Many Westerners who come to Korea to live or to visit quickly write off K-pop, Korea’s mainstream music genre, as a cheesy, sugar-coated excuse for entertainment. They see outlandish costumes, boys in heavy eyeliner, and flamboyant choreographed dance moves. They become annoyed with strange Engrish lyrics and seemingly identical tunes that blare from just about …
One of my favorite things about Seoul is that it is chock full of hidden gems, unsuspecting and obscure, that offer those that are lucky enough to discover them a real treat. Restaurants, cafes, galleries and bars are easy to find in Korea’s capital city, but it’s the ones tucked into back alleys and inconspicuous …
After exploring Hapjeong, one of Seoul’s most popular hipster hangouts, it’s time to move toward Sangsu, one of my personal favorite neighborhoods, thanks to its cool cafes, indie vibes and relative anonymity. As the sun sets and the crowds begin to fill the streets of Hongdae, let your stomach lead the way off the beaten path. …
Although Hongdae will no doubt remain the go-to student neighborhood for funk and fun, a number of youngsters are beginning to disperse to Hapjeong and nearby Sangsu, bohemian locales on the outskirts of the rowdy neighborhood that caters to Seoul’s alternative crowd. Here, polished twenty- and thirty-somethings seemingly straight off the cover of Kinfolk sip …
It’s rare, if not impossible, that you will find yourself having a bad Korean meal in Korea. It just doesn’t happen. But every so often, usually when it’s least expected, you will experience culinary nirvana. It will be a meal that proves to be unique from any other you’ve had in the past, one that …
Nami Island is, without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite Korean attractions. Sure, it’s touristy, but with good reason. The island’s stunning scenery and artistic atmosphere make it an ideal destination for nature lovers and design enthusiasts alike. Because Namiseom is a bit of a journey from Seoul, I’m not able to get out …
Korea wasn’t always an incredibly modern, high tech, “bbali, bbali” (“hurry, hurry”) country. In fact, back in the day before it was a nation of Samsung and skyscrapers, its residents preferred a simpler, slower paced lifestyle. I remember when this fact was first brought to my attention last year. I was walking with a Korean …
About a week ago, I got a call from a friend of mine offering me a ticket to see Lena Park’s “Parallax” concert at Olympic Hall at Olympic Park in eastern Seoul. I jumped at the chance, not only because I was excited to see my friend perform as her guitarist and vocalist, but also …
One of the cool things about Korea is that there is a number of subcultures flourishing, but many of them are so far underground that visitors (and even some locals) might never even suspect their existence. B-boy culture is one of these and while I knew it was present here, my exposure to it had …
One of my favorite things about Seoul is that it is a super-modern city that maintains many of its age-old customs. One can spend the morning sipping traditional tea in a preserved hanok and meander on over to the visually captivating N’Seoul Tower to enjoy the millions of lights that illuminate the city in the …