The Hallyu Capital
Chapter 1: The Center of Hallyu Culture
My first visits to Seoul in the early 2000's were strictly work trips. I remember a cold wintry land where an indecipherable language was spoken. The food was tremendous though - warm kimbap (rice rolls) wrapped in foil for breakfast bought by a colleague and a BBQ lunch where all of us stank of garlic afterwards.
Fast forward a decade and Korean pop culture sets the trends in Asia - exporting K-dramas and K-pop to all of Asia and beyond. You can watch Korean dramas and variety shows (subtitled in English) on drama apps. Korean pop acts release their music videos real-time on Youtube for their global fans. There have been K-pop concerts not just in Asian countries but in LA, New York, Paris, Brazil and so on.
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| Kimbap |
Fast forward a decade and Korean pop culture sets the trends in Asia - exporting K-dramas and K-pop to all of Asia and beyond. You can watch Korean dramas and variety shows (subtitled in English) on drama apps. Korean pop acts release their music videos real-time on Youtube for their global fans. There have been K-pop concerts not just in Asian countries but in LA, New York, Paris, Brazil and so on.
Needless to say, I'm a big fan. After watching 30+ dramas, following 2 k-pop bands and numerous websites to keep up-to-date, my immersion in K-culture is deep. I've attended a few Korean language classes at MIT and no longer does the Hangul alphabet flummox me. The Korean mega-supermarket Hmart opened near my home and I learnt to cook and love Korean food with its strong, spicy flavors. Recently, I've also been delving into the world of Korean cosmetics and discovering the latest ingredients in the pursuit of beauty - snail slime anyone?
So it was a given that I would find a way to visit Seoul and our trip to Hong Kong was the ideal excuse. Seoul is only a 3.5 hour flight from Hong Kong. I knew I wanted to stay in a traditional hanok (Korean house) for a couple of nights. However, as I didn't know how long Paul could stand sleeping on the floor, I booked a regular hotel in Myeongdong for the other nights. As fate would have it, the cheaper hanok stays (usually with shared bathrooms) were full so I ended up booking 2 nights at Rakkojae. A more luxurious hanok aiming for an authentic experience, Rakkojae has featured in a number of dramas and variety shows such as "My Lovely Sam Soon" and Shinee's Hello Baby.
Our 5-day jaunt started well when we were upgraded to business class for the short plane journey. Turns out that it was a training activity for the attendants to learn how to service Business Class. There was some frantic scenes as they tried to remember all the steps to the meal service but we were certainly not complaining.
Upon arrival in Seoul (it was a cold January evening), we took the bus to Anguk station and a kindly local couple helped us locate Rakkojae by walking most of the way with us.
Rakkojae was hidden discreetly behind an old but imposing wood door, complete with talismans. Once inside, you were in a traditional Korean hanok - with an inner courtyard featuring an outdoor kitchen and picturesque snow-covered fermenting pots.
The bathroom was small but kitted out with modern appliances including a small wooden tub and a toilet with all the Japanese mod-cons - heated seat, bidet and blow dry. A bowl of charcoal sticks in water added more humidity to the dry air.
Winnie who was the manager of the property spoke excellent English and helped us get settled. She introduced Rakkojae's history, gave us some ideas for our Seoul itinerary and so forth. She also warned us apologetically that on the 2nd morning, we may be woken up early by a film crew.
We were not fazed at all and I started peppering her with questions. Who was coming? Did she have any stories to tell? She then opened up about how excited she was as well because it was YG - one of the major K-pop companies. Her bias was G-dragon and she was hoping he would visit... She then started to talk about other Hallyu stars that have visited Rakkojae including actor Jang Geun Suk (from drama You're Beautiful) who had stayed in our room before!
As we were not hungry due to the copious food on the plane, we ended the evening with a visit to the traditional sauna. We were given special Rakkojae-embroidered sauna clothes and taught how to make the sheep's head towel dressing. The sauna was a beautiful space with mud flower art, wooden block head rests and straw matting. Bunches of dried flowers added herbal fragrance to the hot sauna air.
I slept well on the futon and at times, even slept on the heated floor as the heat relaxed my sore muscles. Paul was not quite so comfortable.
In the morning, we enjoyed a traditional breakfast - abalone porridge with five side dishes or "banchan" as well as grilled fish. Sitting on the floor, cross-legged, enjoying our breakfast - looking out into the snowy courtyard - I really felt we had arrived in Korea!
Insadong is also home to the Ssamzegil Mall - an artsy complex filled with independent boutiques. On our first visit, we were hesitant to buy - thinking that we should at least shop around to compare prices. After a few days, we realized that the goods here were unique so we needed a repeat visit by the end of the vacation.
It was in Insadong that we discovered the elegant Osulloc tea house. Osulloc grow their own green tea on Jeju Island and the Insadong branch was a three-floored temple to all things tea. On the ground floor, beautifully-packaged tea and accessories were for sale; green tea was being roasted and brewed and screens showing endless videos of their tea plantation decorated the walls. On the first floor, a cafe served excellent green tea lattes, light lunch items and desserts. The hazelnut latte set with green tea cheesecake was the promotion set on offer that week - in fact, it was this very offer on the outside billboard that had enticed us in. See the Hungrylaws blog for more details!
Hongdae is the area around Hongik University and bustled with young students. The shops were full of trendy clothes and jewellery, albeit of poor quality. I bought some copycat earrings resembling a set an actress wore in a recent K-drama. Most character goods-loving Asians come here to visit the Hello Kitty cafe.
So it was a given that I would find a way to visit Seoul and our trip to Hong Kong was the ideal excuse. Seoul is only a 3.5 hour flight from Hong Kong. I knew I wanted to stay in a traditional hanok (Korean house) for a couple of nights. However, as I didn't know how long Paul could stand sleeping on the floor, I booked a regular hotel in Myeongdong for the other nights. As fate would have it, the cheaper hanok stays (usually with shared bathrooms) were full so I ended up booking 2 nights at Rakkojae. A more luxurious hanok aiming for an authentic experience, Rakkojae has featured in a number of dramas and variety shows such as "My Lovely Sam Soon" and Shinee's Hello Baby.
Our 5-day jaunt started well when we were upgraded to business class for the short plane journey. Turns out that it was a training activity for the attendants to learn how to service Business Class. There was some frantic scenes as they tried to remember all the steps to the meal service but we were certainly not complaining.
Upon arrival in Seoul (it was a cold January evening), we took the bus to Anguk station and a kindly local couple helped us locate Rakkojae by walking most of the way with us.
Rakkojae was hidden discreetly behind an old but imposing wood door, complete with talismans. Once inside, you were in a traditional Korean hanok - with an inner courtyard featuring an outdoor kitchen and picturesque snow-covered fermenting pots.
There were only four rooms in total - all of varying sizes. We had a room with an outdoor seating area - a special place ideal for alfresco meals if it was warmer. Removing our snow-covered boots, all rooms had heated jade floor which felt wonderful on bare feet. The room was minimally decorated with traditional furniture and details such as an iron spoon serving as a door lock! We slept on two futons with silk bedding, kept toasty warm by the heated floor.
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| The courtyard at Rakkojae |
The bathroom was small but kitted out with modern appliances including a small wooden tub and a toilet with all the Japanese mod-cons - heated seat, bidet and blow dry. A bowl of charcoal sticks in water added more humidity to the dry air.
 |
| Futons on the floor |
Winnie who was the manager of the property spoke excellent English and helped us get settled. She introduced Rakkojae's history, gave us some ideas for our Seoul itinerary and so forth. She also warned us apologetically that on the 2nd morning, we may be woken up early by a film crew.
We were not fazed at all and I started peppering her with questions. Who was coming? Did she have any stories to tell? She then opened up about how excited she was as well because it was YG - one of the major K-pop companies. Her bias was G-dragon and she was hoping he would visit... She then started to talk about other Hallyu stars that have visited Rakkojae including actor Jang Geun Suk (from drama You're Beautiful) who had stayed in our room before!
As we were not hungry due to the copious food on the plane, we ended the evening with a visit to the traditional sauna. We were given special Rakkojae-embroidered sauna clothes and taught how to make the sheep's head towel dressing. The sauna was a beautiful space with mud flower art, wooden block head rests and straw matting. Bunches of dried flowers added herbal fragrance to the hot sauna air.
I slept well on the futon and at times, even slept on the heated floor as the heat relaxed my sore muscles. Paul was not quite so comfortable.
In the morning, we enjoyed a traditional breakfast - abalone porridge with five side dishes or "banchan" as well as grilled fish. Sitting on the floor, cross-legged, enjoying our breakfast - looking out into the snowy courtyard - I really felt we had arrived in Korea!
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| Stupendous breakfast spread with soondubu jigae |
Chapter 2. The Shopping Itinerary
The next few days were spent shopping and eating in various places around Seoul. On our first morning, we headed to nearby Insadong - where we enjoyed all the art and craft stores (fabulous for souvenirs). We also found the street food stand selling eggy bread - a welcome hot snack on a cold January morning.
Insadong feels traditional and unsurprisingly is popular with tourists. The Starbucks in Insadong is the only one in the city that has Hangul signage (no English) to stay in line with the area’s character.
The next few days were spent shopping and eating in various places around Seoul. On our first morning, we headed to nearby Insadong - where we enjoyed all the art and craft stores (fabulous for souvenirs). We also found the street food stand selling eggy bread - a welcome hot snack on a cold January morning.
Insadong feels traditional and unsurprisingly is popular with tourists. The Starbucks in Insadong is the only one in the city that has Hangul signage (no English) to stay in line with the area’s character.
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| Starbucks |
Insadong is also home to the Ssamzegil Mall - an artsy complex filled with independent boutiques. On our first visit, we were hesitant to buy - thinking that we should at least shop around to compare prices. After a few days, we realized that the goods here were unique so we needed a repeat visit by the end of the vacation.
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| Evening shopping at Ssamzegil Mall |
Paul found an one-of-a-kind shop selling all things cork - wallets, bags, phone cases and bracelets. He couldn't resist the bracelets and bought three. One of his bracelets was custom made for him on the spot! I bought a fun red and grey polka dot scarf which I had not seen anywhere else.
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| Paul's custom cork bracelet |
There is also an excellent bibimbap restaurant called Gogung in the basement which we enjoyed one evening.
It was in Insadong that we discovered the elegant Osulloc tea house. Osulloc grow their own green tea on Jeju Island and the Insadong branch was a three-floored temple to all things tea. On the ground floor, beautifully-packaged tea and accessories were for sale; green tea was being roasted and brewed and screens showing endless videos of their tea plantation decorated the walls. On the first floor, a cafe served excellent green tea lattes, light lunch items and desserts. The hazelnut latte set with green tea cheesecake was the promotion set on offer that week - in fact, it was this very offer on the outside billboard that had enticed us in. See the Hungrylaws blog for more details!
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| Green tea lattes and cakes from OSulloc |
Gangnam was a much larger area than I had expected and grand plans to visit Apgujeong, the Bongeunsa temple and the Coex mall had to be abandoned. We did manage to visit the main Gangnam intersection for lunch where we posed outside the Gangnam Style stage.
We also spent an incredibly enjoyable afternoon walking along Garasugil - a delightful tree-lined street filled with trendy cafes and shops. Paul and I both bought fashion-forward jackets at a shop awkwardly named "TNGT" - short for Today and Going On Tomorrow. The engrish was unfortunate but the clothes were divine. Walking by the Samsonite Red shop, Paul did not take long to convince me that we needed to buy an extra suitcase to fit all my skincare and cosmetic purchases. I ended up with a limited edition bright teal "Pukka Pukka" suitcase. We had a taste of idol-mania that afternoon as we saw two large vans with tinted windows parked outside one of the fashion stores. Hoards of passer-bys had stopped and were hanging outside the entrance and spilling out onto the street, camera phones at the ready. I asked around the crowd "Nugu? Nugu?" but no one knew exactly who we were waiting for...
If we are talking about shopping, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Dongdaemun - famed for late-night clothes shopping where stalls do not close until the wee hours of the morning.
Perhaps it was the late night (we started at 11pm) but after a few minutes, the huge quantity of merchandise was overwhelming and we had become increasingly disorientated. Realizing that we were not likely to make sane purchasing decisions, we managed to get on the last metro train back to our hotel.
In the end, it was the Myeongdong district that we spent the most shopping time over the next few days. After two nights staying at Rakkojae, we had moved over to a modern hotel in Myeongdong for shopping convenience. Plus, I knew Paul would eventually tire of sleeping on the floor! Myeongdong was an exciting area full of neon lights, department stores, competing cosmetic shops with a mixture of fast and traditional food available. Here, popular department stores selling young fashion mixed with street stalls selling knock-off character socks. You could hit all the cosmetic brands such as Missha, Etude House, Innisfree, Nature’s Republic, Holika Holika, Clio within steps of each other, which I invariably did every morning while Paul was having a lie-in.
Chapter 3: Adventures in Seoul
Although a great deal of our 5-day jaunt in Seoul was taken up by shopping, we did manage to squeeze in some sightseeing and spiced things up with plenty of food adventures.
I mentioned about my love for all things Hallyu in the first post. It was serendipity that as we checked into Rakkojae, we were told by the property manager Winnie that "unfortunately" we will be woken up early by a film crew on our last morning. All I was concerned about was "Who's filming?'. Once interest was expressed, Winnie shared excitedly that a band was coming from YG entertainment to film. She was hoping for Big Bang and was a fan of G-dragon. I told her I was a huge fan of Shinee and she was like "Yeah - they filmed Hello Baby here". Yes, I know - the main reason I was staying at Rakkojae was because it looked amazing in "Hello Baby"! In any case, the k-pop band turned out to be Winner - the latest rookie band from YG
We were certainly woken up early at 6.30am the last morning as the crew arrived to set up. The filming started around 8am. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take photos but as I was a paying guest at the inn, there was nothing they could do about Paul and I watching the proceedings. I even said hello to two of the band members. They asked me in faltering English "Where are you from?". I said USA and that was about as much as we could manage.
As this was Paul's first time in Seoul, I thought we should do at least one touristy thing so off we went to the main royal palace in Seoul - GyeongBukGung. We watched the colorfully-dressed guards parade in the Guard-Changing Ceremony and joined an English-speaking tour. Although it was interesting for about an hour, it did not compare to the splendor or vast scale of Beijing's Forbidden City. The palace is also a replica as the original was burnt down - knowing it was a replica certainly lowered the historical wow factor. After looking around the National Palace Museum, Paul had enough and we headed off to nearby Samcheongdong - a cute shopping area lined with trendy and fun cafes. We chose one that specialized in patbingsoo and waffles. Yes, we enjoyed a giant bowl of shaved ice with red bean, banana and mochi in cold January!
Another area we really enjoyed was the Bukchon Hanok Village. It is not hard to see why the hilly streets of this residential area, filled with old-style houses is such a popular drama location. January was a little cold to be taking photos but we managed a few nonetheless.
All k-drama fans know of the jijimbang - the Korean sauna and bath house where you can go to bathe, exfoliate and relax in the sauna. Some jijimbangs are large entertainment complexes where you can lounge, watch TV and snack on hard-boiled tea eggs and sikhye - a sweet rice beverage. I couldn't wait to experience the jijimbang which I had seen so often in dramas! I chose the formidable Dragonhill jijimbang for our induction. Dragonhill has several floors filled with saunas at all temperature levels, a games area, cafeteria, swimming pool, bathing areas and a spa.
Paul had a grand time at the various saunas while I lounged around eating eggs and drinking sikhye on the heated floor. I was taught how to make the sheep's head wrap by Rakkojae staff the day before and at Dragonhill, a Chinese tourist actually came up to me to ask how to make the head wrap! Guess I looked like a pro.
I was particular taken by the jade pyramid room which draws out toxins and bonus points - the acoustics were amazing! I had the whole place to myself for a few minutes and couldn't resist belting out a few tunes. After a massage at the spa and a fix of the latest hottest drama "You From Another Star" in the locker room (everyone stopped to watch), we waddled out of Dragonhill clean, relaxed and detoxified.
Interested to read about more adventures of a foodie nature including the Ongo food tour? Check out my food blog Hungrylaws.
Postscript - The Shinee Concert
I wavered between returning to Hong Kong on Sunday January 26 or Monday January 27 for a while. I was thinking of returning on the Monday but at the last minute, I changed the return date to Sunday while booking the air tickets. I was thinking that my Asia trip was primarily to see my parents so thought I should spend less time in Seoul.
As luck would have it, a month or so later, I found out that Shinee was having a small-scale concert in Hong Kong that Sunday evening! It was for one night only and it was part of their Festival series. A little less performance but more interviews and interaction with fans.
Scheduling was tight though - the concert was scheduled to start at 8pm and we were due to arrive that evening at Hong Kong airport at 6pm. God willing, I would just make it if all went to plan.
If we are talking about shopping, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Dongdaemun - famed for late-night clothes shopping where stalls do not close until the wee hours of the morning.
Perhaps it was the late night (we started at 11pm) but after a few minutes, the huge quantity of merchandise was overwhelming and we had become increasingly disorientated. Realizing that we were not likely to make sane purchasing decisions, we managed to get on the last metro train back to our hotel.
In the end, it was the Myeongdong district that we spent the most shopping time over the next few days. After two nights staying at Rakkojae, we had moved over to a modern hotel in Myeongdong for shopping convenience. Plus, I knew Paul would eventually tire of sleeping on the floor! Myeongdong was an exciting area full of neon lights, department stores, competing cosmetic shops with a mixture of fast and traditional food available. Here, popular department stores selling young fashion mixed with street stalls selling knock-off character socks. You could hit all the cosmetic brands such as Missha, Etude House, Innisfree, Nature’s Republic, Holika Holika, Clio within steps of each other, which I invariably did every morning while Paul was having a lie-in.
Chapter 3: Adventures in Seoul
Although a great deal of our 5-day jaunt in Seoul was taken up by shopping, we did manage to squeeze in some sightseeing and spiced things up with plenty of food adventures.
I mentioned about my love for all things Hallyu in the first post. It was serendipity that as we checked into Rakkojae, we were told by the property manager Winnie that "unfortunately" we will be woken up early by a film crew on our last morning. All I was concerned about was "Who's filming?'. Once interest was expressed, Winnie shared excitedly that a band was coming from YG entertainment to film. She was hoping for Big Bang and was a fan of G-dragon. I told her I was a huge fan of Shinee and she was like "Yeah - they filmed Hello Baby here". Yes, I know - the main reason I was staying at Rakkojae was because it looked amazing in "Hello Baby"! In any case, the k-pop band turned out to be Winner - the latest rookie band from YG
We were certainly woken up early at 6.30am the last morning as the crew arrived to set up. The filming started around 8am. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take photos but as I was a paying guest at the inn, there was nothing they could do about Paul and I watching the proceedings. I even said hello to two of the band members. They asked me in faltering English "Where are you from?". I said USA and that was about as much as we could manage.
As this was Paul's first time in Seoul, I thought we should do at least one touristy thing so off we went to the main royal palace in Seoul - GyeongBukGung. We watched the colorfully-dressed guards parade in the Guard-Changing Ceremony and joined an English-speaking tour. Although it was interesting for about an hour, it did not compare to the splendor or vast scale of Beijing's Forbidden City. The palace is also a replica as the original was burnt down - knowing it was a replica certainly lowered the historical wow factor. After looking around the National Palace Museum, Paul had enough and we headed off to nearby Samcheongdong - a cute shopping area lined with trendy and fun cafes. We chose one that specialized in patbingsoo and waffles. Yes, we enjoyed a giant bowl of shaved ice with red bean, banana and mochi in cold January!
Another area we really enjoyed was the Bukchon Hanok Village. It is not hard to see why the hilly streets of this residential area, filled with old-style houses is such a popular drama location. January was a little cold to be taking photos but we managed a few nonetheless.
All k-drama fans know of the jijimbang - the Korean sauna and bath house where you can go to bathe, exfoliate and relax in the sauna. Some jijimbangs are large entertainment complexes where you can lounge, watch TV and snack on hard-boiled tea eggs and sikhye - a sweet rice beverage. I couldn't wait to experience the jijimbang which I had seen so often in dramas! I chose the formidable Dragonhill jijimbang for our induction. Dragonhill has several floors filled with saunas at all temperature levels, a games area, cafeteria, swimming pool, bathing areas and a spa.
Paul had a grand time at the various saunas while I lounged around eating eggs and drinking sikhye on the heated floor. I was taught how to make the sheep's head wrap by Rakkojae staff the day before and at Dragonhill, a Chinese tourist actually came up to me to ask how to make the head wrap! Guess I looked like a pro.
I was particular taken by the jade pyramid room which draws out toxins and bonus points - the acoustics were amazing! I had the whole place to myself for a few minutes and couldn't resist belting out a few tunes. After a massage at the spa and a fix of the latest hottest drama "You From Another Star" in the locker room (everyone stopped to watch), we waddled out of Dragonhill clean, relaxed and detoxified.
Interested to read about more adventures of a foodie nature including the Ongo food tour? Check out my food blog Hungrylaws.
Postscript - The Shinee Concert
I wavered between returning to Hong Kong on Sunday January 26 or Monday January 27 for a while. I was thinking of returning on the Monday but at the last minute, I changed the return date to Sunday while booking the air tickets. I was thinking that my Asia trip was primarily to see my parents so thought I should spend less time in Seoul.
As luck would have it, a month or so later, I found out that Shinee was having a small-scale concert in Hong Kong that Sunday evening! It was for one night only and it was part of their Festival series. A little less performance but more interviews and interaction with fans.
Scheduling was tight though - the concert was scheduled to start at 8pm and we were due to arrive that evening at Hong Kong airport at 6pm. God willing, I would just make it if all went to plan.
My lucky stars would be aligned if I:
- successfully purchase my ticket online
- pick it up in Hong Kong ahead of time
- carry the ticket in my bag throughout our Seoul trip
- flight boards without delay and we arrive in HK on time
- pick up our checked-in luggage
- bundle Paul into a taxi with all our luggage heading to my parent's home
- take a quick taxi ride to the HK AsiaExpo concert venue which happens to be next to the airport
Shinee is my absolutely favorite k-pop group and I was so happy that I got to see them in concert. I had my digital SLR camera with me but thinking this would be banned from the concert, I only had my iPhone to take photos and videos with! Of course, many other concert-goers had brought their hardcore zoom lens. All in all, it was only a slight inconvenience and it meant I actually took the time to absorb the atmosphere. Now, this is proof that there is a God!
- successfully purchase my ticket online
- pick it up in Hong Kong ahead of time
- carry the ticket in my bag throughout our Seoul trip
- flight boards without delay and we arrive in HK on time
- pick up our checked-in luggage
- bundle Paul into a taxi with all our luggage heading to my parent's home
- take a quick taxi ride to the HK AsiaExpo concert venue which happens to be next to the airport
Shinee is my absolutely favorite k-pop group and I was so happy that I got to see them in concert. I had my digital SLR camera with me but thinking this would be banned from the concert, I only had my iPhone to take photos and videos with! Of course, many other concert-goers had brought their hardcore zoom lens. All in all, it was only a slight inconvenience and it meant I actually took the time to absorb the atmosphere. Now, this is proof that there is a God!
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| Shinee in Hong Kong |
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