| Seoul,
as the capital and largest city of South Korea, is the center of a
great deal of international tourism. Here are only three of
the many things to see and do there. Downtown Seoul has recently achieved a triumph of urban renewal with the restoration of Cheonggyecheon, a river that flows through the middle of the city. It was covered over by concrete for over 50 years, and an elevated highway was built over it. Then, in 2003, the mayor started a project to restore the river. In September 2005, it opened to the public as a place to walk and sightsee. The Gyeongbok Palace became home to the new and expanded National Folk Museum of Korea in 1993. Its exhibits illustrate the lifestyle and history of the Korean people. Elsewhere in town, the Korean Folk Village, called Minsokchon in Korean, recreates life in preindustrial Korea. Here, visitors may explore the buildings of a typical village, watch traditional crafts being made, and take in live performances. One of Seoul's most popular areas for tourists is the neighborhood of Itaewon. People of many different nationalities live there, and it has several major hotels. Due to its close proximity to Yongsan Garrison, an American military base, Itaewon has been a historical center of prostitution. Today, it is also a major shopping district. Reading Connection The National Folk Musem is one of the titular museums in Laurel Kendall's article "Peoples Under Glass: A Tale of Two Museums." The Korean Folk Village is the subject of Timothy R. Tangherlini's article "Choson Memories: Spectatorship, Ideology and the Korean Folk Village." Itaewon is the subject of Eun-Shil Kim's article "Itaewon as an Alien Space within the Nation-State and a Place in the Globalization Era." For More Information Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul Photo Gallery Official website of Cheonggyecheon Today's Cheonggyecheon National Folk Museum - official site Korean Folk Village details Some photos of Minsokchon More photos of Minsokchon EnjoyItaewon.com Back to Korea Back to Main |
 Cheonggyecheon flowing through downtown Seoul. (By Svdmolen, License: GNU Free Documentation 1.2)  Gyeongbok Palace, home of the National Folk Museum of Korea. (By WP User:Rainer Zenz, License: GNU Free Documentation 1.2) |