South Korea July 9-20, 2023
This is my second time in South Korea. On my first trip, I only saw Seoul and Jeju. I have returned to see three Nomad Regions, about 7 WHS and many NM Series items added since my first trip.
After 3 days in Seoul, I rented a car to drive around the country.
South Korea. The country’s western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan. South Korea claims to be the sole legitimate government of the entire peninsula and adjacent islands. It has a population of 51.96 million, of which roughly half live in the Seoul Capital Area, the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the world. Other major cities include Incheon, Busan, and Daegu.
The Korean Peninsula was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in the early 7th century BCE. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea into Silla and Balhae in the late 7th century, Korea was ruled by the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). The succeeding Korean Empire (1897–1910) was annexed in 1910 into the Empire of Japan. Japanese rule ended following Japan’s surrender in World War II, after which Korea was divided into two zones; a northern zone occupied by the Soviet Union and a southern zone occupied by the United States. After negotiations on reunification failed, the southern zone became the Republic of Korea in August 1948 while the northern zone became the communist Democratic People’s Republic of Korea the following month.
In 1950, a North Korean invasion began the Korean War, which saw extensive American-led United Nations intervention in support of the South, while China intervened to support the North, with Soviet assistance. After the war’s end in 1953, the country entered into a military alliance with the U.S., which continues to this date, and its devastated economy began to soar, recording the fastest rise in average GDP per capita in the world between 1980 and 1990. Despite lacking natural resources, the nation rapidly developed to become one of the Four Asian Tigers based on international trade and economic globalization, integrating itself within the world economy with export-oriented industrialization; currently being one of the largest exporting nations in the world, along with having one of the largest foreign-exchange reserves in the world. The June Democratic Struggle led to the end of authoritarian rule in 1987 and the country is now considered among the most advanced democracies in Asia, with the highest level of press freedom on the continent in 2021.
South Korea is a regional power and a developed country, with its economy being ranked as the world’s thirteenth-largest by nominal GDP and the fourteenth-largest by GDP (PPP). It ranks nineteenth globally by Human Development Index. In recent years, the country has been facing an aging population and the lowest fertility rate in the world. South Korea’s citizens enjoy one of the world’s fastest Internet connection speeds and the densest high-speed railway network. The country is the world’s ninth-largest exporter and ninth-largest importer. Its armed forces are ranked as one of the world’s strongest militaries, with the world’s second-largest standing army by military and paramilitary personnel. In the 21st century, South Korea has been renowned for its globally influential pop culture, particularly in music (K-pop), TV dramas (K-dramas) and cinema, a phenomenon referred to as the Korean Wave. It is a member of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee, the G20, the IPEF, and the Paris Club.
Capital. Seoul 37°33′N 126°58′E
Languages. Korean (Pyojuneo), Korean Sign Language
Ethnic groups. 95.1% Korean, 4.9% other
Religion. 56.1% no religion, 27.6% Christianity, 15.5% Buddhism, 0.8% other
Area. 100,363 km2 (38,750 sq mi) (107th). Water .3%
Population. 51,966,948 (28th). Density 507/km2 (1,313.1/sq mi)
GDP (PPP). $2.924 trillion (14th). Per capita $56,706 (28th)
GDP (Nominal). $1.721 trillion (12th). Per capita $33,393 (33rd)
Gini. 34.5 medium
HDI. 0.925 very high · 19th
Currency. Korean Republic won (₩) (KRW) 1US$ = 1,304W, 1€ = 1,437 (xe.com August 2023)
Driving side. Right
Calling code. +82
Maps. Google Maps is blocked. However, it does keep all my destinations. Any attempts at navigation get “Can’t find a way there”. This is unfortunate as all my NM destinations are entered into GM. They are on my computer, so every day, I pick my route and write down the destinations to enter into Naver. However, it is highly recommended to use Naver anyway as the map gives all the speed camera locations, crucial for driving around Korea.
Naver is very good for navigation but doesn’t have all the destinations. It has some amazing features like the warning of speed cameras. I still use GM to find the destination and can just about always find the location by searching the area on Naver. My car, a Hyundai, also has a mapping system that often has destinations not on Naver, but its navigation is not great and doesn’t warn about the speed cameras. Between all three, I am able to find almost everything.
Transportation.
Car rental requires an International Drivers License. I rented from Lotte (Hertz) at a good rate (about 60,000W/day (US$50) for a small Hyundai that was an excellent car.
Bicycles and scooter rentals are totally unavailable and there are no bicycle lanes, quite a difference from China.
Metro. I only used it in Seoul and not nearly as easy to navigate as in China. At one station in Seoul, there was no route map and it took a while to figure out my direction. There are no route maps above the doors and only on columns in the stations.
Driving in South Korea. The roads are superb. Korea is very mountainous (rugged steep side hills forested to the top) but the roads have no hills – bridges, and tunnels flatten everything out.
Expressways have tolls and it is best to avoid HiPass and pay in cash or with a credit card (the far right lanes). But many toll booths are unmanned and the machines give tickets only half the time. Hi Pass is on the left and I went through this lane many times but did not registered the account and was going through fraudulently. When I returned my car, I needed to pay about 70,000W of unpaid toll fees. In total, I probably paid about 100,000 W to drive on Korean Expressways.
There are literally millions of speed cameras on highways and cities. Besides speed, many also detect red light infractions. All cameras are marked with signs and Naver warns you of every one. So there should be no reason to ever get a speeding ticket. But in my 8 days of driving around Korea, I still had two speeding tickes (20,000W each). One variant is the average speed cameras that clock you over a distance, often about 8-12 km. Naver gives you all the information to keep your average speed under the speed limit, usually 100 km/hour.
One of the most frustrating speed zones is the many 30km/hr zones not uncommon in Seoul. Ones in school zones are fine but these are on normal appearing streets.
People. Koreans are very nice and always try to be helpful. English is generally good in Seoul but deteriorates elsewhere. I only used Google Translate twice.
It is an interesting exercise to determine what is different in appearance between Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese. I think Koreans have broader, flatter faces and tend to be larger-boned people.
Korean women are not as fashionable as Chinese women but the men are much more so than Chinese men.
Museums. Like China, the buildings are lovely, usually very large, modern, and with great architecture. Displays are usually labelled in English. They are virtually always free if over 60 and cheap if paying full price.
SIM card. I used Korea Telecom. A prepaid card with unlimited data for 10 days was expensive (38,000W) and a 5-day extension that was easy to do on their website was another 27,000W.
Day 1 Wed Aug 9
Flight. Shanghai Pudong to Seoul Incheon. Ariana Airlines. @11:40-14:20.
I miscalculated the time to get to the airport, the check-in counter closed one hour before the flight and I missed the flight – stupid me. I bought another ticket with Asiana @16:20 for a 630¥ penalty.
At Incheon International Airport, I bought a SIM (10 days, unlimited data, receive calls and SMS) for 38,000W), withdrew money from an ATM (service charge 4000W) and reserved a car at Hertz (321,000W for 5 full days) starting Aug 13.
I then took the Airport Railway to Gongdoek station and changed to Line 6, 5 stops to Itwaeon 4,500W.
ON G Guesthouse Itaewon in Seoul. Here for three nights to see Seoul for the second time. There are more international travelers here than I have seen in the last 11 months, including many Israelis.
SOUTH KOREA – SEOUL NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA (Seoul, Incheon)
Day 2 Thur Aug 10
The first day of a typhoon. Raining and windy and hostel bound. Met Andy, a 64-year-old guy from California. We had a great game of Yaniv/
Day 3 Fri Aug 11
Although it almost stopped raining last night, it was still raining hard in the morning.
The hostel was booked out so I decided to advance my car rental to Aug 12.
I had my usual walkabout after taking the metro to Seoul Station. Distances were relatively short.
SEOUL METROPOLITAN
Itaewon. In the NM Urban Legends series, it is a multi-cultural commercial area, one of the most popular neighborhoods in Seoul, known for its nightlife and trendy restaurants.
As foreigners began to enter Korea in the 1880s, embassies and inns began to pop up in the region. It was one of the most prominent spots for foreigners and travelers heading in and out of the capital city.
Since U.S. soldiers were given pleasure leave from 1957, brothels sprung up in Itaewon. 39,542 crimes were committed by U.S. military personnel between 1967 and 1987, including murders, rapes, theft, arson, and smuggling, which went largely unpunished. Twenty years after the Korean War (1950–53), Itaewon became a shopping district. The district gradually became gentrified and, in 2013, the US military moved its base with 17,000 soldiers to southern Seoul. Itaewon also became something of a home for the LGBT movement and was considered to be as open to foreigners as it was to Koreans. However, while representative commercial buildings had been erected in Itaewon, the area’s characteristic of narrow streets have remained.
As Seoul’s International District, Itaewon is known for serving foreign cuisine and called the “International District” or sometimes “Western Town,”
Major hotels such as the Grand Hyatt Seoul and Hamilton Hotel are here, Itaewon includes Homo Hill and is Seoul’s gay village.
On 29 October 2022, a crowd crush occurred during the 2022 Halloween festival. Over 150 people were confirmed dead and over 100 were injured. 26 were foreign nationals. It is served by Seoul Subway Line 6 via Itaewon, Noksapyeong and Hangangjin station
Culture Station Seoul 284. The Old Seoul Train Station is a marvelous colonial building. It holds rotating exhibits, arts and crafts, and architectural exhibits. Free
Namdaemun Market. Occupying several streets, there are mostly clothes but also jewelry and miscellaneous shops.
Bank of Korea Museum. Process of minting coins and printing paper money, many old coins (including spade and knife money), and foreign currencies. Free
Museum of Art. Pay for and free exhibition on Edward Hopper, an American artist from New York, not so interesting. Free
Museum of Agriculture. A wonderful museum with many dioramas. Bronze age farming, many farm implements, and silk production. Free
Seoul Museum of History. Wonderful cityscape with a light show. Silver exhibit. Hanyang, the Joueson city, the original Seoul. History of Japanese imperialism – first in 1592 and second from 1910-45, not a pretty occupation. Free
Samsung Jong-Ro Tower. Curved glass facade at the bottom, two round elevator towers on each end supporting a large separate oval section at the top.
Euljiro. In the NM series Urban Legends series, is an avenue in Seoul named after Eulji Mundeok, the general who saved Korea from the invading Sui dynasty of China. Euljiro starts at 97-3 Sogong-dong, and reaches 224-2, Sindang-dong, Jung-gu. Euljiro has several links to Seoul Subway Line 2:
Gwanghwamun Plaza. In the NM series Urban Legends series, is a public square on Sejongno. Serving as a public space and at times road for centuries of Korean history, it also historically significant as the location of royal administrative buildings, known as Yukjo-geori or Street of Six Ministries.
The area of Gwanghwamun Square has a long history, and by the Joseon Dynasty, it had become the central point of Seoul. The square began to suffer from neglect during the Japanese colonial period, faced damage during the Korean War, and then was used as a 16-lane roadway in the 20th century.
A pedestrian-friendly, open urban space restored the square. Rather than moving the old King Sejong the Great of Joseon statue from Deoksugung to the Square, a new statue was commissioned in a sitting position, a.6.2-meter high, 20-ton bronze statue. Sejongno was downsized from 16 lanes to 10 lanes, and is very long and narrow extending to the Statue of the Admiral Yi Sun-sin stands. In 2022, Sejong-aerod was reduced to 6 lanes and the pedestrian plaza more than doubled in size.
Admiral Yi Sun-sin fought 23 battles with 12 warships leading Koreans to victory during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598). There is a fountain and waterway. The statue dates to 1968. Underneath the statues, there is a small exhibition hall and museum.
Kimchikan Museum. All about Kimchi, the national dish of Korea. Made from a wide variety of vegetables salted, fermented, and flavoured with a variety of herbs, see the production, detailed description of ingredients and finally taste small quantities of three kinds of Kimchi. On the 4th to the 6th floors of a small art complex. Free
Total Museum of Contemporary Art. In a huge lovely building, there are a few interesting pieces. One especially interesting was three pieces of human figures produced using hundreds of tiny skulls. Free
National Folk Museum of Korea. An open-air museum with hundreds of stone statues, examples of stores. a water wheel with big mortars, silk making, and a traditional house. Free
Daelim Museum. In the NM Music, Film and Photography Museums series, this was Korea’s first photography museum. Some great photos. Today, it holds exhibitions on photography but also design, and a range of other fields. Free
War Memorial of Korea. In the NM The Dark Side series,
Seodaemun Prison History Hall. In the NM The Dark Side series, this is a memorial to those who suffered during the Japanese occupation. The institution was used by the Japanese to house independence and pro-democracy activists. It also represents the suffering of the Korean people as they struggled to archive independence and democracy.
Construction started in 1907 during the last years of the Great Korean Empire or Daehan Empire. When completed in 1908, it was known as Gyeongseong Prison and changed in 1923 to Seodaemun Prison.
On August 29, 1910, the Great Korean Empire was colonized by the Japanese. For many decades, activists fought against the injustice of the Japanese occupation but were too few to threaten Japan’s imperialistic and brutal rule. The Japanese attempted a cultural genocide on the Korean people including making them learn and only speak Japanese, making them pray to the gods of Japan, and making them adopt Japanese names.
In total, about 40,000 freedom fighters entered the prison. Of those, about 400 were executed or died from other reasons while incarcerated here. The Japanese continues executing and torturing inmates until liberation in 1945. Korea was liberated on August 15, 1945, also known as Victory over Japan Day.
Seodaemun Prison operated as a prison for eight decades from 1908 to 1987. Seven of the prison’s original fifteen buildings still stand, one is the execution building. Free if >65
Day 4 Sat Aug 12
I took the metro and Airport train to Incheon International Airport to pick up my rental car (Lotte/Hertz, 5 days, 321,000W + 90,000 for no excess insurance)
Bucheon Art Bunker B39, Incheon. This is an old garbage incinerator decommissioned in 2098 with many of the incinerator rooms part of the “art”. Two large screens with lounge chairs of subjects I never quite figured out. No art per se. Free
Noryangjin Fish Market. Wow, what a market – every kind of fish imaginable (all kinds of shellfish, crab, but no shark or whale), in live tanks or elegantly displayed in this huge complex. Easy parking.
Building 63 is a skyscraper on Yeouido Island, overlooking the Han River. At 249.6 m (819 ft) high, it was the tallest building outside North America when it was opened on July 27, 1985, and it is the second-tallest gold-clad building in the world after Grand Lisboa in Macau. It stood as South Korea’s tallest building until the Hyperion Tower surpassed it in 2003.
The 63 Building (60 above ground floors and 3 below) was built as a landmark for the 1988 Summer Olympics. The skyscraper is the headquarters of Korea Life Insurance, Industrial Bank of Korea Securities, and other major financial companies.
The 60th floor houses the world’s highest art gallery and an observation deck known as the 63 Golden Tower. The 59th floor features an international restaurant called Walking in the Cloud, while the 58th floor houses a family restaurant called Touch the Sky. Observation elevators equipped with windows enable passengers to view the city on their way to/from the observation deck. The lower floors house an indoor shopping mall with approximately 90 stores, an IMAX theater, and a large aquarium, Aquaplanet. 25,000W
Jeoldusan Martyrs’ Shrine is a Catholic shrine on the Han River dedicated to those who gave up their lives during the Byeongin persecutions of 1866. In late 1866, nine French missionaries were martyred. This caused two attempted invasions into Korea by a French fleet. After the attempted invasions, the Joseon government punished, targeted, and brutally murdered many French and native Korean Roman Catholics. The place became known as “beheading mountain.”
The property was acquired by the Catholic Church in 1956 and in 1962, this monument was erected with a church and museum. In 1968, the church holds the relics of twenty-nine martyrs, including one who is unknown. Free
National Hangeul Museum. A very interesting museum about the development of the Korean alphabet, hangeul developed by King Sejong in 1446. It has 28 syllabic letters but now has 24 and has enabled literature access to all Koreans. Good descriptions in English but most of the displays are in Korean of course. Free
I then had a driving nightmare trying to see two churches in west Seoul. Neither was on the two Korean maps and I tried to find them without navigation on Google Maps – impossible.
I finally decided to leave Seoul to head east.
Go to Korea Northeast (Chuncheon)
GOCHANG, HWASUN and GANGHWA DOLMAN SITES WHS. These prehistoric cemeteries contain many hundreds of examples of dolmens – tombs from the 2nd and 1st millennia BC constructed of large stone slabs. They form part of the Megalithic culture, found in many parts of the world in Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures, but nowhere in such a concentrated form. The sites contain the highest density and greatest variety of dolmens in Korea, and indeed of any country.
Usually consisting of large rocks on the ground, the most spectacular are two or more undressed stone slabs supporting a huge capstone. They were burial chambers, erected over the bodies or bones of deceased worthies. They are usually found in cemeteries on elevated sites and are of great archaeological value for their social and political systems, beliefs and rituals, and arts and ceremonies. The sites show evidence of how stones were quarried, transported, and raised and how dolmen types changed over time in northeast Asia.
Three distinct areas.
1. Gochang Dolmen Site (8.38 ha) features the largest and most diversified group and is centered in the village of Maesan, along the southern foot of a group of hills running east/west. Over 440 dolmens of various types have been recorded in this location.
2. The Hwasun Dolmen Site (31 ha) is situated on the slopes of a low range of hills, along the Jiseokgang River. There are more than 500 Dolmens in this group. The stone outcrops used as quarries for the stones have been identified for many.
3. The Ganghwa Dolmen Sites (12.27 ha) are on the offshore island of Ganghwa, on mountain slopes. They tend to be situated at a higher level than the dolmens of the other sites and are stylistically early, in particular those at Bugeun-ri and Gocheon-ri.
Three distinct areas but only one in northern South Korea. I saw the other two but not this one as it was a longer drive not on my route.
The Ganghwa Dolmen Sites (12.27 ha) are on the offshore island of Ganghwa, on mountain slopes. In the far NW corner of S Korea] next to the DPRK.
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This seemed like a long drive but on good roads with many tunnels through very hilly country.
Naminara Republic (micronation). Namiseom or Nami Island is a half-moon-shaped river island located in Gangwon Province, formed as the land around it was inundated by the rising water of the North Han River as the result of the construction of Cheongpyeong Dam in 1944. It is 430,000 m2 (0.17 square miles) in area and approximately 4 km in diameter.
History. Min Byeong-do bought the island in 1965 as the Gyeongchun Tourism Development Co., Ltd and began to develop it as a general resort. In 2002, the Korean Broadcasting System TV drama Winter Sonatathe area was filmed around Nami Island and the number of Japanese tourists visiting Nami increased significantly.
Naminara Republic. Namiseom is home to the Naminara Republic, a self-declared micronation described as “a tourist destination that advocates the concept of a nation.” On 20 July 2018, a retired M48 Patton tank was received from the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.
ON Hostel Debiya. Out in the countryside east of Chuncheon, it had a great vibe – a nice owner, and a group of Koreans eating a large meal. A good BF with fry-your-own eggs and toast. 30,000W
KOREA EAST – GANGWON-DO (Chuncheon)
Day 5 Sun Aug 13
I had a drive about to see Chuncheon.
Kim Yujeong Munhakchon. This was not on either of the Korean maps so I couldn’t find it on the drive into Chuncheon.
CHUNCHEON (pop 285,000) is the capital of Gangwon Province in the north in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River. There are some large lakes – Soyang Lake and Uiam Lake.
The area was first settled in the stone age. The city was largely destroyed during the Korean War in the Battle of Chuncheon.
In winter, snow and ice festivals are held. It is a tourist destination, attracting visitors from around East Asia. Chuncheon is the market center for agricultural produce, mainly rice and soybeans. Legoland Korea is the first Legoland in Northeast Asia,
SoYangGang Girl Statue. A lovely dark grey metal statue on a stone plinth on a small island on piers in the river. Next to the skywalk.
Soyanggang River Skywalk. This ~75 m long cable-stayed walkway extends out into the river ending at views of a large silver metal dolphin.
Chuncheon Central Market. A small street market with a little bit of everything from plants to a barber shop.
Chuncheon War Memorial Museum. A tank and APC in the parking lot, then up the stairs to the Love Zone. A small museum only in Korea with many maps, guns, and uniforms. Free. Great views down to the river.
National Museum. A pre-history and middle kingdom gallery with the usual stuff. In a gorgeous building with great displays. Free
Gubongsan Mountain Observatory. Wonderful views down to Chuncheon and the river from the Twosome Cafe.
I then started the long drive to Sokcho.
Cheongpyeongsa. North of Chuncheon. I’m not sure if this is worth the effort, fine if it is your only destination for the day. A 6.8 km drive off the highway on a very windy road, parking 2000W, park at the far end. Pass a 19-spot campground, cross a bridge, walk by several restaurants and another bridge, then a 1.25 km walk uphill along a lovely stream (Gusong Waterfall) to the underwhelming temple. Dating from 973, most buildings were destroyed in the Korean War and rebuilt in the 70s and 80s. Hoejeohmum Gate (1550) is the entrance to the small temple with three images and lotus lanterns. Two small side halls. Had arhats (smiling stone statues) in the National Museum.
Goseong County (extreme northeast, north of 38th parallel). A little bit of a detour to Goseong, a rather drab city with nothing to see.
SOKCHO is located in the far northeast of Gangwon. This city is a major tourist hub and a popular gateway to nearby Seoraksan national park. Lakes Yeongrangho and Cheongchoho are naturally created by the East Sea. It was under DPRK control from 1945 to 1950 but recaptured in 1951.
Initially a fishing village, in 1905, it became one of the major ports because of Cheongchoho Lake’s connection with the East Sea allowed big ships to come in and out with ease. It became a mineral transfer port in 1937. Upon the division of the Korean peninsula into two countries following World War II, Sokcho was on the North Korean side of the border, but since the Korean War armistice (1953), it has been a part of South Korea.
Seoraksan National Park attracts many domestic and international tourists. The city itself is known for the beach, natural hot springs, golf courses, and fishery products.
In 2016, Sokcho became one of the few locations in South Korea where Pokémon Go could be played due to government restrictions on mapping data. Players flocked to the city, causing bus tickets to sell out. Tourists are also attracted by the closeness to the DMZ.
The KTX Kyung Kang line makes Solcho an 86-minute train ride from Seoul.
Sokcho is known for Hoe, a raw fish.
Foodtown is a two-block area dedicated to restaurants. Daepo harbor, outside of Sokcho on the road to Yangyang offers more than 100 individual mini-restaurants.
Sokcho City Museum. History Hall, refugee village (N Koreans fleeing the north in the early 50s), traditional village, and Exhibition Hall. Not much of interest. Free if >65.
Mt. Soraksan Nature Reserve. Tentative WHS (01/09/1994). At 163.6 square kilometers, it has many high peaks over 1,200 meters (Darchongbong, the highest at 1,708 meters). The complicated mountain ranges have strongly dissected granite and gneiss producing spectacular rocky hills and ridges. Cultural properties include two Buddhist temples, Paektamsa and Shinhungsa.
Hikes include Biscondae Rock 2.4 km, Huerdeulbawi Rock 2.4 km, Geumgoanggul Grotto 3 km and Darchongbong Peak 10.4 km, all measured from the big Buddha statue near Shinhungsa Temple. Parking 6000W
I didn’t see the next two sites
Gwongeumseong Fortress is a castle ruin located on Seoraksan Mountain. It was built by the 23rd Goryeao King (r. 1213-1259). It can be reached by a steep rocky, 2.4 km path starting past the Biryonggyo Bridge or by the cable car (1971, 07:00 to 18:00 departing every 7 minutes, 15,000W).
Biryong Falls. A 2.4 km hike to three waterfalls. The beginning trail is relatively flat, along a stream through a forest. A suspension bridge is at Yukdam Falls. Another 20 mins to Biryong Falls. A steep set of stairs continue to Towangseong Falls.
Sokcho Beach. A long golden, coarse sand beach. Ferris wheel and large breakwater at the north end. The entire beach was roped off with flagging tape. The beach was steep with significant waves so assume there is quite a bit of undertow. Still, many people picnicking and walking the promenade.
ON After my usual BK dinner, I drove south a few kilometres and found a secluded spot in a dirt lot right on the beach for the night. This is the first time I have slept in the car for a long time. The hotels were all very expensive in Sokcho.
Day 6 Mon Aug 14
Off at 6 am, I had a long driving day planned.
Naksan Beach. Golden coarse sand and dumping surf. No one swims here but many picnic tables and a few palapas.
Jungdongjin Beach. A long beach with access blocked to the north by a railway but good access before Sun Cruise Resort. Golden sand with dumping surf.
Sun Cruise Resort. In the NM Bizzarium series, These are two dated small cruise ships (placed perpendicular to each other) that serve as a hotel. 5000W, 3000 if >60.
Cheongok Golden Bat Cave. A 1,510 m horizontal cave is located in the middle of the city. Created 400-500 million years ago, it has moderately good formations – stalactites and stalagmites, flowstone, statues of an admiral, Maria, and a Bodhisattva. It is best known for its golden bats, an endangered species. 4000W
Haeshindang ‘Penis’ Park, Sinnam. In the NM Bizzarium series, has many “totems”, cast cement and stone penises carved into fantastical shapes. Climb many stairs along a ridge line. 3000, 1500 if >60.
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KOREA SOUTH – GYEONGGI-DO, CHUNGCHEONG (Suwon, Daejeon, Seongnam)
BAEKJE HISTORIC AREAS WHS. Located in the mountainous mid-western region, there are eight archaeological sites dating from 475 to 660 CE, including the Gongsanseong fortress and royal tombs at Songsan-ri related to the capital, Ungjin (present-day Gongju), the Busosanseong Fortress and Gwanbuk-ri administrative buildings, the Jeongnimsa Temple, the royal tombs in Neungsan-ri and the Naseong city wall related to the capital, Sabi (now Buyeo), the royal palace at Wanggung-ri and the Mireuksa Temple in Iksan related to the secondary Sabi capital.
The Baekje lasted 700 years from 18 BCE to 660 CE, one of the three earliest kingdoms on the Korean peninsula. These sites represent the later period of the Baekje Kingdom when it reached its peak cultural development. The sites testify to the adoption by the Baekje of Chinese principles of city planning, construction techniques, arts, and religion (Buddhism); their refinement, and subsequent distribution to Japan and East Asia.
Apart from the pumping station in the vicinity of the northern gate of Busosanseong Fortress and the remaining residential accommodation within the Archaeological Site of Gwanbuk-ri, the sites have not been impacted adversely by development or neglect.
SEOWAN, KOREAN NEO-CONFUCIAN ACADEMIES WHS. In central and southern Korea are nine seowon – Sosu-seowon, Namgye-seowon, Oksan-seowon, Dosan-seowon, Piram-seowon, Dodong-seowon, Byeongsan-seowon, Museong-seowon and Donam-seowona – a type of Neo-Confucian academy that adapted Confucianism from China to Korean conditions during the Joseon dynasty (15th -19th centuries CE) – how Neo-Confucianism from China was adapted to Korean conditions. Learning, veneration of scholars, and interaction with the environment were the essential functions of the seowons, expressed in their design. Situated near mountains and water sources, they favoured the appreciation of nature and the cultivation of mind and body. The pavilion-style buildings were intended to facilitate connections to the landscape.
The educational system required full commitment to learning classics, and literary works, understanding the universe, and becoming the ideal person. The seowon were led by sarim – local venerated scholars or intellectuals who formed a strong academic lineage. The second factor was the landscape of mountains and water to appreciate nature and cultivate the mind and body.
Day 10 Sat Nov 19
I had a big drive day starting south of Seoul.
Anyang Art Park, Anyang. In the Urban Legends series, this is a small neighborhood with various art exhibits scattered around. Also a food culture neighborhood with many trendy restaurants.
Gwacheon National Science Museum.. Museum free. 5000W just to park.
Seoul Land. A large amusement park with all the rides.
National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon. Young Korean artists exhibit, many architectural with some nice woodwork, and an interesting marble course. A circular central area with a tower of TVs. I finally left after getting frustrated finding the galleries on the second and third floors. Free but 5000 to park.
Return to Seoul Metropolitan Area
I had a drive about on my last day in Korea to see many sites around the periphery of Seoul starting in the south. I don’t think I have spent so much time waiting at street lights with no traffic moving. Plus the zillion-speed cameras make for slow driving. In fact, I wrote most of this post in traffic. Maybe this is what Seoul is like on a Saturday.
Boutique Monaco. In the Architectural Delights series, this is a fantastic high rise with many cut-outs and a geometric facade.
Bongeunsa Temple. A Buddhist temple that dates back to 794 located south of the Han River. During the Joseon Dynasty, the government oppressed Buddhism and supported Confucianism. Around 1550 Bongeunsa was expanded and became the head monastery of the national Jogye Seon Order. It also was the main Korean Buddhist Zen temple from 1551 to 1936. In 1939, and again during the Korean War (1950-1953), most of the temple buildings were heavily damaged or destroyed by fire.
The highlight of the temple though is a 28-meter stone statue of Maitreya, the Future Buddha. This statue is one of the tallest stone statues in the country. It has a platform with a stupa on its head. The oldest remaining building is a library that was constructed in 1856.
Today, Bongeunsa Temple is pleasant and peaceful. Before the 1960s, the temple grounds were surrounded only by the countryside with farms and orchards. Since then, the area has become the center of one of the wealthiest and busiest places in Seoul. Many of the halls are spread out on a forested hillside.
Twice a day, at 4:10 and 18:40, a percussion ceremony using four instruments is performed by the monks of the temple.
Seoul Olympic Art Museum SOMA. 75 modern Seoul artists, not much of interest and certainly not worth the price. Just finding the entrance was an adventure. 15,000W, 9000W if >65. 6000 to park (I parked in a handicapped stall as there were no other spaces and then escaped behind another car). The Sculpture Park next to the museum was more interesting.
Statue of Peace in Gangdong District (Comfort Woman Statue) is a symbol of the victims of sexual slavery, known euphemistically as comfort women, by the Japanese military during World War II (specifically, the period from the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War until the end of the Pacific War). The Statue of Peace was first erected in Seoul to urge the Japanese government to apologize to and honour the victims. However, it has since become a site of representational battles among different parties.
The bronze statue was erected in front of the Embassy of Japan in Seoul to commemorate them in 2011. The statue depicts a girl dressed in a chima jeogori, with small hands and short hair, sitting and staring at the Embassy of Japan.
Japan has repeatedly demanded that the statue be removed, but Seoul and especially the victims have rejected such demands, consistently arguing that the Japanese government has never officially admitted the direct involvement of its military in the comfort women issue. The Japanese government did in fact admit to this in 1992.
In 2015, South Korea and Japan reached an agreement to settle the comfort women issue. In December 2015, Japan stated that it would not pay ¥1 billion as compensation unless the Statue of Peace was removed. Afterward, a second statue was erected in Busan. Japan then recalled two diplomats from South Korea and halted high-level talks. South Korea terminated the 2015 agreement on 21 November 2018 and effectively shut down the Japanese-funded comfort women foundation that was set up to pay the agreed settlement. Japan maintains that the agreement is still legally binding and therefore, the placement of the statue is illegal.
More comfort women statues are appearing both inside and outside of South Korea – Sydney, Australia, one in Japan, nine in the US, and one in Canada.
Japan press stated that these Korean anti-Japan activities were part of the Chinese Communist Party’s information operation attempting to cut the ties of the alliance between Japan, the US, and Australia” and involve political operatives “connected with North Korea.
To date, comfort women statues and memorial stones have been set up in a total of 51 places around the world, 40 of which are in South Korea and 11 of which are in other countries.
Daeyang Gallery and House. In the NM Architectural Delights series, has three pavilions, one for entry, one event space, and one residential, which are separated by a reflecting pool. Below, they are connected by a continuous art gallery space. Skylights cut in the roof of the pavilions and in the base of the reflecting pool bring natural light to the spaces, and gallery level below.
The interiors of the pavilions have red and charcoal stained wood, and the exterior is a rain screen of patinated copper. it was completed in June 2012. It was not open.
Jaeneung Culture Center. Finished with reinforced concrete, this has a wide stair and bridge connecting the two sides.
Whanki Museum. The main gallery was closed but his studio and Street exhibit could be seen. 4000W reduced.
Kim Whanki (1913 – 1974) was a Korean painter and pioneering abstract artist. He lived and worked in Seoul and Busan, Tokyo, Paris, and New York City, where he passed away. His artworks largely dealt with diverse hues and patterns. Kim’s early works were semi-abstract paintings that allowed viewers to see certain forms, but his later works were more deeply absorbed abstract paintings, filled with lines and spaces. Whanki Kim’s style of abstract art transformed from geometric abstraction to art with traditional Korean motifs to monochrome paintings of dots and lines.
The artist’s partner Hyang-an Kim established the Whanki Foundation in 1978 and opened the Whanki Museum in 1992.
Illustrated Café (Greem Cafe). In the NM Bizzarium series, the interior is all white with everything outlined in a thick black line – the bricks, the floor in a faux herringbone wood grain, chairs, tables, and columns. On the open spaces are black outline drawings of flowers, lamps, and geometric images. It was full of white tourists. I had an expensive frappuccino.
INCHEON
Sudoguksan Museum of Housing and Living. Sudoguksan was a shanty village on the side of a mountain occupied initially after the 1910 Japanese takeover, then after the Korean War, and then by people moving from the countryside in the 1970s and 80 by people looking for work during Korea’s industrialization. A cute maze of crooked corridors lined by all the tiny homes and businesses expected in a community. At one time there were 3000 families living there. Free
Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village. Originally an old village in Incheon, it was reorganized and decorated with the main characters and backgrounds from both Korean and other fairy tales. In every alley of the residential area are backgrounds and characters from fairy tales, murals, and sculptures. It started as a residential improvement project in 2013, taking two years. The residents still live there.
Jajangmyeon Museum. A museum in Chinatown, it was all about food with these black bean noodles as the main one. Lots of great plastic simulations.
Douglas MacArthur Statue. MacArthur (1880-1957) had 50 years in the US military and was a 5-star general, the Supreme Commander of the Occupation forces and American forces in the Korean War. He operated the landing operation at Incheon that turned the course of the war.
On top of a mountain park, this imposing bronze statue has MacArthur holding binoculars in his right hand standing on a tall stone plinth. Lower on the mountain is a statue of three Korean soldiers beside two tall hexagonal columns.
Dapdong Cathedral (St. Paul’s Cathedral) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in a mixture of styles, including Neo-Gothic and Neo-Romanesque. The Latin rite church serves as the seat of the Diocese of Incheon which was created in 1962 by Pope John XXIII. It has a cross-shaped plan, and is built mainly of brick with some granite. There is a lovely rose window over the main entrance.
Sinpo International Market. One long arched roof corridor flanked by mostly food stalls, all Korean with not one international one. The dumplings at one end and the fried chicken at the other had long lines. I had a fried pastry with brown sugar in the middle.
Songam Art Museum. In an odd location out of the city in what appears to be a brick Japanese government building, this is an odd art gallery with a lot of pottery and traditional Chinese painting on the second floor. Free
Incheon City Museum. All the usual stuff for a municipal museum – archaeology and more about Incheon’s role in the Korean War. Free
After seeing all the NM sites in Incheon, I drove out to Incheon airport on the amazing bridge that goes most of the way over the water. I needed to settle all my bills with Lotte Car Rental (Hertz) – 185,000W for three extra days of car rental. There were also 80,000W of unpaid road tolls and 40,000W for two speeding tickets.
ON Palace Motel Incheon. Very functional room with all I needed in a gaudy place. $28
Day 11 Sun Aug 20
Flight. ICN – Taipei (TPE). Jeju Air @09:05-10:50, 2′ 45″. US$125.
I left the hotel with 2 1/2 hours to departure, 40 minutes to drive (5,500W toll), 5 minutes to clean the car of all the cigarette ashes, find departures, check-in (required an onward flight so booked a fake flight to Jakarta in about 4 minutes), security (bypassed the line and I kept my lighter!), immigration, my gate required a train ride, a long walk to the gate, spending all the rest of my money on cigarettes (left with about $3), and actually arrived in time for a cigarette!!