Seoul General Tips by AKtravelers

Favorite Thing: No matter where you go in Seoul, you will continually be reminded of the U.S. military presence in Korea. Because of the large role the United States played un the U.N. defense of South Korea in the 1950's and over the last 50 years, this is unavoidable.
For the most part, the South Korean people realize that U.S. presence has had a positive influence. Without the U.S. presence, the present prosperity and democracy probably wouldn't exist. However, polls show that Koreans under the age of 35, brought up with the sunshine policy in a successsful nation worth being proud of, are less positively disposed toward the American presence. While they don't remember the Korean War, they do recall several accidents and crimes for which they believe American servicemen have received light or no punishment. While older Koreans support a continued US presence on peninsula, many younger Koreans would like to see it reduced.
Still, relations between individual Americans and Koreans are usually good. Lots of soldiers end up meeting Koreans and marrying them -- creating a strong and permanent link between the countries. No matter what the political situation, I have always been treated graciously by Koreans everywhere in Seoul.


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Favorite Thing: Whenever you wander about Seoul, don't fail to enjoy the melange of 19th and 21st century views. As the Korean government focuses energy into restoring its past it also pushes the country relentlessly toward technological advancement. Therefore, you see odd scenes such as the changing of the guard at Gyeongbukgung overseen by a flatsceen video advertisement or a statue of 16th-century Admiral Yi coughing in the fumes of rush hour traffic. While it may srtrike the visitor as odd, it's no less jarring than in Boston or Philadelphia. It would be nice if the entire historic core of Seoul were preserved like that of Bruges or Venice, but it's too late for that now. So enjoy Seoul the way it is, quirks and all.


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Favorite Thing: I have been visiting Seoul for over ten years and one of the striking things I have noticed is the change in the overall attitude toward North Korea. The regime in Pyongyang is no longer considered the monstrous bully that it once was -- even as it continues to pursue nuclear weapons. I guess the people of Seoul have lived so long under the threat of massive artillery bombardment that they no longer believe it will happen. Sure, the older generation has no love for the North: they remember the war, the attack on the Blue House, the Rangoon bombings. But the Sunshine policy has allowed many Koreans -- especially the younger ones -- to imagine a unified Korea once again, so they have a more positive view of North Koreans, though maybe not of Kim Jong Il himself. This is probably helped by a rather large number of North Korean refugees who now call Seoul home. Therefore, there is even a move afoot to annull the National Security Law that prohibits travel to the North, communist literature and contacting North Koreans among other things. Certainly, things are more relaxed. A tent like the one pictured would have been enough to get someone arrested in the old days of military rule.


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Favorite Thing: The people of Seoul are unfailingly friendly and polite. You will be amazed at how well you are treated by everyone, everwhere in Seoul. I am always impressed with how welcoming the Korean people are -- among the best anywhere in the world.
While this is usually good, it can be problematic at times. Since Koreans are so eager for you to enjoy your visit, they may overextend themselves to offer their help at all times. This is most notable whenever you refer to a map in public. You may not be lost, but are just checking directions, but usually an open map will be an invitation for a Korean to help. Sometimes, due to the language barrier, you may even get bad advice that contradicts the map! Since I'm a good map-reader, i always sneak to a hidden corner when I need to check on directions.

Fondest Memory: Amazingly, there are 22 Outback Restaurants in Seoul. I was looking to meet some friends at one, but the only information they supplied me was "The Outback in Myongdong". Well, it turned out that there were two outbacks within 10-0 meters of each other -- and my friends were in neither. The helpful hostess called a third Myongdong Outback, ascertained that my friends were there, then led me to the main street, flagged down a cab and explained my dilemma to the driver. I was reunited with my friends in no time. What great service!

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Favorite Thing: I am pleasantly surprised with the pride Koreans take in their traditions and history, despite years of being invaded by China or Japan. this is obvious in how well-maintained their cultural landmarks are despite years of abuse at the hands of occupiers.


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Favorite Thing: Korean is a very hard language for a native English-speaker to learn. I have managed to pick up a few phrases, but it's a lot more difficult than Spanish to try to improvise your way through a conversation.
Luckily for people like me, all Koreans learn English in school. This doesn't mean that everyone is fluent, but it does mean that people in the service industries are likely to have that language as their second language of choice. I have found very few Koreans who can speak French, but almost all educated Koreans will have some English.
In fact, you may get accosted by students of English from Ehwa Women's University who want to interview you in public. This happened to me in Insadong and to a friend of mine at Gyongbukgung. The first questionthey asked me was why I came to Korea. "For the bulgogi" was my answer.
Of course, it's still useful to be polite and use the Korean terms for hello "Anyanseyo", thank you "kamsahamnida" and you're welcome "Chanmaneyo". Put your emphasis on the first syllable and you will always get a smile from the people of Seoul.


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Favorite Thing: South Korea is the most wired country in the world. There is more bandwidth here per person than any place on earth and all it takes is a walk around Seoul to see it. Everywhere, people are accessing internet content via their cell phones, talking or text messaging. My friends and I see this so often that we consider it the South Korean national posture. There are internet cafes everywhere, often advertised by long vertical flags containing the letters "PC" in the Roman alphabet plus "bang" in Hangul. There are hot zones in many Starbucks. If you need to get on line, you should have no problem in Seoul.


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Favorite Thing: One of the more surprising aspects of Seoul is the number of Christian churches, often located in prominent places. With the exception of the Philippines, there are more Christians in South Korea than any other East Asian nation. I believe about 20% of the Korean population claims to belong to one of the Christian religions.


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Favorite Thing: The government seems to be making a concerted effort to promote Seoul as a tourist destination -- especially since South Korea co-hosted the 2002 World Cup. There seems to have been a marked increase in tourism-related construction and an outlay in tourist-related won. The refurbishment of the palaces and the number of changinng of the guard ceremonies everywhere are evidence of thais. THe newest manifestation of this apparent movement (I only know of it from what I observe) is the relandscaping of Namdeamun (Great South Gate). It used to be in the center of a traffic circle (see the picture I posted under Things to Do) but in between January and July 2005 they eliminated one quarter of the roadway so now you can walk in a park like setting right up to the gate. Even more surprising, they have posted 15th Century guards! Do they have a changing of the guard ceremony here, too? Let me know if you find out.


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Favorite Thing: Korean is a hard language for native English speakers to learn, but there's no reason why visitors to Seoul shouldn't learn the alphabet. Like Russian and English, Korean script is made up in letters, though the letters are combined into blocks of syllables tat may look like characters to the inattentive. Once you learn the simple rules for what sounds these symbols represent (rules with many fewer exceptions than English) you can read (but not comprehend) any Korean word. This is useful when finding subway or bus stops and may allow you to pick up a few Korean words that you see written everywhere (hajinshil == toilet is one equation I learned from reading). Furthermore, there are many Korean words that come from English (banana, ice cream) that you'll be able to read. So take the time to learn! Literacy is a great tool!


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