Week 5

This week was my last week in Korea - We stayed in Seoul until the 5th, then traveled to Busan for a quick 3-day exploration. During my last couple days in Seoul, I saw several of the attractions I had been meaning to see since I arrived. Some of my adventures that stand out are as follows: I visited a famous coffee shop, a giant indoor/outdoor space that occupies the shell of a historic manufacturing center from the colonialization era; I dressed in traditional student hanbok and visited the royal palace in the heart of Seoul; with several friends, I went to Lotte World, the theme park in the middle of the Gangnam District. Additionally in my final days in the city, I had a final presentation of my architecture studio project—thus, I needed to spend the last full day-and-a-half preparing for it. The presentation went wonderfully, with excellent feedback from the guest critics. Then, upon departing Seoul, we arrived in Busan, where I have enjoyed the last few days. While here, my friends and I have gone to escape rooms, movies, boat cruises, and otherwise explored the city in the evenings; during the days, we have spoken with practicing architects in the city and spent time with local university students discussing the architectural atmosphere of Busan and Korea at large.