Seoul Local Custom Tips by sjvessey

The legacy of conflict Historical Anecdotes Review

One of the first things you notice here, and something which becomes more apparent the more you come to know Korea, is how deeply everyone in the country was, and remains, affected by the Korean war. Only recently did I discover just how close the North came to winning that conflict, and with compulsory military service, there are a lot of guys in uniform here. Not to mention the 10,000 people who work at Yongsan US Army Base, which takes up a huge chunk of real estate in central Seoul. But then, you've essentially got a (potential) war zone only 30 miles north of the city. The police carry M16 rifles and wear kevlar helmets, and in the west near Incheon, the entire coastline is fenced off with a barbed wire-topped mesh fence, to try to keep out infiltrators.

See my North v South travelogue for related photos and information.