South Korea Sights: Cheonggyecheon

Above: Cheonggyecheon in its modern form, as seen from its starting point.

When South Korea began its rapid industrialization after the Korean War, there were some sacrifices that had to be made, especially in Seoul. One of them involved the environmental and aural aspects of the city itself. Cheonggyecheon was originally a natural stream that went through most of central Seoul, and emptied into the Han River (which then in turn emptied into the Yellow Sea).

During the Japanese occupation, the colonial government intended to cover up the stream numerous times. After the Korean War, the stream attracted people who eventually made the side of the stream their home. The living conditions around it soon went downhill, and this drastically affected Seoul's image in a negative way. Along with the demands of rapid industrialization and modernization, the South Korean government decided to go through with what the Japanese colonial government wanted to do, and covered it up to make way for a highway in 1976.

Above: The giant cone (and water source) marking the starting point of Cheonggyecheon.

This came at an environmental price though -- because of what was done, the stream completely dried up and ceased to resemble anything like its original form. In 2003, the Seoul mayor at the time (and current president of South Korea) Lee Myung-bak announced plans to restore the stream. The plan was ambitious from the start, because the stream would have to be artificially re-created and the water pumped in (rather than relying on natural water sources). It also promised to drastically change the transportation infrastructure of the city.

The stream re-opened in 2005 and proved to be a dramatic success. The stream, which stretches for about 6 kilometers, also provides a greenbelt for pedestrians and is currently a popular tourist attraction.

South Korea Sights: Yongsan Electronics Market

South Korea has a reputation for being a tech geek's paradise. The Yongsan Electronics Market is a pretty good metaphor for that. The name suggests something small, but the YEM is nothing small at all. It consists of several large malls where they sell almost nothing but electronics -- camera gear, video games, computers, TVs, etc.



What makes it cooler is that a large portion of the storeowners there also speak English, so it's great for tourists as well. Some prices are a bit higher than elsewhere, but there are also incredible bargains here and there, such as desktop computers for $200.

There are also some stands on the streets that sell pirated DVDs, so if you're not worried about legality, there's a possibility there.

For people like me, it's like dying and going to heaven, only to find out that heaven is in central Seoul and accessible from Yongsan Station on the subway.

South Korea Sights: Dongdaemun Gate

I'm going to start a semi-regular segment called South Korea Sights to show off any interesting places I see.



Just one subway station away from the orientation venue is a place called Dongdaemun (동대문 / 東大門). It is basically the old eastern city gate of Seoul for the wall that surrounded the city during the Joseon Dynasty. The original gate was built in 1396; it was renovated in 1453 and rebuilt in 1869.

It is probably one of the key places to see the old and new structures of Seoul side by side. Around Dongdaemun Gate is a bunch of shopping centers, both above and below ground. There is also a market called Dongdaemun Market just around the corner, which I didn't visit.

It's also at a very busy intersection in the Jongno distruct of Seoul so the large traffic volume further contrasts old and new. It is served by Dongdaemun Station of the Seoul subway.

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