South Korea

South Korea is a great place for family and friends both to spend time in. I visited South Korea with my school, for a history trip. While it may not look like the most historical place in the world, with vibrant shopping streets and glorious malls, it has some places that are rich in historical significance.

The first part of the trip was a visit to the Starfield COEX mall. The entrance of the mall was a fairly large glass automatic door, which was followed by a set of two escalators that led downstairs in a huge, open indoor area. The center of this large area contained two or three tall, stretched, and angled faces. Huge walls lined the side of this area, and they were filled with books of various genres. Many different pathways extended from that area, stretching into a mall. They led to numerous stores and shops, selling skincare, coffee, ice cream, and a lot of other exciting goods. Adjacent to the mall, there was a golden gangnam style statue whose colours contrasted those of the glass buildings which surrounded it.

For dinner on a few days, we ate a hot pot meal. In this style of eating, each person gets a base broth and a pot. We put the broth into the pot and keep it on low heat. On the side, there is a conveyer belt, which carries various ingredients which we can boil in our broth. We can also adjust the temperature of the boil to make it slower or milder. I used instant ramen noodles to make a cheesy pork broth ramen with Tteokbokki, cabbage, and fried chicken.

Then we visited a turtle ship museum, which highlighted the Koreans’ secret weapon in the long Korean-Japanese wars. This special attack ship was used and developed by Admiral Yi Sun-Shin of the Joseon dynasty.  They could repel attacks from above, which many ships were not able to do at the time, making it one of the first ever armoured ships. It was also able to outmanoeuvre ships due to its drag-reducing build and long oars, which required heavy manpower. Following that, we created our own turtle ships by using kits.

Following that, we visited Gyeongbokgung Palace, dressed in a traditional outfit called hanbok and walked to the palace. It featured a white shirt and dark pants, with an intricately or simply designed vest on top. It was also optional to wear a black hat with a permeable material, called a gat. The specific type that we wore is called a heukrip. As of the palace, the primary section was a large square, with guard ceremonies being performed in the centre from time to time. The second part of the palace was also a square but this time with a smaller palace placed in the center. There was also a palace museum on the periphery, which talks about the rich Joseon history of the palace.

The next place we visited was Seodaemun Prison History Hall. This was a museum dedicated to highlighting the struggles of South Koreans that were oppressed by the Japanese, during colonisation. It was a former Japanese prison built into a South Korean prison after independence due to the poor economy. The quarters were originally a hectagonal chamber which branched out into six other halls with rooms to house prisoners. The first displays showed numerous methods of torture and portrayed the difficulties of Korean prisoners. They could not even talk to each other, so in the case of an emergency, there was a switch which they flipped from inside that made a stick protrude from outside. This alerted others without direct communication and talking.

In the evening, we went to Hongdae street. It was buzzing with activity in the late evening, there were many shops featuring clothing, skincare, souvenirs, and more. There was a wide range of age from young graduates to adults in their 50s.

The next stop was the DMZ. The demilitarised zone was an area between the borders, along the 38th parallel. Nature thrives here, and there are many villages too. There were tunnels dug by North Koreans to invade South Korea, four have been discovered so far, which North Korea claims they used to mine coal. We walked in the 3rd tunnel, and glimpsed a sight where the mining was stopped. The ceiling was fairly low, and for some expanses you had to crouch your head to walk. Then we went to Dora observatory, a place where we could see North Korea. First, we viewed north korea through a building built on a high area with one side of glass. There was a three dimensional map which we got to refer to while looking at it.

On the top floor, there was a large balcony with binoculars, used to see to the other side, in which we saw tanks, football courts, and towns

The War Memorial of Korea features a circle of flags and an enormous building set within its main expanse. Inside, numerous exhibits highlight the weaponry, leaders, and struggles of the war, including a large, high-roofed room that holds life-size models of planes, tanks, and trucks. Among the displays are exhibits about the armistice signed by the Korean People's Army, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, and the UN Command—the Korean Armistice Agreement—which ended a great deal of tragedy and saved thousands of lives.

Bulguksa Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stands as a representation of Buddhist culture from the Silla dynasty of the Korean Peninsula. The grounds featured shaded walks with many beautiful ponds and waterfalls, while the main temples held two pagodas—one to represent Buddha and the other to represent Buddhist values and the life of Buddha. The temple is part of Gyeongju, the ancient capital of Silla, the kingdom that conquered Baekje and Goguryeo to form Unified Silla and bring the entire Korean Peninsula under a single rule.

The Gyeongju National Museum displayed Buddhist Silla artwork throughout its grounds. One of the main exhibits was a bell with an ancient story, said to make the sound "ye-me-le" when struck. Much of the Buddhist artwork was presented in futuristic displays, with dark rooms and white light shining on pots, statues, tools, and more. One statue I remember was a cube featuring the four protectors of Buddha, accompanied by a separate display explaining each side of the cube and what each protector portrayed, with the four figures representing the four directions—north, south, east, and west. The museum was a complex hosting many different buildings, each with something different to offer, including one dedicated to the gold artifacts of the Silla dynasty.

The Daereungwon Tomb Complex was a unique burial site where artifacts lay buried beneath large, smooth, green hills. The tomb on display had a grey stone gateway on the outside that led to a chamber within, where a rectangular glass display held tools, jewellery, and more. The passageway behind it hosted other Silla exhibits, such as the horse exhibit, which displayed the ornaments and armour a horse would wear into combat. Another of the exhibits showed the clothes of a king, offering a glimpse of what a king would have worn.

Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond form a fantastic pairing of ancient architecture and nature. Wolji Pond is a large body of water with three islands, offering a great hike around its edges and plenty of wildlife along the way, as well as lotus-themed solar panels. The palace was a wonderful sight, standing a single storey tall unlike the other palace I had seen, and it taught me a great deal about Silla architecture.

This trip was my first international school trip, and it lived up to my expectations, with a mix of modern and ancient experiences. I was amazed that the Korean alphabet, Hangul, was made with no outside help. Its simplicity makes it easy for anyone to learn the alphabet. I was also inspired by the courage of the Korean soldiers against Japan, in the battle of Myeongnyang, where 13 Korean ships faced 133 Japanese ships. The Koreans were led by legendary admiral Yi Sun-Shin. I would reccomend South Korea to travellers of all ages.