Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is the country’s largest metropolis, boasting huge skyscrapers, high-speed public transportation and the latest in trends that will soon circle the globe. But this city also holds hundreds of years of history, culture and religion, which have shaped its growth and continue to impact how it functions today and thus how it will work in the future. The geography of the Seoul area is just as varied as its history; director Brandon Li explores the different aspects of the city through captivating shots of the landscape that are juxtaposed with similar-looking modern features. Above all, this video focuses on the residents of Seoul—their daily lives, journeys, work and commutes—to tell a story about the city.
South Korea Loves Its Mountains
Climbing the country’s many mountains is a national pastime. South Korea’s tranquil scenery allows hikers of all skill levels to escape the worries of the modern world.
Two hikers at Seoraksan. Tasmanian.Kris. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
If you go to South Korea, bring hiking gear. Lots of it. More so than in the United States, hiking is a communal exercise and a great to-do. A pair of sneakers and a water bottle won’t cut it when trekking up Seoraksan, a mountain located three hours from Seoul. Hikers, whether amateur or professional, purchase a catalog’s worth of clothing for even a short afternoon hike. In addition to the equipment, bring an appetite. Food, along with a little rice wine, will be served once—at the very least.
Hiking is less of a hobby and more of a national pastime for South Korea. Two-thirds of South Koreans climb a mountain at least once a year, and almost a third go once a month. Companies that make hiking equipment find a lucrative market in the country, since retailers have estimated that the average hiker wears $1,000 worth of gear for each trek. South Korea’s 22 national parks see roughly 45 million visitors a year.
There are many reasons why climbing mountains is such a widely enjoyed pastime. For one, they’re everywhere. Most people live within an hour or two of a hiking trail. Subways and buses provide easy transport, not to mention that multiple hiking groups offer group expeditions. Beginning in 1967, South Korea began setting aside its many mountains as national parks. By the end of the 1980s, over 2,000 square miles had been designated as national parks. This amounts to 6% of South Korea’s landmass.
The sun shines on Dobongsan. Giuseppe Milo. CC BY 2.0.
Mountains figure prominently in national myths as well. Dangun, the mythical founder of Korea, is said to have been born on Mount Paektu, along the border between China and North Korea. The mountain is mentioned in the national anthems of both North and South Korea. Additionally, South Korean culture values “pungsu,” a practice similar to feng shui, that emphasizes harmony with nature. With mountains located so close to big cities like Seoul, they provide a picturesque respite for hard workers.
South Korea’s fall foliage. Brandon HM Oh. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
However, only recently did the mountains attract as many mountaineers as they do now. Park Chung-hee, president in the 1960s and ‘70s, encouraged businesses to lead employees on group hikes as a community-building tool. The residual effects of this policy are still widely felt. A long lunch break often provides enough time for a quick trek. Many trails shoot straight to the peak before climbing down, allowing for brisk and efficient exercise. This may be annoying for many enthusiasts who want to savor the panoramic views the mountains offer.
A hike through Bukhansan. golbenge. CC BY-SA 2.0.
Citizens have plenty of mountains to choose from, such as those in the Taebaek and Sobaek ranges. Seoraksan, South Korea’s third-tallest peak at 5,600 feet, takes only three hours to climb, and fiery fall foliage attracts many to this mountain in particular. However, its beauty is nearly matched by other peaks. For example, Bukhansan gives urbanites in Seoul a chance to unwind in the great outdoors. Located just outside the city, it is affectionately called the “lungs of Seoul.”
The Taebaek Mountains in winter. mariusz kluzniak. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
South Korea’s hiking culture is visible even among those who emigrate. In Southern California, South Korean immigrants often don the same gear for hiking Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles that they would for Seoraksan. Backpacks bulge with Tupperware stuffed with South Korean delicacies for a midday picnic. For these hikers, traveling the trails is more than a hobby. It’s a way of keeping a precious national tradition alive.
Michael McCarthy
Michael is an undergraduate student at Haverford College, dodging the pandemic by taking a gap year. He writes in a variety of genres, and his time in high school debate renders political writing an inevitable fascination. Writing at Catalyst and the Bi-Co News, a student-run newspaper, provides an outlet for this passion. In the future, he intends to keep writing in mediums both informative and creative.
5 Cities That Are Leaders in Sustainable Public Transportation Initiatives
The World Economic Forum released its most recent Sustainable Cities Mobility Index, which ranks some of the globe’s largest metropolises based on both the viability of transport and its relative footprint.
The Index measures factors such as connectedness via public transport, including metros and buses, as well as pedestrian accessibility, ease of use by cyclists, among others. What unites each of the five cities featured here seems to be the overall strategy of incentivizing use of public transport, while disincentivizing the tendency to commute by automobile. In this way, public transportation systems trade on efficiency: by running frequently, integrating renewable energy sources, and maximizing often-limited physical space in the crowded cities, the public transport strategies of each of the cities listed have served to reduce car emissions significantly.
HONG KONG. Named number one on the sustainable mobility index, Hong Kong has constructed an impressive MTR metro system, which is responsible for 90% of residents’ daily journeys. Likewise, the cost of transport in Hong Kong has remained relatively low, permitting accessibility to all residents, further disincentivizing travel by car. In fact, due in large degree to the success of the public transportation system, less than 20% of residents of Hong Kong own a car.
ZURICH. At number two on the list, Zurich has demonstrated a great deal of success minimizing transportation by car, with just 37% of the population owning a car, as well as a little over a quarter of journeys measured occurring by car. The majority of public transportation in Zurich occurs by high-speed light rail, a system widely recognized to be one of the most energy- and space-efficient modes of public transport.
PARIS. In 2012, Paris pledged to reduce travel emissions by 60% within the most populated areas of its city, introducing more networks of pedestrian walkways and bike paths, incentivizing the use of bicycles and electric cars through two new city rental systems, as well as altering delivery systems such that it limits the number of diesel-fueled vehicles driving through the city each day. Parisian city officials have also been working to initiate regular “car-free” days, as well as other measures that promote alternative forms of transport.
SEOUL. Throughout the past decade, Seoul has pioneered a significant number of innovations that promote sustainable mobility. An inefficient highway system has been repurposed to become a large public park with an extensive network of pedestrian causeways. Moreover, Seoul has employed specified bus lanes, which have increased by nearly one million the number of citizens who use the public transport system each day, as opposed to driving. The significantly greater efficiency of public transportation, as well as the ease of access afforded to pedestrian traffic has cut down greatly on the number of citizens commuting by car, one of the most inefficient and least sustainable modes of travel.
PRAGUE. Prague has undertaken the “Tune Up Prague” initiative, just one of a series of sustainable transportation proposals enacted under the 2015 Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan. The “tune up” has focused on increasing foot and bicycle travel through the facilitation of pedestrian pathways. The proposal has also worked to bring accessible, sustainable transportation to all, seeking to bump up the amount of wheelchair-accessible metro stations by 23%, such that 95% of the city’s metro stations are wheelchair-accessible.
In integrating energy and space-efficient public transport with initiatives that promote pedestrian and cyclist travel, the five cities listed above have developed transportation networks that are both accessible and sustainable. Incentivizing public transport increases a city’s ability to experiment with “greener” travel, while simultaneously reducing automobile emissions. The ingenuity of each of the five metropolises provides a crucial example for other major cities, working towards a more sustainable, more connected future.
Hallie Griffiths
Hallie is an undergraduate at the University of Virginia studying Foreign Affairs and Spanish. After graduation, she hopes to apply her passion for travel and social action toward a career in intelligence and policy analysis. Outside of the classroom, she can be found, quite literally, outside: backpacking, rock climbing, or skiing with her friends.