Top 10 Things to do in SEOUL, Korea | Go Local

I have no idea what I just ordered. Looks pretty good though. I'm like a corn dog. Seoul is the 5th most populous city in the world. It is a major center of arts, education, finance, media, tourism, it's got a lot going on. But despite all of its modernism, it has a thriving street food scene, hip underground music bars, and ancient religious pagodas that are centuries old. I decided to spend some time in this city to really get to know the people, and find out what it was all about. Here are 10 of my favorite ways to experience the city of Seoul. Okay, so right now we're at the Norwegian fishing market, get some sashimi, and since the prices can be haggled, I brought someone who actually knows Korean. Hopefully we'll get a good price. The Noryangjin fish market is famous in Seoul. It's home to hundreds of stalls that sell fish so fresh it looks more like you're in an aquarium than you are at a fish market. It's open every day from 1.30 in the morning until 10 at night, and if you visit you'll probably stand out because it's mostly locals here. When I was there, I was lucky enough to meet a local who wanted to have lunch, and so I got a rare experience of watching him haggle for a fresh fish, and then taking it down the street to a nearby restaurant to have them prepare it for us. Can't get more authentic than that. Never try to outdrink Koreans, am I right? That was a seriously insane amount of fish, I don't think I've ever seen that much fish in one place. I mean, besides the ocean. Right. Look at this, it's literally 30 degrees right now, but it feels like 25. That's cold. Everyone's trying really hard not to slip on the ground. So one of the things that I love about Seoul is the juxtaposition between modern and old. And Bukchon Hanok Village is the perfect example of that. It's made up of hundreds of traditional-style Korean houses, nestled in a little neighborhood in the center of the city, and the village itself dates back to the 14th century. Today it's packed with dozens of family-run shops and restaurants, and it's the perfect place to get lost for an hour or two in, just walking around and absorbing the culture. Bukchon Hanok Village is a quiet little neighborhood full of traditional-style houses, hipster shopping, and street food stalls. It's a really cool area. And I would say more, except for it's so cold that my mouth is getting numb, and it's difficult to talk. Oh man, I need a hat. 3. Hongdae Hongdae is the University District of Seoul, and is widely known for its mouth-watering restaurants and underground music venues. This is where the locals come to party. Aside from the young street performers and delicious restaurants, there are also a number of street art fairs here, and chances are when you go, you'll see a festival of some kind happening. I don't know why, but something about that picture makes me laugh. Probably how goofy that guy looks. 4. The N Seoul Tower This is one of the landmark attractions in Seoul, and sits on top of the Namsan Mountain. The tower was built in 1971, just 20 years after fighting with North Korea stopped. It was South Korea's first general radio wave tower, providing TV and radio broadcasting in Seoul. Now, the most common way to get here is to take the Namsan cable car, and costs about 8,000 won round-trip. You can go up to an observation deck in the tower, but I don't think it's really necessary because the views from the bottom are just as good. I chose to go at night to try and avoid the crowds, and I think it was the right call. Especially because during the day, the city can be obscured by haze or swarm. 5. Gwangjang Market Alright, so now we get to my favorite part of traveling, and that is food. South Korea is off the charts in terms of street food. Gwangjang Market is the absolute essential spot to try some of these dishes at. It's actually one of the oldest and largest traditional markets in South Korea, and is home to over 5,000 shops. Some notable dishes you should check out while you're there is sundae, which is Korean blood sausage, served with a combination of mung bean noodle and sticky rice. Another fun snack to try is mayak gimbap, which is a Korean rice roll, which is basically pickled vegetables rolled with sticky rice and seaweed, and served in small spring roll style pieces. The name is actually translated to mean narcotic rice rolls, and just to be clear, that's just because of how extremely addictive they are to eat, doesn't mean there's any actual narcotics in them. 6. Namdaemun Market The Namdaemun Market dates back to 1414, when merchants would come here to trade grains, fish, fruit, and other miscellaneous goods. And it was only in 2007 that the city of Seoul announced plans to renovate it. So there's more history here than you think, and you'll find a wide variety of products being sold here. It's the perfect introduction to Seoul's markets. The Korean War lasted three years, from 1950 to 1953, after North Korea crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea with the support of China and the Soviet Union. During the conflict, Seoul changed hands four times. The population was decimated, and the city was reduced to ruin. The reason tensions between the North and South are so high even today is because the war never officially ended. An armistice was signed in 1953, where both sides agreed to end the fighting. However, no peace treaty was signed, and technically the two Koreas are still at war. The Korean War Museum in Seoul is an impressive testament to the conflict, and features numerous exhibits highlighting different aspects of the war. This temple is the center of Buddhism in Korea, and during the Japanese colonial invasion from 1910 to 1945, the temple remained a symbol of resistance to Japanese efforts to suppress Korean Buddhism. The temple is still active today, and as you walk around you're likely to see people bowing their head in prayer, and monks wandering the grounds. It's a great way to get away from the chaos of the rest of the city for a while. Bukhansan consists of three main peaks, the tallest of which is 2,744 feet, or about 830 meters. In addition to dozens of hiking trails that wind their way through the mountains, there's also the Bukhansan Fortress, that was first built in 132 AD to protect Seoul from foreign invaders. During the Korean War, it was substantially damaged, but it was recently reconstructed. Now it's one of the most well-preserved forts in Korea. Oh, and did I mention how insane the views are from up here? This was the Royal Palace during the Joseon Dynasty, built in 1395, and it housed the royal family until the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894. Japanese troops invaded the Korean peninsula and marched on Seoul, capturing Korean King Gojong. After occupying the royal palace, it was systematically destroyed. It has been gradually reconstructed to its original form, and has since been open to tourists. It's an important symbol of the previous Korean Kingdom. After the country split and then was ravaged by war for three years, the South Korean economy grew at an astounding rate. The people's resolve to get back up and keep fighting is really what makes this country so awesome. I mean, today it's the 7th largest economy in the world. Not forgetting the fact that some 70 years ago, the country was almost completely wiped out. There's more to this place than meets the eye. So guys, that is it. I hope you enjoyed that video. Let me know what you thought down below, and go ahead and click the video on the top left to see 11 things you should not do while in Korea, and click the video on the bottom left to see what you should do while in Tokyo, Japan.