Journey To The Korea

SEOUL

Most capital city visits are filled with grand anticipation, so what is Seoul like? And is Korea’s capital city worth the hype? Like South Korea overall, Seoul didn’t win me over instantly; yet with some time things click, and you find yourself navigating a city that forces you to dig deeper. As you should. 

With some time to travel, rather than using the city as a brief stopover, knowing what to do in Seoul that takes in its variety of neighbourhoods and sites, can help form a better idea of its persona and what it is trying to be as rapid modernisation seemingly overshadows Korean tradition. 

Like much of South Korea, the atmosphere predominantly comes alive at night – South Korea owning the ‘work hard, play hard’ drinking culture more so than its East Asian neighbours. Seoul in the daytime takes much more effort. It does not exude impressive sights and activities like some of its neighbours as it’s more subdued and residential. 

I stayed in two neighbourhoods that I grew to love, both of which had their own distinct character and which were polar opposites – Samcheong-dong, with its narrow, hilly shop-lined streets and close proximity to the main historical sites, and the younger, funky and arty district of Hongdae.

This contrast allowed me to see the best of what Seoul had to offer over the course of 10 days, as well as drink a lot of coffee. Seoul’s abundance of coffee shops, everywhere, gets my vote and is a core draw of the city.

Samcheong-dong – Where Korean Tradition Thrives

Seoul has been described as Korea’s Ancient Modern Capital, a description fitting of this area and which was noticeable straight away. Samcheong-dong is the hub of culture and everything artistic in downtown Seoul, where its narrow cobblestoned streets connect independent stores, bookstores, coffee shops, wine bars, art galleries, museums and stylish hangouts to the heritage and traditional architecture of old Seoul. More often than not, these new establishments are set within former traditional houses, combining the old with the new.