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4 2008 Seoul Essay Winning Essays Collection
Greetings to all! I am Oh Se-hoon , Mayor of Seoul.
It is a great pleasure to publish the 12th Award
Winners Collection this year.
For the past 11 years, the Contest, which has
generated 612 award winners out of 7,000 submissions, has been
exploring the myriads of Seoul memories. This photo-included
essay collection, published starting last year, delves into a range
of stories on art, culture, and traditions in Seoul. As it is in e-book format, it is available everywhere in the world.
As for this year, 14 winners essays are the precious fruits
borne in outstanding narratives on the people, culture, lifestyles,
and festivities of Seoul. I would like to give a warm round of
applause to all the winners for expressing their love for Seo
and also extend my gratitude to all the participants who narrow
missed their chance this time. I would also like to thank all
staff for their unceasing effort, from essay screening
publication.
I sincerely hope that the 12th Award Winne
Collection will publicize a variety of interesting stories
Seoul throughout the world so that Seoul can take a step clo
to other cities around the world as a clean and attractive city.
Thank you.
Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seo
PREFACE
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prevail. This pseudo-graffiti follows in the footsteps of cityyouth and appears most prevalently in trendy areas such as
Hongdae and Sinchon. However, it can also turn up
uninhibited on the bathroom stalls, subway billboards, and
table undersides even in Seouls most polished districts.
There is, perhaps, no city in the world that remains
untouched by this inked form of free expression, which in
western cultures is labeled graffiti. Nakseo, however,
cannot be lumped carelessly into this category of artful
Any array of glossy travel brochures can highlight
Seouls tourist hotspots: elaborately-hued palaces, bold
culinary adventures, and all of the vivid nightlife and urban
attitude that accompanies a major modern metropolis.
Caught jaggedly between centuries-old rigor and
contemporary metamorphosis, Seouls raw juxtaposition of
the new and old might not be so obvious to distant
onlookers. Nor would one of Seouls less noticeable, yet
culturally-rich attributes: nakseo.
Nakseo, which literally translates to scribbling, exerts
an overwhelming presence in Seoul, yet remains almost
invisible to a foreigners eye should the language barrier
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Seouls Concrete Caucus
Tiffany Grace Zappulla
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Seouls Concrete Caucus
Tiffany Grace Zappulla
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Jong-hyun loves Seo-hee, Jung-woo loves Ji-woo.Nakseo is a group phenomenon, not an action that occurs
surreptitiously with malicious intent. For example, in
Insadongs Ssamzie Market, Seoulites actively contribute
nakseo to a rainbow-colored wall that appears not a bit out-
of-place among the other exotic works of art lining themarkets narrow hallways. Moreover, the unabrasive
mediums used in nakseo? the everyday tools of pens,
pencils, and correction tape? give the messages a wholesome
feeling. Their authors are students, lovers, dreamers. The
inherent innocence of nakseo messages draw attention
towards them, not away from them in disgrace. Yet, like
many of Seouls hidden charms, they often go unseen. What
cultural significance do these enigmatic scribbles have,
and how are they representative of Seouls character?
Nakseo is just one of the many ways Seoul can take
something distasteful and make it beautiful. Top-of-the-line
technology is not the only innovation this city boasts: so, too
is the citys culture ever-changing and evolving in light of
rapid industrial and social development. One of Seouls
expulsion. Graffiti connotes a weighty sense of negativity,an impression of rebelliousness and defacement borne of
thick text and offensive language. Graffiti refers to
inscriptions that signal urban decay or social decline, words
that mar public surfaces like unsightly, inerasable scars.
Nakseo, however, reflects purer sentiments: quirky
ramblings or quotes, and most commonly, edicts of love:
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is often inscribed inone particular area, it
does not emanate the
dirty, stained effect as
does graffiti, but
rather the confined,articulated language
of urban poetry.
As for the
lyricists themselves,
Koreans were once
described by popular
media as the Italians of Asia: expressive, dynamic,
passionate, and hospitable. The freedom and energy of the
Republic of Koreas bustling capital are undisputable, and
these qualities of its inhabitants couldnt be more accurate.
Due to this unrestrained vigor, art is alive everywhere in
Seoul, from independent art markets and galleries to public
works and free concerts. Nakseo suggests that while Seoul
mirrors other colossal metropolitans, it also retains a unique
greatest assets is its rugged independence and individualityeven amid an historical Confucian-collectivist backdrop.
While urban sprawl generated graffiti in the west from seeds
of suppressed and disgruntled youth (criminal art), nakseo
became the voice of Koreans who simply wanted to share a
thought with one another, who wanted someone to know thatthey were there. Therefore, nakseo subtly encourages unity
and cohesion in a fast-paced city where the turbulence of life
draws people further and further apart. Regardless of how
modern Seoul becomes, you will still share your dinner with
everyone at your table and take your shoes off at the door.
You need not even be fluent in Korean to experience the
feeling behind nakseo; its all in the atmosphere. A canvas of
bamboo shoots in Insadong reminds you that you are in a
city with traditional East Asian flair; a wall in Seonyudo
Park disguises the word fool with proclamations of couple
hood (though one lone writer laments, where is my man?).
The doodled hearts are enough to communicate the
lightheartedness of the messages. Another message inside a
bus ironically demands, stop doing nakseo! Since nakseo
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Photo from Seoul
Kimchi Event
spirit of its own that upholds humility, tradition, and safetywhile still knowing how to have fun. If you ever need
another reason why Seoul is an incredible city, the writings
on the wall.
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Empire State Building are, to most New Yorkers, tourist trapsthat they take no notice of.
Yet, fantastically, tourist traps are something which are
missing from Seouls stunning panorama. Ask any Seoulite
for a list of the must-do, must-see sights of Seoul, and
youll get a list of genuine, beautiful, interesting tourist
attractions. Insadongthe Han RiverNamsan Tower. The
nice thing about going to these tourist attractions is that the
people you will see there are real Seoulites. Its not simply a
place erected pretending to pay tribute to the countrys history
and traditions while in fact ripping off travellers and
perpetuating myths in order to make money. These sights are
full ofwellKoreans.
This may seem like a bizarre statement. But coming from
Scotland, I am very used to seeing tourists chasing after the
aforesaid bagpiper, cameras in tow, hoping to catch a picture
with the authentic Scotsman before enjoying a dinner of
haggis, neeps and tatties at a local traditional Scottish pub in
the old town (where of course there wont be a Scottish person
anywhere to be seen!) And I dont blame the tourists for this
in the least. I am the worst culprit for it. Which is why when I
When people say that Seoul has soul, they are touching on
something that goes much deeper than a mere play on words.
There is truly something about Seoul that is so much more
real than other cities in the world. Go to Edinburgh and
youll see men in kilts with ginger hair walking through the
old cobbled streets playing the bagpipes. In Amsterdam you
might find a Dutch maid, wearing clogs, selling bright yellow
round cheese from a wooden shack. Visit New York and
youll be bombarded with miniature figurines of the Statue of
Liberty and the Empire State Building, and will of course take
trips to see both. But its rare to find a Scotsperson who can
actually play (or enjoys listening to!) the bagpipes, no-one
wears clogs in the Netherlands and the Statue of Liberty and
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A City With Seoul
Eleanor Murchie
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cable as the breathtaking panorama unfolded beneath us.Excited children were ushered to the windows; couples
wrapped arms around each other as they gazed out the
window; an elderly gentleman stood straight, proud, helped by
his walking stick, and stared down at the busy city life we
were all escaping for a short while. I wondered how many
times hed been here; how many times hed decided to give up
a Sunday afternoon to come and admire the beautiful city hed
been born and raised in, and to take pride in everything that
first arrived in Seoul, I went straight for the touristy areas, theplaces recommended by the Lonely Planet, the places that you
just had to go and see if you were living in Seoul ? precisely
the places that, in any major city, are overflowing with other
foreign travellers and avoided like the plague by those who
actually live and work there.
Refreshingly, however, I have yet to stumble upon
touristy Seoul ? places where only foreign tourists go. Any
attraction to which I have been recommended has been packed
with South Koreans, proud of their country and their heritage
and as eager to experience it as any tourist.
N Seoul Tower is one such example of this. It is located
bang in the centre of Seoul, and, being situated on top of
Mount Namsan (hence sometimes being called Namsan
tower), provides onlookers with a panoramic view of Seoul
from 480 metres above sea level. As I got off from
Myeongdong subway station, I parted ways with the other
visitors who were clearly opting for the more arduous route
(their excessive hiking gear gave it away.) Instead I bought a
ticket for the cable car, and five minutes later was huddled in a
compartment, with our little cabin smoothly gliding up the
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s k y s c r a p e r spiercing the
skyline amid
patches of green
belonging to
Seouls gorgeous
parks. In the
distance, it is
business as
usual: Seoulites
with suits and
briefcases dance
in and out of the
subway stations;
ajumas perch on
stools in the markets, calling out greetings to potential
customers, trying to interest them in their kimchi, ttok or
namul. Agashis chatter on the phone inside their clothes
stores, offering discounts to customers as they enter. And
winding through the structured jungle is the mighty Han
River, flowing steadily, strongly through the metropolis, a
had been accomplished in that city in his lifetime. I thoughthow wonderful it was that every person in this little
compartment had come here, not because they were new to
this place, and wanted to do the touristy thing but because
this was Korea and they were Korean. They loved it, they
were proud of it, it was theirs, and they wanted to relish it.
After a few minutes in the cable car, the landscape before
us opened up, like a realist painting being unrolled. Mounds
of trees stood still and proud beneath us, boasting their
bountiful bronzed autumn leaves; the deciduous terrain
abounded with dazzling oranges, intense reds, burgundies,
browns, maroons, deep rich greens...the mosaic of nature
captured all of our attention as we gazed, amazed at the beauty
which existed so close to the craziness of Seouls metropolis.
And the further we climbed, the better the view got. Atop
Mount Namsan, there are ancient Korean chambers, once used
by Ancient Koreans to send smoke and fire signals to
locations outside of Seoul. Leaning over these impressive
chambers, which look similar to massive concrete eggcups,
the view is no less inspirational. But this time the inspiration
is man-made. The buildings stretch out for miles, with
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incredible.(And the vista can even be enjoyed from thebathroom!)
A nice touch is that printed on each of the immense
windows overlooking Seoul are the names of large cities in the
world and their distance from the tower in kilometres. Tokyo,
1,157.99km. Berlin, 8,142.17 km. Brazil, 17,522.25 km.
Such precise figures are, in a way, quite humbling. While
staring at the distance you currently are from your friends,
family and loved ones in your own country, you notice others
around you doing the same. Taking pictures to send to them.
Posing underneath the name of their hometown. To remind
them, and themselves, that in our modern world, no matter
how far away we are from each other, and regardless of our
differences in politics, religion and race, no distance is
uncrossable. Essentially we are all connected by a matter of
kilometres.
Seoul Tower is most definitely somewhere that you can
feel this connection for fellow humans. Perhaps it is because
of the signs on the windows that remind us how vast and yet
how small the world is. Perhaps it is because Seoul Tower is a
symbol of the hope and strength of Seoul. Finally I had someperspective on how vast the city truly was.
In the observation tower itself, just when you think the
view cant get any more impressive, it does. It can be reached
by a lift which travels at a high speed as the visitors all grasp
their popping ears as they shoot up into the Seoul sky. As
everyone steps out onto the rotund observation deck which
provides a 360 degree panoramic vision of the city, wows
are murmured all around. The view is, quite simply,
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connection between those who attached it remains a secret.All that onlookers can know for certain is that someone, who
once loved, was once here.
And it isnt limited to lovers ? families too, come, with
children, with parents, with grandparents ? to lock their love
forever and throw away the key (quite literally!) And
although you cannot help but wonder how many of these
loves will indeed last forever, you realise that it doesnt in fact
matter ? what matters is that at some point, all of these people
felt the same emotion ? that of intense connection to another
human being, and they felt it enough to want to record it ? in
however subtle or small a way. And that kind of emotion is
something that can cross any boundary: physical, cultural,
political or racial.
And the most beautiful thing about all of it is that this isnt
just tourist kitsch. Its real emotion. People are not doing this
because theyre told thats what you do. They are doing it
because they are feeling something genuine and want to
contribute to this incredible shrine to love. And in fact, they
place that lures couples, families and lovers, as they watch thesun set over their beautiful city. Or perhaps it is because of the
railings outside the observation tower, which are bedecked
with padlocks attached by couples as a symbol of their
affection for each other.
The first glimpse of them is quite stunning. Turning a
corner, railing upon railing is bejewelled with these tiny
padlocks, fighting each other for a space of their own. Some
padlocks have been written on, drawn on, coloured in, so that
they are easily recognisable should the lovers ever return.
Some are bright and colourful, standing out from the garlands
of locks like the first leaf turned bright red on a green
deciduous tree. There are collections of mono-coloured
padlocks in the shape of a heart, keychains, bike chains, even
bright rubber pipes, each couple wanting to out-do the last and
show that their love is the strongest, that their love is the
brightest . Others, however, are plain, simple, blank,
occupying a humble place on the railing, hidden away from
the clamour of the loud, brash displays. With no obvious
markings to distinguish their love from anothers, the
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Light Shows at N Seoul Tower
are told not to do it ? by the numerous signs erected around thedeck, advising that attaching a padlock is strictly forbidden.
But Koreans defiantly walk past these signs, padlock in one
hand, lover in the other, and find a suitable spot to record their
love. For anyone who says that Korea is a conventional
nation, all they need to do is go to Seoul Tower and witness
for themselves that Seoul is indeed a city overflowing with
beauty, spirit, love, and, of course, soul.
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Lotus Lantern Parade
Photo from Seoul
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Hanbok(Korean Traditional Dress)
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specifically speaking, the geography, layout, and structure of
the city make it easy to access the most important attractions
of both urbanity and nature.
My story begins on a July Saturday morning in Yeoksam
dong, where Im staying with my friend for the short week
that I will be in Seoul. I only arrived the night before, but I
was too excited to sleep much and so have gone out early. I
want to see some of my favorite places again. I stop at the
convenience store in front of my friends apartment to pick up
a can of coffee for the short walk to Kangnam station. Its
early in the morning, so I can see some happy people around
the station getting into taxis and busses after a night of goodfood, drinks, and singing. Are they going home now? Maybe,
but if I were one of them this morning I would go to a sauna
next to relax for a while. There are so many choices in Seoul!
I think about good times Ive had in Kangnam as I walk to the
Kyobo Tower center-lane bus stop. I want to take busnumber 402 to Namsan and enjoy a nice walk there. I dont
have to wait long before a 402 comes along, and I appreciate
Happy Saturday
Christopher Ash
There is something about global cities that makes it easy
for people to fall in love with them. Some people tell us with
their t-shirts that they love New York, while others may prefer
Tokyo. Those are great cities, but the city I love more than anyother place in the world is Seoul. There are many reasons
Seoul has this special place in my heart, and I would like to
share one of them through the story of how I spent a Saturday
morning on my most recent visit to the city last summer. On
the surface this story could provide a nice walking course for aSeoul visitor to follow, but the story also brings to life one of
the aspects of Seoul that make it such a great city. More
Happy Saturday
Christopher Ash
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night view from the bus and the tower, so I continue my walk.I havent had anything to eat yet, and Im starting to get a little
hungry. My hunger gives me the great idea of setting my
course for the city hall area, so that I can eat lunch at my
favorite pollack soup ( ) restaurant in Mugyo dong. I
leave Namsan and come back into a more urban environmentnear Namdaemun Market. I remember that one of my
neighbors really liked a bag that Id bought in Seoul, and
the familiar and new sights as the bus leaves the Kangnam
(south of the river) area. It looks like subway line 9 is almost
finished. Seoulites are going to have even more transportation
options? I envy them so much. Now the bus is coming to the
Hannam Bridge over the Han River. I like this part of the ride.
I want to open the window, but the air conditioning is on in the
bus, so I restrain myself. Anyway, the view is something like a
breath of fresh air. The bus presently reaches the north side of
the river, and I admire Kangbuks (north of the river) slightly
different-to-Kangnam character. As the bus starts to climb
Namsan I prepare to get off. I leave the bus at the Hyatt hotel
stop, so that I can begin my walk in Namsan Park.The park is very beautiful, as always, and it is so quiet in
some of the inner parts that it would be easy for me to forget
that Im in the city. I walk through part of the park and then
make my way back toward Soweol road, which is also a very
scenic place for a walk. If this was my first time here I wouldprobably catch the yellow bus and go to Namsan Tower. Its
not my first time here, however, and in any case I prefer the
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that I can
enjoy a stroll
along the
stream after
lunch every
day. I follow
the stream
toward Jongro
2 ga, where
Im supposed
to meet a
friend later. I decide to visit nearby Insadong in the meantimeto pick up some small gifts to take back to the US. How
convenient Seoul is! There is plenty to do even if youre only
passing time waiting to meet someone. I enjoyed my Saturday
walk more than I am talented enough to express, and my story
goes a little way toward illustrating why Seoul is such a greatcity to live in or visit.
There are different advantages to living in the city and to
asked me to get one for him next time I went, since its not
easy to find reasonably-priced stylish bags in the US.
Namdaemun Market seems like a good place to look for a bag
for him, so I decide to walk through. All of the merchants here
speak English, so its easy to shop in Namdaemun. I walk
around for a while until I find a nice bag for a good price, and
then leave the market and walk toward city hall. Its a nice
day, so there are people having picnics and enjoying the good
weather on the grass plaza in front of city hall. Seeing people
eat makes me hungrier, so I continue on quickly to Mugyo
dong, behind city hall.
The pollack soup restaurant is just the way I remember it,and I enjoy an excellent lunch there. I get a cup of coffee as I
leave the restaurant and walk (at a more leisurely pace now,
because Im full) along the picturesque tree-lined Mugyo dong
road toward Cheonggye stream. Im happy to see another
favorite place again when I get to Cheonggyecheon. Here is aperfect marriage between the city and nature. I hope that
someday Ill get a job with an office near Cheonggyecheon so
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started out in Kangnam, a popular location for offices and
having fun. After a short bus ride I was able to enjoy a
peaceful mountain park in the center of the city. When I was
ready to do something else, a short walk brought me to a
classic Korean-style market (I could just as easily have gone
to nearby Myeongdong for shopping in a classic global
commerce-style area). After some shopping, I walked through
a business and administrative district on my way to one of
hundreds of restaurants in the area. The restaurant I went to is
my personal favorite for the type of soup I had, but there are
so many choices. It would be impossible for any given person
to be unable to find some restaurant he or she would like, inthis area alone. The same goes for just about any other type of
business in areas throughout the city. There are so many good
places to discover in Seoul. After my lunch I was only a short
walk away from Cheonggyecheon, a beautiful urban park.
Unfortunately, on this trip I could only stay in Seoul for aweek, but if I was lucky enough to live in the city I would be
happy in having easy access to more or less everything I could
living in the countryside. A good city gives its residents
convenient access to jobs, cultural attractions, and leisure
activities. The main advantage of the countryside, on the other
hand, is easy access to nature. These are all important things in
life, so wouldnt the best place to live be a place where you
could enjoy access to all of these things? Seoul, with its
unique geography and excellent city planning, is this kind of
place. In one happy Saturday morning, I was able to see or
experience all of the advantages of both urban and rural life. I
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want.
I have described one aspect of what makes Seoul a great
place to live in or visit, but I could tell many more stories that
would highlight other areas the city excels in. The point I want
to make is that as global cities go, Seoul is ahead of the curve
in terms of the quality of life its residents can enjoy. The city
has naturally interesting geography, and its structure and
planning make Seoul a place with easy access to just about
everything anyone could ask for. Of course there are no
absolutely perfect places in the world, but Seoul comes close.
Cheonggyecheon at Night
Photo from Seoul
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From June to August in 2008, I studied Korean at Yonsei
University. I stayed at a hostel and saw Seoul from the eyes of
the friends I made at this hostel. Each of them was here for a
different reason, and their individual purposes gave each of
them a special vantage point to observe Seoul. K grew up in
Hawaii. His parents were Koreans and he longed to speak to
them in their native tongue. He had returned to study the
Korean language. Lynn was a law school student from the
United States. She was interning in a chaebol as she
contemplates whether Asia was where her future laid. Dave
was a Canadian who found his way to Seoul to play Starcraft
by day and teach English by night. Maya, from Thailand,planned to stay for two weeks. She missed her flight and
ended up staying for three months. Through their eyes, I saw
aspects of Seoul I never knew existed.
The Seoul That Never SleepsOur hostel was nested in one of the backstreets of Seoul
near Sungkyunkwan University. The university traces its
history back to the Choson dynasty and beyond. Perched atop
a hill, it overlooks a thriving indigenous arts district along a
The Third Time
Last summer was my third time in Seoul and the third
time is somehow different. On my first visit, I came as atourist. On my second visit, I came as a friend. On my third
visit, I find myself a stranger. It would seem ironic that it is on
my third visit that I feel at once more familiar with this
beautiful city and at the same time unsure of my place in it. It
is on the third visit when I learned enough about Seoul todevelop a nuanced appreciation for its beauty and internal
conflictsI feel more a stranger as I realized how I had only
scratched the surface of this complex city on my previous two
trips.
Insecurities and Internal Turmoil inInternational Seoul
Geoffrey See
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Walking a Fine Line between the Local and the Global
Seoul has a strange relationship to the entity known as the
foreigner. It is a city that is increasingly international and at
the same time questioning what it means to be Korean and
global. Should it co-exist with the foreigner? Should it try to
assimilate them? Should it try to fit into the global orthodoxy?
This dilemma is played out in daily interactions, in the
workplaces of the famous chaebols, and in its education
system. This confusion in identity is part of modern day Seoul
and is a part and parcel of the birth pangs of a truly
international city.
Koften complained about the difficulties of being aKorean who does not speak enough Korean. Talking with
shopkeepers or people he meeting in the streets, he would face
expectations that he would behave as a Korean and in failing
to do so, face marginalization as an outcast son who had
chosen to walk away from his culture. He wanted to learn theKorean language and speak it. But at the same time, he
realizes that the more he speaks the language, the more he is
expected to behave as a Korean and be assimilated into the
culture even when his culture is of his native Hawaii. He gains
Hongdae university district to the quieter bars near where I
lived, one could always find a place where alcohol and people
meet in celebration or solitude. I am never a fan of clubbing
but under pressure from always-eager-to-try-everything Maya,
I caved in and followed her to Hongdae. Under the influence
of loud music and over-priced drinks, crowds of young
beautiful people jump and
sway to the latest hip-hop
tunes. After an hour, I
decided that this was not
my thing and told Maya I
wanted to return to thehostel. Echoing a famous
Korean song, Maya said
Baby one more time
five more minutesone
more time
I ended upcrawling back into my
bed five hours later after
the sun had crept back
into the sky.World Cup Stadium ? A girl looks
out into Seouls night scene
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stream, ending our night at nearby Insa Dong indulging in
traditional Korean teas or wines.
Some changes are for the better. Others just leave me
nostalgic. On my first trip to Seoul, I stayed at a youth hostel
located in the backalleys near the Sinseol-Dong metro station.
This was in an old part of Seoul. I spent an hour navigating the
maze-like backalley trying to find my hostel after arrivingexiting the station. In the process, I was exposed to the rich
heritage of Korean post-war housing. Like a rabbits warren,
the backalleys were filled with single-storey houses in a
traditional style. One enters the house through a front-gate into
a small little garden or an open space with a table in the center.Residents sat around the table on the floor chatting. Sounds of
karaoke occasionally drifted out from some of these buildings.
The alleys wind around a hilly region with no apparent order
and many paths led to dead ends.
Three years later, I returned to this area with Maya toretrace this past. I had problems finding my hostel this time
not because the streets were disorderly, but because order had
invaded my old home. Many of the old houses had
disappeared and in their place were modern two-storey
elements of global culture and transformed it in a way that
made it distinctly Korean. I think this is the potential of Seoul
as a global city?a city that distills the global into a distinctly
Korean flavor. Perhaps being part of this changing dynamic is
what brings people here.
Disappearing SeoulThe problem with visiting Seoul is that every time I
return, the city confronts me with comforting familiarities and
disconcerting differences. It is a city that is always growing
and changing with the beat and hum or the global economy.
During my first trip in 2005, I never saw the beautifulCheonggyechon stream that cuts through the heart of the
business district. It was completed just after I left Seoul. Now,
it is a fixture in my visits to Seoul. Its beautiful colors after
sunset and the tranquility it offers in the midst of a chaotic
urban center have made it my favorite refuge. Lynn, Maya andI would often camp out alongside the stream under a bridge
with a bottle of Hite/Cass beer oblivious to the traffic
trundling pass over our heads. Every time a friend visited, I
would end up walking with them along the length of the
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bungalows and multi-storied condominiums. The roads were
no longer tiled but were now composed of bitumen to give
access to cars. No longer were dead ends and winding trails
the navigational hurdle of the place. Instead, parallel roads that
hindered with their matching banal identities. Perhaps this is
the price of modernization...Seoul is continually changing to
chase its destiny. But its pace leaves me, at just 23, feeling likean old man.
Seouls destiny is one of shiny skyscrapers holding the
most modern corporations alongside roadside stalls selling the
most traditional Korean snacks. The area north of the Han
river that cuts Seoul into two, the older part of Seoul, is a mishmash of old and new buildings constantly renewing itself as it
chases its younger cousin south of the river. South of the river
is the newer Seoul. It was developed after the Korean War to
placate the needs of Seouls feverish population and economic
growth. While skyscrapers and massive shopping complexes(such as Coex) dominate the scene here, a distinctive Korean
flavor is added by the occasional roadside stalls selling the
local favorite ddeokbukki?rice cakes doused in a thick chili
paste. Its fieriness is not for the faint of heart. At the sameHan River ? Wondering about identity and change
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bang (karaoke) culture, a love for ddeokbukki, and spoke
enough Korean to get around. However, I was now worrying
more about speaking in the correct language forms: honorifics
for older people or pan mal (ordinary speech) to my close
friends. Respecting a hierarchy through language is part of
fitting into the Korean culture, but it was also at odds with my
international identity growing up in Singapore, China and theUSA hierarchy is more fluid. Perhaps feeling this conflict is
Deoksu Palace ? A contrast of old and new
time, there had been an explosion of wine bars since my last
visit in 2006 as among my younger Korean friends, wine is
starting to displace soju as the hip thing. This is not just about
food culture, but about the old Seoul coexisting with the new
Seoul at the same place and time. It is about a city that refuses
to lose its heritage to a homogenizing urbanization process.
Moving On
My stay in Seoul was inadvertently cut short when I had
to return to the US to interview for a place at Harvard
Business School. My surrogate family at the hostel chipped in
by helping me prepare for my interview?I wonder when Iwould see them again. Leaving Seoul, I was a paradox of
sadness and relief. The city had given me great memories. My
friends at the hostel have become my surrogate family. I was
just beginning to ease into the rhythm of the city. Eating
mandu for a midnight snack, sitting by the Cheonggyecheon,or wandering around Coex had become a part of my daily
routine. It was beginning to feel comfortable.
At the same time, I was increasingly confused as I
inherited the identity issues of Seoul. I had adopted the norae
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what it means to truly understand Seoul as a foreigner.
On my last day here, I went to City Hall to await the bus
that would take me to the airport. Contrasted against modern
hotels and a Dunkin Donuts was Deoksu palace?its heritage
stretched all the way back to 1593. I could not help but
wonder whether it was the palace or the Dunkin Donuts that
felt more awkward in their spot. Or perhaps they were at peacewith each other. This dynamic, between the old and new,
makes me want to return again to see what this global city
with a Korean feel would look like in the future.
November 2008 PostscriptDave is still teaching in Seoul. K moves out of the hostel
to study Korean after he realizes that we were keeping him
from making much progress. Maya eventually bought a ticket
and headed back to Thailand where she plans to start an
organic farm after her experience living in one just outside ofSeoul. Lynn plans to head to New York City to study for the
bar exam. As for me, I plan to head on to graduate school so
that I can continue to travel and maybe return to Seoul again
someday.
Gyeongbokgung at Night
Photo from Seoul
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have their charm. The reason why I like Changdeokgung best
is because of the secret garden. Imagine youre in the center of
this busy metropolis where crowds of people are constantly on
the move.
O n c e
youve entered
the palace gates
youre in a
different world.
Its as if youve
taken a leap
back in time of
several hundred
years. As youre being guided past all the impressive royal
buildings you all of sudden find yourself in the middle of the
woods with trees that are so tall that you cant even see the
surrounding high-rise buildings anymore.
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Dear friend,
Im so glad youre thinking about visiting me in Seoul.
Let me give you some impressions of what awaits you.
Of course Seoul is a very big and modern city that can be
quite hectic but I would like to take you for a walk to some
quiet places where the past and the present coexist
harmoniously.
There are five ancient palaces in Seoul and all of them
The beauty of Seoul
Rainer Rippe
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These days the majority of Seoulites cherish the space and
comfort of modern apartments ? just like in many other parts
of the world. In Bukchon, however, the old Korea is still alive.
The harmonious combination of wood and stone is not to bemissed and if you would like to spend a night to remember I
can reserve a stay at a Hanok guesthouse for you.
Our walk then will lead us to Samcheong-dong, to a street
with lots of jewelers and fashion boutiques and a European
flair. Unlike everywhere else in Seoul the cafes here do not
belong to the big chains like Starbucks and thus each of them
has its individual atmosphere. Surprisingly many tourists
havent heard about this beautiful area which seems to be one
of the best-kept secrets of Seoul.
Not far from there is a Buddhist temple called Jogyesa.
There are always some friendly volunteers who are happy to
explain everything you may want to know about Buddhism
and if youre curious enough you can even sign up for an
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Y o u
c o m p l e t e l y
forget youre in
a city and then? there it is: the
secret garden!
There are
s e v e r a l
beautiful old
buildings by a pond among the most tranquil atmosphere you
can think of. Its awesome! The royal family must have felt
blessed to call a place so beautiful and relaxing their own.
After we hesitantly leave the palace grounds we stay in
that area to view some traditional Korean houses in Bukchon.
In this village, located between two palaces, old Hanoks have
been preserved and you can get an idea of what Seoul looked
liked until half a century ago.
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green-onion pancake is one of my favorite Korean dishes but
of course I can recommend many more, especially if you like
spicy food.
Finally well take a walk along the Cheonggyecheon. This
stream flows all the way from Gwanghwamun to
Dongdaemun market and is particularly beautiful at night. All
around us tower the high-rise buildings of downtown Seoul
and we can hear the sounds of the nightlife from afar but ? like
in the beginning of our walk ? it feels as if were in a different
world from that. Thats the beauty of Seoul ? its where the
past comes alive.
Im looking forward to showing you Seoul!
Yours,
Rainer
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overnight stay at a
temple.
There is a mainhall with three
golden Buddha
statues where people
pray, bow and read
in their sacred scripts. Behind it is a bell pavilion with four
instruments inside: a giant bell, a huge drum, a cloud-shaped
gong and a fish-shaped drum. If were lucky enough we can
witness the ringing of the bell or a drum ceremony.
Just around the corner is Insa-dong, one of the most
popular areas among tourists. You can find lots of arts-and-
crafts shops, galleries and restaurants there.
After so much walking youll surely be hungry and I can
show you a place where they serve delicious Pajeon. This
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Secret Garden were magnificent so I booked a place on a tour
of the garden in November.
The garden was an absolute delight. The colours of the
autumn leaves were a real treat in all their glorious shades of
red, yellow and orange and as I wandered amongst the trees I
couldnt help but wonder what some of them would have to
say if they could talk. As the tour passed one particular treethis thought seemed especially significant, the tree, we were
informed, was over 700 years old. I daresay that tree would
have a many a story to tell about the city of Seoul!
Although its safe to assume that I wont live to be 700, Iknow for sure that Seoul will stay with me for the rest of my
days. I will continue to explore Seoul in photographs and
memories no matter where my travels take me and in the
meantime, Im happy to say that Seoul and I have many more
adventures planned together yet.
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and blew my nose a lot. Sad to see me sick, my father believed
that jogging was a natural way to safely cure me of my boring
illnesses. Unfortunately, I disliked jogging! When I ran, I felt
my heart thumping in my chest, my thighs rubbing against
each other, and my ankles aching. It was very uncomfortable!
In contrast, my father loved running and he could spend hour
after hour doing it every day. Despite his encouragement, anddespite recognising how good sport was for my health, I gave
up. I just couldnt force myself to run anymore!When I first arrived in Seoul, I did a lot of shopping.
There are a lot of lovely things here that I couldnt resist
buying. I like Seoul because it is a paradise for the fashionista
and craft creators. But now shopping is no longer my mainhobby ? hiking is. Then, you may well ask, how a person who
likes shopping, loves making handcrafts, and hates playing
sports, fall in love with such a strenuous activity? Its called a
little peak named Baegundae of Bhukan Mountain.
When I was a young girl, my beloved sporty father was
always insisting that I run around the lake in front of our home
to get healthy. Indeed, I suffered from bad allergies: I sneezed
Baegundae
Korakoch Arunpongpaisan
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When my husband started talking about hiking up
Bhukansan for the first time, I just thought Here we go
again! Actually, I knew well that he would propose it to me
because Korea is the Country of Mountains. Once he told me
that Bhukansan wasnt far at all, only 20 minutes from our
home, I was so surprised because we always took about 4
hours just for a round trip transportation. This time, it wasonly 40 minutes!! 6 times less!! Moreover, we lived in the
capital: how, I wondered, was it possible that there was a
Mountain in the urban centre? In addition, he reassured me
that we could reach the Baegundae Peak in 2 hours and finish
the hiking by noon, if we went there quite early! Kidding??NO? OK, so lets see!!
Baegundae, the most well-known Peak of Bhukan
Mountain, is situated only 14 kilometres from downtown
Seoul. Its so practical to reach, we could even get there by
subway and bus. Where else in the world would we find such
a natural source in such a big city? When we were starting our
hiking, I gladly took my time to look around. I didnt care to
When I became Mrs to my beloved sporty husband, he
asked me over and over to go hiking with him. I tried in vain
to persuade him to go with his friends. However, on occasion I
did accompany him just to make sure he wasnt asking
another woman instead of me! Its true, hiking was less tiring
than jogging, but that wasnt really the problem. The problem
was that it was just boring. Firstly, we had to drive about 2hours from our home to a mountain. Then, we (or rather my
husband) had to carry a heavy rucksack containing our meal
and some hiking gear. Wed prepared to walk not less than 4
hours. We walked and walked, stopped and drank, walked and
walked, stopped and drank, had lunch and continued, so on,for so long. I couldnt help but wonder: what had I done
wrong? Why did I have to suffer this kind of cruel journey? I
grew up then! Why couldnt I just do what I was interested in!
If I dont like any kind of sports, it isnt my fault. I just wasnt
made for it! I kept asking myself this each time we did this
kind of activity. But that was before wed moved to Seoul.
Before Id met Baegundae.
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However, while I was climbing the rock, I almost cried
Why am I risking my life like this? Will I die here? Will
someone find my body? While I was worrying about my fate,
a fifty years old Korean man with working trousers was
flying past me. He barely needed the metal cable. He
scrambled up the rock at top speed. The sloping rock seemed
like a childrens playground for him. Wow! He was much
older than me so if he could do it, I could too, I told myself, I
have the best hiking time. There were interesting things to
admire: different local plants Id never seen; a stream beside
the trail; a stone path requiring more energy to climb, red
Maple trees surrounding a stairway. I enjoyed it so much that I
didnt notice wed already done more than 3 quarters. We
were almost getting to the destination. It was so easy!
Once the last path to the peak appeared in front of me, I
thought Oh! What the heck! The slope was nearly 90
degrees!! There were no trees, no grass and no stones
anymore, only a pure granite peak! How can I climb this?
It is impossible! Impossible!!! At that moment, a long queueof people began forming up behind me. People were waiting
for me to keep going. At that second, I was literally between
rock and a hard place! I could either die from falling off of the
mountain or from losing face if I decided to turn back. I chose
to continue on! At least, if I fell off of the mountain, I
wouldnt have any more face to lose because my entire body
would be crushed!! Fortunately, there was a big metal cable to
help hikers haul themselves up.
d i h 360Cll ld S dd l I l bb d h bl ll d i
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admire the 360C
degree view of Seoul.
The height of the
peak didnt matter.
The important thing
was we realized that
we could achievemore than we ever
thought possible.
Just underneath
the Peak, on the rightby descending, there
is a large rock slab
where people can have a rest. Many people stopped there to
have a snack, some drinks, or even to gobble some Ramyeon.
They admired the rolling landscape, made jokes between
themselves, and cleaned up before continuing on the hike.
After drinking some coffee, I would have loved
to lie on the rock ground, breath in warm sunshine under
really could. Suddenly, I strongly grabbed the cable, pulled it,
hauled my self up, and climbed and climbed. Another man
who was descending from the Peak spoke to me in Korean. I
didnt understand what he said but I knew he was trying to
explain what I should do to climb safely. I even looked
backwards to admire my courage so far. Even though my legs
were trembling, I tried not to think about them. GO GO GO!
When I arrived at the Peak, I felt fulfilled with my effort. I
had done it! It was so exciting! I shouted inside of my chest: I
am the Winner! On the narrow Peak of BAEGUNDAE, I
shared this little space with other winners! We shared oursuccess through our sweat, our breath, our smile, our
wordlessness. Even though the area was limited, we tried to
not bother, or at least to bother as little as possible, the others
who were taking pictures. Indeed, who else could resist taking
some souvenir from this wonderful place even though we
knew well that the real landscape was so much more beautiful
than on paper. People who were near the cable barrier, moved
a bit with care to allow other winners to get closer and also
b f it th t b hiki i t b ith bl k d l t th li ht t th h ki
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becomes my favourite, thats because hiking isnt a boring
activity anymore.
In the country I lived in before moving to Korea, hiking
seems like a privileged activity for those who live in the
provinces or who have enough means to pay for transportation
and have enough time to spend. But in Seoul, hiking is a fairactivity. Hiking belongs to everyone: kids, teenagers, men,
women and senior citizens. Even if you only have a half day
off, you can relax by going to Baegundae. At this place, I saw
many kinds of relations; family with family, friends with
friends, lovers with lovers, and even men and pets. This placebrings so many loved people together. If you have an occasion
to go there and see large crowd of people especially during
weekend, dont worry and dont hesitate. Just be patient and
tell yourself that you are now surrounded by love!!
the blue sky and let the light suns ray get through my skin.
But there wasnt enough space to do that. So I just hugged myknees together and leaned my head on them, closed my eyes. I
felt so restful in my little world.
When I was back home, I thought of Bhukansan: I
thought of all the experiences I had had there: fun, happiness,
excitement, peacefulness and good health. I realized howSeoulites are so lucky to live in such a big city and at the same
time be able to reach so easy such a natural park. Finally, I
mostly think about the last path to Baegundae where I had to
climb. Certainly, at first sight, it may seem dangerous but
with the big metal cable and experienced hikers who are thereand pleased to help you, the success is guaranteed for you. I
thought how much I would like to go back again. So two
weeks later, my husband and I returned. In fact, my husband
was so surprised that I had proposed to go back to Baegundae.
He thought that it was a good sign for us to broaden our hiking
adventures. Yes, I thought, why not: this time I really want to
discover other mountains! I am no more wondering why
Korean people are fascinated by hiking. And if this place
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Banpo Rainbow Fountain
Photo from Seoul