Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bbb0777]

S. Korea is rather nice, but the tourist sights are...well decent, but below that upper 15 or so percentile that draws the vast majority of tourists. Additionally, it lacks any of the very 'foreign' culture that very undeveloped nations have. Nothing much seems 'so crazy/different!' here, at the least not to a visitor.

As such, I was wondering - what do you think the best tourist sights in S. Korea are?

[DeMayonnaise]

Incheon airport.

Seriously, I haven't seen anything in Korea I was impressed with. Every single tourist sight has been a let down. Maybe the fish market, I thought that was cool, and we had an awesome meal there. But meh.

[bbb0777]

Ha, that's fair enough, and it is a really nice airport...

I suppose I was thinking:

Suwon City Wall
KTX to Busan/beaches in Busan
Seoul Tower (for the view)
Restored Stream/surrounding area in downtown Seoul
Myeongdong shopping street (I think that's the one)
Stepped tea plantation/bamboo forest
Maybe a restaurant serving dog...

And...that's about it. I've been to many locations in S. Korea, most are pleasant - but lacking must-see sights. I can't say anything in Gyeongju even awed me much, nor any of the palaces in and around Seoul...

[highdials5]

[JBomb]

Gyeongju. It's Silla Kingdom burial mounds are amazing. One of them is open to public with a great example of what it looked like inside along with replicas of the doodads they found buried there. They also have a free English guide at the booth that you can get to help show you around. The museum there is also well worth it for its collection of Buddhist art, relics from the Silla kingdom including the an enormous gold crown, and other little bits. My friends and I also like to rent ATVs there and plow around on river beds like rednecks in heat. The city and the mounds are also World Heritage sites so the words "outdoor museum" come to mind. Every time I have gone there I have rarely seen Westerners there and I find that disappointing. If you want a real look into the cultural history of this country Gyeongju is a can't miss.

[ThingsComeAround]

Seoraksan.

Went there two years ago and I've been aching to go back. Fall would be ideal to see all the trees changing color---

[alwaysbeclosing100]

the fish market....noryangjin......

[Louis VI]

Jeju.

[storysinger81]

The little islands off the southern coast--there are thousands of them and very pretty

The DMZ (duh!)

I second Gyeongju

Andong Hahoe Maeul with the traditional mask dance

Some of the temples: Haeinsa, Bulguksa (in Gyeongju), Daewonsa, Haedong Yonggungsa. None of these are in Seoul or indeed anywhere near it.

The mountains/rivers in Gangwondo

[AsiaESLbound]

[DeMayonnaise]

[sundizz]

yo JBomb what's the deal with the burial grounds? I am heading to Gyeongju next next weekend and want to check these out + go ATVing. Anymore info you can toss out about how to get there, costs, any advice to get me started? Thanks.

[politica]

Before I start, I have to say that of all of the airports I've been to, Incheon is up there with the best of them. The drive out to the airport can be very beautiful to. Once drove it at dusk, the bridge was all lit up and the sea was sparkling. Beautiful.

Okay, now I have to say that anyone who claims there is "nothing to see" in Korea has not truly seen Korea. For starters, you have to get out of Seoul. Most of the places really worth seeing in Korea are not easy to get to (forget about KTX), but they are worth it. Here are a few of my favorite places in Korea . . .

Ulleungdo- It's a tiny island in the middle of the East Sea (Sea of Japan). Forget about Jeju. Ulleungdo is BEAUTIFUL. Small town built into the hillside, crystal clear blue waters, amazing hiking, fresh seafood, etc. There's no real "easy" way to get there though. First take a bus or train to Pohang, then take the 2 hour (somewhat nauseating) ferry ride to the island. You can also see the infamous "Dokdo" from Ulleungdo . . .

Boryeong- Green tea capital of Korea. Perfect for a day or weekend trip. You can wander through the green tea fields, which makes for a really nice hiking trip.

Gyeongju- The tombs are impressive, as are the nearby temples (even if you think you've seen your fair share of temples). My advice? Read up on Korean history (especially the three kingdoms era) before you go.

Jindo- The island itself is beautiful, but you should really go for the "Moses Festival." There are a few days each year (I think it has already passed this year) where the sea parts (like the Red Sea did for Moses in the Bible) and you can walk across the land bridge from the mainland to the island. Cool experience.

Kaesong- Okay, so this is in North Korea, but I feel like it deserves a mention. If you can find a day trip (I went in 2008), it is totally worth the $250 (or whatever they're charging now). It feels like what I can only imagine Russia felt like during the Cold War . . .

That was my two cents- hope you find something interesting!

[Kurtz]

I have to agree, Korea doesn't have many tourist sites. The temples of Bulguksa, Haeinsa and certain areas in Gyeongju are very nice, as is the hanok village in Jeonju but not something I would fly across the world to see.

Korea is full of little gems. I thought I had seen most things here, but I found a very nice temple overlooking a beach in the distance on Namhae Island recently and I'm sure there are many other places worth exploring too.

I've stayed in a minbak in Songnisan National Park after hiking all day, and eating a great samgyeopsal, walked a beautiful valley near Pohang with waterfalls and no one else around (OK, it was damn early), hiked a mountain overlooking many small islands in Jelloanam-do, ate a delicious pork and panchan meal after hiking the Horse's Ears mountain, woken up to a mind blowing sunrise on Dolsando; you just have to get out a bit and explore.

[jvalmer]

Two things I like are the DMZ and Gyeongju

I was impressed by those burial mound thingies. Also, I liked that big Buddha in one of the temples in Gyeongju. Unfortunately it's behind some glass, my CT was saying when she was a kid they were allowed all over the place and a lot of gum was put on the Buddha. I kind of wanted to stick my finger and my gum on the Buddha too.