A Beginner’s Guide to Korea

This year, OHBM's annual meeting will take place in Seoul, Korea. To celebrate this special event, we have compiled a few tips to help you plan your trip to Korea. We have outlined i) Korea Tour Card, ii) mobile services, iii) apps that could be helpful, iv) transportation, and finally, v) attractive sites to visit for a refreshment. We hope that this post can be of a small help for any visitors for the OHBM!

1. Pay for transportation and more with the Korea Tour Card & T-money Card

Either the Korea Tour Card and T-money Card are crucial when traveling in Seoul. The Korea Tour Card is specifically for tourists and offers discounts on transportation, as well as on shopping, dining, and attractions. The T-money Card can also be used for navigating public transportation such as subways and buses. They are both sold at convenience stores, and there are a lot of convenience stores at the Incheon Airport; the Korea Tour Card can also be purchased at Incheon Airport in Terminal 1, Level 1. However, note that both cards can only be purchased in cash (won), not by credit card. Similarly, topping-up the cards with more value can only be done with cash. If you wish to use these cards for public transportations, you should top-up the cards, you can do so at the at the convenient stores and subway stations (or anywhere that sells the cards). For more information you can check out this guide explaining the T-money Card and this guide from Korea Tourism.

2. Annual Meeting Venue Wifi

Within the Coex conference venue, wi-fi can be accessed using the following information:

Sign on: OHBM 2024

Password : ohbm2024!

Outside of the venue, there’s also plenty of free wi-fi!

3. Mobile Internet Service

For a more convenient time throughout your visit, we recommend utilizing mobile internet services. Prepaid SIM cards or portable WiFi-routers are available at the Incheon Airport, convenience stores, and Korea’s mobile telecom shops. Korea’s most common mobile carriers—KT Olleh, SK Telecom, and LG U+—provide eSIM that can be bought online in advance. Many of those plans offer unlimited data and can be shared among multiple devices.

4. Various Apps

Instead of iMessage or WhatsApp, Koreans use KakaoTalk for messaging. This app is essential for communicating in Korea and accessing integrated services. For navigation, we recommend KakaoMap. It is very similar to Google maps (which offers limited service in Seoul) but provides much more detailed information including public transportation routes and real-time traffic updates. Both are available in English and can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

5. Transportation

Seoul Taxis are widely available and reasonably priced for convenient transportation. You can hail them on the street, or use apps like KakaoTaxi to book a ride. Taxis are metered, and for the easiest experience, it’s best if you can provide drivers with an address in Korean. We recommend downloading KakaoTaxi to avoid any scams or confusion. If you prefer to take public transportation, you can use your Korea Tour Card and T-Money Card to access buses and subways as well. For more details on this, check out our recent post here!

For the Metropolitan Subway of the Seoul, this is an excellent website to start. The closest station to the Coex, the conference venue, is Samseong Station (#219 of Line 2, or Green Line). When you exit to the Gate #6 at the Samseoung Station, just work straight for 2~3 minutes and the East Gate of Coex will appear on your left side.

Again, you can use your topped-up Korea Tour Card and T-Money Card for the Subway. Usually, there is a transportation card (Korea Tour or T-money Cards) reader located on the right side of a turnstile in the stations. You can just tab your cards on the reader.

The bus system in Seoul is also convenient, but, the signs at bus stops may be harder to navigate if you do not know Korean. Major stops are usually announced in both Korean and English. You can download the Seoul Bus app to help you navigate the bus system.

If you plan to travel outside Seoul, consider purchasing a KR Pass, which offers unlimited travel on KTX (Korea's high-speed rail). The Korea Travel Hotline (1330) provides 24/7 multilingual travel information and a complaint center.

The Seoul City Tour Bus offers various routes covering major attractions in Seoul and is a great way to get an overview of the city. You can make a reservation for the Seoul City Tour Bus at https://www.seoulcitybus.com/.

6. Explore!

If you think you are ready to explore Seoul, here’s a list of places that we recommend:

Seochon

Begin your journey by taking the subway to Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3. Visit 'Bbyeo-Tanjang (뼈탄집)', featuring Korean pork barbecue 'SamGyeobSal (삼겹살)' and North Korean style cold noodles 'NaengMyeon (냉면).' After enjoying your meal, stroll through Seochon to experience the beauty of traditional Korea. Gyeongbokgung Palace is close to Seochon, thus it would be great to visit Gyeongbokgung as well.

Immerse yourself in traditional Korean culture! You'll be able to visit Hanok (traditional Korean houses), and if you want, you can even rent a Hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) and walk around Hanok including Gyeongbokgung.

After your stroll, you can enjoy Korean tea and desserts at a place called 오설록, known for its Jeju island green tea. They offer English menus, so ordering won't be a problem. Make sure to try the green tea roll cake! The bread melts in your mouth and is sweet, and I'm sure you'll love the taste.

Jamsil

This place shows off some of the more modern aspects of Korea. Take a refreshing walk alongside the Seokchon Lake. Then, visit the Lotte World Tower observatory for an amazing view of Seoul, and explore its aquarium and shopping center below. You can do all sorts of activities there. There are also various types of food to choose from, so you can pick whatever you like. If you enjoy musical concerts, you should visit the Lotte Concert Hall, where you can enjoy performances of classical music, OSTs, and more.

For ticket reservations, please visit https://www.lotteconcerthall.com/eng/Performance# for more information.

If you want something more special, Bangi-dong Food Alley has many exquisite dining options. If you're staying near Jamsil, we also recommend spending a day at Lotte World. You’ll get to experience Korea's thrilling amusement park.

Han River

Finally, visit Hangang (Han River), a representative landmark of Seoul. The river and its surrounding parks are popular among Koreans for a quick jog, cycling, or having a picnic. If you want to rent a bicycle, you can use Ddareungi Seoul Bike (따릉이), which is a public bicycle rental system. There are options for an all-day pass, and you can purchase tickets through this site: Seoul Bike Ticket Purchase.

The Han River is beautiful both day and night, featuring fountain shows and other events. Banpo Hangang Park (about a 15-minute drive from COEX) is famous for the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain, recognized in the 2008 Guinness Book of Records as the longest bridge fountain in the world, which can be seen at specific times in the evening. You can check the location and schedules here: https://english.seoul.go.kr/service/amusement/hangang/6-banpo/.

Moonlight Rainbow Fountain at Banpo Hangang Park

You can also have a unique experience by cooking instant noodles, Ramyeon (라면) with a machine, or buying Korean snacks from convenience stores within the parks, which are open late.

Safe travels!