Today was our first full day in South Korea where we woke up early to see a lot of the cultural locations around the city. Everyone, including me were really excited to finally see the streets of Korea and experience the city life in its entirety. The first thing we did was learn how to use the subway. The Korean subway system is probably the most extensive in the world with multiple lines and hundreds of stops. This is to accommodate for all 12 million residents of Seoul who need to get across the city in an efficient and quick manner. As a result, If you do not know what you are doing, you are sure to get lost in the crowd!

Today we visited Gyeongbokgung palace, the former residence of the king of the Joseon dynasty and the largest palace still standing in Korea today. The palace is a symbol of ancient Korean history and was situated just inside the mountains on the outskirts of Seoul. The palace was located on the main street of Seoul and is located currently in the northern part of the city. We learned when walking through the palace how the king lived and what each room and building represented and its purpose. One interesting fact about the palace was that the Japanese had twice throughout history had destroyed the palace, so the grounds we saw today were a replica of what the palace looked like 700 years ago.

Later in the day we visited other cultural locations to enhance our understanding of the Korean way of life. This included visiting Cheonggyecheon stream, a little creek in the middle of the city, the blue house, the former presidential house, Jogyessa temple, one of the only Buddhist temples in the city, and Namdaemun market, a bustling shopping center similar to Myeondong market full of street vendors and shops. Visiting all of these popular spots was exhausting to say the least but I’m glad we got to see a lot of these locations for the experience.

I cannot wait to see what Korea has next for me.