I don’t mean to sound overly dramatic, but I hated Seoul. At first. However! I ended up spending three weeks here, and eventually found a lot of things to like about it. So you could say I’m quite conflicted about the place. Arriving straight from Japan just highlighted all the ways that Korea is different. And unfortunately, from my point of view, it was worse in almost every way. I was just so frustrated by this and that. It wasn’t easy to be a tourist here! Being in Japan had been so easy. In Seoul, I faced difficulties and roadblocks whenever I tried to do anything and it started to really get on my nerves. I truly was a poor, unfortunate Seoul.
Okay so let’s talk about the food. As a basic white boy from England, I struggled a bit with the spiciness of the local cuisine. Furthermore, I don’t understand one letter of Korean so when the restaurants have their menus outside – I didn’t have a clue. The English I could find on menus advertised dishes such as fish heads, pig’s feet, intestines and snails… so you can’t blame me for being distrustful. Finding an edible meal was always an absolute mission and consequently I started skipping them frequently as it was easier. Most of my frustration with the city likely stemmed from always being hungry!
Compared with Japan, the budget hotel options were pretty dire. The buildings themselves were often quite shoddy, the customer service was so-so at best, and the infrastructure was very hit and miss. In addition, being a pedestrian in Seoul is often a challenge. There are walkable districts, but they’re disconnected and the city is truly a place built for cars. Add in the fact I was there during the punishing heat of the summer, it made exploring quite a sweaty and frustrating endeavour. To drive my point home, it was this summer that the World Scout Jamboree took place in Seoul and tens of thousands of young people had to be evacuated and sent home early because the heat was so unbearable.
The Korean people… I was often taken aback by how unfriendly and sometimes crass they could be. People would stare at me brazenly everywhere I went. I witnessed plenty of dirty old men farting, spitting and peeing in the street as well as one guy completely naked giving himself a bath in one metro station toilet. I don’t know how westerners are perceived by the Korean people generally but I got the impression they wanted nothing to do with me unless they had to. Add in that everyone walks super slow and has zero spatial awareness, I was ready to lose my mind whenever I went anywhere!
Alright, now for the positives, of which there are many in fairness. Most of the museums in the city were free or almost free. You could get incredible vistas of the cityscape from many locations, making watching the sunset and the city turn to night very spectacular. The young people here were often beautiful with impeccable style, strong physiques and flawless skin. The clothes shopping was probably the best I’ve seen in Asia and really good value. Traditional architecture could be found all over the city and was subtle yet gorgeous. Getting around by public transport was straightforward and reliable.
I explored many different neighbourhoods, including the renowned and fashionable Gangnam, buzzing and touristy Myeongdong, lively Itaewon and trendy Hongdae. Every district has a unique character and was pretty fun to explore. While I did struggle with the food, I thoroughly enjoyed all the incredible cafes, and I did have some amazing food – when I accompanied a local to a restaurant of their choosing. I checked out the royal Gyeongbokgung Palace and complex, visited a few impressive art museums and took the cable car to the top of Mt Namsan. All of those were highlights, but it was the hikes I did in the hills around the city that I remember most fondly. That’s what pushed Seoul back into the ‘must revisit’ category for me.
By far the best part of my visit to Seoul was getting to meet up with my friend Eman, who inexplicably lives there now. Catching up with an old friend, learning about their life in a foreign country, and getting to hang out with his Korean boyfriend was an awesome experience and something I’ll never forget. Sadly, I didn’t get swept off my feet by a handsome local, so I bade them farewell and boarded my flight out of Korea. Despite the ups and downs, I will certainly be back before long, if not just to buy ALL the clothes.
Checkpoint Charlie 