The cover of the book. There is one for the USA in the series as well and I will have to get it next the next time I stop over at Seoul airport.I did not know this .. and now I know it's OK to eat my rice on Asiana Airlines (Korean airline) with the spoon !Here is a plausable explanation as to why Japanese people avoid internal conflict almost at all costs.Lots of signs! I spot a Kodak film seller (for how much longer?) and a Dunkin' Donuts sign among the Korean ones.Getting married in Korea? Better brush up those family titles! Getting it wrong creates a bad impression with the in-laws, says the book.The largest chaebols (family-owned business conglomerates) in Korea are Samsung Group, LG Group and Hyundai Kia Automotive Group.Korean presidents have all ran into misfortuneCIA World Factbook (Google it, it has all kinds of interesting stuff) reports GDP per capita numbers for 2011 as follows: USA $48,100 (2011 est.), South Africa $11,000 (2011 est.), South Korea $31,700 (2011 est.), North Korea $1,800 (2011 est.), China $8,400 (2011 est.) and Japan $34,300 (2011 est.). Of course direct comparison of the numbers is complicated by different costs of living - and several other factors - in different countries.The Korean peninsula has been invaded many, many times in previous centuries!Wikipedia reports Posco had an output of 35.4 million tonnes of crude steel in 2010, making it the world's third-largest steelmaker by that measure (after ArcelorMittal and Baosteel).There is spicy food all over the world, but the author puts Korea is at the top of the list.The red pepper paste comes with my bibimbap meal on Asiana Airlines. I put just a little bit of it in my food.So there is keeping up with the Joneses in Korea as well !I am sure many people over the world are hoping for the Koreans to make this happen : reunify the North and the South.
I am still looking for an opportunity to stop over long enough in Seoul to stay in the city for a day or two. This picture book I bought at Incheon airport provides very interesting insights into the Korean history and the Korean mind (a map of the Korean consciousness, says the cover of the book by Won-bok Rhie).
Formatting note : iPads may not display all the pictures in the correct orientation .. not sure why.
