As Korea’s second largest city, my hometown of Busan is famous for its beautiful beaches, its laid-back and friendly people (especially compared to their Seoul counterparts!), a distinct accent (fondly referred to as Busan saturi) and an almost maniacal love of seafood. I left Busan at a very young age to emigrate to the United States, but I like to think that while you can take the girl out of Busan, you can’t take Busan out of the girl.
When I first moved back to South Korea in my early twenties, each day was filled with an exhausting mixture of excitement and anxiety. Although the way I dressed, spoke and behaved made me feel distinctly un-Korean, there were also moments that made me feel truly seen. I was delighted to see my Korean friends nonchalantly bite into an entire chilli pepper, or pop whole cloves of grilled garlic into their mouths, and exclaim “So delicious! 맛있다!”
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- Tags: Issue 36, South Korea, Taeyeon Song