Seoul By Night

Seoul Illuminated

As well as the Banpo Bridge many areas of Seoul are now lit at night and have colored water displays.

Korea images © Daniel Allen

Seoul Puns

Seoul Puns

The fact that the word "Seoul" has the same pronunciation as the English words "soul" and "sole" is a punner's and headline writer's dream.

In English "soul" can mean spirit or individual, sole is the bottom of your shoe, a type of fish or can have the meaning of only as in 'the one and only'. Then there is the soul music genre.

Here's a list of our favorite Seoul puns - add yours in the comments section below.

Soul Seoul - spirit, individual

Seoul Brother(s), Seoul Sister(s), Heart and Seoul, Lonely Seoul, Wandering Seoul, Lost Seoul, Seoul Food, Seoul Searching, All Seoul's Day, Rest His/Her Seoul, Seoul Mate, Set My Seoul On Fire, Seoul To Seoul, Seoul Eater, Seoul Dust, Seoul Kitchen, Body and Seoul, Heart and Seoul

Sole Seoul - as in instrinsic, one and only

Seoul Trader, Seoul Survivor, Seoul Application, Seoul Purpose

Soul Seoul - the music and, of course, Northern Seoul

Seoul Classics, 1960s Seoul, Black Seoul, Seoul Man, Soul Lyrics, Seoul Train, Seoul Asylum, Seoul Singers, Seoul Hits, Seoul Music, Seoul Kitchen

Sole Seoul - as in the shoe

Rubber Seoul, Leather Seoul, Double Seoul

Or how about Dover Seoul, Seould Out?

© Korea Guide

Korea Headline News July 26 2015

Korea Headline News July 26 2015

South Korea arrests man over threat to kill US envoy

BBC

A hundred cities within Seoul

New York Times

Ruling party head leaves for U.S. to discuss N. Korea

Korea Herald

K-League Soccer News

Soccerphile

Lonely Teens Embrace Imaginary-Friend App

Chosun Ilbo

Only 3 in 10 college graduates able to pay back student loans

Korea Times

South Koreans wary of MERS virus snap up face masks

Los Angeles Times

Previous Korea news

© Korea Guide

Korea Headline News March 9 2014

Korea Headline News March 9 2014

North Koreans vote in rubber-stamp elections

BBC

Health insurance vulnerable to cheating

Korea Herald

Pohang Steel Korea Title

Soccerphile

More Married Women Have 1 Child or None

Chosun Ilbo

Park's aide offers to quit over election intervention

Korea Times

South Korean lawmaker convicted of treason, supporting North Korea

Los Angeles Times

Previous Korea news

© Korea Guide

Seoul City Hall

Seoul City Hall

Seoul City Hall, in the Taepyeongno area of Seoul, is housed in a modern building behind the old Seoul City Hall, which is now Seoul Metropolitan Library.

In front of Seoul City Hall is the open space of Seoul Plaza, which is an open-air ice rink in winter.

The old Seoul City Hall was built in 1926 during the Japanese invasion and housed the administration of the Japanese Governor-General.

Seoul City Hall

The new Seoul City Hall opened in 2012 and was designed by local architects iArc.

Seoul City Hall
37, Seosomun-dong
Jung-gu
Seoul, South Korea

Seoul City Hall can be reached from City Hall Station (Seoul) on Seoul Subway Line 1 and Line 2.

© Korea Guide

Korea Headline News 21 July 2013

Korea Headline News

Panama charges North Korea weapons ship's crew

BBC

North Korea triumphs in inter-Korean match at East Asian Cup

Korea Herald

Comings and Goings in South Korea

Soccerphile

Most Koreans, Japanese Worry About China's Military Buildup

Chosun Ilbo

Gwangju lied to host world swimming event

Korea Times

Asiana crash probe: South Korea not happy with NTSB disclosures

Los Angeles Times

Previous Korea news

© Korea Guide

Korea Headline News November 18 2012

Korea News

US institute: North Korea 'testing at rocket site'

BBC

Korea has most road deaths in OECD

Korea Herald

Seoul set for K-League success

Soccerphile

Gov't Agencies Splash Out on Celebrity Promoters

Chosun Ilbo

Park accents role of woman president

Korea Times

Review: Prime suspense in 'Perfect Number'

Los Angeles Times

Previous Korea news

Korean Headlines August 10 2011

Korean Headlines

Typhoon Muifa pounds west coast cities as it nears Seoul

Korea Herald

Koreas exchange fire near Yeonpyeong island

BBC

Motors driving to success in K-League

Soccerphile

Hundreds of Japanese Protest Against Korean Wave

Chosun Ilbo

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/08/113_92534.html

Korea times

North Korea's carrot-and-stick strategy

Los Angeles Times

Previous Korea news

© Korea Guide

Changing of the Guards at Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung Palace 창덕궁

Any visitor to Gyeonbokgung Palace in Seoul should try to catch the colorful Changing of the Guard ceremony.

The ceremony dates back to the 15th century and was reinstated in the 1990s.

The guards are dressed in brightly colored uniforms and carry traditional weapons as they change positions to the sound of Korean music.

The ceremony takes place every day except Tuesdays from 10 am until 3 pm at the Heungnemun Gate, just inside the main gate of the palace, close to the ticket booth.

Gyeongbokgung Palace

© Korea Blog

Pansori

Pansori 판소리

Pansori is a traditional Korean art form performed by one vocalist (kwangdae) and one percussionist (gosu). The singer uses a fan to emphasize movement during the singing.

Traditional pansori performances can last several hours and involve the retelling of a classical Korean folktale - a madang.

Visitors can catch a performance of pansori at the The National Theater of Korea in Seoul.

The National Theater of Korea
SAN 14-67, Jangchungdan-Gil 158, Jung-Gu
Tel: +82 2 2280 4414-6

Image © Daniel Allen

Bizarre Theatre At Yongsan Station

Bizarre Theatre At Yongsan Station

We came across this bizarre theatre performance in a shop window at the mall at Yongsan Station in Seoul, Korea.

© Korea Guide

Soju & Makgeolli

Soju & Makgeolli

The traditional Korean drinks of soju and makgeolli are both enjoying a renaissance amongst drinkers in Seoul.

Makgeolli is a milky-colored rice wine with a taste somewhere between Japanese sake and beer. Baekseju Village (1317-11 Seocho-Dong, Seocho-Gu near Gangnam subway station Tel: +82 2 595 1003) offers a range of specially prepared Korean traditional wines from the company's own brewery, together with some delicious side dishes. The roasted pork slices (bossam) braised with red pepper paste (gochujang) come highly recommended.

Soju is a distilled liquor similar to Japanese shochu and packs a real kick. Chungdam Ann Sojubang (118-19 Chungdam-Dong, Gagnam-Gu / +82 2 541 6381) offers excellent king ribs and pan-broiled octopus with your deceptively alcoholic fruit soju cocktails.

Cheers!

© Korea Guide

Banpo Bridge Seoul

Banpo Bridge Seoul

In 2008 the 1.4 km-long Banpo Bridge in Seoul got a major facelift with the installation of a 9,380-jet fountain that runs along both sides of the bridge that crosses the Han River.

The nozzles spray 190 tons of water per minute pumped from the river below. The fountain is illuminated at night, set to music and makes for a dramatic sight.

Korea images © Daniel Allen

South Korea Map

South Korea Map

New style "cartograms" from Worldmapper graphically show the very high population density of South Korea.

The main population density areas are Seoul and neighboring Incheon. The gray areas represent areas of low population density, with only the south west and eastern coasts having a relatively sparse population.



The estimated total population of South Korea in 2008 was 48,379,392.

Click on the map to enlarge it.

© Copyright 2009 SASI Group (University of Sheffield)

© Korea Guide

KTX Trains Korea

KTX Trains Korea 서울

The KTX is one of our favorite trains. It has a very elegant shape - sleek and refined.

© Korea Guide

Dongdaemun Gate

Dongdaemun Gate 동대문

The Dongdaemun or "Great East Gate" has stood on its present spot in Seoul since 1396 though the present structure dates from 1869.

Dongdaemun Market is the major tourist attraction in the vicinity.

© Korea Guide

South Korean Provinces

South Korean Provinces

For administrative purposes, South Korea is divided into 8 provinces (도,道,do), 1, Special self-governing Province, 1 Special City and 6 Metropolitan Cities.

The 8 provinces are: Chungcheongbuk, Chungcheongnam, Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongsangbuk, Gyeongsangnam, Jeollabuk and Jeollanam. The 1 Special self-governing Province is Jeju. The 1 Special City is the capital Seoul and the 6 Metropolitan Cities are Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwanju, Incheon and Ulsan.

Gyeonggi is the largest province in terms of population with Busan the largest Metropolitan City, though, of course, smaller than Seoul - the Special City.

Gyeonggi-do Province includes the capital Seoul, though Seoul has its own administration. The provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do is Suwon. Other provincial capitals are Chuncheon (Gangwon), Cheongju (Chungcheongnam), Daejeon (Chungcheongnam), Jeonju (Jeollabuk), Muan (Jeollanam), Daegu (Gyeongsangbuk) and Changwon (Gyeongsangnam).

Municipal level divisions are slightly similar to those in Japan: Si (city), Gun (county), Gu (district), Eup (town), Myeon (township), Dong (neighborhood), Ri (village).

© Korea Guide

Internet Cafes in Korea

Internet Cafes in Korea

As befits the most wired nation on earth, internet cafes are everywhere.

Look out for the "PC" sign on buildings and in the street.

Mainly popular with gamers rather than surfers, cybercafés or PC bangs are comfortable and cheap and most seem to be open 24/7.

Expect to pay around 1 USD an hour to get online in any of the major Korean cities.

© Korea Guide

Seoul Nightclubs

Seoul Nightclubs

Some of the best night clubs in Seoul are in Hongdae, Itaewon, Sinchon and Daehangno.



In Hongdae look out for M2 and QVo (for hiphop) which have the same owners. Tinpan 1 & 2 are heaving meat markets with cheap drinks.

© Korea Guide

Photographs of Seoul South Korea

Photographs of Seoul South Korea

Enjoy this slide show of images of Seoul by travel photographer Daniel Allen.