These photos (excluding the featured photo) were taken over the span of a year living in the city and sum up the variety of what Seoul has to offer. Photos include Bukhansan National Park, Dongdaemun Design Complex, Muui-do Island, Sitting Gold Buddha, 2000 year old carved Buddha, and more.

Seoul has it all, from towering skyscrapers to hyper-modern design complexes and tiny alleys filled with every exotic sea creature and smell the senses could possibly imagine. Aside from the obvious city amenities, Seoul borders an amazing wild mountain range called Bukhansan National Park. Accessible from the metro line, it is a hiker’s paradise and a reprieve from the wild city that is Seoul. This place truly does have it all.

You are likely hungover from a long night of Korean Karaoke and soju. Wake up a little later (Korea is called ‘The Land of the Morning Calm’), make some coffee, and hop on the metro to Bukhansan National Park, a favorite hike of mine starts from Gupabal Station and goes up to a sitting Buddha statue surrounded by 10,000 Buddhas. This statue is the protector of Seoul and the under it is said to lie the heart of a dragon. This hike will take about 3 hours round trip including the time it takes to sit around with Korean Ajimas, or ‘old ladies’ as we call them in the USA. Return back down to the trailhead, hop on the metro, stop in Itaewon quickly to grab a sandwich and soup from Casablanca and then head over to the Seoul Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art because every Saturday after 6 the museum is free! Mozy around with a hot chocolate in hand. A perfect day in Korea.

The food and markets, the nightlife, the mountains, the public transportation system, the kindness of people.

The work life balance and long hours on the job.

How safe the city is, how clean and modern it is, and how amazing the public transportation system is!

Steve McCurry