Land of High Mountains and Sparkling Seas

Hello class! 

I hope your week has been going well so far. We talked about South Korean culture and food last week, so this week I wanted to talk a little about the Korean peninsula's geography to give your a sense of my natural surroundings.

Korean Peninsula

The Korean Peninsula is divided into North Korea and South Korea. South Korea refers to the peninsula as "Hanguk" and divides it's territory into nine provinces and six special cities. The peninsula is 600 miles long with the shortest width being 120 miles wide from coast to coast. The entire landmass is 84,965 square miles with South Korea being 38,024 square miles. Compare that to Oregon, which has a landmass of 98,380 square miles. I could not believe this! I thought South Korea was much bigger. Do you think this is a common misconception?

Many young Koreans describe the peninsula as being "tiger" shaped while older Koreans describe it as "rabbit" shaped. The tiger and rabbit are both symbols commonly seen in folk-tales, paintings, and exports. The tiger is a traditional symbol that drives away misfortune and the rabbit represents the wisdom of the peninsula's agricultural economy. My professor for Understanding Korean Culture, Cha Sang A, says that the tiger also represents "courage and absolute power" and described it as Korean's favorite subject for art. Do you see the tiger? What about the rabbit?

********Spoilers Below********

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Land and Sea

Seoul is South Korea's capital city and the world's fourth largest urban-center. The city is bustling with people all the time. There is industry, skyscrapers, subways, and millions of people living in high-rise apartment complexes surrounding the city. Most urban areas like Seoul are located along the western and southern coast where there are many fishing villages and tidal flats. Korean ingenuity has allowed for ocean commerce and the agriculture industry to develop heavily in the last few decades. 

This is my view from the seventh floor when I am in the lounge! Do you notice anything in the distance? Those white high-rise buildings in the distance are all apartment complexes! I see many of these complexes all around the city of Seoul. 

The Korean terrain is mostly made up of mountains and streams. The landscape is described as very "dramatic" with many peaks and valleys. It is so dramatic in fact, that only one-fifth of the land can be cultivated, or used to grow food. The far north has sparse mountains while the south and west have more farmable low-lands and river valleys. It is here that you will find more large and dense populations, like Seoul! Look back at the first image, the map, and see if you can find Daegu, Gwangju, and Busan. These are all very large, populated cities. What do you notice about their location? Are they near the coast? Near a river? In the south?

Sydney mentioned during week 1 that she enjoys hiking! There are many places to go hiking in Seoul! One of those places is Bukhansan National Park. When my family came to visit, we hiked to the top of Samgaksan mountain and took this picture of the city below. What do you think? Is this a hike you would enjoy? It was breathtaking! Both because we were exhausted and because of the gorgeous landscape. 

When you look at the city in the photos above and below, can you see the changing elevation? This is the landscape of peaks and valleys described earlier. Walking around, I am constantly going up and down hill, but my body is getting used to it and I am finally building muscle!! Several of my teachers have told me to wear comfortable shoes because there is a lot of walking in Seoul. They were not kidding. 

I took this picture after getting lost in Seoul! I was exploring near campus on foot and ended up at the top of this hill. At least I got to see a great view.

Climate

Korea might be small, but it has a very diverse climate! The peninsula has a mid-latitude location which makes it's climate seasonal. We just got out of winter, which is typically long and cold! This last Winter when I arrived, everyone was wearing big, long puffer coats. Spring is short and warm and serves to melt the snow, calm the winds, and turn the landscape green. That is where I am now! When I first arrived, the trees were bare and the grass was dead everywhere. Now, the grass is getting greener and the landscape is filling with flowers!

The Cherry Blossoms finally bloomed! Spring has sprung!

In late June and early July, the rains start. Marking the beginning of the summer monsoon season typical of East-Asia climates. Monsoon means "seasonal wind shift" in Arabic. A monsoon happens when large masses of warm, moist air move inland from the Pacific Ocean toward Russia Siberia. In the winter, the direction shifts, so they move away. Summer storms can also bring typhoons. This is really heavy rain and strong winds that usually cause floods, landslides, and damage to property and agricultural crops. The reverse monsoon makes the skies clear, ending typhoon/monsoon season and bring fall! Fall is short, but very enjoyable for the Korean people. So much is fact that it is short-lived once the Winter returns.

Keep in mind, that the seasons can change depending on where you are. The climate may be seasonal, but the changing heights between mountains and plains and the distance from the ocean can affect the weather in South Korea.

To give you an idea of what monsoon season is like, I've attached this link: Monsoooooooon!!
This youtuber provides comedic relief to what many describe as a very miserable hot and wet monsoon season.

Resources

The Korean peninsula is abundant with natural resources to support economic development through Korea's industries. However, over time Korea's dense and growing population has put a strain on these natural resources. Next week, we will talk about how technological advancement and industry has improved South Korea's economy, but degraded the environment. 

To recap:

What does the Korean peninsula look like to you? A tiger or a rabbit?
Would you enjoy walking around Seoul? Or would you get tired of the hills?
What do you think about South Korea typhoon season? Does it make you appreciate Portland rain?

Don't forget to include your name in the comments! Thank yoooou!

Source:

https://asiasociety.org/education/geography-koreas