Seoul, R.O.K. | Autumn 2026
Updated: 3 days ago
Ranked at 81st. according to Mercer's Quality Of Living City Ranking 2024, Seoul city comes after Singapore (#30), Tokyo (#56), Yokohama (#58), and Osaka-Kobe (#68) for cities in Asia. Known as a city of old & new, Seoul city retains it's old charm like Bukchon & Ikseon-dong, juxtaposed to it's high tech fast paced lifestyle and sky-scrapers like those in Gangnam. The Republic Of Korea is one of the four Asian Tigers that took development and technological advancement to the next level, experienced unprecedented industrialization which was coined as The East Asian Miracle. Just look around your house and you can easily identify many Korean-made household goods. One of the ingredients that made the country so successful is the government's investment in human capital, i.e. education. The combination of high savings and investment rates coupled with high human capital stock created explosive growth rates from the period of the 60's-80's which is often called the "Miracle On the Han River".
Day 1 - Arrival At Incheon In Style
There is a saying "Once you fly Prestige Class, you will never go back to economy". Our flight from Honolulu to Incheon was with Delta Airlines but serviced by Korean Airline's brand new 787-10.
The nine plus hour flight came with two meals. The first meal consisted of amuse bouche, an appetizer, soup, the main course, and a dessert with ice cream.
The second meal consisted of a salad, a main course and a fresh fruit platter. The main course choice was that of a more traditional Korean Kalbi with rice or a chicken pasta.
In between meals, we were also offered an unlimited amount of snacks and drinks. The Prestige 2.0 is definitely a game changer as it offers each customer a very unique and memorable experience. The seat was very comfortable with the ability to lie flat with ample leg space. The in-flight entertainment offered many varieties of movies and music genres.
We got off the plane and made our way through the airport towards the arrival hall. It was truly modern and full of people!
There were long lines at the immigration check point; but even that went very smoothly. The airport itself looks brand new; sleek, and modern with huge halls to welcome the thousands of visitors.
Car rentals in Seoul are just not a thing. There were only two counters - one for Hertz and the other for Avis. Almost all, if not everyone, took public transportation or a taxi. We picked up our "tuckson" and headed into the city. There were just a few spots of slow going bumper to bumper traffic, but overall it was pretty smooth sailing.
There were many lighted bridges along the way, and as we entered Seoul City, we were greeted with many high rises and the iconic Namsan Tower; lighted green against the night sky. Here is a short video of our night drive into the city.
It took us about 1 hour and 25 minutes to go from Incheon to our residence in Gangnam. Jay, the owner, greeted us and helped us to check in. The unit is on the 5th floor and is very comfortable.
I think the USA has spoilt us with its large and spacious bathrooms, and huge kitchens. Everything in the USA is bigger. Here we found the trash cans to be tiny and the bathroom sinks without any counterspace. But these are the things that make travelling so interesting!
By the time we were fully unpacked and showered, we were completely knackered! Time for a good night's rest!
Day 2 - Namsan Seoul Tower & Driving To Bukhansan
We woke up energized and got off a good start by hiking up Namsan to the top where the Seoul Tower with its highest view point over Seoul City center is. It turned out to be quite a beautiful day, with clear and sunny skies. We started from the Namsan Park Public Parking and was early enough to get a good spot. From here we walked past the old Seoul City Wall with informational signs on how the wall was built. The wall runs through Namsan Park with three areas of wall preservation; with some sections beautifully preserved.
The walk up was a good workout and we actually broke a sweat or two. The path was paved and had wooden steps along side remnants of the wall. The foliage was still not in full autumn colors as yet, but starting to turn. In this early morning there were also many locals exercising up the mountain.
On the way up, there were several spots to stop and take in the emerging views of the city. These were also great stops to catch one's breath!
Towards the top, we walked past the cable car; which was quite well built as it is hidden from the trail. Its always nice when such places are well designed. In this way, those wanting the seclusion of nature is not disturbed by manmade infrastructure. There was also a whole area dedicated to love locks that started way back in 2006. I guess this is how the locksmith makes money from tourists!
The views at the top were breathtaking and one can see almost the entire city of Seoul and the mountain range of Bukhansan.
As we were coming down, there were streams of people and bus loads making their way to the top. So glad that we came early enough in the day to avoid the peak crowd.
The next thing on our agenda was finding a place to have our brunch. Our morning walk had worked up a good appetite! Since we were right next to Myeondong, we decided to take a look there. Amazingly, we found a halal Malaysian restaurant tucked away in an alleyway. We ordered the preset meals - Nasi Goreng Fried Chicken and Chicken Curry Roti Set Lunch. The food was tasty but I suspect the roti was not made fresh but reheated from a frozen made one. The fried chicken was definately KFC (Korean Fried Chicken)!
Having had our fill, we then decided to take a drive around the city to check out the many sights and sounds by car. Because it was Saturday, many of the popular tourists attractions were packed. We drove past the Gyeongbokgung Palace where many visitors were dress in the Korean Traditional Hanbok clothing. Its a free entrance when dressed this way. Its also a smart thing for the government as it creates a nice tourist participation that also makes the scenery more historic.
From here we drove further north past the Korean President's residence called Cheongwadea (also known as the Blue House contrary to the USA President's White House) and through Bugaksan. The area in front of the Blue House was packed with police so all we managed to catch was a long distance shot from Namsan and the fountain in front of the house. The Blue House area is directly behind the palace and it is in the foothills of Bugaksan where many diplomats live.
We then drove even further north to visit Bukhansan. It was crazy busy and the traffic on a Saturday was grid locked! It was just so amazing to see so many people going hiking or using the parks, or just being on the road going somewhere for the day.
We finally found a more quiet town on the other side of Bukhansan outside of Seoul in a place called Gyeonggi-do. Here the apartments were newly minted and its occupants were young couples. They had great views of several Bukhansan peaks.
Having stopped for a few snacks and to pick up some groceries, we then made our way back to Gangnam. We drove past Yeouido Hangang River Park - only to see it packed with picnickers! So we didn't stop to visit. Its such a contrast to nature in the outskirts of Seoul.
Our final stop for the day was to visit the area called Songpa-gu that is sandwiched between Lotte World Tower and the Olympic Park. The street was filled with Korean BBQ smoke, with many eateries in the area.
It is here that we found a Malaysian Restaurant called The Makan. We tried their Nasi Lemak, Char Kuey Teow, Mertabak and Chicken & Beef Satay. It was interesting watching our Korean server make teh tarik!
The food here was really good. We should visit again to try their Penang Prawn Mee!
Day 3 - Looking For Clear Skies
Today it is really gray in Seoul City as the weather called for rain all day. This was due to typhoon weather coming from the southwest.
You would think that we'd stay indoors, but no... instead we decided to take a drive out of the city to the nearby fortress of Namhansanseong. It was already raining in town but it wasn't too bad. As we entered the forested area it started to pour! So we drove slowly on the winding mountain road past traditional Korean structures, many of which housed all kinds of Korean food. There were very quaint locations along the way and we could see that the leaves here were already changing. We also had to pass through a tunnel, and as we exited it was really foggy! See our video of the drive through the mountain fortress.
Having worked up an appetite, we then drove back into town to look for more Malaysian food. So we headed back to Myeongdong to try a spot called Lepak Laa. This is a pretty authentic Malay food restaurant. We tried their Hainan Chicken Rice, Mee Goreng, Roti Canai, and Fried Chicken Rice.
Even though it was raining, Myeoungdong was still bustling with people. Near the restaurant was a trendy E-Mart, and next to that was a very busy Daiso. The area had many stores all lighted up in bright neon lights.
The rain was forecasted to stop at 6pm and amazingly it actually did stop then! So we decided top take a walk along one of the 12 Hangang Parks. This was the stretch between the Gangnam and Banpo bridges. There were many walkers, joggers and bicyclists. The scenery by the river was really nice; with the floating stores that were brightly lit, to the waterfall light display on Banpo Bridge, and of course the majestic view of Seoul Tower on the opposite shore on top of Namsan.
It was a good walk and a great way to end the day. Got to come back with the zoom lens!
Day 4 - Seoraksan National Park, Sokcho
We started the day early and drove to Seoraksan National Park in Sokcho, close to the east coast region. The drive was very scenic, passing through many tunnels. Amazing engineering and excellent road building thru the many mountains along the way.
Additionally, there were these amazing rest stops along the way. There were small ones as well as these huge stops filled with everything you may want and more - gas, water, food (of every type) convenience stores, shopping and even a robotic ramen kiosk. We stopped to buy some fruit and to fill up on some snacks. One could tell that it was designed for a large number of folks on the road.
We got to the national park in about 2 hours. Here is our first glimpse of the Seoraksan peaks along a somewhat dry rocky river bed at the east entrance. Its amazing how the carefully crafted photograph can make it seem serene and peaceful...
The reality was very much contrary to that! There were already heaps of people at the parking lots, not to mention those making their way to the official entrance by foot, car and bus. There must have been thousands of visitors at this peak hour of about 10am in the morning. This area is primarily the area of Sokcho where there is the Kensignton Hotel and the primary visitor center.
Most will just come to visit the visitor center, take a cable car up the mountain, and enjoy a short walk around the base where there are many traditional buildings and cafes.
We decided to hike the Ulsanbawi Rock Trail. We covered over 8 miles of hiking from the lower parking lot to the top of the lookout point, and back to the car. The entire hike and views were breathtaking.
The trail was nicely constructed with many stairs and hand guards to help one up the precarious granite rock face. The entire trail was hikers back to back, making it a bit slow going. If you want real peace and tranquility, go elsewhere.
We got to the top in about 2.5 hours, with a solid cardio and legs workout. I definitely burnt at least 2,000 calories climbing the steps alone!
The sweeping views were incredible. You can see the coastline too.
Now, the task is halfway done. Going back down proved to be even harder, especially on the knees. But one has to take it slower to just enjoy the spaces in between the mad rush of people. The Korean red pine and the maple trees, make for a great sense of tranquility - if only for a moment.
We managed to get ourselves down in one piece and back into the sea of people! We made a beeline towards the first food & beverage station we came across and gulped down an ice cold lemon tea. It was a great way to rest our weary legs before continuing back to the car. It's just amazing how many people can drink hot beverages after a long hike on a warm day. Then again, many of those in the cafe were just walking around the base and were probably getting cold!
We managed to get back to the car at about 4 pm, or less than 5 hours since we started. It was a good day, even though it was crowded. Not sure if we would do it again. But doing it this once was certainly worth it. Here is a video of our climb.
By the time we got back it was almost 8pm. We made a quick stop at the McDonald's near our house (no Filet o'Fish!) before crashing out for the night!
Day 5 - The Old and the New
We slept in today, recovering from our hike from the previous day. So we pottered around our very comfortable home here in Gangnam. The apartment itself is located on the 5th floor of a 6 story building. There are a total of 8 units in this building, of which the first two floors have two units each. Each unit has a parking spot on the first floor of the building. There are some ingenious things about this building... like the elevator and stairs. Both share the same shaft and the elevator starts half a story up and ends half a story to the 6th floor. This means that it only has four stops for a 6 story building! Truly a cost saving. The parking is also pretty tight, but somehow it fits midsize SUVs like the Hyundai Tucson that we were driving. I think all Korean drivers have a pretty good sense of their vehicles as they can squeeze through and past each other and things within millimeters!
It was nice and sunny today so we decided to venture out and into Yeouido to try another Malaysian restaurant called the The Makan. We had already tried the other branch in Songpa-gu; apparently there are three of these spread throughout the city. The food isn't bad but it wasn't really authentic either. The Nasi Goreng Kampung was really spicy too. The food taste has definitely been adapted for the Korean palette.
This restaurant was in the basement of the IBM building. Because it was lunch time, the place was crawling with lots of people. Bad timing on our part, as it was hard to find a parking spot at this hour. However, by the time we left, it was after 1pm and everyone had gone back to work. The area itself was fill with high rise office buildings. It is also here that they do this tethered helium balloon ride called Seoul My Soul.
We then drove from here to the Buksan Hanok Village. The drive through town truly shows how Seoul mixes both the old with the not so old and the new.
Especially as we made our way down Sejong-daero; which has statues of Admiral Yi Sun-Sin and of King Sejong.
Although we had set out to not walk today, we did stop and took a walk around the Bukchon Hanok Village. These were traditional Korean housing that were once homes of the aristocrats that lived between the Geongbukgung and Changgyeonggung Palaces. It was hard to capture just the traditional homes as many have been upgraded with electricity, and modern conveniences. Further, it was hard to avoid the electrical wires and cars. Nonetheless, it was interesting to see how it must have been - with its narrow streets and public laundry facilities.
The main street was of course full of people. Mostly tourists from all walks of life. So we decided to take the uncommon path through the private housing in the area. All of these buildings both traditional and new are truly people's homes. Its so strange to see folks going about their daily routines while tourists are gawking at their homes(!) Here is the link to a short video of our walk in the area.
Having had our fill of the traditional homes we then drove to Naksan. Here we did a short hike up the small hill to its Seoul City Wall section with a view of Namsan. Although it wasn't too busy, it too had its fair share of tourists but this time in two small tour groups. The sights along the wall were interesting with Namsan in the distance.
As the sun had set, we then decided to head back to Gangnam to look for a small restaurant called 1 Degree North. This is a Singaporean restaurant specializing in roast pork, char siu and Hainan Chicken. We bought their special set for two - which came with a nice mix of siew yuk (crispy pork belly), char siew, roast duck and Hainan chicken, with chicken rice and a smorgasbord of pickled vegetables and sauces (chili, hoisin, and gochujang). We also tried their Kun Loh Mein. Alas, all the meats and the rice were really good, but the noodles were more like the soft Maggi noodles rather than the expected chewy egg noodles. Regardless, it all made for a very satisfying meal.
Yet another great day Seoul City. Our legs are feeling it as it was just under 10k steps today - albeit mostly up hill!
Day 6 - A Visit to the Civilian Control Area at Paju
As we age physical recovery seems to take longer than usual. So we rested this morning looking for what our next adventure will be. There are many off the beaten path locations to visit - but there are three commonalities: 1) Hike a mountain (mostly paved with steps and good infrastructure); 2) Shopping (of every type from open street markets to posh department stores); and 3) Eating (of every type - though somewhat "Koreanize"). The main thing is that it is done with thousands of other people. Having said that, there are those fleeting moments captured in photos that helps one to experience it with less people, and there are truly those more rural spots where the tourists are locals looking for a quieter space. It is hard to come by in a city with more than 26 million people in the greater metropolitan area; representing more than half of South Korea's total population.
But the one thing that we had to do was to visit the Civillian Control Area at Paju. Its hard to imagine that Seoul is just about an hour drive from the 54th parallel demarcation between North and South Korea. Imjingak is just 7 kilometers from the crossing. Most of the drive once past Goyang is along the Imjin River - a right fork of the Hangang in the north. Here the bustling city scape gives way to farmland and hills. Across the Imjin River is the DMZ marked by the barbwires and guard posts along both sides of its banks.
On the way over we stopped at a cafe called Munjiri 535. The facade was pretty nondescript, but once you entered the building it was a whole world onto itself. Strangely, the cafe faces the DMZ and there were many just lounging - taking in the view! The food here was pretty good. We tried their spicy ahi sandwich and a salad sandwich; along with two buns - one a garlic cream and the other a sweet kaya. It was a bit on the expensive side by Korean standards, but they were all very tasty.
Now Imjingak itself is a weird place of contradictions. It is half amusement park half somber memorial. It sports a full theme park and peace gondola, side by side to the barb wired fencing, an old steam train full of bullet holes, and Camp Greaves - a previous USA encampment for troops guarding the DMZ, now turned into historical and art displays. The stories are gruesome yet the play of colorful art pieces seem to contradict to a future time where the North and South are reunited. It is sad and hopeful at the same time.
The first part of the visit had us walking through a very open park with children playing on the grass, many windmills blowing in the wind, with sculptures and an oddly placed ROKAF F-4 Phantom 2 jet static display.
We then skipped the amusement park and walked to the memorial hall of abductees, followed by military commemorations from the various nations that helped South Korea during the Korean War of 1950-53.
The next set of displays were that of the Bridge of Freedom. It is named as such because post the Korean Armistice Agreement some 12,773 prisoners of war were returned south along this bridge. The bridge itself was originally a train crossing. One of the last steam trains to cross is located at the start of the bridge showcasing its metal armor full of bullet holes. Additionally, there is now a souvenir store in the bunker that once protected the crossing.
Across the water there were several guardposts and oddly the cable car station.
So we had to take a ride on the cable car to visit Camp Greaves. Apparently, the camp was just recently given back to the provincial government, who is now creating an even bigger historical park. One can easily spend a full day here exploring the many exhibits and art galleries.
Photography is limited on the grounds to just the installations. One can see the neighboring military buildings beyond the hills. Regardless, the displays were very interesting and best of all, there were very few people visiting today.
On the way back, one can see the open fields and the Imjingak River which normally runs yellow but this time was a deep green.
The drive back to Seoul was uneventful as the sunset over the north mountains. We of course hit traffic immediately as we entered Seoul. This time bumper to bumper. So we stopped at our current favorite restaurant in Gangnam - 1 Degree North. Here we had to eat our Singaporean version of the Hainan Chicken Rice and Kun Loh Mee. Great way to end the day!
Day 7 - Walking the Heart of Seoul City
Each day we think we are going to take it easy, but then we end up either walking or hiking a few miles. Today we decided to do a 6.54 miles round trip from the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) to Gyeonghuigang Palace and back. It was an interesting walk skirting DDP pass Dongdaemun Gate, then down to Cheonggyechoen Stream, up to Jongno-ro, to then join back up at Sejong-daero. Then through the Peace Garden past the Korean History Museum to the palace. Our return would take us past City Hall along Euljiro.
The DDP was quite interesting with its modern architecture and curvy lines. Within its walls were many displays and even a magazine library.
Leaving the DDP we headed pass Dongdaemun Gate and down into Cheonggyechoen Stream. The fall colors have not arrived here and so it was still pretty green. There were many large carp in the stream but alas we had no feed to give them. We were not so impressed by the waterway, though its history is interesting. Originally built in the Joseon Dynasty as a major waterway from the palace. It then became a post war slum after the Korean War, as refugees built shanties along its walls. Then in 1958 and 1961 the city buried the polluted stream with concrete. With industrialization an elevated expressway called Cheonggye was built over it in 1968. Finally between 2003-05, the elevated highway was torn down as the city embarked on an urban park renewal program that rediscovered the stream and built over 22 crossings along its 6.8 miles.
From here we climbed back up to the main street and walked past many small businesses selling mechanical goods and parts. It was interesting to see how small the shops were. These then gave way to the artsy shops of Insa-dong.
Soon we were at Sejong-daero - a very large boulevard with Gyeongbokgung Palace on the north end. Here the crowd was thick with tourists from all over the world. There were also a good amount of police in the area as this road is often the path of protesting unions and/or activists. Along this stretch we get to see Admiral Yi Sun-Sin with his famous sayings, the statue of the Great King Sejong, and the Peace Gardens on it west flank. Of course there is the nice view of the palace gates and Bugaksan in the background.
We then made our way to Gyeonghuigang Palace as this was less touristy and therefore, not as crowded. It is the smallest of the 4 palaces in Seoul. Its gardens were just as beautiful and there was an interesting water spring at the back of the palace called the King's rock. It is said that the King purposely built here because of the natural rock and its spring.
Of course we had to do some "tae-kwon-do" when on such grounds!
On our way back, we noticed that there were many art pieces along the way. From traditional statues to uniquely designed buildings and contemporary pieces. It made the walk back more interesting.
On returning to Sejong-daero, we noticed a large gathering of police along the boulevard. In the distance we could see a large number of protestors walking the road towards the palace. They were led by a truck with a man speaking through loud speakers. It was a sight to see as they were protesting the 'chaebol' in favor of unionizing construction workers.
As we walked pass the City Hall, there was the Seoul My Soul stage and letters. Couldn't miss out on the juxtaposition against the modern skyline.
Finally we were on the home stretch back to DDP. We briefly skirted pass Myeongdong and into the Dongdaemun markets. Here were the fabric markets and a cool looking alley of dried seafood. This is more like the Seoul of the 1990s.
By the time we got back to the car it had been three hours and 19 minutes covering some 6.54 miles. We were knackered. So we made a quick pit stop at the McDs near our homebase and called it a day! Here is a video of our walk.
Day 8 - Sacheon Air Show 2026
We woke in the morning feeling well rested. So we decided to take the long drive down to Sacheon. This is an approximately four hour drive from Gangnam, Seoul to the Sacheon Airbase, Sacheon.
This drive does the full length of the South Korean peninsular; which is smaller than the Malaysian Peninsular (~51 to 39 square miles / ~100 to 130 square km). The drive was pretty uneventful. Not too much scenery as it is mainly elevated highway infrastructure. The rest stops here are more functional and less lux. We had an interesting treat at the rest stop called a Tornado Hot Dog! Unfortunately, there wasn't much of any fall colors along the way, except for one hill before a tunnel entering Muju (where the Jirisan National Park starts).
There was pretty bad traffic at the mountain pass due to construction. The four lane merge became two lanes and ultimately one lane entering the tunnel. It definitly added an hour to our drive. So we finally reached Sacheon just after 1pm. By then the sky had clouded over and we had trouble finding the parking lots. There were several throughout the town but there weren't any good signage. The first one that we went to was full and so we had to find another. We lucked out by getting to a spot called MRO. Here we took the bus into the airbase. It was a party bus! We finally arrived at the base at 2:30pm - just in time for the Black Eagles' performance.
The place was massive. There were many exhibitions and things for kids to do. It was definitely a day out for the family. Although it was pretty crowded, it was actually not crowded by Korean standards. This was probably because it was a Friday and the full force of visitors would only be present on the weekend. This airshow easily attracts more than half a million people each year. It was great seeing the static displays as there were many exhibitors selling their military equipment.
The Black Eagles performance was really nice too. With their flair and colorful smoke. Here is a video of their performance. We also got to see the KF-21 both in flight and static on the ground. The feeling of its jets on the flyby was just great!
As part of the demonstrations for the day, we also got to watch the Sacheon Highschool Tae Kwon Do team perform; with their impressive high breaking jumps.
It was curious to see these KAI made planes and helicopters. They seem familiar yet not. The heart of these are still made by Lockheed Martin, yet the body and avionics are localized. Its just like the Woongbi plane looks and sounds just like the Pilatus PC-9 ( they both share similar turbo prop engine).
By the time we left it was about 5pm. But we had to line up to catch the bus back to the MRO parking lot. Luckily, our line wasn't that long. In comparison, there was another line that was probably 20 time longer to another lot! Our line was about a 40 minutes wait, as the sun started to set and a few raindrops started to fall. We finally made it back to our car.
The drive back to Seoul was rainy, foggy and dark. We had to stop a few times at the rest stops to snack up and stretch our bodies. We finally got into Seoul just before 11pm and made our way back to our home base in Gangnam. Although we were tired we were also pretty hungry. So we decided to try some Korean food near the home base. This was a 24 hour restaurant serving traditional Korean pork BBQ. So we tried their famous flower pork belly chigage. It made for an interesting meal.
Service wasn't that great as language is always the issue. Our server did speak a little English and of course we did not speak any Korean. But somehow we got through it! Next door was the McDonalds, where we picked up two McFlurries. We can always count on the good old American fast food for comfort food!
Day 9 - Old Making Way for New
This is our last full day in Seoul. So we decided to get more Malaysian food. This took us to a place called Kota on the northern side of Myeongdong, just south of Euljiro. This restaurant is in a much more gritty spot with a lot of small shops selling odds and ends. The streets here are also not so clean. Not because there is rubbish, but rather because its covered with soot and dirt. It was a little tricky to find the spot as it is upstairs behind Korean signage that we could not read! Although there was a sign by the corner indicating that its entrance was in the alley. Unfortunately, the place was only selling snacks and drinks at the time, with its full menu only available after 6pm. So we moved on...
This time we drove to Iteawon to look for a place called Itaewon Kitchen. It was located on the lower hillside just adjacent to the Seoul Mosque. We found a spot to park after looping around a couple of times. This was a tight spot with a parking garage that stacked the cars in an underground slot stacker. It was cool to see the car come back up from beneath when we returned to retrieve it.
Unfortunately, when we got to Itaewon Kitchen it was closed. I guess they didn't bother to update their open hours on Google. So we found another next door called Siti Sarah Korean Indonesian restaurant. It too was supposed to be close but we found an Indonesian student who happened to work there, willing to let us sit at a table while we waited for the cook to return. Now this was an interesting spot as many customers left money under the table glass - signed with their names and when they visited.
The food was in fact pretty good. We tried their Bakso and Nasi Goreng + Ayam Goreng. Both were delicious! The Bakso is a fusion of Indonesian meat/seafood ball with a soup base that is Korean. It certainly was very tasty.
Now that we were full, we decided to walk the surrounding area. Right across the street, the old was being torn down to make way for a new development called the Hannam New Town redevelopment. Here the buildings have been evacuated and its inhabitants paid to leave. A whole section called Hannam-dong has already been flattened and is now just a graded open space. Next is Bogwang-dong, which is still standing but fully evacuated. This is what it looks like when the old is making way for the new. There are many articles about this development, with many opinions both good and bad. Here is the link to one that was somewhat interesting.
I hope they are not going to demolish the Seoul Central Mosque. This area adjacent to the mosque has many Halal restaurants. Though its really strange that there are also a whole bunch of bars and night clubs right next door too...
As the sun had set, we were treated to a beautiful twilight. So we walked a full block around the area into a street called Ihwa Street. It was a narrow street with many folks patronizing the many bars and restaurants along on either side. It made for some nice street shots of the area - again with the high contrast between the old and the new.
Since it was a nice night out, we decided to visit a local spot with some good night views of Gangnam across the Han River (Hangang). This is a lesser known spot for night photography is called Eungbongsan. It would have been even nicer if more of the foliage were to be trimmed back. There is a steep road up to the top where there is a lookout point with a nice pavilion called Eungbongsan Palgakjeong Pavilion. One can see Lotte World Tower on the south side as well as Namsan's Seoul Tower in the distance behind the trees on the north side.
It was a good way to end our day, with some great views of the city!
Day 10 - Saying 안녕히 계세요 (Annyeonghi gyeseyo)
Time had really flown by with the slightly over a week stay in South Korea coming to a close. It was packed with a lot of activities from being in nature, to being jammed packed with others in the busy streets, to the long drives, and air show. This is one holiday where one feels one needs another vacation to just recover from it all! Seoul City is a vibrant and diverse city. It is very much a place of old and new.
We said our farewells to Jae who was a great host. We will always remember our comfortable stay at his apartment that was fairly large and fill with sunlight. We will know not to rent a big car as our Hyundai Tucson just barely fit into his parking lot!
We took a last drive around the Seoul Olympic Park and then our to the expressway. Traffic wasn't too bad as we made our way along the Han River. We had our last look at Lotte Tower, Namsan with Seoul Tower, and Bukhansan. We also drove by the crazy construction of DH Banpo 24 - a massive luxury apartment redevelopment project located right next to the Banpo Bridge. The complex will consist of 5,007 households spread across 50 buildings. It features 5 underground floors and rises up to 35 floors above ground. Among its facilities includes an indoor skating ring, 50m swining pools, football field and bowling alley. What's even more interesting is that there is a government cap on the pricing so these will initially sell for about 3 to 3.2 Billion won (2.2 to 2.4 million USD), then on the aftermarket, it will probably sell for 5 to 6.3 Billion won (3.8 to 4.8 million USD) - making an easy 1.5 to 2.3 million USD. There is a catch though to even initially buy it one must put down about 1.5 million USD in personal cash alone. This is why the rich only get richer...
As we approached Incheon, we started to see the many bridges and the many islands that it crosses. We didn't get the chance to visit Sindo Island just north of the airport. It was just recently connected by the Sindo Peace Bridge which opened on July 14, 2026. This bridge is part of the West Sea Inter-Korean Peace Road project. This huge undertaking is designed to build long-term infrastructure aimed at connecting Incheon International Airport to North Korea through a strategic network of bridges and highways. From Sindo Island to Gwanghwa Island and then on to Kaesong and Haeju in North Korea. Of course all of this is dependent on the political climate between the North and South.
We found our way back to the car rental parking spot and smoothly returned the vehicle. Driving in Seoul is not for the feint of heart. Just navigating back to the car rental parking is not super clear as you will need to match the Korean characters to the hand out that we were given at the start of the trip. But we made it! Getting through customs and security was also a breeze. The first gate had lots of people but it also had cameras stationed at the other gates so that you can decide if you want to walk a bit further for a less busy entry point. This is exactly what we did - with Gate 1 being super busy, we went to Gate 2 and it was less than 10 minutes through. The airport itself is super modern with high ceilings of steel and glass.
There were also several robots along the concourse. One is a standing robot that has information to help you get to your gate or other general places at the terminal, another is for helping passengers carry their luggage, and the Boston Dynamics dog for emergencies. Unfortunately, they were mostly docked and not active.
Terminal 2 was buzzing with people as the many shops greeted travelers. You can buy almost anything here. We made our way to the Korean Air East Lounge - where we had a very hearty meal of both Korean and western food.
It also had a Ramen Library with many types to choose from. The lounge was darkly lit with many individual stations to rest at. It also had a large bar down the middle and really good shower and bathroom facilities.
Since we had quite a bit of time to fill, we then decided to take a walk and to visit the other Korean Air Lounges. So we made our way to the Korean Air West Lounge which is said to be the largest of all the lounges at Terminal 2. It had the same kind of food as the East Lounge minus the Ramen Library. It certainly had an impressive entry foyer.
As we walked along the concourse towards our gate we could see that the place was recently expanded with additional art and eating spaces.
Finally, we visited the Korean Air Garden Lounge, which was right by our flight's gate 218. This was a much smaller lounge though nicer because it was not crowded. We did not get to visit the fourth lounge at Terminal 2 as it was on the opposite end from where we were. All three that we did visit were nice - though it would be nicer if one could also do some plane spotting.
We finally boarded our flight at about 8pm. It was not very full and the service was really good. We slept most of the way and were greeted with a nice sunrise and view of the Waianae Coast on our way into Honolulu.
The 10 days in South Korea went by pretty quickly. It was packed with many things to do, see and experience. Here are our observations:
Seoul is pretty mountainous. Its not obvious at first because you don't really see the mountains high up against the skyline. They are instead subdued by the lack of contrast and color, and you only start to realize it when you drive or walk around town. It is hilly! Our legs can definitely attest to it!
The sky is open and the skyline is filled with tall buildings along the Han River. Building after building. Most if not all residents of Seoul live in apartments. There were many remaining from the 60s and 70s - prime for teardown and redevelopment. And they certainly make these mega redevelopments like DH Banpo 124 with its 50 new buildings all at once. Or the clearing of the Hannam New Town development that tears down the old neighborhoods to make way for these high rise cities on its own.
The weather was interesting too as it swings from day to day. One day it was stormy and cold, another it was sunny and warm, and then the next it was foggy and cold again. These were daily swings of about 20 degrees.
The national parks are truly beautiful, in its own Asian way. Think of the traditional paintings with colorful temples and pavilions, with the rocky mountains and red pines. This is actually how it looks like in real life! Seoraksan was a well maintained and well visited park. If only with less people...
Speaking of people. There were lots and lots of people. Everywhere we went no matter which day of the week, there were people everywhere. Many were local tourists, but there were also international tourists in the main areas of Itaewon and Myeongdong. And its not just the amount of people as for the most part folks kept to themselves. But the few interactions that we did have were not very friendly due to the language barrier. Especially the older people - who in the end would end up grunting; probably frustrated. In a city of over 26 million people, it is actually very organized and clean. If only everyone was as welcoming as Jae, our homebase host in Seoul!
South Korean infrastructure is incredible. They must be the best bridge builders in the world. All of Seoul has way too many bridges to even count. Even their highways are elevated bridges. The highways are well built and span all over South Korea. So much so that there isn't very much left as natural. Even the parks are paved and the trails so civilized. There are also these incredible rest stops designed for the masses.
For a place with so many people, it was very clean; meaning that there wasn't a lot of rubbish. Dirty was more due to soot, dust, and aging infrastructure. There were a few spots where there was rubbish, but it was far and few in between.
We traversed a good amount of South Korea in a short amount of time and we did not see any homeless or beggars. With a majority of its population at 52.9% being middle class - so there is enough disposable income to go around. However, it is shrinking - with only 24.6% as true middle class (after factoring in savings and safe spending barriers).
The Malaysian food in Seoul is OK. It can be really good, but its not that authentic. The food is somewhat Koreanized! What we did find was that they made really good salads, sandwiches and bakery!
There is a yearning for peace with the North. If only. Yet there is this weird dichotomy. A somber place because we killed each other here, yet a children's playground and amusement center. Its like a taunt to the other side to say see what you are missing. I am not sure what to make of it.
The last word is that Seoul is a place to visit if you like to shop and eat. This is indeed to most favorite past time of all. It is a place of contrast - old and new, traditional and modern, natural and contemporary. Unfortunately, for us there just wasn't enough fall colors but the best part was the visit to its national parks, the Black Eagles and DMZ at Paju.
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