By Bernard Rowan
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Korean autumn is synonymous with big, juicy apples, roasted chestnuts, and cool mornings. After the rainy season, or what counts for one these days, it's refreshing to don a sweater or jacket and enjoy Seoul or another city's street foods. The "tteokbokki" stands felt good on a cool autumn night. Farmers pulled up in Pungnap-idong to sell the best apples I've had in my life. On a crisp night, buying a bag of roasted chestnuts made for a special treat. These are just a few favorites. It's also fun to stop for a portion of wang mandu on a chilly evening; their steam warms the body and the senses.
Autumn is a great time for kimjang, making kimchi. My first effort was a failure, but foolishly I tried to eat it and became deathly sick! I left out some of the ingredients as I recall. At any rate, kimjang classes and making this wonderful food with friends can be much fun. On a better note, I remember visiting Yangsuri and learning to make pottery. We had the best meal, featuring various types of kimchi, mul and bibim. They tasted so good.
I remember walking in Jong-no and stepping over what seemed liked meters of road covered with persimmons. They didn't smell so good, but they can be a sweet treat as gotgam. Meanwhile, the beautiful fall foliage falling into gentle winds inclined me to tarry outside for a longer walk along tree-lined and walled streets.
Seoul and other Korean cities are so busy. A few blocks or so away from the main road, one enters what feels like a different place. I've stayed in a traditional Korean house and had this feeling on many days.
As a professor, I've attended conferences in the Fall. While Korean professional meetings occur year-round, most of my participation coincided with Fall. It gave me the chance to combine business and pleasure. Since many Korean universities and hotels find themselves in areas with green space, it's wonderful to take a break from meetings and enjoy nature.
I remember a field trip to Muju City to see the improvements made by a now former mayor and the citizens of that great place. We stopped to enjoy delicious sundubu and sausages on a cold morning. I saw many products made from local pine trees and charcoal, among others.
Autumn also is a great time to visit the countryside and see the harvest collected by farmers. There are many urban retreats. I've written recently about hiking and walking Korea's beautiful national parks and mountains. Others enjoy temple stays and various types of retreats in Korea's provinces. I recently read about Namiseom Island in Gangwon. For me, I treasure times visiting the palaces in Seoul during autumn, in particular Changdeok Palace with its Secret Garden and the wonderful Namsan Park. The latter is a trek, well worth the time to capture some beautiful views. Another place I plan to visit is the Garden of Morning Calm in nearby Gapyeong County outside Seoul.
Wherever possible, visit Korea in Autumn! It's a special time of year for taking stock of all that has already passed and the new days to come.
Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is associate provost for contract administration and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and former visiting professor at Hanyang University.
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