Ancient Korea
By 4000 BC there were stone age farmers living in Korea. By 1000 BC they had learned to use bronze. By about 300 BC they had learned to use iron to make tools and weapons. At first, Korea was divided into tribes but eventually organized kingdoms emerged. There were 3 of them, Goguryeo in the north and Silla and Baekje in the south. According to legend Silla was founded in 57 BC by Bak Hyeokgeose, Jumong founded Goguryeo in 37 BC and Onjo founded Baekje in 18 BC. In reality, the 3 kingdoms emerged later between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD. These 3 kingdoms were heavily influenced by Chinese civilization. By the 4th century, they were highly civilized.
The three kingdoms of Korea fought for supremacy. China tried to defeat the northern kingdom of Goguryeo twice. Both times they were defeated by General Eulji Mundeok. However the Chinese then made an alliance with the Silla kingdom against the other two. The Baekje kingdom was defeated by 660 AD and became part of Silla. Goguryeo followed in 668. Korea was then united under the Silla.
How to Make Cabbage Kimchi
YIELD
Makes 1 quart
PREP TIME
30 minutes to 45 minutes
SHOW NUTRITION
INGREDIENTS
1 medium head napa cabbage (about 2 pounds)
1/4 cup iodine-free sea salt or kosher salt (see Recipe Notes)
Water, preferably distilled or filtered
1 tablespoon grated garlic (5 to 6 cloves)
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablepoons fish sauce or salted shrimp paste, or 3 tablespoons water
1 to 5 tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
8 ounces Korean radish or daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 medium scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Don’t have a T-money card, or have a T-money card and don’t know how to use it? Here’s what you need to know:
Buy It
You can buy a T-money card at almost any convenience store in Korea such as CU or
GS25
The basic card is about 3,000 won
You can also get a cute card that hangs like a key chain off of your phone or bag for around 5,000-10,000 won.
Recharge It
You can recharge a T-money card at almost any convenience store in Korea.
There is a card scanner which should have the T-money symbol on it near the cash register
Simply set your card on the designated area, and tell the cashier how much money you want on the card.
Just be sure to bring cash since it’s the only way to pay.
You can also recharge a T-money card in most subway stations at the same machine you would buy your ticket.
Use It
You can use your T-money card on any bus or subway in Korea with just a swipe over the scanner.
T-money card users get a slight discount on bus and subway fare, and the T-money card is extremely useful when transferring buses or from the bus to the subway as the transfer fee is significantly less.
Some taxis also take T-money cards; just look for the T-money card symbol.
