"Seoul, My Soul"

I'd move here in a heartbeat.

Oct 26, 2023

A shadow approaches. I look up from my “cheegel”1 to find a well-dressed woman, probably late 20s, make her way to the table next to mine. She arrives, deposits her phone and purse on the table, then disappears into the ladies. I stare, agape, at her unattended, blatantly displayed valuables.

I knew Seoul was a safe city. But surely no city is that safe.

Several hours later—it was getting dark—I was walking down a deserted alley when I came across an expensive-looking motorbike idling in front of a store, key in ignition, engine purring away. The rider must have popped inside and just left his bike running. If this were Vietnam, I thought, that fancy motorbike—locked and chained—wouldn’t last two minutes.

As if to hammer home the point, the following day I saw a man enter a convenience store, leaving a pram (with his baby in it) outside. Admittedly, I don’t think babies get swiped from the front of convenience stores even in Vietnam—and maybe parents everywhere routinely do this—but still.

The many reasons to love Seoul

I arrived, alone, three days ago to this city I first visited with my parents seven years back. I remember very little of that trip, but I still vividly recall a deep, lingering sadness as my flight bound for Thailand took off. I was loath to leave Seoul, and I vowed one day to return.

I’ve now delivered on that promise, though it’s taken longer than I’d hoped and if I’m honest didn’t always seem like a good idea. Boarding my five-hour flight from HCMC to Seoul, I was apprehensive. It’s a long way to go, a long time to be apart from my partner. This would be good for me, I had to reassure myself. Twelve days will fly by, you liked Seoul before, you’ll be fine.

Three days in, I’m utterly in love. Seoul has exceeded my expectations in every way, made this lone wanderer feel so at home I’d move here in a heartbeat.

The first reason I love Seoul is, as you’ve glimpsed above, how remarkably safe it is. Seoul is a breath of fresh air after years of constant watchfulness in places like London, Bangkok, and HCMC. Here, I can wear my backpack the way it’s supposed to be worn—on my back—because I don’t have to worry about rampant pickpockets. Here, I can leave my luggage outside the airport restaurant where I’m having my first meal—though, having just arrived and not gotten used to Seoul’s ridiculous safeness, I couldn’t help but look for it every few bites.

Once I’d acclimatised, not once have I felt unsafe in this city, not even when lugging my suitcase down dark, unfamiliar streets at 9pm to get to my accommodation on my first night. And if I needed any reassuring, none of the handful of pedestrians I came across—unaccompanied women included—looked wary. The ever-present dangers of HCMC—pickpockets, snatchers, gropers—are simply non-existent here.

The second reason I fell in love with Seoul is how well it caters to walkers like me. Walkability is second on my list of must-haves for a good city (safety is first—tick, tick), and Seoul is as walkable as they come. With its convenient and extensive public transport network, you can walk anywhere. These past three days, I’ve taken the subway and the bus to several different areas, and every single journey has taken under an hour, an impressive feat considering Seoul is vast—it’s the fourth most populous city in the world, ahead of Shanghai and New York.2

If that’s not enough to win you over, not only can you get anywhere on public transportation, you can do so without ever having to hold in No. 1 or—God forbid—No. 2. There are clean public toilets at every single subway station. And some even have water fountains for you to hydrate and refill your bottle. Failing that, every station has a convenience store where you can buy bottled water for less than a dollar. This makes for stress-free explorations of the city, especially for a water guzzler like me.

On top of its remarkable safety and walkability, Seoul is filled to the brim with restaurants and cafés and bars and shops and anything your heart desires. Whatever you need, it’s got it. Add to that pedestrianised canals, public outdoor libraries, dozens of well-tended parks, and how can you not fall in love?

The joys of wandering

The first thing about me anyone who knows me in real life will tell you is how organised I am, how much I love order, being in control. This trait is, in many ways, a strength—it makes me extremely good at my job. But taken to the extreme it can also be detrimental.

Which is why, for this Seoul trip, I’ve forced myself to not plan. I booked my flights, my accommodation, my public transport and SIM cards—and nothing else. I didn’t look up any restaurants or cafés or activities. I’d figure it all out once I got here, I told myself, firmly. I’d go wandering, let myself get lost, see what happens.

As it delightfully turns out, Seoul is a city perfect for not planning. I could let myself get lost in a new area without fear of ending up in a dodgy district. I could go into a local restaurant with no English menu knowing I wasn’t going to get scammed.3 I could sit and read by the canal (pictured) without being approached by men on motorbikes wanting to take me for a ride.4

While wandering aimlessly, I’ve discovered an amazing LP bar where I ended up staying for three and a half hours slowly sipping their cherry take on a whiskey sour (delicious) and requesting song after song, a quirky coffee shop where I’m sat writing this post, a restaurant with the most furious soup I’ve ever seen,5 a pedestrianised canal which I knew existed but had no idea was so close to the bookstore where I was buying souvenirs for my parents.

My partner has often urged me to not look up places before our trips. Leave it, he’d say, we don’t need an itinerary. And every time, I’d get defensive. It’s not an itinerary! I just want to know what’s good in the area.

After experiencing the joys of wandering in Seoul, I must now grudgingly accept my partner has the right of it, as he so often does. It’s far more fun to let a place surprise and delight. I’ve made so many memories here—none planned—that will put a smile on my face for years to come.

What do you think?

A caveat: Seoul a great city to live in, but I’ve been told by a long-time resident that life here, especially as a foreigner, comes with significant social and cultural challenges. Still, definitely worth a visit if you ever find yourself headed to this corner of the world.

What’s your favourite city in the world?

Where would you move to in a heartbeat? Please hit “reply” or leave a comment—I read every response and I’d love to hear from you. If you want, share this with someone who’ll thank you for it.