Namdaemun Market

Named after the nearby Namdaemun Gate, Namdaemun Market is one of the biggest wholesale markets in South Korea, covering a total of over 10 acres. Established in 1414, it is also the oldest and largest, with over a 1000 shops, retailers, stalls and vendors selling anything and everything that you could possibly imagine.

Namdaemun is renowned for being inexpensive and small retailers come here to buy their goods from wholesalers, which they then resell. As most of the businesses in the area concentrate on wholesale, this allows the individual buyer to purchase things more cheaply and there are bargains galore on offer.

It's also very popular with Korean people and tourists as well, who are looking for a bit of atmosphere plus the odd bargain and is definitely worth checking out while in Seoul.

I went here today to buy a rucksack and a few other things for my holiday next week, when I'll be travelling to Busan on the south eastern coast. Hopefully I'll also get to go to couple of other places as well if I have time and weather permitting.

Ginseng

One of the most noticeable things about the market that I haven't seen before were the number of shops selling gingseng. Very popular in Korea and throughout Asia it is believed ginseng has medicinal qualities, that amongst other things can cure fatigue, strengthen the immune system, lower high blood pressure, and purify the blood from toxin.

Sounds like the perfect soju-induced hangover cure to me.

When I got home from a hard days shopping(and haggling) I checked the BBC's website and to my surprise they had included my blog as an example of how people are now using digital media. You can check out the article here.

You can see all the photos here.

Boryeong Mud Festival

Last Saturday, I went to the Boryeong Mud Festival on the western coast of Korea, about two and a half hours drive from Seoul. It is held along the 3.5 km long white sand beach of Daecheon, which is surrounded by mudflats, now the area's most valuable asset.

Daechon is a town which feels not unlike the commercialised resorts in Britain with its theme park rides and large hotels and it definitely isn't the place to come to if your looking for that quiet seclusion most travellers crave, as it can get pretty busy at weekends during the summer months.

There were a number of events held throughout the course of the festival including mud sliding, mud wrestling, a grand mud bathtub, mud football and a mud beauty contest. In fact just about any activity where it would be fun to get muddy.

The festival was started in 1998 to promote the sales of mud related cosmetics in the area and in the seven years it's been going it has become one of the biggest festivals in Korea with approximately 2.5 million visitors this year.

It is also the festival that attracts the most number of foreigners with some 30,000 turning up this year, all apparently unable to resist the apparent charms of a mud and alcohol fuelled weekend. At times it almost seemed as if every single English teacher in Korea was there.

You can buy mudpacks, mud body cleanser, mud sun block lotion, mud soap, mud shampoo, mud cleansing cream, in fact just about any beauty product you could think of, the manufacturers had somehow managed to make out of mud. Or you could just scoop some up in a bucket and get it for no charge whatsoever if you were that way inclined.

Of course most people weren't there for the cosmetics or the health benefits of the mud, they were there for a good time and it was great to see everyone letting their hair down, all completely caked in mud. Despite the rain throughout much of the Saturday people's spirits weren't dampened and the party went on well into the night, even after the fireworks and bands appearing at the festival had finished.

Ouch!

There were also lots of traditional Korean events to see and most interesting of all was a shaman ceremony, which involved shaman priests walking barefoot over what can best be described as an assault course of huge blades, where the slightest mistake could have resulted in some very nasty injuries. It was thrilling to watch and it definitely had the crowd on the edge of their seats and fortunately for everyone watching there wasn't any blood.

The following morning I decided to test the health benefits of the mud for myself so I went to the Boryeong Mud Skincare Centre. For 30,000 won I got an all over mud massage and face pack.

Rich in nutrients and minerals such as germanium and bentonite, apparently it's highly effective in preventing contraction and aging of the skin and also aids the body's metabolism, circulation and nerves. I'm not too sure about the health giving properties all the marketing men would have us believe, but it's definitely worth it even if it's just for the experience.

For all the photos click here.

The Korean War - Part IV

Eisenhower being sworn in as president

In January 1953, Dwight Eisenhower succeeded Truman as president. Having been openly critical of the war he made it be known that he was willing to use nuclear weapons, in order to bring about an end to the hostilities.

In early April the sides came together once again and during this time the first prisoners were exchanged in Operation Little Switch. The Korean War Armistice Agreement was officially signed on 27 July 1953, at the truce village of Panmunjeom and resulted in a ceasefire between the two countries. However a formal declaration of peace has never been signed, meaning that the two countries are still officially at war.

American marines crossing the Freedom Bridge, which links North and South Korea at Panmunjom

The final exchange of prisoners of war began on 5 August and continued until 23 December 1953. It was called  Operation Big Switch and took place on the border between the two countries on the Bridge of No Return. Prisoners were brought to the bridge and given the option to remain in South Korea or cross and never be allowed back

Much controversy surrounded the exchange regarding the voluntary repatriation of Chinese and North Korean soldiers, as well as allegations of the torture and brainwashing of UN prisoners of war. Nearly 76,000 prisoners of war were returned to the communists, whilst 12,773 United Nations Command POWs were repatriated. Whilst held captive around 40 per cent of the UN soldiers died and many of those that returned were malnourished and weak from their ordeal.

American prisoners of war 

In the armistice agreement the Demilitarised Zone(DMZ) was established to act as a 4 kilometre wide buffer zone between North and South Korea. It is the most heavily fortified border in the world and cuts the Korean Peninsula in two. Each side agreed to move their troops back 2000 metres and although soldiers from both sides are still allowed to patrol it, they must not cross the Military Demarcation Line(MDL) which runs through the centre.

The Korean War - Part III 

F-86 Sabre jet interceptors

Towards the end of 1950, war in the air also intensified and became a major worry for the United Nations Command. The appearance of Soviet Mig-15 jet fighters, flown by Soviet pilots masquerading as Chinese and North Koreans, stopped most of the daytime raids on North Korea. In response the US sent F-86 Sabre jet interceptors to Japan in their bid for supremacy in the skies.

All the time this was happening the Chinese were building up their forces. On November 25, they launched a major offensive of 180,000 troops against the UN soldiers, which would prove to be one of the most important turning points in the war. Fighting at night the Chinese maximized their strengths of stealth and large numbers, whilst minimizing their weaknesses of susceptibility to air strikes, or lack of artillery.

Attacks focussed on cutting off supply and withdrawal routes and ambushing counterattacking forces. Casualties were severe, and with the onset of a bitter winter, General Macarthur, realising he was facing an entirely new war, ordered a retreat. By mid-December the UN troops had been pushed back to the 38th Parallel and continued fighting forced them south.

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army

On New Year’s Eve, the Chinese along with North Korean units crossed the 38th Parallel and by January 4, 1951, they had reached Seoul. They managed to push a further 50 miles south but the victory for the communist forces was shortl-lived as the were unable to cope with the superior firepower of the UN.  Seoul was retaken by UN troops on March 14 and ten days later they had advanced to the 38th Parallel.

General Macarthur at this point became a strong voice advocating a strategy of complete victory, which put him at odds with Truman, who had declared he was now willing to sign a ceasefire. By making his views public Macarthur had ultimately signalled his own demise and he was relieved of his command to make way for General Matthew Ridgway. Talks began between the sides on July 10, 1951, but were unsuccessful and continued to flounder for the next two years as they remained locked in a stalemate position.

The Korean War - Part II

General Macarthur

 
On 15 September 1950, General Macarthur launched a daring sea-borne assault on Inchon, a coastal town located on the North Western coast near Seoul, 125 miles behind enemy lines. The military aim was to cut off the supplies and communications to the North Koreans and trap them in between the forces landing there and those located in Busan.

The assault was risky due to the nature of the unpredictable tides and rocky port, which made landing difficult. The waters of the Flying Fish Channel, which the assault would have to pass through, were only accessible for three hours a day at certain times throughout the year, depending on the season. For much of the time while the tide was out there were impenetrable mud flats, which extended three miles out from the headland.

Macarthur was eventually able to convince his superior officers that the assault was viable and preliminary naval gunfire and air bombardment began on 13 September. As Macarthur had predicted, the North Koreans were taken completely by surprise and the 13,000 troops involved in the landings met little resistance. There were few casualties and Inchon was quickly taken.

Troops fighting in Seoul

In contrast, the march towards Seoul was a slow and bloody as troops became engaged in urban warfare. At the same, forces located in Busan launched a push northwards. The North Koreans panicked and fled and on 25 September, Seoul was recaptured. Of the 70,000 north Korean troops who had been engaged in battle at the war front at the Busan Perimeter, over half were captured or killed, whilst the remaining 30,000 retreated back across the 38th Parallel into North Korea.

By 27 September, troops moving southwards from Seoul met those heading North from Busan. Proving the doubters wrong yet again, Macarthur had confirmed his place in history as one of the greatest military strategists to have ever lived.

With South Korea now liberated the Americans chose to continue past the 38th Parallel into North Korea. Their aim was to reunite the peninsula under a pro-western government, whereas the Chinese wanted North Korea to act as a buffer state.

Despite China’s threats to join the war if the UN forces entered North Korea, General Macarthur was confident of victory and believed China would not intervene. On 20 October, the capital of North Korea, Pyongyang, was taken and UN and Republic of Korea forces pushed northwards towards the Yalu River, which marked the border between North Korea and China.

The Allies reached the Yalu River on 24 October. At the same time, the Chinese began to send troops across the river, who engaged in a series of attacks under the name of the People’s Volunteer Army to officially avoid declaring war on US, Britain, France and other members of the UN. Macarthur paid little attention to these attacks, underestimating the strength and numbers of the Chinese soldiers in North Korea, a strategy that would ultimately prove to be costly.

The Korean War - Part I 

North Korean troops entering Seoul

On the 25 June, 1950, North Korea, seeking to reunify the peninsula, launched a surprise, but well organised attack on the South and advanced towards the capital Seoul.

Using arms supplied by the Soviet Union, they were able to quickly penetrate and overrun the weaker South Korean forces. Seoul was captured in a matter of days as the North Koreans advanced southwards to the strategically important port of Busan.

Their superiority was a direct result of the American stance towards the South Korean government who wanted to reunify the peninsula. President Syngman Rhee had even openly declared his belief of national unity by force.

In response, the Americans, worried about the possibility of the South invading the North, had limited the army to 98,000 troops, who were barely anything more than highly trained policemen. With 135,000 soldiers, the North Korea People’s Army outnumbered South Korea’s troop total and they were also supplied with more weapons, tanks and artillery.

The United Nations unanimously condemned the invasion of South Korea

As a show of military strength, President Truman immediately ordered troops into action and and air and naval units were sent in from nearby Japan. The US appealed to the United Nations Security Council for support and a motion to brand the North Koreans as aggressors. Once this was passed, member countries were called upon to help with military assistance.

Fortunately at the time, the Soviet delegate, who no doubt would have vetoed the motion, was not present. This was in protest at the UN, for refusing to give a seat to China. 14 UN nations offered to help including the United Kingdom, France, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Thailand, South Africa, Turkey, Colombia, the Philippines, Ethiopia, France, Australia, Belgium and Greece.

In total 300,000 troops were sent, with 260,000 coming from America. The UN Security Council also asked the US to appoint a supreme commander for the UN force and Washington selected General Douglas Macarthur, who had famously helped to defeat Japan during the Second World War.

As the North Korean army drove south, the American personnel, hurriedly sent from positions in Japan, fared badly against the superior enemy troops. The North Koreans cared little for prisoners of war, breaking international law by killing them, as the war-machine marched ever onwards towards the south of the peninsula. On 20 August, General Macarthur issued a statement declaring that that Kim Il-sung would be held responsible for any further atrocities committed against the UN forces.

American soldiers defending the Busan Perimeter

By September, the North Koreans had advanced so far they occupied all of South Korea save for a small pocket of resistance around the southern city of Busan, at what became known as the Busan Perimeter. 180km long, it extended to the Nakdong River which acted as a natural barrier, making it easier to defend.

For a period of 6 weeks throughout August and early September the North Korean troops attacked relentlessly, pushing the South Korean and United Nation forces to the limit. During this time the war came close to being lost, as inexperienced troops were thrown into combat against the highly organised North Korean army. Casualties were heavy, but fortunately the troops managed to hold the defensive line. Ironically, the withdrawal of the UN and South Korean forces created unintentional problems for the North Koreans as their supply lines became stretched and over extended and they ran short of weapons, food and ammunition.

Here's a short film of the Admiral Yi Sun-shin Festival.

Buddha(Lotus Lantern Festival)

North Korean Submarine

After the festival, I walked around Gangneung for what seemed to be a neverending quest for a beer and something to eat. I eventually ended up in a bar called Bacchus, where I met the owner, Chung Song, who kindly sat down for a few drinks with me. It was an enjoyable evening, as it always is when meeting new friends, and Song very generously offered to take me around the Gangnueng area the next day for a bit of sightseeing.

The following day we met up and went out for some noodles. We firstly made a short stop at Gyeongpo beach and then it was off to the town of Jeondongjin, which is twenty kilometres south of Gangneung and is famous for having a captured North Korean submarine on display, as well a train station on the beach.

Heading towards the town along the coast there is a huge cruise ship on top of a hill; a striking image, if a little surreal, which Chung Song explained to me was a luxury hotel complex.

Driving along the coast I couldn't help but notice the fences lined with barbed wire alongside the road where it meets the beach, a preventitive measure obviously to reduce the threat of North Korean's trying to enter the country. It gave a somewhat oppressive feel to the otherwise beautiful scenery, but I suppose these are the modern realities of the situation between the two countries which are still officially at war.

I then asked Song what he thought about North Korea.

'North Korea is very bad.'

He then went on to tell me about how he had to do national service for a total of two years at the age of nineteen, something that all men in Korea have to do. I got the distinct impression it was something he would have preferred not to have done, what with it taking up such a large part of his life.

Once in Jeondongjin, we went to the Unification Park Museum, which contains a variety of things obtained from the submarine such as firearms, ammunition, diving suits, uniforms and telescopes used by the North Korean military at the time of the infiltration. It was quite remarkable seeing all these things, but what surprised me most was a Pepsi can that had been found on board, as well as a Japanese camera. So much for the North Korean government's viewpoint on the evils of consumerism.

Then we went down towards the seafront to visit the North Korean submarine. Weighing 325 tonnes it is 35 metres long and had a top speed of 13 kilometeres an hour. Once inside I was surprised by its size and how cramped it must have been for everyone on board.

The submarine became grounded on rocks on 17 September 1996. The commander of the vessel burnt all the important documents relating to the mission, the effects of which can still be seen inside the burnt-out cabin. 11 of the crew members were then shot, either in a suicide pact or by the soldiers on board.

The manhunt for the remaining 15 soldiers and agents once they had arrived on land lasted for 49 days as they attempted to return to North Korea. By the end 13 were were killed, 1 was captured and 1 had escaped. 17 South Koreans including 4 civillians were also killed and there were 22 others injured.

I had a wonderful weekend and it turned into far more than I ever could have expected. The Dano Festival was a terrific experience and I also got to learn a little more about the history and relationship between North and South Korea, something I'll hopefully be delving into a little bit further as my stay here continues.

For all the photos click here.

Dano Festival

Gangneung is a town situated on the north eastern coast of Korea and is famous for the Dano Festival, a shaman festival which dates back to the Goryeo Dynasty(918-1392).

The festival is the biggest held in the area throughout the entire year and begins on the fifth day, of the fourth month of the lunar calender.

On the first day of the festival it is believed that spirits come down from the mountains, to the Dano Festival area by the Namdaecheon River. People walk through the town alongside the spirits, carrying lanterns to lead them to the ritual site. Once they arrive, the lanterns are set adrift along the Namdaecheon River, as prayers are offered. The spirits stay at the altar here for five days and on the final day, they make their journey back towards the mountain.

The first ritual of the day is called Jojeonjo, which is held on the Dano altar every morning at 9 o'clock and is dedicated to praying for a bountiful harvest and tranquility.

Following this is the Dano Gut, a ritual which is carried out by several female shamans and musicians. During the Dano Gut the head shaman performs a song in time with the accompanying beat of the drum, whilst other musicians strike cymbals to help create an entrancing sound, quite unlike any other I've ever heard before.

Whilst all of this is happening, people pray at the Dano altar and light pieces of paper ,that burn away as they rise up into the air above.

Throughout the day rituals are performed not only for a plentiful harvest, but to exorcise spirits as well, in the hope of warding off misfortune and disease.

Shaman Ceremony

The festival is also home to one of Korea's largest markets and the Korean word 'nanjang' is used to describe it, which literally means 'place of chaos' or 'place of confusion'.

Anything and everything was on sale here, from kitchen utensils and DVDs to handicrafts and traditional foods like silkworm larvae(bundaegi), which I'll hopefully get to try at some point during my stay here.

Probably the most interesting thing in the market was a man on a stall selling bottles with ginsing and huge centipedes in them for medicinal purposes, which I have to say looked quite the opposite of tempting.

Throughout the whole day there were a number of performances of traditional farming music, which I enjoyed greatly and the movement of the dancers and the vivid costumes, coupled with the music, provided some enthralling entertainment for the watching crowd.

The final event of the day was the Hapyeong Dapgynori, which is a game played between two teams, in the hope that they have a good harvest and large catches of fish.

Once it became dark each team of people dressed in their traditional shamanist attire, lit their torches and then started to walk around in a circle chanting. Then both teams walked onto a wooden bridge to confront each other and pretended to fight in a mock torch battle. It was all very exciting with everyone waving their flaming torches at each other and shouting loudly.

After this they came down and the atmosphere was unbelievable as everybody was walking round and chanting at the top of their voices. People watching were even allowed to join in and it was definitely the highlight of the whole day for me.


For all the photos click here.

Wakeboarding

Travelling around Asia I've had plenty of opportunities to try different sports that I otherwise probably wouldn't have tried back home.

In Thailand I got to go kayaking through caves and mangrove swamps, as well as rock climbing and snorkelling when I visited some of the countries beautiful islands. Amazing experiences that I'll never forget and hopefully one day, when I return, I'll get to explore the ocean depths by trying diving as well.

In Japan I got to go snowboarding for the first time, something I enjoyed greatly, although I have to admit I was rather unsuccesful in my efforts.

Hopefully when winter arrives here in Korea I'll get the chance to go away to the mountains and improve, or at least manage to travel more than ten yards without falling over the next time.

As they say, you should try everything once, so last weekend I went wakeboarding with my friends Brent and Sung-yi.

Wakeboarding is similar to water-skiing, but instead of two skis attached to your feet you have a board, so in many respects it's like snowboarding on water.

With a few tips from Sung-yi and Brent and a bit of practice with a board and a rope attached to a post I was ready to go. After putting my feet into the rubber bindings on the board, a major struggle in itself, I jumped into the water, which I have to admit was quite a bit colder than I was expecting. I'd like to say that I didn't embarass myself by letting out a shrill scream, but this would unfortunately be a complete lie.

Bobbing up and down I waited for the speedboat to come around with the line. It was at this point I realised I had an audience watching from the wakeboarding centre on the shoreline.

The pressure was now on. As the driver revved up the engine a number of thoughts went through my mind. Would I be able to do it? Would I face utter humiliation? Why did I get out of bed this morning?

The boat set off taking up the slack on the line. Holding on for dear life I remembered everything that I'd just practiced on land and I tried standing up, whereupon I immediately lost my balance and fell face first into the water.

After re-surfacing to howls of laughter, I then realised that everyone on the shoreline wasn't actually watching to offer me moral support but was there to witness the entertainment of seeing me fall in.

Unperturbed, I waited for the boat to come around again with the line. Clutching onto the handle the boat sped off once again. I managed to stay up a bit longer this time but unfortunately fell straight back in.

After a few more tries I managed to maintain some sort of balance and I was off. The sense of accomplishment was terrific and it was great to have the feeling of gliding across the water, rather than being dragged through it.

Having finally mastered standing up on the board without falling over I was faced with my first wake. Now the aim of wakeboarding is to jump the wake or wave that is created from the boat as it passes through the water. The board allows lift off the wake, allowing all multitude of tricks for the seasoned professional.

Unfortunately I'm no seasoned professional and once again I fell headfirst into the water, which managed to completely wipe the smile off my face from finally managing to stay up. Fortunately, when faced with further wakes I managed to jump them and by the end of the day, although not the fully accomplished wakeboarder, I was falling in far less than previously.

I had a great day out, despite the pain that I still feel days later and I'll definitely be trying it again sometime.

For all the photos click here.

Old Friends

After watching the X Games I went to Gangnam, to meet up with some of my old students, who I first met whilst teaching in England. I was taken aback by the number of people who turned up and it was so nice of everybody to have made such an effort. One of my friends Jeon, had even travelled the length of Korea from the Busan area to come out with us.

It was so great to see everyone, most of whom I hadn't seen for nearly a couple of years. It's funny, but when you get older time just seems to pass so much more quickly.

It so was interesting to find out about where everyone now was in their lives and how things had changed since the last time I had seen them. Everyone was doing well for themselves, whether it was at work or at university. Some like Harry and Jane, had got married after meeting in England and others like Tae-sok and Jinny, had had a lovely baby boy called Min, who they brought along for everyone to see.

We ended going out to about three different places in Gangnam for food and drinks and we all had a great time. 'Gangnam' means south of the river and represents one of the newer areas of Seoul as it has gradually expanded outwards. Most of the area was built during the 1980's after land speculation caused a real estate boom in Korea. Now it's one of the most thriving areas in Seoul with it's high rise skyscrapers, shopping facilities and great nightlife.

We had lots of traditional Korean food plus lots of soju, which is a rice wine and this definitely helped to liven up proceedings for everyone. Soju is served straight from a shot glass and it's alcoholic content is usually between 24% to 34%. One of the most appealing things about it is definitely it's price, you can get a bottle for around 2000 won, which works out about 1 pound.

I also tried bulgogi, which is beef that has been marinated in soy sauce. In the middle of the table sits a grill with hot coals in it and on top of this you place the meat and vegetables to cook them. After the meat is cooked you take it and place it in some lettuce with vegetables and sauces and you then roll it up in your hand and it eat it. It's delicious, although the method of eating it is the perfect way to ruin your clothes if your your not careful, especially if you've had a little bit too much soju.

I had a great time, although we all probably overindulged a bit on the alcohol front. By about roughly 3.00 o'clock in the morning(at least I think it was) the effects of our soju fuelled reunion were beginning to take effect, so I thanked everyone for a terrific night, then we all said our goodbyes and promised to meet up again soon.

For all the photos click here.