One Plus Seoul
Seoul simply rocks.
On board our flight from Tokyo to Seoul, many of the young Koreans sitting around us started to watch Korean movies, TV shows, played computer games or laughed at holiday photos loaded onto their digital video players. Couples snuggled down and shared headphones, and all generally remained glued to their iPod-like gizmos for the duration of the flight. The United Airlines plane had its own in-flight entertainment console on board - but was happily passed over in favour of Korean content downloaded to Korean digital devices.
Straight away I knew this culture that I was about to experience (once again) very seriously believed in both itself and its technology. Seoulites also accommodate this technology seamlessly into the fabric of their daily lives. The sense of 'being (very) digital' was omnipresent here. These digital video players and 3G phones were used on planes, subways, buses and in cars – everywhere – to view and experience rich digital content. I'm still getting over the talking rice-cookers, the keyless doors and people watching their favourite TV show on their 3G phones whilst happily gobbling down some dumplings at a market.
Seoul and South Korea probably don't figure too highly on tourist 'must see' lists. Some could find the ad-hoc-ness and slight raggedness of Korea a little off-putting (personally, I've grown to love it – you never quite know what to expect). You could say South Korea is somewhat like Japan – but on a bit of a bad hair day – things aren't quite as super-organised. And nestled between two Asian giants – China to the west and Japan to the east – I guess it's understandable that a much smaller country gets lost in the mix. For some degree of scale, Australians should note that the population of South Korea is 48 million and their landmass is less than half the size of the state of Victoria. Seoul, in particular, is very densely populated.
Korean urban design has been likened to a city of 'grey Lego blocks'* which is probably quite an accurate reflection (but is changing markedly – and quite adventurously – in many locales). Koreans have travailed through much: 35 years of colonial rule by their Japanese neighbours and a brutal civil war which is still icily unresolved. These events help explain the 'quick fix' – of using fairly nondescript buildings – whacked up quickly to solve a post-war accommodation crisis. But there exists in Seoul (and South Korea generally) an unbridled – and highly aspirational – drive to improve one's lot. The sheer mass and scale of human energy found in Seoul makes many other cities look positively dozey by comparison. It's a very crazy place, full to the brim with character – and I can't wait to go back.
I miss the kimchi and food, the Sunday family bathhouse ritual, and the overwhelming and captivating 'positive vibe' that was reverberating around South Korea's capital this time round – moreso than my previous visits (as one of the links at v-2.org below echoes). Wandering round the particularly beautiful Gyeongbokgung Palace that overlooks the teeming chaos of Seoul at its doorstep,
dozens of primary school kids wandered past (all in colour coded-uniforms - some
curiously labelled 'location experience') to a cheery chorus of 'hi!',
'hello', 'where are you from?' and 'hey, you like kimchi?'. This can't help but leave an indelible impression. Earnest university-age young adults enquiring as to my opinion of Seoul: "you think it's crazy here? you like kimchi?" – ditto.
Regular readers of this blog will have come across quite a few posts related to Korea. I married into South Korean culture ten years ago and we travel there every couple of years to meet up with family and friends. I find it fascinating, exhilarating and a decidedly delicious experience. I have to say I count down the days before each trip – and I'm counting them down again.
Only 630 days to go...
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Adam Greenfield has well and truly captured the essence of Seoul and South Korea in two terrific posts at the V-2 Organisation. They're great reading, and right on the mark:
Nomad Histories 002: Korea and Seoul is the Only Real City.
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*Simon Winchester's Korea: A Walk Through the Land of Miracles is one of the best books on Korea I've come across. Winchester walked from the very southern end of South Korea to the DMZ, where South Korea meets the North. Written in 1988, some of the 'contemporary' elements have seriously dated (of course), but the general background to Korea's social and political histories is well researched and described. And it's a rollicking good read.
I was just web surfing to find something for my work, and I accidently came to your blog! I am very happy to see somebody loves Korea so much. I really appreciate it.
I don't know how you got to know about Korea before, but yeah, Korea is such a fascinating country.
Just wanted to say hi and thank you for liking Korea. Hope your next trip is more wonderful.
Jae
Posted by: Jae | 01 February 2008 at 01:56 AM