Thread 2813888

Share your Seoul/Jeju/Busan routes, accommodation hacks, transit tips and underrated spots. Budget to luxury - all travelers welcome!

>>2813888 (OP)
Kill yourself tiny white dicked cuck.

>>2813888 (OP)
Thinking about going to Seoul for a week as a solo traveler. Went to japan recently and I had fun but I want to visit other Asian countries in fall.

1) Any must visits?
2) Must eats?
3) Is it very cold in November? I love cold weather.
4) Are women easy to pick up? ( I am white and I am considered attractive. Been asked out by women of all races and even cat called)
5) Hows the train system? Can I get by without using a taxi?
6) Are people rude in Seoul?

>>2814016
Fuck off sex tourist

1. Jejudo
2. Tteokbokki. It's like the one food item that isn't over- or under-rated. It's perfectly appropriately rated.
3. Yes.
4. Hard to say, I'd need to see your face to get a better idea.
5. It's good, but even if you had to take a taxi, they're stupid-cheap.
6. Depends on the age. Anyone in their late teens to mid-50s are rude on purpose. Anyone outside of that age range are unintentionally rude out curiosity. Something like "My, what hairy arms you have!" "What a huge nose!"

>>2814016
1: No
2: Yes
3: Yes
4: If you're black, yes
5: Yes
6: Without joking, yes. By far the grumpiest in all of Asia. Only place where I've had people randomly push me multiple times and cut in front of me for no reason. Even Chinese and Indians are more polite, as ridiculous as that sounds.

My recommendation is dontvgo

I have no notion of what I’d like about Korea beyond food and the drinking culture. What makes people want to go there? I can think of hundreds of reasons to go to Japan, China, various SEA countries, but only the two for Korea. Unless I were significantly rich, they seem like bad reasons to go across the world.

So, genuinely, what’s the deal?

>>2815019
>I can think of hundreds of reasons to go to Japan, China, various SEA countries
Because you're interested in these places and you can easily think of reasons to go there.
>So, genuinely, what’s the deal?
>they seem like bad reasons to go across the world
Because they're interested in SK and they can easily think of reasons to go there, and for someone interested in SK food they can easily make the justification to fly halfway across the globe just for that reason.
There's the entire Korean media industry and by extension all the dance schools, Korean culture, food, bizarro world DMZ.
If you're like me and also interested in diving, then they also have a 35 meter pool, which is a fun break from the usual reef / shipwreck / cave dive - Japan doesn't have an equivalent and I'm flying to SK next week for this exact reason (plus food and my friend's wedding).
You can name a hundred different sights in Japan but for someone who isn't particularly interested in Japan, they will tell you the same thing - bad reason to go across the world.
The same person can name a hundred different sights in SK and you'd be scratching your head wondering what those places are.
t. don't care about SK and live in Japan, just using these two places as an example.

>>2815034
I wish I still had the mind of a child like you.

>>2815039
>place bad
>do not want go
>why people go
>name a bunch of reasons why others might want to go
>wah child
Bravo.

>>2815034
>The same person can name a hundred different sights in SK and you'd be scratching your head wondering what those places are.
When I’ve asked people irl who express an interest in Korea they just say things like “food,” and “K-pop.” I’m sure there are people who have more of a reason (ethnic Koreans for instance) for such interest, but I haven’t had the opportunity to ask.

I guess I’m “interested” in Korea insofar as I realize that this is a blind spot for me and want to correct it.
>>2815040
NTA, not sure what he means by childish. If you live in Japan and are into diving, flying to Korea for that pool isn’t outrageous

>>2815019
>I have no notion of what I’d like about Korea beyond food and the drinking culture. What makes people want to go there?
the food and the drinking culture

it's one of the most fun places in Asia to visit. if you want to go see temples and shrines go to Japan, if you want to see nature go to China, if you want to eat and have fun go to Korea. couple that with the fact that it's a safe and developed country while being much cheaper than the west, and I think that's enough of a reason.

women also go for shopping (Korea is big in cosmetics, fashion, etc.) plus all the stupid kpop shit, but I assume this does not interest you

>>2815050
>war, history
DMZ, museums
>nature / outdoors
Jeju, Nami, Busan
>food
Night markets
>culture
Preserved/reconstructed towns/temples/castles, festivals
>modern "culture"?
kpop, clubs
I'm sure you can easily find parallels to other countries, once again I'm going to use Japan because you mentioned it, that you find interesting from this list - DMZ and Hiroshima/Nagasaki, towns/castles/temples/festivals arr rook same, Kyushu and Kagoshima for Jeju and Busan. The Japanese parallels probably sound interesting to you, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Korean parallels do not sound exciting to you, despite both having some similarities. You may have even heard of these places before, but it just never occurred to you as strong enough of a reason why other people bother flying halfway across the globe. Simply just not your thing, nothing wrong with that.
I have the same situation with anything that only involves sightseeing. If you gave me the choice between a month long historical trip around Europe visiting medieval sites and other historical sites, or 3 days snowboarding down Alpe d'Huez, I wouldn't even blink.

>>2814277
I’m South Asian. Do I have a chance?

>>2815101
Only if you know how to make a sick biryani.

>>2815102
I can open an Indian restaurant in Korea? Is that what you’re suggestion?

>>2815110
No, I'm just saying you can redeem yourself in social situations by cooking them a delicious meal.

>>2815099
>You may have even heard of these places before, but it just never occurred to you as strong enough of a reason why other people bother flying halfway across the globe. Simply just not your thing, nothing wrong with that.
Yeah, damn, simple as.
>>2815088
I can accept that Korea has an exceptional party scene, but I can “have fun” eating and drinking just about anywhere

>>2815192
dunno man you can also watch videos of japanese temples on youtube. why travel anywhere

>>2815196
Alright buddy I’m not going to get autistic with you

>>2813888 (OP)
I'm a communist, where do you recommend I visit specifically in the DPRK?

>>2815280
Is your party affiliated with the IMCWP? If so, you might be able to swing a primo tour for free

>>2813888 (OP)
lads I came to Korea and

what the actual fuck is this shit

>>2813888 (OP)
lads I came to Korea and

what the actual fuck is this shit

>>2815489
Coffee shops in general are just running out of ideas, I guess. I once had an espresso mixed with orange juice in the Czech Republic. This was at a Costa Coffee, so I wouldn't be surprised if it existed in other countries. And yes, it tasted as terrible as it sounds.

>>2815116
I still don’t get you dude. You want me to cook food and stand on the street passing it out to people to make friends? Does this actually work?
Most East Asian women I speak to just simply ignore me and most East Asian men think I’m LGBT if I start speaking to them and tell me I’m not interested.

>>2815768
Never mind, I take everything back. If you're this awkward with online conversations, you're not gonna make it with live in-person conversations.

>>2815770
Thanks for your help I guess

I have 3 months to spend in Korea.
I speak not a lick of Korean.

Where would you recommend staying for cheap?

Busan seems like a nice place. I'd be there in February-April

>>2817495
How cheap? If you want even cheaper than Busan, go to Northeast South Korea, eg. Sokcho.

But if it was me, I would also go for Busan. Much more relaxed vibe compared to Seoul, but not too relaxed. And I just like the views. I would probably spend half of the time based in Suyeong-gu, other half in Nampo-dong.

Download and get used to Papago, it will all be fine.

While South Koreans speak the best English out of East Asians, I would still learn at least "hi, do you speak English?" in Korean. That one expression just gives people a seconds to switch to English-speaking mode.

Or, you can just shove the Papago translation in their faces, people are used to dealing with foreigners and don't mind looking at your phone.

>>2817495
you can get reasonably cheap places in seoul booking 4+ weeks at a time just off of booking.com or such websites. id recommend spending at least half the time in seoul, literally half the population of the country is there/ in its immediate proximity. you wont run out of things to do

you can learn the korean script at least, only take a few hours and its pretty fun to be able to read signs, menus, etc https://www.ryanestrada.com/learntoreadkoreanin15minutes/

>>2817840
Should I learn?
Don't know how much I could learn in such short time (I have like 4 months to learn)
I speak Japanese and have met many Koreans in Japan, they always seemed like the most capable Asians (as far as English goes).

>>2817745
I just realized you answered my question above lol.

Well I guess it wouldn't hurt to learn very basic shit like ''where is x'' ''thank you for your help'' and whanot. I do find it disrespectful to just make people adapt to you rather than the opposite.

What do you think of Geoje?
I found some cheap airbnb there and in Busan. Seoul was a bit tough to find cheaper accommodation but maybe I'm just a retard for looking solely on airbnb - the thing is I'd rather have my own kitchen to cook my stuff.

Also thank you for recommending that place in NE S. Korea, I'll have a look.

I quite literally know (virtually) nothing about Korea. I like war stuff, old historical sites and good food, I'm a simple guy.

No fucks given about wahmen, mongering, kpop and all that jazz.

oh btw >>2817920
what do you guys recommend for physical sim (and eSim)

I had a look online but it looked very expensive to me, I'm probably not looking at decent places

where do you guys recommend for online shopping for groceries in Korea?

basic shit like milk and whatnot

>>2818464
cannot do online shopping without a korean phone number (not tourist sim) which involves having a long-term residence card

>>2818530

Are there really no options that allow me to have a korean number temporarily? Like even if I buy a physical sim?

>>2813888 (OP)
I think that Seoul and the other big cities feel quite soulless once the facade wears off after the first few days.
There are some cool spots near the DMZ, relating to the war. Museums, tunnels and shit. These were genuinely the highlight of my trip to South Korea.

>>2818880
That's just cities in general.

>>2818840
no, the phone number is a stand-in for identity verification and only the properly registered korean phone numbers are accepted

korean internet and IT is a totalitarian shitshow that is not far from china's but somehow nobody complains about it much

>>2818880
I don't know what you mean by "soul" if you're just listing tourist places that you visited. You wanted even more of those? Yeah Seoul doesn't have much history and it's not an aesthetically beautiful city because it was razed to the ground too many times and then rebuilt when Korea was pretty much a third world shithole.
But to me the city now has way more "soul" than the majority of cities in Asia, and I'm not exaggerating that. The nightlife is world class, the arts are thriving and are really enjoyed by the public (plenty of galleries, exhibitions), there is a nice and lively local music scene often supported by the government in the form of tons of free public performances, there's lots of areas to chill and walk around (parks, pedestrian spaces etc)., and of course the food scene is fantastic.

>>2818953
sounds retarded but thanks a lot for the heads up, I wasn't expecting that at all...

I'm trying to book a place in Seoul and the only options available are:
>hyundai pay
>kimchi pay
>samgyupsal pay
>kakao pay
>samsung pay
>bibimbap pay
>bulgogi pay
>naver pay
I've given up on this particular place, but what about in the city itself? Will I get fucked if I don't prepare at least one of these options? Should I prepare some kimchi in my wallet?

>>2819360
korea has been the only country i had problems with payments from my card (mastercard, from monzo bank in the uk...). i set up samsung pay on my phone which is no more extensive than setting up google wallet and it still got declined from time to time. useless.
i couldn't really figure anything out because many people dont seem to have any problems so i wasn't too sure, you should probably carry some cash but most of the ATMs have excessive fees so dont do many withdrawals

>>2819411
Not that guy but that's good info.

I'm getting 3 other cards before going to Korea early next year just in case, plus will take some cash.

>>2819411
I never had issues with card payments in Korea and paying by cash is usually inconvenient (most places have touchscreen ordering kiosks)
I only had to pay by cash in the smaller local markets, and to top up the metro card

>>2820135
any other tips for payments?
I never had problems with my cards in Japan.

>>2819360
>Kimchi pay
>Bulgogi pay
yum

>>2819360
Booking where?

Going to korea in april, have about a week in jeju and a few days in seoul, anyone got any recommendations of sites? Leaning more towards hiking, nature stuff but history stuff is cool too.

>>2822369
Gyeongju is one of the few cities in the world with a history as an ancient capital dating back to BC, much older than Kyoto, and with three World Heritage sites in the city.
Gyeongju is also different from Kyoto and Nara in that there are no modern buildings around the remains, and the streets remain as they were in those days.

>>2822384
you can spend weeks exploring kyoto. gyeongju is closer to nara in terms of scale of historic sites, you'll quickly run out after a day or 2

Is 4 days enough for Seoul? I was planning on staying for 8 days but I am thinking about using 3 days to site see Chongqing China or Sapporo Japan for December.

>>2819411
>>2820264
It seems like American cards are readily accepted but EU/UK cards seem to have more problems. You can find WOWPASS card kiosks in many places including Incheon airport. It basically functions as a pre paid Korean debit card and will be accepted anywhere. You can top it off at kiosks or via the app using a paypal acct or credit card (they might not accept Visa though). Namane is another prepaid type card and they do accept Visa to fill/top off your balance but you might have to do it at a physical kiosk which are not as common as WOWPASS ones.

You'll need to get a T-Money card to use public transportation and those can only be purchased via cash so bring at least 100-200 USD to exchange for that.

>>2822859
Yeah, it's enough. I'd honestly give Seoul 3 days and 4 to Chongqing.

WHERE GET SUCKY SUCKY FUCKY FUCKY IN COREA
BABY NEED SPOONFEED WEBSITE

>>2824707
Literally just be white and walk down any street. It's, no joke, that easy.

>>2824710
Why do people keep saying this? It cannot possibly be true.

>>2826117
Have you tried being white?

>>2823847
Never been to Chongqing, but only devoting three days to Seoul is criminal imo.
If you want to hit up the main tourist spots then maybe, but you’ll have an underwhelming experience - the palaces pale in comparison to the Chinese, and Japan has the more impressive mega cities.
The best thing about Seoul is leisurely exploring the different district, their different characters (Buamdong is completely different to Seongsu) and just discovering stuff. I fell for the meme that it was a plastic city and society, but was surprised by its ever present greenery, rich arts and cafe scene. Seoul unironically is one of the most sovlful places in the region. Also visit Busan

>>2822859
you are spending one entire day to get to chongqing.
>1 hr to airport, 2 hour pre-flight, 4 hour flight, 1 hour immigration, 1 hour to get into chongqing, all at best.
a total waste of 1/8th of a trip.

Seoul for 5 days, 2 days dedicated to a wedding. What/where to eat? Only interested in food. kbbq, chicken, meat heavy dishes in particular. Staying in Myeongdong. Doesn't have to be Korean food, just good restaurants.

>>2827485
Wholheartedly agree, Anon. I must say, what felt nice about Korea is how alive it is. While being less crowded, being in Hongdae or Itaewon and having all these side alleys full of life... it's something about the layout that is much less centralized than other East Asian cities and districts.

>>2827485
Based

>>2827485
>I fell for the meme that it was a plastic city and society, but was surprised by its ever present greenery, rich arts and cafe scene.
it really is an underrated travel destination but even on this board people seethe about korea because they expect a second japan with muh temples and shrines and are disappointed when it's not that.
I agree that it probably has the best "vibe" or soul among most places in Asia.

I do wonder how the vibe changes once you actually live there though.

>>2829926
>once you actually live there
I have been very strongly advised against trying this.

Going to be in Seoul for 3 days in December. Any recommendations other than usual touristy spots? Mostly interested in food and historical stuff

>>2830819
>interested in food
Heres a list of the markets you should try when in the areas
https://youtu.be/pwhbmORHbMs?si=vMvCf6jlZZobfA3g&t=350

>>2826117
>Why do people keep saying this? It cannot possibly be true.
It's not true if you're white. It is true if you are black. Korean women are absolutely, and I'm not even exaggerating here, obsessed with black men. Seoul if you're the ASAP Rocky type, any city with a US military base if you're a more masculine type.

>>2826117
Of course it’s not, especially as you have areas like Myeongdong (and Itaewon to an extent) where you’re likely to see more foreigners than locals walking down the street during the day. Foreigners aren’t a novelty anymore.
The answer to the initial question is Yeongdongpo, those who know, know

>>2830819
do a hike across bukhansan

>>2831765
haha did you really search up a shitty youtube video just so you could bump your dogshit thread

>>2830595
everyone says this about every country

>>2831955
kek true. Living just sucks

>>2832080
i hear that

I'm going to have 4 days to visite SK outside of Seoul in start of november. I'm hesitating in going to jejudo with its hallasan park or to other national parks (seoraksan, jirisan, byeonsanbando), also considering a templestay... I mostly enjoy nature and scenic landscape. Any recommendations?

>>2833184
Of those you’ve listed, I’ve only visited Seoraksan, and had a fantastic time, some of the views on the trails were breathtaking.
There are no trains to Sokcho, the nearest town, so you’d need to get an express bus from Seoul that takes around 2 and a half hours. Korean buses are comfy though, so it’s not really an issue.
I stayed there for two days and found that was plenty of time to hike a number of trails, though I’m sure you could spend longer there, especially if you wanted to challenge the likes of Dinosaur Ridge.
I’ve heard Seoraksan gets absolutely rammed with domestic tourists in the Autumn though, because of the colours of the foliage, so that might be something to consider.

>>2833184
Seoroksan and Jirisan are amazing parks. If you are into temples and hiking I would recommend Tongdosa just north of Busan. The temple itself is one of the big three in the country, but in and around are loads of different little shrines and nature to explore. It is wicked nice. Nearby, Miryang is also really good with its reservoir area in and around the Pyocheongsa temple area. There are loads of pension/motels out there to stay at that are pretty chill be Korean standards.

Do I need to take any precautions hiking in Bukhansan such as for ticks, other bugs/animals, etc.?

>>2833416
no

I am leaving japan soon and heading to South Korea next week. Is it true porn is banned? Do I need to throw away my dvds before heading there?

>>2833416
Get some shoe chains/crampons. Outdoor stores should sell them. Many of the paths will be icy during the winter, I went in late feb and fell on my ass once.

>>2833463
Ty

>>2833523
Even in October? The weather has been 9-25C as far as I've seen. I'm going next week, should have specified.

>>2833531
youll be fine then

>>2814016
You answered your question 2 with your image

Is it true bars/clubs have upper age limits in Seoul? I'm 30.

I heard Korea is Japan, but Dante Must Die mode for foreigners.

>>2833824
in what sense? they speak way more English than Japan

>>2833799
many clubs in the college areas do. doesn't really apply if you're attractive though

>>2833891
>doesn't really apply if you're attractive though
fuck I gotta handsome max before I go.

>>2833799
In Hongdae yes, as there’s a university nearby, and the clubbers are generally younger. Depends on how old you look.
Itaewon is a lot more forgiving with age.
>>2833824
Where did you hear that? Korea is East Asia: Easy Mode, especially if you spend most of your time in Seoul. You basically have all of the conveniences of Japan, with a much wider pool of English speakers.

>>2833958
>>2833891
Well, in terms of:
>the women tend to be gold-digging whores, relative to their Japanese counterparts, tend to have WAY higher standards, the economy is singularly focused on Samsung or whatever, it's way more difficult to date on account of the men taking one glance at your white pig ass and beating the shit out of you because military enlistment is mandatory, etc.

>>2834004
>the women tend to be gold-digging whores, relative to their Japanese counterparts
you have zero experience with Japanese women. local Japanese dating apps make you put in your salary if you're a male
>tend to have WAY higher standards
oh no, you can't date an 8/10 as a 4/10 just because you're white, woe is me
>the economy is singularly focused on Samsung or whatever
not sure what this has to do with women or anything
>it's way more difficult to date on account of the men taking one glance at your white pig ass and beating the shit out of you because military enlistment is mandatory,
if you can get beat up by a Korean you honestly deserve to

>>2834004
Sounds like someone who hasn’t visited either country.
There is some truth in Korea being a more looks based society, especially when cosmetic procedures and plastic surgery is available everywhere, relatively cheaply. So yeah, you’re going to have to put effort into your appearance.
You’re not going to get jumped for dating one, the locals are generally chill. If you start shit, you will get checked.
And if you don’t think Japanese women have standards, or if they don’t care about money, then good luck kek

As bad as the mega corps are, that singular focus brought Korea from the third world to what it is today

Weird question. How do you choose places to eat in Seoul? In Japan I just walked into places but for some reason they seem intimidating here. Maybe it's because I just arrived and I'm severely jetlagged. There wasn't anything good in 7/11 either. What's the equivalent of grabbing famichiki and an onigiri here?

>>2834490
>In Japan I just walked into places but for some reason they seem intimidating here.
some places in Korea will be 2 portions minimum order (bbq restaurants etc)
otherwise just walk in
>There wasn't anything good in 7/11 either. What's the equivalent of grabbing famichiki and an onigiri here?
onigiri in Korea is unironically better than in Japan, so much filling and it's all tasty shit not some weird as fuck plums
but the actual cultural equivalent would be kimbap shops

I think a couple tried to recruit me into a cult today in Hongdae. They approached me and struck up a general conversation. I didn't have anything to do and I'm used to people in Asia asking what I think about the country etc. so I entertained it. In the end they tried to get me to go to another town with them to take part in some ancestor worship ritual. I declined and they kept trying to persuade/guilt trip me so I left. Later on I walked past two people outside a van (those big Mercedes ones that are often used by taxi companies) with blacked out windows and a sign that said FREE BIBLE COURSE, with a woman in white and a man in a black suit outside it. I thought it was nice of them to be open about the fact they're a cult, rather than the sneaky methods of the young couple.

>>2835414
only cults will approach you on the street in korea. in the metro it's either cults or schizophrenic old people.

>>2835414
100% a cult, that’s a textbook approach. The only time a Korean will randomly stop to speak to you in the street - in English - is to evangelise (which is usually harmless) or to take you to one of those ceremonies.

>>2835816
Is it possible to game and abuse their hospitality for a kino experience?

>>2835825
It’s not really hospitable, they’ll perform a ceremony where you’ll get lectured to, sing, bow, burn paper, and then get asked for donations lol

>>2835979
How do people unironically get caught up in this? Is it all '''christian''' offshoots? Or are they practising some proper fringe shit?

Be honest with me. What does Korea have to offer a solo traveler that Japan doesn't? Even the language seems more complicated to learn a bit of.

Any one person friendly bbq places in Seoul? Or is any place fine as long as its lunch time?

>>2836557
Its English friendly. Lots of signs are in English and much more people speak english or just enough to get around. The biggest thing is the atmosphere. People are more chill and less robotic than Japan. Food is really good.

Top 3 places to see temples and historical Korea buildings?

>>2837510
It is usually fine. People will just mostly look at you funny. Just rock up to a samgyeopsal place and get down. Just remember most places have minimum order, which is often a lot of meat for one person. Show them how it is done.

>>2837512
People have told me before that most Korean women are fairly cold or hostile to foreign men while Japanese woman are much more open and enthusiastic to meet foreigners.

>>2837513
Most hirtorical stuff has been obliterated in multiple wars, invasions, annexation, etc. Also redevelopment booms have been a thing in recent decades. Korea has been fucked over for centuries. There are some cool shit though worth checking out.

Seoul = palaces. Not much old here. There some interesting older homes in Insadong, but pretty touristy. There is a chunk of the Berlin Wall outside a bank by Myeongdong of all things which was neat to see.

Gyeongju = old ass burial mounds. UNESCO listed.

Jeonju = The hanok village there is pretty fun. Especially if you are with a girl or just want to vibe staring at old hanok style roof tops. Stayed with the MRS. at a B and B in old style house, she got to rent hanbok and run and run for the day while we cafe hopped and peaked at old homes. There is also a folk village outside of town with old homes and a bit of a fake reconstruction of a fortress. The food in this city is also off the chain.

Hahoe Folk Village: just outsside of Andong. Really cool place.

Busan: Gamcheon Village. Up a hill and is mostly old lego block homes built by refugees during the Korean war. It has since become a bit of an artist place. Well worth a wander.

Temples: Tongdosa is great. Spend the day hopping around to different small shrines throughout the area. You may need your own tranportation. Youngungsa in Busan is also interesting as it is one of the few temples by the sea.

>>2837517
not the case in my experience. Most can be very outgoing. I found Japanese women far more shy. Coffee shops, bars, language cafes are often great places to meet women and or people in general. Seoul is pretty shit for this, but any of the other big cities like Busan or Daegu have way more outgoing people who are interested in hanging out with the foreigner.

>want to apply for digital nomad visa
>has to be done in person at embassy
>have to drive half my across the country just to get to one
fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck the midwest

>>2836557
>JAPAN JAPAN JAPAN
it's just a different country mate. different culture, different food, different everything.

>>2837510
Most places will be okay if you say you'll order 2 portions.

>>2837513
>>2837521
Other places near Gyeongju too, highly recommend:
* Bulguksa
* Seokguram Grotto
* Golgulsa Temple
* Girimsa Temple

>>2837521
>Gyeongju = old ass burial mounds. UNESCO listed.
Gyeongju has several days' worth of historical stuff, the mounds were not even close to my favorite places there

I very much liked the vibe of Gyeongju in general. People sometimes refer to it as the "Kyoto of Korea" and maybe the government is trying a bit too hard to force it to be that rather than its own thing, but it still has plenty of charm.
Yes the temples are mostly modern reconstructions for obvious reasons, but solid efforts were made to reconstruct using the original materials and methods.
Overall highly recommended for a couple of days, especially as a trip from Busan.

>>2837700
you can also head to the reservoir area there and rent ATVs and rip shit up. It is pretty fun imo. Just be aware that the main KTX station is a bit out of town and you will need to jump on transit into the actual town. If you take a bus from Busan or the older slower rail service it will get you into the action. The food in Gyeongju is probably the only let done. Busan is a good base, but if you want something more quieter and authentic, Miryang a bit south from there is also pretty nice in the Spring and Fall. There are loads of pension places to stay. If it is warm enough there are also some nice camping sites along the river where you will end up being co opted by a group of older Koreans who will get you wasted. There are also loads of places to hike, and Pyochungsa which is a quieter temple that is also quite nice.