Rent Serviced Apartments in Seoul

Facts About Seoul 

Seoul is the capital of South Korea and its biggest metropolis, making up the heart of the Seoul Capital Area with the Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province surrounding it. It is a global city and the fourth biggest metropolis across the globe, as of 2014. It is also the 6th costliest global city to live in, as of the year 2017. Here are some more interesting facts about Seoul. 

• Seoul is one of the world’s biggest economies, achieving the 11th highest global GDP of $1.4 billion as per World Bank rankings. 
• South Korea is the third largest Asian and 7th biggest global exporter. 
• Incheon International Airport has earned the tag of the world’s best airport for 12 years in a row courtesy the Airport Service Quality awards. 
• The busiest airline route across the globe is located in Seoul, namely the 280 mile route to Jeju International from Seoul. 
• Seoul has a unique erotic theme park on the Jeju Love Land Island. 
• It has 12 World Heritage Sites as listed by UNESCO including the Hanok Village. 
• Key digital hubs are based in Digital Media City and Gangnam while Seoul Capital Area houses headquarters of a whopping 14 Fortune Global 500 Companies such as Hyundai, Samsung and LG. 

Seoul contributes 0.6% of the land area of the country although it held 48.3% of its bank deposits as of 2003 itself. Seoul was ranked the 6th most competitive city financially across the world in 2015 by the Global Financial Centers Index. 

Seoul has the Incheon International Airport along with the Gimpo International Airport. 

Cost of Living in Seoul 

A family of four will need approximately 287,492.72₩ every month in living costs. Meals at restaurants usually range between 5,500 and 50,000₩ while one-way transportation tickets and monthly passes hover around 1,250-1,500₩ and 55,000₩ respectively. Utility costs stand at 215,769.77₩ approximately while monthly rentals hover between 600,000-4,500,000₩ on average. 

Tips for Visiting Seoul 

Seoul is a large city by way of population, being Asia’s 4th biggest metropolis. Here are some tips that you should keep in mind. 

• Seoul is majorly a non-English speaking country; learn a few basic Korean phrases beforehand. 
• Get a T-Money Card if you are visiting for more than a couple of days. It will help you get cheaper public transportation while freeing you up from standing in line to get single-journey tickets. 
• Most Seoul stores take credit cards, which is a major boon for global travelers. 
• Rely on your hotel concierge service and tourist information centers above all else. 
• Make sure that you try the clean and delicious street food in Seoul. 
• The metro system should be carefully understood since it will help you get around seamlessly. There are many stairs to climb for getting into and exiting the stations. 
• Seoul is a completely safe and prosperous city and bargaining is a polite and diplomatic affair at stores and markets. 

Things to Do in Seoul 

Seoul is one of the most beautiful cities that you can visit on work or leisure. Here’s taking a look at some of the best things to do in the city. 

Q. What are the most popular things to do in Seoul? 

Some of the popular activities and attractions in Seoul include the Myeongdong Market, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Lotte World, N Seoul Tower, Changdeokgung Palace, War Memorial of Korea, Bongeunsa Temple and Jongmyo Shrine. 

Q. What are some free things to do in Seoul? 

Some free activities in Seoul include walking around the walls of the city, visiting the Bukchon Hanok Village, viewing the longest bridge fountain in the world, listening to live music at Hongdae, checking out the Cheonggyecheon Stream and exploring the Gyeonbokgung Palace. Checking out Myeongdong is another good idea along with the Dongdaemun Market. 

Q. Does Seoul have many romantic attractions? 

Seoul has several romantic attractions including the N Seoul Tower which offers gorgeous views and also Cheonggyecheon Stream, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Nami Island and Petite France. 

Q. What are the most family-friendly things to do in Seoul? 

Seoul has several family-friendly attractions including the National Museum of Korea, Pureun Arboretum, Children’s Grand Park, Seoul Animation Center, Seoul Museum of History, Seodaemun Prison History Hall, Jingwansa Temple and Starfield COEX Mall. 

Q. What are the more unusual things to do in Seoul? 

Seoul offers several unusual attractions and activities like enjoying a traditional BBQ at Wanbijib Chain Restaurant, visiting the Yongma Land Abandoned Theme Park, Seoul Trick Eye Museum, Bukchon Hanok Village, National Museum of Korea and Tongin Market. 

Places to Visit in Seoul 

There are several beautiful places to visit in Seoul. Some of them include the following: 

• Seoul Tower – The Seoul Tower goes 500 meters above the city and is an observation and communications tower that offers gorgeous city views from the side of the Mount Namsan. A cable car will take you from the side of the imposing mountain to the foot of the tower. Here you can go upwards and explore the four observation decks, one of which doubles up as a fabulous rotating restaurant. The tower contains a couple of restaurants along with multiple gift stores and a digital observatory where those with height related fears may witness a 360-degree live view of the city through 32 LED screens and cameras positioned on the top of the tower. Computer-operated LED lighting on the exterior of this landmark offers a fabulous visual and cultural experience with several themed presentations. 
• Bukchon Hanok Village – The Bukchon Hanok Village is where you will find a true essence of Korean traditions, architecture and culture. This is an ancient neighborhood that has been immaculately preserved and offers a great idea of life in Korea around 600 years earlier. It is positioned in central Seoul, between the Changdeokgung Palace and Gyeongbokgung Palace. The localities come with traditional Korean houses or Hanoks. This is a novel destination with plenty of history and attractions. Several Hanoks have now become guesthouses while some are museums which you can explore. 
• National Museum of Korea – The National Museum of Korea showcases the country’s fascinating history down the ages and the museum is one of Asia’s biggest museums, lying in the Yongsan District. It showcases exhibits linked to art, history and archaeology while some objects date back to more than a million years as well. There are several prehistoric and ancient paintings, artifacts and artwork. 

Places to Eat in Seoul 

Seoul has no dearth of wonderful places to eat, including Gangnam-Gu, Jongo-Gu, Jung-Gu, Dongdaemun-Gu and Dongjak-Gu among others. 

Street Food in Seoul

Seoul is famous for its street food and top picks include corn dogs, spicy rice cakes or Tteokbokki, stuffed pancakes or Hotteok, egg bread or Gyeranppang and fish shaped bread or Bungeoppang to name only a few. 

Shopping in Seoul 

Seoul is a great place for shopping and tourists should not miss the Dongdaemun Market, Myeongdong Market, Itaewon, Lotte Department Store Myeongdong, Hongdae and Starfield COEX Mall to name just a few. From premier malls to unique local stores, you will find everything you need in Seoul. 

Transportation in Seoul 

Seoul has an extensive railway network courtesy of KTX high-speed trains and also Saemaeul and Mugunghwa trains. Key stations include Yongsan, Seoul and Cheongnyangni among others. Seoul has its urban railway network comprising of 21 light metro and commuter rapid transit lines.

It is the biggest subway system in the world, catering to more than 8 million people each day and with track length of a whopping 940 kilometers. There are Korail, NeoTrans Co. Ltd, Seoul Metro, AREX and Seoul Metro Line 9 Corporation bus lines throughout the city. Seoul Metropolitan Government (S.M.G) also operates four core bus lines covering the entire city.

The city has numerous express/intercity bus terminals too. Seoul has the Incheon International Airport and the Gimpo International Airport. Both airports are connected via the expressway to Seoul and they are linked to each other via the AREX to the Seoul Station. Intercity bus services are also available to many other places in the country. 

Weather in Seoul 

Summers are warm, long and wet in Seoul along with being slightly cloudy and humid. Winters are dry, freezing, short and majorly clear. Throughout the year, temperatures usually range between 21 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The best time to visit Seoul is between late May and early July or between late August and early October. You can enjoy outdoor activities and attractions at these times.