Week 6: South Korea Trip!

This week was Golden Week in Japan, which is a when there are many holidays consecutively next to a weekend in early May. As I had a longer weekend, I took a trip to South Korea and met up with some other Shidler students studying at Yonsei University. This was my first time in South Korea, so it was a fun experience, and I got to see many new places. The highlight of this trip was definitely Lotte World, since they had a limited time Pokémon theme. We took a picture with a giant inflatable Snorlax and two Pikachu mascots.

Another highlight of the trip in my opinion was N Seoul Tower, which is one of Seoul’s most iconic landmarks. N Seoul Tower is known for its amazing city views and romantic "Locks of Love." It was originally built as a broadcasting tower, but now is a popular spot for both locals and tourists. We got such a nice view of all of Seoul from the top of the observation deck and I also put a lock on the wall. The admission fee to the observatory was roughly 20,000 won, which equals to around $15, so I would say that it was definitely worth the views!

I also got to visit to the popular library, Starfield Library, in COEX mall. This library was free to enter with no admission fee, and there were countless walls of books. I really enjoyed using the escalators here, as I got to see the library from a higher view. The mall was in Gangnam, which was around a 30-40 minute subway trip from where I was staying. Just 3 stops away (~6 minute subway) was Lotte World Mall's Aqua Garden Cafe. This cafe was filled with fish tanks all throughout the room, and was perfect for a quick and relaxing coffee break. The cafe did not have any entrance fee, but you would need to purchase a food or drink to dine in.