We did SO many cool things in Seoul. But I think this day was my favorite!
Everyone knows I love BTS, but I also really love watching K-Dramas. SO GOOD. They're a view into a world that isn't like ours - culturally, linguistically, or historically. For example, Natalie and I watched a great show called Extraordinary Attorney Woo, which was about a young, incredibly smart, autistic attorney who had to navigate being the smartest attorney in the room with the stigma of autism.
In Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Woo to the Young to the Woo (IYKYK!) and Jun-Ho are two attorneys at the Hanbada Law Firm who are working on a variety of litigation cases. She has autism, a photographic memory and an obsession with whales!
Eeek! We loved this scene! They were chatting about their big case while walking along the Deoksugung Palace outer wall, when Young-Woo says that couples that walk along this palace wall eventually break up! They ran into this couple, some old classmates of Jun-Ho's who assume Young-Woo is a from the special needs group that Jun-Ho volunteers at - but Jun-Ho tells them he is on a DATE!
This is literally the most adorable show. Meanwhile, Deoksugung Palace has it's own history. In 1592, the Japanese invaded and burned down all of the palaces of the Joseon Dynasty. This area was a temporary palace beginning in 1593 and was renamed Gyeongungung Palace in 1611. It took a back seat to some of the other palaces for a number of years after Changdeokgung Palace was rebuilt, but in 1897, the Emperor Gojong proclaimed there was a new Korean Empire and Gyeongungung Palace was the imperial court. Many buildings were lost in a great fire in 1904, and Emperor Gojong abdicated in 1907 under the pressure from the Japanese. At this time, it was renamed Deoksugung Palace, and has been that ever since.
Natalie along the walls of Deoksugung Palace. Good thing she wasn't here with a boyfriend!
On our way over to Cheonggyecheon Stream, we stopped for a Belgian waffle. Which was right below "Made In Chicago Pizza."
Allergenic Food Labeling. When selecting a menu, please check the list of allergens before ordering!
This is the first time I saw this in Seoul... props to the waffle place!
Daehanmun Gate at Deoksugung Palace. Love the guys in uniform up there!
Dang, that waffle looks good!
Seoul my Soul!
Legit EVERYWHERE. Here I found Chimmy and Cooky in Cheonggye Plaza!
The Cheonggyecheon Stream area is SO beautiful and a nice reprieve from the hustle and bustle of Seoul.
Now... as for K-dramas that have been filmed here, there have been quite a few, including See You In My 19th Life, which I watched and admittedly, did not love. But this scene down at the Cheonggyecheon Stream WAS a pretty cute scene (sorry- I just don't love Ahn Bo Hyun... he was the bad guy in Itaewon Class and I CANNOT GET OVER IT!)
Hey that area looks pretty familiar! While it's very lovely now, this area was formerly part of the city of Seoul's sewer system. In the late 1950s, they began a 20 year project to fill the stream in with concrete and elevate a highway over it.
BUT, in the early 2000s, they removed the elevated high way and restored the stream!
Now, tourists and locals alike enjoy the scenic stream!
Natalie and I enjoyed watching this preschool group come down to enjoy the stream. This little kid in the light blue hat on the right was my favorite kid. They were all SO cute.
The restoration project not only decreased the amount of pollution in the area, but it also increased the number of plant and animal species in the area, as well as decreased the urban heat island effect.
I think the coolest fact I found about this stream is that it "provides flood protection for up to a 200-year flood event and can sustain a flow rate of 118mm/hr." I'm gonna be a floodplain management nerd 'til I die!
This is a real, living and working stream too. We even saw fish in here!
We emerged from the Cheonggyecheon Stream area and walked past the Bosingak Pavilion. This was built in 1396 (the 5th year of the reign of King Taejo) in present-day Insa-dong, but was moved here in the very early 1400s. The sign says, "The Bosingak Bell was rung 33 times to announce paru, or the opening of the city gates at daybreak and 28 times to announce injeong, their closure at night according to Buddhist custom." So, for my military friends, think of it like revelry and retreat!
Robert Indiana's "Love" sculpture is featured all around the world. Most of them are in the famous red coloring, but this blue floral one is unique!
Our next stop on our VERY busy day was in Insa-Dong. We loved this area! It's mostly pedestrian and there are tons of little shops, art galleries, tea houses and restaurants. Approximately 500 years ago, this area was where all of the government officials lived. This area just has a cool vibe. So cool, that apparently Queen Elizabeth visited here!
Some of the streets of Insa-dong are very narrow!
We had some lunch at the 47th Avenue Tea House on the upstairs balcony and it made for some GREAT people watching! I like the name of this place because when Todd and I were dating, he lived at 47th and 2nd in NYC!
This is my beer. This is not Natalie's beer. This is not your beer.
Eeeek! It's always a gamble when you go to the bathroom in Seoul! (And no... I am not using the restroom here ahem... my reflection kind of looks like I am!)
This was in the bathroom too. Just... a bowl of dirt.
The 47th Street Tea House overlooked a bunch of much smaller buildings, as well as the Cheondogyo Central Temple, which as they say on their website, " Cheondogyo Central Temple is the headquarters of the homegrown Korean religion of Cheondogyo. The religion became popular in the 1860s by combining elements of Buddhists, Confucians, and Christians."
After the great bathroom adventure, we went to explore more of Insa-Dong. This sign had been behind me while we were eating upstairs, and I love the little porcelain dolls on top!
Back out on the cool streets of Insa-Dong.
This would be a neat place to stay - Nat and I agreed we would probably stay here next time!
It's just so beautiful and unique!
The architecture here is really impressive.
Right behind BTS, Iz*One, and Byeon Woo-Seok in the category of "things you will find everywhere in Seoul" is chicken and beer restaurants!
I'll join the Cass Beer Club, sure!
The doors of Seoul aren't quite like the ones you'll find in Europe but you can definitely find some cute ones.
OMG doggo snacks! How cute is this?
I got the biggest laugh out of the English misspellings. Enterance!
This was the entrance (!!) to our next stop - Changdeokgung Palace!
Changdeokgung Palace was constructed in 1405, it's sort of known as the eastern palace, with Gyeongbukgong Palace being the western palace. It was, of course, destroyed by a fire in 1592, but was restored in 1610 and remained the main palace for the next 270 years until the end of the Joseon Dynasty. The gate on the left is the Injeongmun Gate with the Sukjangmun Gate straight ahead. Sukjangmun Gate was only restored in 1996.
Injeongmun Gate was where the next king’s coronation was performed during a (former) king’s public, state funeral. There were 7 kings coronated here! But of course, it burnt down several times so this is not the original. Because between fires or wars, they were all destroyed.
Changdeokgung Palace's Injeongjeon Hall of Benevolent Rule is one of the five major palaces of the Joseon Dynasty, and was known to the "backup" in the event something happened to Gyeongbokgung Palace.
This was a more close up view of Changdeokgung Palace's Injeongjeon Hall. This particular building was completed in 1804, even though the original was built in 1405.
I love that you can go up and look at the inside of the palace here!
The official website says, "The officials assembled here to wish the King a Happy New Year. Kings conducted state affairs, held national ceremonies and received foreign officials." They also would congratulate the King here on the Proclamation of a Crown Prince.
You can see pretty lamps hanging from the ceiling but those were only installed in 1908. You can also see the very Korean screen behind the throne depicting palm trees, some mountains, as well as the sun and the moon, which were meant to represent the king and the queen.
You can also rent Hanbok here and get in for free, but we just decided to enjoy everyone else's pretty clothing - especially these two ladies who had dresses in similar coloring to ours a few days earlier!
Injeongmun Gate is the main gate to Injeongjeon Hall and major state events took place here in the courtyard between the gate and the hall.
In a nearby courtyard, Seongjeonggak was known as the study hall for the Crown Princes of the Joseon Dynasty. It's a really cool building, up on pilings. It was also nice to sit and relax in the shade for a few minutes. Apparently kings thought so too, as they would sometimes come here to read.
Ummm, who's handprint is on the ground???
One of the more interesting things about Changdeokgung Palace is that the entire palace was built based on topography, rather than with the meridian. If you look at Gyeongbokgung Palace, you'll notice all of the buildings are very east-west or north-south. This palace just went with the flow and they built the structures where it made sense, topographically.
One of the best things to see at Changdeokgung Palace is the Secret Garden, which we didn't see because we didn't have tickets. I thought the official website had a funny description of it though: "The Secret Garden of Changdeokgung Palace was built for royal families. In addition to relaxing and strolling, it was also used for various activities such as composing poetry, discussing scholarly matters, fishing, boating, military practice, and even fireworks. Parties hosted by the king for queen dowagers, royal families, and subjects were often thrown here. The kings planted crops to experience farming, while the queens hosted a silkworm-rearing event." The kings planted crops to experience farming - kings, they're just like us!
After we visited the palace, we walked around the area between Changdeokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village, which was, of course, VERY photogenic!
The old and the new, a juxtaposition of architecture.
Bukchon Hanok Village is a VERY cool area, but it's also INCREDIBLY crowded. You shouldn't miss this area- but I also wouldn't spend a lot of time here. You walk through this area and you feel like you're in another time in another world.
And the views are spectacular! I mean... you really come here for the views!
While there are a lot of guesthouses and tea houses here now, this is still a regular neighborhood with people who have to live here everyday and deal with the crowds. There are literally people who stand around and say "Shhhhh!" to people who are being too loud!
Natalie in front of one of the traditional Hanok houses in Bukchon Hanock Village.
LOOK at this beautiful building! During the Joseon Dynasty, members of the aristocracy lived in this area.
Hey! I hardly ever find doors that I CAN'T fit in!
This wall engraving has ten symbols of long life (like the sun, mountains, pines and cranes) - and the artist, Jinwook Kim, originally had this at Gyeongbokgun Palace - but now it sits in the Bukchon Hanok Village.
Instead of walking down the busy main road where all of the tourists were, we walked back down a side street that was much more quiet! Apparently a lot of people have moved out of this area in recent years because it's just too touristy. I love the tile work on the wall behind Natalie (and look! She matches it!)
It's interesting to me to see a Buddha statue here because although Buddhism today is practiced by about 17% of the population, it had been suppressed during the 500+ year Joseon Dynasty rule when they practiced Korean Confucianism (and strictly suppressed other religions like Buddhism).
We left the Bukchon Hanok Village and headed toward our final stop of the day, Itaewon. Oh and yes, you DO need to have this snack when you are in Korea. We saw this funny sign at the 7-11, but I never had it the whole time I was there! Next time!
Much like Germany with their insane recycling, Korea has some interesting recycling features too. Like pouring out your drink before you recycle your bottle!
We finally made it to Itaewon and I was able to see THE bridge the main characters always met on in one of my FAVORITE K-dramas of all time, Itaewon Class!
The Noksapyeong Bridge has an awesome view of the Seoul Tower.
Me, hanging out where Park Sae-ro-yi and Jo Yi-Seo often walked in Itaewon Class.
Itaewon has a different feel to it. Most of the buildings are not more than 3-4 stories high, there are many narrow roads, and lots of bars, shops and restaurants.
The signs and restaurant names are just... so... perfect. Take me to Crispy Pork Town!
And then... we came upon the whole reason I was here. The original Danbam from Itaewon Class! EEEEK! This was the first restaurant owned by Park Sae-ro-yi after he got out of prison and spent time on the fishing boats. His dad had been murdered by Jang Geun-won, the school bully, and Sae-ro-yi went to jail for kicking his ass.
The restaurant wasn't open when we got there, but we did see this signed posted in the window!
So Natalie and I decided to go find a place for Happy Hour and wait for old Danbam to open. I love this sign- Beer is the reason I get up every afternoon!
South Korea is very interesting. They don't really "do" bars. There certainly are some in Itaewon and near the big hotel areas, but mostly if you go into a bar, you can't just get a drink. You have to order food with it. Thankfully we found a place with a cool rooftop that had awesome views... but we were literally the only people there!
Finally it was time to go eat at Danbam! This was the inside- we sat in the corner by the window. Look at the Honey Night sign that they used in the movie! Danbam translates to "Sweet Night" - hence that sign.
The characters are on the menu!!!
Why yes, I will have some soju at Danbam!
Natalie and I had some excellent meals!
Lots of people gather outside to take pictures of the building. Itaewon Class had the second highest ratings on the JTBC network - only second to Sky Castle, which I also watched and also loved.
At one point, we had to go to the bathroom. Natalie went first, came back to the table and said, "You have to see the sign in the bathroom!"
My bathroom had a similar sign but a drawing of a guy saying, "Did you flush the toilet?" Hilarious!!!
On my way out, they had some seating that faced some TV screens where they were airing clips of Itaewon Class. Oh Park Sae-ro-yi, that haircut was just really something!
But seriously... Free my boy Park Sae-ro-yi... Jang Geun-won is a jerk and he AND his dad Jang Dae-hee got what was coming to them!
This was one of the best meals we had all week, and definitely with the best company!
I literally could not stop fangirling!
Ok, ok... ONE more picture of me at Danbam!
After our delicious meal, we strolled through Itaewon which is VERY bright with tons of bars.
I don't remember what she was going on about here, but she looks cute :-)
Itaewon is so flashy, and I love it!
Look at all of the lights!
We laughed at the American Diner and Bar - I wonder how it compares?
Eeek! So, I did NOT know this when I took this photo, but Park Sae-ro-yi and Jo Yi-Seo did a little photoshoot with the angel wings on the left.
There they are, looking so cute! (As everyone says, Park Sae-ro-yi is such boyfriend material!)
Come and getcha some Jameson at the Itaewon Pub! They have happy hour here, but not in Massachusetts (annoyingly slaps forehead).
Itaewon Class was originally a webtoon - so you can see evidence of this in Itaewon. I like that they're also selling Erdinger at this bar. A little bit of Germany in South Korea 💖
More webtoon images of Itaewon class with Park Sae-ro-yi, Jo Yi-Seo and the team.
Everything is just so aesthetically pleasing!
We definitely were singing some Pit Bull when we walked by here.
This made us really sad to see. After the 2022 Halloween crush/stampede that happened here, they put up these signs to show whether the streets were crowded or not crowded. That night, 159 people died in a narrow alley here in Itaewon - just on the right in this picture near the Beverly Hotel (you can see the sign in the upper right).
There definitely were NOT large crowds here on this particular evening, thankfully. Apparently you can not only get American diner food, but you can also get Spanish tapas!
Natalie and I swung into the Itaewon Pub because we weren't ready to be done with our fun evening. I like this sign at the bar. They really mean business with this phrase! It seems to be everywhere!
We made friends with the bartender who, like many other people in South Korea could not believe that I was Natalie's mother. Everything thought we were sisters. I'm like... girl, don't look to close at all of those wrinkles!
What a day. We were totally exhausted - perhaps, delirious?
