I had been planning a trip to Korea for a long time, but I knew next to nothing about Korea, its culture and history. The mother of one of my students recommended VANK website to me. I also didn’t have any friends there. She was a Korean, and she wanted to help me for my trip. She gave me some Korean language
lessons and taught me a lot about Korean customs and culture. I visited Friendly Korea Community website and found a very nice young lady, one of VANK volunteer students, Nam Seungmi. Her family invited me to Korea, which made me so happy. She and her family offered to be my guide while visiting her country.

Upon my arrival in Korea, the Nam family greeted me at the train station in Yangdong. They were so kind
and generous! They treated me like I was one of their own family! Such people are rare, indeed. They took
me on a fabulous tour all over South Korea. They taught me so much about their country. I learned some
history and culture even a little of the Korean language! We visited many famous places, and even spent
the night at Andong’s Hahoe Folk Village. The Nam family provided me with an excellent example of how
kind, warm-hearted and generous the Korean people can be. I am forever thankful to them, as I am to
VANK for making it possible for us to meet. Nam Seung Mi and I still write each other, and I am happy to
know that her family and I will be friends forever! I will never forget this experience as long as I live, nor will I ever forget the Nam family!
With this note, I want to say thank you with all of my heart to Nam Seungmi and her family. I also want to
say thank you to VANK(Friendly Korea Community) for giving me the opportunity to make such special
friends. I am so thankful for this opportunity to get to know you and learn more about your precious homeland.

Such an opportunity would not have been possible just a few years ago. Really, we are very fortunate,
and should take every advantage of this miracle to reach out — over the oceans, across time and
space, to join together as one people of one world, appreciating and accepting all that is different, as well
as cherishing all that we have in common. I will be recommending your website to everyone I know who
wishes to visit Korea.

Todd Farnham with his Korean friend, Nam Seungmi, in Korea

The best way to experience that beautiful country is just to: ‘Pack your suitcase’, ‘Take your baggage’ and ‘Fly to Korea!’ Make your own experience and be fascinated of an old & very young culture.

I have been to Korea 7 times, and I made experiences of about 15,000 kilometers in general by traveling through the country. I made group tour by bus, tour with a German friend of mine who also had much experiences in Korean life – his wife is Korean. My last experience was by going completely alone: by train, by foot, by car and taxi.

Now I can recommend to everyone who wants to make experience of authentic life in Korea: “Go on an individual tour through the country!” If you can speak English, it is really no problem! Do not hesitate. In the cities you can find many younger people speaking English fluently. In little villages sometimes it may be a problem, but in my point of view, it’s no real problem because some ways of communication are always possible! I have been in a farmer’s house near Namwon city a few years ago – the people didn’t speak English, and I did not speak Korean – but I had 2 wonderful days, and we all had a lot of fun

Leave your personal “Glasses of View” at Home!

Another recommendation I would like to make is to leave your personal “Glasses of View” at home! If you go to another country just to look what is better or worse than staying at home, I say: “Just stay at home!” Other places are not better or worse than home, they are just different! Be open to new cultures and ways of life. See what people do, and how they live. Don’t compare it, just be curious for new. Stay together with the people all day. And try to understand other cultures and their point of view.

Today, from my practices, I can compare the different ways of traveling through Korea: Going in a group may be good for a 1st contact to Korea. If you fear the contact due to insufficient knowledge of Korean culture and traditions, it is not a bad idea to go by a guided bus tour. Also you can share your experience with other travelers from your country. But if you decide to go alone, it is also a good way – and that is my 2nd recommendation – to make always “minbak (home stay)”. Staying in a family house brings you interesting “inner sights” of Korean culture. Minbak is very good experience because you can make friends and you can be a “part of the family” for a limited time. You will have a feeling to be integrated and not to be a lonely foreigner in a hotel with hundreds of other lonely foreigners.
That can be very boring!

Traveling with friend is also a good idea. Stay in a ” yeogwan (an inn)” – that is an authentic small Korean guesthouse which is always clean even they are really cheap! No luxury, maybe no western bed – but believe me: you will survive! Koreans still sleep well and stay alive over 5,000 years with that “ondol bang” sleeping practice. If you once try it – you will like it. Or – if you and your friend both make minbak in different families, you can also compare the living style in Korea which is varying from modern western style to very traditional. That is also amazing – a modern and traditional style live peaceful together.

So less time and so many amazing places?

Out of my experiences, I must say: when traveling individually, try to have courage for a gap. You cannot see all, but if you plan well, you can see much! My recommendation is: stay in Seoul, leave the big luggage there, and go with a small bag for one or two day trip into the country! Many interesting places are also in the surrounding area of Seoul in the Gyeonggi-do province. You can find wonderful temples, picturesque art from former ages and many beautiful handcraft factories, e.g. the pottery village of Icheon (don’t mix up with the city Incheon which sounds similar).

To stay mainly in Seoul is maybe an uncommon advice, because many people think Seoul is a big ocean of skyscrapers and houses and shopping malls, overcrowded by millions of people and filled up with a 24 hours traffic jam, but I cannot agree: Seoul is a mega city and has so much more! There are so many greens in the palace gardens, in the public parks, and if you see and look around with open eyes, you will find lots of plants everywhere at every edge in the city. Look at Nam-mountain which is located in the middle of the heart of the city, or at Olympic park at the South-East: so much greens and relaxing zones and places with beautiful sight, especially in the afternoon. I walked many kilometers along the Han river bank, and you can take a ferry or a little tour ship also at Yeouido island.

Cheonggyecheon stream, connecting generations!

Or make a walk along the Cheonggyecheon stream. I explored the new attraction when it was opened in October 2005, it was so wonderful. Because Seoul is a city which is very dynamic you see many older people who do not like the hectic busy day, they prefer staying in the smooth parks, and the young ones in the city do shopping and business. But at Cheonggyecheon stream you can find old and young: Grandpa and Grandma together with grandchildren. So this little blue ribbon does not only connect the east and the west of “downtown” Seoul, it also connects the Generations!

I also have been to Bukhansan mountain in the north of Seoul where sophisticated climbing is possible also as hiking with friends. Or if you have less time you can stay in Seoul, go by Metro Line Number two next to and by foot up to Achasan mountain in the early morning, and see the sunrise in the morning dew, and realize why Korea is still – for true – called “The Land of the Morning Calm”. Later you may dip into the shopping experience of Myeong-dong, Gangnam area or Coex mall, or visit museums, theatres, galleries. Look for wonderful Korean handcraft at Insa-dong, which is so far away from any mass production and you will never miss Itaewon, which is mostly a tourist shopping and at-night-party-zone. In my deepest opinion there is no other place in Korea then in Seoul where you can change the dynamic and progressive feeling of a pulsing metropole in a few minutes to absolutely silence in a temple or secret garden, just amazing!

I always traveled a lot around: and that’s easy because Korea has a very well developed domestic Airline, Bus and Railroad system that bring you quick and comfortable to every place. I prefer the new High Speed train ‘KTX’ which makes it possible to go to Busan in the early morning and back to Seoul in the evening! So you can see the landscape changing from northern Gyeonggi-do territories up to Busan and then discover a completely different scene. I also managed to go with the “intercity” train called Saemaeul to Jeonju for a day trip to visit the famous old Hanok village there.

But also stopover visitors can see Hanok houses directly in Seoul: I? not talking about Namsangol Hanok Village which is a performance museum located at Nam-mountain, I? talking about actual living and pulsing life in the area called Bukchon, the northern Part of Seoul next to Changdeokgung Palace! It is a very special place where old architecture meet new one.

All in all I recommend for individuals coming to Korea, make experience that way: stay in Seoul, travel on with some day tours and then always come back to Seoul. Its comfortable, and very varying form of travel in Korea. Do it like I did: visit Dynamic Korea and try the taste of this extraordinary country, where the Old is Young and the Young is amazing.

Thomas, from Germany

My favorite things about Korea are: Samulnori (the Korean traditional percussion quartet), Korean dance, music and movies. And of course, the language itself! I’ve been playing the Korean drum called the Janggo for 3 years. And from next week I’m going to start Korean dance classes too. I can’t wait to try it. ^^ My team and I, which is called in Korean “Nabi” already had many performances in Poland. Usually at the Korean Embassy or for some kind of Korean events here, such as Ssang Yong, a Korean car company in Poland this October.

My team “Nabi” has given many performances in Poland

I have already been to Korea twice. The last time I was here was in the summer so I have a lot of funny and unforgettable stories related with Korea and Seoul especially. The first Koreans that I’ve met were of course my teachers here in Warsaw and Korean volunteers who came to Warsaw over two years ago for a conference. That was the time when I’ve met my closest Korean friend -Moo Jin. He’s two years older than me but since that time we are trying to keep in touch as much as possible. The year after the conference I went to Korea but unfortunately I was there for only one week so we couldn’t meet, but a few months later he came to Poland and stayed at my place for a few days. And this summer we’ve met in Korea. I had a great time with him and his friends. The thing that makes me laugh when I’m in Korea is the fact that when a Korean hears that I can speak Korean or that I’ve learned how to play the Samulnori, he’s always so excited! ^^ That is so sweet!

However, there is one story that is worth mentioning. This summer when I went to Korea I was about to search for materials for my master’s thesis together with my friends. There were altogether 9 people from Warsaw who went this summer to Seoul. I stayed with my two female friends at our friends’ house who rented out one room for us. The first day he prepared dinner for us, taking good care of us all the time. We were having a great time with all our friends in the evenings in Sinchon. ^^ We were about to stay there for a month but after one week , a huge problem occurred.

I couldn’t sleep for two nights because of my toothache! The pain was excruciating. In the middle of the night, around 3 a.m. my friend took me to the Severance Hospital, because we were living near Yonsei University, but the doctor there couldn’t do more than give me an injection to alleviate the pain. So in the morning I had to find a dental clinic very quickly! The pain was so strong that even my head was in extreme pain and I was crying by this time. We finally went to the clinic, which was near where I was staying, and the doctor examined me. From that day I had to visit the clinic every other day because the problem with my tooth was very serious and we had to finish the treatment before I get on the plane back to Poland. When I heard about the cost of the treatment, I was in a shock! I couldn’t understand why was it so expensive! But I didn’t have any choice. The doctors took really good care of me, although we couldn’t communicate at times. And at the end, the doctor, knowing that I was a student who just wanted to enjoy the trip to Korea, gave me a big discount.

That was really great for me, because I hadn’t anticipated on having any dental treatment while I was in Korea. It happened so suddenly that I was surprised by her the way she acted -in a very positive way ^^ so before going back home I bought her some flowers, gave her Polish postcard, and a small bottle of Polish alcohol, which I brought to Korea as a souvenir to give to my friends. She didn’t expect that and she was very happy ^^ so that was when I began to think Korea was a friendly country.
 

Magdalena Kwiatkowska
Poland (University Student)

I come from a beautiful country in West Africa called Ghana.  It was called “Gold Coast” before its independence on March 6, 1957. Why, do you ask? It’s because explorers who came there found a lot of gold, which later  became its name. My occupation is teaching, but right now, I am doing a graduate  course in Seoul Sam Yook University.

I first met Koreans when I was in the Philippines in 1996. There, I had many Korean friends who were very nice to me. Because of their kindness, I began to like Koreans. My Korean friends in the Philippines took me to entertaining places, which we enjoyed together. I got the impression that Koreans like amusement, which is really good.

My first visit to Korea was in 1998, but I stayed for just a short time. My second visit was in 2001. I’ve been in Korea since January 2001. In fact, in my country, Ghana, we don’t know much about Koreans. We started to know more about Koreans a couple of years ago. What we know is that Koreans are very family oriented. We also know that it is difficult to make friends with Koreans, because they don’t like to associate with foreigners.

But since I came to Korea for the past two years, I have found that most Koreans are very nice and friendly. I have many Korean friends, both men and women. The one thing I like most about Korea is that the crime rate here is very low compared with other countries in the world. I can say that Korea is one of the most peaceful countries in the world. I like almost all Korean foods. My favorite Korean food is Bibimbap (steamed rice with assorted beef and vegetables).

However, there was a funny thing that happened to me here in Korea was when I first ate “Tteokbogi”(a broiled dish of sliced rice cake, meat, eggs, and seasoning.). I went with my Korean friends to one restaurant and they ordered this dish and they didn’t tell me that it was very hot and spicy. So when I ate it, I started crying like a baby! Tears were running like a river from my eyes and nose! Since that day, I always want to eat this food because I like it, even though it is hot and spicy! Experience it, and you will miss all sorts of delicious Korean foods if you don’t at least try!

Kwame Amponsah (Ghana)

Annyeong Haseyo! My name is Olivier, I live in Paris, France.

It’s only after some months that I realized I fell in love with Korea. Then I started to listen to Korean music. Some months later I began to talk with Koreans thanks to VANK. Then I discovered other artists that I like very much such as Seo Tai-ji, Crying nut, Cherry filter and my most favorite: Jaurim. Now, I saw many Korean movies, I listen almost only to Korean music, I have some Korean friends, and I’m always interested in learning more about Korean culture. This list shows only some of my interest in Korea. It’s hard to say exactly why I love Korea but I can say for sure that I love it very much. After earning enough money from some summer jobs, I managed to come to Korea in August 2004. It was really amazing. I read so many things about Korea from books to the internet, as well as just from friends who I saw Seoul. On one hand, I was disoriented because it’s a foreign country for me but on the other hand, I had the strange feeling of familiarity, so it was very good. ^^

One of my unforgettable memories when I was in Korea took place on August 10th. It was the day of the ETP Fest (Eerie.. Ta[j] People Fest). I was there and it was really amazing. I remember this day very well; I arrived at 2:00 pm at Jamsil Stadium. I remember the long queue to buy an ETP Fest T-shirt. While I waited in line, I was filmed by the Staff . When it was about 4:30 pm, some people went inside a little stadium to wait before we are able to enter the concert area. There, I remember a Korean person came up to me with a digital camera. Initially, I thought he wanted me to take a photo of him but in fact, he asked me to be in a photo with him!

I was really surprised! (And during my travel, around 5 or 6 Koreans asked me to take a photo with them at different places, which was very strange for me). While waiting in line, I also met two Koreans who studied in Boston, we talked about music and other various things. Then we entered the Stadium and listened to the concert for 4 or 5 hours. It was so good! I saw Pia and Seo Tai-ji with my own eyes and it was a crazy evening. Finally, when I took the subway after the concert, I was really tired but so happy. I wish I could share my experience in length, but I strongly recommend you to come Korea, and feel what Korea is really like! You will never forget it!

Thieffine Olivier, student (France)