What we did in Seoul

(last update Feb 2025)

It's odd that I haven't written this until now, honestly. I first went to Korea right around the time I started writing this blog 10+ years ago. But I find that I write these guides mostly in response to people asking me for recommendations so maybe more people are going to Korea lately? *shrugs*

General Stuff

• Due to Google and Apple not adhering to Korea's security policies (SK is technically still at war with North Korea), lots of normal digital life stuff doesn't work here (Apple/Google maps, AirTags, Find My, etc). There are rumors that Apple might start complying in mid 2025, but until then, download the Naver map app. Even if you get Google Maps to work, Naver is important for checking a business’s opening hours. Google’s are completely wrong. 
• Download the KakaoT app for car hailing. Uber sorta works, but it's only Uber Black and Uber Van. Using a ride hailing app will ensure that the driver has a working smartphone and that it's navigating them to the place you chose. The app has a setting for adding a foreign credit card for payment. 
• Taxi drivers in Seoul can be New York-level shady, so if you have to hail a cab the old fashioned way, be prepared! Have your destination on your phone screen in Korean (most cab drivers speak very little English) and in a large font because many of the drivers need bifocals but don't have them. It's a huge red flag if they don't have a working navigation system or app in their car! Worst case scenario, you can hand them your phone already in turn-by-turn mode (and in Korean). 
• Get a KT roaming e-sim that has a phone number so you can use the automated line kiosks that are common at most restaurants. ktroaming.com
• Get a t-money card for transit. You have to use cash to reload it. You can also use it at convenience stores like you do with Suica in Japan.
• Download the Catch Table app so you can make reservations and join restaurant wait lists remotely.
• Another food tip for avoiding crowds is to eat lunch at 11:30, right before the lunch rush starts. We've walked right in to several places which had gigantic lines by the time we finished our meals. 
• The ICN smartpass app may help you get through security quicker when leaving the country (there's no priority security lanes for Business/First). Make sure you google how to find the chip in your passport before you attempt to use this app. 
• The airport A'Rex train is cheap, but the express buses (eg, 6001) have their own lanes and depending on where you're going, may be a one-seat ride to your destination (the transfer between A'Rex and the normal subway can be brutal with bags). Buses leave from right out the arrivals door of the airport. There are multi-lingual ticket vending machines right near the stop. Use the Naver app for routing and real-time arrivals. 
• If you have a long layover at ICN, there's a Korean Spa inside security at the international terminal. Drop your bags at their front desk, have a full shower, a soak, a schvitz, a shave, a 💩, and maybe a nap. It's called Spa on Air, level B1, section 9 of Terminal 1. It's cheap, too. 
• I mention this because as of February 2025, lines at ICN security have been horrendous. People arriving 3 hours early are missing their flights. Airlines are saying "4-5 hours before." So if you come super early and the line isn't long, the Spa might be a great way to kill an hour or two. 
• Bring physical credit cards with you to Korea, it’s a frustrating hodgepodge of swipe, insert chip, samsung/apple pay with and without signatures. All that “it’s 2050 in Korea!” shit was not talking about their POS systems! 
• The Korean alphabet is actually super easy to learn, maybe get a app and throw a few hours at it here and there. 
• The shoe etiquette is just like Japan only a bit less manic.
• Koreans love a good political protest. 

Sights/Shop

There's plenty of info out there about Seoul's best sights. DeepSeek or ChatGPT will happily draw you up a custom itinerary based on how much time you have, the weather, your likes and dislikes... So I'll just mention a couple of things that might not come across the normal channels

• the Tteok Museum follows the history of rice in Korea and specifically the beloved Tteok rice cake
• Futura Seoul is cool museum with immersive installations.
• Maker City Sewoon is an electronics geek's paradise. Reminds me a bit of Akihabara.
• Yongsan Electronics Market also has a similar vibe. 
• There's a whole district of outdoor clothing and equipment shops on Dongho-ro near Jongno 5 station, so head over there for all your gorpcore needs.
• FWIW, I heard the new AI museum is terrible, Korean language-only, and is actually for children despite not being labeled as such. 
• If you end up in the famous Gangnam neighborhood, there's actually a monument to Psy's Gangnam Style song near the Starfield Coex Mall 

  

  Psy walked so BTS could run

Food

One quick note on food: lots of things that get grilled at your table have an option to make fried rice on the grill at the end to soak up all them tasty juices. Definitely do this if it's offered!

Also, 'so-maek' is beer with a a shot of soju in it. This is generally the beverage of choice. 

Chicken in the Kitchen makes some amazing Korean fried chicken. And yes, that's tteokbokki and corn ribs on top of the chicken.

Cafe Onion is in a huge traditional Korean house and they're open until 10pm. They have blankets and heaters for courtyard seating on cold nights. 

Wangsingmi chicken (왕십리누룽지통닭구이). Rotisserie grilled, stuffed with rice, and optionally (ha!) smothered in molten cheese and corn with a mountain of scallions on top. "KFC" aka Korean Fried Chicken is a relatively recent addition to Korean cuisine, this is its mother. 

Keunkiwajip (큰기와집) crab is amazing. We went late on a weeknight and the big line had died down and we walked right in (maybe 50 minutes until close?) 

Solsot (솔솥 익선점) has amazing hot bowl bibimbap. It's tiny, so I recommend going at like 11:30 and getting the first seating or using the Catchtable app. 

Blue Roof Town is a fantastic Korean barbecue place with some Los Angeles Korean influences. Loved it so much we ate here twice in one trip! Amazing wine selection. 

Yukhoe (육회) is a tasty Korean beef tartare. Changshin Yukhoe (창신육회 2호점) in the Gwangjang market is amazing great place to try it. 

Woo Lae Oak is in all the guidebooks, but it's really good. Definitely get the cold buckwheat noodles

종로 장군족발보쌈 본관 has reallllly tasty pig trotters.

Donut Jungsu has tasty donuts and the new location has a nice view. But it's sorta off the beaten path now. 

Sangsu Kimchi Samgyupsal (상수김치삼겹살)

is a fantastic little spot for grilled pork belly. Bust out your Google Lens to read the menu, it's worth the language barrier!

Gay nightlife

The famous "homo hill" neighborhood of Itaewon is cute and bustling and very twink-y. The bears tend to hang out in Insadong/Jongno. Since the latter is all I have any experience with, so here's a few of my favorites. (Some places are men only)

Pinky is a fun little sit-down bar with fantastic cocktails and tasty drinking snacks. 

Stud bar is actually a very friendly sit down cocktail place, despite what their name and marketing seem to imply. Great scotch selection.

M Bar is right above it and is really cozy and friendly on a cold night. 

MyHunk is a super fun k-pop bear bar. I love how so many of the crowd seem to know the choreo to every single song.

A/V Take C bar above the Jongno 3 station is a cute, fancy, sit-down gay cocktail bar with a nice view. 

RM is more of a sit-down soju bar. you generally are expected to order food at a soju bar. Great army stew (make sure to get some ramen noodles to toss in!) They also have this croissant pizza that’s oddly delicious. 

Inu is in an old, traditional Korean house and has such nice vibes. Get a pineapple Baiju highball and enjoy the beautiful space and their tasty drinking snacks.

If you're going to hop onto a dating app to meet locals, reactivate that old 9Monsters profile you haven’t touched in 2 years; people here still live by it :) 

Other stuff

• I’m briankusler on Instagram and I basically only post food pix with corresponding restaurant check-ins
• My Sydney food page is here.
• My Tokyo food guide is here.
• My Taipei page is here.
• My Montreal page is here.
• My Mexico City page is here.