Winter in Korea 2024

Seoul’s new slogan is “SEOUL, MY SOUL“, and for some time during our whirlwind trip in January, I stopped to think about what that really meant. The “soul” of a city is its character and its drive –for the capital of South Korea, is it the competitive environment, the K-pop industry, the technology?

I’ve always considered soul to be the intangible thing binding conversations and communities. Compared to the other places I’ve visited, Seoul sometimes feels a little too manufactured and closed off.

Or maybe it’s because it was winter, and people just wanted to stay indoors and warm themselves up with heat packs. Maybe it’s not that deep.

So: here’s a post about the not-deep things I enjoyed while braving the cold, on the quest to vibe with the spirit of Seoul. Plus a short video edit! ♡♡♡

P.S. I say whirlwind trip because my sister booked us fairly late-minute flights around November (?). Then I had to cram my SK visa application back in December or something. Thank goodness I got approved!!!

The fast-paced and modern Seoul

From Myeongdong to Hongdae, there’s something fast and fresh for anyone looking to shop, eat and lounge around in Seoul. It’s for our inner youth!!!

Our trip highlights include this 1-minute caricature by @uncles_painting of @acorn_caricature (a totally unplanned and impulsive touristy decision), going around Starfield Library COEX (which wasn’t a thing when I first went there in 2013), and having our personal color analysis done by Ms Julie of @color_yeon.

I’m only realizing now that this place is pretty Tiktok-famous! For us, it was just a cute little tourist trap near the K-MECCA store and the other street food. We arrived just in time for a slot. For this group caricature, we paid **KRW27000** or approximately PHP1150. #SupportLocalArtists
.

My sister’s been to South Korea what feels like a few hundred times since we last went as a family in 2013. For a good while, I think I had some envy over her photos in Starfield Library COEX (the cultural center only opened May 2017). In reality, it’s more of a photo opportunity spot than anything else. Virtually all books within reach were in Hangul.

But we did enjoy some coffee and croissants at the nearby **Soul Market Bakery** before heading over to the library.

**And then the world goes on and builds a Starfield Suwon, which promises to be even more picturesque. For next time! Maybe.

In the weeks leading up to our trip, booking a personal color analysis session felt like my most important task (after settling my visa). I’ve seen so many videos of color analysis done on YouTube. I knew we had to have ours done or the trip was a dud.

The forty-minute session or so covered introduction to personal color, skin tone colorimeter analysis, draping with the different colors and tones, makeup and hair analysis, and recommendations. We each paid **KRW75000 and USD13.25** (approximate total of PHP3900).
.

And I’m happy to know I’m an autumn deep. If that matters to anyone.

If you know, you know. This graffiti-laden wall is the site of the old BigHit building in Gangnam. Before BTS bloated up the HYBE company to its new and scary heights, this was the backdrop to many hard-won moments of blood, sweat and tears.

Now it’s just a testament to the soft power of K-pop. As we walked to a nearby park (BTS’ old hangout place) and **Cafe HyuGa** (BTS’ old dorm), we also spotted a few other international army making the same pilgrimage.
.

The picturesque beats of old Seoul

What I can say about the ancient days of Seoul can fit on a post-it, and most of it would be entirely inaccurate assumptions from K-dramas. Something about Joseon dynasty, probably.

Luckily there are places where the traditions of Seoul still genuinely shine, whether that’s a planned tourist destination like the Eunpyeong Hanok Village (and the truly expensive views of Bukhansan mountain from the Cafe 1in1jan @1in_official), or the well-preserved royal structures of Gyeongbokgung Palace (featuring yours truly in rental hanbok sourced from Klook), or finally a trip back to nature at Nami Island @namiisland_naminara.

It’s all a blast.

We even caught a hint of snow –or slurry– while walking around the Hanok village. Because of the cold and its fairly quiet atmosphere, there weren’t a lot of tourists going around. But I would still recommend this and other similar villages at least once, for the vibes!

~~Even if the food price is exorbitant.~~
.

Even though we were greeted by one degree weather on our first day (which went to an all time low of negative six degrees and lower when we went to Nami…) the views were all well worth the cold.

I’ve been to Gyeongbokgung Palace before but never in hanbok –and I have to say, it’s definitely worth it! We booked 2 hours (if I remember correctly), which was more than enough time to visit some of the more important buildings and to take many photos and videos.

We went for middle of the range when it comes to hanbok styles, so we prepaid around **PHP950** each. We paid an additional hundred won onsite for the petticoat. There’s also an option to pay for a fur-lined cape, but I think that would work better on a full snow day (in which case we would work better indoors).
.

**Nami Island** is a treat. The whole experience –from getting on the ship to walking on the crunchy snow, to eating some hot pajeons and cozying up beside a fire pit, while seeing some free-roaming peacocks and ducks– is well worth the cold.

The island promises a different vibe each season, which is definitely a reason to come back another time! Hopefully in the spring or fall…
.

We went to Naminara as part of a packaged tour from Klook. The **Italian Village** and **Petite France**, which were basically homages to Pinocchio and Little Prince respectively, were also part of the itinerary.
.

We ended our last full day in Seoul with a trip to the **Garden of Morning Calm**, which is also part of the packaged tour. Given the season, the garden featured zero organic life. Instead, the plants came to life with a light show. Fairly cool –I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit, but if it comes with Nami Island, sure!

The entire package –bus ride with English commentary from Myeongdong to Italian Village, Petite France, Nami Island and Garden of Morning Calm– cost approximately **PHP4000.**
.

And the food!

A post about Seoul can’t be complete without mentioning the street food (plenty of which we tried during our first day at the Myeongdong Night Market) as well as the pojangmacha lining the streets.

Maybe this is where the soul of Seoul all boils down to: hot soup, chewy tteokbokki, and all the grilled pork you can eat.

Until next time! ❤️

Comments

One response to “Winter in Korea 2024”

Seoul 2024 – Gianna Here

22 December 2024

[…] For this particular trip, I was with my sister and my mom who unlike me, haven’t been back there for quite some time. I naturally became a tour guide of some sort, which I was more than happy to be. And since it has been a hot minute since this winter trip, I’m once again capturing just some of my personal highlights and usual travel video. For more specific details, plugging my sister’s blog right here. […]