GANGNAM STAR IN SEOUL
17 April
2026: Kolkata (22:40) → Delhi (00:35 ) - rest and prepare for the tour- Overnight stay
18 April
202 Delhi
19 April 202 0010 HRS Delhi → 10:30 HRS Seoul (Incheon International Airport )
19 April 2026: Seoul
20 April
2026: Seoul
21 April
2026: Seoul – Busan (Morning Train)
22 April
2026: Busan
23 April
2026: Busan →.Jeju (Evening Flight)
24 April
2026: Jeju – stay with my friend's house
25 April
2026: Jeju
26 April
2026: Jeju
27 April
2026: Jeju → Gimpo (by night flight)
28 April 2026: Seoul (Incheon) → Delhi → Return to Kolkata.
Steps to Obtain a South Korean Tourist Visa
Unlike the Schengen visa, the South Korean visa process is straightforward and largely self-managed online.
Note on photo upload: Uploading the photograph to the portal can be technically tricky — this is a widely reported issue. If you encounter difficulty, use ChatGPT to reformat the image to the required specifications. Once the image is correctly formatted, the upload completes instantly. After 15th failed attempt , I used Chatgpt to format it.
Helpful Video Guides on YouTube
For a step-by-step visual walkthrough of the entire process, the following two videos are highly recommended:
Document Checklist
- Valid passport (minimum 6 months validity remaining)
- Completed and signed visa application form (printout from the portal)
- 2 recent photographs — white background, 35mm × 45mm, no glasses
- Confirmed flight tickets
- Hotel booking confirmations
- Bank statements for the last 6 months
- Income Tax Returns for the last 3 years
- Salary slips for the last 6 months
South Korea — A Snapshot
Area & Geography: A Mountainous Peninsula Smaller
Than You Think
South Korea covers 100,222 sq km — roughly 1.14
times the size of West Bengal (88,752 sq km). On a map, it may not look
enormous, but geographically it is remarkably varied.
The highest peak is Hallasan (1,947 metres) on Jeju
Island — a dormant volcanic mountain rising dramatically from the island. Much
of the country’s beauty comes from this rugged terrain: forested hills,
dramatic coastlines, rivers cutting through valleys, and cities somehow
squeezed elegantly between mountains.
A 4,000-Year-Old Civilization That Refused to Disappear
Korea is one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations.
Over thousands of years, it survived:
- Chinese
imperial domination
- Mongol
invasions
- Japanese
colonisation
- Civil
war and national division
…and somehow emerged as one of the most technologically
advanced, culturally influential, and resilient societies of the 21st century.
When you walk through Gyeongbokgung Palace or the alleys of
Bukchon Hanok Village, you are not merely sightseeing. You are walking through
layers of survival, reinvention, destruction, and astonishing recovery.
Ancient Foundations (2333 BC – 57 BC)
Korean history traditionally begins with Gojo-seon,
the legendary first Korean kingdom, supposedly founded in 2333 BC by the
mythical figure Dangun, regarded as the ancestor of the Korean people.
Modern historians naturally debate the exact details, but
the legend remains deeply important in Korean identity. Interestingly, very
few archaeological remains of Gojoseon survive within present-day South Korea.
Much of the historical evidence comes from areas now located in northeastern
China and from ancient Chinese records.
By around 300 BC, Korean states had begun extensive
interaction with China through trade, diplomacy, and conflict.
Apparently the
Han Dynasty conquered Gojo-seon in 108 BC (as claimed by Chinese, without much evidence), but Korean identity survived
through local tribal confederacies that emerged afterward.
Three powerful kingdoms eventually emerged:
1. Gogur-yeo
Located in the north, Goguryeo became a fierce military
power and successfully resisted multiple Chinese invasions, including attacks
from the mighty Sui and Tang dynasties.
2. Baek-je
Situated in the southwest, Baekje was culturally
sophisticated and played a major role in transmitting Buddhism, writing
systems, and art to Japan.
3. Silla
Initially the weakest of the three, but ultimately
the shrewdest, Silla survived largely through diplomacy, strategic alliances,
and patience — proving once again that history is not always won by the loudest
kingdom.
Finally, in 668 AD, Silla allied with Tang China and unified
most of the Korean Peninsula for the first time.
Unified Silla & Goryeo (668 – 1392 AD)
Unified Silla oversaw a golden age of Korean Buddhist
culture, scholarship, and architecture.
One of the greatest surviving masterpieces from this era is
Bulguksa Temple, built in the 8th century — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and
one of Korea’s most important temples.
Then, in 918 AD, General Wang Geon overthrew
Silla and founded the Goryeo Dynasty, from which the modern name
“Korea” is derived.
Goryeo achieved remarkable cultural and technological
milestones:
- The
world’s first metal movable-type printing
- The
creation of the Tripitaka Koreana, over 80,000 wooden Buddhist
printing blocks still preserved today
The dynasty also endured devastating Mongol invasions in the
13th century, yet managed to retain its identity and administrative structure.
Jose-on Dynasty (1392 –
1897): Korea’s Longest Dynasty
In 1392, General Yi Seong-gye overthrew Goryeo
and founded the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled Korea for over 500 years.
Joseon adopted Neo-Confucianism as the state
philosophy. Even today, Korean social behaviour, hierarchy, family structure,
respect for elders, and educational intensity carry strong Confucian
influences.
The dynasty’s greatest achievement came under King Sejong
the Great (r. 1418–1450), who commissioned the creation of Hangul, the
Korean alphabet.
Hangul is widely regarded by linguists as one of the most scientifically
designed writing systems ever invented. Unlike Chinese characters, it was
intentionally designed so ordinary people could learn to read and write.
Frankly, if more rulers spent time inventing alphabets
instead of invading neighbours, world history might have been considerably
calmer.
Joseon also survived the devastating Japanese invasions led
by Toyotomi Hideyoshi between 1592–1598.
Korea’s defence during this period was led by the legendary
Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his famous turtle ships, often considered among
the world’s earliest ironclad warships.
Japanese Colonisation (1910 – 1945)
After decades of geopolitical pressure, Korea was formally
annexed by Japan in 1910.
The next 35 years remain one of the most painful periods in
Korean history.
The Japanese colonial administration:
- Suppressed
Korean language and culture
- Forced
Koreans into labour and military service
- Exploited
Korea’s economy and resources
- Attempted
cultural assimilation
The resistance movement peaked during the March 1st
Movement (1919), when millions of Koreans peacefully protested for
independence. The protests were brutally suppressed.
These historical memories still strongly influence
Korea-Japan relations today.
Liberation finally arrived with Japan’s defeat in World
War II in August 1945.
Division of Korea: One Country Split Overnight
Unfortunately, liberation did not bring unity.
As World War II ended, Soviet troops entered Korea from the
north while American forces prepared to land in the south.
On the night of August 10–11, 1945, two American
officers — Dean Rusk and Charles Bonesteel — hurriedly drew a line across using
a National Geographic map at the 38th parallel, dividing Korea into
Soviet and American occupation zones.
There was:
- no
Korean consultation
- no
deep historical planning
- no
expectation that the division would become permanent
It was essentially a late-night geopolitical improvisation
that changed millions of lives forever.
What was meant to be temporary became permanent. In 1948 two separate governments were established: the Republic of Korea
(South) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North).
The Korean War (1950–1953)
In June 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea,
beginning the Korean War.
The war quickly escalated:
- United
Nations forces led by the US intervened for the South
- China
entered on behalf of the North
- Millions
died
- Entire
cities were destroyed
An armistice was signed in 1953, but technically the
war has never formally ended.
That is why the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) remains one
of the most heavily militarised borders on earth — despite its strangely
peaceful name.
The Miracle on the Han River
What South Korea achieved after the war is almost
unbelievable. In the 1950s, South Korea was poorer than many developing
countries. Large parts of the country were devastated by war.
Then came one of history’s greatest economic
transformations.
Through:
- state-led
industrialisation
- massive
investment in education
- export-driven
growth
- relentless
work culture
South Korea transformed itself into a global economic
powerhouse.
Companies like:
- Samsung
- Hyundai
- LG
became global giants. These family-controlled conglomerates
are called chaebols — massive business empires with influence over much
of the Korean economy.
South Korea’s transformation became known as the “Miracle
on the Han River.”
From Dictatorship to Democracy
South Korea’s rise was not entirely smooth. Military
dictatorships ruled much of the country during the 1960s–1980s. However,
widespread student protests and democratic movements eventually forced
political reforms. In 1987, South Korea transitioned into a full
democracy.
Today, it is one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies.
The Korean Wave: Hallyu Goes Global
Modern South Korea is no longer known only for electronics
and cars. It became a global cultural superpower.
The Hallyu (Korean Wave) includes:
- K-pop
- K-dramas
- Korean
cinema
- Korean
food
- Korean
fashion
Parasite made history by winning the Academy Award for
Best Picture in 2020 — the first non-English-language film ever to do so.
K-pop transformed global youth culture.
And somewhere in Seoul tonight, at least three tourists are
probably learning Korean phrases because of a K-drama.
Korea Today: Ancient Palaces Beside Skyscrapers
Seoul perfectly captures modern Korea’s contradictions.
Here:
- 600-year-old
palaces stand beside neon skyscrapers
- Buddhist
temples coexist with K-pop agencies
- Traditional
markets operate beneath elevated highways
- Ancient
rituals survive in a hyper-digital society
The unresolved division between North and South Korea still
shapes everyday Korean consciousness. More than 70 million Koreans remain
separated into two radically different political worlds. Older generations,
unlike GenZ, still aspire for unification like Berlin wall.
Population vs West Bengal
South Korea’s population is about 51.7 million (5.2
crore).
West Bengal’s population is approximately 100 million.
So despite being only slightly smaller in area, West Bengal
has nearly double South Korea’s population.
North Korea, meanwhile:
- Area:
~120,000 sq km
- Population:
~26 million
So North Korea is geographically larger but far less
populated.
Per Capita Income: The Contrast Is Dramatic
Approximate 2025 GDP per capita:
- South
Korea: $35,962
- Italy:
$39,000
- Japan:
$35,000 . It is a rare case, where colony is richer than Coloniser
!
- India:
$2,800
- North
Korea: ~$1,261 (estimated)
South Korea is therefore roughly 13 times richer per
person than India.
1 USD = 1500 Korean Won
Economy & Innovation
South Korea’s economy in 2025:
- GDP:
~$1.86 trillion
- 4th
largest economy in Asia
- 13th
largest economy globally
India’s economy is larger overall (~$3.9 trillion), but
India has 1.4 billion people versus South Korea’s 51 million.
South Korea is also among the world’s most innovative
nations and ranks near the top globally in:
- internet
speed
- semiconductor
technology
- robotics
- education
- R&D
investment
Time Zone: Korea Lives 3.5 Hours Ahead of India
South Korea is 3 hours and 30 minutes ahead of India.
When Kolkata is still debating whether breakfast should happen, Seoul has
already finished lunch, launched a semiconductor, practised K-pop choreography,
and probably filed three patent applications.
Main Industries: How Korea Became an Economic Superpower
South Korea today is one of the world’s top-10 exporting
nations — a country that transformed itself from a war-ravaged economy in the
1950s into a global technological giant within a single lifetime.
Its economic success rests heavily on:
- Semiconductors
- Automobiles
- Shipbuilding
- Consumer
electronics
- Steel
and heavy industries
Global giants like:
- Samsung
- Hyundai
- LG
- SK
Hynix
are all Korean.
It is quite astonishing when you realise that a country
barely larger than West Bengal manufactures everything from supertankers to
memory chips to K-pop idols.
And then came something even more profitable: culture.
The Korean Wave (Hallyu): When Pop Culture Became
National Strategy
In recent decades, the Hallyu (Korean Wave) — driven
by K-pop, K-dramas, films, gaming, cosmetics, and food — has become one of
South Korea’s biggest soft-power exports.
Korean entertainment today is not merely culture. It is
industry.
The Oscar-winning Parasite and Netflix phenomenon Squid Game
turned Korean storytelling into a global obsession.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Latin America, Europe, or India,
teenagers are currently learning Korean phrases because of BTS or a romantic
drama involving emotionally unavailable billionaires standing in the rain.
South Korea has successfully commercialised heartbreak,
dance moves, instant noodles, and skincare — and honestly, one has to respect
the efficiency.
Agriculture: A Country That Industrialised Away From
Farming
Because Korea is mountainous and rocky, less than 20% of
South Korea’s land is suitable for agriculture. At the beginning of South
Korea’s modern development, agriculture contributed nearly 50% of GDP.
Today?
Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries together contribute
only about 1.75% of GDP.
By comparison:
- Agriculture
contributes roughly 15–17% of India’s GDP
- Around
20% of West Bengal’s economy
South Korea has essentially become a post-agricultural
economy.
It is perhaps one of the clearest examples in modern history
of a country deliberately industrialising its way out of dependence on farming
— and largely succeeding.
But success comes with trade-offs.
The Great Korean Food Dependence
Modern Korea imports a substantial portion of its food:
- Over
60% of beef, fish, and shellfish
- About
20% of fruit, poultry, and milk
- Most
wheat, corn, and soybeans - the basis of much of the Korean diet and
animal feed
Only sugar and eggs are largely self-sufficient. So
despite its technological brilliance, South Korea remains strategically
dependent on global food supply chains.
- around
90% of total grain production
- over
40% of farm income
Other important crops include:
- barley
- soybeans
- garlic
- peppers
- apples
- pears
- grapes
- cabbage
and radish (for kimchi)
And on Jeju Island, oranges dominate the landscape. As I
eventually realised:
What limoncello is to Sorrento, paprika is to Hungary, and
oranges are to Jeju.
Rice, Kimchi & Ginseng: Agriculture Never Really
Leaves
Despite industrialisation, traces of Korea’s agricultural
identity survive everywhere.
Korean meals remain intensely:
- rice-centric
- noodle-centric
- kimchi-centric
Kimchi — fermented vegetables, especially cabbage and radish
— appears at virtually every meal. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, emotional
crises — kimchi remains loyal throughout.
Ginseng is sold everywhere too:
- tea
- candy
- cosmetics
- medicine
- energy
drinks
Korea is globally famous for the quality of its ginseng,
which remains one of its important agricultural exports.
South Korea has no official state religion.
Among the population(44%) that identifies with a religion:
- ~45%
Protestant Christian
- ~35%
Buddhist
- ~18%
Roman Catholic
Remarkably, around 56% of Koreans describe themselves as non-religious, making South Korea one of Asia’s more secular societies. But this can be misleading. Because even if many Koreans do not formally identify with religion, Confucianism deeply shapes Korean life:
- family
hierarchy
- respect
for elders
- ancestral remembrance rituals
- work
ethic
- education
culture
- social
behaviour
One of the most interesting realizations I had while travelling through Korea was this: Confucianism in modern Korea does not really behave like a conventional religion. It functions more like an invisible operating system quietly running in the background of society.
Confucius himself lived in China around 551–479 BC during the Zhou Dynasty. His teachings later spread across East Asia and deeply influenced China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. In Korea, Confucianism became especially dominant during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897), when Neo-Confucianism was adopted as the state philosophy. That influence still survives everywhere — from workplace etiquette to family structure to the importance attached to exams and education.
In that sense, Confucianism behaves less like a religion you “practice” and more like a cultural software package that installs automatically at birth.
Japan has something somewhat similar through Shinto, the indigenous spiritual tradition of Japan. Shinto is deeply woven into everyday Japanese life — not always through formal doctrine, but through rituals, seasonal festivals, ancestor respect, purification customs, and a deep reverence for nature.
Unlike many organised religions, Shinto has no single founder, no central holy book, and no rigid theology.
In India, religion often arrives with microphones, drums, processions, loudspeakers, flower garlands, and enough traffic disruption to qualify as a national event. In Korea and Japan, tradition often operates more quietly — like background Wi-Fi: you do not always see it, but the entire system is connected to it.
There may be no idol in the house, but traditions of ancestor remembrance (5 generations) remain deeply important — somewhat similar to the Bengali practice of Tarpan during Mahalaya. They normally . Traditionally, Confucian Korean society preferred burial, as preserving the body was considered a mark of respect towards ancestors. Even today, small grassy burial mounds can still be seen across rural Korea. However, with rapid urbanisation and shortage of land, cremation has become increasingly common in modern South Korea. Buddhists, meanwhile, have long accepted cremation as part of the Buddhist idea of impermanence.
According to my Korean historian friend, modern Chinese
society became culturally very different after the Cultural Revolution weakened
Confucian traditions in China. Korea, meanwhile, retained many of those values.
And honestly, after watching Seoul commuters queue with
near-military discipline, one begins to suspect Confucianism is still alive and
supervising traffic.
Language: Hangul, Mandarin & the Chinese Character
Confusion
The official language is Korean, written in the Hangul script. Hangul was created in the 15th century under King Sejong the Great specifically to improve literacy among ordinary people. It is widely considered one of the world’s most scientific writing systems.
What Sanskrit is to Hindi or Bengali, classical Chinese was historically to Korean.
The writing system consists of Chinese characters,
called Hanzi in Chinese.
Importantly:
- Hanzi
is not tied exclusively to Mandarin
- The
same writing system historically served multiple Chinese languages
The word Hanzi literally means “Han characters,” referring
to the Han Chinese ethnic majority.
So somewhere between Chinese exuberance and Japanese silence, Koreans seem to have positioned themselves comfortably in the middle — expressive, but controlled; emotional, but not theatrical. Almost like perfectly fermented kimchi: enough spice to wake you up, but not enough to burn the house down.
English is taught widely in Korean schools, though fluency
varies significantly outside major tourist and business areas. That said, I
found people far more helpful and capable of understanding English than I had
expected.
Translation apps like:
- Papago
are extremely useful during travel.
Papago, developed by Naver, is almost essential for
navigating restaurants, menus, taxis.
According to what I heard, Japan can be considerably more
difficult linguistically because relatively fewer Japanese people travel abroad
regularly.
Interestingly:
- Only
about 17% of Japanese citizens hold passports
- In
South Korea, passport ownership is much higher — estimated around 40–45%
Koreans travel internationally quite extensively.
One of the things that genuinely surprised me was how widely
Rabindranath Tagore is known in Korea. Many Koreans recognise him from school
education. Tagore famously wrote in 1929:
“In the golden age of Asia, Korea was one of its lamp
bearers…” These lines became deeply meaningful to Koreans during the Japanese
colonial period and are still remembered today.
I had travelled thousands of kilometres from Bengal only to
discover that Tagore had somehow “arrived before me” by nearly a century.
Military: A Country Permanently Prepared
South Korea maintains one of the world’s most powerful
militaries because the Korean War technically never ended. For 2026, South
Korea ranks among the world’s top military powers in the Global Firepower
Index.
Military service is compulsory for virtually all able-bodied
men between ages 18–40. They get some stipend also. It is not compulsory for woman. For people with physical challenges, they still have to do “something.” The earlier exemptions were often abused by politicians — but not anymore.
Typical active-duty service:
- Army:
~18 months
- Navy/Air
Force: slightly longer
Even highly educated professionals are drafted:
- Doctors
may serve as military doctors
- Scientists
may work in intelligence or technical units
Around 28,500 American troops remain permanently
stationed in South Korea under the US–South Korea mutual defence treaty. This
entire security system is essentially a legacy of the Korean War armistice
signed in 1953.
Technically, North and South Korea are still at war — merely
taking a very long pause.
The Indian Princess Who Became a Korean Queen
And then comes one of the most fascinating Indo-Korean
legends. According to the Korean chronicle Samguk Yusa:
In 48 AD, a 16-year-old princess named Suriratna
from Ayodhya — believed in Korea to be Heo Hwang-ok — received a divine
message instructing her to travel to Korea.
Her mission?
Marry King Suro, ruler of the ancient kingdom of Geumgwan
Gaya. So naturally — as apparently happened in ancient royal diplomacy — she
boarded a ship and sailed across Asia.
When she arrived, King Suro was supposedly waiting for the
bride foretold by heaven. He accepted her immediately. Thus began an
Indo-Korean royal alliance nearly 2,000 years ago.
According to tradition, Queen Heo:
- became
the first queen of Gaya
- helped
develop the kingdom
- had
10 sons
- became
ancestor to several major Korean clans
Today, millions of Koreans with surnames like Kim and Heo
believe themselves descended from this royal couple.
The “Indian Stones” Mystery
The legend also claims the queen brought sacred stones from
India to calm dangerous sea spirits during the voyage. These “Indian stones”
are still displayed in Korea.
There is:
- a
memorial in Gimhae near Busan
- another
symbolic memorial in Ayodhya
However, according to a Korean historian friend of mine,
the story has likely been heavily mythologized over time, especially by the
current political dispensation.
Still, it remains a beautiful cultural bridge between India
and Korea.
Navigation
Use: Naver Map
instead of Google Maps in Korea.
Google Maps works poorly for navigation due to Korean
mapping restrictions.
SIM Card
- KT
Corporation tourist SIMs are reliable.
- Airport
SIMs are expensive.
- Buying later in the city is usually cheaper.
D0 - Sat, 17-18 Apr Arrival 10:40 Delhi NH Delhi
D1 - Sat, 19 Apr Delhi (1230) >Arrival 10:40 Seoul ( Incheon) →
Myeongdong NH Seoul
Arrival in South Korea: K-Pop, BBQ Smoke & the Magic of Seoul
It was a 7-hour flight to South Korea, and I landed at the magnificent Incheon International Airport — consistently ranked among the world’s best airports for efficiency, cleanliness, and organisation. Immigration was smooth, polite, and astonishingly quiet compared to the dramatic queue-management techniques often seen in Delhi.
Important Korea Survival Tip
Do not buy a SIM card at the airport unless you enjoy overpaying . Airport SIMs are significantly more expensive. However, this is the right place to buy a T-money card, Korea’s all-purpose transport card used for metros, buses, convenience stores, and even some taxis across Seoul, Busan, and Jeju.
Fortunately, my friend Kim Min Young had already arrived at the airport to receive me. She already had a T-money card and immediately instructed me not to waste money buying another one unnecessarily. Wise people are invaluable while travelling.
I also collected a free Seoul city map from the airport information desk. One thing Korea does exceptionally well is public information. Almost every major airport and railway station has proper tourist information counters staffed by people who actually know things — a surprisingly rare global phenomenon.
Instead of taking the expensive AREX Airport Express train, we took the regular metro service from the airport.
Why?
Because the AREX Express is faster, but the normal metro is dramatically cheaper and still extremely efficient.
The journey took a little over an hour, stopping at every station like a very disciplined local train. Yet even with all the stops, it still felt far quicker, cheaper and more organised than most airport train systems I have experienced elsewhere.
We reached Seoul Station, the city’s main railway hub, and then changed to Line 1 (the dark blue line) to head toward Jonggak Station, near my hotel.
Everything felt ridiculously easy — largely because of my friend’s presence. Left alone, I might still have been standing at the ticket machine pretending to understand Korean !
Alternative Option
Airport limousine buses are available and comfortable, but they cost around ₹800–₹1,000, which is not exactly budget-traveller territory.
Check-In at Myeong-dong: The Tourist Headquarters of Seoul
Hotel : Ivy Residence
Booking Tip
For Korea, I found Agoda to be consistently cheaper than many other booking platforms.
The hotel was strategically located near Jonggak Station:
- 1 stop after City Hall
- 2 stops after Seoul Station
That makes it almost ideal for tourists relying on the metro.
Why Myeong-dong is Ideal for First-Time Visitors
Myeong-dong is probably the best base for first-time tourists in Seoul.
Walking distance from:
- Myeong-dong shopping streets
- Insadong
- Namsan area
- Cheonggyecheon Stream
Another excellent option is Hongdae — younger, trendier, slightly cheaper, and full of student energy.
First Korean Lunch: Smoke, Meat & Mild Panic
After leaving our luggage at the hotel lobby, we immediately headed out to explore Myeong-dong on foot.
Lunch happened in a proper Korean restaurant with a built-in BBQ grill attached to the table .
We ordered:
- Pork BBQ
- Bibimbap
- Various side dishes
I also learnt an important linguistic fact: “Bap” means rice and not father !
The lunch was excellent, filling, and surprisingly interactive because half the meal involves grilling your own food while trying not to burn it.
After lunch, we returned to the hotel once check-in officially opened at 3 p.m.
My Friend Min Young: JNU, London & Archives
My friend Min Young had quite an academic journey.
She had previously lived in India, completed her PhD at Jawaharlal Nehru University, and left India for good on 1.4.26. and went to British Library in London for archival research, before her final destination to Korea.
Her research focused on 1914–1919, particularly the challenges faced by Indian soldiers deployed overseas during World War I — lack of warm clothing, food difficulties, and the hardships of colonial military logistics.
She told me something interesting:
According to her experience, accessing archives at the British Library was remarkably smooth and user-friendly. In contrast, she found the process at the National Library in Delhi unnecessarily bureaucratic, with repeated questions about why she needed access and even suggestions that she obtain embassy permissions.
She had returned from London only 4 days earlier and was still suffering from severe jet lag. She will join a new research position in Seoul from August and was preparing to leave for Jeju on 22 April 2026.
She also mentioned that many reputed faculty members from JNU have gradually moved toward institutions like:
- Ambedkar University Delhi
- Ashoka University
Cheonggyecheon Stream: Seoul’s Urban Miracle
We then walked along the beautiful Cheonggyecheon Stream. This stream has an extraordinary story.
Originally a natural waterway, it was later buried under concrete and an elevated highway during Seoul’s rapid industrialisation. In the early 2000s, the city removed the highway and restored the stream as part of one of the world’s most famous urban renewal projects.
Today it is:
- Clean
- Peaceful
- Full of locals and tourists
- A rare example of a city choosing pedestrians over cars
I saw many foreigners and young Koreans sitting beside the water, chatting quietly, relaxing after work.
We skipped N Seoul Tower this time.
For Future Reference
- Cable car: around ₹750 return
- Hiking option: ~40 minutes uphill (free)
- Observation deck: around ₹1,700
- Best visited around sunset
I finally cheked in my hotel after 3 pm and she left for her home at Daebang Metro station, which is owned by her grand mom.
And finally, I encountered one of Korea’s greatest cultural innovations:
The Great Korean Slipper System
In many Korean hotels and homes:
- Shoes must be removed at the entrance
- Separate slippers are used indoors
- Another separate pair is used inside the toilet
Evening Adventure: Hongdae & the Religion of K-Pop
In the evening, I headed to the famous Hongdae area by metro.
Metro Route
From Jonggak Station:
- Take Line 1
- Change to Line 2 (Green Line)
- Get down at Hongik University Station
Fare:~₩1,350
Korea’s metro system deserves global admiration:
- Fast
- Clean
- Air-conditioned
- Extremely well signposted
- Almost impossible to get lost in — unless you are determined.
Hongdae: Where Youth, Fashion & K-Pop Collide
Hongdae has a distinctly youthful atmosphere because it grew around Hongik University, famous for arts and design.
The area feels somewhat like:
- Nandan in Kolkata
- With background music permanently set to K-Pop
I saw:
- Street dancers
- K-Pop performances
- Fashion stores
- Street art
- Endless restaurants
Interestingly, performances happen only in designated areas. Nobody randomly occupies footpaths with loudspeakers and sing !
The place was packed with foreign tourists — many clearly devoted followers of Korean pop culture.
Korean Food Economics
A typical budget restaurant meal in Seoul costs: ₩10,000–12,000 (~USD 6–8)
Street food is cheaper: Usually ₩5,000 and above
Not dirt cheap, but reasonable considering the country’s standard of living. Much more affordable than Europe.
Street Food Dinner & the Great AC Crisis
After returning to my hotel, I had dinner from one of the street-side stalls nearby.
I tried:
- Tteokbokki — spicy rice cakes
- Hotteok — sweet Korean pancake
Unfortunately, I missed:
- Egg bread
- Korean corn dogs
Then came the real crisis of the evening:
The AC was not working.
Since my SIM card was still not functioning properly, I called my friend at around 10:15 p.m. and requested her help in contacting the hotel. This is where Korean hotel technology entered science-fiction territory. There was nobody physically present at the hotel reception.
Instead:
- They remotely informed her of another room password
- She relayed it to me
- I shifted rooms entirely by myself
No paperwork.No arguments.No manager.No dramatic discussion about “system problem.”Just a password and a new room.
Korea sometimes feels less like a country and more like a highly efficient operating system.
D2 - Sun, 20 Apr · Seoul Seoul full day — Palaces, villages
& tower NH Seoul
Sleep Deprivation & the Joseon Dynasty: A Day of
Palaces, Hanboks and Blood Sausage
A Slow Start in a Very Fast Country
Since I did not have a proper night’s sleep for the previous
two days, my body finally staged a protest. As a result, I woke up at the
gloriously irresponsible hour of 11:00 a.m.
At 11:30 a.m., I rescued myself with some free
ramen given in the hotel — proof that civilisation has indeed progressed.
After this budget-friendly brunch, I headed by metro towards one of Seoul’s
grandest historical landmarks: Gyeong-bokgung Palace.
Gyeong-bokgung Palace: Where Joseon Still Rules
Entry Fee: Approximately ₹340
Bonus Tip: If you rent a hanbok (traditional Korean
dress), entry becomes free. However, the hanbok rental itself costs more
than the entry ticket — a business model economists would admire.
Built in 1395 during the early years of the Joseon
Dynasty (1392–1897), Gyeongbokgung was the main royal palace of Korea. The
name literally means “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven.”
The palace grounds are enormous. Courtyards lead into
pavilions, gates into gardens, and quiet pathways suddenly open beside serene
water bodies.
Unlike Chinese imperial architecture — with its dazzling
gold, dragons, bright reds and theatrical grandeur — Korean royal architecture
feels restrained, minimalist, almost philosophical.
My friend Minyoung explained it perfectly:
“Very Confucian.”
And she was right.
Korean aesthetics traditionally favour balance, simplicity,
symmetry and understatement over excess. Even royal buildings here seem
politely modest.
I saw many visitors dressed in colourful hanboks wandering
through the palace grounds. For a brief moment, the entire place looked like a
Joseon-era film set sponsored by Instagram.
Changing of the Guard: Royal Drama at 2 PM
At 2:00 p.m., I watched the famous Changing of the
Guard Ceremony outside the palace gates.
The ceremony recreates the royal guard traditions of the
Joseon era, complete with colourful uniforms, giant flags, ceremonial weapons,
drums and extremely serious facial expressions.
A Modern Protest Outside an Ancient Palace
Just outside the palace, history suddenly collided with
modern politics. A group of disabled activists were holding demonstrations
demanding more disability-friendly urban infrastructure and transport access in
Seoul.
I later learnt that disability rights groups in Seoul had
previously organised large-scale metro protests, even bringing parts of the
city’s transport system to a halt a few years ago. According to my friend, this
had made them somewhat unpopular among daily commuters.
It was an interesting contrast: outside a palace built for
kings centuries ago, citizens today were demanding equal access to public life.
Seoul, like all great cities, contains many centuries simultaneously.
Bukchon Hanok Village: Seoul’s Time Machine
At around 3:00 p.m., I walked towards Bukchon
Hanok Village, located just a few minutes from the palace if you exit via
the National Folk Museum side.
Otherwise, as I discovered later, the walk becomes
significantly longer . Bukchon is one of Seoul’s most beautiful preserved
traditional neighbourhoods, where hundreds of hanok (traditional Korean
houses) still survive between modern city blocks.
The area dates largely to the Joseon period and historically
housed aristocrats and high-ranking officials because of its location
between two royal palaces.
Walking through Bukchon feels like accidentally entering
another century.
Narrow lanes twist uphill between tiled roofs and wooden
courtyards. The atmosphere reminded me slightly of Hoi An, though
thankfully without ticket counters every fifty metres.
And best of all: Entry is free. Which immediately
improves the beauty of any heritage site.
The village was packed with tourists, many wearing hanboks
and enthusiastically taking photographs at every possible angle.
Still, the area genuinely deserves its reputation as one of
the best photo spots in Korea.
Visitors are constantly reminded by volunteers to keep noise
levels low because people actually live there — a revolutionary concept in
tourism.
Street Food Lunch: Adventures in Korean Cuisine
Lunch happened at a roadside food stall, where I decided to
embrace Korean street food culture with admirable courage.
I tried:
- Tteokbokki
— chewy rice cakes in spicy sauce
- Korean
blood sausage — not for the emotionally weak
- Odeng
The soup served alongside was refillable unlimited times .
Korean street food culture deserves serious academic study.
Every corner of Seoul appears capable of feeding an army at midnight.
The Temple Mistake That Every Tourist Eventually Makes
Here I committed a classic traveller’s error.
There are two famous temples/shrines in the area
nearby. One of them is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which — due to my
incomplete research— I completely missed.
The other one happened to be closed because it was Sunday.
National Folk Museum: Speed-Running Korean History
Since I still had “some” time left, I entered the National
Folk Museum of Korea, conveniently located inside the palace complex.
Entry: Free
Closing Time: 6:00 p.m.
I had approximately 30 minutes before closing.
The museum focuses on everyday Korean life across different
historical periods — traditional homes, farming tools, rituals, festivals,
clothing and family customs.
In other words: not kings and wars, but how ordinary Koreans
actually lived.
Which is often far more interesting.
Coffee, Pensions & Korean Reality
At around 6:00 p.m., I travelled to Daebang
Station to meet my friend near her neighbourhood.
Her grandmother had a house there. We sat in a café, had
coffee (my treat), and I narrated my palace adventures like a returning
explorer from the Silk Route.
During our conversation, I learnt several fascinating things
about Korean society:
- Public
servants often earn less than private-sector employees
- However,
they receive comparatively strong state pensions
- Korea
has universal pension systems beyond just government jobs
The Cleanest Big City I Have Ever Seen
One thing that constantly struck me throughout Seoul was the
extraordinary cleanliness.
I hardly saw any garbage anywhere. No overflowing bins. No
random plastic piles. No mystery liquids flowing beside pavements. For someone
from South Asia, this level of urban cleanliness feels almost suspicious.
Most public signboards are written in:
- Korean
- English
- Chinese
characters
However, restaurant menus often remain proudly Korean-only —
perhaps as a final test of character for tourists.
Back to the Hotel
After coffee, conversation and several accidental lessons on
Korean society, I returned to my hotel.
Another long Seoul day had ended.
Optional Add-On: DMZ Tour
Many travellers also visit the Korean Demilitarized Zone
(DMZ) in the morning through organised tours.
Established after the 1953 Korean War Armistice, the
DMZ remains one of the most heavily militarised borders in the world —
technically separating two countries that are still at war.
D3 Mon, 21 Apr Seoul → Busan by KTX NH Busan
An Early Start to Korea’s Second City
05:10 a.m. — I got up painfully early in the morning — the kind of hour at which even enthusiastic travellers briefly question all their life decisions. Still half asleep but fully committed, I prepared for my journey from Seoul to Busan, South Korea’s great southern port city and unofficial capital of seafood, cinema and dramatic coastal skylines.
Seoul Station: Efficiency as a National Religion
At around 6:00 a.m., I left my hotel and headed towards Seoul Station using the Seoul Metro. The signages inside Korean subway systems are so remarkably clear and efficient that even a mildly confused foreign tourist carrying luggage and sleep deprivation can navigate .
The KTX Experience: Korea’s High-Speed Pride
At 7:27 a.m., I boarded the famous KTX (Korea Train Express) from Seoul Station to Busan.
KTX Travel Time: Approximately 2.5 hours
Fare: ~₹3,500
Booking: Through the official Korail website, booked well in advance
The KTX began operating in 2004, making South Korea one of the few countries in the world with an advanced high-speed rail network. The trains can reach speeds of over 300 km/h, connecting Seoul and Busan faster than many people commute across Kolkata.
As the train sped southward through mountains, tunnels, rivers and , I realised how geographically compact yet incredibly developed South Korea is.
In India, a similar train journey would probably include:
-
three vendors selling cutlets,
-
two political debates,
-
one crying child,
-
and at least one uncle asking where you are from.
The KTX, however, moved with near-monastic silence.
Arrival in Busan: Korea’s Maritime Soul
At 10:05 a.m., I arrived at Busan Station.
Busan is South Korea’s second-largest city and the country’s principal port. Historically, it has always been Korea’s gateway to Japan and the wider world.
Unlike Seoul — which feels political and corporate — Busan feels maritime, cinematic and slightly more relaxed. The first thing I did was collect a city map from Busan Station.
Where to Stay in Busan: Seomyeon vs Haeundae vs Nampo
Tourists in Busan generally stay in :
-
Seomyeon — central, affordable and extremely well connected
-
Haeundae — beachside, modern and more upscale
However, I stayed in the historic Nampo-dong area, Seomyeon, near Jagalchi and Gukje Market, at: Nol Guesthouse, Address: 21-3, Gwangbok-ro, Nampo, Busan, South Korea, 48979. The location was excellent — central, lively, walkable and surrounded by some of Busan’s most famous attractions.
Busan Metro: Surprisingly Easy
From Busan Station, I took:
-
Metro Line 1 (Orange Line)
-
Direction: Sinpyeong
-
Got down at Jagalchi Station
Travel Time: ~6–10 minutes
Fare: ~₩1,500–1,800
From Exit 7, it was a short walk to the guesthouse.
Again, the signages were excellent. Korean urban planning clearly assumes that people should not require spiritual guidance to find a metro station.
Nampo-dong: Markets, Movies and Controlled Chaos
Since check-in was only at 3:00 p.m., I deposited my luggage at the reception, refreshed myself in the bathroom and immediately headed out to explore. The area around the hotel was full of life.
Nearby attractions included:
-
Gukje Market
-
BIFF Square
-
Yongdusan Park
The Korean word “dong” roughly refers to a neighbourhood or district — somewhat like “para” in Bengali or “pur” in certain South Asian city names.
Gukje Market: Refugees, Survival and Korean History
Gukje Market is not merely a shopping area. It was originally formed during the chaos following the Korean War (1950–53), when refugees fleeing the conflict settled here and began trading imported goods, military surplus items and anything they could sell to survive. Today it remains one of Busan’s most iconic traditional markets.
The market became internationally famous after the 2014 Korean film:Ode to My Father. The movie follows the life of a Busan man through modern Korean history and features Gukje Market prominently. After the film’s success, the market became a major cultural attraction.
BIFF Square: Korea’s Cinema Capital
Busan hosts the globally renowned: Busan International Film Festival
Founded in 1996, BIFF rapidly became one of Asia’s most important film festivals.
At BIFF Square, I saw:
-
handprints,
-
signatures,
-
and memorial plaques of famous directors and actors.
I noticed names such as:
-
Abbas Kiarostami
-
Krzysztof Zanussi
-
Carlos Saura
Walking through the area felt like strolling through a compact Asian version of Hollywood Boulevard — only with considerably better street food.
Ssiat Hotteok: Busan’s Legendary Street Food
At BIFF Square, I finally tried Busan’s famous: Ssiat Hotteok
Unlike regular hotteok, the Busan version is stuffed with seeds, nuts, brown sugar and syrup. Imagine a pancake having an identity crisis and deciding to become dessert. It was quite good. Some of these street vendors do not accpet card.
Yongdusan Park: A Hill Above the Harbour
Next, I climbed towards Yongdusan Park with the help of Escalator. It reminded me of Cascade of Armenia. The park sits on a hill overlooking the old port district and contains the famous Busan Tower. Historically, the hill served as a strategic lookout point because Busan was always vulnerable to maritime invasions and trade movements.
The elevated promenade unexpectedly reminded me of the famous walking scenes in:
Kanchenjungha. Especially the Darjeeling Mall sequences where Pahari Sanyal was looking for brids.
Jagalchi Fish Market: Korea’s Seafood Headquarters
Then I headed to: Jagalchi Fish Market. This is the largest seafood market in South Korea and one of Busan’s defining cultural landmarks. The market became especially important after the Korean War when many women fish vendors — known as Jagalchi Ajumma — rebuilt their livelihoods here.
The concept is simple:
-
Choose fresh seafood downstairs
-
Pay a cooking fee upstairs
-
Eat like maritime royalty
One can easily spend ₹1,000–1,500 here on a serious seafood feast.
Even if you do not eat, the place itself is fascinating:octopus,crabs,shellfish,squid,and fish that appear scientifically undocumented.There is a nice promenade behind Jagalchi Market.
Haeundae Beach: Busan’s Glamorous Coastline
In the afternoon, I travelled to: Haeundae Beach
From Nampo-dong:
-
Metro Line 1 : Orange line → transfer to Line 2 : Green line
-
Approximately 55 minutes
-
Fare: roughly ₹100 equivalent
Again, thanks to Korea’s excellent signages and metro maps, the journey was remarkably easy. Haeundae is Korea’s most famous beach district — modern skyscrapers, luxury hotels, cafés and long promenades beside the sea. Since the weather was still quite cold, I did not see anyone swimming.
The distant skyline — mountains rising behind the sea and glass towers — created an unusually dramatic landscape. I walked for a long time along the promenade and later sat beside the beach with coffee from a CU convenience store.
Korean convenience stores deserve separate UNESCO recognition.
Dinner, Squid & the Korean Slipper System
At around 7:30 p.m., I had dinner at a famous food alley near Haeundae Beach.
The meal included:
-
squid,
-
seafood,
-
and several other interesting dishes whose names I never fully learnt but enthusiastically consumed anyway.
Later, I returned to my hotel by metro.
Civilisation, clearly, has levels.
By the end of the day, I had travelled across South Korea by bullet train, explored film districts and seafood markets, eaten seed pancakes and squid, climbed hilltop observatories.
D4 Tue, 22 Apr Gyeongju (ancient capital) & Bulguksa Temple NH Busan
Gyeongju: Korea’s Ancient Capital, Cherry Blossoms
Early Morning Escape from Busan
KTX: Korea’s Version of Teleportation
The Great Korean Tourism Superpower: Information Centres
A Bangladeshi Student and the Ancient Capital of Korea
Walking Through Ancient Silla
Tumuli Park: Korea’s Green Pyramids
Cheomseongdae Observatory: Astronomy Before Telescopes
Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond: Ancient Korea’s Reflection Pool
Bridges, Noble Houses, and Time Travel
Bulguksa Temple: Korea’s Buddhist Masterpiece
The Cherry Blossom Miracle
Back to the Future: Gyeongju Station
Back to Busan — But Not Back to the Hotel
Gwangalli Beach: Busan After Dark
The Jagalchi Seafood Tragedy
From Busan’s “Machu Picchu” to Heated Floors in Jeju
After several days of moving around Korea like an overenthusiastic documentary crew , my body finally rebelled. I got up at around 9:00 AM, which by Korean standards probably qualifies as a minor administrative failure.
The original plan was simple:
-
explore one final corner of Busan,
-
catch my evening flight,
-
and somehow transition from gritty port-city energy to volcanic island serenity.
Gamcheon Culture Village : Busan’s Most Photographed Staircase
10:00 AM — Off to the “Machu Picchu or Santorini of Busan”
My destination for the morning was the famous Gamcheon Culture Village. Travel from my hotel near Nampo-dong was surprisingly easy:
Step-by-Step Journey
-
Walk 5 minutes to Jagalchi Station
-
Take Busan Metro Line 1
-
Get down at Toseong Station (Exit 6)
-
Outside the exit, board the tiny 2-2 or 2-1 village minibus
The roads leading into Gamcheon are so narrow and steep that large buses would probably need divine intervention to survive them. The entire journey took roughly 25–30 minutes and cost almost nothing.
Korea somehow manages to make public transport:
-
cheap,
-
punctual,
-
clean
The moment I arrived, I understood why social media loves this place. The village spills dramatically down a hillside:
-
colourful houses stacked upon one another,
-
murals,
-
cafés,
-
stairways,
-
rooftop viewpoints,
-
and glimpses of the sea in the distance.
But let us be historically responsible here. Gamcheon is not exactly the “Machu Picchu or Santorini of Busan.”
Machu Picchu has:
-
Incas,
-
mountains,
-
llamas,
-
and UNESCO-level mysticism.
Gamcheon, on the other hand, reminded me far more of:
-
the hillside favelas of Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro,
-
the winding whitewashed lanes of Albaicín in Granada,
-
or even Şirince in Turkey,
except with:
-
Korean cafés,
-
excellent signage,
-
and absolutely no chaos.
And unlike many hillside settlements around the world, Gamcheon also offers wonderful sea views.
How a Poor Refugee Settlement Became an Instagram Star
The history of Gamcheon is actually fascinating. During and after the Korean War (1950–53), refugees fleeing violence settled on these steep hillsides because they had nowhere else to go. The area became associated with poverty and overcrowding.
Many residents were followers of Taegeukdo, a Korean religious movement that encouraged communal living and spiritual discipline. This is one reason the village developed in such an unusual terraced layout.
The name “Gamcheon” is often associated with the idea of “sweet water,” referring to streams that once flowed through the area. For decades, this remained one of Busan’s poorer neighbourhoods.
Then, in a brilliant act of urban reinvention, the government and local artists launched the Gamcheon Culture Village Project in 2009:
-
artists were invited,
-
murals were painted,
-
abandoned houses became galleries and cafés,
-
and the entire area slowly transformed into one of Korea’s most famous tourist attractions.
In short: poverty + creativity + tourism + paint = urban revival.
Kimchi: Korea’s National Side Dish and Emotional Support System
At around 12 noon, I had lunch at Gamcheon Culture Village:
-
shrimp fried rice for about ₩8,500,
-
along with unlimited kimchi and pickled radish.
The pickled radish tasted completely different from Indian pickles:
-
less oil,
-
less spice,
-
more crunch,
-
and significantly lower probability of immediate acidity.
I bought several discounted socks from Gamcheon Village.
Return to Nampo-dong: No Metro Needed
I returned directly near my hotel by bus — no metro required.
Gukje Market: Controlled Chaos, Korean Edition
Back near my hotel, I wandered through the famous Gukje Market. I bought magnets and small gifts there. I also visited the wonderfully chaotic Japanese discount chain store Daiso. Daiso is the kind of place where you enter to buy one pen and leave questioning your financial discipline. I bought many things from there.
Why Are So Many People in Military Uniform?
One thing I repeatedly noticed in Korea: young men casually walking around in military uniforms among civilians.
Then I remembered: South Korea has mandatory military service for most able-bodied men, usually lasting between 18 and 21 months. Given the ongoing technical state of war with North Korea since the 1953 armistice, military presence here is not symbolic — it is deeply woven into everyday life.
In Korea, camouflage is practically casualwear.
4:00 PM — Heading to Gimhae Airport
I left for Gimhae International Airport.
The journey from Jagalchi took roughly 1 hour 15 minutes. Part of the route involved changing to the Busan–Gimhae Light Rail Transit, which is more like an elevated light metro than a traditional subway.
Again:
-
smooth,
-
efficient,
-
impossible to get dramatically lost in.
Korea continues to disappoint travellers hoping for transport-related suffering !
Flight to Jeju: Korea’s Favourite Island Escape
7:00 PM — Flight to Jeju
I boarded a Jin Air flight from Busan to Jeju. It is one of the busiest route in the world.
Flight time:
-
around 1 hour
-
fare approximately ₹4,500
Jeju is often called the:
-
“Hawaii of Korea,”
-
honeymoon island,
-
volcanic paradise,
- and unofficial national vacation destination.
Jeju Island is broadly divided into two major urban regions:
- Jeju City in the north — the administrative capital and home to the airport,
- and Seogwipo City in the south — greener, quieter, and closer to many of the island’s natural attractions.
The two sides of the island have noticeably different personalities.
Jeju City feels functional and urban.Seogwipo feels like nature reluctantly allowing human settlement.
8:00 PM — Jeju Arrival
At the airport, my friend and her 76-year-old mother came to receive me. And yes — her mother was driving.
Korean elderly people are extraordinarily energetic. Meanwhile many Indians at 76 are still arguing with the television news. Life expectancy of a Korean woman is 90 and that of a man is 87. Her father has no ailments at all ! On the way home, we picked up Korean-style fried chicken from a fast-food restaurant. Korea takes fried chicken extremely seriously. It is very good.
The Heated Floor Civilization
At home, dinner was served in traditional Korean style: everyone sat on the floor.
But this is not uncomfortable floor-sitting like Indian wedding functions.
This is Korea. The floor itself is heated during winter time. This traditional underfloor heating system is called Ondol, a Korean innovation dating back centuries.
Historically:
-
heat from kitchen fires travelled beneath stone floors,
-
warming the entire room during harsh winters.
Modern apartments still use this concept. There was even a switch to heat the quilt.
At this point, I began seriously questioning the technological backwardness of my own blanket.
The Toilet of the Future
And finally came the greatest Korean invention after K-pop: the toilet.
It was similar to advanced Japanese toilets:
-
heated seat,
-
warm air,
-
mysterious buttons,
After using it, ordinary toilets feel emotionally inadequate.
End of the Day
Thus ended a day that began among Busan’s colourful refugee hillsides and ended inside a warm Jeju home with heated floors, fried chicken, and a toilet that could probably launch satellites.
Travel, as always, remained deeply educational.
D5 Thu, 24 April Jeju NH JejuPlogging, Lava Tubes That Refused to Cooperate, and a Sunrise Peak Older Than History
We left at around 10:00 AM from my friend’s house in Jeju. The destination for the morning was Iho Tewoo Beach — one of Jeju’s best-known beaches, particularly famous for its sunsets and its giant horse-shaped lighthouses.
Jeju, incidentally, takes horses very seriously. The island’s native horses are small, sturdy, and historically important. During the Mongol period in the 13th century, Jeju became a major horse-breeding centre for the Mongol Empire.
The beach itself is famous for two striking horse-shaped lighthouse towers — one red and one white.
Plogging: When Exercise Meets Civic Responsibility
Now came the unexpected part of the day. My friend’s mother belongs to a volunteer group called the “May I Help You?” group — a community initiative where elderly citizens who know foreign languages assist tourists and participate in regular social-service activities.
Pure coincidence — or excellent timing — made my visit overlap with one of their events.
So instead of behaving like a respectable tourist lazily photographing the sea, I suddenly found myself participating in plogging — the Scandinavian concept of jogging while picking up litter.
Frankly speaking, this was one of the most difficult environmental missions I have ever undertaken. Because there was almost no garbage !
South Korea’s public cleanliness is on another level altogether. The beach was remarkably clean, and we spent much of the time searching heroically for rubbish that stubbornly refused to exist.
After the plogging session, we had lunch together. It was one of those pleasant cultural moments where language barriers disappear somewhere between food and smiles.
Jeju: Beautiful, Volcanic, and Completely Dependent on Cars
Jeju may be South Korea’s premier island destination, but public transport here is far more limited compared to Seoul or Busan.
Unlike mainland Korea:
- There is no subway
- No metro
- No railway network
Jeju Island itself is approximately 73 km long east-to-west and about 31 km wide north-to-south — much larger than many visitors initially imagine. Without a car, taxi, or organised day tour, covering multiple attractions becomes extremely difficult and time-consuming.
This also explained why my friend’s 76-year-old mother was driving us around the island like a retired Formula One veteran !
The Lava Tube That Refused Entry
We then drove toward the eastern side of Jeju with plans to visit the famous Manjanggul Lava Tube.
This UNESCO-listed lava tube is one of the longest lava tunnels in the world, formed thousands of years ago by volcanic activity from Hallasan. The cave system stretches for over 7 kilometres, although only about 1 kilometre is normally open to visitors. Inside, the temperature remains around 18°C throughout the year, making it nature’s version of central air-conditioning.
Unfortunately, Part of the cave had experienced rockfall damage, and restoration work was still ongoing. So the lava tube — despite existing peacefully for thousands of years — had decided to close just before my arrival.
Seong-san Ilchul-bong: Korea’s Most Famous Sunrise
Since the cave rejected us, we proceeded to the magnificent Seongsan Ilchulbong — popularly known as Sunrise Peak. Now this place deserves every postcard, every brochure, and every overenthusiastic travel vlogger.
Seongsan Ilchulbong is a volcanic tuff cone formed around 5,000 years ago by an underwater eruption. Rising dramatically from the sea, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 as part of the “Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes” designation.
It is one of South Korea’s most iconic natural landmarks. The climb to the top takes around 35–45 minutes, depending on:
- your fitness level,
- your determination,
- and your relationship with gravity.
At the entrance my friend gave me trekking sticks, which turned out to be unexpectedly helpful. A met a guy from Assam who stays in Delhi. He recognized me from my Assamese Gamosha !
A Slightly Guilty Climb
While I climbed to the summit, my friend and her mother waited below in the car. The climb took me slightly over an hour in total.
I felt genuinely bad afterward. Her mother suffers from arthritis and could not manage the uphill walk. She may eventually require knee replacement surgery in the future. But because public transport in Jeju is limited, there were not too many alternatives available for independent sightseeing. Travel sometimes quietly reminds you of the invisible effort others make for your convenience. They waited patiently.
And the view from the top was extraordinary.
The crater opened dramatically toward the sea, waves crashed below the cliffs.
The Haenyeo Tradition
This region is also associated with Jeju’s legendary Haenyeo — the famous female free-divers of Jeju.
For centuries, these women have dived into cold ocean waters without oxygen tanks to harvest seafood such as abalone and seaweed. The tradition dates back at least to the Joseon era and is recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The Haenyeo are not merely divers; they are cultural icons of resilience, endurance, and economic independence. My friend's grandmother was a diver. According to my friend, the divers today earn quite good amount of money.
Back Home: Heated Floors and Korean Practical Genius
We reached home around 6:15 PM.
Later in the evening, I went out briefly for a small reconnaissance walk around the neighbourhood and returned by 7:15 PM.
Dinner was wonderfully simple:
- bread,
- jam,
- and toasted slices prepared while sitting on the floor.
Traditional Korean homes use an underfloor heating system called Ondol, a technology dating back many centuries. Sitting on the warm floor while eating dinner during a cold evening is comforting.
However, I also noticed that sitting on the floor was not easy for my friend’s mother because of her arthritis. Old habits survive longer than comfortable knees. It was not easy for me too. So I sat on the chair.
There was even a switch to heat the quilt separately — a level of winter preparedness that deserves international recognition.And then there was the toilet.The Korean/Japanese-style smart toilet deserves its own engineering award. Warm seats. Heated air. Automatic cleaning functions. After experiencing one of these, returning to ordinary toilets feels emotionally disappointing.
A Strategic Decision: Relieving My Hosts
I booked a Western and Southern Jeju Sightseeing Day Tour through GetYourGuide for approximately ₹5,000 or approx 45 USD.
D7 Fri, 25 Apr, Jeju East — sunrise & lava caves NH Jeju
Jeju in One Day: Volcanoes, Waterfalls, Black Pork, and the Korean Art of Refusing Payment
By the sixth day of my Korean journey, I realised something important: my hosts had already done far too much for me. My friend and her 76-year-old mother had driven me across enough mountains, beaches, volcanic cliffs, waterfalls, and remote corners of Jeju to qualify for honorary taxi permits issued by the Government of South Korea.
So I decided to give them a break.
The solution was simple: a 10-hour organised sightseeing tour of western and southern Jeju. Sometimes the best way to appreciate hospitality is not to overuse it.
Western and Southern Jeju Sightseeing Day Tour
Frankly, it was also a relief for me. Jeju looks deceptively small on maps. Then you start driving through endless volcanic curves, coastal highways, lava fields, and mountain roads, and suddenly you understand why even Google Maps occasionally sounds tired.
Still, despite my decision to join the tour independently, my friends very kindly dropped me near the Ocean Suites Jeju Hotel, where the bus was scheduled to pick us up at 8:30 AM.And thus began one of the most fascinating days of the trip.
A Bus Full of History Lessons
Our guide turned out to be one of those energetic Korean tour guides who can explain dynastic history, volcanic geology, seaweed culture, and parking instructions with identical enthusiasm.
Within the first hour, we learned:
-
Kim is the most common surname in Korea,
-
followed by Lee (Yi) and Park,
-
many of these surnames trace their roots to ancient Korean kingdoms and dynasties.
The guide explained that:
-
the Kim and Park clans are historically linked to the ancient Silla Kingdom,
-
while the surname Lee/Yi became strongly associated with the Joseon Dynasty.
We also learnt that surnames like Choi (Choe) were traditionally associated with noble or aristocratic lineages.
The three major historical periods constantly referenced in Korea are:
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Silla
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Goryeo
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Joseon
The guide also explained Korean seaweed culture with extraordinary seriousness. Apparently, seaweed soup is traditionally served to mothers after childbirth because it is believed to aid recovery. As a result, Koreans eat seaweed soup on their birthdays to honour their mothers.
Which is actually rather touching. In Korea, they celebrate by remembering maternal suffering.
We also learnt that:
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Jeju has distinctive local family names like Go, Yang, and Bu,
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Jeju is famous for its seedless tangerines,
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and until recently, Jeju enjoyed special visa policies for foreign tourists because of its autonomous provincial status and tourism-driven economy.
The guide even explained the portraits printed on Korean currency notes:
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kings,
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Confucian scholars,
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philosophers,
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and prominent historical figures.
At this point I realised Korean schoolchildren probably grow up knowing more about their currency than most adults elsewhere.
Mount Hallasan: Korea’s Volcanic Crown
Our first major destination was the slopes of Hallasan — the highest mountain in South Korea at 1,947 metres.Hallasan is not merely a mountain. It is the volcanic heart around which the entire island of Jeju was formed over millions of years.
The name “Hallasan” roughly translates to: “The mountain high enough to pull down the Milky Way.” Koreans, clearly, do not believe in modest mountain names.
We visited the famous 1100 Altitude Wetland and the nearby Eoseungsaengak Trail. The number “1100” is not poetic symbolism. It literally refers to the altitude: 1,100 metres above sea level. The wetland forms part of Jeju’s internationally protected ecological system (Ramsar site) and is associated with the island’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status.
Unfortunately, the season was not ideal for seeing the wetland in full glory. The flora and fauna were relatively subdued. Still, the atmosphere was magnificent.
Cold mountain air.Mist drifting through pine forests.Volcanic terrain everywhere.
At moments, Jeju looked less like East Asia and more like Scandinavia accidentally relocated into the Pacific.
Jusangjeolli Lava Cliffs: When Volcanoes Discover Geometry
Our next stop was the extraordinary Jusangjeolli Cliffs. This place genuinely looks as though nature briefly hired an architect.
The cliffs consist of striking hexagonal volcanic stone columns formed when lava from Hallasan cooled rapidly upon meeting the sea thousands of years ago.
The result: perfect geometric rock pillars rising beside crashing Pacific waves.
It resembles: Giant's Causeway or Armenia’s Garni Gorge.
The site forms part of Jeju’s UNESCO Global Geopark designation and is one of the island’s most photographed geological wonders.
Standing there, watching the waves hit black volcanic cliffs is very special.
Cheonjeyeon Falls: The Pond of Heaven
We then visited Cheonjeyeon Waterfall, whose name poetically translates to: “The Pond of the Emperor of Heaven.” Only Koreans can make a waterfall sound like imperial mythology.
The waterfall system consists of 3 separate cascades:
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the first waterfall falls into a deep emerald pond,
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then flows into the second and third falls,
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before eventually reaching the sea.
The surrounding subtropical vegetation gives the area an almost tropical atmosphere. Although the water flow during this season was not especially dramatic, the landscape itself remained extremely beautiful.
Lunch: Enter the Famous Jeju Black Pork
Lunch introduced us to one of Jeju’s culinary legends:
The Jeju black pig — known locally as Heuk Dwaeji — is famous throughout Korea for its rich flavour and tender meat.
Historically, black pigs were closely associated with traditional Jeju farming households. Today, they have become both a delicacy and an economic institution.
Korean dining, meanwhile, remains gloriously interactive.
In most countries: restaurants serve food.
In Korea: restaurants provide raw meat, open flame, scissors, tongs, soup, kimchi, lettuce, sauces, side dishes, and a mild sense of responsibility. And yes — they use scissors to cut meat. Which somehow works perfectly.
I shared the meal with an Indian tourist, Ananya Bhaskar, who works at Google and spends much of her professional life in Japan. She had joined the Jeju tour during a vacation.
We paid 55,000 won for the Pork, divided equally.
Lunch companions included:
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Mexicans,
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French tourists,
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Indonesians,
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a New Yorker
At that moment the table resembled a miniature United Nations sponsored by grilled pork.
Sanbangsan and Bomunsa Temple: Buddhism Beside the Sea
We next visited Bomunsa Temple near Sanbangsan.Sanbangsan is a dramatic lava dome mountain formed hundreds of thousands of years ago, rising abruptly from the coastline.
The temple faces the ocean.
Behind you: mountains.
Ahead: sea.
In between: tourists attempting spiritual reflection while simultaneously checking camera angles.
The temple itself is relatively modern in its current form, though the site carries longstanding Buddhist significance. Unlike heavily ornate Chinese temple architecture, Korean Buddhist structures often feel restrained, balanced, and deeply integrated into nature.
Very Confucian. Very Korean.
Songaksan: Walking Beside the Edge of a Nation
The next stop was Songaksan — one of the most spectacular coastal landscapes in Jeju.
Songaksan is not a towering mountain but an oreum — a parasitic volcanic cone created by eruptions associated with Hallasan.What it lacks in height, it compensates for magnificently in scenery.
The walking trail circles the crater ridge overlooking:
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deep blue ocean,
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dramatic volcanic cliffs,
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rolling grasslands,
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tiny offshore islands,
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and distant Hallasan itself.
From parts of Songaksan, one can also see Marado — the southernmost inhabited island of South Korea. For Koreans, Marado carries symbolic significance somewhat similar to Kanyakumari in India: the final inhabited edge of the nation before open sea takes over.
The scenery here feels cinematic. Ancient lava cliffs plunge directly into the ocean while waves crash endlessly below.
Every few minutes someone in our group would stop walking and announce: “Wait… one more photo.”
Then another.
Then another.
Eventually the entire trek evolved into a slow-moving international photography conference.
But Songaksan also carries darker memories. During the Japanese colonial occupation (1910–1945), tunnels and coastal caves were dug here for military defensive purposes.
Some remnants still survive along the coast — quiet reminders that even paradise often carries scars beneath its beauty.
O’Sulloc Tea Museum: Capitalism Meets Green Tea
Our final major stop was the famous O'Sulloc Tea Museum. Jeju’s volcanic soil and mild climate are ideal for tea cultivation. Vast green tea plantations stretched across the landscape in immaculate rows.
The museum explains:
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Korean tea culture,
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cultivation methods,
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and the broader history of tea in East Asia.
I sampled some free green tea. Free food samples remain one of humanity’s greatest inventions.
Naturally, the complex also sold:
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green tea bread,
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green tea cake,
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green tea cookies,
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green tea ice cream,
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green tea everything.
Unfortunately, I do not particularly enjoy green tea. So I demonstrated remarkable financial restraint and bought absolutely nothing.
The Return: Hospitality Always Wins
After nearly ten hours of:
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volcanoes,
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waterfalls,
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cliffs,
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temples,
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tea fields,
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lava formations,
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and enough walking to qualify as low-intensity athletic training,
we returned to Jeju City. My friends picked me up once again and took me out for dinner.
Again.
There were endless salads, soup, barbecue, side dishes, kimchi, and the now-familiar Korean ritual of refusing to let the guest pay under any circumstances.
Korean hospitality, I gradually realised, operates on a principle remarkably similar to Bengali hospitality: The guest must not suffer, pay, or occasionally even make decisions.
Korea, Money, and the Question Nobody Can Answer
One of the most interesting conversations I had in Korea had nothing to do with K-pop, kimchi, palaces, volcanoes, or even the mysterious Korean obsession with perfectly functioning public toilets. It was about money.
More specifically: why many middle-class Koreans today feel economically stuck despite South Korea being one of the richest countries in Asia.
My friend explained something genuinely surprising.
Back in 2004: 1 USD ≈ 1,145 Korean Won
In 2026: 1 USD ≈ 1,500 Korean Won
So yes, the Won has depreciated — but nowhere near as sharply as the Indian Rupee.
For comparison:
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around 2011, 1 USD ≈ ₹48
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by 2026, it is hovering around ₹95
Naturally, I assumed Koreans must still be significantly better off because South Korea is a highly developed economy.
But according to my friend, many professionals — especially teachers and public-sector employees — have experienced surprisingly stagnant salaries over the past two decades.
Someone earning around USD 2,000 per month in 2004 may still not be earning dramatically more today. A minimum salary of a Professor is USD 1800 per month.
Housing costs increased.Living expenses increased.Expectations increased.
Salaries often did not.
Then came another revelation: healthcare.
My friend’s brother is a doctor, so she understood the system better than most people.
She explained that the Korean government heavily regulates healthcare pricing through the national insurance system. Consultation fees and many hospital charges remain tightly controlled.
As a result, many doctors in Korea earn less than foreigners often imagine.
For an Indian visitor, this was fascinating. In India, private healthcare sometimes behaves like the stock market during a caffeine overdose.
In Korea, it behaves more like a disciplined government office that still believes in rules, forms, and price ceilings.
And somewhere between a bowl of kimchi stew and a discussion about exchange rates, I realised that every country asks itself the same question: “Are we actually better off than before?”
The answers, like currency values, depend entirely on where you are standing.
D8 Sat, 26 Apr, Jeju West or South —
waterfalls & coastal drive NH Jeju
Waterfalls, Folk Villages, and Abalone Risotto Disguised as Korean Porridge
By this stage of the Jeju trip, I had developed a healthy respect for volcanic geography and the alarming efficiency of organised tourism.
Her parents get up very early and after a morning walk, they have their breakfast outside.
We left at 9.30 am. Originally, there had been a plan to visit Udo Island by ferry — a small island off the eastern coast of Jeju famous for beaches, bicycles, peanut ice cream, and scenic coastal roads. But after some discussion, we collectively decided to skip it.This is one of the great advantages of travelling with locals. They save you from spending an entire day chasing attractions that survive mainly on brochure photography.
Jeju Folk Village: Time Travel Without the Discomfort
Instead, we headed toward Jeju Folk Village with her parents. Her father joined us for the day as well. Since the sightseeing involved a fair amount of walking, her mother decided not to explore the entire complex and instead relaxed inside the village area while we continued wandering through the site. It took 1 hour to reach there.
The Jeju Folk Village is essentially a beautifully preserved reconstruction of traditional life on Jeju Island during the late Joseon period and early 20th century. Spread across a large area, it contains:
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traditional thatched-roof houses,
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farming tools,
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shrines,
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village pathways,
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storage structures,
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and examples of old Jeju domestic architecture.
- Court
- Jail
It immediately reminded me of the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya in Bhopal.
Jeju’s traditional homes were specially designed to survive the island’s fierce winds. The black volcanic rocks found everywhere on the island were used extensively in construction. Even the low stone boundary walls were built in a loose manner so that strong winds could pass through them rather than destroy them. In other words, the architecture had already solved climate resilience long before modern consultants started giving PowerPoint presentations about it.
The village also offers an important insight into how isolated and difficult life on Jeju once was. Before modern tourism transformed the island, Jeju was historically considered remote, poor, and economically marginal. Many residents survived through fishing, subsistence agriculture, horse breeding, and diving. Today, tourists arrive carrying selfie sticks and iced coffee.We spent 2 hours in that place.
Lunch With the Family
After exploring the folk village, we had lunch together. One of the most pleasant aspects of travelling with local families is that meals stop feeling like “tourist experiences” and start feeling normal. You eat slowly, talk casually, and suddenly realise you are learning more about a country at the dining table than from museums. We had soupy noodles. You are supposed to mix rice with the noodles, and they also serve a raw egg, which has to be cracked and added to the boiling soup. Her father and I also had some rice wine, so afterwards her mother took over the driving.
Jeongbang Waterfall: Where the River Jumps Into the Ocean
Our next destination was the magnificent Jeongbang Waterfall. Now this place is genuinely unique. Jeongbang Waterfall is famous for being one of the very few waterfalls in Asia — and the only major one in South Korea — that falls directly into the sea.
Water crashes dramatically down a volcanic cliff into the ocean below, creating one of the most striking natural scenes in Jeju.
The waterfall is around 23 metres high, and according to local legend, the Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang once sent servants searching for an elixir of immortality here. Whether they found immortality remains historically unclear, but they certainly discovered a very photogenic waterfall.
The entry fee was approximately ₹500.
Then we planned to visit a museum showcasing some remarkable works by a renowned artist. Unfortunately, it was closed.
Cheonjiyeon Waterfall: The Pond Where Heaven Meets Earth
We then visited Cheonjiyeon Waterfall. The name Cheonjiyeon roughly translates to:
“The pond where heaven and earth meet.” Korean place names are consistently poetic in a way that makes ordinary destinations elsewhere sound emotionally underprepared.
The waterfall drops about 22 metres into a deep volcanic rock pool surrounded by lush greenery. The walking path leading to the falls is beautifully maintained and feels almost park-like.
At moments, the scenery looked almost unreal — as if someone had increased the saturation settings of nature itself.
The Seogwipo Coastal Drive: Korea Showing Off
The drive along the Seogwipo coastal road deserves special mention. It is easily one of the most scenic drives in South Korea. The road curves beside the sea with:
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volcanic cliffs,
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distant mountains,
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small fishing villages,
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citrus farms,
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and endless ocean views unfolding outside the car window.
Dinner by the Sea and Korean Risotto
Later in the evening, we had dinner at 6.30 am at a sea food restaurant facing the sea. There I tried abalone porridge — a famous Jeju specialty.
The dish immediately reminded me of Italian risotto:
warm,creamy,comforting,and deeply satisfying after a long day of travel.Jeju is famous for seafood, particularly abalone harvested by the island’s legendary Haenyeo women divers. Traditionally, abalone porridge was considered nutritious, restorative food — something between delicacy and medicine.
And honestly, after several days of nonstop sightseeing, volcanic hiking, and Korean staircases, it felt medicinal.
Back to Jeju City
We returned to Jeju City around 8:00 PM.
D9 Jeju Sun, 27 Apr→ Seoul NH Jeju
Goodbye Jeju: Tangerines, Souvenirs, and One Last Metro Adventure
My final day in Jeju was thankfully relaxed — a welcome change after several days of volcanoes, waterfalls, lava cliffs, endless walking trails, and enough Korean barbecue to emotionally damage my relationship with ordinary food back home.
In the morning, I explored Jeju City near their house on my own and walked to the famous Dongmun Market, one of Jeju’s oldest traditional markets, dating back to the post-war reconstruction period of the 1940s. The market remains one of the best places to experience everyday Jeju life — full of seafood, local snacks, fruits, souvenirs. I took my time wandering through its lively alleys and bought some souvenirs. Everywhere I looked, I saw Jeju’s most famous agricultural ambassador: oranges Or more specifically : Hallabong citrus, tangerines, and every possible orange-related life form known to humanity.
Jeju’s volcanic soil and subtropical climate make it ideal for citrus cultivation. Hallabong — the famous sweet orange with a little bump on top — has become almost symbolic of Jeju itself.
What limoncello is to Sorrento, or paprika is to Hungary, oranges and tangerines are to Jeju.
You see them everywhere:
After some final shopping and wandering around the market, I went back to their home and we left for lunch around 2 PM.
They finally dropped me at Jeju International Airport, and I boarded my evening flight back to Seoul.
20:50 — Flight from Jeju to Seoul
The flight from Jeju (CJU) to Seoul’s Gimpo International Airport took around 1 hour. The Jeju–Seoul air route is actually one of the busiest domestic flight routes in the world — a reminder of just how central Jeju is to Korean tourism and domestic travel.
From Gimpo Airport, I took the Seoul Metro once again — by now I had become reasonably confident navigating Korean public transport without accidentally reaching North Korea — and travelled onwards to Incheon International Airport for my international departure.
And thus ended my Korean journey: from palaces to K-pop streets, from seafood markets to volcanic islands, from Buddhist temples to convenience-store coffee and from confusion about Korean menus to complete dependence on kimchi.
Day 10 — Departure
12:20 PM — Incheon Airport → Delhi → Kolkata
As the aircraft finally took off from Korea, I realised something important:
A good trip changes your photo albums. A great trip changes your conversations.
And Korea had quietly managed to change both.
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CHEAP FOOD STRATEGY
- Convenience stores (CU, GS25,7/11)
- Local Korean meals (Typically 10,000-15,000 Won or ~₹700-1000)
IMPORTANT PRACTICAL TIPS
1. Language issue : English is limited → use Papago app
2. Cash vs card
- Card works everywhere. Even in most Souvenir stops.Smaller restaurants and markets prefer cash.
- Still carry ₹10–15K equivalent cash
- Buy T-money card for using in Metro and bus
3. Navigation
- Use Naver Map
- Google Maps unreliable
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