South Korea

I was born in San Francisco but raised in Seoul, South Korea by my grandmother. In 2019 I took my parents to Seoul to celebrate my grandma's 90th birthday.

1. Daehakro

My hometown in Seoul is Daehakro, which is widely known as the center of arts, protests, and political liberalism. I guess the American equivalent would be Berkeley (where I actually went to for my undergrad). I went to elementary school here: Hyojae. The school has been so renovated that I could not even recognize it.

This is the building where I grew up:

2. Gyeongbokgung Palace

There are 5 Grand Palaces of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. If you are limited on time, i recommend Gyeongbokgung as it is the main and the biggest palace, built in 1395. It served as the home of the kings and the government of the Joseon Dynasty.

I haven't worn a Hanbok (traditional clothing of Korea) since I was a child. Nowadays, there are several tourist spots where you can rent a Hanbok for the day and feel like a Queen back in ancient Korea. 

My mom picked out my Hanbok at a nearby rental shop and we headed to Gyeongbokgung Palace to take a look around and get some photos--because I honestly don't know when I will be able to wear a Hanbok again. 

3. Bukchon Hanok

Besides the palaces, you can also rent a Hanbok in Bukchon Hanok village. This village is one of the few remaining areas in Seoul that preserved traditional Korean houses. Here you can experience what life may have been like centuries ago in Korea, not just for royalties, but for local people:

4. Seokparang--traditional Korean style fine dining

I took my family to Stonehill (Seokparang) for the big 90 for my grandma. This isn't the best Michelin star restaurant I've been to, but the ambiance was beautiful and the food presentation was lovely. It was quite an emotional day for me because I knew how much my grandma endured and persevered--she has survived WWII, the Japanese Occupation, and The Korean War, coming from rags to building her own multimillion wealth as a lone woman in a quite misogynistic society.

5. Gangnam

Gangnam is basically the Times Square of S. Korea. Most nightlife happens here and the young, hip crowd love to come here for the speakeasies, clubs, and for shopping. I tried a speakeasy (I forget the name) where they served a drink called "The Cheshire Cat" (the Cheshire cat is my favorite Disney character!)

The Galleria has most high end designer stores. I loved the building itself:

There is a Dior Cafe in Gangnam District. The only other Dior Cafe is located in Miami. The food and the drinks are not that great--you're basically going for the luxury experience and Instagram-able photos:

6. Namsan Tower 

The Namsan Tower was built in 1969 to provide TV and radio broadcasting to the city of Seoul. This was my first time being here:

The walk up to the Namsan Tower has a bunch of lockets--lovers come here to "lock" their love, hoping their love will last:

7. War Memorial of Korea 

There are several museums in Seoul but this was my favorite by far. It's a huge museum and you can easily get lost all day here. A life-sized copy of Admiral Yi Sun-Sin's turtle ship was there. Admiral Yi Sun-Sin is one of the greatest generals in history who saved Korea from being taken over by Japan:

8. Cheonnan Cemetery 

My grandfather passed away in his 60's. An old Korean tradition is to visit the place where the relatives' remains lie and pay respects by having a feast there. When I was younger, all our relatives would come and we would have a huge feast every year. This year we did a mini table of food for us--and our grandfather who I unfortunately never met. The Cheonnan Cemetery is well-known in Korea:

9. Myeongdong

One of the best things about Korea is the very well connected and clean train system. The subway is not 24/7 unlike NYC, but the ride is a lot smoother and there are very few delays: 

You can take the subway to MyeongDong, which is the Times Square of Korea. There you will find everything from cheap to high end fashion, and street food as well as fancy restaurants. 

My favorite street food (my favorite Korean food period) is the Kimchi Jeon (Korean-style pancake with Kimchi). Tteokbokki is made of rice cakes in spicy-sweet sauce, and is especially popular among kids. 

10. Cheonggyecheon Stream

Cheonggyecheon stream has a peaceful walkway, and many couples in Korea love to stroll here:

11. Gwangjang Market

Gwangjang Market is a huge street food marketplace. Tourists come here to try casual street food and locals come after work for some Soju and bar type food. Korea has a strict no-drug policy and even possession of marijuana is punishable by prison sentences. Thus, soju, which is a rice or sweet potato based vodka, is ubiquitous. A bottle of Soju can be as cheap as $3 USD, costing less than a pint of milk!

Cherry blossoms are found all over Seoul in the spring. Absolutely stunning! 

So many things changed in Seoul since I left there. It felt both nostalgic, beautiful, and saddening. Almost like the memories I had of my childhood were completely distant, never to return because of the inevitable passage of time: