There are lots of traditional and modern things in Seoul. First, Budae-jjigae is a popular food for Koreans. Budae-jjigae has spam, kimchi, ramyeon, so foreigners can enjoy it. Budae-jjigae was created with canned ham and canned beans from American military bases during the Korean war. However, these days, many foreigners like it too. Even President Lyndon B Johnson thought it tasted good, so sometimes it’s called Johnson Stew. Budae-jjigae has a sad history, but it also has wonderful taste!!

During the Japanese colonial period, they destroyed the gate and changed the location. The Japanese government also built a capital building behind this gate. It was called the General Government building. They used the building to rule over Korea. However, now people come here for all kinds of important events. People came here to cheer for the 2002 Soccer World Cup. Citizens also held a peaceful candlelight vigil. Gwanghwamun is now a symbol of Korean democracy.

Korea’s subway is very clean and comfortable. Korea has developed really quickly, so we can see a marvelous high-tech subway system, and subway facilities. This subway is so big, so we can take the subway to other places outside of Seoul. Every train has wireless internet service and almost every car has a TV and air conditioning. The voice announcements are in English, Japanese, and Chinese so most tourists have no problems when they travel to Korea. Passengers can use smart cards, phones, or credit cards to pay.