Context
We stayed in Seoul for ten days ā first in Gangnam, then in the Jongno district near Gwangjung Market (JD Tower Hotel.) This was my first time in South Korea, although I traveled with Lynne who spent many of her younger years in Sejong and Seoul.
Seoul is a big city so this is not a comprehensive list šĀ This is just what I was able to experience while also getting eye surgery and tabling at a 3-day art book fair (Unlimited Edition.)
Summary
Itās a surprisingly affordable city for a major metro area. Iāve heard Taipei described as āSeoul in the 80āsā, and I can definitely see it! Most people live in large apartment complexes and get around using a modern, efficient public transit system. The culture is centered around eating, drinking, shopping, and yapping, and smoking and vaping is common here (and rising, in contrast to most other cities.)
From a pedestrian perspective, Seoul sits between Taipei and Tokyo ā not quite as hectic as the ebike-centric roads of Taipei, but still fairly accommodating of cars compared to Tokyo where street parking is almost non-existent.
English studies have been mandatory in South Korea since 1974, so most younger folks can understand a decent amount of english even if they canāt speak it confidently.
The city is night-leaning and cafes are open very late into the night. Convenience stores often have places to sit outside and enjoy a snack/beverage, and a lot of them have hot bevs!
Before you go
- Download the Papago app. Itās widely used locally for translations and works better than Google Translate.
- Download the Naver Maps app. Google Maps is not widely used here and it is unable to provide pedestrian routing directions. Naver Maps will have more restaurant/shop locations and local reviews.
- Bring cash! Although Seoul is mostly cashless now, itās still needed for street vendors and depositing money into Tmoney transit cards.
Getting around
- The train and bus system is excellent and super efficient. Use the Naver Maps app to get detailed instructions including fast-travel notes (which train car to wait at + which exit to take out of the station.) Tap in, tap out, no food, keep voices low on the train.
- Uber is legal in SK as of 2022, but operates similar to other local competitors in that it hails taxis and does not support UberX (private vehicles.) It can be an affordable option for getting around with luggage (itās about $40 USD to ride between the airport and center of Seoul).
- Because it operates as a taxi service, be aware of scams that are traditional for local taxis.
- Pay attention to the driverās route and note when they are ignoring GPS and actively taking a longer route to drive up ride prices.
- If they have a running meter visible, take a photo of the final amount in case you need to use it for disputing inaccurate final charges within Uber.
- Compare the final charge with the initial estimate and open a dispute if it differs greatly because of the route taken or other factors.
Food
- Sashimi - 100% eat fresh raw seafood while youāre here. You can find super fresh, thick, fatty slices of fish, abalone, sea cucumber, etc. here served with concentrated sesame seed oil. Itās common to follow it up with fish leftovers stew afterwards (recommended with ramyun noodles š)
- ģė§¤ģģ° ź°ėØė³øģ (Jamae Sliced Raw Fish) in Gangnam was our first stop and served good yellowtail in November. They also serve a shrimp and sashimi set.
- Live Shrimp and Octopus - In addition to the above, you can order live chopped shrimp and octopus (i.e. they move on the plate.)
- The Buchon Yukhoe Main Store in Gwangjung Market is a popular destination for eating nakjitangtangyi (live octopus) and yukhoe (raw beef).
- I was able to enjoy live shrimp + sashimi and assorted raw seafood at a more local market at ģėė§¤ķģ“ģģ„ via chefās choice. This restaurant is close to ė°±ģ¼ė (Baeg-Ildo). I highhhly recommend finding a Korean speaker to travel with so you can eat locally for seafood.
- Gejang - Marinated crab (usually soy-based or gochujang-based.) ź²ėÆøģė¹ looked like a really good local spot near our hotel, but we werenāt able to go due to the hours. We ended up going to ķķ“ģ„ in Ikseon-dong which gives you a set menu with both types of gejang, grilled fish, squid salad, and tofu crab stew.
- Soba - I loved the Korean style of soba, which has a chewier consistency to the noodles and lots of grated daikon. Mijin has been a go-to in Lynneās family for generations, and has been popular since their Bib Gourmand distinction from the Michelin guide in 2018. They also serve good bossam.
- Gamjatang, Galbitang - I love gamjatang (pork neck bone soup) and it tastes very good in Seoul.
- Bossam - Cold-sliced boiled pork belly wraps. Great side dish or snack.
- Soondae - Korean blood sausage, served with pig head meat and dipping salt. Great side dish or snack especially in markets.
- Salt bread - I mean, itās just buttery salty bread but itās everywhere. Find one thatās nice and warm and tasty. Ikseon-dong is known to have salt bread ā Jayeondo Sogeumppang is touristy for basic traditional salt bread (four pieces per order) and thereās also a popular bakery just south of it with more diverse/flavored salt bread options.
- Naengmyeon - Cold noodles, served with or without broth (mul naengmyeon vs bibim naengmyeon.) Originally a North Korean dish and often served with some KBBQ.
- Gomtang, Seolleongtang - Beef soups. Gometang is clear soup with simmered beef cuts, while seolleongtang is a milky-white beef bone soup. Good gometang is harder to come by outside of SK, so definitely look for a place here :) Itās simple but very nourishing especially in the colder months. I went to ėŖ ģøģ¤ė ķ near Gwangjung Market, which was very quiet and low-key but super tasty.
- Ssamgyeopsal - Pork belly bbq!!!
- Fried Chicken - I mean, you know how it is. Hyodo chicken is run by two former Michelin head chefs, but you also have the classics like BBQ chicken and Kyochon. Honestly a great excuse to try the delivery system, which is extremely efficient (like, if youāre out in a park, they will find you.)
- Froyo - Yoajung serves froyo. They give you a ton of toppings so you can go all-in on fruit, cereal, etc. Honeycomb is a trendy topping (like, a slab of honeycomb on your froyo.) This is also a good excuse for delivery.
- Chinese-Korean Food - Jjajangmyeon, Jjampong, Tangsuyuk
- Street cart food - Tteokgalbi, Bungeoppang
- Korean-style Tiramisu
Clothing
- [Insadong] ė² ķź° - Not actually sure this is the right store but itās in that area. I bought three pairs of baggy pants here from an old man that imports clothes from Japan.
- [Insadong] my poetry - Interesting NY/Korea local boutique with some jackets, pants, and fun textured button-down shirts.
- [Insadong, Hongdae] Leesle - Modern hanbok store. Bought a tracksuit-kinda jacket with a hanbok cut.
- [Ikseondong] Teterot Salon - Modern hanbok store. Bought a bunch of clothes here including jackets, nice shirts, and several pants.
- [Multiple] Musinsa Standard - Itās like better uniqlo? I bought a winter coat for $90 USD and several soft sweater shirts.
- [Multiple] Uniqlo - They have asian sizing and some different stock from U.S. so maybe check them out? š
Major Stops
Insa-dong
Insa-dong is a mixed traditional and touristy creative arts area that I really enjoyed visiting. There are a number of clothing boutiques, traditional tea houses serving thick jujube and other teas in bowls, rice cake and dragonās beard-like candy sellers, along with Ssamziegil, a four-story outdoor complex with live music and local artist shops. Great place to grab gifts and little things!
Ikseon-dong
Ikseon-dong is a traditional village thatās been renovated (gentrified, oops) and contains narrow alleys of trendy cafes and shops. Thereās a ton of instagram-ready cafes like Cheongsudang Bakery and Rain Report, but honestly if you just walk around thereās a ton of trendy-looking spots.
Seungsu-dong
Seungsu-dong is often described as the Brooklyn of Seoul. Itās got a Williamsburg vibe with industrial cafes and trendy high-concept clothing stores, but also has some lower-key gems.
Hongdae
Kinda St Marks / East Village or LES vibes. They often have street performers (like teens doing kpop routines or w/e) and winding streets filled with vintage shops. More of a grungy vibe.
Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung Palaces
Gyeongbokgung Palace is the most famous and popular palace in Seoul, and is located by several major museums including the National Palace Museum, National Folk Museum, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. You should expect lots of tourists dressed in hanboks rented from shops within the area, along with lots of historical intrigue and large palace grounds.
Changdeokgung is the second-most visited palace. In contrast to Gyeongbokgung, it is designed around the landscape and mountains which makes it feel more embedded within nature. Itās also located directly next to (and feels very integrated with) Changgyeonggung Palace. Together, they have more of a botanical garden vibe, with beautiful ponds, a greenhouse, and local area cats lounging in the sun. Book tickets early in the morning (by ~9am) for the secret garden, which has specific entry times for Korean and English tours and sells out quickly each day.
All of the palaces were super beautiful in early-mid November during peak Fall, with the leaves changing color and falling throughout our walks.
Starfield Coex Mall
Starfield COEX is a huge mall in Gangnam and is a great place to go for shopping šĀ We found a lot of cute shops alongside larger franchises like Onitsuka Tiger, Uniqlo, etc. that offered good selections of clothing and gift-y things. The Uniqlo carries some different stock and sizing from the U.S. branches so itās worth going especially if youāreā¦asian-sized.
Other Random Points of Interest
- Gwangjung Market - A touristy market for street food and other stuff. Still a good spot to grab food in a casual setting, although depending on the vendor they may or may not be super accommodating for you š¤·
- Myeongdong - Times Square but in Korea. Itās packed every single day and has a main street with lines of street vendors. Itās super chaotic and all the stores are like expensive international brands.
- Audeum - A new audio museum! Small and reservation only. I havenāt been but seems like a very interesting building. Note that the in-person programming is only in Korean I believe so you may not get as much if youāre an English-only listener, but the actual exhibits and stuff have english voiceovers/guidesā¦I think. IDK! YMMV.
Getting Eye Surgery
NUNEMISO was the first practice authorized to perform SMILE in Korea and continues to be popular for eye surgery. Note that they are geared towards locals and you will need to come with a translator, but they are very accommodating and the doctors themselves speak clear english.
Itās popular for people to come from the U.S. and get surgery here. The procedure cost me about 4,000,000 won (less than $3k USD) overall from a well-known doctor, compared to approximately $6k USD in the states and closer to $7-7.5k in Manhattan.
I was able to book a same-day testing and surgery. The tests take about 2-3 hours. My eyes were evaluated to have thick corneas and were safe for surgery despite some astigmatism and slightly dry eyes. The testing went by quickly in the morning before lunch break, and it was mostly standard optical tests that youād get at a normal checkup.
They gave me a consultation on the different options and what they recommend. I opted for SMILE Pro, which is the latest well-vetted procedure (extremely short surgery and recovery time, and they remove only 1/10th of the cornea compared to the previous SMILE operation.)
The Surgery
After lunch, it was easy to come back to the office and go through the surgery. The surgery itself is almost entirely painless and mostly involves lying down on the table with your eyes closed. You will have your operating eye open for ~30 seconds each, including 7 seconds of staring at a green dot (the laser portion) and a little bit of time for them to pluck the sliced cut out.
None of this feels like anything except for the pluck in the second eye, which becomes a little more sensitive than the first eye: I felt a very slight pull as it came out, but it was just a little uncomfortable and not close to being painful. I was worried about keeping my eye open, but because of the anesthesia itās actually surprisingly easy to be relaxed (my eyes are relatively sensitive and I usually have a hard time keeping them open.)
This blog post has the most in-depth walkthrough of the experience, which was pretty accurate to mine: https://theelevatedmoments.com/countries/south-korea/seoul-lasik/
Post-op
You will need to come back for post-op checkups the next day and 5-7 days after, so you should factor that into your travel plans and double-check when the offices are open. They also tell you not to drink for a week after surgery, and to avoid intense physical exercise.
Both checkups for me were very quick despite being told that the latter would take 2-3 hours. I was able to come five days after surgery and was confirmed to be stable.
The hours after surgery, your vision will be a bit blurry and your eyes will feel dry. Theyāll prescribe you different eye drops to use 4 times a day. After a nightās rest, I was basically at 90% recovery and could see clearly with only occasionally dry eyes. I was at 1-1.2 acuity the day after surgery, and 1.5 acuity after 5 days (which means I can see 1.5x better than the average person from 6 meters away.)
After the second checkup, I was told I only needed to use the steroid eye drops, and only 3 times a day for two weeks.
I have not experienced much dry eye so far (only when I forget to use the steroid drops), although we will see once I stop using those drops. Otherwise, I feel completely normal and often forget that I had surgery even within the first few days afterwards. Success!
Cosmetics and Pharmaceuticals
Cosmetics are much better in SK and also very affordable, so itās common to buy things while youāre here! They also make good gifts for folks back home.
Thereās an Olive Young every like 2 blocks in Seoul, and theyāll be your best place to find things like moisturizers, cleansing pads, exfoliators, sunscreens, etc.
- Roundlabs has a great set of products for moisturizing and cleansing.
- Beauty of Joseon is the most popular brand for sunscreens, including their Aquafresh version which leaves a cooling sensation on the skin.
- CosRX is a ācheapā brand in Korea but offers good chemical products like exfoliators.
In addition to cosmetics, PDRN repair creams are extremely popular for tourists and can be found at pharmacies in SK. The most popular brands are Reju-all and Rejuvenex, with Reju-all being the most popular due to its higher concentration of PDRN and larger size for a similar cost. In addition, it has a lighter absorbent consistency compared to Rejuvenex, which is a thicker consistency that sits on the skin with a slight sheen.
They have been historically sold-out, but should be more available nowadays. A lot of pharmacies will have signs outside indicating that they have, or are sold out of, PDRN creams, so look out for those.
Ā