You may notice quite a few homeless people around Seoul Station. A lot of visitors ask me, “Why are there so many homeless people here?” One of the biggest reasons goes back to 1997, during the Asian Financial Crisis. In Korea, we usually call it the IMF Crisis . A lot of companies went bankrupt, unemployment rose very quickly, and many people suddenly lost their jobs and income. Some people eventually lost their homes as well. And many of them came to Seoul Station . Why here? Because this was one of the main places to find day labor and temporary jobs , and it was also the main railway station if they wanted to go back to their hometowns. But some had no money left and nowhere else to go, so they stayed around the station. That is one reason Seoul Station became one of the main gathering places for homeless people after the 1997 crisis. Then another thing happened. Once many homeless people were here, churches, charities, NGOs, and the government started providing help here. Th...
A combination of ordinary and everyday Korean food.
One of the most common and popular food combinations that Koreans like are kimbap and ramen( or instant noodle). The reason why we like is that they are not only cheap and tasty but also full of stomach. Korean food culture is based on soup and rice, so you can think of it as a basic combination that is faithful to the basics.
Historical records from the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897 CE) show that Koreans were already eating Bok-ssam made by rolling rice and side dishes in Gim (dried seaweed) hundreds of years ago.
The Industrial Boom:
Why did Gimbap become Korea's number one picnic and fast food?
The cause goes back to South Korea's rapid industrialization in the 1970s and 1980s. As society became incredibly busy with factory work and rapid economic growth, people needed a meal that was highly nutritious, cheap, and easy to carry. Gimbap was the perfect result—a full balanced meal packed into a portable roll.
so gimbap was food that mothers often packed with lunch boxes when students go on picnics, but nowadays there are many places selling healthy gimbap that is good for the body, such as well-being gimbap, so it is not unconditionally inexpensive as in the old days.
Ramen and kimbap are really common combinations that students like. When I was a student, I didn't have money, so I like to eat cheap food to be full.
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Vegetable Kimbab
This is a vegetable kimbap which has egg, burdock, carrot, spinach, pickled radish, sausage, and crab meat in it.
The Secret Color Code: Here is an insider secret. A traditional Gimbap is not just a random mix of ingredients; it represents Obangsaek (the five traditional colors of the universe representing Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements).
Black (Water): The dried seaweed on the outside.
White (Metal): The white rice.
Yellow (Earth): The sliced egg strip.
Red/Orange (Fire): The carrots.
Green (Wood): The spinach or cucumber. When you eat one slice of Gimbap, you are literally eating the harmonious energy of the entire universe in one bite!
Cup noodle (=Cup ramen)
The biggest advantage of cup noodles is convenience. Pour hot water and wait for 3 minutes before eating.
There are so many types of cup noodles, and many new flavors are being released these days. This is ramen with a long history. Its name is Yuk-gae-jang, and it tastes like beef, but it's not very spicy.
Cup noodles have thinner noodles and smaller amounts of noodles than instant noodles.
