Great thing

Welcome to Yeouido, an island situated in the middle of the majestic Han River, and the undisputed nexus of political and financial power in South Korea. I invite you to stand here in Yeouido Park, a vast expanse of green that…

We now stand before the monumental National Assembly Building. With its massive, mint-green dome and the twenty-four granite pillars surrounding it—symbolizing the twenty-four solar terms of the traditional calendar and the…

Let us walk eastward into the shadow of the skyscrapers, arriving at the IFC Mall and the surrounding financial district. Yeouido is often referred to as the 'Wall Street of Korea.' Here, the air crackles with a different kind of…

Descending from the towers of finance, we arrive at the expansive Yeouido Hangang Park, stretching along the banks of the Han River. This is the largest park along the river, a vibrant, chaotic space filled with street food…

We now cross the river into the historic heart of Seoul, arriving before the grand Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. This massive cultural complex, with its severe, imposing modernist architecture and traditional Korean roof…

Just steps away lies Gwanghwamun Square, a vast, open plaza dominated by the majestic statues of King Sejong the Great and Admiral Yi Sun-sin. If the National Assembly is where laws are made, Gwanghwamun Square is where history…

Our final destination is Cheongwadae, the Blue House, nestled at the foot of Bugaksan Mountain. For decades, this highly secured compound served as the executive office and official residence of the South Korean President. …

We conclude our exploration of power on the trails of Bugaksan, the mountain that looms directly behind the Blue House. From this elevated vantage point, the entirety of Seoul spreads out below us. …