Initial Brainstorming Session for "Scent of Korea in a Bottle"

After traveling to Korea and following his nose around, Francois Demachy, a Christian Dior perfumer, has announced his intention to create a fragrance evocative of Korea's unique landascape.

Here is the initial list of distinctive smells he jotted down in his notepad, before beginning the process of elimination, along with an X beside the smells he ruled out.

garlic X

Jeju Island oranges

stylish women wearing three brand-name fragrances at a time X

raw sewage from storm drains X

rapid industrialization (smells a bit like engine oil) X

persimmons

destruction of wetlands X

soju hangover X

hobo fights in Tapgol Park X

sesame leaf X

makkeolli burps X

mountain rose (mugunghwa)

Louis Vuitton handbags X

Louis Vuitton fakes X

teolmeowi

bbundaegi (silkworm larvae) X

national pride (smells like roasted peacock turds; as a Frenchman, it took him a while to identify) X

vomit on sidewalks X

garlic X

old men with soju and dried squid breath X

recycled side dishes X

dokdo (smells like seagull shit) X

garlic X

bulgogi farts X

the restauranteur who ripped him off X (one of the last to be eliminated)

garlic X

cherry blossoms

street food X

seawater

street vendors X

dwenjang jigae X

instant coffee

garlic

street people X

kids who believe washing their hair will make them fail the test X

kimchi farts X

car exhaust from assholes driving their mercedes' around just to be stared at X

do you know chunggyecheon?

chrysanthemums