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Hi guys! I'm planning an SC2 pilgrimage to Seoul this winter I'd like to know what are the must-see and must-eat things i have to do there. I'll be staying at some hostel/apartment near hong dae for the duration.
So currently we have a trip to lotte world and shopping planned out, not really sure what's worth visiting. I've heard of dongdaemun and namdaemun market and maybe we'll take a river cruise too, but my friends and I aren't to interested in the historic attractions Seoul has to offer, neither do we like to sightsee ie. look at monuments and shit. Also i hear Seoul is very high-tech, do they have free WiFi on the streets and all? Would prove pretty useful.
I'd also like to know what the nightlife is like  But i hear the drinking age in Korea is 20, which makes me and my friends underage in Korea ;_; so are clubs/alcohol shops very strict with age for entry and shit, it'd suck if that's the case. Also are all clubs like the ones Jinro, TLO and Rekrul went to (where they let u choose someone to accompany you for the night)? Where are some good/lenient/lax clubs? I hear Sinchon i where the nightlife is at so we're probably going there.
Much help appreciated! PM if you can offer advice, it'd be good to have someone who lives or has lived in Korea to help me with any question i may have.
Thanks again!
EDIT: My friends are pretty interested in shopping, are there any factory outlet stores in Seoul?
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Ok, let me help you.
Drinking age is 20 in korean terms - ie actually 19. You will likely never be carded, however, so it's not a huge deal.
Definitely check out Yaletown in Sinchon, they have barcraft there pretty often and they have awesome hamburgers.
Most buildings have their own wifi, but a lot of them are paid subscriptions. You won't get wifi on the street most of the time.
I'm not huge on clubbing (haven't actually gone) but there are a ton of clubs in Hongdae, as well as Sinchon. From my experience I'd say that Hongdae is heavier on clubs, while Sinchon is heavier on bars. It's hard to go wrong most of the time.
Definitely make having Korean BBQ a high priority. It was one of the first things I did and I loved it.
I've been living in Hongdae for a bit over a month, so if you've got more questions, shoot!
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Hey thanks a lot Symmetry, is it easy to communicate in Seoul, like do many korean speak english? What about the markets and shopping places, are dongdaemun and namdaemun markets good places to shop at? I will try Korean BBQ for sure
Also, i heard from my friends who went to korea recently that clubs do check id cards (but they had fake ones) so would anyone experienced in this be able help, much help appreciated.
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On December 12 2011 16:15 KaslimDogs wrote:
Also, i heard from my friends who went to korea recently that clubs do check id cards (but they had fake ones) so would anyone experienced in this be able help, much help appreciated.
I think they only accept driving licenses and passport (any confirm?) as ID, VISA won't work.
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I think my friends got in through forged international student IDs not sure what's up with that
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If you go to bar chains in Korea, some will card you. But, some won't. If you get carded just go to a different one.
If you're born in 92, you're good to go.
Clubbing is pretty crazy, packed and loud. If you're down, make sure you get wasted first, then you'll be sure to have fun. Soju it up.
A lot of Koreans speak English... if they have to.
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Sound like youre gonna have lots of fun.
Dont forget to post it here with pictures
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I'm from Europe but spent 3 years in Korea, 2 in Itaewon, 1 in Sinchon near Yonsei. Both these areas have excellent night life and I didn't get carded once... Most bars want to have as many foreign guests as possible because it makes the place more attractive to potential Korean customers
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The bars mostly won't card you, but it is different with the clubs....They ask everyone, without a card you won't get in.
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On December 12 2011 22:00 blubbdavid wrote:
The bars mostly won't card you, but it is different with the clubs....They ask everyone, without a card you won't get in.
Aww shit that sucks, we can always go to bars i guess, do many of them have shisha machines? From my research on the internet it seems that it's quite prevalent
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If you're staying in a good hostel you will have plenty of people around to ask & hang with anyway. They usually have guidebooks laying around with maps of clubs. Or simply ask the guy that runs the hostel and wing it from there. Can't do wrong.
Just eat, party and relax. Best way is to just go there with nothing but a map and explore day & nightlife and make friends on the way.
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Your younger then 19 and going to Korea for the winter????
Dam....
Well I wish I could give some advice but ive never been to korea. But about the whole carding thing I have gone to a bunch of different countries and everyone always say that the country never cards but I am carded like 99% of the time.. But I do look pretty young so that might be the reason why =P
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On December 12 2011 23:18 Josh111 wrote:
Your younger then 19 and going to Korea for the winter????
Dam....
Well I wish I could give some advice but ive never been to korea. But about the whole carding thing I have gone to a bunch of different countries and everyone always say that the country never cards but I am carded like 99% of the time.. But I do look pretty young so that might be the reason why =P
I'm 18 dude, so close yet so far... sigh, drinking age of 19 is such a weird number
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On December 13 2011 00:11 KaslimDogs wrote:Show nested quote +On December 12 2011 23:18 Josh111 wrote:
Your younger then 19 and going to Korea for the winter????
Dam....
Well I wish I could give some advice but ive never been to korea. But about the whole carding thing I have gone to a bunch of different countries and everyone always say that the country never cards but I am carded like 99% of the time.. But I do look pretty young so that might be the reason why =P I'm 18 dude, so close yet so far... sigh, drinking age of 19 is such a weird number
What year were you born?
Koreans count age differently.
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Drinking age in Korea is 19 international age, but as others have said, most bars will never card. Foreigners are generally assumed to be of age since A) most foreigners ARE of age and B) Carding foreigners requires trying to communicate in English.
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The age system is weird. You can be 18 American, but 20 Korean.
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Yeah, the age system in Korea is different because of 2 things:
1) When you are born, you are considered 1 year old.
2) Your Korean age only changes on the lunar new year: so everyone grows one year older on the new year
Thus, when the new year just passed and your birthday hasn't, your Korean age will be 2 years older. When you just have your birthday, you'll just be 1 year older in Korean until the next new year.
This system kinda sets up the whole "noona/hyung/chingu" social dynamic, since everyone's social role is defined and doesn't change depending on what time of the year it is.
However, for legal issues, Korean law only operates based on international age for the sake of fairness: Drinking laws are determined by international age: just as they are in the west.
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Well international age me and my friends are 18s and 19s, so some can get in some not, born majority in early 1993, don't think can get into clubs, you think they'd care if they saw we were underage considering we're foreigners?
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EPT
