Seoul, the dynamic capital city of South Korea with its historic Han River and recent restoration of the Cheonggyecheon Stream are symbolic of tradition and modernity coexisting in harmony.

This was one of the many things that 50 KDI students learned on Sunday. February 4th marked the very first event, Seoul City Tour, which was organized by the office of Academic and Student Affairs for international students. The tour focused on Seoul, the city of culture, and covered four main attractions: National Museum of Korea, Seoul Tower, Gyeongbok Palace and Namdaemum market.

The National Museum of Korea, a cultural institution representing all forms of Korean cultural heritage, is an excellent place where students can view the unique characteristics of Korean culture through the characteristic relics each era has left behind.

After visiting the museum, the students stopped at Seoul Tower, a city landmark, which allowed them to have an unobstructed panormic view of Seoul vicinity. Located on the north side of Namsan Mountain, the tower is about 353 meters above sea level with observatories and a revolving restaurant with a full-circle view.

The next stop was Gyeongbok palace, the largest and most historically significant palace of the Joseon period. “Gyeongbokgung was built by King Taejo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, in 1395 as a symbol of his new dynasty,” Jennie, our tour guide, said. “Like other palaces, it was damaged during the Japanese invasion of Korea in the 16^th century. On e of its most famous structures in Gyeonghoeru, the pavillio where kings held receptions and parties.”

The tour was not complete without visiting Namdaemun Market, an ancient and open-air market in modern form. This market  was established during Jaseon Dynasty with the name of the famous “Great South Gate”. It is close to the downtown area and offers a great variety of items such as clothing, housewares, accessories of every kind, furniture, electric appliances, bedding, and sporting goods, at reasonable prices. With thousands of shops and stalls divided section by section according to item, Namdaemum Market is the largest general wholesale market in Korea.

KDI Students said they considered the event a unique opportunity to learn about the history of Korea and to appreciate the beauty of traditional and religious art of Korea. “It was really a neat perspective to see Seoul as a living museum of arts and architectures,” said Kethia LIM, MPP 2007, who has been living in Seoul for two years. “ There’s always something more to learn.”

By Sophaseila SAKETT (2007 MBA)