Your Travel Guide to: South Korea
pictured: sunset in Uijeongbu
South Korea has recently gained a lot of fame over the time of quarantine. Due to the boost in the k-pop community, many foreigners have been wanting to learn the korean language, culture, and most of all, visit South Korea.
South Korea is most certainly a country to visit for at least a month, as there are so many areas to visit. Ranging from clothing stores, zoos, aquariums, kpop buildings, cafes, and so much more, South Korea is a dream world of shopping and exploring. By now, you must be wondering, how will I know where to visit when coming into this country? Here are a few popular options for tourists.
- Hongdae (홍대)
Hongdae is a very famous place for both students and tourists. There are several places to eat, drink, shop, and more. The scenery there is also spectacular, featuring several graffiti murals. Recently, many people have been visiting Hongdae for their aesthetic, modernized clothing. There are many clothing stores that carry trending clothes, leaving people around raving about coming to Hongdae.
Despite the trendy clothing, there are also many other places to go. There are several delicious cafes, restaurants, and food vendors around. Between streets, you may also find multiple people busking.
- Jeju-do Island (제주)
Jeju-do Island is a small island located to the south of South Korea. The plane ride from Seoul, Korea to Jeju only takes about an hour. Jeju is known for their mandarins, beaches, and volcano sites. If you are interested in being a Korean mukbanger, there are a variety of delicious foods to eat here on this island. Jeju is greatly famous for their black pork belly meat and will be even more appetizing in a ssam (wrapped in lettuce with condiment(s) and other toppings) and gochujang. Since Jeju is by the water, there are a variety of seafoods available. Some mouthwatering meals are live octopus, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and much more. If you are the adventurous type, Jeju is the paradise for you.
- Starfield Coex Mall (스타필드 코엑스몰)
Starfield Coex Mall is one of the top malls in South Korea. Besides shopping and eating, there are so many fun experiences to go to. Coex Mall has a massive library (Starfield Library) which is one of their top attractions. They also have an enormous cinema (Megabox Cinema) which will fulfill quality time with your best friends. In addition, Coex Aquarium is a majestic place to visit with your friends and/or family. Not only do they have basic fishes but they also have penguins, octopuses, turtles, otters, and much more.
Even with all these areas to visit, there are so much more inside and outside of Starfield Coex Mall. Bongeunsa Temple can be found next to the mall. It is a Buddhist temple that features an enormous statue representing Mireuk Bul, otherwise known as the “Future Buddha”. If you have any younger siblings or just generally interested in the Smurfs, Smurf Magic Forest is the perfect place to go to after shopping. You will most likely need to grab a taxi if you want to visit as it is not located directly next to Coex Mall.
Given the variety of areas to visit inside and outside of Coex Mall, there are still so many other attractions to visit around. If you ever visit, a quick Google search can help you find out several more locations if you are interested.
- Lotte World (롯데월드)
Lotte World is a massive theme park in South Korea. If you enjoy taking rides or have gone to Disneyland, this attraction may appeal to you. The theme park is also connected to a massive mall and sky tower. After exploring the park, you can go shopping, eat mouthwatering food, and look at the alluring view at the very top of the tower.