Around the globe, not many people know about abalone. So, even when foreign friends see an abalone shell, they often have no idea what it is. You should see how happy they get when I explain what it is and give them an abalone shell as a gift. Some tourists jump for joy or hug me. Those from landlocked countries even get misty-eyed looking at the abalone shell.

When I gave an abalone shell to a tourist from Malaysia, she made a keychain out of it right on the spot. She attached a key to the abalone shell and showed it to me. She was so delighted that I gave her two more as gifts. An abalone shell is something Koreans wouldn't even take if it were given away for free, but in the eyes of foreigners, it is like treasure.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]