It was the season of cheerful cherry blossoms and soft cool breeze, April — the perfect time to visit and tour South Korea. Flying from Jeddah via Dubai International Airport for a layover to catch a direct eight-and-a-hal-hour flight to Seoul totaled 16 hours of travel time. Visiting five cities within a week in South Korea is challenging and can be hectic, but it will surely leave you with a different taste every time you hop from one town to another.
If you are traveling from a Gulf state, South Korea will not strike you as an expensive country, but it is not cheap either. You have to be smart about the choice of transportation and hotels depending on your budget. While it offers luxurious hotels with pampering massages and spa experiences, it also caters to a mid-budget traveler who is curious to know more about this country.
When in South Korea, you might feel a language barrier facing you every time you try to communicate with baristas and sales assistants. But Koreans are very friendly and will not hesitate to go the extra mile to offer help and try to give you directions even if by using hand gestures.
Seoul is one of the safest big cities I have been to. It is nice to take a long nighttime stroll to see the city lights and get a feel of the congested capital which is home to 10 million people.
As for the shopping scene, Seoul is known for its skincare and cosmetic product stores. Facemask packs would make an unusual yet very authentic gift to give from Seoul.
Myeong-dong market reflects the hustle and bustle of the city at night. This night market that stays open until 11p.m. — unlike shopping centers that close around 8 p.m. — is where you can enjoy walking among crowds of locals and tourists. You can enjoy street food on the go, such as grilled octopus and deep fried swirl-cut sweet potato wrapped around a long stick and deep-fried. If you have a sweet tooth, you can try the highly recommended Korean rice cakes or French crepe with a Korean twist. This is basically crepe smeared with Nutella topped with a big pile of corn flakes, and chopped strawberry and banana to munch on. Delicious!
Busan (technology, culture & film and a beach)
From Seoul to the southeastern city of Busan, one of the most attractive spots to visit in South Korea. This metropolitan city prides itself with combining a hub for technology and business on one hand and being a cultural and historical destination on the other.
Busan was the interim capital during the Korean War. If you are interested in the history of the split nation of Korea, and the losses of the war, it is worth visiting the UN Memorial Cemetery.
The cemetery was built in 1951, a year after the start of the Korean War, which ended in 1953. It honors UN soldiers from 16 countries that were killed in the war, from countries including the UK, Canada, Turkey, Australia, US, France and South Africa. Two flag honoring ceremonies take place everyday, except Mondays: A UN flag raising ceremony at 10 a.m. and a flag lowering ceremony at 4 or 5 p.m (depending on the season).
Away from its historic side, Busan has an aspiring vision into the future as it is working on becoming the Hollywood of Asia. In 2014, the city was designated by the UNESCO as a “creative city of film.”
For the past 21 years, Busan has been holding its International Film Festival, which appeals more to the Asian audience and film industry. The festival will have its 22nd edition in October. In 2013, Tom Cruise was the first Hollywood actor to attend a premier in Busan, which featured his film, “Jack Reacher.”
Suwon (Gyeonggi Province)
Perhaps it is in bad taste, but it is definitely a bizarre experience to visit this uniquely weird Haewoojae Museum or in other words: Mr. Toilet House. This small museum was built in a shape of a toilet seat in 2007 and there is an interesting story behind it. The man who built it, Sim Jae-duck, was born in the toilet of his grandmother’s house, and then grew up to passionately lead the Toilet Culture Movement and found the World Toilet Association.
This museum is where he lived the last two years of his life until his death in 2009. His family donated it to the city and turned it into a museum. The park surrounding the house became known as the world’s first toilet theme park.
Jae-duck took it as a mission, when he assumed office as the mayor of Suwon, to turn public toilets into clean usable washrooms for everyone as part of Suwon’s Beautiful Toilet Culture Campaign. He worked on improving toilets for fans attending the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea. The museum has national and international documents on the toilet culture from 1950 until today. If you happen to be in Suwon and you are into wacky museums, then swing by the free-entry Mr. Toilet House.
Gwangmyeong Cave (Gyeonggi Province)
Gyeonggi Province is home to another interesting site: Gwangmyeong Cave, an old mineshaft. Hundreds of kilograms of gold were mined between 1912 until its closure in 1972. It later turned into a public tourist site. As you enter the cave, the temperature changes to an average of 12C all year long, making it a place to warm up in freezing winter and cool down on a hot summer day.
Just before entering, you can pick a golden plaque to write the wishes you want to come true. Inside the cave, the “wall of wishes” is full of hanging plaques with wishes written on them in different languages.
As you leave the cave on your right hand side, you will spot the Gwangmyeong’s Comfort Woman Peace Statue with a vacant chair next to her for visitors to take photos. The statue was set up in 2015 and was funded by Koreans to commemorate the 70th anniversary of liberation. It is dedicated to Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army in occupied Korea before and during World War II.
As you leave South Korea, if you did not manage to finish your shopping, Incheon International Airport is one big shopping mall once you pass the security checkpoint. You will find a variety of stores including traditional Korean gift shops, ginseng stores, and luxury brands stores. You will also be entertained by a recurring traditional parade showcasing cultural Korean outfits and music — the right atmosphere to say annyeong! (goodbye) to your South Korean adventure.
Pocket info
Useful phrases
Annyeong haseyo! Hello
Gamsahamnida! Thank you
Annyeong! Goodbye
Budi: Please
Currency:
USD$1 = Won 1100 (approx.)
Tourist Police: 1330
Airport: Incheon International Airport
Flag:
Yin + Yang = Balance
The yin-yang pattern symbolizes the cold blue and warm red balance. The harmonious duality expresses the evolution of everything through mutual interaction.
— life.style@arabnews.com
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