and a snack buffet for an after-work gathering with friends and colleagues. Cool beverages and exciting new menus with rotating Italian, American, Mexican and Chinese themes are provided. The promotion is available every Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. We came up with the Wednesday Madness idea because we wanted to offer a fun and affordable place where people can meet in the middle of the week to enjoy a drink and have fun in a great ambience, said Sebastian Fischoeder, Assistant Director of Food and Beverages at Grand Hyatt Incheon. Whether you visit with your best friend for a drink after work, or you bring your entire office, our team at Vy Bar & Karaoke will do its best to ensure you enjoy the evening. For more information, call +82-32-745-1234 or visit the hotel s website at incheon.grand.hyatt restaurants.com. Three minutes away from Incheon International Airport, the Grand Hyatt Incheon has 1,022 guestrooms and is the largest Hyatt Hotel outside North America. The hotel s East Tower and West Tower are connected via a sky bridge on the second floor. The Grand Ballroom, which can accommodate more than 800 people, and the other event venues make the hotel ideal for international meetings and conferences. The Grand Hyatt Incheon features two main dining venues, Grand Cafe, an all-day dining buffet restaurant, and Restaurant 8, which offers a la carte options from eight different kitchens. The hotel also has three swimming pools, including one dedicated to children, which are great facilities for the perfect family getaway. J in Air launched daily service on the Incheon-Osaka route on March 2. The route is served by the 183-seat B737-800 jetliner. The flight leaves Incheon International Airport at 8 a.m. daily to arrive in Osaka at 9:45 a.m. the same day. The return flight departs Osaka at 10:45 a.m. and arrives in Incheon at 12:45 p.m. Osaka is the fifth Japanese city served by Jin Air, an affiliated company of Korean Air, following Sapporo, Okinawa, Nagasaki and Fukuoka. Korean Air introduces fifth B777F K orean Air introduced its fifth B777F on Feb. 24 for cargo service. The company purchased its first B777F in February, 2012. The B777F is a next-generation widebody cargo aircraft developed to meet the demands of long-range cargo service. It operates the longest distance among all twin-engine freighters in the world, and is capable of flying 9,045km with a maximum payload of 103.9 tons. This means it can fly 1,571km further than The low-cost carrier also resumed daily service between Busan and Jeju on Feb. 27. A 189-seat B737-800 aircraft serves the route, leaving Gimhae International Airport four times a day starting from 7:05 a.m. Jin Air now serves two domestic routes, including the Gimpo-Jeju route. Jin Air will continue to introduce new jetliners this year, including two B777-200ERs, to expand its domestic and international flights. More information is available at the airline s website (www.jinair.com). the B747-400F. The B777F is also a green freighter that consumes less fuel despite its excellent transportation capacity. Built with advanced technologies, such as raked wingtips, it is 16 percent more fuel efficient than the B747-400F, which results in a 16 percent reduction of CO2 emissions. To modernize its freighter lineup, Korean Air plans to introduce five more B777Fs beginning in 2016 to replace its B747-400Fs.