Greetings,

Once the ‘Land of the Morning Calm’, the Korean capital is now anything but – it’s lights, camera, action every second in this high-speed, hyper-connected city. Virtual life aside, there are plenty of fabulous treats tucked inside, between, under and above the traddy hanoks and glitzy skyscrapers, and we’ll tell you where to look.

Overview

Be prepared – in this sprawling, car-crazed metropolis and grindingly slow traffic, you’ll need plenty of time to get around, especially if you’re crossing the Han river. Taking Namsan Park as your centre, to the north are the shopping areas of Dongdaemun, Samcheong-dong, Myeongdong, and Insa-dong, to the north-west is Namdaemun Market, to the south is nightlife-y Itaewon, and south-east over the Han river are glammy Apgujeong-dong and Cheongdam-dong.

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Arm yourself with a Korea-friendly mobile at ALL times (see Very Useful), you’re going to need it Keep your concierge’s number on speed dial There are four distinct seasons: winter (Dec-Feb) is icy, dry and hazy; spring can be windy and dusty, but blossom-lovely; summer (Jun-Aug) is steamy and wet; autumn months are foliage fabulous and clear Incheon International Airport into downtown Seoul by regular cab: 60 mins / 50,000 won (20% surcharge midnight-4am); by deluxe ‘Mobeom’ cab: 80,000 won Taxis are plentiful. There are two types: deluxe black cost double, and regular are grey, white and orange There are multiple address systems in Korea, as few have truly adopted the new naming system – this can be very confusing, so always call ahead and use landmarks Be sure to bring addresses in Korean as every car is wired with a life-saving, on-the-dot GPS navigator. If that fails, have your taxi driver call for directions Outside the hotels, almost no one speaks English, so keep an interpreter on speed dial (see Very Useful) There’s no need to tip, a smile will do nicely, thank you Seoulites are extremely image conscious and often outwardly conservative, you will be judged on your appearance – avoid plunging necklines and g-strings as outerwear, or you will be treated accordingly When meeting locals, note that your age will be the first topic of conversation (rather than the weather). Be prepared to divulge, or tactfully divert the topic Some restaurants and temples will require shoes off Credit cards are widely accepted, but cash-up at English language ATMs (see Shop./Myeongdong and Shop./Itaewon-dong) Int’l code for Seoul is +82 2. If calling a local landline from a mobile, dial 02 first, dial 010 for mobiles Emergencies/fire 119, police 112, medical aid 1339

These Korean phrases will come in handy...

Annyeong haseyo : Hello there Annyeonghi gaseyo / gyeseyo : Bye bye Gamsa hamnida : Thanks, ever so Yeogiyo! : Yo, waiter, over here! Yo, taxi driver, stop!

’kay, let’s party...