It's okay, you can make Korean food.
Ingredient guide
Guk-ganjang is a thin, very dark (almost black), very salty soy sauce used to season soups and stews and to flavor namul without the sweetness of regular soy sauce.
Sharply salty and savory, thinner and less sweet than regular soy sauce.
Bottles labeled guk-ganjang or "soup soy sauce" in Korean markets. Regular "jin ganjang" is the all-purpose one for cooking and dipping.
Keep in the pantry; refrigerate after opening in warm climates.
Works in any country — look for these names, in these kinds of shops.
Honest swaps, with amounts per unit of the original and how the dish will change.
For each 1 tbsp soup soy sauce: 1 tbsp regular soy sauce plus a pinch of salt, tasting as you go
Works fine. Regular soy sauce is sweeter and a little less salty, so the pinch of salt makes up the difference.
▲ sweeter▼ sharp saltiness
For each 1 tbsp soup soy sauce: 2 tsp fish sauce
Salty and savory like soup soy sauce, with a seafood note.
▲ seafood flavor
대파
Fresh and mildly sweet with a gentle onion bite that mellows when cooked.
고추장
Spicy-sweet and savory with a fermented depth; the heat varies by brand.
배추김치
Sour, salty, spicy and savory. It gets tangier the longer it ferments.
고사리
Earthy and subtle, with a chewy texture.