Its the Weekend! 3 Fun things to Do in Seoul!

HEY! It's the Weekend, Let's check out Seoul!

You might be wondering what are some things that you could do on the weekends in Seoul. In fact, there are so many different things to because every part of Seoul has some great hidden gems that can give way to some beautiful memories. Today, I will go into 3 different places that I have gone to recently and my thoughts around them.

Koriko Cafe

Ironically, I had heard about this cafe on another CIEE Seoul blog post. Once I saw the pictures, I was hooked and knew that I wanted to go. So once I got a friend to come with me, we decided to go on a Saturday around 12pm. This was actually the best idea because we managed to get a great spot outside. It was quite easy to get here from the Sk dorms on Yonsei campus because it was only a 6 minute bus trip on the Blue line and then a 10 minute walk. When you first walk up to cafe, you are greeted with a cute visage that looks like the cafe in the Studio Ghibli film Kiki's Delivery Service. The day that I went was one of the warmer days that signaled the coming of spring. With the trees blossoming, the cafe could not have looked any cuter. Entering the cafe, it is split into two sections, a little gift shop that you can buy Studio Ghibli merch and the actual cafe that had many different pastries and drink options. My friend and I stayed at the cafe for over 3 hours, just chatting and enjoying our food and drinks. It was such a great day to go and a place I definitely recommend, regardless if you are a Studio Ghibli fan or not. The atmosphere was great and it did not get too crowded when we were there. I do advise that you go early though so you can have your pick of seats. 

Lotte World

Now, if you've never been to Disney World like me, I would say Lotte World is one of the places closest to it. The idea of going to Lotte World was brought about by one of my friends for her birthday. 

Ironically, in March, there were at least 4 of us whose birthday was that month, along with mine! One thing that is a staple about going to Lotte World is that you should wear school uniforms with your friends. There are many stores that cater to that inside and outside of the park but the one we used was 10 mins away from the park. It was only 15,000 won for the entire outfit for the entire day until 9pm. One thing to note was that since we were a big group, one person's ID needed to be held on as insurance for the return of the uniforms. Lotte World has a lot of different attractions that cater to all ages. It's right off green Line 2, at Jamsil Station and it was fairly obvious where to go. We went on a Sunday morning and everything was packed but regardless of there being long lines, everything was worth doing. We spent the morning, while the weather was warm, on Magic Island, which I am pictured in front of the castle.  There were 5 different rides on the island and the longest we waited was for an hour and a half. But while we waited, we took every opportunity to take pictures and videos because us in our matching uniforms were too cute to pass up. In fact, you could see so many different combinations of uniforms that you see a whole rainbow. While we might've been one of the bigger groups of foreigners wearing uniforms, we were not the only one. The rides, while not as extreme as ones at Six Flags in the US, were still a lot of fun and heart pounding. The inside was nothing to scoff at either because they had water rides and a mechanical air balloon ride that showed you the entirety of building. But there was also interactive experiences, a haunted house, a carousel, and many different food options. In terms of pricing, the tickets were only $32 and lunch was not more than 15,000 won. This is a place that I definitely recommend staying the whole day at because there was so much to do that you needed all the time you could get.

The War Memorial of Korea

Korea, like any nation, has many museums but seeing the War Memorial was especially eye opening. Right off line 4, the museum is located close to the National Museum of Korea and is surrounded by different memorials. Walking onto the compound, different statues greet you, all with their own different stories behind them. Coming through the west gate, we saw the Statue of Brothers which showcases how during the Korean War, two

brothers, one on the side of South Korea and the other of North Korea, meeting each other on the battlefield. They are embracing, depicting love and forgiveness between them. They are above a dome that is cracked, emphasizing the split of Korea and the hope of reconciliation. Walking past all of the monuments really hits home how much peace has remained a wish for the peninsula. This is also aided by the class that I have been taking at Yonsei. Considering I am in Modern Korean History and Korea-US Relations, I have been learning about the events surrounding the division of Korea and the events that occured after. Heading into the Museum helps build onto all of the knowledge and the feelings surrounding the memorial. Getting the opportunity to visit the museum/memorial, it allows you a moment of reflection, of thinking what it means to be unaffected from war. It gives you a new perspective when you are here and I do encourage everyone to check this place out. We were not able to spend much time here before it closed but we definitely planned to come back and really explore more of the place. 

These were just a few places that I have been to in Seoul within the month that I have been here. If you are coming to Seoul anytime soon, these places are some that should be on your bucket list! While some have been fun and some have been reflective, there is something for everyone here and I'm excited to keep exploring the place I can call home for this semester.