That's Life

Day slips seamlessly to night in Seoul—home to a culture of people determined to get ahead.

Many workers put in long hours at the office. Despite well known labor laws, 10 hour workdays and 6 day work weeks are the norm for office workers.

Deceptively cheap services, such as health care, transportation, and restaurants, understate the expense of living in the city.

The apartments in the back ground cost millions of US dollars to own and require exorbitant deposits just to rent. The highest I’ve heard is $200,000, which doesn’t even require that the place be furnished.

And then, there’s still the matter of rent.

At night, the streets buzz with people blowing off steam. Thickly accented English resonates from the dozens of Noraebangs or karaoke rooms that line the streets.

Numerous restaurants are open until the small hours of the morning. The most popular serve up fresh sea food that you can net right out of the aquarium in the store front or spicy fried chicken.

But not even nightfall guarantees a reprieve from work. Many young office workers are enjoined in long nights of drinking soju (a rice based spirit like vodka). You don’t have to go, but you don’t have to get promoted either...

Namhansanseong Fortress Wall


It's been tough to go from living in the woods to the crowded city, and Seoul, supporting around 10 million inhabitants, is more crowded than most. Thankfully, near Seoul, outdoor opportunities abound.

But Koreans, particularly middle-aged and retired Koreans, are crazy for hiking and hiking apparel, which makes hiking in any season feel like an outdoor fashion frenzy.

We figured this weekend's sub-freezing temperatures would drive people away, but it was business as usual at Namhansanseong.

The trails were icy and treacherous, but that didn't rarefy the crowds.

Hikers were slipping, sliding, and spilling all over the place.

The paramedics were plucking hikers from the trails like gore-tex grapes.

One man, too preoccupied with staring at foreigners, tripped over his walking pole.

Another, mesmerized by the "Wey Gooks" cooking ramen, asked for a photo.

If your not Asian looking and have been in Korea for any amount of time, you've probably been stared down.

Just don't ask a Korean to “take a picture because it lasts longer,” he just might take you up on it.


Take Line 8 to Namhansanseong. You can take any bus to the park for 900 won, but the 2,000 won taxi ride is worth every penny.