Seoul

Kamikaze_Pigeon · 9 Apr 2006 at 12:18

Schweet!!!

Just found out that I'm going to Seoul in June for three days.....and the best bit......I'm getting paid for it.....Ah!!!! I love my Job.

I've seen a lot of western Japan and now they're flying me to South Korea for 3 days.....Happy Days...

Lots of Kimchi and Yaki Niku (sorry, I don't know the Korean for it)

KaHn · 9 Apr 2006 at 12:21

Hehe,

I've heard that south korea is very westernised(sp) since the it was split, but should still be a very good visit. Remember to post pics.

KaHn

SourChipmunk · 9 Apr 2006 at 13:17

KaHn said:
I've heard that south korea is very westernised(sp) since the it was split, but should still be a very good visit. Remember to post pics.

Yes, especially since their economy depends on the Yongsan Army Base (US).

IIRC, they have a pretty impressive sports complex there with a Football and Baseball field. That might be worth visiting, as well as the Namsan (sp?) Tower.

Have a good time, and don't buy too many drinks for the local girls!

Mic · 9 Apr 2006 at 13:22

Raist said:
Yes, especially since their economy depends on the Yongsan Army Base (US).

IIRC, they have a pretty impressive sports complex there with a Football and Baseball field. That might be worth visiting, as well as the Namsan (sp?) Tower.

Have a good time, and don't buy too many drinks for the local girls/shemales!

jhmaeng · 9 Apr 2006 at 13:29

Mic said:
for the local girls/shemales

You're getting it all mixed up with your drunken holidays in Thailand again...

Raist said:
Yes, especially since their economy depends on the Yongsan Army Base (US).

What exactly do you mean by this?

Kamikaze_Pigeon: Yakiniku in Korean would be Bulgogi

SourChipmunk · 9 Apr 2006 at 13:33

jhmaeng said:
What exactly do you mean by this?

Yongsan (I think that was the name of it) makes up a large part of their population, and a very large part of their tourism. Therefore Seoul is Westernised because they cater to Americans quite a bit. At least, that's the way it seemed in '94 when I was there, so I could be wrong.

edit: It looks like the US Military presence is moving out as we speak.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/yongsan.htm

theleg · 9 Apr 2006 at 14:57

Raist said:
Yongsan (I think that was the name of it) makes up a large part of their population, and a very large part of their tourism. Therefore Seoul is Westernised because they cater to Americans quite a bit. At least, that's the way it seemed in '94 when I was there, so I could be wrong.

edit: It looks like the US Military presence is moving out as we speak.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/yongsan.htm

Theres like 20 million people in the greater seoul area...40 odd thousand american soldiers do not even enter the economic equation..

theleg · 9 Apr 2006 at 14:58

You know what dates youre gonna be here Kami? Ill buy you a beer if im around and youve got time..

SourChipmunk · 9 Apr 2006 at 15:04

Balddog said:
Theres like 20 million people in the greater seoul area...40 odd thousand american soldiers do not even enter the economic equation..

I thought it was closer to 11-million / 8,000. But even so, even that small of a ratio can pump a lot of money into the economy. As visitors, they're more inclined to make larger purchases at retail markets, spend more at pubs, and site-see more than local residents. It adds up considerably, but you're right - it certainly won't hurt the economy by having them move out.

Kamikaze_Pigeon · 9 Apr 2006 at 15:06

At the moment I just know it's the first have of June....It's a big Japanese Corporate event thing so I don't know how tied up I'll be.....I'll mail you when I know if they'll give me some non-work time over there.

theleg · 9 Apr 2006 at 15:06

Raist said:
I thought it was closer to 11-million / 8,000. But even so, even that small of a ratio can pump a lot of money into the economy. As visitors, they're more inclined to make larger purchases at retail markets, spend more at pubs, and site-see more than local residents. It adds up considerably, but you're right - it certainly won't hurt the economy by having them move out.

No, the greater area....Half the population of korean lives in and around seoul..Its all one big urban area so its classed as the greater seoul area..

and its 40k US troops in the country...or there were...

Personally I think the 200,000 or so western english teachers affect things more...

PS, yongsan is the worst place in the world. Never go there...Unless you enjoy being raped.

theleg · 9 Apr 2006 at 15:08

Ill prolly be here at the start of june..gimme a bell mate...

I should be going to check out your adopted country pretty soon as well...Going to hang out in osaka for a while...Live it up at my mates house...Not bad at all..Her parents will treat me like a king :cool:

Kamikaze_Pigeon · 9 Apr 2006 at 15:10

Balddog said:
Ill prolly be here at the start of june..gimme a bell mate...

I should be going to check out your adopted country pretty soon as well...Going to hang out in osaka for a while...Live it up at my mates house...Not bad at all..Her parents will treat me like a king

That's my neck of the woods

We should try and catch a beer in Osaka too.

panthro · 9 Apr 2006 at 15:12

Balddog said:
PS, yongsan is the worst place in the world. Never go there...Unless you enjoy being raped.

Please elaborate on this? Is it just a corrupt army base or something, or is it a town? Sounds scary.

theleg · 9 Apr 2006 at 15:24

panthro said:
Please elaborate on this? Is it just a corrupt army base or something, or is it a town? Sounds scary.

Well its an area of the city and its home to the yongsan barracks, US army base..

Now I dont want to cast aspersions on the US military, but the vast majority of them are scumbags. At least the ones in seoul...Some of the airforce guys from the other bases are cool enough..

In yongsan and the other military areas in seoul, they are allowed to roam free....They are banned from many other areas of the city because they cause trouble wherever they go..

Same as the US forces in Japan, they start fights, they assault people, they rape and they even kill....Yongsan is not a safe place to go at night..Even for me...

Kreeeee · 9 Apr 2006 at 15:32

*points to sig and jumps up and down*

Go see a live starcraft tournament match, they're mental.

jhmaeng · 9 Apr 2006 at 19:43

Raist said:
Yongsan (I think that was the name of it) makes up a large part of their population, and a very large part of their tourism. Therefore Seoul is Westernised because they cater to Americans quite a bit. At least, that's the way it seemed in '94 when I was there, so I could be wrong.

edit: It looks like the US Military presence is moving out as we speak.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/yongsan.htm

*Sigh*

1. Even just one complex of the high-rise apartment buildings would likely contain more people than the US Forces placement in Seoul. "A large part of their population", it is not. By any stretch of the imagination.

2. Seoul is not westernized because of the Yongsan base. Smaller cities like Okinawa? Yes, I can imagine being influenced by external military presence. Seoul with that many inhabitants do not all learn English to please the Americans living there. Ugh.

I can see you would think that way if you only stayed around Itaewon (which is indeed an area that the US forces and American people in general enjoy hanging around). But look outside that small area of Seoul and you'll find a full size (in fact, positively huge) city with its own dymanics and culture. Not some area of commerce centered around some US military base.

jhmaeng · 9 Apr 2006 at 19:50

Raist said:
I thought it was closer to 11-million / 8,000. But even so, even that small of a ratio can pump a lot of money into the economy. As visitors, they're more inclined to make larger purchases at retail markets, spend more at pubs, and site-see more than local residents. It adds up considerably, but you're right - it certainly won't hurt the economy by having them move out.

The US military tend to make the bulk of their purchases inside the base, which does not benefit the local economy in any way. As Balddog mentioned, they hang around Itaewon/Yongsan but that's one small area they ever seem to want to go out into. Koreans in general are much more avid consumers and it's a very healthy economy in its own right, with or without the US presence there. On the other hand, the US base is located on a prime location and the land occupied is probably worth billions if it were up for sale.

Reading your comments, it seems like you have the idea that Seoul is some 3rd world city where people hang around the military base gates to get some chocolates off the soldiers (slight exaggeration). That was true about 40 years ago. It is no longer.

SourChipmunk · 9 Apr 2006 at 21:41

You're right, jhmaeng (and Balddog). I was limited to the Itaewon/Yongsan area. Looking back now I can remember travelling 30 mins. or so to get to 'work' and still hadn't made a dent in the city. I didn't get a chance to tour around much because I was limited to walking most of the time.

I remember Americans taking advantage of the custom-made, quality but inexpensive suits and leather garments, but for the most part did their shopping at the base. I had a lot of fun haggling prices with the local shopkeepers, something you just can't do here in the US (well, not to the same extent, anyway). I purchased a ton of touristy stuff, mostly hand-made art that was customised for me.

I remember eating huge bowls of ramen noodles, and couldn't get enough of the BBQ steak-on-a-stick from street vendors (is there a Korean name for that?). I remember eating Kimchi for the first time at the Dragon Inn and it being the first food in my life I spit out. :eek:

All in all, I really enjoyed the three months I spent there. I didn't mean to imply that I thought it was "third world" at all. I guess I was just naïve in figuring the military put any kind of money into the economy.

chris_r · 9 Apr 2006 at 21:43

have fun