There are certain famous go-to places in the world that you’ve always heard of and thought: okay, why not? Give it a whirl. Sure, they’re bound to be tourist haunts, but hey, could it really be that bad? Sadly, Gahoe-dong Alley in Bukchon is one of these overly touristy crowded places, as charming as it is. It’s known as Bukchon’s go-to-selfie spot, and it’s easy to see why. But it can be so packed in places that you can’t move. Then the crowds part briefly, and if you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of a lovely empty street corner.

And it’s a residential area, so it requires special residential police to try and enforce, or at best encourage, some sense of respect for the residents. There are signs everywhere. ‘Area with restricted visiting hours for tourists…5pm to 10am’. But do you think anyone cares or takes notice? It must be hell for anyone living there. Has tourism reached a tipping point? Still, having said this, of course we went, but we quickly left once we felt the impact it was having on the residents. One couple arrived on a loud Vespa, took their shots and roared on. Gion in Kyoto is much the same, as I’m sure are many other gorgeous places around the world. Bukchon is a beautiful place, narrow laneways and tons of stores, bars, cafes and restaurants, but in its quiet streets it’s teeming, even in the depths of a frozen Seoul winter (on a Sunday, selfie-taking visitors seemed almost all Korean). I can only imagine how busy it gets in the warmer months. 

Today, we set out on the subway to explore a few intriguing places such as Gwangjang Market, one of Seoul’s most famous. It’s a covered space with defined alley ways packed with fabrics, hanbok traditional clothing, bedding, vintage clothes, homewares and, most spectacularly, hundreds of food stalls serving up indescribable meals to packed benches clustered around steaming pots and pans. I guess this feels like a different kind of tourism, if you like. It’s not disneyfied like some markets we’ve been to, but has a strong sense of authenticity and endurance, shopped at and enjoyed by locals and a few foreign travellers. 

Gwangjang is famous for its Bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes), which we sampled and were, I can tell you, delicious, even if scalding hot and dripping in oil. There’s Boribap (fish cake soup), Kimbap (bite-size dried seaweed rolls), Soondae (pig intestines stuffed with cellophane noodles, barley and pork blood), Chicken Feet obviously and, of course Pig’s trotters – and heads. Why not? We weren’t quite that game, but this place is a real sensory experience. 

Moving across town on the subway we headed first to Insadong, another one of the overly hyped places that draw you in only to realise you’ve walked into another tourist hot spot. Here you’ll find small streets packed with locals – and more foreigners than we’ve seen – enjoying small restaurants, cafes (boy, do Koreans love sweet pastries!), bars, fashion stores, lifestyle stores and more. It’s actually packed with some really interesting shops. 

But we escaped the throngs and finally found what we were looking for, an authentic Korean BBQ restaurant for lunch: Sariwon Bulgogi on the 4^th floor (sign spotted from the street) of an innocuous shopping mall just off Insadong-gil. Delicious beef cooked on the BBQ and steamed in front of us with an endless serving of traditional Korean accompaniments. Very good indeed.

Which set us up nicely for a stroll in the cold across to Jogye-sa, headquarters of the Jogye Order, the largest order of Korean Buddhism. It’s a complex of large wooden halls in the Joseon dynasty style, but like a lot of buildings in Seoul, a 20^th century recreation. Today, Jogye-sa (its main hall) was closed to the public (but packed inside with followers, many forced to sit and stand outside). Sombre ceremonies could be heard from within (outsiders chanting along) to mark we assume the tragic plane crash in Muan, South Korea on Sunday. The rapid rhythmic chants emanating from within the temple were eerily chilling, wildly contrasting to the New Year’s celebratory, very colourful inflatable gods and deities dancing in the wind around the main hall. These seemed to be in the process of being dismantled, again we assume as all celebrations in South Korea have been cancelled. 

South Korea has had some serious troubles in recent weeks, including the brief late-night declaration of martial law by the former President. His subsequent impeachment and then that of his temporary successor have led to turmoil in South Korea. 

It’s all landed at the Constitutional Court for what could be a lengthy hearing and decision process. We walked past the court which was bristling with police with riot vans on standby. It was quiet with just a few people milling around, far outnumbered by the police. But wrapping the court’s iron gates were hundreds of flower wreaths, some with ‘No Impeachment’ signs tied over the top. It’s a confusing time for South Korea that’s for sure. And then on Sunday, the air crash. 

Five days of national mourning have been declared in Seoul. The city feels sombre as it goes about its daily life, but we’re beginning to see evidence of real pain and sorrow in people’s faces, and if you make sensitive enquiries of waiters and hotel staff. Indeed it was back at the hotel that we asked about New Year’s Eve celebrations and were told everything has been cancelled – not just our hotel’s, but everything everywhere. 

What a tragic end to 2024. Let’s hope that the new year brings some peace, resolution and reconciliation to the people of South Korea.