The Counselor
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Yeosu Blooming: What to See on the South Coast
We were lucky enough to visit South Korea’s south coast during the peak week for cherry blossoms. Though we hoped to see blooms while we were there, we got extra lucky on the timing as the blossoms popped out all over the country about a week ahead of what was predicted. From Mokpo on Korea’s southwest coast, we drove 150km (nearly 100 miles) east along the coast of Jeollanam-do province to Yeosu, a peninsular city close to the center of South Korea’s south coast. We viewed some surprisingly stunning agricultural areas along the way, as well as stopping for a walk through the famed Boseong Green Tea Fields. Then not…
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Mokpo Blooming: A Trip to the South Coast
South Korea is justifiably proud of its spring cherry blossoms. When I set out to plan a trip to the south coast of the country to coincide with the blooming season, I didn’t understand that you don’t necessarily have to plan a lot to see cherry blossoms here. They just are. Particularly when driving along the coast from Mokpo to Yeosu, we saw more blooming cherry trees than we could have imagined. We drove the 350km (about 220 miles) from Seoul to Mokpo to start our coastal road trip. A wicked windy and rainy day wrecked one of our two days there, so we weren’t able to take a boat…
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Somebody call 1-1-9! How to Access Healthcare in South Korea
We are happy to report that thus far, we have not required any emergency services while living in Seoul. (Everybody knock on wood with us, please!) In an emergency here, you call 1-1-9 instead of 9-1-1. Easy enough for us to remember, though hopefully we never need it! After six months of living in South Korea, all visitors not already registered by their employer are required to enroll in the National Health Insurance (NHI) Program. Our case was unique in that the chemist ended up on a student visa, so he is not covered under an employer and had to register with the NHI after eight months instead of six.…
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Ancient Temples of Gyeongju: Bulguksa and Seokguram Grotto
The birthday of the historical Buddha (according to the Lunar calendar), will be celebrated on May 19 this year, so it’s a good week to continue our theme of exploring Buddhism in South Korea. Buddhism originated in India and was introduced to China via the Silk Road in the 1st century CE. It then spread to the Korean Peninsula in the 3rd century and subsequently to Japan. Korean Buddhism is a distinct branch in the Mahayana tradition, having developed its own line of thought distinct from the ideas that originally traveled from India. The Jogye and Taego Orders represent most of Korean Buddhism. With the rise of Confucianism during Korea’s…
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Old Korea: Buddhist Temple Stay at Gyeongju
You can’t get very far in South Korea without encountering a Buddhist temple, especially if you spend time in the mountains. From the tiniest shrine to the largest temple complexes with multiple halls, South Korea’s mountains are filled with religious sites open to visitors. Although now there are also temples in cities, historically mountains were the refuge of Buddhist monks and practitioners looking for a safe place to worship. During the heavily Confucian Joseon Dynasty, Buddhist practices were not welcome, forcing Buddhism into the hills. Only after many Korean Buddhist monks helped to end Japanese colonialism in the 20th century were Buddhists allowed to practice freely again. These days, Buddhism…
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Old Korea: Gyeongju and Yangdong Folk Village
One of the most rewarding aspects of living in South Korea this year has been the opportunity to explore some very old historical sites. Maybe because we’re from a relatively young country by world standards, we get pretty excited to see really old stuff! Although lots of emphasis is placed on the very influential Joseon Dynasty of Korea (1392–1910), there is even older history to be explored here. The promise of ancient history prompted our travel to one of South Korea’s oldest cities, Gyeongju. Of course, the Joseon Dynasty is never far away around here, so while in Gyeongju we also visited South Korea’s largest Joseon-era folk village, Gyeongju Yangdong…
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Korea Winter Trekking in a Nutshell: Outside Seoul
“Oh, South Korea should be beautiful this time of year, with all that snow.” “Well, must be wonderful in South Korea this time of the year. All that underwear!” So sums up our frigid, snowy South Korean winter, though I might have paraphrased a bit… (Extra props to those who can identify this set of wintry quotable quotes!) We hiked so much over the winter that we’re not trying to post separately about each hike. Instead, this post will be a “photo album” representative of our favorite chilly treks outside of Seoul, with brief information about where to find each trail for those who may find themselves hiking in future…
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Korea Winter Trekking in a Nutshell: Seoul
Now that spring has sprung in South Korea, it feels as though the winter flew by in a blur. Many months ago, we were determined that we would not lose our whole winter in Seoul just sitting inside. And with COVID restrictions, being indoors in public spaces often was not an option. Having been warned about the low temperatures and cold winds that are common in this mountainous country, we brought along our warmest layers and prepared to spend time outside no matter the weather. Small groups of intrepid hiking friends joined together to tackle often icy, snowy trails, often comparing how many layers of thermal underwear each person had…
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What is Seollal? How We Spent Our Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year, the first day of the year on the lunar calendar, is celebrated in many Asian countries. The date usually falls in January or February, this year falling in mid-February. In Korea, the day is called Seollal (설날). Although Seollal itself is just one day, in Korea typically the day before and the day after also are public holidays. This is one of the most important holidays of the year, and traditionally families travel to their hometown to be together for this day. As with all holidays over the past year, Seollal traditions were disrupted in 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns. Many fewer Koreans traveled to be with…
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Walking Through the Woods on a Snowy Morning: Odaesan National Park
PyeongChang may be winter sports country, but it’s also remarkable hiking country. After our trial run the previous day in the cold and snow of PyeongChang’s skiing mountaintops, we were prepared for our wintry hike of Odaesan’s Birobong Peak. This 7km course offers an elevation gain of about 1,100 meters. We easily found a taxi to drive us to the trailhead at Sangwonsa, the first of three temples along this route. In order to reach the trailhead, we drove past Woljeongsa Temple, famous for its fir tree forest, which looked worth a visit if you have time. We were anxious about transportation and timing, so for this visit we kept…
