WIA Episode 15: Seeing the Soul of KOREA 🚲

From K-drama to K-POP to Korean Food!

South Korea, the Land of the Morning Calm, is an irresistible dream destination for Pinoys. Even after multiple visits, there’s always a new discovery waiting to be made.

On this special episode of ‘Woman In Action’, join us as we embark on a captivating journey through South Korea, but with a twist! We’re exploring this amazing country on two wheels, navigating into the charming neighborhoods of Seoul, Incheon, and Gangwon, and Korea’s vast network of bicycle paths.

🌆 Explore the Soul of Korea: Let’s enjoy the scenic landscapes, charming streets, and the vibrant culture that South Korea has to offer. And get to know how the old meets the new.

🍲 Savor the Best of Korea: Indulge in the mouthwatering world of Korean cuisine, from irresistible street food like korean pancakes and bibimbap to timeless classics like kimchi.

🌟 Meet the Stars: Join us as we ride the Hallyu fever and get to know some extraordinary Pinoys who’ve achieved their dreams by starring in Korean series. We’ll meet Player 276, Chris Lagahit, from the Emmy award wining Korean series Squid Game!

This episode is packed with incredible experiences, stories, and delicious food. We’re excited to share this unforgettable journey with you.

#WomanInAction #KoreaNaTayo #VisitKorea20232024 @ktomanila

We’re flying! Previously… In my search for Captain Ri, I tried paragliding in Switzerland just like what Yoon Se-Ri did in the K-drama series Crash Landing on You. I’m scared! I hate the freefall! Hoping that when I land… Run, run, run, run, run! Crash landing? In South Korea?

We didn’t see Captain Ri in Switzerland, we might get lucky here. South Korea is very familiar to us Filipinos because of our favorite colorful and lively K-Drama and K-Pop.

But before the global invasion of Korean entertainment, did you know that they were first known as the Land of the Morning Calm? Let’s go and explore South Korea on a bike! Aja! Nobody can deny that many Filipinos dream of visiting South Korea

Because of the impact of the Hallyu or Korean wave on us. According to Twitter data in 2022, the Philippines is fourth among countries with the most tweets about Korean pop culture. From unli samgyupsal and other Korean food, beauty products, movies, K-Pop groups, we stan those, especially K-Dramas!

Are you familiar with this place? This is one of the main locations where they shot the K-Drama Vincenzo. Hang on, we have to take a photo! You can find this near another familiar place for K-Drama fans. The Cheonggyecheon stream spans over 11 kilometers in downtown Seoul.

After the Korean War, this used to be covered by a highway. But in 2003, they removed the highway and revived this stream. Now, this is a place where Koreans hangout, and where tourists visit, and because of its look, it has become a famous shooting location for K-Dramas.

But we are not here for a K-Drama tour. I’ve frequented South Korea a lot of times. I’ve seen some of their traditional sites and explored their entertainment scene. But this time around, this is the first time that I’m going around Korea on a bike. And our adventure starts at Incheon City.

Incheon is the third largest city in South Korea. It’s considered as the gateway to South Korea because you can find here the country’s premier international airport. We’re getting our bicycle passport here at Ara Bike Path. This is our passport from the Philippines.

And this is our passport to bike in the whole of South Korea. South Korea has a Bicycle Certification System. This certification system has 12 bike paths that can be found in Korea. These bike paths are grouped into four, and when you complete a group, you will receive a medal.

For our bicycles in Incheon, it’s always recommended to bring your own bike, especially if you want a comfortable long ride when you complete the bike paths. But if you don’t want any hassle, you can reserve and rent from Bike Rental Korea.

The rent costs 34,000 won or over 1,400 pesos on average, depending on the type of bike. This is it! Our bikes today, because we want to have a more relaxed ride here in Korea, compared to the more challenging route in Switzerland, we will use e-bikes.

So, this one, if you’re a tourist and not used to riding a bike, you can ride an e-bike because it has a motor that will assist you as you bike through the paths. l

Aside from Team Woman in Action, the Korea Tourism Organization in Manila also invited two more bikers to join us. Angelo, @angelobikerdude, and Ian @unliahon are joining us today. I’m Woman in Action.

We have our own monikers. These people are used to long rides more than me. How long is your longest ride? Angelo: 340 [kilometers]. Wow. How about you? I haven’t exceeded a hundred. Okay, I’ll go with you. My longest ride was about 120. That’s long, there’s endurance.

We won’t fall, right? We’re used to it. Wow! Let’s go! The cross-country route begins at Incheon City and ends at Busan. There are four bicycle paths that start at the Ara Waterway Bike Path. This is it, the red phone booth where you can collect a stamp.

This is our first stamp. We still have one, two, three, four to go. First stamp done! This is the beginning of our Korea cycling adventure. From the Yellow Sea, we’re traveling to the east. We will travel along the Ara Waterway in Incheon towards Han River in Seoul.

The Ara Waterway Bicycle Path is the shortest and flattest among the certification bicycle paths. This bike path follows the Ara Waterway, which is the first man-made canal in Korea. This was built to mitigate flooding, provide a channel for cargo and cruise ships, and serve as a recreational park –

Where dedicated bike paths can be found for cyclists. This reminds me of the bike route that I did in Subic, Clark. It’s like this, it’s also as hot as this. We were also on the side streets. Autumn in Korea begins in September. It’s the transition from summer to fall.

If you get a flat tire in the middle of your ride, you won’t worry about your tools because there are stalls that sell those here, bags for your bike. There are also gloves, helmets, shades, arm sleeves. This is 5,000 won equivalent to 200 pesos.

This is not for me, because I already have mine. This is for you. The certification bike paths in South Korea spans over 1,800 kilometers that traverse through coastlines, rivers, and modern and historical landmarks.

That’s why this adventure brings a different kind of tourist experience with the scenes on each bicycle path. Ian is one of the first cycling vloggers in the Philippines. He started in 2017, a year after he got into cycling. Why @unliahon? That’s what we did when we started biking.

So, you’re a masochist. Not really! But I enjoy it because I have friends with me, so when you suffer, they suffer with you, you all enjoy it. Ian is an engineering graduate. That’s why he was able to apply his knowledge when he reviews bicycles.

Meanwhile, Angelo got into bike racing. When I started cycling, after four months, I joined a race, and then from then on, racing was always on my mind.

Angelo started mountain biking because he liked landscape photography. But when he was invited to join a race, he shifted to road bike. I’m competitive, that’s why I joined races. If I want to participate and not be left behind, I need to practice.

Ian, on the other hand, shifted from road bike to mountain biking. You were road before, now MTB, then trail. What now? Unli-flat areas? I do trail nowadays. It came to a point that I didn’t have the luxury to spend the whole day biking.

Before, I could leave early in the morning, return at midnight, and take long rides. Now, I can’t, so I do trails. At one point in our trip, we had to change our route and crossover on the other side of the river.

But instead of going up the stairs and bringing our bikes over the footbridge, there’s an elevator dedicated to bikers so that we can cross easily. As you can see, they have an elevator for bikers. Their infrastructure is really good!

If you don’t want to ride the elevator, you can take the stairs because there’s a ramp. These facilities just show how much Korea values the welfare of their road users, including cyclists.

Wow! The view here is amazing! It feels good to bike if it’s like this — when you have a dedicated pathway. Finally, we’ve reached the second red booth! Achieve! We’ve done it for the day.

The stamp is different, so you can’t cheat. This one is oblong, the other one is a rectangle. I thought you can use one stamp for everything, but no. Ara Waterway Bike Path, achieved! We now have one check in the four bike paths in the cross-country route.

Our next bike path: the Hangang Bicycle Path. From Incheon City to South Korea’s capital: Seoul. Iced americano, it’s tasty! But before that, let’s have a coffee break! This is perfect for coffee lovers like me, and I know many cyclists also ride bikes to get coffee.

Drinking coffee is best, right? What can you say about our ride so far? It’s different here. There are many bikers even on weekdays. Back home, they’re out only on weekends. And they really spent on their cycling infrastructure here in Korea.

Looks like everyone’s recharged after coffee and ready to collect the other stamps. Let’s go, it’s game time! Let’s go! Seoul is the biggest city in South Korea. In metropolises or huge cities like this, cyclists always face the challenge of sharing the road with other vehicles and pedestrians.

But in Seoul, not only do they have dedicated lanes, but they also have separate pathways for bicycles. In fact, because of the Hangang Bike Path that extends 56 kilometers, you can safely and easily reach Seoul from Incheon on a bike.

Take a look at that view behind me. It’s as if we are seeing the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, right? You can find that here in Korea. Add to that the amazing view of the Han River.

It’s beautiful. What you can see here is the wide and long Han River that flows through Seoul, Korea. So, the Hangang Bicycle Path passes along Han River. I would say this is the more unadulterated side because this is rarely seen and visited by tourists like me,

But if you really like to witness the real life of Koreans, you should try this: Korea by bike. Not only can you avoid the traffic jam, but you can also enjoy this amazing view!

Looks like the next stamp booth is a bit far, but this easy and fun biking experience has a lot of things to do, especially along the bike path where you can pass by historical sites like a…battleship? Of course, we’ll start with some music.

We’re on the second bike path of our cross-country route: the Hangang Bike Path. This bike path traverses Han River and one of the sites that we’ll pass through is the Seoul Battleship Park. In the middle of the Hangang Bike Path, you can find the Seoul Battleship Park.

You have a beautiful bike ride plus a historical tour. There are three decommissioned military vessels stationed here at Mangwon Hangang Park. The entrance fee costs 3,000 won or a little over 125 pesos. And we saw first the submarine. It’s my first time seeing a submarine.

The space is very functional. This is their sleeping area; this is the locker, there’s a seat here. They probably ate or held meetings here, and then a toilet. Oh, a Filipino! A seaman! Here’s the toilet. I feel like they have an enclosure, like this one!

Did you know that this is the first ever submarine made in South Korea? This is named Dolgorae or dolphin because of its shape. If you notice, this is well-maintained. It retired in 2016. For 25 years, this used to be one of the weapons of South Korea.

I can see someone taking my bike, my camera! But the main attraction here is the Ulsan-class frigate named after the city of Seoul. We’re standing now on Frigate Seoul, the biggest among the three decommissioned vessels here at Seoul Battleship Park.

It has guns like these ones behind me — a missile launcher, an air defense radar, and even a surface search radar. But the most impressive thing about this is the fact that it’s made by Koreans. Would you believe that it had only been commissioned in 1985?

It served for about 30 years, that means, it was still running until 2015. It’s still pretty new if you think about it, but the Koreans have always been advanced when it comes to war technology. You can go around the whole ship, even its bridge.

Even though this ship has been decommissioned, you can still see that Korea can compete not only in car-making, but also in building battleships like this one. This is a reminder that Korea is still in the middle of an active war.

But did you know that Filipinos also had a tiny role in this history? Yes, we played a part in the Korean war. Our country sent over 7,000 soldiers in 1950 as part of the United Nations and South Korean forces.

And one of the most important wars then was the Battle of Yultong, where Filipino, Turkish, and Puerto Rican soldiers faced and cornered more or less 40,000 North Korean and Chinese soldiers who were about to cross the border.

And among those soldiers who fought in the Yultong War was former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos. This just proves that even before the Hallyu Wave, we already had a deep connection with South Korea.

While we’re traveling along the Hangang Bike Path, we noticed the facilities where you can stop, hang out, and even reflect. This is amazing! They have libraries in the middle of the cycling route,

So that when you want to enjoy the beautiful view of the Han River and read, you can do that. These kinds of spaces encourage people to go out and have an active, healthier lifestyle.

This may be one of many reasons why Korea is included in the top 10 countries with the longest life expectancy in the world at 84 years old, just like Switzerland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Italy and Vatican City.

And to encourage everyone, whether pro or beginner – there are bikes that they can use anywhere in Seoul. You can find bike rental stations like this one in every corner of Seoul. Using your transport card, credit card, or Seoul Bike App, you can rent a bike.

You can rent a bike for about 3,000 won, which is about 150 pesos for an hour. But if you want to go for two hours, 5000 won. Finally, after our scenic ride here at Han River, we’ve arrived at our first stamping area, the red booth here at Hangang Bicycle Path.

Achieved! Looks like we only have one more ride to reach our next stop. To reach the other side of the Han River, we will pass through Jamsu Bridge. Jamsu, meaning submerged. It is almost on the same level as the Han River and submerges whenever the water rises.

But what caught my attention is how a road bridge like this one was pedestrianized or made into something that people can walk on. We are under bridge! Cool. The view is amazing. You can bothe sides of the Han River. There are bnike lanes.

It’s highway that can be shared by cars, bikes and for pedestrians! The road for pedestrian’s colored greeen red is for the bikes and this one for the cars! Road sharing!

It’s amazing because it just shows that bridges and highways can be inclusive for all, as evidenced in the public spaces in Seoul.

In the middle of Jamsil District, you can find and witness the tallest building in South Korea, one of the tallest buildings in the world, the Lotte World Tower. It is surrounded by amusement parks and tourist destinations.

But across that building is a peaceful lake where people can walk and enjoy the serene view. Every spring, this place is surrounded by cherry blossoms making the scene even more beautiful.

Before, this was just a part of the Han River, but when they needed to build more bridges and roads, they preserved this public space and Seokcheon Lake. Despite being modern, they were able to preserve and value not only culture and history, but also their nature. Oh, hi!

Hello! I’m Chris. Hi Chris! Nice to meet you. How are you? It’s an honor that we’re able to meet Chris. The honor is mine. It’s an honor to finally meet you in person. Do you remember Squid Game?

Squid Game was a hit K-drama series and the first non-English TV series ever to be nominated and won at the primetime Emmy Awards. And Chris broke out when he became part of its cast. I was so awkward on set, considering the line up of the main actors,

The veteran actors who I look up to, especially Lee Jung Jae, the main character in Squid Game, Player 456. I’ve watched him for a long time, I mean, back then, I’ve always admired him.

And then senior actor Park Hae Soo, which is, apparently, another theater performer, and I love theater. So, I couldn’t believe that I would be working on set. They were right there beside me, and I kept asking myself, “Is this real?”

Chris used to be a call center trainer. He went to Korea to be with his mother who was based in Korea. But he never thought that his vacation would change his fate. Were you an actor in the Philippines?

Oh, no! I wasn’t given that opportunity. I got lucky here, it was an unexpected moment. I started here as sort of an assistant to those who worked as extras.

Once, I went with them to a shoot but I wasn’t part of it, you know, I was just watching their bags, and then someone shouted. They were so mad at me because everyone was already in the set except me.

I told them I wasn’t part of it, and then to my surprise, a staff came with a costume, asked me to come. They asked you to join. I joined on the spot.

That’s where it started, until I was surprised, a Korean manager that time came to me and asked, “Do you want to be an actor in Korea?” “Are you serious?” Good thing she speaks English, so she started asking me questions,

“Do you want to be an artist in Korea, do you want to be an actor?” I said, “With this face? Are you sure? Are you okay?” It has been seven years since Chris went to Korea and he has already acted in several K-dramas and movies.

One thing that I’ve learned from them, from actors that I’ve worked with, was that they have always told me that when you are part of this project, do not consider yourself as an extra. You compete with your skills. I always study what I was given

Regardless of if it’s a small role, a role with a line or two. For me, that’s how I show my professionalism. And, with God’s mercy, through prayers and through the right people, I was able to achieve my goal. You were able to forge your own path.

Yes, I was able to find what I was looking for in Korea. That’s amazing! Chris is now part of a group that helps other Filipinos who want to explore the world of K-drama Are you Melanie? Hi!

Just like Chris, Melanie is also a Filipino who took a chance in the world of K-drama and K-movies. When I was young, I have always dreamed of becoming an actress. It’s like a variety show here in South Korea, when we went to many markets,

The theme of the content was they were looking for a foreigner to try and taste Korean food. I was chosen in 2016. Then, I started in K-dramas, then a movie, and then a commercial in 2018. Then, it went on and on. Yes.

Aside from being an actress, Melanie also became a model of various Korean brands. But this was not the reason why she went and took a chance in Korea. Where did you and your husband meet?

We met in the Philippines. He was a student there. He was studying English in the same university that I went to. Is he the reason why you’re here in Korea? You can say that. But Melanie’s Korean love story did not end happily ever after.

We got married in the Philippines, and we stayed together for five or six years. Five or six years, then you fell out of love? Yes, we fell out of love. Both of you?

Yes, both of us. Right now, we’re okay, because here in Korea, it’s quite normal that even if you’re separated, you still talk to each other, especially for the children.

And then, I want my kids to adapt the Korean culture, not only the Philippine culture, because they were born in the Philippines, but they grew up here. Melanie continues to strive in Korea for her children. She has been working as a kindergarten teacher in Korea for seven years.

To my fellow Filipinos who want to go here in South Korea, when you come here, if you have a weak heart, you won’t withstand the homesickness. You must be brave. That’s correct. Oh no, we had so much fun talking to each other we didn’t notice the time.

It’s almost nightfall and we still have to go to our next stamp booth. Finally, we’re here at the second stamp booth on the Hangang Bicycle Path. We’ve accomplished our goal for this day, and that’s to pass by those two markers on the Hangang Bicycle Path.

After a long day, we deserve to eat good food. And we’re going to do that here at Bangi Food Street. This is also called the Gourmet Food Street in Jamsil District because of the rows of bars and restaurants in the area. Side dishes are staple in Korean food.

And for our main dish, we’re going to make jumeokbap or Korean rice ball. It’s rice, seaweed. Our main dish – nakji-bokkeum or spicy stir-fried octopus. This octopus is fresh and juicy. And because of the sauce, it’s spicy. It’s really tasty. During international travels, it’s always important to remember

To buy the local SIM card with a data package or rent a pocket wifi to ensure that you’re always connected wherever you go in Korea. You can find these at Incheon International Airport. The rates depend on the duration of your stay.

Let’s take a break from cycling. Today, we’ll go on a food trip. We’ll also check out the efficiency of Seoul’s transport system. GThere’s a parking area beside the train station. Then you can easily ride the train to your next destination.

You need to buy a ticket or reload your TMoney to board the train here. There you go. You can buy single journey tickets in the subway station that needed to be loaded with the exact fare amount to your destination. This card has 500 won or 20 pesos.

This is called TMoney. You use this if you need to travel and need a more permanent train card. it’s like our Beep Card. You can use this, you just need to reload credits. This is where they charge the fare every time you travel using the TMoney card.

Aside from train and bus fares, you can also use TMoney in different shops, restaurants, and convenience stores. They leave on time, on the dot. It says there, 11:03 AM. The train will arrive here at that time. So, you can’t be late.

Seoul Metropolitan Subway has 23 lines with 768 stations. You can also count the different bus routes that go around Seoul. That’s why every corner of the city is connected and easy to reach. Because this is a single journey ticket, we’ll refund this. 500 won, 20 pesos.

Our destination – Gwangjang Market, one of the oldest and largest traditional markets in South Korea. It can be considered as a tourist destination. Aside from the different goods being sold here, you can also see and taste various Korean dishes and street food in the area.

For our lunch, we have gimbap or seaweed rice roll, sundae or blood sausage, yukhoe or raw beef, Korean pancakes, and janchi guksu or Korean noodle soup. It’s very light. The noodles are soft, it melts in your mouth.

We’ve had our fill of Korean food. What if we try cooking a Korean dish? From Seoul, we’ll now go to Gangwon Province where you can find Pyeongchang City. You can reach Pyeongchang from Seoul in an hour and a half aboard the bullet train – the Korea Train Express.

One of the destinations here is Phoenix Park Montblanc that can be reached via cable car. We’re now here at the peak of Phoenix MontBlanc, 1050 meters above sea level. This is one of the highest peaks in the Gangwon Province.

This is special because aside from being the shooting location of several K-drama series, this is also where the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics was held in 2018. It has 21 ski slopes that vary depending on the level of difficulty.

Every winter, athletes flock here. But during summer and autumn, this is a tourist and golfing destination. But wait a minute, let’s go back to our original plan here in Pyeongchang: to cook! Here in Pyeongchang you can find the Jeonggangwon, or the Institute of Traditional Korean Cuisine.

They aim to preserve and raise awareness about traditional Korean food. We are going to cook one of the specialties of Gangwon Province… This time around, they will teach us how to cook one of the traditional Korean dishes from the Gangwon Province, the gamjajeon or potato pancake.

We will start by grating some potatoes. We will strain the water from the grated potatoes a nd let it the remaining potato starch settle from the water. After that, we will separate them. Then, we will mix the starch with the grated potatoes. Add a bit of salt to taste.

Then, we will make them into balls and flatten the mixture before we fry in hot oil. You can also add spring onions or carrots on top. Fry it until light brown and crispy. And voila! We have Korean potato pancakes! Hmmm, this tastes like French fries but softer and crunchy.

It’s hot! It’s crunchy on the outside that’s why it’s very tasty. To add more flavor, we’ll dip it here. It’s yummy! I think I’m still hungry. That’s why we’re tasting another Korean dish – the bibimbap.

It’s a mix of rice, meat, and vegetables, but this version has edible flowers. This is my first time eating a flower. It’s sweet! It’s yummy. It’s delicious and complete – we have beef, rice, and vegetables.

When you eat this, at first, you think you won’t get your fill, but when you’re eating it, it’s delicious. What’s also great about this one, even if you eat a lot, it’s light on the body.

The leaves and flowers of this bibimbap are harvested from Herbnara, the first herb-themed farm in South Korea. Herbnara is one of the tourist attractions in Pyeongchang. It has ten themed gardens with over 150 herbs like lavender and basil. Visitors can also create their own fragrances.

It smells fresh! Using the ingredients that’s mostly from their farm and following a certain measure, we can come up with our own scent. Will we be able to attract others using this romantic scent that we’ve chosen? Fresh from the garden. Romance Herb Perfume created by Gretchen Ho.

I’ll sell this back home for 1000 pesos. For you to create this one, you need to pay 12,000 won, equivalent to about 500 pesos. But one thing that makes me proud, not only the fact that I was able to create this one, but the Romance perfume uses ylang-ylang,

that flower comes from the Philippines, and they use it here in Korea. Speaking of flowers, there’s also a flowering plant that’s famous in Pyeongchang. Here in the town of Bongpyeong in Pyeongchang, they celebrate the Buckwheat Flower Festival.

It started in the first week of September and lasted for ten days. Most local people that work here do volunteer work. These are what you put inside pillows. That’s the purpose of buckwheat. This is 250 pesos. This is the pillow, inside it is buckwheat. It’s pretty!

When it’s a pillow, it costs 1000 pesos. You can also eat buckwheat. Buckwheat chips. It’s like peanut brittle but it doesn’t taste much, it’s just light, low calorie.

It’s like rice crackers. You’ll end up eating a lot because it doesn’t have much sugar. It’s bland but it’s addicting! And since buckwheat is in season, its flowers are in full bloom. As part of their celebration, the massive fields of buckwheat in Bongpyeong are open to tourists.

And it’s like a scene taken out of a K-drama. Okay, enough of the drama. Let’s bike again! Let’s go biking again! But, hang on! Why are we on a rail track? Because this place used to be one. It was abandoned, and then transformed into a railpark.

This is considered as the longest railpark in South Korea. It is situated in Gapyeong County in Gyeonggi Province. A pet bike! You can bring your pet. It looks like a corgi. I miss Java.

Even though you need to pedal your way, the effort will pay off because you can enjoy the view of the mountainside. And you won’t be lonely because you can enjoy the ride with other people in this four-seater railbike. You’re not pedaling!

It’s light. Their railbike is nice. It’s not hard, it’s not heavy. So even if you pedal lightly, it will move. The place is peaceful, and the railbike is a good way to go around, converse, and take selfies with nice views.

The four-seater railbike costs 56,000 won or over 2,000 pesos to rent. The two-seater railbike, on the other hand, costs 40,000 won or almost 1,700 pesos. It looks like a scene from a Koreanovela. It’s beautiful!

The railpark can be found beside the Bukhan River that’s why the eyes can feast on scenes consisting of rivers, mountains, and fields. And the highlight of this ride is the crossing of the Bukhan River Railway Bridge. With a height of 30 meters, you can see the extent of the river.

And the best thing about this ride is that you can stop at any time. Let’s take a picture! Press the brake. Oh! That’s cool! We had a great time! It was relaxing. It was, how long was it?

Around an hour, right? We spent an hour biking across the railway. That was my first time to experience biking on 4 wheels. It was fun. It’s a good lower body workout. At the same time, you don’t have to rush.

You can enjoy the scenery. You can converse with your friends while sipping coffee, you can take photos and enjoy the cool weather. The town is very pretty, the view of the province, the view of the river is just quiet and serene.

You’re the only source of noise. Then, you’ll pass by a forest. It’s a win! And because bike-eat-bike is life, we’re going to eat! To be honest, I really like Korean food because it’s flavorful, spicy, and saucy just like this.

We’re going to taste some braised pork ribs and kimchi or kimchi jjim today. That’s pretty cool! It took several hours to soften the pork in a soup with kimchi, gochugaru or Korean chili flakes, doenjang or soybean paste, and other spices.

The result: a flavorful, hot, and spicy soup perfect for the rainy weather. The consistency of the soup is just right. The meat is tender. It’s cross between caldereta and kare-kare, but the difference is, it’s very hot, because it’s boiling. So, the soup tastes like cochero according to them.

Hmmm! It’s really tasty! From our side trip in Gyeonggi Province, we’ll now go back to Gangwon Province. We plan to bike in the capital city of Chuncheon. However, the weather has other plans. But, can the rain stop us? Rain or shine, our adventure continues! It’s freezing!

Despite being wet and cold, biking in the rain brings a different kind of adrenaline rush. Rider’s high, as they say! We crossed the Chuncheon Bridge, one of the icons in the city. Everything’s wet! Because it looks like the rain won’t stop any time soon, we decided to stop.

I got scared a little bit going up the bridge, but I witnessed how good the infrastructure here really is, because it wasn’t slippery even though it’s raining. You won’t get scared; the ground was very stable.

Of course, you need to take caution, but even if you’re a little fast, you can feel that your bike still has a grip on the road. It’s cold! This is a different kind of experience. Biking in rainy Korea!

And since we’re already in Chuncheon, we decided to pass by one of the famous tourist spots in this place. The Legoland Korea Resort is the biggest Legoland Theme Park in Asia, and second in the world. Good morning, Kapatid! Reporting live from Seoul, Korea!

This is also the first Legoland built on an island. This is a nice tourist spot for collectors, and for those who want to return to their childhood… The Samaksan Mountain Lake Cable Car is another destination here in Gangwon Province.

With a length of 3.61 kilometers, this is the longest cable car line in South Korea. It reaches a viewing deck in Mount Samak where you can see the Uiam Lake and the whole of Chuncheon City.

It’s amazing how alongside being a leader in electronics manufacturing, South Korea can preserve the beauty and richness of their natural resources. Korea’s biggest industries include electronics, automobiles, shipbuilding, and steel. That’s why there are many opportunities for overseas Filipino workers like Eric.

Eric is a heavy equipment operator in a factory in South Korea. How hard is it to be an OFW in Korea? It’s hard, you sacrifice a lot. You suffer during winter because it’s hard to work when it’s cold.

In my line of job, I go out in the field, I drive the forklift. Filipinos are in demand here in Korea for jobs. Why? Because they like the work ethic of Filipinos, we work hard, and our output is polished. That’s why the Filipinos here are the best.

Eric’s father is a farmer, while his mother is a housewife. The fourth out of six siblings, Eric is the breadwinner of his family. Why did you become the breadwinner? The first three married early, and the other two chose to live in the Philippines.

I’m looking for ways to improve our living conditions. For me, it’s all right because I’m still single, I have no family yet. When do you plan to return to the Philippines? I might take a vacation next year.

After working for over a decade in Korea, Eric was able to invest for his family and himself. I was able to build a house for myself and a house for my parents. In Bohol? Yes. I was also able to invest in land.

Eric is only one of the estimated 63,000 Filipino workers in South Korea. What’s next for you? What are you preparing for now? My future, and my future family, that’s what I’m working on now

Because I’ll leave once I run out of opportunities here, I would still go home to the Philippines. We’re welcomed by this delicious dinner after biking in the rain: stir-fried chicken with rice cake and cabbage. No one backs out of this one!

The lettuce is fresh, and the chicken is tender. This is also a fitting celebration for our adventure here in Korea. New experiences, and new friends. It would have been fun to finish the major bike certification paths in South Korea, but we ran out of time.

No matter, this is an adventure for your bucket list. With bikes, you have the freedom to explore. And in the short time we had here, we were able to enjoy the mountain views, lakeside scenes, countryside, and the city skyline. Seven decades ago, us Filipinos helped South Korea.

But now, they’ve gone so far. The modern Korea is now known for their ship and airplane designs. Their infrastructure is modern and hi-tech. But amid this progress, they were still able to preserve their environment and respect for Mother Nature.

The quality of a modern society does not only depend on the newest or most advanced things. As they say, sometimes you must take a break and reflect. And that’s what we’ve learned from the Land of the Morning Calm. I am Gretchen Ho, your Woman in Action.