Text and photos by Brontë H. Lacsamana, Reporter
ON A TRIP this writer’s family took to Seoul early in February, the Korean capital was beset by a period of intense cold thanks to the arctic air from Siberia sweeping into the peninsula.
The moment we stepped out of our hotel in Dongdaemun district’s Janghanpyeong — a quaint area characterized by used car dealerships and mechanic shops, like Banawe in Quezon City — we were greeted by the biting cold. Everyone we saw was in puffer jackets, be it at the nearby convenience stores where we tapped up our T-money cards, the buses and subways which we took to go everywhere, or the touristy places themselves where we shopped, ate, and took pictures.
Apparently, there was heavy snow before our arrival, with the last week of January considered the coldest days of winter. By the time we were exploring Seoul, only the aftermath was left, patches of ice morphed into dirty sludge marking the edges of sidewalks.
SHOPPING FRENZYThe shopping district of Myeongdong was alive as ever despite the cold snap. Located in the center of Seoul, it is the busiest place in the city. It is home to street food, nightlife, and fashion brands, both Korean and international. The likes of Adidas, Nike, H&M, Converse, and North Face (which was probably making a killing with its puffer jackets) are there. Nearby, the flagship branches of key department stores like Lotte and Shinsegae serve as large landmarks for those walking the streets.
One store seemed to rule the entire area, though. The grip of Olive Young, Korea’s leading health and beauty store, on the shoppers of Myeongdong is evident in the sheer number of branches found there — eight. Yes, you will come across eight Olive Young stores if you decide to walk between Myeongdong Station and Euljiro il-ga Station. K-beauty has found a huge market globally, after all, and that is where most people seem to go for skincare and makeup.
Shopping amid the crowds and city lights of Myeongdong was made fun by the street food stalls lining the heart of the bustling shopping district. They offered an array of tasty dishes, like tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), meat skewers, grilled seafood, and even fruit skewers coated in a sugary shell.
Dialing in on the typically touristy parts of our itinerary, we trudged to a different area for another bout of shopping a few days later. Namdaemun Market, the largest traditional market in Korea, opened in 1964, and it is where goods are sold at affordable prices, much like a cleaner and safer Divisoria. There are thousands of stalls where one can buy clothes, snacks, and little knick-knacks — a perfect place to get pasalubong to bring home.
During our visit on Feb. 8, the bitter cold seemed to be at its height as we wandered from one stall to another, seeking refuge in the enclosed ones with heaters. At one point, a kindly shopkeeper ushered us into their store for some tea. (Of course, we were obligated to purchase packs of kimchi-flavored seaweed out of gratitude — it turns out winter winds are an ally for market vendors to lure tourists in to take a look at their goods.)
As someone who is easily shopped out, what made the area fun was, again, the food. Alleys and storefronts in the market offer fare like kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), mandu (dumplings), and kimbap (rice rolls). A memorable sweet snack, simple as it was, was hotteok (pancake), which can be enjoyed as is, filled with vegetables, noodles, or red beans, or even coated with cheese powder. Whichever way you order it, it provides instant relief from all the walking.
HISTORY AND CULTUREWe were a group of mainly older people, so we tried to keep the long walks in the cold to a minimum, which meant fewer outdoor visits and more toasty indoor sights, like museums.
Seoul has five major palaces from the Joseon Dynasty, the biggest being Gyeongbokgung Palace, and that’s where we went. To get there, we alighted from the bus at Gwanghwamun Square and opted to walk through the public square fronting the palace in order to see the tremendous view of the structure with the Bugaksan Mountain in the background.
At the center of the plaza stand statues of King Sejong (the inventor of hangeul, the Korean alphabet) and Admiral Yi Sun-shin (who prevailed against the Japanese navy). Aside from plaques detailing their roles in history, an elevator in the square leads to an underground museum that elaborates on their lives, for those seeking more knowledge on these major figures — or for those seeking a heated enclosed space to take shelter from the bitter cold.
Built in 1395, Gyeongbokgung Palace is a marvel to look at from up close and from the inside, the roof forming gentle curved lines and the walls and ceilings of natural wood painted with colorful patterns.
But its charm quickly faded in the freezing air. During warmer seasons, it must be a pleasant walk around the grounds and a fun chance to take pictures in hanbok (Korean traditional wear), but for our visit, it was a quick stop before we left. A lot of tourists were still there despite the weather, as well as some locals, a few of whom were filming a TikTok dance video by the main gate.
A highlight within the complex is the National Folk Museum of Korea, which is accessible both by exiting the palace grounds and from a nearby bus stop. A free attraction we just had to have a glimpse of was the Street of Memories, an outdoor recreation of a 1980s Seoul neighborhood, complete with diners, barber shops, grocers, and houses. K-drama enthusiasts would know this as the best way to relive the series Reply 1988, which follows a group of childhood friends and their coming-of-age in the 1980s.
A few steps from that open-air exhibit is the museum itself, a large structure that houses exhibits on domestic and agricultural artifacts and cultural beliefs. A memorable part was being serenaded in the lobby by a madugum (a Mongolian string instrument) player while a pair of dancers performed a tango in the hall.
We went to another museum a few days later: the National Museum of Korea, which is accessible from the Ichon subway station. Its grounds are spacious and elegantly designed, with a gazebo overlooking a pond, which was still frozen over.
The walk up to the museum showcased its modern architecture, with a city view of the rest of Seoul (including its highest point, N Seoul Tower) in the background. Inside, it is divided into Prehistory, Ancient History, Medieval, and Early Modern History, with another building focusing on the 1900s onwards still under development. From ornate maps, paintings, and Buddha statues to massive thrones and wooden pagodas, there’s a lot to see here, and gives one a chance to appreciate just how well Koreans preserve pieces of their history.
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVESSpeaking of N Seoul Tower, we visited it as well to check out what Seoul’s highest point has to offer. Located in Namsan Mountain Park, physically active tourists can hike up the peak through different routes, though most tourists took the cable car for a short and leisurely climb (as we did). The tower does not just have a view deck, but a few floors of cafés, restaurants, and convenience stores. Going up to the observatory on the highest level, which offers 360-degree views of the city, costs more.
The view deck itself already provided stunning city views, though, so we settled for that and took as many pictures as we could in the cold before retreating into one of the heated cafes. For couples who want to do something cheesy, there’s an open-air section that displays “love locks,” a trend popularized in Paris, which allows couples to attach symbols of their love to the fences. Otherwise, the top of N Seoul Tower is a spacious, relaxing place to lounge and see the city from a different perspective.
While our preference when it comes to traveling is exploring a place on foot to see what the local neighborhoods are like, the biting cold, exacerbated by strong winds, kept us from doing so. The only time we sort of wandered the streets leisurely (without rushing through a touristy place to take quick pictures and get indoors) was on our last day, when we browsed through the motorcycle shops along Toegyero starting from Chungmuro Station.
One of our group was looking for bike accessories, and our research brought us to this stretch that was once renowned as a motorcycle street, filled with dealers, used bikes, and specialty stores. Now, likely due to the pandemic and the rise of online shopping, it seems to have quieted down and become gentrified, and is now home to a variety of other establishments.
For a newbie to winter, the unforgettable part was how mild the cold was on this particular day. The walk turned magical when a gentle snowfall began, with snowflakes appearing like droplets from the sky and specks of white dotting the hats and coats of people passing by.
Shortly after we arrived at a hidden gem — the reason we go on these spontaneous walks in the first place! — a quaint café and vintage shop called Street275. Its exterior is fronted by 1990s American diner aesthetics and a stylish black Vespa (which we later learned belonged to the owner, whose English name is Jacob). Inside is a cozy café set-up, with comfortable chairs and a counter manned by Jacob himself. The menu has coffee, alcohol, and desserts, which we enjoyed after the pleasant walk, while next door is the adjoining shop filled with vintage clothes, bags, accessories, and shoes. Aside from being able to haggle for good prices, the owner and waiters were lovely to chat with.
Overall, we don’t recommend visiting Seoul in the harsh winter cold (avoid late January to early February!), especially if you aim to explore and walk around. It has none of the winter wonderland snowscapes but all of the biting winds, which will simply wear you down and prevent you from wandering, even if you are snug and warm under layers of clothing. Taking pictures? Forget it, you’ll want your hands safe in your gloves and pockets rather than going numb from handling your phone or camera in the open air. Joint pains will likely emerge. Approaching mid-February, though, the temperature eased from the usual -7°C to a more bearable 4°C or 5°C, and, most importantly, the arctic wind receded, replaced by gentle, drizzle-like snow that would last only minutes.
What we learned is that you have to discover where to take refuge — like the beef bone broth restaurant next to our hotel in Janghanpyeong, the handmade dumpling soup restaurant towards the back of the Samsung headquarters in the city center, or the spicy kimbap store just steps away from Sindang Station. Travel is all about finding the little gems here and there, and if you sometimes stray from the usual touristy path, Seoul happens to be full of them.