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Leaving Korea was hard. There’s a lot more to do there. But the prospect of heading to Osaka sounded pretty good also. These are images from my last few hours in Korea from Jeju Island to Busan to the airport bound for Japan. Things to note in the following image series: abandoned fairground, man on the bike, fishing with a sars guard, Korean gamers, clementines, people in transit, and island light.
Tags: 2010, 7-11, abandoned spaces, Airports, Busan, clementines, fairground, Food, gamers, James Ryang, Jeju, Korean, meta hurrican, Photography, soldier, South Korea, tangerines, transit
Malls. If you live in Seoul, and you’re not at home or at work, you’re in a mall. Pretty much guaranteed. They have everything. And these aren’t like Southern California malls; these are mega malls of insane proportions. Basically at every major subway station in Seoul, a shopping mall awaits you above ground. I got to spend a lot of time in them just going from one part of town to another. And it’s not so much about the shopping experience, but the hanging experience. Couples just stroll and eat and hang out, go to the movies, the arcade. Oh man, the arcade was bananas. I mean I watched a kid hold court on Tekken 6 for like an hour behind a wall of glass from his opponents as to prevent conflict, and this dude play the drum track of Lithium by Nirvana on expert mode. Also, a long suspicion of mine has been confirmed that the KFC colonel has slightly thinner eyes in Asia. Terrible.
Tags: 2010. New Year's Eve, arcade, Drum Station, eating, Imax, Insadon, James Ryang, Korea, Lithium, Mall, mega mall, Myedong, Nirvana, Photography, Popeye arms, Seoul, Shinsegae, Shopping, subway station, Tekken 6, UFO Catcher
Fashion. Fashion. Fashion. Namdaemun Market and Dongdaemun Market are the two centers of discount shopping in Seoul. Picture Canal Street on a Saturday afternoon times a thousand. You can find pretty much anything. Some of the goods being sold are authentic and others not so much. Clothes you didn’t even know existed still are still being sold. Also, anything you want or need can be made on site. Tailors, jewelry makers, pattern makers have open booths waiting for customers to make alterations and entirely new pieces. It’s nuts. Also, goods are transported in and out of the markets via motorcycle messengers who strap bushels of clothes on the backs of their bikes. It’s easy to get lost in the dense alleyways and indoor tunnels of these markets but that’s really what it’s all about. Seeing all the flair.
Tags: 2010, accessories, clothes, clothing, Discount, Dongdaemun Market, Fashion, Indoor, James Ryang, jewelry, Korea, Namdaemun Market, open market, Outdoor, Photography, Seoul, tailors
FOOD. Koreans love food. We love eating food. We also anthropomorphize food. It’s in the grocery stores, the streets, the mall food courts on plates and in plastic, and even the arcades. It is everywhere, and it is good. Best finds: Meta Hurricane Ice Cream Cones, Stuffed Sushis, and the Stuffed Pickled Daikon Radish. I wanted to win that so bad. Also, coffee. Let’s talk about it. Freeze-dried coffee is the norm. If you want fresh ground bean coffee, you have to shell out clams. I only had Taster’s Choice for almost two weeks straight.
Tags: 2010, Anthropomorphic Food, Daikon Radish, Food, Food Courts, Inanimate Food, James Ryang, Lotte Mart, Meta Hurricane, Plastic Food, Seoul, South Korea, Stuffed Animal Food, Stuffed Sushi, Sweet Home, White Bread
Seoul is one of the biggest cities in the world. When I got there, it was a frigid -10°C. Waking up to the sight of a skycraper and a snow-covered city outside my window was definitely unusual. After resting up for a bit, we got on a city tour bus that takes vistors around the perimeter of Seoul to all the major neighborhoods within the city loop. I just wanted to see how big Seoul had gotten since my last visit. I took to elevator to the top of Seoul Tower, the highest point in the city, to get a sense of where I was in relation to things. Seoul is big. Really big. Just the statistic that 1/3 of the South Korean population lives in Seoul boggles the mind. Next, we took a ride to Chang Deok Gung Palace. Built in 1405 as a secondary palace for the King, the architecture of Chang Deok Gung is laid out in harmony with the area’s topography and houses the King’s secret garden. Oh yeah, stuffed animal hats are super in right now.
Tags: 2010, architecture, Capital, Chang Deok Gung, James Ryang, Palace, population growth, secret garden, Seoul, Seoul Tower, snow, South Korea, tourism, wikipedia
Busan is on the south eastern tip of Korea. It has turned into a booming city since my last visit. My mom went to college and medical school here. During this visit, we stayed in my Uncle and Aunt’s condo which is very typically Korean, situated in a group of high-rises that are almost identical to each other. Since coming here as a kid, the city’s name has been changed from “Pusan” to “Busan” to more accurately Americanize its pronunciation. Busan is also home to the largest department store in the world, the Shinsegae in Centum City constructed in 2009. Not to be confused with the world’s largest shopping mall which is in Dubai. Even the grocery stores are in malls, the Lotte Super. Busan clearly exists in a space between the old and the new. This is less apparent in cities like Seoul….images coming soon.
Tags: 2010, Busan, Centum City, Christmas Day, condos, department store, Exercise Machines, high-rises, James Ryang, Lotte Super, Mall, Photography, Shinsegae, South Korea, Temple
I should preface this post by writing that this entry is not for those with weak stomachs. It gets real. Masan is a port city on the southern side on South Korea. It’s famous for seafood. The Masan Fish Market is a daily affair, and it is the REAL DEAL. I’ve been to a few in my day and this one just felt the most raw. And there’s more than fish…..way more. Curiosities I still can’t fathom or interpret. Totally wild.
Tags: clams, crab, dog penis, dried fish, dried frogs, fish, fisherman's wives, Food, king crab, korean lunch, mackerel, Masan, Masan Fish Market, mussels, octopus, open market, oysters, pig's feet, pig's head, pork, raw, saba, seafood, shellfish, snapper, South Korea, squid
Seogwipo is a city on the southern coast of Jeju Island. It is a bizarre place. The majority of visitors go there for the duty-free shopping and natural wonderment. There is a chocolate museum called Chocolate Land, adorned with Asian Santas and Greek sculpture. There are also naturally-occurring waterfalls, volcanic valleys, and an arched bridge which is completely bananas. There is also a music museum with a floating faucet head in front. Seogwipo is also the site of one of the 2002 World Cup stadiums which is used for film screenings and national soccer matches. This place is nuts.
Tags: 2002, 2010, Bridge, bus station, Cheju, chocolate land, coconuts, floating faucet, greek sculpture, Island, James Ryang, Jeju, Korea, Landscape, Photography, Robert Ryang, rocks, santa clause, seogwipo, soccer, stadium, volcanic land, waterfalls, world cup
The next day, we took the long journey back across the island. With the assistance and hospitality of the local caretakers, we successfully located the tomb site.
Tags: 2010, barbershop, brush, Cheju, farms, Food, Harabagi, Hong-Son Ryang, Island, James Ryang, Jeju, Korea, korean breakfast, Landscape, lemons, mounds, Myung Kim Ryang, Photography, pogs, Robert Ryang, televisions, tomb, volcanic land
These are the rest of the images and video stills from that day, including some portraits of my family.
Tags: 2010, brush, cabbage, farmer, farms, Harabagi, Hong-Son Ryang, Island, James Ryang, Jeju, Korea, Landscape, mounds, Myung Kim Ryang, New Year's Day 2010, Photography, Robert Ryang, tomb, volcanic land, wind machines
