My wife is from South Korea, so we have been spreading different south korean food items and adapted to cooking with south korean spices such as hot bean paste, green onion, chives, Soy Sauce, Sesame oil, garlic, ginger, red pepper, fish oil, sardines and pickled shrimps, etc. South Korea has appropriated a lot of different spices like ginger from india, peppers from Japan, things like dumplings and noodles from China, Buck wheat, White Raddish, etc. from the surrounding countries and food items only available around some of their islands like the abalone clams, and Tangerines. I am guessing some foreign person might have traded some tangerines at one time and they got planted on Cheju Island, which is also famous for horses. Cheju Island is one of the furthes southern islands that are considered a territory of South Korea, so it has also become a resort Island. It was formed from volcanic activity.
St Louis, MO area is somewhat partial to Pork. South Korea is also a very Pro Pork region which favors sow bellies. Our family takes good available thin sliced pork butt and mixes it with a Korean Hot Bean Paste marinade to make a very tasty hot (Depending on taste) barbeque pork or pan fried pork dish. This goes well with a little sticky rice and some Kim (seaweed) roasted and various vegetables like Korean style spinache and fried onions and squash/zuchini.
Korean beef short ribs are also a nice delicacy. They can be cooked in the slow cooker as well. They are just the ribs with the meat on the side that have been side cut. They can also be made into a nice tasting stew. Try making a stew with carrots and sweet potatoes and white raddish (MOO) instead of potatoes.