Gwanghwamun Square | Seoul, South Korea

Gwanghwamun Square is one of those places in Seoul that you might see in a tourism ad or documentary video about South Korea, however you might not recognize the name right off. It's a place for the people that is a must see if you ever travel to Seoul. Located in the northern part of Seoul between two ways of traffic and right above Gwanghwamun Station, you shouldn't have any trouble locating this historic area. Pictured above is the "Sunken Square", located between the statues of Admiral Yi Sun-Shin and King Sejong the Great, where you can access the subway station. This will put you right in the middle of Gwanghwamun Square, which is why I recommend traveling to this are via the train.

Gwanghwamun Square 

Here lies Gwanghwamun Square on Sejong-ro where the ancient history of Korea still rings today. Yukjo Street - embodying the glory of kings and citizens together in the Joseon Dynasty - is being transformed into a symbolic square that signals new directions for a humane and cultural society with openness and mutual respect. The statue of King Sejong the Great, who devised the Korea alphabet Hangeul and presided over our cultural splendor, finally sits here along with that of Admiral Yi Sun-Shin. The City of Seoul hopes that this square will give unforgettable experiences to visitors who come to see and feel the magnificent and dynamic history of Seoul and dream of happiness and common prosperity in the future.

October 9, 2009 

Sehoon Oh, Mayor of Seoul 

Statue of Admiral Yi Sun-Shin over Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, South Korea 

Statue of King Sejong the Great at Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, South Korea 

 When visiting this popular site, you'll also have an opportunity to explore below the square at the "King Sejong Stories" exhibition and learn about the origin of Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, as well as some of South Korea's long history. There is also a gift shop, cafe, as well as restroom facilities available to visitors. During our time there we were also able to practice traditional calligraphy. This activity was geared more toward children, but it'd still be a cool experience. Viewing the exhibition is free of charge.

While walking around the square, you're likely to see younger adults dressed in traditional Korean dress called hanbok. Many girls and even some tourists come in this attire and take photos in front of Gwanghwamun Gate and other historic places. You can rent hanbok for a small fee at some shops and have your own palace experience, since admission is free to these historic sites for those dressed in the traditional garb. More information on renting hanbok here.

It's not uncommon for tourists to take photos of those wearing hanbok. I'm a tourist taking a photo of a tourist taking a photo of Korean girls in hanbok. Ha!

Gwanghwamun Gate, entrance to Gyeongbokgung Palace, the largest of the five palaces in Seoul (and arguably the most beautiful)

Today the palace was closed, so we were unable to go inside. Aside from that fact, it was kind of cold. We plan to return on a warmer day when it's open!

So many selfies! I have never seen a culture of young people so enthralled with taking photos of themselves for social media. There are cell phones everywhere and everyone is on them! Not even in America is it this common, if you can imagine.

In addition to seeing people dressed in traditional hanbok, you might also notice peaceful protests occurring at Gwanghwamun Square. Lately, there have been protests against THAAD, a missile defense system that recently arrived here in South Korea.

I enjoy some of the architecture unique to Korea. This building is located adjacent to the square.

Gwanghwamun Square holds much to see. You could easily spend an entire day in this area, visiting the square and then proceeding into the palace to explore. It's easily accessed via the subway, which I recommend utilizing. Located nearby is the Cheonggyecheon Stream, if you'd like to check that out as well while you're in the area.

The Details

• What: Gwanghwamun Square

• When: 24 hours

• Where: Jiha 172, Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 종로구 세종대로 지하 172 (세종로)

• Cost: N/A

Dongdaemun Design Plaza | Seoul, South Korea

A unique perspective in architecture unlike any I've ever seen. The Dongdaemun Design Plaza, or DDP, was designed by architect Zaha Hadid. It's been described as futuristic in nature and features five separate halls: the Art Hall, Museum, Design Lab, Design Market, and Dongdaemun History and Culture Park. Attached is the Dongdaemun History and Culture Park subway station, so there is easy access to the subway. Getting here should not be a problem.

We visited DDP in the late afternoon and walked around inside the Design Lab and Design Market. Inside you'll find many different creations to look at and have the opportunity to purchase. If you're looking for a unique one-of-a-kind gift, this is the place to come. 

There are also exhibitions to see. Visit their website listed in The Details below for more info! English is available on the site. Click on the top right drop down menu to select your language.

The sculptures around the park are very neat to look at. This would be a great place to wander around with several cool photo opportunities. This sculpture was the most intriguing to me. Hanging on the "trees" are used makeup and body product containers. I thought it was pretty interesting and it certainly makes you stop to think about where all of your used bottles and containers go.

DDP neighbors several huge shopping centers. There certainly isn't a lack of things to do in this area. And if you get bored, simply hop on the subway.

On the left you'll see the Museum entrance, on the right is the Design Lab.

On our second visit here, we explored the back side of the park. I didn't bring my camera, but there are other things to see besides sculptures of the human form. I promise! Haha!

As a photographer, of course I had to stop for a shot with the camera snapped trailer! I wonder what it's used for?

Just in case you'd like to check it out, here are...

The Details

• What: Dongdaemun Design Plaza

• When: Daily 9AM-7PM

• Where: 04566  281 Euljiro, Jung-gu, Seoul (Euljiro 7-ga)
• Contact: +82-2-2153-0000

• Website: http://www.ddp.or.kr/main

• Cost: varies according to exhibition

Korea Camera Museum | Seoul, South Korea

I'm back! We had an awesome trip to Thailand and I'm so excited to share it with you! We arrived home on Friday, which meant that we have an entire weekend to recoup before the work week. That means I have plenty of time to organize and sort photos, as well as blog!

So, while you anxiously wait for Thailand photos (I just know you're on the edge of your seat...), I wanted to share with you our trip to the camera museum in Seoul, South Korea. Check it out!

At first glance, you might find Seoul's camera museum a little out of date (I didn't see any Canon 5D Mark IVs, sorry...), however this camera shaped building located just outside Seoul Grand Park Station holds a great deal of photographic history and is certainly worth the trip for the photography enthusiast! It's especially great for the film photography lover, as most of the cameras are film cameras.

Once inside and having paid the 4,000W admission, you'll find yourself surrounding by many camera models (around 3,000!) from all parts of history dating as far back as the pinhole camera and daguerreotype.

A daguerreotype replica, can you imagine lugging around that thing on vacation? Ha! Just kidding. That would never happen.

Spend up to an hour or more browsing the collection upstairs, then head downstairs to check out the lighting, film, and printing equipment. They also have a classroom-type set up in the basement, so I'm thinking they might hold classes here? Much of the information is in Korean, so you'll have to do a lot of looking but not a lot of reading! Ha! (Unless you can read Korean...)

The camera museum is not the most popular spot in Seoul, so you're likely to have the entire building to yourself like we did (aside from the employees, of course). Honestly, that's a good thing in a city of approximately 10 million people. For once, you won't be in a crowd of people. You'll find not many in Korea are interested in dusty old cameras. However, I found the camera museum to be a nice place to spend some time. With all of those cameras, all of those lenses, think of how many photos have been taken in whole, what those cameras have seen. I think that's pretty cool!

Left: It was so cool seeing old photographs. I could look at them for hours. Right: Holographic images that change as you look at them from different directions.

This one is my favorite, afternoon tea.

A machine gun... camera? 

Ahead of its time, the camera watch 

If you enjoy learning about the history and evolution of cameras, lenses, and other photographic equipment, you'll definitely want to add this place to your list. As a photographer, the museum was on my must see list in Seoul and I'm really glad we went. I found it very interesting and was reminded of my history of photography class in college. Florescent lights, PowerPoint slides... Ah, those were good days.

If you have a photography-loving friend in Seoul, feel free to share this post with them! I'm sure they'll want to check it out as well. The Korea Camera Museum is a great way to spend an afternoon.

 The Details

• What: Camera Museum

• When: Winter season: (Nov. - Jan.) 10:00-17:00 Summer season: (Feb. - Oct.) 10:00-18:00

• Where: 8, Daegongwongwangjang-ro, Gwacheon-si, just outside Seoul Grand Park Station, exit 4

• Contact: +82-31-502-4123

• Website: www.kcpm.or.kr

• Cost: KRW 4,000 for Adults, KRW 3,000 for Youth, KRW 2,000 for Children