The Seooreung (서오릉) Royal tombs in Korea consits of 5 Royal graves, Gyeongneung, Changneung, Myeongneung, Ingneung, Honneung and 3 lower level tombs, 1 Myo tomb and 2 Won tombs. Neung or Reung refers to the tomb of a queen or king while, Won refers to the tomb of a [...]]]>

Map of Seooreung Tombs

The Seooreung (서오릉) Royal tombs in Korea consits of 5 Royal graves, Gyeongneung, Changneung, Myeongneung, Ingneung, Honneung and 3 lower level tombs, 1 Myo tomb and 2 Won tombs. Neung or Reung refers to the tomb of a queen or king while, Won refers to the tomb of a crown princess, crown prince or royal concubine while  Myo refers to the lowest level tomb and is for princes or princesses or sometimes concubines. The name Seooreung (서오릉) comes from Seo (서, West), O (오, 5) and Reung (릉, Tomb).

At Seoreung there are many tombs and to fit them all on one page I will have to write about each tomb on another page.

Gyeongneung Tomb:
The royal tomb of King Deokjong and Queen Sohye. King Deokjong was born in 1438 and passed away in 1457. He died at the age of 20. Queen Sohye was born in 1437 and passed away in 1504. For pictures and a detailed guide to this tomb at Seooreung, visit Gyeongneung Tomb page.

Changneung:
The royal tomb of King Yejong and Queen Ansun his second wife. King Yejong was born in 1450 and died in 1469. Queen Ansun was born around 1455 (year unknown) and died in 1498. For pictures and a detailed guide to this tomb at Seooreung, visit Changneung Tomb page.

Myeongneung:
The royal tomb of King Sukjong, Queen Inhyeon and Queen Inwon. King Sukjon was born in 1674 and passed away in 1720. Queen Inhyeon was born in 1667 and passed away in 1701. Queen Inwon was born in 1687 and passed away in 1757. For pictures and a detailed guide to this tomb at Seooreung, visit Myeongneung Tomb page.

Ingneung:
The royal tomb of Queen Ingneung. She was the first wife of King Sukjong and died at the age of 20 from small pox. She was born in 1661 and passed away in 1680. For pictures and a detailed guide to this tomb at Seooreung, visit Ingneung Tomb page.

Hongneung:
The royal tomb of Queen Jeongseong. Born in 1692 and passed away in 1757. For pictures and a detailed guide to this tomb at Seooreung, visit Hongneung Tomb page.

Also at Seooreung Tombs you can find the tombs of

Sugyeongwon
Sunchangwon
Daebinmyo

Opening Hours / Admission:

March to October: 6am ~ 6:30pm
November to February: 6:30am ~ 4:30pm
Tickets stop going on sale 1 hour before closing time.
Closed on Mondays.

Admission:

1,000 won for adults (19 to 64)
500 won for youth (7 to 18)

How to get to Seooreung Royal Tombs:

Take line 3 to Nokbeon Station and leave exit 4. Walk straight for about 100 metres and there will be two bus stops on your left. Get on bus 9701 (Red) or Bus 702A (Blue, make sure its is A). Get off at Seooreung Entrance(서오릉입구).
You can also get bus 9701 (Red) from Gusan station line 6 exit 1.
When you get off at the bus stop take the first right and head straight. You will then see the Seooreung Tomb Entrance.

Seodaemun Museum of Natural History is located in Seodaemun-gu (District) in Seoul, Korea. The museum was planned and constructed by the Seodaemun District Office. After 6 years of planning and construction, the museum opened on July 10th, 2003. The museum was established to collect, preserve and exhibit natural history. The museum has 84 fossils, 302 [...]]]>

Museum of Natural History Seoul

Seodaemun Museum of Natural History is located in Seodaemun-gu (District) in Seoul, Korea. The museum was planned and constructed by the Seodaemun District Office. After 6 years of planning and construction, the museum opened on July 10th, 2003. The museum was established to collect, preserve and exhibit natural history. The museum has 84 fossils, 302 plants, 85 birds, 7 mammals and 1522 insects.

The museum is broken into 3 sections over 3 floors. The best way to enjoy the museum is to start from the 3rd floor and work your way down. The 3rd floor is called the Earth Environment Hall. This hall explores the earth from the time of its creation to present day. The hall covers topics such as the solar system, creation and structure of the earth, geological wonders and the forming of the Korean Peninsula over 3 billion years ago. Each exhibit has lots of pictures, videos and scale models to keep you entertained.

Floor 2 is called the Life Evolution Hall. This floor covers the birth and evolution of life and the diversity of living creatures. In the hall you will learn about the dinosaurs, origin and birth of life, appearance of humans over the years and information about animals, endangered animals and insects. There are fossils of dinosaurs, wax models of the appearance of humans over the years, stuffed animals and insects.

Floor 1 is called Harmony of Human and Nature in Beautiful Seoul. This hall focuses on the importance of environment preservation and the Eco system in Korea. You can see pictures and videos of damage done to the environment in Korea by people nad the past and present of Seoul. It was only a few years ago that all the parks / land around the World Cup Stadium was a huge landfill with over 92 million tons of waste. Also covered in the hall is the Han River, forest ecosystem of Korea and everything you need to know about plants.

The Seodaemun Museum of Natural History is a great spot to learn something about this planet that we live on and have some fun. Most of the explanations are in Korean. This is only a small deterrent as most of the exhibits are visual. This museum is popular for school tours so at times can get a bit crowded or loud. Other points of interest at the museum is the Dinosaur park located outside on the third floor, the small tropical fish aquarium, the museum shop and a Hollys coffee shop.

Opening Hours / Admission:
March ~ October: 09:00 – 18:00
November ~ February: 09:00 – 17:00
Closed on Mondays or Tuesday if Monday is a National Holiday.
Opening hours are extended by 1 hour on weekends and national holidays.
Last entrance is 1 hour before closing.

Admission:
Children 6 – 12: 1,000 won
Youth 13 – 18: 2,000 won
Adults 19 – 64: 3,000 won
Seniors: Free
People living in Seodaemun-gu can get a 50% discount on showing their resident’s card with address.

How to get to Seodaemun Museum of Natural History:
Unfortunately the museum is not located near any train station. There are two stations which you can get the bus to the museum from.
The first is Hongje Station on Line 3. Leave exit 3 and get the 7738 (green) bus and get off at Seodaemun Museum. Announcments are in English.

The second way to get there is from Sinchon station, Line 2. Leave exit 1 and head straight for about 300 metres. The bus stop is in front of GS25 (convenience store). The bus stop was relocated here in June, 2011. You can take bus number 110 (blue) or 7720 (green). Get off at Seodaemun Museum Stop. See the map below for the museum location and bus stop locations. See picture below of the bus stop and Museum stop highlighted in Korean. Announcements are in English on the bus.
If it is your first time taking a bus in Seoul check out our Seoul Bus Guide.
After you get off the bus, the museum will be located up the steep hill in front of the bus stop.

Taxis in Seoul can be a very convenient and a cheap way to travel. Seoul has many different types of taxis. In this article I will introduce the most common ones. If you don’t speak Korean it is best to have your destination written down in Korean or have your hotel business card. If the [...]]]>

International Taxi Seoul

Taxis in Seoul can be a very convenient and a cheap way to travel. Seoul has many different types of taxis. In this article I will introduce the most common ones. If you don’t speak Korean it is best to have your destination written down in Korean or have your hotel business card. If the driver can’t understand you, you can take advantage of the “Free Interpretation Service”. This is offered and advertised in all Taxis in Seoul. You will see a sign with a number to call. The call centre speak English, Japanese and Chinese and will tell the driver where to bring you. If you don’t have a phone you can use the taxi driver’s phone.

Taxis can be hailed anywhere in Seoul by sticking out your hand or by visiting the taxi rank. An empty taxi can be identified by a red light on the dashboard through the front window. Almost all taxis accept credit cards or T-money.

Regular Taxi: Known as ilban in Korean these usually silver or white in colour, although in 2009 the Seoul metropolitan government announced a new taxi design. The new taxis which are on the streets already will replace the regular taxis in the next few years. The colour of the taxi is white with orange trim . Seoul hopes to make the taxis an icon of Seoul comparing with the likes of New York’s Yellow Cabs or London’s Black Cabs.

The fare for Regular Taxi starts at 2,400 won for the first 2km and 100 won for each additional 144m. If the taxi is travelling at less than 15km or stuck in traffic, the charge is 100 won for 35 seconds. Fares increase by 20% between midnight and 4am.

Deluxe Taxis: Called mobeom in Korean the Deluxe Taxis are black with a yellow cap. The Deluxe Taxis offer a higher standard of service. Deluxe Taxi Drivers have been trained in special customer care and need to have 10 years accident free experience driving a standard taxi. The Deluxe Taxi fare starts at 4,500 won for the first 3km and 200 won for each additional 164m. If the taxi is driving less than 15km or stuck in traffic the charge is 200 won for 39 seconds.

International Taxis: These are a new type of taxi which began operation in May, 2009. They have 3 types, the large taxi, medium taxi and luxury taxi. The medium taxi is completely orange and a common sight in Seoul. The large and medium taxis are black with an orange strip on the side and yellow top.

The taxis are basically the same as regular taxis but with a few benefits for foreigners. The driver has knowledge about the culture, history and sightseeing spots in Seoul. All drivers have been trained in multiple languages and they provide a telephone service and website reservation system in many languages. If you are arriving at Incheon Airport they offer flat fare fees to your destination. The taxis can also be rented for the day or a few hours. All major international credit cards are accepted. For the flat rate fares or to reserve a taxi check out their website at http://internationaltaxi.co.kr/

International Taxi Fare: Slightly more expensive than a regular taxi. The basic fare starts at 2,800 won for the first 2km and 120 won for each additional 144m. If the taxi is driving less than 15km or stuck in traffic, the charge is 120 won for 35 seconds.

Many tourists use taxis in Seoul every day and have no problems. However, make sure the meter is on when you start your journey. I have never heard of any problems with people getting ripped off but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Sometimes when you hail a taxi, the driver will refuse to take you to your destination. There could be a number of reasons for this. Maybe your destination is too close or too far or it may be close to midnight and they are waiting to pick up passengers after the late night surcharge begins. If this happens leave the taxi and hail down another.

I was awoken at at 1:40 am today by the sound of many sirens. This is common when living in Sinchon but they were particularly loud today and close. I headed outside to see what was going on and there were many people gathering around. It turns out a fire broke out in one of [...]]]>

Fire In Sinchon, Seoul.

I was awoken at at 1:40 am today by the sound of many sirens. This is common when living in Sinchon but they were particularly loud today and close. I headed outside to see what was going on and there were many people gathering around. It turns out a fire broke out in one of the buildings. I headed closer through all the fire trucks and people and noticed it was the Occult 2 bar. There was a lot of smoke but I couldn’t see the fire. The fire men were quick to put out the fire and it seems no one was injured.

I wonder what is going to happen to the Occult 2 bar? The fire trucks are still outside as I write this. I will have a look tomorrow and see what damage was done. Hopefully the damage was minor and things can return to normal.

UPDATE: Minor damage. A small fire with a lot of smoke. Occult 2 Bar is open again.

Location of the fire:

In Korea, like most countries nowadays, public pay phones are hard to come by. Over 98% of people own a cell phone in Korea and this has led to a dramatic decrease in public pay phones. However, you can still find them in train stations, near train stations and popular districts.

In the train station [...]]]>

Public Telephone Korea

In Korea, like most countries nowadays, public pay phones are hard to come by. Over 98% of people own a cell phone in Korea and this has led to a dramatic decrease in public pay phones. However, you can still find them in train stations, near train stations and popular districts.

In the train station you can find the traditional style telephone box or the more modern digital station phone. The digital station lets you browse the Internet and make phone calls. The calls are paid for using your T-money card.

There are two types of public phones on the streets in Korea. Phones that use coins only or phones that use coins, cards and T-money. Phone cards can be bought at most convenience stores and train stations. They also make great souvenirs as each card has a unique design or picture. The cards can be bought at 3,000, 5,000, or 10,000 won.

How to use Pay Phones in Korea:

1. Pick up the phone and insert coins, your card or T-money.
2. Wait until you hear a dial tone and then dial the number.
3. Hang up the phone when finished. Wait for change if any.

There are many game centers / arcades located throughout Korea. They are very popular with students, couples or people who just love to play games. Most arcade centres have a wide variety of games.  Like most countries they have the usual games such as Time Crisis, car racing games and a wide range of fighting [...]]]>

Claw Machine Korea

There are many game centers / arcades located throughout Korea. They are very popular with students, couples or people who just love to play games. Most arcade centres have a wide variety of games.  Like most countries they have the usual games such as Time Crisis, car racing games and a wide range of fighting games. Like most of Asia the Taiko Drum Game is very popular and also the Dance Dance Revolution game. Here you can find many people gathering around and watching as people battle to get the highest score.

Another popular game is Basketball Shoot. You try yo get as many basketballs into the net before time runs out. People spend hours here having fun with their friends or date. The price is relatively cheap with most games starting at 500 – 1,000 won. A great way to sink a lot of money at the arcades is to try the Claw Machine (UFO catcher). The price is usually 500 won for one try but as we all know it can take a lot of tries to get the prize from the machine. It’s best to have a 5 try limit and WALK AWAY if you don’t win. I have seen many people pump in thousands of won to get a prize for their dates.

In most of the drinking or student areas you will see many aracde machines and games located outside. These games are usually to test your strength and are popular with the young military guys, friends trying to show off or guys trying to impress their dates. The most common games are the shooting ball and punching machine. The shooting ball machine tests your leg power. You kick the ball as hard as you can and the machine will register how powerful the kick was. The punching machine is similar but you punch it instead of kicking it.

Other games you may see on the streets are the Dart Throwing game and Taekwondo Punching Game. With the Dart Throwing Game you must hit a certain number of balloons with the darts to win a teddy bear. The Taekwondo game gives you the chance to break through 10 boards using your hands to win a prize. You must break all the boards on your first try to win.

Time in South Korea. South Korea is located in East Asia between China and Japan and South of North Korea. In Korea there is no Daylight Saving Time. In summertime, sunrise is around 05:20am while sunset is around 20:00pm. In winter, sunrise is around 07:30am whilst sunset is around 17:30pm.

Korea uses a system called [...]]]>

Time in Korea

Time in South Korea. South Korea is located in East Asia between China and Japan and South of North Korea. In Korea there is no Daylight Saving Time. In summertime, sunrise is around 05:20am while sunset is around 20:00pm. In winter, sunrise is around 07:30am whilst sunset is around 17:30pm.

Korea uses a system called Korean Standard Time which is used in the North and South of Korea. Korea is GMT / UTC  +09:00
What is the current time in Korea?

Taco Bell Korea opened it’s first two public restaurants in the summer of 2010 at Itaewon and Hongdae. A Taco Bell had long been a presence at the U.S. Army’s Yongsan Garrison, which is off-limits to non-military people. Taco Bell Korea is in partnership with Pepsico, PRone and FHI Heat. Another 4 Taco Bell restaurants [...]]]>

Taco Bell Korea

Taco Bell Korea opened it’s first two public restaurants in the summer of 2010 at Itaewon and Hongdae. A Taco Bell had long been a presence at the U.S. Army’s Yongsan Garrison, which is off-limits to non-military people. Taco Bell Korea is in partnership with Pepsico, PRone and FHI Heat. Another 4 Taco Bell restaurants are set to open in Korea. 2 of the locations have yet to be announced. One will open in Sindorim and another in Sinchon. The opening date is August, 2011.

How to get to Taco Bell in Sinchon:

View larger map

Yonsei University in Sinchon, Seoul was established in 1885 by Christian missionaries. It was the first medical school in Korea. It was here that Korea’s first hospital to practice western medicine was built. It was first called Gwanghyewon but later changed to Jejungwon and then finally to it’s current name Severance [...]]]>

Yonsei University in Sinchon, Seoul was established in 1885 by Christian missionaries. It was the first medical school in Korea. It was here that Korea’s first hospital to practice western medicine was built. It was first called Gwanghyewon but later changed to Jejungwon and then finally to it’s current name Severance Hospital.

Yonsei University underwent a lot of changes during the Japanese Colonial Rule. The Japanese Language was forced on the students and the text books were changed. Some parts of the campus were transformed into military training grounds and the university was under constant surveillance by the Japanese. On August 17th, 1942 the university was designated as an enemy property. The university ceased to be a place of education and was taken over by the Japanese Air Force and buildings were converted into barracks’. A lot of the students were conscripted into the Japanese Army or their skills used to continue the Pacific war.

Yonsei University was closely involved in the Korean Independence Movement. Documents and Newsletters were published in the Korean language. Many patriots were arrested at Yonsei and sentenced to long prison sentences or tortured to death. Like many other patriots they were held at Seodaemun Prison.

After Korea gained independence from Japan the University was rebuilt and classes began again. However, this was short lived as the outbreak of the Korean war began on June 25th, 1950. Students were recruited from the university and the campus was turned into a temporary field hospital until Seoul was over run by the North Korean’s. Many of the students or teachers who didn’t have time to escape were executed or exploited by the North Korean Army. Yonsei’s Campus was turned into the North Korean headquarters until South Korea gained independence again.

Yonsei University Campus:

The Yonsei campus is over 250 acres and is fortunate enough to have a large, well forested campus. Many people come to Yonsei just to enjoy the beauty of the campus environment, especially during the cherry blossoms season. The campus was once the site of a Royal Palace during the Joseon Dynasty. On the campus you will find many statues of patriots who were involved with the Korean independence movement. Also you will find Jejungwon (Gwanghyewon) the first western hospital in Korea.

Look out for the Korean tv drama called Jejungwon. It is about the story of a man who is one of the main doctors at Jejungwon, the first western hospital located on the campus of Yonsei University.

Here is a link to the official site of Yonsei University:
http://www.yonsei.ac.kr/eng/index.asp

How to get to Yonsei University:

Take line 2 to Sinchon station and leave exit 2 or 3 and head straight. Follow the map below.

View larger map

A guide on how to use the Subway in Seoul. Seoul subway is very convenient and has over 13 lines with hundreds of stations. Here is the Seoul Subway Map. It is the most popular, convenient and quickest way of travelling in Seoul. The subway lines are numbered and use colours [...]]]>

Subway Sign Seoul

A guide on how to use the Subway in Seoul. Seoul subway is very convenient and has over 13 lines with hundreds of stations. Here is the Seoul Subway Map. It is the most popular, convenient and quickest way of travelling in Seoul. The subway lines are numbered and use colours which is very helpful for locals and especially helpful for tourists. The main line is Line 2 which loops around the city and is connected to all the subway lines.

Most of the lines are underground with a few stations above ground level. To get to a subway station look out for this sign (pic. right).  Most train stations usually have 8 entrances but some of the bigger stations have up to 14 entrances. After heading down the stairs you will usually find people waiting for friends, sale stands, the ticket machines and the ticket gate.

There are 2 types of tickets that can be used.

1. The first is a system called T-money. T-money is a smart card or device that is rechargeable and can be used to pay transportation fees on buses, taxis, trains and even purchase things in the convenience stores. The card costs 2,500 won. You can also buy T-money phone straps (pic right) which are little bit more expensive. With the T-money card you top it up with as much money as you like.

To recharge your T-money card you must use the T-money recharge machine located beside the ticket gates. Press the recharge button, insert your card and put in your money (pic below). Also you can recharge you T-money card at convenience stores. If you try to leave the ticket gate but don’t have enough money left, don’t panic. There is always a recharge machine before the ticket gate exit and you can add money.

The T-money system is very convenient as you don’t have to buy tickets each time you use the subway, bus or taxis. T-money can be bought at most stores and in the train stations.

2. The second type of ticket is a single journey ticket. Useful for people who don’t ride the train often. Go to the ticket vending machine (pic below). The machine is in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese. You will have four options on the machine. The one we want is the single journey button. It’s a big orange button with the number 1. After we press it, we are taken to a station name screen. Search and find the station you are heading to and click it. Finally the price is displayed with a 500 won deposit for the card.

How to get your 500 won deposit back. After you have finished your journey and left the ticket gate you will find a deposit refund machine. Insert your ticket into the machine and you will get your 500 won coin back.

Seoul Subway Prices:

The subway in Seoul is very cheap. The basic fare is 900 won for the first 10km. After the first 10km and up to 40km it will be 100 won per 5km. After 40km it will be 100 won per 10km.

Entering the ticket gate at the station:

Always a scary thing to do the first time in Seoul. There are many people moving quickly and usually there are two entrances. Which ticket gate should you enter? This depends on your destination. You must look at the map / sign beside the gate and find your station name.

In Seoul there are two ticket gate entrance types: A turntable style and a automatic style. Both of them use the touch panel system. You do not have to insert your card anywhere just place it briefly on top of the sensor on the ticket gate and walk through or press your body against the turntable.

Subway Platform:

Most of the platforms in Seoul now have screen doors blocking access to the track. This is to prevent people falling onto the tracks or suicides. One of the great things about the subway platform is the digital station. Digital station is a machine with useful information for tourists and locals. It is a touch screen panel where you can check the weather, news, maps, local tourist spots, movie trailers and make phone calls. Some of them even have free Internet.

Riding the Train:

The trains are quite big in Seoul and have a lot of room. Usually in the corner of the train they will have seats for the elderly, disabled, people with an illness and pregnant women. The train announcements are in Korean, English and sometimes Chinese and Japanese. The trains at rush hour can get extremely packed in the mornings and evenings. The subway has a great signal booster and all phones and Internet devices can be used with no interruption to the quality or signal.

Leaving the Station:

After leaving the ticket gate you will see a map. The map is of the area and shows the exits. Choose the exit that will get you closest to your destination and leave the station.

I hope you enjoyed your first experience with the subway in Seoul.
Let me know how you got on. Leave some comments below.