Hop on!

Seoul and Korea provide more and more tourist friendly services, and if I never used their bus programs, I'm quite impressed by their dynamism. Two new exciting routes are just starting these days.

At the national level, a new free shuttle bus for foreigners between Seoul and Jeonju will start tomorrow to celebrate the Visit Jeonbuk Year (for 26 weeks, see links and details below). All you need is: to bring your foreign passport, to book online, and to be among the lucky lottery winners (). And if you're too lazy to even plan ahead your trip, know that you land in Jeonju Hanok Village, in Wansan-gu, the historic center. If you missed this great city (great not only for Korean cuisine lovers), you have no excuse now. Even if you don't win the lottery, go!

Seoul-wise, Seoul City Tour Bus inaugurated its Traditional Markets Tour on February 22*. Double deckers will start every 35 mns for a 105 mn journey, and you can hop on and off at any of the 15 stops:

• 37. Departure from Doota (Dongdaemun Doosan Tower)
• 38. Bangsan Market (and its baking street, all the ustensils), Jungbu Market (dried fish and food)
• 39. Lotte Young Plaza (opposite Myeongdong's NOON Square, and next to Lotte Dept Store - if you don't want to shop "traditional market" all the way)
• 40. Seoul Station Bus Terminal no. 6
• 41. Namdaemun Market
• 42. Myeong-dong
• 43. Jonggak (and Bosingak)
• 44. Tapgol Park, Insadong
• 45. Sewoon Electronics Plaza 
• 46. Gwangjang Market
• 47. Pyeonghwa Market - Dongdaemun fashion town
• 48. Dongmyo shrine, Dokkaebi Market (Banghak-dong), Pungmul Market (flea market, Sungin-dong)
• 49. Yangnyeong Market (oriental medicine)
• 50. Majang Market (meat and livestock, Majang-dong)
• 51. Jungang Market (Singdang-dong)

This service is not free, but KRW 12,000 max (for adults), that's a fantastic deal to discover Seoul's main traditional markets in one day (from 9:30 to 18:30), particularly when you don't know the city: seats are equipped with audioguides and screens, and there's even an interpreter on board (ENG/JAP/CHN) to help you decide where to stop and what to do... which may include cultural visits (eg Dongmyo, Insadong, Tapgol, Bosingak), and should include snacks in every market. Why not have your fix at Gwangjang (see "(Gimbap) Drug Wars in Gwangjang Market"), try "Kalguksu alley and Gamegol mandu (Namdaemun market)", eat dry squid in Jungbu Market, red meat in Majang Market?... I should hop off now, before I drool all over the keyboard.

Seoul-Jeonju free shuttle: jeonju.chesstours.co.kr - email: visitkorea@chesstours.co.kr - Tel: +82.2.1577.2507. Departures 3 times a week - Friday, Saturday, Sunday -, between March 1st and August 25. Check also K-Shuttle lines (k-shuttle.com), and Jeonju City website (jeonju.go.kr).
Seoul City Tour Bus: seoulcitybus.com (NB: much more detailed on VisitSeoul) - Tel: +82.2.1544.4239 (Traditional Markets Tour), +82.2.777.6090 (Seoul City Courses)
... and always: VisitSeoul.net - VisitKorea - Korea Travel hotline: 1330

Seoul Village 2013
Welcome to our Korean Errlines! Follow Seoul Village on Facebook and Twitter

* the fifth course after "City Circulation" (26 stops across Gangbuk with all major highlights), "Cheonggyecheon-Royal Palaces" (13 stops), and 2 non-stop "Nighttime Courses" that include the Han Riverside.

---
20130228 UPDATE

Just received this ad by email (links to VisitSeoul):

Jongno-gu dongs

Seoul's 600 year-old center, Jongno-gu, stretches over 23.9 km² and comprises 19 dong (administrative areas).

That very much matches the average: I divided Seoul's superficy (605.25 km²) and total of "dongs" (522) into 25 (the number of "gu" or districts), and got averages of 24.2 km² and 20.8 dong.

But beyond these 19 "administrative" dong (행정동) lie 87 "court" dong (법정동), most dating from the early Joseon dynasty. Many "dong" names are engraved in national history and literature. Some designate functions, because of the kind of offices or services you would find in the area.

Most dongs are simply microscopic: taking out Pyeongchang-dong (8.92 km²) leaves an average 0.17 km² for its 86 peers, and a significant portion of what's left is covered by vast mountains, parks, or royal palaces.

Regroupments, renamings, and even extensions were performed all along the XXth century, most notably:

• on April 1, 1914: under the Japanese Occupation, redistribution and renaming of the city's 186 dongs, implementation of Japanese namings. This completed the 1910 degradation of the Capital as "Gyeongseong-bu", an almost anomymous section of Gyeonggi-do, part of the annihilation of all references to Korea's identity as an independant power. Note that when Gyeongseong was renamed Seoul on August 15th, 1948, it gained a status of "Special City" which somehow marked, beyond the independence from Gyeonggi-do, the independence from colonial rule (the final "Seoul Teukbyeolsi" label was awarded exactly one year later). Jongno-gu heads the other 6 districts : Dongdaemun-gu, Jung-gu, Seodaemun-gu, Seongdong-gu, Yeongdeungpo-gu, and Yongsan-gu.
• on October 1, 1946: many renamings, mostly denipponification reversing changes made during the Occupation.
• in 1949: Seongbuk-dong, now a diplomats' lair on the other side of the Samcheong Tunnel but traditionally a Beverly Hills for Chaebol owners, leaves Jongno-gu for newly formed Seongbuk-gu
• on October 1, 1975: new city regulations ruled on September 23, 1975 extended Jongno-gu's jurisdictions well beyond the old intra muros city, most notably :
  . to the West: Muak-dong and Gyonam-dong added from Seodaemun-gu. Gyonam is on the "wrong" side of the old Dongnimmun gate and the fortress wall, but after the completion of Sajik tunnel, it obviously completed a newly formed large block around Gyeonghuigung. Incorporating Muak-dong adds the other side of Inwangsan.
  . to the East: Sungin-dong and Changsin-dong taken from Dongdaemun-gu, completing the "sadaemun" tableau (the gu now encompasses the 4 main gates)
  . to the North: Buam-dong and Pyeongchang-dong join the party, wrapping Bugaksan in the gu, and putting Cheonghwadae and Gyeongbokgung, symbols of yesterday's and today's power, in the center of the map.

FULL LIST OF JONGNO "DONG" (19 "Administrative", 87 "Court"):

Buam-dong (부암동 - 3 court dongs): Buam-dong, Hongji-dong, Sinyeong-dong.

Changsin 1-dong (창신1동 - 1/3): Changsin-dong (covers 3 administrative dongs).

Changsin 2-dong (창신2동 - 1/3): Changsin-dong (covers 3 administrative dongs).

Changsin 3-dong (창신3동 - 1/3): Changsin-dong (covers 3 administrative dongs).

Cheongun-dong (청운동 - 3): Cheongun-dong, Gungjeong-dong, Singyo-dong.
Gahoe-dong (가회동 - 4): Gahoe-dong, Jae-dong, Gye-dong, Wonseo-dong.

Gyonam-dong (교남동 - 6): Gyobuk-dong, Gyonam-dong, Haengchon-dong (Hengchon-dong), Hongpa-dong, Pyeong-dong, Songwol-dong.
Hyehwa-dong (혜화동 - 4): Hyehwa-dong, Myeongnyun-dong 1-ga, Myeongnyun-dong 2-ga, Myeongnyun-dong 4-ga.

Hyoja-dong (효자동 - 6): Changseong-dong, Hyoja-dong, Nuha-dong, Nusang-dong, Ogin-dong, Tongin-dong.
Ihwa-dong (이화동 - 3): Dongsung-dong, Ihwa-dong, Yeongeon-dong.

Jongno 1.2.3.4 ga-dong (종로1.2.3.4가동 - 28): Bongik-dong, Cheongjin-dong, Doneui-dong, Gongpyeong-dong, Gwancheol-dong, Gwanhoon-dong, Gwansu-dong, Gwonnong-dong, Gyeongun-dong, Gyeonji-dong, Hoonjeong-dong (Hunjeong-dong), Ikseon-dong, Ineui-dong, Insa-dong (Insadong), Jangsa-dong, Jongno 1-ga, Jongno 2-ga, Jongno 3-ga, Jongno 4-ga, Junghak-dong, Myo-dong, Nagwon-dong, Seolin-dong, Susong-dong, Waryong-dong, Wonnam-dong, Wooni-dong, Yoeji-dong.

Jongno 5.6 ga-dong (종로5.6가동 - 5): Chungsin-dong, Hyojoe-dong, Jongno 5-ga, Jongno 6-ga, Yeonji-dong.
Muak-dong (무악동 - 1): Muak-dong.

Myeongnyun 3-ga-dong (명륜3가동 - 1): Myeongnyun-dong 3-ga.

Pyeongchang-dong (평창동 - 2): Gugi-dong, Pyeongchang-dong.
Sajik-dong (사직동 - 12): Chebu-dong, Dangju-dong, Doryeom-dong, Jeokseon-dong, Naeja-dong, Naesu-dong, Pilun-dong, Sajik-dong, Sejongno-dong (세종로동), Shinmunro 1-ga, Shinmunro 2-ga, Tongeui-dong (Tongui-dong).
Samcheong-dong (삼청동 - 7): Anguk-dong, Hwa-dong, Palpan-dong, Sagan-dong, Samcheong-dong, Sogyeok-dong, Songhyeon-dong.

Sungin 1-dong (숭인1동 - 1/2): Sungin-dong (covers 2 administrative dongs).

Sungin 2-dong (숭인2동 - 1/2): Sungin-dong (covers 2 administrative dongs).

Jongno-gu keeps changing very quickly, and it's getting hard not to bump into areas under redevelopment. Population should increase significantly in the years to come. There are only 180,000 inhabitants nowadays, but registered population tops 1.4 M, and 2M people live there during daytime (many office headquarters). Some dongs may disappear (ie Pyeong-dong in the future Gyonam New Town / Dongnimmun New Town).

SM 2009