Unless you have lived in Korea for a long time, you are probably unaware of Son-dol Day, which occurs every year on the 20th day of the 10th month of the lunar calendar. This year it falls on December 3.
On Nov. 21, 1896, a large crowd gathered to witness the laying of the cornerstone of the Independence Arch, a symbol of Korean independence. According to the English version of The Independent - a newspaper published in Seoul:
On Nov. 21, 1896, a large crowd gathered to witness the laying of the cornerstone of the Independence Arch, a symbol of Korean independence. According to the English version of The Independent - a newspaper published in Seoul:
For many Koreans, Nov. 11 is Pepero Day, a fairly recent unofficial celebration that Wikipedia claims is similar to Valentine’s Day. On this day, friends and family exchange Pepero (long, thin cookie sticks covered with chocolate) as a show of affection.
The legend of Arang is one of the most famous ghost stories in Korea. It is a tale of one-sided love, betrayal, greed. murder and, of course, a butterfly and a ghost.
One of the most beautiful sights in summer are the swarms of butterflies gracing the fields of flowers found throughout Korea. Like a kaleidoscope of color, they flit about bringing joy and wonder to all who view them. To many they are symbols of transformation and the cycle of life. In Korea they symbolize prosperity and contentment. They are generally associated with light and beauty but they also have a dark side - one filled with ugliness and contradiction.
While travelers may have welcomed Korean country inns as a sanctuary from tigers, wolves and the elements, they were not a sanctuary from other predations. Scattered amongst the articles published in newspapers and magazines from the late 19th and early 20th centuries are accounts of robberies and murders that took place in lonely inns. Fortunately, foreigners were rarely victims of these violent attacks, but they, along with the other patrons of the inn, had to contend with the most notorious offenders: bedbugs.