Seoul is fast becoming one of the most popular destinations in Asia


It seems you can’t have a meal in South Korea without a pair of scissors. I watch as our waitress expertly chops up our wagyu beef, the pieces falling back onto the piping-hot barbecue grill, not a knife in sight.

We’d only moments before peeled off our puffer jackets, placed them in a plastic bag that fits snugly under our seat, and sat down for a meal that’s become a global sensation: Korean barbecue.

In the biting cold of December, it couldn’t be more apt for a bunch of Aussies looking to thaw out. Side dishes of kimchi, garlic leaves, chilli paste and pickled radishes, some bottles of soju (a Korean type of rice wine) and a hotpot of shellfish bubbles away. The atmosphere casual, the Australian beef sizzling, it’s a regular night out for inner city-living South Koreans and a buzzing introduction for us Aussies here to visit this rising Asian superstar, Seoul.

The country has hit global headlines for its K-pop, its obsession with beauty products and cult foods such as Korean fried chicken. Its rise in popularity has seen Qantas launch direct flights to Seoul after a 15-year hiatus. It’s been likened to the next Japan, and there are many similarities, but its history is complicated.

Korea was cut in two after 36 years of Japanese occupation came to an end after World War II. South Korea was separated from the Communist-ruled North by a buffer border known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), that sits just 50km from the centre of Seoul. The constant aggravation from the north is something the people of Seoul have come to live with and today the DMZ is a major tourist attraction.

Seoul, home to more than 10 million people, is unexpectedly beautiful. The bustling city, ringed by mountains, is one of contrasts, where modern skyscrapers tower next to ancient streets. Start with a dose of history at South Korea’s grandest palace, Gyeongbokgung, built in 1395. Time your visit with the royal guard changing ceremony when soldiers in striking blue and red silk uniforms entertain the crowds.

We do the tourist thing and dress up in rented traditional hanbok garb to wander the palace grounds, which is all a bit of fun, although not made for the sub-zero winter temperatures. We beam our best smiles to the camera. “Kimchi!” we sing out in unison. The cold winter wind, aptly named by Koreans as knife wind, almost freezes our smiles in place.

We wind through the charming streets of Bukchon Hanok Village, an old part of town once reserved for nobility that’s known for its high concentration of traditional Korean houses (hanok). The distinctive tiled roofs line the blue winter sky, the hilly laneways providing views out towards the city and the beacon that is N Seoul Tower.

It’s my favourite neighbourhood, despite the stern looks from officials in hi-vis vests bearing the words “quiet please” thanks to grumpy hanok owners who never imagined they’d become a tourist destination.

Knocking on an intricately carved wooden hanok door, we step off the cobblestoned Bukchon streets into a traditional tea ceremony at Rakkojae Culture Lounge. Better than any meditation session, we watch as the tea master completes this ancient ritual, swirling the tea, pouring it from a required height, respect in every stroke.

It’s a country obsessed with beauty, and a wander through the streets of the shopping area of Myeongdong should get you acquainted. Face masks are everywhere. Not the Covid types, but the face mask sheets that promise all things lightening, brightening and tightening. There is a whole line of masks whose main ingredient is snail mucus and from $2 a pack, they’re the perfect gift to take back home.

We are lured into chain store Olive Young – a cut-price version of Sephora – with make-up, fragrance and face creams, many that have been endorsed by K-Drama stars. I cave and buy a beauty stick that I’m told is used in movies by women wanting that dewy fresh-faced look.

When South Koreans aren’t pampering their face, they’re eating, and Korean food has shot to global cult status thanks to famous Youtubers. The street food is delicious and the excellent Gwangjang Market is a great place to start.

Its stalls have featured on Netflix and been visited by Gordon Ramsay and even US presidents. The national dish of kimchi is everywhere, each vendor with their own secret recipe. There are mung bean pancakes sizzling in oil, fermented sting ray, kimchi dumplings, and of course, tteokbokki – a very popular dish of spicy stir-fried rice cakes.

Only the brave try the South Korean delicacy of raw beef tartare served with a side of live octopus. The tentacles, cut up with scissors, of course, still wriggling over the plate fill my Instagram with shocked emojis. Our guide is careful to instruct those who dare to fully chew each piece, in case a rogue tentacle suctions onto your throat.

We spend another day visiting the sobering DMZ, our passports checked at the border by South Korean military who board buses in bulletproof vests and camo uniforms. Their presence is a stark reminder of the hostilities that still exist.

Part of the tour includes access to the third infiltration tunnel, one of the four known secret underground passages dug by North Koreans trying to access South Korea. Bent over with hard hats, we shuffle to the end of the tunnel where we reach a tiny window looking out onto enemy land.

The next stop is Dora Observatory, where we peer through binoculars over the DMZ, spotting North Korean fortresses, manned by soldiers, the country’s flag flying high. We gaze out with a sense of unease. The DMZ, untouched by humans since the line was drawn in 1953, is today one of the most pristine pieces of land in the world. The irony that nature should flourish as a result of such atrocity is not lost on us.

Back in the bright lights of Seoul, the South Korean culture of bali bali (hurry, hurry) once again sweeps us up. After a late afternoon stroll through the arts and antiques area of Insadong, we are ready to slow down at one of its traditional teahouses. Piping hot cups of black tea and sweet rice cakes are the ultimate remedy for visitors and locals in a city on the go.

Traditional customs prove the antidote to a city that has hurtled into modernity; blending the old with the new is key to Seoul’s magic.

The writer was a guest of Qantas.



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