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    Eight ways to enrich your next visit to Seoul

    South Korea’s cosmopolitan capital city offers a wealth of one-of-a-kind experiences rooted in age-old traditions.

    Traditional Korean fashion elements, such as delicately flowing lines and angles; embroidered patterns inspired by animals, nature, and geometric shapes; and bold and vivid color combinations, are embedded in modern hanbok designs.
    Photograph courtesy Seoul Metropolitan Government
    ByMaryellen Kennedy Duckett
    Published May 3, 2021
    • 12 min read
    This is Paid Content. The editorial staff of National Geographic was not involved in the preparation or production of this content.
    1:42
    A wealth of unique luxury experiences with distinctly Korean flavors can easily be unearthed with a trip to Seoul.
    Images and video courtesy Seoul Metropolitan Government. Editing by Nat Geo Creative Works.

    Drawing inspiration from the rich culture and history of Korea, imaginative artisans, designers, chefs, and other modern tastemakers are creating new travel experiences found only in Seoul. Get to know this sophisticated capital city in a different and more meaningful way through these eight unique activities.

    Gourmet Artisan Desserts

    Picture of Pastry Chef Justin Lee pairing handcrafted desserts and drinks at JL Dessert Bar in South Korea
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    Picture of a dessert creation by Pastry Chef Justin Lee in South Korea
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
    Seasonal fruits and vegetables spark the culinary creativity of pastry chef Justin Lee, who pairs handcrafted desserts and drinks at his JL Dessert Bar.
    Photographs courtesy Seoul Metropolitan Government

    Dessert is elevated from afterthought to art form at JL Dessert Bar in the culturally diverse Yongsan district. Chef-owner Justin Lee uses fresh, colorful, and, often, surprising locally seasonal ingredients—such as plump Korean pears, avocados, cherry tomatoes, and Korean ginger—in his dessert masterpieces. Lee modeled his plated dessert-paired drink concept after fine-dining tasting menus. His house specialty is a feast for the senses: a six-course, sweet-and-savory dessert menu with suggested beverage pairings.

    Image of Korean desserts at Dongbyung Sangryoun
    The artfully designed Korean desserts at Dongbyung Sangryoun tempt the taste buds and honor centuries-old traditions.
    Photograph courtesy Seoul Metropolitan Government
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

    To sample artful interpretations of more traditional Korean desserts like rice cakes and honey cookies, visit Dongbyung Sangryoun dessert café in Seongbuk-dong. Chef-owner Park Kyung-mi, a master of Joseon Dynasty royal cuisine, regularly incorporates novel ingredients, including braised bellflower root, pine nuts, and makgeolli (unfiltered Korean rice wine), bringing new flavors and textures to centuries-old recipes.

    Modern Hanbok Fashion

    Image of fashion designer Kim Min Jeong styles modern hanboks using a variety of fabric in South Korea
    To create her modern hanbok styles, fashion designer Kim Min Jeong uses a variety of fabrics in a vivid kaleidoscope of colors.
    Photograph courtesy Seoul Metropolitan Government
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

    Forward-thinking Seoul fashion designer Kim Min Jeong is transforming hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) into trendsetting ready-to-wear, special occasion attire, and haute couture.

    Unlike conventional hanbok, which is primarily made of heavy silk in hues reflecting the social and marital status of the wearer, Kim’s wedding and modern lifestyle brand, Hanbok Lynn, features lighter fabrics in a rainbow of colors, including cotton candy pink, cool slate, and mint green.

    Each Hanbok Lynn design reinterprets the charm and elegance of traditional hanbok—short, bolero-like wrap jacket (jeogori) paired with either pants (baji) for men or a full skirt (chima) for women—by incorporating imaginative flourishes like ruffles, striped sleeves, and off-the-shoulder tops. The modern makeover is inspiring a new generation to embrace the timeless beauty of hanbok.

    Contemporary Tea Houses

    Image of a five-course tasting at ALTDIF Tea Bar in South Korea
    The five-course tastings at ALTDIF Tea Bar feature eye-catching hot and cold creations.
    Photograph courtesy Seoul Metropolitan Government
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    Tea blender Eun Bin puts a fabulously fun and modern twist on the ancient tea ceremony at her tiny ALTDIF Tea Bar in Hongdae. The sleek café’s seasonal, themed tea courses are part tastings, part performance art. A tea master guides up to seven guests through the five-course, two-hour, all-sensory experience, which includes storytelling, a snack, and the main event: five creatively-different hot and iced brews.

    Each five-course tasting has a whimsical theme, such as tarot cards or Alice in Wonderland. The teas or tisanes (a water-based infusion of herbs, spices, fruits, or flowers) are related to theme and have fanciful names. For instance, a recent blend of chamomile, peppermint, and pineapple was dubbed recent Space Odditea, As guests sip their selections, the tea master shares the story behind each blend.

    Korea Wine Culture

    Picture of Sommelier Choi Jung Won handpicks the regional Korean wines featured at Le Cabaret Cite located inside THE PLAZA Seoul
    Sommelier Choi Jung Won handpicks the regional Korean wines featured at Le Cabaret Cité, located inside THE PLAZA Seoul.
    Photograph courtesy Seoul Metropolitan Government
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

    Traditionally known only for makgeolli, a fermented rice wine dating back some 2,000 years, modern Korean wine culture is blossoming thanks to native fruits. A growing crop of inventive vintners is looking beyond cultivated grapes to produce varietals made from Korean-grown apples, peaches, wild grapes, plums, kiwi, raspberries, persimmon, and omija, a fragrant five-flavored berry.

    Fresh, sweet, and fragrant Korean wines, such as the sparkling, white Cheongsu by Grand Coteau, pair naturally with traditionally spicy and salty Korean dishes. Wine aficionados can savor sommelier-curated courses and dinners showcasing Korean varietals at Le Cabaret Cité. The gourmet, Asian-French dining destination is located inside THE PLAZA Seoul, a stylish, boutique hotel in the historic heart of the city. Le Cabaret Cité’s impressive, 200-label wine list includes several regional Korean wines available by the glass or bottle.

    Handmade Hanji Paper

    Picture of traditional Korean paper, Hanji, laying on a table.
    Hanji, the handmade Korean paper valued for its strength and flexibility, is also called Baek Ji, or “hundred paper,” due to the traditional paper-making process said to involve 99 touches by the maker and one final touch by the user.
    Photograph courtesy Seoul Metropolitan Government
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    Artisans and designers are breathing new life into hanji, fine-quality Korean paper made from the bark of a paper mulberry tree. To help preserve the thousand-year-old craft of hanji-making, the Hanji Culture and Industry Center (HCIC) in Seoul is promoting awareness of the paper’s strength, durability, and versatility.

    Historically, hanji was used for art, calligraphy, as wallpaper, and to make traditional craft items, such as folding fans and umbrellas. Today, hanji makers are incorporating new colors and patterns, and artists are reimagining how to use the paper, including to make clothing. The HCIC, the world’s first cultural complex devoted to hanji, features some 400 different handcrafted hanji products, regional hanji samples to see and touch, and hands-on hanji workshops.

    Traditional Hansik Cuisine

    Image of co-owner-chef Cho Hee-sook expertly plates tradition-inspired dishes at her award-winning Hansikgonggan restaurant in South Korea
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    Image of a creation by co-owner-chef Cho Hee Sook of the award winning Hansikgonggan restaurant in South Korea
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
    Co-owner-chef Cho Hee-sook expertly plates tradition-inspired dishes at her award-winning Hansikgonggan restaurant.
    Photographs courtesy Seoul Metropolitan Government

    An enlightening helping of history accompanies the fare at Gyuban and Hansikgonggan, two hansik (traditional Korean cuisine) hotspots run by acclaimed female chefs. Gyuban owner-chef Kim Ji Young served as culinary director of Immortal Classic, a Korean television drama chronicling a fictional female royal chef’s quest to become a royal doctor. Hansikgonggan’s co-owner-chef Cho Hee-sook, known as the godmother of Korean cuisine, is legendary for passing down hansik traditions to young chefs.

    At Gyuban, Kim scours vintage cookbooks and royal court records to recreate centuries-old royal recipes for traditional menu items such as kimchi (fermented cabbage) and pork marinated in doenjang (soybean paste). Hansikgonggan, named one of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2020 and 2021, merges past and present in tradition-inspired dishes like blended rice-and-pine nut porridge topped with abalone, scallop, shiitake mushroom, and shrimp.

    Holistic Spa Treatments

    In high-energy Seoul, maintaining mind-body wellness means making time for holistic spa treatments inspired by Korean nature and ancient traditions. SPA 1899, named for the year the Korean Ginseng Corporation was founded, specializes in red ginseng-infused rituals and therapies, including a hydro spa and body mask. Red ginseng, a uniquely Korean product thought to promote both inner and outer beauty, is often called “Asia’s immunity booster” for its purported health benefits.

    Picture of the ultra-modern Sulwhasoo flagship store houses an anti-aging spa specializing in holistic skin treatments in Seoul South Korea
    Seoul’s ultra-modern Sulwhasoo flagship store houses an anti-aging spa specializing in holistic skin treatments.
    Photograph courtesy Seoul Metropolitan Government
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

    Red and white ginseng serums, oils, creams, and infused baths are also part of the experience at Premium Korean Herbal Medicinal Anti-Aging Spa, located inside the Sulwhasoo flagship store. Founded in 1966, Sulwhasoo combines cutting-edge Korean science and nutrient-rich local herbs to create its line of luxury, holistic skin care products.

    Craft Cocktail Bars

    Image of the Raspberry Calling, a classic gin drink from Charles H, the speakeasy named for Gilded Age bon vivant Charles H. Baker in South Korea
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    Image of the Yeoju, is one of the signature cocktails from Bar Cham in South Korea
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    Left: Wine adds a hint of pink to Raspberry Calling, a classic gin drink from Charles H, the speakeasy named for Gilded Age bon vivant Charles H. Baker in South Korea
    Right: Infused with flavors of the tropics, Yeoju, is one of the signature cocktails from Bar Cham.
    Photographs courtesy Seoul Metropolitan Government

    The master mixologists at Seoul’s craft cocktail bars are reinventing standard drinks with decidedly Korean ingredients. Regionally grown ginseng, green tea, nashi (Asian pear), and omija berry, and liquors made from Korean apples and plums add a refreshingly different edge to classic cocktails like a Manhattan, Martini, and Negroni.

    Complementing the unique cocktails are the bars’ atmospheric settings. Bar Cham, an intimate cocktail lounge, is housed in a hanok (traditional Korean house). Charles H, the lavish, speakeasy-style club on the lower level of the Four Seasons Seoul, is tucked behind an unmarked door, while shelved library books mask the secret entrance to Le Chamber, a glamorous hidden bar illuminated by vintage chandeliers.   

    Image of Bar Cham master mixologist and owner Lim Byung-jin crafting his signature cocktails with traditional and fruit-flavored soju, Korea’s iconic distilled rice spirit.
    Bar Cham master mixologist and owner Lim Byung-jin crafts his signature cocktails with traditional and fruit-flavored soju, Korea’s iconic distilled rice spirit.
    Photograph courtesy Seoul Metropolitan Government
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.




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