Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lesza]

Hi everyone,

Looking for sage advice for my last three weeks in this country-- what should I be sure not to miss? (leaning towards cultural hot spots) Here's a few places and things I have done, but looking for the inside scoop... PS I live in Suwon

HIGHLIGHTS:
Andong
Kyounju
Youngjusa
Bulguksa
Jikjisa
mini-Great Wall of Suwon
Seoul Land (but not the National Gallery... hmmm)
Everland (and Ho-am Gallery)
Insadong/ Itaewon/ Namdamun/ Dongdaemun
Palaces of Seoul
Hon-am Gallery, Seoul (awesome)
CO-EX exhibit of Terra Cotta Figures (rockin')

TO DO LIST:
maybe going to Busan next weekend-- tips?
Ariro Gallery in Cheosun, any opinions?
Mud spa, Seoul-- been there?

looking forward to all your hot tips!
Lesza ("

[captain kirk]

i'm into anthropological/geological sites. down west of ulsan is onyang. it's on the knto english korean map. it's the only place in korea where amethyst crystal is mined. the old cave/jackhammer mine is filled with theme exhibits; sculpture hall, egypt hall, etc. part of the linked, man-made caverns has been flooded and for 3,000 won you ride in a rubber boat with ten other people. you can see the matrix in which the amethyst crystals sit, a vein with purple studs in beige rock. it's a ways from onyang but a local bus from the onyang depot would do it. it's called 'amethyst cave' on the knto map, and written in korean. just point at that at the bus depot in onyang. there's a motel with one of those big filament starburst thingys on top, and for only 35,000 won the room is fantastic. it's about six storeys high, next to a bunch of other yogwans.
up in the northeast there a lots of caves. i've been to one only, so far; hwanseongul cave, just west of samchok, halfway between there and taebaek to the south. the caves are on the knto map. it's huge, the entrance a spectacular giant arch opening. the cave moved with continental shifting, just carted along with the continent bumper cars. steel stairs, walkways, all lit up. you could do a 'cave tour' up in that area for three days. some local bus shuttling, which would be time consuming, and using the knto map which has the cave names in english and korean.
but they aren't 'going anywhere', and you have a leisurely three weeks. something different. i love caves. like diving the remergence lingers with 'other-worldly' effects.

[Son Deureo!]

Don't you dare leave Korea without seeing the DMZ! If you can, try to see both Panmunjeom/truce village and the tunnels.

Bukhansan National Park. Great mountain hikes, and it's accessible by the Seoul subway as well. Lots of Buddhist shrines and temples to see along the way. Unforgettable.

Muido. It's an Island in the Yellow (West) Sea. You can reach it by ferry from YeongJongDo (Airport Island). It's an easy day trip, and it has beautiful pine forest bordered beaches. If you don't mind spending a bit more to go further out, try DeokJokDo. It's a one-hour ferry ride from Yeonan Pier in Incheon (near DongIncheon Station).

63 Building on Yeoido. The tallest building in Korea. Beautiful views of downtown Seoul, and there's a nice aquarium inside as well. A little touristy, but worth doing, and there are nice parks on Yeoido as well. There are supposed to be fun Han river cruises you can do from here as well, but I've never tried them.

You mention "Kyounju", is this the same as "Gyeongju"? I'm not sure if I understand your romanization or not. If not, go to Gyeongju. Amazing Buddhist shrines, royal burial mounds, and more. This is a 5 hour train ride from Seoul, you may want to combine this with a trip to Busan or something.

Have fun!

[lesza]

Thanks Captain Kirk and Son Deureo for the replies,
While laying in the 'Liberace' sauna yesterday, my Canadian co-worker and I started plotting our long weekend to Busan. We are definitely going to try to incorporate a trip to the amethyst caves. Never even heard of them before, but looking around the semi-precious stone encrusted sauna should have given us a clue! It's sounds very interesting and your description and directions are helpful too. PS what's the knto map? So far we have gotten by with generic tourist map/ brochures and Lonely Planet.

I'll be spending more time in Seoul looking for a good point and shoot camera to take travelling, so I'll look into the places and hikes you suggested. Love the walking! How long is a trip to the DMZ? Is it a day trip out of Seoul, or a half day jaunt? (I think there are threads on this that I can research or please pm me) I had planned to go to Woraksan in the fall, figuring it would be swarming with folks over summer break, so don't know if I'll make it there or not. I think my transliteration of Kyongju is really Gyeongju as you wrote. It was a really good trip and if trains and time allow, we'll stop over there on our way back to Suwon. THere's a good art show on at Sonje Gallery (?) and we missed the grotto the first time out.

Currently my schedule still includes teaching five days a week. Depending on how long it takes to get my final pay and severance will dictate my free-time in September, so keep those tips coming! What is your most memorable trip/ experience from Korea? Regards, Lesza

[captain kirk]

what's the knto map? most of the time i get about four from the knto headquarters near chongaak, so that's what i call it. if you go to itaewon, namdemun market, city hall park (art musuem and royal musuem behind the walls) there are prefab booths, with windows, and inside is a volunteer. the map is mostly yellow when folded up, with some blue, and says 'map of seoul and korea'. ask for 'a map of korea' and that's what you'll get.since you are planning a three week trip it would be advantageous to go to the knto(korean national tourist org) headquarters in seoul (if that's where you are now). to get to it; get off the subway at chongaak. there are thin, long, yellow rectangles of signs up near the ceiling showing what each exit leads to. one of these includes 'knto'. when you get out that exit head away from chongno, towards the business tower. walk the length of that short block (about fifty meters). keep going crossing the street and once crossed turn right and up that sidewalk forty meters or so. it's in a basement of a tall business bulding. there are stairs down from the street level, beside a gourmet coffee/hot dog shack. that's just one confusing description of how to get there. the ladies there are like librarians, apparently totally involved and interested in your requests, and you can phone them for directions to the headquarters, too.
near north bay, which is on the trans canada highway is an amethyst cave as well. i always imagined it a crystal lined cave. i've never been to that one. so that's what i imagined the 'amethyst cave' down near onyang to be like. it's not. the only crystals in the cave are in a vein. but that's how they come. so it's not like those sauna rooms with amethyst crystals embedded in the ceiling wall-to-wall. what's it like, then, given the possibility of 'that thrill' is gone. caverns linked by walkways, an empty mine, except sauced up with lighting and 'theme caverns'. it's funky. kitschy. dated. bizarre. memorable. at the exit there are three gift shops like carnival arcade booths. one of them has faceted amethyst crystal wired into a tight 'starburst' about 3/4" across with a keychain clip. i bought seven at w10,000 each for gifts because with a keychain, you'll see the thing all the time, and the crystals high grade. and there's the rubber boat ride through the flooded part. 3.ooo to get into each, cave and boat ride. it's nice to get out of seoul and to some funky country amusement park like that (there are carousels and kiddie rides around the entrance).