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Seoul - a top class city both now and in the future.
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saram_



Joined: 13 May 2008

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 2:18 am    Post subject: Seoul - a top class city both now and in the future. Reply with quote

The Guardian Newspaper in Britain takes a look at Seoul as part of South Korea week on there.

Seoul- A super city basically.

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/jul/14/an-urbanists-tour-of-south-korea-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-world-cities
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mr_thehorse



Joined: 27 Aug 2013

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 2:31 am    Post subject: Re: Seoul - a top class city both now and in the future. Reply with quote

saram_ wrote:
The Guardian Newspaper in Britain takes a look at Seoul as part of South Korea week on there.

Seoul- A super city basically.

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/jul/14/an-urbanists-tour-of-south-korea-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-world-cities


with the exception of fast internet speeds, and lovely legs running around, I feel its a unremarkable city. A bit sad to see them destroy older neighborhoods to be replaced with sterile concrete apartment blocks that only stalin would love.
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edwardcatflap



Joined: 22 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 2:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't care how inward he thinks Japan has turned, their cities still piss on Korea's
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Sister Ray



Joined: 25 Mar 2006
Location: Fukuoka

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 2:45 am    Post subject: Re: Seoul - a top class city both now and in the future. Reply with quote

mr_thehorse wrote:
[

with the exception of fast internet speeds, and lovely legs running around, I feel its a unremarkable city.


As a city, I love Seoul. Dense, super urban and chaotic. Wonderful metro system. Surrounded by mountains. Big river. Great stuff.

Unfortunately, culturally and politically, it's not such a good place to live for me. Too reactionary, homogeneous and conservative.

But the city itself? Wonderful.
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Who's Your Daddy?



Joined: 30 May 2010
Location: Victoria, Canada.

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 6:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

From the article:

"Koreans must surely wonder if they’ve built a truly developed country or a dysfunctional sham, with Seoul a blindingly illuminated, distraction-filled Potemkin village."
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Chaparrastique



Joined: 01 Jan 2014

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
the well-maintained restrooms in those stations; the Wi-Fi-equipped coffee shops where none need worry about the safety of their laptop; the other 24-hour businesses of every imaginable kind – have at times made me believe that South Korea has attained a new high watermark of urban civilisation


he's correct in a way.

Try to find a decent wifi connection or even a PC bang in London, with a fast internet connection and a printer that works, takes about a week and costs you the earth. Try to find good reasonably-priced or even cheap accommodation that does not leave you with bedbugs and have drunken thugs roaming through it? Almost impossible. Try to find a range of food beyond fried breakfast and chips anywhere outside of the capital? no chance.

Every time I re-visit the UK it seems more and more third world.
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aq8knyus



Joined: 28 Jul 2010
Location: London

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 11:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
he's correct in a way.

Try to find a decent wifi connection or even a PC bang in London, with a fast internet connection and a printer that works, takes about a week and costs you the earth.


We dont have PC bang culture, so why would you expect there to be internet cafes on every corner.

Quote:
Try to find good reasonably-priced or even cheap accommodation that does not leave you with bedbugs and have drunken thugs roaming through it? Almost impossible.


Premier Inn and Travel lodge are pretty cheap and are perfectly clean.

They are better than some skeezy love motel or jimgilbang.

Quote:
Try to find a range of food beyond fried breakfast and chips anywhere outside of the capital? no chance.


Rubbish.

Even tiny little market towns in the north have a multitude of cusine from all over the world. Better than some generic kimbabp joint.

Quote:
Every time I re-visit the UK it seems more and more third world.


You have all those problems because London is one of the most expensive cities in the world. It is not a city that you can go as a casual visitor on a budget for more than a couple of nights.

That is why Seoul is great, despite all the increases it is still cheap.


Last edited by aq8knyus on Tue Jul 15, 2014 12:25 pm; edited 1 time in total
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edwardcatflap



Joined: 22 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 12:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Seoul is my most favourite city in the world. I would live there if I could. Clean, accessible, artistic, and friendly. Whenever I visited, I left feeling refreshed, gladdened, uplifted and rested. Everything about Seoul is perfect. Spotless. Beautiful. What an amazing place!


Loved this comment. Written by a Korean maybe? Who else would use words like 'spotless' and 'beautiful' to describe Seoul? Something not quite natural about the language too. The use of simple past 'Whenever I visited' instead of the more natural 'whenever I visit' and the Korean overuse of 'refreshed'.
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misher



Joined: 14 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When you're young Seoul is not bad. It's cheap and people like to party. Things are convenient.

But when I'm 45 55 65, absolutely no way in hell would I live in Seoul. Yes I can think of worse places but I can also think of many places that are way better. I wasn't born in a 3rd world country with no options so why would I decrease my standard of living considerably and screw myself over as I hit my middle ages? Sorry, but if your answer is "The women here aren't whales" then I feel sorry for you.
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edwardcatflap



Joined: 22 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 2:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
It's cheap and people like to party


If you're into Cass and soju maybe. A decent beer in a pub in Itaewon or Hongdae generally costs more than it would in London.
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hellofaniceguy



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: On your computer screen!

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The problem with korea...is...too many koreans.
The country is about the size of California...California has around 38 million people...korea has almost twice that! And many know how crowded California is!
Take any "big named" city in the world....Tokyo, Rio, Paris, Montreal, London, Sydney, etc....korea will never be on par with them...until they accept the fact that there are multi cultures in the world...not just korean....and koreans should embrace all cultures and accept all.
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misher



Joined: 14 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:


If you're into Cass and soju maybe. A decent beer in a pub in Itaewon or Hongdae generally costs more than it would in London.


Very True.

It's just usually the arguments about why Seoul is so awesome compared to back home are a combination of:

A) Thin women
B) cheap housing (not that cheap actually if you want something more than a cement soviet style box)
C) cheap booze and smokes
D) one can party all night and not be shamed for it
E) Thin women
F) fast internet
G) Did I mention thin women?

Sorry but when I'm closing in on 45/50 none of the above is really a big deal to me anymore. Sure thin available women are great but they won't be looking at you unless you directly/indirectly pay for it like all the fat old bald guys do in the Philippines, Thailand etc.

Things I value as I get older

A) clean air
B) social security
C) SPACE
D) Access to nature without fighting hoards of people doing the same
E) Peace and Quiet

Seoul has absolutely none of the above.
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Captain Corea



Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm 40. Married. And have a kid.

And I'll confirm that for me, Seoul was far more enjoyable as a young single dude.
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Lucas



Joined: 11 Sep 2012

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Things I value as I get older

A) clean air
B) social security
C) SPACE
D) Access to nature without fighting hoards of people doing the same
E) Peace and Quiet


True.
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bossface



Joined: 05 Aug 2006

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hellofaniceguy wrote:
The problem with korea...is...too many koreans.
The country is about the size of California...California has around 38 million people...korea has almost twice that! And many know how crowded California is!


You're way, way off here. South Korea is about the size of Indiana, about 4 times smaller than California. Also, 50 million being *almost* 38x2 is pretty bad math.
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