Get a thorough tour of the vibrant culture of Seoul simply by riding Line 2 throughout the city.
By Ryan Walters for My Guide Seoul
Seoul's subway system is truly a remarkable accomplishment, with over five hundred stations and nineteen different lines that span both the city and its outskirts. It is undoubtedly the most efficient and convenient method of transportation in Seoul.
Line number 2, also known as the green line, is the inner city circle. As it completes its loop around the city, it intersects with twelve other lines, making it the most essential and well-traveled line in Seoul.
This subway line connects all of Seoul's most popular destinations, including Gangnam, Hongdae, City Hall, and nearly all of the city's prestigious universities.
Seoul's "Sky Schools" - Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University - are dream institutions for many Korean students. Remarkably, all three of these universities are conveniently accessed through Line 2.
However, the popularity of this line comes with a small downside. Seoulites have humorously nicknamed Line 2 as "Jiokcheol," which loosely translates to "Hell Train." This nickname is fitting since the line is always crowded, especially during peak hours, due to its numerous connections and its route through the heart of the city.
Nonetheless, don't let this discourage you from exploring Seoul using Line 2. It is fast, efficient, and punctual. Furthermore, it provides a comprehensive tour of Seoul's vibrant culture as it travels throughout the entire city.
My Guide Seoul has already experienced this firsthand and will show you how to make the most of Line 2 while touring Seoul.
Whether you crave delightful cuisine, historical temples, contemporary museums, or an exciting nightlife, you can find everything and more along Seoul's Subway Line 2.
[Image: Link to Image Title: Line 2 - Get a Round Trip of Seoul Culture]
Seoul's new City Hall Building, which opened to the public in 2012, is a stunning architectural achievement. With its curvaceous teal glass exterior, it resembles a frozen ocean wave suspended in space. The locals have affectionately nicknamed it "The Big Wave."
Replacing Seoul's previous City Hall building, which stood for more than 80 years and had a more traditional design, the present City Hall is a towering, modern symbol of South Korea's progressive global presence.
It serves as the seat of the Seoul Metropolitan government and houses the mayor's office, government offices, a library, a coffee shop, and free-use PCs available for citizens for up to three hours.
City Hall offers guided tours, but reservations are required. There is one English tour on Tuesdays at 10:00am, and there are more tour options available on the weekends. On Saturdays, there is an English tour at 3:00pm, and on Sundays, there is a tour at 2:20pm, as well as another tour at 10:20pm on both days.
Notably, City Hall is located near Cheonggyecheon Stream, a beautiful artificial stream where many Seoulites seek solace from the bustling city life. The stream is particularly enchanting during the early evening hours.
[Image: Link to Image Title: The New Seoul City Hall (Station #201 - City Hall)]
Ddeokbokki is an incredibly popular dish in South Korea made from ddeok, a thick and chewy rice noodle. It can be consumed simply from a street vendor, featuring ddeok and some odeng (a fish cake). Alternatively, it can be savored as a complete meal with an assortment of ingredients. If you're looking for the best ddeokbokki, look no further than Sindang District's renowned "Ddeokbokki Town," conveniently located on Line 2.
"Sindang Ddeokbokki Town" is precisely what it sounds like - an entire district dedicated to ddeokbokki restaurants. While there are numerous establishments that serve this dish, including the popular Mabognim Halmeoni Ddeokbokki restaurant, we believe that ddeokbokki is simply ddeokbokki, no matter the place.
For a truly unique experience found nowhere else, we highly recommend visiting "I Love Sindang." This super ddeokbokki restaurant is the result of six different ddeokbokki shops coming together. Inside, the focus is solely on the food. The restaurant is set up like a food court or cafeteria, where strangers sit beside each other at available seats. Here, you won't find elegant tablecloths or crystal glasses, but you will discover a vast restaurant solely dedicated to serving a wide variety of delicious ddeokbokki at great prices.
"I Love Sindang" offers five different options for your ddeokbokki feast. The classic Sindangdong Ddeokbokki includes odeng, ramen, jjolmyeon noodles, mandu (dumplings), hard-boiled eggs, and ddeok, all mixed together in a fiery red pepper sauce. Other options include Gungjung (bulgogi), Cheese, Haemul (seafood), and "Nunmul" (meaning "tears"), an incredibly spicy ddeokbokki that is sure to make you shed a tear or two.
To find "I Love Sindang" and "Sindang Ddeokbokki Town," exit from Sindang Station Exit 7 and head towards the bus stop. Enter the alleyway and look for a prominent sign that reads "Sindang Ddeokbokki Town," or simply follow your nose.
[Image: Link to Image Title: Sindang Ddeokbokki Town (Station #206 - Sindang)]
Built for the Seoul Summer Olympics in 1988 and also serving as the home of the 10th Asian Games, the Jamsil Sports Complex is where Seoulites go to experience the thrill of sports.
It comprises the Olympic Stadium, Jamsil Baseball Stadium, Jamsil Swimming Pool, and Sports Park. Baseball holds a special place in Korean sports culture, and Jamsil Baseball Stadium, home to the LG Twins and the Doosan Bears, is where the action truly unfolds.
In modern Korean sports culture, baseball reigns supreme, surpassing the popularity of all other sports, including soccer. During playoffs and the peak of the regular season, reserving one of Jamsil Stadium's 27,000 seats can be quite difficult. However, no visit to Seoul is complete without a trip to the ballpark, even for those who are not avid baseball fans.
Inside the stadium, the atmosphere is a beautiful blend of excitement and passion. Expect to spend little time sitting down, as fans remain on their feet throughout the entire game, continuously cheering for the home team and taunting the opponents.
All sports teams in Korea have dedicated fan clubs equipped with various chants, banners, and thundersticks, creating an ambiance similar to sold-out stadiums during English Premier League soccer matches. To top it off, all baseball teams have their dedicated cheerleaders and dance squads, entertaining the crowd throughout the entire nine innings.
As with nearly all experiences in Seoul, delicious food is an integral part of the Jamsil Stadium experience. While American baseball might invoke images of footlong hot dogs with all the fixings, Koreans prefer pitchers of beer and fried chicken. Although you might spot people enjoying ramen, the foreign chicken restaurants dominate the park.
The stadium is conveniently located right outside the subway station, making it effortless to reach Jamsil Sports Complex.
[Image: Link to Image Title: Jamsil Sports Complex (Station #218 - Sports Complex)]
As one of the world's foremost shopping and fashion destinations, COEX Mall in Seoul provides an unparalleled retail experience. Not only is it vast, but COEX Mall also holds the title of being the largest underground shopping mall in all of Asia, eclipsing the competition from neighboring China and Japan.
COEX Mall exemplifies Seoul's remarkable progress over the past six decades, transforming from a poverty-stricken country concerned with basic survival to a global capital of consumerism, where time is limited but endless options for spending money abound.
The mall encompasses an immense labyrinth of shops where you can find Korean brands like WHO.A.U (a clothing line inspired by California) alongside internationally popular stores such as Nike, Apple, and Zara. COEX offers everything that an avid shopper could ever desire, all in one place.
Not only is COEX a haven for avid consumers, but it is also home to a Megabox Movie Cinema, an Aquarium rivaling the Busan Aquarium, a casino exclusively for foreigners featuring table games, slots, and blackjack, and the Kimchi Field Museum.
The Kimchi Field Museum showcases Korea's most famous national dish, offering insights into its preparation, the myriad of varieties available (which number in the hundreds!), its health benefits, and even a tasting room where visitors can sample different types of kimchi for free.
[Image: Link to Image Title: COEX Mall (Station #219 - Samseong)]
Bongeunsa Temple, a thousand-year-old Buddhist monastery dating back to the 9th century, stands as a testament to Korea's ancient Buddhist heritage. It provides a chance to experience the life of a Buddhist monk in Seoul's modern 21st-century metropolis.
Bongeunsa serves as a poignant reminder of Seoul's vanishing cultural heritage amidst the towering skyscrapers of Gangnam's Samseong district, directly opposite COEX Mall. The stunning contrast between the imposing high-rises and the serene religious structures at the temple allows visitors to straddle two parallel worlds.
Seoul, unfortunately, witnessed the destruction of many cultural and traditional buildings and neighborhoods in favor of modern developments and the unceasing glow of neon lights. Consequently, Bongeunsa represents one of the few remaining remnants of Seoul's ancient cultural heritage.
Although several Buddhist temples can still be found in Seoul, with one prominent example being located in the Insadong district, Bongeunsa stands out as the must-visit temple due to its colossal Maitreya Buddha statue, which is the largest of its kind in all of South Korea. With a history spanning over a thousand years, it symbolizes the significance of this spiritual place. Despite undergoing various renovations and reconstructions, particularly after the Korean War, Bongeunsa retains invaluable woodblock carvings of the Flower Garland Sutra dating back to the late 19th century.
Bongeunsa also offers the opportunity to partake in a temple stay. During the temple stay program, participants immerse themselves in the life of a Buddhist monk, beginning on Saturday at 2pm and continuing until Sunday afternoon. The program involves a temple tour, a tea ceremony, monastic meals, chanting services, crafting Buddhist rosaries, and much more.
Reservations are required, and the cost for the temple stay is set at 70,000 won.
To reach Bongeunsa, exit from Samseong Station and head towards Exit 6. Walk for approximately 10 minutes and then turn left.
[Image: Link to Image Title: Bongeunsa (Station #219 - Samseong)]
Hongik University, affectionately known as Hongdae, serves as the creative hub for Seoul's talented and artistic youth.
Throughout the neighborhood, trendy clothing stores and nightclubs can be found, hosting performances by both students and professional artists for intimate audiences. Street art graces the sides of buildings, and on any given evening, Seoul's young artists entertain passersby with outdoor performances.
This comes as no surprise since Hongik University is Seoul's premier art school. If one aspires to pursue a career in the arts, chances are they are studying at Hongik University.
In line with this artistic energy, Hongdae is home to one of Seoul's most unique museums - the Trick Eye Museum. This museum focuses on comedy, optical illusions, and visitor participation in the art itself. How is this achieved?
The Trick Eye Museum features famous artworks painted on the walls, with a designated spot for visitors to pose. When someone takes a photo of you standing in front of the designated spot, the resulting image gives the optical illusion that you have become a part of the painting.
For instance, Edvard Munch's "The Scream" is an iconic piece of art depicting a faceless figure screaming in terror. However, at the Trick Eye Museum, you can bring a touch of whimsy to this tragic character by removing their pants.
If impressionism isn't your cup of tea, you can help complete Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" by using an air pump attached directly to her face!
A visit to the Trick Eye Museum guarantees a delightful and entertaining experience that showcases the playful nature of Seoul's artistic community. Tickets cost only 12,000 won, and the museum is open from 10am to 9pm.
To reach the Trick Eye Museum, exit from Hongik University Exit 9 and take your second left after leaving the station. Then, take your second right and continue straight until you arrive.
[Image: Link to Image Title: The Trick Eye Museum (Station #239 - Hongik University)]
