Today is my fourth day in Seoul.
For some context, I live in Shenzhen, China, and I work as a human resources manager. Because of my job, I am naturally interested in people, workplaces, city life, and how different societies organize themselves. So during this trip, I was not only looking at tourist attractions, but also observing how people live, work, communicate, and build relationships in Seoul.
Because I drank quite a lot yesterday, I had to change my original plan for today. I also missed the Samsung museum, which was a little disappointing. But in another way, the past few days in Seoul have already given me a lot to think about.
Yesterday, I made my first Korean friend. We talked about culture, work, travel, places we had visited, and the small preferences that shape our daily lives. I told them that if they ever come to China or Hong Kong, I would be happy to host them and show them around the places I know.
Before coming here, my understanding of Korea was limited and probably influenced by media, history, and internet stereotypes. But being here in person has changed some of that.
As a Chinese visitor, I found many things in Korean society surprisingly familiar: the importance of food, family, work, social relationships, education, and the pressure of city life. In some ways, Seoul felt closer to China than I expected, but still very clearly its own place.
Seoul is a layered city. There is good food everywhere, modern buildings, crowded streets, historical sites, young people, office workers, tourists, and people from many parts of the world. In busy areas, I saw people from Europe, the US, India, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and many other places. Walking through the city, I often felt how connected East Asian cities can be, while still having very different histories and identities.
Visiting places like Gyeongbokgung and the National Assembly area also made me think more seriously about Korea’s modern history. I had known some basic facts before, but seeing these places in person made the history feel less abstract. Korea has experienced colonization, war, destruction, authoritarian politics, political struggle, and democratization. Understanding even a small part of that made me respect the country more.
It also helped me understand why language, culture, and national identity matter so much here. From the outside, people sometimes reduce Korea to pop culture, technology, food, or internet jokes. But after spending time here, I started to see something deeper: a strong desire to preserve and express a distinct identity after a very difficult history.
Of course, I am only a short-term visitor, so these are just personal impressions, not conclusions about Korea. But that is also why travel matters. It allows us to step outside of news, stereotypes, and political narratives, and meet ordinary people directly.
Governments may disagree. Countries may have historical conflicts. Politics can be complicated. But between individuals, kindness, curiosity, and mutual recognition can still happen.
I really enjoyed Seoul.
I hope I can come back again — and next time, I will make sure to visit the Samsung museum.