Bukchon Hanok Village

By Hannah Kim, Foster Undergraduate who is participating in an exchange with Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.

Korea Hannah Kim 4A ten minute walk from Korea’s City Hall and bustling downtown area is Bukchon Hanok Village, a traditional Korean-style village turned tourist central. The streets are lined with stores, cafes, and classic Korean décor. The craziest part is that residents actually live in some of these traditional homes, so there are workers who are paid to hold signs to tell people to keep quiet because there are so many tourists and I imagine it can be quite noisy. There are also many beautiful murals and quaint side streets. It’s the perfect place to explore on a brisk fall day. The traditional Korean village is so contrasted against the industrial Korean skyline in the background.

Korea Hannah Kim 5Korea has experienced rapid industrialization and growth. In just the past fifty years, Korea has gone from essentially a third world country at the end of the Korean War to one of the top ten economies in the world. It’s a country, with a unique and rich history, one that compares to no other in their strive for economic and social prosperity. I would highly recommend anyone to visit this nation because it’s truly so unique and such a cool place to visit especially if you like a mix of old and new.

 

 

 

Leave a Reply