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MEET AN EXPERT
Our co-founder & CEO Catherine Heald loves the subtlety of South Korea, the absence of tourists in the areas outside Seoul, and the bizarre sight that is the DMZ.
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Today, Seoul is a vibrant, futuristic megacity that is a curious fusion of the ancient and the modern. Past meets present as ornate temples and sprawling palaces contrast with the shining glass and steel office towers of Itaewon and starchitect-designed museums. With 20.5 million residents, Seoul is the world's second-largest metropolitan area, and in 2010, was designated a World Design Capital. Enter this energetic, fascinating city, and experience its diverse character for yourself.
Today, Seoul is a vibrant, futuristic megacity that is a curious fusion of the ancient and the modern. Past meets present as ornate temples and sprawling palaces contrast with the shining glass and steel office towers of Itaewon and starchitect-designed museums. With 20.5 million residents, Seoul is the world's second-largest metropolitan area, and in 2010, was designated a World Design Capital. Enter this energetic, fascinating city, and experience its diverse character for yourself.
Stroll along Samcheongdong-gil (Samcheong-dong Walkway) and stop in the galleries that line the path, such as Gallery Hyundai, Geumho Gallery, Growrich Gallery, Artsonje Center, Gallery Hak Go Jae, Geum San Gallery, and Kukje Gallery. The last is a must, particularly if you are interested in contemporary art; Kukje opened in 1982 and introduced world-renowned artists such as Helen Frankenthaler, Anthony Caro and Joseph Beuys to local audiences, as well as significant Korean artists.
At nearly 2750 feet, Baekundae is the highest of Bukhansan National park's three peaks, and offers stunning views of fortress gates, fortified walls, granite cliffs, and the city below. Ascending the summit requires some light rock climbing maneuvers as you hoist yourself up on metal cables.
Visit Gyeongbokgung (also called Gyeongbok Palace), the largest of the five palaces constructed by the Joseon Dynasty. Gyeongbokgung translates in English as “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven,†and it is an intense source of pride for Koreans, who have seen it decimated and rebuilt throughout the centuries. Tour the grounds of the palace with a senior member of the restoration project.
Visit the History Museum with a curator, which usually takes half a day to see. The most unique exhibits here are to-scale reproductions of traditional Korean homes, which show the myriad ways in which joints were constructed without nails, as well as replicas of typical furniture and common dress through the ages. The celadon collection here is also top-notch, and for those who want a hands-on approach to history, there is a “touch museum†where you can actually handle real or meticulously recreated ancient tools found on the Korean peninsula.
Spend the afternoon in Hongdae, the area around Hongik University. Here you will witness Korean youth culture at its most creative and vibrant; there are scores of unique cafes, boutiques, performance spaces, bars and other small businesses geared towards young Koreans and the handfuls of foreigners studying at or visiting Hongik.
The Leeum Samsung Museum of Art is a cultural complex of three buildings dedicated to traditional Korean art, dating from prehistoric times to the end of the Joseon Dynasty in 1910, as well as modern art by local and international artists.
For lunch, try Sanchon, a unique restaurant owned by Mr. Kim Yon-shik, who lived as a Buddhist monk for 18 years, and is set in a temple-like atmosphere. The entire meal, consisting of several courses (20 at dinner time!) is served to you on a low table as all patrons take their meals while seated on the floor. The monks prepare primarily vegetarian cuisine, replete with various hardy roots and mountain vegetables rarely seen outside Korea.
by Departures 
by InsideHook 
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