Last Day in Seoul

Our last day in Seoul started with a scenic view. We rode up the hill to the Bugak Palgakjeong, an octagonal pavilion to the north of the historical centre of Seoul. The weather was either cloudy or smoggy; either way, we could not see a whole lot that day, and distant Gangnam rose faintly behind thin milky curtains.

 The view from Bugak Palgakjeong

A South Korean flag at Bugak Palgakjeong

From the lonely top of the hill, we ended up at its very opposite: Cheonggyecheon Stream Park, perhaps one of the most gentrified, and certainly the most tourist-heavy neighbourhoods of Seoul. Despite not being particularly interesting from a historic standpoint, the Cheongyecheon’s reconstruction has been a contentious political issue. While critics deride it as an absurdly expensive motor of gentrification, supporters point to its role in creating a new habitat for wildlife, and in cooling down surrounding areas.

 Waterfalls at Cheongyecheon

 A group of tourists dressed far too outdoorsy for a venue like Cheonggyecheon

A dried up channel

We subsequently headed to Gangnam’s Samsung D’light, a huge exposition space and shop for Samsung’s products. More interesting than the pointlessly overwrought exposition, though, was the protest going on outside of it. Many banners and signs next to makeshift huts where families could camp out for days and weeks demanded justice for Samsung’s rapaciously exploited employees. Mr J told us that some time ago, Samsung was taken to court for a suspiciously high incidence of cancer among its workers, but with the cause and effect practically unprovable, Samsung got off scot-free. On that head, Mr J laconically remarked that in South Korea, the CEO of Samsung is more powerful than the president.

 Electronic boards at Samsung D'light

 Protestors against Samsung

First floor of the Samsung store

Indeed, a key word one learns when getting to know Korea is ‘chaebol,’ a large conglomerate run by a rich and powerful family. Though chaebols have been hailed as the motors of South Korea’s economic success, they have repeatedly come under fire for their corrupt practices, exploitation, and monopolies, for which reason many laws have been put in place over the years to reel in their power. 

For lunch, we had cold noodles, which still do not sit quite well with me and are completely repulsive to my dad. After that, we rode the cable car to Seoul Tower, where I felt like leaving all of the cold noodles – my fear of heights kicked in and the whole building felt as though it were swaying uncontrollably.

 Seoul Tower

 One view from Seoul Tower

 Another view from Seoul Tower

 Locks at the hill's summit

 Locks on faux trees

 Chimneys for sending smoke signals

Kitschy decor

Well, the earthquake was all in my head and I survived. We went downtown to the Namdaemun (Great South Gate) area, stopping by the market, the gate itself, and the old railway station. The pedestrian bridge to the station is actually a repurposed railroad, much like the High Line in New York. I was very tired by then and don’t remember doing much besides dodging pushy grandmas.

Our last destination in Seoul was Jogyesa with its massive golden Buddhas and an abundance of giant flower pots for lotuses. It was there that we first witnessed Mr J practice a very Korean manoeuvre: parking a car in a tight space with its front sticking into the street, climbing out, and then pushing it backwards.

 Small lanterns at Jogyesa

 Jogyesa

 Lanterns hanging from a tree

 Buddha statue through the temple's window

 Pagoda at Jogyesa

 More lanterns hanging from a tree

 A holy image at Jogyesa

 Fish swimming in a circle

 Detail of pagoda

 Buddha statue through the main door

Water lily

In the evening, I met a few Yalies for the last time in Korea: Michael, of course, Rita (who graduated my year and went to the same residential college), Daisha (whom I got to know during CET in Kunming) and Josh (the only Yalie there that I met for the first time). We ate bingsu, a Korean dessert that can best be compared to shaved ice.

 Church in the centre of Seoul

Colourful high rise building

Yalies trying to spell out their alma mater's name with their bodies is a common sight when they meet