©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

SEOUL

THOMAS O’MALLEY, PHILLIP TANG Contents

Plan Your Trip 4 Welcome to ...... 4 Top Sights...... 6 Eating...... 10 Drinking & Nightlife...... 12 Shopping...... 14 Outdoor Seoul...... 16 Architecture...... 17 Museums & Galleries...... 18 K-Pop & K-Indie...... 19 Palaces, Temples & Shrines...... 20 For Kids...... 21 LGBT...... 22 For Free...... 23 Four Perfect Days...... 24 Need to Know...... 26 Seoul Neighbourhoods...... 28

Lotus Lantern Festival at Jogye-sa (p44) EARTH9566 / SHUTTERSTOCK © Explore Survival Seoul 31 Guide 145 Gwanghwamun & Before You Go...... 146 Jongno-gu...... 33 Arriving in Seoul...... 147 Myeong-dong & Getting Around...... 148 Jung-gu...... 55 Essential Information.... 149 Western Seoul...... 75 Language...... 153 & Index...... 156 Yongsan-gu...... 93 Gangnam & Southern Seoul...... 113 Special Features Dongdaemun & Bukchon Hanok Village.... 34 Eastern Seoul...... 131 Changdeokgung...... 36 ...... 38 N Seoul Tower & Worth a Trip ...... 56 Deoksugung...... 58 DMZ & JSA...... 110 Noryangjin Fish Market...... 76 National Museum of Korea...... 94 War Memorial of Korea.... 96 Bongeun-sa...... 114 Olympic Park...... 116 Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park...... 132 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Welcome to Seoul

Fashion- and technology-forward but also deeply traditional, Seoul mashes up palaces, temples, cutting-edge design and mountain trails, all to a nonstop K-Pop beat. A fascinating mix of old and new, this dy- namic city balances traditional culture with contemporary attractions. With amazing food, happening nightlife and a lively arts scene, Seoul is enjoying a renaissance not to be missed. Gyeongbokgung (p38) TOPIC IMAGES INC/GETTY IMAGES © ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 6 Top Sights

Bukchon Hanok Village Area with fascinating traditional homes. p34 Plan Your TripPlan Top Sights CURIOSO/SHUTTERSTOCK © 7

NATTEECHALERMTIRAGOOL/SHUTTERSTOCK © Bongeun-sa Future Buddha meets futuristic Gangnam. p114 Plan Your TripPlan Top Sights THANACHAISRISAI/SHUTTERSTOCK © Deoksugung Seoul’s only illuminated evening palace. p58 HANG DINH/SHUTTERSTOCKHANG © The DMZ Surreal symbol of the Cold War. p110 8

Changdeokgung Gyeongbokgung Beautiful palace hiding a secret Seoul’s most monumental royal garden. p36 palace. p38 LEFT: JULIEMAYFENG/SHUTTERSTOCK ©;RIGHT: ZEPHYR_P/SHUTTERSTOCK © Plan Your TripPlan Top Sights LEFT: DKCYUN/GETTY IMAGES ©; RIGHT: ONE_CLEAR_VISION/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

N Seoul Tower & Namsan Noryangjin Fish Market Iconic Seoul mountaintop views. Seoul’s exciting seafood-eating p56 experience. p76 9

National Museum of War Memorial of Korea Korea Military history and hardware. Explore Korea’s history. p94 p96 LEFT: BRIAN COLELLA/GETTY IMAGES ©; RIGHT: KIM JIHYUN/SHUTTERSTOCK © Plan Your TripPlan Top Sights LEFT: E5CAN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©; RIGHT: KOREAKHW/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Dongdaemun Design Olympic Park Plaza & Park The city’s artiest outdoor Architectural masterpiece. p132 museum. p116 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 10 Eating Plan Your TripPlan Sampling the many delights of Korean cuisine is one of Seoul’s great pleasures. Restaurants, cafes and street stalls are scattered throughout every neighbour- hood with options to suit all budgets and

Eating tastes – whether that’s simple rice and vegetables, a DIY barbecue blowout or the procession of banchan (side dishes) that takes up a royal court banquet.

Food Trends its kimchi tacos and generally have a tough other fusion fare. time elsewhere in Though Korean taste Korea, Seoul offers a buds lean towards much greater choice their own cuisine, Street Stalls of meat- and dairy- young Seoulites Street stalls and po- free eating options. As gobble up global food jangmacha (tent bars) well as Korean dishes trends at a startling are great for inexpen- such as bibimbap rate. Seoul’s restaurant sive meals, and some (pictured; rice, egg, scene now rivals those open long after most meat and vegies with of Hong Kong and restaurants close. chilli sauce; order it Shanghai as the most Areas in Insa-dong, without meat, or egg), dynamic in Asia. Myeong-dong and a few tofu dishes and Ongoing trends markets at Gwang- vegetable pajeon (sa- in­clude anything jang, Namdaemun voury fried pancakes), Americana, including and Dongdaemun are there are several tradi- New York–style pizza, the best spots to dig tional restaurants that Maine lobster or Ala- in with locals. specialise in 100% bama brisket. Thai and vegetarian Buddhist Vietnamese were red Vegetarians & temple food. Western- hot at time of research, Vegans style vegetarian/ and KoMex (Korean- vegan restaurants Mexican fusion) Though vegetarian are becoming more continues to reign with and vegan travellers common, and you can