Seoul, Korea - Information and Travel Guide

Seoul is the capital of South Korea. The city is divided into two by the Han River which goes from east to west. It is comprised of 25 districts called "gu". Songpa district has the most people and Seocho, the largest area.

The best way to travel to Seoul is to utilize internet travel services such as Expedia, Travelocity or Cheaptickets.

Make sure you use an Expedia coupon code when available to get a discount on travel to Korea. With cheaptickets, you can use a cheaptickets coupon code as well. Travelocity is another internet air travel provider that offers competitive prices. Booking through travelocity may be another great option. Check to see if there are any travelocity coupon codes available.

When you arrive at Seoul, you will most likely land at Incheon International Airport (IATA: ICN), west of the city. In there you will encounter tourist information offices and plenty of ATM machines.

Norebangs are as common as eating places in Korea. These are places where you can take a bunch of friends or acquantainces to private rooms and karaoke the night away. There are many coworkers that gather together and come after a hard day's work to sing the worries away.

Technology and internet are very pervasive throughout Korea and people are obsessed with gaming conventions as well as Starcraft. There are even two Korean based channels dedicated to Starcraft broadcast.

Christianity is pervasive throughout Korea, with 11 of the world's 12 largest churches are located in Seoul. The largest Christian church, Yoido Full Gospel Church, has almost 800,000 members.

Taekwondo - Is a popular martial arts that originated in Korea and is now an Olympic sport. It is regarded as the world's most popular martial art in terms of number of practitioners.

Although Seoul is very crowded, it has very efficient transportation methods. Its subways are probably among the world's best. They are well laid out and you can get just about anywhere within minutes of a subway exit. The exits are written in both Korean and English so it's easy to recognize. In addition, each subway rail is color coded, so it will help you even more. If subways are not your preference, there are multiple taxis traveling around the city (much like New York), so it's extremely easy to hail a cab. They may not be so familiar with English, so make sure you have a native write the destination down for you. It may also be a good idea to carry your hotels business card, so that when you come back you will be able to describe where you are staying. You can also rent a car, but I don't recommended it.

Driving on the streets can be a daunting task if you are not familiar with the way Koreans drive. To give you an example, if there are three lane painted dividers on the roads, cars will easily crowd each other and make four lanes instead. I remember when I stood at a street corner while looking at the cars passing by, I would say that at least 80% had at least one dent in the bumper.

Popular Soju drink. Courtesy user roboppy

Koreans definitely are fond of their alcohol. The traditional soju, makgeolli and dong-dong-ju are variations of alcoholic drinks made from rice or potato. When you drink, here are some mindful manners:

1. If you are receiving alcohol from an elder in a shot glass, make sure you receive it with two hands.
   When you are drinking it, you should not face the elder directly, instead you should turn your head to the side to drink.


2. Do not drink before the elder person drinks first.


3. Never decline the first glass to drink. Even if you don't want to drink, just accept it, maybe take a little sip and then leave it on the table.

The proper amount to drink is comprised in the following phrase: "il bul, sam so, o ui, chil gwa". This means "one glass, 3 glasses lacks, 5 glasses is proper, and 7 glasses is over drinking"

The main dishes in every Korean meal are rice with an assortment of side dishes called banchan. One of these banchans is always Kimchi, a fermented vegetable dish made mostly from Napa cabbage and chili. Popular ingredients in Korean cuisine include sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, red chili paste. Korea is the largest consumer of garlic, this is why vampires never attack a Korean (just kidding). Here is a description of some popular dishes:



Bibimbap - I like to refer it as "triple B". It contains rice, with vegetables, beef and egg served in a heated pot made of stone (to keep the food hot while you eat). The rice, beef and vegetables are on top of the rice. You are supposed to mix all the ingredients, mix it with some hot chili paste and then eat it. Yum.


Naengmyeon - Cold noodles. If you are not used to this, you either will love it or hate it. It is buckwheat noodles served in a large bowl with a cold broth soup. It contains vegetables and a boiled egg. You put some yellow sauce that tastes like wasabi and you are ready to enjoy. There is another type of Naengmyon where you don't have any cold broth soup but instead it is mixed with gochujang (red hot paste).



Sundubu jjigae - A spicy soup comprised mostly of tofu, vegetables, and meat. It is served in a stone bowl with a raw egg. You are supposed to put in the raw egg and stir it in the soup. Because the soup is still hot, the egg will immediately get cooked. it is very healthy and delicious.



Samgyetang - Soup made with cornish hen stuffed with ginseng, sweet rice, jujubes and garlic. Again, this is served in a hot stone bowl. This soup will energize you once you eat it.



Seolleongtang - Another soup made with ox leg bone cooked for over 10 hours, so the stew will become milky white. Served with green onions and salt and pepper to put to taste.



Bulgogi - Perhaps anybody who has eaten at a Korean restaurant is familiar with this dish. It is shredded beef marinated with soy sauce, garlic, sugar, green onions, pepper and other spices. It is usually cooked in a central grill in the middle of the serving table. Bulgogi means "fire meat"

Education is highly valued in Korea. Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and English are the more impaortant subjects. Physical education is not as important. While students are constantly pushed from kindergarten to high school to excel academically, the most pressure is during the high school years. During these years, students will start school at 6 AM and end at midnight or even 1 AM. They are all preparing for the extremely competitive university admission exam. To Korean parents, entering a great university is an extremely proud accomplishment and therefore the competition is tough. There is a Korean saying that goes "Sleep five hours and fail, sleep four hours and pass".
In Korean education Corporal Punishment is acceptable. In one incident, a teacher in Daegu hit a student 200 times for being late to class.

Lotte World - It is a must visit place in Korea. This place looks like an indoor city within Seoul. It is comprised of a folk museum, an amusement park, a sports center and a hotel all inside.

• Amusement Park - Lotte claims this is the largest indoor amusement park in the world. It was open in 1989 and has rides for the whole family. Roller coasters for the wild teenagers and tram rides for a relaxed ride. It also has shows throughout the day as well as characters in costumes walking around.
• Folk Museum - Containing miniature representations of Korea's historic and rich culture. A must see.
• Sports Center - Where you can enjoy a swimming pool, ice skating, workouts, ping pong and a bowling alley.
• Department Store - Many specialty stores all in one place.
• Restaurants - Many restaurants with tables surrounding a grand open area where visitors can sit and watch ice skaters while they eat.

Subway line 2, Jamsil Station, exit 4

Photo by user dolmang

Itaewon - If you want a taste of home and someone who speaks English, then Itaewon is the place to go. This place is close to the 8th US Army Garrison and is full of party goers. It is famous for pubs, juice bars, night clubs and more.
You can find many US fast food chain restaurants.

63 building - Tallest building in Seoul, it is comprised of 63 stories and its skydeck is a great way to get a view of Seoul. Inside it it has an IMAX theater, restaurants, offices and an aquarium that has over 400 different species of
fishes. It has great shows and is fun for the whole family, a must do for everyone who visits Seoul.

Myung-dong Street - A famous site in Seoul for all shoppers. It is filled with all kinds of stores and it is a place where fashion setters try to hang out in. Everything from Dickies, Starbucks, Nike, Converse and so much more are here. It is a fashion person's dream come true.

Apgujeong-dong Street - It now seems this street has beaten Myung-dong for being the fashion district. Apgujeong-dong's neighborhood is famous for being home to Korea's most richest families. It is the "Beverly Hills" of Seoul. This street is a place where teenagers who are sensitive to fashion strut their stuff across the streets of Seoul. The
latest fads and fashions seem to start here. There are many fashion designers with shops and ready to keep a pulse on the newest fashion trends. There are also many internet and computer related companies in these streets.

Seoul Tower - Another place where you can get breathtaking views of Seoul. Seoul Tower stands on top of Mt. Namsan and it has several restaurants where you can enjoy the breathtaking view while enjoying a meal. In addition, it has gift shops, exhibitions, and several lounge chairs to relax and enjoy. It was built in 1969, initially as a place to
broadcast radio and television signals. You can get here by car, cable car or hiking. In the complex within Seoul Tower there is also Fairy Land and Global Village Folk Museum. Fairy land has robot exhibits with fairy tales from around the world. Global Village Folk Museum has handicrafts from around the world. World Musical & Animal land has animal like robots from around the world playing in a band.

Directions: Subway line 4, Myeong-dong Station, exit 3 -> 15 minute walk through the alley next to Pacific Hotel -> cable car

Gyeongbok Palace - Largest palace of the Joseon Dynasty. Gyeongbok means Shining Happiness. It was constructed in 1394 as a primary place for King taejo. Part of the palace was burnt during Japanese occupation during the period of 1592-1598. Om 1865 it was rebuilt. Today this palace is open to the public and it has the National Folk Museum Of
Korea. It is comprised of a 330-building complex. After the second world war, some of the famous buildings were Geunjeongjeon, the Imperial throne room and Gyeonghoeru Pavilion which is located in an artificial lotus lake on top of 48 granite pillars.



Changdeok-gung - Built in 1405. It is considered one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It contains Biwon a secret garden in the back. You can only enter here by tour only.

Kimchi museum - This place is worth visiting since it is one of the most popular korean food dish in Korea. Kimchi is a korean fermented dish made mostly of chili powder and chinese cabbage. This museum highlights the history and art behind the making of kimchi. It has exhibits, videos and describes all the historic elements behind this amazing food.

There is even a tasting room where visitors can sample all different varieties of kimchi.

Subway line 2, Samseong Station, located in the second basement level of COEX Mall

Olympic Park - Built for the 1986 Asian games and the 1988 Olympic games, this is a popular tourist attraction. It is a common place where soon to be married couples gather to take pictures. There are places to walk around or jog.

COEX - large mall is located in Samsung-dong, Gangnam-gu. This place was created for international conferences and it holds 15,000 events yearly. It also has luxury cinemas, kimchi museum, Sony Playstation store, large bookstore with
English and Japanese titles. All the auto conventions, gaming and anime conventions are held here.

Namdaemun (The Great South Gate) & Namdaemun Market - This gate is a symbol of Seoul, it is beautiful when lit at night. Nearby it Namdaemun Market, which is one of the largest wholesale markets in all of Korea, containing over 1,000 shops, retailers, and street merchants. Great place to find a bargain on clothing as well as souveniers to take back home with you. Make sure you bargain, bargain, bargain to get the best prices.