We all have a little bit of Korea in our lives, knowingly, or unknowingly, whether it’s the automobiles that we used to commute for the refrigerator we employ to store our food in, to skincare that are formulated or even the dishwasher products that we use. This country, the size of the Indian state of Telangana has produced a massive scale of devices, entertainment or formulations that have become a part of every day life all across the world, their kimchi notwithstanding the highest spot in fermented food in the world!
But in real time, parked next to a hugely communist country firing away test missiles every quarter in not so much a mean feat, remaining largely peaceful and calm if not safe is a truly commendable feat. In spite of and mostly because of their k-dramas, a major k-pop culture, impeccable beauty standards and hugely gripping storylines South Korea is very relatable to Indians if not the world at large. While their technology has been borrowed by India for the automobile, gadget and a plethora of other industries, the way they employ it in their stead makes the country and people of Korea mostly connected to the world.
In the next few posts we go along together across the three cities of South Korea that are diverse and so different from each other. Seoul is for the soul like their city tagline goes, Busan is good like their city tagline goes and Only Jeju as its tagline goes! The city vibe with the hills of Seoul is a lot different from the beachy climes of Busan is a lot different from the magical volcanic quality of Jeju. The spirit of South Korea is encapsulated across all the three cities in full measure. The people are hospitable, the language barrier deftly crossed over with smart technology like PapaGo and else, while Google Maps quivers a bit Naveen takes over just alright and may I add the ever-growing Vegan tribe too find a hearty meal devoid of sea oils of any kind!
The take aways are quite huge quite literally with the beauty enthusiasts going way over budgets at their very popular Olive Young stores which have sprouted all over South Korea, the design fanatics going wild at Art Box or the enthusiasts of tipsy world figuring out the best amongst the aisles of soju, even children are not looked over with the ever present arcade spaces. For the materialists there is materiality spread across malls, outlet malls, shopping complexes, street side shopping, for the experiencialists there are experiences like no other, for the nature lovers there is the cherry blossoms, the canola fields, for the hikers, there are trails of all levels and sizes and lengths. All of it effortlessly sprawled across the country.
While the world is looking east today, Japan and South Korea have emerged as the most popular choices in the recent times and at this time mostly because of the cherry blossoms. Throughout history South Korea has shared more than just cherry blossoms with Japan, colonised by Japan and mostly looted, they also inherited an indomitable spirit of hardwork and respect that is a mark of the Japanese. But with a zing of delight, intelligence that is fun and loaded on cuteness, Korea has built upon its history with dollops of effervescent joy!
Vedasri Siddamsetty 