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| Seoul is a world-class city – as nice as any other in Asia, with just as much night-life, just as much culture, and plenty of money, fashion, and pride flowing around.
Yet Seoul is also one of the most unique global cities around.
For one thing, it suffers from an indignant inferiority complex. Understandably so – the Guiness Records have a special place for Korea, with a world-setting 996 invasions in its history (mostly by China, Russia, Mongolia, and China). A scant 55 years ago Seoul itself changed hands five times during the Korean War.
Plus, that same war has never officially ended, and although there is no immediate danger, the threat remains forever present, with occasional flares in tensions and violence. Civilians are shooed and shouted off northern beaches at night with megaphones and searchlights: the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a short 50 miles or so from the capitol: a large U.S. military base occupies a corner of Seoul, with an entire industry of clubs, restaurants, and massage parlors that populate the surrounding neighborhood and cater to the servicemen (who, every 2 or 3 years or so, commit some rape or incompetent manslaughter which always results in an anti-American backlash).
And although most of the rest of the world doesn’t think about it much, the people of Korea are fiercely aware that their country is split in two. North Korea isn’t a rogue state: it’s a part of their homeland, the part with most of the country’s natural beauty (that which hasn’t been clear-cut), sacred spots and, often, family members one might never see again (if they’ve survived the famine, and if you ever had the chance to meet them in the first place).
Think about it – what would it be like living in America if you knew New York was off-limits, or that you might never see the Grand Canyon? If your grandmother and uncle were both rumors and stories, nothing more?
Combine all this ancient and recent history, and you have a country and city unlike any other in the world. The buildings might fool you – they look a lot like buildings in other major metropolises – but the air, the air is entirely different.
Despite all these challenges South Korea and Seoul most especially are flourishing. A young thriving democracy that, it is true, suffered along with the Asian Tigers during the recession of the early ‘90s. But Korea stayed stronger than the others, and recovered more quickly. Its economy is steaming along again, and Seoul bustles with all the excitement of a vibrant growing city. It has one of the highest profiles in Asia and it’s earned it. If you’re in the area, Seoul is a must-see.
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