8 reasons why Korea should be on your travel list in 2017
We visited Seoul twice and had a fantastic time. The shopping, food and the city was one of a kind! On our second visit last year, however, there were moments where I almost thought I went to China. Granted, a key reason was that we mainly stayed at the Myeongdong area, the beauty capital of Korea (and possibly the world). As long as you have an Asian face, people start selling things to you in Mandarin Chinese. Along with these Chinese parallel traders pulling big suitcases on the streets everywhere and aggressive sales ladies trying to get you to buy their skincare products, it was a bit a too much.
A political development in 2017 changed this.
1. Quietness restored
Chinese tourists used to make up eight million out of the 17 million tourists visiting Korea every year. Since February 2017, China has unofficially sanctioned South Korea over the U.S. and Korea's agreement to deploy the THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea. Afraid that this could threaten China's security, the Chinese government retaliated by instructing Chinese tour companies to cut tours to South Korea. Response from the public in China in support of the sanctioning was tremendous. This is really bad for Korea as they were very reliant on the Chinese for tourism, which has plunged by 40% since the crisis. But on the flip side, this is great for international travelers because without the flood of Chinese tourists, we can finally enjoy more space and peace in Seoul!
According to the Apple Daily (a Hong Kong newspaper), there are rumors that China will lift the Korean sanctions in the near future. So if you can, now is the time to go!
2. Be inspired by the Korean creativity and innovation
Don't stop reading this article even if you don't care about beauty products. Can you imagine a whole district in a city FULLY dedicated to skincare and beauty shops? Apparently, Seoul made this possible. The beauty industry in Korea is so sophisticated and creative that I recommend everyone to take a look for themselves just to experience it and be inspired by the creativity and innovations by the Koreans.
3. Seoul is truly a city that never sleeps
Many global cities claim this tagline but after having visited most world-class cities, I'd say forget about Tokyo, New York, or Hong Kong - Seoul is the real winner for the title. The city remains full of energy after midnight as Dongdaemon and the party district are not closed until dawn and you can see plenty of shoppers still busily looking out for things to buy. We were exhausted at 1 am and was wondering how people could still be enthusiastically shopping.
4. Amazing food
If you have tried the so-called Korean barbecue outside of Korea (be it New York, LA, Hong Kong, or elsewhere), regardless of whether you are convinced or not that impressed with it, I challenge you to actually go to Korea to try the authentic Korean barbecue. The difference in quality is monumental and I was shocked at how AMAZING the real Korean barbecue really is. For one thing, the meat and vegetables are locally produced, meaning they're fresh and you actually can taste the difference. Accompanied by the wonderful spices and salt, Korean barbecue is truly a foodie's delight!
5. Experience a different Asian history and culture
Korea has a rich and ancient history and culture that is quite different to Japan and China. I like that Seoul did a good job preserving its traditional heritage and yet has a very high-tech and innovative side.
6. Quirky but a bit more moderate
We've been to almost all major countries in Asia and while we love it, it is fair to call certain parts of the Asian culture quirky sometimes (e.g. the cat cafes, the pachinkos, and many more). Compared to Japan and China, we consider Korea to be "less weird" of the three. Of course, Korea culture is unique and completely different from the West but it is not so "out there."
A good example to illustrate that is the food. In Japan, they eat whales and raw octopus cut up right in front of your face and served on your plate (so cruel!), and in China, people actually eat porcupines, scorpions (plus everything unimaginable and the Chinese take pride in that). In Korea, at least most of their food can be accounted for (i.e. regular pork, chicken, beef, vegetables, etc.)
Bottom line - you will experience a unique Asian culture in Korea without getting completely weirded out as a Westerner.
7. Seoul has many Instagram-worthy spots
Of course, you don't have to be IG-savvy to enjoy beautiful spots and take great pictures. But really, Seoul is a beautiful city. For example, the scenery of Han River, Petite France Village, and the city view in general are all very nice.
8. You can do many outdoor activities in Korea
We know friends who travel to Korea every year just for skiing. The Olympics Committee must be convinced too, as the Winter Olympics in 2018 will be held at the Pyeongchang, Korea. Or hop over to the tropical island of Jeju, the "Hawaii" of Korea for the white sand beaches and dormant volcano hikes. Point is, there is definitely more to city-hopping, food and shopping in Korea.
Have you ever been to Korea or considered going to Korea? Do you agree with the above? We'd love to hear your thoughts.
