Fantastic View of N Seoul Tower, Korea

Seoul Tower opened to the public on October 15, 1980 and has since become a major tourist attraction. The 236.7 meter tower sits atop Namsan Mountain (243m). The observatory offers panoramic views of Seoul and the surrounding areas like no other.

The tower is located practically in the center of the city near the downtown which makes it easily accessible for those visiting the city.

The structure was renamed to ‘N Seoul Tower.’ not long ago.  Interestingly, the letter ‘N’ stands for 'New' as it has went through dramatic remodeling coasting over $120 million back in December 2005.

With a new high tech lighting system, the tower can be transformed and morph into different styles for various events and seasons.

There is a skydom restaurant situated near the top which rotates on full circle in every 48 minutes.  Even the restroom named 'Sky Restroom' is decorated beautifully by many artists.

The view from the top is really something else as you can see from the photo below.  You can actually see the famous Gangnam District and its colorful and bright nights on every day of the week.  The tower is open to public 365 days a year.

You can drive or hike up the mountain to get to the tower (the former highly recommend).  Even better option is the cable car which can take you from the base of the mountain all the way up to the tower 

The new cable cars, which have been in operation since December 6, 2008, have an increased capacity of 48 people per car (up from 38). Unlike the older cars, the new cable cars have glass on all four sides, giving riders a wider view of the mountainside.

Here is another look at the tower from a nearby location during a snowy winter season.

Operating Hours 

Sunday-Friday: 10:00-23:00

Saturday: 10:00-24:00

* Last admission 30 minutes before closing.

* Operating hours are subject to change depending on weather or business schedules.

Available Facilities 

Lobby: Entrance to observatory, information desk, N Gift, N Sweet Bar, cafe, nursing room, N Photo 

Plaza 1F - The Best Burger in Seoul, N Terrace, N Gift, ticket booth, Food O'clock 

Plaza 2F - The Place Dining (Italian restaurant), roof terrace 

Tower 1F - Hancook (Korean Restaurant) 

Tower 2F - The Wishing Pond, Sky Restroom, cafe, cosmetic shop 

Tower 3F - Observatory, The BA:NG (Gift shop), Weenybeeny, N Photo

Tower 5F - N Grill (French restaurant)

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Friday, January 13, 2017  No comment

Avengers: Age of Ultron Filming Begins in Downtown Seoul

Gangnam District in Seoul, Korea that is now known globally after Psy's viral hit song "Gangnam Style" will become the center stage of a battle scene in upcoming Hollywood film, Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The shooting has officially begun today on Mapo bridge causing pretty severe disruption to the traffic in the area since the bridge is one of the viral pathway to cross the Han river that passes through the middle of the capital city.

South of the river is where Gangnam (traslates to south of river) district is located as the name indicates, and the north side is where the traditional downtown area resides.

According to the country’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Earth’s mightiest heroes will be fighting an evil robot named Ultron (James Spader) “Gangnam Style,” as Whedon will be filming in the Gangnam District of Seoul after shooting on two massive bridges, Mapo Bridge and Cheongdam Bridge.

The film's director made a public announcement in a apologetic tone for causing "inconvenience".  He also added that he is "really grateful and excited to be shooting in South Korea".

“We love this movie, we love your city, and having the two of them together will show the city to the world in a light that I don’t think it’s been shown, certainly not in America."

The filming for Avengers: Age of Ultron will last from March 30 through April 14 and will be possible joined by the main main cast, Chris Evans and Mark Ruffalo.  Scarlett Johansson was confirmed to be absent for the Seoul shooting regrettably.

The shooting the most prestigious district in South Korea is planned for upcoming weekend, April 6th, 2014.  I don't know how the heck they will be able to seal off the area, but it will somehow be done.  The director surely don't want any photos or videos to be leaked online.  Walt Disney Company Korea who has the distribution rights has sent out strong message with a threat of legal actions for such instances.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” which reunites Marvel’s most bankable star, Robert Downey Jr. with the rest of his profitable posse, hits theaters on May 1 in 2015

Best Gangnam Area Hotel Deals

Check the price on Go Explore Hotel Search

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Monday, March 31, 2014  No comment

Street Food 101 in Seoul Korea

Korean cuisine and street food, especially, are some of the best in the world.  Some are spicy but the vast majority of the food are not that spicy surprisingly, but they sure are quite addictive once you try them.

If you have been to Seoul already, you probably have noticed that foods are practically everywhere.  You really don't have to worry about going hungry unless you are afraid of trying something new.

Here are the most popular street food in Korea that you will surely encounter during your visit to Korea.

Ddukbboki pictured above is by far the most street food in Korea.  It's basically soft and chewy ricecake, fish cake with vareity of other vegetables and noodles (it varies place to place) cooked in traditional Korean hot pepper and paste.

It is almost always quite spicy, but there are less spicy versions often found nowadays, usually cooked in fusion style with seafood, cheese and so on.

Boong-uh-bbang or fish shaped bread is another all time favorite by the young and old alike.  It is traditionally filled with sweet red bean paste, but then again, you will find many new fusion style filled with totally different filling such as hams or Korean style salad.

It's definitely more popular during colder season since they are served hot right off of the specially made metal plate.  It does a double duty as a hand warmer while you are eating it.

Odeng Ggochi (fish cake on a stick).  There is nothing better than a couple odeng sticks with a cup of hot soup on a cold day on the streets of Seoul.  If you haven't tried this yet, you are missing out.

Most of street food (I would say more than 90% with confidence) in Seoul is made with common ingredients so they should not be offensive to people from outside of Korea.   So venture out and try them especially if you see a lot of locals eating them.

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Monday, February 10, 2014  No comment

Korean Tourism Police Unit in Style, Uniformed by Psy's Designer

If you are visiting Seoul, South Korea, you may encounter something you have never seen in any other city in the world.  The country's capital city has launched a special police unit named, "Tourist Police".

No, they are not there to arrest naughty tourists committing a crime, instead, their sole mission is to assist tourists with pretty much anything they need - directions, shopping and even take unregistered tour guides off the streets.

The Korea Tourism Organization didn't want to mislead the travelers, "The tourist police wasn't created because this country is unsafe".  They are instead "ambassadors who promote how safe the country is"

It has been a little over 100 days since the unit composed of 101 men and women took on their tasks, and they have already handled over 9,000 reported cases.  Among the tasks the officers undertook, helping with the directions was by far the most frequently occurred event.

That again is a strong indication of how safe the city is.  About 10% of task, or 96 to be exact, was some sort of complaints but not relating to any serious crimes at all.  For instance there was a total of 7 cases of lost or stolen property.

Don't hesitate to ask these men and ladies of the special unit if you need assistance.  They may even help you with taking a family photo.

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Tuesday, February 04, 2014  No comment

ABC's 'The Bachelor' 2014 Visit Seoul for Romance

The world's most famous bachelor of ABC's popular reality series, "The Bachelor" visited Seoul, Korea with the 13 beautiful ladies for one on one dates throughout the streets of Seoul.

The episode just aired last week featuring some of the most popular tourist districts and markets such as Gwanjang Market, Bukchon Hanok Village and Korea House.

In particular, the female cast members had a group date with Juan Pablo, the bachelor of the show, in Myeong-dong.  It is known as the top shopping and tourism destination for foreign travelers.

The Korea Tourism Organization(KTO) have teamed up with tour operators to create one-of-a-kind vacation package titled, "ABC's The Bachelor - Inspired, Romantic Tour to Korea".

The tour packages supposedly include visits to The Bachelor filming locations. You can visit http://english.visitkorea.or.kr to learn more about the tours and sweepstakes - fully paid-for vacation for two.

The winner will get 2 free flight ticket to Korea, all 3 meals/day, land tours, transportation and hotel stay for 3 night at Millennium Seoul Hilton.

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Monday, February 03, 2014  No comment