Places to visit in Seoul, Korea

I have lived in Seoul city, South Korea, more than 25 years. There are approximately 10 million people living in Seoul, which makes you imagine a heavy traffic jam, noise pollution, etc. Yes, they are all true, and it may take some time for foreigners to get accustomed with all that. But, there is also a good side of Seoul in which I had good times with my best friends. So, before I introduce to you some of the good places to visit around Seoul, check out this video first.

Gwanghwamun Square

Gwanghwamun Square was expanded by reducing 16 lanes of traffic to 10, in 2008. The first thing you will notice is the statue of the great admiral, Lee Sun Shin. He has been well known for the great Myeongryang Victory of clearing 133 foreign invading ships by 12 korean ships. Besides that, there is a gigantic SeJong cultural center, in which famous musicians, plays, or operas are presented. I recommend taking a walk at night around the Square because all the colorful lights beaming out from the building or streets is so beautiful that lovers or lots of families come and enjoy the romantic night.

National Museum and the Kyungbok Palace

National Museum is the largest museum in Korea with about 220,000 objects in its collection. They have well preserved the traditional objects that the old ancient kings used about 1000 years ago. The size of the whole museum and its surrounding parks is enormous. I remember visiting the museum and parks several times in my elementary and high school, participating in the competition of drawing the sceneries, and playing all around with classmates. Kyungbok Palace is the place where the kings of the last Korean dynasty lived, and it is part of the museum. Some couples are marrying there in the old traditional ways, wearing complicated traditional costumes.

Lotte World

I have never been to Disney Land, but I have been to the Korean version of Disney Land, the Lotte World.  I strongly recommend visiting there early in the week days because in the weekends so many crowds create the longest time queue in all rides. But, you can enjoy the different kinds of events, such as Musical Parade and K-Pop shows. My most favorite part of Lotte world is skating. They made a big ice rink in the center of the big dorm stadium. I used to go there often in the summer, and had good times.