Given a choice between hiking up a mountain or wandering around an airconditioned mall, I choose the latter. Any time of the day, any day of the week, any week of the year.
It’s not that I don’t like nature, but there’s a distinct advantage to having a clean toilet within easy reach. Bonus points if it includes automated Japanese-style bidets with heated seats.
Plus, you don’t have to worry about the weather, creepy bugs or my greatest fear, random snakes out for a stroll. I know that they don’t mean any harm and are just going about their daily lives, but they really freak me out.
As should be evident by now, I’m a city boy through and through. And one thing I look forward to, when travelling to major cities, is visiting their big and fancy malls.
The Hyundai Seoul
Recently opened in February 2021, The Hyundai Seoul is the city’s largest shopping mall. The closest subway station is Yeouido (Lines 5 & 9), which is a comfortable 500m walk away.
We visited during spring, where pretty little flowers in full bloom dotted the outer compound. I had assumed that there were carefully maintained by the management of the mall, but we saw similar displays throughout the city. So maybe they were an initiative of the local government.
The mall is impressively huge and houses eight massive floors, 12 if you count the carpark. It has an expansive atrium that’s located in the heart of the building, and reaches all the way up to the ceiling.
All the major international brands were represented, with stores occupying prime real estate on the ground and first floors. Fashion stores dominated the higher levels; women’s of course, with a smattering of kid’s and a few token ones for men.
The top floor consisted of fancy restaurants focusing on different local and international cuisine. For more wallet-friendly food, the first basement level features a food court and many familiar chain stores.
It’s a fairly standard layout for high-end malls throughout Asia, except for perhaps the huge-mongous atrium. When we visited, it featured an Attack on Titan-sized Heendy, the official mascot of Hyundai Department Stores.
The Wife took a particular liking to Heendy’s heinie, and took numerous shots from various angles. It was kind of cute, I guess, but I failed to see the attraction. Many visitors had the same idea though, a sign that maybe she was on to something.
For some reason, everything, everywhere, all at once was populated with hearts. I found it quite strange since it was May, and way past Valentine’s Day. But I suppose you can never have too much love in the world.
I had seen the atrium in many YouTube videos before, but the one that left me with the strongest impression was when LeeHi recorded a show there during the dark days of Covid.
She’s not the most famous of South Korean singers and isn’t part of a popular idol group. But she has a soulful and beautiful voice, with a petite frame that is diametrically opposite of how she actually sounds.
If you haven’t heard her song “Breathe” before, you might want to check it out. I don’t understand Korean, but I could viscerally feel the heartbreaking lyrics from her delivery. It was even more haunting when I heard it a second time, after finding out who wrote the song for her.
Anyway, I digress.
In her performance below, which unfortunately doesn’t include “Breathe”, the atrium provided the perfect backdrop for some wonderful cinematography. The panoramic shots really showed off its beautiful aesthetics and its sheer volume of space.
This video was the reason why I tagged The Hyundai Seoul as a “must visit” location. And when I finally got to see it in real life, I was not disappointed.
Starfield Coex
The other “must see” landmark on our itinerary was also inside a large mall, specifically the Starfield Coex in Gangnam. On hindsight, since it was on the same subway Line 9 as The Hyundai, we probably should have visited both on the same day.
The sprawling building is directly connected to not just one, but two subway stations on two separate lines: Bonguensa (Line 9) and Samseong (Line 2). Whichever station you alight from, just follow the very visible signs and you’ll get there in no time.
As you enter, you can’t help but notice a clearly marked pathway with distance markers, sporting motivational phrases like: “It’s okay, you’re doing great.”
I had an idea of where it would lead to, and followed it to its final destination. But the route was, unsurprisingly, not quick nor direct.
Along the way, we were continually distracted by various Korean fashion stores like Twee, Åland, Spao, 8 seconds and had to make pit stops along the way. And when I say “we”, I mean mainly The Wife.
Finally, we got to the main attraction: Starfield Library, or Byeolmadang Doseogwan (별마당도서관) — Byeol (별) meaning “Star”, Madang (마당) meaning “Field” and Doseogwan (도서관) meaning “Library”.
Like any other library in the world, it has books, lots of books. And those books are neatly arranged onto shelves and sorted by categories like Fiction, Economy, Business etc.
But unlike any other library, you can’t actually borrow any of the books.
You’re free to pick them off the shelves to read at your own leisure. But once you’re done or when the library closes, whichever comes first, you need to put them back.
And unlike any other library, or at least the ones I’ve been to, it’s just so pretty.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of the Singapore National Library, but it seems boring and sterile compared to Starfield. There’s a reason why #starfieldlibrary has more 48,400 posts on Instagram and #singaporenationallibrary only has 500+.
Some other random facts about the Starfield Library that I found online:
- Shinsegae invested ₩6,000,000,000 (~S$6,000,000) to build the library, and spends ₩500,000,000 (~S$500,000) every year to maintain it
- The library occupies 2 storeys, covers a floor area of 2,800 square metres and has towering 13 metre-tall bookshelves
- It houses more than 50,000 books and 600 magazines, all available to the general public to read for free (but no borrowing)
If I lived in Seoul, I would probably spend quite a large amount of time hanging out there. I would have to learn how to read hangul first, of course.
Besides The Hyundai Seoul and Starfield Coex, we also spent time in the Lotte Department Store in Myeongdong and AK& in Hongdae.
Given my soft spot for malls, you might think that I’m a shopaholic, or at the very least, a window shopping fan. On the contrary, I don’t enjoy actual, or even window, shopping.
I prefer to wear my clothes until they physically disintegrate. When I have no choice but to replace them, I stick to multiple pieces of the same item, usually in the same colour.
So why do I like to spend time in malls when I’m on vacation overseas?
Maybe because I’m a city boy through and through, and there’s no better symbol of modern civilisation than a bright and shiny shopping centre.
Also, no chance of accidental snake encounters.
Seoul Spring 2023
Trip planning: Hansik, sijang and hanok (Seoul Spring 2023)
Our flights are booked, hotel rooms are reserved and all that’s left is to count down to the day that we finally take to the skies again.
Up in the air again with Singapore Airlines in Business class
For our very first post-pandemic flight, we redeemed 208,000 KrisFlyer miles for a pair of Business class return tickets to Seoul.
Ryse Hotel is right in the heart of bustling Hongdae
During our previous trips to Seoul, we stayed in Myeongdong, Dongdaemun and City Hall. This time, I decided to try a new neighbourhood in the Western part of Seoul.
Comforting pork soup at Donsubaek for our first meal in Seoul
After a six plus hour flight and faced with an unexpected drop in temperature, a piping hot bowl of pork soup really hit the spot.
Masan Seafood and their ugly delicious agujjim
Monkfish may possibly be the ugliest fish in the world, but it also happens to be one of the most delicious.
A relaxing afternoon interlude at Tteuran Teahouse in Ikseondong
As you step through the heavy wooden doors, you can’t help but feel a sense of serenity sweep over your entire body.
For jeongmal delizioso Korean fusion food, head to Banjoo Iksun
Beautifully browned potato dumplings and generous chunks of smoky bacon floated on a pool of vibrantly green perilla leaf cream.
Traditional Korean rice cakes and pour over coffee for breakfast
Rice is a staple in many Asian countries. Besides being the main source of carbohydrates, it’s also used to make different types of sweets.
Lotus Lantern Festival at Gwanghwamun Square
The lantern displays were just one component of the week-long festival leading up to the Buddha’s birthday celebration, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Baek Nyeon Baekse just took the top spot in our samgyetang shortlist
Samgyetang, or ginseng chicken soup, is easily one of our favourite Korean dishes. It’s great on cold, rainy days and even better when we’re feeling under the weather.
When Korean executives need a quick meal, Hanilkwan is where they go
Bibimbap is a dish that requires audience participation, and it’s always fun to mix all the ingredients into a beautiful mess.
Strawberry tea and desserts at bright and breezy Mil Toast
The Wife went with a hot Strawberry Tea, not knowing exactly what to expect but confident that it was a good choice. South Korea was, after all, famous for their high quality strawberries.
Watching the Lotus Lantern Parade from our seats at Jongno 3-ga
You know that an event is a huge deal when a 3km stretch of road, right in the heart of a major city, is shut down for several hours on a busy Saturday night.
Bus ride to Mangwon Market for our Korean street food fix
Dessert was in the form of spicy eomuk skewers, from the very first stall we saw when entering the market. Just look at that fiery and luscious sauce!
The hanjeongsik at Hangaram was easily our best meal in Seoul
Despite being mentally prepared for the large number of incoming items, when the food started arriving, we were hopelessly overwhelmed by the non-stop cascade of dishes.
Jeon and makgeolli at John Makgeolliano in Yeonnamdong
One mission of our recent vacation in Seoul was to drink as much makgeolli as possible. And since jeon is the perfect accompaniment to makgeolli, we found an interesting place to have both.
Wandering the jinjja yeppeuda alleys of Ikseondong Hanok Village
Of all the neighbourhoods we’ve been to in Seoul, Ikseondong is the prettiest by far. Here are five memorable places that we visited.
There’s a reason why Myeongdong Kyoja is so popular
After mixing everything into a beautiful mess and taking in a big mouthful, the first thing that hit me was a pleasant nuttiness, followed by deep umami. The noodles were firm and chewy, releasing flavour with every bite.
From now on, Novotel Dongdaemun is where we’ll stay in Seoul
Five months before check-in, I booked a 53sqm Residence Deluxe Room on a fully flexible rate. Our four night stay in May had an average daily rate of ₩256,000.
The Wife walked into Pleats Mama and almost didn’t make it out
I could tell that she was very pleased with her purchases, and I was pleased that she was pleased.
The complete Hanwoo K-BBQ experience at Majang Meat Market
Our 422g platter with four different cuts of Grade 1++(9) Korean beef cost ₩71,000 at the butcher’s shop. The total bill after adding the table charge, drinks and transport came up to only ₩89,800.
Buying African beans from Blue Bottle Coffee in Samcheongdong
A wide selection was on display, together with their origins, tasting notes and prices. They were sold in unusually large 300gm bags, with blends going for ₩25,000 and single-origins for ₩35,000.
Our very first taste of ganjang gejang, courtesy of Keun Giwajip
I found out the hard way that ganjang gejang is an acquired taste. One that, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to acquire.
Strolling down Gyeongdong Market for a truly local sijang experience
One thing we like to do when visiting a foreign city is to explore grocery stores and traditional markets. It gives us a chance to glimpse into the lives of people going about their day-to-day activities.
The tragic fate of the jjukkumi at Najeongsun Halmae
Somewhere in the Yongdu-dong neighbourhood, within the Dongdaemun-gu district, a brass octopus stands at attention, solemnly saluting all who walk past.
Jeolla-do grilled eel two ways at Songgang Freshwater Eel
In South Korea, jang-eo (장어) is considered a health food that boosts energy, and is especially popular during the hot summer months.
Shopping for souvenirs at Emart Cheonggyecheon
Grocery shopping is probably not on the minds of most tourists. But coming from a non-agricultural country like Singapore, the opportunity to bring home fresh, tasty and cheap produce was simply too good to miss.
Last minute dash for Goraesa Eomuk just before boarding our flight
The Wife had a look in her eyes that hinted that she was thinking about buying one of everything. But she managed to restrain her impulses and only picked out three pieces.
Our 10 day Seoul itinerary and how much we spent
We spent a total of ₩5,450,000 for our entire trip. Here’s the cost breakdown by flight, hotel, food & drink, shopping, transport and other travel-related expenses.
And just like that, The Wife turned into a kkaennip addict
I can still remember the precise moment that it happened. We were having dinner at Hanilkwan and one of our banchan was a simple salad of shredded cabbage and kkaennip, tossed in a light vinaigrette.
StarHub Giga data roaming works like a charm
We used gigaRoam in Seoul and had no issues with mobile data access throughout our entire trip. It was easy to buy, seamless to activate and convenient to extend, making it the default choice for our future travels.
Lotte Mart Seoul Station is a Korean snack food paradise
Our extensive haul only lasted us a few weeks. We could have stretched it out a bit longer, but when faced with a convenient stockpile of addictive Korean snacks, the first thing that goes out the window is self-control.
