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Fall 2025: South Korea
  • Mark E
  • Janine Westlund
  • Mark E
  • Janine Westlund

Fall 2025: South Korea

A 12-day adventure by Mark E & Janine Read more
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  • Trip start
    October 21, 2025
    Fall 2025: South Korea
    Yep, traditional wear. (Well, maybe not the sword...)
    The Palace.1This palace waterway 'guard' sticks his tongue out taunting any would-be intruders.1Changing of the Guard.Always good to have a big drum. 😆Entrance to the Bukjon Hanok Village.The homes in the Village are beautiful.Next stop: Gwangjang Market.Mung bean pancakes: apparently very good.It's a very busy place, especially around lunch.😆🤣 at least you know what you're in for 🌶🌶🌶We also stopped in a museum. There were these robot 'docents' that were fun to watch.

    Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukjong Hanok

    October 22, 2025 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 50 °F

    First thing in the morning we were taken to a hanbok (pron: HAN bo) rental store. Hanbok is traditional Korean clothing and there were a surprising number of locals who were similarly dressed. As a 'bonus', if you're dressed in hanbok, entrance to Gyoengbokgung Palace is free. While walking around the palace grounds we were able to view the Changing of the Guard.
    We then visited Bukchon Hanok Village: a historic residential neighborhood in Seoul, known for its well-preserved, traditional Korean houses called hanok. As we wandered around the village, we felt sorry for the residents who have to endure the throngs of tourists who invade their area.
    After Bukchon, we went to Gwangjang Market for the view and some lunch.    Read more

  • Fall 2025: South Korea
    The Peace Pavilion, Peace Bell.
    (Plaque for this monument on next footprint.)(Plaque for this monument on next footprint.)"Peace Statue" commemorating Korean girls abducted by the Japanese army in WW2 as 'comfort women'.1The only way you can be silly around the North Koreans.On the border!"You want to take a picture HOW?""Okay, Tough Guy: bring it on..." 😄🤣A real village in the DMZ. Symbolic reminder.Interesting (local) overview: the creation of the Village starting w/ the Korean War (beg.1960)Barbed wire & cameras abound near the endpoints of the DMZ.And all along the river is a double-walled fence with guard towers ensuring no one crosses over.For dinner we went to a Vietnamese place; the (edible) rice paper wrap was new to us!

    The Demilitarized Zone

    October 23, 2025 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Okay, this was a little anticlimactic but still interesting.
    Before entering the DMZ, 2 border guards boarded our bus asking to see passports (and again on departure). And we were strictly prohibited from taking pictures within the tunnel area and anywhere at all in the direction of 'north'.

    We also got to see a bit of the 'Unification Village' (Korean name: Tongil Chan). It's a real village near the DMZ -- a peaceful farming village with special rules (eg. children born in the village must attend school outside the village) & apparently a very strict curfew (it seems you could be shot if out past curfew). But residents have adapted. The area serves as a symbolic reminder of the hope for Korean unification.    Read more

  • Fall 2025: South Korea
    A comfortable rail car.
    It appears to be similarly dense housing like China.1Some views of South Korea from our rail car.This was our lunch -- shared amongst 4 people. It was a lot of food...😊Yangdong VillageLooking out of the doors of a Yangdong property.1Leaving Yangdong.Dinner. 1st 'course'; shared amongst 3.Dinner second course; even amongst 3 of us, we just couldn't finish it.

    Fast train ride, Gyeongju, & Yangdong

    October 24, 2025 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    Boarded our bus at 8a to head to the train station for a high-speed train ride (up to 305km/hr, 190mph) to Gyeongju: the former capital of the Silla kingdom of ancient Korea. We arrived just after noon, had lunch and proceeded to roam around the area.

    We then drove to Yangdong Village: a UNESCO Heritage Site boasting a number of traditional hanok houses from the Joseon period (1392 - 1897).

    Didn't check in to our hotel until ~9p. Long day. 🫩    Read more

  • Fall 2025: South Korea
    Busan has dense living similar to China.
    Areas of the city itself are rather nice.On top of Toham Mountain, before the walk to the Buddha temple.The temple (upper left).Prayers are written on tags & suspended from lanterns; white lanterns are for those who have passed.Beautiful views walking up to the temple.A worship temple at the bottom of the grotto.

    Seokguram Grotto

    October 25, 2025 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Seokguram Grotto is nestled on the slopes of Toham Mtn. Established in the late 8th century during the Silla Dynasty, it is a UNESCO Heritage Site & is home to a beautifully carved buddha statue (photos not allowed 😔).Read more

  • Fall 2025: South Korea
    There are some beautiful gardens in this park.
    The detail on the ceiling entrances and overhangs are just amazing.The swastika is a symbol of good fortune & well being across various cultures.Pick up a rock (from the ground), make a either & place it on a rock. Lots of wishes here!The Belguksa TempleThis Silla Dynasty artifact (ska: 'the Smile of Silla') was the inspiration for the LG logo.This was a neat little room with tons of sparkly lights.Put people in the room and this is what you get.Just a few lentucukar pieces from the current exhibition in the Observatory.The elevator is all screen -' the 'down' video was really fun to watch!

    Belguksa Temple Complex; the LG Smile

    October 25, 2025 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    The Belguksa Temple is considered a masterpiece of the golden age of Buddhist art in the Silla kingdom.
    The Silla dynasty was a Korean kingdom that unified the peninsula in 676 AD after a war with China's Tang dynasty and later collapsed in 935 AD due to corruption and internal conflict.

    Also it was fun to see the actual artifact from the Silla Dynasty in the Gyeongju National Museum that was the inspiration for LG's logo (dubbed the "Face of the Future").

    After dinner we went to an observatory called 'Busan X - The Sky' located on the 98th to 100th floors of a high rises tower to enjoy panoramic views of Busan at night. There were also various fun things to see on the observatory floors: eg. a light-room & an art installation of various 'lenticular' prints: ie. pictures that change when you move.    Read more

  • Fall 2025: South Korea
    Small reception area where an introductory film provides some perspective on the Memorial.The cemetery is beautifully maintained by the UN.Daily flag raising.Inscription at the beginning of the Remembrance Wall.And now, the fish market.Drying fish.Now THAT'S good balance!Sometimes gloves are a nice feature when eating ribs.

    UN Memorial Cemetery, Jagalchi Market

    October 26, 2025 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    A sobering visit to the UN Memorial Cemetery dedicated to those who lost their lives while serving the UN during the Korean War (1950-53).
    Then another eye-opening visit to the Jagalchi Fish Market to see all those swimmers that the locals like to eat.Read more

  • Fall 2025: South Korea
    Approaching the suspension bridge.GamcheonThe Prince & The Fox.Wall mural.Artsy stairs.Frozen Beer. Some beer w/ unflavorwd froth poured on top along w/ a little sugary syrup. 🫤Mark 'feeding' the Prince the beer. 😆Views of Busan from the bus.Nicely lit street.Getting ready for Christmas even earlier than we do!

    Songdo, Gamcheon

    October 26, 2025 in South Korea ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Songdo Cable Car: a fun little trip providing nice views of Songdo Beach & surrounding coastline. It's endpoint provided an opportunity to wander up to the Yonggumg Suspension Bridge.

    Gamcheon Culture Village: a colorful, hillside neighborhood in Busan known for its maze-like alleys, vibrant murals & art installations like the statue of The Little Prince and the Desert Fox, inspired by the French novella by Antoine Saint-Expery (?). In other words, this is a tourist stop 😄)Read more

  • Fall 2025: South Korea
    A 'matcha crepe cake' -- really light & pretty tasty.Lunch. This was shared by 4 of us.After filtering the cutlassfish, we decided it was pretty tasty. Very light & flaky.Well, maybe not all of it was light/flaky...One of the gates on Spirited GardenFor the tea lovers, on of these little compressed patties will set you back ~US$550.These guys are called 'Dol Harebugang': symbol of Jeju. All are smilers. 😊Mark found a cool little bar called 'Led Zeppelin'; a fun way to end the day.

    Jeju Island

    October 27, 2025 in South Korea ⋅ 🌬 61 °F

    Boarded a 7:35a plane for a 45 min flight to the volcanic island of Jeju, located off the southern tip of South Korea.
    On landing we headed to the southern coast to see the Jusangeolli Cliff. Hexagonal stones formed by cooled lava, very similar to (but much smaller than) the Giants' Causeway in Ireland.
    We then visited O'Sulloc tea farm where we had a few samples of tea and a little snack; another interesting lunch at a local restaurant (never had this type of Herring before; also known as Cutlassfish; known as Galchi in Korean); and ended the day with a visit to Spirited Garden: a nice little area landscaped with bonsai, wood and rock in 'a harmonious setting'.
    After that, we were we all pretty pooped having had to be up ~4:30a. An hour drive through the island got us to our hotel around bit before 4p.    Read more

  • Fall 2025: South Korea
    Almost at the top of the peak!
    Beautiful coastal views!The top: 597 feet. 😄111

    Jeju's East Coast

    October 28, 2025 in South Korea ⋅ 🌬 59 °F

    We visited an interesting museum about the centuries old tradition of the Haenyeo, or 'sea women'. Amazing stories of endurance and survival. No pics from the museum; got too wrapped up in the video interviews with the actual women.
    We then drove to Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak (a volcsnic tuff cone formed over 5,000 yrs ago) where we hiked up to the top for beautiful coastal views.
    In the afternoon we visited Seongeup Folk Village -- a cultural park, no pics taken. A quick stop at Jeongbang Waterfall (nothing special); the Saeyeongyo Bridge was interesting.    Read more

  • Fall 2025: South Korea
    This is hanging from the ceiling at the Jeju Airport.
    Sometimes the best smiles derive from the simple fascination experienced by a child.These are some of the islands on the southern end of S. Korea.Locational snapshot from the airplane seat.Approaching Seoul ...Interesting combination of clustered, high-rise housing & farmland.This is Myeongdong Kyoja Main Restaurant. Nothing fancy!The evening lights are nice...Standing at an intersection wondering which way we want to go.And found another jazz bar!

    Flight back to Seoul; Seoul nightlife

    October 29, 2025 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Travel day: time to return to Seoul.
    It's only a 50 min flight, & you can start seeing the southern coast of South Korea after ~20 miles of air travel. The coast has a number of waterways & islands.
    When we arrived, we had lunch at Myeongdong Kyoja Main Restaurant. It's a Michelin restaurant known for their homemade noodles (in a chicken-ish broth) and their dumplings. There are only 2 other things on the menu & the only beverage available is water to keep it simple. We shared the noodles & dumplings dishes -- arguably one of the best meals we've had here. (I guess that shouldn't be surprising with a Michelin recognition...)

    Our evening entertainment was a Nanta performance. Absolutely hilarious! No pics were allowed, but it's a show that features acrobatic and comedic culinary attempts by cooks, using kitchen utensils to create percussion; sort of a cross between Blue Man Group & Stomp. There's no real dialogue, so it's very accessible to international audiences. It was apparently in New York, but concluded in 2005. 😕    Read more

  • Fall 2025: South Korea
    The wall is a 14th century landmark comprising 6 walking trails.
    View from one spot on the wall.One stopping point is known for its murals.Look at all those new-construction cranes!Certain areas of the wall display 3 different construction timeframes/styles.Pretty easy to have a peaceful experience when there are so many distrubance restrictions. 😄This was the name of the little spot we stopped for a bite to eat.This is Jomo. 😄Once we were off the wall, the path took lots of turns on pretty well made paths.

    Last day in Seoul

    November 1, 2025 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    We decided to walk the City Wall. It was built in the 14th century during the Joseong dynasty to safeguard Hanyang (present day Seoul) & served as t he City Wall for over 500 years.
    Our objective was to only do a few miles, however due to a number of unexpected path closures/detours, we ended up doing significantly more than we bargained for. Mileage uncertain, but ~22000 'steps' made for a sufficient day of exercise.
    We returned to our Seoul-favorite jazz bar to reward ourselves for surviving the experience. :)    Read more

    Trip end
    November 1, 2025
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