Several months ago when the travel restrictions and social distancing laws kicked in, my plans to relocate to the UK were put on pause. Of course, I was devastated; however the silver lining was that it gave the freedom and time to review my old travel photos - a task that I had been putting off forever. I felt the best way I could collate and share them was through a photo/travel journal, so the first entry I wanted to share was the short stopover in Seoul after spontaneously visiting Nepal in December last year.

The last time I travelled to Seoul must have been about 7 years ago when a few friends and I spent a week of our summer break sweating our way through Myeong-dong in peak monsoon season. The heat was so vividly burnt in my memory, I had kept it off my radar for the longest time. But I decided this time would be different, given that it was almost Christmas and I loved the cold so I figured there was nothing that could possibly dampen my spirits (the stomach bug I ended up contracting however proved me wrong).

Intentionally giving myself twelve hours between flights, I spent the morning firstly realising that I misplaced my travel pillow on the plane after I had very much already disembarked, followed by desperately scrambling for the subway WiFi to Google for the first coffee joint and pray it would wake me up from the night flight.

Before meeting up with an old friend that afternoon, I picked two spots to visit and fill the day - The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the Starfield COEX Mall.

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

Each year, the MMCA showcases large-scale installations from leading contemporary artists. Located in the central foyer was the MMCA Commissioned Project ‘FOR YOU’ by American artist Jenny Holzer. According to the pamphlets and website, the LED artwork “foregrounds the voices of women, featuring texts in Korean and English by five contemporary writers…Examined together, the work of these authors reflects on diverse accounts of vulnerability and abuse of power, life and death, and the ways gender and sexuality play into violence and oppression.” I can’t say it was overly exciting for me but the silence from the emptiness in the room made the messages quite a harrowing read.

Fortunately, South Korea’s speedy recovery from the current COVID-19 situation meant that the museum has now reopened to the public and the artwork is still on display. Virtual tours are also in place for those looking for their regular dose of art and culture in the comfort of their homes.

Starfield COEX Mall

Outside the mall. Shot on Fuji Superia Premium 400

Getting here from the MMCA required a few changeovers from Anguk station which was fine. The biggest fear I had however was hopping on the wrong bus but luckily enough Google Maps was pretty accurate at navigating. It was only until 50 mins later and after many messages of “where r u???” that I found out the best way to get anywhere in Seoul is always through the subway (which would have also cut down my commute time from the museum by half).

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)

Simon had been living in Seoul for a number of years now and was teaching English as a full-time gig. We met at the DDP, a spaceship-like convention hall that looks literally out of this world, where he introduced me to a friend of his, SuhYoon. She was a fashion designer by trade (clearly) and we took a few photos outside during golden hour.

This was also the place where I’m sure it all went downhill so I’d recommend avoiding any food from the station. Or at least, make sure you eat it within a reasonable time and not 3 hours later otherwise you’d run the risk of experiencing a painful couple of days after and ruining Christmas for yourself.

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travel journal: seoul