Laid-Back Seoul: The Cherry Blossoms and Markets of Seoul

- April 8-10, 2019, Monday to Wednesday.

- I'm saying this as early as now: no you won't see the usual palaces, no you won't see the N Seoul Tower, no you won't see the folk villages, and no, nothing of those usual things. If you wanna see the usual Seoul things, click here (and subsequent parts of the series) and here (and subsequent parts of the series.) I have been to South Korea 6 times as of 2019, and all but one of my trips were for academic reasons (conferences, workshops, and the like.) This time, I was fortunate enough to be sent to Korea again by my work to meet with some partners institutions in Korea for some proposals and lectures. Our one week trip to Seoul and Busan was filled with meetings that I only had little time to insert some leisure activities. I've done all the usual trips before, and whenever I go back to Seoul, I always try to find new things to do or find new places to visit. Thankfully, I still managed to do something new, or squeeze in some time to revisit some places in Seoul that are very dear to me - most of which were some of Seoul's markets.

Was welcomed by these mascots. Glad I was wearing my casual hanbok.

- Upon arriving in downtown Seoul from the airport, we checked in our hotel and quickly went out to have a late-night dinner. I was ecstatic to find out that we made it in time for the cherry blossom season. In one particular area in Jongno 3-Ga, cherry blossoms with vibrant pink petals lined the streets as we looked for a restaurant to have our late dinner. I had one of my favorite comfort foods in Korea - army stew or "budae jjigae." It was the perfect stew to warm my body from the 14-degree-Celcius temperature of late night Seoul.

CHERRY BLOSSOMSSSS.

Budae jjigae!! <3 <3 <3 <3

So many cherry blossomssss.

A very traditional photo of Seoul in spring.

- The following day I had a meeting at Sogang University with some colleagues until the early afternoon. The university was also lined with lush cherry blossom trees, so I took the opportunity to do a little photo shoot before leaving the university.

The colors of the cherry blossoms look even nicer during the day.

Sogang University.

Dancing colors.

I've seen cherry blossoms before in Japan, but it was nice to see them again, and appreciate the cherry blossoms' fragile existence.

Cherry blossoms are usually a big deal in countries like Japan or Korea, as the flowers only bloom for a week in a year during spring.

- After visiting Sogang University, I began my journey through the markets of Seoul. The first market I went to was a familiar market to tourists called the Gwangjang Market or Gwangjang Shijang (Jongno 5-Ga metro station exit 8 or 9, open everyday from 9am onwards except Sundays). Originally named Dongdaemun Market, this market opened in 1905 by Koreans as a response to Japanese control of other markets in Seoul. It was the first market to be open everyday of the week. It was named Gwangjang Market in 1960, after the corporation that established the Dongdaemun Market. The term "Gwangjang" was derived from the Gwangkyo ("wide bridge") and Jangkyo ("long bridge"), the two bridges build in that area.

The ever-busy Gwangjang Market.

For the foodies out there.

- The Gwangjang Market today is known for two things: clothes and food. This no frills market serves traditional Korean food of any kind, but for people who know me, they know that the only reason I go to Gwangjang is to find cheap but gorgeous hanboks or hanbok vests ("jokki") to add to my small hanbok collection. The clothes section of the market sells casual hanboks, formal hanboks, hanbok accessories, traditional shoes and hats, and so on. Some stalls may also sell bedsheets or souvenirs. (Don't forget to haggle!!)

- That evening we had a traditional Korean bossam (boiled pork wraps) dinner near our hotel, and had a taste of traditional Tibetan food at my favorite Tibetan restaurant in Seoul - Potala Restaurant (read more about the restaurant here: here). I usually visit this restaurant whenever I visit Seoul.

Introducing Tibetan food to my amazing colleagues.

My forever favorite: the humble tsampa and yak butter tea.

- On my last day in Seoul, a very rainy one, I visited one of the markets that I had been meaning to visit since 2017 - the Seoul Folk Flea Market (Seoul Pungmul Shijang; Sinseoldong metro station exit 9.) The market is open everyday from 10am onwards, except the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. This market sells any item you can think of - second hand clothes and toys, old tapes/records, some traditional clothes (but still better to buy hanboks in Gwangjang Market), electronics, everyday items, antiques, jewelry, you name it! This market is for the adventurous shopper!!

Here I am, waiting for the market to open.

The market is organized into categories (each color represents a certain type of item being sold, like clothes, electronics, or antiques.) 

Too many things!!

Wanted these second-hand Mongolian boots but they were not my size.

Random stuff.

Music from the past!!

Buddhist antiques.

They were captured and turned to stone. Hahahaha. (I wonder who they're supposed to represent though.)

More antiques.

Cool!! Antique toy cars!!

- The Seoul Folk Flea Market's backstory is as interesting as the things that it sells. The stalls inside the market used to be in a flea market in an area called Hwanghak-dong. The stores would line the man-made river now called Cheonggyecheon. In the mid-2000s, the Cheonggyecheon stream was modernized and renovated to the romantic spot that it is today, and the shops were relocated to its current location - a former girls' high school - near the river. The market today gives people a glimpse of Seoul during the Cold War,  not only because of the antiques that some stalls sell, but the music being played and sometimes performed are from the bygone eras of the ahjussis and ahjummas (uncles and aunties) selling their goods. Traditional crafts and food, even some medicinal drinks, are also served at the food court. The second floor also had an interesting exhibit of how things were like in Cold-War South Korea.

Market mascots.

Blast to the past.

If I were a teacher in the year 19xx.

A typist.

Just a bystander.

Waiting for my soju.

Old orange telephone!!

- I left the flea market and rode the metro back to my hotel at Jongno 3-ga, got changed, and accompanied some colleagues to my home in Seoul - Insadong (Anguk metro station Exit 6, or Jongno 3-ga metro station exit 5 and walk around a few minutes.) Insadong used to be a residential area in the Joseon Dynasty, around 500 years ago. Eventually, it became a trading place for antiques, and after renovations and improvements throughout the years, it transformed into a street known for selling souvenirs and handicrafts. Insadong, by the way, is known for its giant paintbrush statue that marks the start of the street. It has always been a ritual for me to take a photo in front of this paintbrush. My always go-to souvenir store is a colorful souvenir store across the entrance of Ssamziegil mall, under a sign that says "사무당표구사" (samudang pyogusa). The young lady who runs the store is named Hyeonju. I've been going to her store for souvenirs since 2011!! I'm happy that she always remembers me.

Giant paintbrush.

Insadong is always home to me.

Ssamziegil.

- The funniest thing happened to me in Insadong. While standing in the middle of the road. Someone shouted my name twice. I thought I was hallucinating, when it turned out to be one of my former students who's taking her master's in Korea now!! I was happy that she was given the opportunity to study in Korea as I wrote her recommendation letter for the scholarship.

So happy that you made it!!

- After a hearty lunch in Insadong, my colleagues and I went to Korea University to attend a lecture delivered by two esteemed professors from our team. Korea University hosted a pleasant dinner for us after the lectures.

- We went back to the hotel afterwards, and since my luggage was already good to go for the next leg of our Korea trip, I went outside and walked around Jongno to get a last glimpse of Korea before leaving the next day.

What a friendly bus.

CAN I TAKE THEM HOME.

Bought some after-dinner snacks - a corndog, hotteok (bean pancakes), and cherry-blossom coke.

- It is increasingly hard to find things to do (that I'm interested in) in Seoul, but it just keeps surprising me each time I go. Seoul will forever be one of the cities that I will keep loving, especially since its markets always give me good finds!! (See my trip to Busan: Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here!!)