National Geographic Traveller South Korea

Top 10

SOUTH KOREA September 2014

f ro M t h e ed ito r Editorial Director: Maria Pieri Editor: Pat Riddell Deputy Editor: Helen Warwick Associate Editors: Sarah Barrell, Jo Gardner, Glen Mutel, Katie Reich-Storer Contributing Editors: Stephanie Cavagnaro, Chris Peacock, Nicky Trup Digital Editor: Seamus McDermott Sub Editors: Chris Horton, Lorraine Griffiths Group Art Editor: Chris Hudson Senior Designer: Lauren Atkinson-Smith Designers: Lucy Grafton-Green, Nicki Smith Picture Researcher: Natalie Jackson Production Manager: Daniel Gregory Production Controllers: Joaquim Pereira, Lisa Poston, Joanne Roberts, Anthony Wright Special Projects Consultant: Matthew Midworth National Geographic Traveller Business Development Team: Bob Jalaf, Kevin Killen, Dorian Lloyd, Glyn Morgan Digital Media Manager: John Stergides Sales and Marketing Manager: Rebecca Fraser APL Business Development Team: Chris Dalton, Stephen Kelly, Danny Pegg, Mark Salmon, Mara Veith, Carly Bell, Alex Vignali Chief Executive: Anthony Leyens Managing Director: Matthew Jackson Office Manager: Abigail Beresford (maternity leave) Office Assistant: Taylah Brooke Financial Controller: Taurai Mangezi Credit Manager: Craig Chappell Accounts Manager: Siobhan Grover Credit Controller: David Gopala, Marnie Dillon (maternity leave) Billings and Revenue Controller: Sarah Robinson National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published by Absolute Publishing Ltd. 197-199 City Road, London EC1V 1JN. www.natgeotraveller.co.uk Editorial T: 020 7253 9906. Email: editorial@natgeotraveller.co.uk Sales/Admin T: 020 7253 9909. Sales/Admin F: 020 7253 9907 Email: sales@natgeotraveller.co.uk Absolute Publishing Middle East: Level 14, Boulevard Plaza Tower 1 Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, Dubai, UAE, PO Box 334036 Tania Kreindler, Director AP Middle East T: 00 971 4 439 4254. tania.kreindler@natgeotraveller.co.uk

South Korea is fast gaining cult status among travellers in-the-know: steeped in tradition, it’s also high-tech, high-tempo and hauntingly beautiful. Its controversial neighbour, North Korea, may get the column inches but the Republic of Korea — as it’s officially known — is no underdog.

Discover the futuristic megacity of Seoul, championing the mantra, ‘work hard, play hard’, and tick off its clutch of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, from Jeju Island to Gyeongju Historic Areas. Or hunker down with monks in a Buddhist temple and eat your way through its mind-blowing culinary scene. There’s even epic winter sports to get to grips with, and unlike North Korea, its doors are always wide open. So throw yourself into South Korea with our top 10 guide.

Helen Warwick, Editor

in this issue 48 hours

15 j e j u i s l a n d

escapism

no-man’s land

16 t e M p l e s tay

food

17 h a n o k

big picture

18 ta e k w o n d o

National Geographic Traveller (UK) & Supplements are published by Absolute Publishing Ltd. Their entire contents are protected by copyright 2014 and all rights are reserved. Reproduction without prior permission is forbidden. Every care is taken in compiling the contents of the magazine, but the publishers assume no responsibility in the effect arising therefrom.

Readers are advised to seek professional advice before acting on any information which is contained in the magazine. Neither Absolute Publishing Ltd or National Geographic Traveller magazine accept any liability for views expressed, pictures used or claims made by advertisers.

04 s e o u l

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER USA

08 B B Q s & B i B i M B a p

Editor & Vice President: Keith Bellows Editor & Senior Vice President, Travel Media: Keith Bellows Executive Editor: Norie Quintos Creative Director: Jerry Sealy Director of Photography: Daniel R. Westergren Senior Editor: Jayne Wise Associate Editors: Amy Alipio, Katie Knorovsky, Susan O’Keefe Copy Editor: Judy Burke Deputy Art Director: Leigh V. Borghesani Associate Art Director: Michele Chu Senior Photo Editor: Carol Enquist Associate Photo Editor: Ben Fitch Design & Photo Assistant: Kathryn Naumiec Chief Researcher: Marilyn Terrell Managing Editor, E-Publishing: Kathie Gartrell Production Manager: David M. Burneston Editorial Business Manager: Jeannette Kimmel Assistant to the Editor: Devon Maresco Researchers: Christine Bednarz, Monika Joshi

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY President & Chief Executive Officer: Gary E. Knell Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer: Tracie A. Winbigler Executive Vice President & President, Publishing And Digital Media: Declan Moore Executive Vice President & Worldwide Publisher, Global Media: Claudia Malley Executive Vice President, Travel: Lynn Cutter Chairman: John M. Fahey, Jr. Chairman Emeritus: Gilbert M. Grosvenor Explorers-In-Residence: Robert Ballard, Lee Berger, James Cameron, Wade Davis, Jared Diamond, Sylvia Earle, J. Michael Fay, Beverly Joubert, Dereck Joubert, Louise Leakey, Meave Leakey, Johan Reinhard, Enric Sala, Paul Sereno, Spencer Wells

finding enlightenment

07 t h e d M Z

sleep

sports

10 B o r y e o n g

M u d f e s t i va l

lesson

culture

skiing

13 g y e o n g j u

18 o ly M p i c

n at i o n a l pa r k

p y eo n g c h a n g

find us online

on the cover

INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING International Licensing & Alliances: Yulia P. Boyle. yboyle@ngs.org T: 00 1 202 857 7277. F: 00 1 202 775 6716.

Finance Director: Jennifer Liu Director, International Magazine Publishing And Business Development: Ariel Deiaco-Lohr

Traditional temple at sunset Image: Getty

Facebook: facebook.com/natgeotraveller Twitter: twitter.com/natgeotraveller Flickr: flickr.com/groups/natgeotraveller Google+: gplus.to/NatGeoTravellerUK

Copyright © 2014 National Geographic Society. All Rights Reserved.

National Geographic Traveler: Registered. Printed in the UK.

in association with korea tourism organisation

natgeotraveller.co.uk | National Geographic Traveller 3

f ro M t h e ed ito r Editorial Director: Maria Pieri Editor: Pat Riddell Deputy Editor: Helen Warwick Associate Editors: Sarah Barrell, Jo Gardner, Glen Mutel, Katie Reich-Storer Contributing Editors: Stephanie Cavagnaro, Chris Peacock, Nicky Trup Digital Editor: Seamus McDermott Sub Editors: Chris Horton, Lorraine Griffiths Group Art Editor: Chris Hudson Senior Designer: Lauren Atkinson-Smith Designers: Lucy Grafton-Green, Nicki Smith Picture Researcher: Natalie Jackson Production Manager: Daniel Gregory Production Controllers: Joaquim Pereira, Lisa Poston, Joanne Roberts, Anthony Wright Special Projects Consultant: Matthew Midworth National Geographic Traveller Business Development Team: Bob Jalaf, Kevin Killen, Dorian Lloyd, Glyn Morgan Digital Media Manager: John Stergides Sales and Marketing Manager: Rebecca Fraser APL Business Development Team: Chris Dalton, Stephen Kelly, Danny Pegg, Mark Salmon, Mara Veith, Carly Bell, Alex Vignali Chief Executive: Anthony Leyens Managing Director: Matthew Jackson Office Manager: Abigail Beresford (maternity leave) Office Assistant: Taylah Brooke Financial Controller: Taurai Mangezi Credit Manager: Craig Chappell Accounts Manager: Siobhan Grover Credit Controller: David Gopala, Marnie Dillon (maternity leave) Billings and Revenue Controller: Sarah Robinson National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published by Absolute Publishing Ltd. 197-199 City Road, London EC1V 1JN. www.natgeotraveller.co.uk Editorial T: 020 7253 9906. Email: editorial@natgeotraveller.co.uk Sales/Admin T: 020 7253 9909. Sales/Admin F: 020 7253 9907 Email: sales@natgeotraveller.co.uk Absolute Publishing Middle East: Level 14, Boulevard Plaza Tower 1 Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, Dubai, UAE, PO Box 334036 Tania Kreindler, Director AP Middle East T: 00 971 4 439 4254. tania.kreindler@natgeotraveller.co.uk

South Korea is fast gaining cult status among travellers in-the-know: steeped in tradition, it’s also high-tech, high-tempo and hauntingly beautiful. Its controversial neighbour, North Korea, may get the column inches but the Republic of Korea — as it’s officially known — is no underdog.

Discover the futuristic megacity of Seoul, championing the mantra, ‘work hard, play hard’, and tick off its clutch of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, from Jeju Island to Gyeongju Historic Areas. Or hunker down with monks in a Buddhist temple and eat your way through its mind-blowing culinary scene. There’s even epic winter sports to get to grips with, and unlike North Korea, its doors are always wide open. So throw yourself into South Korea with our top 10 guide.

Helen Warwick, Editor

in this issue 48 hours

15 j e j u i s l a n d

escapism

no-man’s land

16 t e M p l e s tay

food

17 h a n o k

big picture

18 ta e k w o n d o

National Geographic Traveller (UK) & Supplements are published by Absolute Publishing Ltd. Their entire contents are protected by copyright 2014 and all rights are reserved. Reproduction without prior permission is forbidden. Every care is taken in compiling the contents of the magazine, but the publishers assume no responsibility in the effect arising therefrom.

Readers are advised to seek professional advice before acting on any information which is contained in the magazine. Neither Absolute Publishing Ltd or National Geographic Traveller magazine accept any liability for views expressed, pictures used or claims made by advertisers.

04 s e o u l

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER USA

08 B B Q s & B i B i M B a p

Editor & Vice President: Keith Bellows Editor & Senior Vice President, Travel Media: Keith Bellows Executive Editor: Norie Quintos Creative Director: Jerry Sealy Director of Photography: Daniel R. Westergren Senior Editor: Jayne Wise Associate Editors: Amy Alipio, Katie Knorovsky, Susan O’Keefe Copy Editor: Judy Burke Deputy Art Director: Leigh V. Borghesani Associate Art Director: Michele Chu Senior Photo Editor: Carol Enquist Associate Photo Editor: Ben Fitch Design & Photo Assistant: Kathryn Naumiec Chief Researcher: Marilyn Terrell Managing Editor, E-Publishing: Kathie Gartrell Production Manager: David M. Burneston Editorial Business Manager: Jeannette Kimmel Assistant to the Editor: Devon Maresco Researchers: Christine Bednarz, Monika Joshi

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY President & Chief Executive Officer: Gary E. Knell Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer: Tracie A. Winbigler Executive Vice President & President, Publishing And Digital Media: Declan Moore Executive Vice President & Worldwide Publisher, Global Media: Claudia Malley Executive Vice President, Travel: Lynn Cutter Chairman: John M. Fahey, Jr. Chairman Emeritus: Gilbert M. Grosvenor Explorers-In-Residence: Robert Ballard, Lee Berger, James Cameron, Wade Davis, Jared Diamond, Sylvia Earle, J. Michael Fay, Beverly Joubert, Dereck Joubert, Louise Leakey, Meave Leakey, Johan Reinhard, Enric Sala, Paul Sereno, Spencer Wells

finding enlightenment

07 t h e d M Z

sleep

sports

10 B o r y e o n g

M u d f e s t i va l

lesson

culture

skiing

13 g y e o n g j u

18 o ly M p i c

n at i o n a l pa r k

p y eo n g c h a n g

find us online

on the cover

INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING International Licensing & Alliances: Yulia P. Boyle. yboyle@ngs.org T: 00 1 202 857 7277. F: 00 1 202 775 6716.

Finance Director: Jennifer Liu Director, International Magazine Publishing And Business Development: Ariel Deiaco-Lohr

Traditional temple at sunset Image: Getty

Facebook: facebook.com/natgeotraveller Twitter: twitter.com/natgeotraveller Flickr: flickr.com/groups/natgeotraveller Google+: gplus.to/NatGeoTravellerUK

Copyright © 2014 National Geographic Society. All Rights Reserved.

National Geographic Traveler: Registered. Printed in the UK.

in association with korea tourism organisation

natgeotraveller.co.uk | National Geographic Traveller 3

Day two 9am

Spend the morning delving into six centuries of the Joseon dynasty by ticking off its two finest royal palaces.

The royal quarter has its very own ‘Forbidden Cities’ in the form of the 14th-century Gyeongbokgung Palace, with its theatrical changing of the guard, and nearby Changgyeonggung Palace, which has impressive imperial gardens.

01 48 hours

s eo u l Adding ‘play hard’ to a ‘work hard’ ethic, the South Korean capital is the new city that never sleeps.

Words: Mark Stratton

Clockwise from left: Bongeunsa Temple; ceremonial guards; Bukchon Hanok village; a Hongdae nightclub; temple food; Woo Woo cocktail; gwangjang market; Buddha statues

12pm

4pM

GanGnaM st yle

1pM

Seoul marches on its stomach.

Its workforce cherishes noisy fastpaced meals of multiple dishes. Squeeze your derriere onto Gwangjang’s crowded wooden benches to enjoy bindaetteok (savoury pancakes) and spicy tteokbokki (rice cakes with sweet chili sauce) accompanied by makgoelli rice wine — all for under a tenner. 88, Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu.

For the latest craze in just about everything head to Gangnam, Seoul’s financial district, hosting ultra-hip designer shops and every coffee bean variety known to mankind. The three-storey Samsung d’light (combining the words ‘digital’ and ‘light’) showroom, at 11 Seocho-daero near Gangnam Station, guarantees techno-geeks will purr with, er, delight. samsung.com 4 National Geographic Traveller | South Korea

cookery cl ass

With your newly acquired love for Korean food, how about learning to cook it? Korea House cultural centre offers 90-minute classes under expert tutelage. You’ll learn to conjure up, among other dishes, the omnipresent kimchi and sanbyeong (rice cakes).

Book in advance. koreahouse.or.kr

7pM

I n t e r n at I o n a l I ta e w o n

Mingle with the funsters in Seoul’s party district, Itaewon, and saunter down International Food Street — a smorgasbord of eateries and great bars.

Mix with the fashionistas at Glam Lounge (T: 00 82 2 796 6853) or kick back at tropical-themed The Bungalow (T: 00 82 2 793 2344) before grilling a rib-eye steak at your table at Maple Tree House. mapletreehouse.co.kr

11pM

woo who’s who

Enter the twilight zone with cocktails and a DJ set at the Woo Bar, in the lobby of design tour de force, the W Hotel. starwood hotels.com

Images: getty; awl images; korea tourism organisation

Market Brunch

Tem ple fo o d

Near the Royal Quarter, the atmospheric Jogyesa Buddhist Temple on Gyeonji-dong may put you in the mood for wholesome temple food. Your best bet is directly opposite — the Balwoo Gongyang Restaurant, where Buddhism goes nouveau cuisine with vegetarian set courses of cold noodle soups and gingko-and-chestnut sticky rice parcels. T: 00 82 2 2031 2081.

Day oNE 10aM

R oya l pa l a c e

2pm

cl assieR souveniRs

With its well-preserved hanok architecture of yesteryear, the charming Bukchon Hanok Village is a characterfilled enclave of traditional homes.

Exploring by foot, a self-guided walking trail takes in quaint teahouses and artisan workshops offering classier souvenirs, such as jewellery and ceramic tea sets. bukchon.seoul.go.kr

5pm

s T e a m y s pa

11pm

Hongdae finale

You’re probably footsore by now, so take some time out and give yourself a Korean public bathhouse ( jjimjilbang) experience. Dragon Hill Spa in Yongsan-gu offers a raft of different packages, including sauna, massage, communal chill-out rooms, plus a seawater bath. Yes, it’s time to strip off! Besides, naked bathing is a great leveller. dragonhillspa.co.kr

8pm

fine dining

Scrubbed up nicely? Splurge on the ultimate celebratory Seoul meal at Pierre Gagnaire à Séoul, the eponymous love-child of the French three-Michelin-star super chef, on the 35th-floor of Lotte Hotel Seoul. The offering is unashamedly French molecular cuisine in a setting inspired

by Versailles with set menus from £99.

The wine list boasts wines that are rare — even in France. pierregagnaire.co.kr

Hongdae’s avant-garde student scene is home to clubs and copious coffee shops, and by 11pm, it rocks to the hippest music and dance venues in town. Try the legendary jazzy acoustic sets of Club Evans (T: 00 82 2 337 8361) or Club NB (T: 00 82 2 333 2769), with a younger hip-hop-loving crowd. If your larynx is up to it, multitudinous karaoke rooms murder popular tunes long into the small hours. natgeotraveller.co.uk | National Geographic Traveller 5

Day two 9am

Spend the morning delving into six centuries of the Joseon dynasty by ticking off its two finest royal palaces.

The royal quarter has its very own ‘Forbidden Cities’ in the form of the 14th-century Gyeongbokgung Palace, with its theatrical changing of the guard, and nearby Changgyeonggung Palace, which has impressive imperial gardens.

01 48 hours

s eo u l Adding ‘play hard’ to a ‘work hard’ ethic, the South Korean capital is the new city that never sleeps.

Words: Mark Stratton

Clockwise from left: Bongeunsa Temple; ceremonial guards; Bukchon Hanok village; a Hongdae nightclub; temple food; Woo Woo cocktail; gwangjang market; Buddha statues

12pm

4pM

GanGnaM st yle

1pM

Seoul marches on its stomach.

Its workforce cherishes noisy fastpaced meals of multiple dishes. Squeeze your derriere onto Gwangjang’s crowded wooden benches to enjoy bindaetteok (savoury pancakes) and spicy tteokbokki (rice cakes with sweet chili sauce) accompanied by makgoelli rice wine — all for under a tenner. 88, Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu.

For the latest craze in just about everything head to Gangnam, Seoul’s financial district, hosting ultra-hip designer shops and every coffee bean variety known to mankind. The three-storey Samsung d’light (combining the words ‘digital’ and ‘light’) showroom, at 11 Seocho-daero near Gangnam Station, guarantees techno-geeks will purr with, er, delight. samsung.com 4 National Geographic Traveller | South Korea

cookery cl ass

With your newly acquired love for Korean food, how about learning to cook it? Korea House cultural centre offers 90-minute classes under expert tutelage. You’ll learn to conjure up, among other dishes, the omnipresent kimchi and sanbyeong (rice cakes).

Book in advance. koreahouse.or.kr

7pM

I n t e r n at I o n a l I ta e w o n

Mingle with the funsters in Seoul’s party district, Itaewon, and saunter down International Food Street — a smorgasbord of eateries and great bars.

Mix with the fashionistas at Glam Lounge (T: 00 82 2 796 6853) or kick back at tropical-themed The Bungalow (T: 00 82 2 793 2344) before grilling a rib-eye steak at your table at Maple Tree House. mapletreehouse.co.kr

11pM

woo who’s who

Enter the twilight zone with cocktails and a DJ set at the Woo Bar, in the lobby of design tour de force, the W Hotel. starwood hotels.com

Images: getty; awl images; korea tourism organisation

Market Brunch

Tem ple fo o d

Near the Royal Quarter, the atmospheric Jogyesa Buddhist Temple on Gyeonji-dong may put you in the mood for wholesome temple food. Your best bet is directly opposite — the Balwoo Gongyang Restaurant, where Buddhism goes nouveau cuisine with vegetarian set courses of cold noodle soups and gingko-and-chestnut sticky rice parcels. T: 00 82 2 2031 2081.

Day oNE 10aM

R oya l pa l a c e

2pm

cl assieR souveniRs

With its well-preserved hanok architecture of yesteryear, the charming Bukchon Hanok Village is a characterfilled enclave of traditional homes.

Exploring by foot, a self-guided walking trail takes in quaint teahouses and artisan workshops offering classier souvenirs, such as jewellery and ceramic tea sets. bukchon.seoul.go.kr

5pm

s T e a m y s pa

11pm

Hongdae finale

You’re probably footsore by now, so take some time out and give yourself a Korean public bathhouse ( jjimjilbang) experience. Dragon Hill Spa in Yongsan-gu offers a raft of different packages, including sauna, massage, communal chill-out rooms, plus a seawater bath. Yes, it’s time to strip off! Besides, naked bathing is a great leveller. dragonhillspa.co.kr

8pm

fine dining

Scrubbed up nicely? Splurge on the ultimate celebratory Seoul meal at Pierre Gagnaire à Séoul, the eponymous love-child of the French three-Michelin-star super chef, on the 35th-floor of Lotte Hotel Seoul. The offering is unashamedly French molecular cuisine in a setting inspired

by Versailles with set menus from £99.

The wine list boasts wines that are rare — even in France. pierregagnaire.co.kr

Hongdae’s avant-garde student scene is home to clubs and copious coffee shops, and by 11pm, it rocks to the hippest music and dance venues in town. Try the legendary jazzy acoustic sets of Club Evans (T: 00 82 2 337 8361) or Club NB (T: 00 82 2 333 2769), with a younger hip-hop-loving crowd. If your larynx is up to it, multitudinous karaoke rooms murder popular tunes long into the small hours. natgeotraveller.co.uk | National Geographic Traveller 5

02 no-man’s land

The D e m i l i Ta r i z e D zo n e ( D m z ) This surreal strip of land — one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world — unveils a short, strange snapshot into North Korea. Words: Pól Ó Conghaile

Image: korea tourism organisation

W

inter is tightening its grip on South Korea. My tour bus nudges gingerly into the DMZ, one of the last relics of the Cold War and a place Bill Clinton described as ‘the scariest on earth’. Barbed wire is glinting. Watchtowers crop up at tighter intervals. Soldiers cradle rifles.

Stretching about a mile into North and South Korea, the DMZ is the most heavily armed border on earth and as tense as a bowstring. I know that in all likelihood nothing crazy will happen.

But in my imagination, it already has.

Several tour groups run trips from Seoul, taking visitors 44 miles north for around $80 (£60) per person. Our passports are checked four times as we enter Panmunjom and the Joint Security Area, a landscape crammed with tanks, bunkers and electric fences.

Young soldiers stand guard. Several ‘infiltration tunnels’ have been found beneath the DMZ, and my tour even takes me a short distance inside one of them. It feels surreal, and faintly stupid.

At Dora Observatory, I peer into North Korea through a viewfinder. In the distance, shining in Gaeseong’s smog, is a golden effigy of the Dear Leader. Closer still are the empty apartment buildings of Gijeong-dong, the so-called propaganda village of the 38th Parallel. “We don’t see any people,” a soldier points out. “Lights in the apartment blocks are turned on and off at the same time every day.”

A US solider acts as our guide in the Joint Security Area, leading us into the

Above: Dora Observation platform

Military Armistice Commission (MAC) building, before instructing me not to “speak with, make any gesture towards or in any way approach or respond to personnel from the other side.” The border runs right through the little blue hut. It’s watched over by a guard in aviator shades.

We shouldn’t be here. Nobody intended the DMZ to be a permanent fixture. Ushered in by a 1953 peace treaty signed by Pyongyang, the UN and Beijing, it should have been replaced within months. But 61 years later, it’s still here.

As my bus pulls away from this weird no-man’s land, motoring over Unification Bridge and back towards Seoul, I feel bewildered, relieved and a little empty.

I’d like to think the DMZ is temporary, but I doubt it’s going anywhere soon.

natgeotraveller.co.uk | National Geographic Traveller 7

02 no-man’s land

The D e m i l i Ta r i z e D zo n e ( D m z ) This surreal strip of land — one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world — unveils a short, strange snapshot into North Korea. Words: Pól Ó Conghaile

Image: korea tourism organisation

W

inter is tightening its grip on South Korea. My tour bus nudges gingerly into the DMZ, one of the last relics of the Cold War and a place Bill Clinton described as ‘the scariest on earth’. Barbed wire is glinting. Watchtowers crop up at tighter intervals. Soldiers cradle rifles.

Stretching about a mile into North and South Korea, the DMZ is the most heavily armed border on earth and as tense as a bowstring. I know that in all likelihood nothing crazy will happen.

But in my imagination, it already has.

Several tour groups run trips from Seoul, taking visitors 44 miles north for around $80 (£60) per person. Our passports are checked four times as we enter Panmunjom and the Joint Security Area, a landscape crammed with tanks, bunkers and electric fences.

Young soldiers stand guard. Several ‘infiltration tunnels’ have been found beneath the DMZ, and my tour even takes me a short distance inside one of them. It feels surreal, and faintly stupid.

At Dora Observatory, I peer into North Korea through a viewfinder. In the distance, shining in Gaeseong’s smog, is a golden effigy of the Dear Leader. Closer still are the empty apartment buildings of Gijeong-dong, the so-called propaganda village of the 38th Parallel. “We don’t see any people,” a soldier points out. “Lights in the apartment blocks are turned on and off at the same time every day.”

A US solider acts as our guide in the Joint Security Area, leading us into the

Above: Dora Observation platform

Military Armistice Commission (MAC) building, before instructing me not to “speak with, make any gesture towards or in any way approach or respond to personnel from the other side.” The border runs right through the little blue hut. It’s watched over by a guard in aviator shades.

We shouldn’t be here. Nobody intended the DMZ to be a permanent fixture. Ushered in by a 1953 peace treaty signed by Pyongyang, the UN and Beijing, it should have been replaced within months. But 61 years later, it’s still here.

As my bus pulls away from this weird no-man’s land, motoring over Unification Bridge and back towards Seoul, I feel bewildered, relieved and a little empty.

I’d like to think the DMZ is temporary, but I doubt it’s going anywhere soon.

natgeotraveller.co.uk | National Geographic Traveller 7

03 food

h a r m o n y o n a p l at e

I

f you could sum up Korean cuisine in three words, they might be: communality, hands-on, and harmony. Koreans love to share food together, hand-stuffing vegetable parcels with barbecued meat or dipping chopsticks into side dishes. It’s a tradition rooted in health, and intrinsic to this cuisine are five Buddhist colours of harmony: vegetables (green), mushroom and soy (black), chilli and meat (red), rice (white), and egg (yellow).

Rice is present at almost every meal but the signature of Korean food is the fermented kimchi, a national addiction, and doenjang (soybean paste), which may be used as a condiment or integral ingredient. Kimchi is typically cabbage fermented in chilli and soybean paste.

The top restaurant pick is probably a tabletop Korean bulgogi barbecue. Take your beef or pork and grill it on hot

Clockwise, from left: Bibimbap; a kimchi festival; a bulgogi barbecue

8 National Geographic Traveller | South Korea

charcoals or a gas grill on the table. The meat, with its accompanying pastes and pickles, is then wrapped in lettuce to form ssam (parcels) and jammed into your mouth in one gulp, as convention demands.

Bibimbap, meanwhile, is an enduring favourite — a single dish of rice with its Buddhist yin and yang of vegetables and meat seasoned with soy, garlic and sesame oil. Korea’s showstopper, however, is its hanjeongsik multi-course banquet. Surrounding a hotpot, the table bulges under the weight of banchan side dishes of meat, fish, kimchi, fragrant tea and fruits.

Also on the must-eat list is Jeju Island’s seafood — try its abalone porridge. Ice-cold noodles are a culture shock, but then we got used to iced coffee, right? Korean beef, meanwhile, is becoming internationally sought after, and food markets sizzle to delicious snacks like bindaetteok (tempura pancakes with sweet or savoury fillings). Trust me — Korean food will blow your mind.

Images: korea tourism organisation

A prime cut for culinary travellers, South Korea has a foolproof formula for its cuisine: healthy, fresh and supremely tasty, from the comforting bibimbap to the beloved sidekick that is kimchi. Words: Mark Stratton

03 food

h a r m o n y o n a p l at e

I

f you could sum up Korean cuisine in three words, they might be: communality, hands-on, and harmony. Koreans love to share food together, hand-stuffing vegetable parcels with barbecued meat or dipping chopsticks into side dishes. It’s a tradition rooted in health, and intrinsic to this cuisine are five Buddhist colours of harmony: vegetables (green), mushroom and soy (black), chilli and meat (red), rice (white), and egg (yellow).

Rice is present at almost every meal but the signature of Korean food is the fermented kimchi, a national addiction, and doenjang (soybean paste), which may be used as a condiment or integral ingredient. Kimchi is typically cabbage fermented in chilli and soybean paste.

The top restaurant pick is probably a tabletop Korean bulgogi barbecue. Take your beef or pork and grill it on hot

Clockwise, from left: Bibimbap; a kimchi festival; a bulgogi barbecue

8 National Geographic Traveller | South Korea

charcoals or a gas grill on the table. The meat, with its accompanying pastes and pickles, is then wrapped in lettuce to form ssam (parcels) and jammed into your mouth in one gulp, as convention demands.

Bibimbap, meanwhile, is an enduring favourite — a single dish of rice with its Buddhist yin and yang of vegetables and meat seasoned with soy, garlic and sesame oil. Korea’s showstopper, however, is its hanjeongsik multi-course banquet. Surrounding a hotpot, the table bulges under the weight of banchan side dishes of meat, fish, kimchi, fragrant tea and fruits.

Also on the must-eat list is Jeju Island’s seafood — try its abalone porridge. Ice-cold noodles are a culture shock, but then we got used to iced coffee, right? Korean beef, meanwhile, is becoming internationally sought after, and food markets sizzle to delicious snacks like bindaetteok (tempura pancakes with sweet or savoury fillings). Trust me — Korean food will blow your mind.

Images: korea tourism organisation

A prime cut for culinary travellers, South Korea has a foolproof formula for its cuisine: healthy, fresh and supremely tasty, from the comforting bibimbap to the beloved sidekick that is kimchi. Words: Mark Stratton

04 big picture

boryeong Mud festival Get down and dirty in mud, mud, glorious mud. This messy annual event in the town of Boryeong, around 124 miles south of Seoul, began in 1998 as a way to promote its mud cosmetics. Now you can lie back for a mud massage, throw yourself into mud wrestling or test your balance while mud skiing.

And you’ll leave with super-smooth skin and a glowing complexion!

If only all festivals were this good for you. (18-27 July).

Image: getty

boryeongmudfestival.com

10 National Geographic Traveller | South Korea

natgeotraveller.co.uk | National Geographic Traveller 11

04 big picture

boryeong Mud festival Get down and dirty in mud, mud, glorious mud. This messy annual event in the town of Boryeong, around 124 miles south of Seoul, began in 1998 as a way to promote its mud cosmetics. Now you can lie back for a mud massage, throw yourself into mud wrestling or test your balance while mud skiing.

And you’ll leave with super-smooth skin and a glowing complexion!

If only all festivals were this good for you. (18-27 July).

Image: getty

boryeongmudfestival.com

10 National Geographic Traveller | South Korea

natgeotraveller.co.uk | National Geographic Traveller 11

05 culture

G y eo n G j u n at i o n a l Pa r k Explore this intriguing ‘museum without walls’ and marvel at its tombs, temples, grottos and pagodas. Words: Pól Ó Conghaile

South Korea Explorer

Flavours of the Far East

This itinerary explores the best of South Korea.

Beginning in exciting Seoul it includes the natural splendour of Mount Seorak National Park, the traditional culture of the Andong region, and Gyeongju, the ‘museum without walls’.

Discover the culinary delights of the Far East on this unique tour of South Korea and Japan.

From mouth-watering street foods and sensory fine dining experiences to hands-on cooking demonstrations.

12 days from £3298 per person

14 days from £3600 per person

For tailor-made options call us on 020 8566 3739 or visit www.transindus.co.uk

ImagEs: korea tourism organisation

B

y the time I arrive in Gyeongju, a sprawling series of cultural sites in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Seoul seems aeons away.

The Silla dynasty (57BC-935AD) controlled this area for almost a millennium, and they left their mark. The area’s an outdoor museum, littered with relics. Tombs tower over Gyeongju town’s streets; grottos, retreats and pagodas litter her forested mountains. The remains of temples and palaces are everywhere. It’s as if my bus has taken me from the set of Blade Runner to a glorious Buddhist boneyard.

Ten miles away is the UNESCO World Heritage listed Bulguksa Temple and the granite Seokguram Grotto — inside is an enormous statue of Buddha looking at the sea.

Several wooden buildings on stone terraces form the temple complex. The carpentry is exquisite, the eaves and interiors beautifully wrought. Even the bridges sound like poetry: Bridge of Blue Clouds, Bridge of Lotus Flowers, Bridge of Seven Treasures.

Autumn seems designed for this place. I turn a corner at Namsan (‘South Mountain’), and am stopped in my tracks by the strains of a monk’s song. His temple is hidden away in the trees, and when our eyes finally meet, his response is to kick off his shoes and pray.

Cultural heritage comes thick and fast: Gyeongju National Museum has a stockpile of some 100,000 pieces; Tumuli Park, near the middle of the old city, is home to some 20 tombs; a craft village sees artisans mimicking the Silla way of life.

By the time I arrive back in town, I feel like I’ve not only visited several centuries, but walked through them, too.

How to do it: Explore offers the 12-day South Korea Explorer, taking in Gyeongju as part of a wider itinerary, which includes Seoul, the DMZ, and Jeju Island from £2,867 including flights. explore.co.uk

From top: Bulguksa Temple; inside Bulguksa Temple; Seokguram Grotto

natgeotraveller.co.uk | National Geographic Traveller 13

05 culture

G y eo n G j u n at i o n a l Pa r k Explore this intriguing ‘museum without walls’ and marvel at its tombs, temples, grottos and pagodas. Words: Pól Ó Conghaile

South Korea Explorer

Flavours of the Far East

This itinerary explores the best of South Korea.

Beginning in exciting Seoul it includes the natural splendour of Mount Seorak National Park, the traditional culture of the Andong region, and Gyeongju, the ‘museum without walls’.

Discover the culinary delights of the Far East on this unique tour of South Korea and Japan.

From mouth-watering street foods and sensory fine dining experiences to hands-on cooking demonstrations.

12 days from £3298 per person

14 days from £3600 per person

For tailor-made options call us on 020 8566 3739 or visit www.transindus.co.uk

ImagEs: korea tourism organisation

B

y the time I arrive in Gyeongju, a sprawling series of cultural sites in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Seoul seems aeons away.

The Silla dynasty (57BC-935AD) controlled this area for almost a millennium, and they left their mark. The area’s an outdoor museum, littered with relics. Tombs tower over Gyeongju town’s streets; grottos, retreats and pagodas litter her forested mountains. The remains of temples and palaces are everywhere. It’s as if my bus has taken me from the set of Blade Runner to a glorious Buddhist boneyard.

Ten miles away is the UNESCO World Heritage listed Bulguksa Temple and the granite Seokguram Grotto — inside is an enormous statue of Buddha looking at the sea.

Several wooden buildings on stone terraces form the temple complex. The carpentry is exquisite, the eaves and interiors beautifully wrought. Even the bridges sound like poetry: Bridge of Blue Clouds, Bridge of Lotus Flowers, Bridge of Seven Treasures.

Autumn seems designed for this place. I turn a corner at Namsan (‘South Mountain’), and am stopped in my tracks by the strains of a monk’s song. His temple is hidden away in the trees, and when our eyes finally meet, his response is to kick off his shoes and pray.

Cultural heritage comes thick and fast: Gyeongju National Museum has a stockpile of some 100,000 pieces; Tumuli Park, near the middle of the old city, is home to some 20 tombs; a craft village sees artisans mimicking the Silla way of life.

By the time I arrive back in town, I feel like I’ve not only visited several centuries, but walked through them, too.

How to do it: Explore offers the 12-day South Korea Explorer, taking in Gyeongju as part of a wider itinerary, which includes Seoul, the DMZ, and Jeju Island from £2,867 including flights. explore.co.uk

From top: Bulguksa Temple; inside Bulguksa Temple; Seokguram Grotto

natgeotraveller.co.uk | National Geographic Traveller 13

06 escapism

jeju isl and

Image: korea tourism organisation

South Korea’s most popular holiday island draws up to 10 million visitors a year. Why? Well, for starters, the ‘East Asian Hawaii’ — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — does a neat line in white sandy beaches (try Hyeopjae, Emerald Bay and Jungmun). Its volcanic landscape is riddled with lava tubes like Manjanggul Cave, and quirks include a community of female freedivers — the ‘Korean Mermaids’ — who dive for abalone and shellfish on a single breath and are celebrated in the island’s Haenyeo Museum. Some of them remain active today. Words: Pól Ó Conghaile

natgeotraveller.co.uk | National Geographic Traveller 15

06 escapism

jeju isl and

Image: korea tourism organisation

South Korea’s most popular holiday island draws up to 10 million visitors a year. Why? Well, for starters, the ‘East Asian Hawaii’ — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — does a neat line in white sandy beaches (try Hyeopjae, Emerald Bay and Jungmun). Its volcanic landscape is riddled with lava tubes like Manjanggul Cave, and quirks include a community of female freedivers — the ‘Korean Mermaids’ — who dive for abalone and shellfish on a single breath and are celebrated in the island’s Haenyeo Museum. Some of them remain active today. Words: Pól Ó Conghaile

natgeotraveller.co.uk | National Geographic Traveller 15

07 finding enlightenment

haeInsa temple s tay

Looking for sanctuary and spirituality? Sign yourself up for a Buddhist temple stay and turn monk for a day. Words: Mark Stratton

08

I

16 National Geographic Traveller | South Korea

sleep

h a n o k S tay S Where to bed down in Seoul? The latest craze is to settle into a traditonal guesthouse for a sneaky peek into the life of a local. Words: Mark Stratton

S

Main image: Monks at Haeinsa Temple Right: Bukchon Hanok Village

Images: korea tourism organisation

awake to a thumping temple drum at 4am. The pervading mountain air of the 9th-century Haeinsa Temple is biting.

Does the noisy drum-banging monk realise the havoc he’s wreaking on my biorhythms?

I slip on my charcoal-grey trouser suit in the dormitory and walk quietly with fellow monks-for-a-day to the Daejeokgwangjeon Hall. It’s lit dimly. Flickering lamps intermittently expose Vairocana, the golden ‘primordial’ Buddha, on the altar. Smouldering incense infuses the hall as we squat in rows on cushions as monks from the Jogye Order begin reciting mantras in spine-tingling unity.

Haeinsa — dreamily referred to as the Temple of Reflection on a Smooth Sea — sits in mountainous woodland in Gyeongsangnamdo Province, and for just a small price, travellers can hunker down here for the night. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the Tripitaka Koreana, a remarkable collection of 81,258 13th-century woodblocks, that forms the most complete Korean Buddhist text in existence.

Daybreak. We move to another hall to complete yebul, a lung-bursting 108 prostrations to banish our ‘earthly delusions and sufferings’.

Rising and falling, rising and falling, to the monk’s hypnotic mantra, it’s an aerobic workout like no other and takes 25 minutes to complete.

And despite my reservations, I experience an adrenalin-fuelled energy surge and feel alive and elated when I finish. I sweat into a state of delusional suffering before my pulse lowers on completing jwaseon — a seated meditation.

Eye-opening and enthralling, it’s something no traveller should miss out on.

How to do it: South Korea’s excellent Templestay programme offers this two-day experience from 40,000won (£23). eng.templestay.com

outh Korea is undergoing an accommodation renaissance — recreating the unique architecture and hospitality of its historic houses. In Seoul, many of its distinctive hanok (traditional homes) are located in timeless Bukchon Hanok Village residing anachronistically above the glass-and-steel cityscape.

I enter the single-storey Rak Ko Jae, one of the city’s finest, at around 130 years old. Inside its high-walled compound is a hidden world — like a dramatic filmset in an oriental period drama.

Seoul’s cacophony is quickly forgotten as I find tranquility in its lotus pond, bamboo stands and ceramic jars of soybean paste. My room lies behind wood-framed paper-screen walls near an ancestral shrine to a once-resident scholar of the Joseon Dynasty, an imperial employee of nearby Gyeongbokgung Palace.

On my heated floor, a futon is rolled out and I ponder how to unfurl my long legs to fit beneath the low wooden table.

The same table is filled next morning with a sublime breakfast of dishes including mackerel slithers, seaweed and delicious porridge rice.

Guests can further their Joseon dynasty education by learning to make kimchi or wearing traditional courtier’s robes called hanbok. But after a full-on day in downtown Seoul, I sit back and laze in the hanok’s adobe-walled sauna instead.

How to do it: Rooms from 250,000won (£144). rkj.co.kr natgeotraveller.co.uk | National Geographic Traveller 17

07 finding enlightenment

haeInsa temple s tay

Looking for sanctuary and spirituality? Sign yourself up for a Buddhist temple stay and turn monk for a day. Words: Mark Stratton

08

I

16 National Geographic Traveller | South Korea

sleep

h a n o k S tay S Where to bed down in Seoul? The latest craze is to settle into a traditonal guesthouse for a sneaky peek into the life of a local. Words: Mark Stratton

S

Main image: Monks at Haeinsa Temple Right: Bukchon Hanok Village

Images: korea tourism organisation

awake to a thumping temple drum at 4am. The pervading mountain air of the 9th-century Haeinsa Temple is biting.

Does the noisy drum-banging monk realise the havoc he’s wreaking on my biorhythms?

I slip on my charcoal-grey trouser suit in the dormitory and walk quietly with fellow monks-for-a-day to the Daejeokgwangjeon Hall. It’s lit dimly. Flickering lamps intermittently expose Vairocana, the golden ‘primordial’ Buddha, on the altar. Smouldering incense infuses the hall as we squat in rows on cushions as monks from the Jogye Order begin reciting mantras in spine-tingling unity.

Haeinsa — dreamily referred to as the Temple of Reflection on a Smooth Sea — sits in mountainous woodland in Gyeongsangnamdo Province, and for just a small price, travellers can hunker down here for the night. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the Tripitaka Koreana, a remarkable collection of 81,258 13th-century woodblocks, that forms the most complete Korean Buddhist text in existence.

Daybreak. We move to another hall to complete yebul, a lung-bursting 108 prostrations to banish our ‘earthly delusions and sufferings’.

Rising and falling, rising and falling, to the monk’s hypnotic mantra, it’s an aerobic workout like no other and takes 25 minutes to complete.

And despite my reservations, I experience an adrenalin-fuelled energy surge and feel alive and elated when I finish. I sweat into a state of delusional suffering before my pulse lowers on completing jwaseon — a seated meditation.

Eye-opening and enthralling, it’s something no traveller should miss out on.

How to do it: South Korea’s excellent Templestay programme offers this two-day experience from 40,000won (£23). eng.templestay.com

outh Korea is undergoing an accommodation renaissance — recreating the unique architecture and hospitality of its historic houses. In Seoul, many of its distinctive hanok (traditional homes) are located in timeless Bukchon Hanok Village residing anachronistically above the glass-and-steel cityscape.

I enter the single-storey Rak Ko Jae, one of the city’s finest, at around 130 years old. Inside its high-walled compound is a hidden world — like a dramatic filmset in an oriental period drama.

Seoul’s cacophony is quickly forgotten as I find tranquility in its lotus pond, bamboo stands and ceramic jars of soybean paste. My room lies behind wood-framed paper-screen walls near an ancestral shrine to a once-resident scholar of the Joseon Dynasty, an imperial employee of nearby Gyeongbokgung Palace.

On my heated floor, a futon is rolled out and I ponder how to unfurl my long legs to fit beneath the low wooden table.

The same table is filled next morning with a sublime breakfast of dishes including mackerel slithers, seaweed and delicious porridge rice.

Guests can further their Joseon dynasty education by learning to make kimchi or wearing traditional courtier’s robes called hanbok. But after a full-on day in downtown Seoul, I sit back and laze in the hanok’s adobe-walled sauna instead.

How to do it: Rooms from 250,000won (£144). rkj.co.kr natgeotraveller.co.uk | National Geographic Traveller 17

YOUR SHORTCUT TO

SEOUL

09 sports

ta e k w o n d o Stretch, kick and chop away at a masterclass of taekwondo — the world’s most popular martial art. Words: Kerry van der Jagt

Fly the short northern route to Seoul via Helsinki up to seven times a week. Experience the best in travel comfort at finnair.com

to the first principle of I’M introduced taekwondo — perseverance — in the

18 National Geographic Traveller | South Korea

New York

Helsinki

Gangwon-do snowboarder

10 skiing

p y eo n g c h a n g South Korea is slowly gaining a reputation amongst skiers-in-the-know for its epic winter sports scene,

Xi’an

which buzzes across its mountainous slopes from November to April every year. There are at least 18 resorts spread across central Korea, Gangwon-do and Gyeonggi-do, ranging from bunny slopes to World Cup ski runs. Go now before the hordes find out: Pyeongchang has been named host of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. pyeongchang2018.com

Delhi Image: korea tourism organisation

changing room of the Hoki Taekwondo Academy in downtown Seoul, as I try to force my western-sized butt into a pocket-sized pair of taekwondo pants. Looking more Michelin Man than Bruce Lee, I take the walk of shame out of the changing room into the training hall.

The startled assistant, faced with his first ever muffin top, flees to the storeroom before returning with a wider pair of pants. Thankfully, the second principle of taekwondo is respect.

Taekwondo, the national sport of Korea, is the world’s most popular martial art, with more than 60 million practitioners across 180 countries. Its origins lie deep within 2,000 years of Korean culture and history, loosely translating as ‘the way of the foot and fist’.

Over the next two hours, the master of the academy leads me through a drill of stances, stretches, kicks and hand strikes before moving on to self-defence. I’m pleased to see that ‘twist the little pinkie finger ’ is right up there with the ‘eye gouge’ and the ‘ear pull’ as recognised moves.

Next come dress-ups. Decked in body armour, helmet and shin protectors, I’m teamed with another beginner to practise. With a fresh arsenal of moves under our white belts and a couple of yappy ‘hi-yas’, we do our best impersonations of The Three Stooges. In fits of laughter, we fail the third principle of taekwondo: self-control.

The final principle is courage in the face of adversity, often referred to as the ‘indomitable spirit’. From the early days when the Koreans repelled intruders such as the Khitans, and the Mongols eventually saw off French invaders, the art of taekwondo has not only survived but flourished. And the indomitable spirit of the Korean people, I discover, is alive and kicking.

How to do it: Classes from 30,000 won (£17) per person at Namsangol Hanok Village (Cheonwugak). Elsewhere, Taekwondowon in Muju has opened, housing the largest Taekwondo stadium in the world. taekwonseoul.org tkdwon.kr

Chongqing Krabi Phuket

Hanoi Bangkok Singapore

Tokyo Nagoya Seoul Osaka Shanghai Beijing

Hong Kong

YOUR SHORTCUT TO

SEOUL

09 sports

ta e k w o n d o Stretch, kick and chop away at a masterclass of taekwondo — the world’s most popular martial art. Words: Kerry van der Jagt

Fly the short northern route to Seoul via Helsinki up to seven times a week. Experience the best in travel comfort at finnair.com

to the first principle of I’M introduced taekwondo — perseverance — in the

18 National Geographic Traveller | South Korea

New York

Helsinki

Gangwon-do snowboarder

10 skiing

p y eo n g c h a n g South Korea is slowly gaining a reputation amongst skiers-in-the-know for its epic winter sports scene,

Xi’an

which buzzes across its mountainous slopes from November to April every year. There are at least 18 resorts spread across central Korea, Gangwon-do and Gyeonggi-do, ranging from bunny slopes to World Cup ski runs. Go now before the hordes find out: Pyeongchang has been named host of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. pyeongchang2018.com

Delhi Image: korea tourism organisation

changing room of the Hoki Taekwondo Academy in downtown Seoul, as I try to force my western-sized butt into a pocket-sized pair of taekwondo pants. Looking more Michelin Man than Bruce Lee, I take the walk of shame out of the changing room into the training hall.

The startled assistant, faced with his first ever muffin top, flees to the storeroom before returning with a wider pair of pants. Thankfully, the second principle of taekwondo is respect.

Taekwondo, the national sport of Korea, is the world’s most popular martial art, with more than 60 million practitioners across 180 countries. Its origins lie deep within 2,000 years of Korean culture and history, loosely translating as ‘the way of the foot and fist’.

Over the next two hours, the master of the academy leads me through a drill of stances, stretches, kicks and hand strikes before moving on to self-defence. I’m pleased to see that ‘twist the little pinkie finger ’ is right up there with the ‘eye gouge’ and the ‘ear pull’ as recognised moves.

Next come dress-ups. Decked in body armour, helmet and shin protectors, I’m teamed with another beginner to practise. With a fresh arsenal of moves under our white belts and a couple of yappy ‘hi-yas’, we do our best impersonations of The Three Stooges. In fits of laughter, we fail the third principle of taekwondo: self-control.

The final principle is courage in the face of adversity, often referred to as the ‘indomitable spirit’. From the early days when the Koreans repelled intruders such as the Khitans, and the Mongols eventually saw off French invaders, the art of taekwondo has not only survived but flourished. And the indomitable spirit of the Korean people, I discover, is alive and kicking.

How to do it: Classes from 30,000 won (£17) per person at Namsangol Hanok Village (Cheonwugak). Elsewhere, Taekwondowon in Muju has opened, housing the largest Taekwondo stadium in the world. taekwonseoul.org tkdwon.kr

Chongqing Krabi Phuket

Hanoi Bangkok Singapore

Tokyo Nagoya Seoul Osaka Shanghai Beijing

Hong Kong

For information on Travel and Holidays to Korea see www.GoKorea.co.uk To get your Free Information Pack call 0207 321 2535 or email London@GoKorea.co.uk