Korea Unfiltered 
When people think of cafés in South Korea, they might imagine busy streets in Seoul, modern buildings, or large coffee shops with impressive interiors. But some of the most memorable cafés can be found far away from the city. Today, I visited Armeria, a brunch café in Gochang, Jeonbuk Province, South Korea. What made this … 더 읽기
Today, my daughter left for Osaka, Japan, with her fifth-grade classmates. She attends a small elementary school in the South Korean countryside. This is not a family vacation or an ordinary school outing. It is a three-night, four-day overseas cultural experience trip organized and fully funded by her school. For our family, this journey feels … 더 읽기
When people think about the Korean countryside, they often imagine rice fields, mountains, and quiet village roads. But there is something else that makes rural Korea interesting: the many different crops growing in the fields. In Part 1 of this series, I shared our occasional morning walk to school. In Part 2, I showed the … 더 읽기
When people imagine South Korea, they often think of Seoul’s busy streets, tall buildings, and colorful city lights. But there is another side of Korea that looks completely different. It is a place of golden rice fields, quiet country roads, low mountains, and small villages surrounded by farmland. I live in rural South Korea, and … 더 읽기
On a beautiful autumn morning in rural South Korea, the sky was a brilliant blue, the rice fields were turning golden, and our children were ready for school earlier than usual. It was the perfect day to leave the car at home. So we decided to walk to school, bringing along our Shiba Inu, Sonny. … 더 읽기
When people imagine Korea, they often picture Seoul—crowded streets, tall apartment buildings, busy subway stations, and brightly lit shopping districts. But an ordinary morning in rural Korea can look very different. One morning, I took my children to school as usual. Around our house, morning glories were blooming in many places. At the school, I … 더 읽기
Sometimes, an ordinary drive through a small Korean town reveals something unexpected. One evening, I was passing through Yeonggwang-eup in Jeollanam-do when I came across this large traditional-style gateway. At night, it is difficult to miss. The wooden structure is illuminated above the road, while cars simply drive underneath it on their way into and … 더 읽기
When people think about traveling in South Korea, places like Seoul, Busan, and Jeju Island usually come to mind first. But Korea has another side that many overseas visitors rarely get to see. I live in Yeonggwang, a rural county in Jeollanam-do, and one of the most beautiful places in this area is Baeksu Coastal … 더 읽기
When people think about watching movies in Korea, they may imagine a huge multiplex in Seoul or another big city. But movie culture in Korea is not limited to large cities. Recently, I noticed this poster at Yeonggwang Small Cinema, the small local movie theater in Yeonggwang, a rural county in Jeollanam-do. It was advertising … 더 읽기
There is a large jujube tree right in front of our home in rural Korea. Most of the year, it is simply part of the scenery. We pass by it every day without thinking much about it. But when autumn comes, the small green fruits begin to change color, and suddenly the tree becomes impossible … 더 읽기