{"id":2959,"date":"2014-11-21T09:00:59","date_gmt":"2014-11-21T09:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/korean\/?p=2959"},"modified":"2014-11-21T03:33:48","modified_gmt":"2014-11-21T03:33:48","slug":"five-days-in-south-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/korean\/five-days-in-south-korea\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Days in South Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"

\uc548\ub155\ud558\uc138\uc694<\/span><\/span>! Hello everyone! My name is Sasha, which I’ve been told is\u00a0\uc0ac\uc0e4<\/span><\/span> in Korean. I’m from the USA (\ubbf8\uad6d), but I currently live in China (\uc911\uad6d). I’m an English teacher and blogger\/videographer – you can usually find my work on the Chinese<\/a>, Indonesian<\/a>, and Thai<\/a> Language & Culture blogs. I’ve never lived in Korea, and I can only say a few words in Korean, but I’m going to share some stories, photos, and videos from a trip I took there. During the summer, we had five days off and needed to exit China for visa purposes. Thanks to a good deal on flights, we decided to head to Seoul and spend Monday-Friday in the ROK. Here’s a short run-down of our trip along with a few photos. More detailed posts and a few videos will be posted to the blog in the weeks and months to come.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Being

Being silly tourists in Korea.<\/p><\/div>\n

Seoul (\uc11c\uc6b8<\/span><\/span>)<\/h1>\n

As is the case with most people, our Korea trip began in the capital city of Seoul. Coming from Beijing, our immediate thoughts about Seoul were that it’s more modern, cleaner, and a bit more Westernized than the Chinese capital. Seoul is far and away the largest city in South Korea; if you count the whole metropolitan area, more than half of the country lives there. It’s a city of stark contrasts – ancient culture and modern technology, peaceful temples and wild nightlife districts, impressive skyscrapers and drab housing projects. With just a few days to spend there, we did our best to pack a lot into a short visit.<\/p>\n

\"A

A former royal palace.<\/p><\/div>\n

Seoul is home to quite a few ancient royal palaces, so we knew we had to see at least one. We checked out Gyeongbok-gung <\/b>(\uacbd\ubcf5\uad81), the first palace used by the Joseon Dynasty. Considering its age and the fact that it’s been razed by the Japanese twice, the palace is in great condition. There are also two museums that you can check out inside the grounds, and it’s a good way to learn a bit about Korean history and culture.<\/p>\n

\"Checking

Checking out traditional hanok houses.<\/p><\/div>\n

From there we headed to Namsangol Hanok Village<\/strong> (\ub0a8\uc0b0\uace8 \ud55c\uc625\ub9c8\uc744)<\/span> – a free park with a few traditional hanok<\/em><\/strong> (\ud55c\uc625<\/span>) houses. The aim of this park is to preserve Korean traditions and give visitors a glimpse into how life once was here in Seoul. Of course, nowadays most people live in high-rise apartments that don’t look much different from the ones in London or New York. It’s a nice place to stroll around for a couple of hours, and you can also check out the Seoul Millennium Capsule. Back in 1994, 600 items representing modern life and culture in Korea were buried in this time capsule to mark the city’s 600th anniversary. It will be opened in 2394 – the 1,000th birthday of Seoul.<\/p>\n

\"Enjoy

Enjoy the views at the N Seoul Tower.<\/p><\/div>\n

No matter where you are in Seoul, you can probably point out the N. Seoul Tower<\/strong> (N\uc11c\uc6b8\ud0c0\uc6cc<\/span>). Once the tallest building in Asia, this tower is located on Namsan Mountain<\/strong> (\ub0a8\uc0b0<\/span>) and stands at 236.7\u00a0m (777\u00a0ft). From the observation deck, you can enjoy panoramic views of the city.<\/p>\n

\"A

A local hangout in the Korean capital.<\/p><\/div>\n

With the rest of our time in Seoul, we simply wandered the streets in search of local culture, food, and a good time. The central Gwanghwamun Plaza<\/b> (\uad11\ud654\ubb38\uad11\uc7a5) is an interesting place to hangout, as you can watch local kids have a blast playing in the fountain. We also strolled around Insa-dong<\/strong> (\uc778\uc0ac\ub3d9), a popular neighborhood that contains tons of antique shops and art galleries. <\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to food and drink, you’ve got endless options in Seoul. From street food stalls to high-end restaurants and everything in between, Seoul is a great place to munch. Having lived in China for a few years, we were admittedly excited to see Taco Bell, where they have fries bell grande! After our shameful experience (who eats Taco Bell before 2AM?) we redeemed ourselves by eating kimchi jigae<\/em><\/strong> (\uae40\uce58 \ucc0c\uac1c) for dinner. It took us over an hour to locate the hole-in-the-wall restaurant tucked down a random alley, but the juice was definitely worth the squeeze. This traditional Korean stew made with the national dish kimchi<\/em> (spicy pickled cabbage) was amazing and something I often dream about eating again.<\/span><\/p>\n