The Soul of Seoul

Last Updated on November 4, 2026 A great thing about Korea is that no matter where you look, there is bound to be something interesting to see. Take Yangpyeong-gun in Gyeonggi-do. Just outside of Seoul, it’s an area that rarely gets promoted and yet it has all kinds of interesting arts and culture spaces. I have had a hankering to visit the Lee Jae Hyo Gallery in that directi...

Last Updated on November 3, 2026 I’ve heard it from many of people visiting Korea that all temples in Korea look the same. “If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all,” they’ll say. And sure, generally, you’ll see the same architectural styles, statues, and usually color scheme. But they really do not look all the same, and sometimes there are some really really unique temples ...

Last Updated on November 3, 2026 If you’ve spent any real time in Korea, you’ve probably seen a Lee Jae Hyo work without knowing it. A giant sphere made of hundreds of pieces of wood, sanded so smooth it almost looks liquid or perhaps hanging stone insallations. For years I kept bumping into his work, and every time I’d stop and stare and think, how is that even physically po...

Last Updated on October 28, 2026 Sungkyunkwan (성균관) was the highest national academy of the Joseon Dynasty, and Munmyo (문묘) is the Confucian shrine that stands in front of it. Founded in 1398 and tucked just inside the main gate of Sungkyunkwan University in Jongno, it’s free to visit and one of the only places in Seoul where you can walk through a working Confucian shrine an...

Last Updated on October 28, 2026 One of the first things you’ll learn when diving into Korean beauty is how important it is to protect your skin from the sun, and not just on those fun beach days. That’s why brands like Tage, a Korean skincare brand solely focused on sun exposure and damage exist. Tage’s philosophy is “Shield and Repair”, promoting protecting the skin from th...