Recently, British news outlet ‘The Telegraph‘ featured an article on their website detailing journalist Soo Kim’s visit to Seoul and her rediscovery of her Korean heritage.
Soo Kim was born in South Korea, but her family moved to the USA when she was young, she then made the move to London. This article details her visit back to her native South Korea and a brief coverage of her family history.
It is clear that she initially receives a slight culture shock when she arrives. She remarks just how much the country has changed since she was last there:
“The city now boasts the world’s fastest internet connection speeds, and nearly everyone I encounter on the crowded metro, from small children to one unlikely old lady who looks like she has just come back from harvesting vegetables in a country field, is glued to their smartphone or digitally switched on in some way – a marked transformation since my childhood experience.”
While the piece is quite personal to the writer, Soo Kim still manages to place her family history within a very relatable context. She brilliantly illustrates parts of South Korea’s complex and tumultuous history throughout the article and brings forward the many amazing traits of the country with her writing.
The fact that she was a relative tourist herself means that her perspective is probably quite similar to those of us who have never visited South Korea ourselves. Soo Kim manages to encapsulate that overwhelmingly exciting rush that can come with travelling to foreign lands, whilst still remaining very informed about what she is exploring.
At the end of the article, there is a handy guide showing readers exactly what means the journalist took to travel to Seoul and also and detailed list of various hotels where you can stay in the busy capital city.
This article is a must-read for all who are interested in travelling to South Korea and learning more about its history. You never know, it might also persuade someone who had never previously thought of going to come with you!
You can read the full piece here.
