Korea Trip 2022: Rainy Days, Palaces, a Market, and a Movie
Typhoon Hinnamnor has hit Korea. From what I’ve read on the news so far over the past two days, the typhoon has mostly affected the southern and eastern coast of the country.
A Lazy Monday
After several days of intensive walking, I decided to stay indoors and recharge at my Airbnb on Monday, though I did step outdoors to shop for groceries and grab lunch. I was surprised to see how many people were out and about in spite of the rain.
Luckily for me, there’s a market just a block or two away called 레몬마트 충무로점 (Lemon Mart Chungmu-ro Branch) | Naver link - a neighborhood market chain here in Korea. After taking stock of the available groceries and their prices, I bought ingredients to make 김치찌개 (kimchi stew) as well as some other kitchen essentials I would need through Friday.
On the way back, I stopped by 이삭토스트 서울동국대점 (Isaac Toast Seoul Donggukdae Branch) | Naver link. This breakfast sandwich shop has become a bit of a mainstay in Korea, as I’d seen several locations across Seoul since I arrived. I ordered a 딥치즈베이컨 포테이토 (Deep Cheese Bacon Potato) and a 청포도 스파클링 (Green Grape Sparkling) for ₩7,000 ($5.47). The sandwich contained bacon, egg, a hash brown, and two types of cheese in between slices of white bread. I found it to be surprisingly sweet, and as I ate, I tried to find out where the sweetness was coming from - I figured it may have been the cheese. I enjoyed the sandwich, but even though I wasn’t quite full, I didn’t think I could enjoy another right after. The Green Grape Sparkling was a carbonated drink with a green grape flavor. In all honesty, I wasn’t impressed, and I could have done without it.
Just before I reached my Airbnb, I poked my head into 세븐일레븐 남산자이하늘점 (7 Eleven Namsan Xi Haneul Branch) | Naver link. I’d been to my fair share of 7 Elevens back in the U.S., but the ones here in Korea are pretty impressive. Not only do they have a space where customers can buy and prepare ramen inside the store to eat, they even sell packaged meals. Plenty of workers actually come to convenience stores to get something to eat because it’s more affordable than eating at restaurants. Here, I bought water and a couple small packets of kimchi.
I spent the rest of the day cleaning up the Airbnb, compiling receipts of purchases I made since coming to Korea, and making kimchi stew. The rain intensified and continued into the night.
Sun’s Out on Tuesday
I checked the weather forecast the next morning, and to my surprise, the rain would cease at around 10:00am. After reviewing and adjusting my itinerary, I stepped out to walk over to Chungmu-ro Station, from which I would travel to 경복궁역 3호선 (Gyeongbokgung Station Line 3) | Naver link. While there was some wind, the skies were, for the most part, blue and clear; it was a great day to be out and about.
After I emerged from Gyeongbokgung Station, I began heading south down the street from 경복궁 (Gyeongbokgung Palace). While I was tempted to visit the palace, I knew that it was part of my itinerary for another day, so I left it behind. As I made my way down the street, I saw statues of 세종대왕 (Sejong the Great), the fourth ruler of Korea’s Joseon Dynasty who created 한글 (the Korean alphabet), and 이순신, an admiral famed for victories over the Japanese Navy during the Joseon Dynasty’s Imjin War. I spend a few minutes admiring the 고종즉위40년칭경기념비 (Monument for the 40th Anniversary of King Gojong’s Enthronement) | Naver link. I also paused at 청계광장 (Cheonggye Plaza) | Naver link, where the 청계천 (Cheonggyecheon), a stream cutting across Seoul, begins.
I then started making my way west on 새문안로 (Saemunan-ro), and I observed countless groups of Koreans taking smoking and vaping breaks on the streets just outside the buildings where they presumably worked. Before I arrived at my first destination for the day, I stopped just outside of 서울역사박물관 (Seoul Museum of History) | Naver link, where various historical items of value were situated outside. First, there were concrete building components of 광화문 (Gwanghwamun), the main and largest gate for Gyeongbokgung Palace. Considering that some of these components are usually seen several stories high, it was great to see them up close and admire their designs. Next, there was 전차 381호 (Streetcar No. 381), which is one of the last two surviving streetcars from Seoul’s streetcar system, which ran from 1899 to 1968. While I wasn’t alive during that time period, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia when I toured the inside of the streetcar.
경희궁 (Gyeonghuigung Palace) | Naver link
Gyeonghuigung Palace was one of the Joseon Period’s five palaces - not as well visited as others, but significant nonetheless. Admission is free. I entered Gyeonghuigung Palace through 경희궁 흥화문 (Heunghwamun Gate of Gyeonghuigung Palace) and approached the rest of the buildings that make up this palace. I entered into a courtyard in front of 자정전 (Jajeongjeon), which used to be the king’s private living room. I peered inside and couldn’t help but stare at the elevated throne and the colors in the building’s architecture. Unfortunately, there was construction going on at the other buildings, and access was prohibited, so I ended up spending less time than anticipated here.
에무시네마영화관 (emu Cinema) | Naver link
Filmmaker 박찬욱 (Park Chan-wook), best known for 올드보이 (Oldboy) and 아가씨 (The Handmaiden), had released his newest film, 헤어질 결심 (Decision to Leave), earlier this year, and I’d been wanting to watch it. Fortunately, there were several theaters still playing the film, and one such theater, the emu Cinema, was nearby and had English subtitles for its showings (my Korean isn’t that great).
The theater was a short walk away from Gyeonghuigung Palace and consists of several floors. The first floor has a cafe and bookstore, while the second and third floors house the screens. My ticket for the film cost ₩9,000 ($6.61), and since I had almost an hour to kill and hadn’t eaten anything since an early breakfast, I headed down to the cafe and ordered a hot dog and a bottled water for ₩4,000 ($2.94). A few minutes before the film started, I headed up to the third floor and entered the screening room, which had a ceiling so low that as I got close to the back (where I normally like to sit), I had to hunch over lest I bump my head painfully. I was the only person in my showing.
The film is excellent, and for me, one of Park’s strongest alongside Oldboy and 공동경비구역 JSA (Joint Security Area). This romantic mystery features a police detective - played by 박햬일 (Park Hae-il) - who falls for a mysterious widow - played by Tang Wei - after she becomes a suspect in her husband’s death. While the film does unfold very slowly, it tells its story with great precision (and with some drop-dead hilarious moments), and it reminded me of some of Alfred Hitchcock’s film noirs. It’s very much a sensory film that focuses on its characters’ every seemingly insignificant action and reaction to bring their audial and tactile experiences to life. Park Hae-il and Tang Wei deliver incredibly nuanced performances, and the supporting cast is sheer fun. The editing is phenomenal, with some of the most seamless and imaginative transitions that I’ve ever seen on screen. As for the cinematography, so much storytelling value is squeezed from the countless wide shots that it’s a wonder to behold. Decision to Leave really does illustrate Park Chan-wook’s cinematic sensibilities and techniques, which have matured greatly over the course of his 30+ year career. The film opens in the U.S. on October 14, and I encourage any cinephile to watch it.
덕수궁 (Deoksugung Palace) | Naver link
My next destination was Deoksugung Palace, which was about a 10- to 15-minute walk away. Deoksugung Palace is another one of the Joseon Period’s five palaces, and it’s one of the more popular ones, evidenced by the throngs of visitors. Once I arrived, I paid the admission fee of ₩1,000 ($0.73) and entered through 덕수궁 대한문 (Daehanmun Gate). The palace’s compound is quite large and features three gates and eight halls. The most impressive one to me was 덕수궁 중화전 (Junghwajeon Hall), which is the main hall that holds a very impressively designed throne. What makes Deoksugung Palace stand out from other palaces is the presence of two Western-style buildings as well as a Western-style garden, which stand in stark contrast to the traditional Korean style featured in the rest of the compound. One of the Western-style buildings is 국립현대미술관 (National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art), which currently holds an exhibition featuring works by famed painter and sculptor 문신 (Moon Shin). I stepped inside and made my way through the exhibition, but admittedly, I couldn’t get too interested in its contents.
남대문시장 (Namdaemun Market) | Naver link
It was nearing dinnertime, and I was hungry. I headed south down 세종대로 (Sejong-daero) toward Namdaemun Market. It was now nearly 5:00pm, and there were more people out on the streets, having left work for the day; I quickened my pace, knowing this meant that I could face potentially long wait times at places I wanted to eat it. Right before I crossed the street to access the market, I stopped to take a few photos of 숭례문 (Sungnyemun Gate), also commonly known as Naedaemun Gate.
Right at the first northern entrance of Naedaemun Market was 남대문야채호떡 (Namdaemun Vegetable Hotteok) | Naver link, and despite a rather long winding line of people, I knew this was one establishment I had to try, having been intrigued by it being featured on a YouTube video. A moment after I got in line, one person near the front of it commented to me that it was common to wait up to an hour here. As it turns out, I didn’t have to wait that long in line, but it take me nearly half an hour to get to the front of it. I ordered one vegetable hotteok for ₩1,200 (estimated $0.88), and an employee, after checking the ones that were being fried in a shallow pool of oil, pulled one out, brushed it with a soy sauce concoction containing many fruits of vegetables, and handed it over to me, warning me of how hot it was. I sat down on a nearby small chair and bit into it, and sure enough, it was very hot. It was also delicious, with the contents of the hotteok being very similar to 잡채 (japchae, a dish of stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables).
Now it was time for my actual meal. That same YouTube video I mentioned also featured 남대문막내횟집 광교점 (Namdaemun Maknae Raw Fish Restaurant Gwanggyo Branch) | Naver link, a restaurant specializing in raw fish. It’s located on the second floor of a building, and upon entry, I was pleased to see that plenty of seats were available. I ordered 회덮밥 (hoedeopbap - raw fish over rice) and 매운탕 (maeuntang - spicy fish stew) for ₩8,000 ($5.88). As part of the meal, I was given a small plate of 고등어조림 (braised mackerel). With mackerel being an oily fish, it’s perfect for braising, and here, I carefully picked out the bones to get at the firm flesh, which absorbed the spicy marinade well. Ditto for the two pieces of daikon radish that were also part of the meal; I even preferred them over the mackerel. Finally, the two dishes I ordered came out, and I squirted some chili sauce over the hoedeopbap and mixed the contents - featuring raw fish, rice, cabbage, perilla leaves, and seaweed - together. The hoedeopbap was cold and refreshing - perfect for what had become a rather warm day. The fish in the maeuntang was pretty much destroyed, but the broth is what matters most, and it was very spicy and sharp, pairing very well with the hoedeopbap. I left the restaurant feeling very full and satisfied.
Naedaemun Market is the largest traditional market in Korea, and it’s a perfect spot for those who wish to shop for clothes, purses, kitchenware, and souvenirs. Unfortunately, by the time I had arrived, most of the shops were closing or had already closed, so I just walked through the market’s various alleys, snapping photos. Not that it mattered too much, as I wasn’t in a mood to shop. Like Gwangjang Market, Naedaemun Market does have a couple alleys dedicated to certain foods, and here, they have ones for noodles and even 칼치 (hairtail - a very long fish). Some of the stall owners tried to beckon me to sit down and order something to eat, but I sheepishly responded that I already had dinner and was just looking around. Finally, after having seen enough of the market, I entered 회현역 4호선 (Hoehyeon Station Line 4) | Naver link and returned to my Airbnb.
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