Korea Day 5

Last night, the room was very cold so I slept with a lot of clothes on. I woke up in the middle of the night from a bad dream. The floor was covered with 百足 (mukade, gigantic poisonous Japanese centipede). I already got bit and I was trying not to step on anymore. I always have nightmares if it’s hot when I’m sleeping.

This morning, I met Tracy. She’s an Australian living in Korea right now. It was very interesting to talk to her because she’s taught English in Korea before and has traveled to many places. I told her I am bringing my parents to the park. She was very interested in going. I will send her some more information about it later.

Mr. Lee wrote us directions for the taxi driver to take us to the main Beautiful Store. The beautiful store is a chain of second hand stores that donates it’s money to charities. In the end, we decided to take the subway because of the taxi incident before. However, the written directions came in handy when we weren’t sure where to go after we located the right exit.


I bought two skirts from them. Then, I asked for directions to go to the head office. I was under the impression that it was the biggest Beautiful store but it ended up being an actual office. Fortunately, it was just a couple streets down so we didn’t really go out of our way.


The Beautiful Store is in the Insadong area so we decided to go there for lunch. Mr. Lee said the food there would be a bit more expensive but the atmosphere is much nicer. We went to the information booth again to ask for a recommendation on a good bibimbap restaurant. They recommended a popular one in the basement of Ssamzie-gil.

We didn’t even know there was a basement section and was pleasantly surprised by the big underground restaurant. We ordered the couple’s set A. It had regular bibimbap, traditional Jeong bibimbap, spicy sizzling beef and side dishes. At the end, we got a bowl of berry flavoured juice. It was so refreshing and summery, I almost forgot it was winter outside.


Bibimbap.


Traditional Jeong Bibimbap.


On the walk back to the subway station, I bought some souvenirs. My mother bought a three in one hairpin, mail opener and bookmark.


We quickly went back to the hostel to pick up our luggage. Then, we headed back to Hongik University station to take the airport railroad to Incheon airport.


On the ride, I enjoyed eating a whole crunchy persimmon and worked on crocheting a left mitten. We watched the news broadcast video footage of a big snowstorm somewhere in Korea. Good thing it wasn’t in Seoul or else our flights might have been canceled.


My flight was at 5:40pm and my parents’ flight was at 5:00pm. They were only flying domestic, so we decided to check me in first. I couldn’t find my check-in information on the notice board. We located an Asiana official to help us out. He discovered that I was supposed to be flying out of Gimpo International Airport, not Incheon! I didn’t know you could buy round trip tickets for different airports. I just assumed I go back to the airport I landed at. You always learn something new! Good thing I didn’t have to pay too much for this mistake (just the extra transportation fare).


It was 3:00pm so I still had time to go to the other airport. It was decided that I would take the bus because the subway was a long walk back and the bus stops were right outside the terminal on the first floor. There were many different bus companies. We chose one that was leaving soon and not making stops in between.

I got on the bus at 3:15. It took half an hour to get to the airport but at a pretty expensive price of 7000 won.The check in and customs process was very smooth. I was waiting in front of the gate by 4:07pm. I was so bored and you get hungry when you’re bored. It was a good thing that my mother packed me snacks because I had no money on me.

There was no movie to watch on the flight and I had finished my mitten waiting for the plane to depart. As soon as I had finished the in flight meal, I pulled up my hood and tried to sleep a bit because you can only sleep about 6 hours on the ferry ride back.

I landed in a rainy Osaka after what must have been a super cold weekend (I saw snow on the ground!). I celebrated at the sight of my first vending machine. I was back in Japan!

Jungbu Market

Jungbu Market is a traditional market. It is forty years old but still maintains the typical market atmosphere of older times.


Since I only saw Namdaemon Market at night, Jungbu Market was different than any market I’ve seen so far. I loved taking photos of all the dried goods I saw there. It is not a very big market and many vendors sell the same things.


The way the fish are tied up is so interesting. It reminds me of crocheting.


Dried nuts.


Dried fish.


Baby dried fish.


Huge bags of snacks. How many movies would it take to finish that bag of popcorn?


Meat that is not dried.


Dried seaweed. They had so many bags in the back, I couldn’t count them all.


Dried fish head.



I’ve never seen fish so dried out. They look like they were starving the desert and then dried up. Seriously, there must be no meat on these fish. They look like skin and bones.


Dried octopus.


I don’t know what this is, but I liked how they were held together packaged with string. I think it might be a kind of seaweed.


This is Ginseng. I would have had no idea what it was if my mother didn’t tell me.


I think these are noodles in garbage bags. Anyway, they look like vermicelli.


Dried lantern flowers.


My father pointed out the drain holes for the market stall canopy on rainy days.


Manning a market stall doesn’t seem so bad. Dried fish doesn’t stink like fresh ones. Regular customers, daily market gossip, a heater and a tv in a cozy space. That’s all you need!


I have noticed this recycled cloth being used often in the markets. It can be put under merchandise or used as a mat on the floor. It is nice to know that old cloth can be used like this instead of thrown out.

Seodaemon Prison History Hall

Seodaemon Prison is not a historical building but it operated as a prison for eight decades from 1908 to 1987 and when through several name changes. It was built during the Japanese occupation to hold Korean patriots and activists. Many prisoners were tortured and died within these halls.

There was a self guided tour route throughout the prison grounds. The first building had three exhibitions. First, we walked through two exhibition halls detailing the history of events throughout Korea’s struggle to become independent.

The prison was first built to be 1600 metres squared with a capacity of 500 people. However, the March 1st independence movement had more than 3000 people arrested and imprisoned here in 1919. In the 1930s, the prison was expanded 30 times it’s original size in the due to the increase in Korean independence activists.



There were 16 Japanese imperialist established prisons throughout Korea in 1908. After the forced annexation in 1910, the Japanese built more prisons, averaging 30 in Korea, making the country like a huge prison.


Dangerously hidden dagger.


Handcuffs.


Shackles.


The following three photos are the prison documentation for one individual prisoner. Not only his fingerprints were taken he also had to undress and have notes made on his body for proper identification.



A tribute to the Korean independence activists that died. 5000 prison records are available to the public. There was a touch screen display to search for independence activists.


We climbed the stairs to the basement exhibition hall. Here it was much colder and the lighting was harsh. We had entered what used to be known as the “underground torture chamber”. This was where patriots were interrogated and tortured.


It also held a room to temporarily detain prisoners to inflict psychological damage as they listened to other prisoners being tortured in the next room.


There were some records regarding different torture methods used. A short documentary of three survivors and what they experience was broadcasted on a loop (only in Korean). It really showed how much Koreans had to go through to gain independence.

Prisoners were put inside a box with sharp nails facing inward. The box could be shook to inflict pain.


These were narrow rooms in which a person could not stand up or sit down properly.


We exited the exhibition building and walked to the central prison building. An ideological conversion education program was individually custom created and implemented for each prisoner. Those that behaved better were given better sentences and luxuries like more food. From the centre, the guards could monitor and control the entire facility.


A 10 metre high watch tower was built beside the external court for more surveillance.


This is a photo of outside a solitary cell. I couldn’t take a photo of the inside because it was too cramped. The cells were always dark and had no toilets.


Prison buildings No. 12 and 11.


This is called a PAE TONG.


This is for prisoners to inform guards in emergencies.


This tree was planted in 1923 when the execution building was being constructed. It was said that the patriots being dragged to the execution hall would grab this tree.


Prisoners were forced to work. Seodaemun Prison was famous for the production of textiles and clothes. Gyeongseong Prison inmates worked to produce bricks. Some of these bricks were used to build Seodaemun prison. The walls and paved brick roads of the prison bear the imprint of Gyeongseong Prison.