Travel
Left: Gyeongbokgung palace Below: Seoul by night
Above and Below:
Cosmopolitan Garosu-gil, Gangnam
The conference room sits squarely
on the
Military
Demarcation Line meaning that, technically, once inside you are able to stand on North Korean soil. However the door to the North remains locked and guarded at all times by a ROK soldier, who was a master at remaining staunch whilst having his photo taken.
Back in the city, the surreal experience of my Panmunjeom visit felt like another world. Seoul seems to exist in a protective bubble, unfazed by the recent developments causing the rest of the world to worry. “Oh it’s just Kim Jong-un posturing. He does this at least once a year.” a member of the hotel concierge told me.
Seoul is vibrant, packed with people busy working, socialising and relaxing. “We believe shopping is good for stress”, Sun-Jung told me. Of course! I couldn’t visit Seoul without doing some style scouting in the famous Gangnam district. Following a peaceful breakfast admiring the city view from the JW Marriott Executive Lounge, the next day I hooked up with street- style bloggers Sol-Sol who took me to Garosu- gil. This pretty street inspired Psy’s viral pop song , which put Gangnam on the world map and is where all the style-conscious Koreans go to see and be seen.
Elegant, ginko tree lined streets make for a pleasant day out, with an abundance of fashion boutiques and art galleries to explore as well as plenty of cafes (serving some very good coffee and cake) to take a perch and people watch for a while. See overleaf for some summer outfit inspiration Seoul-style!
Three days after I returned home, North Korea cut the hotline and cancelled the armistice agreement, putting the country technically back at war. However according to the FCO “there is currently no immediate increased risk or danger to those living in or travelling to South Korea” and “around 100,000 British nationals visit South Korea every year.” I for one definitely plan to return and explore more of this exciting city.
For further information about Seoul please visit the Korea Tourism Organisation at:
english.visitkorea.or.kr
Finnair offer fast connections and smooth transfers between the UK and South Korea, via their hub in Helsinki. For further information and flight timetables, please visit:
finnair.com
Left: At the JSA, facing North Korea 59 61
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