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 7th and 8th 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
