Seoul (South Korea) - The Hongdae Seoul Show

Seoul (South Korea)

09 July 2025

Hongdae, short for Hongik University, is described as one of Seoul’s most dynamic neighbourhoods, known for its youthful energy, creativity and nightlife. The area thrives on the influence of the nearby art and design university, giving rise to a vibrant mix of indie music, street performances, quirky cafés, and underground clubs. Murals and street art line narrow lanes, while boutique shops and themed restaurants cater to the district’s eclectic crowd. By day it’s a hub for fashion, food, and art lovers, and by night it transforms into a buzzing hotspot of live music, dance, and nightlife that captures the spirit of modern Seoul. My research often identified Hongdae as the youthful hub and for some reason pushing the area as being slightly insular as opposed to Itaewon which was said to be open and welcoming to all.

Hongdae - Seoul - South Korea

Hongdae - Seoul - South Korea

Hongdae - Seoul - South Korea

Hongdae - Seoul - South Korea

I spent a late afternoon and evening in Hongdae and found it to be far more appealing that Myeong-dong and Itaewon. Certainly youthful in spirit and vibrancy there was a great atmosphere the afternoon that I arrived. The streets buzzing with young 20 somethings, all just commencing their respective journeys to success or destruction – there was an exuberance and a sense of excitement. It was nice to walk around the area and experience the raft of restaurants, trendy cafes and hipster style shops. For me, it ranked above Itaewon and a long way in front of Myeong-dong, but still well below Ikseon-dong, Euljiro and Insa-dong. And that exactly what was great about Seoul, each of those areas had its own identity and feel, all influenced by its own construct. An area that in part is a blend of gritty, colourful streets, some of the narrow alleyways were lined with murals, graffiti and various installations. There was something a little Melbourne-esque about it, which is cool in its own right.

KPop Dreams - Hongdae - Seoul - South Korea

Ice cream dreams - Hongdae - Seoul - South Korea

A cultural playground, a late-night festival, charged with the raw electricity of youth – the bold fabric of this district is woven from individuality, spirit and the audacity to take risks. Its certainly worth a visit.

Moving out of Hongdae, I made my way back to Jongno 3(sam)-ga station – which as a I’ve already mentioned, along with Euljiro, became my most loved parts of Seoul. This area suited me perfectly. Free and easy, pubs, restaurants and food stalls intermingled together in a wonderful carefree blend of feel good nightlife.

Saeseoul retro game arcade - one of the film locations for Squid Games

bright neon lights - vibrant and yet shadowed - like there's something inherently mysterious about the place

Ikseon-dong - Seoul - South Korea

Sul 24 - The 'do it yourself' bar where there's no staff but there are drinks 24-7-365

Seousulla-gil - Jogno District - Seoul - South Korea

A few nights into my Seoul adventure, I have to say that there was a lot to like. There was diversity, energy, vibrance, tradition, a synthesis and harmonisation of a variety of elements. There was a sense of balance but at the same time, an inertia and momentum. Much to like, for sure.

Seoul (South Korea) - Beneath the neon glow

Seoul (South Korea)

07-08 July 2025

I quickly settled into my Seoul routine: up at 6:00 am, shower, coffee and at the desk by 7:00 am, being comfortably ready for an 8:00 am AEST start. Working remotely proved an absolute breeze. I didn’t need much, just a dependable Wi-Fi connection and a sturdy desk , even the latter could have been a negotiable if required. I quickly locked in, and eight hours of focused work passed easily, especially when buoyed by the knowledge that the city’s oddities and curiosities were just a step away from the front door. My schedule became a simple equation: 07:00–16:00 work, which was parlayed into a ready reward of evening exploration. There wasn’t even the slightest of glitches during my stay, the system worked with complete efficiency/

Myeong-dong

I approached my exploration of Seoul with a relatively loose structure: one district per evening, free to wander and go off-script as and when the mood dictated. My first two scheduled destinations on the 7^th and 8^th of July were to be Myeong-dong and Itaewon respectively. Given that identified that Itaewon was two train rides from Anguk station in Jongno, I decided to stretch my legs on evening one and commenced with a circuit breaking walk down Seosulla-gil, a fantastic stretch of entertainment value within my immediate vicinity.

Sul 24 - Seousulla-gil 53 - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

This is a 24hr, self-serve bar, unmanned bar - it runs 24hrs a day, 365 days a year - no staff, no pressure, just grab your own drinks and enjoy the time and space.

Hitting the pavement at just after 3pm you could feel the ferocity of the sun, which was hard backed into the footpath after a  37–38 °C temp for the greater part of the day.  It was hot & steamy for sure, but not diabolical, and as there were bars aplenty providing a welcome respite, the struggle for me was as simple as working out the equation of ‘the number of steps required to the front door of the next bar’

From online chatter I came to discover that the Seosulla-gil is known as one of THE top ‘up-and-coming ‘trendy’ streets of Seoul, one of those places bursting up hipster charts ‘with a bullet’. It certainly showed too, popular every day of the week, it became the perfect spot for a late afternoon drink and was quite often was my first stop of the day.

The path that I followed down to Myeong-dong  was straightforward. Heading due south through the areas of Ikseon-dong and Eulji-ro — both of which became personal favourites — then cutting across Cheonggyecheon, an 11 km stream and public space located right the heart of Seoul. The stream replaced a former elevated expressway that stood in its stead prior to 2005. The space is now a serene, urban oasis; a tranquil pause in a city that from the outside appears to be perpetually in motion, unrelenting and seemingly incapable of taking a moments pause.

Cheonggyecheon stream - Jongno district - Seoul - South Korea

Cheonggyecheon stream - Jongno district - Seoul - South Korea

Myeongdong, my target for the evening, is known as one of Seoul’s most energetic districts: a collision of modern consumerism and street-level charm. In this district, brand names tower conspicuously overhead, cosmetic shops line every corner and neon lights lure the crowd like urban sirens. I was enveloped, wrapped within the  consumerist bustle of the area, and yet somehow, I stoll felt oddly untouched -  detached and removed. A mere observer rather than an active participant. The food stalls on Myeongdong Street seemed lively but also somehow a bit contrived, designed more for capturing the eyes and interest of tourists than for any other significant purpose. Despite the hype, to me Myeongdong didn’t automatically demand a return visit — at least not on this trip. It felt as though it was overly staged, curated for the purposes of tourism rather than anything else.

Myeong-dong - Seoul - South Korea

Myeong-dong - Seoul - South Korea

N Seoul Tower from Myeong-dong - Seoul - South Korea

Rooftop bar hoping - south of Insa-dong - Seoul - South Korea

Recalibrating, I set my sights for Gwangjang Market, known as one of the oldest in the city and an apparent delight for those wanting a touch of the ‘authentic’. I walked the 4kms to the market via a couple of rooftop bars on the south side of Insa-dong. What I noticed extremely quickly during the walk is that Seoul is not at all short of cosmetic shops, bakeries, restaurants, cafés and bars. There is no room for disappointment here because the city really brings up the global average on a per capita basis.

A couple of drinks down I made it to the markets approximately 45 mins later.  Making my way through its smoke-filled alleys of frenetic culinary activity, by the vendors selling bindaetteok, gimbap and kalguksu noodles, I set a b-line right to the front of a stall being operated by two middle aged ladies that were furiously operating their pots and pans within a cauldron of light and smoke. I wasn’t quite sure of what I wanted when I arrived but when I saw the glowing red pot of tteokbokki ((떡볶이)), I knew it was something that I needed. For those that don’t know, and certainly I didn’t until very recently, tteokbokki, is a street food comprised of chewy rice cakes simmered in a somewhat spicy and slightly sweet sauce called gochujang. Let me tell you now, gochujang is addictive. It has all the flavours that you need, and when you couple it with the rice cakes, it makes for a thoroughly enjoyable meal. This was me in my happy zone. There’s not a lot better that you can take away from a city than being seduced by a plate of food, a cold beer and occupying a front row seat at the show. Very happy.

Gwangjang Market - Jongno district - Seoul - South Korea

Wonderful tteokbokki!!!

Gwangjang Market - Jongno district - Seoul - South Korea

Somewhere around 11pm I made my wake back into Jongno via a stop at a local 7-11 to pick myself up a Soju night cap. This was another newcomer to the Elisher palate – soju, a traditional Korean spirt grew on me. It took a couple of goes but I quickly realised its wonderful qualities, whether it was a flavoured soju  (grape, watermelon, etc), for a mellow evening drink or the smoother, unflavoured style to support a spicy meal. Both equally as fantastic and extremely complimentary to the Korean style kitchen. As my night one came to a close I drifted off effortlessly on my soju carpet ride. Tomorrow, Itaewon was on my agenda.

Itaewon

From the modest research I’d done before arriving, Itaewon struck me as a district shaped by its international flavour – long known as Seoul’s most eclectic and cosmopolitan neighbourhood it has been described as its “international melting pot.” While its global character intrigued me, what really stood out was its reputation for nightlife. A vibrant stretch of bars and restaurants promised no shortage of energy, so I stepped into this corner of the city with a sense of anticipation and excitement, curious to see how it would unfold.

Anguk station - Jogno District - on my way to Itaewon - Seoul - South Korea

Anguk station - Jogno District - Seoul - South Korea

The back-streets of Itaewon - Seoul - South Korea

Back-streets of Itaewon - Seoul - South Korea

That wonderful Dakgalbi (닭갈비) dish - Itaewon - Seoul - South Korea

A bottle of soju to support my Dakgalbi - Itaewon - Seoul - South Korea

And this was the Yandex App direct translation...LOL - 'First time - $2' - that's about right!

It didn’t take long for me to identify the attraction. For sure, a fine constellation of bars and restaurants, all beckoning with neon brilliance, each light with its own promise of discovery. And of course there was some sort of attraction in that. The central hub  was alluring and an area that I found myself walking through this space several times, supported by an alcoholic beverage or two and it did also allow me to make an outstanding culinary discovery of a dish by the name of Dakgalbi (닭갈비), a spicy plate of chicken, marinated in what I now know to be gochujang and topped with a carpet of cheese. This was a masterpiece of simplicity and delight was a triumph of understated joy. Stringy, stretchy cheese melding with the chicken wonderfully and all backed up by a simple bottle of soju (plain, no frills, but a fantastic accompaniment). This meal was a working man’s highlight.

Beneath the neon glow - Itaewon - Seoul - South Korea

Beneath the neon glow - Itaewon - Seoul - South Korea

Itaewon station - line 1 - stop # 630 - Seoul - South Korea

Signs of Seoul - Itaewon - South Korea

For the remainder of my time, I wandered Itaewon’s backstreets, drawn to its hidden corners in the hope that some quiet delight might reveal itself. And in part, it did, offering glimpses of the character that makes this neighbourhood a highlight to many. It was attractive, certainly a drawcard, yet for me it never quite struck the highest notes. Still, its energy was undeniable, and I was more than content to lose myself for a while with a few drinks in hand, letting the night unfold at its own pace.

My night finished up the same way as it did previously, a late-night stop at 7-11 for some bedtime soju and one or two other stronger drinks. What a great thing to have, drinks available from a 7-11! Why wouldn’t you do that? Treat your population like adults demand that they behave accordingly!

Seoul (South Korea) - 50 in 5eOuL

 Seoul (South Korea)

06 July 2025

I turned 50 just four days ago and you know what,  it’s not at all what I expected it to be.

When I was a kid, people in their fifties seemed to be ancient relics. Not that children today see their elders too much differently but back then 50 really looked the part, grey hair, extra weight, general resignation and a quiet acceptance that life was unwinding into the inevitable final chapter.

I’ve read arguments online about whether it’s a myth that people today look younger for their age and whether they are in fact ageing at a slower rate. Part of that seems to be true, part of that is perspective. All I know is that  for me, 50 feels far , far better than I ever imagined it to be. I can still do almost everything I did in my twenties. The only real  changes are that I can’t run quite as fast and my eyesight has slipped noticeably within the last two years. Beyond that, there’s little difference in my physical or mental capacity, which I’m going to keep going for as long as possible.

But, what has this got to do with my time in Seoul? Well, here I was – 50 in 5e0ul, at an age where life was meant to be pulling the reigns and slowing me down. But let me tell you now, that’s not even moderately close the truth and the way that I’ve been operating. There’s plenty of wanderlust, curiosity and energy to keep me going for a long, long time yet , as a well as a 6 yr old son that doesn’t quite know just yet that his dad was on the older side of the scale when he was born….he pushes me and I certainly will be pushing him for as long as I can. As long as I can maintain a decent amount of health then 50 doesn’t need to be the signal for taking my foot of the accelerator.

Anonymity in travel is a gift. I love being able to move through a new city, immersed in its culture and its crowds, absorbing everything that I’m able to whilst remaining comfortable in my own bubble, free from the need to perform, to communicate in a certain way, or to live up to any personal brand. There’s almost a sense of unburdening in that there are no real expectations on you and what you discover, what you absorb and what you learn, it’s totally on you. There’s no right or wrong answer. That’s a part of travel that I really love, and maybe there’s a form of unrealistic detachment in that approach, but many times I feel as though I’m a voyeur, observing remotely rather than noticing that I’m an active participant.

View of N Seoul Tower from the rooftop of the AirBnB - Jongno district - Seoul - South Korea

Changdeokgung Palace - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Streetscape - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

My first full day in Seoul began with the journey from Incheon to the Jongno district, where I’d booked an Airbnb for the next three nights. As would become the norm during my time in South Korea, even with the obvious language barrier, everything in my daily scenario, each activity and action felt efficient that the usual challenges of travel were reduced to little more than exercises in logic and deduction. Navigating the metro, in particular, was a pleasure and quickly became one of the highlights of Seoul, offering effortless access to every corner of the city.

My first afternoon was centred around Gye-dong, within the Jongo district. The area is characterised by a traditional Korean style of build, ‘Hanoks’,  which are buildings designed to evoke and reflect the distinctive character of Korean aesthetics within its design quality. Whether the area was ‘authentic’ or just a modern characterisation of the traditional Korean ideal, it was very appealing to me. An historic area infused with contemporary cafes, dining and retail, it was a lovely place to immerse myself for the afternoon and just walk around within my own tempo.

The first place that I randomly found but recognised through earlier research, was Café Onion. Located in Anguk,  it is one of the most popular cafes in all of Seoul, known for its location within a gorgeous hanok, its wonderful courtyard and exquisite interior (and exterior). Aside from the aesthetic, the house made pastry and bread options were divine but as I discovered, not at all unique within a city that has an incredible passion for café’s, bakeries and great food. Indeed, everywhere small alley that I wandered in this area revealed another artisanal bakery or vibrant café – which just added to my quickly expanding list of must tries.

Cafe Onion - Anguk - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Cafe Onion - Anguk - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Min was kind enough to spin some tunes for me at this wonderful bar (bar name forgotten) - Anguk - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Hanok - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

I had a quite comfortable and ‘smooth’ afternoon in this area of Jongno. In fact, reflecting on my time in Seoul, it all seemed to tranquilly wash over me, no challenges or difficulties. Kind of like wading through the shallow end of a pool, there’s not going to be any major surprises unless something goes dreadfully wrong, or, you feel an uneasy warmth around your legs because you’ve just past through a group of 5 yr olds.

My evening stroll drew me down into the area of Ikseon-dong, apparently one of Seoul’s most atmospheric neighbourhoods, and certainly one that became a favourite of mine during my stay. Tucked away within the heart of the city, its known for its narrow alleyways lined with traditional hanok houses, that very much like Gye-dong, have been transformed into stylish café’s, boutique shops, teahouses and restaurants. The area felt intimate, and at night, had a sense of mystery about it. Being so close to where I was staying the area was a real pleasure to allow myself to simply meander around and let myself just absorb my surrounds, taking in its vibrancy & charm, all without having to be on a deadline.

Ikseon-dong - Seoul - South Korea

Ikseon-dong - Seoul - South Korea

Ikseon-dong - Seoul - South Korea

Walking back to the AirBnB late in the evening, I strolled along Seosulla-gil, which sidles up against the grounds of the Jongmyo Shrine. A truly pleasant night with an evening temperature of about 28 degrees and thankfully dropping humidity. The day had seen the temperatures head into the mid-30’s with humidity in the mid 80’s, so the respite was welcome and even better were the proliferation of bars. My walk turned more into a bar-hop, with each stop being a new discovery, a new memory and a new reflection on what was starting to feel like quite dynamic & engaging city.

Seosulla-gil - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Seosulla-gil - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

View of N Seoul Tower from the rooftop of the AirBnB - Jongno district - Seoul - South Korea

Seoul (South Korea) - Traveling Seoulo

Melbourne (Australia) - Seoul (South Korea)

05 July 2025

It may sound almost absurd to say, but each adventure is different—shaped by its own unique structure, the frameworks through which you hang your expectations, desires, and lessons. Having travelled to over 70 countries, the vast majority in the past ten years, this is one truth I have come to know without question.

Seoul was never high on my list of must-visit destinations; it lingered somewhere in the “someday” part of my mental travel map, as if patiently waiting for the perfect set of circumstances. Well, Seoul, your time has come.

Here’s the context. My current workplace is quite restrictive when it comes to annual leave. The bulk of time off is overwhelmingly concentrated in the Australian summer, with a Christmas/New Year lockdown effectively forcing 12 days of leave into a period that has become increasingly inconvenient. For those of us with European families, the ideal window to travel is mid-year, during the European summer, when the weather is far more pleasant. Attempting to travel anywhere in the Australian summer is almost a trial by fire—overcrowded destinations, inflated prices, and a general sense of “too much of everything” make it a season best endured rather than enjoyed.

So what happened? How did Seoul become the Steve Bradbury of my minds travel destinations? Well, sometimes, all you need to do is stand on your feet. The story goes a little like this…

Inga wanted to return to Latvia for the European summer. Since we had also planned extended leave at the end of the year, I was faced with a dilemma: how could I navigate my cruelly rigid leave schedule to make both trips possible? The fact of the matter that I couldn’t. With that said, I didn’t want to prevent Inga and Aiden heading overseas, and I impressed on her that that’s what I wanted.

…but then… my adventurer’s heart launched a full-scale campaign against my inner logic. The only real barrier to travel was work—specifically, ensuring a stable internet connection and syncing with a time zone that allowed for daylight working hours. And so the hunt for a destination began:

• Kuala Lumpur
• Jakarta
• Tokyo
• Bangkok

But true inspiration came from Inga, who suggested South Korea as the best option.

Of course—South Korea. I’d seen Anthony Bourdain’s journeys through Seoul, remembered the pigeons roasted in the Olympic cauldron during the 1988 Games, and had enough pop culture knowledge to differentiate between a BLT and BTS. The timing was perfect too—just one hour behind AEST. Everything aligned.

Jetstar Flight JQ 53 from Brisbane - Australia to Seoul - South Korea

Jetstar Flight JQ 53 from Brisbane - Australia to Seoul - South Korea

Seoul0 Travel - Brisbane (Australia) to Seoul (South Korea)

After making the decision, however, days of doubt and misgiving followed—too many to count. My mind repeatedly pulled the rug of optimism from under me, as I questioned whether I could truly make it work while being so remote. Inevitably, in situations like these, something always fails—logins, systems, phones, stable connections. The tyranny of distance has a way of unravelling everything.  Even up to the day of departure, the doubts in my mind kept coming. I’d never encountered anything quite as unsettling as my drive to Melbourne Airport with my mind preying on my misgivings and targeting every possible thing that could go wrong.

But then, somehow…once I had walk inside the terminal and past through security and customs, there was silence. Never has the doubt been so quickly disconnected and never has trip away from home proceeded so smoothly, without a single glitch. No minor hiccups, no interruptions, this was Rob Thomas smooth.

This pocket wifi was OUTSTANDING - Incheon International Airport - Seoul - South Korea

My first public alert - received with a large dose of anxiety - what the hell was this? Tsunami arriving? Asteroid heading for the downtown? .... none of the above. It was merely a heat warning with additional information to let people be aware whilst in the water....phew

Seoul - South Korea

I always find it amusing that even though I'm the foreigner, I never feel like I am. It's almost like I convince myself that I'm in my place and everyone around me is different. Is that an unusual perspective to have?

Benikea - The Bliss Hotel - Incheon - South Korea

Certainly not even close to my greatest photo of all-time - in fact, this is less than poor, but, it reminds my of the satisfaction and small dose of joy that I felt knowing that a bed was but a few mins away

And Seoulo I arrived

I hadn’t truly travelled alone since a weeklong trip to Buenos Aires back in 2012. But this time was different. Nearly ten years into marriage, with my son already six, there they were—on the other side of the world—and here I was, alone. No familiar noise, no familiar distractions. This felt completely unlike anything I’d experienced before but hey, here I was, ready-set-go.

From the outset Seoul made sense. I had apps available to me that could translate text on the fly, I had a portable router that gave me unlimited wireless access 24-7, I had Korean ingenuity and efficiency at my disposal. Now came its time to shine.

Incheon - South Korea - I just loved how different it looked

Incheon - South Korea

My lovely work station on Yulgok-ro 10 Gil - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

First stop for me was Incheon. Booked on the basis that I thought that the hotel that I booked was near the airport, or at the very least a short cab ride away. When I discovered that my first destination was a 45 mins, $75 cab ride from the airport, I thought much better of it. So what better time to throw myself into acquiring innate knowledge of the Seoul metro and logically working my way to my port on night 1 via public transport.

Some 3 hrs after arriving in Seoul and 3 train connections later, there I was dragging my carry-on luggage through Bukseong-dong park under the weight of the midnight hour, thinking that perhaps that $75 opportunity cost was the sleep I was denying myself by walking through the humidity of the night, but, I made it to the Benikea The Bliss Hotel a min or two before my second day in Seoul. Tomorrow was going to be a new and exciting day.