Review of Korean Food & People

"The food in Korea is unique and very tasty at least that's what I feel. It all started out with our first stop at udon shop and it was totally amazing with a clear yet tasty soup base, along with it was kimchi which is one of the most common food in Korea. 

Breakfast & udon noodles (Jeremy at right corner)

Udon noodles with pickles

Then we had lunch which consisted of grilled pork and side dishes, absolutely amazing. For the very first time I tried the banana milk and now I can't stop drinking it! 

For dinner we had shabu shabu which was enjoyable and it bonded us together as we had great food and great conversations, we also had cheese toppokii which was introduced by Hafiz's Korean friend, Soo Yeon. It was one of the best food for the trip, the rice cake, ramen and sticky cheese was the perfect combination bring out the sticky, chewy and savory flavor. After that we bought cheese pizza, large ones at only 5,000 won and it sure was filling!

Daphne & Carine having shabu-shabu

Tuesday came fast, breakfast was buffet in the guest house and it was not bad despite less variation, certain kinds of kimchi were introduced such as radish, squid, cabbage, seaweed and many more. 

Buffet breakfast at Hanyang University Guest House

Then came the pit stops in between traveling which we bought various kind of foods such as the corn dogs, donuts, toppokii and fish cakes of different flavour such as kimchi, cheese and ham. 

Pit-stop in Yesan

For dinner it was free and easy, our group went to Mr Pizza which served pizza with unique favours such as a lobster pizza or fish roe pizza. It also had a salad bar which we sadly didn't try as we were too full. On the way I bought some grilled intestines which were chewy and had a tangy flavour.

Mr Pizza

The next 2 days were spent at Inter-burgo Hotel one of the best hotels that had a really great buffet breakfast, consisting of a variety of food from Korea infused with a western mix of omelettes bacon and waffles. 

Buffet breakfast at Inter-Burgo Hotel

We then had a bento lunch at Yeungnam college and the Korean students there taught us the sequence of eating such as wrapping the rice with seaweed. 

Dinner came and the barbecue pork we had was truthfully the best pork dish we had in the trip so far. After dinner we went to the streets and Yeungnam students brought us around bringing us to different shopping areas and of course different snacks and food such as cheese toppokii that we craved after trying it the first time. It was also very tasty and was served in a different style where we had to cook it ourselves, a different experience! We also tried the cheese ice cream which had cheese bits in it giving it a creamy chewy yet salty ice cream flavor.

BBQ pork on hot plate

The next day we had pork cutlet and beef cutlet for lunch which was very tender on the inside yet crispy on the outside. Night came and Soo Yeon brought us out to eat again, this time it was grilled chicken gizzards, chewy and unexpectedly tasty, a large portion which finished really fast. The street foods around that area was also really good such as grilled pork on sticks, hamburgers and seafood mix.

Following day was Everland and everyone had so much fun that they skipped lunch but I didn't of course, couldn't stand the hunger. I tried their Cajun chicken burger and popcorn chicken which was really crispy :). 

Grilled Saba fish for dinner

We had Thai and Chinese food the next day, so delicious that most of the people in our table took second helpings of rice even thirds. 

For dinner we had ginseng chicken soup with a whole chicken in each bowl, really filling and refreshing, alongside was a small cup of ginseng wine to end the meal.

Spring chicken & abalone in ginseng broth

Now the last day of the trip and we got to try the fresh sashimi at the fish market which was really really cheap and fresh. 

Ariffin having his first taste of sashimi with Rakesh watching with unbelieve

Before leaving Korea I had to have a last taste of cheese toppokii and went to the food court in the airport to have it!!!

Overall this was a really great experience and I hope to come back to Korea to try many other food that I have not yet tried."

Jeremy, DARE/2A/03

Professor Hwang with YNC and SP students

Jumping for joy

Friends forever

Competing who can jump the highest (Hafiz, second from left)

"It has been an interesting journey meeting and making new Korean friends from different universities. From the communication with Korean friends, I have learnt more about their culture and people. Personally, I felt that the Koreans are more conservative but yet friendly as compared to Singaporeans. 

I love how they bow every time they greet each other. It is something unique which actually symbolises their culture. I don't think we can find that kind of respect given to each other in any parts of the world.

Also, Koreans tend to call someone older either with "Hyung" or "Noona" (for guys) and "Oppa" or "Unnie" (for girls). That is something different as compared to Singaporeans where we tend to call people by their names.

Overall, I love the unity among the Koreans. I love Korea!"

Hafiz, DNS/1A/01

Day 8 - Seoul & Incheon

After breakfast, we headed down to Noryangjin Fish Market to sample fresh sashimi before our afternoon flight back to Singapore.

Noryangjin Fish Market

Freshly-cut sashimi on shrink-wrapped plates

Sampling of freshly-cut sashimi

"The last 7 days can be listed as the best moments of my life! This is because I went to Korea with three different schools: EEE, MAE and SMA.

In this trip, I only knew Zaki because he was my classmate. There I met up with other awesome school mates from different courses like Hafiz, Jeremy, Ariffin and Rakesh to name a few. We bonded well throughout the whole journey - from strangers to buddies who took care of each other.

I really hope that SP will make more trips like this in the future as it is a great way to strengthen friendship amongst students from various courses".

Fareed, DEEE/1B/21

Safely back at Changi Airport
(Fareed standing at third right from the back row & Jia Li first from the left)

"I've always wished to go on a trip to korea and my wish was realised.

To embark on a overseas study trip with people we barely know at first was quite a lost feeling for me. The unknown faces we met at the Changi Airport upon departure from Singapore has became known faces to everyone of us. It was quite a memorable and enriching experience for me, as we made friends with our fellow Singapore Polytechnic mates, we learned the skill and need of being able to make friends and adapt to surrounding.

Throughout the 7days, we visited various industries, attractions which gave me an added on aid apart from what I've read in books as book doesn't give us the visual part. For example at the steel factory where we got to see how the steel were made from the raw stage to the finished product, it was fascinating! We also got to mix with the Korean students and exchange contact. Soon enough, my mates and I made friends with each other and it is also where the fun starts.

Though everybody were quite exhausted by the events, however in return it gave us invaluable knowledge and experience. The teamwork we built with our fellow peers wasn't easy but its worth the while. 

Overall this trip was really an enriching one, yet fun filled. It enabled everyone to bond together and enforce the spirit of mutual respect and kindness. Everybody has indeed played hard as well as studied hard in this trip. Though the trip has ended, but I have learnt many valuable knowledge and would love to go on such trips again. I love Korea!"

Jia Li, DEB/1B/22

Day 7 - Seoul

Gyeongbuk Palace

"The palace is a majestic place which portrays the significance of the royal family in Korea. Although most of the buildings in the palace were destroyed during the Japanese invasion in world war 2, the palace still remains a breathtaking sight to behold. 

At the time of our visit, the palace is still under reconstruction. Exhibitions on the traditions and culture of Korea in the past serve as an eye opener and surprisingly many of them are still practice till today but with a few modifications. We ended the palace tour with a visit of the king's and queen's palace which look splendid in every perspective with detailed carvings of dragons and paintings etched on the walls and rooftops. 

Overall, the palace tour is an enriching, fruitful and fun tour!"

Ming Hao, DARE/2A/04


After lunch, we went shopping at Hongik University Street and Myungdong Street. These shopping districts offered a different kind of fashion than Dongdaemun. Later in the evening, we were treated to the highly entertaining and brilliant NANTA show.

Hongik University Street

Myungdong Street

NANTA show

Day 6 - Yongjin-si

Entrance to Everland Theme Park

"The highlight of the entire trip by far for most of us is the visit to Everland Theme Park. We got a chance to experience first hand the thrill of riding a roller coaster on a wooden track and dared to venture out of our comfort zone to try other adventurous rides.

There was one point in time when we were lost and we tried asking for directions from the Koreans. Though they were not fluent in English, they did their best in conveying the message through various sign/body languages.

The theme park also offers a great opportunity for families to bond and interact with one another, thus further deepening their relationship. It is also a popular destination where the local teens love to hang out at; showing the impact of American culture on the Koreans.

A liger (cross-breed between a lion and tiger) at Everland safari

Nearing the end of our time in Everland, there was a sudden heavy downpour. The harsh torrents of rain pelted against our skin with no mercy. We struggled and raced through the theme park, enduring the painful pierce of each and every drop of rain that fell upon us. It took more than just an umbrella and raincoat to survive through this unforgiving storm; teamwork was what pulled us through during this "trying" period. 

Though our time spent at Everland Theme Park was rather short, many wonderful memories of the fun we had with one another will remain etched in our memory. We will definitely look forward to returning here for another blast of our time!"

Xavier & Benjamin, DME/1A/07

After dinner, the group spent the rest of the evening exploring and shopping at Dongdaemun. The fashion and goods sold here resemble those found at Bugis Village but at lower prices and in wider variety.

Night out at Dongdaemun Shopping District

Day 5 - Sancheon-si

Today, we will be travelling down South and visiting two aerospace companies - HIZE Aero and AeroSpace Technologies of Korea (ASTK).

Unfortunately, our visit to HIZE Aero was disrupted and shortened by the visit of Boeing officials. Hence, we used this time to visit the nearby KAI Aerospace Museum.

Former presidential aeroplane

"During the hour long tour at ASTK, we witnessed the manufacturing and assembly process of airframe from small individual parts. The highlight of the visit was the segment where the bulkhead of the Boeing 737 was assembled as similar operations could be seen on television documentaries.

In  addition, we had the opportunity to visit the specially equipped inspection room, where manufactured products undergo quality checks for defects and tolerance, using large and sophisticated testing and measuring machines.

The ASTK representatives were patience and answered all our questions; clearing our doubt and providing us with a greater understanding into this specialised field.

Photo taken at AeroSpace Technologies of Korea

Overall, the visit was enriching for everyone as it provides us with the first-hand insight to South Korea Aerospace Industry and further re-affirmed us that what we learnt back in SP is relevant for our future".

Ryan, DARE/2A/04

Day 4 - Daegu

Photo with the professors and students of YNC

"Today we visited the Yeungnam College of Science Technology (YNC), where it educates students to actively participate in the industrial development of their country. It was founded in 1968 by the late President, Mr Park Jeong-hee. 

I was astounded by their views on mechatronics as they placed high priority in this course. As a mechatronics and robotics student in Singapore Polytechnic, they inspired me to pursue this interesting and innovative area of advanced technology. 

We were brought into their mechatronics lab to view their control system which was activated by its pneumatic system and programmable logic control. It's pretty much similar to the one back in Singapore Polytechnic but the designs were far more sophisticated. Maybe, it is because they had more space to build and design this system. 

Seeing the Koreans demonstrate this system made me realised the importance of knowing how to operate that particular system, and not many people know this valuable knowledge. It made me feel glad that I had chosen this unique course to study at Singapore Polytechnic. I'm pretty sure that with the fast advancement of technology, Singapore will grasp the concept of mechatronics and use it to shape our country's future.

Vivien with her team members

We also interacted with the Korean students to design and build a catapult system as part of a traditional game called "yut". It was tough to communicate with the Korean students as they only spoke Korean while we only spoke English. Yet we overcame this language barrier with "google translate" and made friends with them. 

It was a fun and enriching trip to the Yeungnam College of Science & Technology as I've learnt to make friends with someone from different country and culture. It also motivated me to learn the Korean language."

Vivian, DMRO/3A/01

Carine (second from left) with her team members

"I feel very honoured to be able to participate in this educational study trip and I have always wanted to visit South Korea. During the trip to YNC, I made new local friends. Although there was a language barrier amongst us, the Korean students were very friendly and patient towards us. They even made time for us and brought us shopping.

Lastly, the weather was very cooling. I love it very much and I will come back again".

Carine, DCPE/3B/25

"This has been the most happening day of this Korean trip. My group mates and I had a really good time with the students from YNC. Even though some could speak very little English, we still managed to interact well with them and built a successful catapult.

Rakesh (second from left) with his team mates

We were united again at dinner and shopping. One thing I learnt about Korean people during the night reunion was that they are pretty patient people, often putting others before themselves. On one instance, I was hunting for this clothing outlet called "Hollister". My Korean mate patiently brought me around the streets and finally we found the shop and I made my purchases. We then headed for some cheese "toppokii" dinner and dessert at da Vinci coffee. After that, they put us on a taxi and we bid farewell. It was an eventful experience".

Rakesh, DARE/2A/03

Actual burnt train in the background

Briefing by Mr Kim on what to do in a subway fire emergency

"Third day in South Korea. How fast time flies when we are having fun! We have just finished visiting Daegu Safety Park hosted by Mr Kim.

Inside the safety park, we watched a heart wrenching video of a subway accident that happened in Daegu where close to 200 people died and over 150 people injured. After this incident, the people realised that they were not prepared for such eventualities. Hence, the need and opening of the Safety Park.

We also went through a mock emergency test inside the train to have a feel and to better understand what we must do during an emergency. I personally felt that this is a good experience and Singapore should implement a safety park to allow Singaporeans to have better preparedness as we can never predict what and when an emergency might occur".

Daphne, DCPE/3B/25

Day 3 - Incheon, Yesan & Daegu

Today we visited KBS Drama Centre and Hyundai Steel. Thereafter, we took the KTX (bullet train) from Daejeon to Daegu. The top speed reached was slightly over 300 km per hour.

Photo taken on the "King's Dream" set, KBS Drama Centre

"We went to Hyundai Steel and learnt about what the company does and how everything works through a video screening. We also went for a tour of the steel mill and I had the opportunity to see how steel is manufactured in huge masses for the first time. It was really a fascinating and rather complex process! I also got to feel the high temperature of the steel when it was being pressed. I could literally feel the strong heat on my face during the process. 

Photo with Ms Kim at Hyundai Steel

The tour guide was clear in explaining the details of the various manufacturing processes and I now have a better understanding of steel manufacturing. This experience is something that cannot be bought anywhere. I am so glad I went for this trip as the things learnt is really beyond things you read in a textbook!"

Josiah, DME/1A/07

Cabin view of KTX

Day 2 - Incheon & Goyang

This morning we went to Imjingak Park and Mt Dora Observatory, in the De-Militarised Zone (DMZ), to know more about the issues surrounding the division between North Korea and South Korea. 

In the afternoon, we visited the Korea Aerospace University to look at their facilities and to know more about the International Summer Programme.

Appended below are reflections by our students about the people they met and the places we visited. We hope you will enjoy their personal journals.

DMZ gate (shortest pathway between the North & South)

A view of the "Freedom Bridge" & the railway connecting North and South

"We went to the DMZ in an area somewhere around Paju. Imjingak was the first place that we went to. Over there, we saw the "freedom " bridge which connects the south to the north and got a glimpse of North Korea on the other side like. It was rather tragic to hear the history of the Korean War , how families got separated during the war and are still searching for their family members in the north. After Mt Dora Observatory, we went to a North Korean Museum and got a feel of what it was like living in the North. It was sad to see how hard and primitive those citizens lives are and how their leaders are not doing much to improve the welfare of their people. It made me have a better understanding of what it really meant to appreciate whatever you have now and not take anything for granted."

Andrew, DME/3B/23

"This educational trip with the school is a eye opening for many of us. Even though this is the second day only, we were brought to places such as the DMZ to understand the North Korea and South Korea history of war and what exactly happened between the two countries. We went to KAU (Korea Aerospace University) which talks about the summer training program that SP is interested to send their students over for the 2013 batch. I personally feel the summer program is great as it give a whole new exposure to student going as different races and different countries people. The people in Korea are nice and they are very friendly, they are very respectful and bow when we greet them. I am very happy that I am on this trip as a final-year student and this exposure is really a great experience for me."

Shawn, DCPE/3B/25

"It is only my second day in Korea and I have already fallen in love with this place. The food is spectacularly good and the weather is perfect. The citizens are friendly, even treating us like family! I admire how Koreans have a certain pride in their country and it shows in everything they do. National pride is something to think about. Are we, Singaporeans proud of who we are?"

Kimberley, DCEG/2B/21

Day 1 - Changi Airport (T2)

The group gathered at 8pm for the check-in and group photo.

Tomorrow will be a busy day for us as we will be heading straight from Incheon Airport to the De-Militarised Zone, Imjingak Park and Mt Dora Observatory. In the afternoon, we will be visiting the Korea Aerospace University for an exchange programme.

Parents' Briefing

A briefing for parents about the study trip was held on Monday, 17th September 2012 at 6pm at Singapore Polytechnic (SP).

The overseas study trip is part of SP's strategic goals to provide students with a global perspective of how different countries manage their resources, and their social and economic development.

There will also be face-to-face interaction with students from the Korea Aerospace University and the Yeungnam College of Science & Technology through games and sharing sessions. These activities will provide opportunities for students to share their culture, beliefs and aspirations.

With SP, everything is possible.