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Sarah’s Blog : Our family trip to Japan and South Korea - Part 2: South Korea

  • Writer: sarahmcculley
    sarahmcculley
  • Jul 5
  • 4 min read

Following our amazing time in Japan, we flew to South Korea for the second leg of our trip. The yin to Japan’s yang...


I first had the idea to combine Japan and South Korea whilst watching Race Across The World - they took a ferry from Busan to Fukuoka. However, with ferry routes cut and the shortest one now six hours, a short one-hour flight made the best use of our time.


Busan, South Korea’s second city on the south-east coast, was our first stop. I’d hoped to catch the weekly drone show at Gwangalli Beach, but a gale warning meant it wasn’t to be


Instead, we introduced ourselves to a new cuisine with our first taste of bibimbap (rice bowl topped with meat and veg), ttoekbokki (spicy cakes) and, of course, kimchi.


As great as Japanese food is, I’d really missed vegetables and the heat of chilli, so this was a very welcome change.



Our hotel, Ground 27, had a fabulous coffee shop and was close to BIFF Square, a Busan institution for street food. The hotteok (stuffed sweet panckakes) were divine. Already, on day one I knew I was going to love South Korea.


Google Maps doesn’t work here but fortunately, taxis are really cheap, so this was the main way we travelled around the city.


First stop was the Gamcheon Cultural Village - a colourful maze of hillside streets filled with street art, quirky shops, cafes and fabulous views towards the ocean.



Still quite blowy, only my youngest boy, Fraser, and I were brave enough to take the cable car over to Songdo Sky Park, where forest trails and the Dongseom Suspension Bridge lead to a small islet with 360° coastal views.



Over on the opposite side of the city, the Haeundae Blueline Park is a redevelopment of an old railway line that offers a more sedate way to view the coast. Cute little sky capsules trundle slowly along, 10 metres above the ground - a fun and unique way to visit this part of the city.



Our time in Busan was short and somewhat weather-hampered, but we loved what we saw. The KTX bullet train whisked us to Seoul in under three hours.


Seoul has a laid-back feel and it’s very easy to walk around to explore local life and the tourist attractions.


Our hotel, Fraser Place Namdaemun, was in a brilliant location overlooking Namdaemun Gate and close to the street food stalls and local market - perfect for more food and shopping.



The highlight of Seoul has to be Gyeongbokgung Palace - time your visit around 10am or 2pm to catch the changing of the guard ceremony and pose for photos. In the heart of the city with the impressive backdrop of Bukhansan Mountain, it’s far more impressive than I expected. I thought it would be just another temple, but I thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon here.



Around the palace are some of Seoul’s most charming neighbourhoods to explore. I loved Insadong - cute tea houses and cafes, independent craft and antique shops. If you’re looking for unique souvenirs, it’s ideal.


Insadong
Insadong

In Bukchon Hanok Village you’ll discover beautifully preserved traditional homes known as hanok. People still live here, and the traditional way of life sits nicely alongside visitors dressed in hanbok (traditional Korean dress) seeking out the viral cafes selling salt bread and matcha lattes!


Bukchon Hanok Village
Bukchon Hanok Village

A surreal and sobering day out of the city took us to the DMZ - Demilitarized Zone - that stretches 250km between North and South Korea. Only accessible on a guided tour, ours included the powerful experience of meeting a North Korean defector, a lovely lady who shared her stories and experiences with us - some horrific, others bizarrely quite normal. Her journey had taken her through China, Myanmar and Thailand in search of her family before settling in the South. A truly inspiring lady.



There are a few key sites to visit in the area; Imjingak Park with the Freedom Bridge at its heart. No longer in use, it was once a border crossing used by thousands of South Korean prisoners of war returning home. It’s a place where families separated by the war have left prayers and notes for loved ones on the other side. There’s a small photographic exhibition which really brings home the heartache many families suffered and still live with today.



We also visited the Third Infiltration Tunnel, also known as the Third Tunnel of Aggression, one of many dug by North Koreans in the 1970s. At just a mile long and ending just 170 metres from the border, it was designed to move 30,000 troops per hour. I found it quite surreal walking down it knowing how close the border was.


Third Tunnel of Aggression
Third Tunnel of Aggression

The Dora Observatory is the closest you can get to seeing the border today as the JSA (Joint Security Area – the only part of the DMZ where North and South Korea military are face to face) is still off limits due to a tourist trying to enter North Korea.


Dora Observatory
Dora Observatory

From the observation room you can view the border with both flags – North Korea’s being strategically higher than South – and the strange ghost town of Kijongdong, or "Propaganda Village", built to prove a life of luxury and prosperity but entirely uninhabited.


Kijongdong
Kijongdong

The strangest part of the day was walking up to the observatory hearing propaganda messages and music played over the speakers from North Korea.


Even more strange was Unification Village, built for displaced families - part community, part Instagram backdrop, with slightly odd photo props that didn’t quite sit right in contrast to the day’s earlier tone.



Leaving the somber DMZ area behind, our last visit of the day was to the Gamaksan Suspension Bridge - the longest in South Korea. Reached by a pleasant forest trail, the bridge offers wonderful valley views, and it felt a little like we were back in the real world again.



A week barely scratched the surface of South Korea, but what I experienced left me wanting more. It had that familiar Southeast Asia vibe - incredible food, life lived on the streets and a deep sense of history. I’d love to return and explore more of the rural side, especially the natural beauty of Jeju Island.


With its tech edge, fascinating contrasts and rising cultural influence, South Korea is fast becoming a must-visit destination. Go now, before everyone else does!

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