Summer is coming and it’s about to get intolerably hot, with most of us cowering under the air con and taking about five showers a day. But as the saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” So with that in mind, here’s a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek look at ten things you should be doing in Korea this summer.


 

1. Eat watermelon

The arrival of Korean summer is announced by the tinny squawks of “Su-bak, su-bak!” from little blue trucks selling watermelon. You can never have too much watermelon. During summer there’s always some at hand to help you cool off on even the hottest of days. Any student essay on summer will invariably feature the line “In summer I eat watermelon.” Go on and have some. You know you want to. It’s delicious.

 

2. Go to Haeundae Beach

In most cultures, summer equals beach, and here it is no different. And in Korea, there’s only one beach worth being seen at – Haeundae in Busan. Trouble is, the rest of the peninsula has the same idea, so in summer it’s so crowded that you can’t see the sea for the people! Have fun.

 

3. “Hot Hot Hot!!”

The catchphrase for the summer will be “Deo-wo! Deo-wo! Deo-wo!” It should be used as often as possible and is compulsory every time you step outside a building. Works best accompanied by a big sigh and ineffectual fanning with your hand.

 

4. Cover up

Anyone walking down a street with a parasol in England these days would probably get lynched. But, thankfully, in Korea parasols are still going strong. So don’t let the sun tarnish that fine complexion – be smart and pick up a parasol. Or failing that, walk around with a purse/newspaper/book/folder/paper held against your head.

 

5. Enjoy iced coffee

To the chagrin of all those coffee lovers who like their drink hot whatever the weather (i.e., me), local baristas will inevitably assume that when you order, say, “cafe latte”, what you really mean is “ice(d) cafe latte” and so think that they’re doing you a favour. After all, what crazy fool wants a hot drink in these temperatures?

 

6. Go to Caribbean Bay

Caribbean Bay is Everland theme park’s mega water-playground complex. It’s very fun and a great place to cool off from the soaring heat. Trouble is, the rest of the peninsula has the same idea, so in summer it’s so crowded … etc etc (see 2).

 

7. Study

Whatever the weather, studying will still be the number one pastime in Korea this summer. So look forward to a sweaty summer camp or an intensive vacation course coming your way sometime soon.

 

8. Eat naengmyeon

For those not content with ice in their coffee, summer means ice with their noodles as well. Naengmyeon (cold noodles) will be one of the few things worth eating during the baking hot summer months (not forgetting watermelon and sam-gye-tang (see 10)).

 

9. Visit Jeju-do

Jeju is Korea’s semi-tropical paradise, boasting the best weather and the best beaches in the country. So what better time to visit than during summer vacation? Trouble is, the rest of the peninsula has the same idea … etc etc (see 6 & 2).

 

10. Eat sam-gye-tang

The three days of “sambok” mark the hottest days of the summer based on the lunar calendar. On these days, it’s traditional to eat sam-gye-tang (ginseng chicken soup) to help survive the heat. Comments such as, “How come today’s the hottest day?? Yesterday was way hotter!” are considered neither smart nor helpful.

 

By Jon Ozelton

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