Backpacking is the way to go.
My first time to Korea was pretty much through backpacking, travelling alone.

You'll feel really, really warm when you ask for help properly.
It's a good feeling.

Emm about the part of Koreans.. generally, if you speak to Koreans in english directly... they'll end up sounding rude to you, and in some cases, looking rude too.
But don't get the idea wrong, it is infact they're very shy when speaking english.
They're simply not comfortable doing it.
They give you the "ah.. go ask someone else" face, completely normal really.

So.. it's not that they're rude... the way they speak english is just a wrong impression of how they want to help, which they do end up sounding rude then.

Haha I get what you mean.
I've seen alot of foreigners being treated that way too.
Very common.

Don't let that shy you away from visiting the country again... I'll bring you around next time!

Naw.. I work there, travel back and forth to Korea quite frequently these days.
Right now in Malaysia... holidays.

Haha they won't know how to point where to go, because the Koreans now a days all rely on the subway and public transports.
They just remember the number of the buses and subway trains, how they arrive there they ain't have the slightest clue most of the time.

Not all of em'... but many youngsters (even middle-aged men and women also influenced like that already) now a days are like that, especially in the Seoul area.

So you gotta ask em' which train/bus to take instead.

This post has been edited by SSJBen: Nov 16 2010, 10:47 PM

I'm more in Busan actually... but I do go to Seoul often.
Yea, many don't have sense of direction. Always GPS, GPS GPS... I'm not native also know the roads better than the natives there.

Yea taxi is pretty cheap, public transports are very convenient anyways.

So yea, a note for those whose going... if you really need to ask which way to go, ASK FOR THE NUMBER OF THE TRANSPORT (EITHER BUS OR SUBWAY) AND WHERE TO GET OFF instead.
For example in Korean, you wanna ask how to go to dongdaemun you say: 잠깐만요, 동대문에 가고싶어요. 몃본 기차를 탈께요? jamnkanmanyo, dongdaemon-eh kagosipoyo. myeot bon gicha-reul tal-eulkkeyo?

Just keep it short and simple, koreans will understand you easier that way.
But yea like zstan say, suggest to taxi if you can.
The subways are like a mess of zombified workers during the rush hours, damn uncomfortable.

No... not really.
It is as good as a stranger coming up to you and saying "Hey excuse me, KLCC."

You tell me how you gonna answer... XD
Probably you'd get it after a few questions and what not.
Unlike english, you gotta be a lil' bit more specific than that.

I work in one of their TV broadcasting stations there, YTN if you've heard of it.


You got it the other way around.
You get 327 won for RM1 exchange.
However, you have to pay 390 won if you want to exchange back to RM1 instead.

Koreans not that stupid when they come to money, they're all very money minded people, every single won they'll count.


Christmas time it'll already be snowing.
So.. depending wherter you like the snow or not actually.
If you do, you can go for ice skating, it's pretty fun.

Places to go, you can go to Jeju-do (Jeju Island) during Christmas... but it'll be very packed however.
Otherwise if you want to shop, dongdaemun is of course a good place and if you want to go to those posh shopping area, Gangnam-gu is the place to go.

Usually I see tourists that comes to Korea around December time is just to enjoy the snow though... with some shopping here and there.
If amusement park, I don't really like Lotte World to be honest... quite expensive and I don't know, boring? Everland is better but perhaps amusement park just isn't my cup of tea.

Nice pics!!!

Oh I get that ALL the time.
Especially those trainee waiters...

Most of time I just give them the closest and ask them to keep the chance, don't need mafan.
So like coffee 5200won, I'll just give them 6000 won and walk off.

There is. Dongdaemun and Namdaemun night market.

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Added on November 17, 2010, 5:35 pmYea it's a great place to visit.
Make sure you travel to South Korea once atleast, you won't regret.

This post has been edited by SSJBen: Nov 17 2010, 05:35 PM

Emm... don't think so?
But.. speak in korean, be nice, and just... feel like you really want to eat.
I usually get a few sticks free to eat when the weather's cold and I'm walking around at night.

Depends on the area, depends on the owner really...
Usually around dongdaemun area it is about 1500 won for 2 sticks... pricing aren't really standard.

I usually go to the ones manned by ahjummas or halmeonnis (aunties or grandmas), they're all very nice.
Will give you free stuff if you stay around and chat with them a lil'.

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Added on November 17, 2010, 6:01 pmBTW @zstan
That "some river" you're talking about, that's the Han river.
And the bridge over there is the Han bridge.

This post has been edited by SSJBen: Nov 17 2010, 06:01 PM

Emm... size of Dongdaemun is about... as big as Bukit Bintang? Maybe slightly smaller/bigger though.. not too sure.

Stimix is right... although I would like to add that you can actually count Koreans as part of chinese, they're like our distant cousins.
Like how chinese isn't only a SINGLE clan, there are dozens and dozens of clans.

Hanja, chinese characters are what Koreans used in old days (we still use it these days, but it's alright not to know them too much really).
Hanja is basically Kanji, with different pronounciations.

The reason why Hangul was invented is because it just makes reading and writing easier.
So... emm, you can say it's modified or you can say they're romanised to make it easier, either way works.

Emm... it's still not snowing yet, so leather jacket should do fine unless at night.
Well.. got space just bring both lo.

Daytime leather jacket, night time down jacket.

Not matter wherter rich or not... I sometimes pitty them waiters..
Often times get bullied from day to night, so the change I just offer them as tips or whatever lo.. I think you'll feel the same way if you stay there a lil' longer.


You can get T-money pretty conveniently in those 24-hour convenience stores.
How come there are none at Incheon?

Can't be what...

Either one also can.
Just stick with T-money I recommend.

T-money can be used almost anywhere, but I reckon you'll only be using it for public transports.
Other things, just use cash la.

Aughh... I don't like naengmyeon during cold season, I don't know why they serve you that.
It only tastes good (I actually don't like it though, whatever the season) during summer time, especially if you work as a labourer.


Enjoy your time!
Don't worry about anything, just enjoy!

I highly recommend everyone to get T-money.
Reload about 20-30k won inside.

And really like I said, don't go to Lotte World... it's really, nothing special.
Want to go, go Everland... otherwise really, I think it's better to just not go to amusement parks.
Maybe next year when the Cabi park opens, then it'll be a better choice to go there instead.

Well... from my own experience and oppinion, T-Money is the way to go.
Just get it and forget the hassle, because it is standard it'll work on anything that allows it to work.

2500 won pre-loaded isn't too much to ask isn't it?
Just reload 20k won or so and you likely won't have to worry about the card ever in your trip.

Like I said, T-Money.
The discount atleast IMO, is irrelevant. I'm NOT saying I'm rich (still far from that), but the discounts isn't really that huge of a deal.


My phones work fine.
Even my rather old LG KS20 (first generation capacitive touch screen) works without issues.

Otherwise, all iPhone users in Korea (and there are ALOT of them there) all will use public phones for the next 4 months already.


As long as you don't lose the card....


Take off the gloves and use la? lol..