Seoul 2014
The following pictures are from my vacation to the Republic of Korea (ROK), 5–15 May 2014. A couple of the snapshots might seem unlikely vacation pictures, but please consider this was my eighth holiday in Korea and, frankly, I’m running out of things to photograph. Note, also, I tried a different feature on this web hosting service that will affect visitors to this page: hover your cursor over the smaller photographs for a moment and a caption will appear describing the image. Unfortunately, this element doesn't work for the larger pictures; those captions are fixed beneath the images.
Anyway, eight vacations to Korea in twelve years…and they keep getting better. How is that possible? I think it’s because of the good Korean people I’m surrounded by when I visit the ROK, whom I've already praised abundantly on my Korea 2011 page. Yes, I will return to Korea, likely next year, and will have another great time.
One difference in this trip compared to the previous seven was in the flights to and from Asia. Delta changed their Minneapolis-to-Seoul schedule sometime in the last two years. It had been Minneapolis to Tokyo, then Tokyo to Seoul, arriving ten o’clock at night, which meant racing to catch the last bus into the city and to my hotel, finally checking in at midnight, exhausted. This year with an earlier departure, the route was Minneapolis to Detroit, then Detroit direct to Seoul, arriving at a scheduled 18:30. But my particular flight, instead of lasting thirteen-and-a-half hours, landed an hour early, giving me even more extra time to not-get-stressed going through passport control and customs and while waiting for ground transportation. The return flight, however, again through Detroit, was supposed to arrive in Minneapolis at 16:30, but tremendous storms in Detroit the day before, enough the evacuate the terminal, caused a series of extensive delays in and out of the Motor City, with the ripple effect being that by the time my Seoul-to-Detroit flight landed I had missed my Twin Cities connection. And because the last Minneapolis flight that evening was already overbooked, I had to spend the night in a surprisingly nice Comfort Inn at the Detroit-Wayne Airport and fly home early the next morning.
Whew!
Oops. I almost forgot. One last point in this introduction, not related directly to the vacation. I awoke early the morning I was leaving Minnesota and upon checking my home e-mail I received a note from Amazon saying that someone had just bought a Blu-Ray I listed on their marketplace many months ago. Proper etiquette when selling goods on Amazon is to ship the item within two days of being notified of the sale. This appeared impossible for me now because the taxi was picking me up in an hour and then I’d be on my way. Although I e-mailed the buyer and explained my predicament—and he very well might have understood but he’d be within their rights if he didn’t—my only hope was to carry the disc with me and if there was a serviced post office in the terminal at the Detroit airport mail it from there. (No, I wasn’t going to send it from Seoul.) Well, when I got to the impressive new terminal in Detroit I stopped at the information counter and asked about a post office. A nice older woman, Ms. Kelly, said there was a drop box in the building but not a window where I could buy specific postage. And then in an act of profound charity, she volunteered to mail it for me on her way home from work that afternoon. I hesitated at first, but then acquiesced, trusting her to be true to her word, and then gave her the the approximate amount of cash required to ship the package to California. Sure enough the morning after I arrived in Seoul I checked my e-mail and found she had sent me a scanned copy of the receipt, as proof that she had mailed the disc. Is this not unbelievable?!
Anyway, eight vacations to Korea in twelve years…and they keep getting better. How is that possible? I think it’s because of the good Korean people I’m surrounded by when I visit the ROK, whom I've already praised abundantly on my Korea 2011 page. Yes, I will return to Korea, likely next year, and will have another great time.
One difference in this trip compared to the previous seven was in the flights to and from Asia. Delta changed their Minneapolis-to-Seoul schedule sometime in the last two years. It had been Minneapolis to Tokyo, then Tokyo to Seoul, arriving ten o’clock at night, which meant racing to catch the last bus into the city and to my hotel, finally checking in at midnight, exhausted. This year with an earlier departure, the route was Minneapolis to Detroit, then Detroit direct to Seoul, arriving at a scheduled 18:30. But my particular flight, instead of lasting thirteen-and-a-half hours, landed an hour early, giving me even more extra time to not-get-stressed going through passport control and customs and while waiting for ground transportation. The return flight, however, again through Detroit, was supposed to arrive in Minneapolis at 16:30, but tremendous storms in Detroit the day before, enough the evacuate the terminal, caused a series of extensive delays in and out of the Motor City, with the ripple effect being that by the time my Seoul-to-Detroit flight landed I had missed my Twin Cities connection. And because the last Minneapolis flight that evening was already overbooked, I had to spend the night in a surprisingly nice Comfort Inn at the Detroit-Wayne Airport and fly home early the next morning.
Whew!
Oops. I almost forgot. One last point in this introduction, not related directly to the vacation. I awoke early the morning I was leaving Minnesota and upon checking my home e-mail I received a note from Amazon saying that someone had just bought a Blu-Ray I listed on their marketplace many months ago. Proper etiquette when selling goods on Amazon is to ship the item within two days of being notified of the sale. This appeared impossible for me now because the taxi was picking me up in an hour and then I’d be on my way. Although I e-mailed the buyer and explained my predicament—and he very well might have understood but he’d be within their rights if he didn’t—my only hope was to carry the disc with me and if there was a serviced post office in the terminal at the Detroit airport mail it from there. (No, I wasn’t going to send it from Seoul.) Well, when I got to the impressive new terminal in Detroit I stopped at the information counter and asked about a post office. A nice older woman, Ms. Kelly, said there was a drop box in the building but not a window where I could buy specific postage. And then in an act of profound charity, she volunteered to mail it for me on her way home from work that afternoon. I hesitated at first, but then acquiesced, trusting her to be true to her word, and then gave her the the approximate amount of cash required to ship the package to California. Sure enough the morning after I arrived in Seoul I checked my e-mail and found she had sent me a scanned copy of the receipt, as proof that she had mailed the disc. Is this not unbelievable?!
Renaissance Seoul Hotel
On five of my eight trips to Korea all of my hotel time was in Seoul, including this one, and my lodging of choice has been the Renaissance Seoul Hotel, a Marriott property. Though it’s designed for business people, it’s ideal for me because of its great location in Gangnam, its tasteful appointments, the outstanding fitness center and swimming pool, and the overwhelming breakfast. Plus the staff has always treated me like a king, including a kind, youthful, beautiful woman who used to work in business center but is now the Chef Coordinator. While not new, the Renaissance is maintained impeccably and its rooms are comfortable and quiet. Being a Marriott Elite member for a short time this year I got upgraded to a large room at the end of the hall on the ninth floor, even more comfortable and quiet.
On the three trips when I was traveling around the country, I still started and finished the vacation in Seoul because of flying in and out of Incheon, and stayed at the Renaissance at the beginning or end of those journeys. The remaining three hotels I patronized were all quite nice: the Intercontinental Hotel COEX, the Seoul Plaza Hotel, and the Millennium Hilton. But I’m not sure if it’s because I perceived those three as lacking character or just that I clicked instantly with the Renaissance, but it, the Renaissance, will be my accommodations whenever I’m in Seoul, as long as it’s available when I’m there.
On five of my eight trips to Korea all of my hotel time was in Seoul, including this one, and my lodging of choice has been the Renaissance Seoul Hotel, a Marriott property. Though it’s designed for business people, it’s ideal for me because of its great location in Gangnam, its tasteful appointments, the outstanding fitness center and swimming pool, and the overwhelming breakfast. Plus the staff has always treated me like a king, including a kind, youthful, beautiful woman who used to work in business center but is now the Chef Coordinator. While not new, the Renaissance is maintained impeccably and its rooms are comfortable and quiet. Being a Marriott Elite member for a short time this year I got upgraded to a large room at the end of the hall on the ninth floor, even more comfortable and quiet.
On the three trips when I was traveling around the country, I still started and finished the vacation in Seoul because of flying in and out of Incheon, and stayed at the Renaissance at the beginning or end of those journeys. The remaining three hotels I patronized were all quite nice: the Intercontinental Hotel COEX, the Seoul Plaza Hotel, and the Millennium Hilton. But I’m not sure if it’s because I perceived those three as lacking character or just that I clicked instantly with the Renaissance, but it, the Renaissance, will be my accommodations whenever I’m in Seoul, as long as it’s available when I’m there.
Taekwondo
Inspired by a friend at work who's a martial artist and by my own desire to learn another aspect of Korean culture, I visited the world headquarters for taekwondo, Kukkiwon. Though tucked far back from the main street, Teheran-Ro, it's quite close to the Renaissance. In my naiveté I was hoping to take a taekwondo lesson there, but an employee told me that Kukkiwon teaches instructors, not novices. I must have looked disappointed because he gave me a calendar and a DVD for my troubles. Still, I enjoyed walking in and around the complex, including the museum. With the help of a nearby store selling martial arts supplies, I was able to find a school that let me take a taekwondo lesson for free two days later. The class had six students—four Koreans, one Frenchmen, and me, with the genders represented equally. The one-hour session was a great workout, as well as being fun. Barring something unforeseen, I will enroll in a school back home to study this discipline further.
Inspired by a friend at work who's a martial artist and by my own desire to learn another aspect of Korean culture, I visited the world headquarters for taekwondo, Kukkiwon. Though tucked far back from the main street, Teheran-Ro, it's quite close to the Renaissance. In my naiveté I was hoping to take a taekwondo lesson there, but an employee told me that Kukkiwon teaches instructors, not novices. I must have looked disappointed because he gave me a calendar and a DVD for my troubles. Still, I enjoyed walking in and around the complex, including the museum. With the help of a nearby store selling martial arts supplies, I was able to find a school that let me take a taekwondo lesson for free two days later. The class had six students—four Koreans, one Frenchmen, and me, with the genders represented equally. The one-hour session was a great workout, as well as being fun. Barring something unforeseen, I will enroll in a school back home to study this discipline further.
My taekwondo teacher and me at Mooto School
Sewol Ferry Tragedy
Though most had gotten on with their lives, many Koreans were still grieving over the Sewol ferry tragedy when I arrived three weeks after the accident. Several memorials around the country marked the occasion, but the largest one was in front of City Hall in Seoul, which is where I snapped the following four pictures. The time I spent there were the only sad moments of this vacation. The photos are self-explanatory, so I've included no captions.
Though most had gotten on with their lives, many Koreans were still grieving over the Sewol ferry tragedy when I arrived three weeks after the accident. Several memorials around the country marked the occasion, but the largest one was in front of City Hall in Seoul, which is where I snapped the following four pictures. The time I spent there were the only sad moments of this vacation. The photos are self-explanatory, so I've included no captions.
Gangnam Style
The next three pictures are from the section of Gangnam made popular by Korean singer Psy, with his two-billion-hit YouTube sensation, "Gangnam Style." It's one subway stop from my hotel, which is in the more business part of Gangnam. This area is trendy and upscale, to be sure, with a relentless variety of clothing stores, shoe stores, and restaurants, but it also has what I think is the best bookstore in Seoul if not all of Korea, Kyobo Book Centre. It's a fun, energetic strip to walk around, day or night. Again, the photos describe themselves without the need for captions.
The next three pictures are from the section of Gangnam made popular by Korean singer Psy, with his two-billion-hit YouTube sensation, "Gangnam Style." It's one subway stop from my hotel, which is in the more business part of Gangnam. This area is trendy and upscale, to be sure, with a relentless variety of clothing stores, shoe stores, and restaurants, but it also has what I think is the best bookstore in Seoul if not all of Korea, Kyobo Book Centre. It's a fun, energetic strip to walk around, day or night. Again, the photos describe themselves without the need for captions.
Korean Professional Baseball
Though the national sport is taekwondo and soccer is more popular as a team sport, baseball in Korea has millions of fans. Starting in 1982 with six teams, the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) now includes nine teams and will expand to ten next year. Unlike Major League Baseball, whose teams are named after the city in which they reside, KBO teams are named after the corporation sponsoring them, but with some of their nicknames familiar to fans of American sports. Here's some information, current as of 2014, about the KBO.
Team Home City Stadium Capacity
Doosan Bears Seoul 27,500
Hanwha Eagles Daejeon 14,133
Kia Tigers Gwangju 27,000
LG Twins Seoul 27,500
Lotte Giants Busan 28,500
NC Dinos Changwon 16,000
Nexen Heroes Seoul 18,000
Samsung Lions Daegu 10,000
SK Wyverns Incheon 28,000
• Doosan and LG share Jamsil Stadium as their home field
• All the stadiums are open to the natural environment
• The season has 128 games, with each team playing the others sixteen times apiece
• Teams are allowed to have three foreign players
• Few players earn the Korean won-equivalent of a six-figure U.S.-dollar salary
• The four teams with the best record at the end of the season compete for the championship
• Kia has won the most titles; Samsung, the second-most
• Fourteen Korean KBO players have gone on to play in the U.S. Major Leagues
I went to two games this trip: an evening game to see the Heroes host and lose to the Twins, and an afternoon game to see the Twins host and beat the Giants. (A bit of irony here is that the Twins have the worst record in the KBO this year.) At the first game I sat next to a couple who thought I was related to the Nexen's American starting pitcher; at the second game I sat next to a young Korean woman attending the game by herself and cheering for her and her mother's favorite, the Giants.
As good as the players are in the KBO and as much fun as the games are to watch, the highlight of attending a Korean professional baseball game takes place in the stands, as the fans for both teams pound their inflated thundersticks together and, in uncanny unison, sing songs when each of their team's players come to bat. It's impossible not to get swept away in the enthusiasm. The seemingly choreographed cheering doesn't happen just in the later innings; it starts from the first frame and continues to the last out. And if all that isn't enough, excellent seats that will put you in the middle of this merriment cost only the equivalent of $12; even more excellent seats, the equivalent of $20. (There are normally official cheerleaders for each team, dancing and further prodding the fans from the top of the dugouts, but because of the Sewol tragedy, this added attraction was suspended until later in the month.)
A fundamental difference in the layout of Korean and U.S. stadiums is that Korean ballparks have a heavy netting that runs along the first and third base sides of the stands to stop any foul balls from injuring the fans. As a spectator you adapt to this right away and soon don't even know it's there. I applaud the KBO for installing these screens because it eliminates the possibility of a line-drive foul or an errant bat from hurting someone who came to watch a ballgame. I've thought for a long time that the Major Leagues should have something similar, but I think it's unlikely to happen.
Though the national sport is taekwondo and soccer is more popular as a team sport, baseball in Korea has millions of fans. Starting in 1982 with six teams, the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) now includes nine teams and will expand to ten next year. Unlike Major League Baseball, whose teams are named after the city in which they reside, KBO teams are named after the corporation sponsoring them, but with some of their nicknames familiar to fans of American sports. Here's some information, current as of 2014, about the KBO.
Team Home City Stadium Capacity
Doosan Bears Seoul 27,500
Hanwha Eagles Daejeon 14,133
Kia Tigers Gwangju 27,000
LG Twins Seoul 27,500
Lotte Giants Busan 28,500
NC Dinos Changwon 16,000
Nexen Heroes Seoul 18,000
Samsung Lions Daegu 10,000
SK Wyverns Incheon 28,000
• Doosan and LG share Jamsil Stadium as their home field
• All the stadiums are open to the natural environment
• The season has 128 games, with each team playing the others sixteen times apiece
• Teams are allowed to have three foreign players
• Few players earn the Korean won-equivalent of a six-figure U.S.-dollar salary
• The four teams with the best record at the end of the season compete for the championship
• Kia has won the most titles; Samsung, the second-most
• Fourteen Korean KBO players have gone on to play in the U.S. Major Leagues
I went to two games this trip: an evening game to see the Heroes host and lose to the Twins, and an afternoon game to see the Twins host and beat the Giants. (A bit of irony here is that the Twins have the worst record in the KBO this year.) At the first game I sat next to a couple who thought I was related to the Nexen's American starting pitcher; at the second game I sat next to a young Korean woman attending the game by herself and cheering for her and her mother's favorite, the Giants.
As good as the players are in the KBO and as much fun as the games are to watch, the highlight of attending a Korean professional baseball game takes place in the stands, as the fans for both teams pound their inflated thundersticks together and, in uncanny unison, sing songs when each of their team's players come to bat. It's impossible not to get swept away in the enthusiasm. The seemingly choreographed cheering doesn't happen just in the later innings; it starts from the first frame and continues to the last out. And if all that isn't enough, excellent seats that will put you in the middle of this merriment cost only the equivalent of $12; even more excellent seats, the equivalent of $20. (There are normally official cheerleaders for each team, dancing and further prodding the fans from the top of the dugouts, but because of the Sewol tragedy, this added attraction was suspended until later in the month.)
A fundamental difference in the layout of Korean and U.S. stadiums is that Korean ballparks have a heavy netting that runs along the first and third base sides of the stands to stop any foul balls from injuring the fans. As a spectator you adapt to this right away and soon don't even know it's there. I applaud the KBO for installing these screens because it eliminates the possibility of a line-drive foul or an errant bat from hurting someone who came to watch a ballgame. I've thought for a long time that the Major Leagues should have something similar, but I think it's unlikely to happen.
At Mokdong Stadium, watching the visiting LG Twins beat the Nexen Heroes
Classical Music in Korea
Somehow I missed the Seoul Arts Center (SAC) on my first several visits to the capital city. I might not have been looking for such a place—which reflecting on it long after the fact is hard to imagine—or had been occupied with other activities. Whatever the reason until two trips ago I didn’t know the SAC existed or else its existence didn’t register in my mind. But now I have been to the SAC several times, including three visits on this trip, enjoying outstanding classical music performances by Korean musicians, either soloists or chamber ensembles. Opened in time for the 1988 Olympics, the SAC has six venues to watch performances, music or dance, and three museums. The music hall is divided into three beautiful spaces: the recital hall, the music hall, and the chamber hall. I spent my time in the first and third ones, numbed with awe on Friday night at a performance by Bo-yun Lee, a small, middle-aged Korean woman playing contemporary classical violin works by living Korean composers. She was absolutely spectacular, as were the pieces she played. A chamber group of Korean women performed on Sunday afternoon, playing familiar music by Mozart, Chopin, Saint-Saens, Pachelbel, and others. Their musicianship was also exquisite, but the program was almost Classical Music’s Greatest Hits, which made for a long two hours listening to music I’ve heard so many times before—and in a couple of cases, in a different period of my life, played so many times before. On Monday night, a quartet of musicians from the Korean Chamber Orchestra practically ignited the entire center on fire with an ineffable performance of my three favorite works by Schubert: Quartetsatz, Rosamunde, and Death and the Maiden. To hear these pieces played with such ferocity by these preternaturally talented musicians was an emotionally exhausting experience, an opinion the exhilarated audience clearly shared. In this quartet, the first violinist and cellist were men, while the second violinist and violist were women. Something I couldn’t help but notice at the three concerts, in which at each I sat in the center seat of the fifth or six row, was that the audiences were about 75% female, and that many of the young people in the audience, of either gender, were carrying their stringed instruments with them, presumably coming from or on their way to a rehearsal or a lesson. With the possible exception of New York City, I can’t imagine this happening anywhere else in the world.
The SAC is in Seocho, a section of Seoul two subway stops from my hotel in Gangnam (Line 2, exit 3). If I were ever lucky enough to live in Seoul, then this is the neighborhood in which I’d want to be located, within easy walking distance to the SAC and surrounded by people who love the fine and performing arts. But Seoul also has several other venues to hear classical music, spread throughout the city. Why, between those and the SAC a person could literally listen to live classical music every night of the year. And as long as you weren’t seeing the biggest-named European or American artists, you’d spend only 20,000 – 30,000 won for a ticket. (1022 won equals US$1.)
Last, as happened at the two baseball games I attended, the locals were curious about this white guy traveling alone and attending performances by Koreans playing fine music. I had delightful conversations with Seoulites—a retired doctor and two students—before the concerts began or at intermission. These were so refreshing because I have been starving for this type of stimulation for many years living in the Twin Cities.
Now truly last: something funny happened before the start of Friday’s concert, while the audience was getting seated. I was ensconced in my seat, reading a book, when an awkward, teen-aged boy—acned, wearing glasses, and carrying his violin—tried to squeeze his way through to his seat, two to my left, when he suddenly tripped, falling face-first but catching himself before hitting the ground, with his left leg splaying so wildly that he (lightly) kicked the woman in the row in front of us in the head. Absolutely no damage was done to anyone or anything but the sequence was so ridiculous that I had to laugh to myself, unlike right now, when I laughing out loud as I write this.
Somehow I missed the Seoul Arts Center (SAC) on my first several visits to the capital city. I might not have been looking for such a place—which reflecting on it long after the fact is hard to imagine—or had been occupied with other activities. Whatever the reason until two trips ago I didn’t know the SAC existed or else its existence didn’t register in my mind. But now I have been to the SAC several times, including three visits on this trip, enjoying outstanding classical music performances by Korean musicians, either soloists or chamber ensembles. Opened in time for the 1988 Olympics, the SAC has six venues to watch performances, music or dance, and three museums. The music hall is divided into three beautiful spaces: the recital hall, the music hall, and the chamber hall. I spent my time in the first and third ones, numbed with awe on Friday night at a performance by Bo-yun Lee, a small, middle-aged Korean woman playing contemporary classical violin works by living Korean composers. She was absolutely spectacular, as were the pieces she played. A chamber group of Korean women performed on Sunday afternoon, playing familiar music by Mozart, Chopin, Saint-Saens, Pachelbel, and others. Their musicianship was also exquisite, but the program was almost Classical Music’s Greatest Hits, which made for a long two hours listening to music I’ve heard so many times before—and in a couple of cases, in a different period of my life, played so many times before. On Monday night, a quartet of musicians from the Korean Chamber Orchestra practically ignited the entire center on fire with an ineffable performance of my three favorite works by Schubert: Quartetsatz, Rosamunde, and Death and the Maiden. To hear these pieces played with such ferocity by these preternaturally talented musicians was an emotionally exhausting experience, an opinion the exhilarated audience clearly shared. In this quartet, the first violinist and cellist were men, while the second violinist and violist were women. Something I couldn’t help but notice at the three concerts, in which at each I sat in the center seat of the fifth or six row, was that the audiences were about 75% female, and that many of the young people in the audience, of either gender, were carrying their stringed instruments with them, presumably coming from or on their way to a rehearsal or a lesson. With the possible exception of New York City, I can’t imagine this happening anywhere else in the world.
The SAC is in Seocho, a section of Seoul two subway stops from my hotel in Gangnam (Line 2, exit 3). If I were ever lucky enough to live in Seoul, then this is the neighborhood in which I’d want to be located, within easy walking distance to the SAC and surrounded by people who love the fine and performing arts. But Seoul also has several other venues to hear classical music, spread throughout the city. Why, between those and the SAC a person could literally listen to live classical music every night of the year. And as long as you weren’t seeing the biggest-named European or American artists, you’d spend only 20,000 – 30,000 won for a ticket. (1022 won equals US$1.)
Last, as happened at the two baseball games I attended, the locals were curious about this white guy traveling alone and attending performances by Koreans playing fine music. I had delightful conversations with Seoulites—a retired doctor and two students—before the concerts began or at intermission. These were so refreshing because I have been starving for this type of stimulation for many years living in the Twin Cities.
Now truly last: something funny happened before the start of Friday’s concert, while the audience was getting seated. I was ensconced in my seat, reading a book, when an awkward, teen-aged boy—acned, wearing glasses, and carrying his violin—tried to squeeze his way through to his seat, two to my left, when he suddenly tripped, falling face-first but catching himself before hitting the ground, with his left leg splaying so wildly that he (lightly) kicked the woman in the row in front of us in the head. Absolutely no damage was done to anyone or anything but the sequence was so ridiculous that I had to laugh to myself, unlike right now, when I laughing out loud as I write this.
The Seoul Arts Center
I love Korea. Plain and simple.