Hey y’all! This morning, we headed to the Oil Tank Culture Park, a sustainability-focused public space that’s won numerous awards for its repurposed architectural design. Unfortunately, it was closed during our visit, which was disappointing given how highly it’s regarded. Still, the detour gave us time to explore the surrounding area before our final site visit.

For lunch, we stopped near the site and I opted for something different – a Gorgonzola pizza with local honey instead of the standard shabu shabu, since it wasn’t halal. While it sounds rich, it was surprisingly light and flavorful. This moment really reflected something I’ve noticed during the trip: Korean food culture is not only about tradition, but also fusion, taking familiar global foods and giving them a creative, localized twist.

In the afternoon, we had our final company site visit at the headquarters of Seoul Waterworks. It was a perfect way to close the academic portion of the trip, since water is one of the most critical and universal infrastructure systems globally. We learned that Seoul Waterworks uses a six-step purification process to clean water from the Han River. Not only is this clean water distributed throughout Seoul, but surplus is sent to third-world countries. This is a powerful reminder of Korea’s role in contributing to global humanitarian and environmental goals.

This visit offered insight into urban sustainability and international cooperation, reinforcing the idea that even basic resources like water require innovation, investment, and strategic planning. As we wrap up the site visit portion of the trip, I’m leaving with a deeper appreciation for the behind-the-scenes systems that make modern life possible.