Seoul's K-Culture Deep Dive: Food, Music and Han River Life
Seoul is one of the world's most dynamic cities — a place where centuries-old palaces sit beside K-pop megastores and the world's most innovative street food scene.
Korean Food Culture
Seoul's food scene operates at two levels simultaneously. The traditional — doenjang jjigae (fermented soybean paste stew), galbi (grilled short ribs), bibimbap, samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) at neighbourhood pojangmacha (street stall) — and the cutting-edge, with chefs reinterpreting Korean culinary traditions in ways that rival Tokyo and Copenhagen.
Gwangjang Market is the essential first stop: live octopus, bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes), assorted street food and raw fish — one of the most stimulating food markets in Asia.
K-Culture
HYBE (the entertainment company behind BTS) operates a museum near Wangsimni station. The SM Entertainment building in COEX has a pop-up shop. Line Friends stores are throughout the city. All of this might seem shallow, but the production quality and economic importance of the Korean pop culture industry — to music, fashion, beauty and now food — is genuinely interesting.
The Palaces
Seoul has five major Joseon-era royal palaces. Gyeongbokgung is the largest and most visited; the Changing of the Guard ceremony occurs daily at 10am and 2pm. Changdeokgung and its Secret Garden (Huwon) require advance booking and are less crowded and more beautiful.
Han River
The Han River parks — Yeouido, Banpo and Ttukseom — are where Seoulites relax on weekends: night picnics, cycling, chicken and beer delivery on the grass. The Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain (musical fountains from the bridge parapets) is spectacular at night.
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