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1
Toss the sliced courgette with the fine sea salt in a bowl and leave to stand for 10 minutes, so the salt draws moisture evenly from throughout each slice and not merely from the cut surfaces. Transfer to a clean cloth or paper towel and squeeze lightly but firmly to expel the excess liquid. The slices should feel damp rather than wet, and 30–40% of their moisture will have been drawn out.
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2
Set a wok or wide pan over high heat and add the sesame oil, waiting until it shimmers and the sesame aroma rises cleanly from the pan, so you know the oil is hot enough to sear rather than stew what goes in next. Add the garlic and stir for no more than 20 seconds, until fragrant but not coloured — garlic that colours at this stage will turn acrid and chase a sharp bitterness through the finished dish.
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3
Add the drained courgette and the gochugaru and stir-fry over high heat for 3–4 minutes. This is where the dish lives or dies: the courgette must turn just translucent and show slight golden caramelisation at the edges while still holding its shape — cook a moment beyond this and it collapses into a soft, wet mass that cannot be recovered.
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4
Add the saeujeot or myeolchi-aekjeot and toss to coat evenly, then remove the pan from the heat immediately so the fermented seasoning warms through and its deep, rounded salinity melds with the courgette without the sharp edge that prolonged heat would bring. The finished namul should taste clean, lightly savoury, and carry a background warmth from the gochugaru without visible redness dominating the dish.
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5
Transfer to a serving dish and scatter the toasted sesame seeds over the surface. The finished namul should look glossy, with lightly golden edges visible among the pale green slices.