The Last Jumak

If you read Korean, the Weekly Chosun has a lovely little piece on a 100-year-old traditional Korean tavern, or jumak, in beautiful Yecheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do.  The place was run by a local woman for some 70 years until she passed away at the age of 90 in 2005.

This entry was written by Robert Koehler, posted on March 7, 2007 at 1:23 am, filed under Asides, Korean Culture. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.

6 Comments

  1. wjk your flag
    Posted March 7, 2007 at 8:50 am | Permalink

    옛날엔 정말 좋았다오. 1950년대까지만 해도 ‘삼강리’는 상인이 흥청대는 요충지였소. 이곳은 대구와 서울을 잇는 단거리 뱃길로, 낙동강을 오르내리는 소금배와 집산된 농산물은 죄다 이곳으로 모여들었다오. 마을과 주막은 상인, 뱃사람, 나들이객, 시인묵객으로 늘 붐비곤 했지. 한창일 땐 소 6마리가 들어가는 커다란 배가 오가곤 했다니까, 나루의 규모를 짐작할 수 있을 거요.

    See? Lee Myung Bak’s Canal has a historic, and economic? justification…

    할매는 글도, 숫자도 알지 못했다오. 그래서 한 잔을 외상하면 담벼락에 짧은 금을 긋고, 한 주전자를 외상하면 긴 금을 세로로 그어 놓았다오. 그러다 외상값을 죄다 갚으면 옆으로 길게 금을 그어 외상을 지웠지. 말 그대로 외상을 ‘그은’ 거라오.

    Now this expression makes sense. Nice story.

  2. Andy Jackson your flag
    Posted March 7, 2007 at 9:20 am | Permalink

    Dude, it is too bad I didn’t hit that place back when I lived in nearby Mungyeong.

  3. sewing your flag
    Posted March 7, 2007 at 12:21 pm | Permalink

    Great stuff. Ah, the times and chances we miss.

  4. robert neff your flag
    Posted March 8, 2007 at 12:23 am | Permalink

    I wish I visited it….beautiful picture.

  5. ..... your flag
    Posted March 8, 2007 at 3:21 am | Permalink

    [DELETED. Reason: Off Topic]

    (WARNING: VAIN, OFF-TOPIC COMMENT FOLLOWS…;) )

    Ooh, my Gravatar is finally showing up properly! I hope no one thinks it’s just a pale imitation of Robert’s, though.

  6. .......... your flag
    Posted March 8, 2007 at 3:22 am | Permalink

    [DELETED. Reason: Off Topic]

    Robert Koehler’s, that is….

    D’oh! Delete away.

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