seoul essay contest – photo essays

8/14/2019 Seoul Essay Contest Photo Essays

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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


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


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.


Photo from Seoul


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Lotus Lantern Parade

Photo from Seoul



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Hanbok(Korean Traditional Dress)

Photo from Seoul


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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.


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


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


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

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