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What to Buy at Korea’s Most Famous Museum Shop—and the Stories Behind the Gifts You visit the National Museum of Korea. You see a 1,500-year-old Silla gold crown. You stand quietly in front of the Pensive Bodhisattvas. You admire Goryeo celadon and the soft curves of Joseon white porcelain. And then, just when you think … 더 읽기

Why This Ancient Korean Gold Crown Looks So Modern What a 1,500-Year-Old Silla Crown Reveals About Ancient Korea Imagine walking into a museum and seeing a gold crown glowing inside a dark display case. It is delicate. Geometric. Almost minimalist in structure, yet covered with tiny pieces of gold and jade-like ornaments. You might guess … 더 읽기

10 Things to See at the National Museum of Korea on Your First Visit A First-Timer’s Guide to Korea’s Most Important Museum If you want to understand Korea beyond K-pop, K-dramas, and Korean food, there is one place in Seoul that deserves a spot on your itinerary: the National Museum of Korea. Located in Yongsan, … 더 읽기

In Korea, Sometimes the Coffee Is Almost the Least Important Part Imagine this. You drive an hour outside Seoul. Not to visit a palace. Not to climb a mountain. Not to eat at a famous restaurant. You are going to: a café. When you arrive, there is a huge parking lot. The building has three … 더 읽기

Most of East Asia Uses Chopsticks. So Why Are Korea’s Made of Metal? You sit down at a Korean restaurant. A bowl of steaming rice arrives. Then kimchi. Soup. Several small side dishes. And beside them: a spoon and a pair of thin, flat, stainless-steel chopsticks. You pick them up. Immediately, you notice something. They … 더 읽기

There Is a Button on Your Table in Korea. Yes, You Are Supposed to Press It. You walk into a Korean barbecue restaurant. Sit down. Open the menu. The restaurant is busy. Servers are carrying trays of meat, changing grill plates, delivering side dishes, and running between tables. You are ready to order. But nobody … 더 읽기

Korea Celebrates a Full Moon With a Half-Moon Rice Cake Every Chuseok, something interesting appears on Korean tables. Outside, people look up at the bright full harvest moon. But on the table, they eat rice cakes shaped like: half-moons. They are called: 송편 — Songpyeon Small, chewy rice cakes filled with ingredients such as sesame … 더 읽기

For a Few Days Every Autumn, Korea Starts Moving Imagine Seoul a few days before Chuseok. At Seoul Station, people are pulling suitcases. Parents carry boxes of fruit and gift sets. Young adults stare at train apps, hoping a canceled seat suddenly appears. Cars begin filling expressways leading away from the capital. At highway rest … 더 읽기

A Korean Person Asks If You’ve Eaten. But They May Not Really Be Asking About Food. Your phone rings. It is your Korean mother-in-law. Your Korean friend. Maybe a coworker you haven’t spoken to all day. After saying hello, one of the first questions is: “밥 먹었어?” Bap meo-geo-sseo? Literally: “Did you eat?” You pause. … 더 읽기