Capital of South Korea, Seoul

During my previous trip around the world in 2011, I traveled through part of Asia including a city that particularly struck me because of its differences from the other major cities I had been to!

The city I am talking about is of course Seoul in South Korea! It was my last destination in Asia before returning to Europe!

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Capital of South Korea, Seoul, the capital of the Land of the Morning Calm!

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During my stay in working holiday Australia and in France, I had formed strong friendships with Korean women so this trip will allow me to visit friends! That’s the great thing about travel, you meet people from all over the world and see them again a few years later, changed!

I will first talk about Seoul or Korea in general, then in a second article, present the city in more detail!

I had recommended through another post to go to South Korea this year, so I will present South Korea in a few points!

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South Korea in Brief

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South Korea is located at the eastern end of the Asian continent, its capital is Seoul. It has about 50 million inhabitants!

The Korean flag is as follows:

Why this flag? It symbolizes the principle of Yin and Yang and the four universal elements: sky, earth, fire, and water!

The climate in Korea is temperate, just like in France! Korean is spoken there and the currency is the WON.

Site	Duration	Price
Gyeongbokgung	2h	~2€
N Seoul Tower	1h30	~12€
Bukchon Hanok	2h	Free
DMZ (1-day excursion)	10h	~80€
Namdaemun Market	2h	Free

Korean has its own alphabet consisting of 10 consonants and 10 vowels.

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Culture in South Korea

&nbsp ; What differentiates South Korea from its Chinese neighbor is mainly Art and customs. &nbsp ;

Korean art :

• The music “gugak” traditional Korean music,
• Painting in the line of Eastern aesthetics,
• Dance mixing court dance and folk dance,
• Porcelain in Ceramics, originating from Chinese neighbors.

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Korean customs :

• Seniority : great respect for older people, somewhat like Japan.

• Names, this might sound a bit cliché, but many people have the same surname; with 2 surnames we can group a third of Koreans (the most common surnames are “Kim and Lee”).
• Marriage, one in the Western style (that is at the town hall and/or wedding dress) and another ceremony in the traditional way.

• Ancestor rites.
• Be careful with gestures, it is not polite to wave your hand with the palm facing upwards, it is rude and very frowned upon!
• The traditional Korean costume ‘hanbok’.

• The ondol,

Compared to the Western way, rooms have multiple functions, there are no rooms reserved for sleeping nor a specific dining room! Most people sit and sleep directly on the floor, on thin mattresses similar to Japanese futons. &nbsp ;

• The kimchis,

It is a staple food for Koreans, a meal without kimchi is unthinkable..

• Oriental medicine,

I’m not an expert to talk about it :D. But the main fields are acupuncture, herbal medicine and cupping therapy. I think you have already discussed it! &nbsp ;

I would also like to emphasize a few things, Koreans also quite enjoy alcohol! Notable are: rice wine and Soju!

Some additional resources if the topic interests you: information on to lay the foundations, Seoul neighborhoods for practical aspects, and European capitals reviews to go further.

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In recent years, a new phenomenon has emerged and South Korea is becoming increasingly known worldwide in the field of music through K-pop, Korean pop music.

 If you liked this article, you will also like the section: Asia advice &nbsp ; And you? What attracts you the most about South Korea? &nbsp ; If you liked this article, share it on Facebook or Twitter, icon below! “Like” my Facebook page if you enjoyed your visit to my site! &nbsp ;