Words by John Finucane.
The City
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is a never-ending concrete jungle. It has a huge population of around 10 million but when you factor in the sprawling metropolitan area, it’s around 25 million. It is rare to find somewhere quiet as the city is always busy with people 24/7. There are many touristic things to do in the city such as seeing temples, hiking one of the many of the mountains, or the visiting local markets.
Local scene
The local scene is always growing from strength to strength. There are many local rippers, and the new generation are improving at an incredible rate. The website Dailygrind.kr covers and promotes the local scene with events and posting local videos. Check it out if you want insight into what is happening here. There are a number shops and companies such as Timber, Savour, Worst, Heaps skateboards, and more.
Skate spots
The main thing that skaters want to know…. the spots! To put it simply, Seoul is like a skatepark! The spots are endless. Exit out of any random subway station, and you will discover amazing spots that have never been touched. There are too many. Seoul has perfect ledge plazas, weird spots, crusty spots, and hill bombs. The only things lacking are good rails and good concrete parks. Hot spot areas to check out are Yeouinaru, COEX, DDP, Banpo, and Sunae, which isn’t in Seoul but is close by. I do recommend getting off at a random station in a downtown area and spot hunting. You will find some gems.
Transportation
Seoul is incredibly easy to get around and the transportation is relatively cheap compared to other big cities. There is a gigantic subway network that goes all over the city and into the neighboring cities. Get yourself a T-money card and the Naver maps app to help guide you around this urban sprawl.
Nightlife
Check out Hongdae and Itaewon for partying. The nightlife is incredible, clubs open all night. If street beers are your thing, you can buy beer 24/7 from the local CU and drink on streets apart from some parks. Word to the wise, watch out for Soju!
Hopefully this is gives you an insight into the city of Seoul in the Land of Morning Calm. There is a lot more I could say but the best way to find more about Seoul is get a flight.
