This overview of South Korea – its geography, its economy, its culture, and its people, and a recipe, too – was prepared by Amy Moisant while an Accounting student in the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University.
Introduction
South Korea is very modern, industrialized country, set amongst rugged mountain ranges and farmland. It has a population of 48,294,000 people. The native language is Korean; however, English is widely taught. The main religions are Christianity and Buddhist. The Capital of South Korea is Seoul. The currency is the South Korean Won. The culture is tradition rich, based on 600 year-old Confucian principles. Among these principles are willingness to work hard at any task and, especially, devotion to the family.
Country Information
● Geographic Facts
Here are three geographic facts about South Korea:
1. South Korea is located in East Asia on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. Neighboring countries are China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north.
2. South Korea has a very mountainous terrain. Its territory consists of 99,250 square kilometers (38,321 square miles). It is slightly larger than Indiana.
3. The seasons are very distinct in South Korea. Summers are very hot and humid, while in Winter temperatures plummet to below freezing. Fall and Spring are the most comfortable seasons to visit South Korea. Most of the rain falls in summer during a monsoon season known as “jangma”.
● 3 “Serious” Facts
Here are three serious facts about South Korea:
1. The main industries in South Korea are: electronics (Samsung and Lucky-Goldstar), automobile production (Hyundai, Kia and Daewoo), chemicals (fertilizers), shipbuilding , steel, and textiles. It has grown into the world’s 12th largest trading nation due to chaebols, large export-oriented conglomerates.
2. The type of agriculture in South Korea consists of rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, cattle, and fish.
3. South Korea was liberated August 15, 1945. It has a Republic form of government with powers shared between the president, the legislature, and the courts.
● 3 “Fun” Facts
Here are three fun facts about South Korea:
1. If you are a karaoke fan, South Korea is the place for you.
2. Korean women wear dresses, skirts and very high heels for just about every occasion.
3. Unlike the United States, most places in South Korea are tip free and it can sometimes be an insult to tip.
● A “Potpourri” Item
The principle component of Korean food is vegetables and they have long considered food to be a form of medicine. There is a Korean saying that goes “no matter how good medicine may be, it will never be as good as food.” Korean dishes contain ingredients commonly used in oriental medicine such as ginger, dates, and omija (a type of raspberry). Koreans eat rice with almost every meal and use chopsticks.
Here is an unusual fact (or two or three) about South Korea:
To overcome distance and traffic congestion, South Korea launched a high-speed rail service between Seoul and Busan in 2004.
Generally speaking, Koreans are thin people. Being overweight is considered a sign of wealth and dignity and seen particularly among the rich, and high officials.
Food Information
● Recipe
Ingredients:
● 1 cup butter (real, no substitutions)
● ¾ cup brown sugar
● ¾ cup white sugar
● 2 eggs
● 1 teaspoon baking soda
● 1 teaspoon hot water
● 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
● 3 cups flour
● ¾ toasted sesame seeds
Directions:
Cream the butter with brown sugar and white sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add baking soda, hot water and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Stir in the flour and sesame seeds to make a stiff dough. Cover and chill until dough is firm.
Roll heaping teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls; place on greased baking sheet, about 2” apart. Flatten slightly. Bake at 325° for 10-12 minutes.
● My Kitchen Story
Koreans seldom serve dessert opting for fresh fruit instead. I got this recipe from a friend who found it on a Korean adoption website. A good Korean cook will try to include five colors at every meal: red, green, yellow, white, and black. So, with this in mind, I used black sesame seeds. I put the sesame seeds in the cookie dough, and for added effect, I pressed the black seseme seeds on the top. By the end of the process, I had black fingers! This cookie is similiar to a biscotti, being that it is a little crunchy. They are very simple to make, they taste and look great!
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Contact Info: To contact the author of “A Taste of South Korea: A Recipe for Ggae Gwa Ja (Korean Sesame Cookies),” please email amoisant@yahoo.com.
BIOGRAPHY
David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at
http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also maintains compilations of his student’s publications regarding management concepts (
http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/), book reviews (
http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/), international foods (
http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).
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