"Mrs. Pyke Eats Korea" 2017 Korea Tour

Korea Tour 2017

Is it time to eat again !! Part 4

As seen in the November 2017 edition of the Chosun Taekwondo Academy Newsletter

The DMZ

Saturday morning we head out for a bus ride heading north to the Demilitarized Zone, more commonly referred to as the DMZ or the 38^th Parallel. The DMZ is a border that divides the Korean Peninsula in half. It was created by an agreement with North Korea, China and the United Nations in 1953. When we arrive we are put on a DMZ bus that has blacked out windows, we can see out but they, the North Koreans, can’t see in! As we approach the gates a ROK (South Korean Soldier) gets on the bus to inspect our passports. It’s all very official.  The highlight of the tour for me was going into the tunnels the North Koreans had dug to attempt an invasion in the 1970’s.  The first tunnel was discovered on November 20^th1974 by a ROK while on patrol. The second tunnel was found on March 19 1975. The third tunnel was discovered on October 17 1978 and the fourth tunnel was discovered on March 3 1990. We get to take train ride down a shaft deep in the earth. Thank goodness we have donned hard hats because you can easily knock your head! The tunnel is 5,200 ft long and 240 ft below ground. It was a slow and steady decent.  When we reached the bottom we headed on foot deeper into the tunnel.  Then suddenly the tunnel stops and we are as close as you can get to Kim Jong-un !!  The tunnel was sealed after its discovery. We hike out on an extremely steep ramp to the surface. This is not for the light hearted.   The experience was overwhelming for me. My Dad was stationed right at this very spot. I share a photo book with pictures of my Dad at the DMZ with everyone on the bus. Our tour guide Mr. Kim is moved by the photos and thanks me for my Father’s service to his country.

Time for lunch!! We head into a beautiful country town just outside the DMZ. Mr. KIM brings us to Yo Ree. You would have thought we were dining at home!! Yo Ree is a modern Korean restaurant. I will describe this fusion cuisine as Korean meets Farm to Table. The menu was Chef’s choice, so we had no idea what was coming next!  The meal was served family style. First course was a  lovely green salad that reminded us all of home. Next came a very unusual rice cake roll very similar to  a Vietnamese cold spring roll, so amazing.  Acorn jelly seaweed noodles, Spicy Chicken and Peppers, Jeon (vegetable pancakes), can never get enough of these, Beef Bulgoki and a gorgeous  Mixed Vegetable Tempura that had tempura Lotus Roots !!  Tea was served at their roof top sun room which had a beautiful view of the countryside. There was a Korean family celebrating their son’s birthday and we all sang Happy Birthday to him! They shared their traditional Korean Rice Cakes with us and were so delighted that we were Tae Kwon Do martial artists! So what happens next was wonderful…the birthday boy does Tae Kwon Do too, so he, Nina Rose Cirillo and Luke Cirillo get up and do Taeguek il jang!!!  Everyone is clapping and we are all so proud !! By the way Rosa and Luke hit it out of the park!!!

What an amazing day it has been. Thank you again Mr. Kim for being the best guide ever.

We are exhausted when we return to the Sommerset Palace and we don’t want to dine out. We decide we will party at the Cirillo’s Penthouse (yes it’s true!!) and Mr Kim goes above and beyond...

To be continued…

Korean Takeout Chinese Food!!

Haeng bog meogneum !!

Happy Eating!!

Pamela Pyke

Korea "Destinations" by Jeff Rosser from CHOSUN newsletter December, 2015

Jeff's monthly Korea "Destinations" column can be seen every month in the Chosun Taekwondo Academy newsletter

Imjingak

     Imjingak, located on the Imjin River near the city of Paju, is a park near the border with North Korea.  For most people, this is as close to North Korea as you can get without joining a guided tour to the DMZ which South Koreans are not allowed to join.  From the

observation deck here, you can see across the Imjin River to the DMZ and even into North Korea.  The park also has numerous monuments and memorials to those who have served and died, to the families that remain separated, and to the continuing hope for peace and reunification.  Amongst the monuments are also a number of relics from the Korean War and the Cold War which include tanks, war planes, and a UN supply train from the Korean War that is riddled with 1,020 bullet holes.

     The Freedom Bridge, which was built as a temporary crossing over the Imjin River for the purpose of bringing home more than 12,000 South Korean POWs after the signing of the Armistice Agreement, is also here.  It was relocated to this spot to serve as a memorial and now sits next to an old railway bridge that stretches across the river and into North Korea.  Also near the Freedom Bridge is the Mangbaedan Altar which was constructed by the South Korean government in 1986.  This permanent altar was created for North Korean refugees and South Koreans with family in the north to carry out ancestral rites during major holidays like Chuseok and Lunar New Year.  Prior to the building of the altar, visitors would create their own each year.  Now, they have a permanent altar from which to carry out these rites.  The altar itself consists of an incense burner and seven stone slabs, each carved with an image representing each of the seven provinces in North Korea.

     You will also find what is likely to be the most colorful barbed wire fence in the world.  Visitors, both Koreans and foreigners alike, write messages of peace, reunification, and reconciliation on ribbons and attach the ribbons to the fence.  While interesting to look at, the ribbons are also a reminder of the effects and pain felt by the division of the Korean peninsula.  To reach Imjingak, take a train from Seoul Station to Munsan station.  From there, transfer to another small train to reach Imjingang Station.

About the author:

Jeff W. Rosser is a teacher, martial arts instructor, and writer in South Korea.  He’s a former AAU U.S.A. National Karate Team member and has competed internationally in Karate and Taekwondo.  He also has over 24 years of experience in Karate, Taekwondo, Hapkido, Ju-Jutsu, and Judo.  He’s a columnist for Taekwondo Times (“The Hidden Art”), a monthly contributor to Totally Taekwondo Magazine, and the author of “Combative Elbow Strikes:  A Guide to Strikes, Blocks, Locks, and Take Downs” published by Turtle Press.  Contact:  karatekajwr@yahoo.com (Email), www.mawriter.webs.com (website)

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