I flew back in time - across the sea and found myself in South Korea, the land of the morning calm. Stretching beyond the years of oppression, war and occupation by the Japanese, South Korea has bloomed into a true cultural, foodie, fashion and tech capital.
Our home base, Seoul is Asia's greatest overlooked gem. Set in an expansive valley, its 10 million residents are never left bored and, it seems, never sleep - with the city jittering at all hours of the day and night.
Getting around the colossal capital is the easiest part, its punctual and reliable network of public transport make it the fastest and cheapest way to explore - deciding on what to see and do on the other hand...
Located in the quaint suburb of Yogmasan, Yogma Land opened in the 1980s. A popular amusement park with families until its closure in 2011, it is now a trendy location for urban explorers. A 5000 won entrance fee (approx. $5 USD), gives you the freedom to wander and exploit the dishevelled park’s eerie charm.
The neon glittering streets of Hongdae offer a window into the lives of Korea’s young people. We visited this university town twice - once during the quiet of the day and later returned for a glimpse into the bustle of its second, more personal life. Famous for its swanky cafes and nightlife, Hongdae is a great example of youthful freedom and self-expression. Performers line the streets in the evening and test out their skills in random rap battles, dance-offs, music performances and all sorts of quirky acts to express creative freedom.
Worlds away from the modern hype, the five grand palaces of Seoul are a perfect example of the beautiful aesthetics of traditional Korean culture. The smallest of them all, Deoksugung, meaning ‘palace of virtuous longevity’ is today only a third of its original size. It served as the main palace of the last king of the Joseon Dynasty, who later became the first emperor of the Great Han Empire.
Only 2.5-hour from Seoul by fast train, the seaside fishing town of Busan is South Korea’s second largest city. Busan houses the country’s largest port and seafood market where you can buy both live and dried fish as well as devour delicacies such as raw fish and freshly cut (still wiggling) octopus’ tentacles. After the Korean war, the market settled in to the routines you still see to this day where vendors are mostly women - known by locals as Jagalchi Ajumma, meaning middle aged or married women in Korean.
Aside from the market, Gamcheon Cultural Village has become one of Busan’s unique cultural offerings. Beginning its life as a shanti town, hundreds of families flocked to the hillsides of Busan to start over post the Korean War. Given new life in 2009 when artists were commissioned to spruce it up with colourful murals and paintings, new pieces have continually popped up throughout the village over time allowing it to become a cultural and arts hub.
I feel we missed out so much due to the chill of winter and limited time - although it serves as the perfect excuse to plan a return trip and venture further afield - to understand the true meaning of ‘the land of the morning calm’ through the country’s spellbinding natural parks, splendid tranquillity and picturesque high mountains…and maybe even dip our feet in North Korea.
