Unique Things to Do in Seoul South Korea

Welcome to Seoul

Seoul serves as the capital of South Korea, combining potent cultural icons with modern skyscrapers and scenery. The city, which surrounds the vital Han River, is home to neon lights, beautiful natural scenery, ancient temples, cutting-edge architecture and sprawling parks.

Wandering Seoul is a unique experience. The city is considered exceptionally safe with excellent public transportation. The night life culture of the city is robust, with streets of neon lights, neighborhoods stocked with delicious restaurants and street food and vibrant cultural districts.

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Advice When Visiting Seoul

Transportation

Subway Korea and VisitKorea are both great navigation apps for getting around the country and other connecting cities.

It is considered impolite to make noise or chat frequently on Korean subways.  Likewise, rushing onto the train is frowned on while others are still disembarking. Koreans are generally very respectful when using public transportation. 

When flagging down a taxi, it’s considered politer to use a full palm, with the fingers pressed together. Holding up a single finger is considered somewhat rude.

Attire

For women, wearing skirts, legging or showing legs is fairly acceptable in South Korea, but there are still some (gradually changing) restrictions on showing cleavage in the country.  This becomes more true the further out in the countryside a person goes.  

Korea has a very formal dress culture in professional settings.  Expect to be asked to purchase semi-formal or formal work clothes depending on the job when working in the country.

Within most homes and houses, guests are expected to take off their shoes. There are also slippers or “house shoes” which are to be worn around the home. There’s usually a pair that guests are expected to wear, but if not, socks are fine.

Behavior

Seoul is very safe to travel around, even at night.  Still use common sense, but the danger in the city is minimal compared to other cities of a similar size.  

Like most of Asia, respecting elders is a huge cultural aspect.  That being said, Japan, China and Korea are the most formalized when performing polite behaviors for seniors.  They are often given preference, including being allowed to cut in lines. 

When paying for something, it is considered polite to provide a card or cash by offering it with both hands. This is true for both the person handing as well as the person receiving.

Don’t take pictures of other people without permission, especially women. This is actually illegal, by law, in South Korea. This is often references as “Right to Face.” However, personal selfies and scenic photos are generally fine.

General Notes

A lot of Korean bathrooms have toilet tissues outside the bathroom, to be picked up on the way in.  There often aren’t any toilet rolls inside stalls.  

South Korea uses a trash organization system. Certain garbage belongs to certain bins. Ask for help if you’re not initially sure what kind of trash goes where.

Seoul has two weather issues which affect the city. The first are monsoons, which occur from June to August. Expect to be caught in heavy storms around this time. The second weather involves dust storms, commonly called Hwang Sa (Yellow Dust). Dust clouds emerging from Mongolia and Northern China blanket the city, after being carried on the jet stream. When these dust clouds appear, consider wearing masks and staying indoors.

Many Asian countries have a taboo against red ink. Using red ink to write someone’s name is done when a person is deceased. Writing someone’s name in red ink while they’re alive is considered extremely unlucky and life-threatening.

Things to Do

Popular Tourist Attractions

Changdeokgung Palace – A UNESCO-recognized architectural site with elegant gardens, walkways and scenery.  The area is also home to the Great Glass House of Changdeokgung (Daeonsil).  This structure is a unique glass building which serves as a zoo, botanical garden and Victorian-style greenhouse.

Seoullo 7017 – This is an overpass converted into a narrow walking park which overlooks downtown Seoul’s skyline. The location is popular for photo tourism and sees a small crowds on the weekends.

Gyeongbokgung Palace – Built in 1395, this was the first Royal Palace built during the Joseon Dynasty is a historically vital site.  The 500 year dynasty traces many of its origins back to this Kings’ household and governmental complex.

The DMZ (DeMilitarized Zone) – The DMZ of Korea is the most infamous hard-border fortification zone in the world.  Visitors can see the immense barriers between North and South Korea during short, hour-long official tours.  Always remember, the DMZ is a highly sensitive subject and the military zone is still active.

SeMa Seoul Museum of Art – A uniquely modern building hosts a large collection of artwork, primarily from the modern era.  The museum specializes in Korean art and artists, but there are a fair number of international pieces as well.

Bongeunsa Temple – A huge, centrally located Buddhist Temple.  The temple, established in 794, is best viewed during the flowering seasons in the Spring.  It is easy to reach from the Gangnam Area.

Strange Things to Do

Coconut Box (Previously Trick Eye Museum) – An interesting optical illusion museum with interactive exhibits.  Many of the photos make it look like people are inside paintings or artwork. The museum also has a sub-zero ice park room, which is full of slides, backlit ice-lights, ice sculptures and igloos. There’s also a cafeteria equipped with a coffee maker capable of printing a person’s face onto a latte.

Museum Kimchikan – A museum tracking the history of Korea’s pickled cabbage.  This is a particularly interesting place to visit if you’re attending the kimchi festival in Gwangju. The museum offers kimchi samples, overviews on the bacteria which makes the dish so healthy and kimchi classes for those interested in the process.

Metro Farm -Operated by the startup Farm8, the Metro Farm is a vegetable farm created inside a subway station.  The crops are grown with LED lights underground and sold to people passing through the metro area.  The subway station is Sangdo Station on Line 7 of the Seoul Metro.

Yongma Land Abandoned Theme Park – A closed down theme park semi-accessible to the public for photos. It’s common to see people cosplaying or doing photoshoots in the somewhat creepy venue.  Visitors are allowed entry upon paying for private access.

Tongin Market – A Japanese occupation-era market that was shut down after WWII and reopened for stalls during the Korean War. The Lunch Box Cafés (Dosirak) is a specialty feature where Won (Korean money) is exchanged for old-fashioned market tokens, sort of like an arcade to buy food.

Seonyudo Park – Located on an island in the Han River, it must be accessed via bridge.  Previously a water treatment facility, the park has reused all of it’s old equipment for gardens and fountains.

Interesting Foods to Try

Coffee Hanyakbang – A pleasant, hidden café space which provides specialty and artisanal coffee options. The café is known for it’s high-quality single-origin hand-drip coffee.  The shop is somewhat difficult to find. To visit, use Exit 1 at the metro’s Euljiro 3-ga Station. Walk down the road until reaching the first intersection before turning right.  The alley will be on the right side, next to Ginseng Chicken Shop.

Noryangjin Fish Market – This is Korea’s most famous fish market.  Visitors can wander around an eight story, beautifully constructed fish market.  The fish are kept in aquariums, so the freshness is the same at any time during the day.  If you see a fish you like, your choice can be selected and cooked immediately. The fish market also has a quality sashimi knife shop (in section D), the salted seafood marketplace (fermented salted seafood snack options) and a fried-shrimp-and-beer stand.

The Poop Café – A fecal themed café (cartoonish, not literal) this symbol of good luck and fortune serves drinks in toilet-shaped mugs and provides poop-shaped cakes. 

Changjeon-Dong – A neighborhood absolutely stuffed with unique Korean restaurants and novelty foods.  Walking around this area reveals interesting cafés, bakeries, and traditional Korean snacks.  The district boarders a pleasant greenspace called Wau Park.

Manga and Cat Cafes – There are so many of these in Seoul on nearly every block, it’s not worth listing a specific one.  They’re grand to visit though.

Café Yeonnam-Dong 223-14 – This café is very unique.  Using specially crafted furniture and blank walls with drawn ink, the entire café looks like a 2D drawing rather than a real place. Visitors can take photos from within 2D objects, making it look like they’re drawn onto flat surfaces. 

Relaxing Places to Visit

Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain – Near the Han River, this is an enormous LED-lit bridge fountain that displays water-and-light shows nightly. The bridge is a two-tiered structure (holding the record for the longest bridge fountain in the world) which uses 380 water jets for it’s performance. The bridge has performances from April to October at different times each month. Shows last for 20 minutes.

Bukchon Hanok Village – A series of small houses built in a traditionally Korean style (Joseon dynasty), these alleys are good for peaceful exploration and photography. The village is historically vital as part of Seoul’s history and has access to Gyeongbok Palace, Changdeok Palace and the Jongmyo Royal Shrine.

Bukhansan National Park – A famous national park reachable via subway.  It has nearly 100 hiking trails, mountain streams, flowering cliffs and remote temples.  Baegundae is the main peak overlooking Seoul, providing spectacular views of the city. Aside from providing excellent hiking terrain, the park is also home to The Bukhansanseong Fortress, an amazing example of Korean castle architecture.

Gangseo Marsh Ecological Park – A large bird watching preservation area with access to wetlands, lakes and local aquatic flora. The park offers views of the Hangang River and the Banghwadaegyo and Haengjudaegyo Bridges.  The park is especially nice during bird migratory seasons.

Oil Tank Culture Park – Located in the Mapo District, the park is a oil depot converted into venues and galleries. It’s an interesting and relaxing place to wander around while enjoying various shops and artworks.

Riverwalk – Though not a specific location, there are many parks (Jamsil Hangang, Gwangaru, Amsa, Guri, Tteukseom) which border the Han River.  These parks boast many shops and artworks overlooking the river, which is stunning at sunrise and sunset.

Important Cultural Landmarks

Ihwa Mural Village – Located in Naksan Mountain near Naksan Park, this village has murals across the entire neighborhood. The murals were painted to save the slum by transforming it into a high-value attraction. There are images of fish, flowers, skylines and other artworks in its modern form.

Leeum Samsung Museum of Art – A unique museum of modern art and sculptures. The museum is home to both a contemporary art display and another section, housing traditional Korean masterworks.

The National Museum of Korea – This museum is the flagship cultural center for Korean history and art, centered around culturally-vital artworks and studies showcasing South Korea.  The museum was established in 1945 and has made incredible breakthroughs in the fields of archaeology, history, art and education.

War Memorial of Korea – The War Memorial of Korea is located in Yongsan-dong. The Museum is a heart-wrenching structure, showcasing the lessons learned during the Korean War.  The Memorial displays Korea’s military history, reminds visitors to preserve peace and offers hope for the reunification of North and South Korea.

Read about firsthand experiences walking around and eating as much food as possible in Seoul by visiting the Leftfade Trails Blog