Korea House Restaurant, Jungmun Resort, Jeju, South Korea

February 26, 2009 by Brian Miller · 2 Comments
Filed under: Places to Eat

Dine in dynastic splendor at this Jungmun restaurant
Story and photos by Brian Miller

Korea House is a replica of a Chosun Dynasty royal residence and now serves as one of the most atmospheric and charming Korean restaurants on the island. It’s located between the Shilla and Hyatt Hotels in Jungmun and is easily accessed by the Airport Limousine (you can get off at either Shilla or Hyatt, but the Airport Limo will often stop at the restaurant itself. Just keep an eye out for a large, wooden gate and colorful signboards advertising the “Rose of Sharon”).

Tags: , JEJU, jungmun, korea house, restaurant, SOUTH KOREA

2009 Penguin Swim, Jeju, South Korea

January 21, 2009 by Brian Miller · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Jeju & Korean Culture, Things to Do

Participants for the 2009 Penguin Swim wait at the start line | Credit: Brian Miller

Islanders hit the beach despite unusually harsh winter weather
Story and photos by Brian Miller

It was a bitterly cold Saturday morning on what locals like to call “Korea’s Hawaii,” though the name seemed especially ill-chosen that day, as the temperatures hovered around freezing and the snow fell gently to the frozen sands of Jungmun beach. It was just the kind of morning that makes you wonder if Hawaiians ever have to drive with snow chains.

Tags: , JEJU, penguin swim, SOUTH KOREA

OZB offers coffee for the connoisseur, Jeju, South Korea

December 26, 2008 by Brian Miller · 2 Comments
Filed under: Coffee Shops

Seogwipo bean master roasts his own premium coffee
Story and photos by Brian Miller
OZB Coffee
Take your pick at OZB | Credit: Brian Miller

One great thing about living on Jeju is the absolute abundance of coffee shops. But you may often find yourself trying to find a shop that breaks the mold, a shop that offers its customers more than just the average cappuccino or Americano. If you want more from a cup of coffee than just a caffeine buzz then you’ll want to check out OZB in Seogwipo.

Tags: choi ji sik, coffee, JEJU, oza, SOUTH KOREA

Jeju’s Shamans

November 11, 2008 by Brian Miller · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Jeju & Korean Culture

Shaman

Jeju’s mythical past still alive and well
Story and photo by Brian Miller

For many in Jeju, this island is a haunted place. It’s home to 18,000 gods, and nearly every rock, tree, mountain, pond and home is claimed by one kind of spirit or another. If you want to communicate with these spirits and gods, you can either visit one of the island’s many shrines, or contact a simbang. The ‘simbang’ (or shaman) is a man endowed with supernatural powers. He’s a conduit between gods and humans who uses his psychic abilities to transmit messages between this world and the next. They perform in ceremonies called 굿 or “gut” (pronounced like “good” with a hard d). There are three levels of simbang. The first level simbangs mainly do manual chores at guts while learning the skills required to perform ceremonies. Once they’ve graduated to the second level, a simbang will be allowed to perform minor guts, but is most often found performing music at the major ceremonies. The greatest of them has attained all the supernatural powers of a simbang. One such man is Kim Yun Su, a simbang of the highest order who lives here in Jeju and can often be found leading major guts on the island.

Tags: event, gut, JEJU, shamen, SOUTH KOREA