A strange and fascinating place

May 3 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

Vicky Anderson enjoys a warm and friendly eastern welcome

‘SEOUL, Olympics Seoul?” was the general reaction from most of my friends, children-of-the-Eighties us all.

Ah, fond memories of the summer of 1988 – followed by the realisation it was 20 years ago. Yikes! The South Korean capital had surely amassed a few more strings to its bow since then?

I was about to find out, flying out there courtesy of Finnair, which is now keen to promote its services to people in the North of England particular. The advantage is, the company says, those flying from Manchester can bypass Gatwick and Heathrow, and instead change at the far smaller and more pleasant Helsinki airport. Not only that, but its location naturally ensures the quickest route to the Far East a weary traveller could care for.

I think they’re on to something.

With a population of 10 million people, Seoul is huge yet still a welcoming place.

At times a somewhat cartoon-ish prospect to Westerners, with its dog restaurants and abundance of peace sign-giving schoolgirls, there is an incredible amount to recommend it as an ideal starting point to explore Asia.

There is an entirely different etiquette in South Korea – visitors can read in advance about all sort of complicated things to remember, such as it being the height of bad manners not to always pick up a drink with both hands – but Koreans appear very gracious on this score and tend to overlook the cultural faux pas, at least in the short-term.

WHAT is probably South Korea’s most widely-known attraction, the Demilitarised Zone between it and North Korea, is something no visitor can afford to miss.

The long, straight highway leading to it – Freedom Road – marked with regular watch towers, had no permanent crash barriers between the two sides of the road. Our guide pointed out this was so the road could be turned into a landing strip at any given time.

Eventually, numerous signs warning of landmines become disturbingly apparent – needless to say, tours are only possible on the DMZ’s own permitted buses.

The shorter tour gives you the opportunity to take a fascinating trip underground in one of the tunnels that were dug into the South by the North in the 1960s, with a view to potential invasion. Only four have been found but there are said to be many more undiscovered.

Moving on to the observation building, on a clear day you can see the desolation of the mine-strewn, overgrown no mans’ land between the two countries and apparently even into Pyongyang – I had no such luck on my visit.

A full day at the DMZ also allows you to take in the Joint Security Area, where soldiers still patrol, and the Bridge of No Return, where prisoners of war were exchanged. It is almost hard to believe that the history of the DMZ is so recent, and such a threatening tension still lingers, despite South Korean attempts to jolly things up with not the entirely convincing spiel that it’s only still there to promote lots and lots of peace.

Finally, whether born of the hope of reunification or an urge to boast one country’s financial status over the other, tourists can see Dorasan train station lying brand new and unused, a railway hub ready to link the North and South again when the time comes.

A strange and very fascinating place, and on the way back to the city, another gorgeous oddity – Heyri Arts Valley, a hidden and still developing village of architectural gems and first-class restaurants, galleries and shops.

Traditionally, South Korean food is eaten with metal chopsticks – beautiful but trickier than the wooden kind. Among the array of (mostly veggie and seafood) dishes, you’ll find the ubiquitous kimchi, cabbage fermented with lots of chilli, which is a staple food bordering on a national obsession. Once the taste has been acquired though, be warned, you may have it for life.

The South Koreans don’t go in for dessert, but Italian restaurants are popular and there are fine Western style options in some stunning locations – usually at the top of tall buildings with incredible views.

The best of these is the revolving restaurant at the top of Seoul Tower – worth a trip for the best taste of the true size of the city. It also has the cheaper option of a viewing platform so no-one need miss out.

If Europe shopped as Seoul can shop, society might fall. Giant swathes of multi-storey malls in the Dongdaemun area stay open until 5am and are a haven for bargain hunters, while the likes of Louis Vuitton and Chanel can all be found in the massive complexes of Myeongdong, where we stayed in the city’s Ibis hotel.

Past and present, history and modern go hand in hand throughout Seoul. There are five palaces in the city, and with time to see only one we headed to what was the largest, Gyeongbokgung.

Dating back to the 1300s, what exists today is an exact replica, the original having been burned down among other fates in its long history.

Looking as glorious as the most lavish set of any Eastern movie, with ancient mountains a backdrop on one side and the giant skyscrapers of the sprawling city on the other, it is a truly breathtaking place to be.

And while back home the 1988 Olympics remain the city’s defining moment, it may make you feel old to know that some of the specially-built stadiums are no longer fit for purpose and about to come down.

From political intrigue to haute couture, Seoul has it all covered and then some, and is far, far from the city that time forgot.

VICKY ANDERSON flew to Seoul from Manchester via Helsinki and Nagoya courtesy of Finnair (www.finnair.com). A direct flight from Helsinki to Seoul begins on June 3. She stayed at the Myeongdong Ibis courtesy of the Korean Tourism Organ-isation.