IMID Notes

Gyeongbokgung Palace is one of Seoul’s best-known historic landmarks. Established in 1395 as the main palace of the Joseon dynasty, it offers a chance to explore Korean history and architecture through its gates, courtyards and traditional wooden buildings. The palace stands in Jongno, just north of Gwanghwamun Square, with Bugaksan Mountain behind it. Its main gate, Gwanghwamun, faces the streets of central Seoul. This setting is part of its appeal: palace roofs, mountains and modern buildings all appear within the same view. Gyeongbokgung seen from Gwanghwamun Square. I have visited Gyeongbokgung several times, including family outings in 2022 and 2024, and sometimes we stop by when passing through the area. Whenever guests from Uzbekistan come to Seoul, I bring them here too. My most recent visit was for the New Year celebrations welcoming 2026. Each visit offers a chance to spend time together, explore a historic part of the city and notice something ne...

Some trips stay in our memory not because everything went according to plan, but because of the people we were with and the unexpected moments along the way. In autumn 2022, our family visited Seoraksan (설악산) with a close friend's family. We went hoping to enjoy the mountain scenery and autumn colors together, but the day turned out to be cloudy and rainy. At the time, the weather may not have seemed ideal for an autumn mountain trip. Looking back at our photographs now, however, I think the rain became part of what made that day memorable. Our autumn trip to Seoraksan began under a cloudy sky. Arriving at Seoraksan When we reached Seoraksan National Park , the weather was still cloudy and wet. Visitors were walking in raincoats, and the roads and paths were damp from the rain. A rainy autumn day at Seoraksan National Park. The wet weather became part of our Seoraksan experience. At the entrance, the traditional gate immediately change...

My first trip to Jeju Island was a five-day summer trip with my family. I had wanted to visit the island for years, and that first experience left me with memories of blue water, beaches, summer flowers, volcanic landscapes, and time spent together as a family. Arriving in Jeju Island in winter. I did not know then that I would return to Jeju twice within the next two years. Both of my later visits were in December and were connected with workshops. They were much shorter than our family vacation, but they showed me sides of Jeju that I had not experienced during my first trip. One gave me an unexpectedly cold and snowy Jeju. The other introduced me to more of the island's history, village life, and memories that I had previously known very little about. December 2023: Jeju Was Much Colder Than I Expected My return to Jeju in December 2023 came during a difficult period in my life. I had lost my mother the month before and was going through a...

For years, Jeju Island was one of the places in Korea I really wanted to visit. During my graduate school years, however, I never had the opportunity to go. Jeju remained one of those places I kept thinking I would visit someday. Our first summer trip to Jeju finally gave me the chance to experience an island I had wanted to see for years. That opportunity finally came after I started working in Seoul. I traveled to Jeju for work, and this time our families came along as well. It gave us a chance to combine the trip with some family time and finally experience the island I had wanted to visit for so long. We stayed for five days. It was my first time in Jeju, and it was also the children's first visit. After wanting to see the island for so long, finally arriving there felt special. I remember thinking, I finally made it to Jeju. Finally experiencing Jeju after wanting to visit the island for years. Jeju Felt Different One of th...