A short business trip to Yangsan in Seoul, South Korea

A short business trip to Yangsan in Seoul, South Korea

“Live your life by a compass not a clock.” 

Stephen Covey

I got a chance to sneak in few hours for roaming around in Yangsan and Seoul city centre, from a 2 days Business trip to South Korea in March 2018.Seoul is the capital of South Korea (Republic of Korea) and its biggest city. It is a bustling city that not only holds a strong presence in Asia but also in the rest of the world.To date, this influence is largely due to Seoul’s cutting-edge technology, strong economy and vibrant culture. You would see the Samsung’s, LG’s and Hyundai’s everywhere…

Route: Bangalore –>  Thailand –> Taipei (Technical stop) –>  Seoul. (Thai Airways)

We landed at the Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul and went to Yongsan in Train

Incheon International Airport is a big airport. The airport is very nice and modern with easy transportation facilities (and there’s free wifi as well). The airport has a golf course, spa, private sleeping rooms, an ice skating rink, a casino, indoor gardens, and a Museum of Korean Culture.

We had taken the KTX (Korea Train Express) to reach Yongsan  which travels at a speed of more than 300 Km/hr. Trains here travel normally at very high speed. So you can reach your far away destinations quite easily.

You can take Train(AREX – Airport RailRoad Express) or Private transfers or airports limousine/bus to reach the city center.

March to May is Spring time in Seoul, where the flora starts to bloom and bud. We encountered mild snow in all the places that we visited.

Some attractions in Seoul (most of them doesn’t have an entry fee)

• Gyeongbokgung Palace
• Deoksugung Palace
• Changgyeonggung Palace
• Changdeokgung Palace
• Jongmyo (Royal Shrine)
• N Seoul Tower Observatory
• MBC World
• Seoul City Tour Double-Decker Bus
• COEX Aquarium
• TrickEye & Ice Museum
• Watch the Changing of the Guard at Changdeokgung and Gyeongbokgung Palaces
• Bukchon Hanok Village
• Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)
• Magical fountains at Banpo bridge at night.

South Korea is said to have one of the fastest internet in the world (believe me!) so you’ll be assured of great connection wherever you go. To add, most places even offer FREE WiFi.

Number four (4) has been deemed unlucky in Korea because it sounds like the Chinese word for “death.” Four is also considered unlucky in China and Japan as well. You won’t see Number 4 in many places in Korea. The hotels I stayed did not have a 4th floor.

Ginseng chicken soup (in Korean, Samgyetang) is a hot, steaming, delicious dish that features a small chicken stuffed with rice, ginseng, garlic, and  jujube. You have to commit to eat a whole chicken all by yourself when you sit down for a bowl of samgyetang! But it’s totally worth it. In Traditional restaurants, people sit down on the floor and eat the food.

You will find a lot of Non-vegetarian options in all places.

I  stayed at ‘Shilla Stay’ in Seoul.

View from ‘Shilla Stay’ is really nice.

I stayed at ‘Benikea Hotel’ in Yangsan..

‘Benikea Hotel’ is a new hotel and is in the middle of the main city.

Make sure to bring in Universal adapters. Some hotels don’t provide you the adapters.Hope I will be able to come back to Seoul as a Tourist and cover all the attractions that I missed in my last business trip.