Tag Archives: Seoul

Seoul, South Korea

We spent a couple of weeks in South Korea’s capital city at the start of the rainy season. As well as the excellent DMZ tour with the USO, and learning how to make kimchi, here are some of the things we got up to in and around Seoul..

Sunset from southern edge of Namsan Park looking over south west Seoul, just up the hill from our apartment

Sunset from southern edge of Namsan Park looking over south west Seoul, just up the hill from our apartment

Changdeokgung Palace and Secret Garden

Injeongjeon Hall (a National Treasure) - is the throne hall of Changdeokgung, it was used for major state affairs including the coronation of a new king and receiving foreign envoys

Injeongjeon Hall (a National Treasure) – is the throne hall of Changdeokgung, it was used for major state affairs including the coronation of a new king and receiving foreign envoys

Completed in 1412, Changdeokgung is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the “Five Grand Palaces” built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897). Although it has been destroyed many times by war and fire, nearly 30% of the buildings are original and the rest are either being restored or are completed.

The administrative area - a warren of buildings to support the Joseon government

The administrative area – a warren of buildings to support the Joseon Dynasty government

We started in the administrative quarter and were surprised by how many beautifully ornate buildings there were.

Old tree in the administrative area of the Changdeokgung Palace

Old tree in the administrative area of the Changdeokgung Palace

After making our way through the main gate and up to the mightily impressive Injeongjeon Hall, we had a quick look around the King and Queen’s residences and yet more administrative buildings before heading to Huwon, also known as the Secret Garden.

Starting the guided tour of the Secret Garden. Tours are arranged by language, and the English ones are booked up a few days in advance - best to book online before you go!

Starting the guided tour of the Secret Garden. Tours are arranged by language, and the English ones are booked up a few days in advance – best to book online before you go!

We’ve become accustomed to the Asian definition of “garden” being a meticulously manicured space, but in Korea, it seems that nature has more of a hand in the planning – of the ones we’ve visited at any rate. The Secret Garden is so-called because it was reserved for royalty and their guests, and, really, I’d call it a forest: firstly because it’s huge – almost twice the size of the palace grounds; and secondly, visitors would have ridden a horse or have been carried around it, stopping at pagodas to admire the small set pieces of scenery. This explains the scale and the lack of view for strollers.

Us in the Secret Garden. In the background is the Buyongjeong pavilion, a recently restored National Treasure of Korea

Us in the Secret Garden. In the background is the Buyongjeong pavilion, a recently restored National Treasure of Korea

Access is by guided tour only, and our bubbly guide was very good, but there were a lot of people in the group and we found we had to be near the front as she would start the explanations as soon as she arrived at each point of interest. We missed a lot of the introductions, and we were by no means at the back!

This pagoda seems to float on a field of rice

This pagoda seems to float on a field of rice

"Ongnyucheon" or Jade Stream - a narrow channel carved in the rock curves its way to a tiny trickle of a waterfall

“Ongnyucheon” or Jade Stream – a narrow channel carved in the rock curves its way to a tiny trickle of a waterfall

Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Walls Hike

Hwaseong Fortress walls, looking down at the Hwaseomun west gate

Hwaseong Fortress walls, looking down at the Hwaseomun west gate

We’ve done quite a bit of hiking in Korea, and after the 13km of the Geumjeong Fortress hike we did in Busan, we figured the 5.7km of the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress south of Seoul would be a nice stroll in the park!

It was a lovely clear day, but it was hot work as we elected to go clockwise from the Paldalmun – the main south gate, which meant we had a steep climb followed by a gentler descent. We took it slow and were rewarded with lovely views of the city and the old walls snaking around the centre.

The climb, starting at Paldalmun past NamChi and NamPoru watchtowers to the SeonanAmmun secret gate

The climb, starting at Paldalmun past NamChi and NamPoru watchtowers to the SeonanAmmun secret gate

A lovely park with a lotus pond just outside the walls, with DongbukGaknu pavilion on the left

A lovely park with a lotus pond just outside the walls, with DongbukGaknu pavilion on the left

About two-thirds of the way round is a visitor centre where we stopped for some shade and a well-deserved ice-cream. Here they offer basic archery tuition as the site was historically used by soldiers for combat training.

The archery instructors giving a quick (and very accurate) demonstration in front of DongbukGongsimdon. "Gongsimdon" means an observation tower and its design allows for spotting enemies inside the walls

The archery instructors giving a quick (and very accurate) demonstration in front of DongbukGongsimdon. “Gongsimdon” means an observation tower and its design allows for spotting enemies inside the walls

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Gwacheon branch)

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Gwacheon branch)

Set in the Grand Park, which also contains a zoo and a theme park called Seoul Land, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art is a delight. Not only are the permanent collections free (bonus!), but it’s well laid out, had a fascinating and varied collection of artworks on display, and features a sculpture garden in its grounds.

Kids enjoying the centrepiece of the museum - "The More, the Better" by Dadaikseon, 1988 - produced in celebration of the Seoul Summer Olympics of the same year. It reminded us of the "Tower of Babel" we saw in Helsinki

Kids enjoying the centrepiece of the museum – “The More, the Better” by Dadaikseon, 1988 – produced in celebration of the Seoul Summer Olympics of the same year. It reminded us of the “Tower of Babel” we saw in Helsinki

Each gallery has a specific genre, such as painting, architecture, or photography (to name a few), we both enjoyed the design gallery exhibition entitled “Objectology” which explored the appreciation of everyday objects as art.

"Drum & Bass", by Mathieu Mercier, 2011 - we loved this mass-produced object interpretation of Mondrian's famous geometric compositions, very clever!

“Drum & Bass”, by Mathieu Mercier, 2011 – we loved this mass-produced object interpretation of Mondrian’s famous geometric compositions, very clever!

"Iron Plate+Wires+Plumbum", by Yoon Jeong-sup, 1995. Part of an exhibition of various works entitled "Wall"

“Iron Plate+Wires+Plumbum”, by Yoon Jeong-sup, 1995. Part of an exhibition entitled “Wall”

"Visual Point-Opener" by Kwon Dal-Gool, one of the many works in the sculpture garden

“Visual Point-Opener” by Kwon Dal-Gool, one of the many works in the sculpture garden

Bosingak Bell Tower

The Bosingak Bell Tower in central downtown Seoul

The Bosingak Bell Tower in central downtown Seoul

After our kimchi making class, we wandered through the centre of Seoul towards the Bosingak Bell Tower, and arrived to find a small queue near the steps and 3 guards at the entrance. As we approached the tower, the more flamboyantly dressed head guard turned to us and said “10 minutes” – we checked the time – it was 11:40.

We stood in the shade of the tower and a few minutes later the guards beckoned all of us inside and up the stairs to the second level – we followed the other group, feeling like we’d sneaked our way in. On the second floor we were treated to a bi-lingual explanation of the bell’s history before witnessing at arm’s length the mid-day bell ringing ceremony. Our timing could not have been better!

Introduction of the bell and the tower's history, followed by 12 loud dings of the massive bell

Introduction of the bell and the tower’s history, followed by 12 loud dings of the massive bell

Gwangjang Market

For our last day in Seoul, we’d thought about finding a street food tour like the one we really enjoyed in Hanoi, but when we looked at the menus of 12 or so Korean specialties, there were only 2 or 3 things we hadn’t yet tried, so armed with a short list and a pair of hungry bellies we headed to the Gwangjang Market – home to rows of street food stands!

The main entrance to Gwangjang Market. It starts out with clothes, souvenirs, toys and herbs, but quickly gets going into food

The main entrance to Gwangjang Market. It starts out with clothes, souvenirs, toys and herbs, but quickly gets going into food

The market is mostly small, independent clothing and shoe shops, except that the main east-west and north-south thoroughfares are given over to stand after stand of interesting, mouth-watering and occasionally stomach-turning delicacies!

Most of the clothes shops were closed as we visited on a Sunday, but most of the food stalls and mini restaurants were open and there was plenty of business!

Most of the clothes shops were closed as we visited on a Sunday, but most of the food stalls and mini restaurants were open and there was plenty of business!

Julie spotted the shallow-fried mung bean pancakes straightaway, but we walked the length and breadth to see if we could find everything on our list. First, we sat down to a plate of kimchi dumplings..

Is there no end to the uses of kimchi as a food ingredient? I'll wager it'd do a grand job of your brassware too

Is there no end to the uses of kimchi as a food ingredient? I’ll wager it’d do a grand job of your brassware too

Next up was the mung bean pancakes from one of the many mini factory-stalls turning the plain-looking beans into tasty, probably-not-so-healthy fried pancakes in front of our eyes

There were quite a few fried pancake stalls grinding down the mung beans and turning them into pancakes

There were quite a few stalls grinding down the mung beans and turning them into pancakes

The finished product, a mung bean, cabbage and shallot pancake. They come with all sorts of additional ingredients, including, yes, you guessed it, kimchi

The finished product, a mung bean, cabbage and shallot pancake. They come with all sorts of additional ingredients, including, yes, you guessed it, kimchi


Footnote: Not so much a sight, but something I want to remember about Seoul.. the subway screens play curated clips from Vimeo and Youtube in between public service announcements, and a series of short animations featuring two larvae caught our attention. It turns out they’re by a Korean animation studio, and I found the humour to be just my cup of tea.. here’s one of my favourites, and there’s a lot more on this Youtube channel if you like it too.. enjoy!

War Memorial of Korea and tour to the DMZ

War Memorial of Korea

20140730-163431-59671390.jpg’The Korean War Monument’ stands in front of the museum

Despite its name the War Memorial of Korea is more a museum of war than a memorial, although there are a few monuments in front of the museum building. The museum is huge and begins with a history of war and weaponry in the Korean Peninsula from prehistoric times through to the early 20th century, including a rather nifty device called a Hwacha for firing 100 rocket-propelled arrows at once and a 1:2.5 replica of Admiral Yi Sun-shin’s battleship which lead the Korean Navy defeat of the Japanese in 1592.

20140730-165239-60759280.jpgThe War History Room (clockwise from top left): Bronze Age stone daggers; busts of 16th century General Gweon Yul and Admiral Yi Sun-shin; an impressive array of cannons and mortars; colourful Joseon era armour and shields

BattleshipJulie with the scale model of Geobukseon, Admiral Yi Sun-shin’s battleship

However, most of the exhibition space is given over to the Korean War. Similarly to the Vietnam War, its name in the land where it was fought is not the same as the one we use – the South Koreans know the conflict as the 25th June War after the date when the North Korean troops invaded. The displays follow the war’s progress chronologically and expanded on what we had learnt at the UNMCK in Busan. The South was completely unprepared for and surprised by the invasion from the North whose troops had been in training for months. Within 3 days they had taken Seoul and just weeks later had conquered all but a tiny corner in the south-east of the country around Busan.

North Korean front lineThe furthest extent of North Korea’s front line

At this stage, the UN forces were fully deployed under the leadership of American General MacArthur and executed a counter-offensive at Incheon near Seoul to regain the capital and thence by pincer movement push the Communist troops back northwards. They were almost at the Chinese border, having captured most of the northern territory, when Kim Il-sung called on Mao for assistance from China and in desperately cold (-30 degrees) conditions the UN forces were forced to retreat as the Chinese Army joined the conflict. After a little toing and froing around the area which is currently demarcated as the border, a stalemate was reached and an armistice signed although technically the war has not ended.

Retaking SeoulSouth Korean flag being hoisted ourside the Capitol building to celebrate the recapture of Seoul

The usual museum type displays were punctuated with several audio-visual items including two ‘4D experiences’ which were essentially like war based theme park rides. They didn’t necessarily add much to the information we learnt, but definitely provided a nice change of pace. The first simulated the landings at Incheon with a 3D display and moving seats which made us feel as though we were aboard a boat in the harbour – not one for those who suffer from travel-sickness. The second was for me less successful, trying to replicate the bitterly cold retreat from the extreme north complete with an icy AC blast and 3D light show ‘blizzard’.

UK forces tribute at War Memorial of KoreaThe final Korean War exhibition room commemorated the UN forces and reiterated what we had learnt in Busan. It included this case of artefacts and information board of statistics for the UK’s participation.

Tour to the DMZ

Having brushed up on our Korean war history we were eager to visit the de-militarised zone or DMZ (in your best American accent that’s a ‘zee’ not a ‘zed’), the 4km wide strip of land around the ‘Military Demarcation Line’. Its name notwithstanding, it is actually the most highly militarised border in the world and can only be visited as part of a tour group. We’d booked on the very highly regarded United Service Organizations (USO) tour. USO is a non-profit organisation providing support and entertainment to US forces and their families. Our enthusiasm was scarcely dampened by the disclaimer that we had to sign on arrival at the USO offices – put simply it said that we acknowledged that we were about to enter what is technically still a war zone and any consequences were solely our responsibility…

On the bus with USO badgesUs on the bus with our USO badges

20140803-101654-37014718.jpgMap of the DMZ [source: Wikipedia]

It took just an hour on the bus to reach the Civilian Restriction Zone where the list of names and passport numbers previously provided to USO were checked by ROK (Republic of Korea, aka South Korea) soldiers and we were waved through. This is not the edge of the DMZ but an additional buffer that South Korea maintains, I suspect as a safety precaution so they don’t have lots of unaccompanied tourists wandering over the boundary lines into the minefields. Once inside, our first stop was the Dora Observatory, an observation deck overlooking the DMZ.

20140802-212803-77283418.jpgDora Observatory, the motto over the entrance reads ‘End of Separation, Beginning of Unification’

Inside the observatory we were shown a short presentation pointing out the major landmarks that are visible from there:

  • inside the DMZ on the northern side is Gijungdong, the ‘Propaganda Village’, with the third highest flag pole in the world and a massive North Korean flag with a dry weight of 60lbs, so heavy that it has to be taken down in inclement weather so that it doesn’t rip under its own weight. The village’s name comes from the rousing messages that used to be broadcast from loudspeakers there for large portions of the day. In fact the buildings are just a facade, empty shells with no actual inhabitants.
  • The Gaeseong Economic Area, a surprising and heartening story of collaboration between North and South employing around 700 South Korean workers (largely in managerial positions) and 50,000 North Korean workers manufacturing electronics, clothing and watches. The advantages of cheap labour for the various South Korean firms involved and much needed economic input for North Korea ensure a mutually beneficial outcome.
  • Taesongdong, the ‘Freedom Village’ on the southern side of the DMZ with a slightly smaller but still enormous flagpole has around 200 inhabitants guarded day and night by the UN and ROK forces. As the village is technically not in South Korea they are not required to pay tax on the money they make from their crops and the men are exempt from National Service. They are wealthy compared to the average South Korean farmer although life in the village must be very restrictive and there are rules for who can live there.
  • the unused railway lines running across the no man’s land
  • a GPS blocker on the northern side prevents TV and radio signals from the South reaching across the border. A side effect is that it disrupts mobile network signal for visitors to the DMZ.

Gijungdong 'Propaganda Village'View through the crowd to Gijungdong and its huge North Korean flag

After the presentation we were free to go to the outdoor platform and feed the binoculars with ₩500 coins (£0.30) to get a closer look at the North Korean side. Photos were allowed behind a thick yellow line about 3m back from the edge so that you could hardly see anything, especially with several busloads of people in front of you, but with a bit of zoom we managed to take a couple of pictures and Andrew got a few sneaky ones from the platform’s edge too.

View over DMZ from Dora ObservatoryView over DMZ towards North Korea

Next stop was the ‘3rd Tunnel’. Found in 1978 by the South Koreans (the third of four found so far, hence the name), it was dug by the North Koreans as an invasion tunnel, it is rumoured that there are quite a few more which remain undiscovered. There were electrical issues when we arrived, probably due to the pretty much constant rain that had been falling for the week prior. Because of this we were able to walk down the long ramp to the tunnel entrance but not take the usual trip into it. At the bottom we saw holes where the dynamite had been laid to blast the tunnel, black paint on the walls (the North Koreans’ cover story is that they were looking for coal…) and the ends of the PVC pipe boreholes which the South Koreans sank to find the tunnel.

20140802-221448-80088375.jpgView into the 3rd Tunnel [source: Koridoor]

At the bottom of the ramp we noticed a spout and drinking cups with a sign announcing ‘DMZ spring water’, we had to give it a try! Halfway back up the ramp there was a bit more excitement as the lights went out and for a couple of seconds before the emergency lighting came on it was pitch black! Making our way to the top in semi-darkness we saw a long queue of people waiting to go down and speculated that perhaps visits had been stopped until the electricity came back on – I think our timing was lucky.

After lunch and a quick look around Dorasan Station we made the short hop to Camp Bonifas, the US Army base at the edge of the DMZ and the entry point to Panmunjeom, or the Joint Security Area (JSA). This is where the armistice agreement was signed on July 27, 1953 and nowadays is the area in the DMZ where any talks between the two sides take place. It’s also a tourism destination from both sides (we know someone who has done a similar visit on a trip to North Korea). Our guides (and guards) for the day were US soldiers Specialist Wood, Private Barnhart, and their boss, 1st Sgt Bailey.

20140803-094711-35231487.jpgRailway tracks running towards Pyeongyang at Dorasan Station. Its tagline is ‘the first station toward the North, not the last station from the South’ and eventually it is hoped that it can connect into the Trans-Siberian Railway, linking Korea to the rest of Asia and Europe by rail.

We signed another disclaimer, this one was more focussed on behaviour within the JSA including no form of engagement or communication with any North Korean soldiers, no gesturing or pointing of any sort towards North Korea and generally being on best behaviour so there was no chance of photos or video from the other side showing the UN in an unfavourable light. For similar reasons, the dress code is strict – no T-shirts without collars, no sleeveless tops, no short shorts or skirts, no sandals. The USO tour rules were very emphatic about this and fortunately all of our group were deemed to be suitably attired.

Conference Row‘Conference Row’ in the Joint Security Area (JSA)

An army bus drove us from Camp Bonifas to the JSA where we were told to form into two lines before we walked through ‘Freedom House’, the South Korean’s main building here, to ‘Conference Row’ where the cross-border buildings are situated. Once we’d entered one of the small concrete buildings and gathered around the central table, Specialist Wood told us that the table was placed over the border so half the group was technically standing in North Korea! There to guard us were two ROK soldiers in a modified Taekwondo stance and dark glasses to make them look more intimidating. Neither of them moved a muscle while everyone shuffled around to have their picture taken near them, the Korean equivalent of the guards at Buckingham Palace. It was all a little surreal, on the one hand very serious, surrounded by soldiers on high alert, and on the other taking photos as if we were in front of a normal tourist sight.

Inside JSA conference roomInside the conference room

With ROK soldier in JSA conference roomUs with an ROK soldier, Andrew is on the North Korean side of the room

Back outside on Conference Row, Specialist Wood gave us some more information and pointed out a single North Korean soldier who he called ‘Bob’ standing out on the steps of the main North Korean building in the JSA, ‘Panmun Hall’. He was the only North Korean that we saw although we were assured that they were watching us.

Specialist Wood on Conference RowSpecialist Wood talking to us on Conference Row

North Korean soldierNorth Korean soldier

From Conference Row the bus took us back past a memorial for two American soldiers killed in the JSA by North Koreans in 1976, an event known as the Axe Murder Incident. Also the ‘Bridge of No Return’ where POWs from both sides were given the option to cross after the armistice was signed but with the understanding that there would be ‘no return’. In practice however quite a few North Koreans make it to South Korea each year though mostly via China, not through the DMZ. Our USO guide told us that they are welcomed with open arms and set up with a house and job as well as being invited to tell of their ‘terrible’ experiences in the North on TV.

Bridge of No ReturnOvergrown Bridge of No Return

We thoroughly enjoyed the tour to the DMZ although we were mindful to remember that everything we were hearing was from the South Korean perspective. Not that I suppose for a minute that North Korea is a blissful place to live, but I don’t suppose the DMZ villages are called ‘Propaganda Village’ and ‘Freedom Village’ over the border either. It should also be remembered that this is all politics, largely caused as far as I can see by rivalries between the US and the then USSR after WW2. Many Korean families were split with members on both sides of the dividing line and no way to stay in touch, so as far as they are concerned a unified Korea would be the ideal solution. Unfortunately, I think that 60 plus years of division will take quite a lot of untangling before unification is possible. To end on a positive note, as the DMZ is so untouched by humans, and despite the land mines, it is a paradise for wildlife and several endangered species are known to live there.