When I was crafting (and I say crafting because my itinerary was so detailed, it almost felt like a school project) my Korea trip itinerary, I had two things in mind — food and kdramas. Years of binging on kdramas and Korean travel shows resulted in a more defined wish list of foods I wanted to try and places (mostly kdrama locations) that I wanted to see. I knew it was not going to be a chill trip, but I wasn’t there to relax — I was there to see, smell, experience, breathe as much of Korea as I possibly could.
But it’s hard not to slow down in Samcheongdong, this beautiful Seoul neighborhood that features a mix of the traditional with lines of hanok or Korean traditional houses and the modern with plenty of art galleries, museums, and cafes.
Our first stop was Yulgok-ro-3-gil, a major street in Samcheongdong and home to several kdrama locations. Armed with a shortlist of locations from Korean Dramaland, we took countless of photos, standing where kdrama actors stood.
Clockwise from top left: the famous wall found in most kdramas including Goblin and Chicago Typewriter; 57th Gallery Cafe where some scenes of Two Cops were shot; We Are Young found in episode 3 of While You Were Sleeping. See photos of the kdrama scenes here.
Random alleyway near Duksung High School where Goblin was shot; the entrance of Duksung High School; Dalssi Market
Coffee Mill, where a couple of scenes from Another Oh Hae Young were filmed
Since we started so early, we planned to have breakfast at Coffee Mill but it was closed 😞 so we wandered off to Bukchon Hanok Village.
Bukchon Hanok Village is a Korean traditional village in Seoul. It couldn’t be more strategically located — it’s surrounded by the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, and Jongmyo Shrine. That’s why most tourists combine these stops in one tour. Bukchon Hanok Village is home to hundreds of hanok that date back to the Joseon dynasty. Some of these houses operate as cultural and art centers, guesthouses, restaurants, and cafes. But some remain residential so there are plenty of signage around the village, requesting tourists to keep their voices down so as not to disturb the residents.
Bukchon’s charm is the fact that it’s a piece of history that’s so preserved in the midst of a modern city that is Seoul. In some parts of the village, you can take photos showing the old houses with the modern cityscape in the background. I imagine this can be a more novel experience if you’re wearing a hanbok or traditional Korean dress (which I didn’t try). I suggest visiting early in the morning for a more quiet experience. Some opt to stay in the guesthouses here to experience more of Seoul’s old charm.
Unfortunately, since we visited in the early morning, we didn’t see any cafes or restaurants that were already open so we ended up at a CU near the village. We opted to having coffee and fried tofu rice balls with crab salad for breakfast. Not bad for a convenience store meal.
After that quick breakfast, we were set to join a scheduled tour at Changdeokgung’s Secret Garden. This tour is by appointment only. But because we spent too much time walking, looking for breakfast, we decided to skip Changdeokgung and just visit Gyeongbokgung.
We walked around Jongno, unintentionally passing by the end of Insadong shopping street and Jongno Books, a huge bookstore located at the basement of Jongno Tower and just a few steps from Jonggak Station. I would later learn that this bookstore dates back almost a hundred years! It open in 1907, shut down in 2002 because it couldn’t compete with online retailers, and then reopened in December 2016 with a modern but cozy look. I love that it has a lot of reading areas, like the long wooden table at one corner of the store, and the secluded reading stations which even includes charging outlets. The store was so well designed; if we didn’t have to go to Gyeongbokgung I probably would’ve stayed longer.
We arrived at Gwanghwamun around lunch time. We decided to grab lunch first before going inside Gyeongbokgung. In search of food, we walked towards Gwanghwamun Square, where there’s some sort of fair happening. There, we met Jibangi (translates to “Fatty”), the fat but cute mascot of a liposuction hospital. We didn’t know that Jibangi is famous character in Seoul until I googled him. Ah, the things we discover just by walking around Seoul.
King Sejong the Great, Korea’s most famous king and creator of Hangul (Korean alphabet) and subject of so many period kdramas, towers over the main plaza. Across the square is the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, a multipurpose arts and cultural complex in Seoul that hosts plenty of performances and exhibitions. I stopped by and took photos because a couple of scenes were filmed here for Shopping King Louis. Haha!
A few blocks away from the Sejong Center, we saw a street filled with restaurants. Finally, food! We went inside a restaurant (forgot the name) that sells tonkatsu. We ordered one tonkatsu each and a bowl of kimchi ramyeon. Had we known that one tonkatsu serving was HUGE (look at how big that slab is, compared to the rice beside it), we would have ordered just one serving. It tasted good, though, and the ramyeon had delicious broth. We were ready to explore more of the city after downing that soup.
We walked towards Gwanghwamun Square again, this time taking in the sights around the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-Shin, a famous naval commander who’s known for defeating the Japanese during the late 1500s. Episodes of 2 Days 1 Night showed me just how famous this man was, and even up to now, Koreans are in awe of his greatness. The man never lost a battle at sea nor lost a single ship to the enemy despite having no prior naval training!
It was a Saturday and there were plenty of families around the plaza. It was also the tail end of spring, and summer was approaching, so lots of kids played at the fountains. The parents are so chill!
Finally, we arrived at the Gwanghwamun Gate, the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace. We arrived just in time for the Sumunjang ceremony (Changing of the Royal Guard) which takes place twice a day at 10am and 2pm (except on Tuesdays) and lasts for 20 minutes. The ceremony was a regular part of the guards’ routine back in the Joseon dynasty, along with opening and closing the palace gates, inspecting all visitors, and maintaining surveillance of the palace. The reenactment of the ceremony began in 1996 and has been drawing crowds since then.
Gyeongbokgung was home to the Joseon Kings and the Joseon government. Destroyed and burned down in several wars, restoration has been ongoing since 1989. It remains the largest of all five palaces in Seoul, so large that you’d need a whole day to go around the whole complex and explore the buildings (which we had no energy to do). That’s why a friend of mine told me that if I had to visit only one palace in Seoul, it had to be Gyeongbokgung.
Entrance fee is 3,000 won (2,400 won if you’re part of a group of 10 people or more), or free if you’re wearing a hanbok. Having been there under the heat of the sun, I realized that it’s better to reserve a separate day for exploring the palace grounds so you won’t rush through the buildings. This is probably what I’ll be doing when I return to Seoul. And maybe get a guide? I assume it would be a more meaningful experience if you have someone to explain what each structure or part of the palace meant and the stories it kept.
Seoul, despite steadily embracing modernity in the past decades, has done a great job at preserving history. Stopping by its historical sites is not just good for the ‘gram but also gives one a deeper appreciation of the culture of this mega city. So yes, Bukchon and Gyeongbokgung — and Samcheongdong for that laid-back, artsy old school charm — are still worthy additions to your Seoul itinerary. ❤️
