Land of the Morning Calm, South Korea.

An emperor of the Ming dynasty in China gave Korea the title of ''Chaohsien'' meaning "Morning Freshness". The title was more suited for South Korea because of its spellbinding natural beauty and its tranquillity, particularly in the morning which further confirmed the title of South Korea as the ''Land of Morning Calm''. 

I personally think South Korea took it a little too far and used this name as an excuse not to open up coffee shops until 10am or later #groggyalldayeveryday ☕️
 

“NOT TO SOUND LIKE A JERK, BUT, WHY SOUTH KOREA WHEN I CAN JUST GO TO JAPAN?”

I was once asked this brilliant question while on a culinary tourism panel, a question that I'd never been asked nor had I thought about because, well, Korea is just great. Also, I pretended that I didn’t hear that second part in the question.

South Korea and Japan, 2 completely different countries that do things very differently. Different music, style, food, etiquette, architecture, the volume they speak at, nothing is the same. There is no comparison. 

So, why visit South Korea? Well, it’s definitely not for the architecture. South Korean cities aren't very pretty because the country has been leveled so many times from their “friendly” neighbors, China, Japan, and North Korea. And even though the food is phenomenal and the art scene is incredible, those really aren’t the main reasons why one should visit South Korea, the main reason is THE PEOPLE!  

Koreans are some of the friendliest, fun, funny, helpful, blunt people you will ever come across in Asia and they love to eat! The entire country practically speaks English and for those who don't, they'll still do their best to speak with you. And if you're lost they will take you to your destination (this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t learn some words and make an effort). 

Are you eating something that is a little too spicy but too shy to say anything? No worries. Grandma is totally watching and she will come over, laugh at you, then kindly take your food and dilute it a bit. She wants you to have a memorable and beautiful experience. I don’t know how many times I’ve been called a “big baby” after Grandma noticed my Kongnamul-Guk (bean sprout soup) was making my eyes water.

There’s this playfulness that Koreans have where they make you feel like it’s ok, they got you, you're taken care of.

If you're looking to connect with locals, Korea is the best because it feels like they want to be part of your experience, they will let you in.