What to See, Eat and Do in Korea (and Beyond)
Imagine strolling along a softly lit stream in the heart of Seoul, surrounded by glowing lanterns of every shape and size, from traditional hanji lanterns inspired by Korean history to playful media art and interactive light experiences all set against a winter night’s backdrop. That’s the Seoul Lantern Festival (서울빛초롱축제), one of our favorite events of the year!
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” and Seoul is no exception. As soon as November comes around, Christmas decorations, events and festivities all start to roll out. For a little over two months, Seoul is engulfed in holiday cheer. Here’s some of our favorite ways to take in those sweet Christmas vibes.
The holiday season is upon us! Seoul has traded in its autumn foliage for glittering Christmas decorations, holiday displays and festivities that are all set to to roll out from November on. For a little over two months, Seoul is engulfed in holiday cheer. So if you’re looking to take in those holly jolly Christmas vibes, here are some of our favorite cafes to visit this time of year.
Right now the Seoul Regional Tourism Center is hosting a free “Local Trip Thu-Fri-Sat” program. The feel is “travel-without-leaving-Seoul” so you get a taste of countryside or coastal region culture (depending on the theme) while staying in the city.
Studio Dragon is holding a special “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” pop-up right in here in Seoul! Located in the second-floor basement (B2) of The Hyundai Seoul, this pop-up up brings the tasty world to “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” to ours. I’m not going to lie, the pop-up is small, what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in really cute official merch. They have everything from posters, stickers, and embroidered bookmarks to scrunchies, hoodies and even Ji-yeong’s bag, gabangi!
Beer first flowed into Korea during the Japanese occupation. In the early 1930s, Japanese companies established breweries here, mainly to supply beer to settlers and officials. At the time, beer was seen as an upscale, imported-style drink, pretty much reserved for the elite or special occasions. By 1933, Yeongdeungpo became home to two of Korea’s major breweries, which later evolved into OB (Oriental Brewery) and Hite Brewery.
Mongvely is smack in the heart of Myeongdong, making it super convenient if you’re shopping, sightseeing, and have built up a good appetite. It’s a beef and pork BBQ spot that offers buffet/all-you-can-eat style, where you can pick out your cuts of meat and bring it back to grill at your table. The vibe is lively, smells good (because hello, BBQ), and usually pretty full particularly around dinner time. The clientele is mostly foreign because of the location, but that doesn’t mean it should be simply written off as “touristy” (like we almost did).
Mullae Art Village is a unique, industrial neighborhood full of metal workers, workshops, art galleries, and artist collectives. It might sound like an eclectic mix (and it is), but it’s an amazing place to visit.
One of my favorite things about living in Korea is eating at Korean convenience stores. It’s not just the colorful displays or wide varieties of foods available at cheap prices, it’s that the menu is always changing and if you don’t have a favorite item yet, you’ll find one eventually.
I have shared so many of my favorite Korean designers and hanbok brands, but I’ve never shared the one that started it all (for me). Teterot Salon (때때롯살롱) used to just be Chima Jeogori (치마저고리), a tiny indie shop in Sinchon that sold me my first daily hanboks back in 2016. I guess you could say it was my gateway brand because, honestly, there was no looking back after that.
We’ve found the most beautiful view of Seoul and you can only get it from the top of this gigantic helium balloon in the middle of the city. SEOULDAL (서울달), is a mash-up of “Seoul” and dal (moon in Korean) and it’s a giant moon-shaped helium balloon that takes you 130 meters into the air for an unbeatable aerial view of the Han River and Seoul’s gorgeous skyline.
This week, a friend invited me a visit a gallery exhibition open to the public but only by reservation and with very limited entry. It literally sold out in a day, and for good reason. It was held at Sunhyewon (선혜원).
While the structure was built in the late-sixties, it was only converted into a cultural space this year and renamed Sunhyewon which translates to “bestow wisdom”. Before then it was the private resident of Chey Jong-gun (최종건), the founder of the SK Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Korea. Yes, friends, Sunhyewon was the former home of the chairman of a chaebol.
