Haemultang

Haemultang literally means seafood stew/soup.

So the ingredients, except the veggies are all seafood.

The emphasis is on the variety of the ingredients.

Almost looks like a seafood plata in a hot spicy stew ….

(Crabs, Shrimps, Octopuses, Some sea squirts, etc, Usually Crustaceans & Molluscs)

Maeuntang literally means Hot stew/soup,

but it is used when the stew/soup ‘s main ingredient (usually the thing that has most meat) is “Fishy”(fish , mussels you name it).

So the emphasis is on the “main ingredient”

Usually, Maeuntang is made of freshwater fish,

but as the emphasis is on the main ingredient,

you can use anything fishy and call it Maeuntang

Some korean encyclopedias do not bother to differ the two,

but I think there is a difference

In short.

Freshwater fish spicy stew : Maeuntang (Carp, Catfish, Snakehead etc)

Only one main fish item spicy stew : Maeuntang (Snapper, Belthead, etc )

and you call it, Snapper Maeuntang, Catfish Maeuntang,

Just like what Maangchi made.

Rather a simple, humble looking dish.

Seafood Plata in a spicy stew : Haemultang

A bunch of Crustaceans & Molluscs in a spicy stew : Haemultang

and you just call it Haemultang.

A dish that is somewhat very fancy and flamboyant.

There are some exceptions , for instance

Crab Maeuntang, Crab Haemultang both are OK.

Crab Maeuntang might be a simple crab stew,

whilst, Crab Haemultang is a simple emphasis on the ingredient(Crab),

meaning just plain haemultang.