Seoul

Dearest Rachel –

To be fair, I’m aware that, like General MacArthur, we’ll actually be coming ashore at Incheon, not Seoul. But since my excursion involves heading to the capital, rather than hanging around near the port, I might as well focus on it, don’t you think? Even history aside, it’s more important, given what it is, as well as where I’ll be.

Seoul is, as I said, the capital of South Korea, and the largest city in Korea, with 9.6 million people crowded into some 233 square miles, giving it a population density ten times greater than our own. The entire metropolitan area, which includes Gyeonggi province and the port city of Incheon, has been ranked as the world’s fourth largest metropolitan economy as of 2014, behind only Tokyo, New York City, and Los Angeles; however, at that distance, its 26 million people are somewhat more spread out over the full five thousand square miles, leaving the exurbanites with a more manageable density that averages similar to ours (and, given that the urban Seoulite is crammed into the city proper, those in the exurbs probably have a fairly comfortable amount of breathing room between neighbors).

However, there are certain neighbors that pose a little more than the usual annoyances. At only about fifty kilometers away from the Korean demilitarized zone (a misnomer if there ever was one, as the DMZ is one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world; what de-militarization is anyone talking about here?), Seoul sits under the shadow of one of the most intransigent remnants of the Cold War, in the form of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (which, if you’re willing to swallow the lie about a demilitarized border, three more in a single name isn’t all that difficult to accept, I suppose).

It’s mentioned that several of the Asian Tigers are starting to lose steam as they fall below the replacement rate needed to maintain a stable population. China set themselves up for this deliberately with the “one child” policy, and has only recently realized how much of a mistake this is, as a single child is unable to care for aging parents and start and raise a family of their own (plus, in the determination for most Chinese families to have a son to carry on the family name, they also have a ridiculous imbalance between males and females in the generations affected by the policy), but both Japan and South Korea have fallen under this rate (determined to be 2.1 children per woman, in order to make up for children who don’t survive to adulthood) through natural means, and are struggling to maintain their society as a result. Korea, in particular, deals with a birth rate of 0.84 children per woman, one of the (if not the) lowest such rates in the world.

Of course, there are numerous reasons for this; the high cost of living (and therefore, raising a family), prioritizing personal pursuits and lifestyle choices over marriage and parenthood, balancing career and family responsibilities (which may also include aging parents as well as the possibility of children), limited space or affordability of suitable housing for raising children, and so forth. I wonder, too, if the threat of annihilation from the North – which may seem like white noise after hearing of it with no result for too long, I admit, but considering the Young Leader’s push toward nuclear weapons, still seems like a more than credible threat, given time – might lead young Koreans to ask whether it’s worth bringing and raising a child in a part of the world that seems to hold little hope of survival, or at least comfort.

I’d like to believe that I’m overthinking this, but it sometimes seems like Hobbes was right about life being “nasty, brutish and short,” especially in certain parts of the world. Still, Seoul soldiers on as a leading light in it, even if it is slowly diminishing. It’s got a long way to go before it burns out completely, and after all, what else can it (or any of us) do but move forward?

***

As for my own trip through Seoul, I’ll be starting off with its history. Despite being founded at around the birth of Christ, the city came into its own during the Joseon dynasty, which lasted for half a millennium, until the end of the nineteenth century. Its founder, General Yi Seong-gye, who later became King Taejo, constructed the Gyeongbokgung Palace, arguably the most beautiful and the largest of the five remaining palaces, complete with many halls, a pavilion and an idyllic garden featuring terraced flower horticulture and decorated stonework.

But palaces aren’t the only things still standing from the era; hundreds of traditional houses, called hanok, dating back as many as six hundred years themselves, can be found as part of the Bukchon Hanok Village, where many of these hanoks have been restored and converted into cultural centers, guesthouses, cafes, and shops, allowing visitors to experience traditional Korean activities such as tea ceremonies, calligraphy, and hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) rentals. There are also panoramic views of the city skyline and nearby palaces from various vantage points within the village; whether we’ll have time to take any of them in remains to be seen.

As appears to be customary, our last stop listed on our itinerary will be a place for buying things; in this case, traditional Korean arts, crafts, and antiques on the Insadong Antique Street, home to a hundred galleries offering every example of traditional Korean fine art from paintings to sculptures, as well as teahouses and cafes providing a tranquil retreat from the bustling streets of Seoul.

As least, that how I’ve had it told to me; we’ll see how ad copy lines up with reality soon enough, I suppose. For now, though, keep an eye on me, honey, and wish me luck. I’m going to need it.