When I first set out on this trip, I didn’t expect to stay in Mokpo for four nights.I planned to spend about two nights in Mokpo,and use the remaining two nights to visit Gunsan. So I only booked a hotel for two nights.For various reasons, I ended up staying in Mokpo for four nights,and I think that turned out to be the better choice. There was just one small regret.I wanted to go to Gunsan and eat tteokgalbi at Wanjuok. ※ Tteokgalbi is a Korean grilled patty made from minced beef short ribs. I like the soft beef tteokgalbi from…

When I first came across the word “yeonswaejeom(연쇄점),”I couldn’t immediately guess what it meant. I could tell, though,that it was probably a Sino-Korean term,formed in a Japanese style during the colonial period. Yeonswaejeom.What kind of word was this? After looking it up,I learned that it was a term used at the timefor what we would now call a chain store. In other words,it referred to shops operating under the name “Hwashin.” So then,what exactly was Hwashin? It may sound unfamiliar to younger generations today,but for people older than me,it is a name that often rings a bell without much effort.…