Day 3 in Seoul - DMZ and Itaewon

(Above) The Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea.

DAY 3, we will have our breakfast at our serviced apartment’s dining area and wait for our tourist guide from Holiday Planners, a local agency in Seoul that organized local tours such as the Demilitarized Zone Tour that we are taking today. You can visit their website for other tours - http://www.theseoul-hotels.com/tours . The tour’s duration is about 5 hours and cost per person is SGD$73 or 61000W. No meals are included and we will probably pack some light food just in case we feel hungry as we plan to eat after the tour. The good thing is they pick you at your hotel and drop you off at the Itaewon shopping district.

A trip to South Korea is not complete without taking a tour to the border between North and South Korea, which remains one of the last icon of the Cold War between democracy and communism. Technically, both South Korea and North Korea are still ‘at war’ as there was no peace treaty signed to conclude the war. The tour will cover visits to the Bridge of Freedom, Imjin-Gak Park, Unification Village, Dora Observatory, station and the third tunnel.


(Above) Bridge of Freedom
The first stop is at the Bridge of Freedom which is still the only bridge crossing over the Imjin River, and most importantly, the only bridge connecting between South and North Korea. According to popular accounts, about 13,000 war captives released from the North crossed this bridge to the South crying ‘Hurrah for freedom’, which gave the bridge its name, "the Bridge of Freedom".


(Above) Unification Village

The second stop is at Imjin-Gak park which is located about 50 kilometers northwest of Seoul. The place is visited by locals every Lunar New Year’s Day where a joint memorial service is conducted to comfort the 10 million South Koreans separated from their families in North Korea.


From the Imjin-Gak Observatory(above), we will be able to get a view of North Korea. and visit the displays of actual jet aircraft and tanks from the Korean War at the Exhibition Hall. Imjin-Gak is located near the western end of the front line. The Kyung-Ui Railroad which was built to connect South and North Korea when completed, passes through Imjin-Gak Park. Therefore, it remains a symbol of both despair of separation and hopes for reconciliation.
From here, we move onto the Dora Observatory which is a 304 sq feet, 500 capacity observation platform situated on top of Dorasan or Mount Dora. The observatory looks across the Demilitarized Zone. As it is the nearest point to North Korea from South Korea, from the observatory,we can view North Korea including the North Korean propaganda village situated in the DMZ, a remnant of the old prosperity of the North, and can see as far as the city of Kaesong.
Our next stop would be at Dorasan Train Station which is located in Paju, is the northernmost train station of South Korea that connects South Korea and North Korea.This is a station with no trains.Unlike most stations, which are full of excitement and liveliness, Dora mountain station stands as a quiet monument that is filled with bitter silence. Visitors instead of passengers, visit this station, to feel the bitterness of a country divided. A famous photo opportunity there is to pose in front of the sign at the boarding gate which proclaims ‘Next destination: Pyeongyang’. Many South Koreans and tourists visit the station in the hope that one day, the North and South will be unified and trains will pass through the Dorasan Station from Seoul to Pyeongyang.
The final stop is at the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel which is located about 44 km or, less than an hour's drive, from Seoul. The third tunnel was discovered in October 1978. Almost identical in structure to Tunnel 2, the 1.635 kilometer-long tunnel, 1.95 meters high and 2.1 meters wide, penetrates 435 meters south of the Military Demarcation Line at a point only 4 kilometers south of the Truce Village of Panmunjom. The tunnel is a engineering marvel as it runs through bedrock 73m below the ground level and was constructed right under the noses of the South Koreans before it was discovered. The tunnel can allow the swift movement of one North Korean army division per hour, plus their weapons, so as to allow for a surprise attack on Seoul. This tunnel is also only 2 km from a key outpost defending the Munsan corridor leading to Seoul. After the tour ends which is about 5 hours later, it will probably be mid afternoon and we will then be dropped off by the tour guide at the Itaewon shopping area.

Itaewon is often described as the most exotic place in Seoul representing fusion of different cultures with a distinctive atmosphere. Many locals have a saying that ‘ You may not know Seoul but you should know Itaewon’ which says something about it’s reputation as a shopping and eating enclave.


(Above) Shopping street in Itaewon

Itaewon’s shopping area covers a 1.4 km length, stretching from the U.S. 8th Army Base eastwards to Hannam-dong and contains over 1,000 different stores. Over 2,400 shops are crowded onto Itaewon Street, of which over 600 offer fashion apparel, over 150 sell leather goods, over 100 are shoe stores, and more than 50 are suit retailers. Itaewon has been named one of the most popular places to shop for bags, fur coats, leather goods, shoes and suits. Leather goods, including handbags and fashion apparel, are very popular with tourists and locals. The area has a vibrant night life scene with many bars and nightclubs.


(Above) Itaewon street vendor
Many street vendors selling shirts, jackets, and caps from local brands to counterfeit brands also stay up late to cater to nocturnal shoppers. Clothing shops offer everything from hip hop styled T-shirts and pants to casual wear to formal suits. There are also shops specializing in bags for sale from suitcases like Samsonite to leather bags. Shoes are also on offer from world class brands like Addidas and Nike to unique no brand shoes.Itaewon remains a popular shopping destination for foreigners due to two main reasons: the superb quality of goods, and the availability of larger sizes that are not easily found elsewhere in Korea. Around here, you will see signs displaying ‘Big Size’ or ‘Big & Tall’ through the shop windows.

Another reason why foreigners find Itaewon’s shopping to be convenient is that most of the shop owners speak fluent English. There are also shops connected to hotels, one of which is the Hamilton Shopping Center run by Hamilton Hotel. The Hamilton Shopping Center is a four-story building selling souvenirs and traditional goods. Another notable shop is ‘Nokgu’. Although Itaewon shops are known to sell imitations, Nokgu only sells original imported brands. Here, popular brands such as Prada, Ferregamo and Gucci can be purchased at 10% to 20% cheaper than at the boutiques of these brands.

Itaewon prides itself on the unique variety of restaurants it has to offer. Not only will you be able to sample exotic food from all over the world, you can also indulge in delicious traditional Korean cuisine. ‘Cheongsa Chorong’ is one of the most popular traditional Korean restaurants in the area, specializing in Hanjeongsik (traditional Korean meal served in a set) and royal cuisines. The restaurant is mainly visited by Japanese customers. It also presents a 30 minute traditional dance performance every night at 7pm. There are restaurants which we may want to take a look and try. One is ‘DaiDai’, a Japanese restaurant. DaiDai is very popular with Japanese patrons and local residents as the two storeys restaurant provides fresh sushi and it’s famed haemultang (spicy and hot seafood casserole). It is located at 683-132, Hannam-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea and is opened from 10am to 10pm. Meals here start from 13000W to 60000W. There is also ‘Mogul’, a Pakistani restaurant. Mogul is famous for its lamb chops, which are beautifully seasoned with 12 different kinds of spices. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? You can visit the following website to have an overview of all the restaurants in the Itaewon area :
http://www.nicerent.com/english/food/food/whattoeat.asp

To get to Itaewon from other locations in the city, you can take the Seoul City Tour Shuttle Bus which operates from 9am to 9pm along major routes through most tourist destinations or you can take the subway using Line 6 ( alighting at Itaewon , Hangangjin Stations)

After half a day of shopping and eating at Itaewon, we will take the subway from Itaewon Station on Line 6 and alight at the third stop – Yaksu and transfer to Line 3 which will take us to our destination at Anguk Station which is the fifth stop and from there we will take a walk back to our serviced apartment.

DAY 1 - Arrive In Seoul and Check In(Part 2)

(Above)Insadong Street crowded with locals and tourists

By the time we checked in and rested a while, it should be around 3 to 4pm in the afternoon. We will probably take a walk around Insadong-gil(gil is the Korean word for street) which is the main street in the Insadong area. Insadong is a popular tourist destination in Seoul. Composed mainly of one long street, it is known for its many art galleries, restaurants, and shops that sell traditional Korean items and art. There is also plenty of cheap street food and occasional public performances of dancing.


Above) Information centre at Insadong
We will head to the Insadong Tourist Information Centre to ask them more about the place. There are two Tourist Information Centers(TIC) that are located at the two ends of the main street of Insadong that have experienced staff fluent in English, Mandarin and Japanese; There are maps and useful brochures and booklets which we will take the relevant ones. Public bathrooms are located next to TICs as well so in case one is need of a washroom. There are also 3 computer terminals at the Insadong Tourist Information Centre with free internet access if you are thinking of sending our emails. The TICs are opened from 10am to 10pm daily.

Here, in the myriad fine craft stores that line both sides of the street, we can find anything from simple hanbok (traditional Korean clothing), to beautiful Goryeo era vases. The roads leading to Insadong are filled with restaurants where we will be able to get Japanese udon noodles, Chinese dumplings, and European cakes up until the entrance of Insa-dong. Once inside the main Insadong area. We'll find distinctly Korean foods in temporary stalls on the streets such as tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), eomuk (skewered fish sausage), hotteok, and various tempuras. These street foods are tasty and cheap, so it's definitely worth a try for us.


(Above) Jilsuru rice cake cafe at Insadong

We will also find rare korean foods, such as rice cakes, yeot (traditional candy), and rice cookies. There are also many kinds of traditional drinks, such as cinnamon tea, Chinese quince tea, jujube tea, shikhye (fermented rice punch), and sujeonggwa (cinnamon flavored dried persimmon punch), so we will try a cup to compliment the food.
The winding side streets are also home to a variety of traditional restaurants. Most restaurants in Insadong are on alleys near Sudo Pharmacy. (Please refer to the map of Insadong). Traditional restaurants in Insadong serve Korean dishes cooked without synthetic seasonings in remodeled traditional Korean houses. Sanchon serves good temple food along with a traditional performance. The restaurant Jirisan is famous for delicious dishes that taste of Korean home cooking. Sadongmyeonok is renowned for manduguk, dumpling soup; Insadong Hangari Sujebi is recognized for sujebi, clear soup with wheat flakes; and Gaetmaeul Milbatjip is celebrated for kalguksu, noodle soup. Yetchatjip, Gwicheon, and Jeontong Dawon located inside of Gyeongin Art Gallery are popular traditional teahouses. A fun experience in Insadong is to try hotteok, Chinese stuffed pancake, or gultarae from a street vendor.

Just as a nugget of information, over forty percent of the nation’s antique stores are in Insadong. It sells more valuable antiques compared to other art streets in Korea. The prices range from 10,000 won to some hundred million won. If it is a Sunday, the Insadong area is off-limits to traffic and becomes a huge pedestrian mall that is converted into a flea market. Many artists also converge there to do street paintings. Those who are interested in traditional tea or coffee shops will have a field day there too. We plan to explore the popular traditional alleys of Insa-dong, to look for the traditional rice cake café - Jilsiru and order some tasty Korean rice cakes and have a drink. Most rice cakes cost 1,500 won and the persimmon shake is 7,000 won. Next to Jilsiru is ‘Sanchon Saramdeul,’ a traditional Korean cookie shop operated by Sanchon, an Insa-dong restaurant well known for its vegetarian “Buddhist temple” food. Here, you can buy traditional Korean cookies not easily found elsewhere, at relatively inexpensive prices. While some cookie bags cost 10,000 won, most are between 4,000 and 5,000 won. The most popular is the yugwa, which costs 4,000 won a bag.

Recently, a new attraction has been drawing visitors to Insadong. Sunday has been named as a car-free day street with cars and various events are held instead. A flea market is held this day where antiques, accessories, artworks and books are sold and bought. Traditional antiques from different parts of Korea as well as international antiques brought by foreign tourists are displayed enabling visitors to view many traditional items at a glance. It is highly recommended to visit Insadong this day since you can also view street paintings. Particularly noteworthy is Tongmungwan which is reputed to be the oldest bookstore in Seoul, and Kyung-in Art Gallery, the oldest tea house. There are daily calligraphy demonstrations and cultural performances. We may also pop by one of Insadong's more recent attractions, the Asia Eros Museum, which was opened in 2004, and is purportedly South Korea's first museum devoted to sex.

We will then head to Anguk subway station(Line 3) which is within our vicinity. We may buy a T-Money pre-paid transportation card there. This card can be purchased at all subway stations and certain kiosks. The card itself costs 2,500 KRW and can be used to pay for subway (T-Money users enjoy a discount on all subway rides, i.e. while a normal ride starts at 1,000 KRW, with T-Money it only costs 900 KRW), bus and taxi and it can be used at certain convenience stores, museums, parking lots, vending machines. Note that there is no way to ask for a refund for unused credits so don’t top up too much. From Anguk station, we will take a train to the next stop at Jongnosam(3)ga Station which will allow us to make a transfer from Line 3 to Line 1. Taking the Line 1 train from Jongnosam(3)ga Station, we will alight at the 2nd stop at Dongdaemun Station to visit the famous Dongdaemun night market via the subway exit 8.


(Above)Layout of Dongdaemun Market

Dongdaemun Market, Seoul is located in Dongdaemun-gu of Seou and is considered to be the shopping kingdom of Seoul. The market of Dongdaemun is home to 50,000 wholesalers, 30,000 stores and 20 shopping malls. Dongdaemun Market, Seoul is the destination where retailers from different parts of the nation flock to and do some great business. Most shops and stores have their own a manufacturing factory or subcontract, which enables them to sell the items at price 30 to 70 percent cheaper than those of the department stores in major cities. Large shopping malls including Doosan Tower, Migliore, and Freya Town located within the area also offer goods at half price. Thus, while the products are of a acceptable to good quality, they are still priced very low. Clothing items for men and women, shoes and trendy fashion accessories are available at prices that are 20-30% lower than any other market in Seoul.

The Dongdaemun Market area is divided by the main street into two major sections. Section One is on the side where Doosan Tower is located, and Section Two is the side of Dongdaemun Stadium. Tall and huge shopping mall buildings in Section One basically sell wholesale and retail goods, but deal mostly with general customers and tourists at retail prices. Since a lot of foreign tourists visit the area, there are many money exchanges and information desks in the area staffed with English speaking guides. The shopping malls open from 10 a.m. to 5 a.m. of the next day, targeting at the younger customers. Major shopping malls in the area are Doosan Tower, Migliore, Freya Town, and Hello apM.

The shopping malls in the area usually operate between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. or opens 5 p.m. the next day for the convenience of wholesalers rather than retail customers. Wholesale market opens from 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. and the retail market opens from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., which makes this market works 24 hours. Since most shops deal with the wholesalers, there may not be a dressing room to try out the clothes. In many shops in the area refunds and exchanges are not guaranteed. This means that customers have to make sure that they check the quality and size thoughtfully before purchasing.

In addition to the marketplace, we will try to locate some shopping recommendations such as Jeil Pyeonghwa and Heungin Stardom which are targeted at customers in their 30s and 40s who favor goods with simple and elegant design. Younger customers – teenagers and other youths in their 20s normally opt for Designer's Club, Migliore, Nuzzon, and Gwanghee Fashion Mall. We will also check out "Team 204" at Dongdaemun Market to find out latest fashion trends, because it is the place where most up-to-date fashion items from abroad is first introduced in the nation. There is only one-week time span between the design trends of "Team 204" shops and the latest from those of Milan, Paris, or New York. We understand that traders and shop owners in this area fly to Milan, Tokyo, Paris, or New York to get the taste of latest design and to collect samples. Designer Club, Team 204, Heyang Elicium, Migliore, Doosan Tower are frequented by young ladies seeking fashionable dresses. Such stores as Uno Core, Art Plaza, and Freya Town aim for women over 25 years old. Men's clothing can found at such shops as Heyang Elicium, Uno Core, Designer Club, Freya Town, Doosan Tower, and Migliore whereas children's clothes are available at Heungin Market, Doosan Tower, Freya Town, and Migliore. Migliore, which opened its doors in 1998, has the slogan "from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet," and you can find everything in one place. Under the slogan "shopping is a war," Doota is a rival to Migliore, and boasts diverse and unique fashion items. All in all, it should be a shopping adventure worth trying out. Oh yes, one useful word to use during shopping is "pi sai yo" which means expensive. We read that you've got to say it with gusto! like "Pi Sai YOOOOO"

Along the way, we will also be looking out for the night market food area to have our dinner the Korean way by looking for a good streetside food stall. These streetside food stall aren’t small side food kiosks but are rather miniature restaurants that offer relatively extensive menus and we just want to get the Korean experience of seating inside a tent to enjoy our food like any Korean – in Korea, do as the Koreans do.

After that we will continue shopping as far as our legs can carry us. It’s simply not possible to conquer Dongdaemun with it’s 30 000 speciality shops and 26 shopping malls. We will probably shop till 11 before heading back to catch the last train to Anguk station and walk back to our service apartment.