[Korea Tour] 50 Reasons Seoul become the Greatest city in the World [Part 1]

1. Galbi

The marinated barbecued ribs called galbi are the most popular Korean dish among foreigners. Eating is a DIY experience, with a designated chef in your group devoting his or her attention to grilling the marinated raw meat over a sunken barbeque at the center of your table. Helpful staff are always on hand to help out beginners. The galbi at beloved chain Budnamujip never disappoints.

Budnamujip, 689-12 Yeoksam-dong Gangnamgu (강남구 역삼동 689-12); +82 2       

2088 3392

2. Drama queens

It all started with Choi Ji-woo’s lisp and Bae Yong-joon’s memory loss in the 2002 drama “Winter Sonata.” Love-struck Japanese housewives descended on Seoul in droves, opening the floodgates for hallyu (Korean wave) drama productions and international fandom. Camera crews film on location throughout Seoul. They’re easy to spot -- most are followed by hundreds of squealing fans.

3. World’s smartest, and cheapest, personal assistants

Haejuseyo chore services will pick up your dry-cleaning and deliver food -- and perform more difficult, personalized chores -- at the low starting fee of ₩7,000. Maybe that’s why New York’s "The Daily Beast" recently called Korea the laziest country in Asia. They got it wrong, of course. If we weren’t so busy all the time, we wouldn’t need all the extra help.

Anyman; +82 2 1588-5279

4. World’s most spectacular bridge-fountain

Moonlight Rainbow Fountain pumps 
out 190 tons of water per minute.

Banpo Bridge and its Moonlight Rainbow Fountain made it into the Guinness World Records as the world’s longest bridge fountain at 1,140 meters. It’s also the most photogenic, shooting out dancing rivulets of water via 10,000 dazzling LED nozzles. To see it at its most stunning, check the schedule and view it from 88 Highway or the Gangbyeon Highway after dark.

5. Bright happy jjimjilbangs of fun

Korean saunas (jjimjilbangs) draw on an age-old tradition of thermotherapy to help you sweat out stress. The best jjimjilbangs -- like famed Dragon Hill Spa -- feature multi-stories of whirlpool baths, mineral rooms, massage parlors, nail salons, TV rooms, manga cafés and restaurants where you can relax before and after soaking, scrubbing and steaming your way to rejuvenation.

Dragon Hill Spa, 40-713 3-ga Hangang-ro, Yongsan-gu (용산구 한강로 3가40-713); tel. +82 2 792 0001

6. Wildest celebrity scandal

E Ji-ah was already one of the most mysterious actresses in Korea -- a remarkable feat considering the exhaustive Internet search skills of most Korean netizens. Then in April, news broke that for nine years she’d been married to Seo Taiji, Korea’s biggest singer and “Cultural President.” And divorced for five!

Add the fact that she was dating Korea’s hottest male movie star Jung Woo Sung when the news hit and you get a national pandemonium. Thankfully, we’ve recovered and are completely prepared for our next collective meltdown.

7. Golf in any weather

Mark Twain once said that golf was a good walk spoiled, but Seoulites don’t let walking get in the way of a game of golf. At screen golf venues around the city, serious players don golf shoes, rent clubs and whack their hearts out at huge canvas screens. Cameras record you as you swing, so that you can watch the replay and correct your embarrassment accordingly.

Design Screen Golf, 150 Yeomni-dong, Mapo-gu (마포구 염리동 150); +82 2 704 0753

8. 'Well-being' mania

Seoulites never tire of telling you how healthy life can be. They’ll eat anything in the name of longevity, leading to a city-wide obsession with organic foods and other long-life tonics. So, does all this fuss work? According to the worldlifeexpectancy.com, South Koreans rank 27th in the world in life expectancy at 78.7 years (Andorra, Japan and Singapore are the top three). No matter, we’ll work our butts off to break into the top 10 -- or die trying.

FYI : Korean women devour pork fat in the name of health and beauty.

9. Museum for the morbid

It’s not Seoul’s most cheerful outing, but history buffs and Park Chan-wook fans can tour Seodaemun Prison. Once used to incarcerate independence fighters who rose against Japanese rule, the prison is now a museum with ghastly exhibits, such as a chilling execution room.

Seodaemun Prison, 247 Uljuro, Seodaemun-gu (서대문구 을지로  247); +82 2 360 8590

10. Asia’s largest underground mall

In Samseong-dong, Coex is a sprawling playground of shops, arcades, restaurants, theaters and the Kimchi Museum. The vast exhibition centers upstairs showcase the latest wedding expo or housing fair, and were also the main venue for the 2010 G20 Seoul Summit.  

Sc : CNNgo (article) + Google (Photo)