Category: Seoul

I was watching KBS1 last night and they had did an uncover report on how cab drivers in Seoul particularly at Incheon Airport were overcharging foreigners.  The cab drivers had found techniques to rig their meters so that when a foreigner takes a cab they would hit a button that would speed up the meter to charge the foreigner more than a Korean customer who would better know how much the cab fare from the airport should cost.

KBS pointed out that a cab fare from the airport into Seoul should cost about 48,500 won while the cab driver they did the uncover report on cost 67,500 won.  A cab fare that is 19,000 won more expensive converts to about $20 US dollars more in expense for foreigners.  The report also had interviews with foreigners in Seoul who told other stories of how the cab drivers try to rip them off.

I have never taken a taxi from the airport, I always use the airport bus or the subway train that is now available as well.  So I can’t really add any personal experiences about the airport taxi drivers, but the fact that they are ripping off foreigners does not surprise me.  Also with Seoul taxi drivers I have never had any problems with as well.  I’m sure there are crooked cab drivers there, but personally I have had no problems which I think suggests that only a really small minority are crooked.

The only places I have had regular issues with taxi drivers are in Uijongbu and Dongducheon where they love to play the game of not running the meter and than charging GIs an overpriced fare at the end of the ride.  A tactic I used to combat this is to simply not pay the cab driver.  If he doesn’t run the meter it is a free ride.  The cab drivers scream and yell and one time a cab driver tried to get the police stationed in front of Camp Red Cloud to arrest me.  I simply showed the policemen the meter which had zero on it and the policemen had no issues and let me go into the camp.

I even had one cab driver stop in the middle of the ride and stop the meter and then try to negotiate an overpriced fair with me and my buddy.  If we didn’t agree we would have to get out of the cab in an area where he knew we would have to walk a long ways to find another cab.  I just simply started writing down his information from the panel in the taxi.  He asked me what I was doing and I told him I was going to contact his taxi company as well as file a complaint with the local authorities.  The taxi driver started the meter again really quick and got us to our destination in no time.

The cab drivers in Uijongbu and Dongducheon is something I wish KBS or someone in the Korean media would do an expose on because they regularly screw over soldiers and really portray a bad image of Korea to the soldiers serving in the 2nd Infantry Division.

 

My wife and I were walking through Jogno earlier this week and decided to have lunch at Mr. Pizza.  I have seen the Mr. Pizzas around Seoul before, but I have never ate there before because I figured it was probably just the usual Korean style pizza with corn and other wierdness on it, with cheese that tastes like cardboard, and loaded with tobasco sauce.  I ended up being quite surprised.  Mr. Pizza is actually a pretty darn good pizza: 

The pizza had cheese that actually tasted like cheese and the toppings were of the more typical variety, though the corn still remained.  The pizza was not spicy at all and to satisfy Korean tastes every table had a bottle of tobasco sauce if needed.  What I also liked was that the pizza came with the garlic butter dipping sauce which was quite good.  Plus for a pizza that feeds two people with two refillable cokes we paid only 12,000 won which is quite good. 

Needless to say both the wife and I were quite impressed and will definitely stop by again for some more pizza before leave.  Definitely the best pizza in Korea that I have tried. 

I arrived in Korea earlier this week and as usual things ran smoothly at Incheon International Airport.  My wife and I made it through customs in no time and then we proceeded to try out the new subway train.  As we walked over to the area of the airport where the train runs from, the airport became suspiciously empty:

The new train terminal at the airport is quite nice and even had staff there that helped us load our bags on the train.  As we got on the train we noticed we were the only people on the entire train:

The airport must have lost some serious money running an entire train with just 2 people on it.  The train ride was quite smooth though and the chairs were comfortable.  It was nice to sit back and watch the country scenery as the train headed towards Seoul:

Then the train crossed over from Yeongjongdo Island where the airport is located and over Incheon’s famous tidal flats:

Can you just imagine what would have happened if the timing of General MacArthur’s fleet that invaded Incheon during the Korean War was off?  It would have been a slaughter with MacArthur’s boats all stuck in the mud.  Once on the otherside of the bridge the scenery quickly changed from rural Korea to industrial Korea just like that:

The train from the airport only goes as far as Gimpo Airport and takes just less than 30 minutes.  From Gimpo we had to transfer to the subway to get to Gwanghamun Station to meet our ride that was picking us up there.  Bringing our luggage on to the subway was definitely not a pleasant experience.  Carrying our luggage up the subway steps was additionally not pleasant either.  On the way back to the airport we are definitely taking the limousine bus. 

One of the most unusual things to do in the Seoul area, is a trip to Dongnimmun Park and Seodaemun Prison. I say unusual simply because you wouldn’t think of a former prison as a recommended travel destination in Korea, but I recommend this park and prison simply because of the historical and psychological significance they have to the Korean people. If you have ever wondered why Koreans are so ultra-nationalistic this park and prison will give you an idea why.

When you arrive at Dongnimmun Park the first thing you will see is this large arch that towers over the park:

(more…)

I guess if they can’t concrete over it, they will at least concrete under it. From the Marmot’s Hole:

In a telephone conversation with Yonhap, a government official revealed that the government is considering building a mall complex—complete with shops, restaurants and movie theaters—under what is now the U.S. garrison at Yongsan, which is supposed to be returned to Korea in late 2008.

Plans to turn the land above ground into a huge citizen park remain unchanged, however.

Seoul City is not happy about this—it feels that the plan doesn’t fit with the spirit or ecology of the planned park, and it’s particularly worried that the government may later use its prerogative to develop above ground as well.

And to think I was under the impression that U.S. base land was so toxic it was burning holes to California. Who knew?

I am going to continue to maintain that by the time it is all said and done, the top of Yongsan is going to see plenty of concrete as well.

Seoul’s Cheongyecheon stream restoration will air on the Discovery Channel:

Seoul City’s restoration of the Cheonggye stream will be broadcast by the Discovery Channel, the global documentary broadcaster, to 53 countries, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced yesterday.

The hour-long documentary, titled “Man-Made Marvels, Seoul Searching,” has been under production since December of last year with the support of Seoul city, according to the city government. The documentary, which includes historical research and computer -generated images to illustrate the process of the project, will be broadcast from Nov. 6 to 16. In Korea, it will air at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Oct. 26 and 6 p.m. on Oct. 30.

It is good to see Seoul and Korea air on international TV for something other than North Korea and anti-American protesters. Hopefully this will help improve the image of the city and the country.

Speaking of Cheongyecheon I went down to Seoul recently to take a few night shots of the stream and to see if the cleanliness of the stream is being maintained.

This is a shot of the stream looking North towards the start of the creek.

I’m happy to report that the stream is still immaculately maintained and clean. I didn’t see soju bottles, trash, or cigarette butts all over the place, at least not yet. We’ll see if this level of cleanliness is maintained over the long term. For now enjoy this additional picture I took:

This picture of the stream is looking towards the South with a full moon in the background hovering over the city.