Category Archives: Korea 2020

Field Report: The Ruins of Suncheon Japanese Castle, South Korea (26 January 2020) – Part 1

Until recently, my interest in Japanese castles was geographically confined to Japan itself. (Hardly a surprise, since that’s where nearly all of them are.) That changed this past winter when I visited the ruins of a 16th-century fortress designed by the Japanese, built using Japanese techniques, and bearing all the hallmarks of a typical JapaneseContinue reading “Field Report: The Ruins of Suncheon Japanese Castle, South Korea (26 January 2020) – Part 1”

Field Report: Sunday Stories from Suncheon, South Korea (26 January 2020)

This post is both prelude and epilogue to my upcoming report on Suncheon’s really-quite-spectacular Japanese castle. (Yes, you’ve read correctly: there are ruins of an old Japanese castle in Suncheon and I’ll tell you more about it in another post). Just some little vignettes and casual observations that illustrate what I went through on aContinue reading “Field Report: Sunday Stories from Suncheon, South Korea (26 January 2020)”

Field Snapshots: Suncheon Bay National Garden (25 January 2020)

I didn’t stay long at the Suncheon Bay National Garden (순천만국가정원, Suncheonman Gukga Jeongwon), mainly because of the threat of rain and poor conditions for outdoor photography. That said, I rather enjoyed my visit to this sprawling slice of greenery, and I’m happy to offer a small gallery of pictures – in place of aContinue reading “Field Snapshots: Suncheon Bay National Garden (25 January 2020)”

Food Report: Short-rib Patties and Bibimbap at Gyodong TteokGalbi (Jeonju, South Korea)

With great sightseeing comes great hunger … to twist a phrase. And after a couple of hours spent tramping through the scenic side-streets and touristy thoroughfares of Jeonju Hanok Village, filling one’s stomach will start to rise in priority over filling one’s Instagram page. (Not that they’re mutually exclusive.) Let’s pop into a local establishmentContinue reading “Food Report: Short-rib Patties and Bibimbap at Gyodong TteokGalbi (Jeonju, South Korea)”

Field Report: Gyeonggijeon Shrine, Jeonju, South Korea (25 January 2020)

Under the banner of Joseon, the House of Yi ruled Korea for more than five centuries from the royal capital of Hanseong (present-day Seoul). However, like most Korean families, they maintained a special connection to their ancestral hometown: the city of Jeonju in the southern region of Jeolla. As a mark of reverence for theContinue reading “Field Report: Gyeonggijeon Shrine, Jeonju, South Korea (25 January 2020)”

Rail Report: First Class on the KTX from Jeonju Station to Suncheon, South Korea

In this report, we’ll experience the First Class car of a KTX-Sancheon train on a short hop from Jeonju to Suncheon. We’ll also take a close look at Jeonju Station itself – from the plaza outside to the platforms within.

Rail Report: First Class on the KTX from Suncheon Station to Jeonju, South Korea

In this report, we’ll experience the First Class car of a KTX-Sancheon train on a short hop from Suncheon to Jeonju. We’ll also take a close look at Suncheon Station itself – from the plaza outside to the platforms within.

Field Report: Suncheon Bay Wetland, Jeollanam-do, South Korea (24 January 2020)

Having spent our first morning in Jeollanam-do at the historic Naganeupseong walled village, it’s now time to spend a few moments savouring some of this coastal region’s famed natural beauty. Our stop: a scenic marshland not far from the sea, where winter’s chill has transformed a normally verdant field of reeds into a vast, shimmeringContinue reading “Field Report: Suncheon Bay Wetland, Jeollanam-do, South Korea (24 January 2020)”

Field Report: Naganeupseong Folk Village, Suncheon, South Korea (24 January 2020)

In today’s post, we’ll visit a beautiful Joseon-era walled village west of central Suncheon, in the province of Jeollanam-do on Korea’s southern coast. Here, for centuries, a formidable ring of stone fortifications has maintained a silent, steady guard over a quiet town of rustic thatched-roof houses. Welcome to Naganeupseong.