6 Things About South Korea

My family went for a winter wonderland in South Korea last year. Ahem. Yes, last year. This post is like 365 days late, but never mind lah, still valid because it is winter now in South Korea. :)

Breakfast in the hotel

One of the reasons we picked Winter South Korea was because AJ wanted to see snow and play with it. 

AJ and new found skiing friend

We went to quite a few places but this post is not about the places we have visited, but some interesting discoveries about South Korea which some of you may not know.

(1) Sejong City
The capital of South Korea is no longer Seoul but Sejong City. The government has relocated the national capital of South Korea from the metropolitan city of Seoul to a new multi-functional administrative city in the centre of the country, Sejong. One of the reasons is that Seoul has become too congested. The other speculated reason is to move further away from North Korea. However, the bulk of the business activities are still in Seoul.

News source

The arrangement is pretty similar to Australia, where Canberra is the capital but Sydney and Melbourne have the bulk of the business activities.

(2) Jeju Island
Jeju Island used to be named as Honeymoon Island because it was a favourite spot for Korean newly weds to have their honeymoon there. It is no longer so.

Jeju Island is ruled separately, the island has its own right to set certain regulations. As such, the governor in Jeju has opened itself to foreign investment resulting in influx of Chinese PRC. Not surprising, over years, the population of Chinese PRC has grown. It stands about 40% now. Much to the Koreans' dismay, the property prices in Jeju have been sent right north. The capital appreciation is said to be faster than those properties in Seoul.

As such, not many newly weds visit Jeju Island for honeymoon any more. And with the improved affluence, they go abroad like Phuket, Bali, etc.

(3) Their Business Empires
The biggest business empire in South Korea is Samsung. It is so big that it really cannot afford to fail. If it falls, it is likely to pull the country's economy down. Many young people in South Korea aspire to work in Samsung but the working environment in Samsung is highly competitive.

Hyundai is next but it is like David and Goliath.

(4) Paris Baguette
Paris Baguette (PB) is from South Korea, not France. The brand name is misleading, and probably meant to be so so that it is easier to branch out globally.

Photo source

The menu of PB in South Korea is a lot more extensive than what is offered in Singapore. So when in South Korea, one must definitely visit PB!

(5) 4FINGERS
It has been a misunderstanding that 4FINGERS is from South Korea. But in South Korea, this brand of Korean-style crispy fried chickens is totally unheard of. That is because it is never a local brand there. In fact, it is a home-grown brand, right here in Singapore.

(6) K-drama
Ammm... ... you know, I know, how popular Korean drama has become. And if you ask any generation Z on the street in South Korea what would they like to be, there is a very high chance they will tell you, "I want to be an Actor/Actress." Enough said.

Are you planning for a Winter Wonderland in South Korea?

Winter scenes are beautiful but the cold can be unbearable.

May you enjoy the following winter scenes that I have captured!

 Ski resort by day

Ski resort by night