Korea’s one of my favourite countries. I fell in love with it during my time as an ESL teacher in the country. There were 10 things that I absolutely adored about South Korea. Read on to find out what they are.
Table of Contents
1. The Snacks
Korean chocolate can never compare to British chocolate, but South Korea has other tasty snacks that I became addicted to. During my time living in the country, I couldn’t stop eating these fruity sweets called Mychew. They had the same consistency as chewing gum but were edible, which probably explains why they were so addictive. I even gave some to my family and they said the same thing.
I also couldn’t keep away from other snacks like Pepero sticks, and I enjoyed the great assortment of cheap and varied ice cream flavours in the summer.
Healthier food choices also won me over. There are many sweet and savoury snacks made of rice in Korea such as hangwa. I beamed with delight every time my coworkers bought sweet rice cakes or drinks like sikhye to work. I even enjoyed trying the infamous soju. Another drink I loved was sujeonggwa (persimmon punch).
Unfortunately, I didn’t like snacks like honey butter chips but I couldn’t get enough of the shrimp snacks (saeoo snek) sold in supermarkets.
2. The Excellent Public Transport
The public transport in South Korea is excellent as it’s cheap, reliable and certain cities not only have free Wi-Fi on their trains but even on their buses. I know that places like Suncheon, Gwangyang, Jeju City and Seogwipo do. In fact, I used the Wi-Fi to watch about an hour’s worth of a music show on a bus in Jeju going to the airport.
3. The Nature
I’m a city girl but I feel at one with nature when I visit the countryside. Although there are many cities with big skyscrapers in Korea, the country has tons of nature. You’re never too far away from a hiking trail. I actually lived near one and even a farm when I was an ESL teacher in South Korea. Some of my fondest memories of the country were watching farmworkers plant and harvest their crops, as I’ve never seen this in the UK. The beautiful landscapes also make it easy to take great photos.
4. The Festivals
There are so many festivals in Korea and a lot of them are easily accessible. I’ve danced at a Hip-hop festival at NanjI Hangang Park in Seoul, miraculously made my way to a small village in Jeollanam-do for the plum blossom festival and more. You can also attend the Mud Festival in Boryeong, the Jindo Sea Parting Festival, plenty of Cherry Blossom festivals in the spring and many lantern festivals in the capital city as well as in smaller cities like Jinju. I’ve never been to so many festivals in a year until I lived in Korea.
5. The Cheapness
Now, there are a lot of things in South Korea that are more expensive than they are in the UK, such as fruit and veg and some housing deposits. However, I’ve found that things like transport (as I mentioned above), concert tickets, hotel prices, and monthly rent costs tend to be cheaper in South Korea. For instance, many Airbnbs I found in Seoul, including the one I stayed at were cheaper than the accommodation I lived in in my hometown, which is a small city. My money definitely went a long way in South Korea.
6. The Eclectic Sceneries
I’ve mentioned how I love the nature in Korea, but something else I was fond of was how varied the landscapes in the country were. I mainly relished the juxtaposition between nature and artificiality and between old and modern aspects. For instance, in Gangnam, you’ll find Bongeunsa Temple opposite Starfield COEX Mall and skyscrapers surrounding mountains. Some may find this ugly, but I think the opposing elements create interesting landscapes.
7. The Shopping Centres
I never was a fan of shopping centres before I lived in Korea and travelled to other Asian countries. Back home, I just visited them to buy certain necessities or presents. And at uni, I enjoyed visiting them because I lived in a city without many shopping options.
However, the shopping centres in Korea (and in other Asian countries like Thailand and China) are amazing. They’re great to visit when the weather’s too hot outside or if it’s raining because they contain many entertainment and eating facilities.
The most wonderful ones are normally in bigger cities like Seoul, Busan, or Bangkok, for instance. In Korea, I personally like Starfield COEX Mall because it contains a ton of restaurants, an aquarium, a cinema, a beautiful library and more.
8. The Music
I have to admit that I’m a K-pop fan, but I also like K-hip-hop and K-RnB too. I even like traditional Korean music (gugak). One of the most memorable days I had in Seoul was when I went to a bar to watch a gugak performance. I was moved by many of the songs that night as the musicians did well to convey the emotions of the piece they were performing. Guard changing ceremonies also enthral me because of the musical aspect.
Another thing I enjoy is hearing music blasted from speakers outside of shops. I’ve found many cool songs while taking a stroll thanks to Shazam.
9. The Wi-Fi
I previously mentioned that you can find free Wi-Fi on public transportation. However, that’s not the only place you can access it. You can also get free Wi-Fi while walking on the street as well as in restaurants and even near the most remote tourist attractions such as Cheonjiyeon Waterfall on Jeju Island. I actually survived with no data plan or Wi-Fi dongle during the 18 months I was in the country. I don’t recommend this because there were some mishaps, but it’s possible to do.
10. The Fashion
I also wasn’t much into fashion before I lived in Korea, but the impeccable fashion sense in the country awakened something within me. Korean fashion is seriously on another level. The women look utterly beautiful and the men are insanely handsome. I couldn’t really find clothes that fit me well, but I still admired Korean clothes from afar. I even fell in love with traditional Korean clothing like hanbok and wasted no time snapping tons of photos of people dressed in them.
11. The Culture
It’s no secret that Korean culture is well-ingrained into Korean society and I really love that. When I lived in the country, I always had the opportunity to learn more about the country’s history, food and music and I appreciate that.
12. Cheap Medical Expenses
We do have free medical care in the UK through the NHS but sometimes it’s ineffective as there are long waiting lists. In Korea, you normally have to pay for medical services, which is something I hated at first. But after I hurt my knee and saw an orthopaedist, I realised that the medical cost weren’t so bad. I got a doctor’s consultation, x-ray, one round of physiotherapy and a week’s worth of medicine for less than £30, which I think is amazing. I’ve hurt my knee in the UK before and was merely told to rest at home, which I thought was insufficient.
