What Seoul Is

Seoul is a lens through which to enjoy an uncorrupted view of a history and culture rarely understood or appreciated in the West. Situated between China and Japan, Korea is often overlooked by travelers, yet its capital city has done its share to showcase the marvels of this culture.

Seoul is a large urban area with all of the pomp and circumstance of a leading, global city, but without all of the hubbub of a major tourist destination. While it is not unusual to see foreigners in Seoul, it is out of the ordinary to see any that aren’t teachers, military personnel or there on business.

Seoul is a place to get experimental when it comes to eating and drinking. If you like the taste of garlic and spicy red pepper, you will be delighted by how many different combinations can be made with these ingredients serving as the base. With food relatively inexpensive, Seoul is a great place to take a “point and try” approach. Moreover, serving sizes tend to be small by Western standards, so there is not much to lose if you choose something not to your liking. This “point and try” approach works well with alcohol too; there are so many different types of alcohol, it would be impossible to list or try them all. Do try to branch out beyond the standard beer or soju staples. The milky, workman’s drink, makgeolli is a good place to start in exploring the uniqueness of Korean alcohol.

What Seoul Is Not

Seoul is not a place to encounter typical Western ideas of politeness. Understand that you will be pushed, shoved, bumped into, and/or cut off by pedestrians, cars, buses, and motorbikes while you are here.

Seoul is not a serious contender for any good driver citations. No amount of warnings can prepare you for the state of driving in this city: driving on sidewalks, running red lights, driving without headlights on, running curbs—buses, taxis, delivery trucks, police, and civilians—you name it: if it is potentially dangerous, Seoul drivers will do it. Be aware, be very aware.

Seoul is not a compact city. While Seoul’s public transportation is first-rate, it does sprawl: be prepared to walk. Even though most of the must-see sites are relatively clustered together, there can still be a considerable amount of walking involved.