The Seoulite

The Seoulite is expanding his online offerings… now all kpop fans can unite… and date each other! Tired of so-gae-ting? Want to find someone new? Need to just waste some time online by flirting with fellow kpop fans? Well, well, well… go to my new website: www.kpopsingles.com.

Everything is free. You can chat, send messages, do video conferencing and even browse through the kpop zone. We’re just getting started so if anyone wants to volunteer to update the kpop pages with more recent stars, let me know. I only put up my favorites from back in the day…!

A love like this... how romantic.

Coming to Seoul? In Seoul? Looking for a place to live?

If you don’t have a car and if choosing a place based on subway location is important to you… then you have to check out www.nearsubway.com. It’s run by a realtor named Gilbert Kang who helped me and a few friends of mine find a place. He speaks English and is an overall nice, trustworthy and responsible guy. The real estate system is a bit different here in Seoul, so it’s good to have a guide who can walk you through both.

You can search for different properties based on subway stops.

Here’s the executive summary of what I’ve learned so far of the housing market in Korea. In short, you’re probably best to go with an ‘officetel’ - a modern, hotel style residence that is small, yet clean, modern and conveniently located. For example, many Korean apartments - even new and expensive ones - don’t have a shower stall. There is a moveable shower head hooked to the wall above a sink or toilet with the drain in the middle of the floor! Sacre bleu! So you have to wear shower slippers in the bathroom. Officetels generally let you shower with dignity.

Three main types of residences:
1) Apartments: High-rise apartments usually in the 3 bedroom size.
2) Officetels: High-rise units that can range from studios to 3 bedrooms. Often come furnished with air conditioner, washer and fridge. If you get ‘full-option’ everything is included… even sheets and chopsticks. Just bring your clothes and yourself.
3) Villas: No, not Tuscan style overlooking flowing hills. These are usually apartments that in low-rise buildings anywhere from two to five stories high.
4) Houses: with the picket fence and lawn? Be a CEO or his child to have one in Seoul.

Three types of payment for housing:
1) Wolsae: This is the closest thing to an American conception of ‘rent’. Renting is actually not historically popular here. Ever lament at the ‘wasted’ money of rent? Well, Koreans don’t put up with that. But recently they do. For an officetel, expect to pay a 10million won deposit and a monthly rent of 800,000 - 1.1mil. The higher the deposit, the lower the rent. You get your deposit back after the term is over.

2) Junsae: Give the owner approximately 40-60% of the market price of the apartment. Live in it 1-2 years. Get all of your money back after the term has expired. This system has allowed people to save in Korea like none other than I’ve ever seen. Make sure you research the owner and see that they are financially sound. More often than not, everything is fine.

3) Mae-Mae: Purchase the apartment. If you got the cash then there’s not much more to say. But some savvy investors do the following. If an apartment is $300,000… they will put $150,000 down… and then rent it out Junsae style for $150,000. So the house is paid for. When the term is up, they can find new tenants who will pay $150,000 or more if the market is up. Less if the market is down… but essentially you wait until the value of the house goes up… selll… the return the Junsae money to the renter and then make a little bit of a profit. Don’t put too much stock in this now given the shaky state of the economy. But that’s what people have been doing.

Welcome to Seoul!

Convenience is a major turn on for a Seoulite. You can hop off the subway and walk directly underground to eat at a restaurant, watch a movie, go shopping, and even get a set of keys made or your shoes polished all without seeing the sun. Well… let’s not limit ourselves. If you want a swimming pool, ice skating rink, hotel… and amusement park added to all of that… your destination should be Lotte World! Go to Jamsil Station off of Subway Line 2 and you can walk directly into the madness of the Lotte Group: Lotte Department Store, Lotte Mart, Lotteria and Lotte World!

Start at the Lotte Department Store!

Here to greet you is a replica of a Greek or Roman ruin complete with fountain and classical music.

When it is time for a crazy sale, they will put merchandise right out in the foyer. Korean ladies are notoriously aggressive when it comes to sales. Don't be alarmed if you feel a lot of elbows.

I almost died taking this picture. Do not occupy someone's space in front of sale merchandise if all you're going to do is act like a tourist! For your safety!

Here's the secret to efficient shopping... particularly for male Seoulites who don't like to spend a lot of time shopping. Since department stores are so accessible, periodically go in and take the escalator to the men's clothing floor. There are usually special sales racks like this one with heavy discounts. Be sure to check both floors - there are usually two - and both the up and down escalator platforms. If it's perfect, get it. If not, then just ride back down. It's the best ten minutes you can spend if shopping pains you. You'll end up with a really nice wardrobe that doesn't take a lot of time and money if you do this consistently over time. It's so awesome. For girls who like that whole hunting and discovering part of shopping... carry on. I will never accompany you though.

Here are shirts on sale. By the way, Seoulites refer dress shirts as a white shirt... it doesn't matter if it's blue, checkered or pink. If it is a dress shirt that's what it is... a white shirt. So if a sales clerk asks if you're looking for a white shirt, don't say no... I'm looking for a green one. Just say yes.

And these are the best white shirts in the world... Brooks Brothers no iron slim fit. You will never have to go to a dry cleaners again. Currently 30% off... price is still mucho inflated than the US... the Seoulite admits he wandered from the escalator. They got perturbed that I took this picture though. Yes, 'perturbed' because it was a prissy type of mad. Don't they know I will be sending thousands of people to their store now? Who knew Brooks Brothers was at Lotte Department Store in Jamsil?

Relax looking at this pretty fixture upstairs in the food court... which is really a bunch of restaurants. A true food court in a US mall type of fashion is usually found in the basement level of a department store right next to its grocery section.

Women's floor. I will only look at it from a distance.

Entrance to Lotte World! It feels a lot like Disneyland... but right in the heart of Seoul. It is so easy to get here.

Admission ranges from 20,000 - 30,000 won with discounts after 5pm. The park is open 365 days a year until 11pm. An annual pass costs 150,000 won.

Want a flavor of what it's like inside? Just go towards the ice rink and look up. The third level is Lotte World... the indoor portion. The second and first floors are publicly accessible parts of the mall and skating rink.

This is a great ice rink. One caveat. The air in here is very stuffy. Not enough oxygen. It's like living in a biosphere.

The inner rink is reserved for young skating prodigies and their trainers. These little Seoulites can twirl on a dime!

Lotteria... the Burger King of the Lotte empire. Never eat here. It is so disgusting and bland. If you're going to eat fast food... better eat it right... like at the Krispy Kreme a few stores down.

Do you need a vacuum cleaner or toothpaste after going to the amusement park? Head into Lotte Mart which is a few steps away from the entrance to Lotte World.

And get a souvenir before you leave.

Who is Lotte Group?

Lotte Group is a large South Korean chaebol (conglomerate). LOTTE Co., Ltd. was established in June 1948 in Tokyo, Japan by a Japan-based Korean businessman, Shin Kyuk-Ho (신격호) also known as Shigemitsu Takeo (重光 武雄). Its head office is in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.

Lotte Group consists of over 50 business units employing 38,000 people engaged in such diverse industries as candy manufacturing, beverages, hotels, fast food, retail, financial services, heavy chemicals, electronics, IT, construction, publishing, and entertainment. Lotte has major operations in Japan where its head office is located, South Korea, China, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, USA, and Russia and continues to expand. Today, Lotte is the largest candy / chewing gum manufacturer in both Japan and South Korea, and is South Korea’s 5th largest conglomerate.

The source of the company’s name is neither Japanese nor Korean, but German. Shin was impressed with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther’ (1774) and named his newly-founded company Lotte after the character Charlotte (also the name of a new brand of deluxe movie theatres run by Lotte) in the novel.

That is one major accomplishment.

Koreans do not like waste. Even Seoulites are frugal. But no one in this city will bat an eyelash if you tell them you had two skin care treatments in the same week. Must have really needed it… that’s the prevailing thought. Skin Care in Korea is no joke and of course the options can be dizzying.

The first thing you need to figure out is whether the skin care place is: 1) more on the clinic side 2) more on the massage side or 3) more on the side of a spa. Here are reviews of all three examples. The Seoulite didn’t go to all three in a week. Now that would count as excessive.

This is the owner / doctor of Marilyn J Clinic. Places these days love launching with the help of celebrities. The girl is an actress named Lee Seung Shin. The Seoulite went here because the gym across the street gave him a free gift certificate. Apparently this doctor works out there too and struck up a deal with them... making him a bonafide hustler.

Marilyn J Clinic loves to use shots in their facials. A basic facial is 50,000 won and one that includes extractions and shots is 60,000 won. This is a decent price as the famous place across the street, Yein Skin Care charges 150,000 won and even 5,000 won just to have a ‘consultation’.

Lasers, injections, machines... whatever latest skin care technology there is... places like these will have them. In that way it's even easier for a Seoulite to access the latest in skin care than a Beverly Hills housewife. But be careful. Though there is a Korean version of the US FDA that has to oversee new products coming to the market, in the skin care category they seem very liberal if you see how fast the trends here change.

One thing to remember is that a place like this is also a hospital. They are licensed to give botox injections and boob implants. They are usually aesthetically pleasing and nice, but it’s not a place where you go to unwind. You go for all the results western medicine and technology can give. I even got a flu shot after I saw a sign that said they were 50% on the elevator as I was about to leave.

MarilynJ Skin Clinic
www.marilynj.co.kr
02-565-6163
Line 2, Seolleung Station, Exit 4
Walk straight out of the subway station heading west for a few blocks. Building is on your left.

If you go be prepared for pain. They will extract things you never thought possible.

Get a facial and then a flu shot. Seoulites know how to take care of business.

If you want to go a little more downmarket, there are plenty of places that give facials and massages… even the popular facial massage called Gyoeng Nak (경락). It’s supposed to massage your jawline so you get a sharper line. People swear by it. The place we Arirang people went to today… because you know it’s an investment in our careers… is called JH Skin. It’s tucked away in a little neighborhood near Sadang Station (Lines 2 and 4).

They also give great back massages. All treatments are 50% off for your first time here.

JH Skin Care
www.jhskin.com
02-523-2177

JH Skin Care is very hard to find. You might miss it because it's a little neighborhood place with good growth potential. But they are very good at what they do.

And of course the third option is the spa that many westerners are accustomed to. Seoulites don’t seem to really go to these because for the price… they are not as clinical as the skin clinics and they are not as cheap as the skin care centers. So… rich Korean housewives and foreigners can often be found here.

If you do decide to go this route… where is one of the best Seoul has to offer? The Park Hyatt at Samseong Station (Line 2) across the street from COEX. Not to be confused with the Grand Hyatt. Even many taxi drivers do not know the Park Hyatt. It looks just like another office building. But it is its own little world.

The view is amazing from the locker room and plunge tubs.

Before your spa treatment you can go swimming on the 24th floor. Amazing view while you're doing laps. And if you have a nice body, you will offer an amazing view for those in the lobby lounge... yeah it's on the same floor and it's only glass panels separating you and them.

Park Hyatt Spa and Fitness Center
Samseong Station (Line 2)
02-2016-1234
http://seoul.park.hyatt.com

Oh, and if you're wondering... Botox to make your jaw slimmer is 300,000 won. This is so not glamorous.

What would a Seoulite life be without any kind of Embassy action? This Seoulite crashed a Hungarian Embassy party just cause he wanted to put his International Relations major to good use - so what if he can’t speak Hungarian - and see what kind of food they would have.

Like this!

Smoked Salmon with Marscapone Cheese, Hungarian Chicken, Something with Caviar and another little croquette of European origin.

Well, he was actually the +1 of an actual invited guest, but the invited friend had to take care of an emergency - so does that make one a party crasher? This actually wasn’t the first Embassy party he’s walked into… there was a Canadian Embassy party at the Pusan International Film Festival a few weeks ago. But turns out he bumped into some Canadians he knew there… this sounds braggy, but it just means he’s not important enough to really be on any list officially. And don’t even get him started on when he was an intern during college in Washington DC… shameless.

What was the party for? National Day of Hungary! What’s that you ask? It celebrates the moment when Hungary attempted to break away from Soviet rule.

The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the Stalinist government of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956. It began as a student demonstration. The revolt spread quickly across Hungary, and the Soviet government fell.

After announcing a willingness to negotiate a withdrawal of Soviet forces, the Politburo changed its mind and moved to crush the revolution. On 4 November, a large Soviet force invaded Budapest and other regions of the country. Hungarian resistance continued until 10 November. An estimated 2,500 Hungarians died, and 200,000 more fled as refugees.

By January 1957, the new Soviet-installed government had suppressed all public opposition. Public discussion about this revolution was suppressed in Hungary for over 30 years, but at the inauguration of the Third Hungarian Republic in 1989, October 23rd was declared a national holiday.

Fancy Ice Sculpture. Hooray for no more Communism - though I bet a Communist Party would be more posh.

The event was at the Lotte Hotel in Myeong-dong. This is the lobby bar with a view of a waterfall. This is in the middle of downtown Seoul and they have a waterfall!

A view

A coffee

A crazy man

At the bar

Besides yourself

Bathing in the sunlight

Borrowing some time to think

Cradling the warmth from your palms to the tongue

Clear your throat and

Cast a spell

Dealing your thoughts just got more expensive

Draining your heart got more open

Delicate go those souls trapped in opportunity

The Grand Hyatt in Seoul is one of the best places to escape the city for a relaxing stay or afternoon.  The lunch buffet is one of the best I’ve ever had.  And for those days you want to indulge in a little coffee time, the Lobby Lounge has all sorts of delicious traditional teas and trendy coffees. Though I haven’t been, I also hear the pool is spectacular.  And of course, who hasn’t gone to JJ Mahoney’s, the bar/dance club, at least 12 times.  I was there for New Years 2008 and the fireworks were amazing too.   There are always very decent piano and flute players entertaining the guests in the lobby.  http://seoul.grand.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp

TIP: Not to be confused with the Park Hyatt located on the Southern tip of Seoul, which is also amazing… an indoor swimming pool on the 14th floor!  You can swim laps eye level with chaps who are in the office across the street doing powerpoint presentations and picking their noses at their desks.   http://seoul.park.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp

Hi, I’m Sean Lim, an American expat living in South Korea.  This is my blog about becoming a Seoulite.

What is a Seoulite?
A ‘Seoulite’ (서울깍쟁이) is a citizen of Seoul, just as a ‘New Yorker’ is a citizen of New York. Of course the label ‘Seoulite’ doesn’t simply denote a place of residence [...]