IMID Notes

Living in Seoul with children, we have discovered that some of the best family places are not necessarily places we need to plan a special trip to visit. Over time, they simply become part of everyday life. For our family, Seoul Children’s Grand Park (서울어린이대공원) is one of those places. We have visited the park many times and in every season. Sometimes we go for a longer outing and visit the zoo, botanical garden or amusement park. At other times, our visit is much simpler. We walk, the children play, we bring badminton rackets, or they spend some time on the swings. And sometimes, especially when the weather is pleasant, we go there after dinner simply to walk. Because we have returned so many times over the years, I no longer think of Seoul Children’s Grand Park only as an attraction for children. For us, it has become one of those familiar places in Seoul where we can spend time outdoors together without needing much preparation. Why We Keep Going Back One reason we...

Living in Korea for many years means that many parts of Korean culture gradually become familiar. You see traditional holidays celebrated every year, hear about customs from your children, eat seasonal foods, and come across traditions in everyday life. But seeing these things separately is different from seeing them brought together as one story. That was what I found particularly interesting when our family visited the National Folk Museum of Korea (국립민속박물관) in Seoul. The National Folk Museum of Korea in Seoul. The museum is not simply a collection of old objects. Its exhibitions show how ordinary people lived, how their lives changed with the seasons, and how important stages of life were marked—from the birth of a child and growing up to marriage, family life, old age and death. For me, this way of presenting Korean culture made the visit much more meaningful. A Museum About Everyday Korean Life As we moved through the museum, there was a great d...

Seeing Seoul From the Han River We have taken the Hangang Bus several times with our children, and each ride has felt a little different. The number of passengers, where we were able to sit, and even the weather influenced the experience. The view during one of our Hangang Bus rides with the children. One of the most enjoyable parts of taking the Hangang Bus was seeing a familiar city from a completely different perspective. From the river, we could see Seoul's high-rise buildings, different parts of the skyline, and Namsan Seoul Tower in the distance. Seoul's skyline and Han River scenery seen during different rides. The boat moved at a comfortable pace, so we had time to look around and enjoy the changing scenery rather than simply passing everything quickly. On one of our rides, we were able to sit beside the large windows and enjoy the view throughout the journey. On another, there were many more passengers and we...

When people ask whether living in Korea is expensive, housing is one of the hardest costs to explain. What a family pays depends on the neighbourhood, the type and size of the home, the deposit and the rental arrangement. A family with children also has very different housing needs from a student or someone living alone. We are a family of four renting a home in Seoul. When we searched for our current home, we were not simply looking for the lowest rent. We needed enough space, but we also wanted to remain close to our children’s schools and my workplace. Going through the search, contract and moving process showed me how many decisions are involved, especially for a foreign family. This post is based on our own experience and the prices we encountered in our area. Housing costs and procedures vary by neighbourhood, building, contract and residence status, so these figures are examples rather than fixed prices for all of Seoul. Residential neighbourhoods in Se...

After several rainy days, Saturday finally arrived with sunshine. The air felt fresh, there was just a little wind, and it seemed too nice to spend the afternoon indoors. So after lunch, we suddenly decided to go hiking. There was no special plan. My 10-year-old son and I simply got ready and headed toward Achasan and Yongmasan. Walking from our neighbourhood toward Achasan on a sunny Saturday afternoon. One of the things I like about living in this part of Seoul is that these mountains are close to our home. We don't need to plan a long trip or drive somewhere to enjoy a hike. We can simply walk there. That made our spontaneous Saturday afternoon possible. If reaching the mountains had required a long journey, we probably wouldn't have decided to go so late in the day. Instead, the good weather was enough to make us leave the house and start walking. Achasan and Yongmasan: Mountains Inside Seoul Achasan ( 아차산 ) and Yongmasan ( 용마산 ) are conne...